“Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing
with living water.”
— “The Deeps” from The Valley of Vision Prayers
August 8, 2024 Here’s a hot take: I am generally very pro reading. We should all do it, and we should definitely encourage it in our children. In addition to being exposed to new ideas, explanations, and perspectives, you also might occasionally learn a new word. I recently came across the term “restiveness” and I had to do the thing where you highlight the word and look up the definition (it was either that or google, I’m not sure if I own a dictionary). I learned in my techno-sleuthing that restiveness is “the quality of being unwilling to be controlled or be patient” and then I felt personally attacked. How could a word so completely encapsulate and describe me as a person? I’m not sure I liked that. But who among us likes being told what to do, where to go, or how to live? Who likes being constrained and hemmed in? Is it common to maintain the ability to simply exist with stillness and without the harrowing anxiety that compels fidgety fingers to type, text, search, and scroll because we don’t like being alone with our thoughts? We scroll, text, search, tap, like, and subscribe with a restive fury because it’s difficult to be still and quiet. Lest you think I’m about to complain about technology destroying our culture and ruining our attention spans (which it has to a certain degree), this restiveness is not a cultural issue. It’s not a technological issue. It’s a spiritual issue, a heart issue, and a neck issue. In our sin nature we are very active. We rebel against the God who made us, pursue idolatry, pleasure, power, and personal gain. We want, we take, we acquire–our sin and rebellion are almost in constant motion. Our hearts, as John Calvin wrote, are perpetual idol-making factories. A restive people indeed. The Bible describes sinful Israel as a “stubborn and stiff necked people.” In our sin nature we do what we want rather than what God wants. But yet over and over again God is as merciful, gracious, and abounding in steadfast love as his people are stubborn. Over and over his people are instructed, discipled, forgiven, and restored. And this did not come about because people got placed on a self-improvement plan and got better. Nor was it because God simply overlooked their sin. This reality of forgiveness and restoration and growth only happens because sin gets atoned for. God’s wrath against the sins of his people was placed on a sacrificial animal in the Old Testament, but those sacrifices paved the way for the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus in our place. Because he bore the wrath of God we might receive the grace of God. Because he was condemned we could be redeemed. When our hearts are regenerated and made new by the Holy Spirit we become new creations–with new hearts, not hearts of stone but of flesh that can feel the reality of being quieted by the love of God in Christ. And not only do we get new hearts, we also get new necks. Pliable necks from a pliable heart filled with the Holy Spirit and sensitive to his direction and leading. Take courage, Christian. You have the remains of restiveness in your heart, but you have a Redeemer who has overcome you sinful rebellion and stopped up ears. You have a Redeemer who is continually quieting you with his love and filling you with his Spirit so that you might know the love and the peace and the joy of your Father. Your God loves you and delights in you because of Christ, not your ability to be still and content in a given moment. Rejoice in that, and know there is a rest in Christ now and for all time. See y’all on Sunday! In Christ, John D |
Announcements
| —Informational Meeting Sunday, August 11 For those who are interested, we will be having an informational meeting on Sunday, August 11 immediately following the worship service to give some more information regarding our property search. This meeting will specifically be giving some historical perspective as to other properties we’ve looked at, why we bought the land that we did, and why we’re excited about pursuing the Rock Family Church property. No decisions will be made, no votes will be had–this is just to make sure everyone has all the information that they want as we move toward voting on property decisions. One bit of information that might be of interest is the location of our old property. There will be pictures on Sunday, but if you want to go look at it you can! —Summer Study of Ecclesiastes We will continue our summer study through the book of Ecclesiastes this Sunday, August 11 at 5pm. This study will run for 10 consecutive weeks through the summer and will be located at the Downs’s home. We will eat a meal starting at 5 and begin our study promptly at 6pm. —Songs for Sunday Here’s what we’re singing this Sunday if you’d like to familiarize yourself with tunes + lyrics! Hail To The Lord’s Anointed Psalm 24 (to the tune of Approach My Soul The Mercy Seat) Crown Him With Many Crowns How Sweet And Awesome Is The Place Be Thou My Vision |
INTERESTING LINKS
These are some links that I have read recently that I enjoyed, found helpful, made me think, or otherwise did good for my soul/heart/mind.
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