The Furious Longing of God

Three days ago while purchasing a devotional for a friend, I came across a book with a unique title from a familiar author, "The Furious Longing of God" by Brennan Manning. To be honest, I originally read the title as "The Furious Longing FOR God," and thought I may be able to use it as fodder for a sermon series in the coming year. It was not until I placed the book on my night stand next to my new copy of "Streams in the Desert" did I realize I had miss-read the title. I can tell that now, 136 pages later I am thankful for the of.

As I journeyed with Manning through the text, i began to see the love of God in a whole new way. Manning does not give new, greater insight into any particular passage of scripture, or expound and exegete a red letter phrase as to revolution ones view. Actually it is all as simple as my mistaken reading of the title, because for me "of" made all the difference. What I began to see as I read is that the furious longing of God is you and me. He so desperately longed for us that he came to this, taking on flesh - that is Jesus. The same furious longing which brought Christ to Earth drove him to the cross. God's love for you and for me is intense, fierce, relentless. We are the furious longing of His heart. It is the furious longing of God that leads us to the furious longing for God

"...He first loved us"

Thoughts from a Parking Ticket

Today I had the displeasure of drving an hour to fight an underserved parking ticket. It was underserved because we actually paid for parking. We received the ticket because the officer did not see the receipt properly displayed in the window. The officer did not see the receipt because we did not display it properly. Despite the headache of the trip, I am thankful for what I hope will helpful thoughts and conversations for all of us to have.

Thought 1: People are mean when they are right. I watched today as 120 people yelled, swore, huffed, snipped at the one man who dared say they were wrong - the prosecuter. It made me think of how often Christians are right. We state how right we are in spiritual terms like "God told me," "I feel," or even "the Bible says." While what is said is often right, the attitude is very wrong. Litterally we are so right, we are wrong.

Thought 2: Time needs to be redeemed. As I sat waiting for my turn to plead my case I was racked with thoughts of what needed to be accomplished today and thoughts of how court was the last place I wanted to be. I was convinced that, given an oppotunity to be heard I could be aquitted of the crime my resting Civic had committed. However that opportunity would not be afforded to me until the after noon. I chose to pay the fine rather than the time. Time is something we can never get back. How many of us stress more about wasted dollars than wasted moments? I pray that my family and I come to value our minutes over money, and experiences over possesions. I can always make more money. I can't always make more memories.

Thought 3: Proof must be displayed. The crime which I stood accused of was not that I did not pay the parking fee. Rather, it was that I did not properly display the proof that the fee was paid. I wonder how often that is the case our day to day lives. How often do we carry the name, love, and grace on our hearts but never display him in our lives. Proof is meaningless if it is not public. When we fail to display the proof of what Christ has done in our lives to the world, we fail to display the reality of Christ's lifechanging power.

Renown

I know too many famous people. To be honest, I help make too many people famous. Movies, television, sports, music — I am entertained by all of it. I quote the funny lines from the movies, talk about the great plays, and sing the catchy songs. With this great knowledge of popular culture, I impress my peers and sometimes myself. On the surface, these all seem very innocent. One-liners from the office, Brett Favre's great game, and Creed's comeback tour are fun to discuss, though all for different reasons. But as I prayed this morning, I wondered if I am making Christ famous?

In the book of Joshua we have the story of Israel taking Jericho. However, before they cross the Jordan River, Joshua sends two spies to check the area out. They are hidden by a woman named Rahab and this is what she says to the spies,

"We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below." - Joshua 2:9-11

Before the spies arrived, the people of the land had heard about great things God had done. "For we have heard how the Lord..."

Look at the response, "For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below."

If you know the history, you know that God called the nation of Israel for the purpose of making His Name great among the nations. The people of Israel did not always see it that way. Often grumbling through trials and demonstrating ingratitude for blessings. They even doubted God's word and strength. Despite all the trials and wandering, God's purpose for them was to raise His renown among the nations of the earth. Could it be that our lives are meant to do the very same thing? Could it be that our lives should point to Christ, should make Him famous? Absolutely. Our lives are mode God will use to raise His renown on the Earth. People will know of God before we speak of Him by our lives. It is our lives that will confirm or deny the Christ we preach. Let us work to make God famous.