Days 207-208 - First, First, First

Yesterday I looked at God being First in my life. Today I want to focus on what the Word says opposed to Crabb’s dialogue which appears to suggest people can ‘empty yourself’ – saying “we can create opportunity for God to fill our empty hearts” and that “discovered emptiness is our opportunity to learn what it means to know God”).
Rev. 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Here is the issue I have with Crabb’s wording - I do not see that I can DO anything to MAKE God First in my life – I simply need to SEE that HE ALREADY IS THE FIRST, and bow before that.

When I bow before Him, it is true, I am answering His call with an obedient “Yes”. God miraculously allows that free will – He will not MAKE me obey Him, He will not empty me of sin, nor fill me with Himself, without my willing heart, and I cannot MAKE God do anything! But He will, at my desire, make me willing to be willing. Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

There are many similar promises of what God wills (wants) to do for me and within me. Scripture says (Isaiah 30:18) Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.

Here Crabb clarifies another area that previously “turned me off” when he’d implied a holy place within each of us. He now explains in Chapter 18 that he calls that inner place “holy because it’s a void filled with desire for what only God can provide. Counterfeit satisfaction can never fill it.”

His point becomes clearer as he explains the more we “face who you are and where you are the more you become aware of that holy space within you”

My translation: The more we expose ourselves to the Word, the more the Word exposes our true selves and our need for God, and we gain the realization that nothing we’ve ever tried has truly satisfied that desire because that desire is for God and not for anything earthly or temporal.

This is what Crabb calls “presenting yourself to God”. Kind of, “Here I am Lord.” And so I close with part of another song I’ve heard sung – this time by Daniel O’Donnell – Here I Am Lord…

Here I am Lord
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord
If you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.

The second line from the beginning and ending tell the story for me. Is it I Lord? Wow – are YOU calling me? And If YOU lead me… recognizing once again that only IN HIS STRENGTH will I choose to put HIM and others first.

Spiritually and physically fed yesterday.  Naperville's Sweet Tomatoes provides a multitude of choices - easy to have a healthy assortment of salad, potato, bread, soup, dessert, though the temptation is to sample too many things at once!  Forgot to take a picture, but did get one from our evening venue: Ted's Montana Grill - The best hamburger I've ever had.  (I used to say that about the one I had at Arizona's hockey stadium).  This one is called Skinny Dip.  Usually served with cole slaw as shown above, but I asked for sweet potato fries  (a kind accomodation as it was not on the menu). I would most definitely return here.  http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/menu.html Let me change that - I look forward to revisiting Tom's bringing others with me.  Cozy decor, fresh tasty food, and large enough portions to save half for today's lunch!  Food seven stars on scale of 1-5!