Donavon Roberson's Blog, page 3

you have one job…love one another

Jesus gives His friends a command - love one another, as He loves us. I’m fascinated by the world command…He says I call you friends (not servants) and as my friends I give you this command. I always thought of a command as something you give to a servant but Jesus seems to be elevating us to His side and brining us into the inner circle.

So check it….

The word is “prescriptive”: Jesus is saying to live your life as a tribute to the kingdom by giving in fully to an inner drive to love one another.

…and He is telling us as insider information.

It’s not just the King saying “hey peasants you need to do loving things.”, Jesus is pulling us close to His said, chosen ones that have been personally called out and put into a position of authority in Christ, and He says “yo come here, I know the secrets to the kingdom…be driven by love for one another! Go and do that…it will change everything.”

That’s pretty powerful; the chosen ones of God given the directive to go and live a life of love for one another…and when we do the keys to the kingdom are ours. AND this has nothing to do with MY desire to have the kingdom but the King’s desire to involve me.

Who hears the cries of the broken?Psalm 10:17The psalmist...

Who hears the cries of the broken?

Psalm 10:17

The psalmist makes a simple and yet fairly profound statement in verse 17; the Lord hears the needs of the afflicted - the poor and needy.

Typically I think of this the other way around, that “the gods” require something from us and will drag it out of us all…they need to be worshiped and adored in order to be relevant or to have their egos stroked or to be filled. But here we see that the Lord hears the cries of the needy AND then acts - the Lord strengthens them and pays attention to their cries.

We have a god that is attentive to our needs. We have a god that turns to turns to the needs of the broken, the meek, the humble. We have a god that sees us where we are and lifts us out of our brokenness.

I just can’t keep it to myself any longer!Jeremiah 20:9Je...

I just can’t keep it to myself any longer!

Jeremiah 20:9

Jeremiah uses this verse to say “I can’t keep it to myself any long. I can’t keep quiet, I can’t help myself, I must tell others about all that God has done in and through me”

But he does it more beautifully and with much more impact…

He states it as if he were to try to remain solamente and not share with others all of the tales and accounts to hear God has done in his life…he would be physically, emotionally and spiritual unable to do so because the need to share the stories for how God is working and moving in Jeremiah live within Him like a flame, a never ending fire that burns within his bones…and it is impossible for him to contain himself or hold these flames in any longer!

How tragic to attempt to hold back something so powerful or even consider it possible…this not only speaks to fragility of the human condition compared to the magnitude of God’s glory, it also gives a glimpse into just how majestic and powerful our God is. God is working in and through our lives each and every day…even when we don’t see it.

Do my interactions with God burn within me to the point that I am required to speak of them to others because I lack the strength or will power to hold them back any longer?

Sadly…I’m not here yet but I’m working on it and on the path back to that place.

Give Thanks Always and for Everything.

Give Thanks Always and for Everything.

Paul is literally saying at all times and in every manner, for all of it…the whole lot -express gratitude that is well favored and present it as an intentional gift rooted in the reflections of the heart. This isn’t a mindless “thank you lord” or “have a blessed day”, this isn’t thoughtless phrase to be thrown around as though it had no meaning or purpose…this is a thoughtful, introspective offering of gratitude to God for all the things in life. Again…ALL of the things in life.

The only way that this comes about in life is if we trust that God is truly working ALL things out in my life for my good…and there is the rub. Trust. This thankful heart is the result of trust…being convinced that God will do what He says He will do, trust that He is leading me in a way that is good for me, trust that His ways and methods are for my good and will benefit me greatly - even when it doesn’t make sense.

Jesus, I thank you for everything!

That needs to be the cry of my heart and in order to get there I need to come to grips with this idea of trusting God. If Jesus trusted the Father, to the point He was willing to die, shouldn’t I also be able to trust the Father?

One would think but it isn’t easy…I have experienced so much pain and disappointment in my life, so much ruin and devastation, so much heart ache (even to the point that the one thing I desire most is kept at arms length from me as if taunting me)….it’s hard to trust that He is working this for my good and that He has my best interests at heart.

That said, I’m willing to lean in and attempt this line of thinking. I’m willing to believe that the Father will make it right and that His heart and mind for me are good and for my good and while I may not see it now…the journey isn’t over and He isn’t finished with me yet.

How valuable you are oh God!Psalm 27:4This is a pretty st...

How valuable you are oh God!

Psalm 27:4

This is a pretty straight forward verse, though the root words dig a little deeper than the English translations. The psalmist is stating that there is one thing that he would ask the Lord for in this life time…to reside in the dwelling place of the Lord and to gaze upon, study or take in His beauty and meditate, consider or ponder Him in His temple.

How much love and devotion does one have to have to make this the desire of the heart? This posture comes from knowing and understanding the full value and worth of God!

Would that I had this posture more in my life! Would that I more consistently seek to meditate upon or seek the Lord for a moment in a day…let alone make it the cry of my heart!

You are now free to move about in the pretense of God!Heb...

You are now free to move about in the pretense of God!

Hebrews 10:22

The writer of Hebrews is recapping a lot in this passage; basically he is demonstrating that Jesus actions allow us the opportunity to enter into the presence of God - because of the blood of Christ we have been purified, sanctified, made worthy to enter into the holy of holies and come near God.

Jesus tore open the veil that divided us from the Almighty and gave us direct access to the God of the Universe. Jesus sprinkled us clean and washed us with pure water…Jesus’ actions purified us and made us worthy to be in the presence of God.

Then in verse 22 the writer ties it all together so beautifully…

draw - to place yourself in front of; much like the followers of Jesus placed themselves at Jesus feet, listening to his teachings, observing his interactions with others, taking in his life on life engagements

sincere heart - a heart that is full or united with God because it is hidden in him; to be absorbed

full assurance - covered, clothed or fully accomplished

Listen to this verse now: because you are entirely clothed and covered in faith and it is this very faith that now unites with God - fully hidden in Him, filled with the presence and overwhelming nature of God, absorbed into His very essence…you should place yourself into His care; much like we did when Jesus walked among us - listen to Him, observe His ways and take in the life He gives.

Sit at the feet of God because you have a full heart that is hidden in God and entirely covered by your faith…and all because of what Jesus did for us by sacrificing himself to God on our behalf. Amazing! Simply amazing.

truly all we need is love

Love - sure it’s agape or God’s love but what does that mean?!? Jesus breathed love, respect, hope, joy, grace, and peace into his followers and he’s calling us to do the same with each. That’s what the word actually means, agape is to breath after, sensually, to dote over.

Jesus is demanding of his followers that we walk in this kind of love for one another…that will be our calling card, our identifier, the indication that we are actually Christ Followers. Not the church we go to or the religious activities in our lives…it’s the measure of his love flowing through us.

Couldn’t we all learn to live love more? I know I could…I need to learn to breathe love, hope, patience, joy, grace, and peace into those in my life more. I need to learn to love more!

Hey Peter…I see you!

Jesus looked at Peter and Peter was reminded of what Jesus had said and went out and wept bitterly…I believe the one element we are missing here is that Peter also experienced the purest form of unconditional love of Jesus in that moment and then went out and wept bitterly.

Look is not a passing glance, this is an inspection of the heart, mind and soul. To look here means to fixedly observe or an inspection that reaches forth with passion and excitement. I believe that Jesus, filled with all of the love, joy, truth, grace and mercy of God, looked at Peter and transferred life into Peter’s heart and mind…with just His look.

Peter knew the unconditional love of God from a look, given at one of the darkest hours of human history, at a moment that surely must have been his lowest point in life from a Man that loved him at the deepest level of His being and expressed that love by saying “Peter, I see you.”

You are loved more than you know!Isaiah 54:5Isaiah is wri...

You are loved more than you know!

Isaiah 54:5

Isaiah is writing to Israel and states “you have a husband, one that loves you and is joined to you, in fact this one has bought you out of your bondage and made you His. And who is this redeemer you ask? Your Maker - the one who valiantly made you for the sacred. The Lord Almighty - the Yahweh of armies and victories god of war. The Holy One - the One that is set apart and beyond comprehension.

This is the one that loves you enough to buy back your freedom, make you His and jealously love you in your condition.

You were made Him to be with Him and set apart as He is. Your life has meaning and purpose beyond your own understanding and He will never be shaken or defeated…and has your back in every twist and turn of life.

He loves you and you will never leave you, desert you or turn on you…

Now that is LOVE!

Guard the good deposit?!?!Timothy has just spent several ...

Guard the good deposit?!?!

Timothy has just spent several verses speaking “sound words” regarding the shared experience with Christ; his teachings, his presence with them, his example of life and love, his commands to love God and love others, etc. He has talked about how those experiences have impacted others and changed their lives. He has stated that he is convinced that God will guard what was entrusted to him until the final day…and here on verse 14 Timothy is telling his readers to do the same.

The word “guard” is interesting, it comes from the root idea of an offshoot that is germinating within a tribe or clan. As I ponder that I think about the tender identity of a tribe and how that needs to be cultivated, nurtured and protected. It speaks to the value of that identity and it speaks to the need to protect and watch over that identity as that is what sets the clan or tribe apart from others…that identity for Timothy’s audience (Christ followers) is the command to love like Christ did!

Timothy is telling his readers that they have been given a gift; the teachings of Christ, the example of Christ and the command of Christ to love and walk in love. This good deposit sets them apart and identifies them as a tribe…that’s what it looks like to be a Christ Follower, that’s what it means to be a Christ Follower - to be so focused on, protective of and identified with the Love of Christ that there is no doubt whose we are and where we belong.

As followers of Christ we need to protect that command and live it out for the good of others and for the kingdom….and the only way we do this is with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, guides us, protects us and serves as a reminder of Christ’s life and love on earth.