Saturday, June 14, 2008

Inside Out

Hey There

Have you stood in front of a mirror lately? Did you like what you saw? Probably not! Too many wrinkles, creases, ouch look at my stomach, and all those pieces that just kinda stick out in all the wrong places. HELP I’m a complete mess! What to do? Apply make up, exercise program, plastic surgery, improve posture, accessorise……. go shopping….go drinking. (By the way this is a unisex thing just pick out the pieces that apply to you.)

Sadly we live in a world where we idolize the body beautiful. Sooo much hangs on just the way we look and we feel that pressure on a daily basis. This makes many of us feel so insecure. Many people get rewarded in this life just by the way they look. And to think that they had little or nothing to do with it, it is just God’s gift to them.

We would rather deal with how people look on the outside then really get to know them and what makes them tick. We tend to avoid people who are ‘odd’ looking and don’t meet our criteria as far as looks go.

But here we have God who loves us from the inside out and not from the outside in. Sadly again many of us so absolutely don’t believe that. But it’s true, absolutely and irrevocably true.

When God was looking for a new King of Israel he said this to His prophet Samuel.
“Do not consider his appearance or his height……The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7)

From Psalm 139 again it tells us that God knitted us together in our mother’s womb and created our inmost being. We were made in a secret place and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Now that sounds a whole lot more creative, beautiful and artistic then you kinda just got here by a series of accidents.Yippee for evolution the ultimate theory of discouragement in this life!!

Then there is love. Nope evolution has no answer to that one, how we want to be loved and how we want to love others. The ultimate definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

And you know what? This is the way that God loves you and He is just waiting for you when you dunno who you are. When you are cut up inside aching and bleeding and not even worrying what you look like on the outside ‘cause the pain is just too much. When you doubt that He exists at all, when you feel you have been led astray. All you have to do is take hold of Jesus’ hand and He will meet you in your deepest darkest place and shine His love (as in 1 Corinthians 13) into your heart. Mebbe this will be your first time, mebbe you already know you can do this but think you can’t ……..you can. The psalmist says in the Old Testament “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love……as far as the east is from the west, that’s how far He has removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-13)

So how is your heart today? How are you deep down inside of you? Just open up your heart to Jesus because He made your heart in the first place and He knows how to heal it ‘cause His love is from the inside out.


From The Inside Out - Hillsong United


A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out


LoCTY!!!!

1 comment:

Vered said...

It's the celebrity culture. It's sad, really. Thank you for the reminder that the INSIDE is important.

 

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