John 15:16: Victories In Christ for a Small Brain

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. - John 15:16

 What was Jesus' goal in choosing us? "I chose you and appointed you...so that you might go and bear fruit...and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." When I think about the last part of that verse, it seems a little strange: "I chose you...so that whatever you ask..." There are those who look at this verse as a sort of blank check. Their reasoning is: "Jesus chose me...therefore whatever I ask in my name the Father will give you." 

But it does not say "therefore". It says "so that" It is aspirational. It is what Jesus planned. In the same way that Jesus wanted us to become fruit bearers-that is with the character and aspirations necessary to become habitual doers of good-he also wanted us to become the type of askers to whom the Father gives gladly. Bearing fruit is a result of Jesus' new life in us. Likewise, the Father's generosity is a result of Jesus' new life in us. "whatever we ask" is the intended result, not the blank check. 

This is similar to what Jesus intended "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you" (Luke 17:6) Faith depends on who or what you have faith in. Pick the wrong "who" or "what" and you may be motivated, but you will be ultimately disappointed. 

I want to find out what is meaningful to God and ask for those things. The closer I am to him, the more likely that my asks will be also be his desires. It's always hit or miss, because I have a small brain. But the hits are glorious because it means that, at least for one instant, I had the same mind as the mind of Christ. 

Psalm 126: How Does Joy Happen When God Leaves Us Waiting?

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. - Psalm 126

 You did it once, Lord. Would you please do it again? I'm sure that the thought has run through the minds of many Christians: what does it take to get God to act? Sometimes he acts so unexpectedly--when we weren't looking yet there he is, stepping in and getting us out of some unbearable situation. Other times he doesn't act even when the situation seems exactly the same to me, or I am even more desperate. 

I know. I have prayed these prayers, reminding God how much we and everyone else could not believe what happened. But then the next time, when there is a situation where it seems he ought to have the same interest level in rescuing me, he does nothing. Why? I don't know. I know that I have opened up my heart to him and asked him to check all my motives. I have doubted my own sincerity. I have offered all sorts of weird bargains when he didn't answer the way I thought he should. Still no movement.

All we have is the author's promise: "like streams in the Negev [the desert] Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." God moves so dang slowly sometimes that I'm sure I'll be dead before  he finally answers the phone. But the promise is that when God does answer our tears, there will be joy. Streams weren't something that are expected in the desert. I guess his answers come from a direction we didn't expect because we thought it was dry and dead. Where is that?

How many times have we asked how that happens? "He will wipe every tear from their eyes." (Rev. 21:4) How does that work, God? He doesn't say. I certainly don't expect to forget those years, but maybe God's answer changes us so that we see better who he is. I don't know. It's one of the mysteries. But I'm willing to find out. 

Haiku: June 13 - July 20

Random collection of haiku composed this month.

Burble of voices
Water darkens the pool's edge
Announcing summer

Evergreens abound
Dotting the oceans and hills
Statis and motion

My wife eats mamon
She says, "Full of  calories"
She eats anyway

Blessed are the meek
For they inherit the earth
But will they want it?

Shade is more precious
When the sun is scorching hot
Water also helps.

If I do it now
Will you stop pushing so hard
Or you push again?

Leaves on ground crackling
Moisture lacking, air so dry
Running through sprinklers

Baby birds nesting
Fly away but sounds remain
Even a sighting

Sun slips down the sky
In between there is silence
Sun peeks over the edge

Summer days start up.
Possibilities endless.
Night seems short and dim.

I did not grow tired
Nor my mind weary from thought.
Much was left undone.

At the end of day
There was more day to come
We could still rejoice.

Trail skirting the lake
Morning shines on the water
We return aching.

Marker on the trail
Meant to show the way forward
But pointing backward.

The house of the proud.
Unstable place for living. 
Go live in a hut!

On the proud man's side.
A dangerous place to be
Rather the widow's.

Helen woke me up
Her flight was delayed. What now?
Booked on later flight.

Morning wake up call.
Now I can't go back to sleep.
I guess I'll get up.