For the sake of the Name ~

BillGreeting — [ click to view video ]

Hey gang!

Jason here with a quick post.

My parents threw a meet and greet for us so that a number of our friends and family members could come visit with us.  Many of these folks hadn’t see Caleb since he was a babe in arms, and none of them had met Lillie or Hannah.  With a slideshow of pictures from the past 5 years running in the background, it was an absolute treat to spend a few hours laughing and sharing about what God is doing among us.

During the festivities, my Uncle Bill (one of my dad’s brothers), took a time-out to record a greeting for C!C.  So if you haven’t already, click the link above . . .

Enjoy the message and enjoy the accent!

Miss you guys, talk to you soon.

Hey friends.

I thought I’d just give a quick check in in regards to the Byers family travels on behalf of Celebration! Church.

Having been away from Ottawa a total of 4 weeks now, here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to.  We’ve been thoroughly blessed to tell the stories of how God as moved and is moving among us, and in so doing, we’ve been constantly reminded of you all.  We love you dearly!

Dec. 24/25 … Christmas with our families — a special time that we cherished being able to have.

Dec. 27 … Meeting in Cumming, GA with the Groover family, who we went to university with and who just finished a job at a church in South Carolina as family pastor.  We also met a family in that city who we had been in contact with in Ottawa; their son plays for a Junior hockey team in Ottawa, and hopes to connect with C!C.

Dec. 28 … Meeting with the Tyndall family in Suwanee, GA, who joined our support team after Carrie was the 2nd grade teacher of their daughter (who is now in high school!)

Dec. 29 … Meeting with the Thaxtons in Ackworth, GA.  This family is one of dearest and closest friends.  Sharing together and having our kids play together was wonderfully refueling, especially as we shared about C!C.

Dec. 31 – Jan. 6 … Week of Passion 2012 with Emily, David, Ryan and Andrew (and the ELFBC crew).  What a great time was had by all as we learned more about each other while exploring our callings and being fed by high caliber Christian teachers and leaders!

Jan. 8 … Preaching at Sweetwater Church, Lawrenceville, GA.  If you attended the C!C service on the 8th, you saw firsthand the sermon and the connection between these two likeminded churches.

Jan. 10 … Riggins family in Lawrenceville, GA.  This family has known us since before we were married, and Mike introduced us to the missions program that helped us get to Canada.  As well, he was our initial contact point to Eagle’s Landing First Baptist.  This family has been a wonderful supporter of C!C in lots of ways.

Jan. 11 … Anderson family in Marietta, GA.  This couple has been dear friends of ours since university, has faithfully supported us and has been right beside us whether on the frisbee field or prepping for the mission field.  They have huge hearts for the Lord, and after trying for a long time, are now expecting their first child!

Jan. 13 … Lunch with the Harrisons in Lawrenceville, GA.  This lovely couple owns their own business and faithfully support a number of missionaries all over the globe.  They currently attend a church of mostly college students and young adults and offered some interesting, encouraging perspectives on being the “older folks” in the church.  Then, we had dinner with the Pascuals in Stone Mountain, GA.  I served on a ministry team with Jonathan while in university, and shared a deep appreciation for missions and church planting.  Jonathan, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Roary just received news that they’re approved to adopt a set of 3yr old twins from Uganda!  In addition, in Atlanta, they’re working with a core group of believers to start a specialty coffee shop in conjunction with planting a new church . . . cool, huh!?!

Jan. 14 … Byers Open House.  My parents opened up there home for a drop in visitation time for friends and family.  Among the guests were a number of family members who had never met Lillie or Hannah!  It was such a blessing, not only to share our ministry and some of your stories, but also to see our children warm up to our extended relatives and enjoy the gift of family.

Jan. 15 … Lead the music worship at Sweetwater Church.  It is always a joy to serve with fellow believers and jointly commit our lives in obedience.  I am excited about the future plans of this modest group of Christians as they strive to move effectively reach others with the Gospel.

Jan. 15 – 17 … Camping in North Georgia Mountains.  Below zero temperatures didn’t stop my brother and I from braving the outdoors for a much needed break.  Camping, hiking, and fishing (including a yummy 18 inch trout) rounded out this special quality time with my brother whom I don’t get to spend much time with.  I was thankful for the time with him and especially for the time outdoors to pray and experience God is a fresh way.

And the adventures continue!

I’m signing off for now, but as I do, know that I’m praying for C!C and all my friends north AND south of the border.

Hey everybody!  Last week was the profound privilege of attending Passion 2012 in Atlanta with four C!C students, my lovely wife Carrie, our newest baby Hannah, some friends from Eagles Landing First Baptist Church, . . . oh, and over 40,000 other people who love Jesus.

It was a wonderfully busy week full of fun, surprises, challenges, and encouragement in our Journey with Christ.  Among the melee of experiences, here’s my “top ten” from the entire week (in no particular order).

10.  Repeatedly getting separated from Carrie/Hannah and thus having to go through security with a diaper bag and no baby . . . oh, the strange looks.

9.  JW Marriot.  Oh, thank you Lord for fancy hotel beds and stellar pillows to help my body recuperate!

8.  New songs.  Singing songs of surrender, freedom and victory alongside tens of thousands of fellow worshippers, led by the likes of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder, Charlie Hall, and more!

7.  Giving in support of ending modern day slavery . . . total money raised was over $3 million!!!  In honour of C!C’s heart on this issue, we wrote the names of everyone we could remember from C!C on a pair of shorts to be a part of the monument for freedom!

6.  Seeing Emily, Andrew, David and Ryan blessed by the great Christian community at the conference and with the ELFBC folks.

5.  Meeting none other than Hank Aaron during our tour of Turner Field.  If you don’t know who Hank Aaron is . . . shame on you — go Google it.

4.  Best of the best:  only at Passion could you listen to Lecrae followed by John Piper.  That’s like awesomeness topped with fantabulastic!

3.  Feeling conviction, courage, and hope for being more purposeful in sharing Jesus with my physical neighbours.

2.  Riding public transit with dozens of pals, including our new friends from Casting Crowns . . . way to go MARTA.

1.  Connecting with the story in 1Samuel 14, and praying that C!C would have the spirit of Jonathan and his armor bearer to go fight even if we’re the only ones . . . then, Lord willing, that our victory would awaken other believers to follow in the battle and that Ottawa would be won for Christ.

2Cor. 12:9 > “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (italics added)

Eph. 1:7-8 > “In him we have redemption through is blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us…” (italics added)

In a few short parenting moments last night, I turned a new corner in my understanding of grace.  What’s more, I’ve come to greater treasure the Lord for His lavish grace, and I’ve been convicted of how far I am from emulating Him as I ought.

The scene was fairly routine as the night began to wind down.  Bed time.  Long day.  Everybody is tired.  As we round the final corner and head towards lights out, Caleb asks, “Dad, do we have time to read a book?”  Now, I don’t have anything against reading books, but sometimes I just want the bed-time-routine to be over.  So selfishly, I just want to say, “No.”  But the fact that there is time to read a book together with the fact that he asked so nicely, it’s really hard to decline.  So here’s what I said:

Well buddy, I’ll tell you what.  If you can go finish your milk and have a good attitude through your bathroom chores, we’ll check the time and maybe read a book.

Seems like a pretty good response, huh?  Well, allow me to let you in on what what going on in my heart.

As Caleb headed to get started on that list of contingencies, I grabbed the Bible story book knowing full well that “there would be time.”  While grabbing the book and considering its contents the Holy Spirit split me wide open:

Don’t kid yourself, Jason.  You are not showing your son grace.  You’re making him work for your “favour.”  You’re making the expression of your love and generosity dependent on him conforming his behaviour.  Do you want him to have a good attitude because it makes your life easier or because you want him to know and do the right thing?  Aren’t you glad God doesn’t work that way with His grace and you?

Wow.  I sure am glad that God’s grace — the lavish grace that is sufficient for all that I lack and the grace that is greater than all my sin — isn’t couched in a list of qualifications.  God offers His favour to me unmerited, undeserving as I am, though I’ve done nothing to earn it.  Jesus is the one who earned His grace . . . I get it just by my faith-filled association in Christ.  What a privilege.

Now back to parenting, I don’t think the answer is to spoil my kids.  God has given me a responsibility to teach them right and wrong and the consequences of their actions.  But what I don’t want to do is to teach them that they need to work for my affection.  I don’t want them to learn love as a works-based privilege.  I want to be stern in discipline, teaching them what is right and wrong.  And at the same time, I want to be able to show them that I love them like God loves: freely, without manipulation, without qualification.  They are mine, I love them . . . just like I am His and He loves me.

Caleb and Hannah

I had a great time at !group last night.  Though we’re not a big group, and I’m not sure that Denny’s knows exactly what to think about us, it just feels good to be together.  And it feels even better to talk about things that matter – things that matter to God and things that matter to the group.

In the midst of discussing the text for this week (Luke 2:8-21 … you can check it out yourself and listen to the sermon online!), we noticed something sort of amusing, unique and special:  God seems to have a “soft spot” for shepherds.

As we noted how striking it is that the Heavenly Host would deliver the Divine Birth Announcement to a bunch of shepherds, we realized that shepherds often pop up as having a prominent role in salvation history.  Here are some examples that we discovered:

• Cain and Abel: Abel tended sheep, and his sacrifice was accepted
• Shepherd/Nomad was the “profession” of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the patriarchs
• When Joseph was in charge in Egypt, Israel immigrated as a nation of shepherds, introducing the dynamic that would lead to them flourishing and eventually being expelled as per God’s plans
• King David was a shepherd boy, and that period of life greatly informed his view of God
• Psalm 23 relays that “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want . . .”
• In John 10:7-18, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, explaining how He knows, loves, and provides for His sheep
• Jesus tells Peter in John 21:17, to “Feed My sheep.”

See?  God seems to really like shepherds!  As I meditated on this fascinating theme, one of the ways I felt that this is significant is that it reflects the Perfect Paradox that we spoke of this past Sunday.  Jesus is Perfectly Powerful, and He is Perfectly Humble.  Historically shepherds are looked down on and seen as extreme “blue-collar” labour.  Yet their job is one of significance and power.  The shepherd often holds the power of life and death over the sheep.  The shepherd leads them to food and water; the shepherd keeps them together; the shepherd protects against attacks; the shepherd loves the sheep.

So what’s the application for us?

Well in light of the truth of Isaiah 53:6, “We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all,” here is what I believe to be some application.  God is calling us to be enlisted shepherds.  He has mustered a spiritual family of shepherds to lead people to the Good Shepherd.  The flock is scattered, malnourished, deceived.  We’ve been given the Power of God in the Truth of Jesus.  And we’ve been given the Call of Humility in the vocation of shepherding.

Take some time to look around your world and find where you can practice some shepherd-skills.  Remember that the flock is on the move and the enemy on the prowl, looking for someone to devour.  We can’t shepherd while napping in the shade, we’ve got to be purposeful and proactive.  How will you respond?

What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. Matthew 18:11-13

The tenor of this past week’s sermon application was that of surrender.  Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s news of her being chosen to be filled with the Spirit to bear the Messiah was one of surrender—sure, she had some logistical questions, but her heart was trusting, believing, desiring to see God’s work accomplished in her life.  On the heels of that message, I thought I’d candidly express a few personal reflections on surrender in my life currently.

When I think about the issue of surrender before the Lord, I think of related topics like faith in God’s plans over me, trust that He’ll get me through hard times, and hope in the big-picture-plan-of-God of which I know I’m just a part.  Some verses that encourage me in this are:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:2-4

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Therefore, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.  For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  2Peter 1:5-11

As Christ followers, our journey on this earth is wrought with the need for faith, surrender, perseverance, and godly action based thereon.  Lately for me this calling has taken two primary forms which I must repeatedly put on the altar of surrender.

The first is the coming of Baby Byers #3.  As I’m sure any mom or dad can attest, parenting is a unique tool of God to expose areas that need refining in holiness.  Little else in life can simultaneously expose our self-centeredness, our lack of patience (esp. when tired), our shortsightedness, our lack of relying wholly on the Spirit, etc.  I often find myself struck by the mystery of how this raging battle can open us up to the painful refining fire of sanctification and at the same time fill us with such joy and pleasure at seeing what God is growing in these little lives.  I don’t know how having a third child (two in diapers) will affect things like my relationship with Carrie, my productivity at work, and numerous other things.  But one thing that I keep coming to . . . I KNOW that if I can remain surrendered in faith to the Lord, one way or another, “all these things will be added” to me.

The second big area of surrender is the work and fruit at C!C.  As Carrie and I await the approval of our renewed work permits, I am often faced with the difficulty of evaluating questions like: “What are the next steps for C!C?” “Where is the fruit of our labour?” “What would happen if You called us somewhere else?” I love being a part of C!C, and I have such an excitement and a desire to see God grow our community and ministry.  And so all I can do to answer some of the looming questions that don’t always have answers is offer them up to the Lord in surrender.  In faith I place my trust in the fact that He has promised good over me and over His church.  So I strive to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful” Hebrews 10:23.

What is an acute area of surrender for you?  Let us hold on, for He is faithful.

Pool Time

I’ve had plenty of intense moments in my 30+ years thus far on earth.  Some of them, I would even classify as “scary.”  Examples of varying consequence come to mind:  university dining hall mystery meats, tuition payments, jumping off cliffs into rivers, sleeping on the cold ground in Malawi with malaria-carrying mosquitoes around, money troubles, health troubles of loved ones, moving away from family and support system, and the list could go on.  And yet, yesterday provided the scariest moment of my life – as I chugged through my to-do list in the basement office, a fearful scenario that has initiated in my head many times began playing out.

The kids were upstairs asleep.  Lillie had a bit of a fever earlier in the morning, and so Carrie had gone upstairs to check on her as she napped.  Next thing I know, Carrie is frantically calling my name to come upstairs because something is wrong with Lillie.  As Carrie had checked on her, she had begun to rouse herself from her nap only to lay down and go limp.  When Carrie picked her up, she went into a febrile seizure.  By the time I hit the top of the stairs, her lips were blue, face pale, eyes rolled back, and she was shaking.  As I tried to steady my voice in order to clearly speak to the 911 operator, I realized that I was the most scared I’d ever been.

Carrie held her, rocked her, wiped cool water over her head.  We spoke to her, and we begged the Lord to help us all.  That’s when the thought first flashed through my head: “Do you trust me?”

After only a couple of minutes, the colour came back to her face . . . her eyes began to look a little more focused . . . her silence turned to moans which turned to a muffled cry . . . all good signs.  I woke Caleb up from his nap as the paramedics arrived and finally had more time to think.  Again: “Do you trust me?”  A few initial tests, a few gathered neighbours, and Carrie and Lillie headed off in the ambulance — stable — but still with plenty of questions.

As Caleb and I drove to CHEO, three references played repeatedly through my head:

1. Lyrics from a Ginny Owens song:  ”When the whole world turns against me, and I’m all by myself, and I cannot hear you answer my cries for help.  I’ll remember the suffering Your love put You through, and I will go through the valley, if You want me to.”
2. 2Corinthians 12:9a > “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
3. Luke 22:42 > “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Thankfully, as it turns out, the seizure did not last long enough for serious concern, and while the infection causing the fever has not been identified, Lillie’s blood tests look fine.  As well, her body now seems to be responding to fever medication.  What’s more is that we learned that febrile seizures are not terribly uncommon in children under 5yrs when high fevers strike.

But while the seriousness of Lillie’s illness doesn’t warrant the level of fear that struck my heart, the thoughts and struggles in the midst of the fear are no less valuable.  As I prayed for my daughter and for my family, I was forced to face the reality: Will I trust in the valley?  Is His grace sufficient in my weakness?  Am I okay with HIS will being done?

Praise the Lord that Lillie seems to be doing just fine . . . and praise Him all the more that in this crucible moment, my heart connected with Truth and how the Lord has been faithful to me in the past, and I was able to respond in faith.

I pray that this will be an encouragement to all (including myself in days ahead) to be able to say, “All to Jesus, I surrender”  . . . and, “It is well with my soul.”

In reading through Hebrews chapter 11 earlier this week, I was struck by something peculiar.  I was surprised by what the text didn’t say.

Most of the first 29 verses of the chapter detail significant faith-related events from Israel’s early history.  Verse 29 itself gives us the faith-full declaration that when stuck in an impossible scenario between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, faith led the people to walk through the sea to safety.

Now here’s the surprise.

The next verse, 30, jumps more than 40 years of Biblical history and states, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being encircled for seven days.”  Consider what was skipped over:

• Giving of the Law
• Instituting the priesthood
• Moses talking “face to face” with God
• Manna from heaven
• Spying on the Promised Land
• Moses passing leadership to Joshua
• Crossing the Jordan
• and more!

And yet there is no mention of any of this in the Hebrew’s “Hall of Faith.”  Now while we should be VERY careful when drawing interpretation from what the Bible doesn’t say, a fair question to entertain is “Why is all of this skipped over?”

To be honest, I don’t feel qualified to speculate too far.  But what I have reflected on is that much of the time in those 40+ years of history was spent with the people NOT exhibiting proper faith.  They complained about almost everything.  They doubted Moses’ leadership.  They questioned God’s ability and desire to provide for their needs.  They usurped God’s authority in worship.  When they finally reached the Promised Land, they fearfully set aside His power to deliver the Land.  There was no consistent faith in “the reality of things hoped for, the evidence of what is not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

This makes me pause and take a “birds-eye” look at my season in life, my general attitude, the general attitude of my family . . . and also that of my faith-family (C!C).  Are my life and relationships characterized by facing impossible scenarios by putting a foot in the Red Sea or marching around the fortified city with a ridiculous military strategy . . . because God said so?!?  Or are my life and relationships characterized by complaining, second guessing, and waiting for my options to open up while ignoring God’s call to trust and obey?

History is being written, friends.  Consider the attitudes you have and the decisions you make.  Do your life and relationships reflect the kind of faith that we see God rewarding time after time after time?

Maybe it’s time for us to consider the history and the “great cloud of witnesses” and get serious about running “with endurance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (see Heb. 12:1-2).

“Do it right the first time.”

This is one of the many phrases/lessons that I heard from my dad countless times growing up.  And while I’ll admit an occasional roll-of-the-eyes upon the faithful reminder, I deeply appreciated my dad’s guidance and perspective.

This morning, during a sweet time in the Word, I came across a story that spoke to the truth in my dad’s statement as clear as the ring of a bell.  In 1Chronicles chapter 15, King David is finally bringing the Ark of the Lord into Jerusalem.  In verse 2, David proclaims, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before Him forever.”  Then verse 15 records, “Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord: on their shoulders with poles.”

Why is this significant?

Well, back in the books of the Law (specifically Exodus 25:10-15) God gave very specific instructions regarding the Ark and its transport.  Then only a few chapters before our story above, David first decides to bring the Ark into the city (1Chron. 13).  The problem is that David decides to put the Ark on a cart to be pulled by oxen.  You know the story from here: an ox stumbles, Uzzah reaches out to steady the Ark, but as Uzzah was not permitted to touch the Holy object, the Lord struck him dead.  David, out of emotional anger and fear of the Lord, leaves the Ark under the care of a Levite instead of bringing it into the city, and the Lord blesses the caretaker greatly.

I see significant lessons in that

- David learned from his mistake and ended up doing the right thing,

- David’s lesson came at a high price, the life of Uzzah and the blessing associated with obedience,

- David could have done the right thing the first time.

 

As I consider how I respond to my to-do list items, to my call to obedience before the Lord, and also to my leadership/example as a father, I see the need to heed the advice of my father:  do it right the first time.  What tasks lay before you today that you are trying to cut corners on?  What responsibilities do you have where you insist on just doing it “your way”?  Consider what you think God would have before you as the “right way,” seek some spiritual counsel from a trusted friend if need be, and decide to trust the Lord with process and the outcome.  I think we’ll all be better off for it!

Here is the “weekly wisdom” article that I wrote for our church e-newsletter this week:

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Lately I’ve been reflecting on the reality of “appetites,” and how natural it is for us to desire the satisfying of our various appetites — food, genuine relationships, sexuality, accomplishment, etc.  I’ve been saddened by the lengths to which we will go to appease our appetites, sometimes spending great time, money, and emotion to satisfy the hunger.  And in the process, too often satisfaction comes at the cost of losing self-control,resulting in (to borrow a term from this past week’s sermon) us sowing to the flesh.  We sometimes end up making choices that could hurt our bodies, our testimony, our relationships with God and with each other.

The sermon this upcoming week is entitled “Healthy Dad/Righteous Dad” and will in part look at the benefits of managing our various appetites . . . a message applicable to everybody.  To “prime the pump” a little, though, I’m including an excerpt from the introduction on John Piper’s book “A Hunger For God.”  Though it is a book on fasting, the bigger picture of “appetites” receives some great treatment.  I pray that the Holy Spirit would cultivate in us all a deep hunger for God . . . the one appetite worthy of giving our all to satisfy.  Be blessed:

Beware of books on fasting. The Bible is very careful to warn us about people who “advocate abstaining from foods, which God created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3). The apostle Paul asks with dismay, “Why . . . do you submit yourself to decrees, such as ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’?” (Colossians 2:20-21). He is jealous for the full enjoyment of Christian liberty. Like a great declaration of freedom over every book on fasting flies the banner, “Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Corinthians 8:8).
There once were two men. One said, “I fast twice a week”; the other said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Only one went down to his house justified (Luke 18:12-14).

The discipline of self-denial is fraught with dangers — perhaps only surpassed by the dangers of indulgence. These also we are warned about: “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). What masters us has become our god; and Paul warns us about those “whose god is their appetite” (Philippians 3:19). Appetite dictates the direction of their lives. The stomach is sovereign. This has a religious expression and an irreligious one. Religiously “persons . . . turn the grace of our God into licentiousness” (Jude 4) and tout the slogan, “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food” (1 Corinthians 6:13). Irreligiously, with no pretext of pardoning grace, persons simply yield to “the desires for other things [that] enter in and choke the word” (Mark 4:19).

“Desires for other things” — there’s the enemy. And the only weapon that will triumph is a deeper hunger for God. The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with “other things.” Perhaps, then, the denial of our stomach’s appetite for food might express, or even increase, our soul’s appetite for God.

What is at stake here is not just the good of our souls, but also the glory of God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. The fight of faith is a fight to feast on all that God is for us in Christ. What we hunger for most, we worship.

His goodness shines with brightest rays When we delight in all his ways.

His glory overflows its rim

When we are satisfied in him.

His radiance will fill the earth

When people revel in his worth.

The beauty of God’s holy fire

Burns brightest in the heart’s desire.

Between the dangers of self-denial and self-indulgence there
is a path of pleasant pain. It is not the pathological pleasure of a
masochist, but the passion of a lover’s quest: “I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may
gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

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Long live the appetite for more of God.  And may we drink long and deep of His Spirit as we “taste and see that the Lord is good.”