sunrise, sunset

Have you heard of Beth Moore? She's an author, Christian speaker, I bet you've heard of her. Caitlin and I did her bible study called "Stepping Up" this past fall and thought it was great. Anyways, her church is in Houston and I went to her bible study last week - she is so gifted. She is laugh-out-loud funny, talking about how it's okay to wear lipstick and still be a "good Christian woman." But she also is very convicting and inspiring in terms of a one-on-one relationship with Christ.

Beth gave us a brief list of her personal answers to this question:

"Why is Jesus like nothing and no one else to you?"

I'm in the process of making my own list of answers, becuase I admittedly cannot rattle them off as easily or with such truth as Beth.

God's grace is something that I daily know sets God a part from all humans and things - that we can do nothing to earn His love. Ephesians 2:8 keeps me from feeling inadequate, insufficient, and prevents me in general from losing my mind or giving up faith.

Everyday that she is in Houston and not out on the road with her ministry, Beth Moore spends time face down on her backporch with God. Sometimes it's five minutes, sometimes it's close to an hour. Sometimes she just listens and doesn't "hear" anything. Sometimes she talks alot. Her relationship with God isn't perfect but it is something she is clearly committed to - and she clearly reaps the benefits of such an intimate relationship.

I need to be much bolder in my committment to know Christ. During all of 2008, I felt closer to God than I have in quite a while. And I didn't change much about my walk with Him, other than being forced to trust Him more in daily circumstances. Part of it is due to that "ebb and flow" thing they talk about in church sometimes. And part of it I think is James 4:8 - there is no time listed at the end of that verse.

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." James 4:8

God doesn't put a timeline on that. "Come near to me and I will come near to you in 3 days and 4 hours." "Come near to me and you will feel my presence on or before April 11." It could take seconds, weeks, months, maybe longer. But He will show up. He will draw near. God is there for us. For this, I am immensly thankful.

I know that God is like nothing to me in the way He shows me his presence through nature. A starry sky, leaves changing color, the wonder of sunrises and sunsets.

In the hill country this weekend I watched the sun set over the Llano river. Nothing like the sound of a river gurgling through granite rocks, knowing that nothing on Earth is accident. That God is real and mighty and powerful - and still loves each of us.

Tell me that when you see a sunset you don't see a universe made from atoms colliding, a world that runs on "coincidence" and "luck" and "destiny." I see the love of a God that sent His son so that he could have a relationship with us.