The Bigger Picture

Last Saturday was the first official day of Fall; one of my top four favorite seasons.

To celebrate this joyous occasion, I went on a hike with three of my favorite people. Our destination: Firebrand Pass and the summit of Calf Robe Mountain in Glacier National Park.While on the trail, I kept snapping photos of the fantastic scenery brilliantly painted by the colors of fall. 

Burgundy.

Orange. 

Red. 

Maroon. 

Yellow. 

Copper. 

Pink. 

Gold. 

Brown. 

Green. 

More than once, I found myself stooped low to the ground, captivated by the brilliant colors before me. 

During those "down to earth" moments of photographic genius, I was missing something. 

The Bigger Picture.  

All too often in life, I forget The Bigger Picture. 

My heart gets stuck on one confusing verse in the Bible. 

My mind focuses on one story, therefore sending me spiraling by the gravity of cheap grace. 

My heart gets wrapped around one sentence of wrath. 

My feelings flare up during debates about differing doctrines loosely defended by one passage.

My relationship with Jesus becomes hostile while turning Good News into my own Levitical Law. 

You've been there too? 

What happens when we consider The Bigger Picture? 

Take some time to survey the entire scope of Scripture; Genesis through Revelation, Law and Gospel, Creation to Christ's Return, and every nugget of necessary truth in between. Take a look at the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Marvel at the redemptive story that started with Adam and Eve and continues today. Stand in awe of the magnitude of your Creator while living and breathing in His Creation. 

Back to that hike ...

Down on one knee looking intently at the details, I was forgetting what was above, beyond, bigger, better. My eyes were focused on something great, but there was something greater to see. 

James, Jenny, and Emily hiking ahead.

To my right, the endless view made me believe I could actually see North Dakota. 

To my left, the colors covered the slopes rising to the ridge of Calf Robe Mountain.

Straight ahead, the trail traversed the mountain and carried us above treeline.

Straight behind, the aspen groves poked their yellow faces through the pine tree forest.

The Bigger Picture is a more enticing view.

Life is busy. Our tendency is to focus on what we can see here and now. The nastiness of our sin is easier to see than the beauty of forgiveness freely offered from Christ. Stress is often avoided when stepping back to consider the surrounding circumstances. Worry walks away when we take time to stop.

While the details may capture our attention, for good or bad, there is always more. 

If you're stuck in sin, start looking at your Savior. 

When you're happy as a kite in the sky, be aware of the dangers looming close by. 

As life seems to sink in all around you, remember the many times a lifeboat has been thrown just in time.

The Bigger Picture brings us back to reality. 

The Bigger Picture shows us where we are going.

The Bigger Picture includes more than just me, myself and I. 

The Bigger Picture is created by our God, for our God's glory. 

Now the view from the mountain top, that's a whole different story. 

Insight From the Packers Game

"That's not fair!" --The sum of nearly every Facebook status I read on Monday night after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers. Honestly, I don't like the Packers, so I was okay with it. But in reality, it was a bad call.

If you don't like football stay with me here; there is a point. In recent conversations I have heard many people question the love of God in allowing there to be injustice and evil in the world. I feel rather silly doing this, but this is an excerpt from a song called "Truth" by Lecrae.

"You look man, "Some people say that God ain't real 'cause they don't see how a good God can exist with all this evil in the world. If God is real then He should stop all this evil, 'cause He's all-powerful right? What is evil though man? It's anything that's against God. It's anything morally bad or wrong. It's murder, rape, stealing, lying, cheating. But if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop it all or just a little bit of it? If He stops us from doing evil things, what about lying, or what about our evil thoughts? I mean, where do you stop, the murder level, the lying level, or the thinking level? If we want Him to stop evil, we gotta be consistent, we can't just pick and choose. That means you and I would be eliminated right? Because we think evil stuff. If that's true, we should be eliminated! But thanks be to God that Jesus stepped in to save us from our sin! Christ died for all evilness! Repent, turn to Jesus man! " 

This is the best answer I've ever heard to this question. As humans, we long for the perfection that Adam and Eve once had in the Garden of Eden. We have an innate feeling for wanting justice, but we have no claim to it.

Thankfully, God isn't done with us here though! Last week I briefly left you with a quote that said, "I love that God doesn't destroy evil, but that He restores it." God chose not to be fair, because fair would mean eternal separation from Him-- hell. We would all be damned because not one of us could live up to His standards of perfection--they're pretty high!

Did you catch that? God chose not to be fair. Salvation -- life through the blood and resurrection of Jesus -- is not fair. That's not justice. That's grace and mercy: getting what we don't deserve and not getting what we do deserve.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Aren't you thankful we don't have a "fair" God?

Pray, then Act.

Last week I wrote about approaching God in silence, seeking His will above our own. Then last weekend I heard a quote which challenged me further in my prayer life.

"Pray. And then put feet under your prayers."

- Pastor Brandt's Grandpa

As Christians we're called to pray. To take everything to God in prayer. What struck me from this quote though is, often we stop there. We don't put any action behind what we pray for. And granted, sometimes we are supposed to leave it before God. But I think many times, God gives us the ability to do something towards answering, or putting feet under, our prayers. Think about it.

How many times do we ask God to minister to someone in need and then not do anything to minister to their need ourselves? Is it possible as Christians, we often use prayer as a copout? I know, in my own life I have.

Please don't take this as me saying, 'Don't pray, just act.' 

Instead hear, 'Pray, then act.'

I believe if we do this, we'll see God at work in and through us much more frequently!