On Forgiving and Moving Forward

Many people, myself sometimes included, seem to think that the way to correct mistakes and/or heal from broken relationships is to simply move forward and forget. While that may work sometimes, it's probably better to look back on the situation, evaluate the circumstances with honesty, determine the cause, humbly acknowledge faults that are your own, with equal (if not greater) humility identify the faults that were not yours, if possible and/or desired seek peace with the other person/s, and earnestly avoid the thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes that led to the rather sad and painful experience. If nothing changes in the formula, nothing will change in the results.

While I believe there are valid applications to the old "FORGIVE AND FORGET," I have also grown to believe more in "FORGIVE AND LEARN." While this could easily be interpreted as "I forgive you but I don't want to see you anymore," it is not what I mean. It is true that learning sometimes means having to cut people off from our lives, but I would take the phrase more to mean that we grow with our experiences, learning more about ourselves and about other people --our way of learning, their way of learning, how we adjust, how they adjust, how we react, how they react, how we are affected, how they are affected, our values, their values, how we can change, how we can help them change, what we want/need, what they want/need, etc. etc. and how all these can come together and help us become better than who we were -- more honest, more fair, less self-centered, more prudent, more balanced, wiser, kinder, stronger, humbler, more gracious, more faithful, more capable, with eyes that are more open to truth.

Where "I love you, you love me, let's just forget and move forward" may not work, "I love you, you love me; let's both learn and grow" just might. Come to think of it, that is the right kind of forward.

On top of all these I remember with gladness and assurance, "When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor." (Desire of Ages, 607)

Daily in His Presence: A Daily Bible Journal through the Sanctuary

In the past couple of years, I have been intermittently trying to come up with a Bible Journal and Planner to share with others as a print project. That, however, has not come closer to reality than several lousy layouts and sketches, owing much to the fact that my devotional exercises have also taken a low blow in the last year.

This year, however, after being inspired by women who have remained strong in their relationship with the Lord, the desire for a Bible journal was revived in my heart. No, you don’t need a fancy journal and accessories for it. Although the crafter in me would very much like to have a pretty DIY Bible journal soon, that is entirely beside the point.

The true point in Bible journalling is to nurture my relationship with Jesus and bring me to His presence day after day after day for the rest of my life.

Cover Page of my very rough DIY Bible Journal

So here is my Daily in His Presence Bible Journal – 16 sheets of plain white copy paper stapled together (a notebook will do, too, but I like my journals plain rather than ruled/lined).

Each day/devotional session has nine sections, each representing an article in the Sanctuary, which itself is the ultimate guide map to being restored into the very presence of God – the illustrated plan of salvation if you will. While the Sanctuary has multiple depths and values, it is my prayer that this simple daily journey through the Sanctuary with the Bible will allow me to experience a portion of God’s salvation every day.

If you don’t yet have a devotional system that works for you, this is one suggestion you can pray about. Let me share the nine sections I follow for my devotional time.

The Sanctuary has three main divisions and eight main articles, each one representing a much much deeper aspect of God's character and the salvation process. In the Daily in His Presence Bible Journal, it goes like this:

I.                    THE OUTER COURT -             this part of the devotional is a preliminary, a prepartion of the heart.

a.       Gate – PRAISE. The Bible tells us to “enter into His courts with thanksgiving and praise.” It is therefore fitting to enter into the devotional exercise filled with gratitude. In the last year, I learned how so many people begin their prayers and devotional time in weakness, in an enumeration of the things they’ve done wrong or ways they’ve come short. We must begin in the strength of our God and Savior. Begin your devotional with prayer (and maybe even a song) of praise, acknowledging His wisdom, grace, mercy,  power, love, majesty, and beauty. List down the specific things you are thankful for and voice them out in your prayer.

b.      Altar – PACIFY. This is a place of sacrifice, where an unblemished lamb is slain and offered as a substitute for the sinner. That lamb is Jesus. He is your substitute and surety. At this point, lay down your burdens and cares, sorrows, guilt, and doubts at the feet of your Savior. Surrender everything to Him. Confess your sins and everything that troubles your heart. Find peace with God.

c.       Laver – PURIFY. Nothing that is impure can purify itself. The power must come from a power that is above and beyond ourselves. At the laver, the priests wash and are cleansed. After we cast our burdens upon Jesus, we must trust that we receive His forgiveness and cleansing. Claim His mercy. Now we are ready for the next division.

II.                  THE HOLY PLACE      - This is what I would say would be the central part of the devotional exercise. Our greater Sanctuary journey is currently set in this part, moving towards the Most Holy Place. This is where we go into God’s Word.

Here's an illustration of the Sanctuary building described in the Bible

a.       Table of Shewbread – PONDER. The Table is a symbol of Jesus as the Bread of Life which we partake by studying His Word. Pray for wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you open your Bible and select a passage for reading. If you have a pre-selected devotional plan, that works just as well. Write down the key points of the passage, questions you may have, and reflections you make as you read. Go beyond the surface by asking questions, cross-referencing, and really just digesting the Word.

b.      PERSONALIZE. This section is somewhat in between the Table of Shewbread and the next Sanctuary article, which is the Golden Lampstand. In this section, identify the ways that the passage you just read applies to you. In what aspects or situations in your life do you see the passage have bearing on? Make the passage your own.

c.       Golden Lampstand – PROJECT. The lamp is a symbol for the Holy Spirit (oil) being assimilated into your life so that it shines out (flame) in your life. In this section, list down the practical steps you can and intend to take in order to project or shine out the things you have just learned.

d.      The Altar of Incense – PRAY. No devotional is complete without a time of pleading with God. Just as incense rises into the very presence of God into the Most Holy Place, our prayers ascend to God wrapped in the fragrance of Jesus’ atonement. Pray for the things you have learned. Pray God’s Word. If you read an instruction, pray for God’s strength to obey it. If there was a promise, claim it. If you read praise for God, repeat the praise in your own words. If you had a question, ask God for answers. If you read a prayer, make it your own. This is also a good time to bring to God your other desires and needs, and those of other people, including mission fields and churches.

e.       Veil – HIS PROMISE. You are now coming to the end of your study and going into the last division of your daily Sanctuary journey. The veil separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It represents Jesus in His human-divine nature standing between us and an offended God and interceding for us. His sacrifice and condescension is our guarantee. At this point, claim one specific promise you found in your reading as a portion of His answer to the prayers you have just prayed.

III.                The Most Holy Place – The final division of the Sanctuary is where the Shekinah (God’s visible presence) resides.

a.       Ark of the covenant – PRAISE IN HIS PRESENCE. The Bible says, in God’s presence there is fulness of joy and pleasures forevermore. In this section, give God praise and adoration and simply revel in the beauty of fellowship with Him. Spend a quiet and thoughtful minute or two just to savor His sweet presence with you.

And that is it. You have completed a Sanctuary journey for the day. It may seem like a lot right now. But it’s actually pretty simple. Simply open your heart to God and step forward where He leads. And know that you can, of course, have a go as many times as you desire/need to during the day. The Sanctuary is always open.

My Bible journal entry for Psalm 27. Beautiful Psalm.

Disappointment and Devotion

So today, things didn't exactly go my way. So of course, I was disappointed--by events, and people, my suddenly unbearably heavy bag, the overabundance of neon label stickers and the utter unavailability of plain white ones just when I needed them, and myself, mostly myself. I wasn't even halfway through the day yet, but I already felt like I deserved to take the time and "splurge" on my favorite food. And I did. Not just one, but three of my favorites. :D

As I ate, trying to enjoy every bite, I thought, "I deserve this: this bite, this feeling in my mouth, this break. This is what I'll do when I'm disappointed. I deserve this."

But then something inside me asked, "What does God do when He's disappointed, especially when He's disappointed with you? What does He deserve?"

And then the phrase, "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame..." (Heb. 12:2)

You know, I was that joy that was set before Him. People didn't treat Him very well when He was here. But He still calls me His joy. He still calls YOU His joy.

What does He deserve?

Certainly not this selfish, ungrateful, proud, complaining heart. No, certainly not. But you know what, He'll take it anyway. If I learn to give it up, He'll take it and lovingly, mercifully, He can make something beautiful out of it. He can do the same with yours, too.

Colossians 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Then suddenly, I was fine. Right there, over the unfinished curry, I was fine. There was a Joy set before me as well. I was fine. Thank God. :-)