Nothing Is Better

On Monday, I drove home from the Bay Area. My parents have our children all week for their Annual Grandma & Papa Summer Camp. Papa has fully planned out their itinerary and the girls could not be more thrilled. While I drove through the Bay, more than slightly irritated by the overwhelming traffic, the song Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship came on through Pandora. Part of the lyrics say this:

I searched the world
But it couldn't fill me
Man's empty praise
And treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire
Is now satisfied
Here in Your love 
Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing
Nothing is better than YouI'm not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You've seen 'em all
And You still call me friend'
Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There's not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won't find me again
Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing
Nothing is better than You

As I began to sing along (listen to it here ... the actual song, not me singing it), specifically "there's nothing better than you", it was like God vividly turned that into a question for me. Is there anything better than Him? What am I keeping to myself, by way of harboring frustration or un-forgiveness, or the treasures I hold near? Is holding on to the frustration of Bay Area, and now also Valley, traffic better than releasing my angst to God? I know that's a really silly, simple question to consider but as I did, God effortlessly walked me through what I don't let go of and I began to settle in the wonderment of what else I am holding onto. Most of the time I don't realize I'm harboring, but all it takes sometimes is seeing a particular person, hearing a name or phrase or feeling a certain way and BAM! I'm right back in the mindset or emotions of an unsettled heart. Many times I don't realize the treasures I'm equating to my significance until they are threatened. BAM!

If nothing is better than Him- no way of handling it on our own, no treasure, no idol we create, nothing, what then do we have to hold onto?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:19-34

This is the text that Lead Pastor, Nate Levering taught last Sunday. In the New Testament book of Matthew, chapters 5-6, Jesus is teaching His disciples in what's known as the Sermon on the Mount. He walks the disciples through how best to live this Christian life. It is here that Jesus leads them in wisdom, understanding and the invitation to better see the love and care of God.

What we will continually need to assess in ourselves is the anchor in which our value of significance is placed. Is that significance anchored in what we do for work, how our children behave, what we drive or where we live? Is it who we associate with or how we vacation? The broken system of how we place our value can often lead us to be distracted from the truth of God's care over us. It's easy to worry and want to have control, but even that distracts us. God has more for us if we are willing to set down our broken systems of control and lean in to letting Him take it. Nothing is better than what He is offering us. Nothing.

What's our stuff and are we willing to be honest in the presence of our God to work this out? 

Listen to the 8/6 message here.

Bulletin for 8/6 here. 

Coming up: