From time to time it seems as if God gives me a special verse. Today, the Lord brought to mind a verse that he gave me in August of last year, and I believe that He wanted me to remember it to encourage me to persevere, even now.
Exodus 23:29-30 says, "But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."
Does it seem as if God is taking too long to work in a situation? The foe is great and prayers seem to be unanswered, or partially answered. We may call out to the Lord and ask for deliverance. "Please! The trial is too great! The burden to heavy! The oppression too fierce! The battle too intense."
Of course, God is capable of responding in one massive movement (after all, He did create the world) but sometimes He chooses to work slowly, or at least, what appears to be such, and it is hard for us to see the benefit of His strategy amidst the long dark expanses of time.
We need to remember that God knows who we are and what we need. In our circumstances, we may need to further develop our strength or perseverance or integrity. If He was to remove that which plagues us too quickly, we may not grow in those areas. Only God knows.
The wild animals of entitlement, ungratefulness, apathy, mistrust or self-doubt could over power the victorious land that God intends to give us. And so, sometimes, little by little, God drives out the wild animals and desolation that infect us, inside. These things would overtake us if we did not deal with them, with Him -- our own sins, our past, our mistrust, our unbelief, our selfishness or our insecurities (to name a few).
Little by little, in great detail with fine quality, the Lord deals with us in our circumstances until we have the strength and integrity of character to possess the land -- the life -- that God has for us in Christ Jesus. And little by little, He drives out the enemies that we battle with, until we are ready to possess that land of freedom that God has prepared for us.
So, dear reader, persevere in keeping your eyes and faith focused on Jesus. God is about a very detailed work in your life, as you trust in Him and obey Him in the way that He may be asking you to walk. It may seem like He is holding back, but I believe He is not, but just working the very best plan so that we will be ready to possess a fertile, healthy, beautiful land.
A place of encouragement for women, sharing real life and real hope
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
My Thoughts on Anger
I find anger a very challenging and mysterious emotion to deal with. Culturally, especially for women, it is often not accepted, and we grow up and continue to shame ourselves when we become angry or totally dismiss the emotion, thus ending up not really dealing with it, and unfortunately, watch it grow in to either depression or bitterness.
I believe it has been said that angeris one of the stages of healing. It doesn't really feel like it, but I am trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, and allow it to knit its way in to my healing.
I have been teasing through the details of righteous anger and unrighteous anger. I am not sure if what I am thinking is entirely right, but it is where I am at right now, and I am mulling it over. Feel free to share with me your thoughts.
As far as I can tell unrighteous anger (that which is not consistent with God's will and His ways) pins me down and gets in the way of my spiritual growth and healing. Righteous anger (that which is godly and grieves over sin) helps to define more of who I am, helping me to heal and helping me to grow in righteousness.
In evaluating our anger, we are to first seek God's truth. Is the "thing" that we are angry at in accordance with what God says is wrong or contrary to what God says is right and true? In prayer and reading God's Word we can seek counsel from the Spirit and ask Him to reveal to our hearts and minds the source and reason for our anger.
If we realize that our anger is unrighteous or that we have sinned in our anger, we need to ask the Lord to forgive us, and perhaps others, as well. We lay it down at His feet and ask Him to wipe away our anger and help us to walk in ways that are obedient to Him. This is a constant act of worship and awareness as we acknowledge our sinfulness before God, and acknowledge the saving power of Jesus to make us right with God.
If we realize that it is righteous anger, we need to also acknowledge exactly what it is that we are angry about. What wrong are we abhorring and feeling such a strong emotion against? What are we coming up against that God's Word says is wrong? Is it gossip, betrayal, deceit, injustice or any number of other acts of evil? As we are able to define that which is angering us, we are better able to define who we are, created in the image of God. For instance, if we are angry because gossip is wrong, we realize that sincerity and truthfulness or confidentiality are important to us. Our anger becomes a tool that helps us to define the good and godly traits in us that God has written on our hearts. I suppose if we do not have anger against that which is evil and wrong, perhaps we do not have a true love for that which is godly and good.
Once we are able to define our anger, repent of any unrighteous aspects of it, understand its value in defining who we are, we are then able to begin to embrace it. We can begin to trust the Lord that bit by bit, in good and right time, and in His tender care that he will weave it in to the redemptive healing process that He is at work with in our lives.
These are just my thoughts for today, dear reader, as I wrestle with a growing sense of anger within my heart. I am trying to uproot any bitterness that is trying to sprout up, and trying to let God use my anger for my good as he shapes and fashions me to be more like Jesus. Somehow. Is it simple and easy? How I wish I could say that, but I am believing that God can do immeasurable more than I could hope for or ask for, even in this.
I believe it has been said that angeris one of the stages of healing. It doesn't really feel like it, but I am trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, and allow it to knit its way in to my healing.
I have been teasing through the details of righteous anger and unrighteous anger. I am not sure if what I am thinking is entirely right, but it is where I am at right now, and I am mulling it over. Feel free to share with me your thoughts.
As far as I can tell unrighteous anger (that which is not consistent with God's will and His ways) pins me down and gets in the way of my spiritual growth and healing. Righteous anger (that which is godly and grieves over sin) helps to define more of who I am, helping me to heal and helping me to grow in righteousness.
In evaluating our anger, we are to first seek God's truth. Is the "thing" that we are angry at in accordance with what God says is wrong or contrary to what God says is right and true? In prayer and reading God's Word we can seek counsel from the Spirit and ask Him to reveal to our hearts and minds the source and reason for our anger.
If we realize that our anger is unrighteous or that we have sinned in our anger, we need to ask the Lord to forgive us, and perhaps others, as well. We lay it down at His feet and ask Him to wipe away our anger and help us to walk in ways that are obedient to Him. This is a constant act of worship and awareness as we acknowledge our sinfulness before God, and acknowledge the saving power of Jesus to make us right with God.
If we realize that it is righteous anger, we need to also acknowledge exactly what it is that we are angry about. What wrong are we abhorring and feeling such a strong emotion against? What are we coming up against that God's Word says is wrong? Is it gossip, betrayal, deceit, injustice or any number of other acts of evil? As we are able to define that which is angering us, we are better able to define who we are, created in the image of God. For instance, if we are angry because gossip is wrong, we realize that sincerity and truthfulness or confidentiality are important to us. Our anger becomes a tool that helps us to define the good and godly traits in us that God has written on our hearts. I suppose if we do not have anger against that which is evil and wrong, perhaps we do not have a true love for that which is godly and good.
Once we are able to define our anger, repent of any unrighteous aspects of it, understand its value in defining who we are, we are then able to begin to embrace it. We can begin to trust the Lord that bit by bit, in good and right time, and in His tender care that he will weave it in to the redemptive healing process that He is at work with in our lives.
These are just my thoughts for today, dear reader, as I wrestle with a growing sense of anger within my heart. I am trying to uproot any bitterness that is trying to sprout up, and trying to let God use my anger for my good as he shapes and fashions me to be more like Jesus. Somehow. Is it simple and easy? How I wish I could say that, but I am believing that God can do immeasurable more than I could hope for or ask for, even in this.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Standing on His Promises
"Well, I guess I'll just keep on riding the wave," I said to a friend on the phone, rather flippantly and fatalistically. She asked how I was doing in regards to holding up under the pressures and sorrow of my current situation. "The problem with that," I groaned "is that I seem to keep feeling as if I'm either crashing against the shore or getting sucked out to sea."
Later, the misery of my moaning gnawed away at me. What sort of truth was I embracing? What thoughts was I allowing to creep in to my heart and soul to believe that I was just being tossed around with out a purpose or being part of a plan?
I needed to re-group. Within a few days, another friend of mine shared with me that she was really working on internalizing the truth of "standing on the promises," and I realized that I needed to take that to heart, as well, and remember what I knew to be true and who God had been and was in my life. He was in control and I could stand firm on the truth of God's faithfulness and the precious promises that He has for us.
The second verse of the old hymn, Standing on the Promises by R. Kelso Carter says,
Here is where we stand, on the promises of God, revealed to us through life and His Holy Word. We are not floating out at sea, being tossed about by the wind and waves, without purpose or care.
Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Dear reader, let us take hold of our Jesus who will steady us and help us to stand firm on the promises of God. We need not be tossed by the waves of fear and doubt, but can trust in the Lord and believe that He has a perfect plan for each one of us. What promises are you standing on today? Search God's Word for the wonderful words that He has for you.
Later, the misery of my moaning gnawed away at me. What sort of truth was I embracing? What thoughts was I allowing to creep in to my heart and soul to believe that I was just being tossed around with out a purpose or being part of a plan?
I needed to re-group. Within a few days, another friend of mine shared with me that she was really working on internalizing the truth of "standing on the promises," and I realized that I needed to take that to heart, as well, and remember what I knew to be true and who God had been and was in my life. He was in control and I could stand firm on the truth of God's faithfulness and the precious promises that He has for us.
The second verse of the old hymn, Standing on the Promises by R. Kelso Carter says,
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Here is where we stand, on the promises of God, revealed to us through life and His Holy Word. We are not floating out at sea, being tossed about by the wind and waves, without purpose or care.
Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Dear reader, let us take hold of our Jesus who will steady us and help us to stand firm on the promises of God. We need not be tossed by the waves of fear and doubt, but can trust in the Lord and believe that He has a perfect plan for each one of us. What promises are you standing on today? Search God's Word for the wonderful words that He has for you.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Suffering is Not a Sprint (No kidding!)
When I was in high school, I used to be on the track team and my events were primarily the sprint events. I did not run long distance races. Too long, too hard, and I could not see the finish line when I started. I didn't like that.
The thing with the sprint events is that they are quick and you can always see the finish line. You have to expend alot of energy to get out of the blocks, but being able to see where the destination is makes a big difference. When we cross the finish line, we can look back and see where we started, and even the wind may be knocked out of us, the recovery time is shorter and the reward for our accomplishment, quicker.
I guess I am a better sprinter when it comes to life's trials, as well. I can get out there, rally the troups or myself, and with a burst of energy and the finish line in view, I can do it! I am definitely significantly more challenged when it comes to the long distance race; here is where we have to pace ourselves, aware of our energy levels at any given moment and despite the fact that we can't see the finish line, persevere believing that we will cross the line.
Dear reader, perhaps you are aware of what I speak of. We can "survive" the intense but short crises of life, but it is the long, stretched out sufferings that can take their toll on us. If we could only see the finish line. I do not necessarily mean the finish line of heaven, although that may be the case, but even what appears to be the finish line just for this event. How will this particular "event" end? What is God's redemptive finale and what will our story look like?
I find myself breathless and weary -- "hitting the wall" as they say. No sign of the finish line, and in need of energy and replenishment, and yet determined to finish the race, strong because of He who strengthens me.
Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to run the race that marked out for us with perseverance! God marks out the race, where the finish line is and how long it will take us to get there; we really don't need to see the end point to run the race. He knows each step of the way, what we need for replenishment, what the end of this "event" looks like.
Let us, like the Apostle Paul be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). It does take alot of faith along the way. Hebrews 2:2 goes on to say, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith." Persevere and run the race, not growing weary. Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, will show us the way to the finish line and we will rejoice with Him there!
The thing with the sprint events is that they are quick and you can always see the finish line. You have to expend alot of energy to get out of the blocks, but being able to see where the destination is makes a big difference. When we cross the finish line, we can look back and see where we started, and even the wind may be knocked out of us, the recovery time is shorter and the reward for our accomplishment, quicker.
I guess I am a better sprinter when it comes to life's trials, as well. I can get out there, rally the troups or myself, and with a burst of energy and the finish line in view, I can do it! I am definitely significantly more challenged when it comes to the long distance race; here is where we have to pace ourselves, aware of our energy levels at any given moment and despite the fact that we can't see the finish line, persevere believing that we will cross the line.
Dear reader, perhaps you are aware of what I speak of. We can "survive" the intense but short crises of life, but it is the long, stretched out sufferings that can take their toll on us. If we could only see the finish line. I do not necessarily mean the finish line of heaven, although that may be the case, but even what appears to be the finish line just for this event. How will this particular "event" end? What is God's redemptive finale and what will our story look like?
I find myself breathless and weary -- "hitting the wall" as they say. No sign of the finish line, and in need of energy and replenishment, and yet determined to finish the race, strong because of He who strengthens me.
Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to run the race that marked out for us with perseverance! God marks out the race, where the finish line is and how long it will take us to get there; we really don't need to see the end point to run the race. He knows each step of the way, what we need for replenishment, what the end of this "event" looks like.
Let us, like the Apostle Paul be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). It does take alot of faith along the way. Hebrews 2:2 goes on to say, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith." Persevere and run the race, not growing weary. Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, will show us the way to the finish line and we will rejoice with Him there!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Through Thick and Thin Thankfulness
Over the past couple of days I have been keenly aware of the value of trying to attain or maintain a thankful heart. Somehow, I think that we can find the peace of God there as we bask in an awareness of that which He has given us, even amidst great pain and difficulty, and offer that back to Him on the pillow of thanksgiving.
So, today, I quite simply want to express my gratitude to God for the friends that He has given me, and all that they have done for me. As I look back over the last several years and even more so months, I can see how God has used each friend in a unique way to build me up, hold me together or let me fall a part in a safe place.
I am thankful for meals, cards(I have saved every one) and phone calls. I am thankful for friends who offer up prayers for me and my family. You have stormed the gates of heaven for us, and I am confident that God is using them. I am thankful for the friends who come over to my house, even when I want to just hide and cry, and thankful for the ones who give me space when I need it. I am thankful for friends who encourage me with God's Word. You will never know how it cuts straight to my soul and nourishes me when I need it most. I am thankful for the people who take a risk and care for me, even when they do not know what to say; I feel the Lord's presence when they took the time. I am thankful for friends who stand on truth and do not tolerate sin. I am thankful for friends who take time for my children, giving them attention and showing them what it means to be the family of God. I am thankful for the wisdom and discernment that friends share with me, not fearing man, but fearing God only, in all that they say. I am thankful for friends who sit with me late in to the night and hear my pain, and then do something silly to make me laugh. I am thankful for my friends who believe in me, even when I do not believe in myself, and encourage me to be all that I can be. I am thankful for their words of encouragement about Who God is who I am and about what I write.
Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." Like the card above sent by a friend says, a friend does love Through Thick and Thin. In addition, Through Thick and Thin we are to cultivate a heart of thankfulness. So, thank you to the Lord and thank you to my dear friends. They show me the love of God and hold out the Light to light my path when the darkness feels too dark for me to see. I have learned of the love and peace of God through all of them.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Slow Down and Heal
Courage, my puppy, is growing. I try to take him for a walk twice a day. He has alot of energy and needs alot of training. One of the things that I am trying to teach him is how to heel, and quite frankly, I am having a difficult time doing so. I walk along, saying firmly to him, "Heel, Courage! Heel!" I must say it 100 times (and I am not exaggerating) each time I take him out for a walk.
But in the last couple of days when I said "Heel!" I heard something else. The cry of my heart, not just my mouth, was yelling to myself "Heal!" -- at least 100 times.
I have been desiring healing for my broken, hurting heart. In the last couple of days, when I said "Heel!" to the dog, I heard something else -- the cry of my heart was yelling out, "Heal!" And I realized how desperately I was wanting for healing to occur.
Then I believe the Lord was nudging my heart to hear "In order to heal, Andrea, you need to do for me just what you'd like this dog to do for you. You need to slow down and walk in step with me."
Even though the words are entirely different (other than how they sound) I began to see alot of similarities in "healing." Courage often wants to run ahead. So do I. Sometimes he is difficult and keeps his head down, instead of walking with it upright, looking forward. So do I. He often wants to do go wherever he wants to go. So do I. Heeling doesn't seem to come naturally to him, and healing doesn't seem to come naturally to me.
It is not a perfect analogy and breaks down after that, but I do know that I have some things to learn. I want to run ahead and hurry up the process of healing, but God says slow down. Sometimes, I have my head down when I need to be keeping my chin up and keeping my eyes focused on the Lord. Sometimes, I want to do what I want to do, but God wants me to walk in step with Him, along side of Him, and trust Him in the process. He knows how I should walk and where I should go. In that, comes the healing. I can not heal myself, only God can. It is all a part of His grace in my life, not a product of something I do naturally.
In the New Testament we read of the great Healer, Jesus. The Psalmist speaks of Him, as well. "He heals up the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in His unfailing love" (Psalm 147:3,10-11).
And so God whispers to me in my daily life, even the walking of the dog. "Slow down, dear one whom I love with an unfailing love. Walk by me. I will show you the way, and will heal your wounds. Just walk with me." May you know this to be true for you, too, as you desire God to heal the wounds in your life, dear reader. Healing can not be hurried and it is not controlled by our strength or our ability. Only the One True Healer can change our hearts and make them whole again.
But in the last couple of days when I said "Heel!" I heard something else. The cry of my heart, not just my mouth, was yelling to myself "Heal!" -- at least 100 times.
I have been desiring healing for my broken, hurting heart. In the last couple of days, when I said "Heel!" to the dog, I heard something else -- the cry of my heart was yelling out, "Heal!" And I realized how desperately I was wanting for healing to occur.
Then I believe the Lord was nudging my heart to hear "In order to heal, Andrea, you need to do for me just what you'd like this dog to do for you. You need to slow down and walk in step with me."
Even though the words are entirely different (other than how they sound) I began to see alot of similarities in "healing." Courage often wants to run ahead. So do I. Sometimes he is difficult and keeps his head down, instead of walking with it upright, looking forward. So do I. He often wants to do go wherever he wants to go. So do I. Heeling doesn't seem to come naturally to him, and healing doesn't seem to come naturally to me.
It is not a perfect analogy and breaks down after that, but I do know that I have some things to learn. I want to run ahead and hurry up the process of healing, but God says slow down. Sometimes, I have my head down when I need to be keeping my chin up and keeping my eyes focused on the Lord. Sometimes, I want to do what I want to do, but God wants me to walk in step with Him, along side of Him, and trust Him in the process. He knows how I should walk and where I should go. In that, comes the healing. I can not heal myself, only God can. It is all a part of His grace in my life, not a product of something I do naturally.
In the New Testament we read of the great Healer, Jesus. The Psalmist speaks of Him, as well. "He heals up the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in His unfailing love" (Psalm 147:3,10-11).
And so God whispers to me in my daily life, even the walking of the dog. "Slow down, dear one whom I love with an unfailing love. Walk by me. I will show you the way, and will heal your wounds. Just walk with me." May you know this to be true for you, too, as you desire God to heal the wounds in your life, dear reader. Healing can not be hurried and it is not controlled by our strength or our ability. Only the One True Healer can change our hearts and make them whole again.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
From Impassable to Unbelievable
My mind was moved to think about Moses today and the parting of the Red Sea. I'm not sure if it was because of the fierce winds outside today, or the fact that I have been feeling pressed between my past, my present and concerns of the future, but regardless, I believe that God brought it to my mind, and so I spent some time in Exodus 14 and 15 this evening.
You may want to read through it, but I will paraphrase. Try to imagine what it would have been like to be an Israelite at the very moment of coming up to the edge of the Red Sea. They were brought out of the slavery of Egypt finding themselves up against another insurmountable obstacle. They would have looked over their shoulders to see the armed Egyptians with their horses and chariots kicking up all sorts of dust and making quite an impression of power, and looked in front of them seeing and feeling the large mass of water.
Even though they had the visible presence of the Lord in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, I wonder how many stood there, pressed in by a force that seemed to have the advantage, and thought, "This is it. We are done for!"
Could they even dream of what God was going to do? Were the experiencing doubt and fear, and maybe even anger? What did they think when the east wind began to kick up? "Are we going to get blown into the sea?" Can you imagine the "shock and awe" that they experienced when the walls of water began to form? The noise? The smells? The confusion? Did they fear that they would drown?
And yet, they stepped out in faith, and walked on dry ground. God created a miracle, provided a way, and their feet and belongings never even got muddy!
God delivered them safely and He took care of the enemy. When they Israelites were safe, the waters closed up again, and all the Egyptians who were pursuing them, were dead. In response, the Israelites feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and they sang a hymn to the Lord, celebrating God's spectacular victory.
This is the God who I desire to put my trust in, too. When we are pressed in from behind by circumstances that look more powerful and numerous that we are and facing the seas of discouragement and fear and sorrow, God can take what appears to be "impassable" and do the unbelievable.
Who knows what the mighty, loving hand of God will do when we choose to trust and obey Him. The song of praise following the deliverance of the Israelites calls out to the Lord, "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed" (Exodus 15:13), and we can cry out to Him in full assurance that He will do this for us to, when we choose to love Him.
Be at peace, dear reader, for you are unfailingly loved. Whatever your circumstances are in your past, present or future, our God is incredible and He is writing a redemptive story for you. Your enemies, whether from with out or with in, have no power over you. God will provide a way for you, beyond your wildest imagination. Trust God.
You may want to read through it, but I will paraphrase. Try to imagine what it would have been like to be an Israelite at the very moment of coming up to the edge of the Red Sea. They were brought out of the slavery of Egypt finding themselves up against another insurmountable obstacle. They would have looked over their shoulders to see the armed Egyptians with their horses and chariots kicking up all sorts of dust and making quite an impression of power, and looked in front of them seeing and feeling the large mass of water.
Even though they had the visible presence of the Lord in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, I wonder how many stood there, pressed in by a force that seemed to have the advantage, and thought, "This is it. We are done for!"
Could they even dream of what God was going to do? Were the experiencing doubt and fear, and maybe even anger? What did they think when the east wind began to kick up? "Are we going to get blown into the sea?" Can you imagine the "shock and awe" that they experienced when the walls of water began to form? The noise? The smells? The confusion? Did they fear that they would drown?
And yet, they stepped out in faith, and walked on dry ground. God created a miracle, provided a way, and their feet and belongings never even got muddy!
God delivered them safely and He took care of the enemy. When they Israelites were safe, the waters closed up again, and all the Egyptians who were pursuing them, were dead. In response, the Israelites feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and they sang a hymn to the Lord, celebrating God's spectacular victory.
This is the God who I desire to put my trust in, too. When we are pressed in from behind by circumstances that look more powerful and numerous that we are and facing the seas of discouragement and fear and sorrow, God can take what appears to be "impassable" and do the unbelievable.
Who knows what the mighty, loving hand of God will do when we choose to trust and obey Him. The song of praise following the deliverance of the Israelites calls out to the Lord, "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed" (Exodus 15:13), and we can cry out to Him in full assurance that He will do this for us to, when we choose to love Him.
Be at peace, dear reader, for you are unfailingly loved. Whatever your circumstances are in your past, present or future, our God is incredible and He is writing a redemptive story for you. Your enemies, whether from with out or with in, have no power over you. God will provide a way for you, beyond your wildest imagination. Trust God.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Packed Down Like Ice
This is what is on my mind, and although not as lovely as some of the things I have written, it is what I feel that God has put before me today. I hope that somehow it helps you in your journey of seeking God.
The temperatures rose in to the fifties and a strong south wind whirled around and through every space that it could find. With the warming air and the wind, the piles of snow began to melt. It is an odd time of year. There is hope of Spring, and yet, there is the realization of the wear and tear of winter as the blanket of white melts and evaporates leaving behind the remnants of the long hard season. Branches, trash, piles of sand and grass, grotesque ice sculptures formed from the scraping of roads and driveways, and the bumpy build up of ice everywhere, now revealed.
One begins to notice the packed down ice more as the snow dissipates. Thick fields of it lay on driveways and roadways. We try and sprinkle some salt and hope that the addition of the sun will help to take care of the problem, but it usually is not enough. One must take out the sharp chisel and shovel and get to work at it. My driveway this year was notorious for the amount of ice that had formed on it. In some places, due to snow and rain build up, worsened by the fact that I drove over it and over it before ever shoveling it, it was 6 inches thick. To remove the ice took energy and time. I realized more and more that if I had dealt with the "causes of the problem" early on, I would not be working so hard.
And it dawned on me, so it is with my sin, our sin. Let me take anger for an example. Reality is that as sinners we are going to get angry. I am speaking of the unrighteous anger that brews in the sinful crevices of our hearts. It may start out small, a by product of an injustice that occurs, a rejection, a hurt, or due to a wrong that was perpetrated against us. If we let it build up and do not deal with it, it grows. It grows thick and cold and destructive. It starts out thin, and we think that we will have the time or strength to deal with it later. However, the more we pack it down (or allow others to drive over it and pack it down) the worse it becomes.
Sometimes, especially in my pain, I can feel my sin of resentment or anger grow. Today I am reminded of how ugly it looks and how much work it takes to rid of it. Sometimes, I don't like to look at my own sin. I'd rather look away and think to myself that I can deal with it another day, when perhaps I have more strength and energy.
But I know that if I deal with it early on and repent of it -- asking God for forgiveness and genuinely turning the other way and in the power of the Holy Spirit, seek change -- my struggle with that particular sin may begin to clear out of the way. I ask God to forgive me and change me and help me to deal with the issues that are creating this hardness within me, before it can build up and be a monumental task to remove.
I will choose to seek, God, though, even in the midst of my suffering, and ask Him to show me my own heart. Psalm 51 is David's humble prayer for forgiveness. We are reminded how God in His mercy, in His unfailing love for us, sent Jesus who has and continues to remove our sins and make us clean. He will chip away at what we bring to Him, and He will make our paths straight and strong again. This is what we can offer to Him, a broken and contrite heart, that has areas that have become cold and packed down, like ice, but are broken up and offered back to Him.
The temperatures rose in to the fifties and a strong south wind whirled around and through every space that it could find. With the warming air and the wind, the piles of snow began to melt. It is an odd time of year. There is hope of Spring, and yet, there is the realization of the wear and tear of winter as the blanket of white melts and evaporates leaving behind the remnants of the long hard season. Branches, trash, piles of sand and grass, grotesque ice sculptures formed from the scraping of roads and driveways, and the bumpy build up of ice everywhere, now revealed.
One begins to notice the packed down ice more as the snow dissipates. Thick fields of it lay on driveways and roadways. We try and sprinkle some salt and hope that the addition of the sun will help to take care of the problem, but it usually is not enough. One must take out the sharp chisel and shovel and get to work at it. My driveway this year was notorious for the amount of ice that had formed on it. In some places, due to snow and rain build up, worsened by the fact that I drove over it and over it before ever shoveling it, it was 6 inches thick. To remove the ice took energy and time. I realized more and more that if I had dealt with the "causes of the problem" early on, I would not be working so hard.
And it dawned on me, so it is with my sin, our sin. Let me take anger for an example. Reality is that as sinners we are going to get angry. I am speaking of the unrighteous anger that brews in the sinful crevices of our hearts. It may start out small, a by product of an injustice that occurs, a rejection, a hurt, or due to a wrong that was perpetrated against us. If we let it build up and do not deal with it, it grows. It grows thick and cold and destructive. It starts out thin, and we think that we will have the time or strength to deal with it later. However, the more we pack it down (or allow others to drive over it and pack it down) the worse it becomes.
Sometimes, especially in my pain, I can feel my sin of resentment or anger grow. Today I am reminded of how ugly it looks and how much work it takes to rid of it. Sometimes, I don't like to look at my own sin. I'd rather look away and think to myself that I can deal with it another day, when perhaps I have more strength and energy.
But I know that if I deal with it early on and repent of it -- asking God for forgiveness and genuinely turning the other way and in the power of the Holy Spirit, seek change -- my struggle with that particular sin may begin to clear out of the way. I ask God to forgive me and change me and help me to deal with the issues that are creating this hardness within me, before it can build up and be a monumental task to remove.
I will choose to seek, God, though, even in the midst of my suffering, and ask Him to show me my own heart. Psalm 51 is David's humble prayer for forgiveness. We are reminded how God in His mercy, in His unfailing love for us, sent Jesus who has and continues to remove our sins and make us clean. He will chip away at what we bring to Him, and He will make our paths straight and strong again. This is what we can offer to Him, a broken and contrite heart, that has areas that have become cold and packed down, like ice, but are broken up and offered back to Him.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Assuredly Special? Ask God.
"How do you spell "SPECIAL?" my five year old daughter leaned over to ask me, in church this morning. Letter by letter, I whispered the answer in to her ear. She then proceeded to ask for the remaining words and wrote on the back of the bulletin. "Anna is special because God made her."
That short sentence has been on my mind all day. What confidence a child has about who they are. Simply put, she is assured of her specialness because God made her.
I lose sight of this for myself. I begin to believe that I am not special and wonder what value I have in God's eyes. Do you, dear reader, perhaps, too, fall in to believing that you are not special? Is it because of our troubles and trials? Or have we been told for too long that we are the problem or that we do not matter? Has life sent deep and different messages that have carved their way in to our hearts, leaving a mark that is so crooked that we are not able to even take hold of the truth? Do we feel lonely? Abandoned? Insignificant? Unloved?
Psalm 139:13 the Psalmist says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." He is confident of the Creator God's love for him, just like my dear little five year old daughter. God's works are wonderful, and we are one of those works.
The enemy of our souls and the experiences of our lives shout all sorts of lies to us. We have old tapes that play in our heads trying to convince us that we are other than who we really are. However, the truth is that we are special and loved and cherished; we are a wonderful work, made by Him -- that is why we are special. Take time to read in the Psalms this week and see what God has to say to you about who He made you to be and how very much He loves you. He has tender words that are just for you, and He will meet you right where you are and show you the truth about how special you are.
In Zephaniah 3:17 it says "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." That is how special you are to Him. He takes delight in you, who He has created. Rest confidently in His quiet love and listen closely for your Creator's voice. You may just hear the love song that you need to hear Him softly singing to you today.
That short sentence has been on my mind all day. What confidence a child has about who they are. Simply put, she is assured of her specialness because God made her.
I lose sight of this for myself. I begin to believe that I am not special and wonder what value I have in God's eyes. Do you, dear reader, perhaps, too, fall in to believing that you are not special? Is it because of our troubles and trials? Or have we been told for too long that we are the problem or that we do not matter? Has life sent deep and different messages that have carved their way in to our hearts, leaving a mark that is so crooked that we are not able to even take hold of the truth? Do we feel lonely? Abandoned? Insignificant? Unloved?
Psalm 139:13 the Psalmist says "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." He is confident of the Creator God's love for him, just like my dear little five year old daughter. God's works are wonderful, and we are one of those works.
The enemy of our souls and the experiences of our lives shout all sorts of lies to us. We have old tapes that play in our heads trying to convince us that we are other than who we really are. However, the truth is that we are special and loved and cherished; we are a wonderful work, made by Him -- that is why we are special. Take time to read in the Psalms this week and see what God has to say to you about who He made you to be and how very much He loves you. He has tender words that are just for you, and He will meet you right where you are and show you the truth about how special you are.
In Zephaniah 3:17 it says "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." That is how special you are to Him. He takes delight in you, who He has created. Rest confidently in His quiet love and listen closely for your Creator's voice. You may just hear the love song that you need to hear Him softly singing to you today.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nothing is Impossible With God
The sun was shining, but all I seemed to be able to see where piles of dirt encased snow on the sides of the road and the outline of leafless branches reaching high up in to the sky. It was cold. The cars were covered in coats of flaked on salt. Bright outside, but frigid and dead looking all around.Suddenly, this picture on the left flashed in to my mind. I had to hunt through my photos to find it, and was surprised to see that it had been almost 5 years since I had discovered this little flower.
One spring day, I was walking in my backyard and looked down to find one small purplish blue flower thriving amidst the patio of bricks. I was struck by the contrast of its delicate beauty against the harsh, flat hardness of its surroundings. Clearly, a seed had been wedged between the bricks, where it began to take root and grow. It survived rains and winds and the tromping of feet that had ran in the place where it was growing. It survived assaults and a cold winter and despite adversity and perhaps, even more so, its beauty blossomed. Somehow, the right amount of sun and water and soil had nurtured the sweet little flower, and it grew. Now it reflected the glory of God, to me.
God is reminding me that even though I may look around and all seems dark and cold and lifeless, not just in my physical surroundings of winter, but in the current reality of my life circumstances, that there is hope.
Luke 1:37 says, "For nothing is impossible with God." He can take the bleakest, hardest, most harsh of circumstances, and place His seed of love and grace amidst that, and grow a beautiful flower. And this is what He does for us. He plants us between the crags of our despair and our pain and creates beauty beyond description. We may not see it now, but we are growing, and with the proper amount of tears and Sonlight and Living Water, out will sprout the evidence of His glory in our lives, and we, in turn, will bring beauty to our surroundings.
So, dear reader, think about this little flower. It's seed endured a long winter and then it grew, not in a garden where the soil was well tilled and sun light was abundant, but in an unlikely spot where it was tight and dark and lonely. Take hope in the fact that it may seem impossible to us that a seed could grow in such a circumstance, but as with this seed, so is it with our lives, nothing is impossible with God.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Are we Home or Guest?
I sat on the firm wooden bleacher, wrapped up in my winter coat. Listening and watching the shuffle of the feet of 9 year old boys hustling down the basketball court and the rhythmic beat of the basketball, I snuggled in with my children and watched the game. It was an indoor game but in the northern states, early morning basketball games still mean wearing your winter coat while the cold gym warms up for another day of activity. It's cold.
The red letters on the score board jumped out from against the drab background. "Home 15, Guest 16."
"Are we home or guest, mom?" one of my daughters asked. We were Home.
Her question did get me thinking. How do we live? As if we are Home or Guest? In times of prosperity or times of trial, where do we claim our home to be? God's Word tells us that this is not our home. We are guests. Heaven is our home.
Now, basketball can be challenging (especially when you are 9 years old), but life can be really hard (regardless of your age, 9 or 90.) Life, like a basketball game, has its high times (like making a basket), its mundane times (like shuffling up and down the court) and its low times (like fouling or being fouled, or even being put out of the game). Sometimes it feels like in this place we are down by one point (or more), more frequently, than not. We need to remember, though, that we are guests. But life is not a game; life is fragile and requires a great amount of long-suffering and faith, to name a few things.
Jesus provides us comfort, though. He says in John 14, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" (verses 1-4).
Jesus is the way and He tells us that in being so, He also goes before us and prepares a place for us. He will come back some day and take us to that beautiful place, where we will live in our heavenly home, with Him, forever. We are guests here, traveling on the paths that God has asked us to walk on. We struggle, but sing; hurt, but hope; trial, but trust.
This gives me great encouragement tonite to look toward a special place that Jesus has prepared just for me; just for you. Dear reader, take heart, do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus.
The red letters on the score board jumped out from against the drab background. "Home 15, Guest 16."
"Are we home or guest, mom?" one of my daughters asked. We were Home.
Her question did get me thinking. How do we live? As if we are Home or Guest? In times of prosperity or times of trial, where do we claim our home to be? God's Word tells us that this is not our home. We are guests. Heaven is our home.
Now, basketball can be challenging (especially when you are 9 years old), but life can be really hard (regardless of your age, 9 or 90.) Life, like a basketball game, has its high times (like making a basket), its mundane times (like shuffling up and down the court) and its low times (like fouling or being fouled, or even being put out of the game). Sometimes it feels like in this place we are down by one point (or more), more frequently, than not. We need to remember, though, that we are guests. But life is not a game; life is fragile and requires a great amount of long-suffering and faith, to name a few things.
Jesus provides us comfort, though. He says in John 14, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" (verses 1-4).
Jesus is the way and He tells us that in being so, He also goes before us and prepares a place for us. He will come back some day and take us to that beautiful place, where we will live in our heavenly home, with Him, forever. We are guests here, traveling on the paths that God has asked us to walk on. We struggle, but sing; hurt, but hope; trial, but trust.
This gives me great encouragement tonite to look toward a special place that Jesus has prepared just for me; just for you. Dear reader, take heart, do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust in Jesus.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Our Hiding Place, Too
This weekend I checked out, from the library, the movie The Hiding Place. There is something about visually watching this story that was very poignant to me. If you are not familiar with the story, which was originally a book, it is about a Dutch family, the ten Boom family. During WWII Nazi invasion of Holland they helped to save Jewish families from persecution and were then arrested and sent to a concentration camp. We are given a glimpse of their dehumanizing time in the concentration camp and their powerful story of how the love of Christ can even illuminate the darkest places.
It is a beautiful story and if you have not read it, or watched it, I would encourage you to take time to do so. I want to share with you some quotes that I jotted down while watching the movie. They are vibrant reminders to me of the truth that is found in Jesus, that is made clearer in times of suffering.
"No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still. They will believe us because we have been here" Betsy ten Boom (Corrie's sister) while lying ill and trying to encourage Corrie to cling to Jesus.
"Suffering does not mean that God does not love us. Sometimes we have to accept things we do not understand" Corrie ten Boom.
"Some questions remained but they are not to be feared. Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hand even our questions" Corrie ten Boom.
"It is not easy thing to stand in the palm of God's Hand" Father ten Boom.
"With Jesus, even in our darkest moments the best remains, and the very best yet to be" Corrie ten Boom.
Dear reader, God is our Hiding Place. In Psalm 32:7 it says, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
Corrie ten Boom was released from prison due to a clerical error (although we certainly know better that there are no errors in God's economy). She traveled the world and told her powerful story -- God's powerful story -- of the deep love of Jesus and powerful possibility of forgiveness to millions of people in over 60 countries.
God worked in and through Corrie's life, and He is working in and through ours, as well. Step in to His love and be covered protected in Him as your Hiding Place. Who knows what God has in store for you, someday, in sharing the story that He has given you, uniquely, to reach a hurting world with the life changing love of Jesus?
It is a beautiful story and if you have not read it, or watched it, I would encourage you to take time to do so. I want to share with you some quotes that I jotted down while watching the movie. They are vibrant reminders to me of the truth that is found in Jesus, that is made clearer in times of suffering.
"No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still. They will believe us because we have been here" Betsy ten Boom (Corrie's sister) while lying ill and trying to encourage Corrie to cling to Jesus.
"Suffering does not mean that God does not love us. Sometimes we have to accept things we do not understand" Corrie ten Boom.
"Some questions remained but they are not to be feared. Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hand even our questions" Corrie ten Boom.
"It is not easy thing to stand in the palm of God's Hand" Father ten Boom.
"With Jesus, even in our darkest moments the best remains, and the very best yet to be" Corrie ten Boom.
Dear reader, God is our Hiding Place. In Psalm 32:7 it says, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
Corrie ten Boom was released from prison due to a clerical error (although we certainly know better that there are no errors in God's economy). She traveled the world and told her powerful story -- God's powerful story -- of the deep love of Jesus and powerful possibility of forgiveness to millions of people in over 60 countries.
God worked in and through Corrie's life, and He is working in and through ours, as well. Step in to His love and be covered protected in Him as your Hiding Place. Who knows what God has in store for you, someday, in sharing the story that He has given you, uniquely, to reach a hurting world with the life changing love of Jesus?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Lean on Jesus
"Exactly what do you mean w
hen you say we should lean on Jesus?" an anonymous reader asked today, and I am so thankful that she did. (Yes, thank you, dear reader, for you gave me much to think about and challenged me to affirm to myself just how I can do that.)
I think that to "lean on Jesus" is to depend on Him and to rest upon Him. To lean on something or someone is to be supported by and/or sustained by that thing or person. My daughter is using crutches right now. Her leg hurts when she puts weight on it, making it difficult for her to walk independently. When she leans on the crutches and uses them to get around, her pain is not as great.
When she leans on the crutches, she relies on them. She trusts that they will hold her up. She believes that they will help her around.
And so it is with Jesus. But just like my daughter has to make a choice to pick up the crutches and use them to help her, so do we have to make the choice to depend on Jesus. We realize that we can not do it alone, and so we reach out and lean on the one who is fully trustworthy and will surely ease our pain.
Here are a few things that I have found to be helpful as I eagerly, desperately try to lean on Jesus:
1. Stay close to Him by spending time reading the Bible and asking the Lord to show you what is true about Him and true about you. Get to know Him through His Word and through quiet times of prayer. the more we know of Him and grow in an intimate relationship with Him, the more we can trust that He will hold us up.
2. Try to "let go" and "let God." Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Picture yourself placing your cares in the palm of your hand (or hands, some days!) and not only hand them out to the Lord, but then turn your hands upside down so that they fall out of your hands, and into His. If we have dropped them out of our hands, they are harder to hold on to. And if we are not trying to holding on to so much, it will be easier for us to rest on the Lord. God does not guarantee that He will obliterate our problems, but He does promise to be with us, holding on to us, as we lean in to Him and hand over our cares.
3. Try not to look too far down the path but rather tell yourself, "Just for today ..." Sometimes this is all we can do. It is a daily, sometimes hourly, committment that we can make. Call out to the Lord and say,
hen you say we should lean on Jesus?" an anonymous reader asked today, and I am so thankful that she did. (Yes, thank you, dear reader, for you gave me much to think about and challenged me to affirm to myself just how I can do that.)I think that to "lean on Jesus" is to depend on Him and to rest upon Him. To lean on something or someone is to be supported by and/or sustained by that thing or person. My daughter is using crutches right now. Her leg hurts when she puts weight on it, making it difficult for her to walk independently. When she leans on the crutches and uses them to get around, her pain is not as great.
When she leans on the crutches, she relies on them. She trusts that they will hold her up. She believes that they will help her around.
And so it is with Jesus. But just like my daughter has to make a choice to pick up the crutches and use them to help her, so do we have to make the choice to depend on Jesus. We realize that we can not do it alone, and so we reach out and lean on the one who is fully trustworthy and will surely ease our pain.
Here are a few things that I have found to be helpful as I eagerly, desperately try to lean on Jesus:
1. Stay close to Him by spending time reading the Bible and asking the Lord to show you what is true about Him and true about you. Get to know Him through His Word and through quiet times of prayer. the more we know of Him and grow in an intimate relationship with Him, the more we can trust that He will hold us up.
2. Try to "let go" and "let God." Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Picture yourself placing your cares in the palm of your hand (or hands, some days!) and not only hand them out to the Lord, but then turn your hands upside down so that they fall out of your hands, and into His. If we have dropped them out of our hands, they are harder to hold on to. And if we are not trying to holding on to so much, it will be easier for us to rest on the Lord. God does not guarantee that He will obliterate our problems, but He does promise to be with us, holding on to us, as we lean in to Him and hand over our cares.
3. Try not to look too far down the path but rather tell yourself, "Just for today ..." Sometimes this is all we can do. It is a daily, sometimes hourly, committment that we can make. Call out to the Lord and say,
Help me to trust you, Lord, and obey -- Just for today.
Help me to know when to rest and to stay -- Just for today.
Help me to know when to move, and to know in which way -- Just for today.
Help me to discern what to say -- Just for today.
Help me to do what is right without delay -- Just for today.
Help me to lean when I sway -- Just for today.
Perhaps it sounds simple, but I know it is not. It can be very hard, but I am confident that Jesus is waiting for us to lean in on Him, and in that He is there to support us and to sustain us. Fall back in to His everlasting, loving arms and He will be found strong and dependable.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Loved and Cared for by The Man of Sorrows -- Our Jesus
Earlier this evening I was reading in an old book that I have, "The Precious Things of God" by Octavius Winslow. In particular, I was reading the chapter on the preciousness of trial. I was inspired by a great amount of what is written in this chapter being reminded that our trials and suffering can bear the disguise of a foe, but in reality are a friend.
And then within hours i would have to put my belief in that to the test. My oldest son, who has CP broke down and shared his heart with me over the loneliness that he is struggling with at school. He started high school this year and all seemed to be going OK, so I thought, but tonite he spoke of how he feels as if he does not have any friends.
The river of sorrow runs deep and strong in my soul right now, and the current quickly can pull me in to it. Surely, there is nothing like watching your child suffer that tears your heart a part. Lord, how much can I handle? Standing amidst the rubble of a major crisis, I then bear up the suffering of my daughter in physical pain and my son in emotional pain. I know ... God says He does not give us more than we can handle. But I am tempted to wonder.
It is one thing to struggle and endure and grow through a trial of your own, and a whole other experience to help your child do so. I found myself almost at a loss of words. What was I to tell my son in his deep loneliness? How could I direct him to the only Hope that we have without minimizing his pain? What words would make a difference?
I cried with him, tried to brainstorm about resources that we could turn to and prayed with him. And now, late at night, I am entrusting Him to the tender care of our loving Father in heaven who loves him more than I even do.
I shared with him that even though we can not understand why or what is happening, we can trust that God is in control of everything and that we do have a friend in Jesus. When we are lonely, we can turn to Him, and He is the best friend that we can have. I prayed for my son that he would know Jesus in a special way in the days and weeks to come and that he would be able to lean on him, even in his saddest moments, and that this dear friend, Jesus, is a man who is familiar with sorrows, just like the sorrows that my son is experiencing. Just like the sorrows that you and I are experiencing.
Isaiah 53:3 appropriately says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering."
Dear reader, if you struggle with loneliness today, I want to encourage you to lean in to Jesus. He knows your every heart ache and your every burden; He has experienced them all in great measure. He will come in and fill the lonely places with His perfectly sized love for us.
And then within hours i would have to put my belief in that to the test. My oldest son, who has CP broke down and shared his heart with me over the loneliness that he is struggling with at school. He started high school this year and all seemed to be going OK, so I thought, but tonite he spoke of how he feels as if he does not have any friends.
The river of sorrow runs deep and strong in my soul right now, and the current quickly can pull me in to it. Surely, there is nothing like watching your child suffer that tears your heart a part. Lord, how much can I handle? Standing amidst the rubble of a major crisis, I then bear up the suffering of my daughter in physical pain and my son in emotional pain. I know ... God says He does not give us more than we can handle. But I am tempted to wonder.
It is one thing to struggle and endure and grow through a trial of your own, and a whole other experience to help your child do so. I found myself almost at a loss of words. What was I to tell my son in his deep loneliness? How could I direct him to the only Hope that we have without minimizing his pain? What words would make a difference?
I cried with him, tried to brainstorm about resources that we could turn to and prayed with him. And now, late at night, I am entrusting Him to the tender care of our loving Father in heaven who loves him more than I even do.
I shared with him that even though we can not understand why or what is happening, we can trust that God is in control of everything and that we do have a friend in Jesus. When we are lonely, we can turn to Him, and He is the best friend that we can have. I prayed for my son that he would know Jesus in a special way in the days and weeks to come and that he would be able to lean on him, even in his saddest moments, and that this dear friend, Jesus, is a man who is familiar with sorrows, just like the sorrows that my son is experiencing. Just like the sorrows that you and I are experiencing.
Isaiah 53:3 appropriately says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering."
Dear reader, if you struggle with loneliness today, I want to encourage you to lean in to Jesus. He knows your every heart ache and your every burden; He has experienced them all in great measure. He will come in and fill the lonely places with His perfectly sized love for us.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
God's Grace IS Sufficient
Dear reader, today I realize how much I have missed writing on the blog. It brings me so much joy and really helps me to internalize the truths that I learn about God.
The reason for my absence for the last week is that my 12 year old daughter had an unusual injury in ballet class, fracturing a part of her pelvis. We tried to manage her intense pain at home, over the weekend, but on Sunday morning I had had enough, and brought her to the ER. She was admitted for pain management, and ended up being in the hospital for three nights. It was so sad to watch her struggle with so much pain and the side effects of the pain medications that she was on. I am very relieved that she is home and feeling much better.
A friend shared with me that Shakespeare once said when sorrows come, they come not as single spies, but in battalions. I can relate to that right now. The dictionary says that a battalion is a large number of persons or things. In military terms, it is a ground force unit composed of headquarters and two or more companies; an army in battle array.
It does seem like a sort of assault when troubles come in multitudes. As I have shared, my heart is tired and weary as it sorrows over the crisis that I have been walking through, and now watching her suffer was heartbreak on top of heartbreak, as well as trying to care for my family, while she has such great need, was added challenge.
I am reminded of the description in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
As the army of our sorrows push in, and we feel as we are overwhelmed, squished, even unable to take a deep breath, we can have hope, for within us we carry the truth of Jesus and his great love for us. And we can be confident that God will give us the grace that we need each moment of each day, as He says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 11:28. God gave me the grace to stay up late (even all night)and care for her in her pain, to hold her hand, rub her back, alert the nurses, feed her when she could not, support her body when she needed to take a few steps to the bathroom, and discern what she needed and when, and be available to my other children, even if by phone, to help them as they go on with their lives. God's grace is truly sufficient.
I am thankful to be home, and I am thankful that even when I feel like it is too much, that I can rest in God's grace and He will do more than I can imagine. I hope that you are able to rest in these simple yet powerful, active truths, today. It is good to be back.
The reason for my absence for the last week is that my 12 year old daughter had an unusual injury in ballet class, fracturing a part of her pelvis. We tried to manage her intense pain at home, over the weekend, but on Sunday morning I had had enough, and brought her to the ER. She was admitted for pain management, and ended up being in the hospital for three nights. It was so sad to watch her struggle with so much pain and the side effects of the pain medications that she was on. I am very relieved that she is home and feeling much better.
A friend shared with me that Shakespeare once said when sorrows come, they come not as single spies, but in battalions. I can relate to that right now. The dictionary says that a battalion is a large number of persons or things. In military terms, it is a ground force unit composed of headquarters and two or more companies; an army in battle array.
It does seem like a sort of assault when troubles come in multitudes. As I have shared, my heart is tired and weary as it sorrows over the crisis that I have been walking through, and now watching her suffer was heartbreak on top of heartbreak, as well as trying to care for my family, while she has such great need, was added challenge.
I am reminded of the description in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
As the army of our sorrows push in, and we feel as we are overwhelmed, squished, even unable to take a deep breath, we can have hope, for within us we carry the truth of Jesus and his great love for us. And we can be confident that God will give us the grace that we need each moment of each day, as He says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 11:28. God gave me the grace to stay up late (even all night)and care for her in her pain, to hold her hand, rub her back, alert the nurses, feed her when she could not, support her body when she needed to take a few steps to the bathroom, and discern what she needed and when, and be available to my other children, even if by phone, to help them as they go on with their lives. God's grace is truly sufficient.
I am thankful to be home, and I am thankful that even when I feel like it is too much, that I can rest in God's grace and He will do more than I can imagine. I hope that you are able to rest in these simple yet powerful, active truths, today. It is good to be back.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Longings and Tears
Yesterday, a friend gave me this piece of pottery, made on the streets of Jerusalem. Painted on it is the first verse from Psalm 42. "As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God." In the NIV this same verse reads as, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God" and continues with "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night ..." (Psalm 42:1-3).
We long for God as a deer who longs for water. Thirsty, we search for the life giving water of God Himself. We desire to be in His love, but in our despair and sorrow, we call out "But when can I do so? Where are you?" Like with physical thirst we can become weak, weary, and worn out, needing the One who can only satisfy.
Our souls thirst for water and our hearts cry streams of it. It is these tears that seem like our food, day and night. How many have you been there, too, where in our deepest pain, we can not eat, but only weep, and it is these tears that become our food. I believe that God uses these tears to nourish our soul. It is a paradoxical nourishment as we pour out our inner grief in tears, God uses this very act, as we are in utter dependence on Him, to bring us sustenance and to strengthen us.
The reality is, and who of us can not speak of the great struggle that it is, that side by side our deep longing (panting) for God lies snug up against the deep pain of our heart. We desire God and at the same time, our tears flow day and night. It is hard to live in the complexity of this. We may know to lean in to God and bring Him all of our brokenness and pain, and in that there is rest and hope. Yet, our emotions remain real and sometimes, very raw. Desiring God does not take away our broken hearts.
Have hope, dear reader. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). As your soul weeps and your tears that feed you day and night flow, continue to lean in to God thirsting and longing for Him. He is close to you and will save.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
My Creator God
"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible" (Hebrews 11:3).
I take the creation story for granted. I know that I do. I believe that God created the world out of absolutely nothing, and I just don't give it another thought.
But I need to. Right now.
If we look at the book of Genesis we read the familiar story of the creation of the world. We learn of how in the beginning the earth was formless and empty and darkness was everywhere, and here is where the Spirit of God hovered.
And then God began to create. On days 1 -3 God separated and gathered and gave our world form. He separated the light from the darkness. He separated the waters below from the sky. He gathered the waters and formed the seas and gathered the land and formed dry ground. On days 4 - 6 God made and filled the earth, removing the emptiness. He produced plants and trees. He produced the sun and the moon and the stars. He produced the living creatures - animals and man.
God called in to existence the things that did not exist.
As I stand in rubble of my current situation, it feels like everywhere I look I see devastation. There seems to be emptiness, little form and darkness, much like the beginning.
The God who gave form and who filled the emptiness can do, may I be so bold and trusting to say will do, the same thing in our lives. He comes in and gives our life purpose and shape and He fills the emptiness with Himself and life.
Let me say it again, God calls in to existence the things that did not exist. It is hard to imagine what God is doing. We can look around and say, "Lord, how are you going to use all of this? How can you take this rubble and do anything with it?" However, God not only can take things and make them new, He can take nothing and make it in to something. God does not just recycle, He creates.
Lord, as we look at our lives today, help us to remember that you created the world out of nothing. Help us to believe that You can do the same thing in our own lives, more than we could have ever hoped for or imagined. And we can hope that it will be as lovely as the natural creation that You brought in to existence. Maybe even lovelier.
I take the creation story for granted. I know that I do. I believe that God created the world out of absolutely nothing, and I just don't give it another thought.
But I need to. Right now.
If we look at the book of Genesis we read the familiar story of the creation of the world. We learn of how in the beginning the earth was formless and empty and darkness was everywhere, and here is where the Spirit of God hovered.
And then God began to create. On days 1 -3 God separated and gathered and gave our world form. He separated the light from the darkness. He separated the waters below from the sky. He gathered the waters and formed the seas and gathered the land and formed dry ground. On days 4 - 6 God made and filled the earth, removing the emptiness. He produced plants and trees. He produced the sun and the moon and the stars. He produced the living creatures - animals and man.
God called in to existence the things that did not exist.
As I stand in rubble of my current situation, it feels like everywhere I look I see devastation. There seems to be emptiness, little form and darkness, much like the beginning.
The God who gave form and who filled the emptiness can do, may I be so bold and trusting to say will do, the same thing in our lives. He comes in and gives our life purpose and shape and He fills the emptiness with Himself and life.
Let me say it again, God calls in to existence the things that did not exist. It is hard to imagine what God is doing. We can look around and say, "Lord, how are you going to use all of this? How can you take this rubble and do anything with it?" However, God not only can take things and make them new, He can take nothing and make it in to something. God does not just recycle, He creates.
Lord, as we look at our lives today, help us to remember that you created the world out of nothing. Help us to believe that You can do the same thing in our own lives, more than we could have ever hoped for or imagined. And we can hope that it will be as lovely as the natural creation that You brought in to existence. Maybe even lovelier.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hemmed In By God
Throughout the afternoon today, I could not escape the picture of God hemming me in. It came to me while I was driving in the car, alone, praying out loud to God, asking Him (ok, pleading with Him) to continue to reveal to me what is true and guide me in the way that I should walk. I was seeking God for wisdom.
I recalled Psalm 139:5. "You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." Other versions say "you squeeze me in from behind and in front" (NET), "you have enclosed me behind and before" (NASB), and "I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too" (MSG). I love that imagery of God totally surrounding me with His presence, His love and His protection.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, my little girls will crawl in to bed with me to snuggle. They fall sound asleep, and I find myself sandwiched between two little lambs. I can't even roll over without bumping in to them and being totally aware of their being right there.
That is how it is with God. He is always present, and we can't go anywhere or do anything without bumping in to Him. Even more so, He has His hand on us. His hand is laid upon us, directing us, loving us, showing us the way. Squeezed tight by God, we are unable to move without a keen awareness of His reassuring presence.
Later in Psalm 139 it says, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (vs. 8-10). This brings me a great amount of comfort as I walk through each day, each one full of actions and decisions. I know that I can count on Him to reveal wisdom to me and to mold my heart so that I do what is right in and glorify Him in the process.
I am so thankful that He hems me in, squeezes around me and no matter where I look, is right there. It humbles me that His love is so close and so intimately for me. I pray, dear reader, that you have a keen awareness of being tangibly hemmed in by God today, amidst the trial that you may be walking through.
I recalled Psalm 139:5. "You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." Other versions say "you squeeze me in from behind and in front" (NET), "you have enclosed me behind and before" (NASB), and "I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too" (MSG). I love that imagery of God totally surrounding me with His presence, His love and His protection.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, my little girls will crawl in to bed with me to snuggle. They fall sound asleep, and I find myself sandwiched between two little lambs. I can't even roll over without bumping in to them and being totally aware of their being right there.
That is how it is with God. He is always present, and we can't go anywhere or do anything without bumping in to Him. Even more so, He has His hand on us. His hand is laid upon us, directing us, loving us, showing us the way. Squeezed tight by God, we are unable to move without a keen awareness of His reassuring presence.
Later in Psalm 139 it says, "If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" (vs. 8-10). This brings me a great amount of comfort as I walk through each day, each one full of actions and decisions. I know that I can count on Him to reveal wisdom to me and to mold my heart so that I do what is right in and glorify Him in the process.
I am so thankful that He hems me in, squeezes around me and no matter where I look, is right there. It humbles me that His love is so close and so intimately for me. I pray, dear reader, that you have a keen awareness of being tangibly hemmed in by God today, amidst the trial that you may be walking through.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
My Thoughts about Worry
Tonite I was brushing my daughter's hair, after taking out a series of corn rows that were braided in her hair. She wore them for about 3 weeks, and we could not believe how much hair was in the hair brush when we were done taking them out - handfulls of hair. We really lose alot of hair each day, and when they are not allowed to fly free -WOW - they really accumulate! In addition to thinking about the hairs on our head, a friend dropped off a bouquet of lily's. I decided that God is trying to get my attention and speak to me about my worrying.
I did some research and an average person's worry is focused on several things:
Things that will never happen - 40%
Things about the past that can’t be changed - 30%
Things about criticism by others, mostly untrue -12%
About health, which gets worse with stress -10%
About real problems that will be faced - 8%.
Isn't that interesting? Only eight percent of the the things that we worry about are real problems that we face. The first two we can't even do anything about.
God has some things to say about worry, in the bible, and lily's and hair remind me of two of them.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies 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 in the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O 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 6:28-34.
Matthew 10:30 reminds us "Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
We can learn of one of the solutions to worry in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
We are more valuable than lilies and sparrows, whom He cares for tenderly, and He even knows every hair on our heads. That is pretty detailed, intricate care. I am humbled by that. So therefore, I will try to cast my cares upon the Lord, and not reel them back in, but leave them at His feet entrusting them to His loving care.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Call Out for God and He Will be Found
"Where is that dog?" I mumbled under my breath in between calling out to him from my back door. "Why is he not coming?" I could just see him in the distance, but he would not respond to my increasingly frustrated tone of voice, as I called out to him. It was cold out. I was tired, and I had things that I needed to get done. I was beginning to get irritated. Why isn't he showing up?
So, I walked out to look for him, with my thin shoes on, sloshing through 18 inch deep snow, as far as I could go. I called, and he did not come. I went back in and waited. A few minutes later, I tried again. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. I walked out there, could just see him in the distance, called for him, and he would not come. Ugh! That dog!
Finally, I put on my snow boots. With a determined face and tone in my voice, I firmly bellered for the dog, this time clomping in to deeper snow. I marched in to the woods, snow filledmy boots, and cold wind blew around me: I was on a mission to get that dog. And finally, he came.
Now, it's not a perfect parallel, but that is how I feel with God sometimes. I call for Him, and there seems to be no answer. I tread out to look for Him; once, twice, and seemingly still no response. Finally, I get determined.
"Where is He? I am cold, tired (weary) and I need to get things done. (Doesn't He see that I have alot going on and I need HELP?)"
And so I put on my boots and get serious at tracking Him down. I relentlessly pursue Him, in His Word, through the support of others and in prayer. I seek Him with a vengeance. I know He is out there; I can just see Him in the distance. It seems as if He is not listening, and then -- He comes.
I don't understand it. But I do know a couple of things that are true and I have to keep on telling myself.
Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord."
Psalm 15:5-6 says "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."
And God says in Jeremiah 29:13-14 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and will bring you back from captivity."
Sometimes, we are really hurting and we can look out in to the distance and we see God. Yet, it seems like we call and we call and we call, and He doesn't seem to show up. So we go out and try to find Him. Still, He does not come. So, finally, with all of our heart, we trudge out and we dig in deep and seek Him. And then, He comes.
God wants our hearts. He already knows our pain and our suffering and our circumstances. Unlike my dog, He is not being stubborn or disobedient. Of course, God can not be those things.
Instead, His apparent not coming when we first call is not that at all. His timing is perfect in all things. He wants our heart and He wants us to seek Him with all of it. His thoughts and ways are not ours. Good News! They are even better, and He has already set the boundary lines in pleasant places for us, even if it does not feel like it right now.
Seek Him, relentlessly. He will be found. And as He releases you from the captivity of your pain, He will show you the good things that He has for you. In His time.
P. S. As I was writing this, the dog came to my feet and settled in. He dropped from his mouth (did I tell you he is a puppy and eats everything?) a small rectangular magnet with the word
"GOD'S" on it. Yes, God, I get it ... God is here. God is present. God is found. (He never went missing!) God is showing up.
So, I walked out to look for him, with my thin shoes on, sloshing through 18 inch deep snow, as far as I could go. I called, and he did not come. I went back in and waited. A few minutes later, I tried again. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. I walked out there, could just see him in the distance, called for him, and he would not come. Ugh! That dog!
Finally, I put on my snow boots. With a determined face and tone in my voice, I firmly bellered for the dog, this time clomping in to deeper snow. I marched in to the woods, snow filledmy boots, and cold wind blew around me: I was on a mission to get that dog. And finally, he came.
Now, it's not a perfect parallel, but that is how I feel with God sometimes. I call for Him, and there seems to be no answer. I tread out to look for Him; once, twice, and seemingly still no response. Finally, I get determined.
"Where is He? I am cold, tired (weary) and I need to get things done. (Doesn't He see that I have alot going on and I need HELP?)"
And so I put on my boots and get serious at tracking Him down. I relentlessly pursue Him, in His Word, through the support of others and in prayer. I seek Him with a vengeance. I know He is out there; I can just see Him in the distance. It seems as if He is not listening, and then -- He comes.
I don't understand it. But I do know a couple of things that are true and I have to keep on telling myself.
Isaiah 55:8 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord."
Psalm 15:5-6 says "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."
And God says in Jeremiah 29:13-14 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and will bring you back from captivity."
Sometimes, we are really hurting and we can look out in to the distance and we see God. Yet, it seems like we call and we call and we call, and He doesn't seem to show up. So we go out and try to find Him. Still, He does not come. So, finally, with all of our heart, we trudge out and we dig in deep and seek Him. And then, He comes.
God wants our hearts. He already knows our pain and our suffering and our circumstances. Unlike my dog, He is not being stubborn or disobedient. Of course, God can not be those things.
Instead, His apparent not coming when we first call is not that at all. His timing is perfect in all things. He wants our heart and He wants us to seek Him with all of it. His thoughts and ways are not ours. Good News! They are even better, and He has already set the boundary lines in pleasant places for us, even if it does not feel like it right now.
Seek Him, relentlessly. He will be found. And as He releases you from the captivity of your pain, He will show you the good things that He has for you. In His time.
P. S. As I was writing this, the dog came to my feet and settled in. He dropped from his mouth (did I tell you he is a puppy and eats everything?) a small rectangular magnet with the word
"GOD'S" on it. Yes, God, I get it ... God is here. God is present. God is found. (He never went missing!) God is showing up.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
When in Doubt, Remember God's Faithfulness
The thing about times of trouble and suffering is that there appears to be so many unknowns. We are barraged by troubles from the outside and from inside, and when uncertainty prevails, it is not unusual for us to doubt.
We doubt ourselves and we doubt God. We wonder, perhaps not whether He really exists, but more whether He really is at work in our current situation. Sometimes He reveals Himself immediately, and other times He seems to be at work behind the scenes. It's hard for me when I am not getting quite a clear picture, or perhaps even more so, when the picture that is coming in to view is not quite what I thought.
In the last couple of days I have been thinking (and trying to believe myself) that the solution to doubt and worry is to remember. To remember what the Lord has done in the past, and to remember that He is a faithful God who cares for the ones He loves and who love Him. The Lord brought me to Psalm 77 tonite.
Perhaps these questions are at the tip of your tongue or the forefront of your heart, too.
"Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Psalm 77:7-9
But, let us say along with the Psalmist.
"Then I thought,'To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High.'
I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds."
Psalm 77:10-12
Yes, I am trying to do this, too. I am remembering what God has done in the past. I look at the stories of truth in the bible and I see that He is a God who saves. And then I look at my own life and I choose to remember that God has been faithful to me in the past, and I will trust that He will remain faithful to me in this trial, as well. God comforts me when I call out to Him and remember His faithfulness of the past. I will choose to trust in Him.
We doubt ourselves and we doubt God. We wonder, perhaps not whether He really exists, but more whether He really is at work in our current situation. Sometimes He reveals Himself immediately, and other times He seems to be at work behind the scenes. It's hard for me when I am not getting quite a clear picture, or perhaps even more so, when the picture that is coming in to view is not quite what I thought.
In the last couple of days I have been thinking (and trying to believe myself) that the solution to doubt and worry is to remember. To remember what the Lord has done in the past, and to remember that He is a faithful God who cares for the ones He loves and who love Him. The Lord brought me to Psalm 77 tonite.
Perhaps these questions are at the tip of your tongue or the forefront of your heart, too.
"Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Psalm 77:7-9
But, let us say along with the Psalmist.
"Then I thought,'To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High.'
I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds."
Psalm 77:10-12
Yes, I am trying to do this, too. I am remembering what God has done in the past. I look at the stories of truth in the bible and I see that He is a God who saves. And then I look at my own life and I choose to remember that God has been faithful to me in the past, and I will trust that He will remain faithful to me in this trial, as well. God comforts me when I call out to Him and remember His faithfulness of the past. I will choose to trust in Him.
Monday, January 12, 2009
God is Within Her
Scratched on a bright green sticky note, hanging above my computer is Psalm 46:5 --
Other versions read "God is in the midst of her," and "God has taken his place in her." I am so thankful for the reality of that. God dwells within us and IS present!
"At the break of day" is the morning. This is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble. How I do need to hear this!
Earlier in the Psalm, we are reminded of Who God is and what He does. Take comfort in this, dear reader, as you settle in to this day and look with hope to the "morning" that comes, breaking forth from the dark night of trouble and despair.
The world may seem to be surging around you, and you may be quaking in your circumstances. Walls may be crumbling; the water may feel like it is rising and we are going to drown. Our pain is real and our suffering not a vain imagining. But God is our refuge and our strength. We need not fear because we can rest assured that God is with us, in the midst of us, and has taken His place within us and we will not fall. God will help us.
"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."
Other versions read "God is in the midst of her," and "God has taken his place in her." I am so thankful for the reality of that. God dwells within us and IS present!
"At the break of day" is the morning. This is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble. How I do need to hear this!
Earlier in the Psalm, we are reminded of Who God is and what He does. Take comfort in this, dear reader, as you settle in to this day and look with hope to the "morning" that comes, breaking forth from the dark night of trouble and despair.
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall
into the heart of the sea, through its waters roar and foam and the mountains
quake with their surging" Psalm 46:1-3.
The world may seem to be surging around you, and you may be quaking in your circumstances. Walls may be crumbling; the water may feel like it is rising and we are going to drown. Our pain is real and our suffering not a vain imagining. But God is our refuge and our strength. We need not fear because we can rest assured that God is with us, in the midst of us, and has taken His place within us and we will not fall. God will help us.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
On Asking God for Wisdom
There are times in life when the answers to what we are called to do, come easily. Other decisions are much more complex, and we must seek the Lord prayerfully, and carefully and earnestly for wisdom. This wisdom often looks different than that which the world supports. But it is the wisdom of God, as a lover of God, that we must seek.
And God will give. When I come up against these times, I need to remember some things about asking God for wisdom. This is what I have discovered in God's Word --
"...if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for sliver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand that fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)
So, IF we -- accept, store up, turn our ear, apply our heart, call out, cry aloud, look, and search ...
"Then you will understand what is right and just and fair -- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you ... " (Proverbs 2:9-12).
THEN, we -- will understand what is right and just and fair and have wisdom in our hearts. We will have knowledge that is pleasant to our soul and discretion that will protect us, along with understanding that will guard us and wisdom that will save us.
But, most importantly, in our searching and our finding, it is all BECAUSE of who the Lord is.
“For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” Proverbs 2:6-8
Yes, BECAUSE, God is the giver of wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding, we can be confident that He holds the victory and is our Shield. He guards our course and He protects our way.
These are truths in God's Word that we can trust, and so as we begin a new week and come up against trials, let us seek God for the wisdom in the way that we are called to walk.
And God will give. When I come up against these times, I need to remember some things about asking God for wisdom. This is what I have discovered in God's Word --
"...if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for sliver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand that fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)
So, IF we -- accept, store up, turn our ear, apply our heart, call out, cry aloud, look, and search ...
"Then you will understand what is right and just and fair -- every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you ... " (Proverbs 2:9-12).
THEN, we -- will understand what is right and just and fair and have wisdom in our hearts. We will have knowledge that is pleasant to our soul and discretion that will protect us, along with understanding that will guard us and wisdom that will save us.
But, most importantly, in our searching and our finding, it is all BECAUSE of who the Lord is.
“For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” Proverbs 2:6-8
Yes, BECAUSE, God is the giver of wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding, we can be confident that He holds the victory and is our Shield. He guards our course and He protects our way.
These are truths in God's Word that we can trust, and so as we begin a new week and come up against trials, let us seek God for the wisdom in the way that we are called to walk.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Praise Will Always Be on My Lips
Rejoicing in all circumstances -- this is what has been on my mind over the last couple of days. When we are at the end of our ropes and feel as our breath has been taken away we are called to praise.
Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" and then, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (vs. 6)
In everything, joys and deep sorrows, we are to praise the Lord. When we want to curl up and cry and retreat and maybe even give up, turn to praise and trust the Living God to come and meet you in the midst of your deepest sorrow, offered up as a sacrifice of praise.
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, through the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, through there are not sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in god my Savior" Habakkuk 3:17-18.
When we feel fruitless, bare, without much to be thankful for, we can still rejoice in the Lord. And when we exercise such faith, we realize that the Sovereign Lord will not only strengthen us to endure, but He makes our feet like the feet of a deer; he enables us to go on the heights (vs. 19). We can walk forward with sure footed confidence because we learn more of who God is in praise.
The bible is full of praises to the Lord. When we read through the Psalms and praise the Lord, regardless of what circumstances we are trudging through, God's Word will nourish our hearts and souls so that we can say with the Psalmist,
Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" and then, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (vs. 6)
In everything, joys and deep sorrows, we are to praise the Lord. When we want to curl up and cry and retreat and maybe even give up, turn to praise and trust the Living God to come and meet you in the midst of your deepest sorrow, offered up as a sacrifice of praise.
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, through the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, through there are not sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in god my Savior" Habakkuk 3:17-18.
When we feel fruitless, bare, without much to be thankful for, we can still rejoice in the Lord. And when we exercise such faith, we realize that the Sovereign Lord will not only strengthen us to endure, but He makes our feet like the feet of a deer; he enables us to go on the heights (vs. 19). We can walk forward with sure footed confidence because we learn more of who God is in praise.
The bible is full of praises to the Lord. When we read through the Psalms and praise the Lord, regardless of what circumstances we are trudging through, God's Word will nourish our hearts and souls so that we can say with the Psalmist,
"I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:1-3.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Scared about Hard Tests?
"Mom, do you get scared about hard tests?" my nine year old son asked me, after I picked him up from school. He was talking to me about a big science test that he is concerned about on this coming Monday. "Oh, yes, dear I get scared about hard tests, too."
My thoughts immediately turned to the current tests -- hard tests -- that I am facing right now. The thing about tests is that we often don't know the format or the types of questions that are going to be asked of us. Sometime we are not sure if we'll have the answers or have to learn by taking the test. We are not sure if it is going to contain "true or false" questions, in which we are going to have to discern truth from lies. Or whether there are going to be multiple choice questions, where we are going to have to look at all our options and choose the right one, following God's will. Or is the test going to contain long essay questions that are going to be laborious, intense, and needing of much information to answer? Or all of the above?
Having tests can be scary. And yet the bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:2-6).
I have a hard time with that. Maybe we all do. It's hard for me to "consider it joy" and its hard for me to slow down and let perseverance do its work. But I do know though, from experience, that it is possible and God works powerfully in the process by giving us the wisdom that we need when we ask for it. Sometimes it is hard to believe, maybe even scary to believe.
Each day I ask the Lord, please reveal the truth to me today and help me to walk in Your ways. As I participate in the tests in this day, help me to understand the questions and believe that you will give me the answers, through your Word, prayer and the counsel of Godly people.
Yes, hard tests can be scary, but remember that we know the One who not only holds the answer key but is willing to give generously the answers that we ask for; all we need to do is believe in the One who is the Answer to all, Jesus, and cry out to Him.
Hold on to that truth, dear reader and believe, so that you are not tossed about on the sea, but can stand firm on the solid ground of God.
My thoughts immediately turned to the current tests -- hard tests -- that I am facing right now. The thing about tests is that we often don't know the format or the types of questions that are going to be asked of us. Sometime we are not sure if we'll have the answers or have to learn by taking the test. We are not sure if it is going to contain "true or false" questions, in which we are going to have to discern truth from lies. Or whether there are going to be multiple choice questions, where we are going to have to look at all our options and choose the right one, following God's will. Or is the test going to contain long essay questions that are going to be laborious, intense, and needing of much information to answer? Or all of the above?
Having tests can be scary. And yet the bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:2-6).
I have a hard time with that. Maybe we all do. It's hard for me to "consider it joy" and its hard for me to slow down and let perseverance do its work. But I do know though, from experience, that it is possible and God works powerfully in the process by giving us the wisdom that we need when we ask for it. Sometimes it is hard to believe, maybe even scary to believe.
Each day I ask the Lord, please reveal the truth to me today and help me to walk in Your ways. As I participate in the tests in this day, help me to understand the questions and believe that you will give me the answers, through your Word, prayer and the counsel of Godly people.
Yes, hard tests can be scary, but remember that we know the One who not only holds the answer key but is willing to give generously the answers that we ask for; all we need to do is believe in the One who is the Answer to all, Jesus, and cry out to Him.
Hold on to that truth, dear reader and believe, so that you are not tossed about on the sea, but can stand firm on the solid ground of God.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Hearing His Heart Beat
When we lean against a wall, weary and worn down from physical exhaustion, we trust that the wall will hold us up. We relax our bodies and shift our weight so that our own legs are not holding us up alone; the wall is helping.
When a child leans in to its mother's chest, it rests. Is is vulnerable and safe. It lays its head upon her chest and is soothed by her breathing and her heart beat.
"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields them all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders" Deuteronomy 33:12.
The truth is that there may be alot to be concerned about in our lives. There may be alot to be anxious about, but my continual desire is that I would learn how to relax and rest in the arms of the Lord. He calls to us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
The bible tells us that we can cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). I don't know about you, but often times I do not feel like I have the energy to cast or hurl or throw my cares, and if I did, they seem too heavy to do so.
But God has other options when we do not even have the strength to cast ... we can just rest, and be still. So I try and just lean in to Him, resting my heart between His shoulders, where I can hear Him breath and be assured that his heart beats for me. Does it take away the reality of my cares? Not necessarily, but it does help me to remember who God is how much He really does love me.
He loves you, too, dear reader, with an everlasting and abounding love. My prayer for you today is that you would embrace that love, and rest in it.
When a child leans in to its mother's chest, it rests. Is is vulnerable and safe. It lays its head upon her chest and is soothed by her breathing and her heart beat.
"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields them all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders" Deuteronomy 33:12.
The truth is that there may be alot to be concerned about in our lives. There may be alot to be anxious about, but my continual desire is that I would learn how to relax and rest in the arms of the Lord. He calls to us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
The bible tells us that we can cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). I don't know about you, but often times I do not feel like I have the energy to cast or hurl or throw my cares, and if I did, they seem too heavy to do so.
But God has other options when we do not even have the strength to cast ... we can just rest, and be still. So I try and just lean in to Him, resting my heart between His shoulders, where I can hear Him breath and be assured that his heart beats for me. Does it take away the reality of my cares? Not necessarily, but it does help me to remember who God is how much He really does love me.
He loves you, too, dear reader, with an everlasting and abounding love. My prayer for you today is that you would embrace that love, and rest in it.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Seek His Face Always
"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always." Psalm 105:4 hangs in my kitchen, right by my kitchen window. A very talented friend of mine (thanks Miriam!) calligraphied it for me years ago, and the verse was brought to my mind again today. Isn't it funny how some things are right under your nose, every day, and you don't notice them until the time (or is it God?) warrants so?
I came across that verse in my bible, tonite, as I was reflecting on Jehoshaphat and some wise words that he said. Jehoshaphat was one of the many kings of Judah. I don't know alot about him, but from what I can tell, although not perfect, he was known for having a heart that was devoted to following the ways of the Lord. You can find out more about him in 2 Chronicles. What I am drawn to about Jehoshaphat is his instant desire to seek the Lord.
In 2 Chronicles 20 we see that a vast army was approaching Jehoshaphat and his people. Upon hearing this and being alarmed, he immediately inquired of the Lord, gathering his people and seek help from the Lord. He stood up in the assembly of the people and cried out to the Lord, praising Him and recalling what the Lord had done and His promises. At the end of the prayer, after pleading with the Lord for deliverance from the enemy, he says "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." I love that!
The rest of the story is quite remarkable. The Spirit of the Lord comes and proclaims "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's ...you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah of Jerusalem." As the people sang and praised the Lord with "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever" the Lord set ambushes and the enemy was defeated.
So it is for us, the battle that we wage is not ours, but God's. Although it sometimes may feel otherwise, let us, too, seek His face and say with Jehoshaphat "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." And then, as we give thanks to the Lord, let us take up our positions, stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord. It may not happen at that very moment (or maybe it will!) but as we walk keeping our eyes focused on Him I am confident that we will know of His love that endures forever.
Look to the Lord and His strength, dear reader, seek His face always.
I came across that verse in my bible, tonite, as I was reflecting on Jehoshaphat and some wise words that he said. Jehoshaphat was one of the many kings of Judah. I don't know alot about him, but from what I can tell, although not perfect, he was known for having a heart that was devoted to following the ways of the Lord. You can find out more about him in 2 Chronicles. What I am drawn to about Jehoshaphat is his instant desire to seek the Lord.
In 2 Chronicles 20 we see that a vast army was approaching Jehoshaphat and his people. Upon hearing this and being alarmed, he immediately inquired of the Lord, gathering his people and seek help from the Lord. He stood up in the assembly of the people and cried out to the Lord, praising Him and recalling what the Lord had done and His promises. At the end of the prayer, after pleading with the Lord for deliverance from the enemy, he says "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." I love that!
The rest of the story is quite remarkable. The Spirit of the Lord comes and proclaims "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's ...you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah of Jerusalem." As the people sang and praised the Lord with "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever" the Lord set ambushes and the enemy was defeated.
So it is for us, the battle that we wage is not ours, but God's. Although it sometimes may feel otherwise, let us, too, seek His face and say with Jehoshaphat "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." And then, as we give thanks to the Lord, let us take up our positions, stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord. It may not happen at that very moment (or maybe it will!) but as we walk keeping our eyes focused on Him I am confident that we will know of His love that endures forever.
Look to the Lord and His strength, dear reader, seek His face always.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Dwelling in the Shelter -- Resting in the Shadow
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1.
I have been pondering and praying Psalm 91 for some time now and wanted to explore today, what does it mean to "dwell in the shelter of the Most High" and "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?"
To "dwell" means to live in. To take up residence. To set up camp and hang out there, with God the Most High. We can do this through reading the bible, praying and keeping an awareness of who God is. To dwell with God means to spend time with God; to try to live and breath the reality of Who He is in our lives. We are to dwell in the "shelter" of God. A shelter is a place of refuge from the storms of chaos and uncertainty that may be blowing around us.
Psalm 27:4-5 gives us a picture of what that may look like. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple for the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling ..." Live. Gaze. Seek. And as we do, we will know that in our troubles, He will keep us safe.
And what about to "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?" As I work on dwelling, how do I rest? In the Hebrew language "shadow" is often used as a metaphor for protection against oppression. As the shade of a tree protects from the oppressive heat of the sun, so does the shadow of God Almighty protect us. This is sometimes hard to believe, isn't it? Especially when there seems to be so much difficulty and heartache, and yet, we can not understand the ways of the Lord. We can trust that nothing slips through the hand of God, the very hand that provides the shadow, that is not for our good and for His glory.
Isaiah 49:2 says, "In the shadow of his hand he hid me," and Isaiah 25:4 says "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat."
Dear reader, a storm may be raging around you right now, and I want to encourage you that God is your shelter. Run to Him and dwell in Him. He will protect you from whatever threatens to harm you. And He is the shade that comforts you. He will cool you with His love and provide rest for you from the oppression and weariness and pain.
I have been pondering and praying Psalm 91 for some time now and wanted to explore today, what does it mean to "dwell in the shelter of the Most High" and "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?"
To "dwell" means to live in. To take up residence. To set up camp and hang out there, with God the Most High. We can do this through reading the bible, praying and keeping an awareness of who God is. To dwell with God means to spend time with God; to try to live and breath the reality of Who He is in our lives. We are to dwell in the "shelter" of God. A shelter is a place of refuge from the storms of chaos and uncertainty that may be blowing around us.
Psalm 27:4-5 gives us a picture of what that may look like. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple for the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling ..." Live. Gaze. Seek. And as we do, we will know that in our troubles, He will keep us safe.
And what about to "rest in the shadow of the Almighty?" As I work on dwelling, how do I rest? In the Hebrew language "shadow" is often used as a metaphor for protection against oppression. As the shade of a tree protects from the oppressive heat of the sun, so does the shadow of God Almighty protect us. This is sometimes hard to believe, isn't it? Especially when there seems to be so much difficulty and heartache, and yet, we can not understand the ways of the Lord. We can trust that nothing slips through the hand of God, the very hand that provides the shadow, that is not for our good and for His glory.
Isaiah 49:2 says, "In the shadow of his hand he hid me," and Isaiah 25:4 says "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat."
Dear reader, a storm may be raging around you right now, and I want to encourage you that God is your shelter. Run to Him and dwell in Him. He will protect you from whatever threatens to harm you. And He is the shade that comforts you. He will cool you with His love and provide rest for you from the oppression and weariness and pain.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
What to Wear? Strength and Dignity
Have you ever watched the TV show "What Not to Wear?" I may have caught it once or twice, enough to know that it is maybe somewhat interesting, but superficial and way too much "appearance" driven. As women, we can easily get caught up in the outward appearance, but what does God say about what we should wear?
In my studies, I'm realizing that He actually says quite a bit of it. Today, a friend wrote to me about what the Proverbs 31 woman wears, and it reminded me of one thing that God thinks is important for us as women.
The NIV version of Proverbs 31:25 reads, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Other versions say that she smiles at the future; she laughs with no fear of the future. I like the NKJV (New King James Version) that reads, "Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come."
We can choose to put on strength and dignity, each day, just as we would put on a shirt or pants. They reveal and give evidence of who we are. We can cloth ourselves with strength, because we know Who is our Strength. We can cloth ourselves with dignity because we know Who made us and has a purpose for our lives. We can walk walk with our heads held high because we are loved by the King.
When we choose to do this, and walk dependent on the Lord, it helps us to be confident in what the future holds, even though it may seem to be filled with uncertainty, because we know Who holds the future. And we can be confident that we will rejoice in time to come.
I am having a hard time believing that last part. Rejoice in time to come? I wonder what that will exactly look like? My friends who have walked similar roads reassure me that it will happen, and that I will be able to feel the joy, again.
I believe that God gave me a verse a month ago, or so, and I have it in the margin of the blog. It is from Jeremiah 31:3-4, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt ... Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful." It gives me hope that God is involved in a building project in my life, and that He will complete it. I will be rebuilt. Some day, I will be able to sing and dance and be joyful, again.
And my prayer and desire is the same for you, too, dear reader. I do not know what you are walking through, but I know that God's promises are for you, as well. Hold firm to Him and cloth yourself with strength and dignity, for you are unfailingly loved.
In my studies, I'm realizing that He actually says quite a bit of it. Today, a friend wrote to me about what the Proverbs 31 woman wears, and it reminded me of one thing that God thinks is important for us as women.
The NIV version of Proverbs 31:25 reads, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Other versions say that she smiles at the future; she laughs with no fear of the future. I like the NKJV (New King James Version) that reads, "Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come."
We can choose to put on strength and dignity, each day, just as we would put on a shirt or pants. They reveal and give evidence of who we are. We can cloth ourselves with strength, because we know Who is our Strength. We can cloth ourselves with dignity because we know Who made us and has a purpose for our lives. We can walk walk with our heads held high because we are loved by the King.
When we choose to do this, and walk dependent on the Lord, it helps us to be confident in what the future holds, even though it may seem to be filled with uncertainty, because we know Who holds the future. And we can be confident that we will rejoice in time to come.
I am having a hard time believing that last part. Rejoice in time to come? I wonder what that will exactly look like? My friends who have walked similar roads reassure me that it will happen, and that I will be able to feel the joy, again.
I believe that God gave me a verse a month ago, or so, and I have it in the margin of the blog. It is from Jeremiah 31:3-4, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt ... Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful." It gives me hope that God is involved in a building project in my life, and that He will complete it. I will be rebuilt. Some day, I will be able to sing and dance and be joyful, again.
And my prayer and desire is the same for you, too, dear reader. I do not know what you are walking through, but I know that God's promises are for you, as well. Hold firm to Him and cloth yourself with strength and dignity, for you are unfailingly loved.
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