Faith Topics: Quarrels or Kindness

We are living in a time where information is readily available at the push of a button. Whether we want to look up our symptoms on WebMD, watch a YouTube video on how to clean a headlight, or scroll through Instagram to see who’s wearing what, we can access anything at any time of day or night.

Image by Pixelkult from Pixabay

Not only is information instantaneous, but responses and opinions about the information are immediate as well. You can disagree with someone promptly without really thinking through if the things they said, or you said are going to be beneficial or helpful. From what I have seen, it is more often the case that the original information is not the issue, but how people respond to the information given.

Just what is our responsibility as Christ followers when it comes to the management of information, and our responses to that information? Are we suppose to stand up for God, and defend Him? Are we suppose to preach truth, no matter who it might hurt, or what toes we might step on? Are we being irresponsible if we don’t respond, or if we decide we no longer want to deal with the the messiness of disagreements and name calling?

While I am not a pastor, or a psychologist, I do believe God gave us clear instructions in His word for how to maneuver life in this chaotic world. As always, when we are unsure about something we should explore His word first and see what He says.

We are going to look at several passages that I think speak to this issue, and then I want to offer a few guidelines to keep in mind when you are wondering if you should “speak up”.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy two times. In those letters he tried to encourage the young pastor with regards to handling his congregation. Paul knew it wouldn’t be easy for a young man taking on a group of people who were not only stubborn, but easily pulled along by the current trend of teaching and information.

“20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”

— 1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Obviously, the letters to Timothy are included for our benefit as well, so we might take the same advice to avoid worldly, empty chatter and the opposing of arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”. So much of what we see on social media and hear from what are often thought of as reputable news sources is falsely called “knowledge.” That will be a post for a different day, because today I want to focus on our response to “information” whether it is true or false.

Let’s look at another passage also in a letter written by Paul to Timothy.

“23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.
24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

— 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NASB 1995)

What I like about the Apostle Paul is that he was very straight forward. Verse 24 is really all we need to remember when we ask the question, should we as Christ followers quarrel? No, we should not. Does that mean we shouldn’t discuss, try to make a point, give evidence to support what we believe and so on? Of course not, however, we must do it as the above passage states: with kindness, able to teach, patiently, with gentleness.

When I read many of the comments to volatile posts on social media I do not see a whole lot of kindness, patience, or gentleness. Most of the time it is not about teaching, it is about wanting to be right. Our job is not to be right. Our job is to lead others to the Lamb of God. We are here to lift up the name of Jesus, not prove how intelligent or special we are.

Image by Elsemargriet from Pixabay

Believe me, I get it. There are times I want to bring down all the hell fire and damnation I can find in the Bible to make a point. There have been many times I have thought about taking the blog in a different direction and trying to be more issue oriented, but that is not what God has called me to. He has called me to encourage, pray, love, and when there is opportunity lead back to Him. People don’t need my point of view, they need Jesus!

We are called to kindness, gentleness and patience for a purpose, that God might grant those in opposition repentance leading to knowledge of the truth…His truth, not that which is “falsely called knowledge”, so that they might come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, because he has taken them captive to do his will.

I don’t know about you, but this changes my perspective in such a huge way that I can’t even talk about it without getting emotional. We are here for the glory of God. We are here to be lights in the darkness. We are the front line warriors called to fight in the unseen realm to help those lost lambs come back to their senses and escape the snare of the evil one.

What does this mean? How do we respond in these powder keg times? Here are a few ideas.

1 - Pray.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

If we are praying as Paul told us:

“18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,”

— Ephesians 6:18 (NASB 1995)

…then our attitudes will already be in check. Not only that, but praying in the Spirit enables Him to do the work before, during and after. We can’t soften people’s hard hearts, that is the Spirit’s job. We can’t draw people to Christ, that is the Spirit’s job. We can’t force a brother or sister in Christ to see things our way, that is a Holy Spirit work.

Prayer has always been the work we must do first and foremost, yet it is almost always an afterthought. What does God’s word say?

“17 pray without ceasing;”

— I Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB 1995)

This quote says it all.

“It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.”

— Hudson Taylor

2 - Question your motives.

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If you are like most of us, meaning flawed, sinful humanity, then always ask yourself, why do I need to respond to this? Will my response be met with openness or with hostility? Am I doing this because it is a Holy Spirit leading, or my own leading? Am I looking to encourage and give hope, or am I wanting to put down and destroy?

“1 The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.”

— Proverbs 16:1-3 (NASB 1995)

3 - Question the source.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Often times social media posts are about numbers and reactions. The more people give a thumbs up or a thumbs down, the more times the post is shared, and the more comments on a post are all part of the social media formula. If the source isn’t someone you know, or a source you identify as reputable it is better to let it go and not respond.

The other thought to keep in mind is many people who post in anger are often in pain. Think about what might be driving that person to say what they are saying, or to respond to a situation with deep bitterness or hatred. Often, that person is suffering, have experienced loss, or is in real physical pain or torment.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

— Proverbs 15:1 (NASB 1995)

4 - If you still feel the urge to respond, do it in private.

Image by alda2 from Pixabay

There is a way, on most social media apps, to message someone in private. You do not have to continue down the proverbial public rabbit trail, whether you are responding to the original post or a comment on the original post. Send a message expressing your concern and/or your thoughts so that person can think about your input without the opinion of the masses.

When you are able to have a private conversation with someone, and I believe this is better in person rather than via email, text, or in a public social media thread, you can both ask questions to clarify statements being said, and you can read each other’s body language and facial expressions. You can see if something you are saying is causing the other person to erect a wall, or throw up roadblocks and you can back off, or change the subject. Why is this important?

“20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him..”

— 2 Corinthians 5:20-22 (NASB 1995)

As His ambassadors we are His representatives. It used to be important to behave with propriety in public whether you were a politician, a religious leader, a teacher, or a clerk at a fast food restaurant. This is still true for those of us who call ourselves Christ followers. We are to represent God and His heavenly kingdom on this earth, not in a the manner of a bar room brawl, but with love, respect, dignity and honor.

“26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. ”

— Ephesians 4:26-27 (NASB 1995)

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gave you some things to think about. Thank you for stopping by the blog. Have a great week!

A Year of Waiting - Enduring

When it comes to waiting, it can be a time of anticipation and expectation, or it can be a time of grueling, determination to not give up. Usually, our waiting times fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

The last time I posted about my word for the year: waiting, it was a look from above as I compared our waiting time to a plane in a holding pattern doing laps around the airport as it waited for a runway to come down on. (See that post here.) A holding pattern is frequently what our lives look like as we wait for answers, wait for jobs, wait for love, and the list goes on. We keep circling the airport, waiting for the chance to finally land, and hoping when we do it will be on the right runway.

Image by Jens from Pixabay

Since that last post on waiting, I have encountered an up close and personal look, once again, at the word endure. Endure was not on my list of similar waiting words, but I was struck this morning by the thought that enduring is a very real, gut level, type of waiting. Let’s look at a few definitions of the word endure.

Intransitive Verb

1 - to continue in the same state

2 - to remain firm under suffering and misfortune without yielding

Transitive Verb

1 - to undergo especially without giving in

2 - to regard with acceptance and tolerance

When we look at the thesaurus we see additional words such as: undergo, experience, go through, encounter, sustain, digest, accept, assimilate, handle, taste, stand for, tough it out, and others. Looking at these words we do not see a passive waiting, but an active, working it out, type of waiting. Like the gentleman above, just hanging around by one arm, waiting, looking as though he has not a care in the world; you can bet he is waiting with endurance as he hangs on for his very life.

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

This is the unseen torment of endurance. It is often when others are enduring that no one else knows what they are dealing with. The inner struggles are unseen. The agonizing dark nights are unnoticed. The passage of days grow long, where all that is wanted is for something to change; for something to get better; for someone to come along and give support in the waiting. I do not know why God delays in bringing about relief in these time of enduring, but I do know that He is good, and He is allowing our long travail through the valley of darkness for a purpose.

As Christ followers, most of us are familiar with the following verse.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

— Romans 8:28 (NASB 1995)

I covered this one verse more fully in my Mulling It Over post, where I have been going through the eighth chapter of Romans. Today, I just wanted to reiterate the goodness of our God. We may be waiting in the most dire of circumstances, but He is worthy of our continued allegiance and trust.

We are called to endure. The Bible encourages us repeatedly to not lose hope, the keep up the good fight, to run the race and more.

Image by Harut Movsisyan from Pixabay

“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

— James 1:2-4 (ESV)

The testing of our faith can produce endurance, or as this version says, steadfastness. Why is steadfastness so important? If we let it have God’s desired effect it makes us perfect and complete, lacking nothing. That’s pretty amazing. Of course we don’t want to go through struggles, but if we can realize the importance of this weighty waiting, we can endure, knowing God will perfect us through it.

A little further along in James we see this reiterated.

“12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ”

— James 1:12 (ESV)

Image by jbundgaa from Pixabay

Girlfriends, we aren’t just going to be made perfect, lacking nothing, we are going to receive a crown of life. That is a promise from God to those who love Him. Whoo, hoo! I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to wearing that crown right up to His heavenly throne, where I will cast it with tears of gratitude at his nail pierced feet.

Let’s look at one more passage on endurance.

Image by chengchi123 from Pixabay

“1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

— Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

These two verses remind us we are not alone in the long wait of endurance. Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, endured the cross. He did it in obedience to the Father, but also for joy. Wait! What? Yes, He did it for joy, the joy of having us with Him; the joy of bringing us into glory with Him; the joy of knowing the fulfillment of everything the Father had put into motion at the beginning of time.

The long wait of endurance is difficult, but in it we are always seen and known by the One who completely gets it.

A Book Review: Seen, Secure, Free by Allison Allen

(This book was gifted to me in exchange for a review. No money exchanged hands for this book.)

I found another book through Frontgate Media that looked like a good read so I am writing another review. This book by Allison Allen, Seen, Secure, Free takes a look at our hidden lives with Christ, explaining why these hidden places are not meant to be places of frustration and unknowns, but opportunities for deep, personal, intimacy with our savior, Jesus Christ.

Allison Allen’s story encompasses drama in the most literal sense. After attending and graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, Allison ended up on Broadway performing in over 600 performances of Grease. Allison also performed with Women of Faith in their one woman drama presentations all across the country for three years. Currently, Allison works with Lisa Harper on Lisa Harper’s Back Porch Theology podcast. This is Allison’s fourth book.

Here is a good synopsis of Seen, Secure, Free.

“In today’s image-conscious culture, we tend to measure our value by how socially visible we are. We’ve confused fame with fruitfulness. We’ve equated exposure with excellence. And when people ignore, dismiss, or reject us, we can lose our sense of who we truly are...

Even when you feel unseen, invisible, or invalidated by the world, you are seen by God. This means you don’t need to wonder if you matter or strive to be noticed. Instead, you can rest in the truth that God knows and loves you more deeply than any person every could...”

— Seen, Secure, Free (back cover) by Allison Allen

Allison and her family have been frequent visitors to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Throughout the book Allison uses the beauty and treasures of the Bank to show how God has spoken to her in the hidden places of her life. One of the most beautiful finds she discovered on the beach was a complete Whelk shell.

“Whelk shells are usually milky, but this one looked as if a midnight sky had been reduced into one of nature’s most delicate husks, rounded out by a perfect band of stars—as if an Impressionist master had daubed and brushed a paintbrush upon it. In all my years, I’d never seen anything like it.”

— Seen, Secure, Free p. 3.

Through the use of her own personal experiences, passages of scripture, and her own creative writing skills, Allison takes us through the realities of a life that is seen, secure and free in Jesus Christ. In my own life I have experienced times where I have felt unseen, and that I don’t matter. It seems in our world today much of the emphasis on who is valuable and whose life is meaningful has to do with outward accomplishments and accolades, whether it be trophies, awards, or likes on social media.

Allen’s book takes us on a journey to discover, like that beautiful shell, the value and import of that which is hidden in Christ. She begins with the section titled Seen. In this section we are reminded no matter how invisible we feel, we are always visible to God. Using Concealed Characters like One of Many Others (Luke 8:1-3), and the Daughters of Shallum (Nehemiah 3:12), we learn:

“We are seen by the God of the universe. Our worth, our beauty, is in the eye of the Beholder. Knowing this secures us and frees us. It changes our focus in life and catapults us into the glorious freedom of children of God.”

— Seen, Secure, Free p. 17

In this same section we revisit Hagar. Hagar, slave of Abraham and Sarah; mother of Abraham’s seed, running from her master’s wife. God saw her. Hagar wasn’t looking for God, but He saw her, and He came to her and spoke to her.

“God has His eye on you—not to bruise your battered heart or to turn you inside out and critique you but to bring to you the only balm that can heal you. When you are experiencing spiritual heart failure, God will resuscitate you. Whenever you think you are alone, think again.”

— Seen, Secure, Free p. 25

As we traverse the next two sections of the book we hear from other hidden characters, like the priest that helped carry the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Allison does a beautiful job of bringing to life, in bite sized vignettes, people who were mentioned that we really know nothing about. She quickly delves into what they might have been thinking and feeling during the different events described in the Scriptures. Through these creative pieces she embeds the specific ideas that we are not just seen by God, but He also secures us and gives us true freedom.

“There is glory to the hidden life. There is a radical transformation when intimacy is pursued and cherished...the battle is won in the hidden places, in the hard in-between, in the long center years between the call and the fulfillment, in the difficult and faith-filled standing in the muddy riverbed, knowing that God is a faithful and “and every present help in trouble.””

— Seen, Secure, Free pp. 132-133

I believe Seen, Secure, Free is a must read for anyone, but especially for women. We are so often the ones who are struggling in the hidden parts of our lives. I found this book very helpful at a time when I am not sure what is next and waiting is the only direction I have been given. Allison’s words reminded me that I am seen, and to dive deep into this time of being hidden in Him.

Christmas in a Verse: A Look at Isaiah 9:6 - Part 1

Since Advent is upon us, I thought it would be helpful to focus on a familiar verse from the Old Testament book of Isaiah for these weeks leading up to Christmas. I am going to take the names in this verse and divide them up over the next three weeks. I hope you will enjoy this look at our amazing Savior.

Image by G.C. from Pixabay

There have been numerous discussions in theological arenas as to what the original Hebrew was saying in this verse with reference to the names listed. Were there only four names, as many translations portray, or is it a list of individual names with commas in between each of the names? (ie. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty, God, Eternal, Father, Prince, of Peace.) Or is it some combination of both with Wonderful, Counselor, and Eternal, Father being separated and the other two being an adjective describing the noun following. In order to avoid this issue, I have decided to approach this in a way that encompasses both ideas. I am no theologian, but with the Holy Spirit we all have the ability to read and learn from His word.

Today I want to look at the words Wonderful and Counselor. After doing a little bit of research it appears the word Wonderful translates more closely to wonder. When we look at Webster’s Online Dictionary wonder is defined as: a cause of astonishment or admiration; marvel; miracle; the quality of exciting amazed admiration; rapt attention or amazement at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.

If we use the word wonderful instead of wonder, it really doesn’t lose any of its meaning. Wonderful is defined as: exciting wonder; marvelous, astonishing; unusually good; admirable. Is it possible for wonder to be wonderful? It is certainly possible for the child (Jesus) who was born to us to be both a wonder and wonderful. Our savior is both the cause of our astonishment or admiration and marvelous. He is unusually good, and also a worthy mystery for us to give our rapt attention to.

The word counselor is simply one who counsels another. This could be a mental health worker, a pastor, a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher or many other entities. A father might counsel his son on how to ask a girl on a date. A financial guru might counsel someone on how to save for retirement. A police officer might advise a young person to stay out of trouble. Other words for counselor include: advisor, consultant and advocate.

Image by beate bachmann from Pixabay

There are numerous Biblical references that use the word wonder. See Psalm 9:1, 26:7, 40:5, and 72:18. God’s works are wondrous, and they are often referred to in the Bible as “your wonders.” Wonderful is also used repeatedly in the Scriptures. 1 Chronicles 16:24 speaks of God’s wonderful deeds. In Job 42:3 Job refers to the things of God as being things he did not know and things that were too wonderful for him to understand.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The Bible is also full of examples of those who sought or used counsellors. During the time of kings in the old testament, many sought counsel, unfortunately from men who didn’t know God. See 2 Samual 15:12, 1 Kings 12:6, It seems that David always sought God’s counsel directly, just read most of the Psalms. This may be what made him a man after God’s heart.

Coming back to Isaiah 9:6 we can begin to understand, no matter how you look at these words, they are describing our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is a wonder, and He is wonderful. His is a counselor and offers us only the best and most perfect counsel in His word. Indeed, He is the Wonderful Counselor. No matter what you are facing in life; no matter how overwhelming the questions or uncertainty of the future, Jesus can lead the way. He is not only the Wonderful Counselor, He is the Way.

Have a great week.

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:18-25 Part 1: Of Suffering and Longing

Another month has gone by and we have come back around to Mulling Over Romans chapter 8. This chapter is full of information that is pertinent to our walk with Christ and to our future with Him. I know it can be hard to think about the future when our days are so full of the present, but one day we will know fully our inheritance in Christ Jesus. As it is, our lives at this point are merely reflections of Christ, and many of us have dirty mirrors. God is often trying to clean those mirrors with a glorified bottle of Windex and a rough cloth, and that can make us uncomfortable, but remember our goal is to be like Christ, so clean on Father, clean on!

Image by Simon Kadula from Pixabay

“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

— Romans 8:18-25 (NASB 1995)

This is a longer section so we’ll take it a chunk at a time.

For I consider…

I wanted to take these three words by themselves because they are so important. One of the things I often hear Christians accused of is that they don’t think. They take the scriptures, and the historicity of their belief system on blind faith. While it is true that we are walking by faith, it is also true that we, with the Holy Spirit’s help, are able to think just as intellectually about our faith as someone who has studied for years and has multiple degrees.

Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the word consider in the following ways: to think about carefully; to think of especially with regard to taking some action; to take into account; to regard or treat in an attentive or kindly way; to gaze on steadily or reflectively; to judge or classify; regard; suppose; reflect or deliberate.

When we look at the book of God, the Bible, we need to consider what we are reading. We also need to look at life and consider what it means, and how what we are doing, or going through pertains to our faith, or how our faith pertains to it. We aren’t meant to just bull doze our way through life giving no regard to how our actions or words are affecting the people around us.

Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

In this particular passage the word consider relates directly to the words that follow.

…that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

I have been emphasizing this idea of suffering over the last few months, not because I am trying to be a downer, but because suffering is inevitable. We all, at some point in time, will suffer. We will know illness, loss, grief, sadness, anger, fear and the overwhelming reality of a busy life in a chaotic and fallen world. It is not bad or wrong to consider our suffering.

“12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. ”

— I Peter 4:12-13 (NASB 1995)

Paul, however, did not want us to be solely focused on our suffering. In fact, He says that whatever we are currently suffering through is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. Let’s just sit there for a minute.

Think about all the bad stuff you have been through. Some of you have lived through the typical minor inconveniences life offers like, car break downs, the fridge stops working, or the toilet backs up. Others have walked a bumpier path. You have lost a job, a home or been through a divorce. Still others have seen suffering in the form of addictions, jail time, death of a loved one, or a chronic, incurable disease. No matter what the suffering, it is not worthy of being compared to the glory that awaits us! Isn’t that amazing? What hope is ours that the suffering we are going through on this planet will pale in comparison to the joy and glory we will know when we see Jesus face to face.

Image by 🆓 Use at your Ease 👌🏼 from Pixabay

For the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the world: the trees, birds, fish, animals, rocks and so on have longings? Is it possible for creation to be anxious as it waits for the revealing of the sons of God? Stay with me here. I am not talking about something weird or spooky. Let’s back up a minute.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). If God created them, don’t they have His signature on them in a similar way that we have His signature on us. Granted we are human beings and we are made in the image of God, while creation was not, but that does not mean that creation is unable to recognize its creator and recognize the position of humanity as its caretaker.

Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

There is a reason creation waits eagerly which we see in the next verse.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope…

The creation did not want to be cursed. It enjoyed its relation to its Creator and to its caretaker. It rejoiced in the growing and the greening, the fullness and the fellowship. When sin came into the world, God didn’t just send Adam and Eve out of the the beautiful garden of Eden, but the creation changed. It became rife with weeds and thorns. Where once all animals lived in harmony, now certain animals became predators and all others became prey. In addition, creation no longer bore the fruit of the relation between it and its Creator, but was subject to futility, disease, rot and death.

Image by Ilo from Pixabay

But God…

In hope…

…that the creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

This was God’s hope from the foundation of the world. He knew it all before it began. He knew when He set into motion the creation of a planet and the filling of that sphere of rock and stone with all that is living, and breathing, moving and reaching…He knew that His beautiful creation would suffer and die. So He also created the plan, the One, the Savior, the Son. It was only by this, the gift of pure, unselfish love, that the whole of creation would be able to be set free. But, it will not happen until we are face to face, fully knowing as we have been fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12); when we become His perfect reflection.

Next time we will continue our look at this section of Romans 8 by looking at the Groaning and the Hope.

Have a great weekend!

Faith Inspiration - Be Thou My Vision

This hymn has been inspiring Christ followers for over one thousand years. Originally an Old Irish hymn, the song was translated into English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905, and put into verses by Eleanor H. Hull. (Information take from Hymnary.org).

“1 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2 Be Thou my Wisdom, be Thou my true Word;
be Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
be Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
be Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3 Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight;
be Thou my whole Armor, be Thou my true Might;
be Thou my soul’s Shelter, be Thou my strong Tow’r,
O raise Thou me heav’nward, great Pow’r of my pow’r.

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5 High King of heaven, Thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be Thou my Vision, O Ruler of all.”

— Be Thou My Vision - Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (From Hymnary.org)

I think this is a beautiful hymn, and one that is rarely sung. Some may say it sounds like a dirge, but I like the lilting, Celtic style music. Let’s take a look at it verse by verse.

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Verse 1 - The writer of the hymn pleads with God to be his vision. He wants God to consume him. He recognizes his own struggle with the flesh and realizes that God’s thoughts are his best thoughts in the day and the night. He desires God be his light.

As we saw last week, our struggle with the flesh is ongoing, but if God is our vision, we can and will have victory, and we will continually be in His light.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

— Matthew 6:33 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 2 - The author not only wants God to be his Vision, but to be His true word and to dwell in him, and he in Him, always. He recognizes that God is his Father, and he is His son.

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

— John 14:3 (NASB 1995)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

— John 14:23 (NASB 1995)

“15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:15-17 (NASB 1995)

God dwells with us if we love Him and keep His word. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children. Being His children means we are heirs with Christ. We are children of the King!

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Verse 3 - He knows God is his breastplate, his sword, his FULL armor, his might, his shelter, his tower and his power. His desire is to be raised “heavenward”. This may have had two connotations. It may have referred to his mindset, his thoughts and desires, but it also may have been the longing for finally being home with his Savior.

“13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

— Ephesians 6:13-17 (NASB 1995)

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.”

— Psalm 18:10 (NASB 1995)

“4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ”

— Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 4 - In this verse the author recognizes God is all he needs. He doesn’t run after riches. He doesn't seek the praise of men. He knows the “High King of Heaven” is the only treasure he needs.

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

— Matthew 6:20 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 5 - The last verse is a final stand on the foundation of all that is God:

High King of Heaven

Heaven’s bright Sun

Great Heart of my own heart

Ruler of all

God is all these things and more that we cannot comprehend with our finite minds. The author knows that all his joy and all his victory our found in Christ. He also desires that no matter what happens he would keep God as his Vision.

“O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

— Psalm 98:1 (NASB 1995)

“...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— I Corinthians 15:57 (NASB 1995)

On a personal note, I have always loved this hymn. When I gave my life to Jesus at the age of 12, I knew I wanted it to be for keeps. I wanted Him to be foremost and forever my vision. Unfortunately, ever since that age I have struggled in that desire. My vision is often clouded by doubts, fears, and failures. My eyes often wander to things that might satisfy my flesh such as food, clothes, or fictional worlds.

The counselor I am currently going to said it is absolutely normal to have set backs in life. The difference comes in how long I choose to stay in the setback mindset. The phrase “begin again”, is a mantra we all can put into play. As long as I have breathe I will begin again. I will place my eyes back on His face and know His amazing grace. I will say again, “Be Thou my Vision.”

Mulling It Over - Romans 8:5-8

I wanted to get back to our Romans 8 passage that I started in my Mulling It Over series. Due to a busy week last week, I did not get to this post, so I am going to forego the Faith Inspiration post for this month, so we can get back to the Scriptures. There is so much in this passage, that it is like going to a buffet and being overwhelmed by all the choices. The best way to approach it is a bite at a time. Today we are going to look at verses 5 through 8.

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The first two sections we covered reminded us of our position in Christ Jesus and showed us, in Him, we are no longer condemned. Paul reiterates the weakness of the law and flesh, and the need for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, which brought about a new covenant. Today’s verses go deeper.

“5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

— Romans 8:5-8 (NASB 1995)

Let’s do a compare and contrast chart:

Flesh

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

• Death

• Hostile towards God

• Not willing to subject itself to the law of God

• Not able to subject itself to the law of God

• Cannot please God

Spirit

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

• Life

• Peace

• Not hostile towards God

• Willing AND able to subject itself to the law of God

• Can please God

Besides the obvious differences between the Flesh and the Spirit, there is an underlying current; the current of the will. The one who is living according to the flesh sets his/her mind on the things of the flesh. The one who is living according to the Spirit sets his/her mind on the things of the Spirit. What does this mean? How do we know what things are of the flesh and what things are of the Spirit? Let’s start by looking at simple definitions.

Flesh - the physical nature of human beings; human nature (other definitions include the soft parts of the body, the skin, the edible parts of an animal.)

Spirit - an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms; a supernatural being - as in Holy Spirit; the activating or essential principle influencing a person; a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature.

For the purpose of this post the flesh represents anything having to do with living in this physical world: feelings, desires, needs, and the skin we are in. The spirit, on the other hand represents anything in a spiritual realm or in correlation to knowing and living for God.

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What, then, does it mean to live according to the flesh by setting our minds on the flesh? Simply put, living according to the flesh is a living a life only for the fulfillment of the flesh. That doesn’t necessarily mean a hedonistic lifestyle of orgies and self gratification. Living for the fulfillment of the flesh can look as innocent as having that six figure salary so you can buy the big house, get the cool car in the color you want, or have the walk in closet of you dreams. Living for the flesh can be seeking greater worldly knowledge through higher education, not for the purpose of knowing things, but because knowing things makes us worthwhile. You see, living according to the flesh makes “ME” and what I want the highest priority.

We can be a born again believer and still be walking in the flesh. Remember it says, “…set their minds on…” What am I setting my mind on? How often do you wake up in the wee hours of the morning and start to worry and fret? How many times during the day do I find myself listening to secular music, or watching shows that might be somewhat questionable? How many pills, classes, diets, and advice columns do I regularly ingest just so I don’t have to feel pain, or sadness, or anxiety, or have to be reminded that I am not enough?

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On the other hand, living according to the spirit and having our minds set on the spirit is to seek the fulfillment of God’s desires. It is a striping away of the fleshly, worldly concerns so that they may be replaced with the knowledge and wisdom that comes from an Almighty and loving God. This does not mean that we don’t take care of ourselves or that we cannot enjoy so many wonderful things that life has to offer. In contrast it means that we carry those things loosely, and with gratitude, because we know they could be gone in a moment and from whom they come.

God’s Word is clear, if we set our minds on the flesh it will result in death and in outright or eventual hostility towards God. Can you hear Satan’s voice in your ear, just like it was in Eve’s ear, "Surely, you won’t die…I mean everyone dies, but why not enjoy life while you can, after all, you deserve it! You work hard. You try to be good, and you are redeemed right? You can’t do anything that God hasn’t already forgiven you for….” On, and on the manipulation goes.

God’s Word is also clear, if we set our minds on the Spirit it means life and peace. Isn’t that what we are all craving? A life of abundant peace? Sure it’s great to have things, and to experience life to the fullest, but within the gentle constraints of His Spirit. When we start pushing against those constraints to fulfill the desires of our flesh, and start regularly setting our minds on the flesh, our peace will disappear like the morning dew as the heat of day intensifies.

The desire of our hearts should be to please God. The best way to do that is to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

Relentless - Part 3: The Pursued - Mercy upon Mercy

Laney had just brought the pups in from their walk and all three of them were wet. It had turned gray early in the day and soon after started to rain. She didn’t like having to walk the pups in the rain, but she knew it was good for all of them. Laney had become very disciplined in her life. It was something she was proud of.

Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay

“Okay, guys, no jumping on the furniture until I get your feet wiped off.”

She grabbed a towel she left hanging by the door for just that purpose, and began to wipe Myles’ paws. Sophie sat obediently waiting her turn. Myles gave her plenty of kisses, then padded into the living room where he jumped up to his spot on the couch. Just after she finished Sophie’s paws and hung up the towel, there was a loud clap of thunder that made her jump. Both dogs barked. The lights flickered.

Laney spoke gently to calm the pups down. “It’s okay. It’s just a little thunder. You know it happens a lot when it rains.”

It went dark.

She looked out the front window and the whole neighborhood was dark. The rain was coming down in sheets, while thunder and lightening rumbled and flashed simultaneously.

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She looked at her phone, thinking she had better log the outage with her electric company. It lit up for one second then it went dark, just like the neighborhood.

She felt panic, the same kind she had felt in the bar on that night over two years ago. She could still hear the whispers. She clenched her teeth.

“Alright, guys! We need to find the flashlight and get some candles lit.” She forced her voice to be calm and upbeat.

It made her think of her dad. He had always been buying candles at garage sales for just those occasions. Her mom would light them all over the house when the lights went out and it always made her feel safe, so she was going to do the same.

Image by Obsidain Photography from Pixabay

The pups padded along behind her as she found the flashlight and then grabbed a variety of candles and their holders from various places in the house. She soon had the living room and kitchen looking like a bright fairy festival at Christmas time.

She gave the dogs their dinner, then scooted down the hall with a candle to her bedroom to change into dry clothes. She looked out the bedroom window and was stunned by how hard it was raining. It looked like there was a wall between her and her neighbor whose house was only a grassy patch and a driveway away.

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She noticed the reflection of the candle in the window, but there was someone standing next to it. She whirled around fear catching in her throat. There was no one there. She nervously pulled the curtains closed without looking back at the window, quickly changed her clothes and went back out to where the pups had curled up on the couch.

She closed all the other curtains as well, then sat between the dogs pulling a blanket over her lap. Myles yawned and rested his head on her lap, while Sophie put her back against her leg. The dogs were her salvation. She did not know what she would do without them.

She began to doze, hoping the rain would stop and the electricity would come back on soon.

Image by Waldryano from Pixabay

Laney woke with a start. Blinding light filled the room and in front of her was the silhouette of what looked like a man in a suit. Both Myles and Sophie had gotten off the couch and were sitting by the man and looked to be licking his fingers.

“Who…who are you?” Laney’s voice trembled. “What do you want?”

Myles barked. The man bent his head towards the dog, then said, “Oh…yes…you are so right, Myles.”

The piercing light diminished. Laney could see the candles she had lit around the room. The light continued to recede until it was just a warm glow around the man. She saw him smiling as he looked around her home.

Laney grabbed her phone still laying in her lap from when she had dozed off, but of course it still had no charge. She stood up.

“What are you, some sort of utility worker? It’s great that you got out here to fix the power so quickly, but you really shouldn’t be coming into people’s homes without being invited!”

The man chuckled. “Well, Myles and Sophie said I was completely welcome. Besides, I was sent here to talk to you.”

Image by Lalo Viamontes from Pixabay

Laney glanced towards the front door. If she could make a mad dash, she might be able to get out of the house. She could run to a neighbor’s.

“Laney.” The man’s voice was gentle. “I’m not going to hurt you. I am here at the request of the King. He wants you to come home.”

Laney rolled her eyes. “Here we go again. Why does he keep bothering me? Doesn’t he understand I want nothing to do with him or his silly kingdom. He doesn’t own me.”

The gentleman moved towards one of the chairs opposite the couch. “Do you mind if I sit?”

Laney was about to say of course she minded, but he sat.

“You say he doesn’t own you, but you gave him your heart oath and in turn he placed his seal on you. Let me show you. Myles, Sophie, here.”

Laney was aghast as the dogs moved obediently to wear the man sat. He raised his hand and it began to glow brighter. He lifted up Myles’ ear. Placing his hand behind the dog’s ear, Laney could plainly see something that resembled a royal seal glowing.

“Sophie’s is embedded near her heart, and yours…” He stood and moved towards her gently taking her wrist.

“You wanted yours on your wrist so it looked like a tattoo.” He smiled as the glow from his hand revealed the same royal seal on her arm.

She pulled her arm away angrily. “You need to go! Now!”

The man’s face looked sorrowful. He turned towards the door, but stopped and said. “Laney, it is easy to cling to bad things that happened in your life, but it blinds you to all the times mercy was extended to you in the form of his protection, his provision, his love. Open your heart to him again. Even this evening, this storm…it was his way of watching over you.”

He turned towards the pups. “He knows you are doing everything you can and he is so pleased. Don’t give up on her. He isn’t.”

Myles and Sophie barked and followed him to the door. He opened the door, his glowing silhouette backlit by a flash of lighting, then he was gone.

Laney rushed to the door, slamming it and turning both of the locks. She even went to all the other outside doors and the windows and made sure each one was locked.

Image by PublicDomainArchive from Pixa

“Stupid, weird utility man…” she muttered as she finished.

* * * * *

Laney woke to the clock on her bedside table blinking, and the sun shinning through a slit in between the closed curtains. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps the whole incident with the stranger in her house was just a dream. She decided it must have been and began her morning routine.

She turned on the TV, starting her healthy morning smoothy. As she cut up the fruit to throw in the blender her ears tuned in to something the local news anchor was saying.

“…Late last night police finally caught the Urban Exterminator, notorious serial rapist and murderer. It seems the Exterminator was looking to take his next victim from one of the neighborhoods near 8th and Dernst Avenues and stalled out his vehicle going through a flooded area near a plugged up storm sewer drain…”

Laney’s jaw dropped. Hers was one of those neighborhoods. The stranger’s voice echoed in her head. “…it is easy to cling to bad things that happened in your life, but it blinds you to all the times mercy was extended to you in the form of his protection, his provision, his love…Even this evening, this storm…it was his way of watching over you.”

Words of Life - Comfort

Today we are going to take a quick look at a few verses from the book of 2 Corinthians. This second book that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, gets into the theme of suffering and Paul’s own walk in the Spirit to carry out the work of spreading the Gospel.

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The word comfort is both a verb and a noun. As a verb it is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary as the act of giving hope or strength to, or to ease the grief or trouble of someone. As a noun it can be defined as: strengthening aid, consolation in times of trouble or worry; a feeling of relief or contented well being; a satisfying or enjoyable experience, or a person who brings comfort.

Look at the following pictures. Which of these make you think of comfort?

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Image by Анастасия Белоусова from Pixabay

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I love a cozy fire, furry pets, warm drinks, relaxing smells, hot baths and comfy beds. All of these make me think of being comfortable and cared for. Let’s see what Pauls says about comfort.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ”

— 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NASB 1995)

Let’s face it, there is a lot of hard, uncomfortable stuff in our lives. Since the onslaught of Covid it seems that every time we turn on the news or open our computers we hear about some other disaster, either in the health field or in the natural world. In addition, we are inundated with bad news both close to home and far away. Who doesn’t have ill relatives, children who have walked away from God, job loss, divorce or feelings of being overwhelmed just by the thought of getting out of bed. We all know somebody who is suffering.

These verses tell us several important, life giving thoughts about God.

1 - He is the God of ALL comfort. This God, the one who created us from dust (and yes I will keep reminding you of that), who provided a way through His own Son for us to come back into a right relationship with Him, who knows the number of hairs on our heads and stars in the sky - He is the same God who provides all the comfort we need through whatever valley we are walking through.

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2 - He comforts us in ALL our affliction. God is certainly the God of ALL’s! He’s not just the God of ALL comfort, but He comforts us in ALL of our affliction. Think about all you are struggling with. Now think about how God comforts you in it. We most often miss the working of God in our lives because we are too distracted by our suffering and our sorrow to recognize His hand of comfort. His hand is there in the many forms of His word, His people, His songs, His prayers, and His Spirit. Remember the Spirit intercedes for you.

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“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”

— Romans 8:26 (NASB 1995)

3 - God has a purpose. Our struggles and our suffering always have a purpose; a purpose which is always preceded by God’s approval. Why? Because life isn’t just about us. Life is about bringing glory to God and the way we do that is by living in community with others. God doesn’t want us to be hermits, always keeping to ourselves protected from the harm that relationships can bring. We struggle so we can help others. Suffering, if given over to God, tenderizes our hearts so we are able to give care and encouragement to others who are also suffering. This is part of how we share in the sufferings of Christ.

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“16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:16-17 (NASB 1995)

4 - Abundant suffering means abundant comfort. God doesn’t just comfort us once in a while. He doesn’t just comfort us through one really hard time. He comforts us every time we are suffering, no matter how big or small the suffering is. Since the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, meaning we benefit from all the suffering He endured to be human and to pay for our sins, then the comfort of Christ is also ours in abundance.

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Learning to lean in to the suffering of Christ is a hard concept to grasp and, perhaps, not the most fun thing to think about. However, the reality is as long as we are living life on this planet we will endure suffering, if not our own, that of others around us, including those we care for. Knowing that God is there to comfort me through it all gives me life giving hope. I hope it does for you as well.

Faith Inspiration - The Prayers of Paul

After the death of my father-in-law back in December, a good friend sent me a paper filled with handwritten paragraphs that a friend of hers, had given her when she was going through a difficult time. At the top of the page it says, Paul’s Prayers.

These are some of Paul’s prayers for the body of believers; those he had met on his journeys through out Syria, Asia, Macedonia and finally Italy, where he was imprisoned and later killed in Rome. All throughout his ministry, Paul was never concerned for himself. His concerns lay in lifting up of the name of Jesus, preaching the Gospel, and in the unity and building up of the Christ Ones.

I have read these prayers many times as I am typically reading and rereading the letters of Paul, but I don’t always focus on the prayers. More often I am focusing on the parts that show me what I should be doing. This is an unfortunate habit that most of us as Christians get into. We concentrate on the doing, rather than the Being - the person of the Lord Jesus Christ - and all that He has done and wants to do for us.

As you can see from the highlighting on the paper, I decided to really look and mull over these prayers of the Apostle Paul. We all know how important the words of Jesus are, and the high priestly prayer (John 17) that He prays for those who were following, and who would be following Him in the future. Paul’s prayers are important too, and are so adept at reminding us of who Christ is, and who we are in His sight.

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I want to share one of these prayers with you today as not only a source of encouragement, but a source of inspiration to remember whose we are.

“9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

— Colossians 1:9-12 (NASB 1995)

What I have been doing with each of these prayers of Paul is to write them out, but write them as though praying for myself. We need to pray for ourselves. Why do we think that is something that is selfish, or unreasonable? Yes, God commands us to pray for others, but He also commands us to pray without ceasing. I am sure some of that time can and should be used to pray for ourselves. This is my prayer:

I pray this according to Colossians 1:9-12 - I pray that you would fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. I pray this in order that I may live a life that is worthy of You, and may please You in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so I might have GREAT endurance (all steadfastness) and patience; joyfully giving thanks to You who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of ) Light. (This last phrase was handwritten including the Kingdom of - we can assume from other knowledge of the scriptures the saints are not just in the Light, but in the Kingdom of God also known as the Kingdom of Light).

Image by Michael Kleinsasser from Pixabay

Using these four Scriptures to pray over myself had an incredible affect on me. It made something, that I might have otherwise glossed over, come alive. It reminded me of several key points:

1 - God gives us knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. One thing I often heard when I was a younger Christian was, how do I know God’s will for my life. Simply put, God reveals His will as we grow in our spiritual wisdom and understanding. We aren’t going to learn His will from reading novels or watching our favorite shows. We learn his will as we gain spiritual wisdom and understanding.

2 - In having this spiritual wisdom and understanding we A) Walk in a manner worthy of Him, B) Bear fruit in every good work, and C) Increase in our knowledge of God. This makes sense and hopefully doesn’t need to be explained.

3 - God strengthens us with all power according to His glorious might. He gives us strength with all power, not just a tiny bit of power, but all of it. God doesn’t do things half way! Not only does He strengthen us with all power, He does it according to His glorious might. This is the same might we see that raises Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:18-23)

4 - God gives us this power so that we might be able to endure, and have patience. Wow! How cool is that? We have His power, all of His power, so we can keep going through the difficulties and do it with patience. This really speaks to me. With all the issues I have been having over the last two years, I can say it has only been His power that has given me the ability to patiently endure. Is it easy? No! Not at all, but it is truth, and His truth is all that matters.

5 - We can joyfully give thanks, because of what follows this phrase - He has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of) light. There is no denying this spiritual and scriptural truth: we are children of the King. Being a child of royalty means I have all the resources of the Kingdom at my fingertips. I partake of those resources as I clasp my hands together in humility and thank Him for them.

I hope you are inspired by Paul’s prayers as much as I am. Have a great week!

Rebooting My Faith, and My Faith Page

Have you ever felt like you needed a reboot. For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, I have always thought it would be nice to have a magical pensieve like the one Professor Dumbledore had in his office. The pensieve was a magical basin of sorts where the Master of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could siphon off some of his memories to be viewed at a later date. There are times my brain feels so cluttered up with day to day life, dealing with illness, and taking care of my family, that I don’t think about other things. As I have aged, I have also taken to making lists to remember all the things I need to do.

Image by indigoblues38 from Pixabay

The last two years have been difficult. I have had unexplained health issues since the spring of 2021. I am on my second antibiotic for the sinus infection I got in December. I had a CT scan on December 30th and when my ENT doctor contacted me, he said that there was still infection simmering. The amazing thing was for a whole month after finishing the first antibiotic I was feeling good. My taste and smell were back in full working order and I was not having anything more than my typical sinus drainage. When we got home after my father-in-law’s funeral I got a call from the doctor and he said, I want you on another antibiotic. I told him I was feeling good and would rather not do the antibiotic. He agreed since I have a follow up appointment with him this month. By the next day, my sinuses were all inflamed, my throat was scratchy and I was very fatigued; the exact symptoms of my first go round. I sent the office a message and I was on this new medicine by that afternoon.

Image by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pixabay

There are times we need to just process. With the death of my father-in-law, I could see that 2023 was not starting off any further ahead than the last two years. However, I feel as though I have a new purpose and drive. Over the last two years, I have felt the pull of God to dig into His word and to have fellowship with other women who are also desiring to move deeper into the layers that are God. He provided my Saturday morning Zoom Bible Study and I also meet once a week via Zoom with a young lady in California who teaches Bible in her spare time. These women have, and continue to inspire me to move closer to the Almighty. My desire is to do the same thing for you.

This year I would like to organize my blog a little better and have given a bit of an outline of what that will look like for Fashion on that page. I would like to do a similar thing on my Faith page. I want to bring you, not just my own thoughts on Faith, but the wisdom and insights of others as well. More than anything I want you to grow a drive to know and love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). A relationship with Christ, His Father and the Holy Spirit makes all the difference in maneuvering this mess we call life.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

To mimic my Fashion page, I want to have a plan for more organized content for my Faith posts. The following are tentative. The reason I say that, is because I still want to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit for what each week holds. There may be times where I need to spend a whole month on a certain passage of Scripture, or on a topic. However, this is what I was thinking:

1st. Thursday - Mulling It Over - a look at a portion of Scripture, a brief background and then ruminating on what it says to us.

2nd. Thursday - Faith Inspiration - drawing inspiration from other sources from teachers or preachers, to books and even music.

3rd. Thursday - Words of Life - looking specifically at passages or verses in the Bible that give encouragement. This would include many of the promises of God, His character, and who we are in His eyes.

4th. Thursday - Creative Christianity - this will be a place for my own creative writing, whether it be from journals, allegories, prose or poetry.

5th. Thursday (once every few months) - Topics - this will be a space for discussing some of the hard bits of walking the Christian life with a look at loving when it is hard, agreeing to disagree, religion or relationship and other things that come to mind. (Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see discussed under these topics.)

If you have been following me for a while, you know my faith in Jesus is real and important. Part of my sharing this blog with you is to let you know you are not alone. Just because I speak a good message, or have on a cute outfit doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. Just as the sufferings of Christ are ours to partake of, I want my struggles and difficulties to be out there for you to partake of as well. Suffering in unity is very important to growing and to living a life without bitterness.

I am excited about where this year is going to take this little blog, so I want your prayers more than ever. The enemy is real and he doesn’t want us to share life with each other. He thrives on isolation, manipulation and deceit. Please know, you are important to me, so if you ever have a prayer request shoot me an email and I will pray for you.

I hope you have a fantastic rest of your week and weekend. Be sure to check back next week for new content.

Capturing Wild Horses

Have you ever had one of those nights where you lay in bed tossing and turning because you just can’t turn your mind off? Everything suddenly comes front and center as soon as you lay your head on that pillow. My husband has more of a regular problem with insomnia than I do, but every once in a while I struggle with it as well.

Image by Emily Hopper from Pixabay

For many they can’t get to sleep at all; for others they wake up at about 3AM and can’t go back to sleep; still others sleep in fits and spurts interrupted by dreams, worries and night time trips to use the bathroom. What kind of a sleeper are you?

What about during the day time? Do you have trouble with your mind wandering when you try to sit down to have a quiet time with God? How about when you are out driving around? Have you ever suddenly had to ask yourself, where am I, because your thoughts were a million miles away, or your brain was trying to remember all the things on your to do list?

Image by inspirexpressmiami from Pixabay

These types of mind games are pretty ordinary for most people. Our lives are full of activity, responsibility, lists, and a long line of worries. God knows how important our minds are. He is the Creator. He designed the brain to be a complex web of cells and tissue that all work together to send messages 24/7 to the rest of our body. Our brains keep our lungs breathing, our hearts beating and every other organ working properly. If there is a misfire in our brain, the rest of the body will know.

God also created us in His image. We are meant to purpose, ruminate and understand. We are meant to create, love and explore. Unfortunately, just like our brains can run amok, our minds can also get off track and suddenly become like a herd of wild mustangs running from watering hole to watering hole trying to satiate an incredible thirst.

Image by B Snuffleupagus from Pixabay

Last night I was struggling with those wild mustangs. My mind flitted from one worry to another; one thing I needed to do to another task that waited to be done. The image of those wild horses running along the ocean on a sandy beach came to my mind: think Misty of Chincoteague. I read this book as a girl who grew up loving horses and my oldest daughter read this book as a girl who grew up loving horses.

I started to pray for each of the things my mind focused on and as I prayed God brought the vision to my mind of capturing the wild horses. Each thought was like a prancing filly or a rearing colt. In my imagination I saw myself lasso each of those thoughts with the tools God gave me and bring it in to the corral.

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

— 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB 1995)

It becomes problematic when we do not take those wild horses into captivity. When they are left to run free, the dust they leave in their wake becomes a wall; a wall that rises to heaven choking out our light and our ability to hear the master.

Before we look more closely at the above verse we need to see it in context.

“3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”

— 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NASB 1995)

Verses 3 and 4 remind us of several things:

1 - We walk in the flesh.

2 - We don’t fight according to the flesh.

3 - Our weapons are not of the flesh.

4 - Our weapons are divinely powerful.

5 - Our weapons are for the purpose of destroying fortresses.

Lest today’s post get too long, we will only look at the beginning of verse 5, then pick up the rest next time.

We are destroying speculations -

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

In order to understand, why Paul is embedding this verse in a group of verses that talks about spiritual warfare, we must understand what the word speculate means. Webster’s Online Dictionary has multiple definitions for this word and I think they all apply.

Intransitive verb:

1 - a. To Meditate or ponder on a subject. b. to review something idly, or casually and often inconclusively.

2 - To assume a business risk in hope of gain. (Often in something risky like stocks that fluctuate hoping to make a large short term profit.)

Transitive verb:

1 - to take to be true on insufficient evidence.

2 - to be curious or doubtful about.

Image by Szilárd Szabó from Pixabay

Speculation is not just thinking about something the way we might think about whether we should order a pizza for dinner or make a pot roast. Speculating has the idea of sitting on a topic for a while. In addition, it seems to allow for doubt, misunderstanding, and risk. When we think about the things that worry us we need to ask ourselves, are these things causing me to doubt God? Are my worries the result of not understanding who God truly is and the truth He brings us in His Word? Are my anxious thoughts driving me to take risks, make decisions and participate in things that God would have never wanted for us?

Other synonyms for the word speculate include: assume, conjecture, guess, imagine, suppose, surmise and suspect. Do these terms bring you peace and comfort? Do they help calm your fears and bring your worries to rest? No!

Next time we will will look further at why it is so important to capture those wild horses and destroy those speculations.

Have a great week.

My Favorite Things - Trust, Healing and Refreshment

Many of you who follow me are familiar with the Sound of Music, a musical drama staring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer set in pre WWII Austria. The film, one of my favorites, is an adaption of a stage musical by Rogers and Hammerstein. The movie is filled with uplifting musical numbers, beautiful scenery and budding romance. A number that has been with me since our choir sang it in junior high was My Favorite Things.

I had the idea come to me this morning that it might be fun and beneficial to share with you a number of my favorite passages of scripture. There is always a reason we have favorites. We might have a favorite ice cream, perfume or movie. Our faves are ones we like to revisit over and over.

I love to see a garden full of bright colorful flowers. Flower gardening is an activity I would like to do, but like so many things, I just don’t seem to get to it. That is okay. I can still enjoy the flowers at our local botanical gardens and adorning the front walkways and porches of many homes I drive by in the summer time.

Scripture is something that I desire to cultivate in my life. I am learning over and over how important and powerful God’s word is in my life, and that is why I want to share with you passages that I go back to on repeat. Just like the beautiful flowers we see in the warm weather, God’s word is a beautiful. It is meant to be looked at, mulled over and enjoyed. Yes, there are hard bits, bits that I remind me of my sin and my short comings, but God’s word is so much more than that. Let’s take a look.

“1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.”

— Proverbs 3:1-8 (NASB 1995)

God’s word is meant to teach us. As I look at this portion of Proverbs 3 I know the author is King Solomon, David’s son by Bathsheba. Isn’t it amazing how God took a messy, sinful situation and turned it into something for His glory and honor? He is a master at that.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

As Solomon penned these words we know that he was inspired by God, and it is written like a father speaking to his son. Whether Solomon had a son in mind when he penned these words, or he was relaying what God’s spirit inspired him regarding the Father - child relationship we have with God, I am not sure, but these words apply just as readily to us today as they did to people from long ago.

These verses could be said to be written like poetic couplets. Each set of two verses goes together with the first verse being a command, and the second verse being the benefit of obeying the command.

“1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.”

— Proverbs 3:1-2 (NASB 1995)

The writer is telling his son to not forget the things he taught him. He even speaks to the issue of his heart. Why is it important for our hearts to keep God’s commandments? The simple truth is, head knowledge does not make us more godly or Christ like. It is when we allow the words of the Scriptures to permeate our hearts that we truly delve into the layers that are God.

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

The author gives the reason heart knowledge is so important, because it benefits us. “…length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.” Our society pushes the idea of exercise and eating right to help us live longer, but that is not the only piece of our health puzzle. Living our lives for God in obedience to, and in love with our Lord will benefit us in more ways than we can even understand.

“3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.”

— Proverbs 3:3-4 (NASB 1995)

We hear so much about being kind these days. We see the phrase, “Be kind” written on signs in front of schools, on tee shirts and other apparel and we are constantly telling our children and grand children to be kind. The idea of kindness isn’t new and obviously, if Solomon felt it was necessary to mention, then you can bet back in his day there were probably all sorts of bullies and social difficulties. The man had 700 wives and 300 concubines! How could there not be social difficulties? Have you ever heard of a cat fight? Ha, ha.

It wasn’t just kindness that Solomon suggested, he said kindness and truth. He told the reader to bind them around their neck and write them on the tablet of their heart. As women we like to adorn our necks with jewelry or pretty scarves. A pretty statement necklace or flowy scarf really take an outfit up a notch. Being kind is always more appealing than being nasty. Being truthful is typically better than being deceitful, especially if the first lie leads to more and more lies.

Once again we see a reason why the command is given, “So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.” We aren’t just pleasing God, but we will be looked up to and respected by others when we are kind and truthful.

“5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB 1995)

These two verses are probably the more well known of all the verses in this chapter. Once again Solomon speaks of the heart. We are to trust the Lord, not just with our heads, but with “all” our hearts. The next phrase is huge. In a society where we are constantly being told we can do it, we can figure it out, we got this, we are fierce and infallible, it is very hard to not lean on our own understanding. Don’t I know what is best for me? Well, not really. Only the One who made you knows what is truly best for you.

The author goes on to say in all our ways to acknowledge Him and this is where we hone in on the real problem; the heart problem. We don’t acknowledge God in any of our ways, or maybe we do in one or two of our ways, but that is precisely why we lean on our own understanding. “I” will figure it out. “I” will fix this. “I” will do what it takes. “I” don’t need anyone’s help. We can be all about that, but in reality there will be times you can’t figure it out, fix it or do what it takes and you are going to need help. His help.

Image by Silvia from Pixabay

He will make your paths straight. Once again, the command is followed by the benefit. God will take all the crooked, messed up pile of chaos that you created and He will make it straight. Quit leaning on your own understanding. Trust with all of your heart. Acknowledge Him and He will do it.

“7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.”

— Proverbs 3:7-8 (NASB 1995)

The final couplet again speaks to wisdom and its source. Solomon tells the son to not be wise in his own eyes. Do you ever think of yourself as wise? Have you ever had one of those pride moments when you figured out how to fix something or found out something you said helped another person. It is wonderful to have those moments, but we have to remember where all wisdom comes from. Solomon speaks to it in the next line, “Fear the Lord…” Wisdom starts with the Lord. Solomon takes it one more step, “…and turn away from evil.”

Turning away from evil is essential to having true wisdom. Solomon is a case study, because as wise as he was, he ended up being influenced by all of his many wives who came from various heathen countries and worshipped various heathen gods. For all the wisdom he had, he wasn’t very wise about keeping things under God’s authority.

Why should we fear the Lord and turn away from evil? The answer is in the second part of the couplet: so we will have healing and refreshment. Following after evil can be hard on the body, not just the physical ramifications of overeating, drinking alcohol or taking drugs, but also on a person’s mental and emotional well being causing anxiety, fear, depression and even eventual suicidal tendencies.

I hope you enjoyed this look at one of my favorite passages. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

A Series of (Un)Fortunate Events - Part 1: A Necessary Departure

In the book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (real name Daniel Handler) we follow the tale of three orphans whose lives could only be described as a winsomely tragic. I have not read the books, but my grandson has, and the two of us have worked our way through the Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris as the persistent bad guy Count Olaf, and Patrick Warburton as the author/narrator, Lemony Snicket.

Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay

From the start the audience is told by the author to “look away” to keep themselves from having to see the tragic misfortunes of the three Baudelaire children who become orphans at the very start of the tale. What follows is misfortune after misfortune. From the reader’s or watcher’s perspective, the difficulties are seat squirming events that rapidly unfold taking the three children from the safety and security of their home and their parents, into the ugly, downtrodden clutches of Count Olaf. Time after time we think things will get better to only end up in a worse place, or more difficult situation.

Our own lives can often seem like a series of unfortunate events. Most of you probably have experienced those times in life when one thing after another goes wrong: the refrigerator dies, the car won’t start, you have a fight with your spouse, the kids get sick and you can’t find that piece of paperwork you needed for an important work meeting. I am not sure why things go this way. Perhaps it is the reality of the fallen world we live in: things break, stop working and get messed up. Relationships are hard. Children require energy and work, and some of us are constantly fighting the battle against clutter.

Image by Kateřina Duskova from Pixabay

Trouble is not anything new. Since the fall of Adam and Eve from God’s grace in the Garden of Eden, trouble has hounded mankind. Jesus gave us a heads up in the New Testament when he stated:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””

— John 16:33 (NASB - 1995)

When we look at the full chapter of John 16 we see Jesus talking to his disciples about the future, theirs and His. What he tells them is not pleasant. He tells them that they will be outcasts from the Synagogue and that people will want to kill them. He also tells them that He will be leaving. Their hearts are heavy, but He reveals that if He doesn’t leave he cannot send the Helper (Holy Spirit) to them.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

— John 16:13-15 (NASB - 1995)

Let’s think on this for a minute. Jesus in His human form was just like us. He was limited by time, space and even gravity. If you are familiar with the New Testament and Jesus’ life you know there were instances where he moved from one place to another mysteriously. He also walked on water, so He obviously still had Godly abilities. However, Jesus could only be in one place at a time.

Now think about how the Holy Spirit works. He is spirit as God is spirit. He has the ability to dwell in me, you and every other believer all at the same time. Since the Spirit brings the likeness of Jesus into our lives we all have Jesus with us all the time. Isn’t that amazing? I don’t know about you, but that makes my unfortunate events seem easier to handle and not so overwhelming.

Let me give you a few important points about the Spirit that I hope will encourage you like it encourages me.

The Holy Spirit is not constrained by time or space.

Image by Pretty Sleepy Art from Pixabay

God’s Spirit, or the Holy Spirit shows up repetitively in the Old and New Testament.

“Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

— Psalm 51:11 (NASB - 1995)

“But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.”

— Isaiah 63:10 (NASB - 1995)

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.”

— Matthew 1:18 (NASB - 1995)

““As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

— Matthew 3:11 (NASB - 1995)

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

— Luke 1:41 (NASB - 1995)

We can see that the Holy Spirit was around back in the time of David and Isaiah. He was also present with Mary and Elizabeth during their pregnancies. Time and space do not constrain this being. There are other places in the scriptures where it mentions the Spirit of the Lord. My assumption is this also is a reference to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Jesus not only called Him the Spirit of Truth, but He also said that He would reveal truth to us. I often find when I am going through an unfortunate event, God will bring back to my mind certain scriptures that help me stand firm in the difficulty. Words like:

“He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,””

— Hebrews 13:5b (NASB -1995)

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”

— Romans 8:28 (NASB - 1995)

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

— Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB - 1995)

The Holy Spirit will guide us.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Jesus said, “…He will guide you into all the truth.” I personally feel that this isn’t just about guiding us to which verse to use in a particular situation, but I think it also means the Spirit will guide us in our decisions and direct us as we seek answers to the questions we are asking in our unfortunate events. What I struggle with the most is not whether the Holy Spirit will guide me or not, but when.

Over the last year as I have been maneuvering these health issues I always felt the Spirit there with me, but finding answers to my issues has been illusive. I have to keep putting myself back into God’s hands and wait…wait for healing, wait for wisdom, wait for guidance to a doctor who knows exactly what to do. Waiting is hard, and I don’t foresee waiting ever getting any easier. I have to cling to what Jesus said, that the Spirit will guide me into all the truth.

The Holy Spirit speaks only what the Father and Son desire.

Image by GraphicMama-team from Pixabay

You will never be mislead by the Holy Spirit. He cannot tell you anything that is contrary to the scriptures because the Scriptures are the written words of God. If you hear a voice telling you to rob a bank, that is not the Holy Spirit. If you think God is telling you to paint your kitchen a certain color, it is probably not the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit busies Himself with the Words and the Works of God. The color of your kitchen is your own free will. God has given us freedom to make choices, even bad ones, but when we walk with the Holy Spirit as our guide and we are in tune with Him we will desire to please God.

The Holy Spirit discloses God’s words to us.

The word disclose as defined by Webster’s online dictionary means to make public or to expose to view. This is quite telling of out the Godhead operates. Many who do not believe say the Bible is unreadable and hard to understand, but they are reading it without the disclosure of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives, He not only makes us more like Christ, but He gives us the ability to understand the deeper things of God.

Next week we’ll take a look at why how unfortunate events can be turned into fortunate events. Until then have a great weekend.

What am I Rejoicing In?

As I continued to look at the word rejoice, I came across another story in the Old Testament that I thought might be worth sharing. From the beginning of time God wanted to be the center of men’s worship. As we look at the Biblical account of how the world came into being and how God made everything in it, we see that He created man with a purpose much different than any of the other things He created. God made man to have a relationship with Him.

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“26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ”

— Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB 1995)

We see that God gave man a job, to rule over the earth, and that means take care of it, not abuse and misuse it.

“ 8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.””

— Genesis 3:8-10 (NASB 1995)

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From the above text we can reason that God regularly walked in the garden, and he also walked and talked with Adam and Eve. They heard the sound of the Lord, so they were familiar with His footfall, his voice or maybe he was singing as he walked along. They hid from Him, because they were ashamed. They knew they had displeased the One who walked and talked with them in the garden.

It is not that God needs us. He is God and is outside our understanding of what need is. God is, and God moves. One day He decided to create and from that creation came our world, and us. However, His creating wasn’t a random act. He had thought it through and had a plan. Part of that plan was that He would have preeminence in our lives. He created us with His image imprinted on us. He and we are connected.

After the days of Moses leading the people out of Israel and wandering around the wilderness, the people became set on having someone who could rule them. They no longer wanted God to be their ruler. After going through a period of various judges, God gave them what they wanted. They wanted a man who could be king, and so we have Saul, the first in a long line of kings for Israel.

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“15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.”

— ! Samuel 11:15 (NASB 1995)

When I read this verse I was suddenly struck by the question, “I wonder what Saul and the men of Israel were rejoicing in?” In Deuteronomy the act of rejoicing always had to do with the Lord. It was associated with feasts and celebrations of remembrance of God’s provision and salvation. When we read Hannah’s story in I Samuel we also see that she rejoiced in the Lord and in His provision for her and for the nation of Israel. It does say that the people made Saul king “before the Lord,” and “they also offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord.” It does not say that they specifically rejoiced in the Lord or in what He had done.

I may just be nitpicky and perhaps looking for something that is not there, but it does make me ask myself, “In what or whom am I rejoicing?” You see, it was only a few chapters later and we read that Saul had only been king for two years and he messed up.

“8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?”...”

— 1 Samuel 13:8-11 (ESV)

Saul decided he could be both king and priest, which was not God’s plan. Saul was impatient and prideful and we see that he eventually becomes obsessed with David’s demise, eventually making him unfit to be king. It seems trouble followed Saul, which brings me back to the question, who did Saul rejoice in?

There are two questions we should ask ourselves when it comes to rejoicing.

What are the circumstances that led us to rejoice? Was it something we did? Was it a task we accomplished? Or was it something God accomplished?

Who is receiving the honor and glory in this celebration? Is it me? Is it another individual? Or is it God? We honestly like to receive honor and glory don’t we? I’ve often felt if I became a best selling author would I be able to handle that honor and glory? Or would I become big headed about my talent and ability?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

If we are rejoicing in ourselves and our accomplishments, or if we are rejoicing in someone else and their accomplishments, that celebration is momentary. You see the root word in rejoice is joy. To rejoice is to have and impart joy over and over again. There is only one being who can bring us that sort of deep, unyielding joy and that is God. Yes! It is good to rejoice and find joy in good things and in good situations; to celebrate life and all the special moments, but true rejoicing happens in the wilderness when we remember who got us through every single moment of every single day.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4 - NASB)

Becoming a Child to Tear Down a Wall

Writing a faith post is not always as easy as writing a fashion post. A fashion post is just a matter of choosing an outfit, taking a few pictures and then talking about it. The hardest part is probably deciding what to put on. That, and my photography skills are still a work in progress. However, a faith post requires more thought. Not only that, but when I talk about God, and His word, I want to make sure that what I am saying makes sense and is accurate according to His truth.

Today I was reading in my devotional book. I have a copy of Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest. I have been using this devotional for years. The copy I currently have is 15 years old. It is pock marked, highlighted and written all over, much like my oldest Bible. The thing I like about this devotional is that the truths he spoke about, back in the early years of the 19th century are still just as true today. That is the thing about God’s word and devotionals that stick to Biblical truth, it does not change. It is constant.

I know many people will say that is the problem. We need to change to keep current in this crazy world. The problem is I do not believe that. God’s word is living and active. It has, is and will continue to have the ability to move and change lives. The focus in today’s world is what will make me happy. After all, being happy is all that matters, right? If I am happy, and everyone else is doing what they want to be happy, then there will be no more wars, no more greed, no more racism, no more hatred and no more crime. Everything will be perfect. Not!

Oswald said something interesting this morning.

“It is our own opinions that make us dense and slow to understand, but when we are simple we are never dense; we have discernment all the time.”

— My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers

Have you ever noticed how set in our ways we become as we get older. Our brains stop making new pathways and we just do the same things over and over again. Now, researchers and scientists studying Alzheimer’s are saying we need to do things differently. We need to be learning and changing our routines to keep our brains active and get longevity. The same is true in our spiritual lives. We don’t need to change God’s word so that it fits our lives, we need to change our hearts and minds to get back to the basics of God’s word.

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When is the last time you had a deep, gut wrenching prayer time with God? How often do you spend really reading and understanding His written word? Is your worship just a Sunday morning thing, or do your regularly lift your voice and your heart heavenward?

When I think of simplicity I think of what Jesus said regarding children.

“16 But Jesus called for the little ones, saying, “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
17 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.””

— Luke 18:16-17 (NASB)

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As Oswald said, it is our own opinions or creeds that keep us from really hearing and understanding what Christ is saying to us. Jesus puts it straight forward in the above verses. It is only by becoming like children that we will be able to enter heaven. What qualities does a child have, that makes it easier for them to believe?

1 - An ability to believe without seeing.

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If you tell a child there is an ice cream truck outside, they will probably go running out the door to see it. Children take what we say at face value. They don’t try to rationalize, or come up with arguments for why they shouldn’t believe, they just do it. Children are the most likely to believe in magic, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, even though they have never seen the real deal. Jesus knows, in order for us to have eternal life, we have to believe without actually seeing Him with our physical eyes.

2 - An ability to trust.

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Children are very trusting, especially when they are little. Unfortunately, this is why predators target them. It is easy to coax a small child at a park to come see the box of puppies you have in your car trunk, because they will trust you. It is not until they have gone through bad experiences that children learn to not trust people. Jesus is absolutely trust worthy. He knows that without that complete, unreserved trust in Him we will not see the kingdom of Heaven.

3 - An imagination.

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What are we without the ability to imagine, whether it is to imagine a world in a fictional story, or the ability to imagine that English Cottage garden we’ve always wanted? God gave us an imagination. Being able to imagine God, in all His forms is harder for us to do as adults. A child, however, will create a God who is all at once super hero and amazing bearded giant all rolled into one. Using the imagination that God has given us is the very means for the camel to fit through the eye of the needle. (Matthew 19:24)

4 - Joy.

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Going back to my study of the word rejoice and eventually the word joy, I find it fitting that one of the simplest traits of children is that of joy. Think about how children view things like Christmas, animals at the zoo, rides at the park, picnics, puppies, kittens and flying kites. They most often do these things with a celebratory air of joy. This joy is that which gives us the ability to transcend this earthly shell and commune with the very being whose name is “I AM.”

Recently, in my Saturday morning Zoom group we were looking at 2 Corinthians 10. This section stood out.

“3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

— 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB - 1995)

I am not going to get into the whole idea of spiritual warfare as I have covered that previously on the blog, but there was something that stood out to us. In the above version we see the term “lofty thing”. In other versions we see, “high thing” (KJV), “lofty opinion” (ESV), “every pretension” (NIV), and “every proud obstacle” (RSV). Our facilitator, April, said that according to one thing she read these lofty things or lofty thoughts are like walls. These are barriers that have been built by us and keep the truth of God’s word from getting through.

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Think about this for a minute. What does pride, bitterness, hatred, and other strong emotions do to our minds when left untended? In addition, what does a regular diet of vain philosophies, manipulative ideologies and other false doctrines do in our minds? They begin to be the bricks in a wall that we build, separating us from the one who loves us most; the only one who is always looking out for our best interests and who always speaks truth to us.

What Oswald said nearly 100 years ago is still true today…we are dense! We are too thick headed to see that we are being manipulated by the enemy. We come up with these ideas and opinions, not because we are being so open minded, but because we are cutting ourselves off from His truth. We don’t like what the Bible says about this or that, so we rationalize, then we cauterize and burn it away. While the coals from that fire are still glowing we start adding bricks to our wall.

Dear ones, I recognize that not everything the Bible says is easy to hear. Not every command is easy to follow. We might even say that not every story or example is applicable to the lives we are now living. BUT, this same God who created the world with a word, set the heavenly bodies in their exact places and breathed life into dust, also provided a way…the Way, the Truth and the Life, (John 14:6)

The only way we are going to be able to tear down the walls that are making us dense is becoming like a child once again, with the ability to believe without seeing, trust without reserve, imagining the reality of the spiritual realm and experiencing joy in all that He has given and done for us.

Have you built a wall between yourself and God? Ask Him today to help you tear it down.

Come to the Table

A good friend of mine started a Zoom devotional group a while back and asked me to be a part of it. Every Saturday, with a few exceptions here and there, the two of us along with four to six other ladies connect via the internet to study God’s word. We have been working through a particular devotional, so every week the scripture is something different. It has been the most rewarding thing I have done in a long time. It has been such pure joy to be back in God’s word with other like minded people. We are learning from passages we have read and reread over the years proving the very thing the Bible says about itself:

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“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

— Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)

This past week we focused on Psalm 23. As a Christ follower this is a very familiar passage. The chapter consists of only six verses, but they are verses that pack an incredible punch with regard to our relationship with the Almighty. My eyes were opened anew as we read and discussed this simplistic poem written by the shepherd who would become a king.

“1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”

— Psalm 23 (ESV)

I do not want to take the time in this post to focus on all of the verses. We could easily spend a whole post on each verse, because there is so much to unpack. I feel compelled to talk specifically about verse 5 for today’s lesson. Let’s plumb the depths of this incredible verse together.

You prepare a table before me.

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I think this is an appropriate follow-up to our study of Hannah over the last couple months. It became obvious to me as I read and reread those verses detailing Hannah’s struggle, her ability to lean into the Lord and her complete trust in Him, that she was drawing from a source of strength and peace that we all need. Let’s look at a few questions.

Who is doing the preparation? God is. The whole passage is about the Good Shepherd and we know that the Good Shepherd is referring to the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What is He preparing? A table. When I prepare a table for a family meal, the first thing I do is make sure the table is clean. Next, I add either a table cloth or place mats, partly to protect the table surface and partly to make the table look nice. After this, I might add some sort of decoration, from a simple candle, to a vase of flowers, to some more elaborate centerpiece. I am a pretty simplistic person, so typically less is more when it comes to decor. Finally, I will set the table with plates, silverware, napkins and glasses. Finally, I will cover the table with the food that was prepared for the meal, including butter for bread, salt and pepper and extra napkins. I try to take care to think about the needs and desires of those who will be coming to my table.

For whom is the table prepared? For me. God has done this great thing in preparing a table before me. He does it in my sight, so I might know it is there and come feast from it whenever I need or want. He does not hide the table and all its delicacies in a room behind some sort of intricate maze or secret passages. It is right there in front of me. In addition this table is prepared by the Good Shepherd who stays with me prepared to meet every need I might have.

I want you to pay special attention to the tense of the word - prepare. It is present tense. This is all at once something He has done, is doing and will do. There is never any lack or anything wanting at the table the Good Shepherd has prepared for me. The fact that He prepares the table before me, means that He is always preparing it. He doesn’t prepare it and then leave. A good host or hostess, doesn’t leave the room when dinner is served. They stay and sit and eat with their guests, always attentive to any need or desire that might arise.

Even as I type this, I am floored by the lavish love of our gracious Lord and Savior.

…in the presence of my enemies…

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More questions.

Why does the Good Shepherd prepare this table before me in the presence of my enemies? I believe that God wants us to know two things. The first is His provision is for us; those who have allowed Him to brand His name on their hearts. That ornate table, full of good things is for those who call Him Lord.

The second is to remind us that we do have enemies.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

— I Peter 5:8 (ESV)

Just like the sheep have enemies, we too, need to be reminded that we have a real enemy who is seeking to devour us. The fact that our table is there for the enemy to see is a reminder that we do not need to be afraid, as long as we are in the Good Shepherd’s care. It is also a reminder to our enemies that we are provided for, always.

…you anoint my head with oil…

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The practice of anointing with oil was traditional in Jewish culture for many reasons. Let’s look at a few of these.

A Form of Respect - Anointing with oil was a way for the host or hostess to honor the guests invited to their meal. It was a way to show respect.

Designation of Position - There were three offices that would commence with oil of anointment: prophet, priest and king. Anointing usually took place when a person was becoming one of these offices or some time at the beginning of their post.

Helping the Sick - Anointing with oil became a more regular practice in the church starting with the disciples who would anoint sick people. Even today, there are still churches who practice anointing with oil and may or may not be reserved for those with illnesses or needs.

Setting Aside - Often one who is anointed with oil is being set aside for God’s purposes. This would also be applicable to inanimate objects such as an altar, a building or a specific furnishing or item used in worship.

When the Good Shepherd anoints our head with oil, He is doing all of these things. He is showing us respect as the guests who dine at His table. He is designating our position as His chosen ones. He is healing our ills and mending our wounds, and He is also setting us aside for His eternal purposes.

…my cup overflows.

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Our Good Shepherd would certainly look to our need for quenching our thirst as well.

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.””

— John 4:10 (ESV)

What is this living water and where do we get it? Living water is the only water that can truly satiate our thirst. Not the physical thirst that our bodies use to signify we need to drink, but our spiritual thirst, that constant longing and looking for something to satisfy and make us feel complete. There is only one place that we can get this water and it will be given with such generosity and enthusiasm that our cups with splash joyfully as they overflow. Our cups overflow at the table our Good Shepherd prepares for us.

As a believer, we all have access to this table. This table is where we will find fellowship with the Good Shepherd. This table is where will find food to bring energy and life back to our battle weary souls. This table is where we will find rest and repose. This table is where we will quench or innermost desires and longings. This is the table Hannah ate from as she walked her little boy into the House of the Lord and left him.

The Good Shepherd prepares this table for you and for I. Come eat with me!

Rejoice Always: A Case Study - Part 4

Today I am going to finish up this particular case study of Hannah in the Old Testament. Hannah, who was Samuel’s mother, was a woman a great strength, deep desire and phenomenal trust in her God. A portion of the scripture we are going to look at is Hannah’s song of thanksgiving. This is what we are going to focus on and I want to do it just a few verses at a time, so we can slowly savor the thoughts and ideas.

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“Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”

— I Samuel 2:1 (NASB)

Keep in mind, Hannah is singing this song of thanksgiving after she has given her only son, Samuel, to Eli the priest to serve in the House of the Lord.

Hannah exults in the Lord. The word horn as it is used in this passage refers to strength, so Hannah is saying her strength is exalted in the Lord. The word exalt is a verb that means to lift high, to elevate by praise, to raise in rank or to enhance the activity of. In other words we could say, “My heart lifts high because of the Lord.” “My strength is elevated in the Lord.”

I do not know if Hannah was thinking of Penninah, her husband’s other wife, when she sang these words, or if she was thinking of her status as an Israelite, but either way she speaks boldly, because she rejoices in God’s salvation.

“There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.”

— 1 Samuel 2:2 (NASB)

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Hannah states the truth she knows. As an Israelite she has been taught the scriptures, the laws and the commands. Her husband was a committed Jew, making sure he and his family got to the House of the Lord. But now, Hannah also has personal experience. She took her heart’s desire to have a child to God, and He remembered her and provided.

“Do not go on boasting so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed”

— 1 Samuel 2:3 (NASB)

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I have a feeling Hannah was a pretty observant woman. She knew her scriptures, which probably also meant she knew the history of her people. This verse could have been a reference to Penninah, but for some reason I think Hannah was above that. I think this had more to do with the enemies of Israel.

The following verses are both declarative and somewhat prophetic for the state of Israel and the future of the nation as well.

“4 The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.
6 The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and rich;
He humbles, He also exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap
To seat them with nobles,
And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a person prevail.
10 Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.””

— 1 Samuel 2:4-10 (NASB)

This ends Hannah’s song, but it certainly does not signify the end of her adventure with God. If we read further in this chapter we see God’s continued blessing on her.

“18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 And his mother would make for him a little robe and bring it up to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she requested of the Lord.” And they went to their own home.

21 The Lord indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up before the Lord.”

— 1 Samuel 2:18-21 (NASB)

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Hannah did not forget Samuel. She lovingly made him a robe and every year when they would go up to offer their yearly sacrifice they would bring the robe and she would give it to him. She kept her promise to the Lord and He gave her more children.

What can we learn from our study of Hannah on the word rejoice?

Our joy is not dependent on our circumstances.

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We all like to think that if we only had this or that, or if our circumstances changed then we would have joy. Joy, unlike happiness is eternal. It is a state of being that comes from God and is not dependent on what is going on in our lives.

Remember the definition of rejoice: to give joy to; to feel great joy or delight. We learned from the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament that rejoice was a command given by God to the people of Israel and it always coincided with a feast or celebration of remembrance of God’s faithfulness and provision.

Our ability to rejoice is a choice to remember how God has provided and been faithful throughout our lives. Even in our current difficult circumstances.

Our joy is directly linked to our choice to focus on God.

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I know this can be hard, but this is what makes the difference between living large and languishing. When I choose to remember God’s faithfulness, I take my eyes off my current difficulties and place them on Him. Even if life has been difficult for a while, I can still focus on His character and His promises. He is good. He is faithful. He is just. He is holy. He is pure. He is righteous.

Back in Chapter 1 we saw when Hannah prayed she lifted up the name of God. She exalted Him. She said, “Lord of armies.” It was a simple statement, but think about all that it encompasses. The word Lord, would signify power and authority. Lord of armies, shows that He is in charge of all those who can bring about justice and peace. That three word statement was one of worship and direct focus on the powerful and amazing God.

Focusing on God and who He is and His great faithfulness will make rejoicing as important as drinking water. It is essential for life.

Like C.S. Lewis, we might be Surprised By Joy.

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Hannah found joy even after she gave up her son. She gave him to God before he was even conceived. She had no regrets. She did not waver in her promise. When the boy was old enough, she took him to the House of the Lord and left him there. Yet, she had joy.

In the middle of our adversity, in the crushing weight of our darkness, we will be surprised by joy, because it is God who gives us the ability to rejoice. Just like hope, patience, goodness, kindness and all the other fruit we can bear, it comes from Him.

Rejoice always!

Rejoice Always: A Case Study - Part 3

The last few weeks we have been looking at the idea of rejoicing. To rejoice means to remember the good things, or in our walks as Christ believers to remember how God has blessed us and kept us. We have been looking at the life of Hannah in the Old Testament, the mother of Samuel, prophet of God during the reign of King Saul and King David.

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The last two lessons we looked at the difficult circumstances, Hannah found herself in. While she was dearly loved by her husband, Elkanah, she was unable to have children, and was severely mocked and ridiculed by Elkanah’s other wife, Penninah. Penninah already gave Elkanah children, but she must have noticed his favor for Hannah, thus her constant torment.

We are given insight into Hannah’s despair and her deep desire to have a child. She can’t eat and weeps and prays before the temple, petitioning God to grant her heart’s desire. The priest, Eli, saw her and thought that she had been drinking, to behave in such a distraught manner. He tells her to stop her drinking and get her act together, but Hannah assures him that she had not been drinking, but was distressed and crying out to God in prayer. Eli responds with compassion telling her to go her way and praying that God would grant her petition.

This is where we pick back up.

“19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever.”
23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young.
25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli.
26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord.
27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”

— 1 Samuel 1:19-28 (NASB)

We can learn so much from really scrutinizing this portion of the first chapter of the first book of Samuel. Let’s take a closer look.

The family worshipped together. Verse 19 says they rose early and worshipped before the Lord, before they returned to their home. It is obvious, Elkanah felt being in the house of the Lord was an important part of his life and he saw to it that it was important for his family as well.

Elkanah loved Hannah. We see after they returned to their home in Ramah, Elkanah had relations with Hannah. It doesn’t specify that he had relations with both of his wives, but specifically points out that he had relations with Hannah.

And the Lord remembered her. God does not forget us. He knew us before we were just a tadpole in our mother’s womb. He knows where we are all the time, no matter where we go, or where we might try to hide. (Psalm 139) He also knows the number of the hairs on our heads. (Matthew 10:30) God will not forget us, and He did not forget Hannah.

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Hannah had a child and named him Samuel. (Verse 20) The name Samuel means, asked of God. Indeed, Hannah did ask God for a son and what did she promise God in return if he granted her request? The child would be His to serve Him.

Hannah keeps her commitment to God. Verses 21-28 relay how Hannah kept her promise to God. Once she had Samuel weaned she brought him up to the House of the Lord. Can you imagine, letting your child go? The only child you had, your only son? This is mind blowing to me. We all love our children dearly and I am sure, like me, the thought of losing any of your children for any reason is overwhelming. Now try to imagine, giving that child up willingly at a very young age. I am thinking Samuel might have been three, but maybe older or younger, depending on what age they were weaned at. Imagine taking your three year old to a place that was about a day’s journey away and leaving him in the care of some old guy. What is going on?

I have to wonder at this. Did God give Hannah some sort of knowledge that her son would be fine, in fact would be a very important player in the the Kingdom of Israel? I just think that Hannah had complete trust in the God she believed in. A few months ago I talked about this idea of trust in God. You can see that post here. I am sure it is a topic we will visit again, but for now let’s quickly look at how Hannah trusted God.

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1 - She went to God with her desire. We don’t see Hannah berating her spouse or fighting back with Penninah. Yes, she is emotional, but she takes her heart’s deepest desire to God. Most of us struggle in our relationships. Many times as Christians we think it is okay to talk about our spouses, or partners with our friends, because we have to talk to someone, right? I think this was especially the case when we were newly married and had no idea what we were doing, but I have noticed over the years the maturing process in Christ has led us all to the same place. We are taking our hurts and deepest desires to God first, or at least we should be. I want to keep trying to be like Hannah, because truly it is the best way. God is way better at solving problems and He is bigger too.

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2 - She acknowledged the authority of God. Hannah starts her prayer - “Oh, Lord of hosts…” She knew who God was. She knew what He was capable of. She knew that He was the one with supreme power. Maybe this is where we fall short. We look at Jesus as our friend, our savior, our redeemer, but we forget He is part of the God head that commands the very sun to stay where it is, or the tides to only come so far. He’s tied us to the earth with gravity and formulated the air we breathe using plants and trees. This is the God who is able to do above and beyond all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

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3 - She petitioned God. Hannah didn’t demand anything from God. She simply asked. She also asked with great humility. My husband and I have different styles of prayer when it comes to asking God for something. Most often we are both praying for the same thing, but my spouse often does it in a berserker Viking way, “You said this, now why aren’t you doing it? Come on God, do the God thing.” I typically come to God more timidly, asking if He will do this or that. Now, I have matured in my praying as well. Now I understand the usefulness of praying the scriptures and bringing back to God the promises He gave us. I think God can handle our honesty, however we pray, but it all begins with humility.

4 - She chose to give her heart’s desire back to Him. How often do we pray this sort of prayer, “Lord, if you do this, then I will do that”? Typically, this type of praying is frowned upon, but I think that Hannah was not using it as a bargaining tool, to get God to do what she wanted. She was completely sincere. She really meant what she said, and I don’t know about you, but I am not there yet, but I want to be.

Next time we look at Hannah’s song of thanksgiving. I hope you will join me then for another look at this case study on rejoicing.

Rejoice Always: A Case Study - Part 2

Last time we started looking at the story of Hannah in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. I think it is interesting that Hannah’s story is not only included in the cannon of the Scriptures, but it is a detailed account of the prayers, emotions and actions of this woman. Today we will spend a little more time getting to know Hannah and the struggles she had. You see, it was not just the case that she couldn’t have children, or that her husband’s other wife mocked and ridiculed her, but today we will see that even a man appointed by God misunderstood her.

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“12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”
15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

— i Samuel 1:12-18 (NASB)

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As we know from the previous scriptures, Eli was sitting on a seat next to the doorpost of the temple ( this was not the later temple that was built in Jerusalem, but the Tabernacle which came to rest in Shiloh after the years of wandering in the wilderness). For whatever reason, Eli’s eyes were drawn to Hannah. Perhaps, there were not many other people around, or maybe she was the only woman who was present in a male dominated arena. Whatever, the case, Eli looked at her long enough to see that she was talking to herself, or so it seemed.

I am really not sure, why he jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. Maybe it was the way she was positioned, the fact that she was weeping or the fact that she was talking without making noise. Maybe he had seen other people behave in this way and learned in most cases they had been sipping a little too much fruit of the vine. Let’s look at what we know by reading the scripture.

Eli was watching her mouth (vs. 12). We can conclude that she was close enough to where he sat that he could actually see her lips moving, and could tell she was not speaking.

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Hannah was speaking to God in her heart, but moving her mouth without making noise (vs. 13). Have you ever been in a place like this? This is the sort of place where you are so distraught that you know what your heart wants to say, but you cannot vocalize the words. This a level of deeply felt emotion that not everyone understands. Obviously, Eli didn’t get it, at least at first.

Eli thought she was drunk (vs. 13). Again, I do not know why the priest made this conclusion, but he did.

Eli spoke to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you (vs. 14).” Maybe a priest wasn’t supposed to be a counselor, but as a woman, I feel like it would have been better if he would have walked up to her and said, “Are you alright? What can I help you with?” But it was a different time and a different society. His response was most likely his intention to help her get her act together.

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Hannah responded truthfully. “No my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” (vs. 15-16) I love that Hannah was so forthright and honest. She could have been offended by the priest’s accusation. She could have walked away without responding. Not only did she state the facts, but she asked the priest to change is mind about her. As a woman in a male dominated society, I think Hannah was very brave.

Eli believed her and responded kindly. “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him” (vs. 17). I also love Eli’s response. He wanted her to have peace, and he wanted her to get what she had asked for. To me it shows that Eli was a man of compassion. He listened and he believed her.

Hannah’s response, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” Then she left, ate and was no longer sad. I know for me, being able to share my concerns and burdens is like taking a heavy weight off my back. When I was ill back in the fall doing Instagram posts and Facebook posts actually helped me feel better mentally and emotionally, especially when people were sharing their well wishes and prayers on my behalf. I think Hannah being able to share her burden with the elderly priest made her feel validated and seen.

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What can we learn from this particular section of Hannah’s story?

1 - Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. Hannah was in a public place and she wept bitterly. So often we run behind closed doors, too embarrassed to admit we are struggling or having a problem. It is okay to cry at a movie; to rejoice at a game and to get angry at injustice (this one is a little more delicate, because we do need to stay within the parameters of law and order so that innocent people do not get hurt).

2 - Tell the truth. Don’t try to make up excuses for what you are feeling. Be honest about what hurts or makes you afraid.

3 - Keep at it until you feel seen. I found this especially true when I was going through my health crisis. When I just kept getting worse and worse and worse, I kept trying doctors, urgent cares, and er’s until I finally felt like I was being listened to and cared for.

4 - Find a good place to unload. Obviously, we want to make God our first and foremost counselor, but we live in a world filled with stress and chaos. Finding a trustworthy counselor, pastor or friend to help you process difficulties and struggles is a widely accepted necessity. Hannah, went to God first in her prayers, but then when Eli asked, she let him help her carry the burden.

5 - Take time to take care of yourself. After Hannah shared her burden with Eli, she left and ate some food. There is a point in time, where letting the burden rest elsewhere is a good idea. It is also a good idea to do something for yourself. Take a walk, soak in a hot bath, have a healthy meal, read a book or take a nap. Be in tune with your body, so you can take care of it.

Next time we will look at how God answered Hannah’s prayers. Until then, have a great week!