Questions

Okay...I spent the last couple days breezing through the rest of Hosea. Then Amos, Obadiah, Micah, and Nahum. Is it jus me or are the Minor Prophets really depressing??? I mean, I know that every Scripture is God-breathed and He has included it for a reason. Nonetheless, I breezed through them.

But Habakkuk...he's different. I only got to the introduction before I had to wake kids, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. And the introduction alone got me thinking. It looks like Habakkuk stands apart from the other prophets because he questions God. He questions why God judges the way He does. And I started thinking about other questions...

This time of year makes this easy. Zechariah questioned God and was denied his voice for months. Mary questioned God and was given a reasonable answer. Habakkuk questions God and is given the answer to clarify the same question others are asking. So, what's the difference? Is it ever okay to question God?

Sure.

But I think our examples here show us that God looks at our motive and intention when questioning Him and His choices.

Zechariah questioned out of doubt and disbelief, and was punished.
Mary questioned out of realistic curiousity, and was clearly given the explanation.
Habakkuk questions, knowing that the people are looking for some sort of explanation and God answers him accordingly.

When we question God's decisions, do we do it out of anger or bitterness? Doubt and disbelief? Simple curiousity?

Maybe it comes down to the way we start our question. "Why?" is often followed by doubt or disbelief. "How?" is asking for realistic explanation. We can never expect God to fully give us His answers. Our feeble minds couldn't comprehend His ways if we tried! (And oh, how we've tried...)

But asking, "How can I get through this?" as opposed to, "Why did this happen to me?" seems reasonable, don't you think?

I do. I've been doing a lot of questioning in my life lately, and it's good to remember that my questions, though justified in my mind, need to start out right and come from the right place. Only then, will I get the answer that God knows I need right then.

Simple Thought

Good morning!

Just some simple thoughts for you this morning....meant to strengthen your walk and encourage your day...

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (I Peter 5:8-9)

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Have a wonderful morning and be encouraged that though our enemy is trying to entrap us, God is right there, waiting to give us the strength we need to resist him.

Happy December!

Well, it's official. Whether the calendar admits it or not, it's winter here. The ice, plus 8 inches of snow, plus ice makes it official. Neener neener! I'm lovin' this... Although my husband would say I only love it because I wasn't the one out there trying to clean it up for four hours yesterday.

Anyway, I'm still reading in Hosea and this morning I made it through chapter 4. I'm amazed at the way that God is delivering this message to Israel through Hosea. Many would read this section, the language, the description of Israel's wayward choices, and say that God is being harsh. He uses some pretty strong metaphors against His people here.

But I'm still intrigued by Hosea's position. It's one thing to have to proclaim God's strong words to the people. But to be asked to live it out by his choices?! I wonder if Hosea thought it was "fair."

I've never been a fan of putting myself in the place of others in the Bible. Through various Bible studies I've been asked things like this. "How would you feel in John's position?" "Can you imagine being Daniel here? How would you have reacted?" I never like these questions because I'M NOT THEM. I'm not even in the same category as these Godly people. On a number of levels, I can't compare myself to them and I don't like being asked to do so.

But I do wonder what Hosea thought. I mean, he was a man of God. A prophet. He knew he was called to do things other people wouldn't have to do. And I can't help but think he just knew he'd always have to put God's will and God's words first. He'd have to put his own will and his own thoughts aside so that God's could shine through. He had to know there wouldn't be room for himself.

This is hard to imagine. In today's society where we are overwhelmed with self-serving messages such as "You're worth it," it's a daily choice to put God's will first. But it seems harder when we're faced with tough life changes. There is a good possiblity my sister and her family will have to move out of state. My selfish side wants to find someone to "blame" or to get upset with. I wonder why God would do this to our family and why He would cut off my left arm by taking my sister away.

This is when Hosea's unselfish attitude is encouraging. If my sister has to move away, I have to choose to remember that this move has nothing to do with me. Moving would be the career answer we've been praying for in regard to their family.

Our society wants us to think everything is about us. Things can impact us, but it doesn't mean it's about us. Does that make sense? I'm not sure I'm saying it right. (My headache is getting in the way this morning.)

When my husband found out he was losing his job 2 weeks after we moved into a new home in a new town an hour away from our families, it wasn't about me. But it did change me.

When my dad tragically fell and was taken Home, it wasn't about me. But it did change me.

When my mom struggled with depression years ago, it wasn't about me. But it did impact me.

When my best friend made poor life choices that broke her family's heart and ended her marriage, it wasn't about me. But it did impact me.

God has His will for every person on this earth. And though those decisions may impact us, it's not always about us. It's hard to remember that in the midst of trials, but if we are looking to Him, we can choose to remember it.

Have a great wintery morning!

Big Challenges

Good morning!

So, we are on a two-month hiatus from our study in Daniel. This is good, as my brain needs some time to catch up for this next section! So in the meantime, I thought I'd read up on some of these Minor Prophets. I don't know much about them and having read half of Daniel, they intrigue me. So this morning I started in Hosea.

I admit that I've never read Hosea before and only into the first chapter, I'm wowed. (Yes, it's a word...I'm an Engligh teacher and we can make 'em up!) I'll insert the first chapter for reference:

Hosea 1 (New King James Version; www.biblegateway.com)

1 The word of the LORD that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
2 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:
“ Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For the land has committed great harlotry
By departing from the LORD.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 Then the LORD said to him:
“ Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:
“ Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,
For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
But I will utterly take them away.
7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the LORD their God,
And will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen.”

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.
9 Then God said:
“ Call his name Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.

10 “ Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘ You are not My people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘ You are sons of the living God.’
11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!"

And I thought I had it "rough" when my kids were born so close together.

Hosea was a prophet, which means he knew he'd have to follow-through in telling some people some bad news from time to time. Apparently, God would occasionally use His prophets as a visual object lesson to those who He was reprimanding. In this case, God told Hosea to marry a prostitute, then have three children and give them awful, condemning names.

Can you imagine? Trusting that your mate is the "right one" is hard enough...but to get married and know full well that the plan is for them to be unfaithful? And then to have three children very close together (she was JUST done weaning one when she had another) and to have them go through life with such condemning names.

The name "Jezreel" means "No-Mercy." This was to be a "reminder of the atrocities that had occurred at Jezreel. God would soon judge Israel for these sins, appropriately through a military defeat at this same city." (Hosea intro, Nelson's NKJV Study Bible)

Their daughter was to be named "Lo-Ruhamah," which means "Not Loved." This was an announcement that God was going to temporarily withdraw His love from Israel, who had turned astray.

The youngest son's name was "Lo-Ammi," meaning "Not My People."

Wow. Imagine being asked by God to do something so horrendous in your eyes, knowing that you will be ridiculed or shunned by society, and just having to do it for His sake.

Has God ever asked you to do something that you didn't think you had the stomach for? I think most of us don't realize God's asking us to do something huge until we're in the middle of it. We go along, asking God to give us strength and wisdom to go through it. Or we walk through life crying out, "It's Not Fair!" Either way, at some point it clicks in.

God wants us to go through these trials. Certainly not because He enjoys watching us squirm. But I think simply because He enjoys watching His children crawl up on His lap and ask for help. He wants us to depend on Him and to trust that He knows what's best for us at each stage in life.

Just because we can't SEE God's hand working doesn't mean it ISN'T.

Let's be encouraged today in our trials...big or small...that God is watching us and wants to know how we'll react.

Lives of Integrity

So, we're just about done with this first half of the book of Daniel and I'm a bit intimidated about this second half. This first section, Living Lives of Integrity in Today's Babylon, was fantastically overwhelming. The next section, The Ancient of Days and the End of Times, is downright head-swimming. I've enjoyed every bit of this study this semester.

Even in the times when I felt less like a Daniel in my own life.

These last few months have been hard. Physically, emotionally, mentally...very hard. But this morning I was reminded that spiritually-speaking, I'm still here. And I'm still standing. After emotional battle topped with physical frailty, He's still holding me up with His Almighty Hands!

We just wrapped up Daniel 6, the book that contains the ever-so-popular lions' den story. But we didn't spend a whole lot of time on that part. The part that grabbed me the most was based around Daniel 6:4:

"They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent."

Now this is referring to the city's sataps and administrators and such, looking for a reason to oust Daniel. They didn't like that King Darius noticed his loyalty and wisdom and that he planned to make Daniel part-ruler. So they looked for anything.

But they came up empty-handed. Not even a camel-parking ticket. So they were left with no other idea than to find an offense that had "something to do with the law of his God." (v. 4)

Wouldn't that be great? I've mentioned here before that I would love to come out of trials and not smell like smoke. This is even cooler. What a testimony we would have in this Babylon when they can't find anything "wrong" with us! In order for Darius to take to Daniel like he did, and for the jealous guys to come up short of findings, Daniel would have had to:

be loyal to his government
obey the laws
be faithful to his boss
be kind to other citizens
be respectful of authority
be without fault by their standards
perform his job well and without complaint
not talk bad about others
be blameless (without willful sin)

For those of you out there in the workplace, I don't doubt that this is a constant battle for you. I can only imagine how difficult it can be when people are people and you want to react. And for those of us at home with our kids, it is all too easy to lose our cool with one of them. I know I sometimes forget that the other one(s) is watching and will remember.

What kind of testimony would we have if we always reacted in the way our old nature allowed? I have a part-time seasonal job for a fellow in town who lives a lifestyle that Scripture and I do not agree with. What kind of testimony of Christ's love would I have with this man if I grumbled while I worked, openly criticized his life choices, talked about him behind his back with my co-workers, or did my work half-heartedly?

Not only that, but take a look at Daniel. Not only did he "stay out of trouble," so to speak, but he took a stand. From Daniel 1 on, Daniel has taken a stand to publicly believe in and praise his God. In Daniel 6, it might have been easy for him to compromise and obey the king for the sake of his own life. But the administrators out to get him even knew that though Daniel was a good citizen, he'd quickly obey his God before his king.

What a testimony to have. Today, I pray for strength for myself and anyone reading this. Strength to withstand the tendency to react in your workplace or home. Strength to resist showing others what God is NOT. Strength to live the same every day and not to live a separate life on Sundays and Wednesdays. And strength for integrity of heart and conviction of purpose.

Have a fabulous day and know that you are being prayed for!

Honey, I'm Hoooome!

Well, I'm back. I'm finally feeling healthy and back to my normal self. (Though my husband is skeptical to what "normal" is for me.) But I made it to the gym this morning, had a great time with the Lord, and I have some devotional thoughts I'd like to put up here.

But, I just got a phone call and now I'm expecting company in 20 minutes. So, I'm going to run the vaccuum while I formulate my thoughts and I'll be back on this afternoon.

It's good to be back...........

Seasons of Life

This is a popular phrase with some ladies in my church. When us younger moms talk about missing out on retreats and meetings and things because of our younger children, we often hear, "Yes, well, you're in that Season of Life. I remember those times...." I've taken "Season of Life" to mean, albeit subconsiously on their part, "ha, ha...your turn!!!" No solutions suggested and little compromise made. Each side wants the other side to cave "with love".

Along with this, I find it interesting how each person's reality is so subjective. I hear, "Oh, I did it with three kids, you can, too!" But they don't remember their kids are each 5 years apart now, just as they were when they were little. And even those who have been in similar circumstances...just because you could handle it doesn't mean I can. Just because I react well to something doesn't mean you will.

Does this make sense? I guess I'm babbling a bit. But what I'd really like to start hearing from people is not "Well, I did it, you can, too," but rather, "Yeah, I remember that and this is how the Lord got me through..." At the risk of sounding judgmental, didn't they only survive in the past in their circumstances because God led them through?

While we're doing this study in the book of Daniel, I've started to enjoy Old Testament history and how each kingdom of man thought it was the greatest. But they never realized that God gives kingdoms and God takes kingdoms away. And ultimately, each kingdom was created and given to fulfill its place in God's kingdom. These kings and rulers took pride in their conquests and in their successes. Nebuchadnezzar took a huge hit in Daniel 4 because of his pride in what he thought he alone created. Until he caved and recognized that the God of heaven and earth gave kingdoms and took them away, he was nothing.

In this present age, we see ongoing wars and constant societal battles and attribute it to "the end times." Everything that has happened since the beginning of time has been to fulfill its place in God's final kingdom.

Even my little place in this home is for His final kingdom. The trials I go through and the successes I think I can claim are all given and taken away by God alone. I can't pride myself in a productive day. But I can praise the God of heaven and earth for giving me the strength and health to accomplish what needed to be done. I can even thank him for this lack-of-sleep-headache because it reminds me to depend on Him for the strength and patience just for today.

Tolerance

I find it interesting.......

There is nothing more in the world that I HATE (yes, I'm using that word on purpose) more than Halloween. There is so much history for me there that the day itself sickens me...as does the little innocent tradition of trick-or-treating. I just want nothing to do with the day---regardless of how simple, fun, or innocent a part of it may be.

Now, please note...I don't condemn anyone who decided they want to decorate for Halloween or take their kids trick-or-treating. If that's what you want to do with your family, by all means, go! You won't hear a word from me.

But why do we all assume that EVERYONE participates? Yesterday, my oldest daughter and I were at the grocery store at the same time that trick-or-treating in our town was starting. Three people at the store pointed out to to us that we were late in getting home.

"Why are you here? You're supposed to be home!"

"Why aren't you home passing out candy?"

"Hey, you forgot your costume!"

These are the comments we heard. Our family has made the decision to stand apart and not give the day any attention. And that's just our decision.

I wonder what those same people would say if I went to the store on a Sunday morning and told them they were late for church.

People who don't celebrate Christmas get easily offended by those who do and want all public decorations and ceremonies removed. But if I were to publicly state my opposition to Halloween, I'd be deemed the untolerant freak.

Does this fall into the same category as prayer being removed from school? It seems the ones who claim to be tolerant of free speech, free lifestyle, and free choice of religion are the least tolerant of speech, lifestyle or religion.

Sorry...Halloween is the one time of year I pull out my soapbox. This is why I had my Christmas tree up in October during college........

Trying to find that routine again

Have you seen it?

My routine...I seem to have lost it. I'm sure it's under a basket of clean laundry, but I haven't gotten that far yet, either.

I want to get back into my morning routine of reading and writing after going to the gym. Would you please pray for the strength and motivation to get back to the routine that I thrived on before this last week???

Thanks...

I Don't Wanna Smell Like Smoke!

This study in the book of Daniel is phenomenal! Yesterday we had the video portion and we looked at Daniel 3. Many of you know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace from childhood. We looked at seven different aspects of that instance yesterday, but today I'd like to focus on just two.

If you aren't familiar with the story, I encourage you to go to www.biblegateway.com and do a Passage Lookup of Daniel 3. I won't copy it all here for sake of room. But I will copy the part I'd like to look at this morning:

Daniel 3:26-30 (New King James Version; www.biblegateway.com)

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.

We all go through fiery trials in our lives, don't we? Some are little birthday candles and some feel like roaring forest fires. But nonetheless, they are a fiery trial that God wants to see us through. We talked yesterday about the different scenarios of the outcome of a fiery trial. The first is that God would deliver us from the fire (remove the trial). The second is that God would deliver us through the fire (give us strength to see it through). The final is that God would deliver us out of that fire and right into His arms (taking us home through the trial). I can't imagine that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were even thinking that the second was a possible option. I'm sure they were either hoping they'd get tossed in and the fire would divinely go out or that they would certainly die and go home to be with their Savior. When God miraculously delivered them out of the fire, verse 27 tells us they were not even singed and that the smell of fire was not on them.

Wouldn't that be great? To go through one of life's trials and not even smell like smoke? So many times I know that I make sure everyone knows I'm going through a trial. (That's the Drama Queen part of me, isn't it, Mom?) But yesterday's lesson encouraged me to forget about that. This isn't to say that I won't answer when people ask how I'm doing. But I'd like to be going through something, big or small, and when it does come up in conversation, have someone say, "Wow, I didn't even realize...you don't even smell like smoke!"

If I can keep my trials between myself and my Savior, but share it with my prayer warriors so they, too, can lift it up in prayer, I'd come out of it giving Him glory and being free and clear of any lingering stench.

It's hard to watch those you love go through a trial. We have someone very dear in our family who is going through what is possibly the hardest trial of his life. And though I love him dearly, he reaks of smoke. Everywhere he goes, he has a scowl on his face, or worse, just sits there and says nothing. Depression may be a part of it, but I'll be praying that he turns to the Savior and gives the trial back, fully and intentionally. We'd all love to see him without that cloud of smoke around his head.

And I'd love to be without that cloud in every trial and be remembered for giving Him the glory in my last days.

That brings me to my second point. This instance is the last we see of or hear from Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. King Nebuchadnezzar is so impressed that he gives God glory, commands that no one talk bad about their God, and he promotes the three men. As our study said yesterday, the last we hear of their names is in the mention of God's fame.

Wouldn't that be something? The last time people hear of our name is in mention of how powerful and awesome our God is. That trial may be so big that the only option is scenario #3. But I don't wanna smell like smoke...I wanna go praisin'!

Plan vs. Goal

I was talking with a friend yesterday about if and how we make Life Plans and Goals. This has had me thinking about this since our talk and my reading this morning fit right in. As you know, our Bible study has been looking at the book of Daniel. It's taking us two weeks to go through one lesson and though some prefer it this way, I liked the accountability of having to get my homework/reading done every day. Now, we have a week to get 2/5 or 3/5 of a lesson completed.

This last week, we were looking at the first dream that Daniel interprets for King Nebuchadnezzar. The passage that took up the bulk of my time this morning is found in Daniel 2: 20-23. Let me set the scene...

Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. It causes him to wake up and obsess about the dream and its meaning to the point that he starts killing anyone who cannot interpret it. He doesn't even know what he saw in this dream and its making him crazy. Daniel, hearing the rumors of the massacre, asks the king for more time so he can interpret the dream for the king. Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego) are up all night, fervently praying for God to grant wisdom and understanding for the king's request. Sometime during the night, God grants a vision upon Daniel, explaining the dream and its interpretation. Do you know what Daniel's first words were?


19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said:
“ Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.
23 “ I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.” (New King James; www.biblegateway.com)

He praises God and thanks Him for His answer. God had this planned all along. After all, wasn't He the One who planted this dream in the king? Here was Daniel, threatened with the great chance that he was going to be killed, and he asks the king for more time. God grants him boldness and tact in his request.

I was then looking at Jeremiah 29:11. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." I couldn't help but read the context, only to find out that Jeremiah wrote this letter "to all who were carried away captive" (vs. 4). These were those taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon. I could be wrong, but this could have been Daniel and his friends. God wanted to reassure Daniel that He had a plan and a purpose.

Our study was then talking about God's provision. God's plans are ultimately in time with His end in mind. What about our plans? My friend and I were talking about making plans and goals with our lives. I see nothing wrong with making financial goals, house plans, even spiritual goals. But we need to be sure that our plans and goals fall in line with His end in mind. Are our plans for His benefit? Does God care if we build a house or remodel a kitchen? Sure He does...what is our motive? If it's just for earthly recognition and social status, then I'm sure He wouldn't approve.

But if we put every request before God, even the ones we think are trivial, we must be open to His changes. If we set a goal and it isn't met, have we failed? Or are we open to seeing how God is working and if/when He wants that goal met?

He promises to grant the desires of our hearts, but they must fall within His will. And we will only know His will if we are in constant contact with Him through His Word and prayer. We'll never meet our goals here on earth if they don't fall within His goals for eternity.

Do I still hope to build a house someday? You betchya. And I talk to Him about it every day. Maybe He'll show me that He wants us to stay here or move somewhere else. But I have to trust that He knows the desires of my heart and that as long as they serve His purpose here on earth, then we'll receive His reward in Heaven.

Who knows...maybe I'm completely off base here. Maybe God doesn't want me to make these type of plans at all. Maybe He wants me to just sit and wait for Him to play His next hand. We know people who believe that if God wants them to do something or be somewhere, that He'll just show it. I don't know...I think maybe God wants us to be active and proactive in our lives here on earth for His purpose.

And I can trust that along the way, He'll show if my desires are a part of His plan or not.

Prayer for Today

This morning, I want to keep it simple. I don't want to answer my own questions and I don't want to send some random question out into cyberspace. Today, I just want to pray. Specifically, for those family and friends in my life who are struggling or facing something they can't handle on their own...

...like the one who is undergoing knee surgery this morning
...and the one who has to lead a Bible study, though she continually doubts herself
...and the one ready to have a baby any day now
...and the one who might be depressed and can't find a job
...and the one needs God to send a tenant for her apartment
...and the one who has to put her dog down this week
...and the one who desperately wants motivation, but doesn't know how to get it
...and the one who is trying to maintain her Christian testimony in college
...and the one who never knew how impatient she was until she had children
...and the one who is struggling to lose weight
...and the one who finds no satisfaction in his current job, but works there anyway
...and the one who is trying to fit into a new job
...and the one who hasn't quite figured out what "being saved" really means
...and the one who can't iron a shirt without her arm hurting
...and all the rest who need to know they are being lifted up to our Savior in prayer this morning.

"Faith is not believing in my own unshakable belief. It is believing an unshakable God when everything in me trembles and quakes."

"Praise be to You, Lord, for You showed Your wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city (Ps. 31:21).

"But Lord God, according to Your Word, these 'light and momentary' troubles of mine (in relation to eternity) are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

"So I fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

"I am still confident of this: I will see Your goodness, Lord, in the land of the living. I will wait for You, Lord. I will be strong and take heart and wait for You (Ps. 27:13-14)"

(Taken from Praying God's Word Day by Day, Beth Moore)

The Peace So Far

Well, it seems to be working! As proposed in my last post, I'm taking all the time and energy I spent obssessing over my own health and circumstances and applying that to praying for others. It's amazing to see how the daily headaches subsided over the weekend and how I only encountered one "head-spasm" (or whatever they're medically called). I had a nasty headache last night, but I can label that one...though I won't since family might be reading this... :)

Anyway, God chose to have our speaker in church yesterday give a Gospel message. And though the specific gospel message doesn't really timely apply to a believer, I believe there is always something we can grasp from it, whether it be to use in witnessing to others or to apply to our own lives. This time, his message of storms and peace in life came through Mark 4.

Mark 4:35-41 New King James Version (www.biblegateway.com)
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

I found three things especially interesting about this passage and the way it was presnted:

1 -- This was after a long day of multitudes and teaching. Jesus took His disciples into the boat, possibly in an effort to "get away" for a bit. However, this is the God of the universe we're reading about here. He knew what He was doing and He knew there was a storm brewing overhead. I believe He took His disciples into the boat in the calm before the storm so He could teach them a lesson in peace and trust. After all, He knew their hearts were still a bit hardened and they didn't even know who He truly was at this point in His ministry.

2 -- When the storm is raging its fullest and the disciples are terrified beyond reason, Jesus wakes (yes, He was asleep) and says three simple words to the storm and 13 poignant words to His disciples. The storm only needs to be told to stop. The disciples were challenged in their fear and their lack of faith.

3 -- Even after this, they don't get it. (vs. 41)

We can look back at the disciples and think, "Why didn't they see Him for Who He was? How can they be so blind?" But then I have to stop and wonder why I don't see Him for Who He Is Now. I'm guilty of the exact same fear and the exact same lack of faith. And the next time a storm brews, I don't see Him for Who He Is. I panic. I run around, trying to bail water out of the boat. I look toward Jesus and wonder why He isn't taking care of this for me.

But when I stop and ask Him to help, He gladly rises to the occasion. Then He looks back at me and challenges me to come to Him sooner the next time.

It seems to be giving me more peace about my own health, when I focus on how God is working in the lives of those around me. I see Him work His hand in various other storms and I'm starting to trust that He will calm mine as well. I'm not fully there yet...I still have moments where I reach for the bucket to start bailing water. But I'd like to think that the God of the universe is also the God of my new nature. And that old nature is slowly dying away. Maybe she'll never be totally gone....at least not here on earth. Maybe she'll rear her ugly, non-makeup-wearing grey head every once in a while just to see what I'll do with her.

And maybe I'll put my bucket over her head and turn to the Storm Calmer sooner.

I Think I Got it Figured Out...

This is a follow-up to my last post...THE universal question. And though I appreciate all answers and suggestions given, both online and off, I've come to a conclusion. After much thinking and praying (and smirking...), I've been slapped upside the head with the answer. At least, the answer for me, for now...

Wanna know what I discovered? I was wrong. That's all it was. Here I was, working my tail off to figure it all BY myself, FOR myself, when it's not about me at all.

Last night was the first night of our kids' Kid's Club at a local Baptist church. It's sort of like Awana and they've been looking forward to returning since last May. Well, with my husband home sick, it was my job to get them there last night. The trick is, Julia, our youngest, never let me leave her in the nursery before. She's been getting better with the separation stuff, so I thought I'd give it a shot last night. I told her, the nursery worker, and myself that I needed her to stay so I "could go upstairs and be fed." It was about me and what I needed, which is all I've been about lately.

Well, she stayed...mostly...but that's not the point of my tangent. I made it upstairs with high hopes of spiritual insight and Biblical teaching and challenge, only to find out that Wednesday night is their prayer meeting. All we did for 20 minutes was share prayer requests, update previous requests, and share praises. Then we prayed for another 20 minutes. I was hopeful the pastor would open up the Word next when he simply passed around a little sheet that held prayer requests for their upcoming Revival Meetings. I had to then leave to get the crying Julia, but they were headed for another 15 minutes of praying for the Meetings.

God reminded me in that time that it's not about me. I've been so obsessed with getting MY stuff done, taking care of MY health, running MY agenda, that I forgot that my focus should be on others. This morning, He showed me these:

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:14

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Romans 12:15-16

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Galatians 6:2-3

This is not to say that I should ignore my health and not take care of my house. But I do need to stop obsessing about it all. God already knows the results of my CT scan, even if I don't. God knows which timeslot will open up for me to run a vaccuum later. I don't know how to pay for a project I'd like to get done, but He knows if I'm supposed to do it and if so, how it will come about.

And I need to trust in that.

So, this morning I "purposed in my heart" to get up earlier, get back from the gym sooner so that I can spend time in prayer for those in my life and around me. I started a prayer journal to keep myself accountable and to see prayer answered. We had such a great time this morning, just focusing on God's power and strength in other peoples' lives.

And I'm going to really step out there and challenge any of you to do the same. We all often get so wrapped up in our own busy lives, that we think our situations are unique. They may be unique to us, but God wants us to remember that He's seen our circumstances before. WE are unique to Him, not our problems. He will provide what we need when we need it and our eyes ought to be on His provision in others' lives.

Otherwise, it's just too easy to make it all about "me." Will you join me?

Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

A Universal Question...

Okay, I know...it's been a week since I've posted last and I have no excuse. Well, I have LOTS of excuses, but none of them good enough to waste time typing.

I have 5 minutes before I have to wake up my daughter and begin her day, along with the day of her two younger siblings. In that five minutes, I have a question for you, that is, the void in the universe where the internet goes when it's tired....

How does a person get it all done?

Seriously...how can I watch all these people get all these things accomplished and I don't even feel like I can keep up with my own self? I have a mental list of things I'd like to accomplish in a given day or week and I can't do it. For a while I thought I just wasn't doing it. I realized this morning I can't. Or at least, up until now I couldn't.

But why do I feel like I should still be able to? Why can't I get up early, get to the gym, get the dishwasher emptied, clean up the house after five people, three animals and a tank of fish, finish the laundry, get Annie off to school, keep the other two off each other and occupied all day long, get my writing done, get my internet work done, keep up with this devotional blog, lead worship for Bible study, get my Bible study homework done, make dinner every night, stay within a budget, get my projects finished around the house, get my knitting done, run my jewelry website, and not fall asleep on the couch by 8:30 pm???

I see plenty of other women running around getting all sorts of things done. One of my problems is that I compare myself. It's a nasty habit and I've had it for years. So that doesn't help...

The other problem is that I'm tired of the same old answers:
"God will never give us more than we can handle." Baloney. God will give us plenty, but we have to trust Him to help us handle it.
"You can do all things in Christ who strengthens you." "All things" doesn't literally mean "ALL THINGS POSSIBLE."
"Just give it over to God." That's the worst offender of all.

So, I ask...HOW do you give it over to God? People tell me to do it, but no one ever says how. How do I let God show me how to manage my time and what to cut out of my list and not have my protective-planner-of-a-self take over it again?

I usually answer my own questions in this blog, but I'm serious this time. It's just a question...

How do you do it and how am I supposed to?

Gotta Change the Subject

Yes, I know there are still two chapters left of Ephesians, but my brain has moved on. Sorry, Paul, to just dump you off like this, but as I said when I started the book, we were doing Daniel in a new Bible study and the chances of switching were pretty good.

This new study in Daniel is going to be really good. We've only had one session so far and I find that this year, I struggle finding the time to do any homework. Last time we did a Beth Moore study, I was diligent in getting my homework done nearly every day. This time, I have a week to get 3 lessons done and I can barely do it.

On a soon-to-be-related note, I'm also in the middle of a big weight loss effort. Since January, I've lost 40 pounds and have at least 35 to go. In June, I hit a plateau. It's always so hard to push through those plateaus and now with this health stuff going on, I find it harder to push. I can't do aerobics...I have to watch how much I physically exhert myself...all food makes me sick so I eat anything... It seems easier to just put the weight loss on hold until I'm physically "healthy" again, then pick it up and lose the rest.

But get this...

Daniel 1:3-5, 8, 15 (New King James Version)

3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles,
4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.

It's so easy for me to find excuses. Then in our very first session, looking at the very first chapter of a book that is sure to overwhelm my mind, God shows me five little words. These words are just enough to make me hide my face. Here was Daniel, taken out of his own land, thrown into the king's home to study and he's given all the delicacies of the king's table. And Daniel has enough integrity and commitment to God to say "NO." He even challenges the eunuchs to test his appearance against the other men after the ten days.

Many would look at this passage and take it as a weight-loss challenge. "Wow--vegetables (and here, this means anything grown from sown seed...fruits, veggies, grains) made them look healthier and stronger. If he can do it, so can I!" And if that's what works, more power to you!

As for me? I'm going to take those five little words I've already highlighted..."Daniel purposed in his heart." It was a heart decision, not a mind decision. The excuses I find to not get my homework done is a mind decision. The choice to put weight loss on hold till health is figured out is a mind decision. But in my heart, I know that "In all things, Christ gives me strength." In my heart of hearts, I know I am capable of doing these things. I also know myself well enough to know that not doing my homework will stunt my spiritual growth, just as not watching my weight will only give me more to lose later.

I appreciate the heartfelt efforts of those I love to encourage me not to get overwhelmed and to take one thing at a time. But as of this moment, Amy purposed in her heart that these things are right for her to do. They may not be easy to accomplish, but my heart knows it is strengthened by Him.

Feel free to keep me accountable...

Lunch Box Note

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New King James Version)

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (www.biblegateway.com)

Today is my oldest daughter's first day of school. I asked my husband to take off work since I was most likely going to cry from 8:30 to 12:15. This is all I've done for 5 1/2 years is take care of her. It's almost as if I don't remember the teacher and woman I was before her. And that's okay.

Paul remembers what he was like before Christ just enough to stay humble. He cares for the Ephesians like a parent cares for a child. He loves them almost like a parent loves a child. (It could never be the same.) And the end of Chapter 3 here is probably similar to many notes he has put in their lunch boxes before.

Annie has one in hers right now and she doesn't know it. It's a simple "I Love You" in pictures. (It is, after all, only Kindergarten!) But when we say "I Love You" to our kids, aren't we thinking what Paul is thinking? I know I was...
...may your Spirit be strengthened so you won't be afraid on your first day.
...may Christ dwell in your heart through faith so you won't worry.
...may you feel rooted and grounded in love.
...may you know the love of Christ which passes knowledge and feel comforted and confident.
...may you be filled with the fullness of God.

Now, it may seem a bit overkill for Kindergarten, but I'll bet any one of you have felt the exact same thing for your child at any given point in their lives. Well, this is life for me now and this is major. I want her to know how much her Savior loves her so that she will never lack for Spiritual confidence in this world. And on something as simple as her first day of school, I want her to know that Jesus and I are backing her up with any experience she may encounter.

In the movie, "Princess Bride," Wesley serves the young maid Buttercup and answers her every request with the phrase "As you wish." After a while, she soon realizes that what he's really saying is "I love you." I sure hope that every time I tell my kids I love them, that they know what that really means and how I could never explain it in a simple phrase.

Happy First Day of School, Annie!
I love you!

The Purpose of the Mystery

Ephesians 3:8-13 (New King James Version)

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

In the last post, we talked about what the Mystery was. Paul reveals it here for both Jew and Gentile to read. The Old Testament had predicted that God's grace would come to the Gentiles, but the Jews couldn't fathom how. Now that Christ had come and fulfilled His purpose on earth, the mystery was revealed. In this next passage, Paul is explaining what his role in this mystery is. He knows he is not worthy of God's grace and that he was only chosen for God's work through God's grace. But regardless of his past, God chose him. Maybe because of his past, God chose him.

I'm a firm believer in "No Regrets." I believe that what a person has chosen to do in the past is part of what makes them who they are today. Our past experiences, tragedies, victories and choices make up our present nature. Many of us get stuck behind that past and choose to not let it go so that we can further God's kingdom. We remember our mistakes all too well and decide for God that we shouldn't be allowed to move past them.

Paul's previous way of life was certainly not "Saint-Worthy." He hunted down Christians and killed them. It was more than his job...it was his life's mission. And I don't think that God just chooses to look past this and say, "Well, you did this, but now let's forget that and do this now." I think God perfectly selected Paul because of what he had done in the past. Paul's comment in verse 8 is genuine. His humilty is nowhere near false. In I Timothy 1:15, Paul calls himself "the chief of sinners." He claims the "Worst Sinner of the Year Award" and knows exactly what he is capable of.

But he also rejoices in "the unsearchable riches of Christ."
He revels in "the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And he knows he has "boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."

And he knows that ultimately, the tribulations we go through--whether daily struggles or life upheavals--are for our glory in Christ. Despite our past, God has a job for us. And when life throws a curveball into that plan, how do we react? Do we panic and assume the job is over? Do we take a step away from God's plan to "just deal with this for a minute?" Or do we keep our eyes on Him, knowing that He selected us because of our past and wants us to use that for His glory in the future? We all know what we're capable of without Christ. But I think we get nervous and unsettled about the future because only God knows what we can be capable of in Him.

...we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

The Mystery Revealed

Ephesians 3:1-7 (New King James Version)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

It's interesting...living in our day and age when not much is a mystery anymore. Sports scores, movie endings -- we all know the ending, often before it actually happens. I'm in the middle of a good mystery right now. My health. For some reason, my body has stopped reproducing enough blood for me to maintian decent health (or at least an upright position). So now, I have to have blood transfusions and a procedure that will hopefully solve the problem. The doctors are very helpful, but I think even they consider this a mystery. No one knows what the problem is or what is causing it, but we have a prescription to solve it. (There's a reason so many men become doctors: they are "fixers.") So, should I be more curious about the cause or label of this condition or just grateful we have a solution?

The mystery Paul is talking about here is one that had baffled teachers and preachers alike until this point. When Jesus came, He came for the Jewish nation. But once He died, rose again and returned to Heaven, His coming was meant for all. Both the Jews and the Gentiles had access to Him and His gift of eternal salvation. The Jews didn't understand this right away. How could God really mean for this gift to apply to those Gentiles? Maybe this Jesus wasn't really our Messiah? After all, He wouldn't include them, would He?

But Paul makes it clear...he was chosen by God to present the Gift to both Jew and Gentile. Paul knew his purpose. He knew what caused His change of heart and he knew Who caused it. He knew the mission God set him up for and he knew that God would reveal more to him as time passed.

My mystery certainly isn't the same thing. And I think that's where faith comes in. I need to have faith that these doctors know how to solve the problem, even if they aren't sure of its source. I need to have faith that God will supply wisdom where there might not be knowledge. And ultimately, I need to have faith that God is simply in control. He chose me and He doesn't want me to be in a fog of "unknowing." I need not be concerned with the "why's" and "how's" of life, but just of the "Who."

CHOSEN

So, our computer is kaput. Well, at least the power adaptor is. The kids (yes, it was a team effort) spilled root beer on the adaptor and the new one should be here tomorrow. Until then, I'm stuck on this computer in my husband's work-hole upstairs. It's harder to stay up here and work while watching the kids downstairs.

But in the time since I've updated things here, I've been reading the rest of Ephesians 2. If I could sum up the chapter in one word, I think it would be "CHOSEN." Last blog, I talked about the first part of the chapter and how we were created with care and chosen with purpose. The remaining 12 verses confirm that. For text's sake, I'll copy it here in pieces:

Ephesians 2:11-13
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.


We were strangers. Isolated. Hated by all, but chosen by One. This is similar to Christ's words to His disciples just before His death: "...because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19b) God never promises that living the Christian life will be easy. He never once gives us visions of grandeur or promises of prosperity. But He gives us peace in knowing that He chose us for His own. The Jews hated the Gentiles and felt they weren't worthy because they weren't chosen. Paul shows them all here that since Jesus died and returned to Heaven, ALL are worthy of His love and salvation. The free choice is open to all.

Ephesians 2:14-18
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Knowing He chose us for His own, we should have peace. We ought not to live as those who have no hope. Our hope is in Christ. All have access to this hope--both Jew and Gentile--and through God's choice here, all have access. Hear that? ALL have access...not a select few reserved for some random kingdom someday...not those who believe a ritualistic view of self-preservation...not even those who follow a strict set of moral rules and regulations. ALL HAVE ACCESS BY ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER.

I was explaining a bit of the Catholic beliefs to my oldest daughter the other day and she was baffled. She asked, "Why do we have to ask someone else to talk to God for us? How does some other person have the right to forgive us? Isn't that why Jesus died?" Now, this is a 5-year old. She understands enough to know that Jesus died so we could all have access.

Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Knowing we've been chosen gives us the right to feel that we fit in. We are "fellow citizens." Now, this doesn't mean we fit in with the world...this is with the "saints and members of the household of God." Notice this isn't with the Jews. This is with all who were chosen. And we all sit on top of Christ, the Cornerstone. He is our foundation for peace and unity in Him. He is our starting point for growth, both personal and corporate.

I don't know about you...but when I have days where I don't feel like I fit in anywhere, it's nice to know that I can rest in the arms of my Savior. He chose me for His purpose and I can rest on Him...
...when I don't feel like I'm fulfilling much of anything.
...when I feel the world is out to get me.
...when I don't feel wanted, and certainly not chosen.
...when I need peace.

I can rest and trust that tomorrow will work out for His glory, just as today will.

His Workmanship

Some of you already know this, but this is my favorite passage in the whole Bible. I guess Ephesians 2:10 would be considered my "Life Verse" and it often gets overlooked when people memorize Ephesians 2:8-9. These first 10 verses of Ephesians 2 can ultimately be summed up in one sentence: Christ pulled us up out of the pit we were naturally born into so that we could complete the tasks He set out for us to do. But why simplify things...

Ephesians 2:1-10 (New King James Version)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Verses 1-3 are basically talking about where we came from. We were dead in our sins and we didn't know any better...we followed the world's pattern for life and it came naturally (confirming that sin nature!). We don't need to divulge on this any further...I think we all know what we're capable of without Christ!

Then there is the phrase that we all must come to terms with when we realize we are helpless and lost without eternal life: "But God." And we see exactly how He lifted us up out of that pit...through His rich mercy and His deep love for us. We did not do anything to deserve God's grace here, but He chooses to use it anyway. Despite our selves, He has chosen us and we can never take that choice for granted.

"For we are His workmanship..." I know of one person out there who will tire of hearing this, but this came to be my favorite verse in New Testament Greek class at college. As we were exploring the meaning of the words and the context of Ephesians, this word popped out at me. The Greek word for "workmanship" is "poivhma" (pronounced = poiema). This is the same word from which we get our English word, "poem."

Think about that. With the exception of the limerick, a poem is a special thing. A poet puts their innermost thoughts into a poem. They put their heart and soul into it, creating an intimate being that can stand on its own. A poem can be a few lines or a few pages, but it says a lot about the poet and what is on their mind and on their heart.

Didn't God create us the exact same way? Psalm 139:13-16:
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

God took care and special note when we carefully knit us together. He knew what we'd be capable of without Him and He knew what we would do with our life in Him.

The world can be so generic sometimes. They see that we were just created or just came into being and they ignore the fact that we were carefully created. They fail to see that as a poet sees his words, we are God's masterpiece, showing off the quality of His workmanship. They also claim that enough good works can get them into heaven. What they choose to ignore is that their good works are self-based. God has chosen "good works" or a life lived for Him. The works He wants us to do are to further His kingdom--not for selfish ambition.

I know that I need help putting my own selfish ambitions and desires aside so He can work His will through me. I also know I need to take care of my body, remembering that He put special time and care into creating it. Letting it fall apart (which is usually due to selfish ambition, too--thank you very much, Chocolate Cake!) is not respecting His work and not following His will for my life.

What is my focus toward others?

Almost done with Chapter 1...

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
(www.biblegateway.com) New King James Version

This passage really encourages my thinking in the way I talk to and refer to others. Usually when I pray for someone, there's a bit of me and my selfish desires (or superficial words) in the prayer.
"Lord, help her to change her heart so we can communicate better...."
"Help him to slow down so he can hear me..."
"Help them to be open to what you want me to say..."

I find it all too easy to work my own agenda into the prayer and suddenly, I'm giving the Lord a to-do list for my friends. What is my focus when I pray for others? Do I tell them I'm praying for them and how do I say that without sounding pious?

Paul does a fantastic job of just that... He tells the Ephesians that he has not stopped praying for them. Then he tells them why. And if we look closely, we see that he prays for them to see Christ. That's it. He doesn't include himself in these prayers at all!

v.17 > ...that God may give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him
v. 18 > ...that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened; that they may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glory
v. 19 > ...that they may know the exceeding greatness of His power

Then Paul proceeds to put the focus directly on God and what He has done through Christ His focus is on God even in his specific prayers for his friends. Paul's focus is constantly and consistently on Christ. His prayers for his friends are Christ-minded. There is no selfish agenda. There is no petition for earthly desires. There are no generic words. His words are genuine and his request is something I wish I could do consistently for my own friends.

If I could pray that way...putting God first in my prayers for others...I think my daily focus on everything would start to become the same. And maybe it would be easier to encourage someone by letting them know I was praying in such a way. When Paul tells them of his prayers, he tops it off by reminding them of God's power, knowledge, wisdom, and "the fullness of Him who fills all in all." When that is the last thing on our minds, our selfish desires and earthly petitions would go by the wayside. Our focus would be on Him and we would just know He is in control.

Simply Trust

This should have been up this morning, but Blogger froze, the storms came through, the computer froze...you get the idea. Anyway....


Ephesians 1:7-14
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
New King James Version (www.biblegateway.com)

As a high school English teacher (on semi-sabbatical), this passage is a killer. Verses 7-10 are one long sentence, and not easy to configure at that. The way that this translated from the original Greek is one for the textbooks! I don't know about you, but essentially what I come away with is God's ultimate wisdom and provision for those He's chosen and loves. If you come at this from a grammar standpoint (sorry, it comes naturally to me), it's easy to just look at the action in this passage...

He made to abound
He made known to us the mystery
He purposed in Himself
He might gather together
Him who works all things

Notice all the things God has done that we don't even have the ability to do! We get the same result when we look at our "action"...the passive verbs...

we have redemption through His blood
(we have) forgiveness of sins (which are according to His riches anyway)
we have obtained an inheritance
(we) being predestined (according to His purpose, mind you)
we who first trusted in Christ
you also trusted (after hearing the word of truth)
we were sealed with the Holy Spirit

There is only one thing in this list that we actually have "control" over. We cannot redeem ourselves, forgive ourselves, give ourselves an inheritance, predestine ourselves, or seal ourselves. The ony thing we have to do is trust. God gives us free will and it is not mandatory that we do so. But when I look at all God has done and all He freely gives, it makes me wonder why anyone would ever turn away from His gifts! How can someone look at this and reject salvation?

Last night was a rough one with the storm and this morning was a rushed one. But I'm thankful to God for these times and I'm going to take the word "trust" with me throughout the day. When my kids start slamming doors on each other, I'm going to trust that God will keep me from losing my temper. When my body starts to fall apart on me again, I'm going to trust that God will give the doctors wisdom to diagnose and solve the problems. When frustration sets in because I run out of time for my own desires, I'm going to trust that God will make my 10 free minutes very productive. I have to choose to trust...(in this passage anyway) I'm not called to do anything else.

Ephesians

So, I think I'm going to study Ephesians over the next couple of weeks. I'm involved in a local women's Bible study here in town and it starts in a couple weeks. Then I'll be wrapped up in Daniel, Revelation and Mrs. Beth Moore. But until then...

Ephesians 1:3-6:
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love
5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (www.bible.com)

This Epistle is written by Paul to the believers at the church in Ephesus. I love how he bursts out in praise FIRST for our Savior who has chosen us! The first thing he does, after greeting them, is remind them of the blessings God has given. God never promises that our life on earth will be filled with health, wealth and prosperity. But He does bless us..."every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..." Our blessings are spiritual. And although we hold a place seated at the right hand of God in heaven, we are not without spiritual blessings here on earth. We have unlimited access to the throne of God through prayer and supplication....we have peace in His eternal protection...we have comfort knowing He holds the future. Those without God do not know peace and comfort, because they do not have access.

The second thing Paul reminds them here is that they are chosen. We are chosen. Do you ever feel left out? Unneeded? Not cared for? I know I have...there are so many days where I feel that all I'm needed for is diaper changes and emptied dishwashers. But we don't ever have to feel that way in Christ. God has specifically chosen us "before the foundation of the world" and has a purpose for us. His goal was that we would be "holy and blameless before Him in love."

I've done so many things wrong in my life that I got nervous when I first saw that word, "blameless." But after a little digging, I see that "blameless" means "without blame" or "without willful sin." It's the stuff that we do and know it's wrong that this is talking about. Now, fortunately, there is forgiveness. My human nature can be so much stronger than, well, anything else. But I remind myself God forgives, no matter what. I can't use this as a precursor to sin, for that's where the "blame" comes in. But there is forgiveness...

The other thing about God's choice? It was a choice. Paul uses the word, "adoption" here. No one adopts without desire. No one adopts without careful and thoughtful selection. No one chooses to adopt, then fails to care. He chose us out of millions, before the world was even formed. He chose me. He selected you. And He'll never let us go, since "He made us accepted in the Beloved."

I'm choosing to take comfort today that even if it turns out to be a rainy day filled with diapers and dishwashers, that I matter to Him. And when I look at my kids, I'll remember that even though I didn't choose them, God chose them for me. And it is my job to make them feel chosen and loved so that they may know a bit of the love of their Savior.

Psalm 20

So, since it's August 20th, I was reading Psalm 20 this morning and found an interesting cycle. The psalm is a psalm of trust and was written by David. My Bible's footnotes say, "The tone of the psalm is one of blessing, such as a king might bestow on his people, perhaps on the eve of battle." It seems likely to me that David might have written this when he and his armies were in battle. But as believers, every day can seem like a battle...some days even a war...and we are called to fight the enemy each and every day. This can make for discouraging times and defeating moments.

There'a a cycle here, that David calls to our attention through his prayer.

TRUST > REQUEST > PROVISION > PRAISE

If we look at the psalm, we see that David TRUSTS God first (v. 7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God."). We need to trust in God's provisions for us before we even ask of Him. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus tells His disciples, "...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will moved; and nothing will be impossible for you." When we trust Him first and have true faith, THEN we can ask anything. We can make our request once we believe that "He (can) grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose." (Psalm 20:4)

Verses 2 & 3 of this psalm also reminds us that we can't go before God unarmed with trust and praise. "May He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion; May He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice." David reminds us that we can ask anything, but this comes after we've made sacrifices and offerings to God. Similar to Sean Connery in the movie, "Entrapment,"

"First we trust, then we try."

And like my son just said to his big sister, "Annie, we gotta clean up this living room. But first, we gotta make a mess." Even he knows one has to come before the other! :)

When we trust, we can ask and He will provide according to what He knows we need. We can hope that is our heart's desire, but our heart's desire needs to be in the right place. When He does answer us (and He will), we can praise Him for watching out for us and protecting us.

"Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand." (v. 6)

Dustballs

Psalm 103:14
"For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

Isn't this a comforting thought? We've all heard the phrase, "God won't give you more than you can handle." But I know I often doubt that I'm on the same page with God in that how-much-I-can-handle department. God places us in situations that can only be survived by resting fully on Him. And I think He does that intentionally--to see just how we'll turn to Him. (and maybe when).

But I do think it's comforting to be reminded that even though we may be going through something and think God has more credit in us than we could ever deserve, He DOES remember what we're made of. He created us. We are His special masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) and He spent time thinking about us...who we'd be...what we'd do...how we'd live for Him. He has not forgotten that He formed man out of the dust of the ground. (Genesis 2:7) He knows full well that we will return to dust when we pass from this life. (Genesis 3:19)

And He knows there are days I feel like I'm going to crumble. That is when it is crucial that I rest in His arms for support and trust Him to carry me through.

Mercy

Imagine what it must be like to be standing in front of a river dam. A huge wall standing between you and millions of gallons of water. You feel protected by the wall. Safe. Unnerved. Until you realize it's really, really hot outside. So hot, you wouldn't at all mind swimming in that river. It gets to be hot enough that you actually wish for the dam to break open so you CAN bask in the cool water. Then suddenly, just when you admit you can't live without the water, someone pushes a button, the dam walls split open, and the waters come rushing over you. So refreshing. So overwhelmingly welcome. You wonder how you ever did before without it.

That's how God's mercy is. 1 Peter 2:9-10 shows us that we are a chosen generation, God's own special people. He has chosen us for Himself and has called us out of darkness, into His light. In doing this, He has made His mercy available for us. "You...who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (v.10) We had no way to obtain mercy on our own before. We could not grant mercy upon ourselves. We don't have the ability and we didn't realize we needed it before God called us to Himself! We stood there, facing that wall, thinking we were safe and just fine behind it.

But then He called us. He opened that door, allowing His mercy to rush over us like that river water. And now that He's provided it for us, He promises it will never end. Like the river that is constantly flowing past us, God's mercy never ends.

Psalm 107:1-3
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south."

Not only does the psalmist here remind us that God's mercy never ends, but he also calls us to review God's provisions in the past. When we look back at specific instances of how God has provided for and protected us, we can grab onto that mercy and apply it to the present. This gives us the power to not rest on ourselves for our current struggles. Instead of wondering how we'll get through a trial on our own, then thanking God later for keeping watch over us, we can actually hold onto His mercy and His protection in the trial, and His mercy will guide us through.

By doing this, maybe it will be easier to manage the river rapids, knowing that our Lifeboat will never deflate or go the wrong way on us. We can have complete faith that God knows our path and that not only is He our protection in the river, but He is the river itself.

Pure Gold

The Miller Process of refining gold forces high-temperature chlorine gas steam to pass over impure, molten gold. When the chlorine ions meet other metals and impurities in the gold, they bond together, almost as salt crystals, and are noticed when the high flame changes color. These impurities are then easily extracted, leaving only 99.95% pure gold.

This is the process that Peter had in mind when writing to the new Christians living in Asia Minor (now Turkey). These believers were not having specific major problems such as a church division or severe persecution. They were simply living life as new believers in their own land. This alone came with its own set of struggles. After all, Jesus Himself promised us and His disciples, "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake." (Matthew 10:22) Jesus did not tell us life would be easy. He ensured us that there would be struggles and we would have problems. But He also promised a Helper, the Holy Spirit.

I'll tell you the words that have been floating through my head lately, due to some physical and emotional struggles:...depression....loneliness.....abandonment....headache.....endometriosis.....impatience.......cancer......hysterectomy........exhaustion......uselessness.....unproductive.......boring.......tired.

These are all stemming from one physical problem (yet to be diagnosed) and self-inflicted emotional struggles. And you know what? This is life! This is a part of what Jesus told us would happen and this is what Peter is referring to in I Peter 1:6-8:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love."

That same gold that is tested by fire, relieving itself of its impurities, is still perishable. Other things can eat away at gold. It is not without flaw and certainly not without vulnerability. Jesus wants to remind me that I am the same way...vulnerable and full of flaws.

But I am called to rejoice. These physical struggles are meant to draw me closer to Him, to rely fully on Him for peace. Because when this refining period is over, I will shine (His reflection, of course) and will have nothing left but "praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Just because I don't see His hand working, doesn't mean It isn't working. "Having not seen you love..." Isn't that what 'faith' is all about???

marriage is work

Now THIS I found VERY interesting...yes, premarital counseling is valuable and, I think, necessary. But now that 9 years have passed and we're completely different people with different needs and desires, where do you meet? What is a middle ground? There aren't enough people in the world willing to do the real work it takes.

However, for those of you new to this marriage thing, here you go:

Keys To Successful Love And Marriage by Jimmy Cox
Make your marriage a success instead of a divorce statistic. Judged by the rising tide of divorce statistics, it has become increasingly difficult for a young couple to make a success of their marriage. But if you understand the causes for failure and the essentials for success, you need not end up among the failure statistics. Your marriage can be a success.
One reason for failure is the tendency of people to take marriage for granted, like steam heat and hamburger stands. Marriage to them is just something you do, like wearing shoes, getting your hair cut, or brushing your teeth. As such, it does not seem to call for any special training or understanding. Whatever knowledge and skills you may need you can pick up, just as you learned to walk, or get on and off the bus. 'Doin' what comes natcherly' seems to be enough.
Marriage is lots of fun. But it is a party in which you are host as well as guest. Therefore it is work. It can mean what seems to be an endless round of dishes and diapers. It means bills, worries, and sometimes burdensome debts. If the relationship between husband and wife is to continue rich and worthwhile, and if their children are to have attractive personalities, marriage means hard work and almost saintly forbearance.
People who come to marriage as to a party, expecting loads of pleasure at little cost, are likely to feel cheated. If your marriage is to become a success, rather than a divorce statistic, you must put real effort into it. Yet effort alone will not be enough. You must know what to do, and what not to do, and have the skills which are necessary for success.
Intelligent understanding as an essential to success in marriage.
Many people still fail to appreciate the importance of sound knowledge for marital success. We are coming to see that marriage is a serious vocation which requires trained competence for success. If you must have specialized training in order to raise corn and hogs successfully, how much more should you know in order to be successful spouses and parents!
Judge John A. Sbarbaro in his book, Marriage is on Trial (Mac-millan, 1947), urges that all couples be required to complete a course in premarital training before they are granted a license to wed. He suggests the inclusion of a study of the economic problems of the family, fundamentals of child psychology, sexual relationships, 'in-laws,' the effects of broken homes upon children, and the responsibilities and opportunities of the church and similar agencies in the strengthening of family life. A divorce court judge sees every day that good intentions are not enough! There must be technical, scientific knowledge.
Do not take happiness in marriage for granted, be prepared to work hard, and have some solid knowledge about important subjects like parenting and in-laws. These are the very basic pre-requisites for success in marriage. Begin with these principles and you will not fail in this important enterprise!
About the Author
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