Avoiding Woes

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." ~David

Being a believer in Jesus for a long time, I have to remind myself that I can fall into the traps that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees fell into. Every once in awhile I go down the list of "woes-to" that Jesus put forth and search my heart to see if there is any snares I've wander into. I pray the same prayer that David did and then wait and watch for the Holy Spirit to guide me.

I ask myself if I practice what I preach? What do I preach? Good news? Bad news? Do I burden others with my expectation of how they should be but don't lift a finger to help them? What is my motive for doing good things? Is it to be seen by people to get titles of influence?

It's so easy for me to want to be the ruling influence and not the inspired. Do I waylay honest Jesus seekers or go out of my way to gain "Christian" cohorts? Do I value material things above spiritual? Do I neglect the more important matters of the law- justice, mercy and faithfulness? Am I neglecting the giving of tithes?

I'm grateful that God leads me in the everlasting way. The rod of the Shepherd is comforting to me. Sometimes, his sharp reproof is all it takes to cause me to avoid a trap. Other times, it requires woes to pull me out. I'm grateful for those too because it means that my God is watching over me and he will forgive me, cleanse me, and lead me if I allow him to. He loves me enough to do that!

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." 

Eternal Eyes

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." ~Solomon

Eternity has been set in my heart. I have asked that my eyes be opened to eternity and have been shown by the Holy Spirit that I need look no further than my heart. God has given me a pure heart, clean hands and a right spirit. New eyes to see eternity with. Eyes not of flesh but of spirit. I know He has because I've asked Him to.

God encouraged me to reach out with spiritual fingers of mind and imagination. He gave me his Word as a foundation and framework in which to hang the colorful images of eternity. With them, I have touched the hands of my creator. When I hold hands with my husband, eternity is brought into the present. Jesus was a carpenter. His hands are strong and rough. When I see children, eternity is taken into the future. Eternity has been set in their hearts.

I sang in an old chapel last night. The air churned with eternity. As ancient songs of worship resounded off the walls, ghosts of the past appeared in my mind. I heard eternity in the music, laughter and applause. My spirit was melded with the century of worshippers that answered the sound of the bell. My voice entered the river of eternal praise that flows to the very throne room of God. Someday, I'll be in that room. I'll take that place that has been prepared for me. The eternity that is set in my heart will be home and I'll be hugging Jesus!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." ~Paul

Perfect Fit

"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."~Paul

It's comforting to me to know that God put me exactly where he wants me. He chose the sperm and egg and womb so that I would be born at the exact time and place that he created me for. In him, I live and move and have my very being. The all-encompassing reality causes my spirit to dance and songs cannot be contained!

Jesus called me to himself at the perfect time and washed this dirty vessel out with blood so that I could be absorbed into eternity like a raindrop in a river. He knew exactly what it would take to knock down the wall of self-sufficiency and cause me to come face-to-face with the living God. I remember the fear I had that day as the realization washed over me that this God was real and I was in big trouble with him. That he would forgive me if I asked seemed too easy but there it was in black and white in the writing in front of me as I read the Bible. How could I have missed this message?  

The inexplicable joy that engulfed me at the revelation of God's love will never leave me either as I asked Jesus to forgive me for what I'd become. He started the beat of a new heart that day as I stepped into the light and became his. Not only do I live and move and have my being in him, he lives and moves through my body like blood and through my life like water. How can I keep from singing?

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." ~Paul     

What are These?

The angel who was talking with me answered, "I will show you what they are." ~Zechariah

If I were this angel, I think I might have become impatient with Zechariah except that I am so much like him. In the first six chapters of the book, he asks the question "What are these?" seven times. The angel answers him the first time with "I'll show you what they are."

In the first two chapter he asks these questions: "What are these?" (asked twice), "What are these coming to do?" and "Where are you going?" Each time a piece of the symbolism is explained. Zechariah never took it upon himself to interpret the vision but asked what it was right away.

In the fourth chapter, Zechariah is asked a question. "What do you see?" He relays what he sees and then asks his usual question, "What are these?" This time, I had to chuckle when the angel answered, "Do you not know what these are?" Zechariah's reply is, "Nope." Undaunted by seemingly being ignored, he asks again; "What are these?" This same conversation happens twice in the fourth chapter!

I've grown to appreciate Zechariah's questions the further I delve into eschatology. I appreciate the fact that he viewed the vision as inquisitively as he did. I approach the visions in scripture with the same curiosity and have asked the Lord several times, "What are these? What are they coming to do? Where are they going?" Sometimes the answer is put forth plainly; other times I've had to ask several times. There have been times when I'm told to go my own way because that mystery is sealed to me. It's always a magnificent romp through scripture though and it's made sweeter by even the tiniest discovery.

"Ask and it will be give to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~Jesus

Fine Wine

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?" ~Jesus

I've been asked if I've studied literature of various religions to make sure that I can vehemently battle the false doctrine that abound in them. The question usually comes with a barrage of books that I must read to make sure I'm equipped for this mission of judgment. I find it hard to believe that they weren't studying truth but were focused on error. Religious faultfinders, they never preach Jesus but instead parrot the  beliefs of the celebrity du jour. Like thorn bushes and thistles, I want to avoid getting caught up in them.

I don't study anything other than the Bible when it comes to spiritual matters. I drink in what the Holy Spirit supplies through the word. Jesus said the Spirit would take what is his and make it known to me and he does. If I'm puzzled by something, it's a joy to dive into the Hebrew and Greek and try to unravel the profound yet simple mysteries. It's like fine wine.

If someone drinks nothing but fine wine and a substitute is set before them, it's recognized for what it is. It's the same with false doctrine. If I'm immersed in the word of God, when a substitute is set before me, I recognize it for what it is. I'm often surprised when the Spirit raises a red flag by marching a verse through my head but I always take heed and guard my heart. He loves me and love always protects.

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." ~Jesus   

Heads and Tail

"So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail." ~Isaiah

I've always been fascinated with the visions of beasts in the book of Revelation. I've joined the countless others throughout the ages that have tried to unravel the mystery behind the symbolism. For all my studying and begging the Spirit to give me one little hint; I've always been told the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. That is until now.

When I stumbled upon the above verse, I realized I had been given a key. I'm now diving into Revelation and Daniel with renewed joy and fresh eyes. I'm excited to see which of the seals has just been broken for me!

"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." ~Loud voice in heaven.
 

Distracted Service

"Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." ~Jesus

The Christians in Ephesus were hard workers. They had ferretted out false teachers and kicked out wicked men. They had learned to test the Spirits to see if they were of God and had persevered through hardships for Jesus' name. Fervently serving the Lord without growing weary, these people suddenly reminded me of the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was so distracted that she forgot to take time to listen to the one she was serving. She had left her first love. She needed restoration.

It's so easy to get off on the Ephesian path. To be looking for the evil in each other instead of worshiping Jesus creates silly arguments that drive wedges between people. Tensions build at each "Aha!". It sure doesn't sound like a very joyful group of people to be around.  Restoration was needed and healing would only begin if they remembered, repented and returned.

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." ~Luke  

Adding Forget to Forgiveness

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." ~Jesus

I struggled with forgiveness for a long time. I could forgive but I just couldn't forget. I felt defeated and questioned my salvation. My countenance fell and even walking felt like slogging through fog. The more I tried to forget the more I remembered and the cycle would gain speed. In the midst of this self perpetuated storm the Holy Spirit stepped in and asked, "Why are you adding to my word?"

My spirit quickened. It was like a smoldering wick had been blown into flame as I read what the Bible had to say about forgetting. Most of it had to do with NOT forgetting. I was confused though. Weren't we to "forgive and forget" because God forgives us and forgets our sins? Isn't that part of loving others? I reread the attributes of love paying close attention to the word or concept of "forgetting". It says, "Love keeps no record of wrong." It does not say, "Love always forgets". I had bought into the world's idea of forgiveness and it had nothing to do with forgetting.

Forgive me, Lord! Thank you for showing me that I had heaped onto myself chains that I didn't need to carry!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

Solid Foundation

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." ~Paul

When my husband and I marked out the foundation for our house, we carefully used the instruments to make sure it would be level and we dug down to hard pan for stability. The footings had to be just so and we were well aware that any mistakes would be magnified at the time of building. If the foundation was strong, the house could withstand earthquakes and storms. Even if fire swept away the rest, the foundation would remain and the house reconstructed on it.

I'm grateful for this illustration of Paul's. Jesus is a firm foundation that has passed the test of time. I can trust that if I build my life with him as the center, I can withstand the earthquakes and storms that life deals out. Even when the fiery trials come, my foundation is firm and any reconstructing can begin.

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says; "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trust will never be dismayed." ~Isaiah

Two are One

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy..." ~Paul

I asked the Lord to open my eyes to the love that he has for the church. I was considerably taken aback when the Spirit washed over my mind with this verse. Random memories of my husband's patience with me and the kindness he's always had came rushing through my spirit. Every morning when the alarm sounds and he drags himself out of bed to shower and go to work, he's giving his life for me. Love always perseveres, one day at a time. He thinks I'm worth it even though there are a lot of people that would disagree. He is captivated by my love and I have no idea why. He chose me, gave me his name, proclaimed me his, and has been protecting me for over thirty years. What a wonderful example of the love that Christ has for the church. Thank you Lord, for opening my eyes to it!

"...As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." ~Isaiah

All Leaves

"May you never bear fruit again!" ~Jesus

Jesus was hungry and the fig tree was in leaf but there was no fruit. It was not the season for figs. He cursed it and it withered from the roots. I can't help but feel sorry for that fig tree. It's hard for me to get past the seemingly unfair curse. A shimmer of understanding has me mulling over the seasons and hints at a warning.

I've felt like a tree out of season lately. It's not the first time and I'm aware that just as the seasons change, my life changes in cycles also. The planting of Spring, the watering of Summer, the harvest of Fall and the quiet cold of Winter have woven themselves into the pattern of my life. Like that fig tree, I can be all leaves and no fruit though. Jesus said if I remain in him I will bear much fruit. I must preach the Word whether in season or out of season. How horrid to think of never bearing the fruit of the Spirit!

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." ~David

Daddy's Home

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. ~John

I was meditating on the return of Jesus and reminded of a prayer I said long ago. My daughter was around three years old and very much a Daddy's girl. She eagerly awaited his homecoming from work every day and would dance around, giggle and squeal when he opened the door. He would empty his arms and she would fly into them and they would twirl around together, completely captivated by each other. I remember praying, "Jesus when you return, please give me the same enthusiasm and love for you that my baby girl has for her Daddy! When you come back, I want to be so joyful that I dance, giggle and squeal until I am enveloped in your arms."

"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~Paul 

Submitting For Good

"Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." ~ The Lord God

There was a woman in a ladies Bible study that carried on and on about a grandiose good work that she wanted to start. Yes, it would be an all consuming project but she was certain she was going to reach thousands of people for Christ. Exciting right? If only her husband wasn't dead set against it, she fumed. She was plotting to push through with her ideas anyway and risk her marriage because she just knew that this was a good plan. She was convinced that he was being unreasonable by insisting that she was already spread too thin with her time and resources. In her eyes, by denying her the green light, he was disobeying the Lord. In my eyes, he was protecting her from burn out. She asked us what we thought.

I told her that if she went ahead with this that it would be HER disobeying the Lord not him. Her eyes grew wide at my obviously unexpected answer. The Bible says, "Wives, submit to your husband, as is fitting in the Lord". If you reject this word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do you have? If your foundation for good works is rebellion how good are those works really? Be careful whose wisdom you embrace by disobeying God. Especially, if you are deceived into thinking that you're doing it for Him.   

"For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry." ~Samuel 

 

Heaven's Scent

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." ~Paul

I've always thought that it would be easier to serve people if I didn't have a sense of smell. I could change unending diapers and clean up any rank mess if I didn't have to smell it. I am convinced. But yesterday, I realized what a wonderful gift my sense of smell is.

I got to the top of the hill after leaving the ferry and fell into the arms of my good friend, her intoxicating smell clung to my sweater. It's a delicate, earthy and exotic smell that is uniquely her. All day long, I felt enveloped in her simply because of the aroma. This morning the smell still lingers in my sweater and one whiff brought back years of memories with one more day added. The lingering scent made me realize how much I can miss when I only keep in contact with someone online.

I began to think of the many Sundays at church when I would get multiple hugs and come home wearing each persons' smell mingled with my own. Every waft would make me smile as I thought about the person it belonged to. We are the aroma of Christ to God. A beautiful perfume of mingled scents to those who are being saved. Just another blessing missed when I don't gather together with other believers!

Today, I'm imagining what Jesus smells like. I wonder if he has a musky wood smell mixed with the sweat of a carpenter. Perhaps he smells like the incense the magi presented to him at his birth. I know when I fall into his arms I will be engulfed in it, comforted by it and home forever. Ah... the smells of heaven!

"Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you!" ~Solomon   

City Boys

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."

Meditating on the relationship that Jesus had with his cousin John, it brought to mind family reunions and celebrations. I can picture the two of them as boys running through the streets of Jerusalem during the Passover and other holidays that the families were required by law to gather together. I can imagine the two of them playing games and talking long into the night while gazing up at the stars from an upper room. I'll bet they picked on each other and rough housed just like all boys. Laughing at gross bodily functions and carrying on about masculine endeavors. Male friendships are a fascinating and foreign world to me as a woman.   

I wonder if they went and visited old Anna in the temple or saw Simeon. I wonder if the shepherds kept track of him over the years. I know I would've if I had seen a great company of angels singing about him! I'm grateful for the silence of scripture concerning his childhood because I like to believe that Jesus had a happy childhood free from the scrutiny that his incredible life has been subject to over the centuries. I'm certain that he and John knew blind, lame and deaf people from just being kids running around during family gatherings. How wonderful for John to imagine them healed!

This is the one about whom it is written; " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' "    ~Jesus

Giving Up

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." ~Paul

Reading a book on how to get started writing, the first thing it asked was what I was willing to give up to write. I thought about that for a long time and came to the conclusion at that time in my life that I wasn't willing to give up anything that I was using my time for. I had carefully balanced my life and was happy with the way it was proceeding. I didn't want to write bad enough.

Fast forward a few years and the urge to write became strong once again. That's when I began contemplating starting a blog. The question tugged at my mind. What was I willing to give up? This time the Spirit intervened and led me to the verse above in the letter to Timothy. My physical training was of some value but speaking forth God's word and sharing the wonderful things he has taught me and the amazing things he has shown me hold promise for all eternity! I had to use the time I had set aside for my workouts and replace it with writing. I have to admit, I wish I could've given up housework instead.

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." ~Paul

Kept Well

"Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord." ~Solomon

Someone I admire the opinion of gushed on and on about her new friend she had met on a cruise. Apparently, this new friend was a rich man's mistress. He had supplied her with an upscale apartment and an allowance that was enough for her to live comfortably without having to work. He showered her with flowers and jewelry. She was a kept woman who didn't have to be a fulltime worker, wife, or mother. She got to go on cruises and travel too. She could shop every day if she wanted and actually buy things!

I'm not sure if it was the glazed dreamy look of the person regaling me with the wonderful life this "kept woman" lived or what but a small seed of envy sprang a root in my heart. Envy of a woman whom I had never met. The Lord asked, "Why?" I searched my heart for an answer and discovered that God had given me so much more than what the kept woman had. I don't work outside my custom home. I have fields of flowers and all sorts of jewelry. I've traveled. Even better though, I have a husband that loves me and is home every night. I have children and grandchildren. I am truly a kept woman. Kept by God!

"For your Maker is your husband- the Lord Almighty is his name..." ~Isaiah

Escape Plan

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" ~Paul

It's when I think that I'm doing pretty good in my constant battle to be better that pesky temptations sneak in. The temptation to think I'm doing it all by myself is one of the worst. I'm getting better at recognizing those sneaky darts for what they are and extinguishing them before they can consume too much of my thoughts or begin smoldering in my desires. It's comforting to know that God will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. He always provides a way out.

I've started looking for those escape routes ahead of time now. I can't say that I think about avoiding temptation as much as I seek the way out the Lord provides so that I can stand up under it. I've found it impossible to completely avoid temptation but I have found God to be faithful in always providing a clear way of escape. I just have to be willing to take it and not get entangled with the sin that so easily ensnares me. I want to be careful not to fall!

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" ~Isaiah  

Avoiding the Net

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." ~Jesus

To be a person of my word is something I've aspired to for a long time because of this verse. I thought I was doing pretty good until this past weekend. My sin was laid bare before my eyes. Yuck. A friend asked for help unloading and stacking wood. I said, "No" when I should have said, "Yes". I found myself carrying on with some elaborate excuse for doing so. After she left, the Lord whispered, "What was that about?" My spirit squirmed a little and then answered, "A lie." Ugh, I'm sorry Lord.

I realized that I had already been planning on doing the same thing the next day. I had made a commitment and something more fun had presented itself. I had enthusiastically accepted the invitation and was already embroiled in how I was going to get out of my commitment. I had said, "Yes", when I should have said, "No". Seeing it for the trap it was didn't keep me from wrestling with it all night though. I'm a pro at justifying myself but God is a pro at tearing down my arguments. I relented and bowed out of the trip and did what I knew was right. I pray that the Lord will continue to reveal where I fall short in this. I really want my "yes" to be "yes" and my "no to be "no". No excuses!

"How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!" ~Solomon 

Seeking Wisdom

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." ~James

I constantly ask God for wisdom before I read his word then I rest in the knowledge that he gives it. The Spirit breathes life into each nugget of truth that flows out of the pages and into my heart. Every morning when I read a chapter of Proverbs it rings with pure wisdom and every verse is golden. They wash over me and cleanse me, heal me, and rebuke me. I seek it out and have become enchanted by it.

I can see why the queen of Sheba sought an audience with Solomon so many years ago. How wonderful it would have been to listen to the discussions amid the splendor of the royal palace. Being a scribe and carefully recording the Proverbs for the king would have been an amazing position. When she departed back to her country, she expressed envy of the servants in his presence and I can totally relate to that sentiment. How grateful I am that his words were preserved through the centuries and I can marinate in their wisdom every day!

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom." ~Solomon

Good Things

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." ~Paul

I was expounding on the beauty and uniformity of creation to an atheist. I could see that he wanted to believe in a creator but couldn't push past his prejudices. He had carefully constructed scientific arguments that he leveled at me with genuine curiosity mixed with skepticism. I replied to each with a combination of scripture, common sense, and answers I had learned from my own searches. After about fifteen minutes of this spirited conversation, I felt the Holy Spirit take over. I could actually feel the light pouring out my eyes. Sunshine broke through the clouds, tumbled through the skylight and clothed me in gold. I will never forget the look on that man's face. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew round as he exclaimed, "Your AURA is HUGE right now!" I giggled involuntarily, "It's the Holy Spirit. He's one of the best parts of knowing the creator!" God had used me to make himself real to this gentleman. Just by sharing my faith, I began to understand more and more every good thing I have in Christ. How awesome is that?

Since that conversation, this man confessed Jesus as his savior and now his aura is huge too! We still have some pretty lively conversations which I thoroughly enjoy. As a brother, he's another good thing I have in Christ!

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." ~Paul 

Silly Speculating

"When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested." ~Esther

An orphan that had been raised by her cousin, Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She had been given a year of beauty treatments, special food, seven maids and the best place in the harem. As a favorite of the eunuchs, she was able to use their knowledge of the king when choosing the one thing that she was allowed to take with her from the harem when she was presented to him. I've often speculated what it was that she took that made her memorable to a man who had his choice of any woman in the land.

I've wondered if perhaps it was a musical instrument or a special lotion. There have been times that I've thought a game or a dazzling costume might have intrigued him. Scripture is silent about it and it's not all that "spiritual" to think about but silly speculating is fun sometimes. Whatever it was, she went from being an orphan of exiled parents to the queen of 127 provinces stretching from India to the upper Nile, won the heart of a king, and saved her people from persecution. I doubt it was just the beauty treatments!

"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." ~Sons of Korah

Story Motives

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth." ~Nebuchadnezzar

In the book of Luke I'm told there was a group of people that went to Jesus and told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. I've often wondered what their motive was for this. Were they trying to garner his support for an anti-government campaign? Maybe rile him up to become the conquering messiah they wanted him to be? Force his hand? Did they wish to slander the victims because Jesus knew them? He was from Galilee and must have known several Galileans after all. Maybe a sort of "wink, wink" type move. Regardless of their intentions, I'm sure they didn't expect his answer. He said, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

"There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." ~Paul

A Lawyer in Love

Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

I can only imagine how stressful that day must have been for Ruth. When I read her story for the first time and Boaz was going to meet with the elders in accordance with the laws; my heart ached for her.  When the kinsman-redeemer that had first rights to her life said he wanted the inheritance, I about choked! A widow, stranger and wife number what?! Poor woman just couldn't seem to catch a break.

I didn't need to fret though, Boaz knew God's word and he used it. He also knew his relative. He skillfully applied the laws of God and the matter was settled. He was a lawyer in love. Ruth became his wife and he spread his protection over her mother-in-law as well. What a wonderful man of generosity, integrity and action!

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine." ~The Lord

Evangelist Invite

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." ~Paul

I've asked the Lord to give me a spirit of urgency regarding the end of my life. I've asked him to give me boldness to speak forth with the power of the Holy Spirit to a world that is in desperate need of hope. So, when I'm in a situation where I can invite someone into the Kingdom of God, why do I invite them to church instead?

I've realized that I should be inviting people to meet Jesus first. Once they've established that relationship, they'll want to meet others that share the Spirit and join the flock that God has called them to. An invitation by an evangelist should be an invite into heaven first!

"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'" ~Jesus

Letting Go

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." ~Genesis

I sat in the front row of my son's wedding and couldn't contain the tears. He was the first of our children to marry. He was leaving his father and I and starting a new family. I was no longer the most important woman in his life and I mourned the loss of that intimacy. His eyes shone as he watched his stunning bride walk down the aisle on the arm of her proud father. Letting go was harder than I had anticipated but it was made easier by my son obeying the Lord and leaving us to be one with his wife.

Fast forward to the present and they have a son and another child on the way. Like all our kids, they have lived within a half hour of the place they spent their whole lives. We've been blessed with having all the members of our family attend birthdays and holidays for several years in a house we built ourselves. That is about to change. My son is moving his family across state and they will start their own traditions. He is beginning a new chapter in their lives. I am mourning the loss of the ordinary but rejoicing with them over the freshness of change. I just wish I could contain the tears!

"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth." ~Solomon

Avoiding Truth

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." ~ The Lord to Cain

The desire to sin was only waiting for opportunity. It was crouching at the door of my heart just bidding it time. The seed had already sprouted and the battle began in earnest. My thoughts had become entwined with justifications for the soul-deep urge to commit evil. My mind wrestled with the Spirit in a way it never had. I had almost deceived myself into thinking that I was doing what God wanted me to do. Almost. He shouted through the Logos that what I had been planning and longing for was sin. The Spirit of truth never lies. It's like being told not to eat something because it will kill you and spitefully taking a huge bite.

I began to be troubled and couldn't sleep. I was consumed by conflict to the point of despair. I found myself on the edge of the black abyss of depression. A hole I hadn't thrown myself into since Jesus had rescued me from it. All joy and peace had fled. I consoled myself with the thought that no sin had actually occurred. It had all been in my thought process. All in my head, so to speak! It startled me to realize that the only reason it had not taken root was because God had kept it from happening as an answer to prayer. The prayers of a confidant for accountability and my plea to never be led into temptation. Jesus himself had taught me to pray! My Spirit rested and my joy returned.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." ~James

    

Selling At Church

"Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" ~Jesus

A young family joined our church and enthusiastically began attending studies and volunteering for ministry. Since I attended Ladies Bible Study with the young mother, we struck up a conversation and enjoyed each other's company. One afternoon, she invited me to her home for lunch. I followed her to a small, well-maintained home in the woods and helped her unpack the small children and lug in the paraphernalia that accompanies having toddlers.

Glancing around the modest home's interior, there was no signs of the faith they proclaimed. The Spirit within me flinched when I spotted multiple products of a particular pyramid-type business. In the bathroom while washing my hands with a soap that only this company sold, I asked the Lord to make it as obvious to people entering my home that I'm a Christian and love Him as it was that this woman was going to pitch me "The Business".

Sure enough, conversation centered around "The Business" over bowlfuls of spaghetti. I'm pretty good at artfully tip-toeing around touchy subjects so halfway through the meal, she was forced to drive the sales pitch home. My stomach dropped as my suspicions were confirmed. I told her I was sorry but I would never  join anything like that. Thanks for thinking about me and I would really like to remain friends. After all, we were friends before the invitation and I would hate to see that end. Her continence fell and I received a cold assurance. As we said our goodbyes, I knew it would be the last time I would be enjoying her company.

It wasn't long after that she showed up at my door in tears. It seemed that her and her husband had gotten a visit from the pastor and a deacon. They had informed them that there was to be no recruiting for "The Business" done within the church body. She sobbed as she defended "The Business", "We sing hymns there and have friends and we can make lots of money!" She kept repeating. I told her with what I hoped was love that her and her husband had a choice to make then. They choose to leave the church and pursue "The Business" down in Texas. I pray for them often.

I was left with a deep and abiding gratitude to God for my pastor and the church body that I am a part of. The fact that they would confront members to make sure that no error snuck into our theology made my appreciation for the church leadership soar. It was the first time that I was made fully aware of the importance of church discipline. It left me knowing I was loved because love always protects! There is no selling allowed at our church and although it may sound harsh, it's very necessary. It's our Father's house not a market.

"Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." ~Paul         

Shepherd's Rod

"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." ~Solomon

The sheer anger and pain in the young man's face broke my heart. He snarled the Bible quote his father had used over and over to justify years of basic assault. Each familiar word burned like flaming arrows as he sneered, "Spare the rod and spoil the child. Ya know." He cocked his head sideways and poked at the campfire with a stick. We silently watched the sparks fly up from the coals and blend with the stars.

Like a rumble of thunder, God's Spirit within me pounded through my soul. How dare that man misrepresent my God in such an insidious way! Fortunately, wisdom told me that this teen didn't need to hear how horribly his father had misused the scriptures. He didn't need another battle to fight on the "honor thy father and mother" front. He needed the power of the Holy Spirit. He needed the hope that came with discipline, not the anger that came with my indignation.  

That week, the Lord had been talking to me through John about what it meant to be a shepherd. He had led me to that very verse that had been used as a weapon and had disarmed it with one whisper. A shepherd would never beat the sheep. The rod was used to keep the sheep safe and on the path. It was never used to punish the sheep, it was used to discipline them. If a sheep was hurt in any way by the shepherd, the man himself would be liable for it. If the sheep began to leave the path, the rod was used as a constant pressure to force it back. Rarely was it used to inflict pain and only when the sheep was in immediate danger if it didn't comply.

Speaking towards the stars, I spoke into the night. I told him that I was sorry that his father had made it so hard for him to obey God by honoring his parents. I'm glad he had been taken out of the situation. I explained that Jesus is the good shepherd and that he would never beat his sheep. The flames reflected off moist eyes as he jabbed at the fire. The storm in my heart subsided and gave way to peace.     

"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." ~Solomon

 

Heaven's Fireworks

"From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder." ~John

There was a glorious thunder and lightning storm that barreled through the valley last night with rips in the dark like jagged scars. It scrambled satellite signals and camped out over the house for about an hour. I was left in awe at the raw display of power and felt electrified by the chest rattling vibration of the thunder. There was no time between the multiple flashes and the roaring thunder. It was upon us. There was never any fear just an enveloping exhilaration at the peek into the throne room of God Almighty.

I have imagined the scene so many times. The images in Revelation chapter four have always piqued my interest and any time I see the physical representations played out in front of me, I'm filled with a new reverence for the holy majesty of the King that sits on the throne. The eternal, self-existent one that loves me. How cool it will be when I get to see his face lit by lightning. When the peals of thunder rumble through my soul and the flashes of lightening are to welcome me home, I'm going to exclaim, "OH, do it again, Daddy!"

"The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning." ~David

Greedy Grief

"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." ~Jesus

At the death of  friends, I've seen families torn apart by something as silly as a doll or a cookie jar. When they should be honoring their loved one and comforting each other, they're busy grabbing everything they can and rushing out the door. Backstabbing for that ring Mom promised and even a sugar packet  left in her drawer. Grief used as a mask for greed. Heartbreaking.

At the nursing home once, there was a table in the main room that had a neat collection of sweatshirts, odds and ends, and a crystal vase. Our little band was told to take whatever we wanted. As I perused the items, I began to imagine what these meager possessions had meant to the deceased. Was the crystal vase an anniversary gift? Were the birds embroidered on the shirts lovingly designed and made for or by her? Personality just oozed out of the items.

It was sad in a way that none of the family valued any of these treasures enough to come get them but it made me think that this woman must've died happy! I'll bet she passed along all the things that were important to her before she settled in her one room of family photos and a single crystal vase. She got to relish the look on her loved ones faces as they received their inheritance from her hand and enjoy a hug from the recipient in a goodbye.  

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." ~Jesus



   

Golden Discretion

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." ~Solomon

Every month on the eleventh day, I read this verse in Proverbs. It always catches my attention and I've talked to Jesus about it quite a bit. Maybe it's because discretion is such a rare and valuable thing in beautiful women in the world today or perhaps it's because I don't want to be a pig! Either way, it's been a mystery that I've been searching out.

I've chipped at this many ways in my thought process over the years. I've thought about a gold ring being something of value given to a pig. My mind skips to another verse that talks about not casting your pearls before swine. They wouldn't value them and would trample them underfoot. A pig certainly wouldn't value a gold nose ring! I've approached it from the angle of the attention a gold ring would get while the animal would be ignored. A gold ring in a pig's snout could be used to steer the pig too. Without discretion, a beautiful woman could be led into sin and deceived very easily.

I still have yet to find a satisfying meaning to this Proverb, one that settles into my Spirit anyway. It remains just out of reach but every month on the eleventh day, I toss it around again!

"Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." ~Solomon

Limping Along

"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." ~Paul

When my foot hurts, every part of my body is effected. Every movement is augmented to accommodate the injury. Subconsciously, my other body parts silently bear the load and do what's necessary to give vital and healing relief to the foot. My mind recalculates events to exclude anything that would use the hurting appendage unnecessarily. Exercise falls under that list so cardio and inner workings suffer too. I also begin to pray and seek remedies for the cause of the suffering. Sometimes, rest is the best option; other times, surgery is the only relief. In short, when one part suffers, they all suffer!

It's that way in the body of Christ too. If one part is hurting the whole body hurts. Movement of the body is altered and other parts silently help to bear the load. The body recalculates to accommodate the injured. Prayers are said and remedies explored. Sometimes rest is needed for the suffering part and some times surgery is the best option. No one suffers alone though and Jesus is the great physician. He's the one that welds the scalpel.  

"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be." ~Paul 

Taking Glory

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." ~David

It was the day that our oldest son was graduating from High School. School had been a struggle for him and I had spent quite a bit of time talking to Jesus about him. I certainly wasn't the only one that prayed for him either. He had made some stupid choices along the way and suffered the consequences but he was graduating!

I was preparing for the ceremony thinking about all the hard work I had to do for this day to happen. I began complaining to the Lord, "Is it too much for me to get a 'Thank You'?" Like a jolt of electricity, the Spirit whispered, "Oh, you want MY glory." I gasped as though shocked. The answers to my prayers and the prayers of others were laid bare before me. "No, Father! To you be ALL glory!" Humbled, I left my room.

Our son was standing in the hallway. He stopped me and shyly said, "Marie, I want you to have this." He then handed me his graduation sash and gave me a big bear hug. "Thanks for everything." Speechless, I held back the tears and praised God for his love and faithfulness!

"Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees." ~Beth 

Silly Prayers

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~Jesus

Praying with my young son once, he told Jesus he wanted to see some little birds. At the time, I thought it was a silly prayer as I prayed for much more "lofty" things. You know, salvation for the world, the end of hunger in my community, cure for cancer and all the other more "ecclesiastical" and "big" things.

A couple hours later, my three year old was standing on the couch looking out the window and giggling with glee. I sauntered over to see what he was so entertained by and there in the bushes not more than two feet from the picture window was a flock of the tiniest birds I'd ever seen. They were twirling around branches, fluttering at each other and pecking at berries. Primping and posturing, they put on a show that kept us in giggles for at least half of an hour. My heart rang with love for my heavenly Father who answers our prayers. I asked my son if he had thanked the Lord for his birds and he said, "Oh yeah, a long time ago." I joined him in thanksgiving and joyful praise!

Through this simple answer, I learned that no prayer is silly to God. I've prayed for a cat not to pee on the stove (again... or Dad will kill it!) and the end of a mole problem. I've prayed for the cure for funky smells in furniture and for sunshine to cure the blues. I've also seen people cured of cancer, others snatched from hell, and my community feed the hungry. No prayer is too small or too big for God. Certainly, no prayer is silly!

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." ~Jesus

Seeing Miracles

Jesus answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."

I befriended a single mother who was working and going to school. Her life was one crisis after another and it seemed that I was constantly praying for her and her financial situation. At one point, she was actually making ends meet and feeling like she'd made it when her car broke down. She needed money to fix it. She told me she needed a miracle. I told her we needed to pray and she rolled her eyes. I prayed anyway and she received an unexpected bonus in the exact amount of the bill for the repairs on her vehicle. When I explained to her that God loves her and that Jesus was calling her, her response floored me. She sighed dramatically and said, "If only he would show me a miracle, then I would believe in him." Unable to contain myself I replied flatly, "Oh, the money wasn't enough?"

What sort of miracle would it take for a person to realize that God is real and unavoidable? How much answered prayer does it take? What a loving God I serve that continues to hold out holy hands to obstinate and blind people! I'm still praying for a miracle in my friend's life and it has nothing to do with the miracle itself and everything to do with eternity.

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" ~Jesus

Empty Worship

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." ~David

In my private worship time today, my voice was steady and I didn't miss a chord. The words flowed and the music was a treat to play. When time was up, I set my guitar down, put away the music and left the room to get busy. It was halfway through a chore that I felt like something was missing. That still small voice in my spirit said, "What you did was not worship".

What I had done was practice my playing and singing. My mind had not been on God or even the words that I was singing. Thoughts were of how good it sounded and what chores I should be doing and just about every thing else but him. I had not  been worshiping in spirit and truth. I had performed a good concert for my own entertainment.

Going back to my guitar, I went straight to the throne of God. I joined in the song of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them and I sang to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. I sang the words of Revelation and gave him praise, honor, glory and power in, over and for my life. When I put down the guitar and went off to finish my chores, the music didn't stop. Praises and hymns just kept streaming past my heart and out my mouth. God had renewed my spirit and restored the joy of my salvation just like I asked him to! How cool is that?

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." ~Jesus

Eyes of Prayer

"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed..." ~John

When it came time to pray in Sunday school, I would ask each of my students to pray for the person next to them out loud. All they had to do was pray that the child next to them would have a good week. We would all bow our heads and dutifully close our eyes. There were always the ones that peeked at their hands or glanced at their neighbors but I noticed that when they were being prayed for or praying, most of them would squirm uncomfortably and squeeze their eyes shut real tight. One week, I read to them the seventeenth chapter of John while they doodled. That first verse nudged me. I began praying out loud for each one in my class during the week with my eyes open.

The next Sunday at prayer time, I asked my students to keep their eyes open during prayer. I told them that Jesus prayed with his eyes open some times so I thought we would see how that felt. I then proceeded to pray out loud for each of them the prayers that I had been praying all week long for them and their families. I tried to maintain eye contact with each one of them during this exercise. Eyes would light up and some would roll shut. Some would watch others wiggle while being prayed for but when their turn came, they would clamp their eyes shut and assume a pained expression. There were lots of giggles and sideways glances as each one watched their friends receive my blessing and the blessing of a classmate. It sure was fun. You might say it was a real eye-opener!

"I have made you known to them , and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." ~Jesus

Glorious Joy

"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me." ~Jesus

I imagine that the group of people listening to this prayer of Jesus' were having different reactions to his words. I wonder what aspect of it would have caused my spirit to grasp out. Reading it this morning, the verse above grabbed my attention. He has given me glory! Jesus said he did, so it must be true. A wellspring of joy bubbles up in me when I think about listening to his prayer and hearing the very son of God giving me glory before the Father! Of course, how could I not give it back? We're one and he's way more worthy of it.

A full measure of the joy of the Lord has been put within me because of the words that Jesus prayed that day. I can be one with the saints of ages simply because those words have endured and are written for me to feast on. The fact that I can read it centuries later makes me so grateful and fills me with glorious joy!

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ~Legions of Angels






  

Never Alone

"Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." ~David

I am never alone. I am constantly aware that God is with me and I'm surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Like David, I know that if even my parents were to forsake me, Jesus would still be there. I haven't always taken comfort in that. There have been times when I wish that he would just leave me alone! I've learned that those are the times that I really need to be still and know he is God. He can't leave me alone. He promised he never would. It's perhaps the promise I cherish most and yet I find myself wiggling around uncomfortably at the thought of such intimacy. He sees my sin. Blah.

No matter how hard I try, I'm still a stinking sinner. No matter how clean I feel, I will always need Jesus to wash my feet. The fact that he is eager to clean off the dirt any time gives me joy. I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and they are cheering me on! Yes, I'm a dirty sinner but Jesus loves me and nothing can separate me from the love of God. Amazing grace!

"...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." ~Paul

 

One Word Lies

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'no,' 'no'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." ~Jesus

Why is this such a struggle? What makes it so hard to say what you mean and mean what you say? I catch myself all the time saying "yes" when my head is telling me "that's a no".  So out sneaks the one word lie. The problem with these one word lies is that they bring needless trouble to my life and unnecessary guilt. My body and my spirit were not created to bear guilt. Guilt entered the world with the act of disobedience in the garden of Eden. Guilt builds walls not only between us and God but between us and each other. It's a crippling emotion that can be hard to overcome so I choose to heed the words of Jesus and simply say what I mean and mean what I say.

It gets easier and easier to avoid planting that seed in my life. I still haven't gotten it completely right all the time but I'd rather practice integrity and repent when need be than feel guilty. The wall between me and God came down when Jesus took my guilt off me. I hadn't realized how heavy it had been and I certainly would rather not pick it up again! Especially, with one word.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." ~Jesus  

New Insides

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

I was reminded this past week that if Jesus would have remained on the earth, he would have remained outside of me. The closest I would have gotten to having eternal life would have been to hug the physical body of an eternal man. Fortunately, he is also the truth so when he went and took his place on the throne of heaven, he sent his Spirit of truth. Now God can live inside of me. His flesh could only wash my feet, his Spirit can wash my soul. From the inside, God can and has given me a new heart. God is Spirit and I worship him in Spirit and in truth. His laws are written on my new heart and the life and love bubbles up like springs of water deep in my soul. Living water!

I was asked how life was treating me the other day and this verse flew into my head. Jesus is the life. I gleefully gushed, "Wonderfully! Jesus loves me!" I had to laugh at the perplexed look on the carpenter's face. He did manage to recover with a comment about mine being a great attitude. The attitude of Jesus. The attitude of the way and the truth and the life!

I have the way, the truth and the life. I have Jesus and I'm going to the Father. I'm skipping down the narrow path and drinking out of the river of life! How's life treating you?

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." ~Jesus

The Magic Golf Ball

Today there is a memorial going on in Snowflake Arizona for a man I consider my father in the faith. Bill Robinson not only led me to Jesus, he taught me to golf. I'll never forget our first morning on the course.

There we were standing on the first tee box, hiding under the vast expanse of golf umbrellas, in a deluge. I was questioning the wisdom of starting what was sure to be a wet and torturous game on such a blustering morning. Bill never flinched. He rightly insisted that the rain would clear before the second hole. I had my doubts and knew quite well that he'd played in storms that whipped his umbrella inside out and required special raingear. He took his golfing quite seriously. Weather never stopped him from making his tee time.

It took some patience to teach me how to hit a little white ball with a metal stick in the direction that it was suppose to fly. I did multiple practice swings under Bill's watchful eye. "Pretend you're chopping wood" became my mantra as time and time again my frustrated swing was answered by a mocking ball still perched proudly on its little wooden stick . I swear they ducked when they saw my club coming! After a record number of strokes, we were at the second tee. Bill gleefully showed me to the ladies tee box and I happily teed off closer to the taunting flag. It was kind of him to allow me to play "girl rules" and pick up the ball and throw it every once in awhile.

The third hole went pretty smoothly. I zinged one off into the woods and a murder of crows took flight. Bill laughed and told me that if I hit one, he'd give me a "birdy" on that hole. I wasn't that fortunate. The thrashing continued and the divots were abundant. I really didn't think golf was going to be my game. It was not the relaxing walk-in-a-park-like-setting I had envisioned. 

I'm not sure which hole it was but I was ready to throw in the towel, dry my umbrella off and head home to a consoling cup of coffee. We stood on a tee box with a mile of green in front of a lake. Yes, a lake. I turned desperately to my golfing partner and exclaimed, "Bill! I can't do this! It's going to go straight into the water and I could lose a whole box of balls on this hole!" His face took on a thoughtful look and he said, "No you won't. I'm going to let you use my magic golf ball. It never goes in the water. You'll see. Here." He handed me an ordinary ball. Needless to say, I was skeptical and unimpressed but I went with it because, well, it was Bill.

I stepped up to the tee with the magic golf ball and carefully pressed the tee and ball into the ground. I surveyed the shot with the motions that I'd seen the pros use on T.V. Although; I was clueless as to why they did them. It looked good, I suppose. I stared out over the water at the pond of green with a speck of flag at the far side of the water-trap and took a couple practice swings to loosen up. Chopping wood, not playing baseball. Smooth follow through, don't look at the ball or it hooks, arms straight all the way through the swing. I drew the club back and up and over my shoulder and let it fly. Smack! For the first time all game I was rewarded with the feel and sound of a full-on connection with the ball. I hit it! I hit it!

The magic golf ball made a line drive and with a loud KERPLUNK entered the lake about two feet from shore. Bill and I both sighed. Before we could exhale, we watched in utter amazement as the ball came shooting out of the water a good six inches from where it had gone in and landed with a dramatic half-roll onto the green not more than three feet from the pin! We were both so filled with laughter that it spilled out into the rest of the game. I got a true "birdy" on that hole thanks in part to a magic golf ball and a wonderful friend. 

I'm certain that somewhere in Bill's golf bag is a ball tucked away. I just want to let you know that it's magic. I'm going to miss you, my friend. Hug Jesus for me and tell him I love him!

Leperous Greed

The prophet answered, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." ~Elisha

What an exciting healing. An Aramean official had been cured of leprosy because a little girl had told her mistress that a prophet of God in Israel could heal him and he believed her. I've always liked this story in the second book of the kings. Naaman shows up with his horses and chariots to Elisha's house with pomp and pageantry to be healed in what he feels should be some sort of dramatic show and Elisha sends a messenger out to tell him to go swim in the Jordan seven times. He was furious. After getting the king of Aram to send a letter to the king of Israel and traveling with his army to the prophets house, he never was even given an audience but sent away like some leper! It's only after he listens to another one of his servants that he decides to do as instructed and is cleansed. I like Naaman simply for the way he trusted and treated his servants. He wasn't afraid to listen to their council.

The warrior and all his attendants go back to the man of God to reward him for the healing. Elisha refuses to take anything. How could he? Only God can restore someone miraculously. Elisha tells him to go in peace. How filled with joy Naaman must have been as he headed home. Given such a great gift and wanting to share what God had done for him with everyone filled him with excitement I'm sure. A much different spirit was broiling up in Gehazi, the servant of Elisha though.

Gehazi decides he should be paid so he beats feet after the parade and makes up a lie to get Naaman to pay him in silver and clothes. Naaman is eager to give it and doubles the silver. He even sends two of his own servants back with Gehazi to carry the stuff. Before they could be seen from the house, Gehazi takes the booty and dismisses the servants. He then tries to lie to Elisha. The prophet knew the truth though. How disappointing it must have been for Elisha to realize that his servant was a greedy liar: Someone willing to throw away the joy of seeing a miracle done for a sick man while grasping for silver and clothes. After all they had seen and been through together, I'll bet his heart ached for the man as he watched him turn white as snow with the leprosy of Naaman now eating his flesh. Sometimes it's so hard to watch someone you care about reap what they've sown.

"Remember the height from which you have fallen. Repent and do the things you did at first."~Jesus

Passionate Love

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" ~Paul

There is no gray area: You are either a new creation or you aren't. You are either for Jesus or against him. There is no wiggle room. No one can fool God even if they think they have successfully fooled others. This new creation has nothing to do with wanting to change habits or get happiness. In fact, it has nothing to do with our feelings at all. I had as much control over my being born of the Spirit as I did when I was born in the flesh. You are either alive in eternity or you aren't. It's between you and God alone. Once I did realize that I was a new creation in Christ, what freedom came from feeling loved by an all encompassing, passionate God!

There is a song that lyrics say, "He loves us with passion, without regret. He cannot love more and WILL not love less." I rest in the knowledge that God has chosen to love me with passion. A perfect love filled with forgiveness, peace and joy. Ask him for it, he'll give it to you too!

"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation." ~Paul

Encouraging Talk

"After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them." ~Moses

It surprises me how easy it is to fall into the clutches of discouragement. To succumb to emotions of fear and disappointment and sink into the mire of discontent is a constant threat to joy. I've noticed that when I start sliding down that path, there is only one way that I can stop the avalanche. That is to draw near to God and listen really carefully to what he has to teach me. I've also noticed that one way to continue down the path to total discouragement and paralysis is to seek out the opinions of others.

That's probably why God had to keep reminding Joshua to not be discouraged over and over again. He has to keep reminding me too. I have to be cautious not to blurt out things that are not encouraging to others though. I have to make sure that my attitude and words don't stand in the way of what God has planned for them. I want to be a light not a stumbling block.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." ~Paul 

Returning Peace

"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you." ~Jesus

There is nothing more stressful for me than to be in an atmosphere of conflict and strife. It snuffs the light right out of me and my mind goes into fortress mode. I've walked into places of business that just seethe with an undercurrent of hostility that fumes off the employees and chokes the air. Personally, I can't wait to get out of those places but one peaceful and friendly employee can change the whole experience. A household is similar.

It would be a real trial for me to have to live in a house where I was the only "man of peace". I can imagine what a blessing it would be for a peaceful person to have someone else's peace rest on them. How entertaining the conversations would be between such people. How sad it would be though to enter a home and not find a single like-minded individual; to have your peace return to you!

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." ~Solomon

Sharing Shores

"The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown." ~Zechariah

I've been thinking about sparkly things lately. Jesus just came and took a dear friend of mine to heaven and a song keeps playing in my head. In it, the lyrics are, "I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me.We walked along the streets of gold beside the crystal sea. We heard the angels singing when someone called your name..." My mind has been camped out on the streets of gold beside the crystal sea. Every time I try to imagine it, the streets become strands of beach at golden hour and the water sparkles like a cut piece of crystal in sunlight. The colors of a sunset over the ocean and the captivating blue of the sapphire sea erupt in my imagination. Memories of walking the many shores that I've been on with so many wonderful people flows through my thoughts. Picking up treasured pieces of sea-glass, shells and rocks and sharing the thrill of discovering life in the water together floods me with praise for each of them. The jewels that sparkle in the land. My people.

Walking on streets of gold has no allure to me. It might as well be sand, I like the feel of it on my bare feet much more. Crystals, diamonds and other precious stones are rocks. The sparkle of an ever-changing ocean or an ancient cedar tree dripping with prisms after a rain are more jewels than any queen ever possessed. It's the people that are priceless. "I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me". I won't be looking around at the scenery. I will be gleefully watching my brothers and sisters in Christ receive their reward!

That's where my mind has been wandering. I've been getting a glimpse into God's glory by hearing the testimonies of the many people whose lives were changed simply by one man giving what he could. Thank you, my friend, for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.

"How attractive and beautiful they will be!" ~Zechariah

Loving children

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." ~Paul

Jesus loves children. When my kids were small, I would pray this prayer that I cut out of a newspaper several years ago. God answered this prayer in so many wonderful ways and taught me a lot about his love. I thought I'd share it today.

                                                           A Parent's Prayer

"Oh heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Help me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to understand all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and ask them forgiveness, when I know that I have done wrong.

"May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment. Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal. So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

"Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things that they do. Give me a ready word for honest praise.

"Help me to treat my children as those of their own age, but let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adults. Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think, to choose, and to make their own decisions.

"Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction. May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable and have the courage always to withhold a privilege that I know will do them harm.

"Make me so fair and just, so considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children. Oh God, do give me calm and poise and self-control." (1987 Universal Press Syndicate)

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her..." ~King Lemuel

Choosing Life

"...But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living." ~Joshua

Here the conquerors of thirty kingdoms were living in houses they didn't build and eating food they didn't plant in a land that was handed to them and they were still wishy-washy about believing and serving the God that made it possible. They had watched the waters of the River part to let them pass and heard the roar as the rock-walls of Jericho tumbled before them and they were still tempted to run back to the worthless idols of those people. It's so easy for me to scoff and say I would never do that! It's so easy to see others through the lens of judgment without turning the magnifying glass on myself. "Choose for YOURSELVES..." I choose for myself every day who I will serve. Everyone does.

I'm ashamed to say that there have been days when serving the Lord has seemed undesirable to me. I've looked at the choice between serving Jesus, the gods of my forefathers or the gods of the country I live in and weighed the advantages of serving each. Every day I get up I have this choice to make. Every day is "this day". It's those days that serving the Lord seems undesirable that I go back and recount all the things that God has done for me. It is in the light of his love that this choice becomes ludicrous. Of course, I'll serve the Lord! Only in Jesus is there eternal life. Only through his Spirit is there sweet fellowship with others.

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did." ~Holy Spirit

    

No Welcome Mat

"Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached, me.'"

I've thought about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah quite a bit. I think it's because I live in the ring of fire and am surrounded by volcanoes. Anyway, I've noticed that people are quick to assume that judgment crashed down on them because of their homosexual tendencies. They forget that the law had not been written in Abraham and Lot's time. I read the story again in Genesis eighteen and nineteen with an eye on the outcry that went up to the Lord. I could only imagine the nightmare that some of those travelers encountered in those towns.

I can only imagine the rapes, robberies and violence that happened on the streets of a town that hunted down visitors at the homes of it's own neighbors. The outcry of the broken and young ascended to the throne in a rush of heartrending stories and cries for revenge that must have filled the Lord with pain. Lives forever torn and families crying out to God as the rippling effect of grievous sin spread through the land. The land had become a trap for travelers. A city of men that preyed on strangers and each other. Only one man was willing to stand between them and their prey and he was willing to toss out his two virgin daughters to the mob! Gee, thanks Dad!

Yes, the men of Sodom and Gomorrah were sexually immoral. Yes, they were violent and evil. But remember that everyone has sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They were judged for the way they treated others. They were destroyed because of the outcry of victims to a God who loves them.

"Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned." ~David

Sharing Seeds

"But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." ~Jeremiah

I've been there. The word of God has been on the tip of my tongue and the air almost pulsates with the power of the Spirit. My mind has screamed "DON'T SAY IT!" at about the same time the words come tumbling out my mouth.  The sword of the word once again separating my marrow from my bones. I think I got to the point of wanting to quench the Spirit that way because of what I perceived as unfavorable responses to the message contained in those seeds of wisdom.

I began to squirrel away those seeds and justified it by telling myself that I wasn't going to cast my pearls before swine anymore. I would just keep my mouth shut! It wasn't long before I realized it was hard to hold back. Impossible even. People needed to hear the good news whether they liked it or not. They needed to hear the truth that hurts as well as the truth that sets them free. I was only responsible for sharing, their reaction was their own responsibility. I'm weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." ~Luke

Believing the Basics

"I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?" ~Paul

I received the Spirit in an irrepressible rush. Some people are born again slowly and why not? Our physical births are all as different as our rebirths into eternity. However, I know I did not receive the Spirit by observing the law. I didn't even know all of the six-hundred and thirteen laws of the old Testament, let alone had never broken any!

When I began to read the Bible after I received the Spirit, it was clear that there was no way I hadn't done at least one of those things forbidden in the law and as for doing the "do's"? Yeah, right! I had never sacrificed a single lamb! I began to become critical of myself and scrutinized my life to find the "hidden sins" so I could make it up to God. What a waste of time. I found myself frustrated by my lack of self control and would try harder, to no avail. It wasn't long before I became myopic. My thoughts on the evil in my life nibbled away at the fruit of the Spirit. I had begun in the Spirit but was stumbling along by my own efforts.

It was then that the Spirit led me back to basics. How did you receive the Spirit? What did you hear that you believed? I received the Spirit by believing that what I heard about Jesus was true. He is the Lord and he came back to life, folded up the linen grave clothes, wiped off the myrrh and spices and walked out of the burial cave and went to find his friends!

"Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" ~Paul

Beans and Honey

"You gave them this land you had sworn to give their forefathers. a land flowing with milk and honey." ~Jeremiah

I was out harvesting my beans this morning and noticed that the zucchini are showing signs of not having been pollinated completely. A preoccupied honeybee buzzed from flower to flower like an important dignitary amongst the beans. He seemed almost pompously aware of his importance in the pollination process. Involuntarily, I told him to be careful and make sure to hit that big orange flower across the way a few times!   

My mind skipped merrily to a land flowing with milk and honey. The vegetation that must be present for the bees to produce honey and the necessary procedures and climate for cows to produce milk, led me down a path of thanksgiving. A land flowing with these food sources is rich indeed but only if food is valued as riches. 

Meandering through the blessings that pour forth in a land flowing with milk and honey, my mind was drawn to sunshine, water, and the smells of meadows and wildflowers. It settled in on the banks of the river of life and I was content to let the living water wash over me as I thanked the Lord for each delicious pod. How can I keep from singing the praises of God? I have been blessed with a land flowing with milk and honey. I'm rich!

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city." ~John 

Changing Names

"To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." ~Jesus

Yesterday, I heard a wonderful guest speaker give a sermon about Joshua and his life. One of the things that really struck me was the realization that Moses had given him his name. His original name was Hoshea when Moses sent him to spy out the land. The name means "Salvation" and I'm sure that he was more than happy to take up the nickname "Joshua" from the leader of the exodus out of Egypt.

Joshua. He probably mulled over that name for quite awhile, trying it on and adapting to the idea of being "God Saves" instead of "Salvation". It brought to mind the overcomers in Pergamum that Jesus promises a white stone with a new name. I've often wondered why a new secret name would be so important to someone.

I'd been chewing on this most the day when it occurred to me that a nickname is a sign of endearment. It's like my husband calling me a pet name that only he and I know. A symbol of intimacy. It also occurred to me that a new name would be priceless to someone whose own name had been dragged through the mud. Here's your white dog tag, so to speak. I can almost see the twinkle in his eyes as he watches them read that new secret name! How fun!

""He has a name written on him that no one but he himself knows." ~John

Flailing a Sword

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." ~Paul

I've always relished the visual of the word of God being a sword. My mind would traipse off into warrior-fantasy scenes worthy of comic book exclamations. WHOOSH! Off goes the head of the ugly troll with a verse from my memory! The heavy armor clanging as the hairy carcass goes rolling down the hill and I raise my sword in a grand display of victory! These gallops through battle would invariably include a soundtrack of thumping music and a premeditated lack of blood and other gooey things. Once my imagination was done with it's romp, I began to really meditate on words that were living, active, sharp and penetrating.

God's word has divided my soul and spirit. I have always had a soul but it wasn't until I met Jesus that my spirit was born. I was born again into his family. It wasn't until the fire of the Holy Spirit coursed through my life that I even became aware of the thoughts and attitudes of my heart. I realized that a sword as powerful as the word of God needed to be treated with respect. I needed to learn to use it just as I would need to train with a real double-edged sword. It has to be handled correctly to be effective in my life. I asked God himself to teach me and delved into the book!

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands." ~David  Flailing

Blessings Not Curses

To the woman God said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

In the past, I read this verse as a curse. My view slowly shifted when I zoomed out to a bigger picture. God was not cursing the woman, he was setting in motion a chain of responsibility reactions that would ultimately protect the earth and every thing on it. My thoughts twisted to how many people would be clawing at the ground for food if childbearing wasn't painful. How cheapened life would be and how fast the limited resources would be consumed if we could pop out litters. I shudder to think how fast society would have caved in on itself. The pain became preserving salt that slowed the decay of civilization.

As a woman, my desire is for my husband. God didn't really need to tell me that, I know that instinctively. Although, it never hurts to be reminded. But it's those five pesky words after that that I've had to wrestle with, "he will rule over you". The idea of my husband "ruling" over me pricked like a thorn. Again, a shift of thought was brought on. I zoomed in, back to my life and away from the "mankind" point of view.

God doesn't really care how I "feel" about submitting to my husband. He didn't ask me to let my husband rule over me. God told me that my husband would rule over me just as surely as my desire would be for him. He did this to protect me. My husband sees and responds to the world in a whole different way than I do. Men are completely different creations than women. He protects me when I let him and as a team, we face life. He rules over me with love and that type of man is easy to submit to.

"For your Maker is your husband- the Lord Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth."   ~Isaiah

Foreign Fatherhood

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." ~David


Every child born is a peek into the heart of God. I can remember being pregnant and watching my midsection tousle around like a hyperactive organ and being saddened by the thought that the minute my child enters the world, the letting go begins. I was acutely aware that I would never be as close to my babies as I was when they were little mysteries growing inside of me. Being a mother taught me a lot about love and letting go but I think that the most important lesson it taught me was not about motherhood but about fatherhood. 

Fatherhood will always be foreign to me. Anything that is not female is outside my sphere of possible experiences; Therefore, I watched my children's father and his relationship with our children closely. I wanted to see how a father's love is different from mine in order to better understand God's love for me. He was so kind to them yet firm. He was so much stronger than they were yet he remembered that they were much smaller and needed special gentleness. He knew their strengths and protected their weaknesses. He loved them in the way that only another father can truly understand. I'm grateful that God revealed himself to me through my husband in such a profound way.

"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." ~Jesus

    

Smashing An Idol

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. this too is meaningless." ~Solomon

Money. The love of it permeates our society like a metastasizing cancer. It has become an idol of gruesome proportion in our world today. Lives are consumed by it and creativity is enslaved by it. Otherwise, honest people are tempted by it and its virtues are hurled at children with every red "SALE" sign flashed before us. Money is the very seed of discontent which sprouts into crippling covetousness. Our prayers become a Christmas list for the lap of Santa instead of a conversation with a living God. "Oh Lord, won't you buy me..." is sung in stinging mockery.   

Nothing quenches the fire of the Holy Spirit in me as quickly as the allure of more money. It's a trap that lies open before me all day long. It steals my thoughts and consumes my attention like a black hole. How foolish to waste time thinking about what I would do with lottery winnings when I'm not budgeting out the little that HAS been given to me. How impossible to be content with what I have when I'm bombarded by the things I could have if only I'd work harder, commit more time or "invest" in tickets and coupons. Slipping down the path that leads away from abundant everyday living and onto the imaginary road of the "if-onlys". I have noticed that the elusive carrot dangling in front of me changes with circumstances and is always replaced by another once it's obtained. A chasing after the wind. Lord, help me to redirect my focus and live and give instead of wish and mope! Help me to take pleasure in taking care of what I do have and not pine away for more things that will take my attention away from the true riches of life! 

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint." ~Solomon

Catering Respect

"A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth." ~Solomon

A vision of Abigail working away in the kitchen of Nabal's house came to mind this morning when I read this verse. I can almost hear the conversation between her and the servant about her husband hurling insults at David's men. I can feel the tension stirring in her as she wrestled with what needed to be done. (Samuel's first book, chapter 25- Great story...)

Abigail lost no time and gathered together what I'm sure must have been months in the making. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five bushels of roasted grain, a hundred raisin cakes and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, loaded it onto a caravan of donkeys, and sent it off with servants. Then she prepared herself and followed after the food to plead for the lives of her family, friends and servants. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't have that kind of food just sitting around!

Abigail catered two parties that night. At one she saved the lives of all that were present at the other completely unbeknownst to them. All the servants knew though and I'm certain they loved her for it. What an amazing woman.

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." ~David 

 

Joy in Cleaning

"I am going to prepare a place for you." ~Jesus

I'm having out-of-state company fly in today. I'm so excited I can't sit still! I can't wait to wrap my arms around this woman that I've known since kindergarten. It's been almost twenty years since I've hugged her. We have been in contact via cards, letters and e-mails and prayed for each other through tough times in both our lives, but to clasp hands and rejoice together brings the physical and spiritual into one. Wherever two are more are gathered in Jesus, there he is. When she e-mailed me that she was going to come, I immediately set about preparing a place for her.

I started with where she was going to sleep and it turned into major Spring cleaning of the house, boat and car. Suddenly, the work was no longer a chore. I was so looking forward to seeing my friend that it became a joy. It makes me think of Jesus preparing a place for me and saying, "Marie is going to love this!"

"He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." ~Jesus

Comforting Reports

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."

While John's disciples were packing up to go back to the prison with news for him, I'm certain they were listening very closely to what Jesus had to say concerning him. Jesus asks the crowd three times: What did you go out in the desert to see? Three times. Then he answers himself and calls John "The Elijah who was to come". I can imagine the stories that were relived by each of these men as they made the hike back to report what they had heard and seen to their friend.

I like to imagine the joy that must have ignited in John when they whispered stories of healing and snatches of parables through prison bars to him. I can imagine the excitement that came with hearing the testimonies of each individual, the gentle turning of souls to God and a spiritual feast for a weary and imprisoned prophet.

"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." ~Jesus