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