Believe.

I originally shared this post in early December 2011,

and repost today for your edification as Advent 2018 begins.

'Tis the season!  Stockings are hung, halls are decked, carols are playing (everywhere you go!)  It is a season of wonder, of joy, of hope, of delight.  And according to Macy's we should Believe.

Believe what?

Yes, surely it has something to do with the fun of Santa Claus making his yearly appearance (without being seen!) in the homes of those with little ones.  But for Christians, people often referred to as "believers," that word and this season offer so much more.

These weeks leading up to Christmas are a time of wonder, joy, hope, and delight because we believe not in one we outgrow, but rather in One who is eternal, all-knowing, ever-present, and Almighty.  The One who came on that first lonely Christmas night so many years ago.

Emmanuel.  God with us.

Jesus.  The Lord saves.

Christmas is no blip on the screens of our lives, to be momentarily enjoyed and immediately forgotten.  Christmas is, rather, a major "we interrupt this program" service announcement than changed the course of human history.  God, set in motion events that would bring real justice and real peace between man and Himself.  Christmas looks toward Easter and points to eternity.

For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Believe.


Our culture invites us to believe in something during this magical season, but offers no real consensus on what.  And it leaves most of us disappointed on Dec. 26 when the fun ends, the decorations are down, the gifts are opened, and the parties are over.

But God invites us to  believe in Him, the only wise God who offers a living hope, a new life, the true light that is the light of men and does not fade when the bright decorations come down.

Christmas is an invitation to believe.

Thanks for the reminder, Macy's!

Do you believe?

Will you believe?

St. John does not include the Christmas story in his gospel account; he zooms out to the bigger picture, looking from eternity past into eternity future:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”  From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

God has made Himself known in Jesus. (Whoa!)

All the longings of creation are met in Him.

The waiting is over;

the kingdom is near;

repent and believe the good news!

It's February 1, How Are You Doing?

*This is a repost from two years ago.  I just updated the list for this January.

January is over.  The first month of the new year, with all of it's fresh hope for change and new commitments, has come to a close.  Did you make resolutions?  How are you doing?

From articles I've seen online and chatter with friends, most don't even make it through January without at least one slip-up.  So February 1st offers an opportunity to re-up, buckle down, put your chin up and show your goals who's boss.

Then March first will come.  And where will you be?

I don't want to be depressing.  I think setting goals and making plans are wonderful! (I can be described as Type-A. Ahem.  A little.)  But often our resolutions seem so unforgiving when we don't achieve as we hope, mocking us as we enter week two of the new year and we've already failed.  For example, every semester of college I swore I would stay on top of my class readings.  By the end of the first week, I was already behind.  Every semester!  And I've exercised twice in the last 31 days; a 6% achievement rate.  Nice, Heather.  Real nice.

One option to "fight the failure" is not to make any resolutions at all.  Don't have expectations, and you can't be disappointed, right?  That's just not healthy.

So this morning, I had a new thought based on some verses that we can make into an equation:

If, God is Love.  (I John 4:16)

And, Love never fails.  (I Corinthians 13:8)

Then, God never fails.

Taking that equation, think back over the month of January.  How has God not failed you?  Or, in the positive, how has He proven Himself faithful?

Takes a lot of pressure off, doesn't it?  God is active in our lives, and we can look back to see how He has protected, guided, forgiven, sustained, helped, and loved us.  Then it's not so much about us and our achievements, but God and His working mightily in our lives.  Praise is given where praise is due.

Here are some ways God was faithful in my life in January:

• We were not sick for the entire month!
• Using that husband of mine to encourage and direct me.
• Restoring my pre-pregnancy energy.  (2012 had it's ups and downs.)
• Brian has showed some amazing growth in maturity of late.
• I've been offered an opportunity to speak at our annual women's event in April.
• New Christian neighbors, right across the street!
• Providing time and giving me no excuses about opening up our home in hospitality.
• My heart is starting to rest more in the freedom of Christ, so January has been hopeful, joyful, and, well, fun!

To name a few.

Would you take a few moments today to think about how God never failed you in January, and give Him thanks?  Maybe share a few things in the comments!

And let's anticipate God's faithfulness in the month of February!

Psalm 65

Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
   to you our vows will be fulfilled.
O you who hear prayer,
   to you all men will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
   you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose
   and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
   of your holy temple.


 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
   O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
   having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
   the roaring of their waves,
   and the turmoil of the nations.
Those living far away fear your wonders;
   where morning dawns and evening fades
   you call forth songs of joy.


You care for the land and water it;
   you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
   to provide the people with grain,
   for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows
   and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
   and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty, 
   and your carts overflow with abundance. 
The grasslands of the desert overflow;
   the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
   and the valleys are mantled with grain;
   they shout for joy and sing.

May the day run out before you run out of words of thanks to God the Great Giver!

(Hopefully this psalm will get you off to a good start.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Since You Can Already Buy Christmas Decorations ...

*I posted this last year about this time; I want you to have time to get the book before advent (which begins on November 27.  I've read it over the last couple of Decembers; excellent for Christmas heart-preparation!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Advent begins in just a few Sundays, Nov 27. Advent: the season where we remember the waiting for the long-expected Messiah, the many promises of God, the cries of the hearts of His people.

Then, Christmas Eve we celebrate the arrival of that promised Savior, THE King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Okay, now I am getting excited about Christmas and will henceforth quit my complaining when I hear the carols in the stores. Here's my book recommendation to prepare your hearts through the Advent season: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ed. Nancy Guthrie, a collection of readings by a collection of well-known Christian theologians, preachers, teachers & speakers.

My pastor recommended this when I was seeking some Advent "enrichment" last year. You will not be disappointed if you get your hands on this book! (There's plenty of time to order before November 27th.)

How the people of God waited for their Messiah! How he challenged their expectations!! How he changed so many lives!!!

May the Scriptures and these reflections do the same for us as we approach Christmas Eve. Jesus is the reason for the season, let's not lose Him in the lights, the gifts, the festivities, or even the religious traditions.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

Day 23: A Sabbath Psalm

Psalm 92

    A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

 ¹ It is good to praise the LORD
   and make music to your name, O Most High,
² to proclaim your love in the morning
   and your faithfulness at night,
³ to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
   and the melody of the harp.

 ⁴ For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; 

   I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
⁵ How great are your works, O LORD,
   how profound your thoughts!
⁶ The senseless man does not know,
   fools do not understand,
⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
   and all evildoers flourish,
they will be forever destroyed.

 ⁸ But you, O LORD, are exalted forever.

 ⁹ For surely your enemies, O LORD,
   surely your enemies will perish;
   all evildoers will be scattered.
¹⁰ You have exalted my horn^[a] like that of a wild ox;
   fine oils have been poured upon me.
¹¹ My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
   my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

 ¹² The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, 

   they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the LORD,
   they will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They will still bear fruit in old age,
   they will stay fresh and green,
¹⁵ proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
   he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 92:10 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Day 5: Growth Through Death

Yesterday, we parted with the image of a baby and the idea that we all expect babies to grow into adults, drawing the spiritual growth analogy that when we are reborn into God's family, it is anticipated that we'll mature in the faith.

I've got one word to name that process:  DEATH.

Doesn't make much sense or sound real comforting, does it?  What could death possibly have to do with spiritual growth and maturity - the things of LIFE?

Another word for you:  EVERYTHING!

To make any progress in trusting the Lord, loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves (the things that we're called to as Christians), little by little parts of us need to die.  For you see, while Christ has rescued us and the price for our sin has been paid, we still live this side of heaven.  Paul explains our dilemma of living in the "now but not yet" epoch quite well:

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against he law of my mind and making me prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  Romans 7: 21-23

Our minds may know very well what we should do.  Yet we often find ourselves in that battle - in modern imagery, the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other - don't we?

The Apostle Paul did.

I do.  (Much more frequently than I'd like to admit.)

But believe it or not, this is how we grow.  We find ourselves in these situations where we'd much rather choose the self-honoring option than the God-honoring one, and God the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us because we've placed our faith in Christ, enables us to put a knife through the heart of the selfish desire and turn in trust to put our foot on God's path.

A part of us is now dead or dying.

But another part, a greater part, is now full of life!

The C.S. Lewis quote that motivated this series reads:

When [God] talks of [Christians] losing theirselves, He only means abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back their personality and boasts (I'm afraid, sincerely)that when they are wholly His, they will be more themselves than ever.

"Abandoning the clamour of self will" is Lewis' way of talking of dying to self.  Jesus said it like this:

If anyone would follow me, he must deny himself and take u his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul? Luke 9:23-25 

As we die, we find life - the life we're really looking for - and we become more ourselves than we ever thought we could be.  Our Creator has our best interest at heart; He made us and knows the way to make us tick just right.  It is good!  As we share in Christ's sufferings, we move steadily toward His glory.

A word of encouragement: THIS IS A PROCESS.  (Theologians call this sanctification, the process of becoming holy.)  All of the days of our pre-heaven life will be days we can die a little more and grow a little more.  Jesus knows exactly where we are and where He wants to take us.  We'll grow through our pursuit of Him and the experiences and trials that He allows life to throw our way.  Applying ourselves to getting to know God through His Word & prayer and with His people teaches us the Way and aids our understanding of it.  Living out the Christian life day by day allows us the privilege and challenge of practicing clinging to the Truth and dying to self.

*     *     *

My hope over the coming weeks is to write about sins in us that need to be put to death and the fruit of the Spirit that can grow in those spaces, using stories from my own life as illustrations.  Would you pray for my writing this month?  I want to keep up and finish well.  I want to honor God and spur you on in His direction.     In such endeavors to be faithful, often the battle intensifies.

Paul concludes Romans 7, just after the verses quoted above:

What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Romans 7:24-25

Soli Deo gloria

Day 4: How Rebirth Addresses "The Problem" (But It's Only the Beginning!)

If this is your first day joining me for 31 Days of "Becoming More Yourself Than Ever," please scroll down to catch up on the previous posts.  In this post, to avoid too many reader-burdensome references, I've linked to verses; click on the colored words or phrases for Bible references.

In the previous post, I mentioned a couple of times that

there is something wrong with our hearts.

The Bible traces this problem all the way back to Genesis chapter 3, when man first took his eyes off of his Creator and looked to something else [that lovely, desirable fruit] for fulfillment.  Since then, all men have been born into this condition of wanting to be their own god and pursue their own desires.  The Bible calls this root problem sin, the sin condition. It's in our DNA.

THAT is what is wrong with our hearts.

Rather than letting God be God, we struggle and fight and wrestle to keep His status for ourselves.  We need an intervention.

We need an intervention to see that there's any problem at all.
We need an intervention to fix the problem, turning our eyes back to God.
We need an intervention to make any progress back toward Him.

We need to be set free!

As early as the end of Genesis chapter 3, we hear that one will come who will defeat the serpent (Satan).  Through the rest of the Old Testament, we hear the story of God continuing to interact with His creation and His people - even calling a specific people, Israel, to be His people as a prototype of what will come when the Rescue Plan begins and a sin-solution is brought once and for all.

The Rescue Plan's name is Jesus.  The Bible tells us that He is God - of the same form and substance, begotten not made - and that the only way for us to get back to relating to God personally was for God Himself to die for the sin.  The sinLESS needed to be the sin BEARER to save the sinFUL.

Jesus bore the punishment for sin on the cross on that very first Good Friday.

When He breathed his last, a curtain was torn in two between the world and the Holy of Holies where God had dwelt.  People were now FREE to come into God's presence through faith that Jesus (the sinless) took care of the sin condition by taking the punishment that was rightfully the sinner's.  Jesus is now the mediator.  No more sacrifices and bloodshed.  IT IS FINISHED!

Then, God rose Jesus from the dead!

Not only was sin taken care of, but new life was offered!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Placing one's faith in Jesus - believing that His death satisfies God's wrath against sin and we will never need to be punished for our sin, because Jesus took it upon Himself - THAT is rebirth.  THAT's the new beginning.  THAT is the solution to what is wrong with our hearts.

Theologians call this Justification by faith - when you believe, a legal declaration is made by God that YOU ARE CLEAN because of JESUS' work.

But did you know that God is in the business of calling people?  Not just to into freedom from sin, but into a whole new life?

For of course, when a baby is born, he continues to grow and change.  He's expected to - supposed to - grow into the adult version of himself.  It is the same for the Christian.  Once we grab onto Christ's and are reborn through faith, we've only just gotten started.

We'll be talking about growing over the rest of the month.

The stage is now set.

Get ready for the ride!

(And praise God that He goes with us wherever we go!!)

The Greatest Commandment, the Second like it, and Your To-Do List

I love, love, love writing lists!  There are usually three or four - in my horrid handwriting - strewn across the kitchen table, several hanging on the cork board on the wall, a few actually typed into computer documents - like ideas for Christmas or birthday gifts I don't want to forget when the time comes.

Lists.

I love 'em!

A list can be a blessing or and a curse.  They are a blessing, helping me not to forget important things that need to be done or tended to.  They are a curse, reminding me of all I'm not accomplishing ...  sometimes turning me into a get-it-done beast, focused only on her own agenda and plan.

This coming weekend I have the privilege of being with a group of women from my friend's church in the DC area, who have invited me to come share the talks that I gave last Spring at the Women's Retreat in Boston.  The topic is service, specifically looking at the Servant Jesus as our Savior, Example, and the One who Empowers and Equips us to service.  In said talks, I define service using the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22:

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This got me thinking the other morning about my attitude toward my to-do list.  Really, a list is a wonderful thing, aiding focus, helping us to remember, and Oh! the satisfaction of crossing something off the list ... ah, the sense of accomplishment!!!  (mental image:  Heather twirling in delight, clutching her completed list to her heart.)

But I digress.  Sorry about that.  Let me pull myself together here...  Okay, ready.

What occurred to me was something like this.  What if each task on my list began with this phrase:  Love God and love my neighbor as I ... ?  So the list is transformed from:

• meals and grocery list
• grocery shopping
• organize materials for science projects
• prepare dinner for community group
• iron
• call Gram

to something more like this:

• love God and love my neighbor in writing my weekly meals and grocery list
• love God and love my neighbor while grocery shopping
• love God and love my neighbor while organizing the science stuff
• love God and love my neighbor while preparing dinner for community group
• love God and love my neighbor while ironing
• love God and love my neighbor when calling Gram

Puts a whole new spin on it, doesn't it?  Suddenly those talks are taken from the temporal to the eternal.  No longer is the purpose simply checking the item off the list, rather it's infusing the tasks with greater importance and weight that we've ever given them.

SooooOOOOoooo, how long is your list?

How many opportunities does God give us each day to love Him with all our heart, soul, and minds, and love our neighbor as we do ourselves in the midst of them?

For example, if my goal is not simply to cross "school" off the list each day, but rather to honor God and my children through it, then I can be patient with Elizabeth's questions, take the time to come up with activities to do with Brian while Elizabeth is working independently, not fret when we have to change the schedule because something took longer than expected, and take interruptions in stride.  I am prompted to think more about the tone I use, the effort I put in, the fruit of the Spirit God wants to grow in my heart.

Take a look at your list(s), and may God use even those tasks to work out His purposes in your heart and mind as you seek to love Him with all your being and to love your neighbor as yourself this week, and next week, and the week after that, and ... .

Have a great week!

First Day, God's Way!

It's the first day of school for our family today!  Lessons are prepared, routines and schedules posted on the fridge, pencils sharpened, hopes for success and fun in learning are high.

Yesterday we celebrated the end of summer by going mini golfing.  On our way, though, we were rear ended and had to postpone for just a bit to get the claim submitted to the insurance and talk with the midwife-on-call to make sure I didn't need to head to the ER.

Life never goes exactly how we plan, does it?  Seems like there's always on interruption or another, now matter how well we line up our little ducks in rows.

Reminds me of this verse:

Many are the plans in a man's heart,

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

As the fall has or is cranking up for you, perhaps you too have goals for your family, home, work, etc.  I LOVE new beginnings and the "fresh start" feeling that comes with them.  But I can quickly get wedded to my plans and frustrated when they're not going "my way."  God's Word in those times doesn't tell us to stop planning or setting goals (there are a lot of Proverbs about living wisely, tending to your business diligently, and not being lazy), but it does remind us WHO is ultimately in control.

For some reason, God saw fit to add into our first day of school a trip to the shop with the car, to the rental agency for a substitute vehicle, and to the midwife to hear the baby's heartbeat and maybe get my Rogham shot earlier than expected.  And we'll also have two phone interruptions so I can tell State Farm and Nationwide my side of the accident story for the insurance claim.

I had such a lovely, neat, little schedule planned for our first day, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Perhaps you too find your life inconveniently interrupted today.  What a great opportunity to pause and remember that the Lord has plans for you far better than your own.  He's working on us, disciplining us, that we may share in His holiness, friends!  That is good news ... and it can get us through life's bumps with a whole lot of grace and growth.

Have a good Monday, whatever it may bring!

Lay Your Letters Out Before the Lord

I'm so thankful that just as I was starting to disengage with II Kings, I got to King Hezekiah's story.

Hezekiah overlapped with Isaiah.  (I don't totally get how the Old Testament fits together, but I am learning and taking you with me!)  So, after all the taunting from that jerk, Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, Hezekiah, King of Judah, turns to God - in sackcloth, of course - and sends some men to inquire of Isaiah.

Isaiah's got good news for King Hezekiah and bad for King Sennacherib.

But Sennacherib doesn't know that yet and sends messengers again with an intimidating letter for King Hezekiah.  Here's what the Scriptures say that Hezekiah did:

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it.  Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord.  II Kings 19:14-15a

What jumped out at me, is Hezekiah's physical act of taking the blasphemous, boastful letter and spreading it out before the Lord.  Like he was saying, "Okay, Lord, here's our problem.  What are you going to do about it?" (In a trusting, not confrontational, way.)

What do you do when you receive bad news or feel convicted, insecure, scared, intimidated?  Do you spread said concern before the Lord?

I often don't.

I worry.

I wring my hands.

I fear.

I get angry

I try to figure out how to fix it.

I feel guilty.

THEN, I might finally get around to meeting with God about it.

What a waste of time mucking around in disobedience and faithlessness (which, incidentally, are the same thing.)

Perhaps you do not have this problem, of leaning on yourself rather than on God the Father, Son, and Spirit.  But if you are like me, would you join me today in spreading your "letters" out before the Lord?

Let's see how God meets us in our distress and delivers us from the evil one!

Don't Answer the Enemies

I love new beginnings.  Wrapping up the school year and entering summer, setting some goals and making plans to be more prepared for the fall, tickles my fancy.  But even as God guides us in our planning and dreaming, how quickly the plan can become the idol, fears of failure to meet deadlines (even personal ones) and make progress screaming loudly through the contentment and peace God has brought as we've sought him to direct our paths.

It's a battle isn't it?  This walk of faith.

As I awoke this morning, I knew I needed to meet with the Lord.  Not just show up for my quiet time, say some  "proper" words of thanksgiving and un-heartfelt confessions and praise, and then read my "assigned" passages.  I needed to commune with my God.  Often I find it difficult to wake myself up enough to even know what's going on in my heart in the morning.  He prepared me last night by making me a little too uncomfortable with my own self focus, instilling a craving for some forgiveness and restoration, and woke me a little earlier than usual so I could meet with Him.

And how God wove His word together this morning!  I'm at the point in the Old Testament where Assyria comes to take over Israel (II Kings 17) and sends them into exile, all according to God's plan.  His people have not been worshiping Him rightly for a LONG time.  The nasty King of Assyria takes care of Israel and moves on to challenge the King of Judah, Hezekiah, who actually trusts God, has torn down the high places and Asherah poles - false, idolatrous places of worship.  Hezekiah is leading Judah toward God.  It's really a point of hope after reading about so many kings who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

The King of Assyria sends a messenger to challenge Judah with these words, II Kings 18:28-36:

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!  This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand.   Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig-tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! 

"Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'  Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand?  Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"

But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."

Is this not exactly how the evil one tempts us to despair, to doubt, to fear, to unbelief?  How reminiscent of Satan's temptation to Eve in the garden?  How often my own heart asks, 'Can God really get me out of this mess?'

After a little pondering of these lies my heart too often believes, my readings took me to Psalm 139: God knows when we sit and when we rise, our going and coming; He hems us in before and behind; He knit us together and knows the number of days ordained for us.  Oh, our God knows what's going on with His people!  The taunts of too-proud kings of pagan lands or Satan from his den of folly are real, yes, but how silly they seem when we stop and remember our Lord.

The one who knows us, knit us, keeps us.

I don't know the fears, doubts, and trials that are threatening to undo you today.  But as Hezekiah directed his people, do not answer them.  Rather, lift your eyes and your heart up to the Lord.  Pray as David:

Search me 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.

Psalm 139:23-24

God will meet you.  He will hem you in.

Psalm 126:3

The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

As you worship this morning in song, praise, confession, supplication, communion, listening, learning, and remembering,

may God fill you to the top with joy.

Have a blessed Sunday.

They Key is in the Foundation

A Mary Kay consultant once told me, "Foundation is skin care."  She meant, it should be included as part of the process of caring for your skin, as much as cleanser and lotion.

Sadly, I've never gotten into the habit of daily foundation wearing.

When I think about strong Christians who have weathered storms I can't imagine enduring and who are often so full of joy, I wonder: what's their secret?  A couple of readings last week highlighted the answer to that question.  Their secret is in their foundation.  Two passages from Scripture:

I Samuel 1-5: Eli, a priest of God, who ministered to Hannah when she cried out to God for a son and who subsequently raised her miracle, answer-to-prayer son, Samuel, had a pair of despicable sons.  As a result of their behavior and his unwillingness to reign them in, God gave Samuel a word for Eli concerning his terrible future fate.  After hearing the prophesy, Eli says, "He is the LORD; let Him do what is good in His eyes."

It's terrible news: his sons will die; he will die.  Yet Eli submits to the plan.  He knows something about God: He is the LORD.

Eli lets God be God, even when the news is not good for him.

A second passage: Psalm 112:1, 6-8

Praise the Lord. 

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
   who finds great delight in his commands. 

Surely he will never be shaken;
   a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news;
   his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
   in the end he will look on triumph on his foes.

The man who fears the LORD is unshakable, steadfast, secure.  Whatever the news, whatever life throws his way, he need not fear, tremble, or worry.  The secret?  His foundation.

Said foundation is built on solid rock, the sold rock of God Himself.  Yes, God is God, and He may do as He pleases.  That can sound so ominous.  Curiously, one thing that pleases Him is calling people to be His own: people like Israel who he rescued not because of their righteousness (Deut 9:6) but for His purposes, and people like you and me who He redeemed at just the right time ... while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:5, 6)  We can trust Him because He has proven Himself faithful over and over.  Jesus submitted to death on a cross: death has died, life has come, all things are being made new.

How firm a foundation!

We must begin on and maintain this foundation.  Our faith depends on it, as skin is protected by liquid foundation!

I've been feeling blown about, lately, inside and out.  How sustaining to remember on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!  God will do what is good in His eyes, and the more we believe that and trust Him, the less we will be shaken when life's winds blow.

And they will blow.  But,

The LORD is my light and my salvation.

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of m life --

of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

The Nations

This morning my Bible reading included Revelation 21 and Psalm 117.  I was struck by the word nations in each reading.

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol Him, all you peoples.

For great is His love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures

forever.

Praise the Lord.

Revelation 21:23-26

The city [speaking of the New Jerusalem] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.  On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.  The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

Early in Scripture we learn that God's promise is not only for Abraham's line, but for all the nations and peoples of the earth.  The verses above remind me that there are beautiful and glorious things in all cultures throughout the earth that honor God and reflect a little of who He is.  Around the world today, His people gather to worship.  What a day it will be when we are all gathered TOGETHER before the throne of the Lamb, in the New Jerusalem, worshiping rightly and in unison!

Have a blessed Sunday, friends, wherever you find yourself in the world today.

Let's worship and bow down!

Holy Week

This week sneaked up on me.  Holy Week.  A week to remember the via dolorosa walked by our Lord as he moved toward fulfilling His mission, in love and obedience to the Father.  Years ago I was struck by the verse early in Matthew - our pastor was preaching through the book - when the angel says to Joseph, you will give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

Jesus came to die.

And I as I mentioned to the ladies at the retreat last weekend, not only did He come to die, but He chose to.  It's almost too wonderful for words.

I was wondering what we could do this week in our home to (at the very least) acknowledge that it's a special week for followers of Jesus.  I found these readings online; they're all from the book of Hebrews. Just last week I finished up reading through Hebrews and I'm excited to have another reason to be in it.  Good stuff, friends.  Oh what Christ has done!  How faithful is our God!

Have a blessed week!  May God allow you moments of reflection on His love and faithfulness and opportunities to repent and believe you are forgiven and called from darkness into light, even in the midst of your day-to-day duties at home and work and play.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death -

even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:8   

Psalm 104:1-4

Praise the LORD, O my soul.
   O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendour and majesty.
  He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent
   and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
    He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

Have a blessed Sunday! 

Psalm 86: a Prayer of David*

¹ Hear me, LORD, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy.
² Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; ³ have mercy on me, Lord,
   for I call to you all day long.
⁴ Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
   for I put my trust in you.

 ⁵ You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
   abounding in love to all who call to you. 
⁶ Hear my prayer, LORD;
   listen to my cry for mercy.
⁷ When I am in distress, I call to you,
   because you answer me.

 ⁸ Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
   no deeds can compare with yours. 
⁹ All the nations you have made
   will come and worship before you, Lord;
   they will bring glory to your name.
¹⁰ For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
   you alone are God.

 ¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD,
   that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
   that I may fear your name.
¹² I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
   I will glorify your name forever.
¹³ For great is your love toward me; 
   you have delivered me from the depths,
   from the realm of the dead.

 ¹⁴ Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
   ruthless people are trying to kill me—
   they have no regard for you.
¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
   slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 
¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me;
   show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
   just as my mother did.
¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness,
   that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
   for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

*There's so much here, I've bolded what the Psalm tells us about who God is.  You could also make a list of what we see about what God has done and/or the things David feels confident he can ask God for.  Then think about how it applies to you!  A little inductive Bible study to start the day.

For Wives

Proverbs has a few things to say about wives, vivid descriptions of how we can be a terror for our husbands or bring them great blessing.  I want to do the latter, but it does not come naturally.  

Remembering these words of Scripture, however, can guide us in our interactions with our husbands.  (After all, who wants to be described as decay in her husband's bones, a constant dripping, quarrelsome, ill-tempered?  And we certainly don't want our husbands to feel like they'd rather live up on the roof or in a desert!)

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

12:4

A foolish son is a father's ruin

and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

19:13

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

21:9

Better to live in a dessert

than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

21:19

Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

25:24

A quarrelsome wife is like

a constant dripping on a rainy day;

restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

27:15

The point, however, is not having a good reputation or even being able to check "be good wife" off our to do list.  It's about loving God and loving our husbands.  Proverbs also says these things:

He who finds a wife finds what is good

and receives favor from the Lord.

18:22

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

19:14

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

she brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

31:10

We are in relationship with our husbands; we've been given to them by the Lord!  How, then, can we honor God in that relationship?  As we spend time in the Word and prayer, as the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin against our husbands, as we draw nearer to them in intimacy, we will bring more good and less harm to our husbands.  As I said above, it's not about us, it's about God.  Are you honoring God in your marriage?

I don't always.

But God is a redeemer and a life-changer.  As we cling to Him, pray for our own hearts to change, pray for the good of our husbands (not that they would be changed, but that God would bless them*), and choose to do good to them, whether or not it is returned.  Things WILL happen; God will do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine.

Go, then.  Put yourself aside and be a blessing to your husband today!  Do something for him, just because you love the Lord and want to obey Him in this role He's given you.

Some suggestions to get your mind churning:

• a surprise love note in his lunch or briefcase/backpack
• making a favorite dinner
• getting a sitter and planning an unexpected date
• visiting him at work with a coffee or other favorite drink
• doing the taxes or some other task you know he hates
• give him some "time off" to hang with the guys or rest
• refuse to nag him today about "that thing" he's not done yet
• pray for his day at work, that God would prosper and defend him

I'd love to hear about what you decide to do!

*Stormie Omartian in the first chapter of Power of the Praying Wife says our prayer needs to be these three words:  Lord, change me.  Not, Lord, change him.  Good book, by the way, if you're wondering how to pray for your man.