Yesterday was the day to go over the river and through the woods to the rheumatologist's office. That meant driving over to Kingsport, TN, a drive which takes about an hour and fifteen or twenty minutes. Usually. I allow myself about two hours to make the trip. Just in case. And yesterday that was a good thing.
I was about ten miles from home when I encountered a sign telling me that a bridge was out several miles up the road. I should have taken the only turn available to me at that point, but I didn't. Since there was no orange sign indicating a detour, I continued on, expecting to see a detour sign along the way. Silly me. There was no such sign, and eventually I came to a barricade across the road which allowed me to go no further. I turned my car around in the middle of this narrow mountain road and started back in the direction from which I had come. I eventually came to a road that allowed me to turn in the right direction, or what I thought was the right direction. In the middle of the mountains it's sometimes hard to tell. But I thought I had traveled this particular road before, so I went that way, all the while listening to that annoying GPS voice "recalculating."
It took much longer than I had expected to get back to any place remotely familiar to me. I was very glad I had allowed that extra time since the time now indicated on my GPS as my arrival time was much too close to my scheduled appointment time for my comfort. I was really beginning to stress about this whole experience, and that made me wonder just what my blood pressure reading would be by the time I arrived at the doctor's office. I'm happy to report it was a very calm 120/70!
The good news from this whole adventure is that eventually I got to a familiar road and continued on my journey to Kingsport. I arrived at the doctor's office in plenty of time. And I traveled back home by a different road, avoiding detours altogether.
My detour led me to one of several discoveries yesterday. I traveled along a beautiful mountain road, and the bounty of blackberry blossoms I saw leads me to the conclusion that there will be an abundant blackberry harvest this summer! That makes me very happy, since I love blackberries! I would have loved to stop and get some photos of the beauty I saw along the way, but stopping the car to take pictures in the middle of a narrow, winding mountain road was probably not a particularly safe option, so the picture-taking will have to wait until another day.
I also discovered yesterday that there are some really kind and helpful people in this world. The young man who served me my lunch at the Cracker Barrel. The nurse who took care of me in the doctor's office. The elderly woman I chatted with while we were both waiting our turn to have our blood drawn. These encounters were grace gifts in my day.
But I also discovered that there are a lot of grumpy, unhappy, joy-less people in this world. I encountered a number of them yesterday. At Walmart. At the gas station. Along the highway. People cutting people off on the road. People using interesting hand signals (!!). Frowning people. Unfriendly people. People who seem terribly miserable.
How sad to be going through life with no joy. Never smiling. Just cranky and miserable.
Those people need a smile. Maybe I'll just give them one of mine! And maybe you can do the same for the cranky people you encounter.
"A joyful heart is good medicine." (Proverbs 17:22a ESV)
Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
An Explosion Is Coming!
My head and heart may explode! Not literally, of course, but it does sort of feel that way.
At our church over the last several months, we have all been studying through the entire Bible, using The Story as our guide. If you aren't familiar with The Story, it's the entire Bible written as a story, putting all the major events in chronological order. This has been a fascinating journey of discovery. I have loved seeing people get the people and places and events of the Bible deeper into their hearts, and get a deeper understanding of God's plan for mankind from beginning to end.
This week we come to the end of our journey. Actually, the rest of the church finished up The Story last week, but in our class we devoted two Sundays to missions, rather than the one Sunday the rest of the church did, so we're a week behind everybody else. And since this is the end of the book, you can guess what we will be studying this week. Yes, this week's lesson is Revelation. As in, the entire book of Revelation. Not a chapter or even two or three. The entire book! And guess whose Sunday it is to teach the lesson!
Which brings me to the aforementioned possible explosion.
It's a good thing yesterday was a quiet day. That was the day I had set aside to try to organize my thoughts. To get all my notes and outlines organized into one cohesive presentation. To try to make some sense of it all. To try to compress everything I have learned to make it fit into the time that will be allotted to me on Sunday morning.
You see my dilemma. I really think I may explode!
I have read and studied Revelation quite a lot. I have led Precept courses in Revelation. I regularly attend our pastor's Bible study on Revelation on Sunday evenings. I have read numerous books about Revelation. That's quite a lot of information, and compressing it into one lesson is quite a challenge!
As I have been focused on preparing this lesson for the last several weeks, I have prayed about what to include. About how to organize the material. About how to communicate what needs communicating, and how to do that in the available time. About what to emphasize. About all that and more have I prayed. A lot!
I now have an outline. I have my material organized. I think I know what to include and what to leave out. This is, after all, a survey of Revelation rather than a detailed study. Even so, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed.
Every time I read Revelation and every time I study it, I learn something new. It's really beyond overwhelming. Hence, the potential for explosion!
There is, of course, everything there is to understand about future events. And there is a wealth of truth to be understood from the messages to the churches. Revelation teaches us so much about Jesus. And about what worship really is. It boggles the mind and heart.
Just thinking about, meditating on, and praying over this one verse has my heart filled to overflowing.
"To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood........to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5b-6 NASB)
He loves us! He loves me! He has released us from our sins by His blood. He has released me from my sins by His blood.
Glory to His name!
At our church over the last several months, we have all been studying through the entire Bible, using The Story as our guide. If you aren't familiar with The Story, it's the entire Bible written as a story, putting all the major events in chronological order. This has been a fascinating journey of discovery. I have loved seeing people get the people and places and events of the Bible deeper into their hearts, and get a deeper understanding of God's plan for mankind from beginning to end.
This week we come to the end of our journey. Actually, the rest of the church finished up The Story last week, but in our class we devoted two Sundays to missions, rather than the one Sunday the rest of the church did, so we're a week behind everybody else. And since this is the end of the book, you can guess what we will be studying this week. Yes, this week's lesson is Revelation. As in, the entire book of Revelation. Not a chapter or even two or three. The entire book! And guess whose Sunday it is to teach the lesson!
Which brings me to the aforementioned possible explosion.
It's a good thing yesterday was a quiet day. That was the day I had set aside to try to organize my thoughts. To get all my notes and outlines organized into one cohesive presentation. To try to make some sense of it all. To try to compress everything I have learned to make it fit into the time that will be allotted to me on Sunday morning.
You see my dilemma. I really think I may explode!
I have read and studied Revelation quite a lot. I have led Precept courses in Revelation. I regularly attend our pastor's Bible study on Revelation on Sunday evenings. I have read numerous books about Revelation. That's quite a lot of information, and compressing it into one lesson is quite a challenge!
As I have been focused on preparing this lesson for the last several weeks, I have prayed about what to include. About how to organize the material. About how to communicate what needs communicating, and how to do that in the available time. About what to emphasize. About all that and more have I prayed. A lot!
I now have an outline. I have my material organized. I think I know what to include and what to leave out. This is, after all, a survey of Revelation rather than a detailed study. Even so, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed.
Every time I read Revelation and every time I study it, I learn something new. It's really beyond overwhelming. Hence, the potential for explosion!
There is, of course, everything there is to understand about future events. And there is a wealth of truth to be understood from the messages to the churches. Revelation teaches us so much about Jesus. And about what worship really is. It boggles the mind and heart.
Just thinking about, meditating on, and praying over this one verse has my heart filled to overflowing.
"To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood........to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5b-6 NASB)
He loves us! He loves me! He has released us from our sins by His blood. He has released me from my sins by His blood.
Glory to His name!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
A Quiet Morning
It's a very quiet morning here on this mountain top. Al is out of town today, so I'm here alone. Except for Molly, who is napping. The only sound is the sound of birds singing.
We had a little bit of rain over night, which left us with low clouds and lingering fog this morning.
On this peaceful, quiet morning I am reminded of the words of the prophet Habakkuk:
"I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me." (Habakkuk 2:1 ESV)
Quiet mornings like this one are good times for listening.
Quiet mornings like this one are good times to be still. To be still and "consider the wonders of God." (Job 37:14 NASB)
We had a little bit of rain over night, which left us with low clouds and lingering fog this morning.
On this peaceful, quiet morning I am reminded of the words of the prophet Habakkuk:
"I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me." (Habakkuk 2:1 ESV)
Quiet mornings like this one are good times for listening.
Quiet mornings like this one are good times to be still. To be still and "consider the wonders of God." (Job 37:14 NASB)
Quiet mornings like this one are a precious gift.
"Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10 NASB)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Remember - Part II
Yesterday was Memorial Day.
Yesterday we remembered those who had died in service to this country. Who had died for us. For you and for me.
There is a sense in which every day is a Memorial Day. Every day we have reason to remember. Every day we need to stay focused on the truth that there is One who died for us. There is One who gave His life that we might be free. There is One who died for us that we might have a relationship with God through Him.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)
Christ died for you. Christ died for me. We must never forget that.
And because He died for us, we now live.
We live in freedom - not a political freedom, but a spiritual freedom. Christ has set us free from the slavery of sin. He has set us free to live for Him.
We need to remember that!
Remember. And live for the One who died for you.
"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.........Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless principles of the world........For freedom Christ has set you free; stand firm therefore." (Galatians 4:7, 9; 5:1 ESV)
Yesterday we remembered those who had died in service to this country. Who had died for us. For you and for me.
There is a sense in which every day is a Memorial Day. Every day we have reason to remember. Every day we need to stay focused on the truth that there is One who died for us. There is One who gave His life that we might be free. There is One who died for us that we might have a relationship with God through Him.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)
Christ died for you. Christ died for me. We must never forget that.
And because He died for us, we now live.
We live in freedom - not a political freedom, but a spiritual freedom. Christ has set us free from the slavery of sin. He has set us free to live for Him.
We need to remember that!
Remember. And live for the One who died for you.
"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.........Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless principles of the world........For freedom Christ has set you free; stand firm therefore." (Galatians 4:7, 9; 5:1 ESV)
Monday, May 26, 2014
Remember
Today is Memorial Day. This is a holiday which has its roots in the days following the Civil War. The holiday began as a way to honor and remember those who had died in that war. Although in recent years it has been observed much like other patriotic holidays (Independence Day and Veteran's Day) as a way to honor all the men and women who serve in our nation's military, I believe it is important to remember why we have this holiday. To remember those who have died in service to our country. To remember that freedom isn't free. To remember that all those who went off to war didn't come home. This is a day to remember.
In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. In Baghdad and Mosul. In Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you.
Today is a day to remember that. Somebody died for you.
As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, remember.
While you're enjoying your day off from work. Your day at the beach. Your barbecue. Your ball game.......Remember.
Freedom isn't free.
Remember.
Somebody paid the price so you can enjoy all these things.
Remember.
Because somebody died for you.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 ESV)
In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. In Baghdad and Mosul. In Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you.
Today is a day to remember that. Somebody died for you.
As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, remember.
While you're enjoying your day off from work. Your day at the beach. Your barbecue. Your ball game.......Remember.
Freedom isn't free.
Remember.
Somebody paid the price so you can enjoy all these things.
Remember.
Because somebody died for you.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 ESV)
Thursday, May 22, 2014
A Life Lesson from Nature
We had a long, hard winter here in the mountains. It seemed it would never end, but now that it has, we are enjoying a beautiful spring. The pyracantha bush that I thought was dead is now flourishing, and is even blooming!
The rhododendron are loaded with blooms. They are prettier this year than they have been at any time since we have lived here. Yet just a few weeks ago, they looked so pitiful that I had no confidence at all that they would still be alive, much less bloom!
Perhaps plants need to go through these really hard winters in order to flourish in the spring.
There's a lesson for us there. I really did not enjoy this recent winter, but I am taking great joy and delight in the beauty of spring. Perhaps we need the hard winters in order to fully blossom in the spring. Just as the plant experienced the difficult winter and then thrived in spring as a result, we can come out on the other side of our difficult winters with beautiful blossoms as well.
"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
(Job 23:10 NASB)
The rhododendron are loaded with blooms. They are prettier this year than they have been at any time since we have lived here. Yet just a few weeks ago, they looked so pitiful that I had no confidence at all that they would still be alive, much less bloom!
Perhaps plants need to go through these really hard winters in order to flourish in the spring.
There's a lesson for us there. I really did not enjoy this recent winter, but I am taking great joy and delight in the beauty of spring. Perhaps we need the hard winters in order to fully blossom in the spring. Just as the plant experienced the difficult winter and then thrived in spring as a result, we can come out on the other side of our difficult winters with beautiful blossoms as well.
"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
(Job 23:10 NASB)
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Be Still
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher of the 17th century, once said, "Nearly all the ills of life spring from this simple source: that we are not able to sit still in a room."
God said, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Love Is.....
Back in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, drawings like this one appeared in newspapers every day across the country. I can remember looking forward each day to the daily "love is....", and I even cut several of them out of the paper and saved them for quite a while.
On Sunday morning in our Life Group, as we were discussing 1 Corinthians 13, the "love chapter", a visual image of these drawings popped into my head. These drawings captured much of the essence of love, often in humorous ways, but a true understanding of what love really is comes from these verses in 1 Corinthians.
In a world where love is defined by movies and sitcoms, we would do well to turn our attention to the Scriptures and find our understanding there.
- Love never gives up.
- Love cares more for others than for self.
- Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
- Love doesn't strut.
- Love doesn't have a swelled head.
- Love doesn't force itself on others.
- Love isn't always "me first".
- Love doesn't fly off the handle.
- Love doesn't keep score of the sins of others.
- Love doesn't revel when others grovel.
- Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.
- Love puts up with anything.
- Love trusts God always.
- Love always looks for the best.
- Love never looks back.
- Love keeps going to the end.
- Love never dies. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 The Message)
That isn't my definition. Or Hollywood's definition. Or the culture's definition. It's God's definition of love. And it's the one we should be paying attention to.
"Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 The Message)
Monday, May 19, 2014
An Amazing Race
For a number of years now, Amazing Race on CBS has been one of the most watched TV shows in America. Last night's show was the finale of this season's race, and once again, it did not disappoint! My favorite team (the Cowboys) did not win this year's race, but they ran a good race and finished well. And although my favorite team did not win, I was satisfied with the outcome.
As I was watching the show last night, it occurred to me that we are all in an amazing race. This television program is really a good metaphor for life. We face roadblocks and detours on our journey through life. We're looking for clues as to where to go next. We want to finish well. When we step onto the final mat at the end of the race, we won't be awarded a million dollars or hear that we are the first to finish. Instead, we who are in relationship with God through Christ will be "awarded" an eternity with Him and will be hearing a different affirmation: "Well done, good and faithful servant.....enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21 ESV)
Challenges. Roadblocks. Detours. Interaction with other racers. Clue boxes. All these are elements of a popular television show. But they are elements of our lives as well.
Things in life don't always go as we plan them. There are obstacles to overcome. Sometimes we get on the wrong road. Our relationships with others don't always go smoothly. But through it all, we have a "clue box" to guide us. We have written instructions, the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit within us to guide us on our journey.
How do we know how to run our race? By looking to our "clue box", the Bible:
"Let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB, emphasis mine)
If you have ever watched runners, they don't carry a lot of stuff with them. They don't load themselves down with clothes (like hats and coats and mittens and purses, etc.). They don't run with luggage. That's the imagery that this verse gives us. Don't run your race through life carrying unnecessary baggage. "Lay it down." Get rid of your excess baggage. Confess your sin. Lay it down, and run.
Run with endurance. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be roadblocks and detours and false starts. Even so, don't give up. Run your race. Run with endurance.
Run your race, not someone else's race. Follow where God leads you, which may not be where He is leading someone else. How will you know? Follow the "clues" in the "clue box". And follow the last instruction in this passage.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. That's the key to running your race. To running your race successfully. To finishing well. Follow that instruction, and you'll be amazed! You will be running an amazing race!
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
As I was watching the show last night, it occurred to me that we are all in an amazing race. This television program is really a good metaphor for life. We face roadblocks and detours on our journey through life. We're looking for clues as to where to go next. We want to finish well. When we step onto the final mat at the end of the race, we won't be awarded a million dollars or hear that we are the first to finish. Instead, we who are in relationship with God through Christ will be "awarded" an eternity with Him and will be hearing a different affirmation: "Well done, good and faithful servant.....enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21 ESV)
Challenges. Roadblocks. Detours. Interaction with other racers. Clue boxes. All these are elements of a popular television show. But they are elements of our lives as well.
Things in life don't always go as we plan them. There are obstacles to overcome. Sometimes we get on the wrong road. Our relationships with others don't always go smoothly. But through it all, we have a "clue box" to guide us. We have written instructions, the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit within us to guide us on our journey.
How do we know how to run our race? By looking to our "clue box", the Bible:
"Let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB, emphasis mine)
If you have ever watched runners, they don't carry a lot of stuff with them. They don't load themselves down with clothes (like hats and coats and mittens and purses, etc.). They don't run with luggage. That's the imagery that this verse gives us. Don't run your race through life carrying unnecessary baggage. "Lay it down." Get rid of your excess baggage. Confess your sin. Lay it down, and run.
Run with endurance. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be roadblocks and detours and false starts. Even so, don't give up. Run your race. Run with endurance.
Run your race, not someone else's race. Follow where God leads you, which may not be where He is leading someone else. How will you know? Follow the "clues" in the "clue box". And follow the last instruction in this passage.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. That's the key to running your race. To running your race successfully. To finishing well. Follow that instruction, and you'll be amazed! You will be running an amazing race!
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
Saturday, May 17, 2014
What a Week This Has Been!
The week began with Mother's Day, and after church on Sunday, I had wonderful conversations with both my sons. We stopped after church to pick up my new laptop. The data transfer from the burned-up old one to the new one had been successful. What a relief that was! And after we picked up the new laptop, we stopped for milkshakes. It was a good day.
On Tuesday afternoon Brandon, Stephanie and AJ, and their house, averted disaster. The pressure release valve on their propane tank did its job, and when pressure in the tank had built up, the top blew off the tank instead of the tank blowing up, and taking them and the house with it. The Randleman Fire Department came and checked everything out. All is well, and the propane tank has been taken away. Since their fireplace doesn't work anyway, there's really no need to keep the tank. I'm so thankful that turned out as it did. The ending to that story could have been quite different.
Wednesday was the missionary commissioning service. I went down to Spartanburg and helped serve dinner prior to the service. What a blessing and privilege to be useful! After dinner, the service blessed my heart in ways that I will still be processing for days and weeks to come.
I stayed overnight with good friends in Spartanburg. And on Thursday morning, Cathy and I went over to Strawberry Hill. Guess what I had for breakfast! Not just any pancakes, but strawberry pancakes! What a great way to start the day! Good food and time with a good friend. Happy, happy, happy!
It took much longer than normal to get back home from Spartanburg. Heavy rain and terrible traffic caused major delays, but I arrived home safely. And yesterday hubby returned from a week out of town. Again - happy, happy, happy!
This has been a week filled with blessings. Things don't always go the way we plan them. Circumstances are not always what we expect or what we would desire. But through it all, God is at work and His grace is sufficient for every need and every circumstances.
How thankful I am!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" (Psalm 103:1 ESV)
On Tuesday afternoon Brandon, Stephanie and AJ, and their house, averted disaster. The pressure release valve on their propane tank did its job, and when pressure in the tank had built up, the top blew off the tank instead of the tank blowing up, and taking them and the house with it. The Randleman Fire Department came and checked everything out. All is well, and the propane tank has been taken away. Since their fireplace doesn't work anyway, there's really no need to keep the tank. I'm so thankful that turned out as it did. The ending to that story could have been quite different.
Wednesday was the missionary commissioning service. I went down to Spartanburg and helped serve dinner prior to the service. What a blessing and privilege to be useful! After dinner, the service blessed my heart in ways that I will still be processing for days and weeks to come.
I stayed overnight with good friends in Spartanburg. And on Thursday morning, Cathy and I went over to Strawberry Hill. Guess what I had for breakfast! Not just any pancakes, but strawberry pancakes! What a great way to start the day! Good food and time with a good friend. Happy, happy, happy!
It took much longer than normal to get back home from Spartanburg. Heavy rain and terrible traffic caused major delays, but I arrived home safely. And yesterday hubby returned from a week out of town. Again - happy, happy, happy!
This has been a week filled with blessings. Things don't always go the way we plan them. Circumstances are not always what we expect or what we would desire. But through it all, God is at work and His grace is sufficient for every need and every circumstances.
How thankful I am!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" (Psalm 103:1 ESV)
Friday, May 16, 2014
To The Nations
On Wednesday evening our church hosted a commissioning service for missionaries who are newly appointed by the International Mission Board to take the Gospel to the nations.
What a joy and privilege it was to be part of such an evening! It was wonderful to be reunited with old friends, and to make some new ones as well.
My heart nearly burst as I heard the testimonies of these men and women. From different parts of the country. From different backgrounds. With different talents and skills. But all with one thing in common - their willingness to follow wherever the Lord leads. Willingness to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Men and women whose lives have been touched by the grace of God, and who are now ready to go and share that grace with a world that so desperately needs it.
These men and women have heard the voice of the Lord calling them, and they have said 'yes'. Soon they will leave their homes and families and all that is familiar to them, and they will set out to unfamiliar places with the good news of Jesus.
We have not all been called to go to the nations, but we have all been called.
Each of us has the same mandate from the Savior that these missionaries have: "as you are going, make disciples". (Matthew 28:19)
"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samarian, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8 ESV)
May we be faithful to that mandate. In our cities. In our counties and our states. In our nation. And to the ends of the earth, wherever God leads us.
May we be faithful to pray for those who are taking the Gospel to the nations!
And if we are called to go to the nations, may we be willing to say 'yes'!
"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38)
What a joy and privilege it was to be part of such an evening! It was wonderful to be reunited with old friends, and to make some new ones as well.
My heart nearly burst as I heard the testimonies of these men and women. From different parts of the country. From different backgrounds. With different talents and skills. But all with one thing in common - their willingness to follow wherever the Lord leads. Willingness to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Men and women whose lives have been touched by the grace of God, and who are now ready to go and share that grace with a world that so desperately needs it.
These men and women have heard the voice of the Lord calling them, and they have said 'yes'. Soon they will leave their homes and families and all that is familiar to them, and they will set out to unfamiliar places with the good news of Jesus.
We have not all been called to go to the nations, but we have all been called.
Each of us has the same mandate from the Savior that these missionaries have: "as you are going, make disciples". (Matthew 28:19)
"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samarian, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8 ESV)
May we be faithful to that mandate. In our cities. In our counties and our states. In our nation. And to the ends of the earth, wherever God leads us.
May we be faithful to pray for those who are taking the Gospel to the nations!
And if we are called to go to the nations, may we be willing to say 'yes'!
"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38)
Thursday, May 15, 2014
It's Throwback Thursday!
Since I received the photo book of our Israel trip earlier this week, I have been traveling down memory lane, revisiting favorite places in the Holy Land.
Here are a few of my favorite memories from trips gone by:
Both these photos were taken inside the Church of All Nations (also sometimes known as The Church of the Agony), which is on the Mount of Olives next to the Garden of Gethsemane. The bedrock in the top photo is the place where it is believed Jesus prayed prior to his arrest.
The bottom photo helps me remember what a powerful time of worship we had there. To kneel and pray near the place where my Savior prayed was an experience I will never forget. I'm not sure who took this photo, but I thank them!
En Gedi will always be one of my favorite places. "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God." (Psalm 42:1)
Some of the best baklava I've ever eaten!
Singing Christmas Carols in the chapel at Shepherd's Field on our first trip.
Strolling together through Jerusalem on our second trip.
We've sailed the Sea of Galilee on each of trips to Israel, but on this most recent trip it was windy and cold!
We made wonderful memories on each of trips to the Holy Land. How I would love to go again and make even more memories! But whether or not I have opportunity to return there, my memories will always be treasures. And I don't have to wait for Thursday to roll around to recall them!
"You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth." (Isaiah 62:6b-7 ESV)
Here are a few of my favorite memories from trips gone by:
Both these photos were taken inside the Church of All Nations (also sometimes known as The Church of the Agony), which is on the Mount of Olives next to the Garden of Gethsemane. The bedrock in the top photo is the place where it is believed Jesus prayed prior to his arrest.
The bottom photo helps me remember what a powerful time of worship we had there. To kneel and pray near the place where my Savior prayed was an experience I will never forget. I'm not sure who took this photo, but I thank them!
En Gedi will always be one of my favorite places. "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God." (Psalm 42:1)
Some of the best baklava I've ever eaten!
Singing Christmas Carols in the chapel at Shepherd's Field on our first trip.
Strolling together through Jerusalem on our second trip.
We've sailed the Sea of Galilee on each of trips to Israel, but on this most recent trip it was windy and cold!
We made wonderful memories on each of trips to the Holy Land. How I would love to go again and make even more memories! But whether or not I have opportunity to return there, my memories will always be treasures. And I don't have to wait for Thursday to roll around to recall them!
"You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth." (Isaiah 62:6b-7 ESV)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Peace Will Come
One final click of the mouse sent my photo book of our trip to Israel on its way to Shutterfly for printing. And yesterday I had the actual book in my hands!
One of the final photos I included in the book was this one I snapped rather hurriedly as we made our way through the garden, heading over to the Garden Tomb.
One of the final photos I included in the book was this one I snapped rather hurriedly as we made our way through the garden, heading over to the Garden Tomb.
This instruction comes from the Psalms.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers." (Psalm 122:6-7 ESV)
When I think about those verses, and when I see this visual reminder, my mind takes me back to Colorado and to an anthem I first remember singing when we lived there. (Thanks, Rg!) The anthem title was "Peace Will Come", which I think may have been written by David Danner, although I can't be certain of that. (My Google search was not very helpful!)
It isn't the composer or the music that stirs my memory so much, but the lyrics that I still remember more than twenty years later: "Peace will come to those who let the Son of God be born to them......born in their hearts, their homes, their lives......Peace will come when we hear the still, small voice of God."
Then, and only then, peace will come.
Peace is not about politicians or political parties.
Peace is not a process.
Peace is a Person.
And His name is Jesus Christ.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Quality Time, or Just Going Through the Motions?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last several years, you have probably heard of Gary Chapman's best-selling book The Five Love Languages.
Chapman's basic premise is that we can't communicate with each other if we aren't speaking the same language. No matter how much a wife might love her husband, or the husband might love his wife, if they aren't speaking the same language, it's difficult to convey that love. Chapman gives us five love languages: gifts, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and words of affirmation. The idea is that if I express my love for my spouse or my children using my love language, and they speak a different love language, they will not feel loved in the same way as if I expressed my love using their language. That's a very simplified explanation, but you get the idea.
When I first became aware of Chapman's book a number of years ago, I would have told you that my love language was gifts. All the assessments I took confirmed that.
I love giving gifts to people I love as a way to let them know I love them. And I love receiving gifts! When I am given a gift chosen especially for me, I feel loved.
But as I'm growing older, I'm not quite as certain that gifts is still my primary love language. Certainly I still love giving and receiving gifts, but as I grow older, time is the thing that means most to me. Being able to spend quality time with people I love makes me feel loved and special.
Face to face time. Or time in a phone conversation. Time for coffee together. Time. It means more and more to me as I continue my journey through life.
As I have been thinking about that over the last few days, it occurs to me to wonder if God might say the same thing.
Please understand. I'm not trying to be flippant or blasphemous or disrespectful. But if God were to speak audibly to us and tell us how He would most like us to express our love for Him, I wonder what He would say. I'm sure He appreciates all the acts of service we do on His behalf, and all the wonderful words we say about Him. But I think that if these five love languages were to apply to our relationship with God, what He might like most is our time.
Not just time spent in doing good works or acts of service or witnessing. But some quality time spent with Him alone.
In this hurried, harried world we live in, are we giving Him that? Are we going through the motions, or are we really spending quality time with the One we love?
If we were to ask Him how we're doing, what would He say?
Something to think about.
Chapman's basic premise is that we can't communicate with each other if we aren't speaking the same language. No matter how much a wife might love her husband, or the husband might love his wife, if they aren't speaking the same language, it's difficult to convey that love. Chapman gives us five love languages: gifts, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and words of affirmation. The idea is that if I express my love for my spouse or my children using my love language, and they speak a different love language, they will not feel loved in the same way as if I expressed my love using their language. That's a very simplified explanation, but you get the idea.
When I first became aware of Chapman's book a number of years ago, I would have told you that my love language was gifts. All the assessments I took confirmed that.
I love giving gifts to people I love as a way to let them know I love them. And I love receiving gifts! When I am given a gift chosen especially for me, I feel loved.
But as I'm growing older, I'm not quite as certain that gifts is still my primary love language. Certainly I still love giving and receiving gifts, but as I grow older, time is the thing that means most to me. Being able to spend quality time with people I love makes me feel loved and special.
Face to face time. Or time in a phone conversation. Time for coffee together. Time. It means more and more to me as I continue my journey through life.
As I have been thinking about that over the last few days, it occurs to me to wonder if God might say the same thing.
Please understand. I'm not trying to be flippant or blasphemous or disrespectful. But if God were to speak audibly to us and tell us how He would most like us to express our love for Him, I wonder what He would say. I'm sure He appreciates all the acts of service we do on His behalf, and all the wonderful words we say about Him. But I think that if these five love languages were to apply to our relationship with God, what He might like most is our time.
Not just time spent in doing good works or acts of service or witnessing. But some quality time spent with Him alone.
In this hurried, harried world we live in, are we giving Him that? Are we going through the motions, or are we really spending quality time with the One we love?
If we were to ask Him how we're doing, what would He say?
Something to think about.
I miss my time with you,
those moments together.
I need to be with you each day
and it hurts Me when you say
you're too busy.
Busy trying to serve Me,
but how can you serve Me
when your spirit's empty?
There's a longing in My heart,
wanting more than just a part of you.
It's true,
I miss my time with you.
(Larnelle Harris, Phil McHugh)
You can listen to Larnelle Harris sing that song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UpMedIINdg
Monday, May 12, 2014
Good News and Bad News: The Tale of the Laptop
My frustration level has been very high over the last several days, but this morning I am typing on a brand new laptop. Finally.
This tale began last Wednesday morning when I sat down, opened up the laptop, pushed the power button, and nothing happened. Nothing.
I thought perhaps it had come unplugged, and the battery had died. I checked the plug. It was plugged into the outlet just as it should have been. So I decided something must be wrong with the outlet. A lamp was plugged into that same outlet and was working fine, but I guess I thought that maybe half of the outlet had gone bad??!!
In any event, I connected the computer cord to a different outlet, but it still didn't work. I told Al about my dilemma and he set about trying to find a solution. He's really good at finding solutions for seemingly impossible problems, but even he couldn't make this laptop work. He had a universal power cord that he connected to the laptop. That didn't help.
The computer's cord had one of those transformer boxes in the middle, which normally would have a green light on it. The light was out, so we, meaning Al, decided it must be a problem with the power cord.
We got ourselves ready and headed down to Asheville to let the Geek Squad solve the problem. When we got there and the Geek Squad technician plugged the cord in, sparks flew! He immediately unplugged the cord, examined it, and discovered that the cord had been cut. This is likely due to a run-in with the Roomba, our robot vacuum cleaner, although we can't know that for certain.
My best techno-dummy explanation of what happened is that this compromised cord caused the "transformer box" on the cord to burn up and also caused a fire inside the computer which burned up the mother board (whatever that is!). That's the bad news.
The good news is that all this "fire in the computer" did not burn the house down! And it could have.
More good news is that the Geek Squad was able to recover the data from the old, burned-up computer and transfer it to the new one which we purchased Wednesday morning.
We made our purchase and left the new laptop with the Geeks so they could make the data transfer. At least, at that point, we were hopeful that they would be able to, but we didn't know that for certain when we left.
The Geek Squad technician had told us that this kind of transfer would usually be completed within 48 hours. So, my mind automatically built that into my schedule.
Al was headed to Seattle on Thursday, which gave me three days at home alone. I had planned to use those days for writing, specifically planning to make a lot of progress on the book I'm working on. On Thursday, I accomplished quite a bit, even though I had to write everything by hand. That left me with a very tired hand! As a result of that very tired hand, Friday was much less productive.
On Friday I waited all day for a phone call to tell me to come pick up my laptop. The call never came. Something else to add to the bad news category. And it didn't come on Saturday either. I checked the status of my order on Friday night and learned it was "taking longer than expected." That had me a little worried. I hadn't backed the old computer up recently, and I was really concerned I was going to lose a lot of data. Meaning a lot of work on that book would be gone.
Lesson learned. Back-up more frequently.
All my carefully laid plans went out the window. I made lots of scribbled notes, which hopefully I'll be able to read and decipher this week.
The really good news of this whole story - beyond the fact that the house didn't burn down - is that I have a new laptop in hand (picked it up yesterday afternoon on our way home from church), the data transfer was successful, and there's a new week ahead of me with lots of time available to accomplish the tasks I had planned for last week.
The other really good news is the reminder of what I knew to be true, but had once again forgotten. I'm really not in charge. Of anything!
God is in control.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9 ESV)
This tale began last Wednesday morning when I sat down, opened up the laptop, pushed the power button, and nothing happened. Nothing.
I thought perhaps it had come unplugged, and the battery had died. I checked the plug. It was plugged into the outlet just as it should have been. So I decided something must be wrong with the outlet. A lamp was plugged into that same outlet and was working fine, but I guess I thought that maybe half of the outlet had gone bad??!!
In any event, I connected the computer cord to a different outlet, but it still didn't work. I told Al about my dilemma and he set about trying to find a solution. He's really good at finding solutions for seemingly impossible problems, but even he couldn't make this laptop work. He had a universal power cord that he connected to the laptop. That didn't help.
The computer's cord had one of those transformer boxes in the middle, which normally would have a green light on it. The light was out, so we, meaning Al, decided it must be a problem with the power cord.
We got ourselves ready and headed down to Asheville to let the Geek Squad solve the problem. When we got there and the Geek Squad technician plugged the cord in, sparks flew! He immediately unplugged the cord, examined it, and discovered that the cord had been cut. This is likely due to a run-in with the Roomba, our robot vacuum cleaner, although we can't know that for certain.
My best techno-dummy explanation of what happened is that this compromised cord caused the "transformer box" on the cord to burn up and also caused a fire inside the computer which burned up the mother board (whatever that is!). That's the bad news.
The good news is that all this "fire in the computer" did not burn the house down! And it could have.
More good news is that the Geek Squad was able to recover the data from the old, burned-up computer and transfer it to the new one which we purchased Wednesday morning.
We made our purchase and left the new laptop with the Geeks so they could make the data transfer. At least, at that point, we were hopeful that they would be able to, but we didn't know that for certain when we left.
The Geek Squad technician had told us that this kind of transfer would usually be completed within 48 hours. So, my mind automatically built that into my schedule.
Al was headed to Seattle on Thursday, which gave me three days at home alone. I had planned to use those days for writing, specifically planning to make a lot of progress on the book I'm working on. On Thursday, I accomplished quite a bit, even though I had to write everything by hand. That left me with a very tired hand! As a result of that very tired hand, Friday was much less productive.
On Friday I waited all day for a phone call to tell me to come pick up my laptop. The call never came. Something else to add to the bad news category. And it didn't come on Saturday either. I checked the status of my order on Friday night and learned it was "taking longer than expected." That had me a little worried. I hadn't backed the old computer up recently, and I was really concerned I was going to lose a lot of data. Meaning a lot of work on that book would be gone.
Lesson learned. Back-up more frequently.
All my carefully laid plans went out the window. I made lots of scribbled notes, which hopefully I'll be able to read and decipher this week.
The really good news of this whole story - beyond the fact that the house didn't burn down - is that I have a new laptop in hand (picked it up yesterday afternoon on our way home from church), the data transfer was successful, and there's a new week ahead of me with lots of time available to accomplish the tasks I had planned for last week.
The other really good news is the reminder of what I knew to be true, but had once again forgotten. I'm really not in charge. Of anything!
God is in control.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9 ESV)
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Words Matter
Some days when I sit to write these posts, words come easily. Some days, not so much. Even on the "not so much" days, perhaps especially on those days, I want to choose my words carefully because words matter.
Not just written words. All words matter.
For example, there are words of respect. Please. Thank you. Yes, sir. No, ma'am. Manners aren't just for southerners! How we treat each other matters, and the words we choose are a reflection of that. In an increasingly discordant world, it's important to be respectful, even when we don't agree. Words matter.
Words can encourage, or they can bring discouragement. It matters which we choose.
We have, by the words we choose to use, the ability to lift someone up or to tear them down. And this ability carries across the spectrum of life. At home. In the workplace. In the classroom. At the mall. At the gym.
As you're out and about today, doing life, encountering various individuals and situations, choose your words carefully. Because words matter.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)
Not just written words. All words matter.
For example, there are words of respect. Please. Thank you. Yes, sir. No, ma'am. Manners aren't just for southerners! How we treat each other matters, and the words we choose are a reflection of that. In an increasingly discordant world, it's important to be respectful, even when we don't agree. Words matter.
Words can encourage, or they can bring discouragement. It matters which we choose.
We have, by the words we choose to use, the ability to lift someone up or to tear them down. And this ability carries across the spectrum of life. At home. In the workplace. In the classroom. At the mall. At the gym.
As you're out and about today, doing life, encountering various individuals and situations, choose your words carefully. Because words matter.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." (Proverbs 25:11 ESV)
Monday, May 5, 2014
It's Finally Here!
Over the last several weeks we have watched spring creep ever closer to our spot on this mountaintop. The "green line" has inched its way closer day by day, never quite making it up to us.
When we've gone down to the mailbox or to town or down to South Carolina, we have really enjoyed the signs of spring. Leaves on the trees. Green grass. Flowers.
A few days ago I saw a hint of a leaf on one of the trees across the road from us. And now, finally, spring has come to our side of the road!
As I was counting my blessings this morning, I definitely counted leaves on trees as one of the things I'm grateful for today.
Spring comes late to these mountains, but it's finally here.
And I am so thankful! What are you thankful for this morning?
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:16 NIV)
When we've gone down to the mailbox or to town or down to South Carolina, we have really enjoyed the signs of spring. Leaves on the trees. Green grass. Flowers.
A few days ago I saw a hint of a leaf on one of the trees across the road from us. And now, finally, spring has come to our side of the road!
As I was counting my blessings this morning, I definitely counted leaves on trees as one of the things I'm grateful for today.
Spring comes late to these mountains, but it's finally here.
And I am so thankful! What are you thankful for this morning?
"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:16 NIV)
Friday, May 2, 2014
The Day After
Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer. There were prayer gatherings, large and small, across our nation. On town squares and state house steps. In living rooms and conference rooms and around flag poles. It's inspiring and encouraging to see all these prayer gatherings. I'm grateful that we still have the freedom to pray publicly for our country.
What happens today? Will there continue to be public prayer meetings and large gatherings of people praying for our country? Probably not, although prayer is needed just as much today, and tomorrow, and the next day, as it was yesterday.
On these public prayer days, a verse from the Old Testament book of 2nd Chronicles is often quoted.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)
This word from the Lord was originally spoken to Solomon on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. A few verses later in the same chapter, the Lord warns of what will happen if His people turn aside from the Lord's commandments. There will be consequences for abandoning the Lord's ways. (2 Chronicles 7:19-22.)
There can be little doubt that as a nation we have turned aside from the Lord's commandments and are not wholeheartedly following His ways. Even more troubling, there are many among us who call themselves Christian, and yet are not wholeheartedly following the Lord. Could it be that the troubles we are facing as a nation stem from this root? And if so, is there hope for us?
I believe there is hope, and the solution is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, God's people, follow the plan outlined in these verses, God will hear. Yes, in its original context these words applied to the Jews. But there's a principle here that still is valid.
If my people. These instructions are not to the pagans or the politicians. Not to the atheists or the agnostics. These instructions are to the people of God. To the people called by His name. What are God's people to do?
Humble themselves. And here we get to the root of the problem. We're not very good at humbling ourselves. We don't want to humble ourselves, before God or anyone else. We want to be in charge. We think we know what is best. We think because we are American we have certain rights to do and say and think as we please. Yet God says we are to humble ourselves. This is much like what Jesus instructed when he taught His disciples, and us, how to pray. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Even Jesus humbled Himself before the Father when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)
To humble ourselves is to acknowledge that we are not God. Yesterday when my husband and I were out and about, we passed a church with a sign at the end of their driveway that read "Remember, God's still God and you're still not." Remembering that is the essence of what it means to humble ourselves before God. Remember who's in charge!
Pray. We think we understand what prayer is, don't we? Too often people think of prayer as giving God our list of wants and concerns, a kind of to-do list for God to handle. Is that really all there is to it? Is prayer really only giving God a list, or reciting a memorized poem, or mumbling a quick sentence before we go to bed? Is that really what God meant when He said His people are to "humble themselves and pray"? I think not.
Prayer is communication. And communication is two-way, meaning there is speaking and there is listening. Certainly one blog is not adequate to explain all that prayer is, but I definitely think God is expecting more than just a hastily mumbled mantra every day. Does that mean that longer prayers are better, somehow more spiritual? Does God hear us more clearly if we talk longer or use bigger words. Of course not. In fact, Scripture cautions against "empty phrases" (Matthew 6:7 ESV). The point is to be sincere in our communication with God.
Seek my face. This is an extension of the point about praying. Many years ago I heard someone say that we should "seek the Blesser, not the blessing". How often when we pray do we seek what God can do for us, rather than just seeking God Himself. Because God desires relationship with His people, He desires that we seek HIM and not just seek what He can give.
Turn from their wicked ways. This is the very definition of repentance, to turn from sin, to change direction. If we have sincerely sought the Lord, have humbled ourselves before Him, we will have become aware of those things in our lives that are displeasing to Him and we will want to repent.
Then. When we have followed God's instructions, He promises to hear and to forgive our sin and to heal our land. When we do things His way!
Will our land be healed because people gather in groups one day a year to pray for our nation? No. It's a good thing when people gather together to pray. But it's a better thing, a more important thing, when individuals come daily before the Lord in prayer. To intercede for the nation. To intercede for families. To intercede for the lost. To commit themselves to doing things God's way.
A day of prayer is a good thing. A lifestyle of prayer is even better.
"Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1 ESV)
"Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle." (Rodney "Gypsy" Smith, British evangelist)
What happens today? Will there continue to be public prayer meetings and large gatherings of people praying for our country? Probably not, although prayer is needed just as much today, and tomorrow, and the next day, as it was yesterday.
On these public prayer days, a verse from the Old Testament book of 2nd Chronicles is often quoted.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV)
This word from the Lord was originally spoken to Solomon on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. A few verses later in the same chapter, the Lord warns of what will happen if His people turn aside from the Lord's commandments. There will be consequences for abandoning the Lord's ways. (2 Chronicles 7:19-22.)
There can be little doubt that as a nation we have turned aside from the Lord's commandments and are not wholeheartedly following His ways. Even more troubling, there are many among us who call themselves Christian, and yet are not wholeheartedly following the Lord. Could it be that the troubles we are facing as a nation stem from this root? And if so, is there hope for us?
I believe there is hope, and the solution is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, God's people, follow the plan outlined in these verses, God will hear. Yes, in its original context these words applied to the Jews. But there's a principle here that still is valid.
If my people. These instructions are not to the pagans or the politicians. Not to the atheists or the agnostics. These instructions are to the people of God. To the people called by His name. What are God's people to do?
Humble themselves. And here we get to the root of the problem. We're not very good at humbling ourselves. We don't want to humble ourselves, before God or anyone else. We want to be in charge. We think we know what is best. We think because we are American we have certain rights to do and say and think as we please. Yet God says we are to humble ourselves. This is much like what Jesus instructed when he taught His disciples, and us, how to pray. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Even Jesus humbled Himself before the Father when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)
To humble ourselves is to acknowledge that we are not God. Yesterday when my husband and I were out and about, we passed a church with a sign at the end of their driveway that read "Remember, God's still God and you're still not." Remembering that is the essence of what it means to humble ourselves before God. Remember who's in charge!
Pray. We think we understand what prayer is, don't we? Too often people think of prayer as giving God our list of wants and concerns, a kind of to-do list for God to handle. Is that really all there is to it? Is prayer really only giving God a list, or reciting a memorized poem, or mumbling a quick sentence before we go to bed? Is that really what God meant when He said His people are to "humble themselves and pray"? I think not.
Prayer is communication. And communication is two-way, meaning there is speaking and there is listening. Certainly one blog is not adequate to explain all that prayer is, but I definitely think God is expecting more than just a hastily mumbled mantra every day. Does that mean that longer prayers are better, somehow more spiritual? Does God hear us more clearly if we talk longer or use bigger words. Of course not. In fact, Scripture cautions against "empty phrases" (Matthew 6:7 ESV). The point is to be sincere in our communication with God.
Seek my face. This is an extension of the point about praying. Many years ago I heard someone say that we should "seek the Blesser, not the blessing". How often when we pray do we seek what God can do for us, rather than just seeking God Himself. Because God desires relationship with His people, He desires that we seek HIM and not just seek what He can give.
Turn from their wicked ways. This is the very definition of repentance, to turn from sin, to change direction. If we have sincerely sought the Lord, have humbled ourselves before Him, we will have become aware of those things in our lives that are displeasing to Him and we will want to repent.
Then. When we have followed God's instructions, He promises to hear and to forgive our sin and to heal our land. When we do things His way!
Will our land be healed because people gather in groups one day a year to pray for our nation? No. It's a good thing when people gather together to pray. But it's a better thing, a more important thing, when individuals come daily before the Lord in prayer. To intercede for the nation. To intercede for families. To intercede for the lost. To commit themselves to doing things God's way.
A day of prayer is a good thing. A lifestyle of prayer is even better.
"Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1 ESV)
"Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle." (Rodney "Gypsy" Smith, British evangelist)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)