December

Ruth 1:3-10, 14-18

Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, but we will surely return with you to your people.” …. And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Love that speaks 

      Ruth is a short book in the Bible, but in such few words, it shares the sweet love story of two people that met under difficult circumstances. Ruth was a widow and had no children. She had the choice to go back to her people and her homeland, yet she chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi. That decision had a mighty impact on herself, on Naomi, on Boaz, and on the lineage of Christ. She may not have been aware of this powerful decision, but she knew that her life was not meant to go back to what she was. Naomi was a godly woman and Ruth had lived with her for 10 years while she was married to her son. She must have noticed a difference in the way Naomi lived and worshipped. She willingly followed Naomi back to Bethlehem to make a new life. Naomi was a widow herself and was grieving the loss of her only sons. She knew exactly what Ruth was going through. At a time of grief and uncertainty, they became a comfort to one another. As you read the whole story, you notice that Naomi was bitter and heartbroken about her losses, yet in the midst of this she did not neglect Ruth’s well being. Because they were both poor, Ruth tried to find food in the fields that the harvesters left behind. She did not care how this looked or the fact that she was in a position lower than even servants. In a sense she was a beggar coming up behind the hired help looking for food. She and Naomi needed to survive. God saw her servant’s heart and so did the owner of the field, Boaz. Boaz not only was godly and generous, but also related to Naomi. I greatly encourage you to read the entire book. In it you will see how kind and compassionate Boaz was to his servants. He treated them with respect. This was a glimpse of his integrity and his fear of God. Ruth could have picked any field, but as she was gleaning, she ended up in Boaz’s field and he happened to notice her. Coincidence? Unlikely! God is always in the middle of everything and He was all over this. Boaz provided more than enough food for Ruth to take back. When Naomi realized what was going on, she had Ruth do something that may seem strange to us. She told Ruth to lay down at Boaz’s feet after he fell asleep. Boaz is asleep by his harvested grain. She came secretly, uncovered his feet, laid down and waited. He awoke suddenly and realized there was a woman lying at his feet. Let’s read what happened next:

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. (Ruth 3:6-11) 

Ruth is not being scandalous, but in fact she is being quite humble. When she tells Boaz to ‘spread your covering’ she is essentially asking him to take her as his own, to provide, to protect, and to marry her. Boaz honors and respects her and does marry her. She is provided for her as well as Naomi. Her loss became her gain more than she could have imagined. Her servant’s heart led her to find food in the fields which in return led her to her provider. 

     As sweet as this love story is, it is only a hint of the love story we share with God as His children. He longs ‘to cover’ us with Himself, to be our Protector, our Provider, and our Savior. Ruth can teach us two very important lessons. First, we don’t go back to who we used to be before Christ. She chose to leave behind her old self, her old beliefs, and lifestyle. Second, we must know who we are in Christ. Ruth was a woman of humility. She knew her place, but also her value. She was a woman of virtue and yet recognized that she needed a provider. She came to Boaz in humility with respect and honor. She didn’t see herself lower than Boaz, but she came to him giving him a higher place. I hope you see the difference. Jesus desires us to give Him ourselves completely that He may transform us into something new. Ruth became a new person. She had a new last name, a new home, and was completely loved. She eventually became a mother. She had a life more abundant that she had before. Jesus wants to do that for you and me. You may have already given your life to Christ and need to remember the abundance He has provided for you. You may be someone that does not trust that Christ can really transform your life into something new. I am living proof that He does and He continues to sanctify and renew me in His image every day. For this I am grateful and like Ruth, I am honored to be covered by Christ.

Thus must we by faith apply ourselves to Jesus Christ as our next kinsman, that is able to redeem us, come under his wings, as we are invited and beg of him to spread his skirt over us. 

-Matthew Henry-

November

Psalms 111:10 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. 

James 3: 13 -18 

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

The Good and the Bad

     I’d like to think that I am wise and full of discernment, but when I sin and make a bad decision, I am reminded that I’m not there yet. According to James, I am to show my wisdom by my good behavior and deeds. Oops! This isn't always true of me. In case you were wondering, I do unwise things sometimes and my behavior doesn't line up with my knowledge. Knowledge is information. We can choose to gain great knowledge or live without it. When I am making a big purchase, I've learned that the informed consumer is the best one. If I know all about the product, I can make an informed decision and be satisfied that I made the best choice possible. Making that knowledgeable decision based on the information I acquired is called wisdom. Wisdom is knowing what to do with the knowledge I have. Yet good wisdom doesn't just come naturally does it? As I read James 3, it says there is wisdom that is not good and not from above. This kind of earthly wisdom does not have to be learned or sought after. Unfortunately it comes pretty natural to us. This is why God calls it earthly and natural. 

     There is so much packed in those verses in James. The first thing I want to bring to our attention is the fact that we show our good behavior in the gentleness of wisdom. What exactly does gentleness of wisdom mean? It suggests that wisdom is not harsh and arrogant. Have you ever known someone that maybe wise and yet the way they choose to act on their wisdom isn't so sweet? Being gentle is being humble. Look at the next verse. As I read this passage over and over I get the idea that if we are bitter and selfish, it’s very difficult to have gentleness of wisdom. He says that bad or natural wisdom is bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogant, and untruthful. Personally I wouldn't call any of these wise, but I think we get his meaning. Look how else he describes this wisdom. It is earthly, natural, and demonic. Wow! It makes me shudder to think that sometimes I act out of bitterness or arrogance and I’m living out demonic and earthly wisdom. We act out of what we know and what we believe. The good news is that we can change what we know and what we believe. 

     The next few verses we have heavenly and earthly wisdom compared. I made it into a list and I think it gives us a good picture of how they play it out in our lives. I've taken this list straight from the passage. 

Heavenly Wisdom:                                 Earthly Wisdom: 

Gentle                                                    Bitter
Order                                                     Jealous
Pure                                                       Selfish
Peaceable                                            Arrogant
Reasonable                                         Untruthful
Merciful                                                Disorder
Good fruits                                          Unfaithful

Unwavering 

Without hypocrisy

Do you know notice anything about the heavenly list? It is very similar to the fruits of the Spirit that is mentioned in Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” As a believer, we already have the Spirit of God living inside of us therefore we have all these fruits in us to make wise choices from. We have to practice through the Holy Spirit to be loving, peaceful, gentle and so forth. It’s acting out our wisdom in gentleness. There is no way we can do this without the spirit of God. Our flesh is extremely strong and will carry out what we naturally know whenever it can. I think you would agree with me. 

      Behavior can be adjusted and modified. When we decide to practice out the Heavenly wisdom, we are being wise and understanding as God desires us to be. I mentioned earlier that wisdom is knowing what to do with the knowledge we have. We must strive to gain godly knowledge. This comes straight from God’s Word. If we want to be wise, it’s very simple. Read the Bible, do what it says, and share it with others. Living out the Christian life is not complicated and not rocket science; it’s just a matter of committing our lives to God and then carrying out that commitment. I am not naïve, I know that it’s harder than it actually sounds, but sometimes we make it more intense than it needs to be. When we are not sure, here is what James encourages us to do: 

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6) 

God is more than ready to help us, but we just need to ask Him in faith. I want to make decisions that are wise and glorify God. I am fully aware that I am not able to make those wise decisions without His help and His heavenly wisdom. I must seek that wisdom in the Bible and ask for it in prayer. Communion with God is where I grow in wisdom. If the beginning of wisdom really starts with God, then why would we go seek it anywhere else? 

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

Proverbs 2:6

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

Ecclesiastes 7:12

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.

October

Matthew 6:9-10 

“This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Jesus did not pray that you would be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for, you do not need to desire. -Charles Spurgeon- 

A country not our own 

     There have been times in my life where I have thought that if Jesus would just come, it would be a lot easier. But I have to admit that during each time, it was a selfish desire. It was usually because I was in some situation I didn’t know how to deal with or wanted to end. It’s hard to imagine anything beyond this physical world. As I say that, I realize that as a believer I’m supposed to long for heaven, to desire it, but I will confess that in my everyday life, I’m not always thinking of heaven. I’m thinking of this week, of today, and what I need to do to accomplish my present tasks. I’m a planner and without realizing it sometimes, I am planning many days in advance for all kinds of things. Some of you know exactly what I mean if you are a planner as well. I think ahead about what I need to do for next week, or what I am going to make for that party, or what I need to wear for that event, and so on. The reality is that I am planning for everything but being face to face with Christ. I am either way into this world or not enough into living ‘heaven on earth’. Anybody with me? 

     Jesus said that we should be praying for heaven on earth. Anything we should be praying for usually means we should be living it, too. I confess I am not always living heaven on earth. To me, the term ‘heaven on earth’ is not just actions but a mind set, an eternal mind set, one that can see beyond this world and into the next. Here’s Paul take on it:

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:19-21) 

We are already citizens of heaven if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that He is the son of God. Paul says that there are enemies of the cross and their minds are set on earthly things. If you are secured in Christ, you are not an enemy of the cross, but I have to wonder how much do you and I live as an enemy of the cross because our hearts are set on earthly things? I will confess that more than I’d like to admit, I have an earthly perspective instead of an eternal one. I am working on storing treasures on earth more than treasures in heaven. I know that it’s a daily decision I have to make to have and keep that eternal mind set. Without consistent time with God, with believers, and the church, it’s pretty hard to live the godly life that Christ desires for us. And if I can be so bold to say that I miss God’s blessings here on earth when I live as if I belong to this earth instead of heaven. 

     In the Hall of Faith in Hebrews, the author speaks of those believers who longed for heaven and lived heaven on earth. 

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. …Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-14, 16) 

They were longing for a country they had never been to or seen, but they knew that they belonged there and not in this world. The realities of this life are such a distraction from the country that is mentioned in Hebrews, and yet the realities of this life should be evidence that we have to rejoice that there is another world that we belong to. In fact, we should rejoice that ‘this’ isn’t just it. Our plans, our families, our toys, and activities are but a glimmer of the world that awaits us. Even if I can’t fully grasp or understand this concept, I can still take joy in it because it’s mine as a child of God. Whatever pain and heartache we receive in this world, stays in this world and where we are going, it cannot follow. 

     Many of you know that my birthplace is India. In high school I became a citizen of the United States. I’m Indian by birth and American by law, which creates a third category all its own which I label as Indian American. I am not fully Indian or fully American. I practice and live with both cultures combined. We are enemies of the cross by birth and citizens of heaven by His death. We are living with both cultures, a little bit of hell and a little bit of heaven. We’ve got renewed minds, but the same bodies. We have to decide how we live each day, enemies of the cross or citizens of heaven and only you and I can make that choice for ourselves. 

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord…..Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:8-10, 15-16

September

Proverbs 17:22 

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. 

Psalms 116:17 

To you I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. 

Are you a sensitive soul? 

     As fallen creatures, we are very sensitive of our physical bodies. How we look, how we feel, and what we can and cannot do. When I am sick or injure myself, I am sensitive to that part of my body. Just last week I grated a small part of my hand. Yes you heard me right. I was grating cheese and it slipped and took my flesh with it. It’s still healing and still hurts. Everything I do with that hand is done with precaution. When something brushes up against the wound, I feel it. I’ve been nursing that wound very carefully. Even a paper cut causes some discomfort!
     I’m not sure if I’m this sensitive about my spiritual health. If I am lacking or unhealthy spiritually would I even know it? Would it cause me any discomfort? I certainly hope so, don’t you? It doesn’t take very long for our spiritual health to decline. Many things are competing to feed us and we have to choose wisely what we will eat to nurture our souls. Sometimes there are medications that numb our pain but don’t actually aid in the healing process. If we have a wound and merely apply a band aid over it, it only hides the wound. Our spiritual fixes can be the same. Instead of real healing we put a band aid over our spiritual issues. Being sick spiritually can be a number of things. It can mean being in a spiritual rut where you feel that your time with God or with people is stale. Maybe it means that you’ve fallen away from the discipline of prayer or reading the Bible. It could also mean that you just don’t ‘feel’ God’s presence right now. You feel far away from Him. It can also mean you are disobedient and in sin. No matter the spiritual wound or issue, covering it up or ignoring it is never the answer. Isolating yourself is never good and a good indication that you maybe something is wrong. Plastering a smile for something amiss in the heart only goes so far. This is not what God desires from us. He always wants our hearts and our hurts to be bare before Him. If you don’t tell the doctor what it is that ails you how can he properly help you?
     Psalms reveals an amazing assortment of emotions from fear, anger, jealousy, praise, and joy. I think this book is a gift to the human soul because we can truly relate to the emotions, the circumstances, and can find comfort for our own situations. What you will notice most in Psalms is the amount of praise lifted up. The book itself can be called the ‘The Book of Praises’. This is not by chance, but there is a very good reason why praise is offered so generously to God through this book. There is something mysterious brewing within us when we can come as we are to God and pour praise from hearts. Our hearts maybe hurting, empty, callous, or without concern and yet the praise lifted up despite our hearts are a sweet aroma to God. He takes this offering and speaks directly to our wound. I dare you to try this.
     Praise isn’t the cure all for our spiritual wounds or even sin, but it is a good first response to start the process. Its set our focus first on Christ alone. To praise Him shouldn’t be empty words and if you can’t find the words then praying Psalms is a magnificent way to express your heart. To offer up praise and thanksgiving for what God has done and for the people around you helps transform your perspective to seeing more than yourself and your problems. When we don’t feel God or we have some other spiritual wound, our tendency is to fill that gap we feel with something that will make us feel better. That ‘something’ can be a number of things, but the thing only it should be is God Himself. Whatever your issue maybe, He is the only answer. Drawing to Him is the response that is necessary. Praise nudges us to that place of nearness. Your words do not have to elegant, in fact God is concerned about your heart, not how broad your vocabulary maybe. The Lord proclaims in 1 Samuel 16:7 that “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God is very concerned about your spiritual health. Faithfully reading the Bible, faithfully praying, serving, and being in godly fellowship should be part of our daily life. There is a reason God speaks to us about all these things because it promote growth in our life, in our faith, and it is a protections from becoming stale or stagnant in our walk with God. Remember that many things are competing to fill our time, to fill any space we are not using wisely. The Enemy has no concern for you except to keep you from growing in God and from fellowship with the Lord.
     Paul challenges us in this act of praise in Philippians 4: 4-7. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Don’t miss the promise in this verse. Read that last verse. Bringing our hearts to God in prayer, in supplication and thanksgiving brings peace that surpasses our understanding. This peace actually guards our hearts and minds. Our hearts and our minds wander so easily, wouldn’t you agree? We have to continually come to God so that we are guarded. Today is the day you and I praise Him, thank Him, and find peace that surpasses our understanding. That peace is only found in Christ and absolutely nothing else. Our physical bodies are sensitive to any ailment no matter how small, as should be with our spiritual health. I want to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His leading. He always lead you to praise Christ and we should never decline that opportunity. There is great reward in praising Christ and as Paul has told us, there is great peace as well.

August

Ephesians 3:17-19  

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.   

God is so complicated  
 
     Do you ever think about how God can be so simple in His love for us and at the same time His love isn’t so simple to understand? In fact, I find that although I feel His love at times, or read about it, or see it in others, when I try to understand it, I can’t. I realize that there is much more packed in those 4 letters than I can see, feel, or hear. His ways are not like our ways and He is so complex and so complicated in every possible way. God isn’t difficult, but He is difficult for us to understand in our small minds. When things are wonderful and prayers are answered the way I hoped, His love is easy for me to see and even feel. Everything is just rosy and I could count the ways of how His love is perfect, kind, and generous, but it’s harder to have the same reaction when prayers are deferred and I have no idea what He’s doing. It’s harder for me to express His love or even see it when all I feel is pain or confusion.  
     Job is a perfect example. God loved Job, really and truly loved him. This is how God describes Job: “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”(Job 1:8) You have to understand this love before you can understand Job’s pain. In the midst of what happened to him, we have to always remember that it was because of how much God loved Job that tragedy struck him in the most horrific way. We saw God’s sweet mercy and love clearly when it came to Hannah’s story. His love was easy to see, easy to read, and honestly easy to feel. Yet with Job I have to really try hard to see God’s true love. To be honest, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around it. Why does God’s love have to be so hard and complicated in some situations like Job’s? Why did God allow such tragedy to strike when He loved Job so much? I can’t completely answer a tough question like that, but I do want us to try and see that in the heart of calamity, lies His abundant love.    
     Job has everything. He’s got wealth, land, many sons and daughters, a wife, and a home. He’s respected among the city and even among his servants. God has blessed him abundantly and in the midst of all this, he loves the Lord. He really is a blameless and upright man who fears God. God described Job correctly. What Job doesn’t know is that God and Satan are about to have a conversation that is going to rock his world. Let’s listen in and see what takes place.

“The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.” (Job 1:8-12)

A few more conversations like this and Job has lost his sons and daughters, his servants, his animals, and his health. All that he has left alive is his wife. Can you imagine? Do you see God’s love in this anywhere? At this point of his story, I will be honest and say that not only do I not see His love, but I really feel angry. But forget about me, how does Job respond? “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10) Job knows that God’s love is in the midst of this somewhere. He may not see it, but he refuses to curse God. He does choose to accept this as something from God. The rest of the chapters in Job are about his thoughts, emotions, and his struggles to make sense of this disaster. I encourage you to read it and see how God responds. His story is a good reminder of how small we are and how big God is and that God’s love runs much deeper than we can comprehend. Though Job struggled to understand what was happening, he did not forsake God. What God said about him in the beginning remained true till the end. That’s how I want my stories to end. That at the end I remain true to my God. Even if I can’t see or feel His love in my pain, I trust and believe it covers me completely. If He has the power to raise me from the dead, then surely He can raise me from every kind of pain, sorrow, and conflict.  
     Think through your own tragedies or difficult circumstances. Did you see God’s love evident? It might have been after the crisis calmed down and you could clearly see that God was working and taking care of you. Perhaps you saw it from the beginning or not till weeks later. The bottom line is that whether or not we can see it with our own eyes or feel it, we have to trust that His love is under, in, and on top of the disaster we are facing. Do you truly believe what Romans 8:28 says? “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” He works the catastrophe out for good in some miraculous way. Why? Because His love was involved from the beginning. His love allows the conflict and most definitely ends the conflict. Yes, God’s love can be complicated to comprehend, but it’s not complicated to be loved by Him. I believe I have quoted these words before, but I believe they are powerful to leave with you once again. This is a demon speaking about those who trust God (Enemy) even though it doesn’t make sense. That’s how I want to be described and how I want to live. 

“Our cause is never more in danger than  

when a human, no longer desiring,  

but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will,  

looks round upon the universe from
 which every trace of Him seems to have vanished,  

and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

~ C.S. Lewis-Screwtape Letters ~

July

Hebrews 4:16 
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Daniel 2: 17-18 
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Fellowship of the Believers

     Last month we had a glimpse into the life of Hannah and we saw what her prayer life consisted of and how God transformed her heart through it. After receiving the one thing she prayed for, she willingly gave it back to the Lord. That’s the kind of power I want to experience over and over in my life. The kind where my heart completely aligns with God’s will and purpose and it bleeds through my daily life. The power emerges from bowing low and praying high. In the past few weeks, this power has become very real in my life and the life of my family. We have gone through some difficulties that seemed, quite frankly, hopeless, but we continued to pray and cry out to God. I have to admit, I wondered if He was listening because when I wanted Him to come through, He didn’t. Yet in a matter of days, literally hours, I saw God’s power working and changing hearts. It was almost unreal. Yet it was very real and my prayers, my family’s prayers became reality. God doesn’t always answer this quickly, but the enormity of the power that is stirring behind our prayers is overwhelming and many times forgotten.
     Being able to approach the Throne of Grace, the place of prayer, is a gift. We are communicating with God, speaking with Him, crying to Him, and sometimes screaming out, but it is simply humbling ourselves in front of a righteous, powerful, but extremely loving God. In the passage above, Daniel and his friends and the rest of their people, have been taken captive by Babylon. They are in service to the king and Daniel has been asked to interpret a dream the king has had that the wise men of Babylon cannot understand. What is Daniel’s response? He asks his closest friends to pray for him. His friends pray and plead on his behalf. God answers their prayer that very night. I truly believe that the most powerful and intimate action a person can take towards a friend is prayer. Praying for a friend and praying with a friend is very intimate and sweet. We have to share what’s going on in our life and our heart when prayer is usually involved. That person gets to know you intimately so they know how to pray for you. I believe this is a side effect of praying for people, but a great side effect. Daniel and his friends were intimate friends because of their prayer life together and their circumstances. Prayer is a common bond I share with those that are closest to me. We pray for each other and we pray with each other. In our American culture, showing weakness is not looked highly upon, and yet admitting our weakness is where we find God’s strength. If we can’t be real with people, then who do we be real with? In a sense we have to be weak and vulnerable with one another to share our hearts. I need others praying on my behalf. The Holy Spirit works amazingly in me through other’s prayers just as much through my own prayers. The Holy Spirit works in you when others pray for you. We are affected by each other’s prayer. James 5:16 reminds us that we should “therefore confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Pretty powerful stuff, eh?
     Prayer isn’t just about our weaknesses or struggles, but if prayer is communication, then we also get to praise God for the joys in our life. We also saw last week of Hannah’s joyous words of praise over Samuel being born. He was her answered prayer and her response was correct. If my pain draws me to cry to God, then my joy shall draw me to praise Him. He should be my response in and to every situation. Prayer is fellowship with God and with friends. I hope as you are cultivating and strengthening your prayer life with Christ that you are also nurturing your prayer time with friends. He desires that we commune with other believers, that we share our hearts, our weaknesses, and joys. This is how we grow. Hebrews 3:13 says “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Prayer is part of that encouragement. If the Holy Spirit is in you and in them, then how can you and they not be blessed, encouraged, rebuked, or sharpened? In fact, we should expect this each time we come together. And yet how much more does the Spirit testify to each other’s hearts when we pray together?

“God’s conquering days are when the saints have given themselves to mightiest prayer…..
The secret of success in
Christ’s kingdom is the ability to pray.”
~ E.M. Bounds ~

June

1 Samuel 1: 1-7, 9-10, 13-16

Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.
Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord. and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, “O Lord. of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord. all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.

Woman of Grace

Hannah- “graciousness” or “favor”

     Hannah was married to a man that loved her very much. He also was married to another woman named Peninnah. To have two wives was common, but not blessed by God. Peninnah bore her husband children while Hannah was barren. In a culture where women were defined by their roles as mother and caretaker, this was devastating to Hannah. She not only had no children, but the other wife was very fertile and very mean. 1 Samuel tells us that Peninnah was a rival and reminded Hannah of her barrenness often. Peninnah had the option of being compassionate but she chose to rub Hannah’s pain in her face. I have to wonder how many years she had to tolerate this kind of belittling and yet she did tolerate it. The Bible does not mention that she became angry or bitter or revengeful, but she did weep and fast. She wept to the Lord. This happened year after year. Elkanah tried to comfort his wife. He gave her double portions of the sacrifice while the other wife received the normal amount. He loved her despite her bareness. This is worth noting. Remember that children were a blessing and an asset. To have two wives provide children was a very good thing. He may have married Peninnah because Hannah was barren, but the scriptures are clear that he loved her unconditionally. He loved her, respected her, and trusted her. When God did grant the son she appealed for, Elkanah trusted her to do what she desired with him for the Lord.
      If only Peninnah would have put herself in Hannah’s shoes for a little bit she may have been able to muster up some sympathy. Although I have to wonder that the reason she became her rival is she knew that Hannah was loved despite her barrenness. Jealousy is not pretty. What was it like to live together under the same roof? It could not have been pleasant. I love Hannah’s reaction. She didn’t get revenge, but she wept to God. He was her only comfort. He only could change the impossible. What I find amazing is Hannah’s request to the Lord. Read her prayer again above. She tells the Lord that if he grants her a child, a child that he has longed for many years, she will return him back to the Lord for His service. This could not have been an easy request or one that she made from the start. I believe that year after year as she was crying and praying out to God that something extraordinary was happening in her heart and soul. I believe the Holy Spirit was transforming her heart to God’s desires and will. Prayer was drawing her intimately to God. Do you think when she first started praying for children that she would ever have thought that she would give them up to God happily? This is the power of the Holy Spirit working in us when we submit to God. How many things have I desired that I would be so willing to give back? Yet I have experienced the power of prayer and the way it has changed my heart and even what I desire. I’m afraid to say it’s like magic, but there is something magical and mystical about the working of God. Words just cannot always explain it.
God did eventually grant Hannah her prayer and she named that miracle Samuel. I hope that despite our busy schedule, we are praying. I hope we are praying constantly. It’s so easy to just talk speak to God anywhere. We can pray in the car, silently at work, openly with friends, and many times in between. We are drawn intimately to Him each time. It’s a gift God has designed for only us. We are the only part of creation that enjoys this communion with Him. If you have time, please read Hannah’s prayer of joy after Samuel was born. Here is a part of it:


“My heart exults in the Lord;
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
“There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
“Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed.

1 Samuel 2:1-3

May

That Old Suit

     People. You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. Have you noticed that most of your heartaches and hurts in life result solely from other people? Not from your pet, or your possessions, but from those you love and from those you can’t stand. The deepest hurts and tragedies come from what people say or do. And yet God wants us to live with these people. These people that are selfish and who have their own ideas and think they are better than others. He wants us to live and love these people! What’s even worse, if you haven’t already figured it out, is that you are one of those people!
     Some of the deepest joys and love come from other people. They encourage you, help you, pray for you, and carry your burden. The same people do the hurting and the loving. How is this possible? Amazing. I think it’s amazing that He allows us to experience both extremes from one person. And that He allows us to do both to other people. God only loves and He loves perfectly and He is love. If there is anything inside me that does not love and does not act out love, than it’s not from God. It’s part of my fallen nature. That part that has fallen from obeying Him and loving Him. That part that is not redeemed. As a believer, God says that I have been made a new creature, a new person. Yet for now, I’m a new creature living in my old human suit and that suit wants to have its own way. Do you ever say or do something and in the middle of it happening, you wonder why you are doing it? Or right after it happens, you can’t believe that you did it? I love how Paul explains this tug between the new person inside me and the old suit outside me.


”We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:14-20).

     Did you get all that? I have to read it a few times. Basically he’s saying that what I should do I don’t, but rather I do what I shouldn’t. He’s not removing responsibility from doing the wrong things. He’s saying that there is a war going on inside him. As a believer, he’s got the spirit of God living inside his sinful body. When that happens, you’ve got a small war. Your soul is redeemed. Your mind is transformed. But your body stays the same. That’s why when we die, we will receive new bodies, spiritual bodies. There will not be any tug of war then.
      I believe that God created us for Him but also to experience His love through other people. We are meant to commune and fellowship with others. To hug, laugh, cry, and speak with each other. You don’t have to be a Christian to experience this. It’s how God created every single one of us. His nature is to commune and fellowship and since each of us is created in His image, we naturally desire the same thing. Our fallen nature can distort this and make it into something He did not intend for it to be. We may feel lonely at times and even be lonely at times, but He did not create us to be alone. I truly believe that the fear of being alone will make people do just about anything to avoid it, including putting God aside and people above. I’ve seen it done. As a single person I can relate, even understand, but not necessarily justify. It’s hard to be alone and on your own wondering if this is how it’s going to remain. And yet you do not have to be single to know what I’m talking about. Whatever your status may be, as a believer you’ve got the spirit of God in you struggling with the old suit. We must be able to recognize both of these to be able to know how to live in the Spirit and not act out the flesh. This becomes very real to me not so much when I’m doing or saying something I shouldn’t, but when I experience fears, doubts, and anxiety. When I experience these things, I see that there is something stirring in me to either indulge in these emotions or to see it for what it is in view of God’s Word. My old suit says that I have right to be afraid or doubt because God hasn’t come through. It tells me to look out for myself because no one else is. I’ve got to take matters into my own hands. I have to make it happen myself. The Spirit gently tugs at my heart with Truth. God loves me and He has not forgotten me. He tells me softly that I have people who love me, forgive me, and pray for me. The Spirit always guides me to scripture. The old suit always guides me away.
    When I am not loving those around me, it’s evident that the old suit has emerged. We all have the old suit problem. Until we get a new one, we must learn how to live with it. We must learn how to control it and live as new creatures and not as old suits. Again, let’s read what Paul says:

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-19).

     I profess Christ and that He died for my sins and your sins and now as His child, I am to live for Him alone, and not for you or for myself. But part of living for Him is loving you and calling others to be reconciled to Him. What really struck me was that Paul wasn’t going to evaluate people any longer according to the flesh, according to external and worldly standards. Think about that. If I can really not see people in this way, both believers and non-believers, then I would see their sin differently too. When they hurt me or discourage me, maybe I would respond differently to them according to Paul’s view. We are new creatures in Christ, but we are not perfect. We are being perfected, sanctified, and renewed every day through the Spirit. So this means that sometimes I may act from my old suit and when that happens, I have to take responsibility, but also hope that whoever I hurt may have compassion on me. If they are a believer, then they would recognize my old suit, but love me as the new creation. I, too, must respond in that very way to you when you hurt me. I, too, must recognize your old suit, but also mine and respond accordingly. I don’t know about you, but the old suit is crimping my style and I’m ready to throw it out. But I’ve got to wait for death to come or for Jesus to return. Until that happens, I have to learn to live as a new creature and to act and love as new creature, one that has been redeemed.

April

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
 
Philippians 1:21
For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
 
Gratify-to please, satisfy, indulge
Instant-immediate, imperative, urgent

     If you read my letter last month, you know that I am trying to make choices that are healthy for my body and it’s pretty hard! More importantly than my physical health, I want to pour even more energy into my spiritual health. Not just gaining more and more knowledge of God and the Bible, but actually putting into practice that knowledge and obeying God. And since this goes against my natural flesh, it’s really hard! I think you would agree. Any form of discipline and obedience only comes from saying no to what looks and feels good now so that you can say yes to what is good later. As with anything, whether it’s God, money, or food, what we want is ‘immediate gratification’. We want instant pleasure, progress, or results. Nobody likes that phrase because in some way we are all guilty of it. Again, it’s part of our flesh. Waiting for anything, no matter how small or big, is always hard. We don’t like to admit it but there are parts of us that remain childish and many times you can see this play out when we have to wait. Waiting means that you don’t get immediate gratification. If I pull up to Wal-Mart and get the first parking spot closest to the entrance, I am immediately happy. Why? Because there is no waiting. If I find a checkout line that does not have a line, and the cashier is actually waiting for me to get there, I am immediately happy. Why? Because who wants to wait?
     I think technology is a blessing and curse for our culture and with every passing generation. Yes we can accomplish much and with greater speed, but I think at the same time we feed our flesh the idea that we can get everything instantly. It’s the ‘microwave’ thinking. Instead of calling someone, we text or email because it’s faster and convenient. I am guilty of this. I’m not saying it’s wrong or a sin, but certain things are becoming a norm instead of the exception. This idea of instant is okay in some situations, but many times we don’t know how to keep it separate from people and God. There is no instant with people and definitely not with God, but we become so accustomed to this idea, that when we have to do any kind of waiting, we don’t wait well. You see this with children. Children naturally do not wait well. We are born with the ‘microwave’ instinct, but we are not supposed to live with it. But if we don’t first learn how to wait well, how do we raise a younger generation to do that? Waiting doesn’t mean not getting what you want; it means trusting God’s timing with what we desire or seek. Without waiting, my faith would not grow, my process of thinking would not mature, there would be no time to seek godly counsel, and the most importantly, there would be no fervent prayer. Cultivating prayer takes time.
     So how does eating healthy and waiting on God connect? We have to change our thinking, our mind set. Saying no or being told no does not mean we are being denied what we deserve. We haven’t done anything in our own merit to deserve or claim rights to anything in the first place. There isn’t one talent, possession, idea, or person that you get to claim as yours without first acknowledging that it’s completely a blessing from God. So let’s make sure we get this truth right before we start huffing and puffing about what we deserve and have a right to. Some of us may be more generous, more kind, more resourceful with our possessions, better spouses, better workers, but we don’t earn our rights through what we do. Those were lost in the Garden. We are better workers, spouses, etc. because of God. What we do have is a Holy God that absolutely sees our selfishness, our self-centeredness, our thoughts, our sins and still loves us so much that He decides we are worth saving. We are worth dying for and giving new life to. We have a God that knows we don’t deserve anything or shouldn’t be given any rights, but He decided on the Cross we were a people that He couldn’t help but save. So when God says no, I need to wait. I need to learn to say no with God. And following Jesus’ example, I also learn to say no to that which is not best. Holiness and instant gratification cannot co-exist. That old saying ‘Good things come to those who wait’ basically implies that you need to cultivate patience. Who I wait on is the question. Waiting on people to come through for me will leave me sorely disappointed and discouraged. The Lord however, will always come through with exactly what I need- not always what I want. While I’m waiting on God, He cultivates trust, hope, faith, and wisdom. God knows what He’s doing and there is a reason He is not a God of instant gratification. Not even Jesus escaped this truth. There was nothing instant about His life, His torture on the cross, or His death. He waited on God’s timing and plan for all good things to come together. We are reaping those good things.
     I want to say yes to God and no to anything that opposes His will including my wants and desires. He wants to bless me and use me and grow me but that only happens when I submit to Him. Part of loving God isn’t just spending time with Him but it’s spending His time wisely. Discipline is cultivated and learned. It starts by recognizing what is good for me in the long run, not just what feels good right now (or tastes good!) God wants only what is good for me according to His will. Sometimes that means He gives what I ask and sometimes it means I wait. I only want what is good for my body, but sometimes that means I have to say no to certain foods and yes to other ones. Is it really suffering when I have to wait or when I’m told no? Do I not see the good and the sovereignty behind the waiting? If it’s instant gratification that I seek, then I reject holiness. But if I choose Christ, then I choose a rich and holy life.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly,
righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope

and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and

to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Titus 2: 11-14

March

2 Timothy 2: 3-7
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
 
John 4:34
My food,” said Jesus “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

Hard Work
     I am not sure I would call this my New Year’s resolution, but my goal by the end of this year is to have eaten better and exercised more. I’m taking it slow because trying to eat healthy in our society is hard work. At least it is for me and if I can add, it’s also pretty expensive. I don’t just mean eating more veggies, but trying to eat food that isn’t saturated with chemicals and things I can’t pronounce. This means I have to plan better and read labels and say no to some things. I know it doesn’t sound fun, but it’s a decision I made and I know it will pay off in the long run. I don’t tell you this because I’m bragging or trying to make you feel guilty for what you ate today. I am not a nutritionist, or a doctor, or health guru. I am simply trying to be informed and educated in certain things. Hopefully this will become a lifestyle and not just a fad for me. This also means I have to cook more instead of eating out and oh do I love to eat out! It’s just easier than cooking for one, but then again, I made a decision and I am trying to stick to it. The other half of my decision was to exercise so I reluctantly joined a gym. I say reluctantly because again it’s not cheap, but I am enjoying the classes and it gets me up and moving. So far so good. Not perfect by a long shot, but I’m doing it. I basically have to unlearn my bad eating habits and replace them with good ones. Unlearning is hard. How do I forget what I already know?
     I am realizing that I can’t just replace bad food with good food. In order for my lifestyle to change, my heart has to be in it, otherwise I would do it for a week tops and just go back to the same routine. My heart has to change and be in agreement with my head. I picked up a book that has been teaching me about eating better and it’s soaking into my heart; therefore the change I want to make is very real. No one is forcing me to do it. I am not getting paid to do it. It’s a decision I have made all on my own. I asked earlier how we forget what we already know. I don’t think we necessary forget as we do replace. We replace the bad knowledge with the good knowledge we receive. As a child I grew up eating donuts every Sunday at church and carried that tradition into adulthood. I love donuts; they are great. Not great for you, but still quite yummy. When I decided to cut down on sugar, this had to go. Trust me, I wasn’t cutting down on sugar because I wanted to, but health wise it was necessary and so I did it. Do I still crave them when I see them at church? Yes! But my knowledge of donuts as a child was that they were yummy. Period. I didn’t need to know any more. Now years later I know more. I’ve educated myself and realized that it’s not the best thing for my body and so I replace my previous knowledge of donuts with the new knowledge and have acted on that knowledge. Anyone hungry yet?
     There is a point to all this food talk. I’m not sure I’m putting as much effort every day with God as I am for my body. Remember the commandment to ‘love thy neighbor as yourself’? You know why He said that, right? It’s because we totally love ourselves and therefore will do extravagant things for ourselves. I am working my mind and body to eat right and exercise, but I have to work my mind and body and heart with God as well. I realize that I need to work even harder to keep God first. That’s hard work. Not because He makes it hard or because I don’t want to, but because I am easily distracted. Let’s be real. In our time there are more things now than ever before to keep us distracted. Satan does a very good job with this. People, books, events, phones, TV, you name it. All good things become distractions, not just the bad things. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a book or movie, but I think if we aren’t paying attention, it happens. If I’m not paying attention and being cautious of what I’m eating, I’ll eat whatever, especially when I’m tired or in a hurry. When I am tired and don’t already have a plan for eating, then I tend to revert back to old habits and eat what’s the most convenient. And yes this happens now and then, but I’d rather struggle doing what’s good for me than just giving in to my temptations. My relationship with God doesn’t need to be stagnant and routine, but I do have to cultivate it and nurture it and struggle everyday to love Him and obey Him. I would rather struggle loving and obeying Him than just give up. There’s no throwing in the towel with God. I must read the Bible, pray, serve, love, obey, witness, and sacrifice with God and for God everyday and start all over the next day. The reason it’s a struggle many times is because we are those fish going against the current—going the ‘wrong’ way. The world goes one way and we are going another way, and so it’s hard. Along the way we get side tracked and bumped and jolted. Every time we do, we start where we left off. When I don’t eat healthy, I have to start where I left off and get back on track. The point is to get back on track. It’s a two way relationship, me and God. He doesn’t get sidetracked or bumped. It’s all me, so I am the one that must make the effort. The wonderful news is that the Holy Spirit plays a huge part in this. If we let Him lead, He will always lead us to God and nowhere else.
     My desire is that my fervor and yearning for the Lord would be even more than my desire for a healthy lifestyle. My desire and my prayer is that I would hunger more for Him than for anything else in this world. More than any person, any possession, any position, or anything else I haven’t thought of yet. There are a handful of things that I desire very much, so much that sometimes they pass over God. They become idols instead of desires. I have to work hard to keep these in their place. God has to be my desire, my love, and my passion. This means that I have to speak with Him each day, learn about Him each day, love Him each day, obey Him each day, and trust Him each day. You and I may not be on the same path for what we eat, but I hope we are both struggling to serve and love the same God. Let’s struggle well together.

All hard work brings a profit,

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23

February

Exodus 3:10-14, 4: 10-13
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”…..Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

 Judges 6:11-18
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

In Secure in God

As I continue to learn more about the people of the Bible, I am continued to be amazed by them. Not the amazement you might think. I am not only amazed by how God used them, which is quite remarkable, but I am amazed that God still used them. He still used them after they said no, or had the wrong attitude or tried it their own way. To be honest, I can relate. Sadly, I’ve had all those reactions before. I am not always the eager beaver when God calls me to do something. Moses and Gideon were used greatly for the protection and freedom of the Israelites; however their beginnings were a little different. Moses, after 40 years of training as a shepherd, was now being called to shepherd the Israelites out of Egypt. I would say that was a big task and Moses made it very clear to God what he thought. Moses first response is that he is not someone that’s worthy for this calling. God assures him that He is with him. Moses replies back not sure how he’s to respond to the people when they question his authority. God tells him His name. Moses reveals that he lacks the ability to speak as he needs to with Pharaoh. God rebukes him and reminds him of His power. Moses comes back with a clear no. If you continue to read the passages, God becomes angry, but provides him help through his brother Aaron, and God does amazing things through them. God didn’t need Moses to be great; He needed him to be available.
     Many years later, we meet Gideon. It is the time of the Judges and there is a lot of oppression and idol worship throughout the land. God has been sending different people to ‘judge’ the Israelites and lead them not just out of sin, but also from destruction from other nations. Gideon is one of those judges. God meets him alone as He did with Moses. Notice how He addresses Gideon. He calls him mighty warrior. Now at this point Gideon has done nothing ‘warrior’ like, let alone, mighty, but God knows what Gideon’s going to do. After God is done with him, Gideon will be a mighty warrior. Gideon overlooks this point and addresses something more pertinent to him. Where is God? That’s what he wants to know. Gideon and his people are being oppressed and God seems to be gone. Where is the God that led the Israelites out of slavery and performed amazing miracles on their behalf? I might be asking the same thing given his circumstances. God doesn’t necessarily give him a direct answer, but instead tells him that Gideon himself is going to save Israel. God called Moses to save the people and now it’s Gideon that’s being called. Unlike Moses, Gideon doesn’t say no, but he does ask Him for a sign; actually a few signs. Guess what? God gave it to him. Every sign he needed, God provided. God did amazing things through Gideon and the men that fought with him. Again, God didn’t need Gideon to be mighty; He needed him to be available.
     Thank God He doesn’t need me to be great or mighty, because I am neither. After thinking about the circumstances both these men were in and what God was calling them to do, I’m not sure I can blame them for not responding with joy. They were scared, plain and simple. From their responses, it’s obvious that they felt inadequate and insecure, as they should. In themselves, they were not adequate or secure to save themselves, let alone, save the whole nation. Despite their attempt to tell God otherwise, they eventually obeyed God and discovered His power flowing through them to accomplish what, on their own, could not ever be done. God wants so much to use us and to display His greatness through us if we let Him. I have to admit that I feel inadequate and insecure more than I’d like to admit. Yet, isn’t this a great place to be? If I can respond the correct way out of my insecurity when God calls me to do something, then He can accomplish amazing things through me as He did with Moses and Gideon. From my insecurity I must learn to secure myself to Him. I believe that our insecurity serves a greater purpose than we realize. Satan would like to use this sense of helplessness to keep us from obeying God and from being used by Him. God does not allow us to feel insecure or inadequate so that we cower away from Him, but quite the opposite. He wants that out of our insecurity, out of realizing that we really are not secure in ourselves, that we would secure ourselves firmly to Him. Once Moses and Gideon got past the realization that they alone can’t do what God is asking, they secured themselves to their God. You have to read for yourselves the story of Moses and Gideon and see the mighty and amazing things that can be done when your security is latched to the One that does not need to be secure in anything. He does not change, sway, or move. He is the Rock. He is the Fortress and the Shield. I hope I realize the next time I feel insecure or feel as if I don’t measure up, that I am in a good place. I won’t measure up against others. I won’t be secure in myself. It’s a good place to let God take control.

January

Joshua 2: 1-4,8-13,17-18
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them…Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” ..Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.

Hebrews 11:31
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

 New Creation
     How would you like to be known as ‘the harlot’? In Joshua 6, every time Rahab is mentioned, she is titled as Rahab the harlot. That title has stuck all these years because many of you know her as that. Yet she was a harlot until God did some work on her heart through some unusual ways. The two spies that were sent out went to lodge at her place because who would suspect two men staying at a harlot’s house, right? Also, her place was on the city wall which was of course easy access. These men went there strategically, but God’s providence sent them there for the salvation of a harlot. When God would be done, she would no longer be Rahab the harlot, but Rahab the saved, the redeemed, the child of God!
     We don’t know what the spies told her when they got there, but I believe that God was already working and revealing things in her life and preparing her for this very moment. Just like Ruth and Esther, she was going to have to do things she didn’t think she was ready for. Sound familiar at all? You and I also have ‘moments’ that we may think we are not ready for, but when God is at work anything is possible, even if that anything is you and me. Rahab would have to take a step of faith to help these men. I’m sure their actions proved worthy of their character. They could have treated her like a harlot, but instead, they spoke to her as a person. The words that she spoke to them on the roof are evidence that God had been speaking to her through past events and was preparing her heart for something greater than she ever knew.
     Her life and her job as she knew it was a prison. I’m certain her life felt insignificant and useless. Had she experienced real unconditional love yet, though I’m not sure, I do believe she saw God’s love through these men. She was living a lonely life that was man pleasing, but God was going to change that to an abundant life that was God pleasing! She asked to be spared from the attack, not only herself, but her whole family. She was fearful for her life and the life of those she loved, but what I love the most is that she had no clue what she was really going to be saved from. She saw only the immediate death from war, but God was going to deliver her soul from eternal death. Her name was going to be written not only in the Bible, but in the Book of Life! He used her broken heart and her fears to draw her close to Him.                                                     
     The spies had left her and the next few days would have to be endured patiently. I can only imagine her anxiety, her fears, and her wondering whether these men would really keep their promise. Would this God that she was trusting really help her? What did she tell her family, how did she explain it all? Joshua 6 explains how the walls of Jericho fell. The Israelites marched around the wall for seven days. What was Rahab thinking and feeling as she saw these men circling around and around for a week? The anticipation must have been overwhelming. Right before anything could happen, the two men came to her as they promised. They took her and her entire family and they were spared from the coming slaughter. Just like that, after days of waiting and hoping, they were delivered from the attack from the attackers themselves. Her one decision to trust God, to trust these men from God, changed the course of her life forever. She was not just spared, but we know from Matthew1 that she is in the line of Christ. Her faith was going to define her in history.
     Don’t you want to be used like Rahab was? If you’ve read my last two letters, you know I want to be used and I want to live the dream that God has planned for me. Yet in my life I am not going to be hiding spies or speaking before kings. I still want to be ready for my ‘moments’ that could make a difference in my life or better yet, in someone else’s life. I may not be like Rahab who was used in the nation of Israel, but I know that if I am ready and available, God will use me in His kingdom no matter how small the impact. I hope that this new year I can be ready and available. That I, like Rahab, can just do what I need to no matter how scared I may be. I just want to obey.
     Her small leap of faith and trust in God transformed her into a new creation. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Her old life was gone and new things awaited for Rahab. She received blessings beyond her dreams. She was not merely delivered, but would have a new life. She would be a wife and mother. Only God can use sinners and transform them into saints. I can tell you that He has done that with me. He has taken this sinner, and given me a new title, saint! Only He can take something broken and make it new. When we hear the name Rahab, let us be encouraged of the new life she received from such a small amount of faith. May the new year be a renewing of our faith in God and trusting Him to turn what’s left of our old self to be transformed into something pleasing to Him. As children of God, we are new creations no matter our age or our past. Let’s prove our deliverance; let’s prove our faith; let’s prove what we believe by what we do-just like Rahab did.

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James 2:24-26