Just a Thought

Every Good and Perfect Gift

2012-03-05T00:44:00.000-08:00

I can’t seem to move past the concept of giving thanks and the connection to Eucharist (communion). Here’s the full definition of Eucharist: a sacrament of thanksgiving, an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual divine grace, a thing of mysterious and sacred significance.

Of course! When we experience grace, the undeserved goodness of God’s hand, a gift of pure unconditional love, we’ve been invited into a moment of mystery. Anything that blesses us, or continues to bring us into complete wholeness (the present-tense of salvation) is a gift: a thing of mysterious and sacred significance. That “thing” is holy – no matter how it comes wrapped (whether in a bright cheerful package that makes us smile, or a black box topped with a black bow of grimness). That moment is God’s divine, personal touch on my very mundane, normal life. If I recognize it, I have to pause before the sacred, for the Divine has chosen to enter into my world.

In that recognizable moment, how can I not give thanks (eucharisteo)? How can I not respond as the one leper who returned to Jesus, and bend low, to loudly, excitedly, and vibrantly, glorify Him and give grateful applause for all he’s done? For when I do, I truly experience Communion with him.

Question: How has the Divine entered your world over the past week? Do you see him in the big, obvious blessings – but have not learned to acknowledge him in the small and the insignificant? Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights. May I highly recommend keeping a "blessings book?" The more we see our blessings, the more our hearts fill with cheer...and, as we all know, a cheerful heart is VERY GOOD medicine!

Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you ___________________!
Deuteronomy 8:18a

Your Faith Has Made You Well!

2012-02-27T04:48:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that last week, if it wasn’t clear to you, it became clear to me that sometimes, as Christians, we don’t truly see God’s hand in the giving of all we’ve received. The story of the ten lepers made that abundantly obvious. Who turned back? The Samaritan! The foreigner! Where were the “religious” ones? The temple-goers? The God-fearers? The ones who should have seen God in the miracle of the moment? They were on their way to the priest, excited to be lawful again. Maybe they were thankful, but they were not deeply grateful. There’s a difference.

...And there’s more to this story. As the Samaritan recognized his healing had to have come from the God of the Universe, he offered a sacrament...an outward and visible sign of his inner blessing. That’s the Oxford dictionary’s meaning for the word Eucharist. “Eucharisteo” is the Greek word for giving thanks. I love that. It says when we express deep gratitude to the Father of Lights from whom every good gift originates, we are offering to him a sacrament of love (read James 1:17).

...And there’s even more to the story. When this foreigner turned back to offer his eucharisteo to Jesus, God-in-flesh extended his great gift. And (Jesus) said to him, “Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well (Luke 17:19).” Wait a minute, wasn’t the man already well? Hadn’t he already been healed? Outwardly, yes. But again, we must look at the deeper Greek meaning (can you tell I love word studies?). This word means to be made safe, to protect, to deliver, to heal, or to make whole. It is used specifically of salvation from eternal death, sin, punishment and the misery that follows the sin. The other nine were healed to die again. The one who returned to give thanks recognized Jesus as God. This belief healed him unto salvation. He not only had a healed body, but his spirit and soul (mind, will, emotions) were made whole, as well. He was no longer leprous in skin, and he was no longer leprous of heart. He was a new creation inside and out.

When the Samaritan walked away from Jesus, he was no longer a foreigner. This man was in, no longer did the dividing wall separate him from God, for, now, he was a child of the promise. No longer an outcast, he was brought near (read Ephesians 2).

Then with an exclamation mark, Jesus turned back to the Pharisees in the midst saying, “Behold...the Kingdom of God is in your midst (vs. 21)....because they missed it! They didn’t see that before their eyes the Kingdom was being made of grateful lepers saved to wholeness and eternal life.

Lessons to take away:

There’s so much more to Christianity than just being lawful...has your faith made you well -emotionally, mentally, where your decision-making is concerned, but more importantly - spiritually?

We can’t out-thank Jesus. The more we offer him true eucharisteo, the more he gives (and we can't out-give him either)...

As we give him thanks, the Kingdom of God enters our midst... Can you see it? Do you see HIM? He's amazing!

Open My Eyes

2012-02-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

Where better to turn on the journey for an attitude of gratitude, than to explore the road on the border between Samaria and Galilee and see firsthand, Jesus’ interaction with a group of ten lepers. This was an unlikely group of people comprised of both Galileans and a Samaritan. Even though “nothing good came out of Galilee,” Samaritans were despicable. Not even a Galilean would have anything to do with a Samaritan. But, leprosy held no prejudices, and disease like this had a tendency to unite the unlikely.

I can’t imagine the toll leprosy took on a human: the pain, the emotional tsunami, the despair, the loneliness, the poverty, the confusion, the condemnation, the rejection... Lepers were the untouchable, the unclean, the excluded, the ignored, and the “outcast.” As hard as that had to be, here’s the “doozy”: Leprosy was illegal. Yeah, it was “against the law” to be leprous. Seriously. I can’t conceive of being struck with a disease that I could do nothing about and immediately declared “GUILTY (as if I had committed a crime)!” How do I know? In verse 14, of chapter 17 (Luke’s gospel), these words are used “they were cleansed.” The Greek word, which we translate cleansed, meant “made clean,” but it came from a root word that literally implied that they were “made lawful.” You can’t be made lawful, unless you are first and foremost lawless. Being a leper meant you were all of the above. These men needed MERCY - in a BIG WAY!

So, they came to Jesus as he passed through the region. Hoping against hope... Dreaming of possibilities... Minds whirling with the “what ifs...” Oh, the compassion of Jesus! He took one look at them, and said, “Go... to the priests.” Please take note of this fact: Jesus said nothing about being healed. At that very moment the ten saw no evidence of their healing, but they must have had some element of faith, because they went. “And it came about as they were going; they were cleansed (vs. 14).”

Healing often comes that way – as we are going, and in spite of how we feel, regardless of what we see, and apart from what we think we know. As we listen to the voice of Jesus, the possible becomes real. When did they see their healing? For one, it appears immediate. The others may have noticed, but didn’t really have their eyes fully opened. If they had, all ten would have turned back in gratitude. As it was, only one of the ten, in the midst of ecstatic, mind-blowing, life-altering transformation came back to Jesus, glorifying God with a loud voice...

...and he fell on his face at his feet giving thanks to Him, and he was a Samaritan (vs 16).

This one verse tells me a lot. The more we recognize our condition without Jesus’ touch, the more grateful we are when we receive it. The Samaritan was doubly outcast. For the Jews in the group, there was a little element of “entitlement.” Secondly, what does it say in general about our ability to be genuinely thankful? Could it be that only 10% of us truly have our eyes fully opened to our blessings? It’s caused me to examine myself...and as George Herbert once prayed, so I echo, “Lord, you have given me so many blessings, now I ask for one more thing...a heart of gratitude.” Open my eyes, Lord, make me fully thankful! May it be so – Amen & Amen!

In His Presence

2012-02-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

I found myself reflecting this week on a season of near revival in the church I attended so long ago. I remembered the desire to be in the building, for long hours, way into the night (I, now, have deep admiration for the nursery workers), because none of us wanted to miss the possibility that God just might step down in full glory. Not only did we show up on Sunday morning and Sunday night, but I remember coming to church, and being excited about going, at very random times. What a season of worship – real worship, heart rending praise and worship. What a time of vulnerability, brokenness, confession, and restoration. What sharing of testimonies of thanksgiving. There is no question that God’s Spirit was present. I had never sensed anything like it, nor have I since. In many ways, I cannot describe or define what took place. It was, in the true sense of an over-used word, AWESOME!

Yet, as I’ve pondered the “why” of that time, two key pieces stand out. The first key piece could only be explained as being in an environment of grace that gave us permission to be real and messy...in order to find absolute forgiveness and renewal. The second key piece I attribute to grateful hearts. Again, as I’ve reflected, some key passages spill into my thoughts.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2).

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him... (Psalm 100:4)

In 2 Samuel 6, King David ushered in the presence of the Lord, as represented by the Ark of the Covenant, with jubilant, unashamed, thanksgiving.

In 2 Chronicles 5, just prior to the “glory of the Lord” filling the newly constructed temple, we find the people of God sacrificing, praising, and giving thanks...

There’s a definite theme that precedes the revealed presence of God in the lives of His people: THANKSGIVING.

Life Lesson – short and sweet: The surest way to usher myself into the revealed presence of God is in heartfelt celebration, offering up a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

...and, there is nothing I want more than to sense his nearness!

Perpetual Broken-heartedness

2012-02-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

This morning, I picked up the little book of Puritan Prayers, Valley of Vision. I have loved the prayers in this book! However, today I stopped after reading these words: “Give me perpetual broken-heartedness. Keep me always clinging to Thy cross.”

Certainly you understand why I quit reading. Perpetual broken-heartedness? Really? Forgive my lack of spirituality, but I don’t really want to sign up for this. I’ll make some justification in my defense.

This past fall, I went to see my doctor (hurray for insurance!), who turned around and sent me to the E.R. I had been experiencing a little pressure in my chest and after a preliminary EKG, my doc thought I might be on the verge of a heart attack. The good news is that following 36-hours in the hospital (by the way, the secret to quick attention in an ER is to complain of chest pains) they released me with a normally functioning, and beating, heart. However, the uncomfortable tightness remained, so I had to see a cardiologist for more testing. Again – bottom line is that while the inner workings of my heart looked great (other than my potassium levels being a bit low, which can mimic a heart attack), physically I was fine. (There is a “but” to follow...) BUT, after exploring life-events of my past three years (several significant events, by the way), my cardiologist explained that Mayo has recently identified what they term BHS: broken-heart syndrome. You can actually Google this term, if you don’t believe me. BHS is real. It is uncomfortable. It causes me to be short of breath. I don’t like who I am and how I react when I don’t feel well. Daily, I’m very aware life isn’t “normal” where my health is concerned; but, it will eventually go away on its own. Over the last four months, I have requested from the Lord (pretty regularly) to take it away.

So, when I read the words of the above prayer, there is a very personal slant on them. I don’t want this perpetual syndrome. My focus landed on that first sentence, and I forced my mind to look at the part "B": Keep me always clinging to Thy cross. Those words remind me of David’s words: It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your instructions (Ps 119:71)... There is no question in my mind, the “good” of my affliction is exactly that I have not only clung to the cross of Christ – the symbol of his great grace and mercy – but I have searched and found his words to be the source of my daily strength and hope. So, in spite of my prayers for deliverance, I see a higher good coming out of the broken-heart: cross-clinging-dependence. In my journey toward gratitude, this is reason enough for the giving of thanks – yes, even for the very thing that is most uncomfortable.

If so, then to the cross I choose to cling - for there is my true source of full life, even in the face of my weakness. There at the cross, in the cross, for the cross, and under the cross is some purpose complete, not for my sake, but His.

To keep me from becoming conceited...there was given me a thorn in the flesh...three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. This is why, for Chris’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties...

2 Cor. 12:7-10

A New Song

2012-01-30T04:33:00.000-08:00

I will sing a new song to you, O God...to the One who gives victory...

(Psalm 144:9a, 10a)

As is my new habit, I went running this morning. However, along the way, in spite of the music pumping through my ear phones, the song of a bird melted away what I was hearing. As I looked around to see where it was coming from, I took note that the little guy was perched on top a saguaro. In spite of the prickles, his little beak was lifted to the sky and his song rang clear and true. His was obviously a song of trust (even if I didn't understand his words). So, without any prodding, I stopped running and snapped a picture on my phone.

That's about the time, I had a thought. So, here it is: why am I not more like this little cactus wren when I'm in the midst of the saguaros of life, and feeling the prickles of problems attacking me? King David learned how. As I read Psalm 144, I recognized that he was still singing, even though the mighty waters of deceit were threatening to overwhelm him. He sang a new song even though people attacked him on all sides. His was a song of trust, a song of deliverance...even before the delivery came, because he trusted in the One who gives victory!

In Psalm 144, verse 8, David said this, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you." As I started running once again, I noticed the words to the song this little cactus wren had drowned out - words from Mercy Me's, Spoken For. Let me share them with you:

Covered by your love divine

Child of the risen Lord...

To hear you say, "This one's mine!"

My heart is spoken for!

Even to me, this morning, God brought me word of his unfailing love...I am his; my heart is spoken for! I have a new song to sing at the top of the cactus when life is the prickliest! I have much to be thankful for...

Where Gratitude Begins...

2012-01-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

I jotted down the following quote this week. I don't know who said it, or even where I found it. Perhaps it was on someone's FaceBook page, among the many pearls of wisdom I read (and some not so gem-like). Oh, here's the quote: Gratitude begins where entitlement ends.

I didn't like that quote. Pondering it made me think of how "ungrateful" I can be, as there are times when I think I deserve something that I don't get, and that sense of entitlement leaves me spiraling downward. Immediately the following scenario came to mind. I just boarded the plane home after a weekend of speaking - a GREAT WEEKEND. God had moved. I settled into my bulkhead seat, grateful for a little stretchy-room. Though the doors had not closed, everyone seemed to be aboard. The seat next to me was open, and the excitement grew that I could stretch out and maybe sleep a bit. The word describing me that morning - tired! I started to close my eyes and sensed some movement. A very bulky gentleman arrived and moved into the seat next to me. When I say very bulky, I mean, he had to put up the arm rest between us, and his right leg took up 1/2 my seat, as well as his, because he couldn't fit otherwise. As I readjusted myself in my seat, my attitude also readjusted, but in a negative direction. Not only did I not get to spread out, I really had to scrunch. Not only did I not have extra room, I didn't even have the space for which I had paid...and every time the stewardess walked by, the cart hit my arm. Instead of seeing this as an "opportunity" to give thanks for the flight carrying me home, or the great weekend past, or a friend-yet-to-meet, I turned the flight into the ride-from-down-under. As Yoda would say, "Miserable I was..." The bad attitude didn't just affect me emotionally, it affected me physically: headache, tight muscles, exhaustion... I thought I deserved more...

Read carefully these words from the Psalmist:

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night...for Thou hast made me glad by what Thou hast done (Ps 92:1-2, 4).

I just want to focus on the word "good." In the Hebrew the word translated good, also incorporates the following translations: well-pleasing, appealing, pleasing to the senses, useful, profitable, a general sense of well-being and happiness. Stick those words in that verse and ponder. Do you, like me, ever find yourself in life-events that start you on the downward spiral, which, then, affects you mentally, emotionally, and physically? You just seem to live there in that place of frustration? The soul-medicine, the road to well-being, and the journey upward to happiness and peace is to find the road sign that takes you on a detour of THANKSGIVING. Nothing is more personally profitable than taking that detour, when life sticks a roadblock in the way.

Indeed, the problem begins when I think I deserve something. Certainly, I paid for an entire seat. Certainly, I didn't get my whole seat. Yet...on this side of that ride, I made the flight much more miserable than it could have been. It was my choice, my sense of entitlement, that kept me from finding true joy and peace, in spite of... Life just happens...but I have a choice how I am affected by it.

A Woman of One Thing

2012-01-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

As the New Year unfolded, I was challenged anew, with Jesus’ instruction to Martha (I am a Martha) in Luke 10:41-42:

Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things (who me?); but only one thing is necessary (really only One!), and Mary has chosen that one…

(italics are either my words or my emphasis).

The message I’ve taken away after yet another reading of this story (who hasn’t read the story of Mary and Martha a kazillion times?) is the concept of one thing. I am ADHD enough to have a number of thoughts floating around my brain at any given time, and, as shocking as it may be to you, this Christian worries and is bothered about many things (true confession). Not all the time, mind you, but it’s significant enough to be a problem.

I want to be a woman of one thing. I have wanted to be ever since reading this story the first time. Mostly, like Mary, I want to find peace and calm at the feet of Jesus. Yet, that’s not my take away from this story, this time. I really sensed the Lord asking me to prayerfully consider one word, one concept, one over-arching theme to develop and focus on in my own walk with Him. That’s not easy to do. I have prayerfully contemplated this for weeks.

As I reflected, a repetitive theme from 2011 emerged. For the past nine months, I’ve been reading the Psalms slowly and very conscientiously. Do you know how many times I have read the words, “Give thanks to the Lord…” A lot! On top of that, it seems every time I read those words, it was right in the middle of a time of struggle. Not an easy concept to do at those times… Then, I read a book in which I read something to this effect, “The problem with the American church is that we’ve become consumers of the church, not committed partners. Our biggest hurdle to overcome is our sense of entitlement.” The cure for entitlement: gratitude. I read another book and the theme of this one was that we, as followers of Christ, have become so self-centered, we are no longer others focused. Self-centeredness has three key components: pride, foolishness, and greed. The one component, greed, is overcome by, yes, gratitude. A third book was given to me, and every chapter was on giving thanks… So there’s my word for 2012: gratitude. For a while at least, I want to focus on the giving of thanks.

So, I challenge you. If God were to ask you to become a woman focused on one thing in 2012, what would be your word? I’d love to hear it! I might borrow it in 2013!

Another New Year Thought

2012-01-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

I’m afraid I’m still in a New-Year –reflection-mode... and still working on that action plan that we talked about last week. This morning I read through Psalm 145. From David’s pen, I formed a spiritual roadmap for 2012. I thought I’d share this plan just to give you something to chew on through this week. David gives us four items to focus on. Four is a good number: not too many things that cause me to be overwhelmed, but not too few that I’m not challenged. At the end of 2012, I want to come back and ask myself if I accomplished these, and if I did how they impacted my life. Because I have a feeling that if I make these a regular Monday to Friday/Saturday/Sunday thing, I’ll be the one transformed. Isn’t this what we’re about? Being transformed by the truth. I want to keep growing; keep looking more and more like Jesus and less and less like Peg. Obviously, you don’t have to make my action plan your own, I just wanted to throw these “thoughts” out there...

To begin, please take a few minutes to read Psalm 145:1-13. Here are David’s items that he proposes working toward. He says he will (the word “will” indicates intentionality):

1) Extol the Lord, and bless His name daily. David intentionally plans to meditate on who His God is (vv. 1-3). What a tremendous goal to spend a little time each day focusing on your God. There are some great books available to help if you want them...

2) Speak of God’s works and declare His mighty acts to OTHER GENERATIONS (vv.4-7). As we talk about God-stories, His work in our life and in the lives of others, the ground for growth is fertilized for faith to develop. As a mom, and a grand-mother, I long for others to come alongside of those I love, and share God’s might, His faithfulness, His sovereignty, His grace, His action on our behalf... It might even be someone from an older generation who needs to hear... Make it part of your plan to share God-stories with others from all generations.

3) Thank God for His grace and goodness in your life (vv.8-10) - #1 is about WHO HE IS; #2 is about WHAT HE’S DONE.

4) Share of God’s Kingdom – His rule and reign right now on earth, but also the Kingdom to come. God’s Kingdom is eternal...I pray I can share that Kingdom and bring as many as possible into it with me. It’s one great place (vv.11-13)

It's a New Year...Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-02T07:23:00.001-08:00

In the beginning God created…And by the seventh day God completed His work, which He had done; and He rested (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 2:2)

The past couple of weeks have provided a much needed, restful vacation following a full, busy year. I've enjoyed some down time, and for me that means allowing myself to do some mindless activities. Bay and I have watched a few movies, and read a few new novels, and eaten out a lot... For me, entering a new year is much like opening the initial pages of a new novel. I can't wait to see what is written and how the story will end. I typically like happy endings…but not every story has one, that's for sure.

More than making resolutions for a new year, I appreciate starting January 1 of the coming year with some kind of action plan. While not every story has a happy ending, it does help accomplish a "happier" one, when there is a plan. So, ushering in a new year is generally done with much reflection. I have my own mini-traditions. One of those is to get some time alone with the Lord, and sift through the good and the bad of the old year, seeking what life lessons I can walk away with to make the new year a better year (there are some lessons I'd rather not repeat). I like to ask myself a few follow-up questions as I close out the year. Questions like: What were some of my personally defining moments of this last year? What did I learn from someone else that impacted me in a positive way? Is there something I neglected this year - projects, standards, or goals that I did not complete? How are my relationships? I tend to need "closure" and this process allows that to happen.

Then, I intentionally check in on the following areas (please note, I did not come up with these questions on my own, but borrowed them from a friend who is much smarter, and more diligent than I):

What do I hope to accomplish in this next year? Dreams/Visions? Projects? How do I personally wish to grow?
Are there standards/goals to improve my soul health? my emotional health? my physical healthy? my relationships? my finances? With these things in mind - what action steps will I take; what books can I read; are there people who could mentor me; events I could attend; classes I could take; podcasts I could listen to… In other words, what can I do Monday through Friday to be intentional about these things?

As we're still on the threshold of 2012, this is an invitation to carve out a day alone with God (DAWG), or a half-DAWG, and do a little strategic planning for a happier ending when the pages close on the story of 2012 next December 31.

Thoughts on Christmas, #2

2011-12-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Reason-of-Christmas stood before a disheartened woman at a well in Samaria (John 4) and said these words, “If only you knew the gift of God...” I would love to go back in a time machine to view that scene; a snapshot just doesn’t do it justice. I’d love to hear the soft, gentleness of Jesus’ voice as he spoke, see the look on his tender face, and observe the openness of his body language. The words on a page seem so matter of fact. Yet Jesus saw deeply into the well of this woman’s soul. He knew her brokenness, her shame, her suffering, her sadness. He recognized the wounds that had scarred her life; understood her search for satisfaction. She was so very thirsty; and, Jesus, also knew, he possessed exactly what she needed.

“If only...” How many times do you think she had uttered those words? “If only I’d made better choices...” “If only I’d not gone to...” “If only I hadn’t picked up that first...” “If only he’d been...” How many of us have uttered those words? “If only...” and life would be perfect. Not really. The woman at the well was a contradiction in beginning again. Trying and failing, at least five times, in the hope of change; but, trying and remaining unsatisfied. Those words had to have cut deeply as Jesus uttered them. They were simply a reminder of what could never be...after all, “you can’t change a leopard’s spots (Jer.13:23).” Have you ever related? Have you ever told yourself that your situation is an impossibility – it will never change – you will never change?

HOWEVER, the rest of the sentence tells a different story. Jesus’ words address the possibility of change... “If only you knew the gift of God...” What was Jesus offering her? John 7:37-39 expounds. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him...would receive (please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list):

The gift of God - the fullness of the Holy Spirit - all of Jesus, and more, can dwell in me. There is no hope of change apart from the Holy Spirit who abides inside of us. Think about what His gift provides for the believer in Jesus:

He counsels (John 16:7)...in Greek this word is “parakletos,” meaning to comfort, encourage, exhort. The Holy Spirit is our advocate, our intercessor, our advisor.
He convicts (John 16:8)...and as a result we avoid judgment, and receive righteousness.
He guides in all truth (John 16:13)...so we know with confidence that we receive perfect guidance, and what he speaks to us is always truth!
He sets us free (Romans 8:2)...my chains are gone; I’ve been set free...!
He gives us life and peace (Romans 8:6)...as in the “abundant life” that Jesus promised (John 10:10).
He gives us much needed power for victory over sin (Romans 8:11)... “the Spirit of the One who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in me!”
He offers a spiritual gift, uniquely mine, in which I can serve effectively and glorify God (John 16:14, Romans 12, I Cor 14).

This is the true Gift of Christmas available to any who receive…all of us stuck in the impossible “if only” of life!

Thoughts on Christmas, #1

2011-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

John 15:22 begins with these words by Jesus, “If I had not come…” Have you ever thought about that? Christmas is just around the corner. The “season” has been in the air since Halloween was over. Every year, we celebrate a holiday centered on the coming of the Christ child. But, what if He had not come? What would be different if there was, in fact, no Christmas? Let me start a list…maybe you can complete it – this certainly can’t be exhaustive:

There would be no New Testament, the Bible would end with Malachi. Listen to how that book closes…”I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Everything would end with a curse!
As a result of #1 on the list, there would be no hope. In fact, where Malachi ends, God’s voice quits. Between that verse and the first verse of Matthew, God went silent.
So…God would be totally and completely through speaking to us…we would never have the opportunity to hear His voice.
There would be no hope of a glorious resurrection.
No victory over death and the grave.
No victory over sin…
We’d still be butchering animals on an altar of sacrifice. Think how many animals would have to die…we certainly are a sinful lot!
But then, it wouldn’t matter for us, because there would be no inclusion of Gentiles, so we would remain alienated, doomed to living in darkness.
We would have no opportunity for a new identity.
No deliverance.
No heavenly home.
There would be no “Joy to the World.”
No Christmas lights…
No Christmas music.
No gifts.
Oh…and, no churches. We wouldn’t need places of worship, for there would be no one for us to worship.
So, there would be no need for worship music.
No need for pastors and youth pastors.
No need for Bible teachers.
No need for going on with life...because “I couldn’t” keep going on without “Christ in me the hope of glory” who helps me do “all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
No need for ___________________________________?

What if Jesus had not come? What then?

I Am...the One and Only!

2011-12-05T03:51:00.000-08:00

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

John 1:14

Thanksgiving? Over! Christmas? On the horizon. Over the next few weeks, our minds will be engaged with the coming festivities. As, I close this series on the “I Am’s” of Jesus, these three words highlight what the season is all about for me. Jesus – my One and Only!

My One and Only...who created the world in which I live.

My One and Only...who gives life and breath.

My One and Only...who is the perfect shepherd, &

My One and Only...who is the perfect lamb of God.

My One and Only...who sacrificed for my salvation.

My One and Only...who redeemed my soul.

My One and Only...who offered me complete forgiveness.

My One and Only...who chose me to be adopted by grace into a new family.

My One and Only...who loves me endlessly.

My One and Only...who prepares eternity for me.

My One and Only...who set me free.

My One and Only...who declares me “not guilty,” accepts me unconditionally, and whispers you are not condemned (“Go! Sin no more!”)

My One and Only...who provides all that I need.

My One and Only...who knows my end from my beginning.

My One and Only...who has a good work ordained for me – a purpose and value to my existence.

My One and Only...who is full of grace.

My One and Only...who speaks truth, gently but firmly.

My One and Only...who sets my feet upon a righteous path.

My One and Only...who offers me an abundant life.

My One and Only...who speaks words of intimacy to me.

My One and Only...who assures me of His presence.

My One and Only...who blesses me beyond measure.

My One and Only...who calls me “friend.”

My One and Only...who heals my broken heart.

My One and Only...who sustains me in his massive, supportive hand.

My One and Only...who knows just what I need, when I need it, and doesn’t always answer yes to my heart’s desires (because my best is always what's put first).

My One and Only...who is at work completing me – thank you, God!

May this holiday season find you daily contemplating your One and Only!

I Am...the True Vine!

2011-11-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener...

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:1, 5

As I sit to begin this thought, a bowl of sweet grapes sits in front of me. Refreshing. Satisfying. Sweet. Good to eat. For someone trying to eat a bit healthier, fruit is my candy of choice these days. “Good calories.” Nutritional. So, of course, as I type the above passage, focusing on a new “I Am” of Jesus, it’s the word fruit that draws my attention. I want to be what fruit is to others. As I begin to unpeel the layers of the onion that is Peg Forrest, what I hope people around me see at the very core are those same descriptive phrases. It would be my desire that when I’m gone, those who knew me best might say about me such things: Refreshing! Sweet! Soul satisfying! Her words were “good calories, nutritional” to the heart.

For this to be true, the key, then, is found in clinging tightly to, abiding in, being closely connected to the true vine. Without that “connectedness,” what I want is not what I will get. Apart from him, I can “be” nothing; I can “do” nothing. He is the only possibility for anything good to spring out of my life. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine (verse 4).”

These questions naturally follow:

What does it mean to remain/abide?

How does this look, practically speaking?

Obviously, my research took me to Galatians 5:16-25, because sandwiched in this passage is the “good fruit” of those who belong to Christ Jesus. I see a couple of repeated phrases which are in contrast to one another: live by the Spirit (16, 18, 25) vs. gratifying the desires of the sinful nature (16, 19, 24). These are “in conflict with one another, so that we do not do what we want (17).” I am a simple gal – so, in simple terms, I find two simple answers to the above two questions.

1) In John 15, Jesus connects his abiding word as a critical piece to the abiding Christian (15:7).

2) In Galatians 5, Paul, through the Holy Spirit, reminds the abiding Christian that to be fruitful one has to “keep in step with the Spirit.” This occurs when the sinful desires are crucified and replaced with the abiding word. Only then do we allow the life giving spiritual sap the ability to produce what we want to see in our lives: refreshing, soul-satisfying, candy-sweet fruit!

So, being in the Word and out of the flesh allows me to stay in the abiding presence of the true vine. Apart from him, there is no fruit.

Connected – nothing is impossible!

I Am...The Spring of Living Water!

2011-11-21T04:22:00.000-08:00

I am...the spring of living water (John 4:1-30, Jeremiah 2:13)

The jar on her shoulders, while empty, carried the weight of the world, as the woman struggled with every step toward the well. She preferred coming during the hottest hours, because she knew she’d be alone. Better to sweat under the mid-day temperatures, than under the heavy stares and whispers of the other women. Theirs were the voices she heard in her head, anyway. She knew what they said, and she beat herself up regularly with the same sentiments. Her heart carried the same weight she felt on her shoulders...yet, it was just as empty as the jar she sought to fill. Internally, at her deepest level, she was gut thirsty. No matter how many times she drank deeply from Jacob’s well, she wasn’t satisfied. It was this deep dissatisfaction, that kept her searching, looking to so many men to fill the hole in her heart.

As she moved slowly towards the well, her eyes stared at the sight of an individual perched there...waiting. Her spirits sank. She didn’t feel like talking. She kept her head down, hoping to avoid eye contact that might possibly invite any conversation. The Jewish man apparently didn’t take the cue, asking her for a drink. What twists and turns their dialogue took, until the moment he asked her to go call her husband, and then proceeded to unwrap her past. She definitely didn’t want to go there, so she tried to change topics. Yet no matter what direction she digressed, he followed, and the invitation was still the same: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Translation: I am the satisfaction of life you are looking for...drink deeply! You will never thirst again.

Leaving the symbol of her thirsty life behind, the woman ran into town...”Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did (shame – gone!).” Her next words were even more telling as she declared him to be the Messiah...now, the source of her soul’s true satisfaction. (See John 4:1-30)

Many of us have found Jesus to be a sufficient Savior. We’re grateful for the forgiveness of sin. We’re hopeful for the gift of eternal life. Yet the secret we harbor is the same as the woman at the well in Samaria. We hold it inside. We’re careful to not voice it. To do so, doesn’t seem very “Christian.” However, we’re just not satisfied. We keep stuffing our lives with all manners of possibilities trying to find the one thing that will bring us happiness, contentment...fullness of life. Yet Jesus came to bring us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Anything other than Jesus is less. Looking anywhere other than the cross is nothing more than a broken cistern (Jeremiah 2:13). He is the spring of living water – turn away from anything you search for that you think will bring you happiness. The guarantee is this: it won’t. It can’t. Only Jesus can. Anything else is sadly, simply – an idol.

I Am...the God Who Fights for You!

2011-11-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)...Part 4

Not only does a good shepherd lead...

A good shepherd provides...

And a good shepherd restores our souls...

A good shepherd fights for his sheep!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and staff, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies... (Ps 23:4-5a)

I really am not certain why Psalm 23 is primarily used as the food for funerals. It’s a “how to” passage for life! It’s food for today’s living soul. It’s reminders for the journey of life, not for the dead. I don’t know about you, but I need to know right now, today, in this very moment, that I have one who is fighting on my behalf.

I don’t want to know that I just have a guard at the gate. I want to know I have a knight in shining armor warring for ME! Somewhere I came up with this belief system that tells me I am only protected as far as someone is willing to go into battle. That’s my shepherd, Jesus! As he leads me (and sometimes to get me to good grass and restorative waters his path leads me through dangerous places – like in the presence of my enemies), he will fight at all costs to protect me. More than fight, he knows my fearful, anxious heart. So, he comforts me and assures me of his presence. I can breathe a whole lot easier when I know these truths: I am fought for. I am protected. I am in his presence – always! I am comforted...why, then, should I fear? What can man really do to me?

Over and over again, this truth is lived out in Scriptures. Some of my favorites:

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you!

Joshua – the battle of Jericho. The Lord went before them as they marched and sounded the trumpet. God penetrated the impenetrable walls and brought forth the victory.

David against Goliath - “You come against me with spear and a sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts. The battle is the Lord’s!”

Jehoshaphat – God gave him the marching orders: Go into battle with praise. Praise confused the enemy and they defeated themselves! The Israelites never lifted a finger.

When God’s people followed, forsaking all other gods, He tirelessly, endlessly, stubbornly fought on their behalf. These aren’t fairy tales, or dreams, or wishful thinking. This is our God – the God who fights on our behalf!

I need to know this truth. In fact, as I write, it brings tears to my eyes. Many of you don’t feel you have anyone in your corner fighting for you. It has left you feeling insignificant and unimportant. Let me assure you –

You are not only worth fighting for – you were worth dying for!

Fear no evil! Your God leads. He fights. He is with you...always.

I Am...Your Restorer!

2011-11-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)...Part 3

Not only does a good shepherd lead...

A good shepherd provides...

And a good shepherd restores our souls.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul...

(Ps. 23:1-3a)

I have three friends who love to restore old cars. Once classics, now damaged on the outside, rusted with time, and internally exhausted – done! They beat, pound, weld, sand, scrub, pull apart, replace, wash, spray, paint, wire, bolt, and connect and keep on doing more of the same – until, voila! What seemed hopeless is new again and its value is restored – actually, more than restored.

People are hard on cars over the years. People are hard on people. Too often enough, the wear and tear of life, aren’t the only reason we need to be restored. Sometimes, the way people treat us, hastens the battering and the bleeding and the wearing out of the soul. I frequently sit knee to knee, and look eye to eye with some of these people. I have been one. Restoration of old cars is an expensive, long, and tiresome process. So is restoring a soul.

But Jesus...He is in the restoration business. That’s in his job description. People are far too valuable to bring before some novice, hobby-loving repairman. People deserve better. To begin with, Jesus has already purchased everything we will need to be completed. It’s been paid for with his blood. We don’t have to put a dime into fixing ourselves, and couldn’t afford him if we had a dime. So...it’s a done deal.

He has all the right tools – love, grace, mercy, patience, forgiveness, gentleness, kindness are just a few. He knows when, where and how to use them.

He has the time – He’ll stay with us as long as it takes, never leaving us or forsaking us.

He knows how to best care for us with exactly what we need – after all, he created us. Who better, then, to do the restoring?

Oh, and he has an instruction manual to help us along the way – so we don’t have to have a complete over haul, ever again. The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul (Ps 19:7)!

He thinks of everything! Now, while on the road of life, we can look for the warning lights, change the oil regularly, and do some daily maintenance that will keep our souls running like energizer bunnies... J

Here’s the real message of restoration!

Only God can turn a mess into a message

A test into a testimony

A trial into a triumph

And a victim into a victorious warrior!

Come to your good shepherd. Be restored.

I Am...Your Provider!

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)...Part 2

Not only does a good shepherd lead...

A good shepherd provides.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures

(Ps. 23:1-2a)

By name, our God is Jehovah Jireh (meaning, I AM...the God who provides). The Hebrew word for “want” is chacer: to lack, to be in need. We may not have all we “want,” but we can be assured our needs are taken care of on a daily basis. My biggest problem is that I get my needs and my wants all mixed up. It’s so easy to do when you live in our instant gratification society. So, in order to get perspective, I’ve had to ask myself: what does God say? Not Abraham Maslow. Not the government. Not my next door neighbor. If my shepherd promises to give me what I need, then maybe I need to examine what my shepherd thinks is important.

In Genesis 22 – God provided the lamb. As sheep, our shepherd became the lamb that took away our sins! We NEED salvation. He provides.

Throughout the Psalms & Proverbs as well as in Matthew 6: God provides food, clothing, shelter...and we do not need to worry. He provides.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, He provides a way out of temptation... I have an escape. Thank you, Lord...I definitely need that provision!

In Philippians 4:13, God provides us with strength. In Romans 8, we’re reminded that we have unlimited power for “the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in me!” I can do all things! An amazing provision!

In Isaiah 61, God provides good news: healing for the brokenhearted, freedom for captives, release from darkness, a comfort for those who mourn, and a crown of beauty out of t he ashes of our lives... I can be a Resurrection Woman!

In Ephesians 2, God reminds us that, while we were once far off, now we are brought near, and adopted into a new household: a community designed to be a family. I am never alone!

Also in Ephesians 2:10, God provides for us a “good work” that he predestined us to do “in Christ Jesus.” I have purpose!

In Ephesians 3, we have been granted full confidence to approach the throne of grace! I am heard! I take advantage of this provision often!

In Revelation, we have the hope of heaven. I have a future and a hope! God knows we need this kind of “vision,” for without it people perish!

In Hebrews 12, God provides a cheering squad that helps us endure the toughest of times. Yep – need that, too!

I could go on and on...thus far I am overwhelmed at what I have been given! I am truly blessed. My Shepherd provides above and beyond all that I could ask or even imagine. Praise, Jehovah Jireh – “I Am” the One who provides!

I Am...the Good Shepherd!

2011-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14)...

While I haven’t spent a lot of time around sheep, I do know a few things about them. What I know makes me resent this “I Am...” If Jesus is the good shepherd, then by common sense deduction, I am a sheep. Forget the soft cuddly little animal that decorates nurseries. What a misrepresentation of the real deal. Everything I know about sheep begins with the letter “s”. They stink. They are stubborn. They are stupid. The last thing I want to acknowledge about myself is that I might be a sheep. In reality, however, it is an accurate comparison (well, my smell isn’t so awful, but my behavior can be...). So, yes, I need a shepherd...desperately!

I already know that it’s going to take more than one brief blog to dialogue about Jesus as our shepherd. For the purposes of this week’s reflection, we will only look at one attribute of a good shepherd. A good shepherd is a good leader:

“...the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them...and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice (3b-4).”

Sheep do that, you know...they follow their own shepherd. They might be in a field filled with other sheep from other folds, but, because they have spent so much time with their own shepherd, they recognize his voice. When they hear that voice, they follow. They separate out from the rest of the sheep, and they go after their shepherd. Because they have spent so much time with their own shepherd, they trust that he will “lead them beside quiet, restorative waters (Ps 23:2b-3).” They won’t trust other shepherds to do the same. Following is an issue of trust...always!

When Jesus speaks this “I am” statement, his singular vision, his primary purpose, his truth for me to grapple with is this: Will I let Him lead?

You see, a lot of times, I look to Jesus as a friend, a confidant, an advisor, an encourager, a counselor, a “life-coach” (if you will), a computerized GPS. While he is very much those things along the way of life, he. first and foremost, desires my determination to allow him to do what he does best – LEAD. The problem is I want a bit of a say in where we go. I want a head’s up for the journey ahead. I really am saying something like this to my shepherd, “Oh, I’ll follow............but, with some consideration. Just give me a little idea of what’s up the road. Let me deliberate a little bit.” Jesus, the good shepherd, doesn’t want our consideration. He doesn’t desire deliberation. He plans for our participation. We can trust that while the up may sometimes seem steep and rocky – the grass at the top will be healthier and we will ultimately be happier (more blessed).

Blessed am I when I don’t just consider following my good shepherd, but surrender to him with willing participation!

I Am...the Door!

2011-10-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

So, Jesus said to them, “I am the door... (John 10:7, 9)

In a section of Scripture that mostly refers to Jesus as The Good Shepherd (next week), we can’t move forward until we stop at these words, “I am the door.” He is: the way in, the opening, the gate, the entrance. If you come in any other way, you don’t belong (in fact, you would be a thief or a robber).

Obviously, Jesus is referring to being the only way to salvation...the only way “in” to heaven. He is the only way “in” to a relationship with the Father. Yet, I think there’s more; there’s more to being a door. Not only did the door allow entrance, the door kept out that which should not go inside. The door was the filter, the guard that kept good protected, as well as defended, yet kept out the bad. If Jesus is the door, then He, too, is the filter; and the Bible makes it clear that as The Filter, He is love. He is good.

So, unless we create another way in, evil (as in the thief/robber) cannot be present in the sheepfold. Yet trials, hardship, struggles, and suffering sometimes hit the sheep in the pen. If Jesus is The Filter, how come? Why? After all, we just said it, He is love. Those are the questions we often ask. Yet, The Filter can’t be what He is not. He has to be good. He has to be love. The door simply is what it is. So, reason stands that if this is true, those things that are allowed in that seem bad are really good.

Whoa! Wait a minute! We can’t call bad good! Why not? Is bad not redeemable? If it can’t be redeemed, then can Jesus be The Redeemer? Bad always becomes good when it passes through the door. It is transformed in the midst of the filtering process. Because bad is transformed into good, it also becomes transforming. The sheep are changed. True, they may be broken down, but, always for the purpose of being built back up. Bad becomes good because of the transforming redemptive quality. It has been used for Redemption’s sake.

There is nothing...no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret. For I will rest in the joy of what my Lord is! That is the rest of VICTORY!

I Am...The God of Nevertheless!

2011-10-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

“I interrupt this series…” Well, sort of. While this isn’t an “I Am” statement of Jesus (like those we’ve been diving into), this is an “I Am,” nevertheless. As I was reading through Psalm 106 this morning, my eyes were stopped twice by one word. It is a sweet word. A hopeful word. A cleansing word. A word promising a better tomorrow: a do-over! It is a word that really can only, wholly be fulfilled from the heart of a God of lovingkindness. NEVERTHELESS.

Their hearts were hardened…NEVERTHELESS.

They rebelled…NEVERTHELESS.

They provoked God to wrath…NEVERTHELESS.

They served idols…NEVERTHELESS.

They played the harlot…NEVERTHELESS.

They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons…NEVERTHELESS.

They became unclean in their practices…NEVERTHELESS.

They grumbled…NEVERTHELESS.

They were jealous…NEVERTHELESS.

They sinned, committed iniquity, & behaved wickedly…NEVERTHELESS.

They forgot God’s abundant kindnesses…NEVERTHELESS.

They craved, they lusted, & they tempted God…NEVERTHELESS.

They envied…NEVERTHELESS.

They exchanged their glory (God) for the image of an ox…NEVERTHELESS.

Yes, there were consequences. Some died; experienced disease; were swallowed up; carried off to foreign lands as slaves; provoked God’s anger, and, He even abhorred His inheritance…NEVERTHELESS!

He heard their cries.

Looked upon their distress.

Remembered His covenant.

He was sorry according to the GREATNESS of His lovingkindness.

Many times He would deliver them.

NEVERTHELESS…

They received salvation that He might make His power known.

He redeemed them. Rescued them. Gave them new beginnings and fresh starts.

Praise the Lord! O Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His lovingkindness is everlasting (verse 1).

MY PRAYER:

May the “NEVERTHELESS-es” in my life always lead me to NEVER AGAINS!

I Am...the Light of the World, 2!

2011-10-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

I was just re-visiting last week’s “thought.” It just dawned on me there is one bug that doesn’t like light – the cockroach. So, that got me thinking about how those who “love the darkness” (cockroaches, spiritually speaking) respond when they are forced into the light? What happens to the sin-steeped soul that steps into THE LIGHT? I’m thinking I know, as there have been times (sorry to pop any naive bubbles) when I have tried to avoid the light from exposing my own sinful nature. I react very much like a cockroach and try to escape quickly into hiding once more. The dark “feels” much safer. At least, during those times, that is my perception. If I’m a cockroach, I don’t love the light.

So, I have been drawn back to John 8 asking the Lord for a little more “light” on this dilemma. Sometimes it’s shocking to me how God answers those kinds of questions. Do you know what story precedes this passage? The woman caught in adultery! After picking my jaw up off the floor when I realized this fact, I began to ask myself why this story, right here, sandwiched in this place? Think about it. This woman with no name was caught in the very act of adultery. She was drug from the bed in a darkened room out into the daylight to stand before the SONLIGHT. There she stood. Naked. Exposed. From the inside out. Whatever Jesus wrote in the dirt, caused the others to run for cover (maybe he exposed the “cockroachedness” of their sinful hearts), but the woman stayed. She could have run, but I’m thinking she was tired of running. Sometimes, even amidst the painfulness of the exposure, we’re glad we finally got caught. We’re glad we can stop running. Somehow, there in the face of THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, she saw mercy.

“Woman, where are your accusers?”

“Gone.”

“Neither do I accuse you. Go and sin no more.”

The very thing that we shy away from when we are in sin (Light) becomes the very thing that now covers our sin (Light). Who would have thought?! Only in the way the mind of God works, could we ever find the irony of total healing. If we don’t step into the light, there will be no answer for our hidden shame. If we don’t step into the light, we cannot be covered. If we don’t let the light expose and cover, we will not find freedom to “go and sin no more.” Victory is only found in the LIGHT.

The LIGHT is not to be feared...but treasured. Not to scurry away from into hidden dark corners of our hearts, but to run toward as fast as our feet can carry us. GO! Sin no more.

(A) He is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD + (B) I am covered and set free. = (C) I can live life to the full in that freedom, no longer a cockroach (maybe a lightning bug?)!

I Am...the Light of the World!

2011-09-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

We have lived a lot of places where it’s quite common to lose electricity. About 90% of the time, it seems to happen at night. It has to be one of Murphy’s Laws: When electricity goes out, it will be after dark. No normal human likes darkness. It’s difficult to navigate in the dark. It’s impossible to find what you’re looking for. It’s easy to get hurt. Evil seems to be more “present.” It’s a known fact that being in the dark is a much more frightening place. A quick internet research shows that psychologists tell us the reason people are afraid of the dark is because “sounds lose their connection and uneasy suspicions are created.” Personally, I don’t care what reason they come up with psychologically, or scientifically, I just know I do not like the dark.

That’s why in my house, we keep flashlights within quick, easy reach. Every room is equipped with oil lamps. The cupboard is full of candles. When it comes to losing electricity, I earn the Girl Scout badge for being prepared. All it takes is just one little light, and my heart stops racing, my mind settles down, and I am at rest. If you think I’m bad now, you should have seen what I was like as a little girl...

One little light makes a difference. Light is warm as it embraces us. Light gives direction and puts everything back into perspective. Light eliminates fear. Light reveals what is around me, enabling me to stay relatively safe. I’ve read that light is a natural, proactive source that wars against depression. Light drives out evil. Everyone is attracted to light – even bugs.

Jesus isn’t just one little candle lit in the dark. He is the light of the world. That’s a lot of light! Even the sun can't light the whole world. Think what that kind of light can accomplish in us when we allow ourselves to step into it!

Probably what leaves me most speechless is that THE LIGHT places HIS LIGHT inside of me. THE LIGHT taught, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:14-16).”

This, too, is my prayer...So be it!

(A) He is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD + (B) I am LIGHT = (C) I can make a difference in my world.

I Am...the Resurrection!

2011-09-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.”

John 11:25

The finality of death is so drastic. We are cut off, severed, completely void of all connections. We deeply grieve the loss of ones we love; and, it’s definitely just as difficult to deal with the death of dreams. Whatever form death takes, it takes its toll on our hearts. I know; I’ve experienced all kinds of death. There’s rarely anything good to be said about death...

BUT, JESUS! There’s the exception to the above. He is the exception to the rule. He is not just a resurrection sort of guy (as in having been raised to life again). He IS the RESURRECTION. I love this statement:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54). That’s the concept of resurrection in a nutshell. The full impact of resurrection stated simply in six words.

Don’t get me wrong. Grieving is a good emotion. It’s the bridge we cross as we process death. We all must pass over that bridge. However, without the good news that Jesus is The Resurrection, we’d jump off the bridge. There has to be hope on the other side; and, there is! Not just hope, but unconquerable victory. Joy leaping, song singing, heels clicking new life. We call that new life: HEAVEN. And, it’s heaven, because THE RESURRECTION, Jesus, is present, in His fullness, in front of our eyes. At last, we see Him. At last, all becomes clear (no more staring at life as in a mirror dimly). No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death.

Hearing those words in the midst of the process of grieving doesn’t feel hopeful. Being reminded of this truth about Jesus, while we hurt, doesn’t help. Truth in the midst of pain is trite. Nothing more than a platitude. So, right now, on this side of the death of a loved one, or the death of a dream, settle this theology in your mind. Knowing it today (really “knowing” it) will help the process tomorrow.

Jesus is THE RESURRECTION.

(A) He is THE RESURRECTION + (B) I am ALIVE FOREVERMORE in Him = (C) Joy in the midst of loss.

I Am...the Life!

2011-09-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Let’s finish the rest of John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life...” He repeated that statement to Martha in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life...”

Jesus was all about life. A chapter earlier, while teaching his disciples, he contrasted himself with the thief who comes to steal away our joy, kill and destroy in multiple ways. “I am come that you might have life, and might have it abundantly.”

Jesus doesn’t just want us to have life, but to experience it in great measure.

Random thought. When I was a little girl, my mother used to curtail my eating (usually of junk food) with this statement, “You have had enough, any more would be superfluous.” I didn’t know what that meant, but I figured it must be A LOT (honestly, I am not even sure she knew what it meant). Indeed, it did mean A LOT...some synonyms we might understand are: extra, surplus, excessive, profuse, plentiful, more than abundant.

Ah...more than abundant. That’s the kind of life Jesus came to give us. Sadly, I tend to be a glass-half-empty kind of girl. Sometimes, I fear my focus is entirely on the empty part, instead of the full part of life. This is, yet another, manipulative method of the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy our ability to be grateful.

Wasn’t that the enemy’s tactics in the Garden of Eden? Focus on what you can’t have...not what you do have: a garden full of amazing fruit trees. Ingrate! I have begun to realize that I am never more like the enemy of my soul, than when I am ungrateful.

Jesus has brought me abundant life...Over the last year (actually, since the fall of 2010, when I was writing an “email from Eve” for a breakout chapel), the Lord keeps reminding me that a forgotten discipline is that of developing an attitude of gratitude. As I do, the reality of this abundant life, seeps through my pores, and into my life! Attitudes of gratitude are contagious.

(A) He is THE LIFE + (B) I am BLESSED = (C) An Attitude of Gratitude.

I Am...the Truth, #2

2011-09-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

I realize we’ve already looked at Jesus’ statement about Himself in John 14:16, “I am the way, the truth...” However, bear with me. There’s more, I think, needs to be said about this FACT.

If Jesus is THE TRUTH, then He cannot lie.

If Jesus is THE TRUTH, then what He says He will do, He has to fulfill.

If Jesus is THE TRUTH, then I can take what He says to the bank, and live as if it is TRUE, even if circumstances around me tell me differently.

Right? Of course, right!

The question, however, is do I? Do I live like I know His words will be fulfilled? This is where I see a total disconnect in my life and figure I am probably not alone.

Often times my circumstances drown out THE TRUTH. Sometimes, the way I feel drowns out THE TRUTH. Now and then, what I hear from the media, read in books, and see in my culture, drowns out THE TRUTH. Other voices are much louder than THE TRUTH. Because they are louder, they appear to be true, when, in fact, they are downright lies. The father of lies is very manipulative in that way. What screams the loudest always gets my attention.

When this happens, I lose hope. I know that happens to you, as well. I know that, because I am journeying alongside several of you, who have lost hope and are longing to see it renewed. Hope is only renewed by focusing on THE TRUTH (Isaiah 40:31). TRUTH only is heard when we are silent enough, and still enough to listen (Ps. 46:10).

With that in mind, God sort of (in His very gentle way) slapped me upside the head with these words from King David (who seemed to frequently lose hope):

But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise Thee yet more and more. (Ps 71:14).

A couple of things rattled around in my brain: Finding hope is an intentional act of the will. It is a continual process (never stops). Hope’s intentionality is in spite of what others say, the way I feel, or what I observe in my circumstances. Hope rests on THE TRUTH; and, THE TRUTH be praised in increasing value.

I hope you are encouraged, because I am.

(A) He is THE TRUTH + (B) I AM HOPE-FULL = (C) I live what is true no matter what!!!

I Am...The Way

2011-08-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

One of my most vivid, and worrisome, memories occurred several years ago as I was driving to one of my very first speaking events. To start with, I don’t think the enemy was particularly happy about me embarking on a new season of ministry. So, using one of his familiar tactics, figured if he could frighten me enough, I might just turn around, give up, and forget the whole idea. I’d been on the mountain roads of Colorado that late November afternoon only about 20 minutes, when it began to snow. Within another ten minutes, I experienced a thorough white-out. The snow was sticking to the roads, and I couldn’t see where the side lines were, not to mention the center line. The wind was blowing, and as the flakes whirled into my windshield, I found it a particularly daunting task to stay focused. Add to this, the fact that the vehicle I was driving wasn’t exactly equipped for four-wheel driving, or icy roads. Yes, I was frightened. Mostly frightened because I had no idea where I was, where I was really going (I’d never been to this location before), or how far I had to go. My way was obscured and unknown. The total length of the trip should have only taken me about 2 hours. However, as the sun descended in the sky, and the temperatures along with it, I had to stop about every 10 minutes, flick my windshield wipers and brush off my headlights from the ice build-up. At times, I could make out car tracks from a recent vehicle that had gone ahead of me, but for the most part, I was on my own to make my way to the lodge where this women’s retreat was being held. A 2-hour trip ended up taking me 4 hours. Fortunately, I’d left in plenty of time, and walked in just in time to step up and speak. Not so easy, for someone who was just beginning to venture out of her comfort zone in this arena! (By the way, it was a great retreat, and God did some amazing things!)

So, I can relate to Thomas, when he said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (This following Jesus’ advance-notice that he was going to depart and prepare a place for them...). Jesus answered, “I am the way...” What a gift!

I don’t know any of us who like uncertainty. We all struggle with making decisions (little and big). All of us want someone to show us the way: the what, the where, the why, the when, the how, yes, even the who... Like you, I wish I knew God’s will for my future. The Lord gave us a great reassurance with these words, literally translated, “I am the road on which you should travel.” He, Himself, will lead us (Psalm 23). He, Himself, will make our paths straight (Hebrew translation can also be: good, right, level, pleasing in Proverbs 3:5-6). He will do it for His name’s sake (Ps 23:3).

So, there should not be an aura of fear in uncertainty, but rather a hopeful spirit of adventure. For the one who knows you best, and loves you most, does indeed have a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). As you drive through life’s snow storms, one inch of road at time, stopping to flick your windshield wipers, wipe off your headlights, re-gather your focus, fix your eyes on Him, He is sure to bring you to a spacious place (Ps. 18:19).

As for God, His way is perfect...It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

Ps 18:30, 32,33

He is THE WAY (A) + I am DESTINED (B) = Therefore, I look to the future without hesitancy, knowing my WAY has a grand adventure waiting for me up ahead (C).

I Am...The Truth

2011-08-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

More and more I realize that I consider a “new year” to begin with the start of school, not on January 1. Since kindergarten, I suppose, that has been ingrained in me (and that was further back than I care to count). So, another new year has begun. I, for one, am thankful to be back into a routine. I seem to thrive under a schedule.

This new school year, where I am blessed to give in ministry during between- speaking-engagements, holds a lot of “firsts.” It’s our first year under a new name: Arizona Christian University. First year with new school colors, a new brand, a new mascot. We even have a new mission statement: transforming culture with truth.

What a great mission in which to be called for the Kingdom. If we are believers in Christ Jesus, this is for all of us. I guess two questions follow: 1) Exactly what does this mean? 2) How does this happen? Interestingly, this fits with the “I Am” statements of Jesus. Bear with me.

I am unable to transform anything on my own. Likewise, you are unable to transform anything by yourself. I realize today’s culture is in need of a heap of changing, but if the above is true, how’s that going to happen?

This is why I’ve always loved 2 Cor. 5:17, that declares where change actually comes from --- true change occurs when I am “in Him” (Jesus). Real salvation results in transformation. Not only that, but Jesus declared this: I am the way, the TRUTH (emphasis mine), and the life. (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ is the original transformer. That’s His job. When I abide in Him, and He abides in me, I can’t help but be changed. As I am being changed, the lost world around me sees a difference, and they desire what I have, too. When they inquire about the “why,” I get the opportunity to share the good news of my Transformer. If they buy in, their life is changed, as well. So, culture is transformed as the Truth transforms individual lives (yes, one life at a time)!

So, after last week’s “thought,” I don't want to neglect to look at the A + B = C equation, answering the “so what” question.

He is THE TRUTH (A) + I am BEING TRANSFORMED (B) = An opportunity to live out my calling as a transformer of my culture with TRUTH.

I Am...So What?

2011-08-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of blogging is that the writer of said blog gets to set the parameters. As the writer, I am free to stop and start wherever & whenever I want. I am free to be late (as I have been the last two weeks). As well, I am free to change my mind. There is quite a bit of power in this flexibility. I like that aspect of blogging. So, here’s the deal. We are about half way through the “I Am’s” of Jesus. As I’ve gone back and read the past posts, I’ve asked myself the question, “So what?” I don’t mean it to be disrespectful of Jesus; I simply want this to be practical.

Now, I realize in the introduction to this so-called series, I mentioned the why and wherefore of the journey upon which I was about to embark. I hope I conveyed the message that knowing our Lord was equivalent to trusting Him. In other words, knowing Him increased my trust capacity. I also mentioned that it was quite proportionate to my capacity to love Him. Knowing = trusting; and trusting = loving. Simple formula of a = b.

However, here’s another formula for you (in fact, you might remember this from math). A + B = C. I love it when the Christian life can be simplified to a math formula. Let me explain!

Everyday I meet with young women who struggle with their identity. This wrestling manifests itself in a variety of ways – and it is not always healthy (spiritually, physically, emotionally, etc). As I stopped to ask the “So what?” question, it dawned on me that these “I Am’s” are part of the answer to the identity crisis of a majority of us. Here’s why. If I know WHO HE IS (A) then I know WHO I AM (B). Add these thoughts together and we get one who is COURAGEOUSLY walking this life in Christ. WHO HE IS + WHO I AM = COURAGE.

HE IS: The Messiah/Savior/Deliverer + I Am: Free =

Therefore, I live as if I’m free.

HE IS: Gentle & Humble in Heart + I Am: At Rest =

Therefore, I live in restful submission.

HE IS: YHWH + I Am: Secure =

Therefore, I don’t have to be a slave to my insecurities.

HE IS: With Me Always + I Am: Able =

Therefore, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and do not live as a slave to my fear.

HE IS: The Bread of Life + I am: Complete, Full, Satisfied =

Therefore, I do not look anyplace else to have my needs met.

HE IS: A Servant + I am: A Servant =

Therefore, I extend grace even to those who might treat me harshly, break my heart, or threaten to betray me.

So what? That’s what! It's as simple and as important as A + B = C

I Am...the Bread of Life

2011-08-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:35

My favorite smell: fresh bread baking in an oven. Fact! That smell itself is a gift; but then cut that fresh bread and slather it with butter (or divinity, as we call it in the Forrest household), and, yes, it is divine. I could write a whole page extolling the virtues of this very healthy, complete food, when made with the right kind of whole grains. However, that is not my purpose.

When I think of bread and Jesus, my mind wanders to his first great temptation as his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness are coming to a close. Jesus was hungry. Satan came to tempt him. Don’t you know when he pointed at the stones and invited Jesus to turn them to bread, the temptation came complete with the smell of freshly baked bread wafting across Jesus’ nose? Satan attempted a brilliant power play – “Come on, Jesus, this is no big deal. We both know you can do this with a snap of the fingers.”

However, it was a big deal for Jesus. The temptation wasn’t just about the “lusts of the flesh” – the desire for food. This temptation was all about following God’s will. Later, Jesus was overheard saying, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.” The wilderness wasn’t just about temptation. The wilderness was also for preparation. Preparation for the fulfillment of God’s will. By saying “no” to bread-making, Jesus was saying “yes” to bread-being. Without no-saying, there could be no cross. Without no-saying, Jesus couldn’t be my source of sustenance. By turning down turning stones to bread, Jesus chose to love me. His hunger needs were secondary to my hunger needs. His “no” on that day allowed him to say “yes” to me on another day. On November 22, 1970, I ate the bread of life, and I am still full. I am still sustained. I am more than satisfied in Jesus.

But, one other thought has crossed my mind. Jesus’ “no” affected my future. Whose hunger am I thinking of ahead of my own? How might some of my “yeses” possibly affect the tomorrow of someone else? It’s just a thought...

I Am...A Servant!

2011-08-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

For who is greater, one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Luke 22:27

Really? A servant is the greater one? All of Scripture nods its head in affirmation. Vividly. Maybe, yes, even excitedly. Jesus spoke a jaw-dropping paradigm when he said, “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first (when it comes to the Kingdom-way).” Then, to show the full extent of his love, to model his methods, he grabbed a basin of water, and began washing the feet of his disciples (John 13:1).

Really? In this group were men, he knew, who were about to betray him, turn their backs on him, reject him, break their promises to him, speak out against him, and, even instigate setting the wheels in motion to kill him. Again, I see heaven nodding, even applauding.

Really? Doesn’t this fly in the face of anything “boundary” related? Our world is so big on boundaries…setting up protective space (keeping the bad out). Yet, as I look heavenward through the lens of Scripture, Jesus actions show me the TRUTH. Serving = Loving. Loving always has the best interest of the other at heart. Sometimes that “best interest” means placing ourselves in the most vulnerable of positions (what’s more vulnerable than bent over someone’s feet?). To the extent I serve you, reveals the extent I love you. Nothing speaks a louder message than example.

This doesn’t eliminate the words of tough love. When he came to Peter, Jesus reminded him that just because he washed their feet, didn’t mean they were entirely “clean.” Yet, wash their feet he did, speaking truth gently (but firmly). Oh, how he loved! Oh, how he loves, even still!

But, me, Lord? Serve, like this? And, he says, “You call me, Teacher and Lord; and you are right…If I then, the Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet (vv.13-14).” Paul learned that lesson well, “Have this mind in you that was in Christ Jesus (Phil.2:5).” We can’t muster up the same kind of love…but we can make up our minds, intentionally, to imitate our Lord and Teacher; and, when we do, somehow the Spirit of Jesus in us, takes over, and matches our muster-up to the action of kneeling-low. How can I even get that mindset, Lord? Ah…Paul explains. “Who being in the very nature God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself…” I let go of me, my rights, my wants, my desires, my position. I die. Daily. Completely. To everything. Dead woman walking. Dead woman serving. Dead woman loving.

I read further. There’s a promise attached to dying-loving-serving: “Now that you know these things, you are blessed if you do them (John 13:16).” Grab a basin; you are in for a heap of blessin’!

I Am...With You Always

2011-07-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples…baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the ends of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus has every right to not only ask something of me, but to issue a command. He has, after all, been given the authority directly from the King of Kings, who happens to be His Father. However, one of these commands is truly difficult for me. Which one? Discipleship. That may seem odd, for those who know me, also are aware this comprises the “bulk” of my life. Yet, truth be told, what I do feels a lot like smoke and mirrors.

To explain, let me expound a minute on what Jesus meant when he used the two words “make disciples.” Simple enough, the phrase came from a Greek word meaning “to train as a follower.” However, it meant much more than just imparting head-knowledge. This word implies deep character-shaping and the cultivation of a biblical world-view (beliefs and values), through a close personal relationship between the disciple and the instructor. In fact, Jesus’ followers would have known this meant the instructor sought to “stamp his image” on his disciples! In order to accomplish this goal, the two must have time, experience, and fellowship with one another. In the end, the student would emulate the instructor, yet not lose his individuality (that’s the real tricky part). Jesus was asking his disciples to go, and do, exactly what he’d been doing with them.

Hence the reason why I wrestle with this command, and why my brand of discipleship doesn’t quite measure up. I love the safety of my office. I can give a measure of myself to the young women I “disciple.” Yet, at night, I can go home, close my door, and isolate myself (well, to a degree). What Jesus is asking is for true relationship, one-on-one time, and doing life together. He’s asking for us to be willing to open up our very messy lives filled with fears, failures, and frustrations to “followers,” and show them how he, himself, would have responded. I have a hard enough time with the revealing, let alone the responding… Only one word comes to mind when I meditate on “making disciples” in its true sense. Ugh! For one who scores fairly high on the introvert section of an MBTI (Myers-Briggs Personality Profile), that much time around others can be exhausting.

Before the “ugh” gets verbalized, however, Jesus jumps in with a promise to wipe out all fears, “I am with you always.” If I have his presence, I have his power. If I have his presence, I have his wisdom. If I have his presence, I have his reactions. If I have his presence, I have his provision. If I have his presence…well, you get the picture. With him, I have no excuses! I can do all things I normally can’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t. This promise is the best guarantee I can have for doing life with another. Jesus commands me to “go,” but I am never left to “go it alone.” He is with me, even to the end of the age.

I AM...I AM!

2011-07-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was born, I am.”

John 8:58

We don’t like to think of Jesus as being controversial, yet when Scripture tells us he was a stumbling block to many that is exactly what he was. Every “I Am” statement he made, took the Jewish people back in history to the time of their greatest deliverance (and it wasn’t the face of Charleton Heston they were seeing). They were reminded of another who stood before a great king and answered an inquisition with these words, “I Am that I Am has sent me to you (Exodus 3:14).” It’s one thing to hear those words from Moses, who claimed to be sent by I Am, but it was another to hear them spoken by Jesus who claimed he was THE I AM. In their minds, this was blasphemy. The only answer for blasphemy was death. So, from the get-go the Sanhedrin looked for a way to accomplish just that. What they didn’t realize was when they finally achieved their goal, they were judge, jury, and executioner of God…and, were literally robbed of fully understanding who the “I AM” really was.

The name of God that most reflected his nature is this one: YHWH (I AM). Scholars of the day could not catch the full implication of the word's meaning. Some believed it referred to the timelessness of God. To others it reflected his self-sufficiency. To yet others, it reflected the sum of all that God was. Add to this, the fact that to the Jew, this name was completely sacred. So sacred, they would not speak it. So holy, that they even translated it differently in their writings, as Jehovah, or Yahweh. So revered that when they wrote it in their sacred scrolls, tradition tells us that the scribe would stop and say, “I am writing the name Yahweh for the holiness of His name.” If he made an error in writing it, he would have to destroy the entire papyrus on which he was writing. (That’s a message in itself about how careless we are today when flippantly tossing around the name of God.)

However, since a person’s name was his character, this means that more than any other name, I Am that I Am, gives us a glimpse into God. Here’s where understanding the importance of Jesus' “I Am” statements should ring the most clear. When Jesus said, “I Am_________________” (fill in the blank), he was saying, “I am here to show you my Father unlike you have ever seen him. I am here to show you God in the flesh. You don’t have to hide yourself behind a rock, covering your face, and look at his backside. You can gaze at his glory and not die. You can have relationship with him…and LIVE (life abundantly)!” What an opportunity! It’s not one I want to miss.

As we see God the Father in the life of His Son, we also uncover more of the name of God that has bewildered theologians for centuries. A bigger blessing is this: we can then understand that strong tower into which we can run, and find a place of security in our most insecure moments (Proverbs 18:10).

I AM...Gentle and Humble in Heart

2011-07-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.

(Matthew 11:28-30)

Like most folks, I imagine my eye is drawn to one particular word in this passage: rest. We live in such a chaotic world that most of us don’t do “rest” very well. So, when Jesus offers us an invitation to find rest for our souls, we snap to attention. First question that comes to mind is, “How?” or maybe, “Where?” Instead, it should be, “Who?” We can have the opportunity to learn about rest from the very one who could calmly sleep in a rocking boat on a stormy sea with a dozen fear-driven, raucous men. I would say Jesus knew how to do “rest” fairly well!

Our invitation is to come to Jesus. It’s open to anyone who is weary of being heavy-laden (bent over from a load of worry, want, or a waxing/waning lifestyle). Whew! Know anyone like that? I’m ready to jump all over the offer…except…wait… There is a condition to this invitation. The condition involves taking a yoke. The disciples knew exactly what Jesus was asking. If we think about it for a minute, so do we. A yoke was a collar worn by a pair of oxen for the purpose of doing a work. Each yoke was fitted specifically to the oxen that would wear it. Generally, a head ox took charge of the team; and the other ox submitted to the leadership of that head. Jesus’ invitation involved submission.

Now, there’s a word that makes us all a little nervous. I’ve certainly been burnt before, submitting in situations where I’ve been taken advantage of, treated unfairly, and hurt. Submitting now leaves me a little skeptical, and…cautious. You, too? Must have been true for Jesus’ audience, as well, because right away, he gives all of us a reason to not give in to our trepidation. There it is, the “I AM” statement: I AM gentle and humble in heart. We don’t have to be fearful of submitting, when the one who is leading us underneath the yoke is:

Gentle: Our Savior is a man of strong character, under control, tempering his strength with meekness and kindness.

Humble: This is the man who was by very nature God, but chose to come to this earth for one purpose – to serve. Speaks volumes to me.

Under the yoke of Jesus, we are treated with kindness and tenderness; our good is always considered above all; and, we are deferred to with love, mercy and grace. It’s a “better” yoke…a light load. In other words – we’re already under some yoke anyway, why not exchange the one we’re hauling for an easier, better one – one that is light and under which we can “rest”? It’s easy. It’s light. It’s better. All because of the One who carries it with us!

The invitation is really to submission. Submission is rest for our souls. They are one and the same. We can’t have one without the other. We'll never get burnt by the one alongside us - the one who is always gentle and humble of heart.

I AM...Who?

2011-06-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-16

“Who do you say that I am?” It’s the ultimate question every human being will have to answer for themselves. Just who is Jesus Christ? In fact, our destiny hinges on our response to this question.

Of course, first, Jesus asked his disciples what others thought of him. That warranted an easy response. It’s always easier to answer for someone else. Their answer didn’t surprise Jesus, he heard the rumblings. I believe he wanted a lead in to the more personal question. They rattled off the names of some fairly well-known, and highly revered folks…men with fire and intensity, good men, prophets. Each of these men came preaching a highly-charged, volatile, message that was pretty hard for most people to swallow. They were forerunners to the Messiah, but they were not the Messiah. The Jews were waiting, had been waiting, for hundreds of years, for the one who would come as King, conquering deliverer, and essential High Priest. To the crowds, Jesus was just another prophet to be tolerated.

“BUT,” Jesus asked. “Who do you say that I am?” By this time, the disciples had spent about 2 ½ years traveling, talking, and being taught by the Master. The longer they were around him, the more evidence he gave them that he wasn’t just an ordinary prophet. The more they observed his miracles, the more convinced they were that there was something of the divine about him. His life attested to his Messiah-ship. At the same time, there was something a bit confusing about Jesus. He wasn’t using his divine powers to overthrow the Roman rule as they expected. He talked about going away, and coming back. He lived a life of servant hood, not that of one who would be King; and he discussed with them the idea of “being lifted up,” which they all understood to be crucifixion. Would a Messiah subject himself to such shame? So, there were doubts that they were all wrestling with at the time Jesus sought their allegiance.

I so love Peter. He jumps right in, speaking for the group. His head knew the answer, even if his heart didn’t necessarily go along with it. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This was the first step Jesus’ disciples took toward a confession of faith; and, Jesus blessed the answer, stating that this response held the keys to the eternal Kingdom of God. Later, following Jesus’ death, each of the disciples wrestled with their belief, finally working their faith from their heads to their hearts.

What a reminder that we don’t have to have all the theological answers to come to Jesus and confess him as our Savior, finding salvation for our souls. Like the disciples, there may be many times we come face to face with a crisis of belief, but in the end, “He who begins a good work in us, will complete that work in the day of Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:6).” This, then, is our jumping off place, the point on the cliff where we dive into the ocean and begin our exploration. “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Is he your Savior? Or, is he just a good man with a hard message? We can’t explore the depths, unless you jump. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this – I believe with all my heart, Jesus is who he says he is: my deliverer, who sets me free. I've jumped. I hope to see more of him the deeper I go. I highly recommend jumping off into the arms of Jesus – by faith and find the grace you need for your salvation. Come on - the water is amazing!

I Am...An Introduction

2011-06-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, beginning a series, such as the one on which we're about to embark, feels much like preparing to explore some deep oceanic waters. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ocean, having been raised in a little sea-side community. To this day, no place on earth brings me more of a sense of peace than sitting on a sandy shore. However, to be honest, I have a healthy fear of deep water. The vastness and dark depths overwhelm me and, sometimes, panic sets into my soul. So, this is a bit how I feel in regards to submerging myself into the “I Am” statements of Jesus (overwhelmed by the limitlessness).

On the other hand, knowing our Lord, is critical to the Christian life. If I don’t truly know him, I won’t trust him. If I don’t know him, I won’t believe what he tells me. If I don’t know him, I can’t really love him; and, it is love that drives out all fear (1 John 4:18). Knowing is the hinge on which everything turns in regards to the Christian journey.

Recently, as I’ve saturated myself in the Psalms (particularly the ones King David wrote), I’ve noticed a pattern (simply read one Psalm a day for the next month and I think you’ll see the same pattern). I love this man’s honesty – he shamelessly pours out the mess of his heart to God. Sometimes, he brutally accuses his Lord. Then, David starts talking to himself. He reminds himself just who his God is and how faithful his God has been. Before you realize that David has place a period at the end of a sentence, he’s going off in praise. His attitude has changed and you read the words of a confident, courageous, content man (who is able to sleep in peace in spite of his situation). In this fashion, I want to be just like David.

So while sandy beaches are safe, the real beauty is beneath the surface of the water – out in the scary depths of the sea. I might need a little practice learning to breathe (maybe in my bathtub first), but I’m ready to go diving! Wanna come?

Storyline: Conclusion!

2011-06-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Time to wrap up the theme of Storyline! As we say our farewells to some remarkable women from the Word, I want to recap what I’ve learned as I’ve pondered the STORYLINES of these amazing ladies...

· Their stories are true stories – as sure as I live, so did they. What they came through is a reminder that there is a season to everything I go through.

· Their stories are stories of God’s grace at work...a reminder that His grace is at work in mine.

· In each of their stories – God reveals His love in a myriad of ways:

Their stories remind me that He loves me no matter what I’ve done...

Their stories remind me that He could not love me more and He will never love me less.

· In each of these stories, these women are the focus of God, the center of His attention. He celebrates their lives! The same is true of my story. I am the focus of His attention...I am His celebration. Imagine! God throws a party in heaven and, one day, I will be the guest of honor!

Write this final thought down in your Bible; and make this your final prayer!

I am a line in God’s story.

May all that I write with my life bring Him glory!

Now...let’s start sharing our God-stories. They are an essential part of our community of believers.
If nothing else, from these women I’ve learned that stories build our faith!

My story...your story...these will increase someone else’s capacity to believe God.

(Consequently, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God – the stories of God at work! Romans 10:17)

P.S. A new series begins next week: "I AM"

Storyline: Queen Esther, #4

2011-06-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

No matter the translation in which I read Esther 9:1, I find myself getting goose bumps. Read this verse in several different versions below:

The order the king had commanded was to be done on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. That was the day the enemies of the Jewish people had hoped to defeat them, but that was changed (NCV).

Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the master over them, it was turned to the contrary…(NASB)

The thirteenth day of Adar came, the day on which the royal proclamation was to take effect, the day when the enemies of the Jews were hoping to take effect, the day when the enemies of the Jews were hoping to get them in their power. But instead, the Jews triumphed over them (GNT).

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king’s order came into effect. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had planned to overpower them, but the tables were now turned (MSG).

Four translations should suffice. Did you feel it? Did you sense the relief? Hear the sighs? Experience the joy? Taste the sweetness of the words, “but the tables were turned…all that was changed…but instead…it was turned to the contrary?” There would be no chapter 9, verse 1, except for an insignificant orphan girl from a defeated country, named Esther.

I hope that sinks into the very depths of your soul. Esther had no great qualities – she was simply God’s girl, in God’s place, during God’s time, fulfilling God’s dream for God’s people. There was a need. Esther stepped down (in humility), stepped up (in prayer and fasting), stepped out (of herself), and stepped forward (with courage). As a result, everything changed. The enemy was defeated. Salvation was delivered. Celebration was proclaimed.

We often find ourselves in situations where the tables need turning – wrongs need to be made right, children need to be protected, the unborn need to be fought for, the values we hold dear need to be embraced, marriages need help, and enemies need to be eliminated. Sometimes those things that we are most passionate about are the very things that God puts in front of our eyes so that we might be the one to stand in the gap. We might be his woman. He might have us in this place, during this time, to fulfill his dream for his people in our day. He doesn’t ever seem to use those who are qualified. He only seems to use those who are available, surrendered, and willing to set self aside. Will that be me? Oh, I pray so! I pray I’m trained to hear his sweet soft voice calling me forth. Will that be you?

Storyline: Queen Esther, #3

2011-05-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

When we left Queen Esther last, she had called her people to a fast. While she waited on the Lord, God stepped in to answer. No doubt, he helped to do exactly what he promised Isaiah years before: They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will walk and not grow weary; they will run and not faint (40:31). Not too many verses later, Isaiah gives another promise: But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (41:9-10). Take out "Israel," put in Esther, and you could just as easily have her testimony.

Strengthened, Esther stood before the King. I'm sure she, along with everyone in the room, held their breath. This was certain death for Esther...unless...

Do you wonder what went on in her husband's mind? Think he might have been remembering another time, another place, another queen...but one who refused to come into his presence? Whatever he was thinking, his processing led him to extend the scepter. Obviously realizing something was wrong, Xerxes asked what troubled his Queen enough she'd risk her life to come to him unbidden. Here was Esther's moment... Here is where I would have poured forth the whole bloomin' story...I wouldn't have wasted a minute. You don't have to ask me twice, but, not so with Esther. Her time "waiting on the Lord," not only gave her strength, but gave her a clear plan, and patience (something I lack). So, she invited her King to a feast (ah, yes, another banquet), along with evil Haman - two meals over a two day period.

I have to ask myself, why? Why wait? The only reason I can feasibly come up with is that the ears of Esther's heart were sensitive to the voice of her true King. I think I know this because of what happens in the interlude. God used the waiting to remind Xerxes he'd done nothing to honor Mordecai for saving his life, and it forced Haman to eat a little humble pie, and build the gallows for his own hanging (even though he thought it was for Mordecai).

So, this brings us to yet another aspect of Esther's faith...she knew the voice of her beloved. That kind of listening doesn't just happen...it is developed over time. It takes other times, lots of times, of solitude and silence to hear that sweet, still small voice. As a result, Esther walked in patience, grace, and confidence, and didn't rush ahead of God. Oh, my! Can you say, "convicted?"

Lord, may I spend enough time in your presence that I pick your voice over all the others clamoring for my attention. I so want to not run ahead of you, but move gracefully and patiently forward one step at a time, especially, Lord when crucial conversations are at stake...

Storyline: Queen Esther, #2

2011-05-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

We aren’t born with courage. We can’t search for it, or find it hidden somewhere in the grass like an Easter egg. Courage can be developed and lost again. It’s as elusive as a cloud on a windy day. When we most need courage, for certain that’s when we won’t have it. I’m as certain as I am of the sun going down this evening, that Esther didn’t have any the day she heard the reason why her uncle was wailing in the city gates, dressed in sackcloth, and pouring ashes over his head.

A number of things transpired between Esther’s crowning and her courageous stand in chapter 4. To quickly summarize:

Mordecai uncovered a plot to kill King Xerxes

He wasn’t honored (not even a pat on the back) – but that served God’s purposes

Haman the Agagite was promoted to a high ranking position – like Vice President or Majority Leader

Haman wanted everyone to bow to him

Mordecai would not

Haman plotted to kill Mordecai by virtue of killing off Mordecai’s entire race (this was an act of revenge for his great-great-great-great grandfather – a long story)

The king signed Haman’s plot with his irreversible signature, which meant this was a done deal, and this is why Esther find’s Mordecai wailing in the city gates. Through a messenger, Mordecai unfolds the bad news to his niece, and cryptically confides in her these challenging words: “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The words hit a home run in Esther’s heart, and she responded, “...gather all the Jews to be found, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” (4:12-17)

It’s one thing to speak courageous words; it’s another to follow up on them. Someone has said that courage is not an absence of fear; rather, courage is the absence of self. Esther must have heard that definition, as well. She knows she will be absolutely unable to do what she is being asked in and of herself. In fact, if it’s left up to her, there’s no way she would make an attempt to go to the king! So, Esther knows she must empty herself of self in order to serve her people selflessly. So, Esther fasts...and asks that of every Jew in the country. God-centered fasting is exactly what Esther needed! Jesus said to his disciples, “When you fast... (Matt 6:16)” – not if you fast, but when you fast! Fasting has always been an exercise to remind us of the control we like to have over our own lives, and as we relinquish that control, we open ourselves up to the Lord for his filling, his perspective, his guidance, and, of course, his protection. Fasting always has a purpose in mind – but we must be careful not to elevate our purpose over God’s. Fasting is a sign of our hungry hearts for God himself – more of him, less of me. As Esther fasted, God gave her a clear plan and courage for the hour was born.

Got courage? You don’t need more of you...just more of God...trying fasting! You won’t ever find a complete absence of fear, but what you lose will give you great gain!

Storyline: Queen Esther, #1

2011-05-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

As I begin to write about Esther, one phrase stands out to me (used three times), which I’d like to settle on in today’s thought. First let’s see that phrase in context:

When the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. And the young woman pleased him and won his favor… (2:8-9).

When the time came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter , to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. (2:15)

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. (2:17) Emphasis Mine.

There are so many characteristics to comment on regarding the woman, Esther (who couldn’t have been even 20 years old), yet this one phrase printed in bold grabbed my attention. In the Hebrew text, it literally reads “She lifted up grace (also be translated kindness, or pleasantness) before his face.” We’re talking about a woman who had been ‘carried away’ (2:2-3, 6) – first from her homeland, her culture, and, then, ultimately, from her only remaining family. Not only this, but she was removed from her religious upbringing and placed in a heathen court that emphasized nothing but worldliness: power, prestige, prettiness, and seductive persuasion. When the Scripture talks about being taken away, the word used refers to a forced movement. She may have gone willingly, trusting in God’s sovereignty, but with each transition, she found herself in a place that was uncomfortable, difficult, and painful. Esther didn’t respond as I would. There in this unfamiliar world, she looked her difficulty in the face, and smiled. She kept her composure, and she treated everyone around her with a pleasant kindness that turned their heads, and caused them to respond to her with respect, admiration, and love. Whining and complaining were not in her vocabulary. Anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness were absent from her heart. Seduction and people pleasing were games she did not play. Self-centeredness and competition were far removed from her mind. She lived the quote: “Pain is inevitable; but, misery is optional.”

What else can I say? Not much. Esther was a godly woman of virtue, who lived a life of grace in the face of adversity. May I so rest in the sovereign goodness of God, that my life follows her example!

Storyline: Queen Vashti

2011-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

In my mind, it’s time to start winding down the theme of “Storyline” and move on, but I have wanted, yet waited, to share some thoughts on my favorite heroine of the Word – Esther. My hesitation comes because of thorough and excellent Bible Studies that are available. I certainly can’t do Queen Esther the justice of these comprehensive works. At the same time I don’t want to ignore her, so we’ll highlight just a few scenes from her world over the next few weeks.

Of course, we can’t begin a look at Esther, without a glance at her predecessor, Queen Vashti. In every way this woman belonged on the throne. The granddaughter of King Nebuchadnezzar, Vashti was born to royalty; and, by the same token, royalty flowed in her blood. Undoubtedly, she was also chosen to be Xerxes queen, by beauty, for we read that she was so lovely to look at the King desired to display her beauty (Esther 1:11). Vashti was no fairy tale princess; she was the real deal. Little girls daydreamed being her. Little boys grew up looking for their version of Vashti, always marrying slightly short of the perfection. Because she was royalty by birth, blood, and beauty, Vashti confidently lived a life of quiet dignity. She was who she was and this fact was indisputable...

Yet, this is also where her trouble began and ended. There came a time, when her pompous husband, decided it was time to show off his greatness. Boastfully (and narcissistically), he paraded his great wealth, and all he possessed, for a full 180 days. Can you imagine having to attend 180 days of parades? The thought is appalling to me...but, essentially, that is what he did. At the end of the 180 days, he held a 7-day banquet where the wine ran freely into golden goblets, where it did not stay. In his drunken state, Xerxes realized that he had not revealed his most prized possession, his glorious wife. So, he commanded her presence - “in her crown.” It’s been debated as to whether that was all he wanted her to wear, or whether she was to appear with the splendiferous crown as part of the full attire, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Vashti was no object to be displayed. She was the queen! Her response was brief and matter of fact, and the attendants had to deliver said response, undoubtedly quivering in their sandals, “Queen Vashti refuses to come.” End result: exit Vashti, eventually enter Esther. Behind the scenes, God was setting the stage for His woman to be in the place where He needed her as a part of His sovereign plan (although we never read this anywhere in the book).

Yet, there is a marvelous lesson to learn from Queen Vashti. As a believer in Christ, I am royalty by birth (I have been born into the Kingdom of God); I am royalty by blood (the blood of Christ); I am royalty by beauty (the King delights in my beauty, Ps. 45:11); and I am the bride of the King of Kings! Like Vashti, I am to be envied, but not taken advantage of; I am a valuable vessel of honor, but not a “thing” of possession; I am a woman of submission to authority, but not a doormat to be walked over. I live who I am by virtue of my inheritance and my position, in dignity, yet there are times when “NO” is a part of my vocabulary. This, my sisters-in-Christ, is a fine line, yet many women do not know where it is drawn. Vashti led the way, and teaches us, still, that wives are to be highly prized, not handled possessions. When my dignity threatens to be eliminated, by choice, I eliminate myself.

I love what Chuck Swindoll says in his book, entitled, Esther. "Submission does not mean that a wife is a sexual pawn in the carnal desires of her husband. It was never God's design that a wife submit to her husband's evil desires. In Xerxes case, this took the form of desiring to display her before those who would have nothing in mind but lust. What he asked for was not submission; it was sexual slavery (pg. 27)."

When my dignity threatens to be eliminated...I eliminate myself.

Storyline: Miriam, #2

2011-04-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Were I Miriam, and able to write the ending to my story, I’d make it a good one; one that would leave people smiling. However, this is not the way Miriam’s story ends. In Numbers 12:1-15, we’re told that Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had remarried. While this is the excuse they used to grumble against their brother, the real reason went deeper. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this (12:2). Uh, oh!

Envy put them in a bad temper. Their jealousy set them “talking against” Moses. God heard. He calls the three of them to the Tent of Meeting (something akin to being called to the principal’s office). Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud. Of the many things the Lord says to them, this stands out, “Why...were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” God’s anger burned against Aaron and Miriam. When the cloud lifted, well, there stood Miriam her skin looking like a stillborn baby, and covered with leprosy.

Now, God can do what He wants. He is God. I have to wonder why Aaron wasn’t struck, as well...perhaps it had something to do with Aaron’s priestly duties. However, Aaron was first to plead Miriam’s case to Moses. Moses went directly to the Lord; and God, in His mercy, confined Miriam outside the camp for seven days. Seven disgraceful days. Seven long days and nights of a “time out.” Time out to remember the past. Time out to reflect on the present. Time out to repent from her sin. Time out to return to the Lord.

Doesn’t this seem a bit severe? I thought so... At least until I remembered that Jesus final prayer in the Garden before his crucifixion focused on love for one another and unity. When someone is about to die, their heart is exposed. What is most important is laid bare. For Jesus it boiled down to love and unity. Jesus, we know, reflected the Father’s heart. So, the same must hold high significance to God the Father, as well.

May those who will believe in me be one... May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20, 23).

The tongue is a dangerous instrument. In this particular instance, it had the potential to set a people ablaze in disunity. As God the Father led His children to the Promised Land, He needed a people united as one - children who would represent their Father, harmoniously standing in one accord.

So, while God forgave Aaron and Miriam, there were consequences. These consequences were a reminder that the tongue reflects the heart, and a leprous heart has the potential to infect an entire community. Because God so loved His children, like a good dad, he disciplined – He disciplines the sin and always extends grace to the sinner. Don’t you know at the end of seven days, Miriam felt that grace extended as she was embraced again within the camp?

May her story be a word of caution to all of us to guard our tongues, look out for one another’s interests, encourage and edify our community, speak truth in love, and strive to live in symphony with each other! When we do, the world knows that our Jesus loves them!

Storyline: Miriam

2011-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve wondered about the randomness of these devotionals. Really there has been no rhyme or reason to the women I’ve picked, or when I’ve picked them, except for the few surrounding the Christmas season. So, when I sat down to write my thought for this week, I had no clue of whom I might highlight. Oddly, enough Miriam came to mind – so back to the beginning of the Bible we head again. There are three stories surrounding Miriam’s life. The most popular one, of course, is the one that dovetails the deliverance of her brother, Moses, placing him into the care of Pharaoh’s daughter. The next time we catch a glimpse of Miriam, we get a small YouTube version of her happy dance following the deliverance of her people from Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea (let’s watch).

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea (Exodus 15:20-21).

I can hardly imagine that moment (and the heightened emotions), when the feet of every last Israelite landed on the opposite shore. What was the response when the wall of water, which had been held back by an invisible hand, came crashing down upon the enemy army? My heart pounds, even now, trying to contemplate what they all felt. I’m picturing a long period of silence along the shoreline, at last, interrupted by Moses, leading the males of his flock (not sheep, as pertaining to his occupation, but very sheep-like) in a spontaneously written hymn of praise. When Moses’ voice ebbed away, Miriam picked up her tambourine and the women followed suit; and, they began to repeat the same praise song, adding an ecstatic dance.

In Israelite culture, every joyful happening was celebrated with the dance. Life was filled with too many difficult moments, that when the joyful occurred, it was reason to throw a praise party. Miriam, a leader among the women, a prophetess in her own right, often led the way, just as she did that day.

I’ve had to stop to answer a few questions today. Here they are:

ü Has God become my salvation? Absolutely – he is my salvation, not by anything I have done, but by grace through faith.

ü Has the Lord proved himself to be a warrior, mighty on my behalf? Protecting me? No question – countless times.

ü Have the deep waters covered my enemy? Indeed, the Lord has taken my sin that threatened to consume me, and buried them in the deepest sea.

ü Is there anyone like my God: majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders on my behalf? None!

ü Has His love proven unfailing? His strength been my guide? His redemption complete? Time and again!

ü Is God good? Is He on His throne as Sovereign Lord? Yes – he cannot be untrue to His character!

I have a reason to dance. My God has triumphed gloriously on my behalf. Some may trust in horses and some in chariots, but I am able to trust in the Lord God, Creator of the Universe, Savior of my soul, Righteous Redeemer, Friend, Bridegroom, Husband... What binds my feet to the floor and prevents me from celebrating Him with joy?

We are days away from celebrating the Easter season. The greatest day of victory in our history! The unparalleled event that proves our deliverance from an unprecedented enemy! Pick up your tambourine... Let’s celebrate with song... Let’s move our feet...

Have a blessed Easter!

Storyline: The Proverbs 31 Wife

2011-04-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

Please read Proverbs 31:10-31

Ever found yourself a little embittered by the proverbial woman of Proverbs 31? I have! I frequently skip that chapter in my devotional readings. This gal raises the bar, sets a standard that “feels” unattainable. Those 21 verses pack a heap of a punch and often leave us feeling like losers. Here are some of the qualities an excellent wife exhibits. She’s:

* ...a fighter and a fortress (Hebrew word for noble in verse 10 comes from a military term which means to fight valiantly or could be in reference to a military stronghold).

* ...trustworthy.

* ...a hard worker.
* ...a provider.
* ...frugal and money-wise.

* ...one who could teach a time-management course.

* ...generous.

* ...hospitable.

* ...compassionate.

* ...sensible and practical.

* ...kind.

* ...fearless.

* ...a teacher.

* ...reputable & praiseworthy (not just at home, but in the community).

* ...one who cares more about the condition of her inner heart than outward beauty.

I’m already exhausted just picking out her positive traits from Scripture...drained by her energy, enthusiasm, and zest for life; after all, this woman smiles at the future. Right now, I’m not smiling. There are too many difficult things in our world. The future looks bleak. However, that’s not what this thought is about.

It is about a Proverbs 31 woman, I have had the privilege of getting to know in the heart of rural South Africa. I am privileged to have rubbed shoulders with her, walking through a few weeks of her daily journey spread out over the course of two years. I always knew when I met a “31” woman, I would resent her. I was sure I would dislike her; certain she would intimidate and send me scurrying like a little cockroach into hiding because of my insecurity. These were not my responses. I’m relieved (I can feel a bit better about myself. There’s hope that I’m not a complete loser). You see, you can’t dislike someone who is humble, who submits to the Lord, and just lives to be His woman. A “31” woman doesn’t work at being those things listed above. She simply is. A “31” woman has “died with Christ,” has focused on “reigning with Him in eternity” (which is why she smiles at the future), and worries not about the “to do’s” of today. This woman takes every morning as a new opportunity to serve, right where she lives, no matter how obscure her town, how large the problems of her society loom, or how complicated the answers seem. She walks with Jesus step by step, making sure her family is cared for first, opening her hands to the needy and the poor. As a result, she is accomplishing great things for Jesus. She is making a huge dent in her society for eternity. She is rescuing those who are perishing, one baby at a time; one homeless street boy by one homeless street boy; one full blown HIV mother as they show up on her doorstep; and one-by-one as opportunities to teach arise, affirming better tomorrows for those who fall under her care.

I have met a Proverbs 31 woman (I know this gal, she wouldn’t even want her name mentioned), but I am not embittered by her, nor angry at the “standards” she has raised. I am challenged, yes, by her God-stories. I am spurred on to “remember Jesus” (2 Tim 2:8) and His gospel, to die to self, and be raised again a “resurrection woman” (Romans 12:1-2), allowing the Lord to live out His will in me, one step at a time.

Storyline: Hannah, Part 2

2011-04-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Once again, a woman from Scripture has stuck in my brain like a little bug caught in a cobweb. I keep meditating on Hannah’s God-story. While this story is somewhat about letting go of bitterness, which we talked about last week, it is much more about persevering in prayer. There are some random thoughts that have caught my attention about Hannah’s praying, and I have found myself talking at length about her this week. So, here are those random thoughts, randomly sorted on paper, in a random kind of list:

From what I read in Scripture, Hannah’s life was not an easy one. The community around her (including her husband’s other wife) often berated her for childlessness. One thing and one thing only would ease her pain: a baby.

I believe Hannah’s heart cried out in prayer often for God to open her womb and bless her with a child.

Her prayer in the temple was just a culmination of many prayers prayed over a lifetime of prayers asking God to respond...and, as a result, s he felt like she was praying to a brick wall.

Perhaps Hannah wondered if God was good. Did she ever feel like God was picking on her?

Yet, through it all, Hannah persevered. Year after year, she went to Shiloh with her husband and prayed. Year after year, she left eclipsed (by the other women), embarrassed, and empty.

Exhausted, she returned yet another year. This time, so broken, so empty, so completely done (or, maybe, undone is a better word), she prayed a prayer that seemed to line up with God’s Will. She asked, once more, for a son. This time her prayer had an addendum: “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life... (1 Samuel 1:11).”

Hannah’s prayer met heaven’s will, and heaven’s will came down to earth...in the form of a baby boy. A baby boy who would become one of the greatest prophets Israel would ever know. God needed a boy that He could raise. A boy who would have God’s fingerprints all over him. A boy who would be sensitive to the voice of God. A boy who would be willing to speak God’s Word back to the people. Sometimes that word would be what the people wanted to hear; and sometimes it would not.

God blessed Hannah – not in the way she anticipated. It was not easy to give your boy back to God, and, to take him to the temple somewhere between age 3 and 5 and leave him there. It was not easy to see him only once a year, and then, only to bring him a coat. Yet, out of her brokenness. Out of her perseverance, the desire of her heart met the need of God’s heart, and her prayer was answered. I’m sure there are many theological implications here that I’m missing. However I believe this to be true about Hannah’s praying, as we can relate:

Keep persevering. Out of perseverance is born unspeakable blessing.

It will not happen quickly, like an order at McDonald’s; but it will come. AND...it will always match God’s will, not ours.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1

Storyline: Hannah

2011-03-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hannah was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly... Eli, the priest observed her mouth moving, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, he thought her to be drunk. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 1 Samuel 1:10-16

Q & A with Hannah:

Q: Hannah, your story starts right out informing us that you were one of two wives. Your husband’s other wife had children, but you had none. Talk to us about how difficult that was, if you would?

A: Let me respond by asking you some questions. How do you feel when you are provoked day after day, month after month, year after year; needled, hassled, and purposely irritated by someone who despises you, yet lives in your home? Add to that, the fact that the very thing your rival mocks you about is so personal, and something that you can’t change, in spite of anything you might try to do? Even worse, the topic of derision isn’t just thrown in your face at home. Imagine what it’s like when the culture you live in sees barrenness as a curse from God? Even your neighbors whisper behind your back wondering what disobedient act brought about your infertility? Can you even begin to picture what it’s like, when every month your own body mocks you? Can you conjure up the depth of emotional grief that each cycle brings with it, for every bloody show represents the life of a child that will not be born? My life was way beyond difficult. Words like “deeply distressed,” “bitter,” “troubled in spirit,” “great anxiety,” and “vexation” hardly do justice to the emptiness of my soul.

Q: I'm so sorry! My question does seem trivial. However, the words your son recorded about your story, also tell us that you were greatly loved by your husband, Elkanah. In fact, it would appear, reading between the lines, that he loved you twice as much as Peninnah. Certainly, it brought consolation knowing how beloved you were?

A: Of course, every woman desires to be greatly loved; and yes, that knowledge brought consolation. Yet, his love didn’t change the fact that I constantly felt competition from Peninnah. It didn’t change the fact that everyone else looked at me as greatly debilitated, as sub-female, and unable to fulfill my divine purpose on earth. After years and years of seeing myself through those eyes, even the love of a man could not erase away the knowledge of that identity. Only God could transform who I was in the eyes of the world.

Q: So that’s what led you to the temple?

A: Well, that, obviously; but there was more. You see, with each passing month, with every sideways glance, with every irritating word from Peninnah, my empty heart closed tightly. I started growing bitter: bitter at my husband for having a second wife; bitter at Peninnah for her provocation; bitter at each of my husband’s children, for they represented what I could never have; but, mostly, bitter at God, for He seemed to have abandoned me. God could have stepped in, but He didn’t...He had closed my womb. The entrapment of my bitterness was far worse than my emptiness. I knew I would explode from the inside out, if I didn’t pour out my heart before God. So, I went to the temple to remove the lid of bitterness that had sealed shut my empty heart. After all, how can God pour any blessing into a heart that is not open to Him?

Q: And, so?

H: And, so...that’s exactly what I did. I prayed. I wept all the bitterness out of my heart, right through my eyes. I gave God everything – my distress, my barrenness, the emptiness of my soul, and, especially my anger. I left it all on the altar. When I got up, the peace of God had filled my heart. I walked away a free and happy woman. When we hand over everything in our hearts, even the emptiness, to the Lord, we are in a position for him to fill us up (Ps. 16:11). Not only did God fill me, He blessed me with a son. Yet, Samuel was destined to be God’s man – not mine. He was destined to have God’s fingerprints all over his life, not mine. I wouldn’t have been able to give Samuel back to God had it not been for my initial infertility; and, what a man of God, my son grew to be!

Bottom Line: Bitterness only seals our hearts shut; releasing all anger to God, puts God in a position to bless and fill to overflowing. Keep in mind, that blessing may look nothing like we expect...

Storyline: Naaman's Servant Girl

2011-03-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

It only takes four verses in 2 Kings, chapter 5, to tell a delightful little short story. The narrative doesn’t begin well, but it certainly has a fairy tale ending! Here’s how it begins in verse 2:

Now bands from Aram had gone out and taken captive a young girl from Israel and she served Naaman’s wife.

These “bands” were marauding military raiders, probably sent out by Naaman himself, to put the final exclamation point on a decisive defeat of the Israelites. The raids were meant to humiliate the Israelites even further. I really don’t want to begin to imagine the plundering spree of these fearsome, wild-hearted men, drunk on high emotions of a tremendous victory. The only possibility that brought any measure of control weighed on the high greed of their hearts. The thought of money caused them to stop momentarily in their ruthlessness to place a value on their spoils. So, this band cautiously spared a few “things.” One of these was a young girl, who will forever remain nameless, while we are on earth.

Naaman, who was the commander of the king’s army, purchased her to serve his wife. He handpicked her. While this isn’t a devotional about Naaman, his life is so intricately involved in this young girl’s storyline, that we must mention him. Naaman was valiant, brave, and highly regarded by the king (vs.1). However, there’s a “big but” in the middle of his world that caused him no small measure of pain and heartache. This “but” contrasts and off-sets in a big way his prowess as a man and as a soldier: he had leprosy. Naaman’s life was being eaten away before his eyes from the outside inward. Yet, in spite of having been ripped away from home, culture, family, and all she knew and loved, this young girl cared deeply.

She said to her mistress, “If only my master would go see the prophet who is in Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy (vs. 3).

There’s a lot left unsaid between verse two and verse three. We don’t read of the extreme alarm and high anxiety that resided in the hearts of Naaman or his wife. We aren’t told how, as his conditioned worsened, so did the feelings of hopelessness. We don’t hear the cries of discouragement interrupting sleep in the middle of the long, anxious nights. We can’t begin to feel the heaviness of despair as more spots were discovered. We aren’t privy to the conversations. We don’t sense the frustration over the inability to touch, hug, console, or bandage your spouse for fear the disease could spread. We don’t see words which tell us that Naaman and his wife related to their slave girl, because they, too, were enslaved. Their master, Leprosy, was uncaring, cruel, and harsh. So, they chose not to be. We’re not told this; we can only assume it, because we do know this young girl found herself deeply affected by the story of this couple who governed her very existence. As a result, she could not keep silent. She believed deeply that she held the only key to Naaman’s freedom, and she offered it. Would I? Or, would bitterness keep my mouth closed.

These four verses speak volumes about this girl’s love, compassion, submission, humility, and uncomplaining spirit. They also reveal the credibility she had earned with Naaman and his wife. Naaman listened...and, end of story, discovered restored health and freedom.

Now, what do I learn from this young girl? Life doesn’t always go according to my plan. It can make me bitter or better. In her case...better! Though, it may not go according to my plan; it always goes according to God’s plan (“through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram”). Life’s circumstances may be scary, brutal, harsh, strenuous, frustrating, discouraging, unhappy, hopeless, or (you can add your word) ________________________. Now add one of those “big buts;” I’ve been given a mission in the middle of it all:

To speak God’s good news; to help bind up the broken hearted; proclaim freedom for the captives and release prisoners from darkness; to comfort those who mourn; to provide those who grieve a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:3)

Today, I am vividly aware that none of my mission will happen, unless I learn to live in the fullness of the Spirit, and let my Lord develop the same character as that of a young captive girl in Aram. Lord, hold me captive in your love, and let me live as your servant...

Storyline: The Samaritan Woman

2011-03-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am He.”

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.”

John 4:25-26, 28

Ever played dodge ball? This story is a classic case of verbal dodge ball. The woman from Samaria had come to the well, during the heat of the day, at a time when she was absolutely certain she’d not have to communicate with anyone. Imagine her annoyance to see someone waiting...a man, no less, and a Jew. He started the conversation. From that moment on, she tried dodging every attempt of Jesus to bring her to a place where she would admit her need, open her heart, and receive the gift of God that was standing right in front of her. Poor gal had put up every defensive wall she could muster, and Jesus patiently chipped away at each brick. It was understandable, though. She’d been tossed around (just like that dodge ball) from husband to husband until every ounce of confidence was depleted. She’d finally given up, and simply moved in with a man, hoping against some great odds, that he might be the answer to her need for satisfaction. At the same time, she was sick of the sideways stares, the mocking glances, and the cruel whispers of the other women. Her discontent had led her on a downward spiral to discouragement, to depression, to desolation, and ultimately would lead her to desperation, if not death. She was rapidly approaching that place, when Jesus HAD TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA.

I love this about Jesus. No matter how despicable others might think we are, he’s willing to go out of his way to find us when we’re needy. Face it; most people go out of their way to avoid neediness. Not Jesus. He created a divine appointment with a thirsty woman at a well in a place no righteous Jew of his day would dare set his sandaled shoe. No matter how troubled we are, he has an answer. No matter how much shame we carry on our shoulders, he wants to remove it. So, Jesus went to Samaria.

Finally, she broke. “Go call your husband,” Jesus requested. “I have no husband,” she replied. Atta girl, honesty, at last! Jesus applauded her vulnerability, and spit out the rest of the facts, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” With that much admission the walls came up again, and in a desperate attempt to dodge the subject of her thirsty heart, yet again, she digressed to a topic of religious controversy. Ha! The master turned it right in her face, and brought her to a place where he could look her in the eye, and grant her amazing heart healing, that would fill her right up: “You are right, the Messiah is coming, and in fact, I, who speak to you, am he.” Yep – here I am, God’s gift. Look to me, I am the only man who can satisfy your discontented soul. Need a boost upwards out of the sinking mire of your own sinful state? I’m about to go to that place of death, the same place you’re headed towards, so you don’t have to...watch me take all this for you!

I find great delight in knowing that the first time Jesus opened his mouth to declare his true identity, it was to a woman: a shame-filled, sinful, desperate, unsatisfied woman! Now, then, do you see yourself in this story? Let me ask you a couple questions, I’ve asked myself. Are you satisfied? Are you content with your life’s circumstances? Have you found that place where you are soul-full? Are you looking to anything else to bring you joy? Anything else to give you peace? Anything else to bring you contentment? Only the living water can fill every crevice, every nook and cranny of your heart! Only the GIFT OF GOD, Jesus, can be for you what you might be looking to others to be, or do. So, how do we apply this truth? The Apostle Paul said it well in Philippians 4, “In every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being content.” 1) Contentment is a learned behavior. Contrary to what we believe, it is not just an emotion I can’t do anything about. 2) It is found in a secret: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! It boils down to seeking, knowing, trusting, and submitting to Jesus. Sound too simplistic? Certainly! But appropriating it is another whole deal...

Storyline: Mary of Bethany, #2

2011-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

While Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Mark 14:3-9

Jesus only had a matter of days left to live. He knew it. He’d even predicted it. Yet, no one seemed to take note. No one, except one – Mary. While her name is not mentioned in this passage, we know who she is from the story of Lazarus’ resurrection in John 10. Sweet, quiet, reflective Mary had paid close attention to the words of Jesus as she sat at his feet. She grasped what no one else did, the impending death of her Lord. So, Mary responded in ways that no one else would have the courage, or the time, to do following Jesus’ arrest. Thoughtfully, and sacrificially, she took the nard and anointed Jesus.

Some important aspects need to be mentioned.

1) The nard, we’re told, was worth an entire year’s wage. Think of this in modern terms. An average American holding a bachelor’s degree makes around $56,000. That should give you some idea of why those in the room thought her so reckless.

2) The alabaster jar that contained the nard had to have been imported from India. The jar, itself, was also pricey.

3) These items were typically reserved in a woman’s “hope chest,” so to speak for a very special occasion, probably a wedding or even her funeral. It was not uncommon that these things were purchased in advanced and reserved for these occasions. So, Mary was giving to Jesus a very substantial part of her dowry.

4) Once the seal on the jar was broken, the perfume lost its fragrance and its potency. It could not be recycled, used sparingly, and saved for further use.

Mary’s message was clear. Her love for Jesus was worth reckless abandonment to the things the world held dear. She cared not about the scorn, or the harsh rebuke...her thoughts were completely on honoring the one who had meant the world to her. I believe deep in Mary’s heart, she knew what she was doing. Jesus was about to be sacrificed and poured out, how could she not, sacrifice on his behalf? “She has done a beautiful thing to me,” Jesus said. “What she has done will be told in memory of her wherever the gospel is preached.” I have to ask myself, “What beautiful things am I doing for him?” “How sacrificially do I offer the things I hold dear on his behalf?” I am so grateful for grace, yet, I so often find myself fearful of what others might think of my service. It’s hard to love extravagantly when others are watching. Yet, it wasn’t for Mary. Was that a direct result of her time at Jesus’ feet? If so, guess I know where I want to be found more often than not! Courage for abandonment will follow.

Storyline: Mary of Bethany

2011-02-21T06:41:00.000-08:00

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:36-42

Like this home in Bethany where Jesus visited, my home had three children – two girls and a boy. Just like this home, no three children could have been more different. It’s always odd to me just how distinctive children can be, who come from the same parents, are raised in the same house, under the same parenting styles. We already know that Martha, full of good intentions, was a “fixer.” This woman wasn’t one to sit still; rather, she had to be actively making things happen and, as a result, she was easily distracted. We know she was a complicated ball of commotion, yet unafraid to just be herself; and, Jesus loved her. Her sister was a polar opposite. Mary was sensitive, intuitive, quiet, reflective, easy-going, and focused; Jesus loved her. I love that Jesus loves diversity. He’s not asking us to be something we’re not. He is asking us to keep things simple, and to take time, from time-to-time, to be “women of one thing.”

Please take note that Martha wasn’t wrong using her hospitality gifts. She simply had taken on too much. If she’d simplified, then Martha could have gotten in on the better part of the visit, time with Jesus. All our good strivings are often enemy of the better thing. Mary’s intuition served her well. Somehow she seemed to realize this was a moment that could never be recaptured. She knew she needed to glean all she could from the life of her Lord, for somehow, she had a sense that he would not be with them long (we’ll see this more clearly when we look at another snapshot of Mary’s life next week). I tend to be of the opinion that Mary realized she needed the words of the Teacher deeply imbedded in her heart for the journey ahead. Jesus was not about to rob her of that opportunity.

Jesus has words for us every day – words for our journeys. He knows a visit with him, through prayer and in Scripture, is the better part of our day. Yet, we often are robbed of that opportunity by all our plans, activities, and busyness. They aren’t bad things; we aren’t wrong in doing them. We simply need to streamline, prioritize, and carve out moments to sit at his feet. Let go of the distractions and listen...then, and only then, will we be ready to serve him completely and effectively (we’ll see that next week, too).

Storyline: Martha, #2

2011-02-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

John 11:20-22, 38-40

Ah, Martha. Let’s not rush past her yet. Last week we learned that Martha felt safe with Jesus. She trusted him enough to reveal the messy side of her nature to him. Martha even had a measure of faith that most Jews didn’t possess; she firmly stated her belief in the final resurrection of the dead. Though she was disappointed in Jesus’ seeming lack of compassion when her brother was ill, she expressed a measure of faith that Jesus could still “do something”... Yet, in a matter of minutes her measure of faith showed its limitation. When Jesus asked for the stone to be removed from Lazarus’ grave, reality rose to the surface. Lazarus had been in there for four days: long enough for decay to set in; long enough for his soul to have departed (Jewish religion believed that on the fourth day following death the soul ventured away from the body); long enough for the “stink” to be bad!

Ever felt a measure of belief, only to realize that it was stunted by a reality check? I, most definitely, have. I often come up lacking in this department. Like Martha, it is easier to believe in the BIGGER MIRACLE of eternal life and resurrection at the last day, but, then, find myself coming up short on the “smaller” miracle of raising the current "dead" that surround my life. For example, I don’t question my eternal life, or the “life-after-death” of my loved ones who are “in Christ”, but I do question whether the Lord will “raise up” dreams that have died, or a plan that has been taken away prematurely. I don’t question that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life,” but is he the resurrection of marriages which have lost their “soul”? Is he the restorer of “life” to the areas of my life that seem to be decaying before my eyes? Can he make perfume out of the things that absolutely stink about my life? I’m guessing I’m not the only one who wonders this...

Yet, I think this story is here to remind us that he cares. He weeps with us for the things that are lost to us, the death of dreams, the vanished hopes, and the demise of comfort, satisfaction, and/or pleasure. He longs to show us His glory...if we believe. Someone once told me, the outcome of belief is always a revelation of the glory of God. Yes, Jesus cares. He wants to reveal the glory of God; and, he wants to show us that he is still Lord over the grave...any grave.

So, my response to this aspect of Martha’s life is to do what the desperate father, whose dreams for his son were slowly dying, did when he stood before Jesus: Immediately, the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Storyline: Martha

2011-02-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to (Jesus) and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Luke 10:40

With a hop, skip, and a jump, we’re back in the New Testament to glance into the life of Martha. Jesus loved Martha (John 11:5). I love her, as well. I have often thought I could relate most to this woman of Scripture...an overzealous servant, filling my plate with too much do-gooding, having a bit of a case of “limelightitis,” and easily distracted with people-pleasing. I’ve only focused on the negative of Martha’s character. That’s often easy for us to do with other people, isn’t it? However, I’m convicted of that kind of judgment, and want to honor Martha’s positive traits. She has many, you know, but one in particular.

If you read the Scripture above, what stands out to you: Martha’s self-pity; or, maybe her attempts at putting a guilt-trip on Jesus? How about her “bossiness”? Yes, I can see some of those things, too. However, as I was reading her story this morning, something else hit me – her honesty, her vulnerability, and, even, her authenticity with Jesus.

Here’s what struck me: Martha felt SAFE in the love of Jesus. She felt so safe, in fact, that she was able to be herself – her very messy, very confused, and sometimes, very self-centered self. While it tells me a lot about Jesus, it speaks volumes about Martha. She had no trust issues where her Lord was concerned.

Sadly, many days, I am reminded that I do (have trust issues). Often, I am careful how I petition the Lord in prayer. Sometimes, I color my pain with pretty colors. Sometimes, I dress my heart up in its finest, and put on a good front, even with Jesus. Sometimes, I even build a big brick wall, put a padlock on the gate, and dig a moat that I fill with water and crocodiles, hoping that he gets the message: stay out of this area.

Martha reminded me this morning that Jesus is not over-advertised; he is under-trusted. Jesus is not over-rated; he is under-estimated. Jesus is completely, 100% safe, and he doesn’t care about the mess our souls are in, nor is he bothered with how tangled and twisted the barbed wire has gotten around them. If there’s any place we can take our sorrows, distractions, and frustrations, and not be condemned, it’s to Jesus.

May we learn this lesson well from a woman who came before him boldly, in all honesty, and placed her pain in the palm of his soon-to-be nail scarred hands!

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16.

Storyline: Hagar

2011-01-31T10:21:00.000-08:00

Storyline: Hagar

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; and the angel of the Lord said to her: “You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard my misery.” And Hagar gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me... So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.

Genesis 16: 7, 11, 13, 15

Peeking across the yard out of Sarah’s tent, we find Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maid-servant. Ever wonder how she might have felt about being a pawn in Sarah’s forced, and frantic, arrangement to have a child? Let’s saunter over and see if we relate to her in any way...

Here are a few questions for you:

r Have you ever felt as if your life had been completely ripped away from you?

r Ever felt that everything near and dear had been stripped away?

r Have you ever felt that even your identity was stolen from you, and now, you are a complete non-entity?

r In fact, have you ever felt that you were nothing more than a poker-chip? A pawn in someone else’s game of life?

r Have you ever felt devalued? Insignificant?

r Worse, have you ever felt invisible?

r Have you ever felt unheard or unseen?

r Ever felt trapped...forced to go where you didn’t want to go; to do things you never wanted to do? Enslaved?

r Have you ever felt completely alone?

r Have you ever longed for compassion and come up empty...every time?

r Have you ever felt so completely hopeless, like you were really just hanging onto life by a single thread...and even it was beginning to splinter?

This was Hagar’s day to day existence. She was a slave. Probably part of the “loot” Abraham received from Pharaoh after he tried to deceive the ruler with lies about his wife, Sarah. She was forced to leave home, family, country, comforts of a palace-life, and everything familiar to live a nomadic existence. She was also forced to obey the whims and fancies of her mistress.

It’s difficult to judge her reaction when she found out she was pregnant with Abraham's child. “When she knew she was pregnant she began to despise her mistress (Gen 16:4).” She began to look on Sarah, perhaps in the way she felt looked upon...with an inner attitude of “smallness.” She probably didn’t have to say a word; her demeanor said it all. She pushed Sarah’s core fear button with a vengeance, and Sarah (like all of us who have our core fear buttons pushed) reacted back...harshly. So Hagar ran. BUT GOD! God came to her in the desert - the driest place of her life! He “looked” at her as no one else had. Verse 11, Ishmael means: "The Lord has been attentive in my humiliation.” God saw. Verse 13, “You are El Roi – the God who sees me.” Read into this carefully. The Lord didn’t just hear – he listened. He didn’t just see – He looked right through her, examined her heart, paid close attention to her “woundedness.” Sarah was God’s princess. Hagar was the slave. Yet, never once did God appear directly to Sarah, and twice (again in Genesis 21), God appeared to Hagar. Truth: God doesn't look at status, when it comes to the cry of the human heart...

Seeing and hearing her misery would have been enough in itself, but God went even further. He restored her significance and her hope – she would mother a line of descendents too numerous to count. Hagar had a reason to return to Abraham and Sarah. Her son needed a father. With a restoration of her dignity, her humanization, a future and a hope, and having been comforted by the One True Comforter, Hagar could return with submission, until her next steps were revealed, as God ordained them to be.

This is our God. El Roi! El Ysma! The God who Sees - me! The One who Hears – me! Do we run to that God when in need of compassion and hope? He’s waiting! And, you will not come up empty!

Storyline: Sarah #3

2011-01-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

I can’t just walk away from Sarah, yet. Listen, I admire this woman! While she made some HUMONGOUS mistakes, she rose above them in many ways. Look at the passage written out above. The bold print and underlining are my emphasis. Do you read between the lines when you read Scripture? We need to! I know this passage is about Abraham, but where Abraham went, Sarah was. What Abraham was involved in - well, Sarah was smack dab in the middle. So...as a woman, I ask you, How would you respond if out of the blue, no warning, your husband told you one day to pack up, because you were moving! Maybe you’d be delighted, because you are ready for a change. But then, your next question would be, “Where are we going?” What would you do if he said, “Dunno! God just said move and he’d show us as we went.” I’m not sure your reaction would have been to just submit, and with a quiet and gentle spirit leave all you knew behind. On top of that, please remember, Sarah was a Chaldean woman (this is where she and Abraham lived...probably right near current day Baghdad). She could have not even known who God was, let alone trust him enough to just “go.”

Yet, the passage we looked at last week said that part of Sarah’s inner beauty was her submissive heart - a heart that yielded and “did not give way to fear.” Ok...so maybe you could see yourself going, but what would be your “fear temperature?”

Does the word submission* make your blood boil? I know it does for some women! Yet Sarah, in spite of not really having a known faith (at that time) in God, was able to submit and go into the unknown without fear. I desperately want to be like that! The unknown is always the thing that scares me most. It is the one fear that is often at the center of my core, because it means I have no control over my next steps.

I guess my question is this: what, besides God’s grace, increases my capacity to submit and walk willingly into the unknown fearlessly? I have a few thoughts based on past experience. Indulge me, please.

TRUST. We can’t submit unless there is a level of trust. Sarah trusted Abraham. We know this because in the passage we looked at last week, Peter says that Sarah called Abraham, Lord. No, that was not the term of endearment she used...but rather an expression of her faith in her husband. One can’t say the words, “No, Lord.” So, obviously, it speaks to how Sarah felt about Abraham. Then, as that trust proved out, she began to develop trust in the one that Abraham put his faith in – the Creator God, Adonai.

KNOWLEDGE. We can’t submit without trust; we can’t trust without knowledge. The more I know you, and see your character, the more I trust you. It is that simple. Knowledge breeds respect; respect leads to trust; and trust yields.

VULNERABILITY. Knowledge involves risk-taking. It involves opening myself up to someone else and taking a chance on them. It’s a process of shared information, and finding complete safety and protection within that openness.

This says a lot about Abraham...but it also says a lot about Sarah. She was willing to take a chance on her very fallible husband, and the end result was BEAUTIFUL! (It is also our greatest expression of worship...where our relationship with the Lord is concerned.)

*Remember, submission does not mean being a door mat. It does not mean I cannot express my opinion. It does not mean that I am silent, passive, and just roll over and play dead. It simply means that I choose who my “headship” is and willingly let that one make the decisions. Takes a lot of pressure off of me, for sure!