Advanced Warnings

“…but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God.” 1 Cor. 2:10-14

I was watching a documentary of the sinking of the Titanic the other evening. I was devastated to learn that one of the ship’s communicators actually received messages through Morse Code that there were huge icebergs in the path of Titanic. It was the job of the operators to intercept messages for their ship which included both general and advanced warning messages regarding the path of their particular ship. Each radio had its own call letters to receive individual information. On the 11th of April, these operators received 6 warnings from ships stopped in or passing through heavy ice. According to the documentary there is no way that the Captain, along with these officers, would have been unaware of the huge field of ice that the ship was approaching. Not only did the officer ignore the warnings but abruptly sent a communication back for that person to get off of the frequency. This man had the understanding of the message but did not accept the things that came from the messenger. We all know how the story ended.

The Holy Spirit is our messenger with the coded knowledge of God that we are to not only hear but take seriously in steering the course of our lives. The Spirit brings the revelations to us revealing truth, guidance and understanding. If we heed the warnings we will navigate the course beautifully and obediently. We will steer away from the icebergs and the dangers in the sea of life. We cannot leave our post for fear that we will miss that coded message that is critical to our decision making process.

By receiving the revealed things of Christ through our Messenger, we can be confident that we are on the correct and safe path to reach our desired destination.

Poor Reflections

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Cor. 13:11-12

Almost 49 years ago I meet a wonderful man on July 8th. He provided the perfect example of the manner in which a Christian man should live. We shared piggy back rides, tickle fights and bike rides. When he brought the ‘claw’ out (his hand distorted in a way that made us squeal) the four little girls would hit the floor running. These were some of the childish ways that are behind me…wonderful memories…wonderful family.

I look at our dad as he is in the final walk of his journey of cancer and all I can see is a weak reflection of the high energy man for whom we have enjoyed all of our lives. I praise God that Jesus came and became Savior so my dad may eternally live. The poor reflection of health that we are witnessing today will be replaced with the fullness of Christ. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” 1 Cor. 15:54. “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Cor. 15:42

Sometime in the near future our dad will know fully what he has known in part. He will experience the raising of the imperishable, the spiritual and the strong. He will see fully and experience face to face the One whom he has longed for his entire life.

I know that this man will be giving piggy back rides in Heaven…Beth will be the first in line. Praise God for His gift of eternal life and the promise that we will all be together one day.

Dining With the King

“’Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’” 2 Samuel 9:7

King David had shared an everlasting friendship with Jonathan, son of King Saul. Both King Saul and Jonathan were killed in war at which point David was granted the throne through the demand of the public. Many years later when David was at the greatest peak of power he asked the question ‘Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?’ He was told that Jonathan had a son who was crippled in both feet but lived on the outskirts of the kingdom as most ‘disabled and diseased’ people lived. David called for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth whom was terrified to approach the king for fear of losing his life.
Instead he was given this beautiful promise from the King because of his relationship with his father, Jonathan. He was promised restoration, financial blessings and lifetime security. In addition to these gifts he was promised fellowship by the invitation to always eat at the King’s table.

What was true in this story is true in our own lives. God seeks and pursues each of His children whether we are healthy and whole or sick and broken. Because of God’s love for Christ we are held in high esteem as the siblings of Christ. He searches the outskirts to bring us in His fold and bestow new life and new blessings upon us healing us emotionally, spiritually, or physically. We will never go hungry for He has a place at His table for all to dine no matter what shape we are in. The key is our bond with Christ and through that fellowship we can come to the table with ‘crippling’ circumstances and know that we will be welcome.
Mephibosheth had a heart of humility as he approached the king realizing the awesome invitation which had been extended. His response? ‘What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?’ He realized that as he bowed before the king that he had been granted a new life through that life-changing invitation. Our King is calling for us too and may we have a humble awareness of the life that He is providing through the fellowship with Christ.

“Is there anyone left out there to whom God’s kindness may be shown?”

The Staggering Truth

“’The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12

I cannot think of a worse punishment than being removed from the wisdom and guidance of God. I remember when Kristen was beginning her spiral into a life of drugs she was still able to hear our words warning her, guiding her and trying to lead her into the ways of discipline and fruitful living. The further she removed herself from our presence the less time we were able to influence and instruct her. She became deaf to our words and the world became noisy to her desires.

Our Father will never remove His love but will remove His presence. He threatened this as a reality to Moses in the desert when He became exasperated with the children of Israel. God had spoken to them, warned them and shown miraculous signs to them in an effort to keep them anchored in belief and truth as they faced their wanderings. “I will send an angel before you…Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” Exodus 33:2-3. This verse reminds me of when I used to tell my children that they had better leave me alone before I do something I regret! God was basically saying the same. He was saying, ‘I love you, you are my children but you had better get out of my sight right now. Your behavior will not change my will but will change my behavior towards you.’

God will remove Himself from our presence and become silent as we ‘stagger from sea to sea’. To me, the sea represents an engulfing body of circumstances that can pull us under in a moment since we lack an anchor to stabilize and secure us in our storms. He will still reign from above with His unchanging will but we will be void of the peace and comfort He provides through His word. We must stay connected to Him in order to recognize His voice and understand His leadings.

The Messenger

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

Yesterday when my father-in-law arrived he was very heavy in spirits that his wife wasn’t coming to stay with him. Truth of the matter is she has taken extremely good care of him for 4 years in this dreaded disease of Alzheimer’s. Like many caregivers, she too, has declined and is no longer able to care for him in their home so we have made this temporary arrangement in hopes that he may avoid a facility a little while longer.

Bud felt like he was being punished and had done something wrong much like a child when their parents depart their presence for a period of time. Bruce assured him of the truth and the intent of his wife to come and be with him a great deal of the time. Bruce has had a wonderful relationship with his dad for 54 years and Bud knows that he can trust Bruce in everything he does for him. Bud may feel rejected but because of his complete trust in the messenger he can believe what Bruce is communicating apart from his emotions.

We can have this same belief in the character of God. We are told that He loves us unconditionally and He will never depart from our presence. The Holy Spirit is our messenger that brings truth to ever situation when our soul is hurting and our hearts are breaking. God sends His word through the messenger and because we trust the Spirit of God we can believe what He is telling us even if the horizon seems to reveal something different.

Like the relationship between Bruce and Bud, the closer we get to God through the Holy Spirit the more we can determine truth, character and faithfulness in navigating through our lives.

Thoughts From Afar...

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways…You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139

The other morning I was in charge of Kherington, my granddaughter, in the waiting room of my daughter’s OBGYN. For one hour I chased her around that room and put items back in my pocketbook that she kept throwing out. At one point I looked up and saw her standing at the top of the hallway which led to the room where Kristen disappeared. Her eyes darted between the hallway and my eyes with both anticipation and decision needing to be made on her part. Let’s just say that I ‘perceived her thoughts from afar!’ I waited until her move and quickly rose to my feet at which point she disappeared down the hallway but Emmy prevailed. I am sure she thought that since she could no longer see me that she had removed herself from my presence. The truth is I knew exactly where she had gone and how far for which she could roam.

Our Father is the same way as He sits enthroned above us. We dart from situation to situation without giving much thought to the requirements of even small obedience in our lives. We make decisions that may not be the will of our Father but He still remains present in our circumstances although we have removed ourselves from His will. We choose ‘hallways’ that lead to the desires of our hearts without sitting down with God and discussing His will for our lives.

We may detour like Kherington but He still sets the boundaries for which we are allowed to roam. He knows our thoughts, our agendas and our temptations and will never allow them to become larger than what we can endure through Him. He hems us in for our own protection and gathers us close to Him when we wander too far.

This knowledge gives me comfort and peace that as I make decisions in error His hand will be upon me to correct, to redirect and lovingly bring me back around.

Though It Tarries...

“The vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3

When I was going to the Hospice House to be with my sister near the end I remember sitting next to her asking God why she was still here. It was apparent that she was going to receive a spiritual healing instead of the earthly healing. Her life was on hold and she was lingering at the crossover. We could see her communicating with those who were invisible to us but she had a peace and happiness during this interaction. God’s response to me was a statement of faith that He asked me to repeat everyday I sat next to her. He laid on my heart to say to Him “Your timing is perfect – I trust in your plan.” So those last two weeks I would recite that statement of faith over and over again, many times aloud.

As we are coming up on one year I look back and can see the hand of God along with many purposes for that waiting period. God does not operate in a vacuum whether He delays a decision or moves on a decision for the effects are far reaching.

Many of us are situated in challenging circumstances desperately wanting movement on the part of God. We have a goal of resolution in mind and are anxiously waiting to hear God’s word on the matter. There is a divinely appointed time for everything in every season according to the will of God. It is up to us to trust in His timing, believe in His success and have resolve in His faithfulness.

Though it tarries….it will certainly come….

Great Expectations

“I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me.” Habakkuk 2:1

It is so much easier to recognize something when we have placed in our minds what we are expecting to see. We formulate the mental picture as our eyes scan the horizon. When we expect to see something, the recognition is always easier.

We have to get a visual for Habakkuk’s wordage on this verse. The importance of a rampart was to provide an embankment for keeping watch against any defensive move. Stationing one’s self was to assume a position in military where the personnel would remain awaiting a duty to be handed down. That person on guard post was not to move until he had his orders. There was a definite sense of expectancy that these orders would arrive and movement could not be made until they were received.

If we would only believe with expectancy that our moves are orchestrated such as Habakkuk believed. He knew to watch for God’s solution, to expect to hear God’s voice and to sense God’s presence.

As Christians we lack this sense of expectancy when lifting our prayers to God. My grandmother always included in her prayers thanksgiving for God moving in her situation before He ever lifted a finger. Her spirit of expectancy was paralleled to Habakkuk as she stood on her guard post watching the horizon for God to work in His divine manner.

God pleads with us as He did to Habakkuk in 1:5, “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days – You would not believe if you were told.”

We can neither anticipate nor understand the workings of God but we can believe and expect Him to move in our circumstances in ways we never dreamed. All words in Scripture are covenant words, words powered with love and divine promise.

Don’t just anticipate God’s voice but expect it!

Storehouses

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” Deuteronomy 28:11-13

As we prepare to bring Bruce’s dad to live with us this weekend I am faced with many decisions and needs that will be required of me. This verse is especially tender to me this morning as it states my ability to “go into the storehouse” to obtain what I need. There will be days when I will be looking for the aisle where patience is stored. There will be days when I seek out the shelf of perseverance to load up my basket. The bounty is there and we have been invited to take the provisions from the shelves.

There is no need to bring a means for payment for anything, for everything we have access to has already been paid and is available to all of God’s children. It doesn’t matter what season is approaching, He will send everything required in that season to equip us and power us to accomplish the purpose for which we have been chosen. “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Romans 9:17

If a situation has been raised up by God we will be allowed into His all sufficient storehouse to obtain the power required to accomplish His will.

Staying In The City

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

Last week I wrote of a decision my husband and I have been led into by God which will require many things from us. My father-in-law suffers with Alzheimer’s and we believe that at this point in his disease he can be better served at our home than in a facility. Although he is still aware of his environment and continues to recognize most of us the majority of the time, the challenges will be paramount and the responsibility all consuming.

When I read this verse this morning I felt that Christ was telling me that everything we need will be sent from His Father as He orchestrates things. It is my nature to hit the floor running when presented with a set of challenges such as this but I need to be deliberate in my efforts and prayerful in my actions. Only the Father knows what is best for my father-in-law and I know that if I remain settled in my mind and heart the Father will move in ways that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me.

I cannot think ahead of the challenges but rather take one day at a time and put on fresh spiritual clothes each morning made up of the power, endurance and love of Christ Jesus.

When facing our challenges it is imperative that we recognize that all power and all glory come from God through His Son. In due time, we will be clothed with the power required to accomplish the purposes for which we have been chosen. Praise God for His all consuming power that He so readily shares with His children.

A Deep Sleep

“While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.” Daniel 8:18

This was Daniel’s account of his own condition after being shown a vision and hearing God instructing Gabriel, His angel, to explain the vision to Daniel. I love to take Old Testament stories and apply them to New Testament living. The image that struck me was the one that lay beyond the stoned tomb. Christ, being in the earthly sleep of death, laid there to receive the golden touch of the King. The same hand who created this earth and separated the land from the seas reached down and divinely touch His Son and raised Him to His feet to take His royal place seated next to the Father.

As we live our own lives we too are entombed in our circumstances, our own deep sleep of walking in trance-like state through this life. We lay ‘face to the ground’ in our despair when adversity hits feeling as if the stone will never be rolled away and light will never again permeate in our dark areas. Don’t buy the enemy’s doom and gloom. It is all smoke and mirrors and the cold brick walls are simply a curtain of feathers that God will breathe upon and blow apart. Our deep sleep is merely the devil’s successful scheme at brain washing. He lures us into the cave and rolls that stone over the opening darkening our spirits and convincing us that this is our plight. God is in the darkness with us and the enemy has rolled the stone only to enclose us with the One who will touch, will comfort, and will raise us up from these circumstances. He will place us back on our feet and walk with us in that darkness. If we need to be carried for a while, He will use His feet to carry us through our burdens.

Notice in Daniel that in the deep sleep God was talking, God was touching and God was raising him up. This wonderful and precious God of Daniel is the same God who is with us.

Hear Him, feel Him and be raised by Him in everything.

Calming Down

“Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply…Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms…If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Part of the reason I am led to post morning devotionals is to show how the Word of God speaks to us in all situations. I love receiving the fresh revelations and resolutions from the Problem Solver. Most of the time, He doesn’t remove the challenge but settles in for the remainder of the challenge.

Bruce and I are in the process of following up on a decision for which we feel God is leading. It is a difficult decision in respect to all that it will bring but an easy decision to make from our heart and our obedience to God. I awoke this morning with a suffocating heaviness regarding all that will be required and couldn’t sleep. I came down for comfort in the way God always does and opened up my Bible. I was so unfocused and anxious that I was fearful that I wouldn’t even be able to focus on speaking with Him. I came upon this verse and was instantly blessed.

I felt God saying, ‘Calm down child and let’s talk about this. Let’s think this through clearly. I have given you this gift to use to serve as one of my graces. You have the strength as I will provide apart from your own. Everything you need to serve faithfully and joyfully will come from me – I will hold nothing back from you.’

How do people maneuver through life on their own strength, their own knowledge and their own understanding? I am not up for the job apart from God but through God can accomplish all things. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Phil. 4:13

Garment of Christ

“He will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints…” Daniel 7:25

This is prophesy in part from the dream of Daniel. The dream is revealing the antichrist in the end times and describing his treatment of God’s people. The word ‘oppress’ as translated literally means “‘to wear away’ or ‘to wear out’ as one would wear out a garment.”

We can wake up on any given day in any given region and see this prophesy fulfilled. Satan operates daily through evil in wearing out God’s children. He picks on the weak, the vulnerable and the hurting. He is not even courageous enough to wait until we have our strength but attacks us when he has to put forth the least amount of energy. He still doesn’t get it!

By waiting until we are depleted through our circumstances and weak in our own power, he takes on the supernatural strength and power of God. God takes our worn out garment that Satan has torn, ripped and soiled and replaces it with the garment of Christ. “I delight greatly in the LORD, my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10a.

When Satan sees us at our lowest he is lulled into the false sense of triumph over us through our sufferings. He strikes out to give us that final blow only to realize he has messed with the wrong child of God. The power we obtain through the fellowship in Christ is more than enough to face whatever attack he plans. “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised Jesus from the dead.” “For when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10. The garment of despair that he tries to place on our shoulders will be replaced with the garment of Christ and allow joy to permeate where sadness once lived. “She is clothed with strength and dignity. She can laugh at the days to come.” Proverbs 31:25

When will he ever learn that the garment of Christ will never wear out?

The Lawless One

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” Thessalonians 2:8

This verse is speaking in prophesy regarding the antichrist being revealed at the proper time, the time assigned and allowed by God. It is easy to assign Satan the power to appear by his timeframe, his agenda and his will but this is not scriptural. God is over everything including the timelines for which prophesy is fulfilled. Satan does not have the authority to make his entrance without God permitting him on stage.

When reflecting on this thought this morning I find myself replacing the ‘lawless one’ with whatever sin is revealed in our own lives. Just as righteousness is a by-product of Christ centeredness, sin is a by-product of earth and self centeredness.

God will not permit lawlessness and sin to triumph in our lives. He will breathe circumstances that will set up the break down of sin in our lives every time. He has to be true to Himself so He cannot allow sin to go undisciplined.

We should pray daily that the lawless activities in our lives will be revealed to us so we may take the appropriate actions in reconciling these sins and turning away from them. If we take the appropriate steps in laying down our sins we will experience the splendor of our God. We cannot receive the blessings of our Lord Jesus while living a life of lawlessness.

The same mouth that can overthrow sin with a word is the same precious mouth of God who breathes blessings upon His children.

Undercover Boss

“I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock…I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down…I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” Ezekiel 34:10-16

Although I haven’t watched Undercover Boss the concept is intriguing to me. The show is based on the head of an organization going undercover and interacting in areas of the business that would never come in contact with the owner/CEO. The purpose of his hidden identity in part is to understand the leadership of his organization and the interaction between the levels of employees. This show came to mind when reading this passage this morning.

Through this entire chapter of Ezekiel God continuously talks about His hands-on approach in leading the flock. Four times in this chapter God states, ‘I myself…” We can be assured that as one of His flock we will experience Him personally, not an agent of His, but the loving Shepherd who knows each sheep by name. He will never be an undercover Master trying to catch us in our sins, nor will He allow anyone to mistreat us. In this chapter His promises are clear as He shepherds over each one of us:

“I will look after my sheep…I will rescue them from all places…I will bring them out…I will bring them into…I will pasture them…I will tend them…I myself will tend my sheep…I will search for the lost…I will bring them back…I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…I will shepherd the flock with justice…I will judge between…I will make a covenant of peace…I will bless them… I will send down showers of season; there will be showers of blessing…I will provide…” Ezekiel 34:1-31

By pursuing an intimate relationship with our Master, He will become more evident to us in our lives. Instead of wondering if the boss is going to catch us we will understand that the CEO of our lives never leaves us.

Ancient of Days

“He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13b.

This is the scene from Daniel’s dream that allowed him to witness the future coronation of the Messiah as He approached the Father, the Ancient of Days.

The other day I was asking my dad what his experience was when he accepted Christ into his life. He began to share the story of a Sunday when he was twelve years old. My granddaddy was the minister of his church and many Sundays my dad had been reprimanded from the pulpit for misbehaving – but not this Sunday. On this particular Sunday, my granddaddy stood before the congregation with the authority to offer a call for anyone to receive the awesome gift of Christ into their hearts and lives. As he extended this call to everyone, he lifted his eyes only to settle upon his little twelve year old making his way down the aisle to claim his place in the family of Christ. I cannot imagine the pride and overwhelming feeling of my granddaddy as he conducted that altar call.

This earthly scene from 62 years ago reminds me of this passage in Revelation. The Ancient of Days, the enthroned One in Heaven, stands at the head of the altar offering that call to each one of us. He extends His scarred hands beckoning us to receive our inheritance. With pride and agape love He watches us walk down that aisle to bow before Him and receive all that is ours through His kingdom and His sacrifice. The Ancient of Days will be on our arm as we walk down the aisle to claim our new life, an everlasting life with Him. We are His children and we will be presented to everyone through the eyes of a proud parent.

“…but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” Romans 8:15-17.

Strand of Pearls

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45

Imagine if you got to the end of your life and were told that you had a bank account with millions of dollars untouched over the course of your life. In reflecting over your life you could only imagine the lifestyle you would have lived had you known about this treasure. Such is the same with the kingdom of Heaven on earth. When we are born God placed within our reach an account full of His deposits that are ours if we only would pursue Him and ask for these treasures. They are ours to withdraw if we seek His best and buy into the magnificent value of these ‘spiritual pearls.’

Matthew tells us that only by looking for the fine pearls will we be able to find them. We must believe in the value of the kingdom of Heaven on earth or we will get to the end of our lives and discover that we possessed every provision needed in all circumstances. We will discover what pearls we have left untouched and unclaimed along the way which God meant for us to possess.

Much like the merchant, to own these fine pearls we must turn from our old lifestyle, surrender everything to Him and claim the revealed treasures which use to be hidden. Once we have sold our old way of thinking and bought into the value of living in a Christ-centered kingdom on earth we will wear the beautiful strand of spiritual pearls for which we were intended.

Where Can I Go?

“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy…How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” Psalm 137:1-4

As I remember “a time in Zion,” that is a time absent of grief I remember the sweet music of life. I remember the constant ebb and flow of the life void of absence and loss. I remember singing the songs of insignificance and light heartedness as I faced each day. But grief captivated me and moved me into a foreign land, a land that had unstable footing and whose rivers of sadness would sometimes overtake me. Life in the foreign land would still command my attention and request things of me that I felt too weary to accomplish.

Just as I was reaching for that harp again to play the sweet music of life and to bid the land farewell, I was called to live in that land again for the next year as we face the end of my dad’s life. I must hang around in this land some more although its landscapes are no longer foreign to me. I know from my previous stay I will survive this extended stay and will feed off the land again as God will provide the nourishment.

We all travel into foreign lands in this life warranting new behavior, new anxieties and new challenges. The one constant anchor is the love and peace God can provide no matter where we go. When thinking of the next few months I will sing my song of Psalm 139:7-10 which is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. As a matter of fact, I think I will write it down on my pocket calendar and carry it with me each day so the music may always be heard.

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

Our foreign lands are God’s holy hills where He shows provision, comfort and singing in the storm.

Drink Offering

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering… But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 2 Tim. 4:6, 17-18

The other day I had gone to spend the night with my parents. As many of you are aware our dad is very ill with cancer. Yesterday he was placed under the care of Hospice but this will affect neither his spirit nor his actions. He is the Director of C.E.F., a ministry targeting the spiritual lives of children and bringing them to Christ. The other day Mother was dropping him off at the office because he was too weak to drive. I had followed her in the car and parked on the side of the street. As I watched him step out of the car the effort extended just to stand up and get his balance was heartbreaking. Once catching his breath and stabilizing his footing, with every bit of energy he threw up his arm to wave goodbye.

He cautiously took baby steps down the sidewalk as he tentatively made his way to the entrance of the building. The small amount of energy paled in comparison to the large amount of will in this man’s spirit to spread the message of Christ until he draws his final breath.

This is the pouring out of one’s self as a drink offering. Once again Scripture leapt from the pages of the Bible in true reality on that street and on that day. I will never forget this image of a man who believed this verse with every ounce of his strength, power and spirit.

May I have a fraction of Daddy's Spirit-focused life opposed to the flesh-focused life.

Mother of Prostitutes

“There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names…The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries…The title was written on her forehead: the Mother of Prostitutes.” Rev. 17:4-5

This woman described in Revelation is the seductress of evil that attempts to woo us, intoxicate us and steal our moral foundation. Her tempting fragrance rides in on evil hoping to collect our valuable worth set aside for Christ. She tries to steal and rob the precious commodities of our spirit that God intends us to offer to Him for His glory alone. She makes her grand entrance in what appears at first as power, beauty and prosperity only for us to discover the sacrifice we made and the high price we paid.

To understand the significance of the manner in which she was dressed we must look at the Old Testament when Moses was instructing God’s chosen people in offering valuable items to build the tabernacle where God would speak to them.

“Moses said to the whole Israelite community, ‘This is what the Lord commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord, an offering of gold…blue, purple and scarlet yarn…and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted…” Exodus 35:4-9.

God has given each of us valuable worth to be offered back to Him and His service. We have within us the valuable items of God that are merely loaned to us with the free will to give them to whomever. Will we present our royal garments of purple and scarlet through holy living back to the Lord in reverence to Him? Will we gladly sacrifice precious stones of time and service back to His kingdom? Will we drink from His golden cup of righteousness or from the prostitute’s offering?

We only have to look to Exodus to see what our Lord commands of us. Exodus represents our journey out of captivity into the pursuit of following God. The woman of Revelation is a counterfeit and by following the scarlet beast we will hand over the precious worth of our lives by falling for her intoxicating ways.

Let us recognize and follow the Real Thing!

With Anguished Voices

“Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating…And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living god, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’” Daniel 6:18, 20-21

This strikes such a tender spot in my heart this morning as it reminds me of Caringbridge, the website we used while going through my sister’s illness. Each morning so many people would sign in hurriedly to see how the God we continuously serve had saved us through the night. Had our God rescued our dear sister from pain that night? Had our God extended her life another day? They ‘hurried to our lion’s den at dawn’ to not only see if her life had passed but also to see how our angel from God had shut the lion’s mouth by comforting us, carrying us and delivering us from our despair.

Much like the king, they wanted to believe in our God and see our belief in His faithfulness. They wanted front row seats in the den as comfort that the same God who was continuously rescuing each of us would be the same God for their deliverance in their own dens.

People want to believe in a Savior so they look into the painful eyes of others to find that Savior in the public dens of our lives. In their own anguish of calling to us they want to hear us call back to them that ‘Yes, our God did save through the night!’ The lion that prowls and devours was unable to tear us apart. His terror was unsuccessful for we had our God who disarmed him. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” Psalm 90:4-5

We will be covered by the feathers of His angels’ wings as we are in the lion’s den. Who is calling out to you to see if you have been rescued?

Holy Habits

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6: 10

The scene is a political set up with Daniel being manipulated by the king’s highest officials due to jealousy. The decree, which was originated by these men under the king, stated that no one could worship any other god for 30 days except for worshipping King Darius. They knew that Daniel would remain faithful to his God and through his prayers would become a criminal. He would be thrown into the lion’s den based on his crime. Upon reading the decree, Daniel did not only continue to pray but immediately went upstairs to an open window to boldly pray to his God. His reaction to the dire situation did not change the holy habits for which he had lived his life.

So, we get that phone call that stops our lives in an instant. We read the decree of our life that becomes our new law of despair. How will we respond? Will we respond in the flesh with hysteria, anger, and faithlessness or will we default to reacting in the spirit with prayer, thanksgiving, peace and faithfulness? Will we hit a brick wall or hit the floor on our knees? Will our peers see us in our windows facing our Jerusalem of Heaven and praying to our God who will deliver, save and rescue? Will our voices be heard like Daniel’s praising God for past victories and thanking Him for present blessings?

Notice that Daniel falling to his knees three times that day was nothing new to him. This was his holy habit in calm and chaos, and in the valley or on the mountaintop…’just as he had done before.’ Those words bring humility into my heart. I have to ask myself, ‘What is my holy habit? Do I clothe myself in this wear each morning and do I default to it when that reality of suffering appears? Do I defend my faith with the thanksgiving of my heart apart from my circumstances?

We will all get that phone call or receive that note so let us develop our holy habits in the calm to ensure our reactions will default to the Spirit instead of the flesh.

Tekel

“Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” Daniel 5:27

I hope to never see this word written upon my life as I pursue God’s grace and knowledge of Him. This was one of the words that the hand of God wrote upon the plaster at the unholy banquet of King Belshazzar. The word ‘wanting’ translates as ‘lacking, deficient in moral worth.’

As we live our lives we all have appetites of sin, albeit small or large. The degrees of sin can be of less importance than the heart of the sinner. We are all plagued by sin as each of us was born into this world with a sinful nature. Through pursuing intimate fellowship with our Creator, He reveals areas in our lives that appear lacking. His desire is that we obtain the full measure of Christ, lacking nothing – “Never be lacking…but keep your spiritual fervor in the Lord.” Romans 12:11.

Our spiritual deficits will be exposed and tried through the fires of our lives. We will be called upon to face our storms and persevere in spite of our shortcomings. In our walk we will have no choice but to endure and travel through these storms instead of around them. Through our journey in the darkness we will learn the power of perseverance growing us up in Him and developing our spiritual fervor in the Lord. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4.

As our relationship with Christ increases we decrease in our spiritual deficits. As we are placed on the spiritual scales of Heaven let us not be found ‘wanting.’