Eating a Mystery

“So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’” Exodus 16:15a

After God rescued and delivered the Israelites from Egypt, they found themselves deep in the wilderness completely dependent on God. Their time in the wilderness wasn’t in vain for it was a season of years when God revealed His loving character to them. But entering that wilderness was one mystery after another. They had no understanding of any of their circumstances so they constantly were watching and waiting for God to reveal the next step. At one point they accused God of rescuing them from Egypt only to have them die in the desert. With growling stomachs and grumbling hearts they had lost focus of how good God had been to them. God in His great faithfulness provided ‘bread from heaven’ which we know as manna. I learned today that manna is translated from the Hebrew word ‘manhue’ which is actually a question. Manhue means, ‘What is it?’ ‘The Israelites were hungry. They ate the manna without knowing what it was. They ate a mystery because they knew it came from the hand of God. They trusted the source and bit down on the unknown – literally.’ Jesus & Women, Kristi McLelland, p. 42.

I can’t think of a time more accurately described as ‘biting down on the unknown…as eating a mystery.’ From the beginning of March and every day since in every area of our lives have become a mystery. Daily we ask, ‘What is it?’ What is the timeline when things will become normal? What is it that keeps me awake through the night? What is it that keeps me from believing that God is in complete control and will provide no matter what happens? What circumstances must we ‘eat’ before understanding what the future holds? 

We must do what the Middle Easterners did centuries ago. We must bite down on the Word of God instead of our fears and anxieties. We must embrace the mystery in full confidence that God will provide like He says He will. We must not lose sight of how God has provided in past mysteries. Lastly, we need to remember that in all things God knows that good He wants for us during the times we are blindly walking with Him. ‘Eating a mystery requires faith in the God providing the mystery. If we wait until we understand it all, we will never move, never set out, never know what could have been.’ p. 44

More Than Just a Rose

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Co 3:6-7. 

I have two rose bushes, one that was given to me when Beth died from my cousin and the other which I planted many years before. The memorial rose bush always blooms first around Beth’s birthday in April. The other bush however has neither grown or bloomed in over a decade. Last fall, Bruce decided to re-direct the water that always puddled in the corner of that natural area. As rain would fall it would settle against the block patio wall near that mostly dead rose bush. At one point I thought I would pull it up and throw it away but I actually forgot about it. Last month I noticed that it began producing green sprouts and a new shoot broke through the dirt. I just knew that plant was dead and couldn’t believe my eyes this morning! I have never had such a beautiful rose on this plant for the 20 years it has been here. I have pretty much ignored it all these years, and yet God brought it back to life. It’s beauty and scent are only matched by its exquisite quality and form. I know that the work Bruce did in re-directing the water was essential in producing the appropriate balance of moisture and soil.

Aren’t we just like that rose bush when it comes to our spiritual life? We ignore the work it takes to produce spiritual roses, a display of beauty and form. Even if we are not tending our branches the Lord is still working to remove those dead areas in our lives replacing them with the balance of hardship and blessings. He knows exactly what will bring forth the beautiful blooms in our lives leaving a fragrant aroma in actions and attitude. Whenever we are facing challenges don’t lose sight of the work God is doing and never deem anything dead. With God, all things can be brought to life and most times the beauty will be greater than what bloomed before.

“Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.” 2 Co 2:15

Carrying Our Wilderness

“God said, ‘I’ve taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land…’” Exodus 3:7-8 The Message

I’ve started a new Bible study called Jesus & Women by Kristi McLelland. She is turning the prism of studying the Bible to a different view, the Middle Easterner's view. One of the first things I learned was that they viewed the wilderness as a holy place where God was not only personally engaged but expectantly heard. They had history with God meeting His people in the wilderness to speak to them and guide them. They actually embraced any wilderness in which they found themselves because usually it was where God responded to their troubles. One of the most beautiful stories was Moses and the burning bush in the wilderness. The Lord spoke to Moses sharing that He had actually seen the heartbreak of His people. God assured Moses that every word uttered through pain and fear was heard by His own ears. He not only saw everything that was happening, heard every groan that was lifted but He was concerned about all the circumstances that concerned His children. This complete awareness of their circumstances ushered in His response with the same things that our concerns will usher in…His presence, His power, and Him prying us from our temporary troubles and delivering us from what has us held captive.

I find it interesting that the comparison between the Middle Easterners and the Westerners is all in the perspective. When we are going through wilderness times, our focus is how long will we be here and how do we get out of this difficulty. ‘But in the Middle East, they ask the questions, ‘How do I carry the wilderness with me?’ ‘How do I remember the word the Lord taught me in the wilderness?’ p. 23. There is an expansive difference between the two attitudes. Our time in the wilderness should be one of growth and intimacy with God; after all, He has brought us into this time of dependency on Him to talk to us. The wilderness sharpens our spiritual focus…it removes the earthly distractions…and it postures our heart for comfort, guidance and spiritual awareness. May we all use this time in the wilderness to embrace what the Lord is teaching us. And one day soon we will carry the wilderness with us in our hearts…those precious spiritual reflections with the Lord... into the new and good land He has for each of us. Wouldn't it be tragic to miss out on our own burning bush moment?

I Spy Light

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

Each morning my routine is the same when preparing for the day. I come downstairs to make my coffee and eagerly wait to hear the noise of the coffee brewing. I grab my little blanket, air-pods, phone and coffee cup and go outside on the patio. I sing to my worship music, lift my prayers, and begin playing ‘I Spy’ with God. There is this one treetop that stands higher than the others that always captures the first ray of a sunbeam. As I fix my eyes on that treetop with eager anticipation there is some excitement in my heart. I know my excitement stems from seeing the evidence that it is going to be a sunny morning. It doesn’t matter if rain sets in later, for at that moment light has made its grand entrance for the time being. That little treetop speaks volumes to my heart. For some reason the light symbolizes hope for me, and if I am not looking up, I will miss that ‘I spy’ moment. 

Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us that unless we look up and think upwardly towards the things of God we will miss out on the spiritual blessings and comforts. When we look around instead of looking upward, we will fail to spy the things that God wants us to see. There are a million distractions on earth that will keep our eyes off of the light…the hope…the beauty…the blessings. When we begin our day with our hearts on God, we can experience His love and receive His guidance for our lives. Living life with our eyes to the skies and our knees to the ground we receive God’s best in every facet of our journey.

Our Unasked Questions

“Lord, do you not care…” Luke 10:40. “Teacher, do you not care…” Mark 4:38

Yesterday, I was involved with a Zoom prayer meeting with others from our church. We were joined by a woman who needed prayers and who shared her story. Her story was one of decades of physical pain and unresolved medical issues. As medical condition piled on top of another, she still believed in the power of prayer and healing. She brought her broken body to be laid at the feet of the Healer. Sometimes it takes more faith to ask for prayer than the one who forms the prayer. I became overwhelmed for her and felt prayerfully incompetent. I muddled my way through my prayer but her face and circumstances lingered in my mind and heart throughout the night. First thing this morning, she was at the top of my list. I didn’t consciously utter the words above, but God knows every hidden thought. I asked the Lord for her thorn of unresolved pain and suffering to be removed. But God knew what my spirit really wanted to say, ‘Lord, don’t you care?’

Just as He does so well, God answered a question I never expressed with words through these verses above written from two stories in the Bible. Martha asked Jesus this question when she was busy in the kitchen serving as her sister remaining in the other room with Jesus. The disciples woke Jesus out of his sleep with these same words as the boat rocked and the waves crashed onto the deck over the side of the ship. Both friend and followers accused Jesus of the same thing… ‘Don’t you care?’ So, I feel somewhat better having these feelings if God allowed them in the Bible. I assume the important lesson is not that these feelings are sinful, rather they are intersections of what we do not know and the acceptance of what God desires to accomplish through these circumstances. Like Martha, we sometimes lose sight of the loving goodness of Jesus. Like the disciples, we sometimes lose sight of the miraculous power of Jesus. Jesus responded according to the facet of His character that each individual needed to see. One response was a lesson while the other was a rescue. 

Situations arise that tempt our hearts to doubt in God’s goodness…His power…His presence. Sometimes we may feel God in the next room unconcerned about what is concerning us. On other occasions we may feel as if Jesus is unaware of our troubles much like the disciples. But in both cases, Jesus talked it through and deeper fellowship was experienced. God cannot settle our questions and concerns unless we honestly bring them to Him. He is aware of our concerns and wanting to calm our hearts and reveal another facet of His character. His eye is always upon us and his heart is always for us.

‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Psalm 55:22]’ 1 Peter 5:7 AMPC

Futile Downloads

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

I am so excited to finally have a new laptop! I have needed one for quite some time and am thrilled that the computer waits on me now to catch up instead of me having to wait on the computer. I needed to purchase the software and download it onto my computer for word processing among other programs. I certainly didn’t intend on downloading the wrong program but that is exactly what happened. I did not fully understand that Bruce already had a family account with Office 365 and what I paid for was something I already owned. When I called to see if they would refund my money, they were unable to so I am stuck with a download that gets me nowhere. 

Emotional downloads are no different as they have the power to usher in fear that get you nowhere. We certainly pay the price when we download negative thoughts and the only return is fear and despair. I love our morning verse because there is very little in this world that offers perfection. Perfect peace is peace amid chaos not because we can attain it on our own. What makes our peace perfect is God’s faithful track record. He will always reward our trust in Him not necessarily by resolving our challenges but through transforming our fear. God uses troublesome times to expand our trust and teach us how to cling to Him instead of clinging to our circumstances. ‘He downloads the tranquility of the throne room into our world, resulting in inexplicable calm. We should be worried, but we aren’t. We should be upset, but we are comforted. The peace of God transcends all logic, scheming, and efforts to explain it.’ Anxious for Nothing, Max Lucado, p. 90. 

There is no need for us to go searching for a download because just like Bruce, the price has already been paid for a family account. Every single detail that concerns us is one click away and it is called prayer. When our minds are steadfast, that is firmly fixed in place on God we will receive the only peace in which we can trust. Be careful what you download during this time of confusion, anxiety and uncertainly.

Embracing the Good

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.” Philippians 3:13-14

The author of this beautiful exhortation was the same man who suffered many hardships as a believer. Even as he penned these words, Paul was in a dark cold prison shackled to a Roman guard no doubt, awaiting his own death. And yet, other verses penned by Paul included words like “rejoice”, “press on”, and “take hold” of Christ. His gaze was firmly set on the promises of God instead of his present circumstances. He acknowledged that what was behind was a forgotten foe, and that all his efforts and energies would lean towards the future goal of embracing the good that God has promised.

It is easy to focus on our freedoms temporarily lost due to the virus and become discouraged and emotionally drained over what has occurred. But our passage in Philippians boasts of a better way to experience our days and nights. We fill our minds with the words and promises in the Bible. We refuse to allow ‘what was’ to threaten our hope in ‘what will be.’ We cast our burdens onto the shoulders of God who is in complete control. We look onward and upward with confidence that God will accomplish all He ordained for us and within us. These are not merely platitudes rather prizes we can obtain through taking hold of Christ during our challenging times. They are guaranteed certainties in a time of unparalleled uncertainty. So, as we strain ahead leaning into God, we take our place alongside the cloud of witnesses who went before us like Paul.

Prayer: Our sovereign God, you alone preserve and govern over every detail of our lives. You have the perfect control and management of the universe. You direct all things through your divine presence and power including our present challenges. May our spiritual response be beacons of hope for those who need to know you as their Savior.

Challenge: To find God’s goodness every day and record it as a reminder of His faithfulness. When tempted to look behind or to fear the future, read your record of how God has revealed His daily offerings and comfort.

Life in the Vault

“Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.” Genesis 1:7-8

I remember at some point through the night the story of creation entered my mind. I didn’t really think about it other than a fleeting thought. So, when I arose for the day, I decided to read the story of God creating the world. I was prepared to read the entire chapter which is full of imagery and a timeline for all things made ‘good’ by God’s command. However, I didn’t even make it past verse 6 before I read the word ‘firmament.’ I have seen this word before but always skimmed over it understanding it meant expanse or sky. This morning it beckoned me to rest on its meaning and linger for a while. I was blessed by where it led me and it made God even bigger in my mind than previously pictured. ‘The definition of the firmament can be summarized as the arch or vault over the earth and sky that separates the earthly realm from what is beyond…the firmament seen as the sky from earth, is essentially a fixed upside-down container over the Earth, colored blue from the heavenly waters above it. The water for rain, snow, hail, etc. is stored outside the expanse, which has ‘windows’ to release them onto the earth.’ Christianity.com What is the Firmament? Definition and Meaning in the Bible. I discovered an image that depicts this part of creation. It is easy to compartmentalize God in different areas of our lives. But this image shows that the heavenly chambers from where God reigns is outside of the vault. 

Vaults are made to store precious treasures and require a specific combination for entry. Vaults are meant to protect its valuables from theft, fire and flood. Nothing can enter the vault without the permission of the who one knows the combination. Even the rains, snow and hail press their noses against the window looking for entry. They cannot enter the sky with the Lord opening the windows releasing it to earth. Nothing on earth happens in random starts and stops when it comes to God’s plan for you and for me. The combination to the vault in which we reside is only opened by the authority and the will of the Lord. I’ll never see a rainbow in the same way like I always have. No wonder the beautiful rainbow is arched across the skies; it cannot escape the vault but dances on its ceiling. I am so thankful that God has all power, all glory and all authority of every living and created thing. Everything is precious in His sight and vault-worthy. No problem is too large and no sin is too great for our God who hems us in as His precious treasures. ‘You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.’ Psalm 139:5

Favorite Day on Earth

Yesterday was my Dad’s birthday and he would have been 83 years old. He was a dad like none other and together with my mother designed a beautiful life for me and my sisters. They laid a foundation of faith, family and shared love between 6 people under one roof. I never know where my mind will take me each morning but I always know Who leads me there. This morning while thinking of Daddy my mind was transformed back to my bedroom in West Manor. It was a beautiful bedroom with pretty pink walls and wallpaper that had pink flowers popping all over one wall. I slept under a pink canopy in a white poster bed with a large purple and pink butterfly made of tissue tied to the inside pole of my top canopy. I shared a bathroom with Becki and when we both closed our bedrooms door, we spent hours coming and going into each other’s room. It was nothing for Beth to sneak in my room after Mother and Daddy put her to bed. Many nights Benay would want to sleep with me and I’m not sure if I ever said no. There was a hanging wicker chair in one corner of my room and a pink telephone with a long pink curly cord. I spent hours listening to Elton John on my little record player, sitting in my hanging chair and talking to my friends on my pink phone. I can still hear the gentle knock on my door by Mother or Daddy letting me know it was time to hang up and go to bed. Pages of diaries with scribbles of both tearful times and optimistic dreams filled a drawer of my desk along with hours of Disney scenes I had drawn. On the inside of my closet was a list of boyfriends who had come and gone. But as I recall these tangible details creating a wonderful memory of my one of my perfect times in my life, I realize it was only made possible because of who loved me. The culmination of my sweet life behind my bedroom door was made possible because of the love of those who surrounded me, and the promises from those who protected me…my parents.

Why do I tell you all of this today? Because I believe that some of our greatest moments and favorite memories in our lives where we felt most protected and loved will still fall short when we are residents of Heaven. We will have our own little spot in the Kingdom created by God with all the joys and surroundings that speak to our unique hearts. Just as my parents designed a beautiful life for me, God already has a beautiful life in Heaven designed for each of us. Our greatest joys here are mere snapshots of what is to come in the eternity. There is no need to fear death on earth because it is simply the vessel taking us to a life that has been purposely and meticulously prepared for us. I will one day hear the gentle knock of my dad to join me in my part of the kingdom. I will look around and see that Beth has once again snuck in my area of Heaven. It will be better than anything I have ever experienced on earth, and the Glory of our eternity will wear a crown and walk with us through the cool of the gardens of Heaven. Whenever I am missing my loved ones, I turn my mind to their reality in Heaven instead of my reality on earth. I’m thankful that they are living out the fullness of what was just an earthly snapshot of their favorite day on earth.

Woman in the Elevator

“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…When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said… ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” John 11:38-44

I remember many years ago, we went to our financial advisor’s office for a meeting. We walked into an elevator and began rising through the floors of a tall building. As the elevator came to a stop a door behind us we weren’t aware of opened and startled me. I was expecting the door which I had come through to be the door through which I would leave. Instead, I turned around and saw a beautiful lobby with amazing artwork and a concierge’s desk to the side of the lobby. I have never forgotten the dark and dull parking lot as the entrance elevator doors closed only to open to the beauty of their entrance. 

This morning Lazarus entered my mind. I can’t imagine being Lazarus and going through a lingering illness seeing my sisters watch me fade away on earth. However, I can relate to being that sister watching a sibling slip into the darkness of a grave. But this morning as I consider this beautiful passage, I recall that elevator from years ago. I have this beautiful image of Beth entering one door and rising to Heaven only for the door behind her to open when it arrived at the top floor. She slipped into that heavenly elevator a sick woman, riddled with cancer but she emerged from it healthy and perfect! I can just see her skinny little frame facing the wrong door. She hears the door open and as she turns around to depart, she is a beautiful and perfect version of the lady in the elevator. She hears the excited loud voice of Jesus saying, ‘Beth, come out!’ And has she steps out into the entrance of Heaven she can’t believe her eyes. The light is brighter than she has ever seen before, the music is quite melodious, looking down she notices her grave clothes have been removed, and there stands Jesus. She recognized Him although she had never seen Him before. Afterall, who can’t recognize true Love? And so, her life in Heaven began.

Our elevator doors are beginning to open no matter in which state you live. We have been on a very dim and multi-leveled ride. On some days, it felt like a grave as the news reported death all around us. Some days the ride wasn’t as bad but confinement was always our companion. As the doors open into a new normal Jesus doesn’t expect us to remain in the elevator. He is on the other side of sheltering-at-home calling us to ‘Come out! Live our lives! Follow Him and courageously follow Him. Help those who fear the re-entry like Jesus commanded of the sisters of Lazarus. Don’t look back when the doors close but may we all pay special attention to the beauty of what lies ahead.

Rattling Bones

“The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones…bones that were very dry. He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say…Dry bones…This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together…and breath entered them; they came to life.” Ezekiel 37:1-10

You just can’t beat some of these stories in the Bible. If you haven’t read the story of Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones you are missing out on one of the most powerful images God provided to His prophet. God transported Ezekiel to a valley filled with unattached dry bones laying all over the place. He asked the prophet if those bones could live, an answer that only God knew. Ezekiel replied, ‘Sovereign LORD, you alone know.’ God told him to talk to the dry bones and tell them that the LORD was going to put His breath in them bringing them to life. I can’t even imagine this scene where I am in my den one-minute praying and the next minute I am standing in the middle of a valley surrounded by bones laying all around. As if that wouldn’t be crazy enough God tells me to talk to the dead bones. But Ezekiel obeyed and before he even finished predicting what would happen, he heard the bones begin to rattle. As he continued, the bones began coming together and they came to life and stood up. What are we to do with this story and how does it apply to our lives?

I don’t know about you but I have felt over the past month and a half like ‘dry bones laying in a valley with little life.’ Valleys are deep and lonely, full of moments where we lose our pulse. Valleys can rob us of our joy and scatter about our hope. Valleys will always need God to breathe life back into its dwellers. This morning I sense the Spirit of the Lord was breathing life back into this woman's heart. I began hearing in the distance a rattling of hope…restrictions easing...soon-to-be small gatherings again…freedom to leave the valley and breathe again. It takes confidence in God to leave the valley and the belief that life up ahead is much better than where we currently are. Through this story, God is telling us that in Him there is freedom, confidence and life. But we have to do our part and get up and live again! It takes courage to follow the ratting of bones but I'm ready to live the life God meant for me. I’m ready to hear dry bones rattle and see us all come together again. 

‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you.’ Ezekiel 37:12-14

Our Bow of Belief

“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD…‘O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms…and in Your hand is there no power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land? If disaster comes upon us…we will stand…in Your presence…and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’” 2 Chronicles 20:3-9

This morning I had to make myself shorten one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. It is not talked about much but exemplifies a powerful way for us to pray. King Jehoshaphat got word that they were going to be attacked by a vast army. The passage begins the story of his initial reaction but also where he took his fear. It is the same person to whom we can seek when we have fearful hearts. We ‘set ourselves’ either to seek God or to fan the flame of fear. I take such great comfort in framing my prayers in the same way Jehoshaphat framed his. The first thing He did was acknowledge His fear and responded to it by speaking the message of God into that fear. He turned his words to the acknowledgement of who He believed God was…Ruler in heaven and earth, sovereign over every nation. He acknowledged that no person or future circumstances could withstand his God. He began reminding God of the ways He had been faithful in past circumstances, not because God needed a reminder. He listed God’s faithfulness aloud so his heart could feel courage. And then, in the most beautiful language of complete confidence in God the king makes a declaration. He states ‘if disaster comes upon them,' God’s presence was there with them. That as they cried out in their affliction, their cries did not fall on deft ears. Not only would God hear them, but God would save them.

Who is fearful this morning of the future as we cautiously open our doors to less restrictions? Who feels the uncertainly of reconnecting safely and in a healthy way? Who could use a prayer of proclamation this morning as we begin our day? I believe we can all use this beautiful prayer in our present circumstances. We can begin by acknowledging whatever we are feeling, taking those emotions to God. We can remind ourselves who God is and the attributes of power, strength, and complete control that He possesses. We can spend time naming the ways He has rescued us from past challenges and painful seasons. And we can wrap our prayers with a beautiful bow of belief that when we are facing troubling times, He will be right beside us and will hear us and save us. He has called us be courageous and not to fear.

‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’ 2 Timothy 1:7