Salt Shakers

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

When we were helping my father-in-law sell his home of over 45 years in Raleigh possessions had to be donated and cabinets had to be cleaned out. I remember specifically emptying cabinet upon cabinet of old bottles of vinegar, spices and expired pantry items. I couldn’t believe how many things had been pushed back to the darkness of the shelves. I found many shakers of salt that no longer would shake. The salt has become a solid state and completely useless. My father-in-law loved camping so I imagine each trip included a purchase of salt and pepper just in case. This verse today reminded me of that time we were helping him go through his things. We threw all of those salt containers away.

When Jesus spoke the words above, He made sure we understood that we already possess our saltiness and it is our choice how we would season the world. This morning as I read this verse I began considering ‘seasons of salt’ throughout my life. Some seasons I was happy to be pushed to the back of the shelf making myself invisible because the journey was too tough. Other seasons God used my circumstances to shake out testimonies which gave my pain purpose. Other than an essential ingredient in our food, salt is also used ‘for healing wounds, cleansing bacteria and ridding fabric of stains. Perhaps the most significant use of salt in Jesus’ day was the way it was used as a preservative…Jesus’ metaphor is clear: we’re to be salt that slows down the decay of this world’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 80.

When we season our world with the flavor of Christ, we add to the world the beauty of God, preserving His message. We become that much needed ingredient in a melting pot of hurt hearts, infectious hate and sin stains across the fabric of our world. It takes every one of us to sprinkle the love of Christ and the Word of God. When we lose our saltiness, we lose our purpose…when we fail to season our culture, we miss our opportunity to partner with God. Our saltiness is the overflow of our sacredness towards God. We must be a salt shaker in our area of the world, and sprinkle our days with the impact and effectiveness that God has planned for each of us.

From Seedling to Blossom

“For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:52b

I continue to be amazed at the vast number of prayer requests that funnel into Pastor Ron’s email at our church. Not only do they include medical challenges, financial and vocational challenges but the requests also name loneliness, depression and deep fear. One of the best weapons against these pleas is the word of God. Through the despair of those who walked before us in the Bible, they give both expression to our present pain and the promise of future gain. Their words seem to string together the presence of suffering, the faith of delivery and the gratitude for God. Like Joseph in our morning verse, our hearts need to be reminded that every single detail of our seasons of uncertainty and suffering is used by God. 

I can’t remember a time when so many people are experiencing so many challenges at the same time. Juggling both our challenges and our emotions is exhausting and can seem never-ending. But this tiny verse begs us to remember that God will do something divine with the circumstances we find daunting. It encourages us to recognize ways to be fruitful during the tough times. ‘God will not waste your pain. In fact, God specializes in sowing seeds into the soil of our hardship, seeds that bring forth prolific life and bear fruit in season…. God is able to prosper you in the place of your pain, cultivating life in ways you may never have imagined.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 77.

I wonder what seeds God is sowing through this time in your life? I know you are anxious to start seeing a sprout of life…soil breaking open with growth…something new growing towards your future. Keep looking…it is right there…under the ground just waiting to burst through. When the timing is perfect God will display what He is doing in all our lives. So, as we wait to bear fruit in our challenging circumstances, we will believe with complete confidence that God is watering our seedlings of future fruit. One day we will see our current affliction as a past season where the Divine met the devastation and turned it to beauty.

No More Crumbs

“And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up…that food shall be a reserve for the land…of famine…” Genesis 41:35-36

 

Finally, the day had come for Joseph when God reminded the chief butler there was a man in prison who could help interpret his master’s dream. What was it like for the door of the dungeon to open up allowing in daylight? Did Joseph see only a silhouette of a man as he shielded his eyes allowing them to adjust to the bright light? How his heart must have soared when he heard the silence broken by the beautiful words of his return to the palace. Another dream needing interpretation…another chance at freedom…another promise made by God and promise kept. These words in our morning passage are words spoken from Joseph to Pharaoh as advice to prosper during a prophesy of impending famine. Joseph was put in charge of everything in the palace short of the king’s throne as a result of his interpretation of the dream given by God. I find it so interesting that what preserved Joseph spiritually while in prison was the same advice that he gave the king to execute a successful plan for the future.

 

‘Gather all the food of the good years and store up.’ I know that the main reason Joseph was able to endure…persevere…and triumph over his circumstances is because before the prison years came, he spent time with the Lord in the good years. He met daily with God…He walked faithfully with God…He talked constantly to God. He stored up the things that flowed from his relationship with God…peace…wisdom…joy…faith. By the time he was locked in the dungeon he carried within his heart a mighty spiritual reserve. 

 

I know that we will all experience favor and abundance even in our difficult seasons when we realize the importance of storing up food for the famine…the food of the Word. When we tuck His truths and promises deep in our hearts our spiritual pantries will never be empty. Our shelves will provide every bit of nourishment required during the tough times. We will not feast on crumbs but instead pull up our chairs to the table of God’s banquet. So, let us all gather during these times and store up the good we have found in Jesus. 

Partially Known

 “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

Yesterday was a day for which I had been waiting for 5 ½ months…returning to church. March 15th was the last time I was at my church worshipping God and standing shoulder to shoulder with fellow worshippers. On that day, the large worship center was dark while the stage was lit up with bright colors…the worship band performing with joyful enthusiasm…the silhouette of raised arms. Not one second on that day did I ever foresee it being the last day I would be at church for this length of time. I wasn’t really aware until yesterday of the degree for which I have missed corporate worship. As we pulled into the parking lot, I was overwhelmed by the view of the asphalt peppered with chairs and people ready for worship. Tears filled my eyes and excitement flooded my spirit. With masks on and chairs ready to plant we found a spot to sit. As my eyes met many other sets of eyes, I had to refrain from running up and hugging each one. It wasn’t allowed… it wasn’t time…it wasn’t an option. But for yesterday, it was enough. As I scanned the crowd, I waved at people I hadn’t seen in so long. It was a wonderful time and a powerful sermon. As we got into our car, I just sat there and was so grateful for our experience. Although it wasn’t the full experience it was in part enough for now. And then it dawned on me…yesterday was like peeking into heaven.

One day I will open my eyes to a great corporate worship experience…one that will never end. With unmasked faces I will see my daddy across the garden and I will run into his arms. With arms raised high I will worship God, my face to His face. The colors will be electric and the music will be nothing like I’ve heard before. I will sneak up on my sister tending to her beautiful flowers like on earth and hug her neck. As I inhale the air, there will be an amazing aroma which will be the fragrance of Christ. With nothing held back, I can give everything I am to everyone around me and receive it in return. It will be amazing…it will be fully known to me…it will be complete! Then I shall know in full what I only know in part right now.  It brings me such comfort to know the joy my beloved family members are experiencing in heaven.

No Stranger

“Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” Genesis 40:23.

Chapter 40 ends with a crushing reality for Joseph who remained in the dungeon of the palace. I can just see the excitement on Joseph’s face when Pharaoh sent for the chief butler to restore him to the position of cupbearer for the king. As Joseph sat shackled on the dark floor watching freedom being granted to another, joy of his imminent release must have been his companion. Surely the cupbearer will tell the king of Joseph’s great interpretation. But days melted into months which turned into 2 years. He must have wondered how on earth something so important could have slipped the butler’s mind? Where was the appreciation for Joseph and what he had done for him? Joseph had been there for the chief butler, but the butler did not reciprocate. The shackles remained clinched around him, the room remained dim and the door remained locked. The butler’s intentions weren't bad, but we are reminded by his short memory of mankind’s bend towards self-interest. The butler might have forgotten Joseph but God was putting into place the freedom Joseph would experience at God's appointed time.

‘People will fail us for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes their failures are a result of the evil in their hearts and other times it’s simply due to the limitations that are inherent to being human.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 56. Like Joseph, we act on the behalf of others helping them get through a tough time. We give of ourselves not to gain from others, but when we are in need only to be let down by others it is a tough pill to swallow. The disappointment and abandonment seem greater than the initial circumstances, leaving us alone to sort out our emotions. Psalm 118:8 reminds us that ‘It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humanity.’ It is echoed in verse 9 which states, ‘It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in nobles.’ When we place our complete trust in God’s faithfulness on our behalf instead of mankind, we give others the same grace that God has shown us. Humanity is a fickle group of people with very bad memory so to place our hope in someone over God is to ensure we will stay locked in the dungeon. 

I can always count on my daughter, Kristen to find amazing songs that cut through our experiences and points straight to the heart of God.  This is a line from Natalie Grant's new song titled, No Stranger.

‘Hallelujah, what a Savior…Hallelujah, He is no stranger to me!’ Natalie Grant, No Stranger

The Butler and the Baker

 “‘Why do you look so sad today?’ And they said to him, ‘We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.’” Genesis 40:7b-8

Apparently, the fickle king of Egypt had lost favor with his butler and his baker so he commanded them into custody in the same dungeon where Joseph was. After some time had passed Joseph discovered that both of the men were distraught. He stopped what he was doing and inquired as to the reason for their sadness. They had both had dreams that needed interpreting. They desperately wanted someone to help them understand. Joseph took the moment to introduce God to them by telling them that God was the interpreter of dreams. With God’s leading Joseph was able to interpret both man’s dreams and asked the men to please remember him when they returned to the palace.

In the Hebrew translation the word ‘distraught’ can mean ‘a raging storm, anger or a state of discouragement that is so strong one’s appearance is affected.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 51. There have been times when I wore this face of distraught and I’m sure there are some of you who can relate this morning. Like the butler and the baker, we just want someone to help us understand what is going on. Like the butler and the baker who found favor one day and fault the next, we long for the days of joy and peace to return. We pray for our own Joseph who will help us understand our circumstances, and will guarantee us a delivery. Why do we look to others to save us when the God of Joseph is the God of you and the God of me? Sometimes we just need people to lift up our chin and remind us of our Deliverer. ‘Taking notice of people, asking them how they’re doing, and being a good listener are some of the most powerful ministry acts we can offer.’ P. 51.

When we open our eyes to those around us we will discover that people are hurting...people are fearful...people are anxious during these times of uncertainty. It seems that most times we are blessed more by encouraging others than those whom we are trying to bless. Our faith and confidence in a better tomorrow will be paved with sharing our testimonies of today.

I pray that our author, Kelly is your Joseph today like she is mine. By taking her words that focus on our Savior and personalizing them for me, a beautiful prayer emerged that reaffirms that our God is mighty to save. Since when has impossible ever stopped Him?

A Green-light Life

 “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison…because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.” Genesis 39:21, 23b

We have this name in my family that has been around for years which has been assigned to me. There is a road near our home that has a ton of traffic lights from end to end. My husband would always get every red light it seemed while going down that road. Many times, I would get all green lights so he started calling me ‘green-light.’ Many things he experiences seem to have a red-light outcome with heightened frustration, and many experiences I have seem to go pretty smoothly…hence, the green-light name. Joseph’s life continued to be red-light as he was thrown into prison after surviving the pit, the purchase and becoming the property of Pharaoh. Portiphar's wife told her husband that Joseph initiated intimate time with her but she cried out for help. Joseph was immediately locked up for an indefinite period of time. He went from palace to prison as an innocent man, but the author of Genesis wanted to make clear that we understood that ‘the LORD was with Joseph.’ He placed these bookends of truth in our passage with a gem of encouragement in between. In the middle of God’s presence was His mercy…His favor…His prosperity for Joseph. In the middle of his red-light, God’s green-light shown within his horrible circumstances. Although Joseph was living confined to difficult circumstances, God’s kindness and favor was increasingly evident.

‘Over the years, I’ve realized there’s a difference between God’s kindness and His deliverance…all we want is for God to deliver us. But sometimes He chooses to keep us where we are so we can learn the blessing of His presence and His specific kindness to us in our trials. When that day of deliverance finally does come, we’ll be ready for what’s on the other side.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 47. 

Like Joseph, sometimes God must take us lower to bless us and raise us higher. Whether we are in the low valleys or on the high mountains God remains the same. His presence never leaves us and His power is always with us. ‘God often uses suffering to make us fit for the dreams He has for us…Here we discover that blessing and suffering are not mutually exclusive. In fact, sometimes our greatest blessings will be found in our deepest dungeons’ P. 49.

The Great Escape

“But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.” Genesis 39:12b

Joseph had been promoted to oversee everything in Pharaoh’s palace due to the favor he had received from his master. Although he had risen in the ranks, we cannot lose sight of the position he currently held…servant. He had been sold into slavery and was walking with the Lord during this lonely and fearful time. While his master was away his wife continuously propositioned Joseph demanding that he ‘lie with her.’ Day after day he declined telling her that it would be a sin against God. One day she grabbed his outer clothing with her request and he was aware things were intensifying. He turned around and ran outside separating himself from the source of temptation. This simple verse has enormous value.

We all have those times when we feel lonely…depressed…fearful to name a few emotions. We long for something…we are hungry for anything…we look around for options. There is never a more dangerous time to give Satan a foothold in our lives than seasons when our emotions are in a heightened state. Banking accounts are drained…affairs are pursued…relationships are fractured…one bad decision after another, stringing together a future of chaos and consequences. The easiest time to escape our temptation is the first time we experience it. Every tempting moment that follows cracks the door a little more to invite sin into our situation. ‘It seems we are never more susceptible to a major act of sin than when we’re suffering…Nothing you lose while fleeing will compare to what you might lose if you give in to sin or what you will gain in obedience.’ Finding God Faithful,’ Kelly Minter, p. 41. Kelly reminds us that God’s boundaries are good boundaries and have our best in mind. She cautions us that our sin is first and foremost against God. She encourages us that all temptation will eventually come to an end.

God does not leave us on our own in our temptation but will always provide a way to stand against it. ‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ 1 Co 10:13. This staggering truth echoes what was true for Joseph and is true for each of us. Our temptations are the same temptations that others experience…nothing new. God will always provide a way to avoid our temptations but we have the ultimate choice to use the escape path. The more closely we walk with God the more clearly we see the detour to take from tempting situations.

Grabbing the Brass Ring

 “Look, this dreamer is coming! Let us kill him…We shall see what will become of his dreams!” Genesis 37:19-20

As many of you know I am the second born of four daughters, and was constantly being compared to Becki, the firstborn daughter. Obviously in school I followed behind her by two years and many times was assigned the same teacher she had been previously assigned. Most times, when I ended up with one of her teachers, they expected the same quiet and well-behaved student. They discovered quickly that I was not my sister and they would spend the year having to suppress my giggles and silence my talking. I remember feeling jealous that teachers didn’t like me as much as they had my sister. But never in a million years was my jealousy as out of control as Joseph’s brothers. I absolutely adore my sisters and am thankful that was the extent of my emotions. The brothers witnessed daily the favor their father had towards Joseph. No matter what any of them did it would never rise to the level of that ultimate position…the favorite. Joseph had a brass ring to grab and his brothers had to polish it! However, Joseph had no idea the adversity and suffering it took to ‘grab that ring.’ They would ensure that Joseph’s dream of them bowing down to him would never materialize by selling him into slavery. They couldn’t see the end result up ahead 20 years later when the one they most hated would be the one who saved their lives. ‘The very idea they despised then would save them in the end.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 36.

How many times have we been placed in circumstances that we despised? How often have people claimed things over our lives that prompted us to make decisions in the opposite direction? How many situations looked like a brass ring was up ahead only to be further distanced from us? Years ago, God set up a situation for me that was so gut-wrenching and heartbreaking that I doubted anything good would come from that season. But the blessing that God brought out of one of my deepest seasons of suffering was the gold ring of freedom! No longer would I chase after the approval of mankind…no longer would I allow another person’s opinion to determine my peace and joy…no longer would another person define my worth based on my actions. Like Joseph, never in a million years would I have thought that the deepest canyon of my despair would bring the most beautiful of the gold rings to grab.

Whatever you have experienced with whomever, they don’t hold your ring. God holds the only ring up ahead for you to grab and the path is adorned with His approval…His love…His favor on your life. Don’t look back unless you are re-tracing the movement of God that has brought you this far. Look up ahead with your hand reached out so you won’t miss the ring!

No Small Trade

 "The LORD was with Joseph…And his master saw that the LORD was with him…” Genesis 39:2-3

The first part of this passage seems to be nothing remarkable since we know God’s promises include that He will never leave us. But what is remarkable is the context of what is going on at the time of this statement. It comes on the heels of Joseph walking into his brothers’ plan to harm him. I wonder which brother held him while another brother tore off his tunic? I can’t imagine the shock of it all as Joseph was thrown into an empty waterless pit by his family. Did he overhear their plan to pull him back up not to rescue him but to sell him into slavery? As they reached down and removed him from the pit did, he wonder if they had a change of heart only to be shoved into the possession of traders? I'm confident he stood there in disbelief as he watched the traders count out coins to his brothers. I’m sure he was fearful of what would become of him when the traders sold him in Egypt into Pharaoh’s servants. And yet…the Lord was with Joseph. 

This morning it encourages my heart that God is no less with us in the suffering than He is on the mountaintops. It encourages my heart that the tough valleys are also opportunities for God to reveal certain blessings that wouldn’t otherwise be experienced. Every step Joseph took and every situation He experienced was the will and the way of the One who walked him out to the other side. We are no different than Joseph. As believers we are all favored by God, provided for by God and protected in all times because of the presence of God. The Lord is with you and the Lord is with me and there is no greater truth. 

There is something reflective about a person who is walking with the Lord. They look different…they act different…they respond differently. Just as Moses had a reflective light on his face after meeting with God on the mountain, we too reflect the image of Christ when He is our hope. No matter what we face on any given day or during any season, we have just as much of God in the suffering as we do in the rejoicing. 

‘Where God does not grant our request, He will grant us His comfort. No small trade indeed. He is everything.’ Beth Moore (@BethMoore LPM), Tweet, January 5, 2019.

A Beautiful Ball of Yarn

 “Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field.  And the man asked him, saying, ‘What are you seeking?’…So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors…Then they took him and cast him into a pit.  And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.” Ge 37:15, 23-24.

 

While Joseph was hanging out with his father at home, his brothers were out in the field feeding their father’s flock of sheep.  Joseph, favored by his dad had been given a beautiful tunic that boasted every color known to man.  I’ll bet Joseph never took off that tunic except for baths and might have quite possibly even slept in that garment.  One thing we know for sure…his brothers hated him for being favored and for dreaming that he would one day reign over them. His dad asked him to go into the field and find his brothers.  His brothers had left the original location and had moved to another area.  As Joseph was looking for them, he was approached by a ‘man’ asking him what was he searching for.  ‘Whether the man is an angel or a human, the unseen hand of the Lord is apparent here.’ K.A. Matthews, Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 28. The man directed him right into the hands of his brothers who plotted to kill him. They eventually decided instead of death to ‘buy him a one-way ticket to Egypt through the Ishmaelite traders’ p. 30. Before they did that however they stripped him of the very thing that defined him…his tunic.  He approached them as the favored son, but he departed them as a purchased slave.

 

There are some things in my life that circumstances have stripped away from me.  When I was defined as a mother, my confidence was stripped away from me when my daughter was living dangerously on the streets.  When I went through a divorce I was stripped of the notion of ‘until death do we part.’ When my dad died, I was stripped of the comfort and joy he gave me while on earth.  Even right now, we are stripped of some of the freedoms that have been restricted because of Covid-19.   The point is not that our tunic of many colors…those colorful blessings that God has given us…has been stripped from our lives, rather the reality that God is leading us from those blessings into greater blessings.  He will use harsh circumstances like Joseph to move us from one area to another to accomplish His great plan for each of us.  We can’t hold on tightly to the things that define us because some blessings are only for a season.  God is the only One who defines us and will string season upon season together to form a beautiful life for each of us.  ‘Is it possible that what appears to be nothing but a tangle of other people’s agendas will somehow be the very ball of yarn God will use to weave one of the most redemptive masterpieces in human history?’ p. 30.  The masterpiece of your story and mine.

 

Calendar Frustrations

 “…but Rachel was barren…Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” Ge 29:31, Ge 30:22

 

If you ever want to see a perfect snapshot of a dysfunctional family just peer into the window of chapters 29-30 of Genesis.  Family dysfunction in today’s society holds no candle to the twists and turns of the generational jealousy and manipulation of circumstances in Genesis.  But what it does show us is that we tend to have the same responses when faced with unfulfilled desires.  We complicate things by taking control of things God hasn’t moved on yet.  Both Rachel and her sister Leah were married to the same man, Jacob.  Leah was unloved but fertile and Rachel was loved but barren.  Each woman wanted what the other had and made decisions based on their lack, not their blessings.  Both women prayed their hearts out to the only One who had control over their longings.  Both women had more blessings than they could count but were obsessed with the one thing they didn’t have.  Then God ‘remembered’ Rachel.  ‘Remembered’ in verse 22 has significant meaning in the Bible.  ‘It is signaling to us that God’s upcoming work in Rachel’s life is significant and part of a grander story.  The word remember in the Old Testament indicates God’s action…and is used with the Lord as the subject and suggests the initiation of a major new activity by the covenant-making God.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 21.

 

Poor Rachel turned the calendar on many years before she got to her ‘year of remembrance’ – God’s activity on her behalf.  I began thinking about a longing I have in my heart.  Fifteen years have blown off the calendar and an answered prayer seems to be no closer than when I began praying about it.  But I noticed this morning our verse states ‘God listened to her’ and I’m flooded with peace.  No matter how long we pray for something it is not in vain.  Every word falls on the ears of the Lord and while we wait, He works.  While we wait, He is orchestrating a plan greater than we could ever imagine but things must align before He ‘remembers’ us with action towards the fulfillment.  

 

What are you waiting for?  I guess the spiritual question is more about how well are we waiting.  The manipulation of our Biblical sisters didn’t bring God’s activity in their longing any quicker but their impatience prompting action actually made a mess in the wait.  “While it’s good to wait on God for the things we long for, how we wait on Him is just as important.  In our waiting, tell the Lord you trust His timing and believe in His power to achieve your heart’s desire.  Surrender your agenda to Him.  And where your faith lacks, pray these words from Mark 9:24b, ‘Help my unbelief!’” p. 21

Emerging from the Fire

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2

 

This was one of the first Bible verses that God tucked deeply in my heart.  There was a lot going on and I rarely was peaceful on any given day during a tough season.  My dad had Prostate Cancer, my father-in-law had Alzheimer’s and my sister was diagnosed with Bile Duct Cancer.   Doctor visits, radiation, chemo and cognitive tests seemed to be a daily routine.  I remember one day during all this my son called from college informing me that his apartment had been robbed.  It was too much to endure but I had no choice but to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  

 

‘Passing through waters…walking through fire.’  Who out there hasn’t experienced or isn’t experiencing feelings of drowning…being overwhelmed by the currents sweeping over you…feeling engulfed by the flames of your situation?  God comforts us with the words of Isaiah when we are facing things that seem out of control.  He is so close to us and if we attune our eyes to Him, we can hear His whisper of truth and promise.  There is a beautiful song called Another in the Fire by Hillsong.  The words encourage us to see that there is another Person with us in the fire greater than the fire itself.  The words promise that there is another Person in the waters with us holding back the sea.  

 

Looking back at the season I described above I can see that I wasn’t in the fire alone.  Jesus was with me as I sat beside Beth in the chemo chair.  Jesus walked the halls of Hospice with me on a daily basis.  He was in the home with us as we cared for my father-in-law the last year of his life.  He sat in the waiting room with me as my dad was getting radiation.  I was never alone and was always reminded that the only thing that consumed me was the love of God.  You also have the same promises that Isaiah echoed from the Word.  When we lift our eyes to heaven and bend our knees in prayer, we are better able to feel the overwhelming presence of God.

 

There is always another Person in the fire with us, and His name is Christ Jesus who victoriously emerged from the fire.

Set Apart

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country…to a land I will show you. I will make you a great nation: I will bless you. And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.’” Ge 12:1-2

By the time Abram was called and set apart by God he was already 70 years old. He had lived a full life and had worked hard. I am sure that at 70 we would have a heart bent towards retirement…travel…settling down. But instead of Abram settling down in his life, God told him to be set apart and leave most things that were familiar to him. At first glance this command seems less of a big deal since he had very little to tie him down. His wife Sarai would accompany him so maybe they thought this would be exciting. But think about the words God spoke. He told him to take his wife and leave without telling him where to go. God was setting Abram apart which meant walking away from his old life without being given any details of what his new life would look like. This was a beautiful cause and effect story written by the love of God. Abram’s reward for his obedience would be found in the undisclosed land God would eventually reveal to Him. His reward from a generous God was greatness and respect among the nations…God bestowing great blessings upon him…his name exalted…his life blessing others.

God still sets His children apart no matter what age, and His callings are still filled with mysterious details that are only revealed when we take the first step. All of God’s callings are callings into fellowship and intimacy first and foremost. Every detail of our lives flows from the fellowship we develop with God. From that fellowship we learn to trust Him for the place to which He is calling us. I love the way Kelly Minter describes being set apart in her Bible study video, Finding God Faithful. ‘When God calls us to be set apart from the world it is for the world.' We are blessed by our fellowship with God and are meant to bless others through our relationship with God. We will not have to strive or toil to accomplish the task that God ordains. God shoulders the responsibility of the task He has laid before us. As He told Abram and He tells us…HE will show us where to go…HE will make us great in His kingdom…HE will bless us…and through us HE will bless others. Our part is willingness…our part is availability…our part is devoted obedience. Being set apart is always initiated by God but carried out by our obedience and through this transaction everyone is blessed.

Digging Up Root Balls

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow…For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field…” 1 Co 3:7-9

At the end of June Bruce and I tilled up our yard, applied level mix, planted grass seed and fertilizer, and began our watering campaign. It took a few weeks but tiny little green sprouts burst through the soil. I was so excited and watched the ground in great anticipation. At one point, Bruce told me that I didn’t watch our own children as intensely as I have my little baby blades. Over the next couple weeks, I watched the green fill in nicely until I noticed some unruly weeds had joined the effort. I began pulling weeds in all the areas we had planted. Every time I went outside, I ended up with dirt under my nails, muddy flipflops and drenched in sweat and frustration. Week after week we both have been pulling weeds. One morning early before the heat began rising, I was on my knees in the freshly watered soil. I looked at my hands and saw how dirty they were. I immediately thought of God being on His knees in the garden of my heart removing the spiritual root balls that had been a part of my garden. I imagined God carefully separating the weeds from the sprouts intended for growth. God certainly doesn’t care about getting His hands dirty. The very hands who formed us are the very hands who helps us grow into a garden of righteousness.

When God created us, He had the knowledge of how we would think…how we would love…how we would hurt…how we would grow for the joy of His love. He doesn’t leave us alone in this world but allows freedom with our choices and our devotion to Him. We all allow things into our hearts that He will eventually have to pull up. It will be messy and muddy, but it will free up the space in our gardens for beautiful sprouts. I’m so thankful that whatever I plant into my life that will eventually become a weed will be removed by the loving hand of the Father.