The Water Brooks of God

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You…My tears have been my food day and night...I pour out my soul within me…O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You…” Psalm 42:4, 6

A few weeks ago, a woman came to me for prayer at church and began telling me her situation. The details of her circumstances were certainly exhaustive and completely overwhelming with her husband’s medical issues, one after another. Her situation had been going on in its extremity for over 5 years. It is an understatement to say her soul was ‘panting like a deer who was experiencing a drought with no brook in sight.’ But the haunting image she said to me right before the prayer was an image that penetrated my heart reminding me of the season when my daughter’s life was ebbing away through drugs. She stated, ‘I feel as if we have been dangling our feet on the side of the grave for 5 years.’ My stomach dropped, and the memories of that season were resurrected. She gave expression to my emotions in such a powerful image. For 8 years we had our feet dangling on the side of the grave, but thankfully the grave did not yet call for her through the will of God.

Any time I am feeling discouraged about other ‘heart hopes and desired dreams’ I can’t help but to remember just like our psalmist. I can’t help but to remember how God restored my marriage after a season of sinful spending. I can’t help but to remember how God placed 3 children into my arms entrusting me as their mother. I can’t help but to remember how God snatched Kristen from the grave and gave her new life. I can’t help but to remember how God looked upon my sister’s broken body and carried her home, making her perfect and whole.

I’ll just bet some of you may be feeling like your feet are dangling in an open grave, but like the psalmist we must gain future hope from past mercies given from God. We must remember that Jesus overcame the grave! We must remember that anything lost in this world will be found in Heaven! We must remember that through Christ, nothing is impossible! We must remember that God will quench our souls in our droughts when we remember our personal history with Him during other times of suffering.

When we approach the water brooks of God, we will be refreshed with the hope of a future reality of no death and no sin. By remembering His faithfulness in the past we can claim His faithfulness for our future.

Stuck in the Nostalgia of Yesteryear

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘How have You loved us?’” Malachi 1:2a

The people of God were experiencing consequences regarding their apathetic relationship with God. Instead of walking in obedience and humbling gratitude that they were no longer slaves in Babylon they were stuck in the nostalgia of yesteryear. They wanted things back the way they were before Babylon attacked and disrupted everything in their lives. They couldn’t even be thankful for what God was doing for them in their present season because they couldn’t get out of their minds a previous season. Instead of praising and thanking God for their blessings and favor they utter the most irreverent and sarcastic question... ‘How have you loved us?’

Are we any different today? Every single one of us can think back on a time of complete joy before our crisis hit. When life as we knew it was certainly a kinder and gentler set of circumstances. But just like the invasion of Babylon, we are invaded by a medical diagnosis…we are invaded by a betrayed relationship… we are invaded by unemployment...invasions that come in many forms. I know in the past I have had an attitude in my prayers of ‘How have you loved me?’ while trying to resolve heartbreaking circumstances. I have looked around to see seemingly perfect seasons for others while my season was far from it. I would quickly try to dismiss my thought of ‘Look how You have loved them.’ The one who coined that phrase is the one who whispers in our ear…Satan. Since the Garden of Eden mankind has had to grapple with their belief between God’s promise of love and Satan’s antagonist sarcasm of God’s lack of love.

‘Change is inevitable but trusting God through it is a choice.’ The Faithful – Heroes of the Old Testament, Lisa Harper, p.142. I know the more deeply I pursue God the more confident I am about His character. I remind myself of the ways He has loved me, and it always replaces any negative or ungrateful thoughts. Choosing to trust God when things don’t seem lovely is to make an intentional effort to recall all the goodness God has done. When we keep His faithfulness and sacrificial love in the forefront of our minds and in the deep recesses of our hearts, we will be able to hush the whispers of the enemy. We can replace our questions of uncertainty with proclamations of God’s faithfulness.

Pest Control

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust…And praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you” Joel 2:25-26.

I have so much gratitude and comfort when I apply this passage to my past.  When I consider the years of pursuing a certain image instead of an image in Christ it saddens me.  When I recall things outside of my control that I allowed to consume me it makes me regretful.  As I look back in my rear-view mirror, I look at the years that were chewed up with self-focus and spiritual laziness.  But God doesn’t have us look at the lost years to resurrect feelings of guilt, shame or regret.  He has us look back at past mistakes or failures to show how far He has brought us.  He not only wants to reveal that He has redeemed us from those times, but He wishes to convince us that those years still do the work of faith in our present and future experiences.  He takes what was lost and returns it just like He promises.  Redeeming those lost years…those lost hopes…those lost loved ones will be restored...some on earth and some in Heaven.  Only a thin veil separates the restoration of where we will receive the blessings.

In The Faithful, Jennifer Rothschild writes, “Just as none of us are as young as we once were, all of us have places in our lives where the ‘locusts’ have eaten – hopes dashed, mistakes made, and losses piled on…but God is saying, ‘I am not only going to redeem you now, but my redemptive touch will not be confined to the present or even to the future.’ God’s work in our lives renews everything that has come before – our best days and our worst days” p. 124.

We all have years that stole our peace and joy, some self-induced and some by the choices of others.  Those years in retrospect can certainly make us sick to our stomach and weary in our soul.  But when God takes our endings (whatever that may be) He begins a redemptive work on our new beginning.  To be consumed with the ending of something might be to forfeit the beginning of something wonderful.  Don’t spend your days and nights with the locusts.  They are liars and echoes from another time that don’t deserve power over you.  ‘You are not your past!  You are not what has happened to you.  You are not your struggle.  You are not someone else’s opinion.  You are not your fear or insecurity.  You are loved, accepted, and complete' p. 126.  You are God’s daughter and son!  

Our Door of Hope

I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. Here I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond [sing] as in the days of her youth... Hosea 3:14-15

When I look back at my young adult days when I met Bruce, sweet images come to mind. I saw my life fitting right into his and the dreams of shared love and happiness seemed within reach. Careers were built, and babies were raised. Relational vineyards were planted, and the yield was plentiful. But with every life…every heart… every journey comes a Valley of Achor. The word Achor means muddy or turbid and some translations refer to it as calamity that turns into blessing. It is a valley that troubles us while in it, but eventually turns into joy and despair into hope.

There have times where I created my own valley of trouble. When I turned to spending to satisfy my soul and replace what God could offer with what the stores offered. In the valley are many lies that keep us there longer than we were ever meant to reside. The valley will echo that God is holding out on us, so we must go and take hold of something else. The mist will always settle in the valley obstructing our view of our future blessings and His faithfulness. God warns us about this because He sees the valley in our hearts before we ever take action upon it. But God doesn’t leave us there to fend for ourselves. He walks beside us in our trouble and helps us trample through the muddy land. As the valley tempts us to believe our lives are out of control God speaks tenderly to us dispelling the fears. The answer for turning our calamities into blessings and despair into joy is by opening our hearts so God can heal them. God doesn’t lead us into the wilderness without leaving a beautiful song of testimony in our hearts.

The Faithful by Jennifer Rothschild reminded me this morning that ‘Sterling silver shines and then tarnishes’ p. 122. We say, ‘I do’ and then we say, ‘What have I done?’ If you are in a valley where a promise has turned into a problem, and triumph in one season has turned into trouble in this season, take heart and have hope. When we participate with God’s heart work in the valley , He responds with certain promises and hope. ‘I’ll take the lowest point in your life, the time of spoiled potential, dashed hopes, and greatest shame, and I’ll turn that into a honeymoon of new beginnings’, p. 122.

Don’t get distracted by your troubles, for your greatest beginning might be on the horizon.

Providing the Gown

"And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain." Isaiah 4:6

Saturday was one of the most beautiful days in a long time. I couldn’t wait to get out there and walk in the crisp of the morning with the sun on my face. I usually walk in a neighborhood close to my home but decided to go to a nearby park. As I was walking around the asphalted walking path, I rounded the corner to see this shelter covering a child’s future birthday party. I noticed there was a rope strung from one post to the other which held 10 princess dresses. Sitting on a nearby table were favors to be given to each little princess after they finished their play on the nearby playground. I immediately was touched with the display of hospitality. Obviously, it was a princess party, but this mother had anticipated the needs of all the children, not just her own little princess. The next time I got to the location the mother was there placing the cake in the middle of the table. I told her how thoughtful she was to have provided dresses. She stated, ‘We invited everyone to wear their own dresses, but we had enough to cover everyone if they wanted to wear our dresses.’ What a beautiful picture of welcoming everyone with whatever they wish to wear but sharing their resources with those who didn’t own a princess dress.

I sure wish our culture had this same spirit of hospitality. I would give anything for our shelters to be filled with kindness…love…encouragement…and acceptance no matter who wandered into our lives. It wouldn’t matter if people were white or black…Christian or not…democrat or republican. I wish all people would string their shelters with the fruit of the Spirit from post to post and fill their tables with favors for all. I wish that we would straighten another's crown instead of removing it. As I consider my wishes I recall God's heart on the matter. Matthew 25:39-40 states, ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

When I think of that young mom who anticipated the needs of those other little princesses, I am blessed to know that through her provision for others she provided for the King. So, build your shelter well and may it be fit for a King!

Growing Into our Heads

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking in truth, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.” Ephesians 4:14-15

Last year my daughter and son-in-law welcomed a new puppy into their homes and hearts. I couldn’t wait to meet Bear and was thrown off when I saw him for the first time. He was this tiny little puppy with a head that looked hard to hold up. I kept hearing the phrase ‘grow into his head’ from the family and thought that was funny. Well as you can see below, Bear has grown into his head. His stature now looks normal, healthy and quite commanding.

I began wondering have I spiritually grown into my head? Do I have the mind of Christ like the Bible states we can have? Or am I like Bear who walks around wobbling and balancing my leanness against the loftiness of what we are called to think…how we are called to behave…how we are exhorted to grow? Once we have accepted the Lord as Savior, He begins to change our heart and our mind. Only through His touch can we grow into the likeness of Christ who lived a balanced and God-focused life. Are we in the same set of circumstances that we were last year with no growth? Do the years on the calendar change but not our behaviors and attitudes? Are we truly growing into our spiritual heads?

Bear can do so much more with unlimited freedom now that he has grown into his head and so can we. The more likeness with share with Christ the more our mind is aligned with Him. The more exercise we give to our spiritual muscle the stronger we will become. When our hearts are set on the pilgrimage of exemplifying Christ, the true Head, we will go from growth to growth. Our hearts will be as big as our heads and our lives will yield the fruit of the Spirit.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” Psalm 84:5

Replacing Our 'Who Knows?' with 'He Knows!'

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise…from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

You don’t have to be steeped in the Bible to have heard this verse before as it is one of the most quoted and eloquent exhortations in the Bible. The danger is that it is so familiar to us it has lost its message in our day…our circumstances…our journey. This was the spiritual pivot point for a little orphan turned queen, a wall flower turned into a beauty and a spiritual weakling turned into a spiritual warrior. All those things hung in the balance of what she could have been and what she became. It overwhelms to think that our lives could boil down to a pivotal moment like Esther’s and a crossroads in fulfilling our spiritual purpose.

We all have spiritual purposes and we cannot kid ourselves thinking that there are not things we are suppose to accomplish in the kingdom of God here on earth. We can bet our bottom dollar that these difficult choices we make honoring God will be either spiritual missteps or spiritual markers. Esther’s tough decision came with the risk of losing everything, and yet she took the risky road instead of the safe road and saved a nation.

What about us? Who knows whether serving in that organization will bring about the salvation of a person who was never exposed to God? Who knows if our decision to change jobs will make lasting improvements and opportunities in our lives and in the lives of others? Who knows if our courage in illness brings a revival in the hearts of many? Life is not a string of random happenings, but rather an orchestrated plan developed by God who holds every detail of our lives in His hand. To answer that question of who knows is to get off the couch and pursue that job. It is to pay for that struggling woman’s groceries ahead of you in line. It is to leave our comfortable homes and put someone outside of our family ahead of our wants and needs. Esther put her own interests and safety aside so that she could see the nation through the eyes of God. She made God-ward decisions instead of self-decisions which changed the entire trajectory of her life. If God is so intentional with our lives, then why aren't we? No nation has ever been saved from the couch, and no spiritual destiny has ever been fulfilled without community.

‘Every giant-size weight drops into our laps right on schedule. None of our purposes will be fulfilled easily. All of them will require the most difficult decisions we think we can make. In the times of greatest struggle when you make the God-ward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to the critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny. ’ The Faithful, Beth Moore, p. 100.