We watched the Passion of the Christ movie this past weekend for the first time in years. If you've never seen it, I would strongly urge you to watch it this weekend. It simply makes Jesus' gift so much more tangible.
So often, we tend to romanticize the cross - a clean, muscular Jesus in a spotless white cloth hanging on the cross. This poor representation is so far from the truth. Scripture tells us that they hated Jesus. The torture He endured was far beyond what was necessary for any criminal and beyond what any human could endure alone. I admit that I've had the thought run through my mind over the years, "So, He died. Everybody dies. Ok, He was tortured. Well, soldiers have been tortured for centuries. What's the big deal?" I think the big deal is that He never once opened His mouth. Our human nature is to defend ourselves, but He didn't fight back, He didn't argue about who He was. No amount of words would have persuaded the crowd in His favor. He spent three years telling the people and showing the people who He was. No words, or anger, or fighting would have changed anything on that day. He had told the disciples that no one would take His life from Him. Instead, He would chose to lay it down. This is the image that is so vivid in my mind from the movie. After all of the torture He endured, something our middle class America can not even fathom, He chose to allow these events to take place. He willingly, with all of the strength He had left to muster, crawled onto the cross under His own free will. At this point in the movie, I was thinking, "There's no way any one human could have strength to take another step. Surely, the Roman soldiers will pick Him up and hurl Him onto the cross." They never did. He crawled on His own.
Why did He do this? The whole thing seems so senseless.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
There is so much packed into that one passage of scripture:
Endurance. Jesus not only endured the cross, but He volunteered for it. He endured more than any one human could ever carry, yet He didn't utter a single word in rebellion and He willingly and literally laid His life down.
Joy. Way back in the garden, Abba enjoyed sweet company with Adam and Eve. He laughed with them, He talked with them, He poured out all blessings on them. It is the relationship He intended for us to have. When sin entered the world, He "lost" us in a way. That free communion wasn't there anymore. He was separated from the ones He loves most! Jesus knew that on the other side of the cross, HE WAS GOING TO GET US BACK!! We are the joy that was set before Him. We are the reason He endured the cross. He loves us so much that He willingly endured the suffering for the sole purpose of bringing us back to a perfect relationship with Him! Don't you see? He loves YOU more than life itself. He gave everything He had to give in order to make a way for you to come to Him. He wants nothing more than to love you and pour out good things on you, just like a good Daddy. Leave the past behind, and please let Him love you!
Founder and Perfecter of our faith. He set the example for us. He showed us what it means to love those that hate you, to pray for those who persecute you. And He did it all with grace and love. Because He suffered the way He did, I can fight a little bit harder in my battle. The same strength that sustained Jesus through the cross, is in me now and I have the power to run my race with endurance - I can push a little bit harder!! All of heaven is watching as we go through this world. They are cheering us on with more passion than the Super Bowl. They want us to succeed! They want us to receive Christ's riches blessings! They want us to fight with everything we have, just like Jesus did! And they know the reward that is waiting for us on the other side. For Jesus, His reward is to be seated at the right hand of the Father and to be restored to the people that He loves. For us, we can receive His great healing, forgiveness, peace and FREEDOM for the rest of our days. As a bonus, we get to live with Him forever in perfect, amazing celebration! Now, THAT is worth fighting for!!
So what does it mean to "fight for Jesus," to "run my race"? For me, it means I can give up 20 minutes of sleep in the morning, even when I'm already running low, to allow Him to fill me and start my day off fresh. It means that I can speak calmly and lovingly to my children, even when I want to scream at them and send them out of my sight. It means I can make the hard choices to obey His instructions, even when the rest of the world thinks it's crazy. It means I can trust His leading and be obedient, even when it looks scary or inconvenient.
"Everything you do - do for the glory of God." Colossians 3:17
If I am going to do anything, I should do it with everything I have - I should do it with great excellence. Jesus never slacked off or gave less than His everything. If my words and actions reflect Him (and they do since I give myself the label of "Christ follower") then I should conduct myself as He did - with excellence. Whether it be cleaning my house, working at my job, loving on my kids and my husband, encouraging a friend, setting up for Sunday morning at church, teaching a lesson about Jesus - ANYTHING - Not only should I give it everything I have because it brings Him glory, but I have the power to do that. The spirit that sustained Jesus through His 33 years and His time on the cross sustains me too.
"Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." John 14:12
Oh sweet Jesus, it is all too much to bear. I want so badly to reflect You well to a lost world. I want them to know who You are and the great love You have for them. To think that Your love for me propelled You through the cross is far beyond what I can comprehend. Thank you that you allowed them to kill you, but that didn't stop you from your ultimate goal - YOU CONQUERED DEATH, so that all men may know that You are God!! Just as You freely laid Your life down, You have the power to take it back up again! Because of this, You are worthy of all praise, worthy of all honor and glory. You are trustworthy and You are faithful. You are the King of Kings and greatly will You be praised!! Thank you for loving me, for choosing me, for wanting to use me. Of all the assignments and accomplishments You will give me during my days here, I want "Jesus follower" to be the greatest title I carry.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Friday, March 29, 2013
Sunday, August 12, 2012
From pew warmer to freedom walker
My heart is so heavy today. There is so much I want to share, so much life I want others to have, so much sadness that they don't even know what they're turning down. Today I will share a piece of my heart, a piece of my journey. Hopefully it will help others to see that YES, THERE IS MORE!
I grew up in church with a mom who prayed for me and read me Bible stories. The church thing stuck. I even went so far as to pursue church attendance when I moved out on my own. Sadly, my motives were a bit skewed. I went to church because that's just what you did, that's what was expected, and my mom would be disappointed if I didn't. So in each new city I found myself, I searched out a church. I even started teaching Sunday School at one of them. How's that for gold stars, huh?!? So this went on for years...and years. But secretly, I was dying. I would ask myself, is this really it? Is what I'm living the great joy that God promises and that I've heard preached about all the time? Because frankly, it's really not all that great. I don't mind following the "rules" too much, I'm not really a rebel at heart anyway, but if this is the greatest way to live life, I must be missing something. And here's where I ran into my biggest problem..."Um, yeah, I know I'm a Sunday School teacher and all, but I don't really get it. What's the big deal? I don't have this overflowing joy that the Bible tells me I'll have and quite frankly, I'm a bit tired of keeping up the act, checking my religion box, and going through the motions." I felt stuck. How do I admit to knowing nothing about what I was teaching? Sure I knew all the "right" things to say, but at the end of the day they were just the rules, the dos and the don'ts...I'd mastered those, but nothing penetrated deeper than that. Just so we're clear, this facade went across the board to every aspect of my life...my coworkers, my friends at church, my family, my husband and myself. I pretended to all of them. I pretended to "be in love with Jesus" to all of them, and for a while I tried to convince myself I had it all figured out, but in my secret places I knew it just wasn't true. I didn't even know what that meant, much less how to get there, but it sounded good. It's what was expected of me, so I kept it up. But when you've had enough pretending to have it all together, how do you get out? I didn't know, so I kept my doubts to myself and eventually God took me to a new place. A place where nobody knew my name, nobody knew what I had "taught" before and I didn't have any act to keep up. I could just start fresh. I could admit that I didn't know as much about this God stuff as I had led on. I could ask questions without expecting an appalling, shocked look in return. The details of the day that changed everything for me are here, but now I have to tell you what I've learned on the other side...
If you find yourself in a similar place, the biggest thing I can tell you is that the ball is in your court. It's your move.
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
"I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me." Proverbs 8:17
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Luke 11:10, Matthew 7:8
This word "seek" means "to search out in worship or prayer, to strive after, to beg, to desire." It requires me to take the first step. I have to want to find Him. I have to want to know what He has to say. I have to want to do what He asks. This was my hang up for years. I would go through the motions, read my Bible on occasion, talk the talk, but deep down in the quiet, secret places of my gut I didn't really want to find Him. I knew what He was going to say and I didn't like it. He was going to tell me that I was wrong for carrying on like I had been. I didn't read my Bible often enough. I didn't talk about Him enough to my coworkers. I didn't pray for people when I told them I would. Yeah, I knew the dos and don'ts and I could point a finger at you, but I didn't follow them all the way through. God was going to be disappointed with me, so I chose not to give Him a chance to talk. I didn't really want to find Him. Even though I knew something was missing, I'd rather live without that missing piece than face His finger in my face for all the things I had not done good enough.
Sweet friend, I am here to tell you that's the place I lived in for so many years...stuck and no idea what to do about it. But the fear of God's pointing finger turned out to be a lie from the pit of hell. I've since learned that those fears and those words of condemnation and accusing fingers only come from the enemy. Paul tells us that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1. If you don't want to look for God because you're afraid you'll get a finger in your face, you need to address that head on...that is NOT Jesus' sweet voice of love, that is Satan's voice holding you in captivity, keeping you locked up in yourself, and you have the power to call his bluff. You have the power to tell him to shut up and turn your face to what God has to say.
So what does He have to say? If I decide to give Him a chance to talk, what will He say to me? I remember that day very clearly. Toby was at work, Haley was napping and I climbed onto my bed with my journal and my Bible. I had seen other women in Tennessee with something I didn't have. They threw their heads back and spun like children in worship to our God. They were so free and full of life. Their eyes sparkled and danced when they talked about God. I knew that whatever they had, I didn't, but I wanted it. So I sat on my bed and decided that I would give Him a chance to talk. I would hear Him out. I wanted to know how to hear His voice. During the prayer time that changed everything for me, He said, "Carey, I see you. Not only do I 'know how many hairs are on your head' and did I 'knit you together in your mother's womb' but I see you today. I know what's going through your head today. I know that you're stuck. I know that you want a way out, and I want to show you how. I am trustworthy."
So, "seek and you will find." You have to ask yourself...Do you really want to find Him? Do you really want to know what He has to say? Really? In the deep, quiet places of your gut...are you willing to give Him a chance to speak? Until you can honestly look for Him with everything you have, you won't find Him. You won't find the great joy and peace He talks about. You won't be able to feel His presence and hear His voice. All of your efforts will just be motions, religion, and a facade. I can tell you, He's trustworthy. He does not have a finger waiting on you. He is not ready to bring up a list of all the places you've failed. He is waiting for a chance to tell you how much He loves you, how much he thinks about you. He wants to show you the joy and peace He has to offer. He wants to lavish you with beautiful gifts, greater than you can imagine. Are you ready to hear Him out?
I grew up in church with a mom who prayed for me and read me Bible stories. The church thing stuck. I even went so far as to pursue church attendance when I moved out on my own. Sadly, my motives were a bit skewed. I went to church because that's just what you did, that's what was expected, and my mom would be disappointed if I didn't. So in each new city I found myself, I searched out a church. I even started teaching Sunday School at one of them. How's that for gold stars, huh?!? So this went on for years...and years. But secretly, I was dying. I would ask myself, is this really it? Is what I'm living the great joy that God promises and that I've heard preached about all the time? Because frankly, it's really not all that great. I don't mind following the "rules" too much, I'm not really a rebel at heart anyway, but if this is the greatest way to live life, I must be missing something. And here's where I ran into my biggest problem..."Um, yeah, I know I'm a Sunday School teacher and all, but I don't really get it. What's the big deal? I don't have this overflowing joy that the Bible tells me I'll have and quite frankly, I'm a bit tired of keeping up the act, checking my religion box, and going through the motions." I felt stuck. How do I admit to knowing nothing about what I was teaching? Sure I knew all the "right" things to say, but at the end of the day they were just the rules, the dos and the don'ts...I'd mastered those, but nothing penetrated deeper than that. Just so we're clear, this facade went across the board to every aspect of my life...my coworkers, my friends at church, my family, my husband and myself. I pretended to all of them. I pretended to "be in love with Jesus" to all of them, and for a while I tried to convince myself I had it all figured out, but in my secret places I knew it just wasn't true. I didn't even know what that meant, much less how to get there, but it sounded good. It's what was expected of me, so I kept it up. But when you've had enough pretending to have it all together, how do you get out? I didn't know, so I kept my doubts to myself and eventually God took me to a new place. A place where nobody knew my name, nobody knew what I had "taught" before and I didn't have any act to keep up. I could just start fresh. I could admit that I didn't know as much about this God stuff as I had led on. I could ask questions without expecting an appalling, shocked look in return. The details of the day that changed everything for me are here, but now I have to tell you what I've learned on the other side...
If you find yourself in a similar place, the biggest thing I can tell you is that the ball is in your court. It's your move.
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
"I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me." Proverbs 8:17
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Luke 11:10, Matthew 7:8
This word "seek" means "to search out in worship or prayer, to strive after, to beg, to desire." It requires me to take the first step. I have to want to find Him. I have to want to know what He has to say. I have to want to do what He asks. This was my hang up for years. I would go through the motions, read my Bible on occasion, talk the talk, but deep down in the quiet, secret places of my gut I didn't really want to find Him. I knew what He was going to say and I didn't like it. He was going to tell me that I was wrong for carrying on like I had been. I didn't read my Bible often enough. I didn't talk about Him enough to my coworkers. I didn't pray for people when I told them I would. Yeah, I knew the dos and don'ts and I could point a finger at you, but I didn't follow them all the way through. God was going to be disappointed with me, so I chose not to give Him a chance to talk. I didn't really want to find Him. Even though I knew something was missing, I'd rather live without that missing piece than face His finger in my face for all the things I had not done good enough.
Sweet friend, I am here to tell you that's the place I lived in for so many years...stuck and no idea what to do about it. But the fear of God's pointing finger turned out to be a lie from the pit of hell. I've since learned that those fears and those words of condemnation and accusing fingers only come from the enemy. Paul tells us that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1. If you don't want to look for God because you're afraid you'll get a finger in your face, you need to address that head on...that is NOT Jesus' sweet voice of love, that is Satan's voice holding you in captivity, keeping you locked up in yourself, and you have the power to call his bluff. You have the power to tell him to shut up and turn your face to what God has to say.
So what does He have to say? If I decide to give Him a chance to talk, what will He say to me? I remember that day very clearly. Toby was at work, Haley was napping and I climbed onto my bed with my journal and my Bible. I had seen other women in Tennessee with something I didn't have. They threw their heads back and spun like children in worship to our God. They were so free and full of life. Their eyes sparkled and danced when they talked about God. I knew that whatever they had, I didn't, but I wanted it. So I sat on my bed and decided that I would give Him a chance to talk. I would hear Him out. I wanted to know how to hear His voice. During the prayer time that changed everything for me, He said, "Carey, I see you. Not only do I 'know how many hairs are on your head' and did I 'knit you together in your mother's womb' but I see you today. I know what's going through your head today. I know that you're stuck. I know that you want a way out, and I want to show you how. I am trustworthy."
So, "seek and you will find." You have to ask yourself...Do you really want to find Him? Do you really want to know what He has to say? Really? In the deep, quiet places of your gut...are you willing to give Him a chance to speak? Until you can honestly look for Him with everything you have, you won't find Him. You won't find the great joy and peace He talks about. You won't be able to feel His presence and hear His voice. All of your efforts will just be motions, religion, and a facade. I can tell you, He's trustworthy. He does not have a finger waiting on you. He is not ready to bring up a list of all the places you've failed. He is waiting for a chance to tell you how much He loves you, how much he thinks about you. He wants to show you the joy and peace He has to offer. He wants to lavish you with beautiful gifts, greater than you can imagine. Are you ready to hear Him out?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Resolutions...resolved
I can hardly believe that 2011 has come to a close. It's been a whirlwind of a year with so many highlights for our family. Of course, our greatest blessing is the addition of our perfect baby boy and our Haley has transformed from adorable toddler to sweet little girl. My cup runneth over.
I'm usually not one to make resolutions with the new year, but I've been dwelling on this today. I guess I did have a goal to learn to sew this year. After thinking more about it, I think it's really been a desire to be more crafty all around. I'm excited to say, that I think I've achieved this! As I've told you before, I'm a CPA by trade and embody every one of the stereotypes that go along with that profession...I love lists, folders, order, and Excel, and often have a hard time thinking outside the box. Well, until this year. Jesus has been teaching me that I can do all things and that I'm not destined to be defined as left brained. So I put my mind to it, took some great inspiration from Pinterest and here's some of the things I've come up with...
I'm usually not one to make resolutions with the new year, but I've been dwelling on this today. I guess I did have a goal to learn to sew this year. After thinking more about it, I think it's really been a desire to be more crafty all around. I'm excited to say, that I think I've achieved this! As I've told you before, I'm a CPA by trade and embody every one of the stereotypes that go along with that profession...I love lists, folders, order, and Excel, and often have a hard time thinking outside the box. Well, until this year. Jesus has been teaching me that I can do all things and that I'm not destined to be defined as left brained. So I put my mind to it, took some great inspiration from Pinterest and here's some of the things I've come up with...
Jake's nursery including framing Toby's rugby jerseys, painting and
recovering the toy box, and sewing the window treatments
Haley's Wilma Flintstone halloween costume
blue jean quilt
Painting - will hang over our TV to guide our entertainment choices
kids' footprint flower pots for Christmas presents
fingerprint dragonfly flower pot for Christmas present
recovering the toy box, and sewing the window treatments
Haley's Wilma Flintstone halloween costume
blue jean quilt
Painting - will hang over our TV to guide our entertainment choices
kids' footprint flower pots for Christmas presents
fingerprint dragonfly flower pot for Christmas presentThank you, Jesus, for teaching me that I can be creative. I've loved the journey and look forward to another year of creative projects.
Not long after Jake was born I started focusing on another "resolution"...a prayer, really. I was having a really hard time working my day around Jesus and managing all of the day to day responsibilities that fell on my shoulders. My prayer became for Jesus to show me how to give Him an uninterrupted chunk of time when I was sleep deprived, tending the needs of a newborn and educating and entertaining a non-napping three year old. And because He's so good and loves me so much, of course He showed me the way. There are still plenty of days that slip by, filled to the brim with activity, but I've been able to work in sweet time with my Jesus on most days. I long for afternoon nap time. After Jake goes down for his snooze, Haley has about an hour of "quiet time" in her room, leaving me free to get lost with my Jesus. It's not perfect, and sometimes I miss it, but slowly He's guiding my day. I've found that on the days when I'm faithful to use my hour window to focus on Jesus, rather than the waiting dishwasher and piles of laundry, not only is He faithful to meet me there, but He is teaching me with greater revelation and clarity. He is reminding me that if I will make the effort to draw near to Him, He will always draw closer to me. (James 4:8)
So there's a glimpse at my year. My goals for 2012 are still up in the air, but here's what I have so far: to continue to pursue Jesus...to become even closer, to hear His voice more clearly, to memorize more of His words, to focus on Him more easily, and to teach my precious Haley the same. As a wife, I will pray for Toby more consistently and more earnestly...for protection over our marriage, for favor in his career, for wisdom, strength and guidance as he leads our family. As a mom, I will strive to devote my undivided attention to my children on a daily basis and to keep my household responsibilities in perspective. As a friend, I will work to put others first and to keep my schedule free to spend time encouraging and investing in others.
I pray that you have had a full and wonderful year in 2011 and may 2012 be full of incredible blessings!
Not long after Jake was born I started focusing on another "resolution"...a prayer, really. I was having a really hard time working my day around Jesus and managing all of the day to day responsibilities that fell on my shoulders. My prayer became for Jesus to show me how to give Him an uninterrupted chunk of time when I was sleep deprived, tending the needs of a newborn and educating and entertaining a non-napping three year old. And because He's so good and loves me so much, of course He showed me the way. There are still plenty of days that slip by, filled to the brim with activity, but I've been able to work in sweet time with my Jesus on most days. I long for afternoon nap time. After Jake goes down for his snooze, Haley has about an hour of "quiet time" in her room, leaving me free to get lost with my Jesus. It's not perfect, and sometimes I miss it, but slowly He's guiding my day. I've found that on the days when I'm faithful to use my hour window to focus on Jesus, rather than the waiting dishwasher and piles of laundry, not only is He faithful to meet me there, but He is teaching me with greater revelation and clarity. He is reminding me that if I will make the effort to draw near to Him, He will always draw closer to me. (James 4:8)
So there's a glimpse at my year. My goals for 2012 are still up in the air, but here's what I have so far: to continue to pursue Jesus...to become even closer, to hear His voice more clearly, to memorize more of His words, to focus on Him more easily, and to teach my precious Haley the same. As a wife, I will pray for Toby more consistently and more earnestly...for protection over our marriage, for favor in his career, for wisdom, strength and guidance as he leads our family. As a mom, I will strive to devote my undivided attention to my children on a daily basis and to keep my household responsibilities in perspective. As a friend, I will work to put others first and to keep my schedule free to spend time encouraging and investing in others.
I pray that you have had a full and wonderful year in 2011 and may 2012 be full of incredible blessings!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A mid night encounter and a miracle in progress
As has become custom in the last few weeks, my eyes popped open at 2am this morning, my body exhausted but my mind wide awake. Running non stop through my head were a compilation of songs and scriptures of His pursuit of me..."He is jealous for me...Come back to me, my beloved...more numerous than the sands are Your thoughts toward me..." His pursuit is beautiful, it is endless, and it is worth giving in to...even at the cost of much needed sleep.
I talked with my Jesus for a while, and then begged for sleep to come. When it didn't I awakened enough to write these things in my journal...hoping this documentation would satisfy His longing to spend time with me, but to no avail...He had more to tell me. So as usual, I started asking "Where do you want me to read?" The Psalms are always a good place for me to start during an encounter like this. Being so many to choose from, chapter 1 sounded promising. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night...And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:2-3 So this is me, I want to prosper in all that I do and meditate on His word day and night. Well, we've got the night part covered for now. As I read these few verses over and over, I heard the echo of "130." Out of curiosity I scrolled to Psalm 130 on my iPhone...yep, that's the one...
"Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." v.1-2
Our greatest prayer in the past few weeks has been for our new son, Jake, set to arrive any time now. As was the case with my first pregnancy, we received news about 10 days ago that Jake is breech...crushing my dreams of an amazing vaginal delivery. We have indeed cried out and many of our friends and family, including many of you, have lifted him up in prayer in the last few weeks. Through this and other trials recently, God has pasted a scripture on our hearts (and bathroom mirror and kitchen sink)..."Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Phil 4:6. This word "supplication" was new to me and I have asked Abba to show me what it means...prayer, request, beg. That was it...beg. If this is truly a great desire, then I will not casually request, but I will beg, without hesitation. Now here it is again in Psalm 130...He hears my begging and He wants me to bear my heart to Him.
"If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." v.3-4
For the briefest time, I listened to Satan's lie that Abba had not yet answered my prayer to turn my breech baby because my faith was not strong enough and because my works proved too little and unworthy of such a miracle. Here, You tell me that it's not about those things. I will not receive what I deserve based on my works. My God is abundant in grace and mercy and finds joy in bringing me into His family and blessing me, even when my works deserve eternal condemnation. Abba, I still do not understand this great love, but I am forever grateful!
"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope." v.4
Oh dear, do we know something about waiting! During our six month journey from Knoxville to Mobile, "wait" seemed to be a constant, recurring theme. God taught us so much during that season, including the value of waiting on His timing. It's funny that this would come up again so soon. Without any prompting from me, I had a friend send me a message lately. She had been praying for us and for Jake and the Lord gave her a verse for us..."Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." Ps 27:14 This is one of the verses we were parked on for six months. This Hebrew word "wait" means to bind together by twisting; patiently, tarry, to expect. Toby and I have committed to bind ourselves to Him and trust in His word and believe for our miracle and amazing birth! I've had many days of doubt and regret that I've entertained the idea of Nevermind, let's just schedule a c-section and be done with it. But somewhere in my gut, I've known for many, many months that God is going to give us the amazing birth I've prayed for, and He will do it in a way that brings Him ALL the glory...up to and including turning my breech baby at just the last minute. And so, for His glory I will wait.
"My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning." v.6
This is almost comical to me. As I've mentioned many times before, sleep is my best friend. Outside of pregnancy and tiny babies, it is next to impossible to rouse me from a good slumber. It's simply one of the greatest joys I have on this earth, and I don't sacrifice it for much. But for my Jesus, I will (sometimes gladly) surrender it. So I want this, this miracle and miraculous birth and sweet words from my Jesus, more than I want my precious sleep. Proof...I'm typing this at 4:45am...a miracle in itself.
But also on this note, my many mid night wakings lately have led to crazy thoughts. You know that place half way between awake and asleep. You know you're not asleep, but you realize later that you weren't thinking quite straight. That's where I've been most nights between 2 and 4 am over the last few weeks. I will wake up to Jake's playtime and somehow convince myself that he's turned. Perhaps if I don't move, he'll stay that way. But inevitably I have to pee and as soon as I stand and come to consciousness I feel his little head just under my ribcage and my hopes fall flat. So I have strangly come to look forward to these wakings in some hope that maybe, just maybe this will be the night that he turns, and if I stay in just the right position then he won't move again. I told you, not quite thinking straight. But as I was reading and chatting with my Jesus tonight, I began to have these same, familiar thoughts again. I started to dismiss it as false hope, just as I felt a kick at the TOP of my belly! Of course, fearful of moving I laid there for a long while paying close attention to his movements and trying desperately to decipher an arm from a leg from a knee. My hope grew as Abba reminded me that Jake has been spending less and less time with his head in my ribcage over the last few days. Now, where he has been, I'm not sure...but it's not with his head up straight. So I will continue to hold on to this prayer and wait for His timing of our miracle!
"O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." v.7-8
Such irony...this hope means to wait patiently. Lovingkindness includes so many things...mercy, beauty, favor. And He not only offers redemption, but He offers it abundantly! What wonderful news! Abba, I will chose to wait patiently for ALL that You have for me. I will claim Your mercy and beauty and favor over my life and I will continue to believe for our miracle...down to the moment of delivery if necessary. Please give Toby and me an increased measure of faith to walk this out over the next few weeks and give us opportunities to shout Your glories and Your lovingkindness to all who will listen on the other side of this miracle!
*Note, my name truly is Carey, but I have changed the names of my husband and children for their privacy. I apologize for any confusion to those who know us personally.
I talked with my Jesus for a while, and then begged for sleep to come. When it didn't I awakened enough to write these things in my journal...hoping this documentation would satisfy His longing to spend time with me, but to no avail...He had more to tell me. So as usual, I started asking "Where do you want me to read?" The Psalms are always a good place for me to start during an encounter like this. Being so many to choose from, chapter 1 sounded promising. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night...And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:2-3 So this is me, I want to prosper in all that I do and meditate on His word day and night. Well, we've got the night part covered for now. As I read these few verses over and over, I heard the echo of "130." Out of curiosity I scrolled to Psalm 130 on my iPhone...yep, that's the one...
"Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." v.1-2
Our greatest prayer in the past few weeks has been for our new son, Jake, set to arrive any time now. As was the case with my first pregnancy, we received news about 10 days ago that Jake is breech...crushing my dreams of an amazing vaginal delivery. We have indeed cried out and many of our friends and family, including many of you, have lifted him up in prayer in the last few weeks. Through this and other trials recently, God has pasted a scripture on our hearts (and bathroom mirror and kitchen sink)..."Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Phil 4:6. This word "supplication" was new to me and I have asked Abba to show me what it means...prayer, request, beg. That was it...beg. If this is truly a great desire, then I will not casually request, but I will beg, without hesitation. Now here it is again in Psalm 130...He hears my begging and He wants me to bear my heart to Him.
"If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared." v.3-4
For the briefest time, I listened to Satan's lie that Abba had not yet answered my prayer to turn my breech baby because my faith was not strong enough and because my works proved too little and unworthy of such a miracle. Here, You tell me that it's not about those things. I will not receive what I deserve based on my works. My God is abundant in grace and mercy and finds joy in bringing me into His family and blessing me, even when my works deserve eternal condemnation. Abba, I still do not understand this great love, but I am forever grateful!
"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope." v.4
Oh dear, do we know something about waiting! During our six month journey from Knoxville to Mobile, "wait" seemed to be a constant, recurring theme. God taught us so much during that season, including the value of waiting on His timing. It's funny that this would come up again so soon. Without any prompting from me, I had a friend send me a message lately. She had been praying for us and for Jake and the Lord gave her a verse for us..."Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." Ps 27:14 This is one of the verses we were parked on for six months. This Hebrew word "wait" means to bind together by twisting; patiently, tarry, to expect. Toby and I have committed to bind ourselves to Him and trust in His word and believe for our miracle and amazing birth! I've had many days of doubt and regret that I've entertained the idea of Nevermind, let's just schedule a c-section and be done with it. But somewhere in my gut, I've known for many, many months that God is going to give us the amazing birth I've prayed for, and He will do it in a way that brings Him ALL the glory...up to and including turning my breech baby at just the last minute. And so, for His glory I will wait.
"My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning." v.6
This is almost comical to me. As I've mentioned many times before, sleep is my best friend. Outside of pregnancy and tiny babies, it is next to impossible to rouse me from a good slumber. It's simply one of the greatest joys I have on this earth, and I don't sacrifice it for much. But for my Jesus, I will (sometimes gladly) surrender it. So I want this, this miracle and miraculous birth and sweet words from my Jesus, more than I want my precious sleep. Proof...I'm typing this at 4:45am...a miracle in itself.
But also on this note, my many mid night wakings lately have led to crazy thoughts. You know that place half way between awake and asleep. You know you're not asleep, but you realize later that you weren't thinking quite straight. That's where I've been most nights between 2 and 4 am over the last few weeks. I will wake up to Jake's playtime and somehow convince myself that he's turned. Perhaps if I don't move, he'll stay that way. But inevitably I have to pee and as soon as I stand and come to consciousness I feel his little head just under my ribcage and my hopes fall flat. So I have strangly come to look forward to these wakings in some hope that maybe, just maybe this will be the night that he turns, and if I stay in just the right position then he won't move again. I told you, not quite thinking straight. But as I was reading and chatting with my Jesus tonight, I began to have these same, familiar thoughts again. I started to dismiss it as false hope, just as I felt a kick at the TOP of my belly! Of course, fearful of moving I laid there for a long while paying close attention to his movements and trying desperately to decipher an arm from a leg from a knee. My hope grew as Abba reminded me that Jake has been spending less and less time with his head in my ribcage over the last few days. Now, where he has been, I'm not sure...but it's not with his head up straight. So I will continue to hold on to this prayer and wait for His timing of our miracle!
"O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." v.7-8
Such irony...this hope means to wait patiently. Lovingkindness includes so many things...mercy, beauty, favor. And He not only offers redemption, but He offers it abundantly! What wonderful news! Abba, I will chose to wait patiently for ALL that You have for me. I will claim Your mercy and beauty and favor over my life and I will continue to believe for our miracle...down to the moment of delivery if necessary. Please give Toby and me an increased measure of faith to walk this out over the next few weeks and give us opportunities to shout Your glories and Your lovingkindness to all who will listen on the other side of this miracle!
*Note, my name truly is Carey, but I have changed the names of my husband and children for their privacy. I apologize for any confusion to those who know us personally.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My Jesus is alive...and He is so funny!
Recently I went back to Tennessee to visit friends for two weeks (more to come on my trip later) and I got to stay with my TN bestie and her family. I watched every day as they routinely went to bed at 9pm (a seeming impossibility at my house) and M got up around 5 every morning to spend time with our Jesus before the day got started. Now, I am fully aware that there are people out there that do this, but for some reason that had always seemed like a mythical idea to me...nice, but not practical. So when I got home, I committed to keeping up this early bedtime in hopes of rising before my family to spend time with my sweet Jesus. I knew I would need His help, because my sleep is one of my greatest treasures here on earth! Not much can tear me from my precious sleep.
Day 1 - The alarm went off at 6, Toby groggily asked why I set my alarm, I turned it off and went back to sleep. Nice start! After another few days I gave up on the alarm clock. However, I started waking up every morning before my family. Some days I would roll over and glance at the clock immediately, other days I would lay in that half awake state trying to figure out the time by the light coming in our room. Strangely, it would be 6:10 every morning. Regardless of how early or late I went to bed or how long a laid around, my first glance at the clock every morning would be at 6:10. I thought maybe my body has just gotten into a routine...I should really figure out how to break this. But deep down, I knew there was more to it than just a sleep schedule. Every time I woke before my family, I would think, Hmm I could get up and read...but I'm pregnant and need the rest...but I'll read during Haley's nap time...excuse, excuse, excuse....
So this morning, not having set my alarm, I rolled over and glanced at my clock. You guessed it...it was 6:10. Again, I felt Jesus pulling me to get out of the bed, so I asked, "Are you wanting me to read a verse...6:10 something?" Immediately, I heard "Proverbs." No way...I'm just groggy. So I rolled over in hopes of finding sleep again. After a few minutes my curiosity got to me so I pulled up the Bible app on my iPhone. I am so not kidding...this is what I read...
"How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.' " Proverbs 6:9-10
I couldn't help but laugh! My Jesus is sooo funny! And He knows just how to talk to me. Perhaps the poetic intention of this verse is referring to something else, but because the Bible is alive, today for me, this verse meant GET OUT OF THE BED!
So I worked up some strength, grabbed my Bible and my journal and headed to the living room. Toby hardly noticed my absence. I asked Jesus, Ok what's so important this morning? His sweet response was the exact sentence I've said to Toby a million times in the last 10 days...I just want you to be here with me. My heart melted. My Jesus loves me so much. Today He didn't have anything earth shattering to tell me, but some days He will...if I'm willing to spend time with Him and listen. Today He just wanted me to be with Him. He wanted to love me.
Jesus, you are so sweet and so good. Thank you for being a jealous God. You are jealous for my time and for my affections. You want me to pour myself into You because You know that Your presence is the very best thing You can give me. Thank you for pursuing me...over and over and over, even when I ignore you. Please help me to prioritize my days so that I can rise cheerfully and rested to spend sweet time with you in the coming days and weeks. All my heart...Carey
Day 1 - The alarm went off at 6, Toby groggily asked why I set my alarm, I turned it off and went back to sleep. Nice start! After another few days I gave up on the alarm clock. However, I started waking up every morning before my family. Some days I would roll over and glance at the clock immediately, other days I would lay in that half awake state trying to figure out the time by the light coming in our room. Strangely, it would be 6:10 every morning. Regardless of how early or late I went to bed or how long a laid around, my first glance at the clock every morning would be at 6:10. I thought maybe my body has just gotten into a routine...I should really figure out how to break this. But deep down, I knew there was more to it than just a sleep schedule. Every time I woke before my family, I would think, Hmm I could get up and read...but I'm pregnant and need the rest...but I'll read during Haley's nap time...excuse, excuse, excuse....
So this morning, not having set my alarm, I rolled over and glanced at my clock. You guessed it...it was 6:10. Again, I felt Jesus pulling me to get out of the bed, so I asked, "Are you wanting me to read a verse...6:10 something?" Immediately, I heard "Proverbs." No way...I'm just groggy. So I rolled over in hopes of finding sleep again. After a few minutes my curiosity got to me so I pulled up the Bible app on my iPhone. I am so not kidding...this is what I read...
"How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.' " Proverbs 6:9-10
I couldn't help but laugh! My Jesus is sooo funny! And He knows just how to talk to me. Perhaps the poetic intention of this verse is referring to something else, but because the Bible is alive, today for me, this verse meant GET OUT OF THE BED!
So I worked up some strength, grabbed my Bible and my journal and headed to the living room. Toby hardly noticed my absence. I asked Jesus, Ok what's so important this morning? His sweet response was the exact sentence I've said to Toby a million times in the last 10 days...I just want you to be here with me. My heart melted. My Jesus loves me so much. Today He didn't have anything earth shattering to tell me, but some days He will...if I'm willing to spend time with Him and listen. Today He just wanted me to be with Him. He wanted to love me.
Jesus, you are so sweet and so good. Thank you for being a jealous God. You are jealous for my time and for my affections. You want me to pour myself into You because You know that Your presence is the very best thing You can give me. Thank you for pursuing me...over and over and over, even when I ignore you. Please help me to prioritize my days so that I can rise cheerfully and rested to spend sweet time with you in the coming days and weeks. All my heart...Carey
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wishy washy (Judges)
"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 21:25
The book of Judges runs about 350 years from 1400BC-ish to 1043BC-ish, but I can clearly see our American culture and even my own personal behavior interwoven into these scriptures. This brings to mind a mantra from my days with my precious Boothmakers, "For I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal 3:6) and therefore...We the people, do not change! It's almost sad to think that after thousands of years, we people are still making the same mistakes over and over and over...no wonder Satan's still in business. His bag of five tricks still applies and we fall for them all the time!
The Israelites were miraculously released from Egypt after 400 years of oppressive slavery. God maintained them for an entire generation as they wandered, homeless. He handed them city after city for their possession, and now Joshua has gone on to be with the Lord and they were left without a leader. Over and over and over Moses told them in Deut to REMEMBER what the Lord has done for you! Talk about it all the time, tell your children about it, take time each week and several times a year to reflect on the miracles and great mercy God has shown you and offer your thanks and praise for His undeserved love. This attitude of humility and gratitude was sure to keep them on course, but they chose to go their own way instead.
In some ways, this book was painful to read. Israel went in a vicious circle over and over again and could never seem to remain steady. Their command when taking the Promised Land was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes...so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deut 20:16,18) That seems pretty clear, and it's obvious God had good reason for the command He gave. He knew the effect disobedience would have on Israel...it would draw them away from Him, and He knew that HE was what was best for them. After Joshua passes, there was still a lot of land left to be taken, but Israel chose not to finish well. "Manasseh did not take possession..., Ephraim did not drive out..., Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants." (Jud 1:27-33) In many cases the Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor, but this was not their command. They had been commanded to destroy. So why didn't they follow through? I don't know. Maybe they grew compassionate toward the Canaanites, maybe they were unable to rally the military without Joshua, maybe they were simply tired of fighting and didn't want to put forth the effort any more, maybe they thought what they had already accomplished was good enough? Either way, this first generation after Joshua dropped the ball. They did not obey the Lord in battle, they did not obey Moses' commands to remember His goodness, and as a result, "all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) That statement frightens me...could that be said of my generation?
And so the see saw begins. Because Israel chose to live among the Canaanites instead of destroy them as they were commanded, their self seeking idol worship became appealing and lured in Israel until "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger." (Jud 2:11-12) The Lord sold them into slavery (Jug 3:8). It took eight years for the oppression to finally get through to Israel. Like the prodigal son, they finally remembered that they have a Father who can help them and the cried out to Him. This "cried out" is za-aq in Hebrew meaning to shriek from anguish or danger, to assemble, to gather together. Mercifully, the Lord raised up a deliverer, the first Judge, Othniel. This "deliverer" is yasha in Hebrew and it means to be open, wide, free, to be safe. This same word is often used to describe God himself in the Psalms (Ps 18:2, 40:17, 70:5, 144:2). So the Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel and he led Israel to victory over their oppressors "and the land had rest forty years" (Jud 3:11). But as soon as Othniel died, the cycle started again...Isreal "did evil in the sight of the Lord" then they cried out (za-aq) then God provided a deliverer (yasha). Over and over and over they repeated this cycle for 350 years! Some stretches of peace were longer than others, but it never fails that they end up back in the cycle.
Somehow, I feel like we're still in this cycle today...as a culture. If you look back through world history, there are periods of great revival and periods of great darkness. Even in our own century you can see the cycle...the "Roaring 20s," the Great Depression, the conservative 50s, the free love 60s and 70s. The question is, where are we in this cycle today? On we on our way toward God or are we pulling away from Him? I think the answer to this varies, depending on your perspective...are you a half empty or half full kind of person? It would be easy to point out the climbing divorce rate, the growing (awareness) of the sex trade, the failing morals of our culture, the number of abortions being performed and say that we have slapped God in the face. In a lot of ways, I agree. Our culture, as a whole, has told God that we are not interested in His "intolerant" ways. However, Toby and I intentionally choose not to immerse ourselves in our country's media, but to rather investigate what God is doing today around the world. God is on the move today, people! Hearts are coming alive for Him all over our planet! Yes, there is great oppression and moral decline to compete with, but people are crying out, they are za-aq, they are shrieking out for God to help them. And He is just as faithful today as He was thousands of years ago. He is showing mercy and bringing life to any and all who call on Him!
So how can we stop this cycle?
Moses told us the keys waaaay back a few generations ago...
REMEMBER
"Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." (Deut 4:9)
KNOW AND DO MY WAYS, TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)
HE WILL POUR OUT BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK HIM
"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut 7:9)
As a parent, this hits me square in the face! Not only am I to pursue Christ with everything I have, but I am to teach these things to my children. In the very next verse after Joshua dies, we read "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) It is critical that we pass on these things to our children, and not just head knowledge and the ability to recite felt board stories. Our children need to know (yada - to ascertain by seeing, familiar friend, kinsmen) the Lord Jesus. They need to be able to recognize His voice and understand His Word for themselves. They need to know who they are...they are sons and daughters of the most High God! They are eligible for great blessings and anointings, and should live a life expecting amazing things from our God. Are we teaching them that? Or are we teaching them happy Bible stories, and that it's rude to be disobedient, and that good Christians go to church on Sundays? What a challenge! About a year ago, I heard a parenting speaker say, "You can't expect your children to be something you're not." In other words, how can I expect Haley to walk in a manner worthy of God's anointing when I don't do that myself? It is up to me to live that way now, to model it for her, and to teach her His ways as she grows. I don't want her to grow up and be a mini-Carey. I want her to grow up and be like Jesus, so that is who I need to be modeling for her!
Today I heard it said, "You will only pass along one of two things to your children...God's promises or your fears." I don't want to communicate my fears or doubts to my children. I want them to see me stand firm in the promises of God and for them to see, with their own two eyes, how our God is faithful to meet those promises! That is what will build their faith. That is what will keep them grounded in our Jesus when they go off to college, and that is what will turn our culture to the greater stage of this cycle. Will we become a nation that cries out...ZA-AQ...will we shriek in anguish for God to come heal our land and make His name famous?!? Or will we continue with the status quo and our box checking religion? We have the power to turn this cycle...will we?
Sweet Jesus, Your endless patience and mercy are beyond anything I can comprehend and we are so unworthy of the outpouring of love You offer to us. Please help us to put ourselves aside, open our eyes to the truth of the state of our culture. Give us a hunger for You and a desire to see You sweep across our nation and our world. Give us the wisdom and the boldness to go after the things that matter to You and pass by the things of no eternal significance. Help us to teach our children about You. Reveal Yourself to them and help us equip them to continue the battle we are beginning now. Thank you for your new mercy every morning...a new chance to do it over and make it better. Thank you for allowing us to work for Your kingdom! Give us the wisdom and the grace to love well all of those You put in our path, so that they will feel Your love and turn to You.
The book of Judges runs about 350 years from 1400BC-ish to 1043BC-ish, but I can clearly see our American culture and even my own personal behavior interwoven into these scriptures. This brings to mind a mantra from my days with my precious Boothmakers, "For I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal 3:6) and therefore...We the people, do not change! It's almost sad to think that after thousands of years, we people are still making the same mistakes over and over and over...no wonder Satan's still in business. His bag of five tricks still applies and we fall for them all the time!
The Israelites were miraculously released from Egypt after 400 years of oppressive slavery. God maintained them for an entire generation as they wandered, homeless. He handed them city after city for their possession, and now Joshua has gone on to be with the Lord and they were left without a leader. Over and over and over Moses told them in Deut to REMEMBER what the Lord has done for you! Talk about it all the time, tell your children about it, take time each week and several times a year to reflect on the miracles and great mercy God has shown you and offer your thanks and praise for His undeserved love. This attitude of humility and gratitude was sure to keep them on course, but they chose to go their own way instead.
In some ways, this book was painful to read. Israel went in a vicious circle over and over again and could never seem to remain steady. Their command when taking the Promised Land was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes...so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deut 20:16,18) That seems pretty clear, and it's obvious God had good reason for the command He gave. He knew the effect disobedience would have on Israel...it would draw them away from Him, and He knew that HE was what was best for them. After Joshua passes, there was still a lot of land left to be taken, but Israel chose not to finish well. "Manasseh did not take possession..., Ephraim did not drive out..., Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants." (Jud 1:27-33) In many cases the Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor, but this was not their command. They had been commanded to destroy. So why didn't they follow through? I don't know. Maybe they grew compassionate toward the Canaanites, maybe they were unable to rally the military without Joshua, maybe they were simply tired of fighting and didn't want to put forth the effort any more, maybe they thought what they had already accomplished was good enough? Either way, this first generation after Joshua dropped the ball. They did not obey the Lord in battle, they did not obey Moses' commands to remember His goodness, and as a result, "all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) That statement frightens me...could that be said of my generation?
And so the see saw begins. Because Israel chose to live among the Canaanites instead of destroy them as they were commanded, their self seeking idol worship became appealing and lured in Israel until "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger." (Jud 2:11-12) The Lord sold them into slavery (Jug 3:8). It took eight years for the oppression to finally get through to Israel. Like the prodigal son, they finally remembered that they have a Father who can help them and the cried out to Him. This "cried out" is za-aq in Hebrew meaning to shriek from anguish or danger, to assemble, to gather together. Mercifully, the Lord raised up a deliverer, the first Judge, Othniel. This "deliverer" is yasha in Hebrew and it means to be open, wide, free, to be safe. This same word is often used to describe God himself in the Psalms (Ps 18:2, 40:17, 70:5, 144:2). So the Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel and he led Israel to victory over their oppressors "and the land had rest forty years" (Jud 3:11). But as soon as Othniel died, the cycle started again...Isreal "did evil in the sight of the Lord" then they cried out (za-aq) then God provided a deliverer (yasha). Over and over and over they repeated this cycle for 350 years! Some stretches of peace were longer than others, but it never fails that they end up back in the cycle.
Somehow, I feel like we're still in this cycle today...as a culture. If you look back through world history, there are periods of great revival and periods of great darkness. Even in our own century you can see the cycle...the "Roaring 20s," the Great Depression, the conservative 50s, the free love 60s and 70s. The question is, where are we in this cycle today? On we on our way toward God or are we pulling away from Him? I think the answer to this varies, depending on your perspective...are you a half empty or half full kind of person? It would be easy to point out the climbing divorce rate, the growing (awareness) of the sex trade, the failing morals of our culture, the number of abortions being performed and say that we have slapped God in the face. In a lot of ways, I agree. Our culture, as a whole, has told God that we are not interested in His "intolerant" ways. However, Toby and I intentionally choose not to immerse ourselves in our country's media, but to rather investigate what God is doing today around the world. God is on the move today, people! Hearts are coming alive for Him all over our planet! Yes, there is great oppression and moral decline to compete with, but people are crying out, they are za-aq, they are shrieking out for God to help them. And He is just as faithful today as He was thousands of years ago. He is showing mercy and bringing life to any and all who call on Him!
So how can we stop this cycle?
Moses told us the keys waaaay back a few generations ago...
REMEMBER
"Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." (Deut 4:9)
KNOW AND DO MY WAYS, TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)
HE WILL POUR OUT BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK HIM
"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut 7:9)
As a parent, this hits me square in the face! Not only am I to pursue Christ with everything I have, but I am to teach these things to my children. In the very next verse after Joshua dies, we read "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) It is critical that we pass on these things to our children, and not just head knowledge and the ability to recite felt board stories. Our children need to know (yada - to ascertain by seeing, familiar friend, kinsmen) the Lord Jesus. They need to be able to recognize His voice and understand His Word for themselves. They need to know who they are...they are sons and daughters of the most High God! They are eligible for great blessings and anointings, and should live a life expecting amazing things from our God. Are we teaching them that? Or are we teaching them happy Bible stories, and that it's rude to be disobedient, and that good Christians go to church on Sundays? What a challenge! About a year ago, I heard a parenting speaker say, "You can't expect your children to be something you're not." In other words, how can I expect Haley to walk in a manner worthy of God's anointing when I don't do that myself? It is up to me to live that way now, to model it for her, and to teach her His ways as she grows. I don't want her to grow up and be a mini-Carey. I want her to grow up and be like Jesus, so that is who I need to be modeling for her!
Today I heard it said, "You will only pass along one of two things to your children...God's promises or your fears." I don't want to communicate my fears or doubts to my children. I want them to see me stand firm in the promises of God and for them to see, with their own two eyes, how our God is faithful to meet those promises! That is what will build their faith. That is what will keep them grounded in our Jesus when they go off to college, and that is what will turn our culture to the greater stage of this cycle. Will we become a nation that cries out...ZA-AQ...will we shriek in anguish for God to come heal our land and make His name famous?!? Or will we continue with the status quo and our box checking religion? We have the power to turn this cycle...will we?
Sweet Jesus, Your endless patience and mercy are beyond anything I can comprehend and we are so unworthy of the outpouring of love You offer to us. Please help us to put ourselves aside, open our eyes to the truth of the state of our culture. Give us a hunger for You and a desire to see You sweep across our nation and our world. Give us the wisdom and the boldness to go after the things that matter to You and pass by the things of no eternal significance. Help us to teach our children about You. Reveal Yourself to them and help us equip them to continue the battle we are beginning now. Thank you for your new mercy every morning...a new chance to do it over and make it better. Thank you for allowing us to work for Your kingdom! Give us the wisdom and the grace to love well all of those You put in our path, so that they will feel Your love and turn to You.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Hope is Rising
In order to give God all the due credit for the changes He's made in my heart, I have to give you some gory details of where I've been over the past few months. God moved us to Mobile from Tennessee in August of last year for Toby to begin his Masters in Theology in pursuit of full time ministry...someday. Miracle after miracle confirmed that this was truly His plan for us and not some hairbrained idea we cooked up.
Because we lived in Mobile for three and a half years before moving to Tennessee, I guess I assumed we would pick up our friendships where they left off when we moved back. We had done a fair job of keeping in touch with our Mobile friends while we were in Tennessee, but I'm sure we could have done better. So we moved back in August and started to meet up with a few people for dinner or to watch a football game, but all in all we ended up on our own most of the time. At first I chalked this up as everyone being busy with their own schedules or us living a fair distance from the area where most of our friends live. But after a while, we came to the realization that most of our "friendships" we had established before were really just acquaintances with common situations and we found ourselves basically alone, starting over in a new city yet again. Toby and I have moved to three cities during our six years of marriage, so starting over wasn't a new concept to us. I guess I had just assumed that since we'd been here before it would be easier this time.
We tried to make friends in our neighborhood or invite Toby's coworkers over for dinner, but plans always seemed to fall through. As I started focusing on the reality of our situation, I allowed loneliness, hurt and fear to creep in. Eventually this hurt and anger festered into bitterness and isolation. I found myself isolating myself from the few relationships we did have, from Toby and often even from my sweet Jesus. I just wanted to sit and cry or better yet sleep and forget it all. I would almost say that the beginning stages of depression were closing in on me. I knew it, and I allowed it. I didn't have any strength or reason to fight it off...or so I thought. There have been so many days over the last few months when I would put Haley down for a nap and retreat to my room and simply sob...over my loneliness, my fear of what our life in Mobile would turn into, grief over missing my friends in Tennessee, and the truth over what I'd allowed my life to become. I'm sure on the outside everything still looked peachy and happy, but I was dying inside. I had never known loneliness and isolation like this before. And I'm sure my raging pregnancy hormones only added fuel to the fire.
Because I was fully aware of my poor attitude and the power to change it was in my hands, I avoided my sweet Jesus. I didn't want to hear what I knew He wanted to say...but that didn't stop Him. For months I didn't sleep well. I often woke up at strange hours of the night and would be wide awake. Because I normally sleep like a log, I knew this was Him begging me to please come to Him...but I resisted. Somehow I liked being angry. It gave me some sick purpose and I wasn't ready to give it up yet. Yes, I know I'm stubborn...it's in my blood. Christmas was actually a welcome distraction. The busyness and family time offered me a convenient excuse to pretend like I was too busy for them and it took the edge off of Jesus' absence. But as soon as the holidays were over, the family had gone home and life returned to normal, the emptiness started to eat me alive.
I wrestled with it in my mind all the time and my poor Toby took the brunt of it. My short and hurtful words and attitude toward him were evidence that things weren't ok, but he did a great job of sticking it out and not fighting back, even though he had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it. Finally, finally I gave in last week. Knowing that things would only get worse, I would only fall farther from my sweet Jesus, and I was missing out on His blessings every day that I pushed Him away...I had to fess up. I sat on my bed and journaled for the first time in weeks. I poured out the truth about my loneliness, hurt, anger and bitterness and oh man, it's one thing to know the truth, but it's quite another to confess it to the One who loves you the most. That was a hard pride pill to swallow, but by His grace I did it.
After I poured my thoughts out on paper I picked up where I left off reading in Judges and fell across the theme verse for the book, "Every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6) I couldn't get past this verse. I read it over and over and over again. Knowing He had something to add, I forced myself to be open to what the Spirit wanted to say. "You don't have community. You felt like you could get away with this (i.e. anger) and look where it's gotten you - You're bitter and separated from me. Satan is dragging you from the herd to destroy you." I knew He was right and all I could do was cry out for Him to save me...to draw me back under His safe wings of protection...to change my heart. I felt as though a boulder had been lifted from my shoulders.
The change wasn't immediate, but hour by hour and day by day I could feel the heaviness lifting. He would put a scripture or a person in my path that would push me in the right direction. Now, a week later I have allowed forgiveness to cleanse my soul and I can finally breathe easier!
The amazing thing about how much my Jesus loves me is that as soon (and I do mean "as soon") as I confessed this ugliness and asked Him to heal me, He immediately began to pour out healing and answered my prayers. The next day I attended the first meeting of a new women's bible study...a time that I have desperately missed since leaving my beloved Boothmakers in Tennessee. While I didn't establish any huge friendship bonds that day, simply being able to talk about my Jesus with a group of women brought so much healing to my weathered soul. The next day I attended a MOPS meeting for the first time since before Christmas. I had seen these women for months in MOPS, but again just spending time with other moms who understand my world was so refreshing! Then, I got off my butt and invited a MOPS friend to lunch. Our families met at a restaurant for lunch and I so enjoyed the company and the new friendships that were forming, not just with me and my new friend, but also between our husbands and children. Toby had also invited a coworker to dinner, so they came over that evening with their new baby and we enjoyed the beginnings of possibly another new relationship. On Sunday morning, we visited yet another new church, but something felt different about this one and so I left Toby to put Haley down for bed and attended their Sunday night meeting. The people were so genuinely sweet and interested in me and my story that I felt right at home. Afterwords I ended up in a conversation with another young mom. After a thirty minute conversation I discovered that we have tons in common and she lives just around the corner from us! At the end of our conversation, I told her I was glad to have met her and enjoyed our talk and she instinctively opened her arms and gave me a huge hug. It wasn't awkward or weird for a stranger to reach out to hug me (I'm a hugger myself), but I knew those were my sweet Jesus' arms wrapped around me. Tears came over me as I walked to my car and He told me, "I see you. I know what you need and I love you so much. We're going to make it through this."
As I've thought about where I allowed myself to go, I have to admit that I am no better than the stupid Israelites I so easily make fun of. They watched the ten plagues fall on Egypt. They saw the Red Sea part as they crossed on dry land. They ate food from heaven day in and day out and yet days after all of these miraculous events they started whining about BEING HUNGRY, of all things, and they wanted to go back to Egypt! What idiots, I would think to myself. Well, here I am...God worked out every single obstacle in our way...He bought our house, He gave us a well paying job in Mobile, He even gave us movers to move our things, and I am whining about being lonely and pouting about wanting to go back. There is absolutely no difference in my story and theirs. I turned my back on Him just as quickly as they did, but the good news is that our God is rich in mercy and grace. He is quick to forgive my selfishness and disobedience and tucks me under His wing as soon as I let down my guard. I will never understand the depths of His love for me, but man am I grateful.
As part of my healing process last week, I finally allowed myself to worship with Toby. We turned on worship from Bethel through the internet and I spent most of the hour in tears, and then almost numb as I felt His healing wash over me like a soothing balm. At the end of the night, Toby, still not know the half of what was going through my mind at the time, handed me his bible with a verse underlined and said, "this is what I got for tonight" ..."Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him." (Is 30:18) I read through the first part of the chapter and wouldn't you know that it talks about how Israel had run off to Egypt for help without God's permission or instruction. They had taken matters into their own hands out of fear, but He was still full of grace and compassion for them. Thank you Jesus for the exact words I needed to hear on that night, for restoring my heart, for forgiving all of my mess, and for loving me enough to pick me up right where I am and keep on going. You are far more wonderful than anything I deserve.
Because we lived in Mobile for three and a half years before moving to Tennessee, I guess I assumed we would pick up our friendships where they left off when we moved back. We had done a fair job of keeping in touch with our Mobile friends while we were in Tennessee, but I'm sure we could have done better. So we moved back in August and started to meet up with a few people for dinner or to watch a football game, but all in all we ended up on our own most of the time. At first I chalked this up as everyone being busy with their own schedules or us living a fair distance from the area where most of our friends live. But after a while, we came to the realization that most of our "friendships" we had established before were really just acquaintances with common situations and we found ourselves basically alone, starting over in a new city yet again. Toby and I have moved to three cities during our six years of marriage, so starting over wasn't a new concept to us. I guess I had just assumed that since we'd been here before it would be easier this time.
We tried to make friends in our neighborhood or invite Toby's coworkers over for dinner, but plans always seemed to fall through. As I started focusing on the reality of our situation, I allowed loneliness, hurt and fear to creep in. Eventually this hurt and anger festered into bitterness and isolation. I found myself isolating myself from the few relationships we did have, from Toby and often even from my sweet Jesus. I just wanted to sit and cry or better yet sleep and forget it all. I would almost say that the beginning stages of depression were closing in on me. I knew it, and I allowed it. I didn't have any strength or reason to fight it off...or so I thought. There have been so many days over the last few months when I would put Haley down for a nap and retreat to my room and simply sob...over my loneliness, my fear of what our life in Mobile would turn into, grief over missing my friends in Tennessee, and the truth over what I'd allowed my life to become. I'm sure on the outside everything still looked peachy and happy, but I was dying inside. I had never known loneliness and isolation like this before. And I'm sure my raging pregnancy hormones only added fuel to the fire.
Because I was fully aware of my poor attitude and the power to change it was in my hands, I avoided my sweet Jesus. I didn't want to hear what I knew He wanted to say...but that didn't stop Him. For months I didn't sleep well. I often woke up at strange hours of the night and would be wide awake. Because I normally sleep like a log, I knew this was Him begging me to please come to Him...but I resisted. Somehow I liked being angry. It gave me some sick purpose and I wasn't ready to give it up yet. Yes, I know I'm stubborn...it's in my blood. Christmas was actually a welcome distraction. The busyness and family time offered me a convenient excuse to pretend like I was too busy for them and it took the edge off of Jesus' absence. But as soon as the holidays were over, the family had gone home and life returned to normal, the emptiness started to eat me alive.
I wrestled with it in my mind all the time and my poor Toby took the brunt of it. My short and hurtful words and attitude toward him were evidence that things weren't ok, but he did a great job of sticking it out and not fighting back, even though he had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it. Finally, finally I gave in last week. Knowing that things would only get worse, I would only fall farther from my sweet Jesus, and I was missing out on His blessings every day that I pushed Him away...I had to fess up. I sat on my bed and journaled for the first time in weeks. I poured out the truth about my loneliness, hurt, anger and bitterness and oh man, it's one thing to know the truth, but it's quite another to confess it to the One who loves you the most. That was a hard pride pill to swallow, but by His grace I did it.
After I poured my thoughts out on paper I picked up where I left off reading in Judges and fell across the theme verse for the book, "Every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6) I couldn't get past this verse. I read it over and over and over again. Knowing He had something to add, I forced myself to be open to what the Spirit wanted to say. "You don't have community. You felt like you could get away with this (i.e. anger) and look where it's gotten you - You're bitter and separated from me. Satan is dragging you from the herd to destroy you." I knew He was right and all I could do was cry out for Him to save me...to draw me back under His safe wings of protection...to change my heart. I felt as though a boulder had been lifted from my shoulders.
The change wasn't immediate, but hour by hour and day by day I could feel the heaviness lifting. He would put a scripture or a person in my path that would push me in the right direction. Now, a week later I have allowed forgiveness to cleanse my soul and I can finally breathe easier!
The amazing thing about how much my Jesus loves me is that as soon (and I do mean "as soon") as I confessed this ugliness and asked Him to heal me, He immediately began to pour out healing and answered my prayers. The next day I attended the first meeting of a new women's bible study...a time that I have desperately missed since leaving my beloved Boothmakers in Tennessee. While I didn't establish any huge friendship bonds that day, simply being able to talk about my Jesus with a group of women brought so much healing to my weathered soul. The next day I attended a MOPS meeting for the first time since before Christmas. I had seen these women for months in MOPS, but again just spending time with other moms who understand my world was so refreshing! Then, I got off my butt and invited a MOPS friend to lunch. Our families met at a restaurant for lunch and I so enjoyed the company and the new friendships that were forming, not just with me and my new friend, but also between our husbands and children. Toby had also invited a coworker to dinner, so they came over that evening with their new baby and we enjoyed the beginnings of possibly another new relationship. On Sunday morning, we visited yet another new church, but something felt different about this one and so I left Toby to put Haley down for bed and attended their Sunday night meeting. The people were so genuinely sweet and interested in me and my story that I felt right at home. Afterwords I ended up in a conversation with another young mom. After a thirty minute conversation I discovered that we have tons in common and she lives just around the corner from us! At the end of our conversation, I told her I was glad to have met her and enjoyed our talk and she instinctively opened her arms and gave me a huge hug. It wasn't awkward or weird for a stranger to reach out to hug me (I'm a hugger myself), but I knew those were my sweet Jesus' arms wrapped around me. Tears came over me as I walked to my car and He told me, "I see you. I know what you need and I love you so much. We're going to make it through this."
As I've thought about where I allowed myself to go, I have to admit that I am no better than the stupid Israelites I so easily make fun of. They watched the ten plagues fall on Egypt. They saw the Red Sea part as they crossed on dry land. They ate food from heaven day in and day out and yet days after all of these miraculous events they started whining about BEING HUNGRY, of all things, and they wanted to go back to Egypt! What idiots, I would think to myself. Well, here I am...God worked out every single obstacle in our way...He bought our house, He gave us a well paying job in Mobile, He even gave us movers to move our things, and I am whining about being lonely and pouting about wanting to go back. There is absolutely no difference in my story and theirs. I turned my back on Him just as quickly as they did, but the good news is that our God is rich in mercy and grace. He is quick to forgive my selfishness and disobedience and tucks me under His wing as soon as I let down my guard. I will never understand the depths of His love for me, but man am I grateful.
As part of my healing process last week, I finally allowed myself to worship with Toby. We turned on worship from Bethel through the internet and I spent most of the hour in tears, and then almost numb as I felt His healing wash over me like a soothing balm. At the end of the night, Toby, still not know the half of what was going through my mind at the time, handed me his bible with a verse underlined and said, "this is what I got for tonight" ..."Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him." (Is 30:18) I read through the first part of the chapter and wouldn't you know that it talks about how Israel had run off to Egypt for help without God's permission or instruction. They had taken matters into their own hands out of fear, but He was still full of grace and compassion for them. Thank you Jesus for the exact words I needed to hear on that night, for restoring my heart, for forgiving all of my mess, and for loving me enough to pick me up right where I am and keep on going. You are far more wonderful than anything I deserve.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Mary, my hero
As is our Christmas Eve tradition (ok, second year in a row and hope to continue each year), we watched the Nativity Story together as a family tonight. I'm always taken aback by the emotion and life that comes from the movie...more so than from just reading the story from Luke.
I am always struck by Mary's young age, yet her mother even commented that she was married even younger. This seems so foreign and almost abusive in our culture, but to understand that her father's act of giving her to Joseph was a great gift of love, paints the situation in a new light. To see the poverty and oppression these people lived under brings to life why they were so eagerly waiting for a political leader to free them from their abuse. Mary seemed to know that the Messiah would not be that kind of king.
When the angel appeared to her, she calmly agreed and offered herself in obedience. She couldn't possibly understand in that moment all that she was agreeing to...bearing a child out of wedlock and the stigma that would follow her, likely for the rest of her life. Yet, she humbly replied, "Let it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) It makes me think, "How many times has God asked me to do something for His kingdom, even something small, and my response is opposition or a pitiful excuse? What would our world be like, if we all displayed Mary's humility, trust and obedience? Sure there have been times we have been hugely obedient, but what about the small things? "Carey, I want Toby to quit his job, for you to move back to Mobile and I'll fill you in on the rest later." We were eager with this big thing, "Sure! Let's go" "Carey, I want you to walk across the street and love on the lonely single mom that lives there." "Ooo, I don't know. I don't seem to have much in common with her. I'm not sure how she'll react to my friendship. Maybe later." What is that?!? How is it that we could so easily obey with the life altering command, but now I can't bring myself to pass on His love to the very people He brought us here for? Jesus, please help me to trust You and be obedient with Mary's great faith.
So Mary receives this earth shattering (yeah, literally) prophecy. What's the first thing a 14 year girl wants to do with big news? Duh, share it with the first person who will listen! Well, this wasn't quite that kind of news. She may not have known the full picture, but she knew enough to know that turning up with a baby while engaged could quickly get her killed. This was a BIG deal and Mary knew it. I doubt she even shared this news with her mother at first. I can only imagine the thoughts going through her mind with the gravity of what had happened. Now, she went to visit Elizabeth who immediately responded to her presence with excitement and blessing (Luke 1:39-56). Our sweet Jesus knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Mary needed to talk. She needed someone who understood and someone who supported her. By God's grace, Elizabeth understood before Mary told her one word about what had happened and why she had come to visit. As we watched the movie tonight, I let out a sigh as Elizabeth embraced Mary and the weight of all that she was carrying was lifted, if only for a while. Thank you God, for giving Mary the love, acceptance and encouragement she needed during such an overwhelming time!
Joseph will always blow my socks off. He was an honorable man and could have easily (and rightfully) had Mary stoned for her apparent infidelity, but his love of the Lord and his obedience spared her life. I wonder what their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was really like. In the movie, Mary and Joseph get to know each other for the first time and he proves to be a servant of the Lord and a servant to others. He is strong, humble, caring. Perhaps their trip really went that way. God knew that Mary and Joseph had a difficult road together, and He was working, even at this rocky, early stage of their marriage, to knit them into one flesh. Thank you God for your provisions for marriage. I pray a special blessing over all marriages today, that they would be strengthened and that husbands and wives will work together, with servant hearts for the good of Your kingdom.
When they finally made it to Bethlehem and Mary goes into labor, I can only imagine the myriad of emotions that coursed through them. Their was likely the excitement any couple feels as they prepare to welcome their child, but more than that great anxiety...where to settle to deliver the baby and the actual delivery itself. Perhaps Mary had been a part of Elizabeth's delivery of John, but she was still a girl herself with no mother or midwife to help her through. Men weren't generally invited to partake in the childbirth experience and having no previous children, Joseph was certainly completely lost and overwhelmed. Even though the fear of the moment was likely enormous, I like to think that God's mercy and supernatural peace filled every inch of that stable. My motto from the last year has become, "God will never ask you to do something and then not provide what you need to do it." I have to believe the same was true for Joseph and Mary on the scary night. He provided exactly what they needed, exactly when they needed it. He is so good and His timing is impeccable!
After the movie was over, I thought for a bit about how God's hand was fully involved with every single step of bringing Jesus into our world. Not only had He waited for the right time in history, but He had specifically chosen Mary and Joseph, out of all of humanity from all time, these are the two people He entrusted His son to. He knew that they loved Him, that they would be obedient to the scriptures and to His specific instructions to them, and that they would prepare Jesus for His ministry and ultimately His precious sacrifice. He protected Mary from stoning when she turned up pregnant out of wedlock. He orchestrated the census and coordinated the timing of Jesus' birth with the fulfillment of ancient prophesy. He protected the tiny baby Jesus from Herod's numerous attempts to destroy Him. God's eye did not leave that little family for one second. He had a great plan for that baby and He was going to see it fulfilled.
As I checked on my sleeping Haley tonight, I thought, "Jesus, I love her so much. I totally understand the adoration Mary had for that baby and her instinct to protect him with everything she had." I cannot fathom the thought of someone tearing into my home and killing my two year old right in front of me...a horror that many mothers in Bethlehem endured (Matt 2:16-18). The need to protect my Haley was overwhelming and physical. I couldn't tear myself from her room. Just then, I heard the beautiful, still small voice, "I love you that much. Just as I love Jesus and I had a plan for Him while He was on the earth and I protected Him all of His days, I love you that much." As soon as the voice finished, I heard a song of confirmation from Haley's stereo..."Yes, Jesus loves me." I am totally undone when I try to imagine the depth of His love for me. For ME! Carey! Of all people, I am nothing special. I'm not noteworthy in this world's eyes. I am not worthy of the love and affection of the master of the universe. But yet, He sees me. He knows every thought and He has a wonderful plan, just for me. And just as He used Mary, a nobody from a nowhere town, He can use me to change this world forever...if I would only respond with Mary's trust and obedience...."May it be done to me according to your word." And nothing more...no more excuses or procrastination. When He says "go," world changers go. They don't ask questions or complain or pout or negotiate the details. They trust the Almighty and they go.
Sweet Abba, I will never understand the depth of Your love for me. I will never understand how Your grace and mercy are never ending and You give them so freely and in such abundance. I will never understand how You were able to send your son here for me. Although I will never understand these things, please help me to never take them for granted. Thank you for sending Jesus to love me with all that He had. Thank you for loving me with the depth of love You have for Him. Help me to grasp this and trust it more each day. Help me to walk in Mary's obedience and faithfulness and to share Your love and Your mercy with every soul I encounter, without hesitation, from this day forward. I want to be a world changer like Mary. Please lead me closer to You, day by day. With all that I have to give...
Labor of Love by Andrew Peterson
This is a glimpse, please take a few minutes to quiet your soul and experience this incredible night with Mary.
You can read the entire story of Jesus' birthday below:
Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:5-2:40
I am always struck by Mary's young age, yet her mother even commented that she was married even younger. This seems so foreign and almost abusive in our culture, but to understand that her father's act of giving her to Joseph was a great gift of love, paints the situation in a new light. To see the poverty and oppression these people lived under brings to life why they were so eagerly waiting for a political leader to free them from their abuse. Mary seemed to know that the Messiah would not be that kind of king.
When the angel appeared to her, she calmly agreed and offered herself in obedience. She couldn't possibly understand in that moment all that she was agreeing to...bearing a child out of wedlock and the stigma that would follow her, likely for the rest of her life. Yet, she humbly replied, "Let it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) It makes me think, "How many times has God asked me to do something for His kingdom, even something small, and my response is opposition or a pitiful excuse? What would our world be like, if we all displayed Mary's humility, trust and obedience? Sure there have been times we have been hugely obedient, but what about the small things? "Carey, I want Toby to quit his job, for you to move back to Mobile and I'll fill you in on the rest later." We were eager with this big thing, "Sure! Let's go" "Carey, I want you to walk across the street and love on the lonely single mom that lives there." "Ooo, I don't know. I don't seem to have much in common with her. I'm not sure how she'll react to my friendship. Maybe later." What is that?!? How is it that we could so easily obey with the life altering command, but now I can't bring myself to pass on His love to the very people He brought us here for? Jesus, please help me to trust You and be obedient with Mary's great faith.
So Mary receives this earth shattering (yeah, literally) prophecy. What's the first thing a 14 year girl wants to do with big news? Duh, share it with the first person who will listen! Well, this wasn't quite that kind of news. She may not have known the full picture, but she knew enough to know that turning up with a baby while engaged could quickly get her killed. This was a BIG deal and Mary knew it. I doubt she even shared this news with her mother at first. I can only imagine the thoughts going through her mind with the gravity of what had happened. Now, she went to visit Elizabeth who immediately responded to her presence with excitement and blessing (Luke 1:39-56). Our sweet Jesus knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Mary needed to talk. She needed someone who understood and someone who supported her. By God's grace, Elizabeth understood before Mary told her one word about what had happened and why she had come to visit. As we watched the movie tonight, I let out a sigh as Elizabeth embraced Mary and the weight of all that she was carrying was lifted, if only for a while. Thank you God, for giving Mary the love, acceptance and encouragement she needed during such an overwhelming time!
Joseph will always blow my socks off. He was an honorable man and could have easily (and rightfully) had Mary stoned for her apparent infidelity, but his love of the Lord and his obedience spared her life. I wonder what their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was really like. In the movie, Mary and Joseph get to know each other for the first time and he proves to be a servant of the Lord and a servant to others. He is strong, humble, caring. Perhaps their trip really went that way. God knew that Mary and Joseph had a difficult road together, and He was working, even at this rocky, early stage of their marriage, to knit them into one flesh. Thank you God for your provisions for marriage. I pray a special blessing over all marriages today, that they would be strengthened and that husbands and wives will work together, with servant hearts for the good of Your kingdom.
When they finally made it to Bethlehem and Mary goes into labor, I can only imagine the myriad of emotions that coursed through them. Their was likely the excitement any couple feels as they prepare to welcome their child, but more than that great anxiety...where to settle to deliver the baby and the actual delivery itself. Perhaps Mary had been a part of Elizabeth's delivery of John, but she was still a girl herself with no mother or midwife to help her through. Men weren't generally invited to partake in the childbirth experience and having no previous children, Joseph was certainly completely lost and overwhelmed. Even though the fear of the moment was likely enormous, I like to think that God's mercy and supernatural peace filled every inch of that stable. My motto from the last year has become, "God will never ask you to do something and then not provide what you need to do it." I have to believe the same was true for Joseph and Mary on the scary night. He provided exactly what they needed, exactly when they needed it. He is so good and His timing is impeccable!
After the movie was over, I thought for a bit about how God's hand was fully involved with every single step of bringing Jesus into our world. Not only had He waited for the right time in history, but He had specifically chosen Mary and Joseph, out of all of humanity from all time, these are the two people He entrusted His son to. He knew that they loved Him, that they would be obedient to the scriptures and to His specific instructions to them, and that they would prepare Jesus for His ministry and ultimately His precious sacrifice. He protected Mary from stoning when she turned up pregnant out of wedlock. He orchestrated the census and coordinated the timing of Jesus' birth with the fulfillment of ancient prophesy. He protected the tiny baby Jesus from Herod's numerous attempts to destroy Him. God's eye did not leave that little family for one second. He had a great plan for that baby and He was going to see it fulfilled.
As I checked on my sleeping Haley tonight, I thought, "Jesus, I love her so much. I totally understand the adoration Mary had for that baby and her instinct to protect him with everything she had." I cannot fathom the thought of someone tearing into my home and killing my two year old right in front of me...a horror that many mothers in Bethlehem endured (Matt 2:16-18). The need to protect my Haley was overwhelming and physical. I couldn't tear myself from her room. Just then, I heard the beautiful, still small voice, "I love you that much. Just as I love Jesus and I had a plan for Him while He was on the earth and I protected Him all of His days, I love you that much." As soon as the voice finished, I heard a song of confirmation from Haley's stereo..."Yes, Jesus loves me." I am totally undone when I try to imagine the depth of His love for me. For ME! Carey! Of all people, I am nothing special. I'm not noteworthy in this world's eyes. I am not worthy of the love and affection of the master of the universe. But yet, He sees me. He knows every thought and He has a wonderful plan, just for me. And just as He used Mary, a nobody from a nowhere town, He can use me to change this world forever...if I would only respond with Mary's trust and obedience...."May it be done to me according to your word." And nothing more...no more excuses or procrastination. When He says "go," world changers go. They don't ask questions or complain or pout or negotiate the details. They trust the Almighty and they go.
Sweet Abba, I will never understand the depth of Your love for me. I will never understand how Your grace and mercy are never ending and You give them so freely and in such abundance. I will never understand how You were able to send your son here for me. Although I will never understand these things, please help me to never take them for granted. Thank you for sending Jesus to love me with all that He had. Thank you for loving me with the depth of love You have for Him. Help me to grasp this and trust it more each day. Help me to walk in Mary's obedience and faithfulness and to share Your love and Your mercy with every soul I encounter, without hesitation, from this day forward. I want to be a world changer like Mary. Please lead me closer to You, day by day. With all that I have to give...
Labor of Love by Andrew Peterson
This is a glimpse, please take a few minutes to quiet your soul and experience this incredible night with Mary.
You can read the entire story of Jesus' birthday below:
Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:5-2:40
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
One bad dude (Joshua)
I've told you a million times that I grew up in church and have heard Bible stories all my life, but HELLO, they were holding out on me! Most of my knowledge (to date) of the Old Testament was gained through popular memory verses, the occasional OT sermon, or happy Sunday School stories, aka the felt board. If you have ever stepped foot in a third grade, Southern Baptist Sunday school class, you know what I'm talking about. As I read through the pages of Joshua over the last few weeks, I was blown away at how skewed my understanding was of the Promised Land...whoa baby, hold on to your hats!
At the end of Deut, Moses taps Joshua to lead the Israelites on his way to be with Jesus. From my calculations Joshua was pushing 90 and boy was this geezer handed a big assignment! It was time to bust into the Promised Land. The land God had been talking about for generations, hundreds of years. It was finally time to stop talking about it and start taking it and a 90 year old man was just the man for the job.
Joshua had lots of military experience...funny how God prepares us along the way, isn't it? In fact, we first met Joshua when Moses charged him with leading the battle against the Amalekites, not long after they crossed the Red Sea. As Joshua fought, Moses stood atop a hill and held the staff of God high. When his hands were raised the Israelites prevailed, when they lowered the Amalekites prevailed. Remember, Moses was no spring chicken by this time, so naturally his arms got tired. (Don't judge, you try standing there with your arms up for hours on end...P90X's got nothing on that workout!) Anyway, Aaron and Hur came to his rescue...they brought him a rock to sit on and they each held up an arm...all, day, long. At the end of the day, Israel won and I'm sure Moses was one exhausted dude. But anyway, this was Joshua's first taste God's military faithfulness (as far as we know anyway). (Exodus 17)
Next, Joshua was included in an elite group that got to meet with God. No, no, I'm not talking about a Tuesday night prayer meeting...MEET. WITH. GOD! "and they saw the god of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Ex 24:10-11) Now, I would like to think physically seeing the God of the universe and sharing a meal with Him would have some kind of lasting impact on a person. God knew what He was doing, Joshua was being shaped and molded for the enormous task that lay decades ahead. Joshua had a taste of the real thing, and he couldn't get enough. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Ex 33:11)
Later, Joshua was selected as one of twelve men sent on a spy mission to check out the Promised Land. The men came back and reported to the people of the amazing land they had seen, but they quickly coward and were afraid of the strong people and fortified cities. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve confident that God would provide what He promised..."The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us - a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Num 14:7-9) Can't you just hear the dun, dun, dun drama music? I wonder if Joshua had any idea that he would be the one to fulfill those words...40 years later.
So, here we are. Israel has wandered, seemingly aimlessly, throughout the wilderness for four decades. Their beloved Moses has just passed on and Joshua has been tapped to take them in. It's about 1400BC. Just a side note here, I was curious as to what else was going on in the world around this time and it just so happens that King Tut died about 60 years later in 1343BC. Now, why do we hear so much about the young king and his bling and rarely hear about one of the greatest military conquests in all of history? I wonder if Tut had heard of Joshua's conquests? After all, it was just one generation later and you know how a good story will last. Nowadays, people are still talking about where they were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Hmm...food for thought.
Anyway, back to the story. The book starts with Joshua's charge. God tells Joshua, "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." (Josh 1:5) Then He told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" not just once, but four times in the first chapter. Um, hello? Is there something scary ahead?
The first targeted city is Jericho, just to the west of the Jordan River. Joshua sends two spies to check it out and report back to him. Somehow they meet up with a harlot (that's Bible for prostitute) named Rahab who takes them in and hides them. Now, let's think about this. Why did they need hiding? Did they stand out that badly? I suppose forty years of wilderness wandering would leave one without the current fashion, not to mention the nation of Israel may have had distinguishing physical features. Either way, Rahab spotted them but then protected them? Well, why did she do that? Word had traveled through these cities about the Israelites. (Josh 2:8-11) How God dried up the Red Sea, how they had amazingly defeated the Amorites and Og (I'm sorry, I think the phrase was "utterly destroyed"), and that God had given their land to them and now they were coming for it. Funny...how did they know all that? Well first, it's probably not too difficult to spot nearly 2 million people wandering, especially after they'd passed by a few times. Also, I'm guessing the Israelites traded with or interacted with people over their 40 year stay in no man's land, either directly with these residents or with traveling traders or such. Just a hunch, but either way word had gotten around, Rahab had heard it and had accepted that theirs was the one true God. Long story short, Rahab hides the spies and helps them get away, Israel spares her and her family during the attack, and she, a harlot and a foreigner, is blessed by being added to Jesus' lineage...talk about an inclusive God! (Matt 1:5).
The spies return to camp with the necessary information and Israel packs up to head that way. One problem...there's a huge river between point A and point B, and no Golden Gate bridge waiting to assist them. So God, for the second time, dries up a massive body of water for the entire nation, livestock and all, to cross. And mind you, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who got to see the Red Sea split first hand. The rest of the nation had heard about it all their lives and now they were seeing their own miracle. Pretty cool. So why does God perform these miracles, even today, (besides the physical need of crossing said major water system)? "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:24 (Uh huh, so that they will know that I am God...sound familiar?)
They set up camp a few miles from their target city, Jericho, and received the battle plan from the Lord...march in circles around the city, blow your horns and the walls will fall down. Really? Seriously? That's your big plan? You see, cities during this time had enormous walls all the way around them and often only had one gate for people to go in and out. These walls would be several stories high and many, many feet thick. We're not talking about a center block retaining wall here. This was a fortress. And God told them to yell at it and it would fall...riiight. But Joshua never wavered, never questioned or doubted. He followed God's instructions to a T because he'd seen Him do great things before and he had absolute confidence that He would come through again.
So here's where my felt board education has failed me. My vision of this event climaxed with 25 men standing outside the huge city gate, they gave a yell, "Ah," more like a football cheer than a battle cry and the walls fell and everybody came out with their hands up. Well, close but not quite...actually, not close at all. I need a visual. Have you ever seen the movie Troy?
The great war between Troy and Sparta (Helen of Troy, Trojan horse, you with me?) happened around 1200BC. Joshua took Canaan around 1400BC. Troy was a great fortified city with a massive wall surrounding it, much like Joshua's first target, Jericho. Being only 200 years difference in ancient history, I'm guessing the military equipment and tactics were fairly similar. God told Joshua to strategically circle the city in silence over the course of seven days. We're talking thousands of warriors marching around the city walls. Jericho was already petrified of Israel and had closed themselves inside the city. On the seventh day, the warriors followed the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, not once, but seven times around the city. At the end of the seventh lap, the priest blew the rams' horns, all of the warriors shouted and the massive walls of this fortified city came crashing down.
Ok, so Joshua didn't have soldiers facing him outside the city, but get a load of those walls!
Now, let's talk about this shout. I always pictured an enthusiastic yell, but that's so wrong. First of all, we're talking about thousands of warriors. In these battles, there were no snipers or computerized spy planes or fly by missiles for cover. This was man to man combat. Kill or be killed. Swords flying, blood flinging, men dropping like flies and being stepped over by a thousand others. The adrenaline pumping through their veins was incredible. Israel had marched around Jericho for six days in silence...talk about intimidation. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. That's a long time to get phyched up! By the time they heard the ram's horn, they were lit! The roar that came out of their mouths was more likely beast than man in full on survival mode.
The walls of Jericho fell, each man plowed straight ahead into the city and they "utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword." (Josh 6:21) Later the city was burned. The silver, gold, bronze and iron were put into the Lord's treasury and only Rahab and her family survived. (Joshua 6)
Joshua continued from Jericho, strategically taking one city after another. His command was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes" (Deut 20:16). Several cities banded together to fight Israel, but they too fell and were utterly destroyed. Throughout these battles, God continues to remind Joshua to not be afraid...no doubt renewing his strength. Remember, we're talking about a 90 year old man here! But never once, did Joshua question or doubt God's instruction! He obeyed the Lord to the letter, fully expecting God to make good on His word...and He did, every time. At the end of the day (well, likely years), Joshua and his army had defeated thirty-one kings (Josh 12:24). Each one a complete victory. No easy undertaking, but with God all things are possible!
Now, here's where a lot of people struggle with our "all loving" God and make claims against the "mean God of the Old Testament." I too have questioned, how could such a loving God so brutally wipe out so many people? Well, we'll have to look a little closer at these people to understand this. The Canaanites (general term for many nationalities who previously occupied the Promised Land), were a sick and twisted group of people. In fact, when we get all in a tissy about how the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" these days, we need to take a look back at these guys. In a lot of ways, we've come a long way. (Now, don't get all worked up...of course there are MANY things that need to change in our world, but that's not the point here.) God clearly reminds Israel before they ever even crossed the Jordan that they were not receiving this land as a reward for anything they had done. He is giving them this land out of faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham and because of the extreme evilness in those cities. (I can't find the reference...it's late and I'm tired, but I know it's there...I'll get back to you on that.) These people not only tolerated, but actively worshiped their imaginary gods. Said "worship" included child sacrifices of the most disturbing order and disgusting sexual activities, among many other things. Wiping them off the planet was actually an act of mercy. As if God stepped in front of Satan and yelled, "NO MORE! You can not have one more child or torment one more woman. ENOUGH!" For the children in that society to be killed and sent to the arms of the Lord was far more merciful than allowing them to be tortured, abused and murdered by their own parents. God did not wipe out the Jones' or Leave it to Beaver...these were some sick, nasty people. Whew, that was rough, but needed to be said. So, please do not think of God as "mean and vengeful" in the Old Testament. He has never and will never change. He was the same loving God then as He is now. Remember, He showed great mercy and blessing to Rahab simply because she trusted Him to be the true God. That offer was available to any other Canaanite who wanted to take it...too bad there weren't many others.
After the land was given rest from war, Israel divided up the land between the 12 tribes. Two and a half of the tribes chose to have land east of the Jordan (conquered earlier) so they returned home, and the other nine and half tribes began setting up house in their new diggs..."land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant." (Josh 24:13)
After many years of battle and faithful service, Joshua prepares his last words to Israel...primarily a strong warning to remember what God had done for them and to always serve and obey Him. Despite his desperate pleadings, Joshua knew they would eventually turn their backs on the Lord. I can't imagine the pain that must
have caused him. He gave them one last charge, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the rivers, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15) Joshua is saying that we were all made to worship something. We will all devote our attention and our affections to something...that's how we were designed. Today we could rephrase this verse, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether your job and your bank account; or your football team and your social status; or you can choose to serve the Lord."
We were all made to worship something. Joshua worshiped and served the Lord with everything he had at every opportunity he was given. What an incredible example of radical pursuit of the Lord...the only one worthy of our praises!
At the end of Deut, Moses taps Joshua to lead the Israelites on his way to be with Jesus. From my calculations Joshua was pushing 90 and boy was this geezer handed a big assignment! It was time to bust into the Promised Land. The land God had been talking about for generations, hundreds of years. It was finally time to stop talking about it and start taking it and a 90 year old man was just the man for the job.
Joshua had lots of military experience...funny how God prepares us along the way, isn't it? In fact, we first met Joshua when Moses charged him with leading the battle against the Amalekites, not long after they crossed the Red Sea. As Joshua fought, Moses stood atop a hill and held the staff of God high. When his hands were raised the Israelites prevailed, when they lowered the Amalekites prevailed. Remember, Moses was no spring chicken by this time, so naturally his arms got tired. (Don't judge, you try standing there with your arms up for hours on end...P90X's got nothing on that workout!) Anyway, Aaron and Hur came to his rescue...they brought him a rock to sit on and they each held up an arm...all, day, long. At the end of the day, Israel won and I'm sure Moses was one exhausted dude. But anyway, this was Joshua's first taste God's military faithfulness (as far as we know anyway). (Exodus 17)
Next, Joshua was included in an elite group that got to meet with God. No, no, I'm not talking about a Tuesday night prayer meeting...MEET. WITH. GOD! "and they saw the god of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Ex 24:10-11) Now, I would like to think physically seeing the God of the universe and sharing a meal with Him would have some kind of lasting impact on a person. God knew what He was doing, Joshua was being shaped and molded for the enormous task that lay decades ahead. Joshua had a taste of the real thing, and he couldn't get enough. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Ex 33:11)
Later, Joshua was selected as one of twelve men sent on a spy mission to check out the Promised Land. The men came back and reported to the people of the amazing land they had seen, but they quickly coward and were afraid of the strong people and fortified cities. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve confident that God would provide what He promised..."The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us - a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Num 14:7-9) Can't you just hear the dun, dun, dun drama music? I wonder if Joshua had any idea that he would be the one to fulfill those words...40 years later.
So, here we are. Israel has wandered, seemingly aimlessly, throughout the wilderness for four decades. Their beloved Moses has just passed on and Joshua has been tapped to take them in. It's about 1400BC. Just a side note here, I was curious as to what else was going on in the world around this time and it just so happens that King Tut died about 60 years later in 1343BC. Now, why do we hear so much about the young king and his bling and rarely hear about one of the greatest military conquests in all of history? I wonder if Tut had heard of Joshua's conquests? After all, it was just one generation later and you know how a good story will last. Nowadays, people are still talking about where they were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Hmm...food for thought.
Anyway, back to the story. The book starts with Joshua's charge. God tells Joshua, "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." (Josh 1:5) Then He told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" not just once, but four times in the first chapter. Um, hello? Is there something scary ahead?
The first targeted city is Jericho, just to the west of the Jordan River. Joshua sends two spies to check it out and report back to him. Somehow they meet up with a harlot (that's Bible for prostitute) named Rahab who takes them in and hides them. Now, let's think about this. Why did they need hiding? Did they stand out that badly? I suppose forty years of wilderness wandering would leave one without the current fashion, not to mention the nation of Israel may have had distinguishing physical features. Either way, Rahab spotted them but then protected them? Well, why did she do that? Word had traveled through these cities about the Israelites. (Josh 2:8-11) How God dried up the Red Sea, how they had amazingly defeated the Amorites and Og (I'm sorry, I think the phrase was "utterly destroyed"), and that God had given their land to them and now they were coming for it. Funny...how did they know all that? Well first, it's probably not too difficult to spot nearly 2 million people wandering, especially after they'd passed by a few times. Also, I'm guessing the Israelites traded with or interacted with people over their 40 year stay in no man's land, either directly with these residents or with traveling traders or such. Just a hunch, but either way word had gotten around, Rahab had heard it and had accepted that theirs was the one true God. Long story short, Rahab hides the spies and helps them get away, Israel spares her and her family during the attack, and she, a harlot and a foreigner, is blessed by being added to Jesus' lineage...talk about an inclusive God! (Matt 1:5).
The spies return to camp with the necessary information and Israel packs up to head that way. One problem...there's a huge river between point A and point B, and no Golden Gate bridge waiting to assist them. So God, for the second time, dries up a massive body of water for the entire nation, livestock and all, to cross. And mind you, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who got to see the Red Sea split first hand. The rest of the nation had heard about it all their lives and now they were seeing their own miracle. Pretty cool. So why does God perform these miracles, even today, (besides the physical need of crossing said major water system)? "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:24 (Uh huh, so that they will know that I am God...sound familiar?)
They set up camp a few miles from their target city, Jericho, and received the battle plan from the Lord...march in circles around the city, blow your horns and the walls will fall down. Really? Seriously? That's your big plan? You see, cities during this time had enormous walls all the way around them and often only had one gate for people to go in and out. These walls would be several stories high and many, many feet thick. We're not talking about a center block retaining wall here. This was a fortress. And God told them to yell at it and it would fall...riiight. But Joshua never wavered, never questioned or doubted. He followed God's instructions to a T because he'd seen Him do great things before and he had absolute confidence that He would come through again.
So here's where my felt board education has failed me. My vision of this event climaxed with 25 men standing outside the huge city gate, they gave a yell, "Ah," more like a football cheer than a battle cry and the walls fell and everybody came out with their hands up. Well, close but not quite...actually, not close at all. I need a visual. Have you ever seen the movie Troy?
The great war between Troy and Sparta (Helen of Troy, Trojan horse, you with me?) happened around 1200BC. Joshua took Canaan around 1400BC. Troy was a great fortified city with a massive wall surrounding it, much like Joshua's first target, Jericho. Being only 200 years difference in ancient history, I'm guessing the military equipment and tactics were fairly similar. God told Joshua to strategically circle the city in silence over the course of seven days. We're talking thousands of warriors marching around the city walls. Jericho was already petrified of Israel and had closed themselves inside the city. On the seventh day, the warriors followed the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, not once, but seven times around the city. At the end of the seventh lap, the priest blew the rams' horns, all of the warriors shouted and the massive walls of this fortified city came crashing down.
Ok, so Joshua didn't have soldiers facing him outside the city, but get a load of those walls! Now, let's talk about this shout. I always pictured an enthusiastic yell, but that's so wrong. First of all, we're talking about thousands of warriors. In these battles, there were no snipers or computerized spy planes or fly by missiles for cover. This was man to man combat. Kill or be killed. Swords flying, blood flinging, men dropping like flies and being stepped over by a thousand others. The adrenaline pumping through their veins was incredible. Israel had marched around Jericho for six days in silence...talk about intimidation. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. That's a long time to get phyched up! By the time they heard the ram's horn, they were lit! The roar that came out of their mouths was more likely beast than man in full on survival mode.
The walls of Jericho fell, each man plowed straight ahead into the city and they "utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword." (Josh 6:21) Later the city was burned. The silver, gold, bronze and iron were put into the Lord's treasury and only Rahab and her family survived. (Joshua 6)
Joshua continued from Jericho, strategically taking one city after another. His command was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes" (Deut 20:16). Several cities banded together to fight Israel, but they too fell and were utterly destroyed. Throughout these battles, God continues to remind Joshua to not be afraid...no doubt renewing his strength. Remember, we're talking about a 90 year old man here! But never once, did Joshua question or doubt God's instruction! He obeyed the Lord to the letter, fully expecting God to make good on His word...and He did, every time. At the end of the day (well, likely years), Joshua and his army had defeated thirty-one kings (Josh 12:24). Each one a complete victory. No easy undertaking, but with God all things are possible!
Now, here's where a lot of people struggle with our "all loving" God and make claims against the "mean God of the Old Testament." I too have questioned, how could such a loving God so brutally wipe out so many people? Well, we'll have to look a little closer at these people to understand this. The Canaanites (general term for many nationalities who previously occupied the Promised Land), were a sick and twisted group of people. In fact, when we get all in a tissy about how the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" these days, we need to take a look back at these guys. In a lot of ways, we've come a long way. (Now, don't get all worked up...of course there are MANY things that need to change in our world, but that's not the point here.) God clearly reminds Israel before they ever even crossed the Jordan that they were not receiving this land as a reward for anything they had done. He is giving them this land out of faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham and because of the extreme evilness in those cities. (I can't find the reference...it's late and I'm tired, but I know it's there...I'll get back to you on that.) These people not only tolerated, but actively worshiped their imaginary gods. Said "worship" included child sacrifices of the most disturbing order and disgusting sexual activities, among many other things. Wiping them off the planet was actually an act of mercy. As if God stepped in front of Satan and yelled, "NO MORE! You can not have one more child or torment one more woman. ENOUGH!" For the children in that society to be killed and sent to the arms of the Lord was far more merciful than allowing them to be tortured, abused and murdered by their own parents. God did not wipe out the Jones' or Leave it to Beaver...these were some sick, nasty people. Whew, that was rough, but needed to be said. So, please do not think of God as "mean and vengeful" in the Old Testament. He has never and will never change. He was the same loving God then as He is now. Remember, He showed great mercy and blessing to Rahab simply because she trusted Him to be the true God. That offer was available to any other Canaanite who wanted to take it...too bad there weren't many others.
After the land was given rest from war, Israel divided up the land between the 12 tribes. Two and a half of the tribes chose to have land east of the Jordan (conquered earlier) so they returned home, and the other nine and half tribes began setting up house in their new diggs..."land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant." (Josh 24:13)
After many years of battle and faithful service, Joshua prepares his last words to Israel...primarily a strong warning to remember what God had done for them and to always serve and obey Him. Despite his desperate pleadings, Joshua knew they would eventually turn their backs on the Lord. I can't imagine the pain that must
have caused him. He gave them one last charge, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the rivers, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15) Joshua is saying that we were all made to worship something. We will all devote our attention and our affections to something...that's how we were designed. Today we could rephrase this verse, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether your job and your bank account; or your football team and your social status; or you can choose to serve the Lord."
We were all made to worship something. Joshua worshiped and served the Lord with everything he had at every opportunity he was given. What an incredible example of radical pursuit of the Lord...the only one worthy of our praises!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A belly laugh is good for the soul
I was raised in a traditional, conservative church, and as such the worship was generally "reserved," for lack of a better word. In this season of our lives Toby and I have branched out a little to see what else is out there. Our church in Tennessee that we loved so much, strived to embrace a balance between traditional churches and charismatic ones, and this was really our first taste to anything outside of the conservative world (minus the TV preachers, but that's a whole 'nother post).
Having visited many types of churches lately, watching and listening to church services online, and attending different retreats and seminars, I've run across a common idea in many of them...laughter. Some may call this "holy laughter" or "drunk in the Spirit" but this whole idea was new to me...but turning up constantly. I had someone tell me recently that "it's not Biblical" and quickly dismissed the whole idea. Well, having seen this on numerous occasions and even experienced a taste of it myself, I was troubled. Maybe it is in the Bible or maybe it's not. I recognize that my understanding of theology is limited, and that I have entrusted myself to others that are close to me, but now I needed to know for myself...so I started digging and here's what I found...
In his book, Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem (1) suggests that when the Holy Spirit "falls" or manifests His presence, He brings with Him the attributes of God. Well, this makes sense...seeing as how He is God and all. I don't think any Bible reading Christian would argue that the Holy Spirit often brings knowledge and wisdom with Him. It is a common teaching in the church to ask the Holy Spirit for these things as we read the Bible and He will bring forth revelations, understanding and personal application as we study. So are we still good? Good. Another common attribute the Holy Spirit carries is love. I could tell you countless stories, both my own and those of others, where the Holy Spirit has come and taken me on a love affair with Jesus. God has revealed personal, private messages of love intended only for me. God is love (1 John 4:8) and seeing that the Holy Spirit is God, of course love will ooze from His presence. Let me point to the ultimate reference to make my point here...
"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."
Acts 13:52
"...for the kingdom of Heaven is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
"You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit."
1 Thessalonians 1:6
This word "joy" is khar-ah in Greek and means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness, greatly and exceedingly joyful. Now, I don't know about you, but I would logically classify laughter under exceedingly joyful. So the next time you're lost in the presence of the Lord and you feel a smile come across your face...go with it! While I've never had a moment of belly laughter and rolling on the floor, someday I do hope to reach that level of exceedingly great joy in the presence of my Lord.
The more I study His Word and the more time I spend with Him, I'm learning that God speaks my language and knows how to communicate with me. He knows when I'm in a goofy mood and when I just need to be comforted. "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh" (Ecc 3:4). While He certainly deserves our reverence and honor, that doesn't mean we have to be stoic in His presence. He made me just like He wanted me to be...goofy parts and all!
I, by no means, claim to have all the answers...in fact I can barely grasp a few. I'm simply on a journey to discovering who this God is and why He loves me so much. I'm excited to share my discoveries with you and I hope you'll do the same. While we're on that note, one other thing that has been heavy on my heart this week is the importance of experiencing Him. While it is crucial to our Christian maturity to read and study the Bible, I believe equally as important is experiencing and interacting with our Holy God on a regular basis. I could read every book and magazine in print about George W. Bush, but if I have never met the man, never shared a conversation with him...I could hardly call him my friend. I would only be a student from a distance. God wants me to be his intimate friend (James 2:23), but to do that I have to come to Him. Talk to Him. Share my thoughts, my fears, my questions, my hopes and my disappointments. He will listen and He will talk back. He will give me words of encouragement, words of correction, words of wisdom and guidance, and the ability to accomplish His high calling on my life. We all have a high calling, you know...something great that only you can do to bring His glory to this earth. So don't miss the opportunity to chat with the most High God. He has lots to say to you...just to you. It may come through a friend, a sermon, a song, or His Word, but often times it will come from the throne of Heaven straight to your heart if you're listening. May we all stay hungry for more, open to a new level of intimacy with our Lord, and humble in recognizing there is still so much more to learn.
(1) Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, pg 644.
Having visited many types of churches lately, watching and listening to church services online, and attending different retreats and seminars, I've run across a common idea in many of them...laughter. Some may call this "holy laughter" or "drunk in the Spirit" but this whole idea was new to me...but turning up constantly. I had someone tell me recently that "it's not Biblical" and quickly dismissed the whole idea. Well, having seen this on numerous occasions and even experienced a taste of it myself, I was troubled. Maybe it is in the Bible or maybe it's not. I recognize that my understanding of theology is limited, and that I have entrusted myself to others that are close to me, but now I needed to know for myself...so I started digging and here's what I found...
In his book, Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem (1) suggests that when the Holy Spirit "falls" or manifests His presence, He brings with Him the attributes of God. Well, this makes sense...seeing as how He is God and all. I don't think any Bible reading Christian would argue that the Holy Spirit often brings knowledge and wisdom with Him. It is a common teaching in the church to ask the Holy Spirit for these things as we read the Bible and He will bring forth revelations, understanding and personal application as we study. So are we still good? Good. Another common attribute the Holy Spirit carries is love. I could tell you countless stories, both my own and those of others, where the Holy Spirit has come and taken me on a love affair with Jesus. God has revealed personal, private messages of love intended only for me. God is love (1 John 4:8) and seeing that the Holy Spirit is God, of course love will ooze from His presence. Let me point to the ultimate reference to make my point here...
"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."
Acts 13:52
"...for the kingdom of Heaven is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
"You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit."
1 Thessalonians 1:6
This word "joy" is khar-ah in Greek and means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness, greatly and exceedingly joyful. Now, I don't know about you, but I would logically classify laughter under exceedingly joyful. So the next time you're lost in the presence of the Lord and you feel a smile come across your face...go with it! While I've never had a moment of belly laughter and rolling on the floor, someday I do hope to reach that level of exceedingly great joy in the presence of my Lord.
The more I study His Word and the more time I spend with Him, I'm learning that God speaks my language and knows how to communicate with me. He knows when I'm in a goofy mood and when I just need to be comforted. "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh" (Ecc 3:4). While He certainly deserves our reverence and honor, that doesn't mean we have to be stoic in His presence. He made me just like He wanted me to be...goofy parts and all!
I, by no means, claim to have all the answers...in fact I can barely grasp a few. I'm simply on a journey to discovering who this God is and why He loves me so much. I'm excited to share my discoveries with you and I hope you'll do the same. While we're on that note, one other thing that has been heavy on my heart this week is the importance of experiencing Him. While it is crucial to our Christian maturity to read and study the Bible, I believe equally as important is experiencing and interacting with our Holy God on a regular basis. I could read every book and magazine in print about George W. Bush, but if I have never met the man, never shared a conversation with him...I could hardly call him my friend. I would only be a student from a distance. God wants me to be his intimate friend (James 2:23), but to do that I have to come to Him. Talk to Him. Share my thoughts, my fears, my questions, my hopes and my disappointments. He will listen and He will talk back. He will give me words of encouragement, words of correction, words of wisdom and guidance, and the ability to accomplish His high calling on my life. We all have a high calling, you know...something great that only you can do to bring His glory to this earth. So don't miss the opportunity to chat with the most High God. He has lots to say to you...just to you. It may come through a friend, a sermon, a song, or His Word, but often times it will come from the throne of Heaven straight to your heart if you're listening. May we all stay hungry for more, open to a new level of intimacy with our Lord, and humble in recognizing there is still so much more to learn.
(1) Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem, pg 644.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Moses is a weenie (Deuteronomy)
I few weeks ago I mentioned that I have felt a huge call to study the Word and really dig in. I also informed you that you are now serving as my accountability, and I'm finally ready to share with you what I've learned from Deuteronomy. I know that "Deut" (Do you mind if I call you Deut for short? Great.) is an obscure book to randomly start with, but I suppose to should preface this with the fact that I started studying Genesis with my precious Boothmakers (aka ladies bible study) last August. We progressed through the Pentateuch and were wrapping up Numbers when I left Tennessee almost three months ago. Yes, that means it's taken me roughly three months to get through Deut on my own. But hey, it took us Boothmakers over a year to get through the first four books, so maybe I'm right on track? Either way, here we go...
A fair part of Deut is Moses' recap the last 40 years (aka what seems like aimless wandering) from his perspective. Some of it turns out to be quite humorous, like when God and Moses are referring to "your people", "no, they're your people" (9:12) when recounting all of the crazy misadventures they had endured. Deuteronomy was written at the conclusion of the wanderings, not long before Moses' death, and in preparation of entering the Promised Land.
God had been talking to the nation of Israel about this Promised Land for centuries...all the way back to Abraham, before there even was a nation of Israel. Now, after centuries of hearing about this land, the time had finally come to take it. One thing I've learned from reading so far is that we humans are not much different, whether we live in the 21st century or a thousand years before Christ...we're all pretty much the same. That being said, repetition is key! Moses goes on and on for 34 chapters and basically repeats himself about 15 times. Being the "simple" person that I am, if somebody repeats himself 15 times, I'm guessing he means business, so let's see what he was going on and on about...shall we?
Confidence to be Obedient
"The land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them." (1:8)
Moses references the Abrahamic covenant at least 24 times...perhaps to remind them that taking the Promised Land was not some hair-brained idea that somebody cooked up. This had been God's promise for generations and He WOULD make good on it. (7:9)
"The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf." (1:30)
Moses notes this 7 times...It is His battle to fight, not mine...regardless of how big the people look or how strong the walls appear. I just have to sit back, let Him plan it out, and move when He says move.
"For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (2:7)
Moses also reminds them that their clothing and shoes did not wear out, even after 40 years of hiking (8:4 & 29:5) and they were continually provided with food throughout the years (8:16). At no point over the last 40 years did God leave the Israelites or fail to provide what they needed. Now, He may not have provided their needs in the extravagant way they were accustomed to in Egypt, but their needs were met none the less.
Moses knew that entering the Promised Land and kicking out the seven nations currently living there would be no little task and that the whiny Israelites would easily become afraid. He knew they would need this boost of confidence as they were charged with leaving a monumental footprint on their nation's history.
So what's the promise we're after anyway?
In addition to the land itself, "that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess" (5:33b) and "The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (28:12)
Ok, sounds good...How do we get it?
First, you must "possess the land"! (1:8) I'm not sure how much more clearer Moses could have been on this one. In 34 chapters, Moses tells the nation of Israel to "possess the land" at least 33 times! Obviously, the first step in this is to drive out the existing nations and move in, but there's more to it than that..."possess" or yarash in Hebrew means to occupy, be driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place, by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit, also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin-cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, depossess, drive out, enjoy. God did not intend for the Israelites to simply gain political control of the land and live side by side with the Canaanites...He wanted them out! Gone! And all their messed up idol worship and perversions with them. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they hung out in isolation in the wilderness for so long. Knowing they were coming from an idolatrous nation and heading into another, God needed time to clear their heads of all the nonsense and focus them on Him and His higher ways. This "possess" is not passive and it's not easy. It's active and it goes on the offensive to take back what Satan has stolen and perverted. It's high time we get off our tushes and out of our safe church buildings and start taking back what belongs to our Lord! This includes our neighborhoods, our schools, our TV shows and holidays...including Halloween. I don't know about you, but I refuse to let Satan have even one day a year to parade His nonsense around. I will not hide away in my house, I will not let him steal October 31 any more and I will not let him diminish our celebration of the fall season!
Second, you must remember where God has brought you from and what distractions are waiting for you ahead. Moses tells the Israelites to "remember" or "be careful" at least 16 times. He wanted them to establish a habit of remembering the mess God brought them from, in this case oppressive slavery in Egypt. In my case, ho-hum legalistic, box-checking religion, void of His supernatural presence. He also constantly reminds them that in the coming years they will be faced with seemingly appealing idol worship by the foreigners, but to remember the things God taught them in the wilderness. His ways are higher and better than any other option.
Next, you must "purge evil" (13:5)...no exceptions. In the last 9 chapters, Moses tells them to "purge evil from their midst" 9 times! Again, if he's going to repeat himself that many times, he must be serious. "Purge" or ba'ar means to kindle, that is consume by fire or by eating. This is also active, on the offense, and exhaustive. We must choose to do away with evil, all evil, if we want God's best. Even a little dabble can cause us to miss some of the blessings God has for us. A few years ago I heard a mom tell me about a family rule they have...they can watch a TV show or movie until the third cuss word, then they have to turn it off. To the American culture, this seems nice and conservative, but my question is why the third word? Isn't this compromising? If God clearly tells us to think on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8), how do using His name inappropriately, demeaning others with offensive names or simply being crude fit into this commandment? I think accepting three curse words, or supporting the idea of sex before marriage or alcohol abuse (all themes that are common place in today's entertainment world) qualify as compromises and dabbling with evil. "God, let me dabble, just a little, with what You've told me to stay away from, and You can hold back some of Your blessings...deal?" NO WAY! I do not want to sacrifice anything He has for me, and certainly not for the sake of exposing myself to a few little curse words!
Next, obeying the Lord's commandments is not for the purpose of feeding the big God's ego, but it's because He wants what is best for us. "Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good." (10:12-13) Moses tells the congregation to obey the Lord's commandments at least 21 times (I'm sure I missed some). Our sophisticated society has revealed the science behind why God gave some of His commands. For example, they were not to eat or handle a dead pig (14:8). While this may seem silly and trivial, we now know that pork spoils easily and He simply did not want them getting sick...it's that easy! The reasonings behind some of God's commandments are obvious, some are not and some Satan twists to try to make them look silly. For example, God repeatedly tells us to keep sex inside marriage, our culture says it's not only 'ok' but 'normal' to use it as you please, especially if the two "love each other." God's reasoning is to prevent a long list of unnecessary issues: STDs, unexpected pregnancies, drama, shame, guilt, a loss of confidence and sense of worth, relational issues with your future spouse, and the list goes on. For those that choose to obey this command, the blessings abound: unity in your marriage, no fear of disease or pregnancy, and an opportunity to experience pure intimacy in the way God designed...there is no substitute for His original intention.
Remind me again, why so much effort?
The promises and blessings waiting for those who whole-heartedly seek Him are endless. God promised them prosperity in this new land, with their crops, their livestock, their children, and their enemies. Some additional, even more exciting blessings include God's presence, aid, and love for this generation and those to come. The greatest blessing of all is having the most awesome, powerful and jealous being in all creation, the Uncreated One, pouring His love, guidance, and favor on us. That's enough for me! (4:7, 24, 29, 35, 39, 5:33, 7:9, 21, 10:17, 11:8-17, 12:28, 28:1-2, 33:29)
As "hard" as it may seem to live up to the lofty expectations of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it's doable for those willing to pour out the effort, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach." (30:11) The question is, how badly do I want God and His blessings?
Don't get me wrong...I'm no "saint", and I've certainly got my record, but I refuse to let Satan continue to point fingers at my past mistakes and keep me in fear from stepping out, being obedient and receiving the blessings next time. Won't you? Go ahead and tell Satan where he can put that finger! All that past mess is covered in the blood and now is the time to start fresh...it's never too late!
The death of Moses
When we first started studying Exodus, I have to admit that I called Moses a "weenie." In the beginning when God first asked him to do some pretty big things, he came up with one sorry excuse after another. Frankly, I got a little annoyed with him. But now, at the very end of his life, once he decided to be obedient and trust God with the commands he was given, Moses was hailed as the greatest prophet that ever lived. To think, a murder and fugitive experienced some of the greatest encounters of any human that has walked this planet. He saw God face to face. Not just once or even twice, but so regularly that his life was marked by it. (34:10) The relationship with the most High he was blessed with was so extraordinary and intimate, that God himself buried Moses. It was just the two of them. Even though Moses was a hearty 120 years old, he was still a kicking old timer! He didn't die of natural causes, but because of his dabble in disobedience (Num 20). After an unbelievable 40 year journey and before bringing him home, God took Moses to Mount Nebo and gave him a tour of the Promised Land, by the artist himself. I can't imagine what an amazing reward and intimate moment this must have been. May it be said of me at the end of my days that I knew the Lord face to face. Now that's worth fighting for.
A fair part of Deut is Moses' recap the last 40 years (aka what seems like aimless wandering) from his perspective. Some of it turns out to be quite humorous, like when God and Moses are referring to "your people", "no, they're your people" (9:12) when recounting all of the crazy misadventures they had endured. Deuteronomy was written at the conclusion of the wanderings, not long before Moses' death, and in preparation of entering the Promised Land.
God had been talking to the nation of Israel about this Promised Land for centuries...all the way back to Abraham, before there even was a nation of Israel. Now, after centuries of hearing about this land, the time had finally come to take it. One thing I've learned from reading so far is that we humans are not much different, whether we live in the 21st century or a thousand years before Christ...we're all pretty much the same. That being said, repetition is key! Moses goes on and on for 34 chapters and basically repeats himself about 15 times. Being the "simple" person that I am, if somebody repeats himself 15 times, I'm guessing he means business, so let's see what he was going on and on about...shall we?
Confidence to be Obedient
"The land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them." (1:8)
Moses references the Abrahamic covenant at least 24 times...perhaps to remind them that taking the Promised Land was not some hair-brained idea that somebody cooked up. This had been God's promise for generations and He WOULD make good on it. (7:9)
"The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf." (1:30)
Moses notes this 7 times...It is His battle to fight, not mine...regardless of how big the people look or how strong the walls appear. I just have to sit back, let Him plan it out, and move when He says move.
"For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (2:7)
Moses also reminds them that their clothing and shoes did not wear out, even after 40 years of hiking (8:4 & 29:5) and they were continually provided with food throughout the years (8:16). At no point over the last 40 years did God leave the Israelites or fail to provide what they needed. Now, He may not have provided their needs in the extravagant way they were accustomed to in Egypt, but their needs were met none the less.
Moses knew that entering the Promised Land and kicking out the seven nations currently living there would be no little task and that the whiny Israelites would easily become afraid. He knew they would need this boost of confidence as they were charged with leaving a monumental footprint on their nation's history.
So what's the promise we're after anyway?
In addition to the land itself, "that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess" (5:33b) and "The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (28:12)
Ok, sounds good...How do we get it?
First, you must "possess the land"! (1:8) I'm not sure how much more clearer Moses could have been on this one. In 34 chapters, Moses tells the nation of Israel to "possess the land" at least 33 times! Obviously, the first step in this is to drive out the existing nations and move in, but there's more to it than that..."possess" or yarash in Hebrew means to occupy, be driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place, by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit, also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin-cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, depossess, drive out, enjoy. God did not intend for the Israelites to simply gain political control of the land and live side by side with the Canaanites...He wanted them out! Gone! And all their messed up idol worship and perversions with them. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they hung out in isolation in the wilderness for so long. Knowing they were coming from an idolatrous nation and heading into another, God needed time to clear their heads of all the nonsense and focus them on Him and His higher ways. This "possess" is not passive and it's not easy. It's active and it goes on the offensive to take back what Satan has stolen and perverted. It's high time we get off our tushes and out of our safe church buildings and start taking back what belongs to our Lord! This includes our neighborhoods, our schools, our TV shows and holidays...including Halloween. I don't know about you, but I refuse to let Satan have even one day a year to parade His nonsense around. I will not hide away in my house, I will not let him steal October 31 any more and I will not let him diminish our celebration of the fall season!
Second, you must remember where God has brought you from and what distractions are waiting for you ahead. Moses tells the Israelites to "remember" or "be careful" at least 16 times. He wanted them to establish a habit of remembering the mess God brought them from, in this case oppressive slavery in Egypt. In my case, ho-hum legalistic, box-checking religion, void of His supernatural presence. He also constantly reminds them that in the coming years they will be faced with seemingly appealing idol worship by the foreigners, but to remember the things God taught them in the wilderness. His ways are higher and better than any other option.
Next, you must "purge evil" (13:5)...no exceptions. In the last 9 chapters, Moses tells them to "purge evil from their midst" 9 times! Again, if he's going to repeat himself that many times, he must be serious. "Purge" or ba'ar means to kindle, that is consume by fire or by eating. This is also active, on the offense, and exhaustive. We must choose to do away with evil, all evil, if we want God's best. Even a little dabble can cause us to miss some of the blessings God has for us. A few years ago I heard a mom tell me about a family rule they have...they can watch a TV show or movie until the third cuss word, then they have to turn it off. To the American culture, this seems nice and conservative, but my question is why the third word? Isn't this compromising? If God clearly tells us to think on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8), how do using His name inappropriately, demeaning others with offensive names or simply being crude fit into this commandment? I think accepting three curse words, or supporting the idea of sex before marriage or alcohol abuse (all themes that are common place in today's entertainment world) qualify as compromises and dabbling with evil. "God, let me dabble, just a little, with what You've told me to stay away from, and You can hold back some of Your blessings...deal?" NO WAY! I do not want to sacrifice anything He has for me, and certainly not for the sake of exposing myself to a few little curse words!
Next, obeying the Lord's commandments is not for the purpose of feeding the big God's ego, but it's because He wants what is best for us. "Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good." (10:12-13) Moses tells the congregation to obey the Lord's commandments at least 21 times (I'm sure I missed some). Our sophisticated society has revealed the science behind why God gave some of His commands. For example, they were not to eat or handle a dead pig (14:8). While this may seem silly and trivial, we now know that pork spoils easily and He simply did not want them getting sick...it's that easy! The reasonings behind some of God's commandments are obvious, some are not and some Satan twists to try to make them look silly. For example, God repeatedly tells us to keep sex inside marriage, our culture says it's not only 'ok' but 'normal' to use it as you please, especially if the two "love each other." God's reasoning is to prevent a long list of unnecessary issues: STDs, unexpected pregnancies, drama, shame, guilt, a loss of confidence and sense of worth, relational issues with your future spouse, and the list goes on. For those that choose to obey this command, the blessings abound: unity in your marriage, no fear of disease or pregnancy, and an opportunity to experience pure intimacy in the way God designed...there is no substitute for His original intention.
Remind me again, why so much effort?
The promises and blessings waiting for those who whole-heartedly seek Him are endless. God promised them prosperity in this new land, with their crops, their livestock, their children, and their enemies. Some additional, even more exciting blessings include God's presence, aid, and love for this generation and those to come. The greatest blessing of all is having the most awesome, powerful and jealous being in all creation, the Uncreated One, pouring His love, guidance, and favor on us. That's enough for me! (4:7, 24, 29, 35, 39, 5:33, 7:9, 21, 10:17, 11:8-17, 12:28, 28:1-2, 33:29)
As "hard" as it may seem to live up to the lofty expectations of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it's doable for those willing to pour out the effort, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach." (30:11) The question is, how badly do I want God and His blessings?
Don't get me wrong...I'm no "saint", and I've certainly got my record, but I refuse to let Satan continue to point fingers at my past mistakes and keep me in fear from stepping out, being obedient and receiving the blessings next time. Won't you? Go ahead and tell Satan where he can put that finger! All that past mess is covered in the blood and now is the time to start fresh...it's never too late!
The death of Moses
When we first started studying Exodus, I have to admit that I called Moses a "weenie." In the beginning when God first asked him to do some pretty big things, he came up with one sorry excuse after another. Frankly, I got a little annoyed with him. But now, at the very end of his life, once he decided to be obedient and trust God with the commands he was given, Moses was hailed as the greatest prophet that ever lived. To think, a murder and fugitive experienced some of the greatest encounters of any human that has walked this planet. He saw God face to face. Not just once or even twice, but so regularly that his life was marked by it. (34:10) The relationship with the most High he was blessed with was so extraordinary and intimate, that God himself buried Moses. It was just the two of them. Even though Moses was a hearty 120 years old, he was still a kicking old timer! He didn't die of natural causes, but because of his dabble in disobedience (Num 20). After an unbelievable 40 year journey and before bringing him home, God took Moses to Mount Nebo and gave him a tour of the Promised Land, by the artist himself. I can't imagine what an amazing reward and intimate moment this must have been. May it be said of me at the end of my days that I knew the Lord face to face. Now that's worth fighting for.
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