The word "yes" isn't recorded in the Bible* until 17 chapters in.
It comes as an acknowledgement of facts... deal stopping human facts... and then God comes through with His awesome BUTf...
Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” (Genesis 17:17-21)
Not only did God acknowledge that it seemed (understatement much?) hard, if not impossible, but He honoured Abraham's request, while explaining the exceptionally HUGE things God would accomplish through these two boys.
I also noticed verse 21, which is why I left it in there...
But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”
Hello.
He began his sentence with Yes.
Then gave it a time frame.
And so, I ask (without laughing)
"Can a happy family really come from the train wreck of the last two years? Can I resurrect the fragments of our family? Oh Lord, that you would make my family an upstanding one."
What will be birthed in me, from me, by this time next year, simply because I say "yes"?
How are you going with your One Word so far, two weeks in?
*New International Version, and most others, except The Message
fI may or may not have giggled a little at that. Because I am all that is mature and spiritual
Over at Bloom, a lady started a discussion on our focus on Heaven.
In a nutshell, she was wondering why we were being exhorted in Crazy Love, and in other studies she is currently doing to keep our focus on Heaven and be obsessed with it. It made her feel a little uncomfortable that so much focus was on Heaven, and not on works down here.
An excerpt of her discussion
"I don’t see myself preparing for a final day. Instead it’s about living here and now, working for heaven here on earth. Yes, I look forward to seeing Jesus in heaven but while I’m waiting, there are things I can be doing to work towards heaven on earth. As in: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...
I’ve been studying about the prophets and their prophecies about the coming of Christ and what the Gospels write about those prophecies. The first century Israelites (and their forefathers) were longing for a king to change the world. Prophets who wrote about a coming savior were passing on a message from God. The prophets were responding to the yearning of the people for a hope; for a new kind of kingdom with a ruler that brought peace and justice to the world. Jesus was and is that savior. But I see him as coming to change this world not heaven. It makes me uncomfortable to have so much focus be on heaven.”
I thought I might post my own comment back to her here, and see what you all think? What are your views on Heaven?
Good thought provoking question!
I think, that earth is not our Home. We *should* want to go Home. The sole aim and purpose of Jesus coming was to reconcile us to God, so that we can spend eternity with Him. If Christ hadn't come, we'd be doomed to hell, and life here on earth would be pointless.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We hope for heaven :) We are certain of the existence of God and His Kingdom. Verses 14-16 of Hebrew say "People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."
If all we did was only for this world, the one that will surely pass away, (Matthew 24:35) then I would think that God made an error. Since we know He cannot, we must presume that there is a reward waiting for us in heaven for all we do. (Matthew 5:12, Luke 6:23)
We are here to influence as many people for the Kingdom as we possibly can. God wants everyone there! Jesus taught A LOT about Heaven; what was in store for us there, who could and couldn't go, what would and wouldn't get you there. The goal of our lives is Heaven. It's our reward. It's to spend all of eternity loving on God, praising and worshiping him... basking in His presence. We are also told, that what we do here on earth will count to what we get in Heaven. So it all works together beautifully :)
We're running a race. We're told to do it faithfully, with all our strength and "for the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 3:14)
I've been graciously (and daringly) been asked by Jess and Angie to be this weeks Guest Blogger for The Bloom Book-club .
Please know I use the term "blogger" very loosely.
How's everyone doing so far with the book? I'm loving it, but at the same time, I explain it to those I'm talking to that it's an uncomfortable read. It certainly isn't the type of book I would turn to if I was going for a bubble bath and wanted to switch of and not think. It was the type of book that I shoved into the hands of my pastor and said "You need to read this!"
Then realised what I said and had to back pedal.
Love you honey (I found this here after I quickly ducked out of the room. I'm totally leaving it in.)
*happy sigh* He's a sweetie.
I promise I'm going to try very hard not to use any Aussie-isms in this post... but please forgive me if a few slip in there :)
But let's get into the juicy, shall we? And it is a meaty chapter, for me at least. "They've given me the hardest one," I whined to Adam. "He's already explained pretty much everything... what can I add to it? How do I discuss something that is already out there so simply?"
So I started and then got stuck. And got all stressed out. So I jumped on Bloom Chat and picked the minds of The Night Crew without them really being aware. So girls, if you see things you've said here, this is your credit ;) And I heart you.
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I'm going to start by saying that there was no way I was going to be able to cover everything contained in this chapter. So, if I have missed a segment you particularly wanted to be discussed, please hop on over to the Ning site and start a discussion in the forums. Don't be shy or embarrassed! We'd love to hear what you have to say and we honestly look forward to talking with you. I am in no way a bible scholar, and most of the women over there aren't either. All of the women I have encountered over there are lovely and approachable and have a wealth of wisdom and insight. And don't be intimidated by the chat! It goes pretty fast, but you'll get used to it. :) Just jump in and say hi. It's not intimidating. We talk about food and messy houses, hopes, fears and boobs. Seriously. We are so normal.
And, quite obviously, super spiritual.
So... grab your coffee, tea or wine any other caffeinated beverage of choice, because you'll need it. I've waffled rather. It's what happens when there is no word limit. I'm at home with kids all day. I need to use up my quota of adult words.
What I think is the crux of the chapter is that the obsessed are givers. Givers of love, lives, time and resources. They give joyfully, unreservedly and often unrequitedly. Those who are obsessed are willing to do whatever He asks, whenever He asks. I don't think this chapter was written to make you feel like you should be doing doing doing, and if you aren't then you FAIL, or you don't love Jesus. I admit I felt that way at first. But what I think what we need to ask ourselves is "are we surrendered to God?" Are we prepared to say "Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening."? (1 Samuel 3:10)
(There’s a thought... are you the Lord’s servant? Do you do His bidding?)
Please keep in mind through this chapter that just because you haven't sold your house and live in your car and give most of your pay check away, does not mean you are less of a Christian than those who have been called to do so, or feel that they should.
Profile of the Obsessed Francis gave us the definition of Obsessed right at the beginning...
"To have the mind excessively occupied with a single emotion or topic." (Emphasis mine)
Welcome to conviction, Jen. I hope you enjoy your stay.
It's going to be a long chapter. I can tell.
I'll say it right now... I'm not obsessed with Jesus. Not even nearly. But I'd dearly, dearly love to be.
I don't know about you, but there are a million other things that take up my thoughts pretty much most of the time. My thoughts are not obsessively focused on Christ and His Word. Most of the time I'm focused on how many loads of laundry it will take to make it look like I've done something significant today, or where in the world Bethany has lost her glasses again, or what I'm going to cook for dinner or or or...
I like that Chan reminds us of the joy and peace that God bestows upon us when we adore Jesus, follow His Word and are faithful. It helps me to re focus, turn my eyes onto Jesus and try again tomorrow.
So let's look at the profiles of the Obsessed.
Obsessive Givers of Love We all know the golden rule. It's been around since... forever.
When reading that passage from Luke 6, I thought I would research verse 35 a little bit. I looked up what words for, "love" "enemy" and "hate" were used. I asked the questions of whether enemy was for a non believer or a brother or sister "in" Christ who was just a big meanie. Did we just have to be friendly, or show unconditional love?
I'll be honest and own up that I was looking for a cop out.
I didn't get it.
The word for love used is agape. Agape was a word that was created especially to define the love Christians had for each other as opposed to the others; eros (passionate), philia(friendship) and storge (parental/family relational). Agape pretty much means that no matter what the person does to us, we won't let ourselves want anything other than the highest good for them, and that we will go out of our way to be good and kind to them. It's also noted in this instance of implying a perpetual abiding rule of action. Not just forcing a smile whenever we happen to run into them up at Target. All. The. Time. For realz NICE.
The word for enemy, echthros, is a personal one, not, say, a governmental one. The definition of a personal enemy is, basically, anyone who wishes you harm, or opposes your interests, or feels hatred towards you.
The word used for hate is miseo. It means to pursue with hatred or detest. The person who miseo's you makes it pretty well known. They do it doggedly.
I don't know about you, but I personally don't have anyone who hates me that much. At least, not that I know about. But I have had people who have hurt me terribly and very deeply, people I considered close friends. Needless to say, now they aren't my most favourite people. In fact, I've gone out of my way to avoid them. Oh, you know, I forgave them... through clenched teeth (ie. not really) but I'm certainly not going to invite them round for coffee.
Which is where Chan got me. He asked "Are you willing to do good to these people? To reach out to them?" (Pg 131)
Uh, that would be a NO.
I don't retaliate much. (Unless you're my husband or my kids. Then I will. Loudly; and more often than not, colourfully. I'm not proud of it; it's just a sad fact. God and me... we're workin' on it.) I'm a hider. An avoider. You hurt me and I'll pretty much stay out of your way. Oh, I'll snipe about you with my husband later, but I won't confront you. I’ll put on The Face when I can’t duck away before you notice me, and I’ll pretend nothing ever happened... but that’s not what Jesus is asking for here. What Jesus challenges us to do in these cases is to actively think and act nicely towards these people. To walk up to the person who caused you the most pain and bless them.
I heard once that you should pray for your enemies that which you wish for yourself. I think I can do that. It's a start at least. Coffee is still a little too hard at the moment, but I can pray that they are blessed in all areas of their lives, and that God's hand will be upon them. I can pray that the Lord fill me with His love for them... and one can only presume the rest will follow.
Obsessive Givers of Lives As a worship leader, I can remember one Sunday urging the congregation to really mean the words they were singing... not just read them off the screen, but sing them intentionally. I was convicted right there that I myself can get so used to singing a song, what with rehearsals and practice and then typing them all up etc etc... that I too can just rattle them off without thinking about what I'm saying. So, right there on the platform, I promised God that I would always make the effort to mean the words I was singing to Him.
The first song I sang after that silent conversation was "Hosanna" by Brooke Fraser. (LOVE her)
It brought me to my knees.
"Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdoms cause"
*pause*
Did you know that God takes you at your word?
And I can tell you, it changes your perspective. When you ask to receive God's heart, don't be surprised or put out when He gives it to you.
Since that day, my heart has been broken time and time again for the orphan, the unborn/aborted and the trafficked. I can only imagine how He is going to use this in my life. There have been a few windows of opportunity that we are excited to see emerging... but for the most part, we are just here waiting on God's timing, and just being willing and open to His call.
Are we willing to give God everything we are? Not just our will, our mind and our heart... but our body and our very lives? Not just in the way of "Ok, God... I'll do whatever You call me to do" but... are you willing to give your life life?
I'm pretty wrapped up in my kids and my husband. They sort of define me in a way at the moment. I'm certainly known in our church as the one with all the kids. Or Troy's mum. Or whichever child they happen to be talking about at that present time. Am I really willing to give them over to God to use to bring Him Glory?
When Francis was talking about being obsessed with safety, I immediately thought of this video. It cracks me up...
Of course, I know where it comes from (Job 1:10) which makes it even funnier, because it's Satan talking.
All joking aside, I've prayed that prayer. Many times. In many different situations. I think the reason I'm frightened to pray the suggested alternative is that I really kinda don't like pain. And I'm sort of attached to my kids and my husband. They grow on you after a while, y'know? And the first thing I can think of when being bold enough to pray that prayer is horrible things. The prayer that Francis challenges us to pray is right up there with prayers for patience and forgiveness...
DUMB.
Of course if you pray those prayers, something's going to happen to actually give you the chance to exercise those things.
I avoid those prayers like the plague.
The idea of praying that prayer Francis offered scares me... what if God decides to test me by taking one of The Multitude? What if we're in an accident and I, you know... get hurt? Or worse... bleed? An obsessed person, as the little synopsis thingie stated, “cares more about God's Kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being sheltered from pain or distress.” (Pg 133)
*uncomfortable*
Obsessive Givers of Time After reading this chapter, I said to myself "I’m not doing enough. I don’t' help out at a soup kitchen. I'm not on the cleaning roster at church. I'd rather shove peas up my nose than help out in the crèche or Kids Church. I'm obviously not Obsessed with Jesus, because I just do the worship and music and stuff."
And then I sulked and felt bad and drank too much Coke.
But one of the girls on chat mentioned that sometimes, we forget that as mothers our time is usually taken up with giving our time to our family, and often it's the things we do day in day out 24/7, 365 days a year that, even though we kind of don't notice it any more (and neither do our husbands most of the time *grin*), they are the things that we are obsessively giving. We give to others, not ourselves, when we are obsessed. I know I'm certainly not cleaning up the same mess I mopped up yesterday (and the day before and the day before that) for my own self amusement.
Call me strange.
I am in no way saying that we should leave all the serving up to those dear single people or those whose children have grown. But while obsessed people are givers of their time, I doubt strongly that the Lord wants us to spread ourselves too thin... remember He often tells us to just be still. As always, take the time to listen to the Lord. But also remember... when He tells you to go... go.
But what do you have at hand that you can do? Not everything needs to take you away from your family (or your other commitments if you are single... see... I remember you too!) Are you able to open your home to take in someone who needs a place to crash for a night or six? Are you able to cook a meal for someone who’s just had a baby? Are you in a position to swing ten minutes out of your way to carpool with someone who can’t afford to fill their own car with fuel? What about caring for a single mother’s child/ren while she’s at work so she doesn’t have to pay for child care? Can you sit and listen to that girlfriend who's having boy problems again and actually listen and respond with care and deliberation, not just going "uh huh... yuh... yep... I know.... uh huh..."
It doesn’t even have to be things like that which take up large chunks of time... can you carve out 5 minutes in your week to sit down and write a note or a card to encourage someone on team at your church, or a congregation member who looked a little strung out last Sunday? Can you find 20 minutes when the baby is asleep or instead of watching the show you watch religiously to make a phone call to the lonely elderly lady who’s family live in another state? If you’re mowing your lawn... and your neighbour jokes for the hundredth time “want to do mine when you’re done?”... how ‘bout, instead of the half grimace smile and polite barely-a-laugh, answering joyfully “Sure!” (Or send your hubby to do it... nothing wrong with delegating *wink*)
Not everything is grandiose, but everything measures for something in Eternity. And you may probably never know exactly how much those few moments of your surrendered time might mean to those you bestow it upon.
Just take care not to measure your deeds, or keep a list... like, “today I did such and such and yesterday I did this, that and the other. Look Self! (and God) I'm Serving!” If we’re measuring, then we’ve missed the point. Also, remind yourself that measuring is different from being careful to make sure our primary priorities, such as our spouse or our kids, are not being abandoned.
Obsessive Givers of Resources Do you give sacrificially?
I remember how our church put on a little public bbq thing for ANZAC day. There were games, face painting and balloon sculptures. It was all free, and that was indulged in readily and heartily.
The interesting thing was the free food.
We gave away drinks, sausages, cookies and bananas. (We have a banana farmer in our congregation.) We literally had to force them into people’s hands. They weren't used to being given something like that with nothing being asked for in return.
Where I live, we are experiencing the worst housing crisis of any city in Australia, and perhaps the western world. People are living in tents because there is just nowhere else for them to go.
And the rainy season is just about here.
I'm not talking about a couple of sprinkles and a few puddles or a big rain ... Monsoon. Pretty much every day.
For four months.
There are the working homeless; people who have well paying jobs, but have no other choice but to sleep in their car at the beach. I've heard stories of pregnant women in tents, due to give birth any time soon and families of five living in one room in a parents house. One mother has been couch hopping with her two small children for nearly a year, and she’s running out of friends. To add insult to injury, we also have the highest rent and buying costs of any capital city in the country.
But at the same time... I don't know where these people are. I don't know what they need, besides a roof over their heads. I also couldn't tell you where to go to hand out food parcels. Like Francis, I have not intentionally gone to look for those in need.
When Francis told of the reactions of people when he sold his house, so that he could donate the extras to the poor, I chuckled to myself, because I had heard every single one of those... only they were talking about how many children we had.
Lots of people think we are crazy for having (almost) six kids. They are being nice about this pregnancy, more than they were the last one, where some people were downright hateful. Either that or they think we're nuts, and it's better not to disturb the unbalanced.
This really doesn't have much to do with being crazy in your literal interpretation of the bible, but it does example what people will think if you go against the "norm". Or when you don't do the "comfortable" Christianity so many seem to enjoy. Adam and I have a sponsor child in Guatemala, and even in the toughest times, like Jess spoke about on the video last week, it was never an option to not pay for his support. In our family, what we pay to Delmar each month costs the same as a dinner trip to MacDonald’s for all of us. In the greater scheme of things, it's not much. We hope to have at least as many sponsor children as we have biological ones... something that some people look at us strangely for, and question whether it’s a wise or fiscal decision. And whenever we mention that we would like (in about 5 or so years) to adopt a girl or two from a country where the sex slave trade is highest, people throw their hands up in horror and give us up as hopeless.
Putting yourself out there for others makes people uncomfortable. It's not your fault.
It's theirs.
Just run with it, and don't worry what people say. In the end, God isn't going to care about what other people thought at the time. He'll be more concerned with what He thought, and your reaction to that.
Jesus doesn't ask all of us to go off to serve in Africa, or start crisis pregnancy centres, or adopt eleventy-three orphans. For most of us it's just the everyday stuff that almost seems like it doesn't really matter... the child minding, the loving on our husbands and/or family, the prods to watch the way you speak to people or to adjust your attitude to house cleaning... Of course, those last two could just be mine, but you get the idea.
Be surrendered. Be willing. Take joy in serving others.
And Then There’s Our First Love Not only do the obsessed love others, they love Jesus. Passionately. Since we can’t go up and hug Jesus personally just yet, our adoration plays out in doing what He asks of us. Jesus said in the first part of John 14:21 “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”
Under the subheading “The Rooted”, Chan writes as a summary, “People who are obsessed with God have an intimate relationship with Him. They are nourished by His Word throughout the day because they know that 40 minutes on a Sunday is not enough to sustain them for a whole week...” (Pg 145)
I vaguely remember Quiet Time. And yet, ridiculously, I wonder sometimes why my relationship with Jesus isn’t all it could or should be. A couple of weeks ago, during the sermon, the preacher said that he remembered a card on their mother’s dressing table mirror that said “Feeling far from God? Guess who moved.” You just can’t expect your relationship with your Heavenly Father to thrive and grow and deepen if you don’t actually deliberately draw aside to spend time with Him. Obsessed people spend as much time with Him as they can, are devoted to Him, and delight in bringing Glory to His name. They want to be like Christ... humble, forgiving, loving, giving, and in constant commune with the Father. They long for heaven, and remember, like Clara, that “You must be ready... It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.” (Luke 12:40a & 43)
I remember when I was first dating Adam that all I wanted to do was be with him. If I could have crawled inside of his skin, I would have. There was nothing I wouldn't do for him, fetch for him, gift him... We spent hours on the phone, we wrote letters and notes to each other and we wagged (skipped) more classes than I think we attended because we just wanted to be together.
When was the last time you (I) felt like that about Jesus? That crazy, all consuming, obsessive love?
Or has your love not waned, exactly, but settled into a comfortable sort of... complacency?
"A person who is obsessed is characterised by a committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being" (pg 143)
It is interesting to see the way my children perceive God, and are coming to their own conclusion as to who He is and journey towards relationship with Him.
Troy is going to be our Spiritual Warrior, I believe. From a very young age, he has been keenly aware of the spiritual world; he can see demons, and God has displayed Himself to Troy in ways we know he could not have heard about elsewhere. He is musical in such a way that he picks up a song in no time flat, and you can hear him singing praise songs throughout the day. He will sit and watch a praise and worship dvd for it's entirety, singing along very quickly with the words. He actually, at the tender age of 7 got up on the platform at church and sang a whole song (into a microphone) with the worship team with no embarrassment or fear. Interestingly, his name, Troy Alexander, means Foot-soldier, Defender of Men. I believe this to mean that here on earth, he will be on the ground, fighting the battle at the front lines, defending mankind from demonic influence and oppression. I pray this for him, and that God will help him live up to the name He gave him.
Bethany, I think, is going to be the quiet, yet firm believer. Her faith will not waiver, and her God will never be questioned. Her name, Bethany Alana, means House of God and Rock respectively. My prayer for her is that she truly will be the house of the Holy Spirit, and that he resides in her fully. I also pray that she will stay as solid as a rock in her faith, and that people will know that when she speaks, she speaks the Word of Truth.
Amy is our worshiper. She can pick a christian song from a secular song in a heartbeat. From the age of 8 months, she was lifting her hands in worship during church. She still does it now, even at home, when we have music going. She claps, and dances and cheers. It makes my own heart sing to see her so free in her love of worship at such a tender age (2)
Eli's life was prohesyed by God Himself. I was driving one day, when the twins were only really little, and I heard, clear as day "You will have a son. His name is Eli Benjamin". That was all. I never heard it again, but it burned it's way into my heart so profoundly I can still hear the voice of my God, even though Eli is now here. I've done a little bit of research, and correct me if I am wrong here, but I believe that in the Bible, whenever the Lord spoke to a parent about the birth of a son (and named him in some areas) that child has always grown up to become a prophet. If I am correct- how exciting! What a huge burden for me, as a mother, to make sure I parent him in a way (with the help of the Lord) that this becomes a reality. Eli Benjamin means Highest Son of My Right Hand. That floored me completely when I read that. This small baby of mine has a huge name to live up to.
However, of all my children, it seems that Drew is the one who will have a deep, abiding love of Christ and the gospel that is unparalleled. God saw fit to name him Drew William: Manly, Strong Warrior. I am strongly inclined to think him our evangelist, teacher or preacher, as just today, I overheard him talking to Bethany saying "Jesus is coming back, but not yet""Why?" questioned Beth"Because He died, but he's alive again, but He's not here yet""When?""Don't know... just not yet."
Oh, you have no idea how it warms my heart to hear my child have that surety that not now, but sometime! He doesn't mind when... he just knows He will.
Somedays, it just hits you, the overwhelming, heavy task and burden we have placed upon us to raise these children for God.
Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:15
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. Genesis 18:19
God is very specific that we should rear children in the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and in the Lord Jesus Christ and his saving, atoning Grace. Parents' failure to raise and teach their children in the fear of the Lord is a sin of ommission for which we will be held accountable at judgement.
At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.' 1 Samuel 3:12-14
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Revelation 2:4
How humbling. How devestating! Not only do we have their earthly lives as our responsibility, but also, to an extent, their eternal lives as well. We are not alone though! We have promises to cling to...
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
It is exceedingly comforting to me that I have the Lord, the Father God to help me raise his children, the next generation of worshipers and warriors. Daily, I can lean on HIm, and have Him guide me. He knows my children more intimately thatn even I, and He knows what penetrates to them, that resounds to them... what will guide them what will nurture them, what will raise them up as disciples.
And He is also the One that quiets my soul, stills my temper, and guides my tongue. He who checks my spirit when I fail, is also the One who forgives me with open arms when I come, broken, dejected, weary and, quite frankly, over it. He is the lifter of my head, all the strength I require on this path He has placed me.
Oh that I will prove worthy! That my children will be pillars of strength in His Church. That they will go forth with the Sword of the Spirit, the sword that is a double edged sword that penetrates to the depths, that it's held high and with pride. I pray the helmet of salvation will be firmly on their head, protecting their minds and ears from the arrows of the Enemy. That the that the belt of truth be tightly fastened around their waist, securing the breastplate of Righteousness in place. That the breastplate is so thick that there is no way the arsenal of Satan can wound or scar their heart or soul, and that the knot on their belt is so tight that the Truth cannot fall away from them. And that on their feet are the sandals of the peace of the Good News in preperation for battle and the journeys they take the non-believing on towards Saving Grace. And, of course, that they have in place the Shield of Faith to go before, to be the first thing that takes the onslaught... that it will be solid and inpenetratable... and that they have the strength to lift it and keep it in front of them.
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Acts 2:17-18
We've moved out of the old house, and now we just have to sort out the new one, to fit us all in.
My body ACHES. Today, I am doing absolutely nothing, save going to the shops to pich up a layby and redirect mail and turn off power. Tomorrow, we get stuck in.
On the upside, cleaning gives one a bunch of time to ponder things upon which to study. So many interesting things went through my head, I only wish I had a pen handy to write them down, because I'm sure I've forgotten most of them.
One that stuck in my head though, was about King David. I love him. He is so... normal! I love how he writes about every gammet of emotion. I think we'd get along alright, ol' Dave and me.
I was listening to my Sons of Korah c.d... if you have not heard of them, they sing the psalms. They put them to the most beautiful music, and it is the best way to learn the psalms, and have the Word permiate your home. My eldest, Troy, thinks it is the most awesome thing, to sit down with the Bible and follow along with the words.
Anyway, so I was listening to Psalm 35 and I remembered my pastor saying once that when praying for your enemies, it shouldn't be one like "Oh Lord... Please, make them die a long and painful death, and please let me be there to see it" and then I heard this part of the psalm...
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
Psalm 35:4-9 (emphasis mine)
Don't you just love it?
Of course, theologically, there is probably something very righteous about what David is feeling, but I'd like to think it was his poetical way of saying "long and painful, please. And if You could work it that I could watch? Ever so grateful, thanks!"
You know, like the rest of us mere mortals.
(I don't know why my paragraphs aren't coming up. Please excuse the difficult to read mess)
Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Esther 2:12-17 (emphasis mine)
It crossed my mind today, that Esther was one smart girl.
While other girls asked for (I'm presuming) jewelery, clothes, perfume and all other things that they liked and thought beautiful (and wanted to keep if they were sent to the Harem), Esther sought the council of someone who knew the king and his preferences, and then asked only for those things that would please the king.
And then it struck me... when I'm presenting my never ending lists of things I 'need' (read: want) are they things that I find pleasing, or that I think God wants me to have, or do, or whatever; or things that I know that the Lord finds perfect and beautiful and needful? Am I asking for empty things of no worth, or things that are everlasting and fully satisfying? Things that I can store up in Heaven? Or things that will perish away here on eath at the End? Do my requests please Him, or grieve Him?
How I long to only ask the Lord for the desires I have that I know are placed there by Him! So that when I arrive in Heaven, I am crowned as one who pleased Him, and sought to be thought beautiful by only Him.
You've been doing it for the last 28 years; there are tell-tale signs
I've been pondering something.
Yes, I know
About what Peter said about true beauty?
I like that passage. My daughters should heed it more
You know the gentle and quiet spirit part?
Yes
I don't have one
No, you don't
I want one
Really?
You know I do. But You did not give me one up front
No, I didn't
You could have
That is true
But You didn't
No, I didn't
Why not?
So you could cultivate it
Why can't you just give it to me? You could You know.
But then what would you learn?
It also would have been a lot easier if true beauty did come from pretty hair, jewelery and fine clothes
But then what would your worth be?
But it's the desire of my heart! You said You give us those
Even your desires must come with a lesson, dear heart. I do not give gifts that are less than perfect for you
Why is this what you find of great worth?
I like Myself to be easily found. Where the gentle spirit is, there I am. Where there is quiet, I can speak. Outside adornments are loud, and I cannot be heard over them.
It's not exactly glamorous though, nor obviously beautiful
For whom else but Me do you need to be beautiful?
Gentle and Quiet aren't the norm, You know
I don't ask you to be of the world
Yeah, about that... I don't want to be a doormat. The world says quiet and gentle get walked over and have no voice
Sarah had a voice. You are her daughter. I do not ask you to do things that are impossible with Me
But it's hard!
I will help You. All you need to do is ask
I'm thinking asking for a gentle and quiet spirit is a dangerous thing to do. It's in the same category as Why I Don't Pray for Patience.
Then you will not grow. I cannot use someone unwilling
It's not that I'm unwilling, Lord.
Then what would you call it?
... Lazy. Cultivating that spirit requires me to pay attention and watch myself. Watch my tongue.
Stubborn. I want to be right all the time. A gentle and quiet spirit does not argue the point.
Disobedient. You have asked this of me. I am choosing to say no.
Lord?
Yes?
I'm sorry. I have not cultivated that which You find great in worth. Please, forgive me
It is already done.
Lord?
Hmmm?
That spirit was in there form the beginning, wasn't it? That's why I want it to be better.
Yes, daughter Mine. You are truly beautiful to me, and you will only grow more so.
You're so clever. Will I ever make it?
I started a good work in you. It will be completed. You will grow and mature and nurture that spirit. You will be a beacon to young women who desire My Love. They will want what you have. They will see that you are who I called you to Be without fear or anxiousness. They will see My face in your gentleness. They will hear My voice in your quiet. You will be Sarah; a spiritual mother to many... encouraging them in their beauty.
Lord, I have so far to go before then
It will be done on time
I fear I will disappoint You
All you need do is start
I should get a wriggle on
You have taken the first vital steps
You'll come with?
Always
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
Wife of Adam and mum of 6 Pro Bono. Lazy prefectionist who's house is a magazine spread in my head. Real life? Not so much. Aspiring writer of songs and books. I own lots of notebooks.
I'm participating
For the love of Sara
The most precious, bravest, glorious soul I've ever had the privilege to call friend.
Please read Sara's blog. Allow her to change you.
Permit her legacy of loving hard, trusting always and choosing joy to live on.
