Remembrance

Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)

-Is He Worthy? Music and Lyrics by Andrew Peterson

Remembrance.  That's what this time of year is all about. This weekend marks the advent of the final week of the Lent season with the beginning of Holy Week.  I've been working through the book of Exodus with SheReadsTruth across this Lenten season.  I've been amazed at the beautiful foreshadowing our amazing Creator gave us with the book of Exodus.  From the first utterance "I AM" to the Passover Lamb, the Manna, Moses's hands being lifted to defeat Amalek, the Rock flowing with living water, The Tabernacle, and our ultimate High Priest, our Father is the ultimate designer.  He planned our rescue in such an intimate and wooing way.  He called for us, showed us the way, made clear the path, and still holds his arms wide open to offer us the salvation and love for which our souls yearn. Amazing love, How can it be?!

Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)

Yet, I feel with each passing year this time of remembrance becomes more and more important because of the brokenness and growing shadows in the world around us. When cancer and disease shorten lives that are lived faithfully while the wicked roam freely doing whatever they wish...When my students tell me they are fearful of coming to school because of the possibility of gun violence...When I am told the child abuse and neglect rate in our county is double the state average...When I have students' who ask if they can take home extra food from our trip because they don't have food at home...When the suicide rate in our county is double the state average  because people are so lost and without hope...When I have held one of my students who is sobbing asking me why her mother killed herself...I can't say that I can always feel this amazing love in the midst of all that. My heart is broken again and again.  I know His love and I know He has a plan. But, I don't always feel it. It's easy to despair in the darkness. That's why we must remind ourselves of the gospel and the awesomeness of the cross. We must remind ourselves that Jesus has already conquered sin and the grave. He holds the keys to Death and Hell and He alone is worthy of our focus and praise. 

Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)

Our Good Good Father has never given up on us  He never gave up on His people when they began worshiping another god at the foot of the mountain He was on the mountain talking with Moses, imparting His law and plan for forgiveness. He reaches through the darkness that surrounds us and says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."(Matthew 11:28-29) He looks at those who hunger and says, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."(John 6:35)  

Jesus prayed for the Father to give us a Comforter for these exact times when we are weary. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26) 

Read that last part again..."and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." Holy Spirit, I pray that in this season of Lent and Holy Week that you bring to our minds a remembrance of the awesomeness of the Father's love, the sacrifice of His Son, and the hope that God will one day dwell again with us. Even when we may despair as we look around our world...even when we say "How much longer, Lord?" the Father loves us, the Son intercedes for us, and the Spirit comforts us. Let's remind ourselves and each other of these truths so that we never lose sight that He alone is worthy. 

"For unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Eph 3:20-21

https://youtu.be/OIahc83Kvp4

--Gabrielle Haston

A Meditation on Trees

Psalm 1: 3 states: “And he (the blessed man) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

LET’S TALK ABOUT TREES.

As I am typing, out our front window I can see the gorgeous blooms on our Cleveland Pear and Autumnalis Cherry that we planted a few years ago. God could have designed trees so that they would all resemble telephone poles...as I used to remind my children when they were little. But He wanted us to enjoy them...even use them.

Probably all of us have read this Psalm many, many times. In my devotions, I have been meditating on it word by word. We will just talk about verse 3.

“TREE” - The very word brings the idea of longevity, beauty, usefulness, shade from the heat or rain, protection or shelter, privacy, wood for heat or building, fruit for food. Wow! All from a tree!

A tree can also be steadfast through storms and drought...why?

It is “PLANTED.”  Being planted properly is necessary for growth. A tree almost always is planted on purpose as a seedling. This planting is very important...

“BY RIVERS OF WATER” - This implies fresh water. Even in times of severe drought, the tree will have already been growing from the nourishment it has been receiving.

“BRINGS FORTH FRUIT IN SEASON” - This is an ADAMANT statement.  If the tree has received the proper planting and fresh water, fruit will come. This might be edible fruit or just beautiful leaves that bring joy to the observer.

“LEAF WILL NOT WITHER...HE WILL PROSPER” - Hmmm! “Not wither”... Green, fruitful, beautiful...”pro” in “prosper” implies looking forward. The tree has a long future of beauty and usefulness if it stays nourished.

Of course, you can see the analogy! Are we beautiful trees growing steadfast and bearing fruit and blessing others with our lives? We must be “planted” firmly in the Word of God so we can receive nourishment. Then others will see our beauty, usefulness, fruit, vitality, and even steadfastness during times of drought and storms.

God’s Word can also help us to grow with fresh ideas and challenges, like shiny, healthy green leaves on a tree, to make us more useful for Him. The marvelous part of reading God’s Word is that the Author is present with us and can enlighten us as we read...if we only ask!

Fruit...in season...Perhaps this will encourage you today. We will have periods in our lives when we are more fruitful than others. We have to be careful with fruit. Some folks might be “allergic” to our “fruit” if we are overly zealous. On the other hand, if we don’t use the fruit (gifts and abilities and qualities) God gives us, it might “spoil” or be wasted when there is a place for all of us to serve. Team work is when we “mix our fruits” together for the Lord and othersJ.

Prosper - I must be looking “forward.” A Christian should “ live in the now” but also flourish and thrive to have a “leaf that does not wither” no matter the season of life.

Make sure you are getting your daily nourishment so you will be a “tree” that is green, fruitful, and beautiful.

--Maylou Holladay

Satisfied

Dan and I recently returned from a weekend away. I had forgotten to pray ahead about the weather, but God was gracious anyway. Sandwiched between two dreary days, He gave us a warm, clear day to hike – in February! For me, outdoor activities are worshipful experiences. I admire all that my Father has made and marvel at His creativity and incredible power. On this particular hike, we saw five glorious waterfalls! (For the curious, this was near Asheville, NC.)

As you may have guessed, I LOVE outdoor activities (Dan loves me). We ride bicycles, paddle kayaks, climb rocks, and hike mountains. There is a whole community of outdoor enthusiasts, and it’s easy for me to identify with them. There’s the gear and the clothing, and whole stores that cater to people like me. We carry certain bags, drive certain vehicles, wear Chacos (haha). So, my worshipful activity toward God slips into idolatry if I’m not careful. After all, I get great enjoyment from these activities, and soon it becomes about me. How many miles can I hike or bike? What level do I climb? What image do I project? (ouch) These blessings I receive from the Almighty rise up and take the throne of my heart. I forget to worship God and give Him glory. I forget to use our recreation to bless others.

Psalm 17:15, “Because I am righteous [through Jesus], I will see You. When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied.”

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Just seeing God’s face satisfies. Do you ever choose to just be with Him? To talk to Him without a list of requests? To listen quietly to Him? To seek Him in Scripture? Do you make time for reflection on what He has said? These things take time, but what could be more important? What could be more important.

Hiking, paddling, rock climbing – these things are fun, but they don’t satisfy. An opportunity to worship our Creator? Yes. An opportunity to build relationships with others? Yes. To satisfy my soul? No. Maybe you too have a hobby that’s enjoyable, but doesn’t satisfy? It might be time to throw it off the throne.

joyce hague

God's Bigger Picture

            Sometimes I am tempted to believe that if I could see what God is doing or why a particular trial is happening, then I could endure with more contentment. However, as we discussed and learned in our Bible study, When God Doesn’t Fix It, that is simply not the case. Instead, it comes back to my attitude and trust in the Lord. One of my favorite thoughts from the study went something like this: Are you trusting in God only if He changes your circumstances (the way you want), or are you simply trusting in Him?

            Still, I do believe that realizing that God is up to something so much bigger than we can see really helps with my attitude and faith, even if I don’t know what that is exactly. Think of the story of Joseph. Here is a young, cocky guy who sees visions that God is going to put him in authority over his brothers, so he brags about it to them. The brothers are so tired of him being daddy’s favorite, and now he says that he is going to be greater than they. At first, they plot to kill him, but then decide to sell him into slavery.

            What must Joseph have been thinking? God, You told me I was going to be in authority and be greater than my brothers. Now they have forsaken me, and I am a slave?! You didn’t mention this part of the plan. IS this part of Your plan?

            What a betrayal! What a crazy departure from what Joseph was expecting. Have you had moments like this where you don’t know what God is doing or how something so terrible could be a part of His plan? The great thing about history is that we can see the whole story and how it worked out!

            God is with Joseph, and He raises Joseph to be the right-hand man of a very important guy named Potiphar. Joseph begins to prosper, and perhaps he feels some hope that God is going to fulfill his dream. Enter Potiphar’s wife: after a failed attempt to seduce Joseph, she accuses him of trying to seduce her. He is thrown in prison for YEARS!

            Again, perhaps Joseph was better than all of us, but it would have been tempting to ask where God was in all this and if He had forgotten His plan for Joseph that He had shown him in his dream. Yet, even in prison, Joseph remained faithful to the Lord, and the Lord prospered him there too. God also gives Joseph the opportunity to interpret dreams of a couple of guys, which much later, leads to the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Because God allows Joseph to interpret that dream, Joseph becomes the right-hand man of Pharaoh. Although Pharaoh is ultimately the ruler, he gives Joseph complete rule over all Egypt. What power, authority, and honor!

            As the story goes on, Joseph’s brothers do bow before him because they need food from Egypt during the terrible famine, and God fulfills the dream that Joseph originally had. While young Joseph potentially would have lorded it over his brothers, a now mature Joseph who has seen God’s faithfulness to him through so much, proclaims that he sees God’s hand in even the cruel act of his brothers selling him into slavery; “Now do not be angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life(Gen 45:5).”

            When we are currently in trials and cannot see the bigger picture or when we have been through something tough and still have no answer as to why, we can look back at our own lives and remember God’s faithfulness to us. We can look at how God used difficulties in the lives of His people through all time to accomplish great, eternal things and to ultimately bless and shape them. God never leaves us or forsakes us. While we may not be able to see what exactly He is doing, we know His character and how He is always faithful to His people. He is the God who brings beauty out of ashes and resurrection from death. We can trust Him through our greatest trials, and we can rest in His unchanging character when our circumstances are constantly changing.

~Judith Graham