Ta-Da!!

 

Walking in the grocery store, I noticed a couple of women coming my direction. They seemed absolutely ordinary, just like me. One of them was wearing a shirt that caught my attention. In large print, it read, “After God created me, He said, ‘Ta-Da!’” Did you hear the fanfare? I did.

My first thought, only for a split second, was, “She’s no more special than I am.” A moment later, I was bursting with joy. I thought, “I wish I could buy that shirt for every person on the planet!” It’s true for every one of us. God made it clear from the beginning. Humans are His most prized creation. He tells us specifically that He knows every detail of our bodies and minds from the time we are being manufactured inside our mothers. That’s because He’s doing the assembling.

If you had a shirt/tag/bumper sticker/poster like that, could you wear/display/post it? We’ve been taught to be humble, to recognize that we are sinners and not to be vain. So, could you? It seems like we’d be bragging on ourselves, but the idea is absolutely true, and the bragging rights go to God. Can you see yourself as His highest work of value? And just as important, can you see others as worthy of wearing that claim?

The first chance we got, we kind of messed it up and we’ve been doing so ever since. But from the standpoint of “being,” we and all others are God’s most valued possessions. If we could accept that and apply that mindset to all the people we meet, how would that affect our view of them and our relationship to them? We don’t have to pretend that all people are good; we only have to acknowledge that all are God’s treasure. Including ourselves. Me. You. You are God’s treasure. He’s not like us, who get worn down with repetition. He wasn’t bored by the time he got to you, with all the billions of people He’s already made. He made you, and He said, “Ta-Da!” Maybe He even had an angel ensemble blow the fanfare.

--Lynda Shenefield

The Bible Passages We'd Like to Skip

 

I began reading my bible for today with a heavy heart, not because of something going on in my life, but because I knew the story of the passage I would be reading. Have you ever started your bible reading for the day with a pit in your stomach because of what was coming? Perhaps it will be no surprise to you when I tell you that I am studying the book of Judges. Specifically, this morning’s chapter was the one in which a Levite gives his concubine to a group of wicked men to be raped and abused while he goes back to sleep (ch. 19). And this story is by far not the only horrific one in this book. Others include the father who sacrificed his daughter because he felt bound to a pledge he had previously made, Samson whose life was dominated by his lust for women and revenge (14-15), and a group of men who satisfied their need for wives by kidnapping eligible women (21). These were dark days in the land of Israel. This was especially tragic because Israel had been rescued from Egypt, and they were finally in the promised land. Yet they had not obeyed God: They had failed to take the land, and they had turned to the gods of the nations who lived among them. Judges shows what happens to a people when everyone decides to do what is right in his or her own eyes (21:25).

So why read Judges? Why study the books or passages in Scripture that seem dark and depressing? The apostle Paul, who as a Jew knew the Old Testament with its dark tones well, wrote that “all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  So with that in mind, here are some of the things I’m learning from this dark time in Israel’s history:

-- Never underestimate the power of the influence of those whom you surround yourself with (or even what you watch or read). The practices and beliefs of the foreign nations crept into the lives of God’s people, perhaps at first in ways they hardly noticed. Our culture today is inserting its message into movies, advertisements, human interest stories in the news, etc. We must know truth as God defines it and be aware of how our culture is trying to shape us. We must stand firm in what is true and right.

-- Make sure you are worshiping God alone. The Israelites often didn’t completely abandon their worship of God, they just added the foreign gods to that worship. This, of course, shows that they did not really worship God in truth, for God commands that we have no other gods beside Him. Yet how prone are we in our own time to place our joy, satisfaction, or hope in things alongside God? Judges is full of examples that such idolatry never ends well.

-- God is a God of mercy. This is perhaps the most surprising – that despite the absolute wickedness of the Israelites, He continues to rescue them from their enemies.  He still fulfills His plan for them. They do suffer the consequences of their wrong, but He does not abandon them and start over. We too experience God’s mercy. May we never take it for granted and may it cause us to live in gratefulness to Him.

-- Even in the midst of dark times, there are those who follow God whole-heartedly, providing a breath of fresh air; their examples shine out all the brighter in the midst of the darkness. We see Caleb at the beginning of the book who trusts God and takes the land allotted to him (ch. 1).  We see Deborah who speaks God’s words to the people and then praises Him, recounting what He’s done after He delivers them (ch.5). And, jumping ahead to the next book, the beautiful story of Ruth and her faithfulness to God and to her mother-in-law also takes place during these days. May these people serve as an example to us that we too can shine as lights in a dark world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:15)

               These are surely not all the ways that Judges can be profitable to us, but it is a start. I have been thinking lately that I am thankful that the Bible does not gloss over the ugly. It shows the world in all its depravity so we feel the full weight of it. And then it shows Christ in all His glory and beauty, promising that one day this world will be made new. So, let’s be women of the Word -- the entire Word. Let’s open our bibles and study. There are truths to be gleaned even when the reading hurts.

--Amy O'Rear

Who is Like the LORD Our God?

 

Back in June, I was thinking about the portion of scripture we call The Beatitudes. I’m still thinking about that, but from a different angle. I’m ever so slowly going through the Psalms using Kay Arthur’s guide, Praising God Through Prayer and Worship. I have come to Psalm 113, where the writer calls on hearers to praise God for his greatness and his love. Verses 5 and 6 say this:

Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

Though God is great and mighty, he pays attention to us here on earth, to all our prayers and the details of our many lives. This in itself is astonishing and really beyond my comprehension. But the next verses of the psalm tell us that God “raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap.” That’s nice, right? We might do the same. But what does God do then? He places them “with princes, with the princes of his people.”

This is too much. What would poor people have in common with princes? They wouldn’t even know how to act! Such might be my logic. I might reason, I don’t mind helping the poor, but I don’t want to embarrass them or make them feel out of place. God, however, so often does the unexpected, the bizarre, even. He sent his own son—the King of Kings—to be born in a stable.

All through scripture, we see glimpses of God’s tendency to elevate those we would call lowly. Think about Rahab; Ruth. Isaiah records God’s reminder that his thoughts and his ways are vastly different from ours (55:8 and 9), and we see it in the Beatitudes as well. Where we see failure, God makes a way. We see poor and pitiful; he sees an opportunity. We see a sinner; God sees someone who needs love.

We in Christian circles are in danger of becoming so comfortable and snug up in our clean and neat worlds that we forget the needs of those around us. The more I read scripture, the more I see that God wants to transform my thoughts and then my actions.

So what? What can we do? How are thoughts and actions transformed? One step at a time, I think. I adjust my attitude to respect and honor every person as an individual made in God’s likeness. I view the lowly and the sinner as being just as worthy as I am. (Which is to say, really, not at all, as Jesus is the only truly worthy one. But you get the idea.)

I am asking God to do this for all of us so that the world around us will see people who behave as Jesus did, people who love and respect our fellow humans regardless of their moral failings, political affiliation, or social status.

 

--Sherry Poff

“Please, Show Me Your Glory!”: Moses’ Faith in Moses’ Words

 For one of Grace’s Sunday morning elective classes last spring, my husband developed and taught an eight week study called “Great and Marvelous: Moses and the Nature of God.” It was “a life of Moses study focusing on the relationship between Moses and the Lord God Almighty” (Bill Hall). The New Testament tells us that the Old Testament Scriptures can help us today. I have been seeking God to help my own relationship with Him grow stronger this summer, and revisiting insights gleaned from that class have been helpful to me. I pray the thoughts from this poem will encourage you as well. One other thing: this post is best viewed from a desktop (rather than a mobile device) due to the fully justified margins.

A beautiful baby hidden in Nile’s reeds;                                                          Exodus 2:1-3

Rescued, became mighty in words and deeds.                                                    Acts 7:22

Yet pleasures and treasures and fame he would trade,

For the reproach of Christ their value outweighed.                                 Hebrews 11:24-26

He knew by his hand God would set Israel free,                                  

But the “how” of God’s plans would unfold differently

Than Moses could guess or ever have chosen.                                               Acts 7:23-30

His faith through his words is passionately woven,

Genuine and growing through decades of living.                                                  Psalm 90

Read then, my soul, his words in your wrestling,

And echo the faith of the faithful again.                                  Romans 15:4, I Cor. 10:1-13

I will now turn aside, and see…Here am I.                                                    Exodus 3:3-4

Please, show me Your glory!

Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?                                                      Exodus 3:11

Please, show me Your glory!

What is [Your] name? What shall I say unto them?                                         Exodus 3:13

Please, show me Your glory!

Please, Lord, send deliverance by someone else’s hand.                              Exodus 4:13

The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go...                                      Exodus 5:3

Please, show me Your glory!

Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people?

And why did You ever send me?                                                                Exodus 5:22-23

Please, show me Your glory!

Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews…                                                  Exodus 10:3

Please, show me Your glory!

Remember this day…by strength of hand the LORD brought you out.          Exodus 13:3

Please, show me Your glory!

I will sing unto the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously:…

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?    

Who is like You, glorious in holiness?...                                                    

The LORD shall reign forever and ever.                                                    Exodus 15:1-18

Please, show me Your glory!

Show me now Your way, that I may know You.                                            Exodus 33:13

Please, show me Your glory!

If Your Presence doesn’t go, don’t bring us up from here.                       Exodus 33:14-17

Please, show me Your glory!

PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY!                                                          Exodus 33:18

Please, show me Your glory!

So Moses made haste, and bowed his head…and worshiped.                  Exodus 34:5-9

Now Moses was mortal and he made mistakes,                                     Numbers 20:7-12

But his yearning to know God nothing could shake.                                   Hebrews 11:27

And one day he’d stand with Jesus talking

About His soon death, Passover’s fulfilling.                                                   Luke 9:28-31

From the oldest psalm in Scripture recorded                                                       Psalm 90

To Revelation’s refrain of worship afforded,                                            Revelation 15:1-4

His songs honor the One he spoke to face to face                                     Exodus 33:9-11  

Yahweh that called him and extended His grace.                                          Exodus 33:17

Then, Lord, help me likewise to never stop seeking

To know You regardless of how things are going.                        Matthew 7:7-8

Please, show me Your glory!

Afflicted?

 Psalm 119 has always been one of my favorite Psalms, a celebration of God's law, God's word.  This week as I read it again I saw a progression that I had first seen many years ago.  It seemed written for me today.

    I love words and one word was repeated over and over.  The word was "afflicted" or a derivation, "affliction."My children and my students often heard me say, "Look it up in the dictionary," and that is what I do, seeking a glimpse of meaning I did not know.

    "To afflict" means to distress with mental or bodily pain; to trouble greatly or grievously." There's an obsolete definition which means "to humble."  The word "affliction " means "a state of pain, distress or grief; misery."  It may also mean "a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution."

Right now I can identify with the bodily pain, since I'm still recovering from knee replacement surgery.  Of course the goal there has been to replace temporary pain for long term pain. But other physical pain will always be with me.

Then there is loss, the last year and a half three of my close friends, one a friend of fifty years, one a friend of thirty years, one a friend of just a few years--all three have gone to Heaven ahead of me, leaving gaping holes in my life.  I also feel a sense of loss since the only two of my children who lived in Chattanooga have both moved away.  There are all kinds of loss.

I have had my share of grief, so I can understand the word "affliction." So what does Psalm 119 say about affliction?

First, verse 67 says, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word."  Verse 11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  So affliction can send me to His word which will keep me from sin.

Second, verse 71 says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes."  I admit that I do not understand God's choice of afflictions for me.  I know that everyone has their own afflictions, unseen by others, but part of a plan.  I do know that I have been driven to the Word by affliction.  During a particularly hard time in my life I made a CD of selected Psalms.  Each night that CD was my sleeping pill.  I played it every night until the words were deep in my heart and I quoted them with the CD.

Verse 75 says, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right and that Thou, in faithfulness, has afflicted me."  Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way."  If the Lord has ordered my steps, then He also has known and permitted my affliction.

Verse 92 says, "Unless thy law had been my delight, I should have then perished in my affliction."  How often I have clung to a Scripture as if it were my lifesaver, holding me just above the waves that threatened me.  I felt as if I would perish without that reminder.

Verse 107 says, "I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O Lord, according to your word."  Quicken means to make alive.  I wonder if affliction makes us more alive, more aware of the world and others' needs.  I think it should.

The last reference to affliction in Psalm 119 is verse 153, "Consider mine affliction and deliver me for I do not forget thy law."  I believe He can deliver us from our afflictions.  I know some of our physical afflictions, as well as our emotional and mental afflictions will never go away, but I am convinced that we can be delivered from the power of those afflictions.  Please understand that I am writing these words for myself, as well as for you to read.  Every single person has their own set of afflictions.  Maybe some of them are obvious like seeing a cane in someone's hand, but many more are hidden behind the careful smiles and nods.  

Afflictions have a purpose in our lives. God uses them to draw us to Himself.

                                                                    ~Faith Himes Lamb

How to be a Model

 Did you know that there are many types of models? Body part models (hand, feet, teeth, etc.), catalogue models, child models, senior models, swimwear models, and the list goes on. They inspire us by providing a visual of desirable possibilities, preferably in a way that makes the sponsor a lot of money. Because we find certain people attractive or see them benefitting in a way we want for ourselves, we are drawn to buying products that make it possible or we emulate the model in some way. 

Never underestimate the power of modeling. Models provide an object lesson that sticks. The object lesson grows stronger if a person uses words while modeling, but indirect words might be received better. For example, I sometimes leave my exercise bench and weights in plain view if I know my grandchildren will be visiting. I casually mention that I have been working out so my muscles will grow strong enough for me to play on the playground. As I eat my vegetables, I tell my grandbabies how much I love these foods and how they keep me from getting sick. It is an indirect way of teaching but very powerful. It’s fun when you hear a child explaining to someone else a concept you have been trying to teach them. Then you know learning has taken place!

We all follow models that seem to be taking a path to where we want to go. But sometimes I forget to ask why I want to go there. I need to consider if that destination pleases the Lord. If the answer is yes, then it makes sense for me to spend time with those I want to emulate, asking them questions. Learning, but always evaluating. There might be unintended consequences of following a person’s lead.

On the flipside, what example am I setting for others? Is it edifying? Will others benefit from my example? How? Am I modeling something beautiful and good? It’s helpful to be intentional in what I want to teach. Otherwise an opportunity might be lost. Sharing an inspirational story can be helpful. Being a stronger influence comes from being in a strong relationship with another. That requires time, commitment, and a sincere interest in others.

Of course, Jesus is the ultimate model. Humble, lovingly sacrificial, submissive to God’s will, Spirit-led, compassionate, unselfish, righteous, wise, unwavering, resolute, and much more. He is strong in prayer and fasting. And the cross is the greatest visual of God’s love for us! Now that’s powerful modeling!

joyce hague

A Call to Prayer

 

Before I even saw the GBC post about July being a special month of prayer, the Lord had impressed this subject on my heart to use for this blog. A few weeks ago, I checked out a book from the Library: 100 BIBLE VERSES THAT MADE AMERICA. It is a series of stories compiled by Robert J. Morgan about the importance God’s Word has had through the years in our country...Our dear USA celebrating our birthday on July 4th!! 

An amazing story begins on page 203, “September 23, 1857...Revival Sweeps the Country,” with the verse Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

An unknown tailor in New York City named Jeremiah Lanphier saw the throngs of business men and women on the streets, looking so weary and sad rushing through those days of financial stress (Sound familiar?). He was challenged to find a way to encourage them.

Lanphier closed his tailor shop and made fliers with the message to those people to meet with him at a certain room on September 23, 1875, at noon, to “lift their hearts and voices to the throne of grace.” That first meeting only six people came. Then as the weeks went by, it grew to forty...then hundreds all across the city...meeting in fire houses, police stations, churches...all pouring out their hearts to the Lord. Many people accepted Christ. 

The prayer meetings spread all across America and even to Europe. One twenty-one-year-old from Chicago was so changed by the prayer meetings, he surrendered to preach - D. L. Moody. Another person traveling from Nebraska said he felt as though he saw a “prayer meeting two thousand miles long.”

No evangelistic meetings, no famous preachers involved...just an unknown tailor who had a burden for people to take their burdens to “the throne of grace.” Even The New York Tribune published stories of the “revival that sweeps the country.”

As I read this, my heart was so touched to see the same results of seeking “the throne of grace.” God’s Word is the same; Jesus is on the throne just waiting to hear our requests to take them to the Father. 

As you do, I have my daily devotions and go through my prayer journal. I do pray for my country and our leaders. But how could a revival of prayer become so influential today in our nation as in 1857? I have discovered that as a Christian I can get so involved in our “circle of life” that sometimes I miss the glaring needs right outside that circle - if I would just outwardly focus away from my “comfort zone.”

On this weekend of celebration for America’s birthday, we give praise to our Heavenly Father for recent victories especially for the unborn. These came about through hard work and prayer!  Also we need a call to prayer for our national and local leaders. Our nation has huge elections coming and the outcome of these could change the direction even further away from the foundations built on the Bible so many years ago.    

As the founding fathers were debating and discussing the framing of our Constitution in 1787 (pgs. 114-115 of Morgan's book), Ben Franklin suggested: “How has it happened that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Light to illuminate our understanding. . .? We have been assured in Sacred Writings that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

In a few days, July 4, 1787, General Washington led the delegates to a prayer service at a local Lutheran Church in Philadelphia where the pastor prayed specifically for their need of wisdom: 

“We fervently recommend to Thy Fatherly notice that august body assembled in this city. . .be Thou their wisdom. . . Enable them to devise such measures as may prove happily instrumental for healing all divisions. . .that the United States of America may furnish the world with one example of a free and permanent government. . .”

 In a matter of hours, the delegates had a document that began: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union.” 

 Specific prayer! Let’s go “boldly to the throne of grace.”

 --Maylou Holladay