PERSISTING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Piercing Heaven – Prayers of the Puritans, edited by Robert Elmer, has been my go-to prayer book lately.  It’s a great read but definitely challenging.  The Puritans were those in the 1600s and 1700s who sought to, yes, purify the Church of England.  That actually sounds a little strange to me, that the religious leadership needed purifying.

I think the Puritans sometimes get a bad rap.  They’re often thought of as a bunch of old holier than thous.  Strict, stringent, firm, judgmental, dogmatic, holy rollers, even harsh.  Their words and phrasing were definitely Puritanian, if that’s a word.  Definitely more formal.  For sure, there was no urban slang, half words, abbreviations or emojis.  They didn’t dummie down so that it would be easy.  The Puritans spoke a different language. They sought purity of the church, of worship, of scripture and of prayer and they challenged the church to do the same.

Leland Ryken says:

In Puritan thinking, the Christian life was a heroic venture, requiring a full quota of energy.  For the Puritans, the God-centered life meant making the quest for spiritual and moral holiness the great business of life.

Honestly, how could you argue with that line of thinking?  I’m thinking I could use me a little Puritan in my life.  As I read through the prayers, one saint’s prayers spoke to my heart.  It doesn’t seem to matter what he’s praying for, Philip Doddridge always seems to intertwine the theme of life.

Bring me to life, oh Lord, so that by me you may also enliven others!

Make me the happy instrument to kindle and animate the flame of divine love in others.  May the flame catch and grow from heart to heart!

Again, how can we argue with that way of thinking?  Do you see it?  He was all about life.  The word that jumped out at me was animate.  No less than three prayers written by Doddridge in this book (I’m only a quarter of the way through) use that same word – animate.  Now my thoughts of that word in a quick way went to Walt Disney – the king of animation.  At first I thought naw, that’s not what Doddridge means.  But, it is.

The definition of animate is to give life to, to make alive, to make lively, vivacious or vigorous, to fill with courage and boldness, encourage, to move or stir to action, to motivate, possessing life.  It means living, breathing, moving. 

Then the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  Genesis 2:7

We’re not talking about a cartoon flip book here.  We’re talking the God of the Universe gave life with His very own breath.  God, the great animator, the great life giver.  Isn’t He the one who gives life, makes us alive, encourages us with boldness? 

Sometimes I learn as much about what a word means by learning what it doesn’t mean.  Animate does not mean spiritless, sluggish, dull, dead, idle, defunct.  Doesn’t the true King of Animation take our spiritless and sluggish dead lives and give them life?  Hallelujah!

I was caught flatfooted by Doddridge’s use of that life instilling word in another prayer:

I am so barely animated by your love, or interested in serving you, that a stranger might talk with me for a long while and not have a clue that I knew you, or had even ever heard of you!

Oh, geez…I had to ask myself…Am I so barely animated?  What do I display?  Do my words, my actions, my thoughts, my face reflect that God has filled me with life?  That He breathed His life into me?  Do I act alive, lively, vivacious, vigorous, filled with courage and boldness, living? 

Unfortunately, after that self-reflection, I had to begrudgingly admit that at times, I completely forget, or honestly, when doing my own thing, I just don’t think about God’s love for me and my love service to Him.  I have actioned spiritless, sluggish, dull, idle and defunct. I have talked with people for a very long while and they didn’t have a clue that I knew Him.  Ouch, that’s painful.  But goodness, what a great reminder.

How could I act so dead when the King of Animation made me alive?  We need to examine that and the reflection of our lives.  But here’s the thing, the King of Life is also the Father of Forgiveness.  Hallelujah!  He can take our words, our deeds, our actions, our faces from dead to life!  That’s a beautiful thing.  He can change us to be animators from inanimates.  He can bring us to life so that we can bring life to others!  That, my friends, is our sole purpose on earth — to bring life to others which brings glory to God.

Because we live in a world that is spiritless and dead, we must pray that Holy Spirit constantly breathes new life into our souls and causes His Word – His Son – to come alive in us.  We cannot give life if we don’t have life.

May I awaken from this lethargy into which I am sinking and may Christ give me a more abundant spiritual life than ever.  Alive in him, let me recover the ground I have lost – and then gain yet more!  Bring me to life, of Lord, so that by me you may also enliven others! Philip Doddridge

One of our themes since the beginning of the New Year at church has unintentionally been being intentional in the New Year.  Intentionally seeking God. It’s so amazing how He works, different people leading, same New Year’s message.  Last week the encouraging message centered around Isaiah 41:10 and Hebrews 13:5-6 , and it laid out His commands and His promises for each of us.  You really should read it.  This led to a discussion about what we’re supposed to be doing in the new year and  someone shared a prayer that they’d come across that fell right in step with the messages.  That’s just how amazing God is!

This prayer not only spoke to our Lord, but spoke to our hearts, each of us picking up on something different.  The part that bothered, or cut me to the quick:

Keep your words of truth planted firm within us, help us to keep focused on what is pure and right, give us the power to be obedient to your word. And when the enemy reminds us where we have been, hissing his lies and attacks our way, we trust that your voice speaks louder and stronger, as you remind us we are safe with you and your purposes and plans will not fail. We ask that you will be our defense and rear guard, keeping our way clear, removing the obstacles, and covering the pitfalls. Lord, lead us on your level ground.

 A Prayer to Keep God First This New Year, Debbie McDaniel

As my friend read “And when the enemy reminds us where we have been,” I was thinking to myself – Girl, you got me pegged!!  I don’t know this Debbie McDaniel, but I praise God for Cathy introducing us to her and I praise God for Debbie’s heartspeak.  It feels like she’s known me forever.  You too?

You see, just to be perfectly honest, I’ve always known who Jesus was but I’ve not always walked with Him.  It wasn’t that He wasn’t walking with me, but I wasn’t walking with Him.  I went before Him, I went around Him, I went above Him, and most times, I went below Him.  None of that makes me proud.  In fact, “when the enemy reminds me” I am sometimes shocked at the different person that I am and I become paralyzed, inert.

Now, I have always been a kind person, well mostly, sometimes, hmmm…?  Okay.  I’ve always been a loving person, well mostly, sometimes, hmmm…?  Okay.  I’ve always thought of others first, well mostly, sometimes, hmm…?  Okay.  I’ve always been a good person, well mostly, sometimes, hmmm…?  I’ve always been…Okay, this is just downright excruciating to think about.  When I think about who I was, what I did, what I said, how I acted, what I did to be accepted, how I did the wrong things all the while knowing they were the wrong things, you know, intentional sinning, I sometimes think – who was that person?  Thank God!!

The Lord pursued me for years.  Actually, He chased me down and didn’t give up on me. The Lord has changed my heart and my mind and I am a new person.  Honestly, it wasn’t an immediate about face because I’m a strong-willed somebody for sure, but He was relentless.  He finally got me in a headlock, more like a heartlock, and changed my life.  Thank God!!

I can say, but I wasn’t so bad, I was a good person, but when it comes right down to it, I was quite the scoundrel.  I may have done very good things and said very good things, but I was living the life of the dead.  I was living in sin.  He has shown me step-by-step how to walk away from who I was to who He wants me to be and He’s still doing that. Thank God!!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m still a sinner, but now His blood has made me righteous.  He loved me so much that He died for me.  He died for me to be a different person.  He died so that I didn’t have to and He rose so that I could live a life of the living forever.  Think about that for a hot second.

Going from dead to living has not been an easy process and the world is constantly calling, but because He has changed me, today when my thoughts my deeds, my words, my willfulness, my actions, my attitudes, my impertinence, my motives, my self, etc., don’t line up with His plan for me, I recognize it (and if I don’t, He makes sure that I do—Thank God!!). I’m repentant and then reminded that I’m redeemed.  God moves me forward and says don’t look back child!  He says I want you to live among the living, not among your old self, the dead.  This is what He wants for us all!

When the enemy is hissing and attacking our way, we must look forward and not backward. God looks forward, He doesn’t look back.  God looks at who we are, not who we were.

I love the prayer of Philip Doddridge:

I know I am not yet where I should be.  I am far from being already perfect.  But after the great example of the apostle, I forget what lies behind, and strain forward to what lies ahead.  (Philippians 3:13)

Feed my soul by your word and by your Spirit.  Then I will be born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible – even by your word, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23).  As a newborn babe, I desire the sincere milk of the word, that by it I may grow (1 Peter 2:2)

Amen.

We cannot move forward if our heads are turned backward.  We walk in the direction we are pointed.  If we’re constantly looking behind, we will surely stumble and fall flat over what’s ahead.  Let’s turn our heads and therefore our eyes and hearts upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.  He doesn’t care where we’ve been, only where we’re going.

So, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  Philippians 3:13-14

I told you last week that in my study I’d slipped into a pretty deep rabbit hole.  It started with Genesis 25 (which led to the reposting of Birthright), looped around Romans, and then circled back to Exodus.  That’s the beauty of God’s Word, it is intertwined, beautifully woven, and the only way to get the full effect of this tapestry is to open The Book.  You have to read it and follow the trails.  Anyway…

Last week we talked about Isaac and Rebekah’s kids, the twins, Esau and Jacob.  We’ve got two very different kids – Esau, an outdoorsman, and Jacob, a homebody.  In fact, they were so different that during Rebekah’s pregnancy the two “struggled within her womb.”  And she did what every smart woman does:

So she went to ask the Lord about it.

Genesis 25:22

And what did our Great Lord do?  “And the Lord told her…”  He answered her!  He told her that her children would become rival nations, one would be stronger than the other, and that the descendants of the older would serve the descendants of the younger.  Don’t think that didn’t set up a scenario for a dysfunctional family – by the way, we all got ‘em.  Now, right here is a prime opportunity to go down another rabbit trail but I’ve got so many started already I must resist.  Anyhow, we know what happened.  There was a tremendous amount of scheming going on, which also included the parents at some point.  Esau came in from the field hungry and Jacob said sell me your birthright or – no soup for you!  So Esau gave up his birthright, the right to a double portion, the right to be the family leader (men, this includes the spiritual leader of our families),  and the Covenant Promise made to their great grandfather.

In conjunction with reading Genesis 25, I was also to read in Romans 9 and I couldn’t get over the contrast.  We know that Romans was written by the Apostle Paul to Christian believers everywhere, but specifically to those in Rome.  In Romans 9:1-15 and beyond he speaks specifically to  his Jewish brothers and sisters.  The verse that leaped to me was the second sentence in 3, but let’s look at 1-3

In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness – I do not lie – and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true.  My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters.  I would be willing to be forever cursed – cut off from Christ! – if that would save them.

Romans 9:4

I find the sentiment conveyed by Paul to his brothers and sisters here a little hard to grasp, don’t you?  The sheer magnitude of that statement boggles my mind.  Think about it.  Paul would be willing to abnegate, give up, relinquish, his salvation for his Jewish brothers and sisters to be saved and spend eternity with Christ.  Now let’s be perfectly clear right here, Jesus would never ask anyone to do such a thing.  Jesus is a numbers guy, He wants to gather as many willing sheep into the fold as possible, that’s why He has not yet returned.  Paul’s statement speaks to this outrageous, amazing kind of love that he had for his brothers and sisters.  It made me think, if they understood what salvation was, would they feel the passion with which he loved them —  literally, sheer abandon. 

Although Jesus would not ask or accept one’s abandonment of eternity for another,  He absolutely does ask, accept, and frankly expect that kind of sacrificial attitude from His children.  That smarts, doesn’t it?

Here’s the contrast – Esau thought only of himself, his need, his desire, his immediate moment.  Paul thought only of his brothers and sisters, their need, their salvation, their eternity.  Esau was willing to give up everything to get something for himself.  Paul was willing to give up himself to get something for others. 

It made me wonder who I resemble most?  Am I thinking only of myself, my needs, my desires, my immediate moments, or am I thinking of the salvation of my brothers and sisters?  I think of how much Paul loved.  Do I love that much?  Am I that self-sacrificing?  Would I be willing to intercede  for another’s salvation?   Do we want to be like Esau or Paul?  What are we doing to make that happen?

These probing questions, painful as they may be, are ones we all need to answer.  Our answers direct our paths.  These questions are not meant to tear us down, that’s baby talk, they are meant to build us up.  They are meant to form us and shape us into people of hope.  The people God wants us to be.  If we’re struggling with the answers, maybe we need to do what Rebekah did about her internal struggles – just ask God.  And, just like Rebekah, He will surely answer.

Remember trading as a kid?  You know, trading this pencil for this eraser in school?  Trading a friend this shirt for that shirt?  This piece of candy for a piece of gum?  Remember “trading cards?”  Pokemon cards?  In all these cases, you exchange something you don’t want for something you really want.  Trading something you value less for something you value more. 

We’ve all traded something for something.  Think about your trades.  Have you ever regretted the trade?  What you got is not what you thought it was?   When you got it, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  What you traded was more valuable than what you traded for?

What’s she talking about you say?  I read this week in Genesis about Esau and Jacob.  This got me thinking about trading.  I’ve been thinking all week about my birthright and what I would  trade for it?

You may have heard about this famous trade.  This story about Esau and Jacob, the sons of Isaac and Rebekah.

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home exhausted and hungry from a hunt.  Esau said to Jacob: “I’m starved!  Give me some of that red stew you’ve made.”  Jacob replied, Al right, but trade me your birthright for it.”  “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau.  “What good is my birthright to me now?”  So Jacob insisted, “Well then, swear to me right now that it is mine.”  So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the first born to his younger brother.  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew.  Genesis 25:27-33

Aaaah…the coveted birthright.  The subject of many a family feud.   As I understand it, the value of what Esau traded was not insignificant.  As the eldest son of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau’s birthright would have been substantial.  According to law and custom, Esau would have received a double portion of all of Isaac’s possessions, and they were plentiful.  He would also have received authority as the eldest child in the family.  As part of these substantial possessions and authority, Esau would have stood to inherit the functions of the priesthood in the family, and the covenant promise of God.  Do you see what he traded for some beans and bread?  Do you see how huge this is?  Check this out:

The Lord stood saying: “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father, Isaac.  The ground you are lying on belongs to you.  I will give it to you and your descendants.  Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth!  They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south.  All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants…  Genesis 28:13-14

Do you know who the Lord was talking to?  Jacob.  Do you know who the Lord should have been talking to?  Esau.  Esau blew it – big time!  Esau traded authority, possessions and most importantly the covenant promise of God.  The covenant promise first made to Abraham, then to Isaac, and then to Jacob.  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each had to establish a personal relationship with God in order to receive the covenant promise, however, for a measly bowl of soup, Esau blew the opportunity.  Do you see how huge this is?   Hold on tight and follow me:

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham:  Abraham was the father of Isaac.

Isaac was the father of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Judah and his brother

*****

David was the father of Soloman

*****

Matthan was the father of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-16

DO YOU SEE THAT?  I am so excited!!!   It’s the ultimate Treasure Hunt for the Kingdom!  Keep following:

And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne.  There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and unroll it?”  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.  Then I wept because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and read it.  But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered.  He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals.  Revelations 5:1-5

The fulfillment of God’s covenant promise made to Jacob: 

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and though shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  Genesis 28:14

Esau traded his birthright and The Messiah descended from Jacob, not from Esau. I am a child of God.  Adopted by God, through Jesus Christ.  That is my birthright.  That is your birthright.  Don’t trade your birthright for anything, because then you will have nothing.  Go ahead — accept the blessing.

I think I used to take the Psalms for granted.  I don’t know how to describe it really.  Of course, I knew the Psalms were outpourings, mostly of King David, but since they were not “Bible Stories,” I don’t know that I took them as seriously or regarded them as having as much substance as the rest of the Word.  I’m pretty sure that it was simply that the Psalms are more thoughtful, more spirit-filled, more emotional, and frankly just deeper than my shallow mind wants to go.  Of course, they are beautifully written but I viewed them as I would a beautiful work of art, more of a decoration. 

Following many rabbit holes lately, I find myself more often than not landing squarely in the Psalms.  Many times that’s where my rabbit hole ends.  After landing there so many times, I’ve been convicted of my superficial readings of the Psalms as just pretty poems.  I’ve been convicted too that I don’t get to pick and choose what is it important in the Word of God – who do I think I am?  By viewing the Psalms in that way, I applied my own weight to the Word of God.  Again, regret and humiliation.

I pour my thoughts about the Psalms out to you just in case there’s someone else out there who’s been thinking like me.  If so, we’re completely wrong and need to seek God’s forgiveness for being such Bible blowhards!

The Psalms require me to think, something I’d rather not spend my time doing.  They require introspection, something I’d rather not do.  They require humility, something I’d rather not do. They require us to think about our sins, our regrets,  our fears, our temptations, just like King David did, and they require our repentance, just like King David did. 

But, in addition to the solemnness of the Psalms there is so much delightful praise!  There is comfort!  There is reassurance!  There is prophecy!  There is forgiveness!  There is provision!  There is promise!  I believe there is a Psalm for every situation in our life.

Now, that long stream of consciousness leads me to where I wanted to start today…

On a Bible trail of God’s nightly and daily direction, I came across Psalm 42:8:

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life – Psalm 42:8

Then, like every good rabbit trail, I read all of Psalm 42:

As the deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for you, O God.

I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I go and stand before him?

Day and night I have only tears for food,

while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,

“Where is this God of yours?”

My heart is breaking

as I remember how it used to be:

I walked among the crowds of worshipers,

leading a great procession to the house of God,

singing for joy and giving thanks

amid the sound of a great celebration!

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

“O God my rock,” I cry,

“why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

After reading this Psalm, my thoughts then shifted from God’s daily and nightly guidance to thinking about the very first frost we experienced lately and the several thereafter and how for some that triggers discouragement, sadness, the blues, and the dread of winter.  Just like in winter, some of our seasons of life area a little gray.   Because of it’s rotation, the sun doesn’t feel as warm in the winter, it doesn’t shine as brightly and it definitely doesn’t shine as many hours although longer days are on the horizon.  Yet we still long for the warmth and brightness of summer.

Now it sounds to me as if the writer of Psalm 42 definitely had a winter thing going on.  Sometimes in our longing for the Lord, the enemy comes along and hurls discouragement at us.  In our thirst for the Lord, the enemy taunts us and hurls insults at us.  And in our discouragement, we sometimes call out – O God Why Have You Forgotten Me?  But, I love how the writer constantly retrieved his mind from those low places.  And, as we know all too well, in those moments of discouragement, sadness, brokenness, winter, it’s no easy feat to retrieve our thoughts.  But, look how the writer did so, time and time again:

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

I will praise Him again – my Savior and my God!  When we are feeling the weight of the winters in our hearts and minds, it’s not as easy as just snapping out of it, being positive, changing our attitudes, thinking of something else. But, we can turn the focus from our thoughts to praising the Lord.  When we’re assailed by winter thoughts, don’t try to unthink them, we can’t do that on our own, Praise the Lord!  Did you know that earnestly calling out His name is an act of praise?  Did you know that saying thank you, Lord, is an act of praise?  Did you know saying I love you, Lord, is an act of praise?  Anytime we shift the focus from ourselves to Jesus, it’s an act of praise.  The Psalms are full of praises, write one down, memorize one, rely on one throughout the winter.

The beauty of it is that winter is a season and seasons change and with each season comes fuller sun and much needed warmth.

So, I have these Ruby Slippers, you might just say that they are a little magic.  Not the click your heels, there’s no place like home magic, but spirit filled nonetheless.  I didn’t take a picture of them cause taking a picture of your shoes to publish is just weird. 

Back this summer, a dear friend gifted me a pair of red shoes.  They are flat, ballet-style, made of recycled materials,  and washable.  They are comfortable, most days, and they are name brand to boot (shoe!).  But, most of all, because of their qualities, you know, what they’re made of, and the name on them, these little flats are spirit filled.  I know, it was shocking to me too. Let me explain…

Unbeknownst to me, these little numbers are apparently the new “it” shoe, they’re a super hot commodity right now. It’s amazing, you put them on your feet, wear them in public, and suddenly folks start asking about your shoes.  I’m not kidding you every single time I wear them someone asks me about the shoes.  It’s like magic!  I put them on – are those (the brand name)?

Here’s the magic part.  I have been able to speak to so many people about Jesus, to varying depths, simply because I put on my Ruby Slippers.  They question the brand.  I then tell them where I got them, from my dear friend at Church!  Sometimes the conversation goes deeper (I talk about my branding — God’s Girl!), sometimes it does not.  They’re kind of like my Gospel Shoes.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!  Isaiah 52:7

Yes!  But, to be perfectly honest, sometimes I fail my beautiful slippers.  You see, sometimes we don’t really realize or appreciate what we have and what we’re to do with it. I didn’t really appreciate the value of the gift that was shared with me.

We need to take advantage of the opportunities God has given us. Instead of passing by it way too quickly, or easily forgetting (or selfishly not caring) that our sole purpose on this earth is to bring glory to God by proclaiming the Good News to others.  In fact, it’s the very least we could do for the One who gave us the most precious gift of all, earthly life and my more importantly, eternal life.

I’m not being flip when I speak of my shoes and Jesus.  We are to take the Good News to anyone and everyone.  We are to use every opportunity to talk about Jesus, even if it is meeting someone over a pair of shoes made out of recycled water bottles.  We are to persist in His presence and yes, it can be when I’m wearing my Ruby Slippers.

Frankly, there are so many lessons for me in those beautiful red shoes – the love of a friend (the way God loves us), recycled material (aren’t our lives reshaped, renewed, remade, reformed), they’re washable (wash me and I will be whiter than snow), they happen to be red (He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood), they are conversation starters (Go tell it on the Mountain!).

Twenty twenty-two is upon us.  Resolutions abound.  How about finding something super ordinary in your life, perhaps a shoe, and turning it in to a conversation starter for Jesus.  Ordinary things – to the coffee clerk (where’s our energy, our strength, come from?), to the neighbor at the gas pumps (are we pumping regular or high octane?), to the clerk in the grocery store (feast on the Bread of Life?), etc.  I know that if we all stop and think for just a minute, we’ll each find our Gospel Shoes, our tool in our everyday lives with which to witness to others about our Jesus.

BTW, three folks I have met over my shoes in the last four months have wanted me to get back to them via email and let them know how they wash up, two of which I only met for the first time over my shoes.  Another opportunity…

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:1-7

We know the story of Jesus’s birth well. We probably know more about the events surrounding Jesus’s birth than most Biblical teachings. We read and study the details of this amazing event at least once a year. We sing about it, we go see reenactments and displays about it. We set up exhibits of it in our yards. We may have even participated in a Christmas play or two. What a marvelous time of year, the story of how our Savior was born come to life. We can easily visualize the events of Jesus’s birth, can’t we? An Innkeeper, a stable, some animals, a trough or manger, a little stinkiness, Mary, Joseph, a chilly night, and maybe a few characters hanging out, a star in the sky and an angel overhead. That’s the external, what we can see, what our senses pick up. It’s a really nice story, isn’t it? Who doesn’t get the warm fuzzies when a baby is born, especially under such harsh conditions? It feels good, doesn’t it?

But, might I suggest that this season we look beyond the external now and then? Beyond the feel good, beyond the warm fuzzies, beyond the urge to coo back at the baby in the manger and note how cute He really is, and reflect on the essence of this event.

The true Miracle of Christmas is not the actual events of Christmas although there are many miracles therein — conceived by the Holy Spirit, virgin birth, unwed parents, escaping Herod, shepherds, wisemen and more.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17

The Miracle of Christmas is not that a baby was born, but that God loved us so much that He sent the baby. We need to make sure that the actual events don’t overshadow the reason for the events. If the actual events overshadow the reason for the events, it’s just another baby born, just another nice story, and that’s not what Jesus’s birth is.

This Baby was born of God’s great love for us. It is the story of Jesus birth in Bethlehem balanced with the reason He was sent — because God loved us so much! It’s cause and effect. The effect is that a Savior was born. The cause was God’s outrageous, indescribable, uncontainable, unfathomable love for us. A love that is sometimes hard for us to comprehend, right?

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

The birth of Jesus and the circumstances surrounding his birth are absolutely miraculous, but the true glory of the Miracle of Christmas is the fact that God loves us just that much.

From the squalor of a borrowed stable,
By the Spirit and a virgin’s faith;
To the anguish and the shame of scandal
Came the Saviour of the human race.
But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven,
Shepherds listen as the angels tell
Of the Gift of God come down to man
At the dawning of Immanuel.

Stuart Townsend

What Wondrous Love is this?

Gender reveals are a big thing in these days.  You know, where folks who are expecting a child come up with some very creative way to tell family and friends the gender of their expected child – boy or girl.  When Tony and I were expecting, there were no creative ways to reveal our baby’s gender.  Had we known before she was born, our reveal probably would have been a little lower key.  No cell call, email, text, Facebook, or Instagram message.  At most, it would have been a phone call to family and friends on a two foot cordless phone with a six foot antenna. 

Upon delivery Dr. Wanger said:  “A girl it is!”  Had Olivia not been a girl, he would have said:  “A boy it is!”  That was it!  Tony ran to the waiting room and told our family and friends:  “It’s a girl!!!”  That was our big reveal.  No balloons, no exploding cake, no blue or pink smoke bombs.

Guess what?  There were a couple of pretty significant gender reveals in the Bible.  Yep.  Before gender reveals were trendy.  Check this out:

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah!  For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son!  And you are to name him John.”  Luke 1:13

Top that gender reveal, folks.  Wild.  How appropo that a messenger from God, Gabriel, would announce the birth of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son.   The messenger’s message about the messenger?  There was no sonogram or ultrasound.  No diagnostic testing.  It was a spiritual revelation.   A revelation by God’s Messenger, an Angel, Gabriel in fact.  The most spectacular gender reveal ever.  Well, almost…  Even more fantastic, Gabriel told them what to name this messenger.  John.  Named by God.  A name that speaks right to the heart of Zechariah and Elizabeth.  John — the Lord is gracious.  Gracious.  Merciful.  Compassionate.   John, the messenger with a message. 

“And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God.  He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old.  He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom.”  Luke 1:16-7

There was another more significant gender reveal shortly afterward, right? 

“You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus.  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”       Luke 1:31-33

John came to make an announcement, to tell the world about the baby involved in the most significant gender reveal ever.  John came to tell people to turn.   Go the other way.  Turn to God and away from sin.  Prepare.  Get ready.  The Messiah is coming!  The Messiah is coming! The message is the same today.  Who are we persuading, preparing, telling — The Messiah is coming!

https://ifapray.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/The-Connecter-Dec-2021-1.pdf

There’s a phenomenon of nature I have noticed.  When I sit at my desk each morning facing east, I usually sit in the dark for a few minutes before I turn the light on just trying to wake up a little bit and try to center myself on the Lord God.  I open the window, which my desk sits in front of, so that I can hear.  I love the night sounds, we usually sleep with our window open, but I also love the morning sounds, or actually, the lack of day sounds.  Sure my feet sometimes get cold, but I just slip a blanket over my legs so I can feel, smell, and hear the day awaken.  I don’t want to miss that.

Back to the phenomenon…traveling sounds.  We’re planted with the mountain on our west and town to our east.  Driving to town sometimes seems like we live a far piece out, but listening in the early morning sometimes sounds like we’re built beside the interstate.  As I sit here writing, I can hear the interstate plain as day.  Vehicles, trucks traveling north to south, south to north.  My grandma used to say the trucks traveling past their house on Route 11 were “singing.”  That song is not one of my favorites.

The way we hear sound is very curious to me.  Granted, plenty of trees and natural barriers have been removed between the mountain and the interstate, nevertheless, plenty of barriers remain to absorb the sounds of the interstate too – ridges and hills, orchards, trees, leaves, brush.  But still…the interstate sound.  Granted it is sometimes louder than other times, depending on the density of trees and whether or not they have their leaves, depending on the density of the elements of the atmosphere too like smog, fog, rain, snow.

But, there is a certain psychology to sound.  It is physical, it happens through your brain and your ears and for some through the eyes. It is also psychology, sound happens in our emotions.  For instance, hearing a baby cry triggers happiness and causes us to go awwwww.  That same cry can also cause concern.  That physical sound not only triggers a physical response, but it triggers a psychological response as well.  Sounds have the ability to interact with our emotional hearts and create feelings.  Deep…sorry.

The interstate sounds remind me some of my relationship with God.  Sometimes I can hear Him so clearly moving in my world, singing His love song, His guidance song, His comfort song, His provision song, His salvation song and I react emotionally, with feelings, with my heart.   Like when a baby cries, as the song says, the Baby’s cry is the sound of love come down, He has come, Emmanuel!

At other times, though I may not be able to hear God’s voice or distinguish God’s voice above the parade of the interstate noise, you know, the vroom songs of life.  My ability to hear God’s voice is dependent wholly on an unholy me.  Have I removed the barriers that keep me from hearing Him?  Have I cut down all the trees that are muffling the sounds?  Have I placed the barriers that block the chatter of the world?  Have the elements of the atmosphere of the world, pain, fear, anger, anxiety, made it difficult for me to hear His song and made it difficult for me to feel His song in my heart?

You know, in Jesus day, it wouldn’t have been the interstate that made it hard to hear the baby’s cry, it may have been a caravan traveling to hometowns for the government required census,  it may have been Herod’s angry cries, it may have been the sound of Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus fleeing to Africa, the sound of the Pharisees, the sound of Pilate’s verdict, the sounds of betrayal and rejection, the sound of Jesus being nailed to the cross.  Today, even the thought of those sounds emits an emotional response for those who love the Lord.

How can we tune in to the Lord’s voice through the din of the world?  How do we distinguish the voice of the Living God from the cacophony of our lives?  What is the key to hearing God in our loud lives, in our noisy worlds?  The Word.  We cannot hope to hear the Lord if we don’t know Him.  Where do we learn to recognize the sound of His voice?  In His Word.  We can live as close to Him as we want to, The Lord does not set up barriers to keep us from knowing Him, from hearing Him.  We do.  He will not tear down the barriers we set up to block His voice.  We must.

I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying,

for he speaks peace to his faithful people.

But let them not return to their foolish ways.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,

so our land will be filled with his glory.  Psalm 85:8-9

He came to us, He pursued us – He is the Good News.  How will we respond to the sounds of The Most High, the sound of love come down?

Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem!  Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.  Luke 2:15

Just doesn’t want to give up…

A couple weeks into November, Tony sent me this picture with that caption.  It might be a little hard to see, but those are wild snapdragons, or at least that’s what we call them.  The technical name for them is toadflax, but they’re also known as butter and eggs – yum. 

Now these wild snapdragons are typical spring/summer bloomers, those in the picture were still blooming after the frosts, they just didn’t want to give up. 

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.  Isaiah 58:11

Under the conditions we sometimes face on a daily basis – dark clouds, wind storms, and cold temperatures, the elements of life, it would be easy to give up, wouldn’t it?  We feel worn, broken, and pushed down.  But, as you can see in Isaiah, we have been given a promise.  Sometimes, under those harsh conditions, we find it hard to see the promises and we need to be reminded.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.  Isaiah 40:11

Though storm clouds gather, because of His promises, we can bloom as the butter and eggs do.  No where does His Word say it will be easy.  No where does His Word say we’re on your own, figure it out, try harder.  In fact, His Word says the opposite.  For apart from me you can do nothing!

Everywhere His Word says I Am with you.  I Am with you!  I Am will guide you!  I Am will fill your spirit and restore your strength!  I Am will carry you in His arms!  I Am will hold you close to His heart!  I Am will make your night turn to day! 

Claiming all those promises and more from The Great I Am, will cause us to burst forth with beauty and hope, maybe with little tiny yellow buds barely poking through, yet making the bloom even more radiant under such harsh conditions.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Leaning, leaning,
safe and secure from all alarms;
leaning, leaning,
leaning on the everlasting arms.

Do we see the similarities in our lives?  When all the elements suggest the snapdragons should not grow — lack of sunlight, harsh winds, cold temperatures, bud deadening frost, their radiant yellow blooms burst forth in beauty and hope.  The Great I Am can and will do that in our lives also, we must not give up!