Side by Side Hand in Hand

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Oh Boy! You are SOOOOOOO in trouble! Better to confess and take your “medicine” than run away from home until Daddy God forgets you were a BAD GIRL!!!! (and, I hear, He NEVER forgets!)

It may not be the same words, but there are some pastors people who love to wield the rod and staff (FOR OUR OWN GOOD) to scare us into being good children – perfect children – according to their experience judgement. He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. (Proverbs 13:24)

Some believe this is a mandate to BREAK the evil soul that resides in those of us who do not walk in fear of punishment for their sins but walk in joy and peace, right next to Daddy, just as we are.

Like “Mommy Dearest” (1981 biological movie about Joan Crawford according to Google search) they believe perfection is what MUST be demanded, along with an attitude of gratitude for the wounds and scars meant to show you (and everyone watching) how far you have left to go.

I grew up in a religion that seemed to believe that God was never approachable by a SINNER. However, one must come before the judgement seat of God without expecting mercy… what you get is what you deserve (TRUE JUSTICE)! I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t! I was DAMNED!

Today I understand WHY I ran from the “Daddy Dearest” I was introduced to. Today I understand that not everyone knows God but it doesn’t stop them from proclaiming their ignorance. Today I understand that the only way to know God is to walk and talk and be led by Him – one on one and face to face. I’m not saying you can’t learn from others who walk and talk with Him – “May it never be!” – I’m saying… NEVER EVER EVER put someone BETWEEN you and Abba. NEVER EVER EVER replace Daddy Time with anyone (pastor or mentor), anything (Bible Study or Theology degree), or anywhere (church).

No matter what you have heard or feared you would hear, DON’T RUN from the only Creator/Life Breathing/Father-Son-Holy Spirit, the ONLY God who cares about you and for you MORE THAN YOU CARE FOR YOURSELF!!!!!

Yes… I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,this world we live in is broken and full of death and destruction. It will not change until Satan, who is defeated, is sent to hell for ever. Until then, this world is the staging ground for ALL TO COME TO JESUS THE MESSIAH.

Still, even in the midst of our ugly… I fear no evil, for You are with me; Not just on the throne watching and waiting for me to mess up (which will happen sooner than later), but right here, right now.

You have my back… (and front and side and top and bottom) Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

Not for beating me bloody, Jesus is my healer not my executioner.

Not for wounding and scaring as reminders to me, Jesus took the thorns, the whip and the cross in my place.

Not for reducing my market value until I become who I SHOULD BE, Jesus Himself becomes my Perfect and my Perfecter.

I sob when I hear and see reminders of those, who like me, were trained to view God as Daddy Dearest rather than the Dearest of all Dads.

I regret not DILIGENTLY DISCIPLINING (teaching, training, discussing, loving them) with TRUTH, the rod that clears the path of all blockage. The rod that points to the road to heaven. The rod that beats to death any and all lies the enemy delivers through fiery arrows. The rod that is ready at all costs to this shepherd, to love the sheep in my care. The staff that snatches me from a path that ends at a cliff of death and/or destruction

In hindsight, I see that I assumed I could leave the discipline to those who were more experienced than me. I failed to see that in every age, every church, every religion, there are sinners with the wrong view of Daddy God.

I regret being deaf to the cries of my lambs being bullied with taunting and reminding of their imperfections. I regret being blind to my lambs being whipped and bloodied with hidden messages of hate replacing God’s spoken Word of Love. I regret being silent when my lambs ran from God out of fear.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

What shall we write?

1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. 1 John 4:9-10 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:15-16 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 

Daddy Dearest? NEVER EVER!!!!

The Dearest of all Dads…But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13) 

Perfect Love… Yep! But even so… Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;Though His rod and staff are meant for only our good, we just really do not like anything that might make us feel bad. When it comes down to the REAL REASON we run from God, it would be the triune me, myself and I.

If you have learned a view of God that can only come from an enemy of God, or you are afraid you can never please the God you think you know.

May I suggest… you let Him speak to you for Himself.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 

Dine with Him…

Zephaniah 3:17 Adonai your God is in your midst— a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing. (from the Tree of Life Version of the Bible) This, is our Dearest of all Dads! His little lambs will recognize Him and follow Him.

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Nehemiah 4:17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

Once again we are in a hotel while our house is being restored due to a tiny river of water running through it. The dam of a toilet tank busted and there was no little boy nor a way to plug the crack, so, as water will always do, it found its way from upstairs to downstairs to freedom in the great outdoors. Amazing the damage water, even domesticated water, WILL do if left to its own nature!

As if the water didn’t do enough damage, this week is the DE-construct that has to happen before the RE-construct can happen. Which of course means eye/throat/lung clogging dust and crazy making noise for the wimpy owners and their pets.

What can I say?

That is precisely the question I had this morning as I opened my laptop to begin this weekly blog.

“Tearing Up the House Mary Built”… Certainly a topic that is ALWAYS pertinent when I decide to cut corners in my life with worldly toilets of wisdom rather than wrestling with my old woman for my born again dominance.

“Repairs 101″… Damage done always requires loosing a portion of the beautiful – at least temporarily.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors” … I don’t know but the title would be good.

Anyway…

I had nothing to “say” until… Nehemiah showed me the work of my hands.

Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load… The rebuilding will take care of the deconstruction and I… sitting in a very clean/very quiet hotel room, will CARRY BURDENS.

one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon… I will be PREPARED for an attack and ARMED to do battle.

Dressed for work!

Ephesians 6:14-15 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Two fisted – one hand taking up the armor of God.

Ephesians 6:16-17 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

And the other hand raised toward heaven.

Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, 

And if I need more than two fists… Nehemiah 4:19-20 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” 

Because… Matthew 18:19  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am in their midst.” I can sound the trumpet! Yell to my siblings in Christ for agreement, as touching, for prayer.

Enough said!

My hotel room just became the War Room and my Commander-in-Chief is on His throne! “Bo Yeshua! Come, Lord, Come!”

When He takes command… this is how it will be…  My word which goes forth will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)… Guaranteed! By God Himself! (A note of CAUTION… His ways are not your ways – His thoughts are not your thoughts – His desires are probably not your desires… however… God is good ALL THE TIME, and all the time, GOD IS GOOD!)

Whatever battle you may be fighting today, whatever flaming arrows are coming your way, whatever worldly product has done damage to your life, wherever your fox hole happens to be, make it a “Two Fisted Fight”!

Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’  

(Ok, come on! Who doubted that the Holy Spirit would leave me without a thing to say and a blog to write?!)

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Isaiah 58:3 ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ 

Can you hear the whine??? We’ve DONE the DEED! Why do You leave us HUNGRY?!!!!

You really want to know why? God does not hesitate to tell us! Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.

Evidently one MUST HAVE a very good, well thought out, covering all the bases, sure to make IT happen, plan for getting together with God… you find your desire,  and drive hard all your workers! 

Otherwise… we are just wasting our time, starving ourselves for no good reason, looking like fools that don’t know how to “Make IT Work”.

IT? Why OUR plan of course! Our wish(es) come true! Our desires of our heart! Whatever!

IT IS ALL ABOUT ME! RIGHT??!!!!!!

And of course finding the RIGHT words, the right way to RUB God’s lamp, the right wand that sends the cosmic dust into the right path to create OUR WILL – OUR WAY.

Isaiah 58:4 “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. 

Do you think this is a description of the “UNGODLY”… those heathens/atheists who don’t believe? THOSE PEOPLE…

Nope! God is talking to HIS people!You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. 

And His first question is… Are you hungry for ME?

Isaiah 58:5 “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord? 

It is natural and right when a baby is born, all he/she knows is I AM HUNGRY and SOMETIMES unhappy! I NEED… your entire focus to be on my cries and what will satisfy them… 1 Peter 2:1-3 long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation

Newborns get to be all about me, me, me, my, my, my, I, I, I! When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; (1 Corinthians 13:11) 

But…“when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

And therein lies the rub. When I grew up… I did away with… childish things.

Three questions. Have I grown up or is it still me, me, me? Have I done away with my, my, my? Is the center of most childish thing gone, the I, I, I?

What are you hungry for? The first and foremost step of fasting is not the food. The first and foremost step to fasting is your POSITION before God. All of YOU – bowed down! HUMBLED, in AWE of, READY to receive all of HIM!

Daniel, a teenager stripped of his home, his family, his comfort, his ways, but not stripped of his heart for God. So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:3) A teenager NONETHELESS!

If you think Daniel was just “DOING” a fast (with the appropriate dress code and formal religiosity) to appease his higher taskmaster – read his prayer!

I, for one, do not even begin to seek God with such FASTING FROM ALL THINGS ME! I don’t see very many ADULTS in and outside of churches today who cast aside all things ME/MY/I (childish things) to SEEK GOD! I see much more hiding of our childish treasures by wrapping them up in our pretty papers of interpreting for ourselves and others what God SURELY MEANS for us to have and to hold and to use. (Just a reminder… all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

What are you hungry for? Do a Daniel fast and become hungry for God!

Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

THEN…“your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.”Isaiah 58:8-9

THEN…“you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ Isaiah 58:9

IF…you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,Isaiah 58:9

IF… you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. Isaiah 58:10

Are you hungry yet?  Are you starving from all the fasts done your way to get YOUR  JUST DESSERTS (sweet things) which are most times just deserts (dry and barren land)?

SEEK GOD and HIS DESIRES… Isaiah 58:11-12 “And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

What WHO are YOU hungry for?

Isaiah 58:13-14 “If because of the sabbath, (God’s appointed time for resting in Him) you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word,then you will take delight in the Lord, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,”

Are you hungry for God? Make today His holy day – His sabbath!This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

“For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” or as I love to say… for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure Philippians 2:13

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice.Pray.Give thanks. 1-2-3… simple as A-B-C… easy as Do-Re-Me… Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Follow – Follow – Follow – Follow the yellow brick road… to Oz, where Wizard will “give you a  heart – courage – a brain – a home… FOR SURE!

Most of us  Some of us  A few of us will memorize the awesome threesome… rejoice. pray. give thanks…  and proceed through the Cliff Notes for a newborn’s “Growing Up to Be a Good Christian” manual, which of course we all want to happen within the next few weeks  days minutes of our mentoring.

Rejoice? Be Happy!… Pray? Whatever!… Give Thanks? Certainly, once received!

There’s just one, maybe two, or perhaps three tiny exceptions… Always – without ceasing – in everything.

“Hey they’re (we’re) just babies here, let’s start with just the basics!” As far as the rest of the sentence, that’s for a DEEPER Bible Study, say college/divinity school taught by the “Do as I say, not as I do” method of learning.

Unfortunately Fortunately, God’s syllabus follows His plan – His will – His way (And He doesn’t change)!

First… Get a life and LIVE the life you get.

Rejoice always; In the “Strong’s Concordance”, one of definitions for “rejoice” is “to be well, thrive”.

I love this word THRIVE… Happy? Not necessarily, especially if I don’t happen to like or approve of the details of today… but LIVING WELL(my version of thriving!), the life I have today.

Jesus says, John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”Jesus brings a life worth pursuing to live it well. Not a our “Fake It Until you Make It” life, but a rejoicing (living well)life.  Neither ignoring the ALWAYS, or re-defining it as time spent in my prayer closet, an abundant life which begins when God breathed into your/my nostrils the breath of life; and we became a LIVING being. (Genesis 2:7)From this moment until the last breath we are living beings made in God’s image, fearfully and wonderfully made, to rejoice (passionately live well) – THRIVE in the life we have been given.

Number 2…Not by chance but absolutely the middle – the CENTER… of the awesome threesome. Pray without ceasing; communication (communion) with… the GIVER OF LIFE for all the days of said life. The asking/talking part of our time in God’s throne room is thoroughly taught/researched/practiced to the point that we are usually left with no time for COMMUNION side of communicating! Without ceasing my well be defined as without missing a beat of the day I have planned.

Three of three… the one able to leap the tallest and baddest of all independent nonsense.

In everything give thanks; Gratitude! Not taught nor used much in our world today. We are so desensitized to the blessings that rain down every moment of every day over every created person/place/thing in all the earth. If it’s not something I want/wish for/expect at this moment, I refuse to acknowledge or accept it as a trigger to give my thanks. “Sure, it may be something I need, but hey, God OWES me THOSE THINGS! My slave and/or debtor does not require MY gratitude… they should be grateful that I call them mine or give them my attention!”

Rejoicing.Praying.Giving thanks are all three necessary endeavors for a well lived life. But for a CHANGED life one must never leave out God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

If you refuse to believe in The Giver of Life, or you kick Him out like we are doing in our schools and government, or even put Him in a small closet called “Church”, the results will always be an empty vessel.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Give me! Give me! Give me! Its our mantra for life.

So God did give… “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For a changed life… JUST SAY JESUS! Make it God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) With Jesus, Rejoice.Pray.Give thanks become the AWESOME THREESOME.

GUARANTEED to change your life when you ask – seek – knock!  Give me! Give me! Give me JESUS!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

What do YOU want to be when YOU grow up?

Wishes and dreams and plans and bragging rights… what DID I want to be when I grew Up? Do you remember what you wanted to be? Did you make it happen?

Growing up, (some would say I haven’t yet done this) there were so many things I wanted to be… all of them included being the Ruler – the Boss – the Served. Unfortunately, everyone else wanted it too, and most were “better” at it than me!

Did you notice I used the word things to describe a position, a place, a person in charge? It’s a material world – it was in my day growing up, and it still is. We were taught and shown that to HAVE is the same as BEING. Pursue the bling and everyone will know you have arrived. “Fake it until you make it!”

I was encouraged with “You can be anything you want to be!” Therefore, if you aren’t – you must not have wanted it bad enough. How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? Proverbs 1:22

But, isn’t simpler to be simple-minded? It was easier being unaware that all is vanity and striving after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. Ecclesiastes 1:14-15

Isn’t it just easier to be the fool who thinks pleasure is the way to a happy heart? That the one job I can do (and no one else will) is to please myself. The profit of my all my labor will be… MY SATISFACTION!

It was easier! UNTIL… “I can’t get no”… at least NEVER ENOUGH of it!

And IF I am never pleased… Romans 14:12 each one of us will give an account of himself to God.WHOA!!!! 

Not so simple being simple-minded now. Not so easy being a fool who thought she only had to please herself. My whole life of attempting to satisfy me – is only striving after the wind. Has anyone every caught the wind? Has anyone ever ruled over the wind?

Thank God, Jesus came to dinner!

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  He brought to my table… the real deal, the no more pretending, the only position available in God’s Kingdom, the only position worth filling, the BE or NOT BE choice of… BEING His. The choice to Be or Not to Be His disciple. The answer to every question of “What do I want to be when I grow up?” – I want to be His FREAK!

Let me tell you… a Jesus Freak has the power of God around him/her! There is no BEING greater than BEING a child of God! John 1:12-13 but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God.

There’s just one caution!

Scripture says to “Train up a child in the way they should go” … WELLLLLLL, when you become a child of God, He TRAINS YOU UP IN THE WAY YOU SHOULD GO! Ephesians 4:22-24 in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 

It may turn your whole world upside down (whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant). You may wonder if you ever knew how to be or not be (2 Timothy 2:24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition,). Don’t worry. You didn’t! But God does. He will not just stand over your newborn crib and playpen, He will take up residence in your newborn heart and give you the pure milk of His word.

Don’t imagine it to be a simple tweaking of a life lived your way.

Expect it to be the opposite of your world training. Celebrate those moments when you “get it” and groan when you don’t. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, (Philippians 2:14-15)

Whatever is required in the being…whatever you do… do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

We and our world believes that serving, that being a slave to others is demeaning. Servants/slaves are considered the lowest rung on the totem pole and therefore either unworthy of respect or an easy scapegoat for our violent ways.

God ways are higher, His thoughts greater (Isaiah 55:8-9). He considers the servant/slave the highest worthy of His highest crowns.

Deuteronomy 28:13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully

And what is the greatest commandment? Matthew 22:37-40 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

According to God…

Greatness doesn’t come with might (Zechariah 4:6). Power isn’t perfected in strength (2 corinthians 12:9). Being the king of the mountain, doesn’t save you from the wages of your sins (Romans 6:23).

Love does!

To Be or Not To Be… Be.a.lover! A lover of God and a lover of your neighbor.

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all that you do be done in love.

Yep, when I grow up, I wanna BE… like Jesus, who came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He saves a wretch like me! It will be my honor to BE.LIKE.JESUS!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Six days ago I thought I knew that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) 

Six days ago I also thought I had all my little duckies in a row (everything working together),

Six days ago I realized I might have forgotten to teach my duckies to swim according to God’s purpose.

Six days ago I found out I needed a little more endurance!

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock (Matthew 7:24) Well, maybe not floods. Nonetheless, water came (cracked toilet) and slammed against my carefully constructed happy, peaceful, life. Who knew that a little water on the front porch would be the first indication that one of my little ducky named “All Is Well” became “A River Runs Through It”. 

We all know water will find the least resistant path to go where it wants to go. Apparently it wanted to flow downstairs and out the door, so it used gravity to move down – on the inside of walls and ceilings to give time before being discovered and stopped.

Six days later, with the shock wearing off, the noise and chaos of drying machines and their operators finishing the first stage of mitigating the little ducky’s swim lesson, I am finally able to hear my thoughts and begin to see my everyday faith in action.

It is surprising, (and somewhat embarrassing) that first thing, even after all these years of dining with Him, my old nature still cries out in shock, “Why ME, Lord? If You loved me…”

Even after all these years, I am STILL SHOCKED, when I come face to face with the fact that this ain’t heaven and God isn’t causing all things to be good, before using them for good!

Even after all the lessons God has faithfully carried me through, I find out I still need DAILY DISCIPLINE in KNOWING THE TRUTH and BEING SET FREE from the sin (the belief that I keep my duckies in line!) that so easily besets me.

I don’t believe it’s sinful to be shocked. I don’t believe my old nature crying out means I have sinned. I don’t believe our mini flood was caused by God to punish me/us and therefore teach me/us to act right!

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Our struggle IS NOT against flesh and blood (including our own)… the enemy would like to have us believe his version of truth (God really hates us – He’s just waiting for THE BIG FAiLURE), all while he is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) 

Our struggle IS NOT against God!

1 Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 

God has prepared these things FOR us…

Romans 8:29-30 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 

Our struggle is against God preparing US for all these things… Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Our struggle is … our need for discipline.  (Strong’s Definition: education or training which does indeed include disciplinary correction… Thayers Definition: the whole training and education of children…) Discipline, that for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who will be trained by it, afterwards it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:11)

Do I really need MORE discipline? Maybe a LITTLE LESS fruitiness?

What is righteousness?  Observing and remembering and being convinced that God IS and that He loves us. Righteousness is DECLARING if God is for us, who is against us?(Romans 8:31)

No matter what the chaos… no matter how loud the noise… no matter the length of the less than joyful event… we need to know God is not only for us but He is in us both to will and to work for His good and perfect pleasure!

After the shock… after the chaos and noise… I will know God causes all things to work together for good!

One more lesson CONVINCING ME, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

PERFECT!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Esther 4:14 who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

What a great question… Who knows?

I’ll admit it, lately I have been obsessing over the perfect “At A Glance” calendar format/ journal/how to spreadsheet I can come up with. A one stop spot to see; where I’ve been, where I’m at and where I’m going. Oh yes, and EVERYTHING I need to observe and remember as I’m running out the door (or am I coming in?).

That makes me sound so busy, right? Yeah… no. I don’t run anywhere or anytime! My days are so calm and ordinary and uneventful, I could fill out one page and just copy it for the next seven.

But there is ONE THING I do seem to obsess about… I might miss that one day… the day that might become a time such as this!

Maybe it’s already happened and I’ve just forgotten it. Maybe, it would have happened IF I put had put enough oil in my lamp. What if I’m a foolish virgin rather than a prudent one – falling asleep before remembering to go add oil to my grocery list?(Matthew 25:1-12 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour)

Knowing the day… Knowing the hour… Knowing me! OK, NOW I’m worried!

Then God spoke… Matthew 6:27 Who of you (“HELLO, Mary, can you hear me now?) by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

James 4:13-14 Come now, you who say (Mary, are you making a note of this?), “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Mary, THIS IS THE DAY, I (the Lord) have made! 

Yes, and I (Mary) don’t want to miss it or forget it!

Then God said, “BUT, while you are obsessively trying to shove all things mind, body and spirit, into your EVERYDAY BOX, you are missing our Daddy/Daughter time. You turn your eyes from our dance and turn the day into practicing without your Dance Partner.

Rather than hearing My song, you turn up the volume on the latest line dance, made up by the hippest and coolest Christian preacher, writer, singer, church group, and think I (God) must be there because you are gathered with two or more.

I’m not… I’m still right here, waiting for My child to come and play!”

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…Talk about attaining royalty!

Zephaniah 3:17 Adonai your God is in your midst— a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.’(Tree of Life version)… Talk about a time such as this!

My obsession with my At A Glance observing and remembering is causing me to miss the GREATEST TIME such as this… Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

Certainly, I’m NOT missing the work God has done/is doing/will do in my life. His Will, will be done! I’m MISSING THE JOY/REJOICING of stepping up on His feet, abandoning all my own moves, being twirled and whirled and moved in the Spirit, to the SONG OF LOVE and PROPHECY, Daddy is singing as we dance. “For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God has indeed “Penciled Me In” for every dance! Psalm 23:1-3 He MAKES ME lie down in green pastures; He LEADS ME beside quiet waters. He RESTORES my soul; He GUIDES ME in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 

It is up to me to show up and dance.

Or… will I settle for filling our dance card with could’ve/should’ve/would’ve notes, rather than actually dancing in THIS moment?

Would you settle?

Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom (His face) and His righteousness (His arms), and all these things (the could’ve/would’ve/should’ve notes) will be added  (at just the right time) to you. (Without the necessity of obsessive tasks!) Seek this dance, the ONLY DANCE suitable for a moment such as this!

Who knows? I might know… if my pencil become a pen written in God’s indelible ink, and I throw my at a glance planner/calendar/diary/how to book in the Waste of Time box. I might know… if I replaced my someday with the ONLY DAY worthy of observing and remembering… THIS is the day the LORD has made…

The day of our Abba/Child Dance.

A royal dance indeed!

May He have this dance?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Luke 6:32-35 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 

IT AIN’T EASY to be different, especially being the kind of different that MAKES a LASTING DIFFERENCE in the lives and memories and ways of those around us. God’s kind of different!

WHO impresses you and inspires you to be or do more than you have already accomplished?

WHAT sets a person apart from the crowd?

WHERE do you go to become the difference?

WHEN do you start to make a difference?

Lots of people stand out from the crowd. Lots of people have an impressive resume and to-die-for life. Lots of people can win the race before most of us get our shoes tied. Lots of people set out to be the best of the best. Lots of people are expert (or claim they are) king makers.

Different IS as different DOES is true for all of us, until we get to the WHY would you want to be different and HOW different do you want to be? 

WHY would you want to be different?

Over the years, I’ve had several reasons/incentives for going beyond what comes naturally to me. Most of them (if not all) had more to do with MY DESIRE than being the fearfully and wonderfully creature God planned me to be. Even after my Damascus Road encounter with Jesus, who gave Himself for my destination to heaven rather than the hell I was racing toward, I still took it upon myself to determine the difference (kind and depth) I was going to do!

James 1:22-24 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

It took me YEARS!

I HEARD the Word but I LISTENED, but with a faulty hearing aid. I listened to myself and others offer our best interpretations of what the WRITER of the WORD intended. We studied, and conversed, and observed our mentors. We desperately wanted to be the good child! So, we looked in the mirror, not God’s, our own and our favorite friend’s mirror, to see if we “looked like” someone we could be proud to be, then walked away while God made it so.

THANK GOD! Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Different is… being.a.doer… OF THE WORD! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, (John 1:14) A doer of God!

Thank God, His thoughts are not my thoughts, nor are my ways His ways,” (Isaiah 55:8-9)God gave me, not only new hearing aids but new EARS to hear HIM SPEAKING, and not only His MIRROR to look into, but new EYES to look beyond my natural face.

WHY would you want to be different? Because It is God who is at work in me, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

HOW different do you want to be? 

Different, God’s difference, isn’t in the DNA of natural man/woman. Nor is it honored and celebrated by the achievers of this world.

A Doer of DIFFERENCE must choose the race – World’s Not Quite So Different Marathon or God’s Discipleship Difference For Eternity Run – that meets both the destination and prize desired. A Doer of Difference must decide if they can agree to the rules and run the race to the end. A Doer of Difference must be ready to encounter the various trials, the many friends and enemies of the race, and themselves before, during and at the end of the race they choose.

Can’t decide? James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him/her.

But…

He must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man/woman ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man/woman, unstable in all his/her ways.

Do I want to be so different that everyone I know will see Jesus and I will be labeled a Jesus Freak!?

Do I doubt that running God’s Discipleship race will indeed change me into His Jesus Freak!?

Do I look in the mirror and see a Jesus Freak Wanna Be but leave surfing the world’s oceans to see if I can have it ALL?!

Different IS as Different DOES…

Matthew 22:37-40 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

Love… God’s Love… was/is/and always will be the difference that makes you different!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

Psalm 78:11-12 They forgot His deeds And His miracles that He had shown them. He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

They forgot His deeds but didn’t even notice their own…

Psalm 78:40-41 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tempted God, And pained the Holy One of Israel. 

Sounds just like me! Childlike, right?

A child who has a LOT TO LEARN!

Just like Israel, who was/and is God’s first fruits from nation planting… the children of the promise… God’s promise.

Romans 9:25-26 As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘Beloved.’” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” 

They (Israel) didn’t know how to be sons of the living God, anymore than we do now.

Thank God His promise was never made on the foundation of our learning curve or our ability to EVER live up to the inheritance He has for us! Even with training (Train up a child in the way he should go – Proverbs 22:6) children will pretty much, always be childish. Imagine that!

Have you ever noticed, in your own world or the world of those around you, that we fully expect MAXIMUM benefits from MINIMUM effort?

What happens when things don’t work that way? Come on, say it with me… we rebel against Him! 

WHOA! “Not against God, NEVER against God!”

I say, because it is God who is at work in us to will and to work for His good pleasure, it is ALWAYS about rebelling against God.

“If God loved me… Where’s God when… I’M A GOOD PERSON… ever heard any of these proclamations? Ever heard them come from your own mouth/thoughts? I have – more than I care to share with you!

We forget His deeds And His miracles especially in the midst of pain, suffering, and general unhappiness. Even knowing He’s a “Good Good Father” (I love this song by Chris Tomlin!)… perfect in ALL of His ways, I sometimes declare war on His ways and means in me.

We’ve all heard and probably most of us have repeated the phrase, “No pain, no gain!” It’s true, NOT because God is a masochist but because WE ARE! My computer’s dictionary says… a masochist is a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious:… I don’t think we enjoy the actual pain but we are convinced that THE ACTIVITY (without the pain) will SATISFY ALL MY DESIRES AND SOLVE ALL MY PROBLEMS so we jump in with both feet without regard to those nasty consequences!

So it becomes God’s job, His directive from ME, to let me do whatever I want and to make sure I NEVER suffer… or else! Unfortunately, we never learn from this wonderful heartfelt idea. Our focus turns from our Father’s perfect love to… “Yes, but… What have you done for me lately?”

Having forgotten that our ways haven’t turned out well, we cry out for (fill in the blank) relief from whatever this moment is causing us to suffer. We FEEL the BURN!

God answers! With the same answer He gave to His child/apostle Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 

Perfected… THIS is God’s desire! For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Our way (without God) produces calamity and a future without hope, God’s way, because He will never leave us nor forsake us, is an eternal promise. WE WILL be changed, the perishable will put on the imperishable, and the mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-53) and be with Him in eternity.

Even when we “give up on God”, God never gives up on us! We will be perfected… BUT NOT IN OUR STRENGTH… in the power of Christ.

For God so loved the world…

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life

Not our way but God’s way…

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

They forgot His deeds And His miracles, have you?

If sending Jesus were God’s last (and we know it’s not because we are still breathing) deed and miracle, can I just say… JESUS IS ALWAYS ENOUGH! If salvation were God’s last deed and miracle, it (salvation) is ETERNAL!

But we know the GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY was/is “God with us”… Immanuel.

Power Perfected (God’s power) in weakness (our’s)… therefore… I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

What have You done for me lately?

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way

Let me NEVER forget… let me NEVER rebel… let me NEVER grieve You in the desert – tempt You – or pain You,  the Holy One of Israel.

Lead me on Lord!

Psalm 119:7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. 

And proclaim (the answer to the song, released by Janet Jackson in 1986) ALL that You have done for me lately!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

 

 

Luke 14:28-30 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

Luke 14:31-32 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

I have this feeling that I am NOT the only one who has a problem “Doing the Math” but I have always had a problem! Yet in school, I was put in all the college prep math courses (the ones which ALWAYS ruined my GPA) because my mom, who passionately desired for me to be as smart as she was, demanded, from me and told EVERY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR that I was “GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE!” Come hell and/or high water, “MY CHILD WILL BE SMART!”

She was smart… at least as far as book smarts go… she was the VALEDICTORIAN of her class (I think there were 20 of them). She had plans, Bubba! She was going for the gold! She was going to College!!! From farming in a little bitty town in Iowa to the big city school of medicine for a degree in nursing… the oldest of her family and the first to SHOW the way.

In an era where women were rarely encouraged to leave the menfolk to care for themselves (the brothers were the apples of her parent’s eyes – yes, the very same brothers whose diapers she changed and dirty faces she washed), Mom set out, determined to pursue a higher calling in using her gifted mind. She would’ve gone all the way – she was a work of art when it came to discipline… but… she failed in convincing her heart that playtime had to wait its turn, when she met a man whose higher calling was PLAYTIME – which he pursued with his heart. He also was smart, one could say he was HEART SMART.

BOOM!

Doing the math happened (cause it always does), but only AFTER the perfect storm tried its best to destroy any future these two souls might have in freely pursuing happiness and a life worthy of living.

It’s a good thing that man plans and God laughs because, if all of life hinges on our math (or lack of it) and our planning skills, there would be no such thing as freedom, much less happiness and worthwhile living, there would only be Evil and his desire to destroy.

But God…

To any of my family members or people who question the existence of God, my parents are true evidence of a LOVE that binds up the broken-hearted, a SAVIOR Who saves those who are crushed in spirit, and an ABBA (Father) Who delivers His children, those who cry out to Him, from all their troubles (Psalm 34:17-18).

From the foundation that was laid with that moment of, “couldn’t possibly happen to US on the FRIST TIME”, God built a marriage and a family that was predicted by those wiser than Him (or so they thought) to be a complete and utter failure, worthy of no less than the “trash bins” of the poor and foolish. God built and breathed into life, a marriage of almost fifty years, filled its quiver with NINE almost perfect arrows (who of course produced fifty plus arrow juniors). Nine almost perfect arrows who were then fired (is that the right word?) from the bow of Mom and Dad, in order to aim for and hit God’s targets of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. 

I think Mom considered most of her life a failure (I’m sure she heard it enough from the wise fools hovering around her) because of a heart moment. I think she promised herself a “do over” through her children’s lives – especially her girls – where she would take no prisoners when it came to making the right choices. I think Dad was heart-broken mom felt that way and wished he could return them both to the joy of their first love.

Though Mom wasn’t a good archer (she missed the target she was shooting for more than she hit it), both she and Dad provided a LARGE (they weren’t stingy when it came to family planning), secure quiver, a love for their little arrows, and a desire for those arrows to grow up strong and sharp. Humanly speaking, this is as good as it gets… to be sure they didn’t get/give the bling of life, however, I would argue that bling NEVER makes anything or anyone stronger or sharper, it only sparkles for its moment in the sun.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child (our only opportunity) in the way he should go (our only math problem),even when he is old he will not depart from it(can’t begin to count the times I have “channeled” my mother).

My dad and mom did the very best they could do and I am sooooo very grateful for the miracles God wrought in their lives, not the least of which is me and my survival into my own pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They did teach me to count the cost of my plans and actions and consider the other kings I probably would meet in my future. They did try to HELP me CHOOSE the way I SHOULD GO.

Was the way they wanted to send me the way I should go???? I didn’t go that way so we will never know for sure!

I went my own way…

But God… Who was at work in me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)… laughed while I planned also! Then He took over my training and taught me His Calculus.

Just as in my “youth” I’m still Math Challenged! But now I’m in God’s classroom.

 I  still sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it… the difference today is I crunch the numbers using my mind which is being transformed rather than conformed… Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that I may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Then, I sit some more and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand… in addition, today, I take my plans and present them to God for the MOST ACCURATE number crunching… 2 Corinthians 10:5 I am destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and I am are taking every thought captive to the PLAN of Christ, 

Finally… sometimes with blood, sweat, and tears… in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)

Matthew 5:37 I strive to let my statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is fertile ground for evil to mess with my mind.

This is God’s Math training (not your ordinary college prep course) in me. Maybe He has you in a similar classroom…

Go ahead… Do The Math… Just Make Sure to Use God’s Calculus!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.