The Cure for My Spiritual Stupidity...

Dear Jesus - Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me for Thou hast promised!

I've spent HOURS (HOURS I tell ya!) writing a blog post about a subject that is best summed up in a few lines from 2 different authors...  So - I figured - why not just post what they say?

Masters Over Us? Your Time is Short!

Dear Jesus - We just praise You for Your many words to us that speak hope...

What are some 'lords' or 'masters' in your life?  

Here are some in mine that I will NOT be sorry to see go!

Sugar / Sweets / Food Generally

Dissatisfaction / Judgement / Anxiety

Loss / Separation from Loved Ones

Fear

Oh this list could go on!  But it will never truly capture the list in our own hearts.

O LORD our God, masters besides You
Have had dominion over us;
But by You only we make mention of Your name.

They are dead, they will not live;
They are deceased, they will not rise.
Therefore You have punished and destroyed them,
And made all their memory to perish.

Isaiah 26:13-14

Hallelujah!

A Lamb, Some Egyptians, and Moses

Dear Jesus - You are the perfect Shepard.  Help us to know, to understand that in our deepest being - daily...

Moses writes of a rule Jacob defines and that the Israelites knew well.  We would do well to follow this rule in our person lives, our family lives and with all we come in contact.  It goes like this:

And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Genesis 33:13

I did a bit of Google research on the capabilities of lambs - but it was too much for me.  I'm not a farmer.  I don't even own a pet.  That any lamb survives and grows into adulthood is amazing to me.

In the early years of my marriage - we had a problem, but we didn't know exactly the root of that problem. We could see the evidences of the problem - but we didn't know what the root cause was. So - we periodically blamed each other, got angry, an inevitably the cycle would repeat. 

Then we had a baby.  Otherwise known as CYCLE INTERRUPTUS.  That's my Latin term for - the basket got turned upside down in our family life.

About a year or so ago, we were out spending a lovely day together as a family - when suddenly the PROBLEM popped up.  Rather - I began to get those familiar feelings telling me we were heading down a not-so-happy-path.  The Holy Spirit popped this verse into my head and I quoted it to my husband.  I added, "Honey, let's finish this day STRONG.  Let's go at the speed of the smallest lamb."  Of course, by this, I meant our son.  My husband considered my comments, and we wrapped a nice little bow on our day and headed home.  Got into bed that night - and we both agreed it had been a good, solidly good day.

A few months later - that story repeated with the same results.  The Holy Spirit had revealed the root cause of our problem early in our marriage!  It was our mutual inability to KNOW WHEN TO STOP.  Didn't matter the element to be stopped:  having fun, talking, playing, arguing - in all things we must KNOW WHEN TO STOP.

Today hubby and I were discussing this verse.  The image of Moses came to my mind.  Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.  In that group were Israelite children, lambs, herds and even Egyptians!  All being led by Moses!  So to recap - the group consisted of:

• babies and children of all ages
• Egyptians knowing next to nothing of Yahweh except that He was saving them from plagues
• ex-Slaves
• Bones of Joseph, e.g. a dead man
• Moses - spoken to by God Himself

Wow.  You could not get a group representing a broader spectrum.  Do you want to consider the group by 'age'?  Diverse.  By 'ethnicity'?  Diverse.  By 'spiritual beliefs'?  Diverse.  By 'physical ability to walk or travel'?  Diverse.

Did they all escape Egypt?  Hallelujah!  Even the dead bones of Joseph!

Did they all come into the presence of God?  Yes, well - I'll grant you some of the herds may have been eaten or sacrificed along the way, but the encampment at the base of Mt. Sinai consisted of the same mix.

Did they all hear the voice of God?  Yes!  In fact, Exodus 19 is just an amazing picture of how intensely God yearned to speak face to face with His people.  Exodus 20 finished up God's conversation with His people.  And probably the saddest verse to me is verse 19.  The people couldn't take it.  They could not handle speaking face to face with God.

Here's my today takeaway for my life:

I am called to labor with God who works at the speed of the youngest child, the most ignorant soul longing for Him, and the most gifted with His presence student.  I am part of that group.  I may have started as the youngest child.  Joshua was young when he left Egypt, compared to Moses.  

But here's the lesson - nothing but ME keeps me at that starting point.  

Joshua committed to stay as close to God as he could.  In his life - that was by not letting Moses out of his sight.  In that decision, he too saw the face of God!

The leaders of Israel.  Scary thought.  They dined with God in Exodus 24: 9-11 and yet they died in the wilderness and never saw the Promised Land.  

Moses committed to never letting God out of his sight.  And he SAW THE FACE OF GOD!

Oh dear Jesus!  Thank You that there are no laws of micro or macro economics with You!  Each of us makes a difference to You!  You reward those who seek You regardless of their age, ethnicity, or sin.  You know we were born in sin and You don't hold that against us!  You meet us right where we are!  We praise You for that today...

The Sweet Blessings of Obedience...

How my son Timothy came to be at Tualatin Valley Academy is a story already told. But suffice it to say it was NOT a foregone conclusion that he would attend that school for the 2013-2014 school year.  So why did he end up there?  In the end, the answer is pretty simple – Jesus asked me to send him there and then gave me strength to obey. And I’m so glad I did. This may sound simple – but to me it was a HUGE deal. My BABY! No school is perfect just as no church is perfect – because none of us IN it are perfect. But God IS perfect! And praise the Lord His love is so much a part of who He is that He cannot help but respond tenderly to us – His fallen weak creatures.