We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11
I decided to search His words for purpose in the book Bible Promises for You. While reading each passage, I wasn't paying attention to the books and verses, but just the words. One verse about half way through the page just popped out at me...spoke to me. Seriously, when I read it, my mouth opened just a bit and I even tapped the book in confirmation of His message. I hear you Lord. After tapping the words, I looked at the verse - 2 Thessalonians 1:11. NO SERIOUSLY, I HEAR YOU LORD! God is speaking!
Let me explain. As my anxiety level was rising toward the conclusion of 12:34, I was afraid I wouldn't know where to go without an outline for God's word for me. I had joked so many times about reading 11:11, I considered it, but I thought, "Why not 1:11?" It would be better because that would be virtually every book of the bible. Then I thought... every book in the bible. That just seemed like the easy way out so I decided to take a leap of faith (again) and let the Lord lead me each week. What an amazing experience!
God has opened my eyes through some amazingly spiritual people and their intense testimonials. God works through everything. I know he's in every detail of my life, but feeling him and hearing him is. So. Awesome!
Paul and I have been praying for about a year, but more intensely all summer, for God to show us our purpose. I have such a passion to brag on Him. I want to speak of His glory all day long so I began praying for a life that allowed it. He is revealing things to us that are new AND He's reminding us of things He's previously presented that we didn't recognize as Him.
Francis Chan in Crazy Love asked: Is this what I want to be doing when Christ comes back? If I allow that question to be a guideline for my life, then I want to continue to move toward Christ. I want my life to be all about blessing others. Matthew 22: 37-39 Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." Our Heavenly Father has given Paul and me a vision that will allow us to bless others all day long while fulfilling his two greatest commandments. WE CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO FULLY COME TO PASS! Please join us in prayer that we will be able to reveal our vision sooner rather than later.
I look forward to the day I can say: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
I often find strength and encouragement through others. I would love to hear what God's doing in your life.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
12:34 Time for Change Part VI (in conclusion)
Nehemiah 12:34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah. Oh how times have changed... and rather quickly! If this would've been the first 12:34 God revealed to me, there's no question - 11:11 would've been the journey. What am I supposed to do with four biblical names???
How about search their meanings...
Judah - to praise.
Benjamin - son of my right hand.
Shemaiah - hears God.
Jeremiah - raised up by God.
Me - smiling.
Six short weeks ago, I began this journey searching my heart and ears for God. I had no plan. I had no motive. I didn't know why I chose the 12:34 verses in the order that I did, but God knew exactly what He was doing. Looking back, I see God's direction and my heart aches with joy. He has been with me all the days of my life just waiting for me to seek Him first. He has spoken and I have listened. I'm still listening, Lord. Lead me.
Nehemiah 1:3 "...Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire." Nehemiah's response in 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. The Lord revealed to Nehemiah that He wanted him to rebuild the the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. Though it was dangerous, those who believed were encouraged and ready to help Nehemiah rebuild. In chapter 3 of Nehemiah each verse lists someone different rebuilding each section. It seemed like such an enormous job, but when broken down into smaller pieces it wasn't overwhelming. Nehemiah 4:6 "...for the people worked with all their heart." Nehemiah 4:14 "...Don't be afraid of them, Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Even through intimidation and opposition, the wall was rebuilt in 52 days. Nehemiah 6:16 The work had been done with the help of God.
God has torn down walls rebuilding Paul and me and working on us from the inside out while we've been praying for Christian friendships to support and encourage our new life together. God answered that prayer this week by revealing his power and strength through others. Whether it was a phone call, a text message, a message through facebook or friends in our home, we were overwhelmingly blessed. I truly had no idea how powerful and comforting it was to talk about the love of God. ALL. THE. TIME. We even had a friend this week half jokingly say, "If you don't want to talk about God with me, then I don't think we have anything to talk about." The absolute best gift of all is that many of these "new" friendships aren't new. Most of the godly people in our lives are "old" friends who have become new again. God is doing some amazing things in the lives of many and we are witnessing it first hand. Thank you Jesus for not leaving us lonely.
In Nehemiah 12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. Nehemiah 12: 34;43 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah were assigned to a choir. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. I love the fact that Nehemiah was the final 12:34 I read. This is a book of celebration and praise to the Lord and it's exactly where Paul and I are now - in praise and celebration of our Heavenly Father for rebuilding us into who He wants us to be. Our journey has not finished. It is just beginning.
I thank you for allowing me to hear you by raising me up and I praise your Son who sits at your right hand.
How about search their meanings...
Judah - to praise.
Benjamin - son of my right hand.
Shemaiah - hears God.
Jeremiah - raised up by God.
Me - smiling.
Six short weeks ago, I began this journey searching my heart and ears for God. I had no plan. I had no motive. I didn't know why I chose the 12:34 verses in the order that I did, but God knew exactly what He was doing. Looking back, I see God's direction and my heart aches with joy. He has been with me all the days of my life just waiting for me to seek Him first. He has spoken and I have listened. I'm still listening, Lord. Lead me.
Nehemiah 1:3 "...Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire." Nehemiah's response in 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. The Lord revealed to Nehemiah that He wanted him to rebuild the the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. Though it was dangerous, those who believed were encouraged and ready to help Nehemiah rebuild. In chapter 3 of Nehemiah each verse lists someone different rebuilding each section. It seemed like such an enormous job, but when broken down into smaller pieces it wasn't overwhelming. Nehemiah 4:6 "...for the people worked with all their heart." Nehemiah 4:14 "...Don't be afraid of them, Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Even through intimidation and opposition, the wall was rebuilt in 52 days. Nehemiah 6:16 The work had been done with the help of God.
God has torn down walls rebuilding Paul and me and working on us from the inside out while we've been praying for Christian friendships to support and encourage our new life together. God answered that prayer this week by revealing his power and strength through others. Whether it was a phone call, a text message, a message through facebook or friends in our home, we were overwhelmingly blessed. I truly had no idea how powerful and comforting it was to talk about the love of God. ALL. THE. TIME. We even had a friend this week half jokingly say, "If you don't want to talk about God with me, then I don't think we have anything to talk about." The absolute best gift of all is that many of these "new" friendships aren't new. Most of the godly people in our lives are "old" friends who have become new again. God is doing some amazing things in the lives of many and we are witnessing it first hand. Thank you Jesus for not leaving us lonely.
In Nehemiah 12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. Nehemiah 12: 34;43 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah were assigned to a choir. And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. I love the fact that Nehemiah was the final 12:34 I read. This is a book of celebration and praise to the Lord and it's exactly where Paul and I are now - in praise and celebration of our Heavenly Father for rebuilding us into who He wants us to be. Our journey has not finished. It is just beginning.
I thank you for allowing me to hear you by raising me up and I praise your Son who sits at your right hand.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
12:34 Time for Change Part V
Each week, when I read a new 12:34, I don't have predetermined ideas in which to write. Truthfully, at the end of each piece, before I start a new reading, I have a moment of doubt; a "what if I can't hear Him" moment. Yet each week, I have found God in every message revealing many things about myself and revealing himself throughout my day. Reading the book of John has been no different. And now, five weeks later, I have a lump in my throat as I'm typing. HE continues to speak to ME and it seems almost everywhere I look I am hearing his voice.
John 12:34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this 'Son of Man'?" Reading this I immediately thought back to when I was young. My family and I attended a small Methodist church from as far back as I can remember. We were in church together most Sundays. I attended VBS every summer and Sunday school occasionally. I remember coloring pages and listening to stories about Jesus. When I was in the 5th grade, I began confirmation classes - learning the meaning of Christian faith; the history and teachings of the Methodist church; and an explanation of the baptism and membership vows. I faithfully attended the classes. Honestly, if I remember correctly, I even had some one on one tutorial sessions, too. After these classes, I would come home with so many questions. I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept of the Trinity. AND I was being told I must profess my faith IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION AND be sprinkled with water to be "born again"... WHAAAT??!!
Mom and I spent many weeks that summer memorizing bible verses and talking about this Son of Man. Being raised in the South, I'm sure I shouldn't have had so many questions. I shouldn't have been questioning like the Greeks in John 12:34. I should have been the obedient child - listening and doing what I was told - no questions asked. I was just getting baptized and, seriously, every good christian was doing it. Except me. To this day, it may be the single most important act my parents did for me, and as amazing as they are in so many ways, their decision to let me wait until I was ready is the one I respect the most.
Earlier this week, before I went to sleep, I read a chapter from Do Something by Miles McPherson. In each chapter he tells a personal story, whether his or someone else's and intertwines it with a story from the bible. This particular chapter focused on stories from the book of John. I literally had to catch my breath for a second. I knew God wanted me to hear something. "...One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25) Then the author asked a question: "Can you say in one way or another, I was blind and now I see?"
Honestly, I lived about 14 years of my life blindly. Somehow I got lost. My faith slipped by my own freewill. I was 20 years old, in college, with a new found freedom I had never experienced before. Oh, and by the way, I knew it all! I fell into an infatuation with a free spirit. His life motto seemed to be, "If it feels good, it is good" and I jumped right in. In other words, I drank the kool-aid. Or at least half a cup. In John 35-36, Jesus said, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." In his defense, that free-spirit I fell for, he warned me about leaving the light and living in the dark. He tried to stop me, but when I was 20, nothing scared me and I thought I could change the world.
Five years later, at 25, I wish I could say, in the best fairytale way, a stork delivered a beautiful baby boy in a bassinet, gently dropping it at our doorstep. Instead it looked more like a bomb went off and out of the shrapnel came a fighting-mad 12 year old middle school boy who, like me, knew everything. There were plenty of battles through those early years, but out of that war came love, and a glimmer of God's light. At 29, I found myself with that 16 year old boy back at the little Methodist church I was raised in. It was a safe place where I knew God would be waiting for those of us living in the dark. The free-spirit and I, along with my parents and other family members, got to watch him receive Christ into his heart and be baptized. There was no sprinkle this time. He went down in that water and came out "born again". I'll never forget that day. It was a good one. I wish I could conclude this 12:34 with "And they lived happily ever after," but I can't.
All week God has prompted me to share where I am now and the road that got me here... and I really didn't want to. This piece has only come out of me kicking and screaming. Isaiah 23:9 The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. For the majority of my adult life, I raised that sweet boy that God shell shocked my twenties with. I received praise and accolades and I became prideful in what "I" did as a parent. When the free-spirit and I divorced, I was still living in the dark, but I wanted the light desperately. This journey I've been on over the past two years lead me to Paul and the Lord, but it, also, created a fork in the road for me and that sweet boy God exploded my door step with so many years ago. I know Satan didn't like the changes I was making in my life. All the tricks that had worked before to throw me off my journey weren't working anymore. Satan used the only ammunition he had left. My sweet boy was forced to choose between his father and the "used to be" step mom. In all my pride, I thought the war was over a long time ago, but I was wrong, and I lost. He walked out of my life and he is gone. Heartbroken, God gave me a choice. John 3:21 "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." I could retreat to the dark, avoiding people, their criticisms and judgement. I could pretend my life was perfect, but I was tired, exhausted from living that way.
If there is anyone on this earth that could teach me how to live in the light, it is my best friend from high school. She was with me at 16, in a new church I had found with her help, the day I was baptized; the first person I saw as I came up out of the water "born again". A few years ago, she was fighting a horrific addiction to (what many of us on the south side refer to as legal speed, or soccer mom meth) Adderal. She found herself sitting in a drug rehabilitation center rather than at home with her husband and two baby boys. Through the grace of God at Teen Challenge, she was able to find her way out of the darkness and into the light. Today, she is sober, remarried and now the mother of 4 (after the birth of twin boys last year). Because of her past mistakes, her older 2 boys continue to live with their father, but she does visit them as often as possible. She overcame the whispers behind her back, criticisms and judgements from the world around her. She has found happiness out of despair. She has allowed God to shine through her and empower me. Philippians 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Again, I wish I could say that just because God is present in my new life, with my new husband, that it is easy to walk in the light and live for the Lord. It's not, but every day there seems to be an opportunity for God to mold me into the person He wants me to be. He takes my weaknesses, my mistakes, my trials and my pain and uses them to glorify His name. The great news in my life now, and in my marriage, that in those bad moments, it doesn't wreck my life any more. They stay moments, not days or weeks. And that is a celebration.
The first verse I memorized (I'm sure as many of you good southern beaus and belles) was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. When I was finally baptized, I understood and I believed, without a shadow of a doubt, who Jesus was and what he did for me. The difference today, 20 years later, my commitment is greater, my faith is stronger and I am blessed to have a man of God walking with me through this journey by the grace of God.
*I want to thank my oldest, closest friend for letting me share a bit of her story in my 12:34 journey. You will never know all the ways that I love and admire you. I am a better person because God planted you in my life.
John 12:34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this 'Son of Man'?" Reading this I immediately thought back to when I was young. My family and I attended a small Methodist church from as far back as I can remember. We were in church together most Sundays. I attended VBS every summer and Sunday school occasionally. I remember coloring pages and listening to stories about Jesus. When I was in the 5th grade, I began confirmation classes - learning the meaning of Christian faith; the history and teachings of the Methodist church; and an explanation of the baptism and membership vows. I faithfully attended the classes. Honestly, if I remember correctly, I even had some one on one tutorial sessions, too. After these classes, I would come home with so many questions. I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept of the Trinity. AND I was being told I must profess my faith IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION AND be sprinkled with water to be "born again"... WHAAAT??!!
Mom and I spent many weeks that summer memorizing bible verses and talking about this Son of Man. Being raised in the South, I'm sure I shouldn't have had so many questions. I shouldn't have been questioning like the Greeks in John 12:34. I should have been the obedient child - listening and doing what I was told - no questions asked. I was just getting baptized and, seriously, every good christian was doing it. Except me. To this day, it may be the single most important act my parents did for me, and as amazing as they are in so many ways, their decision to let me wait until I was ready is the one I respect the most.
Earlier this week, before I went to sleep, I read a chapter from Do Something by Miles McPherson. In each chapter he tells a personal story, whether his or someone else's and intertwines it with a story from the bible. This particular chapter focused on stories from the book of John. I literally had to catch my breath for a second. I knew God wanted me to hear something. "...One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25) Then the author asked a question: "Can you say in one way or another, I was blind and now I see?"
Honestly, I lived about 14 years of my life blindly. Somehow I got lost. My faith slipped by my own freewill. I was 20 years old, in college, with a new found freedom I had never experienced before. Oh, and by the way, I knew it all! I fell into an infatuation with a free spirit. His life motto seemed to be, "If it feels good, it is good" and I jumped right in. In other words, I drank the kool-aid. Or at least half a cup. In John 35-36, Jesus said, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." In his defense, that free-spirit I fell for, he warned me about leaving the light and living in the dark. He tried to stop me, but when I was 20, nothing scared me and I thought I could change the world.
Five years later, at 25, I wish I could say, in the best fairytale way, a stork delivered a beautiful baby boy in a bassinet, gently dropping it at our doorstep. Instead it looked more like a bomb went off and out of the shrapnel came a fighting-mad 12 year old middle school boy who, like me, knew everything. There were plenty of battles through those early years, but out of that war came love, and a glimmer of God's light. At 29, I found myself with that 16 year old boy back at the little Methodist church I was raised in. It was a safe place where I knew God would be waiting for those of us living in the dark. The free-spirit and I, along with my parents and other family members, got to watch him receive Christ into his heart and be baptized. There was no sprinkle this time. He went down in that water and came out "born again". I'll never forget that day. It was a good one. I wish I could conclude this 12:34 with "And they lived happily ever after," but I can't.
All week God has prompted me to share where I am now and the road that got me here... and I really didn't want to. This piece has only come out of me kicking and screaming. Isaiah 23:9 The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. For the majority of my adult life, I raised that sweet boy that God shell shocked my twenties with. I received praise and accolades and I became prideful in what "I" did as a parent. When the free-spirit and I divorced, I was still living in the dark, but I wanted the light desperately. This journey I've been on over the past two years lead me to Paul and the Lord, but it, also, created a fork in the road for me and that sweet boy God exploded my door step with so many years ago. I know Satan didn't like the changes I was making in my life. All the tricks that had worked before to throw me off my journey weren't working anymore. Satan used the only ammunition he had left. My sweet boy was forced to choose between his father and the "used to be" step mom. In all my pride, I thought the war was over a long time ago, but I was wrong, and I lost. He walked out of my life and he is gone. Heartbroken, God gave me a choice. John 3:21 "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." I could retreat to the dark, avoiding people, their criticisms and judgement. I could pretend my life was perfect, but I was tired, exhausted from living that way.
If there is anyone on this earth that could teach me how to live in the light, it is my best friend from high school. She was with me at 16, in a new church I had found with her help, the day I was baptized; the first person I saw as I came up out of the water "born again". A few years ago, she was fighting a horrific addiction to (what many of us on the south side refer to as legal speed, or soccer mom meth) Adderal. She found herself sitting in a drug rehabilitation center rather than at home with her husband and two baby boys. Through the grace of God at Teen Challenge, she was able to find her way out of the darkness and into the light. Today, she is sober, remarried and now the mother of 4 (after the birth of twin boys last year). Because of her past mistakes, her older 2 boys continue to live with their father, but she does visit them as often as possible. She overcame the whispers behind her back, criticisms and judgements from the world around her. She has found happiness out of despair. She has allowed God to shine through her and empower me. Philippians 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Again, I wish I could say that just because God is present in my new life, with my new husband, that it is easy to walk in the light and live for the Lord. It's not, but every day there seems to be an opportunity for God to mold me into the person He wants me to be. He takes my weaknesses, my mistakes, my trials and my pain and uses them to glorify His name. The great news in my life now, and in my marriage, that in those bad moments, it doesn't wreck my life any more. They stay moments, not days or weeks. And that is a celebration.
The first verse I memorized (I'm sure as many of you good southern beaus and belles) was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. When I was finally baptized, I understood and I believed, without a shadow of a doubt, who Jesus was and what he did for me. The difference today, 20 years later, my commitment is greater, my faith is stronger and I am blessed to have a man of God walking with me through this journey by the grace of God.
*I want to thank my oldest, closest friend for letting me share a bit of her story in my 12:34 journey. You will never know all the ways that I love and admire you. I am a better person because God planted you in my life.
Friday, September 7, 2012
12:34 Time for Change Part IV
Exodus 12:34, So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. I was pleasantly surprised to see God's message for Paul and me this week. He continues to speak to me through His word; through discussions with my husband; through friends; through living. I've discovered this journey God's put me on is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Each day pieces are revealed and connections are made. It's exciting and keeps me yearning for more. I feel like my eyes have been opened and my senses have been heightened. The more I pursue God's Word, the more I hunger and thirst for His voice and seek His purpose in my life. And it feels good.
While reading Exodus, I learned about the character of Moses. What. A. Man. In Exodus 3:8, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." The Lord heard the Israelites cries and told Moses in 3:10, "So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
So maybe I'm not alone in my fear of failure, as Moses expressed to the Lord his fears of being incapable, but God encouraged in 3:12, "...I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on the mountain."
"I will be with you." Seriously? You will be with me? Even through all my uglies? As my sister always says, "God don't like ugly." BUT HE DOES LOVE ME - through it all - right by my side. Thank you, Jesus that I'm never alone. Moses believed, too, but HIS faith, perseverance, and endurance astounds me. Through all the plagues that the Lord brought on the Egyptians in Exodus - rivers of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, sickening livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, first born - Moses never doubted the Lord. He never tired of His instructions. He never gave up in frustration, though he repeatedly heard from Pharaoh, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." (Exodus 10:16-17) And each time, immediately thereafter, "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses." (Exodus 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7, 9:12, 9:35,10:20, 10:27) I wonder if Moses had mixed emotions - second guessing God's directives. Maybe Moses didn't. Maybe he mastered something I haven't yet...PATIENCE.
Sometimes I still become impatient by questioning if I'm really following God's plan for me. If it doesn't happen in "my time" then I must have misunderstood Him. Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to reevaluate "your time vs. my time." A pleasant reminder from God came through Joyce Meyer this week, "When you are tempted to give up, your break through is probably just around the corner." In Exodus 10:28-29, Moses knew he had reached his break through. Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die. 'Just as you say,' Moses replied. 'I will never appear before you again.'" The final plague of the first born hit and Pharaoh and all the Egyptians urged the Israelites to hurry and leave their country for fear that they all may die rather than just the first born. "So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing." (Exodus 12:34) After 431 years, All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. (Exodus 12:50-51)
The feast of unleavened bread (dough without yeast) commemorates the Passover. FEAST being the key word for me. I believe God was planting His seed for this 12:34 verse before I knew which one I was studying this week. We've been talking about recreating "family dinners" with friends on a weekly basis. Whether he believes it or not, Paul's a talented cook. He has a distinct ability to know what foods and flavors compliment each other. He will run to the store for 20 cents worth of herbs if his creation is missing "something." I, on the other hand, will cook anything in the crock pot in low sodium broth for flavor. You might say I'm the queen of bland. BUT I LOVE dinner parties. There is nothing better than sitting down for a meal with a group of amazingly interesting people who love sharing themselves; their souls with others. Don't be alarmed if you see us standing patiently on the corner with a cardboard box sign that reads WILL MAKE YOU DINNER IN EXCHANGE FOR AMAZING CONVERSATION AND LAUGHTER. Let's break bread together.
OR maybe I'll just make mini cardboard invitations and invite our friends...
Exodus 15:26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals all."
While reading Exodus, I learned about the character of Moses. What. A. Man. In Exodus 3:8, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." The Lord heard the Israelites cries and told Moses in 3:10, "So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
So maybe I'm not alone in my fear of failure, as Moses expressed to the Lord his fears of being incapable, but God encouraged in 3:12, "...I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on the mountain."
"I will be with you." Seriously? You will be with me? Even through all my uglies? As my sister always says, "God don't like ugly." BUT HE DOES LOVE ME - through it all - right by my side. Thank you, Jesus that I'm never alone. Moses believed, too, but HIS faith, perseverance, and endurance astounds me. Through all the plagues that the Lord brought on the Egyptians in Exodus - rivers of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, sickening livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, first born - Moses never doubted the Lord. He never tired of His instructions. He never gave up in frustration, though he repeatedly heard from Pharaoh, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." (Exodus 10:16-17) And each time, immediately thereafter, "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses." (Exodus 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7, 9:12, 9:35,10:20, 10:27) I wonder if Moses had mixed emotions - second guessing God's directives. Maybe Moses didn't. Maybe he mastered something I haven't yet...PATIENCE.
Sometimes I still become impatient by questioning if I'm really following God's plan for me. If it doesn't happen in "my time" then I must have misunderstood Him. Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to reevaluate "your time vs. my time." A pleasant reminder from God came through Joyce Meyer this week, "When you are tempted to give up, your break through is probably just around the corner." In Exodus 10:28-29, Moses knew he had reached his break through. Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die. 'Just as you say,' Moses replied. 'I will never appear before you again.'" The final plague of the first born hit and Pharaoh and all the Egyptians urged the Israelites to hurry and leave their country for fear that they all may die rather than just the first born. "So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing." (Exodus 12:34) After 431 years, All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. (Exodus 12:50-51)
The feast of unleavened bread (dough without yeast) commemorates the Passover. FEAST being the key word for me. I believe God was planting His seed for this 12:34 verse before I knew which one I was studying this week. We've been talking about recreating "family dinners" with friends on a weekly basis. Whether he believes it or not, Paul's a talented cook. He has a distinct ability to know what foods and flavors compliment each other. He will run to the store for 20 cents worth of herbs if his creation is missing "something." I, on the other hand, will cook anything in the crock pot in low sodium broth for flavor. You might say I'm the queen of bland. BUT I LOVE dinner parties. There is nothing better than sitting down for a meal with a group of amazingly interesting people who love sharing themselves; their souls with others. Don't be alarmed if you see us standing patiently on the corner with a cardboard box sign that reads WILL MAKE YOU DINNER IN EXCHANGE FOR AMAZING CONVERSATION AND LAUGHTER. Let's break bread together.
OR maybe I'll just make mini cardboard invitations and invite our friends...
Exodus 15:26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals all."
Saturday, September 1, 2012
12:34 Time for Change Part III
Listening to God through 12:34 and feeling His power change me has been, for lack of a better word, amazing; possibly a miracle. I've lived with the fear of failure for most of my life. At times, it has immobilized me to act, whether to walk away from a destructive situation or to follow through on something new and exciting. More often than not, on the outside everything looked good, but on the inside I was a wreck. This summer through the loss of a significant person in my life, I've had to face failure head on. The loss wasn't through death, though the grieving process has been the same. Watching someone walk out of your life and having no control over their choice to leave is devastating. So many times I could have thrown my hands up in the air and given up, but instead, God has given me the endurance to move forward.
This week, I was at a loss when I read 1 Chronicles 12:34 "from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;" Okay. Well. Where do I go from here? I felt failure seeping into my thoughts, encouraging me to skip this verse. How would I be able to apply this to a time for change? What was God saying to Paul and me through this verse? And seriously, who would ever know if I chose to skip it? Is anyone keeping tabs on my journey? Did I say God spoke to me through each and every 12:34 in the bible? On the other hand, instead of giving up, I could actually take on this challenge. I read and reread chapters 9-13 of 1 Chronicles trying to find, hear, or listen to what the Lord was telling me. Looking back in 1 Chronicles 12:22 it says, "Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God." Looking ahead in 1 Chronicles 12:38, "All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king." From here, God reminded me of the study that Paul and I had recently started called Forged in the Fire, a book focused on Samuel, David and Saul. Now because of 12:34, Paul and I were spending our evenings discussing David, a man after God's own heart in great depth and deep discussion instead of sitting in front of the TV watching mindless shows while frantically bursting colored blocks on our iPhones. We made a major change this week: turning. off. the. cable. It is time for us to be a couple after God's own heart.
I wish I could say that our life has all of a sudden been blessed with rainbows, sunshine and ease while seeking the Lord and His guidance to change us. It hasn't. In fact, spiritual warfare is in full force. Yet reading God's Word has brought a strength and a determination that I've never felt before. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." God challenged me this week while satan reared his ugly head in my life multiple times punching me in the gut, trying to knock the wind out of me, but I persevered. I grew. And today, as I'm typing right now, I feel good. My life isn't perfect. Sadness could consume me if I allowed it, but God is changing me. He filled my week with research and growth in his Word and I defeated the pain satan was throwing at me. I didn't give up and my relationship with the Lord is more intimate than ever before.
This week, I was at a loss when I read 1 Chronicles 12:34 "from Naphtali—1,000 officers, together with 37,000 men carrying shields and spears;" Okay. Well. Where do I go from here? I felt failure seeping into my thoughts, encouraging me to skip this verse. How would I be able to apply this to a time for change? What was God saying to Paul and me through this verse? And seriously, who would ever know if I chose to skip it? Is anyone keeping tabs on my journey? Did I say God spoke to me through each and every 12:34 in the bible? On the other hand, instead of giving up, I could actually take on this challenge. I read and reread chapters 9-13 of 1 Chronicles trying to find, hear, or listen to what the Lord was telling me. Looking back in 1 Chronicles 12:22 it says, "Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God." Looking ahead in 1 Chronicles 12:38, "All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king." From here, God reminded me of the study that Paul and I had recently started called Forged in the Fire, a book focused on Samuel, David and Saul. Now because of 12:34, Paul and I were spending our evenings discussing David, a man after God's own heart in great depth and deep discussion instead of sitting in front of the TV watching mindless shows while frantically bursting colored blocks on our iPhones. We made a major change this week: turning. off. the. cable. It is time for us to be a couple after God's own heart.
I wish I could say that our life has all of a sudden been blessed with rainbows, sunshine and ease while seeking the Lord and His guidance to change us. It hasn't. In fact, spiritual warfare is in full force. Yet reading God's Word has brought a strength and a determination that I've never felt before. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." God challenged me this week while satan reared his ugly head in my life multiple times punching me in the gut, trying to knock the wind out of me, but I persevered. I grew. And today, as I'm typing right now, I feel good. My life isn't perfect. Sadness could consume me if I allowed it, but God is changing me. He filled my week with research and growth in his Word and I defeated the pain satan was throwing at me. I didn't give up and my relationship with the Lord is more intimate than ever before.
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