Fear and a beautiful prayer

Fear is a part of life.  I fear many things -- sicknesses, car accidents, freedoms being taken away, children not following the Lord.  We all could make different lists of the things that make us afraid.  When I feel fear, my natural reaction is first, to be anxious, then to think through worst case scenarios, then to try and figure out what I can do to solve the problem or get rid of the fear that is facing me. 

In 2 Chronicles 20:1-12, we read an account of a very real fear. Jehoshaphat's nation, Judah, was under attack from several other nations that had joined together.  I love how Jehoshaphat responded to the news.  First, Scripture clearly says he was afraid.  This is a real emotion that a real person felt.  He didn't try to hide the fear, but faced it. If this was me, I would have gathered a group of military advisors and developed a game plan for how to defeat the enemy.  Jehoshaphat didn't do that.  Instead of gathering the military leaders, he gathered his whole nation to fast and seek the Lord.  He then led the nation in prayer.

The prayer that follows in verses 6-12 teach me many things.  

1.  Jehoshaphat began praying by appealing to the character and promises of God.  He remembered that God is the ruler of all nations.  God is the one with power over all.  I believe it is important to speak God's truth into any situation we encounter.  His truth is the foundation for all of life, and if we try to relieve our fear without His truth, we will fail. When I am afraid, the fear can cloud my mind and confuse my thoughts. That is why it is important for me, for us, to be in God's Word regularly so that we have a solid foundation before fear attacks.   

2.  After remembering God's character, Jehoshaphat took time to voice a complaint.  The forces who were attacking Judah were the descendants of Lot and Esau.  When Israel came out of Egypt, God forbid them to attack these nations.  Jehoshaphat's complaint sounds something like this, "It's not fair!!"  He complains to God that Israel did not attack these nations, and now they are coming against God's people.  I love the fact that we can go to God with our complaints. He knows them already, and voicing them helps us admit what we are actually feeling.  God is big enough to handle our grievances.  

3.  Jehoshaphat asked God to judge the nations coming against him.  He did not stay in a complaining attitude, but realized that God is the true and right judge.  When we feel fear and are attacked, our human instinct is often to strike back and get even with the enemy.  We frequently do not judge well in these situations.  Many times this is because we have incomplete information and half truths.  Our best choice is to leave judgement in God's perfect hands.  

4.  Jehoshaphat ends his prayer by admitting that he and his people were powerless in this situation.  Fear leads to feeling powerless, which often causes us to do what we can to control situations and people.  When I try to control my circumstances, I push God out of the solution.  Acknowledging that we are helpless is a crucial step to receiving true help from God.  Jehoshaphat is humble and admits that the nation of Judah does not know what to do. He sees that God IS the solution.  He ends his prayer with these beautiful words:  "our eyes are on you."  He surrenders his fear, his complaint, and his control and waits for God to answer in the best way. 

God does answer Jehoshaphat's prayer in an amazing way.  It is one of my favorite Old Testament stories. Read 2 Chronicles 20 to find out the rest of the story.  😊  In the meantime, when faced with fears of our own, may we keep our eyes fixed on God alone!

The promises of God

As a general rule in life, I try to avoid making promises.  There are two times I can remember making a promise -- one was when I promised to love and to cherish and to be faithful to my husband all my life.  The second  instance was at the dedication of my children when I promised to raise them and to teach them about Jesus.  Beyond these, I know that life is so crazy that promises can be broken.  When the kids ask if we can do something, I often answer with a "we'll see" sort of answer (which probably drives them crazy!). 

We have a God who always keeps his promises!  Let me share a story from 2 Chronicles 13.  Abijah was king of Judah.  Jeroboam was king of Israel.  There was a war between these two nations.  Jeroboam's soldiers outnumbered Abijah's 2 to 1.  Abijah stood up and gave a rousing speech to his army, speaking of how Israel was unfaithful to God but that his nation, Judah, had not forsaken God and remained faithful to Him.  He declares the truth that God was going before them.  Unknown to Abijah, Jeroboam had sent an ambush around behind Judah.  When the people saw that they were surrounded, they "cried to the Lord." Verse 15 says, "God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah."  The victory belonged to God alone. As I read this story, I see what seems like the great faithfulness of Abijah and Judah. 

However, this is not the whole story.    1 Kings 15:1-8 gives more detail about Abijah.  In this passage, we read that Abijah "walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father."  Abijah was not a great man of faith as it seems in the 2 Chronicles passage.  This is where the promises of God come in.  God had promised David that he would always have one of his descendants sitting on the throne.  God ALWAYS keeps his promises, and even though Abijah walked in sin and was not fully devoted to God, the Lord made sure that Abijah, as David's descendant, remained king. 

Abijah made a good and right decision to cry out to the Lord when he was under attack.  He was acknowledging his weakness.  However, Abijah was not saved because of this good thing he did.  He was saved because God had made a promise and kept his promise.  1 Kings 15:4 speaks of God acting "for David's sake." 

We, too, can do good and right things, even while our hearts are sinful and not completely devoted to the Lord.  We can know the truth and yet deny it with our actions or words. Our salvation, today, comes not because of the good things we may do or the right words we may say.  Our salvation comes because of the faithfulness of God to keep his promises.  He promised to always have one of his descendants sitting on the throne.  That eternal king is Jesus, who came to the earth, died, paid the penalty for our sins, and rose again.  We must accept the gift of salvation that only Jesus offers us.  As we walk on the path of following Jesus, we will find our hearts and minds divided as Satan attempts to turn us away from the true King.  We must cry out to God for his help and wisdom. God is always faithful to fulfill his promises, even when we falter.  Let us trust Him in everything! 

Seeing through the eyes of Jesus

I enjoy doing Bible study workbooks.  Last week I ordered a new one.  When it came, it was the wrong book.  So I reordered.  They sent me the same wrong book...again.  I decided to take this as a sign from the Lord that he really wanted me to work through this Bible study instead!  The book is 20/20 Seen. Chosen. Sent.  by Christine Caine.  In the beginning of the book she has been speaking about the idea of seeing people as Jesus sees them. I was reminded of this idea as I read Matthew 9 this morning. 

In Matthew 9, I was amazed by the way that Jesus saw and interacted with very different people.  It also makes me think about how I see people and respond to them.

• A paralytic man:  This man was an invalid and he needed friends to bring him to Jesus.  Jesus first responded by saying that his sins were forgiven.  Jesus knew that the man's biggest need was to be in right relationship with God. That was more important than walking. Jesus did heal him physically, but that was secondary to the man's spiritual health. Do I, do we, look at only the physical needs of people or are we more concerned about their spiritual health?
• Tax collectors and sinners:  Jesus "reclined at table" with these people.  He even called one of them, Matthew, to be his disciple.  He spent time with those who were viewed as "dirty" by the religious leaders due to their occupations and actions.  Jesus looked past the outward appearance to their hearts.  He was intentional about building relationships with them, not just giving money to a charity or passing them by on the street .  Am I intentional about building relationships with those around me whom I would consider "unclean" due to life style, socioeconomic status, or political leanings?  Do I look past the outward appearance and see that they are people made in God's image, just like me, who need Jesus, just like me?
• Pharisees:  Jesus knew the hearts of these men who claimed to be religiously pure.  These self-righteous people are the only ones in this chapter who receive criticism from Jesus.  Jesus saw that their "purity" was only outward and they did not truly love and act in the ways that God had commanded.  Am I willing to confront my self-righteous tendencies so that my heart and motives are pure?
• Disciples of John the Baptist:  These men came with questions for Jesus.  Jesus saw their desire to learn and he met them and answered their questions.  Do I take the time to truly listen to the questions of those around me so that we can learn the truths about Jesus?
• Jairus:  Jairus was a ruler, which meant he would have had wealth and a lot of influence.  Jesus was not enamored by the position that Jarius held.  Instead he saw the heart of a father who was broken, grieving the loss of his child.  Jesus saw humility in Jairus as he came to plead his daughter's case.  Jesus was his only hope!   Do I have eyes to see the broken and hurting so that I can offer them Jesus, our only hope?
• A woman who had been bleeding for 12 years:  This woman was lonely and outcast because of her physical condition.  Jesus did not see her this way.  He calls her "daughter," giving her dignity and family connection with him, along with physical healing!  Do I treat the lonely and outcast with dignity and love?
• Two blind men:  These men could not see physically, but the had good sight spiritually.  They cried out for mercy from the one who could provide it.  Jesus saw the faith of these men and healed them.  Do I see those around me who are crying out for help and respond with the answer of Jesus, or do I ignore cries of help because it takes too much effort to reach out?
• A demon-possessed man:  This man was mute and he had to have other people bring him to Jesus.   Only Jesus could heal him, but he needed help to realize this.  Am I willing to be bold and to bring people who are bound in darkness to meet Jesus?  
• The crowd:  Matthew says that the crowd was "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."  Jesus saw this and responded with compassion.  In his compassion he sent the disciples out as laborers in the harvest field.  Am I, as a follower of Jesus, seeing the hopeless people of the world with compassion?  Am I sharing the true hope of Jesus?

Invalid. Sinners. Dirty. Self-righteous. Questioning. Broken. Grieving. Outcast. Harassed. Helpless. 

We all can fit into one or more of these categories throughout our lives. Jesus saw all these people. He sees you, wherever you are.  Jesus gave them time and attention.  He met their true needs and called them to a better place, a place of true joy and life.  He can meet you.  All you need to do is to go to Him and ask for his help.  

After we have met Jesus, we must learn to be more like him.  No one will ever be able to respond perfectly as Jesus did.  However, we can be continually asking God to help us see people as he does so that we may take part in bringing His life to those who are "harassed and helpless."  May we have eyes to see as Jesus sees!  

Temptation

Temptation

Jesus understands us.  Jesus knows exactly how we feel when we are facing temptations. He knows this because he, too, faced intense temptation from Satan.  We read an account of this in Matthew 4:1-11.  After fasting for 40 days and nights, Jesus was hungry and weak. Satan chose this low point as the opportune time to try to thwart God's plan for Jesus being on earth. The temptations started to come to Jesus to create his own food, to show that he was God by throwing himself off of the height of the temple and not be harmed, and the promise of riches and greatness if only he bowed down and worshiped Satan.  We know that Jesus is God, and my expectation would be that Jesus would call down lightning from heaven to zap Satan or to have him swallowed up in a big hole that opened in the earth.  These things seem like a fitting way for God to deal with Satan and his temptations.  

Yet Jesus is not only 100% God, he is also 100% man.  He responded in a way that is fully accessible to us.  As a human I am not able to call lighting from the sky or create holes in the ground to swallow my problems and temptations.  Jesus knows our limitations and he simply responded to the temptations, the lies, that Satan was bringing with the truth of God's Word.  Speaking the truth was enough to resist the worst of Satan's attacks.  In our weakness and low points, God's word is always strong enough to resist temptation.  Jesus set us such a beautiful example in spiritual warfare that ALWAYS available to us.  

Over the weekend I was feeling angry, apathetic, and struggling.  I didn't realize at first that this was a spiritual attack.  As I wallowed in those feelings, God began to bring his truth into my mind.  He reminded me of the fruit of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23.  He showed me that my emotions were not in line with the good things he gives.  I was reminded that God does not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7)  As I reflected on God's word and claimed His promises, the darkness and temptation lifted.  The light of God's truth pushed out the darkness of Satan's temptation.  

We must be people who are studying God's Word regularly.  It is our weapon of defense against Satan's attacks.  There are so many beautiful promises we can cling on to in our darkest moments.  If God's Word is what Jesus turned to, then we must follow His example and do likewise.  

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:  God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."  1 John 1:5

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  1 Corinthians 10:13

"In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, O Lord.  Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.  Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.'"

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1

Inside Out

Last night we introduced our children to the movie, Inside Out.  Watching it again made me realize how much I love this movie.  For those of you not familiar with the movie, the main characters are actually a personification of the emotions that are going on in the head of an 11 year old girl, Riley.  Riley and her family have moved across country and she is dealing with the emotions that go along with this experience.  The main character is the emotion Joy.  She is always wanting Riley to be happy and works to do whatever she can to keep her happy.  On the other end of things, Sadness "messes up" everything.  Joy pushes Sadness away because she thinks that Sadness will hurt Riley, her memories, and cause her transition to the new home to be worse. 

Eventually Joy and Sadness meet another character who is sad.  Joy does what she can to try to cheer up this character and to help him move out of his grief, but he just sits and does not respond to her energy and attempts.  Sadness, on the other hand, comes over to this character, sits next to him, and says, "I'm sorry."  She allows him to have his moment of sadness and to release the emotion.  This character is able to go on after expressing his sadness and being understood. 

Later on, Joy is at a low point and she actually experiences sadness.  As she does, she realizes that Riley needs to also experience sadness in order to be able to move on and regain her joy.  Riley expresses her sadness and grief over the recent move to her parents.  As they talk it through, Riley begins to experience the deep joy that family, compassion, and support of others brings.

I love how this movie conveys the message that sadness is a positive, normal emotion and we do not need to be afraid and push it away.  Walking through our sadness and grief is part of being a healthy, joyful individual.   I also believe that we cannot experience true joy if we have not felt the depths of sadness.  Psalm 30:5 says, "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."  As a Christian, I must feel the depths of sorrow and sadness over my sin and over the brokenness of the world.  I must take time to grieve that I have turned from the Lord and that there is so much hurt and pain in the world.  This sorrow does not last forever, though, because God has granted us his blessing and joy through Jesus Christ.  If I had not first acknowledged the depth and darkness of my sin, I could not truly know the joy that God brings through his salvation in Jesus. 

Right now we are living in a very strange time of quarantine because of Covid-19.  There is a lot of sadness and grief in our world right now.  School has been closed, jobs have been lost, weddings have been postponed, loved ones have died without us being able to be with them, plans have been turned upside down, parents have been thrown into homeschooling and many stresses that come with that.  We do a disservice to ourselves if we simply try to put on a joyful face and say everything is ok without taking time to sit with our sadness and allow ourselves to mourn the losses and hurts we are feeling.  "Weeping may tarry for the night..."  It is ok to weep! 

The Psalmist (David) takes time to weep, but he also calls out to the Lord and receives a beautiful promise.  Read God's response to his sorrowful night: 

"You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.  O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

What joy the Psalmist now knows after his night of weeping!  God took that sorrow and turned it into a party!  There is dancing, gladness, and singing going on!  David can truly praise God because he has felt the depth of sadness first and then experienced the mercy of God in bringing healing and comfort to him.  God used that in his life to bring true joy and thanksgiving offered to God forever! 

Whatever situations we are in right now, we must remember that our sadness is temporary.  God is working in us to bring joy so that we may worship God forever!

Blogging again

It has been a while since we have blogged, but here we go!





We are enjoying our fall weather, especially after some of the really warm late summer days! Doug is half way through his next to last semester of seminary -- which is really going by fast! The more exciting thing is that yesterday Doug mailed out his resume to a couple districts. This means that in the next few months, we hope to be candidating in a church somewhere! It is time to start thinking about our future! We don't expect to hear from churches until sometime in 2008. Since Doug can't go anywhere until the end of May or early June '08, it is not likely we will hear anything soon.





Here are some pictures that we have taken of fall around here.

A pretty tree on campus

Our mum, and a wider view of our front door with its fall decoration of a mum

Out for a walk on a beautiful fall day.

There is an island (I am not sure if that is what it is actually called!) at the end of one of the streets nearby. They put in beautiful landscaping, and this summer they had these decorative peppers. I think they are really cool! They also had petunias and other greenery on it.

I guess that is it for today. Some other time we will post pictures of Miriam as well!

A few pictures

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks:





This is a picture that Doug and I picked up for a mere $25. It was on sale at the hotel on campus, and we like it, so we bought it!!!

Does anyone have any idea what type of tree this comes from? It is a beautiful tree, but I don't know what it is!!

These pictures are of the couch and the chair that were set on fire in the laundry room of the apartment building across the street from us. Thankfully no one was hurt!

Now it is back to watching the OSU/Purdue game. Go Buckeyes!!!!