The Golden Rule

Thinking back, I remember a time during college when I was waiting tables at a popular chain restaurant. I had a family that were weekend regulars. The mother and children were fine, nice people - easy to please. The father was not. He was the sort that was always unhappy - I simply couldn't please this man and he never left me a tip. It really bummed me out that I couldn't conquer him and make him change his irritated, miserable, bitter attitude. So, I decided I would not cower at his crabby demeanor but return all his negativism with an overly positive reciprocal - or "kill him with kindness." This guy was a tough nut and my tactic did not change him. What it did do, however, was get me a tip. His wife snuck back after the family left the table and gave me a nice tip. The more important thing that took place was that I wasn't left bitter and with a bad attitude myself. My conscious effort to not match this guy evil for evil allowed my heart, my spirit to remain positive. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was following the Golden Rule.

What is the Golden Rule exactly? Let's start with a general public understanding of this ethical code. And what better place to find the popular definition than Wikipedia. Here's what Wiki has to say about The Golden Rule:

The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, ethical code or morality that essentially states either of the following:

• (Positive form of Golden Rule): One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
• (Negative form of Golden Rule): One should not treat others in ways that one would not like to be treated (also known as the Silver Rule).

This concept describes a "reciprocal", or "two-way", relationship between one's self and others that involves both sides equally, and in a mutual fashion.

This concept can be explained from the perspective of psychology, philosophy, sociology and religion. Psychologically, it involves a person empathizing with others. Philosophically, it involves a person perceiving their neighbor as also "an I" or "self." Sociologically, this principle is applicable between individuals, between groups, and also between individuals and groups. (For example, a person living by this rule treats all people with consideration, not just members of his or her in-group). Religion is an integral part of the history of this concept.

As a concept, the Golden Rule has a history that long predates the term "Golden Rule", or "Golden law", as it was called from the 1670s. As a concept of "the ethic of reciprocity," it has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard way that different cultures use to resolve conflicts. It has a long history, and a great number of prominent religious figures and philosophers have restated its reciprocal, "two-way" nature in various ways (not limited to the above forms).

Rushworth Kidder notes that the Golden Rule can be found in the early contributions of Confucianism (551–479 BC). Kidder notes that this concept's framework appears prominently in many religions, including "Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and the rest of the world's major religions". According to Greg M. Epstein, " 'do unto others' ... is a concept that essentially no religion misses entirely." Simon Blackburn also states that the Golden Rule can be "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition". All versions and forms of the proverbial Golden Rule have one aspect in common: they all demand that people treat others in a manner in which they themselves would like to be treated.

With that all said, I find it a titch bothersome that Christianity is not mentioned except for "and the rest of the world's major religions". Ugh. I am quite obviously a Christian and I find my personal peace, understanding on how to live and sense of worth in the Truth of God's Word and the teachings of Jesus Christ. The version of the Golden Rule that I will be digging into over the next four posts (at least) come from the Bible, more specifically, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) or the Sermon on the Plain (from Luke).

The heart of Jesus' teachings in this well known sermon is love. Particularly, in this case, it is love for your enemies. I will begin with The Golden Rule (as quoted in both Matthew and Luke) and continue with the four verses of thanks that follow. I am giving you The Golden Rule, first, from the New International Version of the Bible (the version that I typically study from) - it will be most familiar to you from there. I will then give it to you from the International Standard Version which is a more contemporary (and understandable) version of the King James Version of the Bible. For the sake of following the word thanks most literally, I find my verses originally in the KJV. According to my understanding, the KJV it is the closest "word for word" translation to the original Hebrew and Greek.

The Golden Rule, the subject of this series of posts:

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31 (NIV)

"Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them." (Luke 6:31 ISV)


Our verses of thanks, which explain in a Christian view, what the Golden Rule means and how we apply it to our lives:

"If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them. (32) If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners do that. (33) If you lend to those from whom you expect to get something back, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back what they lend. (34) Rather, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind even to unthankful and evil people. (35)" (Luke 6:32-35 ISV)

Confession - the last verse (v. 35) actually has the word ungrateful, I changed it to unthankful as to keep it in line with my mission of finding thanks in the Word. The King James Version is the only version in this case that uses a form of the word thanks and it's language is too confusing for this simple mind to follow. Please offer me your grace on this word change for the sake of continuity.

Matthew Henry gives his commentary on these verses; "These are hard lessons to flesh and blood. But if we are thoroughly grounded in the faith of Christ's love, this will make his commands easy to us. Every one that comes to him for washing in his blood, and knows the greatness of the mercy and the love there is in him, can say, in truth and sincerity, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Let us then aim to be merciful, even according to the mercy of our heavenly Father to us."

Here's an applicable quote from the Scottish Free church preacher, J. O. Dykes, in his sermon "Returning Good for Evil, the Wisest Course"; "God has made human souls more susceptible, on the whole, to kindness than to any other moral force; and such kindness as this, which can net only forgive, but suffer, offence, is fit to melt the rock and to tame the brute. It is not by His words only, but much more by His acts, that Jesus has fulfilled this law which substitutes generosity for revenge. In His person we see the supreme example of His own rule."

I may not have been able to win over my discontent customer with the practice of the Golden Rule, but I like to think that there may have at least been a teachable moment for the mother with her children. Or maybe somewhere down the road the man came back to the kindness that was shown him and softened some. Jesus' teachings on the basic way to treat others was always based on love. While the Golden Rule is sometimes expressed in negative form outside the Bible (see point 2 above in the Wiki definition), Jesus not only forbids treating others spitefully but also commands that we love everyone - even our enemies.

If we are in God's will and have received Christ as our Lord and Savior our souls are ready for heaven. There is a good chance that "our enemies" are not ready for heaven (based on their words and actions that are outside of this love). God wants us to be strong and courageous in His love for others. He promises to protect, abide by and reward us for our obedience to His commands and His call on our lives. Will you dare to change the tide and not repay evil for evil but with love instead? It's a command from Jesus for our greatest good and His glory!

I am so thankful that my ultimate teacher is Jesus and when I am obedient to His teachings the reward is always something worth striving for.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

I Want It Syndrome

In a recent dinner conversation, my son brought out the irony of the next couple days - Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Thanksgiving is the day we are to reflect on all the blessings that God has given us, which allows us to feel and experience contentment. The very next day, Black Friday, we are bombarded with all the retail focused, media plastered, overwhelming push to buy into "I Want It!" syndrome - or discontentment. What a harsh contrast. How do you think God feels about this? How do you feel about this?

Today I was studying 1 Samuel, chapter 8. In a nutshell, the Israelites have, up until this point, been ruled by a theocracy (God is the supreme ruler). In their incredible "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence" mentality they have decided they would be better off being ruled by a king. In other words, change their governing to a monarchy (supreme power held by a single person or king). Samuel is currently their righteous, godly leader, not under his power but God's. God and Samuel know that this is a bad idea. Let me illustrate it to you with a devotional from my Bible.

We Want a King! by Elisa Morgan

When I was in sixth grade, white leather track shoes with black patent leather stripes down the sides were in. They were ugly. They were expensive. And I had to have some. Everyone had some!

I begged my mother and, while we were far from rich, she quickly forked over the money. Amazed yet delighted, I biked my way to the mall to purchase the shoes. I wore them for about three weeks and was totally "in" until Mary Ann Blackwell began to wear heels and the entire sixth grade moved on to the next fad.

Looking back, I believe my mother acted wisely in this situation, for it taught me a valuable truth. How often we long for what we think will make us happy and content! And then once we obtain it, we realize that whatever thing it is - a new van, a stroller, to be there rather than here - the thing is not the issue. There is always another thing, beckoning us to discontent.

God had Samuel explain this truth to the Israelites before he gave them a king. But they didn't listen. Rather they continued hollering, "We want a king so that we can be like all the other nations!" When God spells out the results of what we believe we want... how will we respond? (based on 1 Samuel 8)

As John Stott puts it, "Covetousness is a self-destructive passion, a craving which is never satisfied, even when what has been craved is now possessed." Or how about the words from Evelyn Underhill, "We mostly spend (our) lives conjugating three verbs:  to Want, to Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, we are kept in perpetual unrest, forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance. Being, not wanting, having and doing, is the essence of a spiritual life." Not only that but true peace is found when we realize how to be content with the blessings that we have already been given. Peace.

The idea of contentment is very good, however, to truly understand it's value we have to live through some discontent, I believe. William Barclay puts it well, "Truth which is merely told is quick to be forgotten; truth which is discovered lasts a lifetime."

I am not completely opposed to Black Friday, because it allows us to be good stewards of our financial blessings - as long as we practice the virtue of self-control and realize, honestly, what will truly make us happy in the long-term is not another purchase. I once went out on that day and spent a nickel - I got a new blender with the fancy glass pitcher, that I really needed, for five cents. Really and truly, all the deals, coupons and rebates lined up so that all I ended up spending was that nickel (and several hours in line). I know that's pretty extreme and rare, but my finances were super tight and the opportunity (and God's blessings) worked out very well for me that day. In that silly little shopping experience, God taught me a very valuable lesson on how He blesses obedience and self-control. It still makes me smile... and I'm still using that blender! 

My son made a good point in comparing the extreme contrast between being content and discontent. I love that we get to take an entire day off to celebrate the things we are thankful for, the blessings from Jehovah Jireh (God will provide). Have a blessed Thanksgiving, praise God for His goodness, and think twice before getting sucked into "I Want It!" syndrome.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Confirm Your Reservation

In the busyness of this life, isn't it a nice touch when you get a notice that your reservation or appointment is confirmed? The doctor or dental appointment that you made over six months ago is tomorrow at 3:30. Or when you walk into the restaurant, ahead of your group, and the hostess points out the perfect set-up in the dining room for the anniversary party that you've planned. Those intentional, personal-touch details that only take a moment but give you great comfort, security, and peace. Those pieces of communication that keep you on track and take away worry or anxiety. Confirmation.

God designed us with a free spirit. With that design comes a need to know about or be in some form control of our circumstances. It's no surprise to God when we fight His will or question His plans. It's part of His design. His desire is that we choose to follow His will always. Unfortunately, that is incredibly difficult for us on a daily basis due to our sin nature. Being the loving and gracious God that He is, He also designed a back-up plan for our wandering spirits.

This next verse of thanks confirms God's back-up plan. His plan for our redemption that we may each have the opportunity to ultimately be in His will. Let me fill you in on the story we're following here. The Christ child was born to His mortal parents; Joseph and Mary. He was just 8 days old when they brought Him to the temple to be named and circumcised, as was the custom according to the Law of Moses (Exodus 13:2, 12) and in keeping with the Law of the Lord that all firstborn males are to be consecrated to the Lord.

While at the temple the family of the divine child were encountered by two righteous and devout individuals; Simeon and Anna. Simeon blessed both the child Jesus and His parents. Anna, a prophetess who worshiped night and day, approached the family as well.

"Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." Luke 2:38 

Jerusalem is the holy city of God's chosen people; here it stands for Israel as a whole. Today it stands for all followers of Christ Jesus. God sent His Son down from heaven to be born as a humble, human child to become both God and man. His short life on earth was spotless, blameless and holy. Though he experienced all that a world broken by sin has to inflict; pain, hunger, sorrow, exhaustion, loss, temptation, and death, he knew and still knows our hardships and has a love and hope so incredibly deep for us that He also knows that we are capable of being redeemed by His merciful act on the cross.

Capable. It's not automatic. Not by being baptized, as some believe. Or by being brought up in a Christian home. Or by occasionally entering a church or reading a few chapters of the Bible. Not by simply knowing there is a god or even by knowing who Jesus is. Not because your dear, sweet grandmother prays for your soul every single day. Capable. We are capable of being redeemed by Christ's sacrificial blood on the cross.

So, how does one do that? Get redeemed? How do we confirm our reservation in God's Book of Life (Rev 20:12)? In my Bible study class we have something called "Steps to Assurance," it goes something like this: 

To be sure about your relationship to Christ…
Know that God made you and keeps you. God has authority over your life, and you are responsible to reflect God. (see Psalm 100:3 & Acts 17:24-31)

Admit to yourself and to God that you are a sinner. You have ignored God and wanted to control your own life. You have disobeyed or disregarded God’s law. You have wanted to decide for yourself what is right and wrong. The consequences of your sin are physical and spiritual death because of God’s wrath toward you. (see Romans 3:10-12, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:23, James 2:10)

Confess your sins and, as much as possible, name them specifically. (see Psalm 139:23-24, 1 John 1:8-10)

Believe that Christ went to the Cross for you, taking your guilt upon Himself and enduring God’s judgment in your place. This means that God has forgiven your sins and you are justified (pardoned and cleared from guilt) in God’s sight. (see Isaiah 53:5-6, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 5:8-9, John 5:24, John 14:6, Acts 4:12)

Believe that Christ rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and that He ascended to the Father in heaven to reign as Lord. This means that Jesus is alive today to help you live a new life that is pleasing to God. (see Acts 2:22-24, 36, Romans 6:4, Acts 1:9-10, Ephesians 2:1-10)

Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and Lord of your life? If so, would you pray right now? Perhaps you would like to kneel and pray (Philippians 2:10). This position helps to give a sense of reverent nearness to God. You can pray aloud to Him with words from your heart, or you might want to pray this prayer:

O God, I know I have sinned. I have not obeyed your Word. I have tried to run my own life, ignoring you and your will for me. I have tried to decide for myself what is right and wrong. I know I deserve your wrath and punishment and that I am lost unless you save me. I thank you for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to pay for my sin and guilt. I thank you for raising Him from the dead and giving Him authority over my life. I receive Him as my Savior and Lord. I receive your free gift of eternal life in Christ. I will turn from my sinful life to serve you, my Creator and Redeemer.
Continue your prayer by telling God what you are thinking and feeling.

Trust (be assured) that having received Christ into your life, you are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit and stamped with God’s name on you. You may or may not “feel” different, but you don’t need to. Your trust is not based on your feelings but on the authority of the Word of God and His promises to you. (see John 1:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 John 5:12-13)

I'm thankful for simple courtesies like a phone call confirming my appointments. I'm overjoyed with thanksgiving for the confirmation of my redemption from sin and my place in heaven! Those intentional, personal-touch details that only take a moment but give you great comfort, security, and peace. Those pieces of communication that keep you on track and take away worry or anxiety. Perhaps, for you, it was receiving Christ as your Savior today. If you've honestly followed these "Steps to Assurance" your reservation is confirmed! I'll be so excited to meet you in heaven! Anna, the prophetess who was recorded in Luke for thanking God for her Redeemer will meet us there with songs of praise on her lips.

If you've just received Christ as your Savior, you will have the best Thanksgiving celebration ever! If you've been a believer for awhile, I hope you are reminded of the many things we have to be thankful for.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Command to Action

Remember the game "Telephone"? You know, where one person comes up with a line and whispers it in their neighbor's ear, and they in turn whisper into their neighbor's ear, until it goes all the way around the circle. After the leader hears what comes back to them and shares it aloud, they, then tell the original statement. It's rarely the exact same statement. Our brains interpret information differently from one another because we are all unique with different experiences and backgrounds.

The Gospel writers are similar in some sense. Matthew and John were actually with Jesus as His called apostles... so they were on Jesus' guestlist for the Passover celebration or the Last Supper. The other guests were of the twelve disciples; Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, James, Judas, Jude and Simon. Mark and Luke were disciples, as they followed Jesus' ministry and reported the details, however they were not of the original twelve. Therefore, they were "outside the circle." This makes their reports somewhat different in focus.

We will be revisiting the Last Supper account from Matthew 26 (and from the earlier post titled "The Only Way" from Oct 27, 2013). This time we will be hearing it from Mark's perspective outside the circle.

"Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it." Mark 14:23

In this account, Mark focuses on the action that the disciples took in drinking from the cup of thanksgiving. In the Matthew account, the focus was on the command that Jesus spoke, "Drink from it, all of you." Generally speaking, Mark's account emphasized more of what Jesus did than what he said.

I find this interesting. Being a woman, I am all about the words. What was said, who said it, and how it was said. Probably part of the reason that I love stories, songs and acting. I also love having conversations face to face so I can see the reaction to my words and the expression on the face and body of the friend I'm visiting with. It gives me a better understanding and it feels so much more relational than the alternatives of phone, text, email or heaven forbid a hand-written letter. Maybe Matthew was more like me - concerned with the spoken words. Mark, it seems, was more about the action that was taken from Christ's offer of the cup.

I'm not discounting either account. Both elements are important. Let's get back to the focus of thanks now. Jesus is sharing the Eucharist, as it is called in many churches. Eucharist is a Greek word that translates into gratitude. It also means communion which is the act of sharing or being in common participation. Mark's account focuses on the action of the disciples participating together ("they all drank") with gratitude to their teacher, Jesus, and His father, God.

The interpretations may be different, somewhat like the results of the game telephone, however they both report the truth of an incredibly important event in history and a foretaste of what will represent the most important event in our spiritual lives as believers in Christ. His blood shed on the cross for our redemption which we celebrate regularly and symbolically in the form of the Lord's Supper or Communion. If I spoke Greek, I would have to say that my eucharist (gratitude) to God, my heavenly Father, has no end - for His love and sacrifice for my life (eternal) surpasses all my understanding. Praise God and give thanks.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Slow Learners

In my absence over the last several weeks, we (me and God) have been performing an overhaul on my faith. I've been asking myself questions like, "How strong is my faith?" "What does it mean to be committed to Christ?" "Do I truly trust God?" "Do I believe that God can do all things?" "Do I believe in God's sovereignty, totally and completely?" "Is God sufficient in my life?"

You see, I, as many of us Christians and non-Christians alike, struggle with the sin of self-sufficiency. God wants it gone, completely ridded from my life. He's showing me some amazing things that usually end up with me repenting of something and in tears of brokenness. I am broken. This is a good thing. Jesus didn't come to save the fixed... but the broken. I need Him... more than I thought I did. Hmm...

The verse of thanks that I've been reading and re-reading, studying and re-studying is one that we've already looked at in Matthew ("Daily Bread" from 10/16/13) - the story of Jesus feeding the 4000. As not to be redundant, I looked a bit further into this story. Into the hearts of Jesus' disciples. Since God and I were examining my heart (as one of Jesus' modern day disciples) I found it appropriate to have a peek at my predecessors and brother's in Christ.

"He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so." Mark 8:6

The "guys" were certainly obedient in serving the Jesus blessed portions to the people. They witnessed a miracle from their teacher's hand. However, they still lacked faith. They were slow learners in realizing the incredible power and authority of Jesus, the Son of Man. Less than 6 verses later in this same chapter of Mark, the disciples are basically arguing over who was the dummy that forgot to bring bread with on their next journey with Jesus in the boat. For Pete's sake, they just witnessed Him turning 7 loaves into enough food to feed more than 4000 people and there were even 12 baskets of leftovers (enough for 1 basket per disciple). Now they are arguing amongst themselves, not listening to Jesus, and forgetting that their physical needs are of far less importance than of spreading the Good News of Jesus' ministry.

It seems so easy to point the finger at the disciples in their weak faith and being slow learners. But isn't that us? Don't we forget so quickly of the blessing from the hand of our Great Provider? He gets us from day to day providing for our needs, protecting us from evil and destruction, and loving us so completely that we can't possibly fathom how wide, long, high and deep Our Heavenly Father's love is for us sinners.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" Ephesians 3:17b-18

This overhaul on my heart and my faith in Christ has been eye opening, certainly, but at the same time extremely convicting. Convicting in that I am in a serious need of some major cleaning... or confessing. I need to realize my weakness, really realize and come to the humble reality that "I can't do it!" not without Jesus. He is my Strength, my Redeemer, my Light of Life. I am but a cracked pot. Not of much value in my own merit. But if I can get over myself enough to remove my lid (of self-sufficiency and self-centeredness) and allow Jesus' light to shine into my being, a beautiful thing can happen. Jesus' light shines ever so brightly through my cracks and make me immensely valuable to those the light spills out onto. It's not because of who I am, but because of who He is in me that brings value to my existence here on earth. Value that is eternal. And that He loved me enough that He died to redeem me from my sins. Praise God.

I am so thankful that God is a patient and loving Father that waits for us slow learners to "get it." I want to be used for Jesus' eternal work. Don't you? In our passage for today, Jesus gives thanks to the Father for bread. I want to give thanks to the Father for bread too... the symbolic bread of Jesus' broken body that paid the price for my redemption so I can be viewed by God as holy in His sight. It takes daily work to resist worldly ways and confess when I fall, but I find that work the most rewarding work I will ever do because it allows me to have a more intimate relationship with the "Lover of my soul."   

Pray this with me;
Dear Jesus, I am but a cracked pot wanting to be of value to You and Your Kingdom. As the man in the gospel of Mark declared, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24b) Please help me clean out my junk and confess my sins to You, O God, and shine Your great Light into my life, that I might share in Your power and glory and spill Your light out onto those around me. I thank You, now, for Your cleansing blood, Your bread of Life, and the life changing work that You, and only You, will have for me to do in Your name. In Jesus' powerful name, Amen.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

The Only Way

This weekend my family "put the garden to bed." All the vegetables have been harvested and are on their way to or are already in the pantry or freezer. I am incredibly thankful to Jehovah-jireh (the Lord will provide) for this harvest blessing. A blessing only He can provide... but I get to be part of His amazing work. This is the reason that I am such a fan of gardening... whether it be vegetable or perennial... because I get to do work that God, and only God, can complete and make fruitful.

Let me explain briefly. God, and only God, provides the ground to accept the seeds. My husband or one of his friends prepares the soil and the children and I plant the seeds (which God also provided). Then God, and only God, provides the water to grow the seeds into plants, the sun to feed the plants and the miracle of design to grow vegetables on those plants. You see, without God there would be no garden, no harvest blessing.

In this harvest time I have been pondering on the miracle of plant life. I find it so very interesting how many perennials and vegetables must sacrifice themselves in order to produce seeds. The beautiful flower must bloom and grow through it's complete cycle and then fade and die to allow it's seeds to be released. Or in the example of the fruit or vegetable plant, let's look at the tomato, the fruit must grow to maturity, drop from the plant, rot and die on the ground to release it's seeds naturally. They must die to produce more good fruit or flower.

Ok, so this is how my mind works... this miracle work of God in my garden makes me think of His miracle work on the cross. Christ had to shed His blood and die to produce new life in us. The only way that God could forever save His precious children and carry out His perfect plan to get us back unto Himself (in heaven) was to allow Jesus to sacrifice Himself so our sinful lives can be made new. Since we couldn't manage to remain pure and holy in our own strength (in the Garden of Eden), God had to provide a way for us to regain the purity (or new life) that we must have in order to enter into His presence again one day (in Heaven).

We celebrate this sacrificial offering of Christ's body and blood when we partake in the holy sacrament of communion (the Lord's Supper). This next verse of thanks comes from the text of the Last Supper where Jesus is celebrating the Passover with His disciples - or the very first holy communion.

"Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" Matthew 26:27 (and 28 - added for emphasis)

Are you following me here? The cup represents the blood of Jesus, which, in turn, represents his poured-out life (or death). Drinking the wine of the Lord's Supper as an act of faith is a claim of personal participation in the benefits of Christ's shed blood. What is the personal participation in and the benefits to us? Believing in and putting our faith in Christ's sacrifice, admitting and confessing our sins to Him and trusting that He will wash us clean so we may receive the benefit of eternal life in His presence in heaven. So, Christ had to die to cover our sins (unholiness) so that the seeds of His sacrifice can produce new life (holiness) in us. It's the only way. No matter how good we are, no matter how much we try, we simply can not earn our way to holiness. It's an unachievable goal. We must put our trust in Christ and receive His forgiveness. The only cost to us is our broken will by admitting our guilt and receiving that forgiveness through His blood offering.

When we realize the truth of God's unconditional love through the sacrifice of His Son, it not only makes life a lot more enjoyable, peaceful, and full - it takes a huge load off of our shoulders. Praise God! The only way to heaven is through a relationship with Christ. Like the flower or fruit, we must die to our old self (sin) and live in Christ (new, holy life). It's the only way. Live in Christ and thank Him daily for His loving sacrifice for our new life.

"For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." Isaiah 61:11

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives." John 12:24

"If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:5-7

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Daily Bread

My heart just soared with joy when our youngest child asked (before he devoured his favorite chicken strips at a local restaurant one evening) "Is this my supper, mommy?" I replied, "yes" and he proceeded to fold his hands and bow his head and pray aloud "God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him, for our food. Amen" This is the prayer that began each mealtime as I was growing up. We, too, have kept the tradition and say this simple prayer glorifying our Jehovah-jireh (The Lord will provide; Gen 22:14) and thanking Him for our "daily bread" before meals.

Jesus taught his disciples, when they asked for direction, how to pray and we call it "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 1:2-4). In the prayer that many of us know by heart, we pray the line "Give us this day our daily bread." Here again we are looking to our Great Provider to take care of our physical needs.

In today's verse of thanks, Jesus is praying to His Father for provision for a crowd that had gathered. With them they brought their lame, blind, crippled, mute and many others to be healed with His miraculous power. Jesus told his disciples that He had compassion on the people for they had been following him for 3 days and have had nothing to eat. Jesus gathered food from his disciples.

"Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people." Matthew 15:36

This is the story of Jesus feeling the 4000. Yes, the 4000, not the 5000. Did you know that Jesus performed this amazing food stretching miracle more than once? The feeding of the 5000 occurs earlier in His ministry also with bread and fish. I love how this miracle plays out. They start with no food and thousands to feed. They ask for donations and receive 7 loaves and a few, let's say 3, small fish. Jesus breaks it; touches the food and prays. Then not only satisfies the crowd's hunger, they collect LEFTOVERS - - 7 basketfuls of broken pieces.

This overwhelming act of love and provision comes only from the hands of Jesus. I see it all the time. When I am in God's will and focus on His strength and guidance in situations He knocks my socks off with tangible answers to prayers. Many times He provides before I even put my needs to prayer... and gives me EXTRAS.

God doesn't just provide for my physical needs with "daily bread," He provides for my spiritual needs with the "daily bread" of His Word. God has graciously grown me into a very prayerful woman. I have experienced the power of prayer very tangibly in my life. And more recently, He has added the even more powerful craving to my days - reading and meditating on His Word. I've found it more satisfying than food for my well-being.

In recent ministry pursuits, God has been SO THERE, so obviously blessing our efforts I can't stop repeating Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." And John 10:10b "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Just today I came across this version of a very familiar Proverb that describes how God loves to give us our "daily bread" and then some. "In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success." Proverbs 3:6 TLB (The Living Bible). When I get my spiritual bread through connecting with God each day, He crowns my efforts with success!... for my good and His glory!

God is good. So good. He provides for our every need... as long as we come to Him and ask and trust that He will come through for us. I am humbled to no end how loving our Heavenly Father is. I am so thankful that He cares for my physical needs with food, shelter and clothing and for my spiritual needs with His continuous presence and His Holy Word.

Pray for your daily bread at meals - certainly. But don't forget to get your fill (and then some) from His Word each day as well. You will be so incredibly blessed for your obedience in connecting with The Great Provider, you will surely thank Him for this spiritual bread that will change and shape you into who He created you to be through daily relationship with Him.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Moving Forward

Friends, today marks exactly one year since I opened this blog. It also marks one year, one month since mom went home to be with Jesus. If it wasn't for the earthly trial of mom's cancer and suffering and the lessons that she and God taught me through it all, you would never have met me in this place. For all of those things and the year that has passed, I am thankful.

I have learned so much in the pages of God's Word, being led by what seems to be such a small, maybe even insignificant thing as the word "thanks." I hope you have seen, as I have studied and shared the messages that the Lord puts on my heart, that the word "thanks" may seem small but the action of it is far from small or insignificant. It is the bridge that takes us from our earthly circumstances to God's loving presence. Our discipline of thanksgiving in ALL situations shines the bright light of hope in this often times dreary existence here on earth. And on those days that we feel like shouting from the mountain top because "life is good," praising God with our thanks makes it all that much better.

In the past year we have been looking at verses from the Old Testament of the Bible. Today we will begin with our first verse from the New Testament in Matthew. God has been preparing us for the gift of His One and Only Son, Jesus. We will now be blessed with several verses from the lips of Christ Himself. Our first one is, in fact, one of these such verses. It comes from a section of scripture that many of us are very familiar with where Jesus is telling us where we can find rest when we are burdened or weary.

"At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children" Matthew 11:25

These words from Jesus follow His rebuking of the residents of the cities where most of His miracles had been performed because they did not repent of their sins. Many of the unrepentant were among the Pharisees who KNEW the law (God's law). They KNEW religion and the practices of the church but they did NOT BELIEVE. Their pride and position made them unteachable. They possessed head knowledge, but had not taken Jesus teachings into their heart.

"Little children" refers to the disciples and all followers or believers of Christ and His teachings. I like how this verse from "Mary's Song" shows us how God favors those that are teachable, like little children. Mary sings or recites this after she is told that she is carrying the Christ child and has visited with her relative (possibly cousin), Elizabeth, the mother of Jesus' herald, John the Baptist.

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior... He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble." Luke 1:46-47, 51-52

God truly does lift up the humble in spirit, the childlike, those that seek His teaching, His love, His will. He promises us "rest for our souls" if we follow Him and build a relationship with Him.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

I can find rest or peace in my days when I keep my focus on Jesus. I can live abundantly in Christ when I practice the discipline of thanking Him in ALL things. When I am tired or burdened He will faithfully give me the rest I need here in this life until I am called to my final resting place in heaven, like mom. 

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Margins

Task oriented. That's how I refer to my drive, how I operate. I like to get things accomplished. Fulfill my "to do list." Not much of a shopper - more of a list driven - get in, get out kinda person. This leaves me with sort of a problem. I don't take a lot of time to "take it all in" or "smell the roses." Therefore, much of the time, I miss out on the goodness of the moment. I learned that this last week in my quiet time.

I had gone through the first lesson in our women's Bible study several times as we were planning, training and preparing to lead this new study. However, due to my overly focused motivation, each time through I skipped the side-notes in the margin. This time I was doing a thorough overview, highlighting and underlining good points for discussion purposes. In doing that I read all of the little quotes and notes in the margins that I had previously skipped. What a treasure I had been missing! Oh, my goodness! Unbelievable! The richness I had been overlooking.

Here are some of the quotes that I breezed over:

"God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." - C.S. Lewis (British author and professor)

"The voice of sin may be loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder." - D. L. Moody (nineteenth-century evangelist)

"Salvation is from God only." - Latin proverb

"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times." - Martin Luther (sixteenth-century German reformer)

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." - Victor Hugo (nineteenth-century writer)

"I do not want merely to possess a faith; I want a faith that possesses me." - Charles Kingsley (nineteenth-century British writer)

"Belief is a truth held in the mind, faith is a fire in the heart." - Joseph Newton (twentieth-century Baptist minister)

"The more we depend on God the more dependable we find He is." - Cliff Richard

"The very same Holy Spirit who led these men to write, longs to lead us today so we can understand."  - George Sweeting (author and former president and chancellor of Moody Bible Institute)

Aren't these quotes powerful?! Wow! and I could have missed out on all of that just because of my drive to accomplish. I'm not diminishing the power of the study itself. No, not at all. Any time a person digs deep in the living Word and connects with God on His holy ground it is good and worth all the effort it takes. My study has been very rich... these margin notes just made them RICHER. It's like I had the double-fudge brownie sundae but was passing on the hot fudge and whipped topping. Catch my drift?

I'd like to go a little deeper with the last quote (highlighted in bold). This one may not be the pinnacle for you, but it sure was a brilliant piece in God's latest picture puzzle to me. I got to thinking about the men who were inspired through the Holy Spirit to write God's Word, the Bible. I pondered on what a powerful influence that was and what a holy undertaking to be chosen to pen God's Words... record for all time the actual Words of God! It overwhelmed me! Blew me away!

Then there was that quote by George Sweeting that brought the fact that the Holy Spirit who dwells within me as a gift from God to direct me and guide me and give me power in Christ's name is here for me ALL THE TIME. That He wants to help me. That He gives ME that SAME POWER to do good things in God's will, in the name of Christ. I knew this fact before... but God just met me on that page and showed me how really REAL His Holy Spirit is! That the SAME SPIRIT that led those men to write is the SAME SPIRIT that dwells in me and directs me in the way I should go. So powerful!

Here are some of the verses from God's Word that make this spiritual rejuvenation come alive:

"Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" Ephesians 1:13b
     - "marked in him with a seal" - now doesn't that make you feel so incredibly special... so His... so CHOSEN.

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
     - "you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" - that indwelling is a GIFT FROM GOD for repenting and being baptized in Christ's name who forgives our sins... seriously, isn't that enough... and then we get a GIFT over and above that!

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." John 7:38-39
     - Isn't that just beautiful?! The Spirit is illustrated with "streams of living water" "flowing from within" us. I want to be that refreshing fountain. Don't you?

God really punctuated His point for me to "rest in Him" or "follow Him" so that He can do all the hard work and all I have to do is have faith, trust Him and break my stubborn "task oriented" will and submit to His will. Sound easy? No, way... not for this German-blooded girl. But I sure have heard His voice and I'm very excited to see what He has planned for me in the "margins" of life. I hope to be able to breathe a little more freely and take those few extra moments to "take in the view" along my path.

I am so thankful for my lesson this week on the power of the Holy Spirit. God has been so gracious and patient with me as I learn to follow Him and trust Him enough to look off to the left and to the right now and again and see what He has for me to make my journey richer.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Up From the Pit

Deep in the dark trenches of post-partum anxiety, I could see very little light from the bottom of that pit. Though I had been a Christ follower for about four years, I was still very immature in my faith and lacked most of the fruit of the spirit... especially self-control or self-discipline. My Bible was at arms reach for most of my waking hours... but I felt I could not touch it, let alone open it and read God's promises of hope and redemption.

It was a very difficult handful of months for all of us. I wonder if it was most difficult for my Heavenly Father who was watching his beloved daughter in such despair. God is faithful and just and ever-present. He never left me... though I, very nearly, left Him. I was, at times, so angry at Him that I remember being on my knees sobbing and screaming at God for leaving me in this dark wasteland of uselessness. I wanted out. I wanted to die. I thought He was no longer present... had forgotten about me. My clouded view didn't allow me to see how very near He really was.

After His work was accomplished by allowing this heavy trial to sift through His loving, disciplining, parental hands, I was healed. My life had changed dramatically with much simplification after I realized my sin of extreme self-centeredness, lack of self-discipline and faith and trust in God. My perspective on life and hope and God's sovereignty took on a whole new illumination. My light did not come from within my power but from God alone... from Jesus redemptive power. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) God needed to get me where He intended for me to do His work and to teach me a few lessons along the way. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Many times God accomplishes His greatest works through His lowly ones in very low places. Let's look at the life of one of these well known Old Testament characters who was literally in the pit of despair. Remember Jonah?... yeah, the guy in the belly of the big fish? I have to admit that my pit (in the comfort of my rocking chair in my living room) was miles away from the ugly that Jonah had to endure. Praise You, Lord.. Thank You, Jesus!!!

I am going to share with you several verses that surround our verse of thanks for today. These verses come from Jonah's famous prayer from the belly of the fish. (If you have a Bible, please take the extra time  and read all of Jonah chapter 2... or better yet, read the entire book of Jonah... it's only 4 chapters - less than 2 pages in most Bibles).

"To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord,  and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 'Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.' And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." Jonah 2:6-10

God had sent His prophet, Jonah, on a mission to warn the city of Nineveh to change their evil ways and turn back to the Lord. Jonah tried to run from his duties and hide from God. Silly, silly Jonah. We can't hide from God no matter how hard we try. Just can't do it. God got Jonah's attention alright... nearly took his life in the raging sea. But then, here's the critical turning point (from the above text in verse 7), "I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you".

Seems so simple doesn't it? "I remembered You." Honestly, that's all it takes in many cases... look up and remember that God is our Hope, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Protector, our Provider, our Healer, our Friend... and ask for His love and forgiveness. If we confess our unrighteous acts and name our sins He opens His everlasting arms and brings us up out of our pit. Simple? No. Not at all. The plan is simple. God makes it so simple that even a child can grasp the concept. That's how loving He is. But sin, and strong wills, and self-sufficiency get in the way and we get so stuck in the muck at the bottom.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John 1:8-10

I am forever changed, forever grateful, forever forgiven by God's everlasting arms that lifted me from the pit of my despair. That life trial showed me more than I could ever learn in any other way. My Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself. He sent His only Son, Jesus, to redeem me from ALL my SINS past, present and future. For that I am thankful!

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27a

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Feel Used?

Were you the one with the great set of wheels? Or maybe you had the house in town? No... I know... you had the few extra bucks in your pocket. Ahhh, or was it that cute older brother or sister?

Have you ever felt used? For your service, your time, your money or your stuff... You have a giving, loving spirit and you don't mind sharing or helping... but then you realize that the "friend" doesn't want you - a relationship with you... they're only interested in what you have to give them. It hurts.

Realizing that we've been used can make us angry, hurt, bitter. It may bring out the ugly, stand-offishness or even the sarcastic side.

I know that God is holy and incapable of sin, but I have to wonder if He sometimes gets a bit sarcastic feeling when we don't reciprocate His gestures. He loves so much all the time and we, His children, don't always appreciate Him for what He's doing in our lives and seek to know Him as deeply as He knows us. We use Him for that "feel good" moment... for that "look at me and how good I am" pride thing.

In this next verse of thanks, Amos is speaking God's words in irony. It really threw me off at first, because I couldn't believe that God would talk like that. Amos is a unique prophet because he comes from common folk... he's a farmer. I love that God uses common people to do big jobs.

"Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings - boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do, declares the Sovereign Lord." Amos 4:5

Amos is warning Israel to come back to the Lord. God's chosen people have gotten very sloppy and disrespectful in their worship and have forgotten it's true meaning. They are in love with their religion and it's rituals but have forgotten about the God who loves them. They are placing religion over relationship and not remembering the things that God loves - goodness, mercy, kindness, and justice. This grieves God greatly. He desperately wants His children to return to Him and worship Him.

In my devotional, Jesus Calling, I found this paragraph to bring perspective to our need for God in this world in which we live:

You inhabit a fallen, disjointed world, where things are constantly unraveling around the edges. Only a vibrant relationship with Me can keep you from coming unraveled too.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Herein lies the promise... the secret to our success... our ray of hope and reason to be thankful today. If we focus our attention on our love for God and work to build that loving relationship with Jesus, the world and its desires will pass away and we can focus our thoughts on our eternal life in heaven! Even if we've suffered being used for what we have, we will know the truth that the real value does not lie in possessions or worldly riches but in relationship with Christ. It hurts to be used and it truly grieves our Heavenly Father as well.

This song, by Third Day, shows us that piece of God's heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUI-sj23qs0

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

No Matter What

Heartache, loss, trials of life... they're hard aren't they?

In my morning devotional today I came across this in the Psalms:

"Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Deep calls unto deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,

at night his song is with me-

a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God."

  ~Psalm 42:5,7-9,11

Coincidence? No... just God. God in all His power and might, His love and grace, His sovereignty and omniscience. His ever so tender heart. He knew that He had to give me permission to grieve and feel the pain all over again. But because He is Who He Is. The Great I AM. He also brought my thoughts back to Him and the hope I have in Him. So I can praise Him and thank Him right through the pain.

Exactly one year ago on this date... September 8, 2012... mom went to be with Jesus after her valiant fight with cancer. She and God taught me so much in that year long trial... the reason that I'm still even writing in this blog nearly a year later. Give thanks every day... no matter what!

I remember a day that mom was really beaten down by the cancer... so weak... so wanting to just give up the fight. I was on the phone with her sharing my devotional and scripture readings for the day. All she could do was moan because of the weakness and discomfort. I read, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thessalonians 5:16-18) Mom pulled together the strength to say, "Mmmmm.... I wish everyone lived by that." I'll never forget it and I'll never stop telling that story and quoting that verse. No matter what.

As I've been studying this next verse of thanks. I keep thinking of that "no matter what" mentality. Daniel had this attitude. He knew his God. He trusted Him and knew that praising Him would never be in vain. Would never, ever be the wrong thing to do.

We are to the part of Daniel's story that many of us have known since we were very small children. Daniel in the Lions Den. This part of the story takes place right before Daniel is sent to the lions. Our verse of thanks is what takes him there.

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10

The decree that had been published by King Darius was "that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." (Daniel 6:7b) That didn't stop Daniel from honoring his God in heaven. The threat of a gruesome death didn't get in the way of Daniel's worship. He knew the power of God. And, as we know, it worked out beautifully for Daniel. He was sent to the lion's den (though the king didn't want to send him there because Daniel was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent, and was favored by the king for his exceptional qualities) because the law was irrevocable. However, even ravenously hungry lions were no obstacle to the Lord and He rewarded Daniel's great faith by saving his life. "My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight." (Daniel 6:22)

Daniel gave thanks to God no matter what. I learned the same lesson through the trial of watching my mother give up this life for the next. The same discipline. In the verses God so generously and graciously gave me this morning, knowing ahead of time how my day was going to play out, was the line that titles my blog... Deep Calls Unto Deep.

Deep things; heartache, loss, trials of life, call for deeper meanings. On my worst days, God calls the deeper meanings to things if I am really listening. My trust must be in Him... and only Him. I can only do that if I look to Him when things are at their worst. I have to be completely dependent upon my Heavenly Father for lifting me up.

When I keep my eyes and my mind on Him, then I get the help God promises. I'm sure you've notice a theme in this pursuit of God's meaning of thanks that throughout the Bible it is very common for God to lift people up; which He does for those that are faithful. Those who really see God's worth even though times are at their worst. No matter what.

"No Matter What" by Kerrie Roberts puts these thoughts and feelings to music. Listen to this song by clicking on this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCaX4SaFRU

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

God Only Knows

Are you comfortable answering a question with, "I don't know."? Are you ok with not having the knowledge to field someone's desire to know what they think you know? How do you handle it? Are you humble and just let it be - and be ok with not knowing? Or do you dig and research until you have an answer for them... for yourself? Or does your pride get in the way, and you do the thing that so many do (for that immediate gratification that we've all become so accustomed to) and just say some answer that will hopefully satisfy their curiosity and make you look like you know what your talking about?... a.k.a. lying.

Back when I was climbing the ladder to my dream job, I had a position at the bottom rung. I was a CSA, or Customer Service Agent. We were taught that, "I don't know" is not an acceptable response to any customer's question. The best response, of course, was the correct answer about our company and their products. The appropriate alternative was to say something like, "I currently do not have that information, but if I can either put you on hold or take your name and number, I will gladly get back to you with what you need." Then we would absolutely do just that and follow through with the answer and hopefully even make a sale (which wasn't our job, but the president of the company got really excited when his CSA girls made sales).

With that training and with the type A personality that I possess... I do like to have the answers. However, as I get older, I have come to accept the reality that I do not have... or, more realistically, cannot remember... the answers. Many times I'm heard saying to my kids (especially to my very inquisitive 6 year old who thinks I am super smart and have all the answers to absolutely everything), "I don't know, but God does." Then usually, I keep the question on my radar and look for the answer when time allows. I feel like such a hero when God graciously gives me the answers to my kids' questions.

Daniel was a man with the answers... a very young man with wisdom and knowledge. Daniel... you know the guy in the lions' den... Well he wasn't only famous for persevering and coming out unharmed from the torcher chamber known as the lions' den, he is referred to as very wise in the Bible. "Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?" (Ezekiel 28:3)

Daniel and his friends were teenage captives of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He sought them out to train them to be servants in the king's palace. As it was, the king had nightmares. He was so fretful about one of his absurd dreams that he "...summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed." (Daniel 2:2) Unfortunately, they were unable to interpret his dream even under the threat of being "cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble." (Daniel 2:5) Thankfully, for the sake of all the wise men of Babylon (Daniel 2:12b), Daniel spoke to the commander of the king's guard with wisdom and tact and asked for time from the king so that he might interpret the dream for him. You see, God gave Daniel the gift of knowledge and understanding and he could interpret dreams and visions. (Daniel 1:17)

God was faithful. Daniel was successful. With abundant faith and trust, Daniel gave thanks to God even before he approached the king with his interpretation. God answered Daniel's plea and gave him the correct answers to King Nebuchadnezzar's request.

"I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." Daniel 2:23

Daniel, of course, gave all the glory to God in the presence of the king. "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." (Daniel 2:27) You can pretty much guess what took place after that... the king was elated and declared, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord or kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery." (Daniel 2:47) He also placed Daniel in a high position, lavished him with gifts, made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon, and placed him in charge of all its wise men. (Daniel 2:48)

Our God in heaven is omniscient, which means: having infinite awareness, understanding and insight; complete and universal knowledge. God only knows... everything. We are abundantly blessed to be in the continual presence of the God who lives and breathes and loves and knows. He has all the answers and wants to share the ones we can handle with us. All we have to do is look to Him in prayer and petition and He will give us knowledge, answers, and peace.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

In A Nutshell

During my quiet time today I read from a devotional by Sarah Young. I got so excited with the message, with the connection to my mission, my blog, my passion... I simply must share it. The message is basically my blog in a nutshell. Oh, and just a reminder that Sarah Young writes in Jesus' voice... read this, meditate on the message as if Jesus is looking into your eyes and speaking only to you. :)

Enter My gates with thanksgiving and My courts with praise. A thankful heart is a joyful heart, and this is what I want for you. When you neglect the sacrifices of thanksgiving, your soul suffers.

Many of My children who live in impoverished nations are more joyful than Christians in "rich" countries with material abundance. Even the greatest blessings can fail to bring Joy unless they are received with gratitude.

I am training you to thank Me not only for obvious blessings but also for situations you would never have chosen - a wayward child or spouse; loss of health, home, or employment. This is counterintuitive thankfulness, and it is possible only to the extent that you trust Me at a deep level. It is also a matter of self-discipline: willing yourself to thank Me even when your circumstances are screaming at you to find a way out. Though it is wise to look for ways to improve your situation, you cannot force My hand - or My timing. Just keep coming into My Presence with thanksgiving. Your persistent thankfulness may actually provide the long-awaited key I will use to unlock major difficulties in your life. Giving thanks to Me can open doors in ways that transcend your understanding.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing." Psalm 107:21-22

"You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you." John 16:22

From Jesus Today by Sarah Young.

One more thing I want to share that I've been drawn to lately... a song from Mark Schultz called "I Gave Up". It puts life into the perspective of gratitude and being content with the blessings we have. Click on this link to listen to the YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAG5NM6MXQ

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

God's Last Word

In conversations, are you a listener or a talker or somewhere in between? I've been working on becoming more of a listener. Working on... I said. I do like to talk. I always have. My mom said I learned to talk long before I even considered walking. I was referred to as a "motor mouth" when I was a kid. My dad says, "she has a lot to say." I read a quote that said something like, "You have one mouth and two ears for a good reason." Then, of course, there's the words from Jesus' brother James, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (James 1:19) These things have got me to thinking that maybe I need to keep my mouth shut more and my ears open and attentive to others.

I've been working on this discipline in my prayer time as well. Prayers for me used to be only wrote prayers that I learned and repeated at certain times of the day or in certain places. For example The Lord's Prayer, or my childhood bedtime prayer or dinner prayer. I matured some and began saying prayers that were made up of my own words but were pretty much just a "to do" list for God of the way that I'd like Him to direct my life under MY direction. More recently, I've been sitting quiet and listening for His voice. Waiting on His directions. It doesn't come easily for me. My mind likes to wander and sometimes whirl out of control with concerns and details of my day ahead and for the future. I feel like I'm constantly badgering the Holy Spirit to keep me on track.

Speaking of staying on track, this next verse of thanks comes from the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the author, is trying very hard to do just that... get the nation of Judah back on track with God. Jeremiah, as a prophet, had the very difficult job of relaying God's messages of impending judgment for His people who were disintegrating morally from within. Sadly, Jeremiah's warnings and pleas were falling on deaf ears. They were bad listeners, like me. They wanted to live their lives as they pleased, not to please God. It gets so out of hand we read warnings of judgment such as this;

"This is what the Lord says: 'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.'" (Jeremiah 30:12-15)

This book is hard for me because I don't like conflict and confrontation. I don't like to view my God as a God that destroys - a God that disciplines and punishes. Do you? I know it's necessary. For it says truly in Proverbs 13:24 "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." It's for our own good, so it goes. We are God's children, just as the nation of Judah is made up of God's children. He wants what is best for them and has to discipline.

The hope comes in when He also is recorded saying, "I am with you and will save you, declares the Lord, 'Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you, I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:11) And "This is what the Lord says: 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.'" (Jeremiah 30:18)

This leads us to our verse of thanks.

"From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing, and they will not be decreased, I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained." Jeremiah 30:19

In this portion of scripture we see God's children go full circle... from the pit to the pinnacle. And trust me, this is not the first nor the last time that the Bible text will take us on this wild ride. If only the children of Israel listened more and talked less, listened to God and His prophets and followed His good laws, and listened, and listened, and listened. But they didn't, and neither do most of us. Submitting my will to God's will is hard for me... but I'm learning that when I allow God to have the last word in a situation it comes out pretty good.

Lucky for us, God is a God of compassion and the original source of love. He disciplines us because He loves us and teaches us that in order to have spiritual success, we must learn that sin has its consequences, but God's last word for those who will repent is forgiveness.

"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." (John 3:16)

We are forgiven! WE ARE FORGIVEN!! No matter how ugly, shameful, or awful our sins, if we confess and repent to the throne of God, Christ's blood covers our sins and makes us white as snow. Not only that, He promises us eternal life in heaven where all is perfect and free from sin, and pain, and sadness. Amazing love isn't it?! That is worthy of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing in my book.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Scars

Look down at your hands, your knees... or maybe when you look in the mirror you are reminded of an event that marked you for life. The marks I am referring to are your scars. When I look in the mirror, very closely, I see the evidence of an event that seems like a lifetime ago. I was a passenger in a head-on collision that sent my face into the windshield. Later there was a lawsuit in which a lawyer told me I could counter-sue for disfigurement. I told him, "No thanks, when I get turned down for that modeling contract due to my facial scars, I'll consider it." I just live with the scars and most people don't even notice them. But when I see them, I am reminded of God's mercy and protection. Perhaps you have scars that don't appear on the outside, on your skin. Maybe you have deep wounds in your heart from recent or past hurts. Abuse, disappointments, neglect, broken relationships, sinful living, bad choices, or abandonment. The list goes on and on with the things in life that leave scars from our past. It's easy and very common for us to get wrapped up in these hurts and wear them on the outside... defining who we are. But we don't have to. We can be healed. Redeemed. We can learn this truth of redemption, of restoration through God's everlasting compassion on His children of Zion (or Jerusalem). "The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing." Isaiah 51:3 This verse from the prophet Isaiah comes from the stormy period during the decline of the kingdom of Israel. There are many warnings to God's people for persistent sinful living. But, Isaiah doesn't simply warn, he also instructs in the hope for deliverance - for escape... God's intervention. We find rich comfort and hope as Isaiah foretells God's deliverance of his children from their captors and prefigures the greater deliverance from sin through Christ. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4: 22-24 When we know Jesus, we can actually find beauty in our scars... even give thanks for them because of the "new self" they made us into. They help us to remember that we've been healed (or can be healed). That our merciful, loving Father is more powerful than any hurt or sin or destruction that people can dish out. Scars keep us on our knees in humility, submitting to the awesome, saving power of Jesus' selfless sacrifice on the cross. Just look at what the scars on Jesus' body accomplished for each one of us. Salvation from sin and eternal life in heaven. Heal The Wound by Point of Grace paints this picture beautifully. Here's a link to their song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB0Yh_HS19I - - I guess with the limitations I'm experiencing in this program, you have to go to YouTube on your browser and copy and paste the link in YouTube's search. Sorry about that... and sorry about any possible unholy links that you may see in the process. What can I say, we live in a corrupt world. Our Heavenly Father heals our wounds with His love and compassion. He makes our deserts like Eden and our wastelands like His garden. We are left with the scars to keep us mindful of our need, our dependence on His loving grace. Then we can see His truth and purpose in our lives. That allows us to give thanks and sing praises to the One and Only God of Hope. Jesus Christ. "And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Your Job Description

Once upon a time, a group of animals decided they would do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor, but he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that - except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much makeup work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed charley horses from overexertion, and so he only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a nonconformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there... (from Charles R. Swindoll's The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart). We are all created beings, made perfectly the way God intended us to be. He is the Great Creator. The Lord has given each of us unique gifts, talents, and abilities. They, however, are different and unique to each of us just as the animals in this make-believe story. Our Creator made every single person with a spiritual job description that is our reason for being created in the first place. It is our responsibility to discover what that spiritual gift is and use it to serve in His name. There are three major sections of scripture in the Bible that deal with our job descriptions or spiritual gifts. But first I'm going to share the verse that inspired this post. It is our last verse in the Psalms that speaks of thanks. "Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp." (Psalm 147:7) Psalm 147 is a song of praise to God, the Creator and Lord over all. Most likely it was composed for the Levitical choirs to sing praises and thanks to God for the dedication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem. But what drew me in was the part about making music to God on the harp. I just found it curious that the harp was called out specifically. I don't know about the harp during biblical times, but it's definitely not the first instrument that I think of to make music to worship the Lord. We have a full band up front at our church on most Sunday services and we certainly do not have a harpist or even a harp to be played. Maybe it was the guitar of the ancient world?? I'm not a theologian or a historian, just a homemaker that loves the Lord and His Good Book. Nonetheless, it got me to thinking about specific gifts and talents and what my roll is in making this world a better place. What is my God given job description? From Jesus Today by Sarah Young I found this entry quite applicable to my curiosity about my spiritual position - my calling. I call you to lead the life that I have assigned to you, and to be content. Beware of comparing your situation with that of someone else - and feeling dissatisfied because of the comparison. It is also harmful to compare your circumstances with what they used to be or with fantasies that bear little resemblance to reality. Instead, make every effort to accept as your calling the life I have assigned to you. This perspective helps take the sting out of even the harshest circumstances. If I have called you to a situation, I will give you everything you need to endure it - and even to find Joy in the midst of it. Learning to be content is both a discipline and an art: You train your mind to trust My Sovereign ways with you - bowing before My mysterious, infinite intelligence. You search for Me in the details of your day, all the while looking for good to emerge from trouble and confusion. You accept the way things are without losing hope for a better future. And you rejoice in the hope of heaven, knowing that indescribably joyful Life is your ultimate calling! "Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches." (1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV) Back to the Bible's messages on discovering our calling, our reason for being, our spiritual gifts, our own personal job description. In Romans 12:6-8 it starts out, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us..." Then in 1 Corinthians 12:4-31 we read more; "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men..." Also in Ephesians 4:11-13 it says, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." If you haven't already done this, I encourage you to read these passages in full. Then take the next step, look deeper and ask God what He has prepared in advance for you to do to further His Kingdom and win souls for heaven. We will all be happier and more fulfilled when we work in the area that fits how God has wired us to function in the body of Christ. Discover your spiritual job description and give thanks to God in your every day by obediently following your calling. "And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Holy Moments

This is frustrating. I continue to experience extreme limitations in this program. So no "pretty stuff," just words. Maybe God is working on my vanity, perfectionism, and pride. Hmmm... Makes sense. He has plenty of refining to do in this chick. As a former graphic designer, editor, and production manager these limitations simply would NOT do. God has been mellowing me in this last decade. I used to see the word humility as a weakness. But then again, I didn't know the heart of God back then like I do now. ...and still SO MUCH more to learn. His ways are so much higher than my ways... they're higher because they're better. God wants me to work WITH Him, not against Him. To follow His path, not forge ahead and create my own. Someone once gave me a book when I was a new manager called, "Lions Don't Need to Roar." Good advice. "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" James 4:6 Sitting on my back deck this morning, just soaking in the goodness of God (and a nice cup of coffee), I was moved to step aside from my "routine" prayer and just be quiet and listen. Listen for His presence. Then, from somewhere inside, I was stirred to sing old hymns and liturgical verses aloud from times gone by. God wanted my worship. I needed to worship Him. What caught me by surprise was not this diversion from the norm - the flexibility to change my pattern of connecting with Jesus - it was the tears that began to flow. Not that I'm surprised by my own tears. I hail myself as a "wet nurse for those that cannot cry." I have a "wet spirit" so to speak. It was where they came from, what brought them on that surprised me. I was singing old tunes that I don't recall ever moving me before. I was all alone. At peace. I am not sad or depressed or heavy hearted. The tears just seemed to have come out of nowhere. Then it occurred to me that when the Holy Spirit fills me I overflow with "holy tears." A plain, old ordinary moment that went holy on me. Jesus joined me for coffee this morning. No better company than that. It was a holy moment. While listening to the sermon yesterday at my church, I had a similar experience with the overflow of these holy tears. Our former pastor and his family were visiting and he was preaching. His sermon was excellent. He is a gifted speaker and teacher. But it wasn't the message in particular that was filling me and causing this overflow. It was simply his presence. The joy of seeing these good friends after years of their absence. Home - it felt like home. So good. So comforting. Peace. Joy. Tears. A holy moment. Holy moments can come at any time. In any package. In any circumstance. One might think that these times would only occur when we are at peace or in comfort or filled with joy. That is so untrue. Sure I just illustrated a couple of those sweet moments, but some of my most life changing "God so close you can feel his breath" holy moments have been in times of trial, difficulty, pain, fear, loneliness, darkness and despair. While waiting out a power outage so I could fill my car's gas tank, instead of getting all bent out of shape because of the inconvenience of the hour delay at a time-sensitive portion of my day, I thanked God for the irritation. This is a new discipline that I've been working on putting into practice more regularly - God gently reminded me at that moment to praise Him. During my wait I heard sirens and saw a sheriff's truck turn the corner with his lights on. I didn't think much of it at the time because a brief, but strong storm had just passed through town. When the power came back on and I was able to fill my tank, I was on my way to do the "million things" that I had on my to do list. As I approached the curvy stretch to my home, I witnessed the cause for all the sirens in town. There was a roll-over accident in the highway near my house. The first thing that entered my mind as I approached the scene with all the emergency vehicles and workers was "God! Did you spare me from this wreck? Did you delay me in town with that "inconvenience" by Your loving grace?" Not to be a drama queen... but I think He did. Sometimes you just "know." Today I'm not going to share the verse of thanks that I've been pondering for weeks and weeks. It's my last verse of the Psalms and I'm going to savor it for a little bit longer... maybe tomorrow?? For the holy moments that come out of peace and joy... "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Luke 10:21 For those holy encounters that come out of fear, danger, and pain... "But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:19-20 And "The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:7-8 "And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b