Menial Tasks

This morning I had a very exciting and encouraging meeting with our school's band director. One of our sons has been blessed with musical gifts such that his director believes he has what it takes to at least audition for the All-State Honors Band as a freshman. My husband and I can take no credit for this talent. God has gifted him with these blessings. It makes us very proud of him and happy that he has such a wonderful talent, as music, that he can bless those around him for a lifetime. The Lord has chosen him to possess these gifts.

Today's lesson on thanks highlights some of these musical gifts. We will be looking at the great-grandsons of Asaph and Jeduthun - the director of temple singers and a temple musician respectively, both personally chosen by King David.

"Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun." Nehemiah 11:17

The temple, the city of Jerusalem and its walls are now rebuilt. The Lord placed Nehemiah in charge of the building of the walls of the city. He assessed the situation and made a plan. Nehemiah was a man of God and had great faith and trust in his Lord. Not only did Nehemiah assess the condition of the walls, he also took a close look at the condition of his own heart and the hearts of the people. He found that the wall was not the only area that left Jerusalem vulnerable to attack, but the hearts of the people needed restoration as well. I will be taking a deeper look at the condition of the heart in another post some time soon.

With the rebuilding complete, the city was ready for it's new inhabitants. God put it on Nehemiah's heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. He found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return (Neh. 7:5). Within this record were the Levites listed in our verse of thanks.

Come to find out, in researching this verse, that the tasks of the Levites were considered menial. I have been thinking all along what a great blessing it must have been to be an old testament Levite and serve the Lord directly with God given gifts of music (instrumental and singing) in His temple. Seriously, I truly thought that their positions must have been envied in those days. I consider music a gift that only God can bless an individual with and I've always coveted that gifting. I realize that music can be learned and practiced and mastered (I was that sort of musician), however, someone that possesses the "gift" to begin with has a definite edge on those that don't. Anyway, I found this commentary: The number of Levites who returned (to Jerusalem) was relatively small. Since the Levites had been entrusted with the menial tasks of temple service, many of them may have found a more comfortable way of life in exile. Who knew? Not me.

I have to admit that I am rather encouraged to find out that the work of the Levites was considered menial. As a full-time homemaker, I do menial tasks all day, every day. That is what consumes my energy. I also have to admit that I LOVE MY JOB! I am so thankful that it works for our family to keep me here at home keeping things "at peace" and in some semblance of order. Though my tasks are menial, I take great pride in doing my best and staying busy doing them. I hope the Levites (that returned) felt the same way.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Back in those days following in your fathers footsteps was typical. It was the norm to take on the work of your father and his. These Levite great-grandsons were doing these temple tasks because it's what their fathers and grandfathers did. The work of your father is what defined you. Now days, in America anyway, there are choices. Many choices. In fact, it is becoming less common to follow the trade of your father. However, my husband followed in his father's footsteps with his career choice. I happened to follow in my father's to some extent (though not directly) by following a career in publishing. Which I have, obviously, since traded for housework. My point is that these musicians may not have actually prized their work or even appreciated it, they may have just been doing it because they were born into it. This was a new idea to me - that they may have just been in "the ol' grind" if you will. It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the possibility that they may not have been incredibly proud of their gifts and positions. I hope this is not true.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Each one of us has gifts and talents. Some are prized, some are not. However, God doesn't look at our position but in how we carry out our tasks, menial or of great importance. If we work at the things we are in trusted as though we are working for the Lord, even if we don't like what we have to do, God will bless us. I am thankful that God views menial work as worthy of blessings too!

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Peace

With yet another bit of news that required a loved one to be added to our family's prayers, my son asked, "Why are there so many tragedies happening?" I assured him that "tragedies" was much too strong a word and that life is just like that. Jesus doesn't promise us that if we follow Him we will be without worries, difficulties, pain, or troubles. Actually, He promises us just the opposite...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

In studying this next verse of thanks, I was drawn to this idea of the Lord's provision of peace in the midst of life's storms. Recently, I was incredibly, overwhelmingly aware of God's peace in a not-so peaceful situation. God has wired me such that I tend to be anxious in out of control situations. He has been working on me and my spirit a lot in the last year or so and this recent out of control situation made it quite clear that His peace does reign in my life after all. An "ah-ha" moment if you will.

Let's do a really quick fast forward through the events from yesterday's "bad guy, Manasseh" to today's praise and thanksgiving. The end of the fall of Jerusalem goes something like this. There were six more kings of Judah, all but one (Josiah) did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The messengers (prophets) of the Lord tried to warn the kings and their people to change their ways, but they weren't listening and instead mocked and scoffed their way into the wrath of the Lord. God sent the king of the Babylonians, King Nebuchadnezzar, up against the people of Israel and handed them over to his power. All of Jerusalem was destroyed and the people taken into exile for 70 years.

The following verse (our verse of thanks) is from events that followed the Lord's fulfillment of His words, that were spoken through the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 25:8-14), in which He moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation to release God's people and build them a temple of the Lord. 

"With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid." Ezra 3:11

This effort by a Persian king to win the favor of peoples treated harshly by the Babylonians began the restoration period for the children of Israel. Only God has the sovereign power to change the heart of such a powerful ruler to accomplish His greater good. God was starting from scratch once again. There wasn't a single king of Judah (or Israel) left that He could accomplish His prophesy and promises through, so He had to work in the heart of a foreign ruler.

God's chosen people, the children of Israel, were a wayward mess. More often than not they were led by kings of corruption. They had serious commitment issues. They couldn't seem to stay on track and follow the God who loved them and follow His commands. Did God turn his back on them and forget His promises to deliver them? No, never. Did He give them opportunities to mend their ways, repent and come back to His love and protection? Yes, many, many times. Did they? No. Even at that, did God forsake them? No, He delivered them through the hands of a foreign king.

Does God promise us a smooth, uneventful path in life? No. Trouble will come. But what He does promise is His peace in the midst of the rocky road of life. When we remain in close relationship with Jesus, He will give us His peace that passes all understanding. The peace in the out of control moments in life that make you say, "Ah ha, there you are Jesus, thank you!"

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Bad Guys

Raising three spirited boys brings one into the world of super heroes; good guys and bad guys. Fighting for truth, justice and well... fighting, mostly just fighting. My boys have always been drawn to some good 'ol violence. Thankfully, their hearts are good and pure (most of the time) and they prefer to see the good guy win.

As each of the boys have passed through the years from about 2 through about 7 they couldn't get enough of the super heroes. My oldest spent so much time in his Batman costume that he wore it out and we had to... HAD TO find him a replacement (if there was to be any form of peace in the house). Throughout his entire pre-school screening day he would not answer to his name but to Spiderman. Thankfully, all the professionals he encountered that day were willing to play along to accomplish the goal of getting him screened appropriately. Precious. Priceless. Unforgettable.

Good guys and bad guys. The world is made up of them. So are the stories in the Bible. In fact, being the recovering control addict that I am, I tried to keep weapons of violence out of our home in the early years. While innocently viewing a David and Goliath children's VHS tape, some time ago, my son was drawn to the part where David cuts off Goliath's head with a sword. Ugh! Who thought you had to preview children's Christian videos too?! That's when I gave in... and superheroes (and their weapons) infiltrated the home beginning with Larry Boy from Veggie Tales and it spiraled from there.

We are on our third and final super hero fan and he's all about fighting for justice... the majority of the time (thankfully... it's hard to be the mother of the arch nemesis). Sigh. That makes me wonder about the poor mothers of the bad guys. Or take it a step higher... the Father, the Creator of all mankind; God. Where does His heart set with the bad guys?

My next verse of thanks deals with such a man. He is the next king of Judah, after Hezekiah his father, and his name is Manasseh (Meh-NASS-uh). I am so happy to share the pronunciation with you... it's nice to know your saying it right... or maybe that's just me?? Thank you NIV Adventure Bible (children's bible)! Hey! I use what I have, and this kid's Bible has enlightened me more than you know. Anyway, King Manasseh was a hard core bad guy. "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites." (2 Chron 33:2) He is one of the guys that sacrificed his sons in the fire, practiced sorcery, divination (seeing into the future by magic), witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. This made God mad. He punished him by allowing the king of Assyria to come against the nation of Judah and took King Manasseh prisoner. They led him to Babylon by a hook in his nose and bound in shackles.

Manasseh, in his distress, looked to God and humbled himself before the Lord praying. God heard him and gave him a chance to do right.

"Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel." 2 Chronicles 33:16

As you see, from this verse, Manasseh followed through with God's commands - for a period of time anyway. Manasseh became ruler at the age of 12 and held the longest reign of any of the kings of Judah or Israel - 55 years. Commentaries note him as the most evil king and shedding the most innocent blood (godly people and prophets), leading the people into a horribly corrupt state and possibly the primary one responsible for the coming exile. This guy was bad to the bone.

If only he would have followed the words and promise the Lord had given to David (and his son Solomon):  "I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them." (2 Kings 21:8) But he didn't. Apparently he had serious commitment issues.

My point is, however, that even though this evil doer did not remain committed to God's laws and worshiping Him only, God had mercy on him in his distress. Once again God proves to us that He loves all of his children, no matter how badly we screw up, and offers us grace.

A verse that has been coming before my eyes quite regularly as of late is:

"Do not be afraid or terrified.., for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

I believe this promise is clearly proven by the story of Manasseh the bad guy. I am thankful for God's promises of steadfastness, mercy and grace. He's always a good guy even when we slip into the shoes of the bad guy.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

One Good Ruler

In a recent conversation, a friend was telling me something that a patient said to her. The patient asked her if she was familiar with the Bible. She let him know that she was. He then went on to tell her that he thought that there was more corruption in the world today than there was when the Lord flooded the earth... or was it when the Lord parted the sea?? Forgive me... though I usually get the point, I sometimes loose the details... sadly, the opposite also happens in my scattered brain. Anyway, I found it very interesting that this point was made because this week I've been feeling that Old Testament corruption must have been far worse than our current situation.

I've been looking at the divided kingdom of King David, after Solomon's death. God appointed David to become ruler of Israel. He did a pretty great job due to his devotion to the Lord. His son, Solomon, was also blessed by God during his reign. However, in his old age, he fell away from God because of his disobedience (worshiping other gods) and was punished by the hand of the Lord. However, God had mercy on him because of his father, David, and laid his wrath during the reign of his (Solomon's) son, Rehoboam. The punishment was to tear the kingdom of Israel apart and away from King Solomon's hand.

"So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.'" 1 Kings 11:11-13

The divided kingdom consisted of the southern part named Judah. The northern part of the kingdom became a separate nation called Israel. The family line of David followed in the southern nation of Judah. There were 40 kings that reigned between the two nations during the years of division. We'll be looking at the 33rd king (between the two nations - the 10th king of Judah), Hezekiah, and his reign, and what made him special.

The corruption that followed, for hundreds of years, was devastating. It wasn't long before the great temple of Solomon was destroyed and looted by the Egyptians. God was all but forgotten and many foreign gods took the attention of the Lord's people. Some kings even made up their own forms of worship. The people were led so far astray, all seemed hopeless. Then Hezekiah, son of Ahaz king of Judah, began to reign.

"Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him." 2 Kings 18:5

Hesekiah brought hope back to a fallen kingdom. He followed the Lord and God blessed his work. One of his first assignments was to restore the temple. Our next verse of thanks tells us about the beginnings of getting the worship of the Lord, the God of Israel, back on track.

"Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions - each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites - to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the Lord's dwelling." 2 Chronicles 31:2

We Christians are incredibly blessed. We serve a God of mercy and grace and second chances. Our God has unending patience. His chosen people, Israel, became lost and led astray by worldly distractions time and time again. They forgot about God. They flat out turned their backs on the God who delivered them from the hand of their enemies and kept them alive in the desert. The corruption and evil that took place over those hundreds of years in their twisted idol worship just sickens me. The one that hit me the hardest was the sacrificing of their own children in burnt offerings to golden statues! Not even to a god that has power and presence and loving care for His people, but a statue.

"Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own." 1 Samuel 13:21-22

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

God should have turned his back on us long, long ago. Will we ever learn? Our country and our world are a mess. Our focus has been turned away from God. Self-sufficiency is much more highly prized by the world than reliance on the Lord. How have we become so misled? Why do we worship useless idols such as money, power, fame, possessions, careers, social status, pride and self-sufficiency? If you're a productive citizen it seems like the right thing to do... to chase after and put these marks of success as our focus, our passions and our dreams. Right? It is OK to follow your dreams and make a difference in the world, but the order of priority must not get misplaced. We must not allow ourselves to get so swept up in what the world tells us is right that we loose sight of what God meant for us in the first place. To love Him, obey Him and put Him first.

There is hope. Don't give up. God sent us his son, Jesus, into the world to live among the people. He led a spotless, holy, sinless life on earth. He suffered and died as a living, last and final sacrifice to cover sin, death and the devil. He rose from the dead and lives and reigns on the right hand of the Father, our God, in heaven for eternity. And one day He will return and make this world His own perfect place once again!!!

Were the kings of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah corrupt? You better believe it. Was there some good left? Yep. Hezekiah showed us that. Is there hope for our messed up world? Yes. His name is Jesus Christ, and He is the One Good Ruler that can keep us in the good graces of God and keep us on track.

I am so thankful for second chances. For mercy, grace and the love of God. I don't deserve any of it. But God is a good father that wants what is best for His children. Therefore, He will never leave me or forsake me. He loves me even when I am most unlovable and loose my way. He's always with me... all I have to do is look up to Him and whisper His name and He is there. That is something to be thankful for.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Am I Willing?

Every morning, before I get up out of bed, I pray for blessings from God. I call it my "P Prayer." First, I thank God for His power and presence in our lives. Then I ask for blessings on my family for;  peace, protection, productivity, perseverance, and provision. We all want and ask for blessings. We know it is within God's great and loving power to make our lives abundant through these gifts of grace. If we are good people and generally follow the rules why shouldn't we receive blessings daily? Right?

We also pray for God's will; His almighty, omnipotent (unlimited power or authority), pre-destined plan in our circumstances. "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." - - from The Lord's Prayer that so many of us knew word for word before we even had a clue as to what it all meant. Some of us still may not know what we're praying, there, because it's become so wrote it's like singing the ABC's.

God's will... what is God's will? What does the Lord of all creation want for us, His created? How do you put such a lofty thought into words? OK... so I'm not equipped for such a high call... I'm going to throw it back at God. Here are a few verses about what God wants for us:

The Lord promises to Abram: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." Genesis 12:2

In a letter, from the prophet Jeremiah, to the surviving elders, priests, prophets and people in exile from Jerusalem ~ "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Jesus tells us in John 10:10 ~ "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

From the disciple whom Jesus loved ~ "And this is what he promised us - even eternal life." 1 John 2:25

So... God wants good things for us;  greatness, hope, future, life to the full, and ultimately eternal life. We hear and sing: God is good all the time. God is love. Jesus loves me, this I know... Is there a hitch, a catch, a condition? Yes, the same condition that we have for our own children... obedience and love. If our children are disobedient do we turn our backs on them? I sure hope not. What do we do then? We discipline. So does God.

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9

"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews12:10-11 

In this next verse of thanks Hezekiah, a king of Judah, is calling for his assembly to bring offerings to the Lord as they return to Solomon's temple which had been destroyed after his (Solomon's) death. A lot has taken place since our last verse in chapter 5 of 2nd Chronicles. Over 200 years and ten kings have made their ungodly marks on history. You see, Solomon, who had been so favored by God for doing good and following His ways, lost his way. He, as so many, got wrapped up in the lavishness of the world and sinned against God. God warned him directly to stay clear of the women from foreign lands that "will surely turn your hearts after their gods." (1Kings 11:2b) Solomon took a combined 1,000 wives of royal birth and concubines (a woman that belonged to a man but did not have the same rights as a wife). If you're going to mess up, mess up big, Solomon! As he grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and he was no longer fully devoted to the Lord his God. God got mad. Discipline followed. David's kingdom was divided and Jerusalem, the city of David, was a mess... for a long, long time.

"Then Hezekiah said, 'You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.' So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings." 2 Chronicles 29:31

After studying this verse, the lesson that keeps cropping up is the last part about willing hearts. So as I pray for God's will and His blessings in my life, and the lives of those I love, the question is:  Am I willing to do my part and obey God and love Him back? My immediate response to this question is: Of course! But when I really, really think about it... do I always follow His commands? Do I always do what is right - even if it doesn't directly benefit me personally?

Say I was supposed to volunteer at the food shelf and my best friend invited me to a "once in a lifetime" chance to see one of our favorite speakers or singers. Do I follow through and volunteer? Or do I blow it off, knowing that there will be more than enough help to fill the needs at the food shelf? How about this one... a missionary comes to speak at your church. They ask for a freewill offering for support of their ministry. Because you're in church (and it's the right thing to do), you send up a quick prayer to God if you should support them with some cash that you know you have in your wallet. You feel the tug in your heart... but then you remember that you have to pick up milk, bread and eggs on the way home. So you keep the $20 bill in your wallet because it would just be easier to pay cash for those necessities. See where I'm going with this? I'm really good at re-directing my thoughts to make them line up with my own ideas. To make the scenario more comfortable and justify my agenda. Certainly these responses occur when I don't remember to ask for God's guidance. But they happen just the same when I do seek His divine intervention in my life.

God wants to bless me. He also wants me to love Him and obey Him. My heart is willing, my flesh is weak. But God has the power to make me strong and do what is right. I just need to be a better follower and not try so hard to be the leader all the time. That's hard for me. But I want to try.

I am so very thankful that the Lord is patient with me and He never gives up on me. I'm glad that He knows my heart better than I do and He, Himself, is willing to give me another shot when I mess up.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

A Great Choir

Singing is something that I've enjoyed doing most of my life. My first organized choir experience was the "Cherub Choir" at the sweet young age of 4. I was blessed to go to a large enough church that had an amazing music program which spanned the ages. It began with wee ones in the above mentioned choir, then on to the "Junior Choir" for older children. Then, when you had matured in your voice, you moved on into the "Senior Choir." Oh, the Senior Choir... they made a glorious sound, especially on the big holidays of Easter and Christmas! I have very fond memories of hearing all those trained voices, along with trumpets at the Sunrise Service on Easter as a child. Goosebumps!

I continued my involvement in an organized choir all the way through high school, where again, I was very fortunate to attend a school with a wonderful music program. The Concert Choir and all of it's ensembles were honored positions by try-out only. Not just anyone got to be in the Concert Choir and perfection (to sound as one voice) was expected. All of the music performed at concerts was memorized and had to be passed if you wanted to sing in the concert - which, of course, you did or your grade would suffer. Music was college level because the director wouldn't lower himself to directing anything less. Therefore, having had this experience for 14 years of my life, I held a pretty proud attitude about my singing abilities. However, much later in life, I decided to give it another shot, thinking I'd be a shoe in... I had a God-given talent... or so I thought. Oh, how wrong I was. I found out that I was a singer that could be trained if I practiced my part. Not at all a natural. I was on a praise team, for a season, that was comprised of some amazing natural talent. I very soon found out that I didn't measure up. Very humbling experience. But a necessary one none-the-less. Humility is also something that doesn't come naturally to me... I'm learning - - this was one of my training exercises. Mom possessed this highly prized (by God) attribute of humility by nature... not me.

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" 1 Peter 5:5

Through these experiences I've learned, even more-so, to appreciate a good choir. True talent. Music that moves you, gives you those goosebumps. In this next verse of thanks, the writer reveals a scene that must have taken your breath away. Imagine this picture with me:

"The trumpeters and singers joined in unison; as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud," 2 Chronicles 5:13

Here are some further details that were revealed to me as I did my digging: there were 120 priests playing trumpets, 288 trained musicians, and 128 singers. The singers were led by a man named Kenaniah, he was the head Levite and was in charge of the singing because he was skilled at it (1 Chron. 15:22). So, if my math is correct, that makes at least 536 singers and musicians thanking and praising the Lord "as with one voice." Now that would be something to give you the goosebumps!

This great and glorious thanks and praise to the Lord was celebrating the Ark of the Lord's Covenant being delivered to it's new resting place in the "inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put beneath the wings of the cherubim." (2 Chron. 5:7b)

That wasn't the end of it... THE LORD SHOWED UP!! to receive His praise. He was in the form of a dark cloud, just like the cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt and through the desert. Wow! Can you imagine if you were in church next Sunday, singing and worshiping as usual, and the glory of the Lord visibly came into your church to receive His praise and thanks?! Wouldn't that cause a stir?!

In this verse we are again reminded that "He is good; his love endures forever." The truth that mom loved so much to add to our dinner prayer. I am thankful for the lesson of this verse to help me reflect on my learning the importance of humility, the truth of God's eternal goodness, and the vision of the glorious, goosebumps making music that we will some day experience in our Heavenly Home! And my hope is that in the perfection of heaven the Lord will truly bless me with the singing talent that I once thought that I possessed here on earth.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

Where Does It Come From?

In the last handful of years or so times have been tough. The economy has been less than bountiful, that's for sure. "Groceries and gas!" is the expression that I utter with exasperation regularly. No matter what the payday brings in it seems that our growing family never has enough... due to the cost of "groceries and gas" or the cost of living. The bills continue to increase, however the the income doesn't seem to match the same gain. Several very special people in my life have had to claim bankruptcy or had their homes foreclosed on. Times have been tough, financially speaking.

Right now you are reading these words, that I've typed on a desktop computer, on some electronic device that has access to the world wide web. That tells me, however, that we all have been blessed to some degree. Right? I'm not making judgements, just observations. So, generally speaking, though we may be doing without in some ways... in others, we're existing in some form of comfort.

What I'm getting at is, globally speaking, we are rich if we're able to connect over the Internet. Our needs are being met to some degree. How does that happen? Where does it come from?

This next verse of thanks is found in David's prayer that he prayed in the presence of the whole assembly (the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors. 1 Chron. 28:1). He was making known his gratitude to the Lord, the God of Israel, for providing for and protecting his kingdom. This took place after David turned the plans that the Lord, through inspiration, had given him for the building of the temple over to his son, Solomon. He was also preparing to turn his reign over to Solomon, whom God had chosen.

"Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:13

The Lord told David that he was not to build the temple because he was a warrior and blood had been shed by his hands. Though God had given King David specific instructions as to how this building project was to be executed, he made clear to him that it was his son, Solomon, that was to oversee the construction, the administration and the worship.

When David called out to his people to volunteer a gift of themselves to the work of the Lord (building the temple), the response was overwhelming and incredibly generous. David, himself, donated his personal fortune to the cause. He did this because he knew that he could not out give God. God had blessed David with great wealth and he was simply returning what God had already given him in the first place.

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." 1 Chron. 29:14

So, where does it come from? In heart to heart conversations that I've shared with my loved ones over the lean times that we've experienced in the past (and present), thankfully, we have been able to see the hand of God providing for our needs. Taking care of us in the day to day. All that we have does come from Him in the first place... our planet, our lives, our loved ones, our food... they all come from God's creation. Why, then, is it hard for us to give back? I mean really give. I struggle with it. My time, my talents, my energy, my money... all hard to part with... especially when it all seems so difficult to come up with in the first place. Ahh... but when I see it in the perspective that David so nicely puts it into, "everything comes from you... what comes from your hand," it only seems right to loosen up a bit and not cling so tightly to what isn't mine to begin with.

I love this portion of David's prayer. I'll leave you with it while you consider how the Lord has blessed you in the past or present. And I pray that you can see yourself in the light of this verse of old in your heart today.

"I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you." 1 Chron 29:17-18

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b

One Body - Many Parts

I have to admit this next verse has had me stumped for days. I've been researching, cross-referencing, reading and re-reading. To tell you the truth, I think it's the all details that have me blocked... the names - I cannot read properly (and am unable to find pronunciations for them), the many possible duties of a prophet (prophesied) - I'm having trouble pinpointing the function here, and the significance of the harp - why is this instrument specifically named... All questions that I am coming up short on. Are the details important? I'm guessing, yes. Otherwise, why would God have them recorded in His Holy Book. These are real people, with real purpose, using their God-given gifts to praise the Lord and do His work... just like us.

"As for Jeduthun, from his sons:  Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the Lord." 1 Chronicles 25:3

It might help some if you also have the information from the previous verse:

"David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyers and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:" 1 Chronicles 25:1

In my research, what I did find very interesting is this bit about the detail and the importance David placed on organizing worship:

David's preparations for the temple were not restricted to amassing materials for the building; he also arranged for its administration and worship. Unique to Chronicles, these details of the organization of the theocracy (God's kingdom) were of vital concern in the Chronicler's own day. Characteristically for the Chronicler, details about religious and sacred matters take precedence over those that are civil and secular.

Isn't it interesting how that priority seems to have flipped completely in our day and age?? I don't know... just thought that was noteworthy.

Prophets, from what I've uncovered, wear several hats... they preach, exhort, explain or foretell. The messages they revealed were imparted to the believer by the Holy Spirit. They were many times a prediction or an indication of the will of God. The statements were true and were typically beyond their knowledge... aka "News to them." I found that the actions of prophets were sometimes accompanied by musical instruments - so in this case this fact is true. All that being said, I found another definition or description of prophesying that seems to relate to this verse more directly - an ecstatic praising of God inspired by the Spirit of the Lord.

After gathering these bits and pieces, the message that is being revealed to me is that it takes many people with gifts and talents of rather diverse intricacies and details to do the work of the Lord. In order for the church to grow, for the good news of salvation to be spread worldwide, for our communities to flourish, and our faith in Christ to shine for all to see... we must take the focus off of ourselves and realize and do our part. Praising God and thanking Him properly takes all of us to do the detail that He has planned for us to do.

"But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 27

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14

I highly encourage you to go to your Bible and read the entire 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians to find out more about spiritual gifts and the parts that we play in God's work for us.

I am thankful that our Creator made us each uniquely detailed - so distinctly different from one another. Not only does it allow for the work to be done well, it makes for a beautiful variety and avoids monotony. Therefore, we won't be bored... most certainly not... there's much work to do. Discover your part and dig in!

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b