A Beautiful Prayer for the New Year

I read this on one of my friends private blogs who serves in a country in Central Asia. I thought would be good to share - a great prayer for the New Year, to pray all throughout the year!

Great God,

In public and private, in sanctuary and home, may my life be steeped in prayer, filled with the spirit of grace and supplication, each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.

Help me, defend me, until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise. Urged by my need, invited by thy promises, called by thy Spirit, I enter thy presence, worshipping thee with godly fear, awed by thy majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by thy love. 

I am all poverty as well as as all guilt, having nothing of my own with which to repay thee, but I bring Jesus to thee in the arms of faith, pleading his righteousness to offset my iniquities, rejoicing that he will weigh down the scales from me, and satisfy thy justice.

I bless thee that great sin draws out great grace, that, although the least sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God, yet there is mercy for me, for where guilt is most terrible, there thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep. 

Bless me by revealing to me more of his saving merits, by causing thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart; strengthen me to give thee no rest until Christ shall reign supreme within me, in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to thee, and ever clings to the cross.  - From Valley of Vision "Meeting God."

No Other Name

The last few days have been very reflective. Losing a close friend really makes you rethink a lot of things and ponder deeply the things you believe and build your life upon. I have had times in my life where I've had to think deeply about my faith because it was profoundly shaken. I am thankful for those times because now I stand on a firm foundation of faith and I haven't had to wrestle so much with God. Though I have wrestled some, God has made many of the truths of the gospel and His character more vivid and real and have given me great comfort - like His grace and love to send a Savior so that our sin doesn't make death a finality but rather is a transition to eternal life face to face with our dear Jesus if we have made Him Lord over our life. Like His sovereignty that has control over all things even when it seems like the effects (like disease and suffering and famine, etc)  of sin are victorious - His purposes are higher than all things and are for our good and His glory. Sin isn't victorious in the end. Jesus Christ wins! It has made me long for heaven more, to be free of sin and sorrow and the mess of this world but also to see a greater purpose for myself on this earth and to recognize that life is super short. I don't want to waste it. I hold the good news of the gospel much more dear now. And I am comfortingly confronted with the bigness and grandness and glory of God.

There is so much more I can say but I'll end there for now. I bought a couple of cds the day after Kelsey's celebration service. One of them is Hillsong's No Other Name. I've listened to it over and over and over because every song exalts the name of Jesus. Here are two songs that I've had on repeat a lot because of their comforting message of who God is and the work that Christ has done on the cross.

No Other Name

One Name holds weight above them all
His Fame outlasts the earth He formed
His praise resounds beyond the stars
And echoes in our hearts
The Greatest One of all

His Face shines brighter than the sun
His Grace as boundless as His love
He Reigns with healing in His wings
The Kind above all kings.
The Greatest One of all

Lift up your eyes see the King has come
Light of the world
Reaching out for us
There is no other Name
There is no other Name
Jesus Christ our God

Seated on high the undefeated One
Mountains bow down as we lift Him up
There is no other Name
There is no other Name
Jesus Christ our God

Find hope when all the world seems lost
Behold the triumph of the cross
His power has trampled death and grave
Our life found in His name
The Greatest Name of all

The earth will shake and tremble before Him
Chains will break as heaven and earth sing
Holy is the Name
Holy is the Name of Jesus, Jesus, Jesus


This I Believe (The Creed)

Our Father everlasting
The all creating One
God Almighty
Through Your Holy Spirit
Conceiving Christ the Son
Jesus our Savior

Our Judge and our Defender
Suffered and crucified
Forgiveness is in You
Descended into Darkness
You rose in glorious light
Forever seated high.

I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in One
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the Name of Jesus
I believe in You.
I believe You rose again
I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord

I believe in life eternal
I believe in the virgin birth
I believe in the saints' communion
And in Your holy Church
I believe in the resurrection
When Jesus comes again
For I believe in the Name of Jesus.

Knowing God

A few Sundays ago, we started a new Equipping Seminar at our church. That's a fancy name for a more in-depth study of things pertaining to the Christian life. We've had two so far and this is the third. The first one was about how to study the bible. It was so awesome - stuff I'd never heard before. The last one was on the doctrine of the bible. It just went through how we got the bible, it's inspiration, transmission, etc. And this one we've just started is on the doctrine of God, basically covering the attributes of God.

Our pastor asked, "Why Study God?" Here are a few quotes that answer that question that I wanted to share. I found them encouraging and challenging.

"Knowing God is the purpose for why were created and the greatest ambition in our lives"

"What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the 'eternal life' that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. 'This is eternal lie: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent' (John17:3). What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God. 'The is what the Lord says, 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me' (Jer. 9:23-24). What, of all the states God ever sees man in, give Him more pleasure? Knowledge of himself. 'I desired...the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings,' says God (Hosea 6:6)...Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord...What makes life worth while is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold or allegiance; and this the Christian has, in a way that no other man has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be that to know God.?" J.I. Packer Knowing God

"It is not a cheerful thought that millions of us live in a land of Bibles, who belong to churches and labor to promote Christian religion, may yet pass our whole life on this earth without once having thought or tried to think seriously about the being of God. Few of us have let our hearts gaze in wonder at the I AM, the self-existent self back of which no creature can think. Such thoughts are too painful for us. We prefer to think where it will do more good - about how to build a better mousetrap, for instance, or how to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before. For this we are now paying a too heavy price in the secularization of our religion and the decay of our inner lives. The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him - and of her. A.W. Tozer

Remembering Jesus

I have been reading through Revelation the last few weeks and the other day came across a great passage that I thought would be fitting for Christmas Eve. No, it is not the usual Christmas Eve passage but I think it is helpful in remembering just who Jesus, that tiny baby in a manger, really was.

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems (crowns), and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." Rev. 19:11-16 (ESV)

So this Christmas, keep in mind that Jesus, the seemingly helpless babe, was and is The Word of God and that He was and is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the mighty conqueror. He is from the beginning and will be for all eternity. His power is unending. Doesn't this make Christmas mean all that much more - this gives the reality of Jesus in all of his power and splendor, a reminder of his divine nature, God himself and yet, "[He] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:6-8)This is why he came - for us. This great warrior, this King of Kings, humbled himself and became a servant for us, suffering the humiliation and death that we deserved, taking it upon himself so that we wouldn't have to, so that we can walk with him and be with God for eternity. Praise God! But it was not for us alone. Ultimately it was his worship and for God's glory. "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11)

Merry Christmas! 

Santa or Not?

Among Christian circles there is great opinion about whether to include Santa Claus in the celebration of Christmas. Eric and I have been pondering how to handle this with our own children. Do we say Santa is a myth with no redeeming qualities or do we include him in some way in the season? On the one hand Santa seems to embody the consumeristic hunger that secular Christmas has become. On the other hand, it might be possible to further explain the spirit of giving at Christmas. Hank Hanegraaf wrote, "far from being a dangerous fairy tale, Santa Clause in reality is an Anglicized form of the Dutch name Sinter Klaus, which in turn is a reference to Saint Nicholas, a Christian bishop from the fourth century. According to tradition, Saint Nick not only lavished gifts on needy children, but also valiantly supported the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicea in AD 325." The Heart of Christmas: A Devotional for the Season by Hank Hanegraaf. 

So, the real Santa Claus, not the embodiment of heresy and materialism, affirmed Christian beliefs about the divine nature of our Savior as expressed in the idea of the Trinity and was very generous. Hanegraaf concluded this devotional segment about Santa Claus and the Trinity, "In Sum, then, Christians may look back on the tradition of Saint Nick...as a legendary hero of the faith. Of course the notion that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole in a toy factory, that he sees children at all times and knows whether they've been bad or good, and that he travels in a sled pulled by flying reindeer, is clearly myth and should therefore be treated as such. This December 25 as you celebrate the coming of Christ with a Christmas tree surrounded by presents, may the story of selflessness on the part of Saint Nick remind you of the Savior who gave the greatest gift of all. Thus rather than supplant the Savior with Santa, we can use Saint Nick as a reminder to generously support God-ordained ministries so that the message of salvation can reach those who have not yet received salvation by God's grace alone, through faith alone - and on account of Christ alone. " And I add, giving generously to those in need around us and abroad.

So does all of this look like for our family? Our focus is Christ, his birth, the gift of salvation he offers to us, the Word became flesh. We've been reading several verses every day about the birth of Christ from the gospels and the prophecy of his coming from Isaiah and Malachi. We have a book called, J for Jesus by Crystal Bowman that expresses the legend of the candy cane but tells frankly the purpose of Christ's coming and death. We have another book that we are going to read to the boys a couple of days before Christmas and the day of called, My Christmas Gift also by Crystal Bowman that expresses the real gift of Christmas and not to miss it among the gift giving and receiving of Christmas Day. We have several books portraying the birth of Jesus that we've been reading. On Christmas Day we are going to give Wes a sticker book that once again explains the whole purpose of Christmas.

As far as Santa goes, we've read stories about him and explaining that there was a real Santa Claus who gave gifts to poor people and followed Jesus but we don't emphasize the flying reindeer and other myths associated with the jolly old man. We thought that we'd have the stockings be from Santa in the tradition of how Saint Nick would do it, but not focus on him actually coming down the chimney or watching over them to know if they've been naughty or nice.

Another thing we've incorporated this year into the festivities is a Jesse Tree. I had hoped to do it last year but couldn't get all the sewing done for it in time! A fellow worker in Lebanon introduced this idea to me years ago. Mine looks far different from hers but the concept is still the same. You start  on December 1, each day read until Christmas a  major story of the Bible that points to Christ's coming (creation, fall, flood, Abraham, Isaac, the 10 commandments, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, Daniel and the lion, Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the shepherds, etc) and then pick the ornament that goes along with the story and hang it on the tree. I don't think Wes would have appreciated it last year. This has been a lot of fun this year!


On Christmas Day, we plan to open a gift or two, or their stockings and then have a breakfast together with a breakfast cake for Jesus, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, read the Christmas story again (we probably will have read it the night before as well for the Jesse Tree) from the Jesus Storybook Bible and sing some Christmas carols.  Then we can finish opening gifts.

We may rethink all of this next year, but for now, this is our plan. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Princesses

I've had friends who have little girls tell me of the struggle with the princess phenomenon. I would love to have a little girl someday but I don't look forward to contending with this princess movement. It's been nice knowing that Wes is content with dirt and trucks.

Below is an article that was linked to one of my KC friend's blog. I think it really sums up the problems with promoting this princess mentality and gives an alternative attitude for our girls and for ourselves as adult women following Christ. The article quotes largely from another writer. That writer had read a book that I read with my small group several years ago. There were some things I questioned about it then and since then, more and more questions have come up. It is good to know that others felt the same way about the book. I'd love your comments!

http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com/2011/06/02/why-disney-princesses-are-bad/

Unusual Christmas Message

This Sunday in church the text was from 2 Pet. 3, a chapter about "The Day of the Lord," judgment day. Not the usual text read for a Christmas message. So here is how it fits...

For the last four weeks, the sermons have had to do with Advent, a time set aside for the anticipation of Christmas. The first week's topic was "Longing." The text was Psalm 40 where the psalmist cries out, "How long O Lord?" It is an acknowledgement that all is just not right with the world and in our hearts and the desire for them to be made right. The second week was about the "Promise" from God to reweave the fabric of society, to make all things right, to put creation back as it should be, to restore the relationship with the people He created. The third week discussed the "Arrival" of the King to begin to fulfill the promise. It was the inauguration of His kingdom, the setting in motion to make all things right, beginning with the hearts of man. Jesus was sent by God the Father as God the Son, from heaven, to walk with us as humans, to weep with us, full of sorrow because of our sorrow and our sin. He took this burden on Himself, dying in our place, to make us whole and make things right with us in relation to God. We don't have to prove ourselves or do things to measure up to Him. There is no way we could. He has done it for us. We are covered by His blood alone.

So, now we are up to the fourth week, "Anticipation." It is the idea that Christ will come to finish His work. He has been working, is working and will complete His work on the judgment day. His kingdom was inaugurated when he arrived on earth 2000 years ago; He will return to consummate His Kingdom and to have His day of reckoning for all that is not and has not been right. He will make all things right! So, though we may have looked on the Day of the Lord with fear, if we are followers of Jesus, living a life of repentance, then we have nothing to fear. It should be looked to as a day of rejoicing because it will be the completion of all that God has done to make things right that have been messed up by us. What hope is there in Christmas and in longing and the promise from God if there is no final reckoning to deal decisively with all the injustice in the world? Without the Day of the Lord, there is not climax to the plot, no resolution to the storyline. This is the exclamation point at the end of the entirety of the gospel story.

So how does this affect our lives? This anticipation for the consummation of the Kingdom should give us a deep passion for the Lord! A diligence, a focus, a clarity of purpose to set our hearts on the holiness of God, to let our lives be a reflection of that and to speak the whole gospel story. It should resize us so that God is the main character, not us. It should encourage us to examine our lives daily and live with a repentant heart, not to perform for Him but because He has performed and finished the work for us.

I've never much thought about the Day of the Lord and am a complete skeptic with regard to so many people trying to predict when the end will be and that we live in end times. As a student of history, I've studied how bad all of history has been. The things that started out good get twisted. Our present age is not the inventor of evil. It has ebbed and flowed throughout history, hidden for a time but still working and thoroughly heinous and obvious at times. Every generation thinks they are living in the end times. However, in light of certain things in our own lives, I've been confronted personally with the fact that all is really just not right with the world, our country, our laws, etc. No government is perfect, nothing is. We expect things to work with swift justice and they simply don't. It has forced me to long for the day when all of this mess will be made right forever, when there will be no more orphans and no more fight for them and no more hunger and starvation and disease and extreme poverty and slavery and human trafficking. This anticipation should wake us up to these things, all the injustice and wrong in the world, and to cry out to the Lord to see and hear and work and to seek to help soften the blows of our fallen world but with realization that only God will finally put an end to it all, that we are not the saviors to end all of this, it is not our burden to carry. Christ, the Holy Child, is the Savior and Coming, Conquering, Victorious King.

Come, Lord Jesus Come!!!

In His Rest

Every time we lay Wesley down for a nap or bedtime we pat him on the back or side for a few minutes to settle him. Lately, I've started patting some and then just resting a slightly firm hand on his back or shoulder or bottom to help settle him more.

The other day I was thinking about this with regards to our walk with Jesus. I know the Bible speaks of resting in Him and of His hand upon us. He wants us to rest in Him but so often I squirm and fuss and try to keep my eyes open so to speak. I think very often in my life God is gently saying, "Shh" to me and pushing a little more with His hand to make me rest in Him. The difference between me patting Wes and putting my hand on him and God's hand on us is that I don't stay there for his entire nap! However, God's hand is always upon us. He is so trustworthy and such a good, good Father. I pray that I won't fight against Him so much with my fears, worries, anxieties, complaints, fussing and my tendency to need to be in control of all things at all times. I think God is seriously trying to break me of that and to trust and rest in Him always.

Here's a song we sang in church a few weeks ago. The words are quite fitting for our life right now.

Petition - Anne Steele, Sandra McCracken, Chelsey Scott

"Give me a calm, a thankful heart,

From every murmur free,

The blessings of thy grace impart,

And make me live to Thee.

You raise your hand to still the storms

That rage inside my head;

Revive my heart with gratitude,

Love, quell my doubt and dread.

Give me a sure and rested soul,

From every fear relieved,

Thy Spirit's power and presence mine,

To ever comfort me."

The Black Purse

We are in the middle of a 30 day waiting period regarding legal protocol for Wesley's adoption. It is something that is required in many states these days but it sure is nerve racking! I thought that the 30 days started when Wes turned 6 months old on August 16 but actually it didn't begin until August 30. So for two weeks I was anxious for no reason and then I found out that the anxious period has to draw out even longer!!!! ARgggh! Wesley is such a precious gift and a sweet little guy. I can't imagine not having him. When we found out the time period was two weeks off what we had thought and that we had to wait that much longer, Eric and I were pretty crushed.

It seems like this spring and summer have dealt us some difficult blows and this added to the list. We've been desperate for godly fellowship in this time but it seems to be alluding us. We so miss the continuous wellspring of spiritual encouragement in Norman! So we've found a church that we really like though it is quite a distance further than we'd prefer. We were so pumped about getting involved in a small group from the church starting up next week very near our house. However, true to all the other little and large disappointments these last several months, yesterday we've found out that they have had too many people sign up for the groups. Now, this is not a bad thing at all! It is amazing that they had 475 slots and 600 people signed up! (this church is only 2 years old!) However, they had to give the slots to the people who had been going the longest. That would not be us. :( There is another option for us but it just delays that much longer what we've so much been longing for. So, we were even more crushed last night.

I don't mean to have a pity party. Per usual, God has really been so gracious to us in this time. He's been teaching me so much about myself and about Him. Eric and I have drawn even closer to each other. It seems God is just clearing away more weeds in our lives.

So where does the title, "The Black Purse" fit into all this? Well, just after we found out we had to wait longer for the 30 days to be up Eric said, "Remember the black purse." He didn't need to say anything else. Here's the story:

We had three days left in Lebanon in 2008. We were at the end of ourselves completely - not much left in our reserve. However, we had been given the opportunity to go back down south to visit the people we had come to love so much over the past 8 months. And then we visited a very poor area on the coast as a means to be a light to the community. It was a great time but nonetheless we were still exhausted, emotionally spent and ready to return to the US. We took a bus back from the southern coastal town to Beirut with our bags and other paraphernalia in tow, stopping to change busses half way through the journey. After traveling for probably almost two hours, I realized that I didn't have my tiny black purse. With all the other bags we were carrying, the black purse was forgotten. Forget the money and credit cards it contained - more importantly it contained my passport!!!! I could not leave the country without it. We had plane tickets and were virtually packed and we couldn't leave the country!

We made several different phone calls trying to figure out if we could find the purse. When those came up a dead end, we called the embassy to try to figure out what to do. It seemed that the process could take up to two weeks! Oh brother! I totally melted. I took a shower and cried and cried and cried.

However, when I got out of the shower I heard Eric trying desperately to speak Arabic with a guy named Mohammad. Turns out, when we changed busses, someone had found my purse when they got on the bus. They gave it to the driver who in turn gave it to the bus station office. In my purse, they found a doctor's bill that had the doctor's phone number on it. They called the doctor's office to get my phone number. The doctor's office gave them my number and so they called us!!! Would that ever happen in America? The people who found the passport realized that it would be pretty important for me to have my passport and wanted to get it to me! Amazing! All along we thought it would be found and confiscated for some back ally plot or something crazy like that - this is where your mind goes when you are absolutely out of everything in your heart, soul and body and you've been living in a politically tense country! This shows what most Lebanese people are really like even in a pretty radical city that is not too fond of America.

The next day one of our friends who could speak very good Arabic was heading to the city where we had changed busses and retrieved the black purse for us. Hurray! Everything in the purse was in tact along with the passport and the doctor's bill, which I have kept for memories. (There's more tied up in that bill than just getting the passport back). However, the black purse was quickly retired when we returned to the US. It rests in my closet. I can't seem to throw it away. Eric will not ever let me buy a purse so small ever again. I guess I have to agree with him.

The Black Purse was a lesson in trusting completely in the will of God when we have absolutely no control over a situation. God could have chosen not to let us retrieve the passport but I am positive there would have been a good story with that outcome as well. So now, whenever we find ourselves in a situation that we can't control, all it takes is a mention of the black purse to bring us to our senses about God's hand on our life and that we are in His hands. He's trustworthy regardless of the situation, regardless of the outcome.

Having Faith in Prayer

"Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you." Mark 11:22-24

I read these verses today and pondered it a bit and read some commentary by Tim Keller. I learned a lot that really encouraged me. Often we read these verses and think that perhaps if I believe hard enough that what I pray for will be granted. And often when what we pray for isn't granted we attribute it to not having enough faith. But doesn't this put the focus on ourselves rather than on God?

Context is so important! First, Tim Keller makes a good point. Jesus prayed fervently for the "cup" to pass from him in Mark 14:35-36 but was turned down. Does this mean that Jesusdidn't have enough faith? I hardly think so! Second, this passage follows two passages having to do with God judgment on sin. Jesus is encouraging the disciples that though sin in prevalent, He still hear them. And lastly, Mark, in his usual brevity, is making a simple statement about the "endless possibilities" of prayer. "For the one who really trusts God, there is no end to what can be accomplished." He has the power to grant any request we ask.

And He also has the wisdom to not grant what He has the power to grant. As we pray we must trust not only His power to give us what we want but in His wisdom to know what I need or don't need and when. When we pray we aren't just to have faith in God's attribute of power, but in all of His attributes - His sovereignty, His wisdom, His love, His mercy, etc.

"If I refuse to believe that God could turn me down, that is itself a failure on my part to trust that His wisdom might be greater than mine."

God invites us to put faith in ALL of Him and, in doing so, attempt great things for Him and move toward them with confidence.

What encouragement this brings to me! Another lesson on trust to add to my ever growing repertoire!

To Give or Not To Give

Over the years and even more so recently, I've pondered whether I should give money to the homeless person on the street corner or to beggars that walk the streets in foreign countries and even in our own land. I feel a great tinge of conviction in my heart when I just drive by going on about my happy, well-provided for life.

The argument from many has been that they will just use it for sordid means. Yes, perhaps. Maybe that is more than likely the case, but how do we know? How do we discern? Sometimes it is easy to tell, but sometimes it isn't.

Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give you a drink?' ... Then the King will answer them, saying, ' Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" Matt. 25:35-40

When we give we are serving the Lord. My thought has been that sometimes we just don't know the motives and intentions of people but is it up to us to make that judgment? The person who approaches us is in definite and obvious need regardless. Should we not give and let God work it out?

Well, my thoughts were put to the test the other day. We were shopping at Home Depot and I happened to be perusing the bushes outside by the parking lot while Eric went inside to get some electrical material. A man approached me who was obviously in need, though not too destitute looking. He told me a story that sounded legitimate about needing money to get back to the Salvation Army and to buy a few legitimate, inexpensive things at the store. I felt this tugging in my heart to put action to what I had been pondering. I wanted to offer to take him to the Salvation Army or to the store to get the other things he said he needed but I didn't feel like I was in a position to do that with Eric in the store where I'd have to track him down. So I gave him some money, probably more than I should have but I didn't have smaller bills.

I went inside and told Eric and he scolded me. He said that guy had approached him before with a similar story, though not exactly the same one, which led me to believe that it wasn't true at all. I was utterly discouraged. I felt like I had done the right thing and now I realized I had been scammed! I was really bothered by it. But Eric agreed with me that God knew my heart in it and that is what matters.

The next day, Eric discovered that the car we had driven to Home Depot had a flat tire. Somehow our tire was damaged in the Home Depot parking lot. So Eric took off the wheel and took it up the street to Sears. The repairmen fixed the flat and wrote up the bill. However, they said not to worry about it, that it was a really cheap part and it didn't take much of their time!!! Who does that? Especially in this recession? And do you know how much the bill was for that we didn't have to pay? The same amount I gave the guy in the Home Depot parking lot!

So, the trip to Home Depot resulted in either giving up money for the man in the parking lot who was less than truthful but needy nonetheless, or giving up the money to Sears. The money we have is not our own. God will do with it what He will. And, God rewards those who follow His prompting even if it doesn't make sense to us.

Of course I will always try to do as the Spirit leads me but I might use a little more wisdom and thought about how to best help next time. In Jesus example no money was given, only the tangible resources that were needed. So perhaps it is better to offer to take the person to a store or drive them where they need to go which, by the way, is what Eric had offered to the man in the parking lot when he had been approached by him. The needy man declined. However, there are people with legitimate needs who are not trying to swindle us. Perhaps the best way to give to them is through an organization or ministry that reaches out to them or through food and clothing donations or through volunteering.

Regardless, the Old and New Testaments are wrought with commands, instructions and requirements to give to the poor. It is not an option. You cannot get through the Pentateuch or the prophet books without recognizing this. To neglect this task is to bring judgment upon ourselves and even our nation (as in the case with Israel), to neglect the Holy Spirit and to disobey the Lord. Be faithful and compassionate and wise with what God has given. It isn't ours anyway.

Ransomed

I've been doing a study for some months now by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC on the book of Mark. It is very in-depth and I have learned some really incredible things and been reminded of truths that have longed been tucked away. I've been meaning to post several blog entries regarding key concepts I've learned or reviewed that had some kind of new spark to them that I wanted to share. Hopefully I will get around to writing about those.

I thought I would get started by sharing what I was reading about today. It is a review of the basic gospel but it was so refreshing and I learned a thing or two. It is from Mark 10:45. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many." Jesus had just finished describing about his upcoming death to the disciples for the third time. They were still not getting it. They were still thinking of the Messiah as the one who would come to usher in the new kingdom, an earthly one, and they wanted a piece of the power and prestige as Jesus' right & left hand men. Jesus, in verse 45, is telling them that He first must come as the suffering servant referred to in Isaiah 53. So, Jesus had been telling them that He was going to suffer and die; now He is explaining why He must do so - as a ransom for many.

I've always thought of ransom meaning that someone has been kidnapped and someone else must pay a very large and unreasonable sum to release the captive. The one kidnapped is incapable of paying because they are held in captivity. However, upon further reading in this study, "ransom" actually meant in those days to purchase someone out of slavery and refers mainly to prisoners of war - to bring a prisoner of war who has been captured by the enemy out of his slavish captivity.

Here are some things to be gleaned from this verse - Mark 10:45.

1. Jesus could have come to be served. Jesus, the Messiah, "God with us" had every right to expect to be treated with honor and dignity and glory and with all the other rights and privileges afforded the King of kings. He came to build His kingdom and could have taken it and His glory by force at that time. Many expected that the Messiah would come to set them free from Roman "captivity." That is what the disciples were hanging onto. However, in actuality, He came to build His kingdom in a much different way than the way earthly kings bring glory to themselves. His was a plan of service.

2. We are enslaved by something that we need to be ransomed from- Not the "captivity" of the Romans over the Jewish people, but rather a captivity of our hearts. He wasn't concerned with political captivity. He was concerned about His creation's much longer standing spiritual captivity to sin, death & the Law. See Romans 3-6

3. There is a price for that penalty that must be paid in order to release slaves. Ransomed does not just mean that the person sneaks in at night and conducts the slaves to freedom, or creates an elaborate escape, or a battle plan; it specifically involves a price to be paid. (Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.") Jesus paid it all for us. We don't have to pay anything or do anything nor could we if we tried. Nothing we could pay or do would be enough.

4. This verse tells the sum of the price - Jesus' life! "...to give his life a ransom..." His enemy had taken His creation and enslaved them. He came to take them back by paying the ransom for sin with His own sacrificial death. A ransomer, who has much to give, experiences loss and poverty so that the slave, who has nothing, can be free. (II Cor. 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.")

5. This word "ransom" implies that a new relationship is formed between the ransomed and the ransomer. If someone gave up all He had out of love for your sake, would you not give your all back to Him out of love and gratitude and serve Him willingly and joyfully and follow Him faithfully?

6. It assumes that there is real evil and real sin and real guilt and real divine justice. Jesus death is senseless unless we are truly in bondage & honestly in need of being ransomed. Modern people don't recognize the real problem & extent of evil & sin on a global and individual level and that justice must be honored. Ancient people had difficulty understanding the concept of a loving God that would come to make the perfect payment Himself. Instead they strove to appease a begrudged and capricious god or gods who could never be appeased.

There are many other words to describe the gospel - justified, made righteous, bought, reconciled, redeemed, propitiated, triumphed over, made new. However, it all involved some sort of substitution on the part of both man and God. Man tried to substitute himself for God, to be like God, to bring glory to himself - the essence of sin. However, God came and substituted Himself for man, dying man's death for us, accepting our penalty - the essence of salvation.

"God presented Him as a sacrifice...so as to be both Just and Justifier of those who believe." Romans 3: 25-26

This is a summary of the notes from the Tim Keller study with my thoughts thrown in here and there.

The Nature of God

Here is something rather long and rambling but extremely encouraging. I thought I would share it with you. I left some parts out and paraphrased some for clarity. May the nature of God be your comfort and courage and hope today.

How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. When you know the sovereignty of God and His Lordship over all things, seen and unseen, when you are able to confess Him as the supreme ruler over all things and to confess Him that He is supreme Lord and you are His possession, then at that point you are the happiest of people. You could not get any happier. Nothing could happen that could be so wonderful that it could possibly be better than the happiness you have in the Lordship and supremacy of Christ.

When you know that you are situated in the heart of the most powerful person ever to live, then you can't be more happier than at that point. When you are able to step back into His rest and live in the high tower of His name so that when the enemy comes raging against you, He cannot fine you, that is joy, that is happiness.

How blessed is He whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord. The one who made heaven and earth, who made the sea and all that is in it. The one who keeps faith forever. When all your confidence is in the one who made heaven and earth , when everything you need in life is utterly dependent on the goodness, the mercy, the kindness, the love, the grace, the power of the one person who is supreme God above all gods, when your present and your future and your health and your destiny and your life depends totally on the God who works for weak, twisted and deceitful people then you simply have to be the happiest people on the face of the earth because your happiness is built totally on the knowledge that the God who gives favor to weak selfish people, He has given you a unshakeable conviction and confidence in His ability to bring change and power to bear on your life. Therefore, the most wonderful thing that you will ever do with your life is to trust it to the nature of God, to put it in the hands of a God who totally loves you and is deeply committed to you and and delights in helping you. It is the most happy feeling to totally trust the best, the most honorable, the most powerful, the most integrous, committed and faithful covenant maker who is also the most decent person who ever lived, Jesus. Being completely reliant on His character and integrity is the source of your great happiness.

We rest in Your nature. You never change. Everything comes down to us from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. You say with absolute confidence "I am the Lord. I change not. I am the same yesterday, today and forever."

Beloved we are learning to live in the paradox of God that He is consistent but He's also unpredictable. He's consistent in His nature. You seldom know what He is going to do next. But you always know where you are with God because He never changes. When Moses said, "God please show me your glory," maybe he was expecting some great light and display of power. And God said, "okay then... I will make my goodness to pass before you." Because the glory of God is the nature of God, that God is good. He's good, He's unfailingly good. God is Good! He is good. He never changes. He will always be good. Yesterday He's good, today He's good and tomorrow He will always be good. He will never change His heart toward you, no matter what you do. He cannot be anything other that what He is. He is a covenant-maker and a covenant-Keeper and He is good.

He is also unpredictable. You never know what He is going to do next. And God has called you to see the invisible and do the impossible. God has not called you to do the things you can do. He's called you to do the things you would never be able to do in a million years.... Only He can do it. But He has called you to live in His faithfulness and His consistency and He will come and do all the things that need to be done. So beloved you cannot find security in what God is doing because God commits you to the outrageous. There is not security in that place. There is only security in who God is. This great God that we serve will throw us into situations beyond us with no other thought than that His great heart will sustain us. and the answer of God to everything, every excuse you make why you cannot do something, the answer is always be the same. When you look into His face and you see the twinkle in His eyes and the grin on His face and He says, "Nevertheless. I will be with you. I will be there." He the great God who sends us out as lambs amongst wolves. Why? Because the Lion is padding by our sides.

The only way we will do what He has called us to is that we are secure in the nature of God... the only way we will seize the moment, to advance the kingdom, to swim against the odds, is if you and I are resting in the consistent nature of God, that you and I have a testimony of what God is really like living in our hearts in such a powerful way that it drives everything. "I am the Lord. I never, ever change."

Beloved, do not be distracted into your journey of the nature of God because it is the source, the wellspring of all your joy, peace, revelation, anointing, your power. And when you learn how to rest in the nature of God and He comes walking with the impossible You will be the one who gets out of the boat to join Him. You won't be one of those wondering or thinking about joining Him. There will be this instinctive, intuitive need to put you leg over the side of the boat and start walking on a substance you have not business being on except that He is drawing you there. It is your destiny beloved. To walk in the nature of God.

He is going to make you perfect in His nature, stamping the image of Jesus on you. That is what the desert is about. Hosea 2:14-15 says, "I will captivate her heart and draw her in the wilderness to speak kindly to her." Out of that place of the desert God will give you the vineyard of fruitfulness. He knows the plans He has for you, the things He wants you to accomplish. He will not rest Himself until you have a revelation of what He is really, really like. Then He will back it up with experience. He is faithful.

From this day on for you there is not such thing as a good day or a bad day. Only days of grace. And some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening and some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But don't think about good and bad anymore. Just enjoy the grace that is present. And out of that grace there will be an expectancy. "I know you are going to do something today. I just want to be alive to You so I can see it wait for it, speak it out, live in it, experience it, worship you in it, glorify Your name in it. There are no good days anymore. There are no bad days. Just days of grace, ah? Days of Grace. That you might know Him and rest in Him and live in Him move in Him, worship Him, represent Him

A Resurrection Article

Pardon the cheesy Easter basket clip art. In contrast to the article posted yesterday, here is a devotional article from Ravi Zacharias’ ministry about history and the resurrection. I thought I would share it with you since Easter is coming quickly upon us. Blessings!

http://www.rzim.org/USA/USFV/tabid/436/ArticleID/10249/CBModuleId/1133/Default.aspx

Why? Sovereignty. Lessons from Job & Psalm 73

The results of the fall of man and creation are indiscriminate. Sin has laid its waste in many ways on this earth through disease, famine, war, injustice, natural disasters, etc. As John Piper says, these things are a sign post of the reality of sin in the world and the world’s need for redemption. I’ve come to learn that at some point before bearing the final signpost - physical death - all of us will carry signposts pointing to the reality of sin in our world. Sometimes things happen to us as a result of our own personal sin. For these there is an explanation and we are ultimately held accountable. But what about those times when a signpost has been given to carry where there is, after careful soul searching and prayer, no conviction or evidence of specific personal sin related to the signpost and no other explanation? I’m not saying there are people who don’t sin - that was Jesus’ ability alone- I’m talking about specific sin that creates specific consequences.

Bad things happen to all manner of people, “good” and bad. The author of Psalm 73 lamented this fact which caused him great struggle and frustration. He wrote, “But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped” (Ps. 73:2) because of all the ways the wicked seemed to prosper. He began his conclusion with, “When my heart was embittered, and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee.” Have you ever felt like a beast when faced with the things that seem unfair in life? Embittered? Pierced within? Senseless? I’m raising my hand! A good reading of the book of Job will reveal that he felt the same way. But God taught him a valuable lesson that goes something like this: “I am God. You are not. I think I know what I am doing. I am the Sovereign over all the earth. I am trustworthy. Trust Me.”

Job of all people had a right, as we Westerners would think, to protest. He was an upright man. “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:1) He was a wealthy prosperous, successful man who loved the Lord. Yet disaster struck. Job mourned and wept for his loss. He related with the Psalmist. He sought solace from his friends but they offered him little in the way of comfort or encouragement, mostly accusing him, showing their own lack of understanding of God’s ways and nature and purposes. He petitioned God for an explanation for his suffering. After all, he was an upright man.

“The major reality of the book is the inscrutable mystery of innocent suffering. God ordains that His children walk in suffering and sorrow, sometimes because of sin (Num 12:10-12), sometimes for chastening (Heb 12:5-12), sometimes for strengthening (2 Cor. 1:3-7; 1 Pet 5:10, James 1:2-4) and sometimes to give opportunity to reveal His comfort and grace (2 Cor 1:3-7). But there are times when the compelling issue in the suffering of the saints is unknowable because it is for heavenly purposes that those on earth can’t discern.” * “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9) Also, see Ex 4:11, Jn 9:1-3.

God is the one who “rules over a sin-confused world with power and authority directed by perfect wisdom and mercy.” * Job recognized that often good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. But the things that happen to people “are more than just exceptions to the rule, thus forcing Job (and us) to rethink his simple understanding about God’s sovereign interaction with His people. The type of wisdom Job comes to embrace was not dependent merely on the promise of reward or punishment. The long, peevish disputes between Job and his accusers were attempts to reconcile the perceived inequities of God’s retribution in Job’s experience. Such an empirical method is dangerous. In the end, God offered no explanation to Job, but rather called all parties to a deeper level of trust in the Creator...” * Job doesn’t know why he’s suffered but “[he] simply commits his ordeal with a devout heart of worship and humility to a sovereign and perfectly wise Creator - and that was what God wanted him to learn...” *

“Some truths in Job’s experience:

1. There are matters going on in heaven with God that believers know nothing about; yet they affect our lives.

2. Even the best effort for explaining the issues of life can be useless.

3. God’s people do suffer. Bad things happen all the time to good people, so no one can judge a person’s spirituality by his painful circumstances or her great successes.

4. Even though God seems far away, perseverance in faith is a most noble virtue since God is good and one can safely leave his life in His hands.

5. The believer in the midst of suffering should not abandon God, just draw near to Him, so out of the fellowship can come the comfort - without the explanation.

6. Suffering may be intense, but it will ultimately end for the righteous and God will bless abundantly.

“When Job was finally confronted by the Lord of the universe, he put his hand over his mouth and said nothing. Job’s silent response in no way trivialized the intense pain and loss he had endured. It merely underscored the importance of trusting God’s purposes in the midst of suffering. It, like all other human experiences, is directed by perfect divine wisdom. In the end, the lesson learned was not that one may never know the specific reason for his suffering but, one must trust in Sovereign God whether we know or not.”

The author of Psalm 73, after much wrestling, concludes, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord my God my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works. (Ps. 73:25-26, 28) Job, after shaking his fists and God’s marvelous explanation of who He is, says, “I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I declare that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee” (Job 42:2-5)

What If? A Lesson from Esther

Again, this blog entry is on account of something I learned through the Beth Moore study of Esther. These are things I’ve been learning slowly over the last several years but it was put together well by her. It has to do with our greatest fears and the “what ifs” of life and what would happen if they came true. She says, “It is not enough to trust God that what we fear the most will never happen.” We must trust Him even if they do happen. Esther was confronted with a very big problem - all the Jews, her included, were sentenced to death! Mordecai convinced her that she had been put in her place of royalty to do something about the plight of her people, knowing that it could cost her her life anyway. The Bible records that she and all the Jews of Susa prayed and fasted for 3 days and nights with no food or drink. I am sure part of their prayer included asking for some kind of miracle that the edict would be reversed or something else amazing would happen. However, nothing happened in those three days and she was forced to gather up all her courage to face the terror of knowing she could shortly be put to death. But she was resolved. “If I perish, I perish.”

I think it is interesting that God chose not to bring about an obvious, immediate miracle to release the Jews from this edict. So often I have prayed for something not to happen or to stop happening or to happen and God does not always answer the way I want. But does that preclude that God did not hear or does not care? No. Perhaps, as Beth says, the miracle is right in front of us but it is not what we expected or wanted and that “sometimes God’s hand is so close that it covers our eyes.” Mordecai made it clear that God would find a way to save His people but He chose to do it through Esther. It required much courage on her part and great trust in God’s purpose and sovereignty to face the king. I am sure she wondered, “What if....?”

I’ve had many “what ifs” float through my head over the years, most probably ridiculous and completely unwarranted. Unfortunately, I am a bit of worry wort. But God has confronted me with two over the last few years and particularly in the last year that have helped to resolve all of the what ifs. One of them came to a head in a short 5 minute span of time in the streets of Beirut one evening in early May as we scrambled to reach a place of refuge when chaos had quickly and unexpectedly broken out around us. We were extremely frightened but in one particular second my senses picked up on something that warned me of the very real risk of our situation. A huge “what if” dominated my thoughts immediately. I wish I could say that at that moment or at any time through that night and into the next morning I was filled with great peace as I would have hoped and even prayed. Not so, but it did come a week or so later. In fact, it is a peace unexplainable. I realized through that experience that God gives and takes away. He is the great giver of all things, the Sustainer, the Sovereign over all the earth. He understood the confusing politics that caused the chaos of that day and the days that preceded and followed. He understands all of history and controls it. He reminded me that not only does He rule the universe but He holds little me tightly in His grip and I am part of His great plan. He knows every breath I take. Nothing that happens, big or small, is an accident. It wasn’t an accident that we experienced that incident. And it wasn’t an accident that He brought us to a place of safety while others were not. I struggled with that a lot. But God knows. And He is good. I have to trust that. Period. And if we hadn’t made it to safety, then what? We were still safe! We were still in the tight grip of His hand, in His perfect will and whatever happened was part of His great plan of redemption for this world. Either way, He would be glorified. I cannot tell you how much this has radically changed my life. It has affected every area of my life. God has poured over me a greater peace and calm than I have ever known. My greatest fear no longer has a grip on me and I feel more than ever that My God is trustworthy. It has propelled me into a relationship and intimacy with Him that I haven’t known in a long, long time, if ever.

I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned from that experience and apply it to the other “what ifs” of life and much of my anxieties and worries have subsided. I still have sorrow from time to time with regard to the big “what if” looming over us about whether we will ever have children. But the fretting and anger and resentment have all but disappeared. Beth’s words were so encouraging. I needed to be reminded of what God has already been teaching me. He used her to bring it into a much more concise and clear focus. She said to fill in these blanks, “If ______, then ______? Then what? What happens when we pray and seemingly, there is no miracle? Then what? And then after that, then what? Then what? THEN WHAT? She challenged us to take it as far as we could. The only end we could come to is that then... God is good and He is faithful. Yes, there may be tears and devastation and all manor of emotions but then... He knows all things. Then... He loves me and knows the plans He has for me. Then...God will take care of me. Then... He holds me tightly in His hands. Then... He is my Hope and Joy and Satisfaction and Peace. He alone is my Rock and Strength and Salvation. Then...God is going to demonstrate His sufficiency in me. Then... He is enough. Then... He is my Treasure. Then...He is going to accomplish something monumental in me and perhaps even through me.

We must trust Him. Period. By trusting God in this way, we are released from the fear’s grip and the chains of lies Satan uses to frighten us and torment us. There is a miracle. It just might look a little different than we imagined.

“Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your Name.”

Once Upon a Time...

I’ve just started Beth Moore’s study of Esther. So far I have really enjoyed it even though I am only on day two! I wanted to share a few words of encouragement with you that were super encouraging to me, a reminder of something God has been teaching me over and over these last few years.

The book of Esther starts out with the phrase, “This is what happened during the time of Xerxes.” As the verse continues you get the idea that the author, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, had a “once upon a time during the great and vast reign of Xerxes” story on his mind. However, Beth notes that these words in Hebrew are mentioned only 5 times in the Bible and they ‘all “introduce impending catastrophe or doom.’”

Beth continues, “Our first reaction may be the thought, ‘Then who wants a great story? Forget once upon a time!’ But I’d like to suggest that the nature of life on planet Earth swirls a certain air of impending catastrophe in every hospital nursery in the world. “

Beth is basically saying that all of us have troubles; all of us at one time or another find ourselves in sorrowful, dangerous, frustrating, sad times as well as good times. Sometimes there is rain and sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes there is both at the same time. She writes, “Beloved, something is always wrong! I still live in the real world where I get my feelings hurt, go to funerals, get rejected, catch a stomach virus and age overnight. Life is full of trouble whether in a sky-high mountain of small annoyances or an earth-splitting canyon of crisis. There’s no escaping it until we escape these mortal bodies. But here’s the good news. I also learned that in all five occasions where those same Hebrew words were associated with impending catastrophe, ‘the ending to each story is happy, but before the happy ending is realized, much grief occurs.”

Do you ever struggle with feeling like nothing goes right or does the question, “Why me?” sometimes roll through your mind or blurt out of your mouth? Sometimes we look around at everyone else and feel like we are the only ones struggling with something deep or frustrating or sorrowful. I think we have all experienced this in one way or another. But I have learned over the past few years while experiencing a few extremely frustrating, sometimes sorrowful things, even a few very stressful crises (while still dealing with the frustrating, sad, and patience-building things) that everyone goes trough trials. God is not picking on me. That is ridiculous and self-centered. God is good. We live in a fallen world. Our lives are products of a fallen world, even our bodies. We have an enemy who seeks to devour us, lurking around every corner. We can’t expect life to be hunky-dory all the time. Sure, God may use circumstances in our lives to grow us or discipline us but He is not “picking” on us. God has taught me to recognize that we all carry heavy burdens and sorrows at different times in our lives even though it may not be at the same time that I do. I don’t say this to say I feel better because other people suffer too. I don’t wish for anyone to suffer. However, God has shown me that “rain” is a reality of life and I needed to come to grips with that and learn to live through whatever this fallen world brings with joy, contentment and satisfaction in a thoroughly loving, sovereign God who knows far better how life should go for me and how my story ends than I do. I have to trust His goodness and His lovingkindness and His sovereignty even if what is going on doesn’t make any sense to my finite mind. Besides, in these last several years God has also mercifully bestowed on me countless, immeasurable, beautiful blessings. I can’t forget that! But even if I have sorrow all my days, the ending will be a good one because I know that God will use every last tear and blessing to make me more like Him and the more I am like Him, the more He is glorified and hopefully His kingdom is expanded. His glory and the advance of His kingdom are really all that matters anyway.

Beth sums it up well. “I think we know the part about much grief...no life is free of troubles, regardless of religion, race or nation. In fact, as Job said, every life is full of it. When we trust our lives to the hand and pen of an unseen but ever-present God, He will write our lives into His story and every last one of them will turn out to be a great read. With a grand ending. And not in spite of those catastrophes. Often because of them.”

And anway, what kind of story would it be that begins with “once upon a time” and ends with “happily ever after” if there wasn’t some kind of impending doom, a great climax, a thrilling adventure (and my life has certainly been that!) or a heroine who needed rescuing by her Prince?” Everyday is an adventure with the Lord and I wouldn’t want it any other way. :) But this ain’t no fairy tale. Let’s give praise to the most holy Story Writer, the real and forever King of all kings, our great and mighty Lord and Savior:

The Lord is gracious and merciful;

Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all,

And His mercies are over all His works.

All Thy works shall give thanks to Thee, O Lord,

And Thy godly ones shall bless Thee.

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom,

And talk of Thy power;

To make known to the sons of men Thy mighty acts

And the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Thy dominion endures throughout all generations.

Psalm 145:8-13