Bible Study Girl

That's what I am. A bible study girl. I love to study the word.
I also love to share what The Lord has taught me, and while I may forget the specific geographical location of a passage, as did Paul on occasion (1), I will typically be able to locate it fairly quickly.

Sound vain?

I confess...it is!

Did God convict me?  Yes, He did.

He humbled me at a very epochal moment of my life...from the very lips of my dying mother.
He pruned my pride, revealed just how powerful the most simplest of truths could be, and taught me that His inspired word must be paired with compassion if it is to have any eternal value.

Spewing scripture is worthless without love.
And I needed a lesson on love.

If I speak the language of men and angels, but do not have love, I am only a clanging cymbal.(2)

Ouch!

A.W. Tozer had an opinion on speaking scripture without love:
"Here's the danger of taking things for granted: believing I'm preaching the word when I'm only preaching about the word."  (Italics mine)



I spent many years sharing God's word with my mother, hoping to sway her from the religiosity of her traditional background to the reality of a life-giving relationship as a true Christ follower. It was a rewarding day when she announced the discovery of a verse that finally helped her understand the scriptures.

With bated breath, I anticipated her to share some profound piece of scripture. Something really moving. Some theologically deep Hebrew interpretation from Jeremiah, perhaps. Or Isaiah.
Possibly a poetic masterpiece from King David.

Ready? Want to know what she said?

Jesus loves me!  

Gasp. Blink. Swallow.

That's it?  THAT ISN'T EVEN A VERSE!
(my humbling happened here).

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (3)

The simplicity in Christ. How I love that truth!

Personifying Christ really is as simple as loving others--in both word and deed.
Why do we make it so difficult?

Understanding God and his word isn't about the intellectual assimilation of historical facts.
It isn't about holding a degree in Divinity. It isn't even about having reference verses ready at your fingertips.

In the end, it's all about love.

It's about relationship.

Plain and simple.

And she got it.

In all the simple beauty.

(1)
Hebrews 2:6  But there is a place where someone has testified...
Hebrews 4:4 For somewhere he has spoken about the 7th day...  
Acts 13:35 So it is stated elsewhere....

(2) 1 Corinthians 13:1

(3) 2 Corinthians 11:3  KJV

Tucker and Tod

Tucker.
I hear the methodical pecking of the computer keyboard behind me.
One key at a time.
Slow. Deliberate. Punctuated. Tedious. Laborious.
It's like a chicken at the trough.

It's her again.
My co-worker and friend.
I call her ODT, because that's what I do.
I re-name people. And emotions.
Often with acronyms. I'm quirky like that.

ODT is short for One Digit Tucker. That's how she types. With one finger at a time! arrrggghh.

Glory! Take a computer class why don't you !

Then I hear the pounding--fingers of fury attacking random keys at super human pace.
The whacking of computer mouse against the desk.
The slamming of keyboard repeatedly onto formica.
All done to imitate me and my 100 word per minute mode.

It's hilarious, actually.
The four of us explode with laughter.

Tod.
Because my fingers also have their moments, for some insane reason, and want to land on T instead of G when I type GOD, I have likewise decided to rename God.
I have subsequently relented to the T and now refer to him as Tod.

Ruby. 
I call her boo boo.
We bought her for our princess daughter who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
She pretty much got whatever she wanted.
And she absolutely wanted a lhasa.

We are now a family of lhasa lovers.
Good thing, because somehow when Abby left, Boo Boo stayed.

The Nixon's
They lived next door.

They had a kitchen full of caged pet monkey's. At one time we counted 15. Fifteen!!!
Six dogs, all allowed to roam free, one of which bit my ankle at midnight as we were rushing our 2 year old son to the E.R with croup.
A goat residing in the bathroom.
A mammoth size catfish swimming in the bathtub.
Half a dozen cats.
Several large birds that squawked at all hours of the day and night.
And a pony living in the back yard.

It was NOT a farm. It was a 1100 sq. ft. home on a 1/4 acre lot at most.
It was the suburbs. And they were blatantly in violation of every conceivable city ordinance.

They were the bane of our existence.

So,


What does a technologically challenged co-worker, Tod, a dog named boo, and a family of 15+ the zoo have in common, you might ask?

It's simple;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come.

You are worthy oh Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

For you created all things and

by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:8,11

And we know that
ALL things work together for good,
to those who love the Lord.
Romans 8:28

There's a purpose for everything under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Who's Your Donkey?

Who's your daddy, baby?  Who loves you?

He loves to throw this quip at me as we pass in the hallways at work. It always makes me chuckle.
It usually sets the tone for a fairly decent start to my day.
I laugh.
He laughs.
It's silly.
I reply;

You are baby, You're my daddy!

Being greeted by a smile and song is always a nicer start to any day.

Things that get in my way? Well, lets just say I have a low threshold for obstinance- things that either don't work, won't move, or aren't in alignment with my agenda.
It makes for a very bad day.

Balaam, an old testament Syrian prophet/diviner, had a very bad day once.
His donkey wouldn't  co-operate.

He had been summoned by Balak, king of Moab, to call a curse on the Israelite nation.

Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak..saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.   1

So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor... come and put a curse on them for me!

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 
But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road with a drawn sword in hand to oppose him. 2

Balaam didn't make it very far.

The donkey diverted off the road.
She crushed Balaam's foot in a hedge.
Ultimately, she laid down in the middle of the path.
That sent Balaam into a rage.

Balaam had an appointment.
Balaam was important.
Balaam had a reputation to keep
Balaam had places to go, people to curse and war parties to bust.
Who has time for a stubborn donkey?

Balaam, a man of prophetic talent, yet with a sinful desire to use the gifts of God to further his own agenda, was a bit agitated at the delay.

God wasn't too thrilled, either.
He opened the mouth of the donkey--

What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?

Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day?

Have I been in the habit of doing this to you? 3

Then God himself spoke to Balaam.

Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 4


Balaam had a veneer of vocation, a pious pride that needed to be bridled and blocked, and an agenda that needed to be altered. So God intercepted Balaam's journey.

With a donkey.

Thank Goodness for donkeys.

Have you considered the possibility that the person, object, or circumstance in your way could actually be a donkey with a message for you?

A message much like Joshua received when he looked up and also saw a man standing in the way with drawn sword in hand. A message that said stop, take off your sandals and pray for the path of righteousness, for you are on holy ground.  5

***

Are you on a path of recklessness? God still loves you anyway and wants to keep your heart on the right path. It doesn't matter how far down the road you are, it's never too late to turn around.
He's your daddy. He is in the habit of doing good. He still sends Donkeys. It's a good thing.

Who's your donkey?

Father, 

Deliver us from a path of recklessness.

Let us walk the ancient path of righteousness, 

the way of everlasting,

the path of obedience and virtuousness,

 holiness and faith. 

Let us be sensitive to your spirits leading 

as you show us where the good way is.

Amen.

1- Numbers 22:1-2
2- Numbers 22:21-23
3- Numbers 22:28-30
4- Numbers 22:32
5- Joshua 5:13,15

Concluding prayer:
Numbers 32:22, Jeremiah 6:16, Isaiah 30:21, Judges 2:17
 Proverbs 16:17 Psalms 23:3, 139:24

Overwhelmed by waves

I noticed a young child at play on the large, whale-like barriers meant to keep the angry tides out, and the placid waters in.

The red flag on the beach should have been respected;  undertow, strong tides, caution!
It wasn't.
The boy breached the barrier in search of bigger, better waves, and suddenly a day of play took a dangerous turn for the worse.

With every wave, the child was washed over the barrier and out to sea.
A new wave returned him. Another threw him back.
Over and over the ocean tossed the child, as though it were enjoying a twisted game of keep away with itself. The boy the bullied, volleyed victim.

The watchful eye of the father was no match for the callous, cold-hearted sea. He and the boy were at the mercy of the waters and overwhelmed by waves.

Now turn the page back a few thousand years and you will find another story where some--Joshua and the children of Israel-- were overwhelmed by waves. Only this time it wasn't fear, it was awe.
"Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge,  the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away...so the people crossed over on dry land." (1)

My head can't wrap around the glory.

Imagine all the threats a day at sea could hold; man-eaters, man-haters, debris, trash, suffocating waters of life, waves of worry,  floating sticks of sickness, relationship fissures--all contained by a frozen wall of water as if it were marine life on the other side of museum glass.

By the mighty hand of God, sea's of trouble will part, pile in a heap down stream, and  give us dry ground in the midst of it. The waves won't overwhelm us.

This isn't to say we will never bump into bad, but it does mean we have the hand of God restraining the ruin waiting to drown us. (2)
Provided we don't breech the barriers of his commands like a child oblivious to the deep waters of sin, that is. Then the undertow could grab our ankles and life could make a game of us.

The red flag of Jesus' blood waves high in mercy as we face the churning seas of life ; undertow, strong tides, caution!

We would do well to take notice of the direction the heavenly winds are blowing that red flag so you will know which way to go, since you have never been through the way of this new day before. (3)

It's never too late to return to shore.

We need not be overwhelmed by the waves of life.

Father, grant us dry ground to walk on, overwhelm us with your waves of mercy. 

Selah.

(1)  Joshua 3:15-17
(2) 2 Thessalonians 2:7
(3) Joshua 3:4

This Day

                                                                       
My Father,
Thank you for this day set before me, that your banner over me is Love. Help me walk into it with gratitude. Let me not take your name in vain through it, but deliver it as manna for the spiritually hungry. Let the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart and the actions of my will be pleasing and profitable to you. Stand in the gap between between me and the others you place in my way. Temper my words, turn, twist, unfurl and re-wrap them so they are heard by the receiver as you would have them heard. All lovely. All grace. All mercy.
In the Great Name of Jesus, Ya'hus'hua
Selah

Psalms 19:14  Song of Solomon 2:4 Ezekiel 22:30

Who's Minding the Children?

When He saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,

 for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:36

I've been pondering sheep lately, particularly as relates to the metaphorical title of God's children.

I know, I know, I can hear your deep sigh, Not another sheep analogy!  My apologies, but...

I understand sheep to be rather stupid animals. Apparently, they wander off a lot. And left to their own, will walk right into harms way, eat toxic vegetation, and are actually so timid will stare at moving water and die of thirst before bending the knee for a drink.

"The ONLY sure protection for the sheep is the ever-watchful shepherd."*

Without a Shepherd, sheep die.

For He is our God, 

And we are the people of his pasture,

the sheep of His hand.

Psalms 95:7

SO, who's minding the children, err, sheep? 

Of course God is ALWAYS tending his children, in fact scripture says he actually pursues us, even if we refuse him!
I have learned a new word this week-Radaph. That's hebrew for pursue, literally- meaning to hunt down. Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.    psalms 23:6
"When I'm hurting, His grace hunts for me. When I'm plagued by problems, His goodness pursues me. No matter where I go, goodness and mercy are in hot pursuit of me. "**

We were never promised this life would be easy. As long as we walk this planet, persecution will be part of the package.
But sheep that recognize their shepherd are promised His eternal eye and care. So while we might, and probably will, be harassed, we aren't left without help.  

I understand harassment.

He would typically arrive around 3:00 in the morning, just moments after my husband left for base. 

We were newly married, living on a military income,  enthralled with our new life, and our first home--  a tiny, one bedroom duplex in Ft. Lawton, Oklahoma. It was sparsely furnished,  decorated only with  young love that envisioned a life time of bliss ahead. It was our castle.

Until 3:00 am rolled around, that is.  

I learned to expect his visit-- would lie paralyzed with fear on my bed, waiting.

I knew he had come again when I saw his shadow on the shades, and heard his heavy breathing outside my bedroom window.

With no phone, we were too poor, and no weapon but a butter knife, I listened for agonizing minutes as he attempted to pry the front door open. Or the window air-conditioner. Or the back screen door. He was relentless. He harassed me and made my life a stalking nightmare EVERY morning for 3 months. 

There is only one safe place for us in this world, and that is in The Lord.  The Lord, our true pasture. 

Outside the flock, we are helpless.

I was harassed. But I wasn't helpless. I was a sheep with a shepherd. And I was safe in His care.

I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

*Swindoll, chuck. Living the Psalms.
** Ann Voskamp, A holy experience


 Jeremiah 50:7

Flight of Faith--Radical Obedience

Have you ever held on to something (or someone) you knew you should let go of, yet the wings of your desire just couldn't cut loose from the current?  You know, that certain goose--sin--in your life that wants to take its place at the front of the V, pulling the thermal of your course errantly south?

In spite of an inner unction to cease flight and re-route, you fly on.

So what do you do when your faith, challenged by temptation, takes flight in a direction that will clearly result in a migratory mishap?
Reset your compass of course!

Look up ; Set your affections on things above, not on things below.
Surround yourself with God, and Godly influences ; friends, reading material-especially scripture, music, and activities.

Look in ; Examine yourself to be sure you are in the faith. Pray for the Lord to give you a discerning heart to distinguish right from wrong.
As you pray, beware of falling victim to the "strive" mindset. While obedience to scriptural commands is definitely a theological axiom, ultimately it is--Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord,  that victory is discovered.
In other words, relying fully on human effort to extract oneself from a stronghold of sin will always fail.
Striving fails--Spirit prevails. Every time!

Look East ; Look to the eastern horizon where The Sun of righteousness rises with healing in his wings.
Confess your sins, change your course by pulling out of formation, and then hold to the promise--He will remove your sins from  you as far as the east is from the west.

And whatever you do?  DON'T LOOK DOWN.

Can you do it? YES!
Can you let that thing go? YES!
Will it seem like your dying? Probably.
Will the reward be greater than imagined? Absolutely!
Refuse to turn back!

Do not be afraid, I am your very Great Reward.

Genesis 15:1

Colossians 3:2  2 Corinthians 13:5  1 Kings 3:9  Zechariah 4:6  Malachi 4:2 Psalm 103:12