Be Still...Oh My Soul - October 27

Be Still…Oh My Soul 

"Be STILL, and know that I am God..."  (Psalm 46:10)

WHAT???!!! 

Be STILL?   Be STILL in this world that pushes and pulls and takes us from one place to another, many times much more than we would ever want to be???

But God is not necessarily talking about a physical stillness as the context within which we can better acknowledge Him, be with Him...KNOW Him...

I was listening to a song on the radio yesterday which somewhat elaborated on the scripture above.  The words proclaimed, "Oh be still, O MY SOUL and know that the Lord that you love is Lord over all..." (The City Harmonic, "Be Still, O My Soul" from I Have a Dream [It Feels Like Home]).

Be still, oh my SOUL...

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”   (Luke 10:38-42)

When Jesus rebuked Martha for her grumbling that she was having to do all of the work and that her sister Mary seemed to just be lounging around, He did not point out that she was too busy in her physical movements.  The fact that Martha was doing a lot of activity was not the problem.  The obstacle to Martha's peace, and therefore the catalyst for her complaints, was that her SOUL was off kilter -- she was distracted in the serving (not being blessed in or by it) and her mind and heart apparently were worried and troubled about many things.  THIS is what kept her from being able to enjoy the Presence of Jesus...THIS is what was preventing her from being able to truly KNOW Him as He came to spend time in their home.   

It is critical to realize that it is our soul in which our thoughts, emotions, and will live (Matthew 26:38; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 2:11).  And it is as, if not more, urgent to acknowledge that those are the very parts of us (thoughts, emotions, choices we make) that when quieted can open up the possibility of being able to sit in the Presence of God and to enjoy a personal relationship with Him...to KNOW Him.  On the other hand, when those have been distracted, it paves the way not only for less of a chance of being able to hear God's still, small voice speaking to us (1 Kings 19:11-12; Isaiah 30:21-22), but it also opens up wide the doors to other forces being able to enter in and having their say in our lives (1 Peter 5:8):

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody...
(Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody," from Slow Train Coming)

...and there are a multitude of ways these day in which our thoughts, emotions, and will are being invaded (and we go right along with it):

- Our agenda doesn't go the way we wanted or expected it to...
 - Someone says something to us we don't agree with...
  - We "wake up on the wrong side of the bed"...
    - Our body hurts...
     - We feel like there has been an injustice against us...
      - Someone hurt someone we love...
       - Too many people want something from us...
        - The phone rings too much...
         - The car dies...
          - Something slips from our hand and breaks...
           - Someone cuts us off in traffic...

IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TO TAKE...!!!!!

 And (Martha) had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Be still, Oh my soul...and know that the Lord that you love is Lord over all...

Be STILL, and know that I am God...

Be still...

Lord, please help us - our mind, emotions, and will - to be still; and then we can be just where we need to be...and then we can be in and enjoy Your Presence.

Love in Him,  
Terri  

For the Glory of God - October 13

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days...     (John 11:5-6)

WHAT?!  His dear friend Lazarus was sick, but Jesus decided to hang out for a while???!!!

One of the hardest things to understand, whether one is a follower of Jesus or not, is why certain events occur the way they do, especially when they seem to make life harder in one way or another.  Reading this section of scripture this morning, I was reminded of an incredibly hopeful, loving, and life-giving reason.  If you are going through something this morning, ask the Lord to please show how this marvelous motivation can be applied to your situation.

Nearly all of the translations of the passage above make it clear that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus deeply (see also 11:33-36).  They also reveal a similar startling reality: that even though he had learned that Lazarus was very sick (and probably was going to die) and had the power to restore him (as we know from countless other miraculous healings surrounding this event); Jesus deliberately chose to stay where he was, only several miles away from Bethany where Lazarus was ailing.  Even some of the Jews who had gathered to offer Martha and Mary comfort after their brothers death recognized, "Could not He Who opened a blind man's eyes have prevented this man from dying?" (11:37).  It is ironic that this mention of Jesus restoring a blind man's sight probably refers to a miracle that had just recently occurred (John 9:1-7), and the reason given for this man's lack of vision and subsequent healing is similar to why Jesus tarried before he went to Lazarus's rescue:

"...in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him (the blind man)..."  (John 9:3)   

"This sickness is not to end in death; but (on the contrary) it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it."   (John 11:4)

In both situations, the harsh circumstances involved - a man being without natural vision from birth and a dear friend's physical death - were used to bring glory to God...

AND (before God is accused of being tremendously selfish for doing this):

...to restore sight to someone who was blind...

...and to bring life to the dead...

It is sometimes hard to understand why certain things happen the way they do...and as a result it is all-too-easy to think that we have been abandoned, to feel that we are being punished or even condemned, or to fall into what seems to be a pool of quicksand called despair.  But whatever it is, God is so merciful that He is able to transform the event that feels like a putrid, stinking death (John 11:39) into one that can actually facilitate New Life (John 11:41-44)...if we are willing to allow Him to use it in that way (John 12:23-25).  It's not easy to see severe life-impacting situations like this...but it is possible if, with the supernaturally-given power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 19:26), we believe...

Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?"  (John 11:40)

May God get the glory through whatever harder circumstance you may find yourself in this morning, and may He make it manifest to you soon just how that glory will be revealed!   ( :

In His Love,    

Terri

Amazing Love - September 6

And now, says the Lord—Who formed me from the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to Him and that Israel might be gathered to Him and not be swept away, for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my strength—

He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth.    (Isaiah 49:5-6)

Wow.

This was the Isaiah devotional that came to heart, and that I wanted to share, a few days ago - prior to the last one written and sent out entitled "Trusting God."  It hit me so hard how amazing...how truly, extraordinarily AMAZING...God's love is, and how this is mightily manifested in these verses from Isaiah. 

It is true that ultimately Jesus came to reconcile the Jewish people to their God (Romans 11:25-27 - see footnotes also): Jesus was born into a Jewish home, and his disciples were also of Hebrew descent.  He Himself declared that he "was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 15:21-24) and cried out his longing to gather them back "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings"  (Luke 13:34).  BUT...

He (God) says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel...

WHAT?!

TOO LIGHT?!...TOO LIGHT?!...TOO LIGHT a thing to redeem and sanctify a group of people...to rescue them from eternal condemnation and to bring them back to the bosom of the God?!  Oh my goodness...I was awe-struck when I read this.  But to God, who desires that ALL should be saved, this was not enough...

He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel...

...I will also give you for a light to the nations...

...that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.   (John 3:16)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants ALL people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for ALL...  (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

...that My salvation
       may extend
            to the end of the earth. 
 
How does that song go...?
 
Amazing love,
 How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
 
(for all of us)

Amazing love...
 
In His Precious (and amazing) Love,
Terri

Trusting God - September 3

Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who obeys the voice of His Servant, YET who walks in darkness and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]?   (emphasis on "yet" mine)

Let him rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by his God.
 

Behold, all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fires [and work out your own plans of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts, and firebrands that you set aflame!—walk by the light of your self-made fire and of the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if you will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment.    (Isaiah 50:10-11: amplified) 

I was going to write an entirely different piece (also from Isaiah...hopefully later!), but came across this scripture in my reading this morning.  To elaborate on these verses seemed particularly appropriate since they tended to connect with the devotional shared several days ago called "In Your Presence."  This suggested that if we as Believers are not experiencing  a fullness of joy, then somehow we must not be securely at the feet of Jesus.  Here, it is being offered that if we find ourselves joyless and heavy-laden much of the time, it is probably because we are not TRULY trusting God and all that He promises in His Word (2 Corinthians 1:19-22). 

The amplified version of this scripture was the only one that included the word "yet" (check out the other translations using the above link).  "YET" I found that by including it, the verses acquired a meaning that should give us both a sound warning and a tremendous hope.  How many of us can say that over the past day, week, month, year, DECADE...that even though we have been born again by the Spirit of God (are a new creation:  John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26-27) and have perhaps been walking in and with Jesus for a looooong time, that we are like the above person: fearing the Lord; truly desiring to be obedient; but still seeming to walk with shoulders and back hunched over, with a light in our eyes and heart that could barely illuminate a kid's milk carton (Matthew 6:19-24; interestingly, the portion of this passage which mentions the light of the eye  - v. 22-23 - are  surrounded on either side by verses that point directly to the ultimate necessity of trusting God - v. 19-21, 24)?  Sadly, I fall into this category; so this declaration from God through the prophet Isaiah encouraged me greatly (and I hope it does you as well!).  What the Holy Spirit said to me through it was that:

1.  Even IF you are down-trodden and feel like you are barely a Believer, that does NOT mean you are not one!

2.  The "secret" to being able to rise up out of this unhappy state of being is to "rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and...lean upon and be supported by...God"!

However...

3.  If one continues to try to do things in his or her own strength...perhaps uttering that he/she trusts God, but still habitually or willfully going his or her own way:

 ...all you [enemies of your own selves] who attempt to kindle your own fires [and work out your own plans of salvation], who surround and gird yourselves with momentary sparks, darts, and firebrands that you set aflame!—

then there will be consequences (hopefully lovingly used by God to bring that person back to the foot of His Righteous and Secure Throne):

—walk by the light of your self-made fire and of the sparks that you have kindled [for yourself, if you will]! But this shall you have from My hand: you shall lie down in grief and in torment. 

This was the sound warning and tremendous hope this morning from God's Living Word: one MUST trust Him completely (of course that requires God's help by the Holy Spirit to desire, acquire, and live in that kind of trust...).  If one does (or at least seeks to) truly trust Him, there will still be suffering, trials, and trouble (1 Peter 4:12-16; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12; Matthew 13:20-21), but there will also be a joy in the midst that cannot be adequately explained in human terms.  If one does not, then not only will there be no joy, but according to this scripture there will be a type of suffering that could actually be avoided...a grief and torment that, if one were to be confident in and to lean solely upon God, could be carried away on the wings of Trust and destroyed...forever...can you imagine?!

Do you want His sparks...or yours?

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart...

...and lean NOT on your own understanding.   

(Proverbs 3:5)

In Jesus' Love,   

Terri

In Your Presence - August 31

You will show me the path of life;

...In Your presence is fullness of joy...   (Psalm 16:11)

Hello.  Several thoughts came to mind the other day when hearing this scripture:

First of all, what exactly does it mean to experience fullness of joy?  For an answer, I went to a website I typically use in order to try to understand the originally-intended meaning of words in the Bible.  When looking up "fullness" from this particular verse, I found the following definitions:

Fullness:  to be sated, to have in abundance, to be filled/fulfilled or even OVER-filled, to have a desire satisfied (I'm assuming to the greatest extent).   (classic.studylight.org)

Joy in abundance...to the extent of overflowing...what an amazing concept in this incredibly dark and frequently very hard world:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil...my cup overflows...  (Psalm 23:1-5)

It IS possible...

The second thought was a question: If one is not experiencing this beautiful flood of joy, is it because one is not truly and consistently in the presence...sitting at the feet of...Jesus (Luke 10:39-42)?  Well, just going by logic (and God does want us to use our minds...), that answer would be a simple but profoundly significant yes.  If scripture says that when we are sitting before Jesus, gazing on His beauty (Psalm 27:4), trustingly waiting on Him (Proverbs 3:5; Psalm 27:13-14) , hearing His Voice (John 10:4), talking with Him....we will experience that deep sense of delight called "joy", then the "flipside" of that is if we are not experiencing that peaceful pleasure then somehow we have removed ourselves or been captured away by something from His presence.  It's as simple...and as critical...as that.   

Why critical?  Because if we understand (and believe) that Jesus-Joy connection, in addition to the Life-sustaining reality that the joy of the Lord is our STRENGTH (Nehemiah 8:10), then when we experience joy being drained or being almost non-existent we can then also know that we need to call on Jesus immediately to bring us back to Himself (Zechariah 1:3)...to set us free from whatever or whomever has taken us captive away from Him (Isaiah 61:1-3)...and to be returned to His Amazing and Beautiful Presence.  Then and only then can we experience the fullness of JOY...

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"...

...Immediately Jesus reached out His Hand and caught him...   (Matthew 14:30-31)

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore...  (Psalm 16:11)

In His Love,   
Terri   

Never Forget This - August 25

It is my opinion that if all of the families in Russia could have maintained complete loyalty and concern for one another within the family circles, communism would have died out in ten years.  But the very basic party line is built upon so subverting the minds of the individuals that they are willing to surrender and betray their family ties as well as their former ties to church and knowledge of God.   (A. W. Tozer, p. 69: "What Is It Costing You to Be a Christian?"  from Who Put Jesus on the Cross?)          1975

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another...."   (Matthew 24:10)

Approximately 80 - 90 A.D. - Jesus, our Messiah

Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.
For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household...  (Micah 7:5-6)

Roughly 750 - 700 B.C. - a prophet of God

Never forget what has been written above...

This is not a treatise to discourage trusting and loving one another; in fact, it is a devotional that implores that we continue to do so, and even more so as the days get darker.  God exhorts us to use discernment, which has as its roots His Wisdom and Love; what is being developed and utilized now is the instrument called "suspicion," which is almost always based on fear: remember, the two - fear and love - cannot co-exist (1 John 4:18).  Remember this. 

This is also a warning: it is one that has just been borrowed from A. W. Tozer, Jesus Himself, the prophet Micah, and I'm sure many, many others who have sounded the same clarion call throughout the ages.  This morning, it just struck me particularly hard and so I wanted to share it with you all. 

A few days ago I was horrified as I sat and listened for nearly an hour to a lecture on how to identify an "active shooter" (I think that is what they called it).   As you can probably surmise, this is someone who has made plans to come onto the campus of a school (or other location) and to start shooting people, either strategically or randomly.  I think the most heartbreaking thing was the fact that they spoke mostly about a CHILD or YOUTH who would plan on doing this (of course referencing Columbine), leaving me wondering how many were at the same time crying and angered by the reality that it is we as adults, buying into satan's deceptive strategies, who have allowed our children to be distortedly and perversely shaped into those who would do such things...it's not their fault.

The above presentation promoted a tense atmosphere as well as not-so-subtly suggested that we must be ready to report anyone...anything...that appeared suspicious.  And of course for the last hour or so, it had been defined for us what "suspicious" looked like and meant.   No doubt, especially over the past decade or more, we have been bombarded by this very message, particularly after 9/11, Columbine, and the recent succession of shootings that have occurred a-little-too-close-together-for-comfort.  We are told we must be on the look out for those who appear "different," ask the wrong questions...say the wrong things.  Recently, I have heard and read, it is becoming a topic of conversation of who or what defines a "terrorist" -- someone it is supposedly o.k. to shoot first and ask questions of later(?)

“Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled..."  (Isaiah 8:12)

So now if we go back and re-read the exhortations above from Tozer, our Messiah, and one of his prophets, we see one common thread that is actually being woven right before our very eyes: we are being trained to be suspicious (not discerning - because remember, true discernment involves love-soaked wisdom) and afraid, to be on the look-out for anything that looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels different from "the norm," and to agree with the definition of "dangerous"  that is being designed for us.  I couldn't help but wonder today, as I considered offering someone a tract about Jesus, if I too would soon be targeted as a "terrorist" (or some other type of hatemonger) because of the "narrow-mindedness" of His message of salvation and reconciliation (John 14:6)...and of unity and love: two "ingredients" that do not mix in well with the potion of divide and conquer.  How insidious to be able to portray love as a lack of tolerance and hate...but it will happen...just watch.

So please, as the days get darker, and satan continues to use suspicion and fear to divide and conquer, "do not say 'a conspiracy,' concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats..." -- like I have told many of the students with whom I have worked: think about what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel before truly believing what you are told (some of it could be right, while some of it could be very wrong), ask questions, think...think...think...logic will not always be at the forefront or promoted; and unfortunately, fear tends to not only cast out perfect love, it also gravely affects our ability to reason.

....nor be afraid of their threats...nor be troubled...

And Never Forget This...

The only true place of safety and rationalism is in the dwelling that many will be calling hatred, prejudice, and bigotry...don't believe this definition...the soil of suspicion and the fertilizer of fear never ever produce a beneficial or truthful outcome. 

"Our Lord wants to hold us steady in these days and He asks us to look upward, for there is a kingdom, and there is a King sitting upon an eternal throne, God has promised that He will look after His people, and thus we are kept, and given His own spiritual calmness, even in the eye of the gathering storm..." (A. W. Tozer, p. 73) 

Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.   (Micah 7:7)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.    (1 John 4:18)    

In His Love,
Terri