Ah ha moment

Funny how sometimes you can be reading God's Word and you know you've read it before, but you just NEVER saw it. I had one of those AH HA moments the other day. During my reading time I was reading through Ezekiel 34. God was raking the leaders (or shepherds) of Israel over the coals. He wasn't pleased about they way they are leading His people. They are allowing them to preyed on, to wander around lost, and to starve. He tells them that they are his enemies and that he will hold them responsible for what happens to them. He is removing them from their positions as shepherd. (Some weighty words for those of us who lead others!)

But then came the ah-ha moment. Keep reading Ezekiel 34:11-24. He tells us that He himself will their shepherd. He tells them that he will search for the sheep and find them. He will rescue them and bring them back. He will feed them and give them pleasant places to lie down. He tell us he will be all the things that the shepherd in Psalm 23 is. But I've read some where else that Jesus is a Good Shepherd, haven't you? In John 10:10-21 when Jesus equates himself to being a Good Shepherd he wasn't just paining a word picture that people could understand. He was using the picture from Ezekiel to further confirm His role and mission. Don't you love when you find a buried treasure in Scripture and realize God has made his message so obvious if we will but look and listen!

The rest of the passage in Ezekiel also says that this good shepherd will judge between the fat and scrawny sheep and the sheep and goats. He will judge those that trample on others, that squash others down, that let them remain in their poor conditions. That reminds me of something else Jesus talked about in Matthew 25:31-46.

Have you had any ah-ha moments lately? I hope so!

Where are you standing?

My blogging here has been infrequent, but that doesn't mean I haven't had things I've wanted to share. It's just been harder balancing everything this day, and unfortunately this is the place where I often let things go.

A while I go I was reading Ezekiel and Ezekiel 22:30-31 grabbed my attention. It says, "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap of the wall so I shouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one." WOW.

The wall of righteousness that guarded the land had been torn down. Unrighteousness could easily creep in and take hold of the inhabitants. When I thought about this in my life I applied it to my family. God has built a wall of righteousness around my family by his grace. I don't want that wall to be torn down. I want to set on its watchtowers and be sure it is not compromised. I want to care for it and maintain it.

I also thought of our nation. On some days it certainly does seem like the wall has crumbled. When you look in the news and at the things being considered in legislature and issues in the next election, and you see many areas where righteousness has fallen.

God continues in this verse, "I looked for someone to stand in the gap of the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land..." There is a breech and God was looking for someone to enter that broken space and stand for truth. Am I ready to do that for my nation? Am I ready to stand up and be counted for righteousness?

Sadly in Ezekiel, God doesn't find someone ready to stand in the gap, and so the consequence is that the land is destroyed. I don't want that to happened to my land. I don't want to face the wrath of God in order to have us repent and bow to Him. I want to learn the lesson now without the dire consequences. Judgement I believe has already started, but will increase as we continue to let the wall be broken. I am challenged to take action.

Now I'm not someone who is very politically active. I'm not someone who likes to get in people's faces with truth. But I do need to take a stand. I need to know what God says is right and live by it. I need to be active and in the gap, and not hiding out in a church pew. I need to know what is happening in my world and speak with a respectful, knowledgeable, voice. I need to love the people around me and show that love through actions. I need to pray for my nation and be humble before God, interceding for the sin of me and my people.

I hope you are encouraged to stand in the gap as well!

The Invitation

Although my reading has taken me elsewhere in the Bible, my heart is still stuck back in Isaiah. A new Bible study I've started brought me back to chew on a few verses in Isaiah 55. I couldn't be satisfied with just those few verses and now the chapter has given me much to think about.




I love what I've found here. Isaiah 55:1-3 is the best invitation we could receive. God asks if we're hungry or thirsty. He offers us more than wine or milk or fine food. And he offers it freely. We are to come ready to hear with our ears wide open and he will give us life as we listen. Am I ready to come to him with a listening heart? Do I hunger and thirst for him?

So what will we hear when we come? Vs 3 says we will hear about a never ending covenant. We will hear about unfailing love. We will hear of how he will work in our lives so that He is displayed in power and glory.

Isaiah tells us that God is near and we are to call on him while this offer is good. We are to change our ways. He will forgive us.

So why would God offer this incredible invitation to ones that need to repent, to ones that need to come close to him again? Because Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds that God's ways are not our ways. He doesn't look for the righteous, because there are none! He doesn't look for those that are closest and give them some pointers as to how they can strive better. He offers a way of forgiveness so that He can give what he so greatly desires. So He can give what will bring glory to him.

He reminds us that God's Word is powerful and will accomplish what he desires. (Isaiah 55:10-11) He sends out His Word and it always produces fruit. People will take him up on his offer. People will turn to Him and walk with Him, and they will live in joy and peace.

He reminds us that what was once barren and ruined will be filled with life. What was once sinful and full of death, will by the power of His Word in a heart seeking Him become full of life and fruitful.

That's some invitation! Why would God offer it? Vs 13 gives us a clue to the Invitor's heart. "These events will bring great honor to the Lord's name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love." God does this because of who He is. He offers us this because He is powerful and can do it and because He is love. The result is then honor to His name. Have you taken a look at this invitation recently? Draw near to the Invitor and find life in Him.

Fearing God's Name

The idea of fearing God's name, his character and reputation, has been buzzing around in my head for awhile. When my ladies' Sunday School class was working through the book of Malachi, we were constantly reading how they had contempt for God's name and did not fear His name. I guess the buzzing began there. I want to understand more of what it means to fear His name and live in a way that demonstrate this understanding.

I haven't had much time to study this area, but the phrases keeps jumping out at me in Scripture, so I know I'll learn more.

These passages for example:
Psalm 25:14 (NLT) The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.

Proverbs 1:7 (NLT) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Isaiah 33:6 (NLT) In that day he will be your sure foundation,providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

I do know that to fear His name is not just to respect what I call God, but to revere his character and essence. But the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated fear mean just that....terror and dread of God. So, it's more than just honor and respect. It means to be aware of His awesomeness, His power, His holiness, and to treat him as set apart because of this awareness. It is to not take Him or my relationship with Him lightly. It is also to recognize how much he hates sin and the right he has to be judge.

A believer balances terror and dread of God with God's love which takes away fear. God's love doesn't change that He is still to be feared, but it allows us to approach Him and have confidence in His presence. I've noticed though that most frequently when somoene is in the presence of God, fear is the first response. Over and over again, God has had to say, "Fear not."

But what about the name part of the phrase? A name is what represents someone to the world. It's their history, their personality, their feelings and thoughts represented in a piece of language. I am to fear the totality of God.

So how do I keep a fearful perspective of God? The answer is found in God's Word. Over and over he commands us to fear Him and demonstrates who he is to us. When we meditate on His power, His awesomeness, His beyond us, then we will have fear.

And what does this mean for my day to day life? As I fear God I will obey what he commands. I won't do it because I'm just afraid of being punished, but rather because I recognize His authority, His power, and His rightness.

One more thing, spend some time with Psalm 103. May you be blessed as you fear His name!

Faithful or not?

Judging from the date on my last post I've not been very faithful to blogging. But don't let that make you think that God hasn't been speaking and things haven't been happening. God is oh so faithful, and I'm praying that one of the reasons I haven't been posting is that I've been being faithful to doing what He wants me to do and being faithful to who He wants me to be.

It's also intimidating to start posting when your heart has been on a long journey. How do you share the great depths? Words can't capture it all.

Let me try to start with two areas. First, God has been working in my heart to change an area I'm ministering in. It's so amazing to see how God plants seeds and nurtures them. In the beginning of the summer I was working with some wonderful teenage girls from our church to help them prepare for their roles in teaching Vacation Bible School. I was blown away by their hearts and filled with a great love for them. This love continued to grow when several of them were with me at Girl's camp later this summer. Part of me was really sad though at each time because I rarely have time to visit with them, let alone have deep meaningful conversations. I can't say that I really prayed much about this, except to praise God for the opportunity and question if there could be more. Well, God does have more.

A year or so back some ladies in our church began searching for a way to have a high school girl's Sunday School class. Since then, nothing really seemed to have been happening. Guess, God had other plans, because suddenly I was asked what I thought about teaching such a class. I was so excited by the possibility and after praying, I said I would but only if my existing ministry, the women's Sunday School class had a leader.

At this point, God was also working and preparing another woman's heart. I think he's actually been working on a few hearts, so there wasn't a shortage of willing leaders. It's been so amazing to witness God's hand at work. And encouraging, because as I beginning to launch this class I am humbled by the responsibility and uplifted that God is keenly aware of what needs to happen.

So, pray with me for my girls and our new adventure. I am VERY excited about the opportunity to disciple and learn from these beautiful daughters of God. Also pray for my ladies. I will miss them. God has been very kind to increase our class lately and saturate it with His presence. May they thrive under new leadership and more ladies also join them so that they too can walk in the ways of God and bring Him glory.

Another thing has also been happening that is related to this first area. Remember the posts on my 40 days of prayer? God is continuing to be my patient teacher. Several events have had me flat on my face before Him and have kept my knees trembling so that I had to be in prayer. I love this reminder of dependency on Him. I love the communion and fellowship I've had with Him. And He's challenging me with a relationship with someone who is also needing to experience their own prayer relationship.

I know this is a long post, but let me leave you with this. My morning reading was Habakkuk. It's been my heart's desire to do a deeper study on this, and I will at some point. But this is what I found for now. Habakkuk knows that God's judgement is coming to Judah in the form of the Babylonians. He questions why God would use even more unrighteous people to judge His people. But then comes to the conclusion that God is mighty and glorious. God will use the Babylonians to bring His people back to Him, but the Babylonians will not escape judgement. It's Habakkuk 3:16-19 that held my treasure today. Habakkuk says he will wait patiently for God's judgement on these people. He knows that hard times will befall Judah. Things will not be easy. The consequences of sin are weighty and hard to deal with. But Habakkuk says he will still rejoice in God. God is the God of his salvation and God will enable him to stand in these precarious times, even as a deer is able to scramble on the mountain heights. Even when we're facing consequences to sin, if we honor God in his place as Lord, he will help us endure the consequences. These were some sweet words for me today as I've been walking with someone through a time of hard consequences.

Praise to our God who is faithful, unchanging, gracious, and merciful. May He enable you to stand firm today!

A good reminder

God is god. I am not. God deserves our richest praise and our deepest worship. I'm reminded of this as I continue to read through Isaiah. Hear the words of Isaiah 40 and 43.

Is 40:12-31
Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor?
Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best?
No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all.
All Lebanon's forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon's sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God.
The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes they are less than nothing ? mere emptiness and froth.
To whom, then, can we compare God? What image might we find to resemble him?
Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?
Or is a poor person's wooden idol better? Can God be compared to an idol that must be placed on a stand so it won't fall down?
Have you never heard or understood? Are you deaf to the words of God, the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant?
It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.
He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing.
They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their work withers. The wind carries them off like straw.
"To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One.
Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away.
O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case?
Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak.
Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up.
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

43 Vs. 10 "But you are my witnesses, O Israel!" says the Lord. "You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, beliee in me and understand that I alone am God. There is not other God- there never has been, and there never will be."
Vs.11 "I, yes I , amd the Lord and there is no other Savior."

43 Vs 13. "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snactch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."


May your hearts overflow with love, wonder, and awe at our God.

What highway are you on?

I love the book of Isaiah. Those of you who know me are smiling right now. Yes, she does!

Isaiah 35:8-10 reads,
"And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course,
nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
Only the redeemed will walk on it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
They will enter Jerusalem singing,
crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be filled with joy and gladness."

At first when I read verses 8-10 I thought, "I sure like that Highway to Holiness. Where's the nearest on ramp? It sounds like an expressway without any chance of going the wrong way. Sure sounds better than the winding country back roads I sometimes find myself on as I try to make the right decisions and do the right thing. In fact, it sounds like a super easy way to travel."

But then I did some rereading and thinking. I know this road already. The road he's talking about is Christ! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." AND this is what He was talking about. He is our way to holiness. I know that in ancient times a highway was a wonderful thing. It lifted a traveler out of the rough terrain and gave him a smooth path. Jesus does the same for me. He lifts me up and sets my feet on a smooth place. It's a path only for those that are pure in heart. Those that have decided to pursue righteousness. It's only for those that have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. And those traveling this highway do not have to worry about dangers. I have The Way. I don't need an easier way. What blessing! What joy!


Did you see where this road takes us? It's a celebration like no other! A worship celebration I believe. Those who travel this road will come to worship the One who redeemed them. These verses are prefaced with a chapter in which Isaiah shares how God will pour his wrath out on the nations. But the chapter that these verses are found in speaks of hope for the nation of Israel. God will provide deliverance! Those that are weak will be made strong. Those that are blind will see. Those that are deaf will hear. Those that are lame will walk. He will restore. And don't you just smile as you see that Jesus is the ultimate reality of this restoration! We'll be worshipping Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life! All that was before, will be replaced with joy and gladness.

So, what about you. What highway are you on? Are your pursuing holiness? Are you walking with the Holy one? Praise the One who leads us to holiness and may we proclaim Him afresh in the lives of those we pass on our earthly byways and highways.