Category: February2018

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490

Take a look at this number, 490. It’s the product of multiplying 7 times 70.

You’ve probably guessed where I am going with this. Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness. Obviously someone had offended Peter and he wanted to know how often he had to forgive.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and said, “Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven! ” Matthew 18:21-22 NLV

Seven is a very significant number in the Bible. It is the number of completion so I’m sure that Peter must have thought that forgiving 7 times would be more than enough.

Jesus told Peter that seven wasn’t enough. He needed to forgive the offender as much as 70×7, or 490 times. I don’t think Jesus was referring to the actual number of 490 and that when offended for the 491st time that Peter no longer had to forgive. Instead it did not matter how great the offence, forgiveness was still required.

Let’s take that number, 490, and apply it literally. With 24 hours in a day, that would mean that we must be willing to forgive about 20 times an hour or once every 3 minutes. Seriously?!

Oh Lord, do you really expect us to forgive that often? His answer is yes!

We are to live a life where forgiveness is abundant. Jesus even prayed to forgive those who were responsible for crucifying him.

“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” And they divided His clothes by drawing names.” Luke 23:34-35 NLV

It was a part of everything He did. When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray he included forgiving and forgiveness in that model prayer. We know it as the Lord’s prayer. You remember he said “Forgive our sins, just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.” Matthew 6:12 ERV

Now for all of you who might be tempted to keep track and start counting we have been given teaching on that too.

“ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” I Cor. 13:4-7 ERV

I’m so glad that I didn’t write this. I do struggle with forgiveness from time to time. I sometimes rationalize and make excuses for not being more forgiving but God removes all that. I am so glad He does because if I could justify my lack of forgiveness, He certainly would have more reason to in judging me for my actions.

Thank you Lord that you don’t! Thank you that You freely give your forgiveness to all of us. Lord, we desire to be more like you. Remind us of the 490 so that we can see just how much You are willing to forgive us each day. Your love never gives up on us. We want to be like you.

“ You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 ERV

Thank you Lord that You quit counting. Thank you that You forgave all!

 

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Be Still

This morning as I sit here I am drawn to one phrase that keeps repeating in my heart. Be still.

 

I would like you to imagine, if you would, that you have a small child and it’s nap time. You put the little one to bed and tell them they need to lay down and rest. You come back a few minutes later and they are up playing with toys, far from obedience to your instruction. You pick them up, put them back to bed repeating the instruction, kiss their little head, lay them down and you leave.

 

Upon your return they are up once again, this time picking up the toys they had gotten out the first time and putting them all away. They are trying to be helpful but still they’re not obedient. Again you repeat the process and leave the room. Now the third time you return to see if they are resting and you find them sitting up in the middle of the bed, the corner of the blankie in their hand, twisting it in a worrisome manner. It only takes you a minute to realize that they are scared and need reassurance.

 

Another  big kiss on the forehead, a big hug, and tucked in – this time you turn on some soft music and you leave the room. When you return they are cuddled in and sleeping. Aww, so sweet! Resting at last.

 

Each one of us has been that little child. Sometimes we are disobedient and distracted with play; sometimes we are disobedient and trying to be helpful; we are often disobedient and worried but then there are the times that we are obedient and rest.

 

I just really sense that someone needs this message this morning – be still and know that I am God!

 

It’s not time to play or to help or to worry. It’s time to “be still” and rest in who God is.

“He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:9-11

I know how hard it is to “be still” when there is a storm raging all around. It may be a physical storm or perhaps it’s financial, physical or emotional. A storm is a storm no matter what form it takes.  If we follow Jesus’ example we will be able to sleep through the storm.

“ Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”  39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm. 40 He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:38-40 ERV

Yes, it’s time we are obedient. It’s time to rest, time to be still, time to trust God.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3and you refresh my life.” Psalm 23:1-3 CEV

 

 

 

 

 

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Becoming a Good Soldier

Just yesterday I asked you to imagine that you were there when Jesus healed the leper. In the very next verses we observe a conversation that Jesus had with a captain in the Army. He was a man of rank, deserving of respect. A man who commanded others with authority.

“5 When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, 6 “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can’t even move.”

7 “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you that in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith!…

13 Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.”  Right then his servant was healed.” Matthew 8:5-13 CEV

I want you to listen to what the captain said. “Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

Just give the order! The captain recognized that Jesus had authority, authority over sickness, he may have heard about the leper that had just been cleansed. If not, he had heard of other miracles of healing that Jesus had done. That’s what brought him to Jesus. The captain was a man who knew that commands were obeyed and not rationalized or debated.

And Jesus marveled at the captain’s faith. He didn’t need Jesus to come and make a big deal about healing his servant, Jesus just needed to speak the Word, give the order, and it would happen.

Do we have that kind of faith in God’s Word? In Psalms 138 it says that God exalts or honors his Word above his name. Isn’t that the way it is today? A person’s name only carries respect and honor if his reputation is good. If he is a man that doesn’t keep his word then it tarnishes his reputation. But when his word is good he has authority.

God’s word has authority to change lives. Why? Because He has never lied, His word has never failed. He rescues, he heals, he saves and he does wonderful things.

“You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. 20 By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction. 21 You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us.” Psalm 107:19-21 CEV

A good portion of what happens at boot camp, or so I have been told, is getting the new recruits to follow orders. They are taught to respond to the commands given by those in charge without hesitation. Enlistees rise and go to bed when they’re told; they fall out for formation and march for endless hours. They endure PT and weapons training. They follow commands. Hesitation on the field of battle could result in injury or death and so they submit to training.

“Timothy, you are a son to me. Be strong in the grace that we have because we belong to Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard me teach publicly you should teach to others. Share these teachings with people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach others these same things. 3 As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, accept your share of the troubles we have. 4 A soldier wants to please his commanding officer, so he does not spend any time on activities that are not a part of his duty.” II Timothy 2:1-4 ERV

I don’t know of anyone who has ever said that boot camp was fun. However, it does bring discipline and respect. The training is a valuable life lesson, learning to trust the Word of your commanding officer.

I think one of the hardest things I have and still experience is giving up my way of thinking for God’s way. In some respects I am still in boot camp and learning to follow orders. Paul mention that Timothy would have his share of troubles as a good soldier. I agree. It’s troubling when friends and family don’t understand why you act the way you do because you are pleasing your commanding officer. It’s troubling when you don’t get hired for a position or get fired from a job because you won’t lie for the boss or fix the books to make sales look better. Those things don’t please our commander-in-chief.

Oh, to have the mindset of our Army captain, “just give the order”.  Here was Jesus order to his disciples and to us:

“ This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I tell you to do.” John 15:12-13 ERV

Lord, I desire to follow your commands today. I will follow Your orders and  please You as my commanding officer.

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If You Were in Their Shoes

When you read the Bible, do you read it as if you are there? Do you take time to look around and see what was going on and how people are affected by the story that is being revealed? Can you imagine what you would do if you were in their shoes? I am always amazed as I read the account of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and then the first couple of verses of Matthew 8.

Here Jesus has been teaching all day. The hillside is covered with people, children are playing and adults are trying to hear what Jesus is saying. Jesus has positioned himself in such a way that his voice carries down the hillside, without the amplification that we have today.

“Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted…You are a light on a hill, don’t hide under a bushel…Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will never pass away…Forgive, be faithful to your mate, don’t seek revenge…Give to the poor, pray often, don’t make money your master…don’t worry…God knows what you need, seek Him first and everything else will be added…take care of the beam in your own eye before you try to remove a splinter from your brother’s…ask & it will be given, seek & find, knock & it will open…bear good fruit…build on a solid foundation (the Word) and you’ll make it through the storms…”

All day long Jesus preached, the multitude listened, now the teaching is over and Jesus heads down the hill with his followers. But this is where the story runs into a road block! A leper, who has obviously been waiting at the bottom of the hill, can’t contain himself. He comes running and puts himself right in front of Jesus.

Unclean, unclean! I can see the shock and repulsion on the face of the people. This leper should not be in close contact with all of us good “clean” people. Wow! Weren’t you just listening – about removing beams and judging not? But this leper had been listening. He heard Jesus say, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find”.

It seems all the others on the hillside had heard words, words, words. Amen. But this leper had heard a message that would change his life forever. It brought hope and faith so he came to ask and to receive. What would you have done if you were in his shoes?

“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” 3 Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed” Matthew 8:1-4

He received!!! He asked and he received. Jesus did tell him to go show himself to the priest and have them declare him clean. He needed that pronouncement according to Jewish law to be able to go back home and live among his family and friends again. And he needed to offer sacrifice.

All the people that heard Jesus preach on the hillside that day but only one came to Jesus to receive! I guess it amazes me because for many years I just heard words, words, words about Jesus; of the things He had done, the way He lived and I read the stories in the Old Testament and thought how neat that would have been. I did let it impact and change my life to a small degree but then the Holy Spirit became my teacher and started showing me that what happened in the Bible was available to me today.

My life has been forever changed and I can identify with that leper. I was unclean but one touch from Jesus has cleansed my life forever! To God be the Glory!

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He Knows My Name

To my grandchildren I am known as Besta; to my kids it’s Momma; to Dave, I’m Kris. It gives me such a warm feeling of love and belonging when I hear them call my name.

Did you ever watch the movie Ever After with Drew Barrymore. It was a cinderella-type story. In one of the final scenes, the man she loves finds her in her nemesis castle. All through the movie she has disguised her identity and has been going by an assumed name. But now as he approaches her, the music swells and he says, I love you, Danielle. She says “Say it again” and he repeats “I love you”. “No, not that. Say my name again.”

It’s amazing what it does to you to hear someone say your name in a loving way. Now listen to this story of how being called by name changed a woman’s life.

It was early in the morning, about sunrise. The women who loved and followed Jesus, the ones who had their lives changed by His ministry, went to the tomb. They were taking spices to anoint His body properly for burial. Their hearts were aching and they had to do something to show their love and devotion for their Lord. Only one thing – who would roll away the stone? Surely the soldiers who were guarding his body would only laugh and mock but they had to try. When the women approached and saw the stone rolled away their hearts sank – “Where’s Jesus? Where have they taken Him?” Desperation came rushing in.

“The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. 6 But he is not here. He has risen from death, as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. 7 And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from death. He is going into Galilee and will be there before you. You will see him there.’” Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.” 8 So the women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell his followers what happened.” Matthew 28:5-8 ERV

The women went to the disciples and reported that they had seen an angel, the empty tomb and that Jesus was risen!!! From the pit of depression to the height of ecstasy. The Savior, the Messiah, Jesus was alive! However, the men who heard their report didn’t believe them. I’m not sure why but they didn’t.

“But the apostles did not believe what they said. It sounded like nonsense. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb to see. He looked in, but he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. It was just lying there. Peter went away to be alone, wondering what had happened.” Luke 24: 11-12 ERV

Mary Magdalene must have followed Peter and John back to the tomb. If they didn’t believe her and the other women who reported what the angels had told them, “He is not here. He is risen”, could they have been wrong? She needed to know what had happened to Jesus. The tomb was empty and His body was gone. Mary had to know – where is my Lord?

“10 Then the followers went back home. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. While she was crying, she bent down and looked inside the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been. One was sitting where the head had been; the other was sitting where the feet had been. 13 The angels asked Mary, “Woman, why are you crying?” Mary answered, “They took away the body of my Lord, and I don’t know where they put him.” 14 When Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the man in charge of the garden. So she said to him, “Did you take him away, sir? Tell me where you put him. I will go and get him.” John 20:10-16 ERV

I find myself at a loss of words, I can’t adequately convey the heart ache, the despair, the confusion, the anguish that Mary must have been going through. Jesus had saved her, He had delivered her from seven demons. She had never known life, true life, until Jesus set her free and now He was gone and she didn’t even get to say good bye!

And then it all changed with just a word:

“Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and said in Aramaic, “Rabboni,” which means “Teacher.”
17 Jesus said to her, “You don’t need to hold on to me! I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my followers and tell them this: ‘I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, “I saw the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her.” John 20:16-18 ERV

One word, just one word – Jesus spoke her name and she knew! “Mary.” The flood of emotion was overwhelming; relief, joy, love, and peace. Tears, I’m sure. As I read her story it brought tears to my eyes.

Have you ever really been at the bottom? I mean the very bottom where you weren’t sure you even wanted to go on living? Everything in your life has come crashing in and all hope is gone – have you been there? I have. And with one word, one short message you hear Jesus speak your name! “Kristi.” Sweet and softly spoken, you know that you have not been forgotten. Jesus knows me, He loves me and He called me by name.

The story of the resurrection is this: Jesus died and rose again, defeating death, hell and the grave; He faced it all to call you by name and let you know you are truly loved and forgiven. If you listen, you’ll hear Him speak your name today.

“Do not be afraid. For I have bought you and made you free. I have called you by name. You are Mine! 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Who saves you.” Isaiah 43:2-3 NLV

I love the words of this old hymn:

“I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.”

I hope you can hear Jesus calling you by name today. There’s no greater joy than hearing Him say, I love you!

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Got Your “Catchers” On?

I know you’ve experienced it – been on your cell with someone, telling them something that is really important to you and you realize they aren’t listening. When that happens I’ve been tempted to say “I was just stepped on by a huge green elephant” to which I know their reply would be something like “Oh really, that’s nice”. Yep, they’re not listening!

When the kids were little and we wanted them to pay attention to what we were saying we would tell them to “get your catchers on”. That meant we are about to say something you really need to listen to so catch every word we say.

I’ve been doing a lot of listening the last few days. People have needed to talk and they’ve needed someone who was willing to listen. Listening doesn’t mean giving answers or advice, it means listening. Yesterday afternoon, Dave came in and he was telling me something. I had been watching TV so I grabbed the remote, put the program on mute and asked him to repeat what he had said. I wanted to listen and not be distracted.

Just this morning while I was reading Proverbs 23 I came across 4 examples of Solomon giving instruction to listen.

“Listen to your teacher and learn all you can.” Verse 12 ERV

“Open your heart to teaching, and your ears to words of much learning.” Verse 12 NLV

“Listen to instruction and do your best to learn.” Verse 12 CEV

Three different translations saying the same thing – Listen!

Then there was this verse:

“So listen, my son, and be wise. Always be careful to follow the right path.” Verse 19 ERV

And this one:

“Listen to your father. Without him, you would never have been born. Respect your mother, even when she is old. 23 Truth, wisdom, learning, and understanding are worth paying money for. They are worth far too much to ever sell.” Verse 22 & 23

And finally,

“My son, pay close attention, and gladly follow my example.” Verse 26

You see that? Solomon was making sure we had our catchers on. Jesus did the same thing with his teaching. He gave his followers a head’s up during his sermons. It went something like this:

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 KJV

Repeating the phrase verily, verily was not a waste of words, it was spoken for emphasis and it meant I am telling you a great truth, listen up, pay attention. As you read through the Bible look for these clues. It’s ALL important and we can learn something from each Scripture we read but take to heart when the writer says listen.

When I was in high school I was on the speech team and loved going to competitions. I was assigned a topic once and needed to explain the difference between hearing and listening. We all hear, unless we are impaired but we don’t all listen.

“Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing simply happens. Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences.” University of Minnesota, Duluth

The King James Bible is written in Old English and is filled with words like thee, thou, come hither, whithersoever, etc. and can be a little more difficult to understand but there is one phrase that I really like, “hearken diligently”. Simply put it means to listen up.

“Listen to and obey (hearken diligently) all the Laws I am telling you today. Love the Lord your God. Work for Him with all your heart and soul. If you do, 14 He will give the rain for your land at the right times, the early and late rain. So you may gather in your grain, your new wine and your oil. 15 He will give grass in your fields for your cattle. And you will eat and be filled. 16 Be careful not to let your hearts be fooled so you turn away and work for other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 11:13-16 NLV

God promises to bring blessings into our lives when we “hearken diligently” to His word. He has so many good things for us, we need to listen.

I’ve encouraged you in the past and will again, when you are reading the Bible don’t focus on how much you read, rather concentrate on the content. What you are reading is really God talking to you. Are you listening?

Get your catchers on!

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Follow the Shepherd

Yesterday when we were talking about being a beggar or a believer, it came to mind that some folks think God is out to get them or at the very least to make their lives meager, unhappy and empty of anything good and enjoyable but that is the exact opposite of who God really is. They think that to follow the Lord they would be destine to life a sub-standard life, a beggar’s existence.

All you have to do is follow Jesus through the streets and byways of His earthly existence to see how He came to give live and life more abundantly. (John 10:10) From the very beginning, His life was for one purpose, to bring God’s love to us and to die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and enter into a “sonship”, to be adopted by God the Father and become joint-heirs with Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God and those that come to Him MUST believe that He exists and that He IS a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”

God rewards us for seeking Him – do you get that? He rewards us with eternal life, with peace, joy, love; with health and healing; with supplying all our needs and prospering us so we can be a blessing to others; with His power & authority to overcome the works of the enemy. But it takes faith – not faith in what I’ve done to be good enough to have God love and bless me but faith in God and His unconditional love for me, His love that is extended toward me knowing that I can NEVER be good enough to earn it on my own. If we could earn it, there would have been no need for Jesus to die. Faith is an act of receiving what has already been done, not a work or effort that we must accomplish.

Let’s go back to the verses in John 10. Jesus was comparing himself to a “good shepherd” and contrasting the way a shepherd is with a thief and with a hired hand who have no vested interest in the flock.

“The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But sheep will never follow someone they don’t know. They will run away from him, because they don’t know his voice.”

6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.

7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will be able to come in and go out. They will find everything they need. 10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.

11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” John 10:3-11 ERV

We lived in an area that had some pretty big bands of sheep and I grew up where sheep were a part of the agricultural community so I have a casual observation and knowledge of shepherds and how they care for their sheep. Shepherds will fight with all they have to protect the sheep and keep them out of danger. They continue to move the sheep from one pasture to the next so that they have good nourishment and stay strong. (You see sheep will eat grass to the ground and then begin eating the dirt with the roots of the grass if they aren’t moved to better pasture) A good shepherd will make sure the sheep have plenty of fresh water and will doctor the sick and feeble ones. No wonder Jesus compared himself to a shepherd – He was always using examples that folks could relate too.

Jesus went through the streets as a shepherd; he healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, fed the hungry, opened blind eyes, rescued a prostitute, taught fisherman how to fish, brought wine to a wedding, forgave sins, restored a tax collector’s reputation, spoke out against the hypocrisy of religion and taught people everywhere about the amazing unconditional love of the Father.

Jesus mindset was always to glorify the Father by what he said and did. He lovingly cared for and provided for those who listened to his voice and followed him.

He’s still our shepherd. Follow His voice!

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Beggar or Believer

We’re at my Mom’s this morning in Yuma and I slept in. Since I have been sharing with you things the Lord has used as teaching experiences in my life I will be recycling this devotional from a few years back. Such a valuable lesson I learned from the Lord while waiting. The thing I was “begging” for was our move to Arizona. It took another year of living by faith and believing God to change the circumstances. But before He changed my living situation He changed my heart!

So yesterday, I had a situation I was talking to God about for most of the day. Ok, let’s be perfectly honest; I was badgering and almost begging because it seems it has been SO long and I haven’t seen any change in the situation. Anyway, on the last time I was reminding God of how important this was and I knew He had the power to correct and change it, I had this thought come up – are you a beggar or a believer?

What! A beggar or a believer?!

Ohhhh I’m sorry. Show me how to stop begging because I really thought I was believing.

Then examples from the Bible started flooding my thoughts. I love it when God speaks up on the inside and starts teaching me. First let’s start at the beginning.

Jesus had the perfect example of a “believer’s” mindset and we are to have the same mind or type of thinking as Christ, so we need to follow his instruction.

“Jesus told his disciples: Have faith in God! 23 If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will.” Mark 11:22-23

In the Old Testament there is a story about a famine in the land and 4 lepers who had to sit outside the city gate. (II Kings 7) People were starving inside the city, and the lepers were starving outside. It didn’t matter how much they begged no one had food to share so they devised a plan; they would go to the enemy and ask for food. “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?” II Kings 7:4

Faith without works is dead – so they took action, went to the enemy and God did the rest. He confused the army, they began killing each other and then the rest of them fled, leaving all the food, tents, horses, gold, etc. for the lepers to enjoy. This one act of desperation brought salvation of the whole nation. They went from begging to believing.

In the New Testament we find similar stories. There was a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, who sat begging at the roadside. He heard a group of people coming his way so he cried out for alms and someone told him it was Jesus and to hush. But he cried out louder for Jesus to have mercy on him. Jesus told him to come and when he rose up to go to Jesus, he threw off his “beggar’s” garment and went. Jesus asked, what do you want. Bartimaeus said, to receive my sight (not begging but believing) and Jesus said go your way, your FAITH has made you whole. (Mark 10)

Then there was the lame man at the Gate Beautiful who had been there begging alms all his adult life. He saw Peter and John coming to the temple and began begging from them. Peter said “We don’t have any silver or gold to give you today but what we do have we’ll give to you. In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk”. (Acts 4) Immediately he jumped up and began walking.

“You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.” Acts 4:16

And now here’s another viewpoint on begging and believing. The poor man begged for food and the rich man had faith in his own abilities, his talents, his business dealings. He was a self-made man. Lazarus begged from crumbs from a rich man’s table and Lazarus died. The rich man also died.

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;” Luke 16:22.

The verses go on to say that the rich man was in torment and he “begged” for Lazarus to bring him some water. However, that wasn’t possible. The rich man had faith in the wrong things – he had faith in himself. Jesus said we are to have faith in God.

There are several more examples I could share but I think you get the picture. Begging indicates a lack of faith, an uncertainty that what we are asking will get done. You’ve seen little kids beg their parents for something; they are insistent – please, please, please, pretty please with chocolate on it…

But faith is confident. We don’t dictate to Him, but simply tell Him about the need and believe in faith, that it will be taken care of. So I will ask you the same question I had to answer yesterday. Are you a beggar or a believer?

Have faith in God!

“I write this letter to you who believe in the Son of God. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now. 14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:13-15

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Through the Looking Glass

Do you remember being a child and using a magnifying glass for the first time? What was it that you were looking at; a bug, a coin, a hair, a crack in the sidewalk or perhaps a picture? I remember my grandmother had a magnifying glass in the top drawer of her desk. I wasn’t able to use it without permission or supervision. I think the first thing I looked at was a postage stamp. Yes, a purplish pink 4c Lincoln stamp. There was so much detail and I was fascinated.

As I’ve grown older I have used a magnifying glass many times. Looking for maker’s marks on old items, looking for splinters in fingers, examining small print on packages and finding tiny imperfections in things thought to be valuable.

Isn’t it interesting, the more we study something the more we see imperfection.

The same holds true when we look through our magnifying glass into the lives of the people we love or work with. When we’re tired we look through the glass and see “I’m the only one who has to do all the work” or “I just don’t understand why they NEVER or why they CAN’T”. Yes, we magnify the imperfections in others while also magnifying our “sacrifices” and “selflessness”.

I know none of you have ever done this but of course, we all know someone who has. There’s another way we can use the magnifying glass – we can use it to overexaggerate the problem and underestimate our self-worth and abilities. I was thinking about the Israelites when they sent spies into the promised land while they were in the desert. They wanted to know what this land that God had promised was like. So they sent in a reconnaissance team of 12 men who were to come back with a report.

“ Find out if the land is rich or poor, and if there are trees in it or not. Then try to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now this was the gathering time of the first grown grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land… 23 Then they came to the valley of Eshcol. They cut down a branch from there with some grapes on it. And they carried it on a long piece of wood between two men, with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of much fruit the men of Israel cut down from there.

25 They returned from looking over the land after forty days. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the people of Israel in the desert of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought news to them and to all the people, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They told Moses, “We went to the land where you sent us. It does flow with milk and honey. This is its fruit. 28 But the people who live in the land are strong. The cities have walls and are very large. And we saw the children of Anak there…

30 Then Caleb told the people in front of Moses to be quiet. And he said, “Let us go up at once and take the land. For we are well able to take it in battle.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go against the people. They are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought the people of Israel bad news about the land they had spied out, saying, “The land we have gone to spy out is a land that destroys those who go there to live. All the people we saw in it are very large. 33 We saw the Nephilim there. (The sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim.) We looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:20-35 NLV

Do you see that? They talked about the good things they saw, the fertile land, the fruit, the harvest but they focused on the giants. They magnified the strength of the giants but minimalizing their own value. These are a people who had just seen the Lord deliver them from Egypt, had crossed the Red Sea, had food dropped from heaven for them each morning, drank water that had gushed out of a rock and now were looking at grapes so big that it took 2 men to carry a cluster and they were defeated by their perception of the situation.

How many times have we done the same? I’m too young, I’m too old; I’m not educated; I don’t have enough money; I’m just a Mom; I can’t do another thing. The I can’ts defeat us before we even get started. We put the magnifying glass on our shortcomings instead of on the blessings and opportunities and so we look like grasshoppers in our own eyes.

There’s a simple solution to our situation. Move the magnifying glass!

Caleb heard the report and said “let’s go at once and take the land”. He was looking through the glass at the goodness of the land. Let’s take it! We need that same attitude. We have God’s word that has promised us that we can have peace in a storm, strength when we feel weak, joy in place of sorrow and be well supplied for our needs. We are promised wisdom when we are lacking and protection when we are under attack.

Instead of magnifying the problem, change the focus and magnify the solution.

“My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. 3 Give great honor (magnify) to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together. 4 I looked for the Lord, and He answered me. And He took away all my fears.” Psalm 34:2-4 NLV

There was a young girl who could have seen her flaws and inabilities if she had focused on them but instead she chose to “magnify” the Lord. Her name was Mary. The angel came and told her that she was going to have a baby, the son of God. Mary’s heart focused on the promise and not on the problem.

“Then Mary said, “My heart sings (magnifies) with thanks for my Lord. 47 And my spirit is happy in God, the One Who saves from the punishment of sin. 48 The Lord has looked on me, His servant-girl and one who is not important. But from now on all people will honor me. 49 He Who is powerful has done great things for me. His name is holy.” Luke 1:46-49 NLV

Magnify the Lord – magnify His word and the solutions that He provides. When we look through the glass at Jesus we won’t find imperfections or weaknesses. We will see His strength, His abilities and His power.

He will take away all our fears!

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Discovering Hidden Treasure

Dave and I have always enjoyed finding “hidden treasure”! While we lived in Northern Idaho we spent nearly every weekend at farm and ranch auctions seeking lost treasure buried in barns or some old box. It was a wonderful time.

It also required an effort of time and finances. Sometimes we would travel into neighboring states, rarely was there anything within a couple hours drive. That was the fun of it; the drive, taking a picnic, setting a budget, going over the budget and then coming home with the truck laden down like a pirate’s ship. All of this was the image that came to mind this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2.

“My son, pay attention to what I say. Remember my commands. 2 Listen to wisdom, and do your best to understand. 3 Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. 4 Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. 5 If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God.” Proverbs 2:1-5 ERV

Search for wisdom like hidden treasure.

Wisdom that comes from God is invaluable. Solomon is the one who wrote Proverbs and he is reported to have been the wealthiest and wisest man to have ever lived. He placed a greater value on wisdom than on riches. In fact, when God asked him what he wanted most this was his answer.

“While Solomon was at Gibeon, the Lord came to him at night in a dream. God said, “Solomon, ask me what you want me to give you.”

6 Solomon answered, “You were very kind and loyal to your servant, my father David. He was faithful to you and lived a good, honest life. And you showed him the greatest kindness when you let his son take his place as king. 7 Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father’s place, but I am like a small child. I don’t have the wisdom I need to do what I must do. 8 I am your servant here among your chosen people. There are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So I ask you to give me the wisdom to rule and judge them well and to help me know the difference between right and wrong. Without such great wisdom, it would be impossible to rule this great nation.”

10 The Lord was happy that Solomon asked for wisdom. 11 So God said to him, “You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions. 12 So I will give you what you asked for. I will make you wise and intelligent. I will make you wiser than anyone who ever lived or ever will live. 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for. You will have riches and honor all your life. There will be no other king in the world as great as you. 14 And I will give you a long life if you follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David did.” I Kings 3:5-14 ERV

Time and again in the book of Proverbs Solomon refers to wisdom as a treasure.

“Good homes are built on wisdom and understanding. 4 Knowledge fills the rooms with rare and beautiful treasures.” Proverbs 24:3 ERV

“Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold. 15 Wisdom is worth more than fine jewels. Nothing you desire has more value. 16 With her right hand, Wisdom offers long life—with the other hand, riches and honor.” Proverbs 3:14-16 ERV

I’m sure you have noticed that there are 30 chapters in the book of Proverbs, one for each day of most months. What if we were to go on a daily treasure hunt? I know it would require time, just like it required a commitment of our time to travel to those auctions. Do you think if would be profitable for us to search out the treasure in each chapter? There is so much that we can glean from the practical teachings of this book.

One thing that Solomon teaches us is to trust God’s wisdom and not our own. We’re not to “lean on our own understanding”. This is probably one of the most difficult things for me to consistently follow. I’m constantly coming up with one “bright idea” after another and I have certainly had my fair share of failures. But those things that I have truly sought the Lord on and followed His wise plan have succeeded.

This is one of the gold nuggets that I found hidden in the book of Proverbs.

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMP

In the natural way of thinking it wasn’t good military strategy to have a nation of people march around a city for 7 days and then shout and blow on trumpets but that was God’s plan for taking the city of Jericho. Joshua followed it and defeated his enemy. Going after a giant with a sling shot and 5 smooth stones wasn’t King Saul’s plan but it was God’s, so when David was obedient success followed.

A widow woman had the plan to take her last bit of meal and oil, make a cake for her and her son and then they were going to starve. There was no other food and her countrymen had been dying all around her. It wasn’t her plan to make the cake and give to God’s prophet first but that’s what she did and with God’s plan in place the woman and her son never ran out of meal and oil during the famine.

We need to trust and follow His instruction. God will give us creative ideas if we ask Him.

“Learning respect for the Lord is good. It will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right. They are completely fair. 10 His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb. 11 His teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them.” Psalm 19:9-11 ERV

So get out your metal detectors, your gold panning equipment and your treasure map. Dig into God’s word. Happy prospecting!

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