Pink Clouds and Broken Mirrors

One evening, when I had finished my last class of the day and was walking to another building on campus, I glanced up at the sky and stopped in my tracks.  The sky was beautiful; it took my breath away.  The sun started to dip below the horizon, filling the sky with brilliant orange color.  But it was the large, puffy clouds that caught my attention the most.

They were bright pink.  

I walked more slowly, staring, until the sun suddenly disappeared below the horizon and the sky dimmed dramatically.  Now the clouds turned ashy grey.  I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that something so beautiful and unique a minute ago was now bleak and plain.  Did the clouds have some hidden beauty I wasn't seeing right now?

Later I realized that on their own, the clouds were just empty, blank canvases.  It was the sun's rays that made the clouds beautiful as they reflected its glory.  Sound familiar?

The concept of reflecting glory reminds me of something I heard on the radio years ago, when Luci Swindoll (the sister of renowned evangelist Chuck Swindoll) presented a unique view of us as Christians.  According to Ms. Swindoll, we are all broken mirror fragments, broken by our pasts, our sins, our failures, and our experiences, but all able to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ!  We can reflect His glory despite our brokenness -- even through our brokenness!  

This is an illustration of who we are.  We are blank, grey clouds and broken mirrors.  But even we can be used for His glory if we choose to reflect Him no matter the circumstances.  Just as I was captivated by the beauty of that sunset and wondered whether the beauty originated from the clouds or from the sun shining on the clouds, so will the world look at us and wonder if the peace we have (or the confidence, the hope, the joy) is something we somehow found in ourselves, or if it really does come from knowing Jesus Christ intimately.   

2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

Isaiah 60:1-3, "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."

Beautiful Scars

This isn't a normal message from Facing Midian.  This message is straight to you, from my heart.  This morning I am overflowing with praise -- I hardly know why I am writing this; I just want to share with you what my sweet Lord has done for me.  

He has turned my scabs into beautiful scars.

Now, I know about scars.  I have physical scars from burns I received in an accident when I was 16 months old, injuries that required so many surgeries that my mom lost count.  I don't remember it, but the trauma from that incident has remained with me and made me unable to handle being in a children's hospital in Brazil.  Oh yes, I have scars.  But one thing I know about scars is this: scars don't still hurt. 

The worst kind of wound is the kind you carry with you every day -- a wounded heart.  My heart was wounded, and I carried that pain with me for a long, long time.  I didn't know how to get past it.  I couldn't see past it.  I couldn't feel past it.  

Today I opened my prayer journal and flipped back to the entries that mark the worst emotional pain of my life.  The pain written on those pages is blistering and intense, almost radiating up into my face as I read them.  But what I experienced when I read them today . . . was different.  

Yesterday I asked the Lord to heal my heart once and for all.  I knew I couldn't truly live until I'd been fully, completely healed.  I couldn't move forward without it.  I'd tried for months and months to "think" my way into healing and "study" my way into healing.  All that time, God was longing for me to reach the end of my rope and just ask Him.  Just ask Him.  He wanted me to ask for a miracle.  He wanted me to realize that He didn't need my help to heal.  He wanted me to realize that there was absolutely nothing I could do to get myself out of this pit.  It would have to be all Him. 

This morning, I re-read those devastating journal entries and didn't feel what I used to feel.  I didn't identify with the woundedness or wonder how I'd ever be healed from such devastation.  I felt whole again, and peaceful, and healed.  

Jesus has healed my heart.

Hallelujah!  What beautiful, beautiful scars.

"Praise God we don't have to hide scars!
"They just strengthen our wounds and they soften our hearts.
"They remind us of where we have been, but not who we are.
"So praise God, praise God!
"Oh His are covering ours,
"So Praise God we don't have to hide scars." -Jonny Diaz, "Scars"

Praise God for these beautiful scars!

Ashton

I've been reading through Frank Peretti's novel This Present Darkness for a couple weeks now, often late into the night -- which really isn't smart because that book is not conducive to sleep!  It's been opening my eyes to what could very well be going on in the spirit realm, and it's both exciting and mind blowing.  I hadn't realized before how powerful the prayers of the Remnant (i.e., true followers of Jesus Christ) could potentially be in influencing what goes on in the spiritual realm!   

Peretti published this book back in 1986, but his depiction of the fictional town of Ashton eerily resembles . . . the current state of this entire country.  Wouldn't you agree?  Just look around.  Look at your generation.  Look at my generation!  Look at families, look at society -- abominations occur every single day because people choose to avert their eyes and let it slide.  Evil has infiltrated and been absorbed by our country, playing out devastating effects on people from pre-birth to 100 years old.  It doesn't take a lot of imagination to recognize that Satan is having a heyday with the United States of America.  

I've felt helpless against this for so long.  But a few days ago, I read something that shifted my perspective and showed me that I can change this.  We can change this.

2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 

Let me dissect this verse to show you what I'm seeing.  

"My people, who are called by My name" clearly refers to us (the Remnant), if not only to the original context (the nation of Israel).

Apparently, we as God's people have the opportunity and the responsibility to petition God for the healing of our country, something He promises to actually do!  But there's a catch!  According to the rest of this verse, four things have to happen inside us first: 

1. We must humble ourselves
2. We must pray
3. We must seek His face
4. We must turn from our wicked ways

If you're skeptical at this point, don't worry; I was too.  Does God really heal a wicked land when the Church (I'm referring to the Remnant, not a denomination or a building) prays for its healing?  

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." -Jeremiah 29:7

This seems to indicate that we should pray on behalf of a wicked nation because there will be direct results from those prayers!  The exciting thing is that God is stirring up the Remnant to pray for this country -- just like in This Present Darkness -- and that just tells me that something big IS going on here, and we can't ignore those urges to pray and cry out to God for healing and repentance.

Okay . . . but what if I were the only one in the world praying?  Would my prayers really be heard and answered?  The prayers of one person can seem so insignificant . . . . 

Let me show you something that's just so precious to me.  As I was struggling with feelings of "prayer inadequacy syndrome," God led me to Daniel chapters 9-10.  Daniel, who was a captive in Babylon during this time, was burdened for his native land, since Jerusalem has long been seized by the Chaldeans.  He saw all the wickedness going on and pleaded with God, all by himself, for the redemption of his people (Daniel 9:4-19).  Daniel hadn't even finished his prayer before God sent Gabriel to give Daniel understanding (v. 20-27)!  Two years later, Daniel was given a prophetic word, and it troubled him so much that he mourned for three weeks.  During that mourning time, Daniel saw a vision of a "terrifying man" who came to explain what was yet to happen to the people.  

Here's what I saw in these two chapters.  Both Gabriel (in Dan. 9:22) and the "terrifying man" (in Dan. 10:11, 19) made a point to tell Daniel that he was greatly loved.  How precious is that?  Daniel was just praying all by himself, and God took such pleasure in his sincere (but solitary) prayers that He sent two messengers not only to answer Daniel, but also to tell him how greatly he was loved.  

My point is, even if you were the only one on Earth praying for your nation, God wouldn't see that as insignificant.      

So, think about it.  In Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus says, " 'Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  for where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.' "  

Reading This Present Darkness has shown me that we do actually have the authority to fight Satan -- and win -- in Jesus' name!  Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!  This country was dedicated to God at its birth!

As a young Christ-follower, I'm deciding to take a stand and tell Satan NO!  He cannot have my country!  If necessary I will stand alone, unafraid.  I'm not afraid of Satan!  I'm now calling to you.  Will you stand with me against Satan and his demons, and pray for God to send down warrior angels to fight for this country?  Will you beg God to stir up the Remnant to pray, to stand up, to lead, to speak?  Will you beg God to bring this nation to its knees in repentance?  To bring revival?  To bring healing? 

Do you believe that we can change America -- our very own Ashton?

I do.

 

Unlocked: A Lesson from Brazil

Two months ago, if someone asked me if I believed in the power of prayer, I would say "Yes, of course!" but wouldn't really believe it.  I'd agree because that's what Christians do.  However, if there were ever a crisis and someone said, "Let's pray about it," I'd feel frustrated because that wouldn't seem like enough.  I would feel the need to do something about the crisis.  Countless times before when I'd prayed, it appeared that God didn't answer.  And I was sick of it.  Don't get me wrong; God and I were tight!  It's just that over time I developed a slightly pessimistic view of prayer.

But my world turned upside down when I went to Brazil.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was given the opportunity to share my testimony in an evening church service.  I didn't have a very clear idea of what to say so I was very dependent on the Lord to lead me as I spoke.  I was completely humbled by what He did with my story that night.  Twenty blog posts couldn't fully describe what happened.  It was incredibly awesome, and I was so, so blessed.  

The next morning, however, I woke up sick.  Not only that, but I also felt spiritually attacked.  My emotions were frayed and every part of me felt assaulted.  The women on our mission team prayed over me that morning, but nevertheless, the attack escalated throughout the day.  I even felt a wall between me and God.  That night, I went to Jill (my mentor on the trip) and told her what I was going through.  Her response was to gather the women again, lay hands on me, and absolutely go to war.  These women prayed so hard for me.  When they stopped praying, Jill looked me straight in the eye and said, "Tomorrow, this illness will be gone."

I nodded and smiled but didn't really believe her.  I knew that, without treatment, the illness I had would not go away for at least 4 days.  My pessimism seemed justified by the fact that nothing had happened as a result of their prayers that morning. 

But the next day after breakfast, I was stunned.  I was completely well.  And the spiritual attack was gone.  I was humbled almost to the point of humiliation.  I wanted to scream at myself, "Woman, where is your faith?"

The day after I got well, another woman on our team fell very ill, so much so that she couldn't even leave the dorm room.  I was in the dorm room getting ready for the day when the Spirit spoke to my heart, Drop everything.  Go get the women and pray for her.  Do it now.  Do it now.

I literally dropped everything I was holding and ran outside to find Jill and the other women on our team.  I apologized for interrupting their devotions but insisted that I felt led to get the women together and pray for our teammate.  The women responded that they had felt the exact prompting just before I ran over.  

We went to war for our teammate, believing that God could and would answer, and that He could and would heal, if that was His will for her that day (which we believed it could be).  Only a few hours later, our teammate was on her feet and was diving back into ministry with the rest of us.  

Needless to say, it didn't take much for my attitude to change.  Since I got back, prayer has become one of the most exciting aspects of my walk with God.  I'm absolutely delighting in the power of prayer, and I believe He is delighting in my delight.  The Lord is captivated by unabashed faith.  I've been home from Brazil for a month already, and I can't even count the prayers He has answered.  From big things to little things, the Lord has responded when I pray in faith, and pray in step with His will.  

Pastor Jim Johnson from JustAPreacher Ministries (www.justapreacherministries.org) says that God is LOOKING for genuine faith. "I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" -Luke 18:8 (emphasis mine)

Not just the kind of faith that trusts Him for salvation, but faith that is practical and continues every day of your life.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." -James 1:5-6 (emphasis mine)

This is the key to unlocking prayer.  Here was my problem -- I would pray, but didn't really trust God to answer the way I wanted Him to.  My previous experiences with prayer trained me to think that way.  But in reality, it's not that God wasn't answering me.  God sometimes let bad things happen in my life because He saw the bigger picture and knew that He could bring much glory out of those things. 
Also, when I prayed, I always had a Plan B in case God "didn't come through."  That wasn't honoring Him; that was sending a silent message to Him that sounded like, "God, I love You, but I don't think You're big enough to come through for me.  I have this Plan B because, frankly, I don't trust You."

Get rid of those Plan Bs right now.

If you don’t have a Plan B, that means your only option is Plan A – Jesus.  Our society has watered-down Jesus and made Him seem wimpy and weak, tame, tender and – well, effeminate, really.  That’s not the Jesus I read about in the Bible.  That’s not the Jesus that single-handedly cleared out the temple, or walked on the water through a hurricane, or calmed that hurricane by a single word, or valiantly took my place and bled and broke and died for me.  My God is wild and all-powerful.  My God is good. 

 "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." -Hebrews 11:6

I am saddened when I hear people say, “Well?  I guess all we can do now is pray,” as if prayer is the final resort when all human efforts have failed.  That’s backwards.  Now, when I face anything (a happy day, a crisis, whatever), my first response –my first choice!-- is prayer.  God  is completely trustworthy.  He loves us.  He wants us to come to Him.  Will we not trust Him, this wild, passionate, incredible God? 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1

I choose to unlock my prayers.  I choose You, Lord.  I’m not relying on a Plan B.  I want that radical faith.  In fact, during debrief on our last morning in Brazil, I summarized that experience by identifying what God has been longing to say to me all along.

“Woman, great is your faith!”

Done Right?

My mom has me reading bestselling author Bodie Thoene's Zion Covenant series -- novels from a Christian point of view that depict the plight of Jews in pre-WWII Germany and Austria. The last thing I expected when I read another chapter before bed was that God would speak something profound to me through the pages.

In Vienna Prelude, Thoene's main character, Elisa, is struggling to forgive herself for mistakes she has made and forgive the people who have betrayed her, while also trying to understand the whats, whys, and hows of her life. She feels inadequate for the mission she has been given, so she goes to a cafe to clear her mind and to pray. A guitarist at the cafe is playing a familiar song, and Elisa is struck by the lyrics. "God alone should have my heart . . ." Elisa agrees . . . except that doesn't answer any of her questions. What is she doing here? Why did God let this happen? How can she go on? The next lyrics of the song struck me. "What God has done is rightly done!"

Thoene writes, "If [Elisa's] heart was to belong to God alone, then she must have faith that He did not make mistakes. Men might fail miserably -- that was in evidence all around. But that which was done by God would not fail."

This is the answer to the tough questions that arise in life: what God has done is rightly done!

What a test of faith! During sunny days or in the midst of storms, do we believe that what God has done is rightly done? Do we believe that God doesn't make mistakes, even when we can't imagine why He is allowing circumstances to fall the way they are?

Job immediately comes to mind. He lost everything. Did he believe that God did rightly?

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." -Job 1:20-22

Job is a tough book to read. Forty-two chapters of sorrow and pain are made worse by his insensitive, arrogant friends. And yet . . . at the very end of the book, when the Lord speaks, Job has clearly made up his mind.

"Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.'" -Job 42:1-2

What a response. Unconditional trust. Unwavering faith. 

We don't know for sure that Job ever understood God's purpose this side of heaven. But Joseph did. Betrayed by his own family, sold into slavery, tempted, falsely accused, imprisoned for three years -- Joseph knew pain. But he also knew his God. Seeing God's hand in everything from getting him to Egypt, to humbling, to training, to testing, to promotion, Joseph had the faith to forgive his brothers and to say to them, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." -Genesis 50:20

What God has done is rightly done. It is He who orchestrates our lives; it is He who tests us, trains us, protects us, lifts us, loves us.

"And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." -Deuteronomy 8:2-3

God must give His consent before anything enters or exits our lives. The sheer fact that Satan must ask God's permission before attacking us (see Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6) gives me such comfort! God will only allow pain into our lives if He sees that He can bring great purpose and glory from it, and from our response to it. What a loving God we have! Our trials and pain are never, ever in vain.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of traveling to Brazil and sharing my testimony during an evening church service. The verse I summarized with is one I find myself constantly turning to when life looks bleak: "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" -Psalms 27:13-14

He is with you, holding your hand, guiding your steps. You may feel that the world is deaf, but God can hear. You may feel blind, but God can see. You may feel speechless, but God will speak. You may feel paralyzed, but God will move.

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand." -Psalms 37:23-24

Why? Why? Why? We can ask that question forever, but God may not answer it this side of heaven. The truth is, God is good! God is for His children. God is for you. God is allowing trials into your life for your good and His glory! With eyes of faith, we can see His loving hand in every detail.

Even though it doesn't make sense to a watching world . . . .

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?' And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, 'This man is calling Elijah.' And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to Him to drink. But the others said, 'Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.' And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with Him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'" -Matthew 27:45-54

What God has done is rightly done.

The Indiana Thunderstorm: A Peek at Elijah Part 2

     "Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and He will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field." -Zechariah 10:1

     At the end of June, my grandparents marked their 50th wedding anniversary, so the whole family gathered in Indiana (24 people under 1 roof!) to celebrate.  It was a blast.  The whole stay had been meticulously planned out in advance, and everything went off without a hitch.  One of the most memorable events of that weekend, however, was one we had absolutely no control over. 

     Around 3pm on the second [extremely hot] day, a few of us made a move to go to a waterpark.  However, as soon as we got onto the main road, rolled down the car windows, and switched on the radio, we heard the National Weather Service issue a severe thunderstorm warning.  The broadcaster described the storm's potentially alarming power and urged residents to seek shelter.  Immediately, sirens began wailing outside (in Indiana, sirens go off for severe thunderstorms as well as tornadoes).  We stopped at a gas station and gazed at the sky, puzzled.  The sun was shining, and the sky was bright blue and flecked with fluffy white clouds.  However, we aired on the side of caution and returned to the house, grumbling that the storm surely wouldn't come now that we'd decided to return.  At home, the adults went online to find a local radar map of the "storm," but the internet began cutting in and out.  When we looked out the windows, the sky had grown dark grey, and most of the family had already gathered on the covered front porch to watch. 

     There was no rain, no lightning, and no thunder.  Just wind.  An unbelievable display of the power of God!  Trees were swaying wildly under the force, branches were being stripped of healthy leaves, and the gravel driveway looked like a mini-version of the Dust Bowl.  Some panicked and sent the little ones down to the basement (I wholeheartedly joined them), but when nothing seemed to happen, we came back up.  The temperature was 20 degrees cooler now, and the wind was dying down.  I must say I was disappointed.  The wind had wreaked havoc on the trees, the lawn, the temperature, and my eyes (had to flush dust and debris out of them -- smart, Jordan, just stand on the porch and watch!).  You'd think we'd at least get a little rain, or at least some thunder and lightning.  

     Silence.  The leaves were still, the air was still, the birds were still. 

     Then it happened.  The clouds unfurled their fury -- it began to pour.  All the cousins dashed out into it, despite thunder and lightning that had come with the rain.  We carried the little ones and ran around, jumped, spun, danced, laughed, and soaked it all in.  The adults filmed us from the safety of the porch.  The rain had come, and it was wonderful.

     The storm got me thinking.  Many times, God will allow things into our lives that wreak havoc and debris, things that shake our world.  It feels like an assault.  It feels cruel.  All we can see is destruction.  You know what I'm talking about; you fill in the blank.  

     Then, silence.  An awful period of nothing . . . a desert.  No end in sight.  No water in sight.  It feels devastating, discouraging, dry.  Maybe we see some small good thing come from it -- after all, the air was 20 degrees cooler after the wind.  But the silence isn't the end.  God is in the silence.  

     1 Kings 19 finds us in a cave on Mount Horeb with a very depressed Elijah.  If you'll recall, this was the guy who had just seen God defeat 450 prophets of Baal with a fiery display of power.  I could go on and on about the significance of Elijah's hasty retreat, but that's not the point of today's blog.  So Elijah's hiding in God's mountain, and God gently asks Elijah what he's doing there.  A very bitter Elijah spouts off an account of how badly he's been treated, how thinks he's the only godly one left, and how his life is in danger.  Sounds like a desert to me!  Elijah seems to be saying, "Hey God, I've been faithful to You -- why haven't You come through for me?"

     "And [the LORD] said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.'  And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind an earthquake, but he LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  And after the fire the sound of a low whisper." -1 Kings 19:11-12

    

     You may be familiar with the last few words as translated: "a still, small voice" or "a gentle, quiet whisper."  Some translations like the NRSV Bible interpret it as "the sound of sheer silence."  This is the definition that impacts me most.  Silence doesn't have any sound, you say?  Have you ever stood in an utterly silent room?  It's crazy.  Silence is deafening.  In our noise-oriented society, silence can be deeply disturbing.  Perhaps for you it is deeply healing.  God is in the silence. 

     My favorite part in the Christian movie Facing the Giants is when Mr. Bridges, a mostly overlooked man who prays for the students at Shiloh Christian High School, visits Grant Taylor, a depressed football coach with a losing season.  

          Mr. Bridges.  "Now Grant, I heard a story about two farmers who desperately needed rain, and both of them prayed for it.  But only one of them went out and prepared his fields to receive it.  Which one trusted God to send the rain?"
          Grant Taylor. "Well, the one who prepared his fields for it."
          Mr. Bridges.  "Which one are you?  God will send the rain when He's ready.  You need to prepare your field to receive it."

      The silence won't last forever.  This desert season is the time we've been given to prepare our fields for rain.  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you." -Hosea 10:12

     The best part is . . . God will send the rain.  It's coming!  It might almost be here!  What you have worked for and longed for, that which you have prepared your fields to receive . . . it's coming.  In God's time and in God's way.  It might be a completely different kind of rain than the kind you had in mind.  Why worry?  His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), so we can bank on the fact that His "rain" will always be best, no matter in what form it comes.  

     "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD.  His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth." -Hosea 6:3

     Drifting in a season of silence?  Prepare your fields for rain, and look up!  It's coming.

 

Fire, Water, and 450 Guys: A Peek at Elijah Part 1

     When I crawled into bed after midnight recently, the house was quiet, and all the lights in the house were turned off except mine.  I had several ideas I was "chewing" on and praying about, hoping that God would shed more light on them.  In the midnight stillness, I felt led to grab my Bible and open to 1 Kings, where I stayed into the wee morning hours as God showed an example of unbelievable -- almost ridiculous -- faith.  

     Elijah's finest hour comes in 1 Kings 18, after three years of drought.  God told Elijah to show himself to King Ahab, and then God would send the rain.  

     Elijah does as he's told . . . and then challenges Ahab to a face-off -- my God vs. your god.  However, the text doesn't indicate that God specifically told Elijah to do this!  But 450 prophets of Baal assemble at Mount Carmel, along with a huge crowd of people.  Elijah rebukes the people for sitting on the fence and tells them they must jump off one way or another -- would they serve God or serve Baal?  

     Elijah then faces the 450 prophets of Baal and tells them to sacrifice a bull and lay it on an altar, but to not set it on fire.  He would do the same.  "'And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.'  And all the people answered, 'It is well spoken.'" (vs. 24) 

     The prophets of Baal sacrificed a bull, laid it on their altar, and then spend hours crying out to Baal, begging him to answer.  No answer.  They begged him to send fire.  No answer.  More pleading.  No answer.  "And at noon Elijah mocked then, saying, 'Cry aloud, for he is a god.  Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.'  And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.  And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation [evening worship], but there was no voice.  No one answered; no one paid attention." (vs.27-29)

     Finally, Elijah said, my turn.  At Mount Carmel, there was an altar to the Lord that had been torn down.  Elijah began to rebuild it in a very special way.  "Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, 'Israel shall be your name,' and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD." (vs. 31-32a)  

     Let's stop right there, because this is worth noting.  Elijah built that altar with stones that symbolized GOD'S PROMISE to Israel.  That altar's very foundation was a promise.  Elijah knew that God had promised to come through for Israel and that He would make good on that.  Elijah knew that God is good, and God is faithful.  Elijah was banking on history repeating itself. 

     Since this blog came from the idea of Gideon, let's go back there for a second.  Food for thought: when Gideon and his 300 men faced Midian, the odds were 450 to 1.  What were the odds for Elijah and the prophets of Baal?  Yep.  450 to 1.  I'm indebted to Pastor Cliff Johnson for pointing this out.

     "And [Elijah] made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.  And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood.  And he said, 'Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.'"

This is insane.  Water aside, Elijah just said, "the burnt offering."  It's not burnt! . . . Yet.  Elijah spoke in faith, but the prophets of Baal must've been snickering, if they hadn't already passed out from all that blood loss. >:)

     But pour water over the offering?  Good grief, why?!  Yet he commands that it be done again!  And again!  Twelve large jars of water were dumped over this altar.  It's like Elijah intentionally made it twelve times harder for God to come through -- twelve times more impossible! Or did he?

     You see, although God may not have commanded Elijah to organize this "showdown of the Gods," I believe He was delighted in Elijah's faith.  If I were Elijah, my heart would have been banging against my chest as I prayed desperately for God to come through, all the time fearing that He would not . . . . Perhaps God wanted to move and act in an entirely different way than I wanted.  I'd be afraid of bringing shame upon God's name by pushing my own agenda on the possibility that God wouldn't come through.  Wouldn't I be giving God a bad rep?  

     Honestly, this is how we think.  But understand this: God can take care of His own reputation.  You do your part, make sure you're in line with His will, and step out in faith -- don't worry about embarrassing yourself or embarrassing God.  You can't. 

     "At the time of the offering of the oblation [evening worship], Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.  Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back.'  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, 'The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.'" (vs. 36-39)

     And just like that, God did it.  So, why am I writing about this?  It's in the Bible after all; technically you could've read it for yourself.  I want you to see something, something I never saw until two nights ago.  Elijah was so confident in his God that he made the circumstances seem impossible to give God a GREATER platform, a way for God to get even more glory, WHEN (not IF) He came through.  Elijah was sure of it, so why not make it big? 

     And God loved it.  He loved that Elijah wasn't chewing his fingernails, afraid that the Lord might not come through and send the fire.  No, Elijah showed God this almost disgusting display of overwhelming faith and radical trust!  Elijah personified Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  I think God's heart thrilled with love for Elijah and He was delighted to come through -- a grand show, apocalyptic fire!

     "We have a God who loves to show off on behalf of those who trust Him." -Pastor Jim Johnson, JustAPreacher Ministries

     God came through.  And it was INCREDIBLE.  But what's interesting is what happened immediately after.  God sent the rain.  

     But we'll talk about that in Part 2.  :)

Much at Stake: The Risk

"Why are you cast down, O my inner self?  And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me?  Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my sad countenance, and my God." - Psalm 43:5 (amplified)

While running errands with my mom today, I remarked, "Everyone is going through something.  In fact . . . it seems like no one is ever not going through something!"

Some of you may be enduring a season of storms. 

Others may feel like a tornado just ripped through your situation.  

Then there are those of you who feel like you've got Hurricane Katrina absolutely devastating you, ravaging your heart, annihilating your hope.

Lately, God's been directing me to address EMOTIONAL PAIN in these blog posts.  I pray they are ministering to someone as they have ministered to me.

If you're in a season of "Hurricane Katrina" pain, one thing you must realize is that pain is blinding.  When people say they can't see past the pain, they're telling the truth.  Because pain will never allow you to see anything but IT.  

Did you know you have 2 sets of eyes??  

The only way to see through a season of pain is to stop looking through our human eyes -- reasoning, trying to understand, trying to figure it out -- and instead open our heart's eyes, eyes of faith.  You will never be able to see clearly if you're walking through fog.  But the fog hovers near the ground, so if you were to climb a hill or a tall tree, you'd be able to see over it!  This is a parallel of how you can see with your "eyes of faith."  Trust will open those eyes.

Suppose God see you clinging to something that we shouldn't be clinging to.  Maybe He sees that it's not good for you to cling to it.  Maybe He has something better.  Or maybe He sees that it is good, but it's not time for you to have it.  Whatever the reason, He takes it away.  And you're absolutely devastated.

Catch this: God ALWAYS acts in the way that will do us the MOST GOOD and bring Him the MOST GLORY.  And above all, He acts in unfathomable love. 

Unfathomable love.

In your human mind you cannot possibly see how this could be used for good.  All you see is . . . well, nothing.  You're blind.  Blinded by the pain.

Out of God's unfathomably tender love, He chose to bring about the hardest thing, that "worst case scenario", knowing the unspeakable pain it would cause, knowing there would be many opportunities for Satan to use it to destroy you, or for you to reject Him (God) altogether.  In His love, He saw what the end result would be and decided it was worth the risk.  

Look at Jesus.  He sweated blood as He begged God to let the cup of suffering pass from Him (Luke 22:42, 44).  And yet He ultimately surrendered Himself to His Father's will.  God saw that the end result of Jesus's suffering would be YOUR ADOPTION into His family, and He decided it was worth it.  Think about all the prophesies about Jesus, how much hung in the balance! 

For example,"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth." -Isaiah 53:7

If Jesus had opened his mouth, Satan would have won.  Something as small as that would have marred the way to our salvation.  Jesus was walking the ultimate tightrope. 

It was the ultimate risk.  

So what's risky about your situation?  Your response.  Suppose you have a child who is playing with something that is not good for them, or something they shouldn't have right now.  As a parent, you see what is best for your child and you lovingly take away that item.  The child is devastated.  In his mind, he cannot see that you have acted for his good.  He can't understand why mommy or daddy just took away his treasure.  He doesn't understand the purpose behind the pain.  What if he rebels against you?  What if he hates you and walks away?

"If the PURPOSE couldn't exceed the PAIN, the answer is NO." -Beth Moore

In other words, if God couldn't bring about a result that would exceed the level of pain it takes to get there, He wouldn't have taken away your treasure.  

But what if your child, with tears still streaming down his cheeks, turned to you, lifted his little hands, and in the only way he knew how, told you that he trusted you.  He doesn't understand why, but he knows you are good, that you would only act in his best interest, and that he is submitting to you.

Doesn't that stir your heart?  What do you feel in the moment?  Overflowing love?  Pride? 

Today as I drove home from school, I reflected on my own pain and, for the hundredth time, vocalized that I TRUST HIM.  In spite of my pain, in spite of my not being able to see the good yet, in spite of my own Hurricane Katrina, I trust Him to write my story.  I am handing over the pen.  

He whispered to my heart something I know He will speak to yours in that moment:

"My daughter, I am so proud of you."

Hand Over The Pen!

I've been thinking a lot about "endings" lately.  For an author, two of the most beautiful words in the English language are "The End."  That's it: there's closure, all the loose ends are tied, all the storylines are wrapped up, happily ever after, etc., etc.  

I've come to the ironic conclusion that authors must have significantly more trouble trusting God than others do.  Why?  Because authors write stories; we know the endings, what happens, how it happens, who dies, who lives, who loses, who wins, who ends up with whom, who ends up miserable and who ends up happy.  We know the histories and the very destinies of our characters.  In essence, we get a taste of what it must be like to be God.  We are the masters of the stories we write . . . but eventually we must come to acknowledge that we have a Master writing our own stories. 

It's hard for an author to surrender his/her pen.  

Why is it so hard to let God be God and to allow Him to have full control over our own stories?  The answer is simple: we're afraid to hand God the pen because He might write a completely different ending than the one we are hoping for. 

What do we know about God as Author?  Can He really be trusted, even with the dreams we hold closer to our hearts than our next heartbeat?  

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him." -1 Corinthians 2:9

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.  For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." -Habakkuk 1:5

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope." -Jeremiah 29:11

"What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" -Romans 8:31-32 

"And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

Take a good look at that last verse.  We often hear, "God has a plan," but stop for a moment, and think of it this way.  If God chooses not to give you the ending you are hoping for, you must believe it's because HIS ending is so much better, it will blow your mind.  God doesn't just have "a plan."  That phrase is too vague for me.  I prefer to declare, "God's plan for me is GOOD." 

Let that sink in.  Sometimes all I can pray is that God will make me willing to be open to a different path than the one I would have chosen.

Recently, my aunt told me something so profound: God is writing your story, and it's a beautiful one...and it's not over. Maybe this season you're in is like the chapter that breaks the reader's heart and makes her want to throw the book across the room. But then after the reader calms down, she picks the book up again and continues reading...and discovers that each of the following chapters is filled with promises...which eventually lead to a beautiful and wonderful ending. This whole situation is still a stroke of the pen on the page of the book God is writing for you. And because He works for the GOOD of those who love Him, you KNOW that He's not going to let you down. 

In her book When a Woman Trusts God, Sheila Walsh writes, "God is here.  He is right here with you.  He never left you but at every turn in the road longs to show you what is inside your heart and set you free.  You are not a victim of the whims of others, no matter how true that may feel.  You are a beloved daughter [or son] of the King who is making you into a thing of greater and greater beauty as you learn to leave your dreams in His care."

I've decided to give the Author His pen back.  Will you join me here?

The Line: A Message to Singles

"I would rather do Kindergarten thru 12th grade 100 times over than spend one day worrying about who I was going to marry," said Nathan, one of my college pastors, a husband and father of five.

I think some of us can relate to Pastor Nathan in this area.  Are you sitting alone today?  Is there no "significant other" in your life?  Just plain . . . single?  Well, as a single woman myself, let me encourage you with a few quick words -- a message God has laid on my heart as I've wrestled with this issue in my own life.

First of all, understand this: the desire for marriage and family is good.  It is biblical.  It is ordained by God and ingrained in most of our hearts as something to be desired.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be married.  But the white blurs to grey when we make marriage an idol, enslaving our minds to wishes and wants instead of focusing our worship on our captivating God, from Whom all blessings (including marriage) flow (James 1:17).  Are we worshiping the blessing or the Blesser?

Second, know that God arranges marriages.  I used to constantly worry about when, where, how, and who until one day it finally clicked: If God wants me married, He will bring the right guy at exactly the right time, not a second later or sooner than is necessary.  It doesn't matter if we are across the country or across the world; He will shake Heaven and Earth to bring us together -- nothing can stop Him!  I began laughing at myself for getting so wound up.  God opened my eyes, unclenched my controlling little fists, and whispered to my heart, "I love you.  I am sovereign.  Trust Me."  I challenge you to join me here.

Thirdly, know that God lives in the past, the present, and the future (Rev. 4:8).  This is where the title: The Line comes into play.  When I asked Him about my future husband recently, God opened the eyes of my heart so I could see a white piece of paper with a line drawn on it.  My name was written on the left, and right next to mine, blurred beyond recognition, was another name.  I knew at once it was my future husband's name.  God moved my heart to realize He's already chosen my husband.  It's done.  Finished.  Decided.  It was written before I was born, even before he was born.  My husband's name was blurred because God knows that it is not time for me to know it yet.  When the time comes, I'll see his name clearly.  

So what now? you may ask. How does this change things?  It's gloriously simple.  There is absolutely no need to worry.  It won't speed things up!  The only answer is to realize that if God's plan for you is marriage, then your name is on a line too, and your spouse's name is written right next to yours, blurred for now.  All we need to do is practice Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight." 

So be encouraged, my friend.  You may be single right now and not like it, but soften your heart to what God is teaching you, and pray for your future spouse; God is teaching him/her too.  After you are prepared for each other, He will bring you together.  Remember, nothing in Heaven or on Earth can stop Him from acting at exactly the right moment.  He is writing your love story.  Keep turning the pages.  :)

What Fountain are YOU Swimming in?

(Note from the author: Per a request, I may start changing the colors of these posts so they're easier to differentiate from each other!)

A few weeks ago, I was skimming through the book of Jeremiah and my eye caught a verse that made me feel uncomfortable.  (Isn't that great? haha -- my public speaking textbook calls that feeling "cognitive dissonance", which is a sense of mental discomfort that prompts people to change when new information conflicts with their previous thought patterns.  And there's your college-thought of the day.)

The verse was Jeremiah 2:13, which says, "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."

Americans don't use the word "cistern" all too often (it's basically a well), but in Bible times a cistern was a hole dug in the ground that served as the holding tank for their water.  Now think outside the box, away from the literal terms, and see what God is trying to tell His people.

"For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water."

People make "cisterns" out of dreams, hopes, plans, people.  God is trying to tell us that only He can fulfill us -- and only He can fill us.  We are looking for fulfillment in the wrong place, in things and people who cannot possibly fill us or keep us filled. 

That sounds like me!  Maybe I haven't "forsaken" God, but I've been pulling off the song and dance of having both "cisterns" and not letting the "broken" cistern go.  I've been praying for God to fill the cracked cistern, but even if He does one day, it will be like a sieve, and no matter how much water is poured in, it will never keep it filled.  In the end I'd be splashing around in a kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it, when I could have been diving into a bottomless ocean of God's vast, fulfilling love.  Looks like I need a prayer adjustment!  Maybe you do too.

So what does this look like for you?  Have you been focusing on a cracked cistern and praying for God to fill it?  It may be a good, wonderful thing!!  But anything that is not Jesus Christ is a sieve; it won't hold water.  Not for long.  It can't.  It's cracked.  So even if God DOES choose to fill that cistern someday (and He might, and I hope He will!) our expectations must be realistic.  We can't expect those things to fill us.  They might, for a while.  But like a water bottle with a hole in it, it will slowly leak and the water level will fall.

We've all got God-sized holes in our hearts, and -- surprise! -- only God can fill that hole.  The only "water" that can fill you up is the Fountain of Living Waters.  I'd say the better bet is God's "cistern"! 

So what fountain are YOU swimming in?  The cracked kiddie pool with a few inches of water in it?  Or the bottomless ocean of God?

Long, Leave, Live!

     We all have longings, those desires that choke us in those quiet moments when no one else in the world sees.  Heart pangs that feel like daggers, rushes of longing that drive us to our knees, and little hopes that drive us insane.  What are we supposed to do with this debilitating problem? 

     God is calling us to give Him 100% of our hearts.  (I can practically hear you groaning – I feel ya!)  It’s in the Bible but seems laughably impossible.  There always seems to be a little room in our hearts that we keep for ourselves.  In that room live our deepest desires, our longings, and the things we covet.  But we’ve locked the door; God is not allowed in.  Why not?  Because we are afraid that if He comes in, He’ll get rid of everything, and our dreams might not come true.

     As Christians, how does God want us to respond?  It’s a complicated thing, but it can be summed up in 3 words: Long, Leave, and Live. 

     LONG: Come before God and just drop everything.  Unlock the door.  Bare your soul.  It’s okay.  Tell Him everything; explain your longings.  Don’t be embarrassed; Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

     LEAVE: Here comes the hard part.  We must sacrifice our longings on the altar.  What in the world does that mean?  Let’s look at the example of a guy who literally had to do this.

     “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ [Abraham] considered that God was able even to raise [Isaac] from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” –Hebrews 11:17-19

     Abraham and Sarah waited about 25 years for Isaac to be born – a promise FINALLY fulfilled – and God asks them to give Isaac up.  Unbelievable, right?!  Nope.  God saw that in their hearts they had made an idol of Isaac, and God wants 100% of our hearts.  What’s incredible is that Abraham was this close to killing Isaac when God saw that he’d truly put God back on His rightful throne in Abraham’s heart.  God mercifully returned Isaac to Abraham, but I’ll bet you the old man never forgot that lesson. 

     “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.” –Jim Elliot

     God’s best for you may not be what you think it is.  It will be much better.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:8-9

     Look at Jim Elliot (quoted above), for example.  He and Elisabeth Howard (missionaries in Ecuador) were madly in love for five long years but didn’t feel God had given them the green light to pursue marriage.  Jim had committed himself to being single for the sake of the Gospel if that was what God wanted.  Imagine the uncertainty, the frustration, the despair.  When they finally felt God had given them the green light to marry, Jim and Elisabeth had barely 3 years together before Jim was murdered by the Waodani tribe he was ministering to. 

     Was God’s plan really better? 

     Jim’s death opened the door for Elisabeth and the other martyrs’ wives to return to the Waodani tribe and share the Gospel with them.  The whole tribe was converted.  Elisabeth went on to write about Jim’s and her 5-year struggle in her bestseller Passion and Purity, write its amazing sequel Quest for Love, publish Jim’s journals, and become an incredible speaker who has called millions of people to the higher road. 

     Was it worth it?  You be the judge.

     LIVING: So now what?  You’ve confessed your longing, given it to God and laid it on the altar – does this mean you just have to try to make it through the day in one piece?  No.  The recurrent theme is that God wants 100% of your heart.  He wants 100% commitment to Him, 100% trust in Him.  There’s one more step, and that is to (in the words of my pastor) “get out of the boat and dance on the water with Jesus!”

     Recently I realized that I had nothing left but Jesus.  What a freeing feeling that was.  I can’t describe it.  When He suddenly became EVERYTHING to me, my heart understood what it meant to be 100% God’s.  You know how a girl in love floats through her day, and irritations and frustrations don’t really bother her because she knows there’s someone out there who loves her?  That’s the way it feels when you are head over heels in love with Jesus.  Even when things look the bleakest.  Even when you feel you can’t take any more of this “desert walking.”

     Yesterday I was at a low point (how quickly that Jesus enthusiasm faded) and rather depressed.  I was about to complain to God when He interrupted and lay this on my heart:

     “I love you.  Does that mean nothing to you?”
      My response: “God, I want it to mean everything.”
      His answer: “Then let it.”