"When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." Matthew 28:17

 Even among those that worship there are some that doubt. The faith of those that are sincere, may yet be very weak and wavering. (Matthew Henry)

This is more of a rambling as I try to formulate thoughts on paper to help my devotion this morning make sense, so take what you will from it.

Oh how we display our weak faith even today. In this passage, Jesus being true to character, did not distance himself from his doubting disciples, but rather came near and allowed them to see firsthand the evidence of his resurrection. I cannot count the number of times I have displayed my weak faith in my prayers to God. I know and I believe, yet I doubt…search your heart and see if the same is not true. We ask with a half –hearted belief that God will do what we ask. In Luke 17:5 the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” In the prior verses Jesus links a facet of our faith with our ability to forgive. When someone wrongs us, ask yourself how difficult it is to forgive, AND how long does it take? (assuming that you actually do). Let me take this question one step further; What exactly is it that you hold inside that makes you reluctant to forgive? Could it be that little piece of vengeance that tells us justice will not be served on our behalf if we forgive? All of a sudden the argument comes full circle again targeting our faith, or lack thereof. In reality what we are saying, is that we do not have enough faith to believe God will satisfy our level of justice…and no, He probably won’t thank goodness. Our faith has never been measured in our own abilities or we would still be lost (as Easter eggs ), but rather by our willingness to trust in the unseen. When we relinquish our grudge for an offense, we actually exercise a level of faith that He will take care of all the details according to His level of mercy and judgment, not ours. Even as I write this it starts to ring of a distant sermon I heard once, but certainly worth reiterating. I am incredibly thankful for the little morsels of faith that God has given me and how dependent I am on Him to receive more. I find that my plea is the same as the disciples…Increase my faith.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.  Psalm 113:3

“Day four found us waking up at 2:00 AM to make the 2 ½ hour trip up the winding road to the top of Mount Haleakala to an elevation of 10, 077 feet  above sea level to watch the sun rise above the cloud deck.  It was about 33° and a wind chill of about 10°.  It was a very cool sight to see but a lot of work (and frozen shutter fingers) to get the shot but worth it.”

It seems like it has been raining for weeks…As I drove into work this morning it seems like the rain will never end. I love the rain, but when it drags on for weeks it becomes depressing. As I opened up my email this morning, the above picture came in from our friends who are vacationing in Hawaii right now. The above caption were his words about what it took to get this shot. Being a lover of Creation, I was immediately awed and just as quickly reminded that while it may look dreary on my drive in, The sun is still shining. I was also reminded that the best things in life do not come without sacrifice and sometimes a lot of work. Regardless of where I am I need to enjoy the view, because my God created it.

Give me words to speak…

During my devotion today, I was completing this week’s lesson for Sunday School. It speaks of how to defeat discouragement in our jobs, marriages, friendships, churches, etc. I found a specific part of the lesson very interesting, as it caused me to look at a familiar piece of Scripture in a different light (and lit up some conviction in my heart as well.)
Joshua was leading the Israelites in the takeover of the city of Jericho. God told them to walk around the city once a day for six days, and then on the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times. Joshua gave these instructions:
Joshua 6:10
Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

The writer of this lesson points out that Joshua did not want the Israelites talking to one another, because one critic can discourage a whole group. All it takes is one person to say “Why are we walking around the city like this. This is crazy!” and the negative spirit would spread like wildfire. Galatians 6:7 teaches us that whatever a man sows, he will also reap. I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be reaping discouragement, and I certainly don’t want to spread it among family, friends, or within the church body. Sometimes I fail to follow the lesson learned and I open my mouth to speak things to others that I should be keeping to myself. God pointed out to me that I did this very thing just yesterday. I am one of those people who shares what’s on her mind without a whole lot of restraint. That can be very damaging if it’s not done in a constructive manner. (Just ask my husband!) To complain simply to be complaining might make me “feel better,” but it could also be spreading a negative spirit. It’s like the old saying “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I can choose to use my words for good or for evil, and I pray that I hold on to what God has revealed to me and choose to use my words for good…always.

Dan and I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend some time enjoying parts of God’s creation that we have never seen before.  We flew out yesterday, and I had not been in the air since 2001.  Flying is a bit of a hassle, but I still enjoy it.  I spent a lot of time looking out the window at the beauty of this Earth God has created.  It’s interesting during takeoff to watch everything diminish down to the point that you can’t even see it.  Major highways look like pencil marks and steep mountains look like little hills.  I reflected back to our recent worship service, Passionette, as Louie Giglio pointed out how tiny and insignificant our planet truly is and how massive and great our God is.  I can not even wrap my mind around all that he has created.  Today we are going to the Grand Canyon, and we will absolutely stand in awe at its beauty.  Even still, that is just a tiny part of the universe that we live in, and the God who created it is the same God who cares about me.  Psalm 139 says “¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  ¹⁸ If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.”  That is absolutely amazing.   As big as He is, and as huge as His creation is, He loves tiny little insignificant me. And yet the worship that I offer to Him for who He is and what He has done in my life is all too often a pathetic attempt instead of a true praise.

How Great is our God.

Recently, I took my boys to the dentist for their six month check-up.  One boy was given a good report, while the other had some plaque issues and a cavity.  The dentist came out to chat with me when he was finished, and reiterated some things he had already explained to Kyle.  He seems to have an issue with rushing through the process of brushing his teeth, so he’s missing some important areas.  They make these little chewable tablets to help identify those areas.  They work really well, too!  After brushing, my boys were instructed to chew up the tablet and then rinse.  Any spots on their teeth that turned red were areas that did not get brushed and needed more attention.

This concept reminded me of how important it is to constantly inspect our hearts for sin that we are missing.  This is a practice that I fail at all too often.   It’s so easy to rush through morning devotions, prayer, and quiet time without stopping to examine the sin in our lives.  Before we know it, that sin starts to take over and cause decay.  When David cried out to God and asked for forgiveness in Psalm 51, he said “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me…”  It took Nathan’s confrontation for David to acknowledge his sin.  God places people in our lives to hold us accountable, but He also expects us to be aware of the motives and sinful desires deep down in our hearts.  It is my prayer that I would be still long enough to hear God’s gentle reminders of the sin in my life, and that I would not fall into complacency in this area. 

One week ago today, Eden launched its first-ever Vacation Bible School.  I am so blessed to have been able to take part in this wonderful week!  How awesome to see the excitement on the faces of each and every child and VBS volunteer.   The participation from the body of believers at our church was phenomenal! 

Originally, I was assigned to work in the Recreation Barn.  However, the need for a “trail guide” came up on the first night, so I joined the 2^nd and 3^rd graders in their trail ride through Cactus Canyon.   Trail guides have a fun job-we stayed with the kids as they went to crafts, snacks, and “campfire” sessions (Bible study).  It was a joy to watch the kids interact with each other and with their leaders throughout the week.  On the last night, the big focus was John 3:16, and salvation of course.  I couldn’t contain the excitement inside when a sweet girl named Grace raised her hand and asked the Bible study leaders “How do I have a relationship with God?”  WOW!  It was one of the coolest moments out of the whole week.   Her leaders and I talked with her some more and tried to best answer her questions.  She even chose to stay behind to talk while the rest of her group went to recreation.  At the end of the night, an invitation was given and Grace went forward.  She also went forward, along with three others, this morning at church to make public her decision to follow Christ.  WOW!  There’s no thrill like seeing a little child come to know Christ.

I shared with a couple of people that this week at VBS has renewed my interest in working within the children’s ministry.  I can remember the blessing of the first time that I taught Vacation Bible School, which was several years ago at a church in Bourbon, MO.   I also led a Kid’s Club during a mission trip to South Carolina, which was a blast.  It is such a blessing to be involved in the Worship Team with the sound and worship software, but VBS this week absolutely refreshed the thirst in me for working with kids.  I began praying about that very thing and I asked God to use me in any way He sees fit.  I asked Him to guide me and show me if this is something I should be involved in.  I certainly never expected that prayer to be answered so quickly-I was asked tonight to teach a Wednesday night discipleship class for 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders.   I accepted that with open arms, and on the way home I thanked God for presenting this opportunity!  I am so excited I can hardly wait for September to come!

It’s so cool to look back and see God’s hand in things.  We lost one of our pastors on the first night of VBS…Jim Francis passed away suddenly in the parking lot at church.  He will be greatly missed by many, and has certainly left behind a legacy in his children and wife and all of the lives he touched.  When someone passes away, I tend to think back to the last time I interacted with that person.  The last time that Jim and I conversed, he stopped by the computer and asked me if I was teaching any discipleship classes.  When I told him no, he asked if I had ever taught before.  I shared that I had, and he encouraged me to begin praying about teaching, because when we move into the new building and the size of our congregation grows, more teachers will be needed.  I have thought about that conversation several times since then, and I certainly thought about it after he passed away.  Bro. Jim was an incredibly Godly man and we are all fortunate to have known him.  His words were playing through my mind tonight as we discussed the new class I will be teaching.

We sang “Here is Love” this morning at church (which totally rocked with the new drum setup!)  When I look around, I see His love everywhere.  I see His lovingkindness  and it will never cease to amaze me!

Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days

Packets of Time

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away James 4:14

Like a sudden wind, the sting of death awakens us to reality. Why is not the question, but rather when. As believers, we see the bigger picture in life and still somehow manage to let precious moments slip by us as if they will present themselves again. We are here but for a moment and then we are gone. We have one small window to make our mark on this world for all eternity. Most believers anticipate with excitement the thought of finally meeting the Savior, yet we are not ready for our own family members to do the same. The gift of life becomes one of selfish obsession and I readily admit I am about as guilty as can be when it comes to my family.

Having seen my share of family deaths it always becomes a reminder to me that the fleeting breath of life is precious. We have been shocked to reality in the sudden death of one of our associate pastors and we are reminded once again that tomorrow is promised to no one. As Jen and I ponder the gift of time on this earth we are thankful for each moment; moments like these are a constant reminder that every breath is a gift. Day to day living has the tendency to lull us into complacency and when the unexpected happens, it tends to shock us. The truth of the matter is that we should always be living in the reality of today…and speaking for myself I get lazy and just allow the day to happen instead of actively participating in it. We each have our own little packet of time; some more than others, but each is to use what they have to the best of their ability. There is much work left undone for the kingdom and to quote a famous movie line:  we’d better “get busy living, or get busy dying” for our time too is coming to meet The King.

Rejoice, and again I say Rejoice Brother Jim, for your life has only just begun.

I know in all of this there will still be grieving and mourning as it is only natural. But as this was sent to me only the day before Jim’s death, I share it with you.

“If we can understand that death is not the end but is really a transition into the next life, the great part of life; that frees us up into receiving God’s courage and his help.”

-Max Lucado

Give me words to speak…

I am currently participating in the Wednesday night women’s study “Becoming A Vessel God Can Use.”  This has been a huge blessing to me so far and I am looking forward to the things that God will continue to reveal to me throughout the course of this study.

This week’s focus is “Getting To Know Your Potter.”   The writer makes an observation that really got me thinking:
I remember taking my daughter, Leah, to Disneyland.  When she saw a performer dressed up like Beauty (from Beauty and the Beast), she was overjoyed.  I thought she was going to leap out of her skin.  Now think about it: she could not contain her excitement in the presence of a twenty-something girl, dressed up like a fictional, animated character.  But we don’t even bother going to God.  And when we do, we can barely stay awake.  What’s wrong with this picture?

Simple Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full”. Matthew 6:5

This is a long read but I ran across this in my devotion time and thought it worthy to share. Too oft times we try to manufacture just the right prayer with just the right words as if to seek the approval of those listening on; yet when it comes down to what counts, it is merely the simple words coming from an honest heart. I think the simplicity of a child is key to a conversation with God who is not impressed by the eloquence of our speech.

So without further ado…

First of all with regard to words in vocal prayer. Doesn’t some part of your difficulty come from your desire to make a good prayer, one that will sound well? If you could be content to use ordinary language and just express the needs of your own soul and of those for whom you are praying, as they come to your mind, it seems to me you’d have the words you need.

For myself, I found it necessary, when I began to pray vocally and also to speak, to be willing to be extremely simple in my way of doing either. In prayer, for instance, to talk to God as though He and I were alone together, and I were telling Him in everyday language the things I wanted; and to ask for the same things over each time I prayed, if they were the things that came into my mind as my needs at the time. We must remember that there is no human being with whom we may be as free as with our Lord; and it is not beautiful prayers He wants but just for us to tell Him our needs.

If you only need one thing, ask for that, if two, ask for them, and then stop. Never try to make a prayer. Some of the most effectual prayers I have ever heard, have been just two or three sentences spoken in the utmost simplicity. I think a willingness to be simple and direct will help you. If not, then you must obey the will of God in this matter, and must be willing even to be a fool for His sake, if He requires it. Do not at any rate let the lack of words make you disobedient. If the Lord puts it into your heart to pray you must be willing to kneel and say what you can, and be humbled and mortified, if needs be. I expect your long disobedience lies at the root of your difficulty after all, and that a prompt and cheerful obedience now will bring the quickest deliverance.

But however this may be, my dear friend, still you must obey. You have given yourself to the Lord to be His completely, and there is no alternative now but obedience. I am sure the Lord has been trying for a long time to make you into an instrument for His own purposes, but up to now you have hindered Him. Now, all that is past, and if you are only totally pliable in His hands, He will, I am sure, soon restore the years the canker worm has eaten.

—To Priscilla Mounsey, June 29, 1874

^[1]

^[1]Smith, H. W., & Dieter, M. E. 1997. The Christian’s secret of a holy life : The unpublished personal writings of Hannah Whitall Smith . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15

I’ve been reading in John 17 and 18 lately. There’s a lot of information in there but one thing that really stood out was when they brought Jesus before Pilate and they wanted him to make the decision to put Jesus to death. They as Jews did not have the authority, but they wanted Pilate to do it for them. Pilate as you recall was reluctant and tried to excuse himself from the issue, but ultimately he had to make his call and stand by it.

When Jesus is put on us, we too have to make a decision one way or the other with what we are going to do with Him. Some people want to pretend He doesn’t exist (and hope they are not wrong), or maybe we try to push the decision making off on someone else as Pilate tried to do-After all, Jesus is in heaven and we are on earth…why should our lives have to intersect? Sometimes children try to ride on the coattails of their parent’s religion in hopes that somehow they will be found innocent by association. Ultimately however, the decision falls on us to make, and the blessings or consequence is also ours to bear. Like it not (just like Pilate) we will make a decision one way or the other; and if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. Let it be known that I have made my choice and I echo Simon Peter’s words: “You are The Christ, The Son of The living God”.

Give me words to speak…