Are you too busy wishing them away 

or are you not letting them go?

 

Occasionally I will have someone ask me where I find my content for what I write or teach on. Usually, it is through my own personal quiet time with the Lord or through a sermon I’ve heard or a reel I’ve watched. But sometimes God brings a certain subject to my attention through what I am reading, or listening to and it comes up so frequently, and so loudly that I can’t let it rest without taking the time to study and write about it. And this is one of those times.

I rarely understand why God impresses certain topics upon my mind and gives me no rest until I study them out, but what I do know is that he has a reason. Someone somewhere needs to hear what I am going to say. Not because of any ability on my part, but because God’s Word is woven through it and God’s Word is powerful and can speak to the hearts of those who choose to listen.

So, without further ado, here it is.

Seasons. Their purpose. Their longevity. Their power.

This word has popped up in so many different forms over the past week that I can’t ignore it any longer. Maybe God is trying to work through some things in my own life through this, but maybe also, this is something that you’ve been pondering for a while.

We see some form of this word used in scripture 68 times. Seasons are part of God’s grand design for this earth we live on. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall (Autumn). They are also part of God’s grand design for you and me. Joy and sadness, struggle and peace, birth and death, highs and lows.

All seasons have a reason. They all have a purpose. And we need to remember that all seasons will pass. They won’t last forever.

We will all go through seasons in our lives. Raising children. Building a career. Strengthening a marriage. Caring for a parent. Living out a calling on our life in the form of ministry.

Whatever the season is, we, as God’s children can be assured that he is not absent from any of them. He is always there.

New seasons can be scary. Our sense of identity and security is often wrapped up in our seasons. If we are going through a particularly good season, we might begin to dread the inevitable change on the horizon. We may be leaving behind what we know and love and stepping into an unknown future. And it’s scary. The problem with dreading change is that the only thing certain in life, is that life will change.

But you should know, that although circumstances will shift and change, God’s presence never will.

We need to realise the power and the importance of every season. Good or bad. There is purpose in our seasons.

So often, we spend our seasons strained, stressed and worn out because we are trying so hard to get out of the season we are in so that we can move on to the next one. But what we need to do is to relax into the current season and look for the beauty that lies within it.  

Let me break it down for you. This is often what it looks like.

When we are children, we long for the ‘teenage’ season. Then as we grow older, we long for the single, ‘young adult’ season. And then we want to skip to the ‘married’ season, and then the ‘I want to have children now’ season and then the ‘I can’t wait til the kids grow up’ season and then the empty nest season and on and on it goes. Hurrying things along, racing at breakneck pace until one day we look up and realise that there was beauty in each season, but we actually missed it because we were trying so hard to get to the next season.

Let that sink in for a moment. Have you been guilty of this? Be honest. I know I have.

There have been seasons in my life that I wished would have passed through my life a lot faster than they did, and then there were others I wished would have strolled through more slowly and taken their time lingering a while longer. And more often than not, I missed the beauty to be found in them. I simply wished them away.

Maybe you find yourself in a season of uncertainty or waiting right now. You don’t know what the future holds. You can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. You feel lost and you’re floundering, not really knowing God’s plan or what he would have you do.

Or maybe you are struggling through a dark season of ill health, or turmoil in the form of negative thoughts that have taken over your life. Maybe you have just embarked on a new season that is fresh and yet full of fear because of the unknown.

Whatever the season is, whatever the circumstances, can I give you something to hold on to? The framework for the next season is being set up in the current season you are in. Whatever it is you are going through right now, is preparing you for what is to come next. If you don’t surrender to the season you are in right now, you are going to miss out on the building blocks, the learning, the teaching and the training that is a requirement for you to do well in the next season.

Let me give an example from my own life to help to try and make sense of what I’m saying.

Quite a few years ago, we ran a very large youth group every Friday night with the local, predominantly, indigenous children here in our town. Every week, we would tirelessly give of our time and energy spreading the good news of the gospel to these young lives. It was an entirely new endeavour for our family, and it was very unfamiliar territory because of the cultural differences. I often visited the mothers of these kids and learned to be comfortable with uncomfortable surroundings.

Five years down the track and God closed the door on that ministry. To be honest, part of me was devastated. My identity was so wrapped up in that season, and I felt it had become such a part of me, that I really didn’t see what I was going to do next. I felt lost.

But as God would have it, he had been refining me for a different purpose. A totally different ministry. As different as chalk and cheese, but in teaching me to be comfortable in uncomfortable surroundings, God called me into women’s ministry. Something I had never had a passion for before, became my new all-consuming passion and calling. Teaching, speaking, writing and encouraging Christian women in all walks of life and in varying seasons of life through what God shows me in his Word.

The first season of occasional discomfort was preparing me for my next season. He knew I wasn’t ready to jump into the next season, without first walking through the previous one. There were lessons that needed to be learnt. There were impurities that needed to be chipped away. Rough edges polished off.

I have been through some very hard seasons in my life, some of which I’ve shared in my posts. One thing I’ve learnt as I walked through the dark times, is that God always has a purpose, and his ultimate goal is to make me more like him.

His hard seasons are for refining. Look at these verses in 1 Peter.

1 Peter 1:6,7 KJV - Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

 The Greek word for season in this verse is oligos. It has the meaning of little, small, few. Small in number, quantity and size. Short in time. Light in degree and intensity.

Peter wrote this to remind us that our seasons are of a certain, God-prescribed duration. They are a season. A period of time. They are not forever. So, if you are walking through a hard season right now, be encouraged that it is not forever. And it has a purpose. God is working to refine you and mold you into his image.

The Apostle Paul reiterates this in 1 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 4:17,18 KJV - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

He reminds us that our seasons, although they may not seem like it at the moment, are light and momentary, and they are working for an eternal purpose.

I don’t understand why God works the way he does, but I trust his character and I hold to his promises, knowing that he has a plan and as the seasons come and the seasons go, I can breathe a sigh of relief – I don’t have to cling tightly to the seasons that I enjoy and wish away the seasons I don’t if I keep a firm grasp of his hand. The one stable and unchanging presence that will always be with me. Jesus Christ. The same, yesterday, today, forever.

Circumstances will change but he never will. Seasons will come and go but he never will. His presence will be there with you through the storm or in the sunshine, in the rain, or as you skip through fields of flowers or as you stumble over uneven ground.

The God who holds the universe in the palm of his hand is the same God who holds your hand.

Trust him in the seasons of your life. And don’t miss the beauty he wants to show you as you walk your way through them. There is beauty to be found. Open your eyes and ask God to show you. Don’t miss a moment or waste your seasons.  

In closing, I would like to say that I want to explore this topic a little more in a future post as there is so much more to be said. But for now, remember that it is possible to come through hard seasons and be better for it. If you go into it with a Heavenly perspective, and a heart devoted to God, he can and will work through you for his glory and for your good.

Romans 8:28 KJV - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

 

Are you watering it?

 

I’m sure you’ve all heard the old saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

Can I give you a different take on this?

The grass is always greener where you water it.  

Sometimes in our lives, we go through seasons where we’re just not sure where we fit in the scheme of things. We feel stuck. Maybe we lack direction or maybe, on the flip side, we have all the drive and motivation but it seems those around us are sitting in a stagnant pool, content to let the algae form as a skin on the surface of the water, not willing to cause any ripples, raise the water level or rid the pool of slimy rocks and break the wall that holds everything in.

It's a hard place to be in where you long to see things happen, but you don’t know where to start or even if you should make a start.

Can I just be honest with you here? Sometimes in our churches, we can get in such a rut that we’re unwilling to take a risk on stepping out in faith with a new ministry that God has placed on our hearts. And so, begins our spirit of discontentment.

We start looking over the fence at other churches and other ministries and the grass looks so green and inviting. They seem to have it all. Drive. Motivation. Enthusiasm. And the means to propel it forward.

Social media has done a lot to put fuel on the fire of discontentment. At the touch of a button, we are able to view the lives of others, the ministries of other churches, the programs and events and all that others are accomplishing, and we begin to find ourselves longing for more. “The grass sure does look green over there. I’d love to walk through that garden for a while.”

Unfortunately, often all is not as it seems, and we can’t believe all that we see. The grass may very well look greener on the other side of the fence, but it could very well be fake!

So, how do we get our grass to be as green as what we perceive?

We have to water it! The grass is always greener where you water it.  

If we want our churches to thrive and build God-honouring communities within them, we have to get busy watering them!

If God puts something on your heart, and you’re sure it’s from him then you need to stop looking over the fence and start watering the grass you’re standing on.

I guess it’s a ‘bloom where you’re planted’ moment. If God has put you in a certain place for a certain season, then this is where you are meant to bloom. This is where you are meant to grow. This is the grass you’re meant to water.

If God hasn’t called you to go, then you are called to stay!

When we look at the towns we live in, the churches we are part of, the bodies of believers we fellowship with, we may find ourselves frustrated with what we see. And let me say that just because you are passionate about something, doesn’t mean that everyone else has to be just as passionate. God does give special abilities and callings that are unique to each individual and we should never force this on others. But we are also called, as believers, to be part of the great commission, and we should all be striving to build the kingdom of Heaven through our programs and our outreaches.

If we can just stop looking over the fence and look around at where God has placed us, we may begin to see what it is God is calling us to do and how we can best serve him.

If we don’t tend to our own gardens, they will dry up and die.

Too many churches are full of advice-giving, disgruntled, discontent members who want things to happen, and are critical when things aren’t happening, but then when they do happen, they don’t want to get on board or support them and instead they sit back on the sidelines, judging and letting the grass dry up under their feet, their hoses full of dried mud.

We need to get busy in working to make Heaven more crowded by living out what we believe and putting action to our ideas as long as they line up with the Word of God.

A word of warning though. Don’t go off half-cocked, running full tilt into something before spending a lot of time in prayer.

We need to spend time talking with God about the direction he wants us to take. We need to filter it through the Word of God. We need to take counsel of older and wiser men and women of God.

When you are sure that you are being led by the Holy Spirit to pursue a line of direction, and when the door is open in front of you, and you are sure it is your door to walk through, then step out in faith! And with God’s leading and guiding, take hold of it with both hands, not looking back, but whole-heartedly pour yourself into the ministry God as called you to do.

As you build friendships in your church community and as you walk close to God, you will begin to find other likeminded Christians who have the same drive and passion as you. Let God light a fire under them and work with them towards the common goal you now have.

Don’t be discouraged by humble beginnings. Start with what God gives you, with who he partners you up with to serve him. Don’t be disheartened when you don’t see the interest you hoped you’d have. Work with what God gives you and don’t let your heart fail with so called ‘keyboard warriors’ that like nothing better than to discourage.

If God has called you to it, he will give you the ability to carry it out and he will bless the work.  Although the grass may take a while to change colour, pretty soon you’ll begin to see tender green shoots and the other side of the fence won’t be so inviting anymore as you’ll be too busy tending to your own garden, that you haven’t time to be peeking over the fence.

The grass really IS greener where you water it.

If you want to glorify God and be a blessing to others, work on watering the grass you find yourself standing on.

Serve in your churches. Your communities. Your families. Your workplace.

Be a splash of colour in a colourless world. Be a light in a dark place. Be a ripple in a stagnant pool. Don’t be afraid to live out your calling.

If each of us individually can work on watering our own little patch of grass, we will soon see the fruit of our labours. It may take longer than we want, it may be harder than we expected, but God will give his reward, and his name will be glorified.

Hebrews 12:1b  …….and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Galatians 6:9 KJV - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sit in Silence – Give them your presence

Allow me, if you will, to preach to myself a little sermon today. I pray that you will get something out of what God has been showing me this morning and that I won’t be the only attendee being preached at as I sit before the Word of God, humbly being rebuked and convicted by the warning we find here in this verse.

Proverbs 25:20 KJV - As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

Can I tell you something that I am often guilty of? Although I am an avid student of God’s Word, I am by no means perfect and God continually reveals to me through the mirror of his Word, the dirt upon my face.

In this interesting verse in Proverbs, we see a strange word of caution. We are warned against ‘singing songs to a heavy heart’.

Now, I am always interested in references to music or singing or praise in the Bible so naturally this verse warranted more study.

And here’s my guilty secret. More often than not, I sing songs to heavy hearts.

Why is it that we as Christians fail so often in this area of knowing how to deal with those that are hurting, grieving, aching and heavy hearted?

We see someone with anxiety or depression, or we see someone working through the grieving process due to the loss of a loved one or struggling with difficulties or hardships in their life, and we slap a prayer band aid on their open wound. We tell them ‘I’ll pray for you’. We offer Christian platitudes like, ‘God is in control’ or ‘Just trust God’ or ‘God’s got this’ or ‘There’s a reason for everything’ etc.

Now, don’t get me wrong, these things are true, and prayer is of utmost importance, and we definitely need to be bringing everything to God with heartfelt sincerity. But these little things we say, although said with the best of intentions, are usually said when we don’t know what else to say and they have the reverse effect on the one suffering and are not often helpful.

In this Proverb we see mention of vinegar and nitre. Why is this so significant? Let me unpack this verse a little before I give you some examples in Scripture that I hope will show more clearly the point I am trying to make.

Proverbs 25:20b KJV …..and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

The word ‘nitre’ used in this verse is not a word I’ve ever used. In the Hebrew it is the word neter. The meaning of this is basically soda. As in sodium carbonate, or bicarb soda. It was also referred to as ‘washing soda’ and we see the only other reference to it in Jeremiah 2:22.

This chemical was obtained from the dry lake beds or other natural sources and was used for cleaning and preserving, but today we most commonly use it in baking. If you’ve ever poured vinegar onto a pile of soda, you will have seen the reaction that the two make. It is a very energetic reaction, but little else. The two elements neutralize and destroy one another. Both the vinegar and the soda are lost and there is not much left, and what is left is not useful.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

The image is one of counter-productivity and insensitivity. When we use simple sayings to comfort someone in need or when we offer a simple song, it’s often ineffective.

Don’t get me wrong. I will be the first to tell you that music has power and songs can be healing. I have often comforted myself with Godly worship songs and they have spoken to me and touched me deeply and brought peace to my soul but if all we offer is a song to a heavy heart, then we are failing.

It can have the effect of vinegar on soda. An energetic reaction with no lasting results. It may bring a moment of peace and comfort, but in the long run, more is needed.

I think we as Christians need more than anything to become more fluent in the ministry of just being with others in their heartache. Sitting in the silence with them.

Come with me to look at a man in the Old Testament who had some friends that knew what it meant to sit in silence with one who suffered.

This man was Job.

In chapter one of the book of Job, we read about the misfortune that befell him as he lost all that he held dear. And then we come to chapter 2. Here, Job is struck down with painful boils from head to toe.

After hearing of all that Job was going through, 3 of his friends came to be with him.

Job 2:11 KJV - Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

Job 2:12 KJV - And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

Job 2:13 KJV - So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

We read that the friends came to mourn with him and to comfort him. But even before they reached him, they wept loudly on his behalf. They had sympathy first. They grieved for all Job was going through, but their sympathy turned to compassion when they came and sat with him.

Now maybe, like myself, you find this sitting in silence with him for seven days a little odd. But you have to remember the period in history and the cultural setting we find this story in.

In Ancient Eastern culture, sitting on the ground with someone was a sign of mourning and solidarity. Job’s friends demonstrated their love and compassion by physically lowering themselves to the ground and sharing in his grief. We see this referenced again in Lamentations 2:10 and Genesis 50:10.

This period of seven days and seven nights was significant in Biblical terms. Not only did they sit with Job, but they sat in silence. “none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”

I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to sit with someone and comfort them, I am going to speak! And I’m going to speak A LOT! It’s my way of dealing with the problem.

But in this culture, this was not how it was done. It was etiquette not to speak to a person in deep suffering until they gave the indication they were ready to speak or be spoken to.

And you see, in the very next chapter, Job begins to speak. And speak he does. For 26 whole verses. After this, and only after this, do Job’s friends finally speak. And we know the story, that it all went downhill from there.

Unfortunately, Job’s comforters did more harm than good once they began to speak.

Silence in the face of suffering can be a profound form of support. In Ecclesiastes 3 we read that there is ‘time to keep silence and a time to speak’. Job’s friends’ initial silence was motivated by the intensity of Job’s suffering. They realised the gravity of the situation and used their silence as a source of comfort.

This is something that I am not well schooled in, and I have a lot to learn in this area.

Sometimes the best way to support someone in pain is simply to be present.

“Silence can be a powerful tool in comforting others, allowing space for the grieving person to process their emotions without pressure to respond.”

In the New Testament, we see that the Apostle Paul understood that there was a time to rejoice and a time to weep.

Romans 12:15 KJV – Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Only an insensitive person tries to rejoice with someone who is weeping. I know that often I try and be light-hearted and upbeat as if somehow, I can force a change in mood and yes, sometimes it works. But often, the best thing to do is to sit in silence and possibly weep with the one suffering.

If we are wise, we will understand when rejoicing is appropriate and when weeping is what is needed.

Maintaining a positive, cheerful attitude and having a heart of thankfulness and joy is a good thing and often can have an encouraging effect on those who are discouraged or hurting, but we need to combine optimism with empathy and understanding. READ THE ROOM!

I know, through painful experience of my own, that when you are burdened with a heavy heart, feeling down and depressed, for someone to disregard the depth of your anguish and simply whistle a happy tune or sing a song over you is thoughtless. It’s like vinegar on soda.

Sometimes you just need to empathize with the person. Sit and listen to their heartache and agree that yes, life is hard. Bad things happen. Sickness is not fun. Grief is painful.

Sometimes it’s best to just offer your presence, while keeping your mouth shut!

It’s definitely not an easy ask.

Do you remember when Lazarus died, and Jesus came to Mary and Martha and wept along with them? (John 11) He first empathized with them and took time to mourn with them, and then he put action to his sympathy.

In Matthew 26 when Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane under great heaviness of heart and sorrowing, he asked his disciples to be with him. He wanted them to be present. To watch and pray.

It’s hard to sit in silence and not sing our songs to those with a heavy heart. Most of us are problem solvers and we just want to give a solution.

Sometimes by jumping in too soon with our ‘words of wisdom’ we often shortcut the process that needs to be gone through to get to the place that needs to be reached, and we simply need to sit and listen.

I am most definitely NOT the authority on this topic and I’m still in the process of learning how to do this well, but if the Word of God gives us a warning, we need to heed it.

At this very moment, my oldest daughter is going through another round of chemo treatments for a cancer that has returned. It is not a pleasant thing for a parent to watch their child suffer and I long to have words of comfort to offer and verses of scripture to remind her of, but I have been reminded today that singing songs to a heavy heart is not always the best solution.

As I sit here writing this, I am a long way away from her physically and can’t be present to sit by her bedside in silence or in weeping, but I am comforted in knowing that God sits beside her, and he is the Master comforter. (2 Corinthians 1:3,4) He knows how to speak peace to her soul, and he can bring to mind the precious promises found in scripture.

Although my songs may not be timely, God’s songs always are, and he sings over us with rejoicing.

Zephaniah 3:17 KJV - The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

I know that this verse is prophetic, but I cling to this promise knowing that he will save, he will bring rest, and he delights in his children and sings his songs to their heavy hearts.

God, work in me the ability to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Enable me to sit in silence and just be present with those who hurt. Help me to know when to speak and when to refrain from speaking. Teach me how to listen and how to show compassion. Help me to refrain from being like vinegar and soda. Reactionary but ineffective. Amen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you repeat that? 

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who ridiculed certain modern worship songs due to their repetitious lyrics? It doesn’t seem to come up quite as often as I remember it happening in years gone by, but I’d like to pop that little discussion bubble with a pretty loud BANG!

This year, in our Ladies Bible Study I am going to be teaching a series on ‘Reflecting God’s Character’. We will be looking into Godly character traits and how we can work on becoming imitators of Christ for his glory, our good and the good of others.

While studying this out yesterday, I began to work through the first character trait we’ll be learning about. Love. A beautiful and foundational one to begin with and one that we could all improve on, I’m sure.

While taking notes and reading considerable amounts of scripture on this topic, I was reminded of a beautiful Psalm.

And if you’re wondering where I was going with my reference to repetition and bubble popping, well, here it is.

Take your Bible or open up your Bible app with me and read the whole of Psalm 136. It’s only 26 verses. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now, I must confess, up until a few years ago, when I first looked deeper into this Psalm, I had never really studied it as I tended to get caught up in the “his mercy endureth forevers” and gloss over the rest of the Psalm as I drifted off into a daze over the repeated phrases.

But one day, I actually READ it. Like REALLY read it. It’s amazing how God’s Word can come alive to you if you just take the time to read it, open your heart and let it speak to you.

Did you notice the repetition in this Psalm? Yeah, so much for only modern worship songs repeating themselves! This Psalm was most likely written in approximately 1004 B.C. That was a good many years ago!

Bear with me as I delve into this Psalm and try to make sense of what’s going on here.

Firstly, I want to explain a little about why there is so much repetition in this Psalm.

We see that in each verse the phrase ‘his mercy endureth forever’ is sung. This is a beautiful example of what was called responsive or antiphonal singing.

It was a call and response type singing by two choirs or singers.

In this particular Psalm, as God’s people gathered together to worship, a Levite, or song (worship) leader, would call out or sing the reason to give God thanks, and then the congregation would respond with, ‘his mercy endureth forever’.

In Jewish tradition, this particular Psalm was called the Great Hallel or Great Psalm of Praise. It was a worshipful time of rehearsing God’s goodness aloud and a time when God’s people were encouraged to praise him for his love and mercy.

What an amazing sight it must have been and what a beautiful sound would have echoed through the air, to hear God’s people singing God’s praises with all their hearts. Praising him for his goodness to him. Back and forth the song went. Call, response. Call, response.

What a pity we don’t have many songs like this in our church services today.

We don’t know exactly who wrote this Psalm, although many attribute it to King David. We do know that it was sung many times in history. One instance was at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. (2 Chronicles 7:3,6) It was also sung in David’s Psalm of praise in 1 Chronicles 16:7,34.

It was also used at least 4 other times in scripture. It was a popular hymn among God’s people. Maybe it was like the favourites we sing in our church services today. The ones that get picked every Sunday night and are sung loudly and played enthusiastically by over excited pianists (not mentioning any names)!

Whatever the case, it was a song of worship and one full of truth.

We see it again in Ezra 3:11. Here, it was sung at the dedication of Ezra’s temple. But notice, that whenever it was sung, it was always in the context of public praise or declaration.

The word translated “mercy” in the original language means “loyal, steadfast, enduring love.” The refrain “His mercy endureth forever” is also translated, “His faithful love endures forever” and “His steadfast love endures forever”. Mercy, or loyal love, is one of the most prominent attributes of God’s character. By His very nature, He shows limitless, everlasting mercy and love to all, even though we don’t deserve it.

Keep your Bible open as you read through this Psalm with me and I’ll give you a quick summary of what I found when I studied through this one afternoon while sitting in a noisy truck stop in a Darwin roadhouse, scribbling madly on a scrap of paper.

In verses 1 to 4, we read of who God is.

We learn something of his character. He is good. He is God of Gods. Lord of Lords. He does great wonders.

In verses 5 to 9, we see his work as Creator.

By wisdom he made the heavens. He stretched out the earth above the waters. He made great lights. The sun to rule by day and the moon and stars to rule by night.

In verses 10 to 15, we read of his mercy to his people.

He smote the firstborn child of the Egyptians and brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm. He divided the Red Sea and made Israel pass through the midst of it. He overthrew Pharoah and his army.

In verses 16 to 22, we see God’s mercy from the wilderness to the promised land.

He led his people through the wilderness. He smote great kings and slew famous kings even Sihon, King of the Amorites and Og, King of Bashan. He gave their land for an heritage.

And lastly, in verses 23 to 26, we see God’s mercy and ongoing deliverance to the people of Israel.

These last 4 verses tell us that he remembered the people in their low estate and redeemed them from their enemies and gave food to all flesh.

The Israelites had so much to praise God for. He had come through time and time again and he had shown his might and power in such astounding and miraculous ways, that there was nothing to do but to praise the Lord. His mercy really did endure forever. Despite their failings and shortcomings, God’s mercy and love was still present.

And it is still true today. We could replace the reasons the Israelites gave with our own reasons and end with the phrase, ‘his mercy endureth forever’. We would have our own personalized worship song to sing unto the Lord!

How awesome would it be if some of our creative modern day hymn writers were able to pen a Psalm of praise like this, that really resonated with our modern life, and we were able to sing it worshipfully to God in our song services?

A reason to give God thanks would be sung out and the congregation would answer with a declaration of praise to God. Call and response. Call and response. A beautiful, praise song full of adoration for our great God!

We have our own stories of deliverance in this present day and age. God still works in the lives of his people today and his mercy is still enduring and will endure til the end of time when we will fall at his feet, humbly, awestruck and worshipful, giving all praise to him. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to sing a wonderful song of praise to him in person, repeating over and over “his mercy endureth forever”!  

Psalm 136:26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Take some time today to praise God for his mercy and love to you. Look back over your life and reflect on all his goodness to you. Remember where he brought you from and where you are headed. We have so much to be thankful for! God is good!

 

 (Please read the interesting story below relating to Psalm 136 found in the pages of history)

“One night in February 358 A.D. the church father Athanasius held an all-night service at his church in Alexandria, Egypt. He had been leading the fight for the eternal sonship and deity of Jesus Christ, knowing that the survival of Christianity depended on it. He had many enemies – for political even more than theological reasons – and they moved the power of the Roman government against him. That night the church was surrounded by soldiers with drawn swords. People were frightened. With calm presence of mind Athanasius announced the singing of Psalm 136. The vast congregation responded, thundering forth twenty-six times, ‘His love endures forever.’ When the soldiers burst through the doors they were staggered by the singing. Athanasius kept his place until the congregation was dispersed. Then he too disappeared in the darkness and found refuge with his friends. Many citizens of Alexandria were killed that night, but the people of Athanasius’s congregation never forgot that although man is evil, God is good. He is superlatively good, and ‘his love endures forever.’” (Boice)

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Years Resignations – I Quit!

 

New Years resignations. Yes, you did read that right.

As I write this, we are already at the end of the second week of January. It’s hard to believe that the new year is progressing so rapidly and that before we know it, a month will have passed.

I wanted to speak to you about a thought I came across recently that left its imprint in my mind and heart.

What if the key to this year being a year of change for the better is QUITTING?

Now before you all jump to conclusions about the downfalls of being a quitter, take time to think about what I’m saying.

Have a look at these verses in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV - That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Now, this post is not going to be a deep theological one, but I do want to point out the importance of four little words in these verses.

Put off. Put on.

Many years ago, I heard a sermon where the preacher called this the Po-Po principle. It has always stayed with me and as I read my Bible and come across examples of what we are to put off and what we are to put on I am reminded once again of how important it is to make sure we are not only adding to our lives but also subtracting from them.

We all understand the importance of adding things to our lives, like mercy, compassion, grace, patience etc. But did you know that walking the Christian walk and growing more like Christ is also about subtracting things that weigh us down. Taking away things that distract us or hold us back from being all that God wants us to be or what God wants to do in and through us.

New Years resolutions often involve putting a new practice into our lives that will help us physically, mentally or spiritually. And they often mean adding to.

When dieting, you’re not only rejecting the bad foods, but you are adding in healthy, wholesome foods.

When making goals to save money, you’re purposing to add to your savings, little by little by the choices you make.

When deciding to grow in your spiritual walk, you are choosing to add more scripture reading, more prayer and more devotion to God into your daily life.

Maybe it’s time to make some New Years resignations. Maybe it’s time to quit. Maybe some of the goals you need to set this year need to be goals that include letting go. Putting off the weights that are holding you back from God’s perfect will. Resignation vs Resolution.

I was talking to one of my daughters the other day, and we were discussing the prevalence of the victim mentality in today’s world.

We live in a generation where everyone seems to be the victim of some trauma or another. Sadly, this word trauma is thrown around far too casually and has lost its true meaning.

But I think as Christians, we can fall into the trap of this victim mentality in the way we see things and the way we act.

We can begin to become so inward focused that we lose sight of the bigger picture, and we become self-centred instead of Christ-centred. We become the victim and develop the mindset that it’s all about us.

I want to give you a few things that you may need to quit to set yourself up for a better year.

Quit focusing on what you can’t control- How often do we find ourselves getting so caught up with things beyond our control that we lose focus about where God has put us and why we are here? It’s so easy to lose sleep and worry and fret over things that we can’t do anything about. We need to change our mindset to do what we can and leave the rest to God. God does give us the ability to control certain things in our lives but there are a lot of things that he wants us to simply let go of and yield to his control, humbly and in submission. There are a lot of things we can’t control, but we can control how we respond and whether we choose to respond in faith. Quit focusing on the uncontrollable and fix your eyes on Christ.

Quit assuming things will go wrong- I have spent the greater part of my life being a pessimist. If it could go wrong, then it would. I defaulted to negative expectations for the outcomes in my life. But praise God, although it has taken longer than I would have liked, I have learnt that if I look through the lens of God’s Word, I can walk through life with a more positive outlook, and it makes all the difference. The trials we face, the hurt we feel, the aches and pains we suffer are part of our story, yes, but they are not the rest of our story. They are not the whole story. Quit assuming that things will go wrong and trust that God holds the pen and writes the script of your life.

Quit letting your hardships define you- Are you letting the things you go through identify you? Are you letting the label maker of the world stamp words over your life that should never be part of who you are in Christ? If you have been saved, redeemed and justified, then you are a chosen, child of God. Loved. Forgiven. Blessed. Just because you’ve struggled with depression or anxiety or fear, doesn’t mean that it has to define you. It doesn’t get to label you. Speak truth over your life. The truth that only comes from God and his Word. When you became his child, he gave you a new identity and what God calls you is all that matters. Quit letting what you go through label you.

Quit focusing on other people’s lives- In a world that is so obsessed with social media and daily updates about the goings on in other’s lives, you have to make a choice to resist the urge to measure what you have against what others have. We are bombarded day after day with images of other’s wealth, other’s happiness, their prosperity, their glamourous lives etc. We have to learn to embrace wholeheartedly what God has given to us and trust in the unique journey he has us walking through. Whether you see your lot in life as beautiful or not, you have to make the decision to praise God for it and give him the glory he deserves. If we stop looking at other’s lives with longing in our hearts and instead choose to give thanks each and every day for what God so graciously gives us, we will begin to walk in the abundant life he has for us.

Maybe you can think of other things that you need to quit. Things that are unique to you. Are there some resignations you need to make?

We can triumph and have the victory.

2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV - Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Romans 8:37 KJV - Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

In the context of my writing, quitting means letting go of the victim narrative that ensnares and entangles us and refusing to let the hardships of our lives define us. This is not a passive resignation, but instead a choice to embrace the victory we have in Christ and the abundant life he has for us.

John 10:10 KJV - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

 

Choose to quit some things this year as the key to the life God has for you.

 

Hebrews 12:1 KJV - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

 

 

 

 

Do you need a snack and a nap?

Do you ever have one of those days where you’re just tired? I mean really tired. Physically, emotionally and mentally. A tiredness that is felt not only in your body but also down deep into your soul and your mind.

As mums of toddlers will know all too well, there comes a point in a toddler’s day, when all they need is a snack and a nap. They eat, they rest, and they wake up a lot less cantankerous than they were before their sleep.

Did you know that there was a man in the Bible who found himself in a situation where he just needed a snack and a nap?

We read about this man in the book of 1 Kings 18-19.

Elijah the great prophet of God, used mightily in so many ways found himself tired and soul weary as well.

Take some time to read the whole account found in these two chapters but let me give you a quick rundown.

Let’s pick up the story in verse 21 of chapter 18.

1 Kings 18:21-22 KJV - And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

There had been a severe drought and famine in the land of Israel for three years and the people couldn’t seem to make up their minds as to whether they would serve JEHOVAH God or Baal, the idol of the heathen nations.

Elijah realised that the people needed a very real, very tangible example of God’s power to prove once and for all that JEHOVAH God was the only, one and true God. And so, as I’m sure you know the story, Elijah challenged Ahab to a contest on Mount Carmel.

We read the story in verses 23 to 40 and as we know, God got the victory once again and proved himself mighty in the eyes of all who had gathered there.

Now, you would think that after so great a victory, Elijah would be overjoyed, exuberant and in the best of spirits. But then came Jezebel’s threat to have him killed and Elijah fled to the wilderness and found himself sitting in despair under a nice Juniper tree.

And as he sat, he talked with God. He was physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. He was at the end of his rope. He had had an absolutely monumental day of emotional rollercoaster riding, adrenalin pumping, physically draining activity and he was totally and utterly wiped out.

And as he lay down to sleep and to rest his weary body and soul, an angel came and said those interesting words, “Arise and eat.” Wait, what?

1 Kings 19:5-8 KJV - And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

Yes, you read that right. The angel of the Lord, a special manifestation of God himself, told Elijah to have a snack and take a nap.

He wasn’t told to get up and do a Bible study. He wasn’t told to spend time in prayer. He wasn’t told to hightail it to the nearest church and listen to a rousing sermon. Although those things are good, this was not what he was told to do at this time.

But not only did the angel tell him to arise and eat once, but he also told him a second time.

7-8 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Did you notice that after the second time Elijah arose and ate, he was able to go in the strength of that snack and nap for 40 days and nights?!

Have you ever stopped to think about the importance of rest? Did you know that God, when he created the world, built into it a rhythm of rest?

Jesus himself had rhythms of rest in his daily life. The Sabbath didn’t just mean taking a day off, it meant ceasing from labour.

Jesus took times to rest. He went into an isolated place and took time to rest and pray. (Mark 1:35)

He urged his disciples to take time out to rest and refresh. (Mark 6:31)

And the well-known passage in Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us to come to Christ in order to find rest and renewal.

In today’s busy world, rest is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. But God sees it as important and necessary.

Resting is not a form of weakness but of strength.

In the world of metallurgy (the art and science of extracting metals and modifying them for use), there is a process called tempering.

To temper steel, the steel is heated to a specific temperature below its melting point, followed by cooling the steel. The primary benefit of tempered steel is increased strength. When steel is heated and cooled, it becomes stronger.

This process toughens the steel by lessening its brittleness and therefore reducing its internal stress.

So, where am I going with all this talk of snacks and naps and heating steel?

What I’m trying to get at is this. When you go through struggles and stress, when you find yourself exhausted and about to boil over, at the point of breaking, remember how important it is to cool down and align yourself with the rhythms of rest that God created for you so that you can endure the journey he has for you ahead.

God didn’t just give us food for our enjoyment and the pleasure we get out of eating, but he gave us food for nourishment for our bodies and strength to keep going.

God didn’t just encourage rest because it feels good to lay down and cease working for a time, he knows that when we overlook rest it will affect every area of our life. Our health, our mental and physical ability to function, our attitude, our relationships. All of it.

Elijah had been running and running, doing God’s work and wearing himself out in the process. He needed a time of rest.

After he had his snack and his nap, he was able to get up and keep going, refreshed and renewed and running on a full tank once more.

How many of you reading this are running on empty? Are you hustling and striving and working and doing and God is looking down at you encouraging you to stop and rest?

You know that it is often in those times of rest that we hear God speak.

If you keep on reading in 1 Kings 19, you’ll read the account of Elijah hearing from God himself. It was not in the strong wind, it was not in the earthquake, it was not in the fire, but it was in the stillness that he was found. In the quietness. In the rest. God’s whispers to a weary soul.

Are you feeling empty? Weak? Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Burnt out?

There are a lot of symptoms that can manifest themselves when we’re running on empty.

·        Fatigue

·        Difficulty sleeping

·        Decreased concentration

·        Negativity, irritability

·        Changes in appetite, weight loss or gain

·        Social withdrawal

·        Depression

·        Feeling of helplessness

Need I go on? Do any of these resonate with you?

We were created for relationship with God and taking time to reflect, rest and renew regularly is necessary for refuelling our souls and bodies as we spend time with him.

God wants us to take time to rest.

And sometimes this simply means having a snack and taking a nap and letting him reenergize us as we sleep and giving the food time to nourish us from the inside out.

I felt the need of this yesterday and felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit reminding me to stop, eat something and rest for a few minutes. And I can tell you, it worked. It was just what was needed.

The story of Elijah didn’t end with him resting. He went on to do amazing things for God.

Our times of rest are not a one-off thing. We need to continually take times of rest. Don’t wait until you’re burnt out to stop. Don’t wait until you find yourself at breaking point.

If you hear God speaking to your heart, encouraging you to take a 20-minute soul break, do it!

He knows best what you need, and he will give you the strength to keep going.

You need to learn to work out of rest.

Grab a snack, take a nap and rise up refreshed and ready to further the kingdom of God, whether this is in your home as a wife and mother raising little ones, or in your busy career in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Both are just as important, and both require snacks and naps!

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.