Tag Archives: Christian Women

What Makes Christmas Wondrous: Impossible Became Reality

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So this is my third past about what makes Christmas so wondrous. You can read the first post here, and the second post here. But today my focus is going to be on Zechariah (The husband of Elizabeth, and father of John the baptist who would “prepare the way of the Lord”), Mary, and Joseph, and about how the impossible became reality. I am very attuned to the fact that what happened years ago, still effects and encourages us today. And I am so thankful for His word that can remind us that God is good, and faithful, and true.

Another thing that has stuck out to me that makes Jesus coming to earth so wondrous is that the promise was fulfilled by unexpected people, and He made impossible situations reality.

The Christmas Story Is Full Of Ways That God Made The Impossible Become Reality

Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a child. They were blameless and upright, and observed all of God’s commands. Even so, they were without a child, and too old to conceive. I wonder if they remembered the story of Abraham and Sarah at this time?

Mary, a young girl, who was to be married to Joseph and a virgin.

Both very different circumstances: One looking back at a life that didn’t include a child to bring them favor. The other planning her future, probably with the hope of one day having a child of her own…after she was married.

Even in his old age, it was apparent by the angels words that Zechariah was still praying for a child. The first words the angel said were “Do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard.” One of the reasons for that prayer was because of the disgrace Elizabeth was probably experiencing due to childlessness. A part from Zechariah’s own struggles with this, seeing his wife struggle must have been hard for him to witness.

Then there was hope… the news of a child, a son, they would call John.

We see here that, God used his personal desires, for His greater purpose. This promised son, John, wouldn’t just remove Elizabeth’s disgrace among people, and be a delight to them, he would also be great in the sight of the Lord, and he would make ready a people ready for the Lord.

God will use your personal desires for His greater purpose too. But how often do we stand in disbelief like Zechariah, who lost his voice because he didn’t believe?

Let’s Look At Mary…

Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Luke 1: 30-31

Mary’s life would be harder because of the angel’s news to her. She had to have known that. But that didn’t seem to be a thought for her. She knew she was blessed.

Unlike Zechariah she didn’t respond in disbelief. Mary stood in awe, and she responded to what she had been told with a song of praise (Luke 1:47-55). Her soul magnified the Lord. She didn’t lose her voice, she used her voice to declare God’s faithfulness.

When we look at Zechariah and Mary’s responses to the angel’s news, we need to be reminded to not lose our voice by responding to God in disbelief instead of awe.

Don’t lose your voice by responding to God with disbelief instead of awe and wonder.

There is so much more to say about Mary, and we will look at her more in depth next week, but now let us take a look at Joseph for a minute. He is just as a part of the story as Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary.

You can find his encounter with the angel in Matthew 1:18-25. He would have the blessed gift of embracing Mary with love as she walked out God’s incredible call on her life. God is so good that He didn’t leave Mary without Joseph, without someone who wouldn’t leave her side, and care for her, on what was surely a blessed but difficult road to walk.

At first when the angel comes to Joseph it seemed like he was only considering 2 options following the news that Mary was pregnant.

The first option was to stay faithful to the law and have her stoned, which was disgraceful to her publicly. It seemed like in their day, people seemed to want to gravitate to that option, and make a public display of their sin. The second option was to divorce her quietly. The first didn’t even seem to be an option for him

But with God…

We see that with God though, there are more options that we realize, and we see that perfectly here.

There is no law against grace, when God’s law is love. And that is what Joseph displayed to Mary. Love. The love that Jesus would command of His followers, and it was by that love in which the world would know who His disciples were.

Sometimes it can be easy to feel like Joseph felt. What situations are ahead of you that seem to have limited options, and none of the limited options really seem right?

With God, there will always be another way, because His ways are greater than ours. Let us never settle for less that His way, and may we always seek Him until we are confident in His way.

My prayer for you all this week, is that when you face times when you think “How?”, you will consider that question, not in unbelief, but awe, and anticipation of how God will work. And that you remember that there is no law against grace.

What Makes Christmas So Wondrous: Our King Has Come

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Over the Fall we finished a study on Joshua, and Judges. As we finished Judges, and we began to approach Christmas, I became increasingly excited to look at the birth of Jesus, and behold what makes Christmas so wondrous. One of the reasons is one thing that has stuck out to me from the Old Testament was God’s chosen continually crying out for rescue. And in response God providing a person to provide His people a temporary rescue. But their hope ended up being confined by a person’s lifetime. Scripture calls some of these people “judges”.
After awhile God’s people decided they wanted something more than a judge would bring them, and increasingly desired a king.
As I read between the lines, what they really wanted was eternal rescue and not temporary security. They probably couldn’t vocalize it, but I see it in their pleads.

What makes Christmas so wondrous?

We get the opportunity to know this eternal security. The longing was fulfilled by a King. The King of kings. Our promised King, Jesus. Who will never be confined by human reign, but has a Kingdom that will never end.
In preparing to begin looking at Jesus birth, I was reading Psalm 107. It is a psalm of thanksgiving for a God whose loves endures forever, who is merciful to His people, and gathers the lost. It is a call for the redeemed to tell their story.
As I read it, I remember Israel’s history. Wandering in the wilderness, sitting in utter darkness at times, and suffering, because they rebelled against God.
But when they staggered and had their courage melt away, they cried out to God in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm in a whisper.
Many of us… honestly most of us, know too well what separation from God feels like. We too were once wanderers. And He heard our cries too, and brought us into His marvelous light.

He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Psalm 107:20

Verse 20 says that God sent His word out, and rescued us from the grave. This word that will ultimately come… this is what we celebrate and remember this season. God indeed sent His word out. The promised King. Jesus. The truth, and the life. In Him there is no darkness. He is the light of the world.
One of my favorite verses in this psalm says that God will guide us to our desired haven. It is a promise really, and we can be expectantly confident in this beautiful truth. And we see this with the Israelites.

They wanted a king to rule them. But the problem was, earthly kings reign would always come to an end. It’s inevitable. But the King that God would send, His reign would never end. His kingdom would go on forever.  

Have you ever wanted of this world badly? Isn’t it so like God to meet the larger need opposed to the temporary needs of His people? 

What else makes Christmas so wondrous? I will tell you.

When God moves, He doesn’t do anything unnoticeable. The same had to be for His Son. Jesus had to be born of a virgin, because it was foretold, but also so that there could be no mistake that this was God fulfilling His promise, with His mighty hand. What makes this so wondrous is that His birth can’t be explained by human reason, and I think my head gets caught up in that sometimes. 

The Word became life… and our King has come.

Jesus was the Word (the truth) in the flesh. Living and breathing. Jesus was with God, and Jesus was in the beginning with God. All things came into being because of Him. Apart from Him, nothing could come into being. In Him, would have the fullness of life.  

And the One who Jesus was with in the beginning, the Creator, sent His son, to become part of creation. Jesus was now limited by time, age, and even death. The same things that limit us.

Reading it like this seems almost incomprehensible. But this is the wonder that brings joy to the world. It really is amazing. God met our deeper desires. A King would come to earth, to bring us eternal rescue, instead of temporary security.

As we move through this season, may we stay in wonder of Jesus, and His birth, and how beautiful all this truly is.

What Makes Christmas So Wondrous

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This Christmas season I have been considering what makes Christmas so wondrous. In doing so, through my time in the Word, I have been shown things that I have never realized before. So over the next few posts, I want to share with you what I have been learning about why this season truly is so wondrous.
I remember when we were in Puerto Rico while the hurricane was raging around us, a moment in the middle of the night when we were in complete darkness. There was not even a hint of light. I remember my eyes being opened and they actually hurt from the lack of light. I imagine it was because my eyes were trying to adjust to the black, while maybe trying to find a hint of light.
It was a weird feeling that I had never felt before physically, but I remember the days when I walked a part from God, and in a way it felt unsettling, like there was a lack of light.

In the beginning…

In one of my studies, I was brought back to Genesis, when God created the heavens and the earth. It never stuck out to me before that the first words recorded God spoke on the first day were “Let there be light.”
I have had to let that sink in for awhile. Light was the first thing spoken into existence by God. This means that light is foundational.
Why? Because without light, there couldn’t be life. Light is essential for survival and growth. Just like the Light of the world is our foundation, and essential for our own eternal life.
I was reminded also, that because of where we live, the darkest day of the year falls only a few days before Christmas. What a timely reminder of the darkness that you can’t see in the world. But also of the darkness the days before Jesus was born.
The devotional I am reading right now is about the song, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and the second verse of the song gives Jesus the name Dayspring. It means the beginning of morning, and when darkness ended. The beginning of a new day.
Morning came when Jesus was born. The darkness overcome by Light.

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16

What a glorious light it must have been to the shepherds, when the angel of the Lord were surround by the glory of the Lord that was shining around them.
Light was pushing back the darkness. And light would overcome the darkness every. single. time. Darkness can never overcome the light. It is impossible.
It is Christmas time now, a time when we are putting lights and ornaments on trees. The time when we celebrate this holy night that Jesus was born. Many of us try to create an atmosphere of hope and joy we can gaze at when the lights are dim. And the room is only lit by the twinkle of the lights in our trees.
But these things are not ours to create. I was reminded when I was decorating trees last week, I was doing more than just decorating trees. I was really preparing what would be a reflection of the Light of the world. That the light (spoken into existence by God) broke through the darkness, as it always would.

What makes Christmas so wondrous….

What makes Christmas so wondrous is that our Dayspring has come, to end the darkness, and bring us into glorious light. As we go into the weekend, many of us preparing for Christmas, may we remember that darkness ended when the Light of the world was born..
May we be reminded that light, hope, and joy are not things that are ours to create. But they are ours to reflect.

Psalm 23:3, He Restores My Soul

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Psalm 23. One of the most familiar psalms I have known my whole life. I still recall the melody of this psalm that we sang in Sunday School. It is a nice psalm, but in looking at it more, I am realizing more of its meaning. Specifically, in regards to a phase in Psalm 23:3, He restores my soul.

He restores my soul. 

If He restores our souls, that means our souls need to be restored. That also means that there are times we aren’t as we were created to be. And God will return us to a refreshed, renewed, restored, quieted, and still state. And then, even when we walk through the darkest valleys, we won’t fear because we deeply know that He is with us. We can just walk in obedience because we trust Him. We know that He will guide us and comfort us.

And when we remember these truths, we will be still. Our hearts will feel “returned” to the place He created us to rest in.

I need this when I am insecure, fearful, tired, weary, and feel like I am on shaky ground. And when I feel shame because all I can see is my failure, and the ways I have fallen short.

When I was in color guard in high school, I ended up quitting. During my second year of Fall guard, I dropped my flag 3 times during the championship competition. I was devastated. I felt like a failure and definitely had shame because of it. It wasn’t long into the try-outs for next season that I quit.

What was the bigger picture?

Let me paint you a better picture of how the championship night went. The marching band (of over 200), that the guard was a part of, was on like a 10 year winning streak, or something like that. My freshman year, we continued that streak and broke the previous winning score, with a high score of about 99.25. My sophomore year, we also continued that streak and again ended up breaking that score with a 99.35.

My small failures didn’t change the victory we had. Yet, I couldn’t get over my mistakes, and my thoughts that I had let the entire band and guard (many of them my friends) down. I had shame, and the only way I knew how to deal with that shame was to quit.

Even to this day, when the feeling of shame comes up in my life, my first inclination is to quit.

But that isn’t God’s answer to shame… He loves us too much for that to be our end. For us to quit, because we can’t see beyond our failures and mistakes.

Back to Psalm 23:3

But when I need my soul to be restored, what exactly do I need it to be restored to?

When I question what I should return to, I remember the garden. Where Adam and Eve walked, before the fall. They walked with God. They were naked and felt no shame.

Adam and Eve are the only 2 people to walk with God, who knew a time when shame wasn’t even a thing. And after the fall, and as humanity felt shame for the first time, I bet they longed for the days that they walked with God in freedom. The days when they didn’t know what the word shame felt like. 

That sounds nice, doesn’t it?

But we know shame because of sin. And shame also exists, when we fail to see the larger picture and believe the lie that the ways we fall short will mess up God’s bigger plan for redemption.

But Psalm 23, this seems to share the state that God can restore us to. Freedom. Unashamed. Secure. Quieted and still. Returned to the state in which we were created to rest in.

When we are still, and when we know that He is God, the shame that can creep up in our life because we see our sin and how unworthy we are of His love, can be a memory instead of the reality we strive through. We can rest in gratitude that shame is our history, and not our future, because our future is freedom, restoration, because of Christ’s work on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead.

Let us remember it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Freedom to live in the fullness of God, and to have our cup overflow with the goodness of God that follows us all the days of our lives, when we follow Him.

If I could go back…

I often wonder what I would tell the sophomore me if I had the chance to go back. And as I have thought about it, this is what I would tell her:

Don’t let shame keep you from praying before you quit. Consider the bigger picture, because the bigger picture is really beautiful. And don’t let the shame and fear of failure keep you from picking your flag back up.

The House That Was Built On The Rock

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I have a lot of dreams. Like a lot. And honestly, sometimes I get tired of them. Because a lot of times my dreams are of fires, and terrorist attacks, and storms, and floods… you know all the bad things.

I have good dreams too, but bad dreams are alarming and leave me shaky.

One of my disaster dreams was that I was living in a house of cardboard. This dream was a great reminder to never build a house out of cardboard. In the dream I was in the house as it caught fire, and well, the fire consumed and destroyed the house really fast. 

And then the house was built again, and again it was built of cardboard, and wouldn’t you know, the same thing happened again. I remember being distraught in the dream, because my home kept being destroyed.

More on the dream in a minute…

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
1 Peter 2:7

It was 5 years ago today. My husband and I were stuck a real life disaster, but this was not a dream. This was reality. We were on vacation, and it was going to be 6 days of beach, pool, and our favorite local restaurants. But that is not what happened. God allowed us to be present during the category 5 hurricane (named Maria) that hit Puerto Rico in 2017. During the storm, I remember having full confidence that the house we were in was secure. The house was unshakable, and never swayed. I haven’t written about it in a while, but you can read about our experience here). 

I don’t think about this much anymore. It happened so long ago. And 5 years definitely feels like about 10 now-a-days. But back in June, while on vacation in Florida, it was brought up in conversation. I was spending time with my uncle, whose house we were at when the hurricane hit.

“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Matthew 7:25

We were sitting and talking on the last day of vacation, while we waited for a much smaller storm to pass. It was a tropical storm that had prevented me from going home that day. He said to me “this is probably nothing for you, considering the storm in Puerto Rico, huh?”

He was right. Yet, I told him that during the storm I had known we would be okay, and one reason I knew that was because we knew his house had been so well built. The foundation was strong, and we knew it. That was one reason why we felt so fearless.

Now, I didn’t know how well built it actually was until this conversation. He shared with me how secure the foundation of the house was, and how far down the supports went into the ground. I had known the house was strong, and felt how strong it was as the storm raged just outside the walls where we abided. But the house was more even secure that I could knew at the time. That house would not be swayed by even the strongest storm.

It was really easy, in that moment to reflect that truth to how God works in our lives. He goes before us. Prepares the way. And way before we even realize. His firm foundation was set, and it was set before He formed us in our mother’s womb, and called us by name.

That is how much He loves us.

Back to my dream…

I have to admit that sometimes, my life can feel a bit like that cardboard house. Like a little spark or flame, will completely destroy it. Or be blown down by wind and waves. Washed away in sinking sand. 

But after the third time in my dream that the house burned down, I came across 3 men (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). These men were all standing, making plans on how to build a house that lasts. The house would be a firm foundation. It wouldn’t be made of cardboard, or things that can be destroyed. It was made of solid rock. And fire wouldn’t be able to destroy it. Neither would wind or rain, or the strongest storm.

And this is what our time during the hurricane affirmed for us.

When the foundation of the house was being built, God had me in mind. Likewise, when God was laying the foundation of the earth, He had us in mind. Jesus tells us that anyone who hears His words and does them, will be like a wise man who builds his house on a rock. I can sum this up in one word. Obedience. And when we are obedient, when the winds come, and the waves come, our foundation will be secure.

We will look back and testify that God’s firm foundation is even stronger than we can even think or imagine.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” Isaiah 28:16

When we know how strong our foundation is in Christ, we can be fearless. We. who believe in Him, will not be disturbed. When we deeply know that Jesus is the precious cornerstone that prevents a structure from collapsing, we can stand in firm confidence that our foundation will not be shaken. He was tested, tried, and overcame the grave.

This is a beautiful truth.

So, whenever we wonder if God cares, or sees us, we must remember Jesus, because He is a firm foundation that we can stand on. The Solid Rock, which the gates of hell can never prevail against… Jesus Christ.

Do We Have 1000 Reasons To Praise God?

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Have you heard the song A Thousand Hallelujah’s yet? It is a beautiful song, and I wept at the words the first time I heard them. It left me thinking “Do I have a 1000 reasons to praise God?”

The answer is… I better! But could I actually list 1000 things?

A couple of weeks ago, something happened that caught me off guard and left me really unsettled. This was something out of my control and left me really sick to my stomach. As this happened, the 1 Thessalonians 5:18 verse ran through my head. In all things, give thanks.

I wondered in that moment how I was supposed to be thankful when this was going on around me, and seemingly will never end. What was I supposed to be thankful for? Because I was not thankful for how I was feeling, or the situation I was again in, or anything that led to the moment I was in.

And this is how life goes. We can go through life and can have everything going well. And then things in life happen that can leave us wondering what our response will be.

“anything that leads me to trust Jesus more…”

My friend said something to me regarding a situation of her own that struck me.

“Anything that causes me to have to trust Jesus more is good for me.” This struck me in the moment, because I was struggling on how to be thankful. And for me, as I considered this, it meant that I can be thankful for anything that causes me to trust Jesus more. And trust me, I needed to trust Him, and believe He was my strong tower, safe refuge, strength, hiding place, redemption, mighty fortress, and so much more.

When we face situations that leave us wondering how to respond, one of our responses can always be giving thanks, or praise. Giving thanks was the answer that i needed. But if I am honest though, giving thanks wasn’t the answer I really wanted, because I found, giving thanks can often be the last thing we want to do, leaving praise to feel like a sacrifice. Sacrifice is hard. I have said this before, and I will say it again… if it is not hard, it is not sacrifice. 

3 scriptures that affirm why we should give thanks in all things.

But why should we give thanks in all things? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 concludes by saying to give thanks in all things because it is God’s will for our life. And if giving thanks in all things is God’s will for our life, then giving thanks in spite of all things is what we need to do.

Beyond this, we need to continually offer the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15), because despite what is going on around us, He is still worthy of our praise. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are chosen so that we can declare the praise of the One who called us out of darkness into light. Praise is our purpose. It was why we were chosen. For His glory to be praised and known.

Don’t you just love that His word really does answer all of life’s hard questions?

Beyond this, what else can we be thankful for?

So back to the song. The last time we sang it at church, I was just coming to the realization that I can be thankful for anything that leads me to trust Jesus more. And as we were singing this song about 1000 Hallelujahs (hallelujah is an expression of praise or rejoicing), I wondered to myself “Do I have 1000 things to praise God for, to give Him thanks for, to say “Hallelujah” for?”

One line in the song particularly made me consider this more. “Who else would rocks cry out to worship…. perhaps creation longs to have the words to sing, but this joy is mine.”

So I made the decision right there. I was going to go buy a journal, and over time write 1000 things to praise God for. I share this, not because I think it is noble task, but because if I write it, I am making a commitment to do it, and now accountable. It may take a while. But if praise is my purpose, than praise is what I will be doing. It is His will for my life.

So would you join me? Maybe not 1000 things, although He is more than worth of 1000, and 1000 more. But maybe write 10 things a day He is worthy of praise for.

One final thought…

I thought of the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry, and as the crowd was praising Him, the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His disciples. In response, Jesus says, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Even if we cease to praise Him, He would not be without honor. God’s praise can never be silenced. If we don’t praise Him, creation will. But dear friends, let’s not give rocks the joy that is ours! May His praise come from our hearts, and declared from our lips.

How To Endure The Unknown

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If you have followed my blog for a while, you know my fear of flying, and how difficult it can be for me to get on a plane most of the time. It really comes down to me not being in control. My life is ultimately in the hands of God, but in the pilot, and the flight attendances also…. and not my own. And that is a huge act of faith for me, and leaves me having to endure the unknown.

I am again facing a situation where I will not be in control. Today. And even less control than taking a flight. But through my last couple of plane trips, and also a few verses in Hebrews, I have been encouraged on how we can endure the unknown.

The last 2 trips I took, I was so excited about where I was going, that my heart and my thoughts didn’t have room for the fear that usually encumbers me. I knew my destination, my “finish line”, and nothing was going to steal the joy that was set before me on these trips. I couldn’t wait to get where I was going.

How To Endure The Unknown

I must first say that I love Hebrews. I am almost done reading it now, and have loved the richness, the depth, and how it so closely ties us to the Old Testament, which can give us a greater gratitude for what Jesus accomplished on the cross. 

But this leads me to share on how to endure the unknown, and what Hebrews 12: 1-3 can teach us about this.

Let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run the race marked before us.

Much easier said than done sometimes, especially when the unknown is seemingly set before us. And I have been thinking about these verses for the past week. The word encumbrance is the Greek word for hindrance. And I love what it means. Whatever is prominent, bulk. Burden, weight. Our hindrances can be not only bulky, a burden and a weight, but they can also be prominent in our lives and thoughts.

They entangle us or beset us. Trouble us, threaten us persistently, and cover us.

The truth is, we can’t run our race that God has set before us, if we are covered in weights, and if these burdens are prominent in our lives. Even if we ran, we would be slower, and run less efficiently. However, instead of running hindered, God wants us to run freely with perseverance, directly to the finish line.

We can run more freely, when we keep our eyes locked on Jesus, and by having Jesus be prominent in our lives and thoughts. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we are sure of our destination. Our finish line is heaven. That is where our race leads us.

What a beautiful ending.

Hebrews reminds us that under the law, our faith was imperfect. But now we have Jesus, the perfecter of our faith. The One who in his person raised faith to its perfection.

But why keep our eyes on Jesus?

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and loose heart.

Let’s focus on the last part of this…

One translation of weary in Greek is sick. And that is exactly how opposition/trials/difficulties feel sometimes. Like you are sick. I have felt that recently, honestly. And loose (set free, have one’s strength relaxed) heart, or… in looking into it more… soul, life, breath.

There Is Only One Answer.

Our answer is always Jesus. And only Jesus. The One who raised faith to its perfection. We are told to fix (lock) our eyes on the One that took the lead. And to consider (think over, ponder) Him, who endured (remained, didn’t flee, bore bravely, calmly) the cross. The punishment reserved for the guiltiest of criminals. 

We are told to do this so we don’t grow sick, and set free our heart, courage, breath, soul… our life. 

I needed this truth. Our faith keeps us well. It keeps us alive and breathing, when the world can feel strangling, and leave you feeling like you are grasping for air. 

Let us always remember Jesus.

And when we are going through trials, consider Him. Because there was joy set before Him, just as there is joy set before us. Let us follow His example, and lead, and bear bravely what comes our way. Because of Jesus, our King, our Protector, our Savior.

And as we are on our races, let us not be covered by anything but His promise, and keep in mind our finish line, our final destination, Jesus.

How To Rise Above Your Circumstances… Like Habakkuk

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Do you ever look at the world around you and think “What is going on right now?” Maybe justice doesn’t seem to prevail. Your circumstances dictate your behavior, and as much as you call out to God, you don’t feel like God is listening to your prayers, because you don’t see them being answered. Let’s look at Habakkuk and see how to rise above our circumstances in times like these.

Habakkuk opens his book with a complaint to God that may sound exactly like how you are feeling. “How long must I call to you, but you not listen?” Destruction was before him… too much of it for his liking, and he cries out to God that justice never prevails.

I can only imagine what Habakkuk’s social media page would have looked like. But would he have shared his discontent about what he was seeing around him with his following? I am not sure.

“Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” Habakkuk 1:3

And how about us? When we see what goes on in our own world, and the world around us, what do we do? Do we take it to God? And run to His word? Or use our platform to share our thoughts, and cause a stir?

We will look at one of my favorite Bible people next week, because we will get an outside perspective on what she did, which will give us a model to follow. But let’s start with what Habakkuk does.

Habakkuk wrestles with God in his frustration about the sinful nation, and is upset that God allows Him to witness the destruction He was seeing.

He wanted answers in his time of struggle. But God doesn’t answer by changing Habakkuk’s circumstance or explaining it to him. God answers by offering him words of hope. He tells Habakkuk that he was doing something that he wouldn’t believe.

And finally, at the end of this 3 chapter book, after wrestling, and receiving words of hope from God, he lands on faith. “Even though the fig tree doesn’t bud, the fields produce no food” the Sovereign Lord would be his strength and make his feet like the deer. Enabling him to tread on the heights.

Deer are surefooted animals that can climb rocky cliffs, and never stumble or fall. She can scamper on what looks like impossible grounding, and impassible terrain.

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19

When we run like the deer, and tread on the high places, we can live above our circumstances. God is our strength and enables us to do so. He gives us courage to tread on new heights. We can escape our enemies and gain freedom, because the Sovereign Lord is our strength. It doesn’t matter how impossible things seem if our eyes are locked on Jesus, we can run our race with endurance, and refuse to give up, and then watch with amazement all that God does. We can shake off the things that hinder us and be like the deer, and our God will get the glory. This all comes in the face of what others may do, and what goes on around us. No matter what, we can still boldly live our God’s call.

How to rise above our circumstances.

Habakkuk lived in trying times, but his resolution was to turn his attention to the Lord, despite what he was witnessing. God’s promises were his firm foundation, as they are ours. We can be free to walk in faith, just like the deer who is unshaken by the heights.

God, many times, will not change our circumstance, as much as we would like Him too. That isn’t really how He operates a lot of the time.

So, if we want to make a difference in the world, what can we do on an everyday basis?

Tune in next week, as I share more about this by looking at Ruth.

What Abraham Teaches Us About Hope

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What Abraham Teaches Us About Hope is part 2 of a 2 part blog. You can find part 1, What Job Teaches Us About Hope And Times Of Suffering, here. We pick up right where we left off!

Job intimately ties us to the New Testament, because all of his questions and problems are answered perfectly in Jesus Christ. Our faithful Defender. Our living hope.

We can stop believing the lie that God will never let His people suffer, by looking at Jesus, and embracing the truth that there is hope, even when our circumstances try to convince us there isn’t. And this hope doesn’t disappoint or put us to shame. We have a God who doesn’t run out on us, when our blessings wear thin… We have Jesus, His promised Son, who can empathize with our weakness.

What can we have genuine hope for?

Jesus was tempted, just as we are—yet he did not sin. So even though we are unworthy, we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence and without fear, so that we may find grace in our time of need.

But, what exactly should we have hope for? And how do we get from longing for this hope, to deeply knowing and having confidence in what we hope for? 

  • We can have hope, confident assurance, that our help comes from the Lord.
  • That when we call, He will answer.
  • That He goes before you, and will never leave you.
  • That He loves you so much that He sent His only son, so that if you believe in Him, you will not perish but have eternal life.
  • That one day He will wipe away every tear from your eye, and there will be no more pain or sorrow.
  • That He is preparing a place for us, and that one day Jesus will come again, as promised. 

This is the hope that will not disappoint or put us to shame.

Romans 15: 4 says, For everything that was written in the past, was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures, and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.

This means what scripture says about what Job experienced can help us have hope and encouragement.

This also means that hope is a natural response to being in the Word. Troubling circumstances are going to be harder if we are not rooted in Christ, because other things will take root. Fear, doubt, insecurities… false hopes and promises that disappoint. 

God’s word is an encouragement to us and reveals who God really is. It teaches us about the hope that doesn’t disappoint, and what it means that God really is working all things for His glory and our good… And, sometimes “our good” means a time of testing so that our faith is proven or strengthened…

As I have sought to know Him, His love has been almost tangibly. His love, that is promised and kept. Made and fulfilled. Unshakeable. True. Fixed in heaven. Sacrificial. Loyal. Devoted. Kind. Gentle, yet strong.  

I am often amazed. Because we are unworthy,  and don’t deserve it do we? His goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and love. Yet He has been so willing to pour it out for us. Grace. Undeserved kindness. 

My prayer is that you to walk in faith, because you know the immensity of His love for you. To never wonder if there is hope for you, but be confident in what you hope for, because you have the unshakeable assurance that the One who promised is faithful. And to be ROOTED in Christ, so that hope can arise in your life.

What does Abraham teach us about hope?

I want to end by looking at Abraham who is described as one who “hoped against hope”, as every aspect of his life seemed to go against God’s promise. God had promised him a son. But as time went on, it became less and less possible, from a human perspective, for this promise to come to pass.   

But what does it mean to hope against hope?… For me, sometimes I hope against fear, insecurity, and doubt, and the wonder if hope will disappoint. 

But when you hope against hope, it doesn’t matter what your circumstances are… you keep walking in faith, believing that every word God says is true.

When we hope against hope we will look back and say “I knew You would work it all out… I believed you”.

We have to have an unshakeable assurance that He really does work everything together for His glory, and our good, even if we can’t see it. That is hope. 

Abraham’s obedience wasn’t perfect, and neither will ours be, but Abraham’s life shows a growing assurance of who God is. As his body aged, his faith didn’t weaken, and he didn’t waver in unbelief.  He knew ‌God had power to do what He had promised… and we see this as God tests Abraham, years after Isaac, his promised son, was born. God, asks Abraham to take Isaac, who he loves, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. 

Abraham heads off with Isaac to the place God would show him, and Isaac asks him where the lamb was for the burnt offering. Abraham assured his son that God himself would provide a lamb. What is promised by God, is going to be fulfilled by God.

God, Himself will provide.

So here is Abraham preparing the altar with the wood that Isaac had carried on his back. He is about to slaughter his bound son when an angel of the Lord comes and stops him. Abraham looks over and sees a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. 

Not a lamb as Abraham had expected. But a ram. A strong adult grown up lamb…known for protecting its herd. Abraham received a bit differently than expected, but more than he expected, and he walked down the hill with Isaac and named the place “the Lord will provide”. 

He is the God who provides. And He is also the God who will see to it that His promises are fulfilled. In more ways than we could ask or imagine. 

Years later another promised Son, would carry a wooden cross on His back. This time, it wasn’t a test. There was no ram in the thicket. And Jesus wouldn’t display His power to take Himself off the cross. The Son wouldn’t be spared, but given up for us so we can be rescued from our sin.That is how much God loves us. He sent Jesus, to be the ultimate sacrificial lamb who would overcome death, and the grave, so we might have this hope that doesn’t disappoint. 

What Has Jesus Done?

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What has Jesus done? Well, that is a loaded question, and a question that stopped me in my tracks the other day when I was reading about the last supper.

I have been struggling with a double ear infection for about a month now, and trying to endure my way through it. It is frustrating because it has affected so much, my energy, thought process, and I have felt like I have been operating at limited capacity (that is the most frustrating part). And this question caught me in a moment of “Why is this happening?”

Do you know what I have done for you?

This was a question Jesus asked His disciples the night shortly after He had gotten up from the Last Supper. He takes off His outer clothing, wraps a towel around His waist, and assumes the position of a servant, pours water into a basin and washes His disciples feet.

But when it gets to be Peter’s turn, Peter just couldn’t handle it. He couldn’t handle that, his “master” wash taking on the humiliating task of washing his feet.

No, you shall never wash my feet.

Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.

Then, Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!

Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.

Then after He finished washing their feet He says…

Do you not understand what I have done for you?

And truthfully, they couldn’t grasp it, really. If I am honest, I have a hard time grasping it as hard as I try, and want to.

Jesus then goes on to share some heartfelt words for those around Him in John 13-17. Jesus shares in these beautiful passages what He has done, what is about to be done, and what He will do. He encourages to love others, as He has loved that. That there is one amongst them who will betray Him, and He shares that with them so that when it comes to pass, they will believe that He is who He is.

The message to take heart, because He would overcome the world was strong.

Peter’s denial is predicted, as he insists that he would lay down his life for Jesus. Tough truths are shared, but intertwined with unshakeable hope.

Where Jesus was going, they could not follow yet. But He was preparing a place for them, a place with many rooms. Jesus wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t so. He promises to be with them, and send them the Holy Spirit.

They would weep and mourn, as the world rejoices. But their grief would turn to joy.

Jesus states that a time has come where they would scatter to their homes, and leave Him alone, but that He wouldn’t be alone because His Father is with Him.

Then He prays for Himself, His disciples, and other future believers (us).

This is found in John 17, and I encourage you to read it. You can feel Jesus love in every single word written.

But pause, and reflect on these verses that have stuck with me. I pray that these words meet you where you are, and are treasured in your heart, because the deep love these words carry from Jesus.

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you[knownto them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. John 17: 12-15, 24-25

And soon after these words were spoken, He died on a cross. A humiliating death reserved for the worst of the worst criminals.

The unexpected became the embracers.

Once Jesus had taken His final breath on the cross, something interesting happened.

I have never thought about this much until recently. There were 2 men that took Jesus body off the cross, and placed His body in one of the tombs that was reserved for one of them, as Mary Magdalene and Mary stood there watching. These 2 men weren’t Jesus’ closest friends, they had actually followed Him in secret.

Joseph, assisted by Nicodemus, took Jesus’ body down from the cross, and wrapped it in linen cloths with fragrant spices according to burials customs for the Jews.

Now taking His body down, couldn’t have been an easy task. First, they probably had to lower the cross down. Second, He was nailed to a cross. So they would have had to remove the nails, so they could remove Him from the cross. And imagine this. These 2 men having to carry His weight, His bloodied, lifeless body. The lifeless body that was supposed to save His people.

But in truth, they were embracing the dead weight of the One who had just bore the weight of their sin, and ours.

The grievers become the joyful.

Joseph had rolled a stone in front of the tomb, but Pilate ordered that guards be placed in front of the tomb, and put a seal on it. He did not want the disciples coming to steal the body and “claim” He had risen as He said He would.

On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene and Mary, went to tomb to anoint Jesus body with spices they had prepared. As captured in Mark 16:2, they wondered how the stone would be removed from the entrance. The stone was too heavy to move themselves, and not sure if they were aware of this, but the guards were there. And the stone was sealed.

Even with the impossibilities in front of them, they went to the garden that the tomb was in.

When we trust God, we don’t have to wonder how the impossibilities will be made possible. God always makes the way. And we see it so beautifully here, as these women went anyway.

An angel of the Lord came down, and removed the sealed stone, leaving the guards so afraid they were like dead men. This angel sat on the stone that it had rolled away, and told the women they need not be afraid, because Jesus had risen, just as He said he He would. And instructed the women to quickly go and tell His disciples.

No longer in grief, they joyfully ran to tell the disciples.

The conditions of faith disappear….

The disciples didn’t hear the news from these women though, and when Jesus appeared to them Thomas wasn’t with them. Poor Thomas. He wouldn’t believe that Jesus was indeed alive unless “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side.”

I feel like I have so much of Thomas in me. I wonder if his hesitation to believe all the other disciples stemmed from him wanting to believe that Jesus was alive so badly, that if it wasn’t true, he would be more torn apart than he already was.

He didn’t want to be disappointed. Or put to shame. Jesus was the One who was supposed to rescue His people. There had been hope. And Thomas had believed it enough to follow Him. But Jesus had died.

I have been there. Wondering if His hope will disappoint, and I would be put to shame. Maybe you have too.

But when Thomas sees Jesus, his conditions of belief seem to immediately disappear as Jesus is standing Him in front of him saying Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.

No action, just a declaration. My Lord, My God. Hope didn’t disappoint, Thomas wasn’t put to shame. Jesus was exactly who He said He was, and did exactly as He had promised.

That is how much He loves us.

Do we embrace all that Jesus is, all that He promised, and all that He has done?

Do we embrace His brokenness? The brokenness that paid the ransom our freedom? Or do we just want to bask in the joy of the resurrection?

And do we bring Jesus everything we have? Even when what is in front of us seems impossible? Or only when we can see what is “possible”?

Do we doubt, and stay in disbelief because we are afraid that if Jesus isn’t who He claims to be, we will be disappointed, and left with our faith shattered?

Let us believe, even if we can’t see.. and as we do…

May the unexpected become to embracers. And the lost become the found.
The broken become chosen. And the grievers become the joyful.

May our conditions of faith disappear.
May the doubters become the declarers.
And may the hopeless, become the certain, because it knows our Risen King.