A new name

Father, when I was looking at facebook and saw a picture of a few women friends enjoying a day out together I found an unwanted feeling within my heart, a wanting to be included.  I remembered a time in high school and wanting to be in a certain “service” club and not being invited. . . the feeling of being on the outside – not being enough.  These feelings come from how I interpreted a situation and by allowing something or someone other than You to define who I am or was.  
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Then this song came to mind. A song we use to sing and that I haven't thought about in years:

I will change your name

You shall no longer be called

Wounded, outcast

Lonely or afraid

I will change your name

Your new name shall be

Confidence, joyfulness

Overcoming one

Faithfulness, friend of God

One who seeks my face.

Thank You that You have given me a new name, a new identity.  And that in You I am and have more than enough for all of eternity.  

Shoulder taps

I watched a short video this morning.  This man recalls having lunch with his wife and noticed an older woman sitting alone at a table.  She was joined by what appeared to be her daughter and some grand kids.  The gentlemen felt he should tell the woman how nice she looked, so when their meal was finished, and they were leaving the restaurant he stopped at her table and leaned down and said, “I don’t know if anyone has told you today, but you look lovely.”  It got very quiet and then the woman said, “I know you”.  To which the gentlemen replied, “No, we’ve never met”.  Then she said “Yes, I know your spirit. My husband died a year ago, and that is something he would have said”.  At that point, with tears in their eyes they embraced and went about their day. 

They point the gentleman wanted to make was, when God taps you on the shoulder, listen.  Both had been blessed by his willingness to listen and respond to God’s tap on his shoulder.

This reminded me of a time I was having lunch with a friend.  It was a restaurant we eat at frequently.  There was an employee who would walk around with a basket of bread sticks and give them out to the customers. I just remember one day she stopped at our table, looked at me and said, “You’re a Christian, aren’t you?”.  I replied that yes, I was.  Then she said, “I could tell by the countenance of your face.  I recognized His Spirit.” And then she moved on to the next table and continued to distribute bread sticks.  I believe I was on the receiving end of a “shoulder tap”.  I felt that God had taken a moment to tell me He saw me, that He knew me.  I’ve never forgotten that brief encounter and the impact it had on my life.

So, when God taps you on the shoulder – listen and obey and be both a blessing and blessed.

He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge.

These verses reminded me of the story of the woman with the issue of blood and the significance of “the hem of His garment” and the reference in Malachi 4:2 - The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings.

The first time I heard the connection it just brought home to me how the Bible (Old and New testaments) are a love story. Both give meaning and understanding to the other.  As a friend once told me, understanding the old testaments’ relationship to the new is like walking into a room and turning the lights on.  The room hasn’t changed but the shadows now take form and substance.

The following is a brief explanation of the connection:

Have you ever wondered what prompted the woman with the issue of blood to touch the “hem” of  Jesus’ garment? The word translated  garment in the story is translated elsewhere as “wing”. The Jewish prayer shawl, or tallit, has a very important, knotted, blue cord that hangs from the corner. This area is called the “wing”. When the Hebrew  prayed they held the “wings” of their prayer shawl out to form a “tent”. This was their prayer closet.  Old Testament scripture foretells that when Messiah comes, there will be “healing in His wings”. The woman familiar with this scripture knew to touch the “wing” of His prayer shawl to be healed. And Jesus said to her, “Your faith has healed you.” Mk. 5:34.

For  a more in-depth  study see here:  
http://servantofmessiah.org/hebraic-biblical-studies/healing-hem/5/

Generous living

I read this morning about an employer who continued to pay his employees, even after his factory burned to the ground.  An example of living generously.  The thought occurred to me that perhaps we to easily try to live beyond our necessities.

In Psalm 78 – I was reminded how Israel “grew unfaithful in their hearts”; all their needs were provided for, but “they grew tired of God’s provision”.  They wanted more.

Our troubles in life often come because of our selfish desires for more and because of what we allow into our hearts.

I was reminded of a quote by John Piper.  “The works of the flesh and the fruit of love are not two different optional ways to live in freedom. When you live according to the flesh, you are in slavery. But when you serve each other in love, you are in freedom. Why? Because love is motivated by the joy of sharing our fullness, but the works of the flesh are motivated by the desire to fill our emptiness.”

What motives my obedience?

My prayer: To live generously – make my obedience more and more a grateful, willing gift . . . not out of fear or for appearance sake – but for the joy of knowing and being known by You.

Making someone beautiful

Following is a story I read this morning and found the lesson something to remember and put into practice.

“A man who spent much time with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, used to speak of his ability to compliment and express gratitude …even for a muffin. On one occasion he sat with Reb. Shlomo in a dingy restaurant, presided over by a sour-looking proprietress. The woman was unusually homely and unpleasant. He was happy when she put down their breakfast order and returned to the counter. But after taking one bite of the muffin she had brought him, Reb Shlomo summoned her back. ‘My most beautiful friend,’ he said to her gently, ‘are you by any chance the person who baked this muffin?’

‘Yeah, I am, what about it?’ she retorted.

‘I just want you to know that this is the most delicious muffin I have ever tasted in my life.’

The woman gave a hint of a smile, thanked him, and started to walk away.

‘And I also want you to know,’ Reb Shlomo still was not finished. ‘And mamash (truly), I have to thank you because I was so hungry, and you did me the greatest favor in the world by so expertly baking this muffin, which is surely a taste of the World–to-Come.’

By now the woman was smiling broadly:

‘Well, gee, thanks a lot. It’s very nice of you to say so. Most people never comment when the food is good; you only hear from them when they have a complaint.’

Reb Shlomo went on to ask the woman about the special ingredients she used in preparing the muffin, and listed attentively. He was specific with his compliments, commenting on the muffin’s airy texture, its buttery and fragrant quality. Carlebach’s friend recalls that he was watching Reb Shlomo paean to a muffin with a mixture of amazement and amusement, until he gazed at the woman. ‘I was taken aback. The homely woman was no more. A few minutes with Shlomo had done the trick. She was transformed. She had become beautiful.’”

I learned there is value in acknowledging the good another has done for you and I hope someday to acquire the ability to sing hymns to muffins and make people beautiful.

Joy

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.  Psa 30:5

I love the word joy – it brings with it a sense of peace and well-being deep deep down inside my soul where the cares and distractions of life can not touch it or take it from me.  It’s always there, always available, always present.  It is His joy that abides within me and it is His joy that is my strength.  My response to this amazing gift is to praise the One who brings it, with a heart full of thanksgiving – for even in the darkest times, I am truly blessed.

Weaknesses

I’ve spent the last several weeks considering weaknesses, especially my own.  Paul discovered that in his weaknesses God’s power is perfected.  That says to me that my weaknesses, which are many, are not a hindrance to His working in and through my life.  My insecurities and fears are no match for His power and His grace. This is good news!

In my reading this morning, an even more wonderful promise regarding my weaknesses became clear.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Heb 4:14-16).

“Sympathize” here means to be moved by what has moved someone else.  It’s more that just feeling sorry for someone.  It’s understanding what its like to live in the middle of someone else’s circumstances, coupled with the desire to do whatever is within your power to help them out.

“Weaknesses” is also a very strong word and is understood as “the human condition”. (P. Tripp)

Jesus knows what it’s like to live in a fallen world.  He understands the full range of temptations we face, the complexity of relationships.  He understands betrayal, rejection, pain and aloneness.  

He . knows . us

Knowing that He “understands” me is a truly great treasure, that He’s not turned off because I stumble and fall and don’t always get things right.  Being understood is right up there with knowing I am forgiven and that I am loved.

So, my understanding is that my weaknesses are no match for His greatness; that He knows them personally because He experienced them.  But He was not defeated by them but overcame them.  So, He is able to walk with me in my weakness and I, in turn, can rely upon His strength - and THAT is a pretty good deal :)

A morning thought

The lesson from the BJV this morning is to avoid extremes.  I was struck again at how detailed the law can be when determining what is right and wrong behavior – down to the last jot or tittle.  I believe in most cases this is done from a sincere heart wanting to be obedient and out of love for God. But while these “laws” are good they can become superficial.  In sense like false idols – if we rely upon them to make us right rather than relying on God.

Paul says that what ever we do, do it out of love for God because of His great love for us.  Jesus came to show us what real love looks like, so if we follow His example we will fulfill the law because our actions will be motivated by love.  Love “knows” what is the right thing.  It doesn’t need to be told.  The “knowing” comes from His Spirit abiding with us and in us.

Don’t embarrass a guest or your children.

In the reading this morning the author tells the story of a dinner where one of the guests knocked over a glass of red wine, spilling it on the white tablecloth.  The host, in seeing what happened, knocked the leg of the table which caused his wine to spill as well.  At which point the host said, “There must be something wrong with this table.  I’ll need to see about getting it fixed”.  Basically, accidents happen, and rather than express anger perhaps we should show concern for the other. (Book of Jewish Values)

This reminded of a time, I don’t remember the details, but Joshua as a young child did something which resulted in something breaking, a dish perhaps.  He felt really bad about it and told his grandmother how sorry he was, that it had been an accident. He certainly didn't mean for it to happen.  I remember her saying “accidents don’t just happen, they are caused.  If you hadn’t been careless this wouldn’t have happened.” 

While there was truth in her statement, when it was said in an unloving and critical way, I believe it did more harm than good.  It’s like having knowledge but not having the wisdom to use it.  Knowledge  is a good thing but knowing how to apply it requires wisdom. Knowing that a tomato is a fruit is knowledge, knowing not to put it in a fruit salad is wisdom.

And if “being right” condemns someone else then maybe we should rethink our response. 

How to be both just and merciful.  How fortunate that our God is both.

“according to what they have done”

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard:

“Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;

and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”  (Psa 62:11-12)

“. . . according to what they have done” 

While there is a difference between salvation and rewards, when I come across verses like this, I must confess, they make me tremble a bit – what if the things I have done are not good enough.  And then I remember, He has already done all that is needed for me, that my security rests in Him and not in me.  Praise God!!!

This also reminds me of the parable about the talents and what we do with what we’ve been given.  In Christ we have been given forgiveness and new life, not to be hoarded but given away freely, as it has been given to us.  It is not the quantity that He looks at so much as to the quality – things done from a heart that has been broken and remade in His image.  A work He both begins and finishes.  I am simply clay in the Potter’s hands.

Flat-rock

We spent the afternoon at flat-rock today.  It’s one of our favorite places to go, mostly because we can take the dogs and it’s just beautiful.  We call it flat-rock because that’s what it is. A very large area of rock with lots of room to roam around and explore.  What’s amazing is how oftern we have the place all to ourselves.  The Cullasaja River meanders over and around it. Depending on how the river is running, there are times it’s almost completely submerged but most of the time there’s plenty of room to kick back, relax and enjoy God’s creation.

There are pools that are deep enough to swim around in.  But it’s mostly shallow enough to just get your feet wet – well maybe up to your knees.  There’s even some white water for those daring enough to slide down the rocks.  Joshua loved it as a kid and it was one of the places he wanted to share with his bride after he got married.  I don’t even remember how we first discovered it – but it’s a Hargrove tradition to spend some time there whenever we come up, and it’s a place we love to share with friends.

It’s a wonderful place to just be – to feel the sun and to hear the sounds of nature and the continuous sound of the river running.  There’s a sense of the eternal.  The rock itself has been around from the beginning of time.  And the river never stops running and has run, well, for - ever.  I am always reminded of the constancy of God and His many blessings, so underserved but so available to those who seek Him.  I know flat-rock was a place He created for our enjoyment and appreciation.  A place to be at peace and to remember to Whom we belong.  I pray everyone has a flat-rock in their lives.

Patience:

the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

We’ve been looking at God’s patience in our study this week and I find myself so very grateful.  How comforting it is to know He is patient; that my actions or inactions will not cause Him to lose His patience with me –

It’s like a child learning to walk - with all the attempts and failures but a loving parent never gets angry or dismissive but continues to encourage and to understand.

In a world that is quick to judge and find fault, what a comfort to know that I have a Father who knows my every thought and all my imperfections but loves me anyway and is willing and able to walk with me, to pick me up when I fall down and rejoice with me when I move forward.

W o w -  just W O W!!!

My weakness, His strength - thoughts from Gideon

What I once considered a weakness I now see as a gift.

To accept or reject.

Misplace focus – on the problem rather than on God.  This is where faith comes in, to see the unseen, to see beyond what’s in front of me into eternity, to the Eternal.  

Teach me to run, not walk, into the arms of Jesus.

When I come to the end of myself, that is where I find Him.

Don’t focus on the disparity between the problem and your resources.  Your weakness, in His hands, is the key to unlocking His strength

Father, at the moment my weakness is my inability to cope with all the distractions of life that take my focus off You and onto them.  I’m tired and heavy laden and need to enter into Your rest and just breathe.  You are greater than the distraction.

I don’t want to fail You, to dishonor You in any way, but I feel like my "inability" keeps me from Your victory because on some level I give into the distraction.

I see how I’m like our Bob, I snarl and growl when I lose control, when things don’t go as I want, when I’m inconvenienced in some way.  Teach me how to connect with You in those times, to rise above, to let go, to see beyond and just rest . in . You.

When things rock my world, teach me how, cause me to stand in You.

Just some thoughts

In a discussion last night we talked of how it really is His story, that our lives are to be about Him and not focus on us  - to look upward and not inward.  While I see this is true, I’m also aware that His focus is on us, on me.  I kept thinking about the lyrics from Restless Love:

There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me

How He’s willing to leave the ninety-nine – for me.

That I have been bought with an incredible price.

That I am now a daughter of The King.

I need to live my life “knowing” these things to be true.

I also remember reading about the Jewish word for prayer:  The Hebrew word l'hitpallel means to pray. The root word is pallel, which actually means to judge, clarify, differentiate or decide. In the reflexive tense of the word--l'hitpallel, the subject acts upon him/herself.

The idea that prayer, therefore, is about self-definition and establishing some level of personal inner clarity.  In a sense, to know one’s self.

I guess in some ways its that Lion and Lamb, justice and grace, thing  While they seem to be in opposition to each other  are really just two sides of the same coin.

It’s because of His amazing love for me, that I want my life to be for Him, to be about His plans and purposes – to be all about Him.

Some random thoughts

A parachute can be a burden or it can save your life. Depends on if you're climbing a mountain or jumping out of an airplane.

A fire can destroy or provide warmth.

Learning to know the difference.

Feelings and emotions are like the parachute or the fire.  They can bring light or darkness.  They are like children, they need boundaries and structure and discipline to live a joyful and productive life.

[W]e can examine the thoughts, beliefs and patterns that are running through our minds and ask, Will this thought help me evolve and thrive or will it hinder me?

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor 10:3-5)

In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself…” (John 5:19). . . But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. . . we are to “be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind….”

You have not made me to live to myself - - -

 or for myself, but to You and to others, even as Jesus did.

Father, I’ve agreed to lead one of the small groups in the women’s study and I have done so because I believe it’s a part of Your plan.  I’ve been concerned about how small my world has become and not feeling “useful”, so if I’ve misunderstood, please help me to do this is a way that honors You.  You know me Lord, that this is outside my comfort zone but I also know my life is in Your hands.  I’m getting out of the boat here, so help me to keep my focus on You and not the wind and the waves.  I’m excited to see what You will do.

This is the day

This is the day, that You have made

Whatever comes, I won't complain

For all my hope, is in Your name

And now Your joy, awaits my praise

(Grateful)

Father, sitting here this morning, reflecting on the last few days and once again amazed at Your unfailing love.  Sunday morning I felt a shift, a good shift, it’s like I’ve been waiting for something and its finally come – and its just so wonderful.  Its like all the pieces have come together and the finish result is just too amazing.  Two words have captured my heart – joy and praise –The words of the song, which I’d never heard before, seem to resonate within me and I’m just so grateful. Your joy awaits my praise. And I am so excited to be able to praise You!  And yes, my hope is in Your name, and You have never disappointed me yet.

Nothing on the outside has changed, but inside – wow, just wow.

To seek the Giver not the gift

I was reading yesterday the story about Jacob and his night alone where he wrestled with God, and was blessed by Him.  It seems to me that we all need times to wrestle with God so that He can bless us.  It occurred to me, that my time in the mornings is a time that I wrestle with Him and how blessed I am that He is present with me.

This morning as I was pondering this, it occurred to me that this time is also our snuggle time, where I can draw close to Him and know that He is drawing close to me.

So whether its wrestling or snuggling, He wants to be with us, to bless us and He is and will be when we give Him the opportunity.

More about Naaman, the slave girl and forgiveness

When you forgive, that means you absorb the loss and the debt.  You bear it yourself.  All forgiveness then is costly.  The slave girl of Naaman’s wife shows sympathy and concern for Naaman rather than bitterness or wanting revenge.  She could have made him bear the cost for what he had done to her.  Instead she forgave him and became the vehicle of his healing, she trusted God to be the judge of all.

We should not infer from this that forgiving means we should submit passively to oppression and injustice.  The Bible’s call to forgive and to seek justice are not mutually exclusive but complementary.  If you cannot do the interior work of forgiveness, you will seek excessive personal revenge rather than true justice.  You will not do a good job at confronting and correcting wrongdoers unless you first forgive them in your heart.  When you have lost the inner need to see the other person suffer then you will have a chance of actually bringing about justice, change and healing.  (Excerpts from Keller/Counterfeit Gods)

Some thoughts about eating apples.

After eating the apple, Adam and Eve realized they were naked.  At that point naked, which until then had not been an issue, was now an issue which brought guilt and shame.  An experience, which until that moment, had not existed.

Why put the tree there to begin with?  Perhaps because to be truly free you must first have a choice.

God knew they would fall and His plan of redemption was already at work.

Mountain climbing

You don’t realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

Father, I confess this scares me a bit.  Not because I don’t believe it, but I don’t want to have to find out for myself.  I’d rather learn from others.  Please help me to never hold something so tightly that I can’t let it go.  I want You to always be first in my life, in my mind and in my heart.  I know that’s not always the case but it is the desire of my heart.  Teach me to “demote” anything I might treasure more than You; to be willing and to be able to live without it.

My morning take away

Reading about the Kiddush, the Jewish blessing of the wine.  It seems much of Jewish rituals have to do with remembering and in remembering giving glory and thanks to God for His provisions.

In Jewish law substituting grape juice for wine at Shabbat and Passover is acceptable and required for those who suffer from alcoholism.  In fact they consider it sinful for an alcoholic to not use grape juice because of Deut 4:15, the instruction to carefully preserve life.  To drink wine would put them and those they interact with at risk. (The Book of Jewish Values)

Exceptions to the rule – grace.   When we do what we do out of love for God, it will keep us from having to follow the rules; the rules will no longer be necessary.  However, it is to be love which is defined by God and not by man.  Sacrificial and other oriented – and for that we need His life in us.

Being still

Father, everything I read this morning seems to stir-up something deeper in me.  I want to see what’s underneath, when in truth it’s You, resting in Your arms are what holds me.  You have always been there, even when I wasn’t aware – Your hand has guided me and I have found safety in Your sheltering wings. You have created in me this desire to be honest and transparent and faithful to Your word.  And even though I continue to stumble and fall, You are there to pick me up, dust me off and set my feet upon the path You have prepared for me. Life is not always easy, in fact sometimes it’s downright scary but even then You have carried me through and turned my weeping into tears of joy. 

All because of who You are. 

I am and will always be amazed by Your grace and love.

Bag lady or bride

To paraphrase from my reading this morning.  The world around us (and that to come) is the “theater of God’s glory” – that all of creation is connected to God its creator.  Everything is by design.  It is not a junk yard and we are not bag ladies picking through the debris to find things on which we can survive.

I had to laugh at this because I have always said (somewhat jokingly, yet somewhat seriously) I’ll probably be a bag lady when I get to heaven – that I’ll get there because of Him but the style in which I live will be . . . that of a bag lady.  I have this vision of me pushing around a shopping cart filled with life’s essentials.  How silly of me.

Because in truth there is hope after all.  The fact is, He has gone to prepare a place for me and that place will be with Him, that I will not be a bag lady, but His bride. That I am His and will be forever surrounded by His glory.  This takes my breath away.