"Tell the priests who carry
the ark of the covenant: "When
you reach the edge of the Jordan's
waters, go and stand in it."Joshua 3:8
I was once asked by God to take on a year-long project. It wasn’t my idea. I hadn’t even been thinking about it. I recognized His request immediately as a test of my growth of faithfulness. What I have found is so many of us worry that we will look/sound silly, weird, or even crazy if we obey God’s directives.
Think about Joshua leading millions of Israelites into the promised land. He gets told by God to stand in the Jordan river with the ark of the covenant — which at that time of the year was at flood stage. The ark was their most valuable commodity and here was this “lunatic” telling the priests to go stand in the water with it.
What I have also found is that when, not only myself, but others obey God and set aside our pride, we don’t look foolish. We look victorious. We are victorious.
When I finally set aside my pride when it came to my relationship with my younger daughter, God smiled on us and created something I could have only imagined. We were victorious.
"But on Mount Zion will be
deliverance; it will be holy,
and Jacob will possess his
inheritance."Obadiah 1:17
I want that victory for you. God wants to share in victory WITH you. So listen to His Word, hear His voice and step forward ready to win your battles.
It has given me great joy to
find some of your children walking
in the truth, just as the Father
commanded us.2 John 1:4
I was reading a new book recently that said, “Today, America is rich but morally rotten. Our heads and our hands have outrun our hearts. We have gained the world but have lost our souls.” The author went on to describe the lawlessness and chaos that fetishism, polytheism and any number of ‘isms’ have wrought on our society. I looked back to the beginning of this little book to see when it was published – 1969.
I could take just about any paragraph from this book, “In Times Like These,” and you would surely think the author was writing about yesterday or today. The frightening results of our demand for “progress” in all parts of lives are prophetically found in this fascinating group of sermons by Vance Havner, a contemporary of Billy Graham.
“The time is short, and the fashion of this world is passing away”
Vance Havner
For the Christian, we are admonished to live as people set apart from the world. (Romans 12:2). And yet we have homogenized so much of what it means to be a Follower of Jesus. I heard a pastor once say, “The world doesn’t hate ‘nice’ people.” Think about that for a moment. So many of us want, as our goal, to be seen as ‘nice, Christians’ — certainly not ones that cause waves like Jesus did day in and day out.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers
and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,
to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and proper
worship.Romans 12:1
My BSGs and I were finishing up a week of Bible study about what the church means to God and to us as Christians. We got into a discussion about how easy it is to be a Western-world Christian. And although we’ve seen that challenged over the last year, we still don’t face the threat of death when choosing to worship. Prison, maybe, but not death. (A little over a year ago I wouldn’t even have thought to write that last sentence).
At a church one of my Bible gals and I attended for many years, there was a pastor of Egyptian origin. He would tell us of the inherent dangers of even wearing a cross or holding a Bible while travelling in Cairo. He regaled us with stories of various mission trips back to his homeland fraught with intrigue. And after an hour listening to his sermon and beautiful music we would go back about our “other” lives – not having risked anything ourselves.
We are promised an everlasting life, through faith and obedience to God. The type of obedience John writes about in 2 John. “A walk in obedience to His commands.” Earlier, John tells us of Jesus’ prayer to His father on the eve of His death.
I have revealed you to those
whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours; you gave them to
me and they have obeyed your word.
Now they know that everything you
have given me comes from you.John 17:6-7
The “knowing” then requires the “obeying” – a living out of what God expects from us now that His Word has been revealed. But how many of us offer our entire lives over as a “living sacrifice?” One of my friends and I have this now running joke that we have our “faith life” but then we have our “real life.” Knowing that in God’s expectation those are to be one and the same.
“Devotion to Him (Jesus) must be so high and so deep and so intense that all other loyalties must seem in comparison as though they did not exist.”
Vance Havner
That takes obedience to a whole new level. I fear that modern Christians read this and immediately assume we must be the rich prince of whom Jesus asks to give up all his possessions in order to follow Him. (Matt 19:21-24) And in fact, many a breezy, occasional, Sunday-only Christian has misinterpreted that to be the case. But Jesus only ever asks us to give up what is separating us from Him. What idols have we placed in front of Him so that it blocks our view of Him or our ability to obey Him?
The world is full of gadgets and facilities that are not wrong unless we make them ends in themselves or turn them to evil uses.
Vance Havner
For some that idol is time. Or more specifically who or what gets our time. In the 2 John letter, John calls out the “lady chosen by God” for her love of God. And he knows of this love because of her obedience to the commandments. She walks in love of God. Even Satan knows God. But the chasm between the lady in John’s letter and Satan is her obedience. She most likely spent much of her day praying, guiding others to God, teaching her children about God, and working as God’s daughter.
“Christian love is not just some special emotion that makes us accept others. It’s an act of will – treating people the same way God treats you.”
Warren Wiersbe on 2 John
An act of will. That’s not some squishy, marshmallowey feeling. It means 1) knowing the will of God and 2) committing our entire body to obeying His commandments. It means living a life set apart from this world – and maybe even your current church or group of friends. It means being in danger of getting called “weird” or “freak.” It might even mean being labeled a “bigot” or “hatemonger.”
Some of you may recall seeing the storm that descended upon New Orleans Saints football quarterback Drew Brees when he joined Focus on the Families’ call to “bring your Bible to school day.” He was called all manner of hateful things and a call went out to shame and silence him. For promoting bringing a book to school.
The time is nearer now than ever before to awaken in obedience as Christians. I read a comment that the Bible is a disturbing book. It “bids us to stir up the gift of God.” We are admonished to “gird our loins (Luke 12:35),” disrupt our sleepy scheduled lives (Rom 13:11) and grasp the seriousness of our times. We are closer to the coming of Christ than yesterday. And it doesn’t take much to see how anarchy and apathy are playing a role in God’s timetable.
When I started fresh out of college at my new job, I was just barely 22 years old. I was given a lot of responsibility to set up a brand new marketing and public relations department. The corporate culture was very resistant to the new ideas I brought to the table. I was called all manner of terrible things. But I learned a valuable lesson. When the “big boss” has your back you can forge a path through any swamp, forest or desert. As Christians we have the mightiest “boss” of them all – God. We should walk in obedience to Him knowing that He has our back. We should walk in the knowledge that we are just passing through this world and will do so as God’s children. We should look forward to making a few waves, in Jesus’ name.
I’m in it (the world) but not of it; I’m a pilgrim and stranger; I’m not a citizen of old Babylon, I’m looking for another city.
Now if you obey me fully
and keep my covenant, then
out of all nations you will
be my treasured possession.Exodus 19:5
A prayer to act when directed by God
Dear God, I used to think that my faith was solely a personal, spiritual pursuit. But I keep hearing the word “obey.” I admit that obeying isn’t a comfortable word for me. It implies me giving up something for someone else. In your covenant world however, “obey” just means holding up my end of the bargain. You are always faithful, LORD, and I need to be faithful as well. James said it best when he admonished us to be “doers of the Word, not just hearers.” Sometimes I allow the world to drown out your Holy Spirit who speaks your will to me. Or I worry that I’m not worthy or ready to do your work. But I’m tuning in to you and listening, watching, and anticipating for your direction. Give me opportunities to be your hands, your feet and your heart. I will obey. In your Son’s name I pray this. Amen
One of my BSGs shared with us the other day how she was one of those Christians who claimed to never hear God direct her. That isn’t the case any longer. He’s been nudging her so hard she may almost have a bruise on her back! She shared how she bought 10- $5 coffee gift cards from a locally owned coffee shop. At random she is handing them out telling people, “God has blessed me so much this year and I want to share in the blessing.” She told us of approaching a policeman and giving him a card. He looked surprised. When she walked away, she heard him on his radio exclaiming, “You won’t believe what just happened.”
Isn’t that awesome! I want some of that God-goodness! He speaks to us through His Word, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit. He tells us how to treat the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, our neighbor, our loved ones, and the stranger. When we feel that nudge and the nudge feels like God, it can never be wrong.
I love the story of Isaiah and his vision amongst the angels. He first sees himself unworthy of being in the presence of heavenly beings. So, what does he do? He cries out, “For I am a man of unclean lips.” In other words, he prays for help with his unworthiness. And an angel touches his lips with burning coal (ouch) to take away his guilt and sin. And then the real action takes place.
Then I heard the voice of
the Lord saying, “Whom shall
I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”Isaiah 6:8
He “hears to voice of the Lord” make an urgent request. God needs volunteers to spread His message of love and hope. And when we Christians accepted the covenant promise of Jesus, that left us a spot to sign on the dotted line to volunteer for that service.
When others step to the back of the line we need to learn to step forward. Not hang out waiting for thunder and lightning to give us a loud message. We need to be ready to jump at a moment’s notice – not only that, but be so excited to say, “Here am I. Send me!”
I want to wake up every day in anticipation of the work He wants done through me. And I want to go to bed looking forward to another chance tomorrow. I’m listening LORD. Send me.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press
on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.Philippians 3:13-14
A prayer to live without regret
Holy God, it’s been many years since I accepted your gift of salvation, which along with that gift came forgiveness. And yet, so often I am unable to forgive myself. My heart still twinges when I think of the times I lived in sin. And once saved, I look back at the years I realize I wasn’t fully committed to obeying your Word. I’ve wasted enough time, however, not accepting your grace. I am learning how much you love me, LORD. And with that, I’m working to accept that I am a new person because of your son Jesus. The old me can’t take up any more precious time when you are filling up my heart with overwhelming love. I admit I sometimes need stern admonishment from you to keep me on track. But at other times please send me a gentle kiss or unexpected hug to remind to live in today, not the regrets of the past. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
I don’t know about you but I’ve done some very non-Christian things in my life. I spent about five years of my younger life seeking inappropriate relationships with men. I thought that if I turned over my precious gift of intimacy that I would find love. We can watch endless movies, read countless novels, and dispense wisdom about how fruitless this path is and yet never seem to apply it to our own lives.
The first time I said a desperate prayer was when, at 19, I thought I was pregnant. I begged God to save me from myself. And He did. I don’t really know why since I know others were not. I bargained with God to do His part and I would stop such reckless behavior. And I did not. I wasn’t a Christian at the time – although I believed in God. So maybe He was giving me a few allowances. I won’t know until the day of my eternity when I can ask Him.
Fast forward a few years and I was a young mother with two kids. I was a Christian by then. And yet I continued, time after time, to disobey God. Boy did that lead to a lot of unnecessary hardship. Of these two situations it’s actually this second that I tend to regret the most. Because I truly knew better. I think of all the wasted hours of tears and painful relationships I could have avoided. I think of the times I could’ve been a better mother and wife and friend had I just surrendered myself completely to God.
If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9
I realize that by holding on to my forgiven past it’s like a log tied around one ankle. It hinders me to fully grab onto the joy of today and promises of God. It’s not that we need to forget our past. We can learn a lot from our choices and their consequences. But when we accept Jesus as our savior we must accept that we are now changed in our spirit. Sometimes we just need to remind our heart and mind of that change.
Friend, I don’t know what sinful choices you may have made in your past, but Jesus came so we don’t need to live an entire life of repentance for our past regretful choices. We need to turn those sins over to God only once. And turn our faces toward today.
There’s a lot from my past that I’m still working on fully releasing to God. He has already forgiven me for them. I just need to let go of the string and allow them to float into the heavens. With His gentle reminders of His love for us we can be free.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
To the weak I became weak,
to win the weak. I have become
all things to all people so that
by all possible means I might
save some. I do all this for the
sake of the gospel, that I may
share in its blessings.1 Corinthians 9:22-23
A prayer that I would share the Gospel with others
Merciful God, your Word has healing power for the sick and your Word gives hope to the downtrodden. Your promise of eternity is a promise for all who believe. But I allow my worries and my fears about worldly judgement guide my discipleship. I keep your holy and powerful gifts to myself, not sharing them with those who need them. LORD, our one true purpose here on earth is to serve you and by doing so we are asked, even required, to speak of you to all who will hear. Help me to succumb to your strength and guidance rather than that of the world. I know you will put the right words in my mouth at the right time. I just need to be willing to speak them. Each day place someone who needs to hear from you in front of me. With the strength of the Holy Spirit urging me on I will be faithful in spreading your gospel of Good News. In Jesus name, Amen
A few years ago, my husband and I led a Bible study of about ten Christians. Inevitably the topic of sharing the gospel arose. All but two people felt uncomfortable with this subject. Those two people had their own techniques or gifts when discussing their faith with others. One was able to employ a lot of clean humor while the other was comforting and sincere. The other members of the group, just like other Christians I’ve encountered, didn’t see sharing the gospel as a requirement of being a Jesus follower. And yet, isn’t that what the entirety of the New Testament is really about?
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signsthat accompanied it.Mark 16:20
One of the group, whose husband loved sharing the gospel, went so far as saying that sharing the gospel was too pushy. Like being a used car salesman. It wasn’t her “right” or “place” to share the message of God’s love and salvation. And while you may scoff at her, she’s not alone.
I had us do an unusual activity that night to try and get people more comfortable about what sharing the gospel really looks like. Hint: it’s not standing on a street corner screaming “the end is near!” I paired everyone up and gave them a scenario to act out with each other – a role play. For example, one pair were to be a couple of longtime friends. Friend A, the non-Christian, was to share a problem that she kept having over and over and over. Nothing she did seemed to work to fix it. And the other, Christian friend B was to share the way her faith had helped in a similar situation. Sounds simple enough. But boy did that make people uncomfortable.
If we cannot figure out how to infuse our everyday conversations with our faith, why do you think God will give us the responsibility of helping Him save a soul?
As we found out in 2020 being a Christian cannot be limited to a Sunday church service. Because that church might be taken away from you at any time. Our friends need to know we turn to prayer when we are in distress. They need to hear us talk about God’s promises. They should see us acting in Christ-like ways. And when we fail to obey God, they must hear us ask for forgiveness. That, my friends, is sharing the gospel. At home, with our neighbors, at work, while we volunteer, at school and wherever we live our lives.
Our personal testimony of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness of sins is the gospel. It’s not a bunch of fancy words. And if the fear of being asked a tough question about God holds you back, just remember we can say the magic words: “I don’t know. I just have faith.”
I for one, am asking God to place people in my life that He can trust that I will speak the words He wants me to speak. We should wake up every day asking Him to give us the opportunity to speak in His name.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
The Lord will march out like
a champion,like a warrior he
will stir up his zeal;with a shout
he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.Isaiah 42:13
Like you, I’ve dealt with a lot of difficult people throughout my life. Whether it was at work, my children’s school, youth sports, or even my church, I encountered people who just wanted to be adversarial. And I am certain I was someone’s “difficult person” at one time or another. But I think the most painful experiences surrounding adversaries are when they are part of our family.
I was talking with a good friend of mine the other day about our two families. We both struggle with difficult parent situations. One day she and her sister had a heart to heart about a disagreement from a few weeks prior. With my Christian friend’s kind and gentle approach she spurred the revelation that they had become their parents. Each sister taking on the personality and fighting style of one of their parents. That revelation started a healing process in both of them. Truly a small victory.
In my own life I have transitioned through the stages of grief when it comes to my relationship with my parents. I denied there was a real problem in my family. When I finally recognized the problems, I became angry and fought constantly with my mother – trying to change her. I even had my own way of bargaining to try and create a Hallmark-style mother-daughter relationship. I would do things for her to help her see what a good person I really was. But my expectations and hopes were always dashed. I became depressed for awhile when I realized we would never be a family that loved being together. I just wanted to untie myself from my parents and let them go adrift. All of this was before I finally surrendered. I raised my white flag. But not to any human. To God.
But thanks be to God, who in
Christ always leads us in
triumphal procession, and
through us spreads the fragrance
of the knowledge of him everywhere.2 Corinthians 2:14
Paul wrote this to the church of Corinth during a very difficult time for him and his relationship with this church. They were angry with him for changing his plans about visiting. Some had started false preaching about him behind his back. And, as Warren Wiersbe states, “When Christians misunderstand each other the wounds can be very deep.” Isn’t that true of our families as well?
During the last few years, I have experienced that Christ-given “fragrance of knowledge of Him.” And as I have done so, I finally had to experience that last stage of grief – acceptance. For us Christians that acceptance comes, more importantly, with forgiveness. I stopped trying to change the situation by myself. And I started to rely on God to handle the situation with my parents. I hold on to the truth of who loves me for all eternity. And I’m learning how to stay tied to my parents without feelings of hurt and anger. As I spoke of this with my friend she announced very boldly, “And now you have VICTORY!”
..so you should rather turn
to forgive and comfort him,
or he may be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg
you to reaffirm your love for him.
9 For this is why I wrote,
that I might test you and know
whether you are obedient in
everything. 10 Anyone whom you
forgive, I also forgive. Indeed,
what I have forgiven, if I have
forgiven anything, has been for
your sake in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we would not be
outwitted by Satan; for we are
not ignorant of his designs.2 Corinthians 2:7-11
I forgave my parents for not being able to provide me with what I was looking for in a relationship. I realized they had never been the recipients of overwhelming love. I stopped being angry and instead became thankful for the life which God has blessed me – a loving family of my own. Had I given up at any of the other 4 steps of grief surely Satan would have won. But like Paul, I am no longer ignorant of the devil’s designs.
Thanks be to God for the triumph He has promised us. We can hold fast knowing that, not only will He have victory over those who would do us harm, but also over our own souls which get injured and hurt by the world. We can have victory because the Spirit of God rests in us.
For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name. 16 I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
Isaiah 51:15-16
When we picture warcraft during the United States Revolution we typically envision lines of soldiers from each side marching toward each other. Here’s a description by the American Battlefield Trust:
“Under normal circumstances, 18th century combat entailed that two armies march toward one another, shoulder to shoulder, and usually in ranks of about three men deep. When the opposing sides were within range, orders were given to halt, present arms, to fire, and then to reload.
After several volleys, one side gained the upper hand, and they would begin to close the distance with the enemy, bayonets lowered. This typically culminated in a full out charge at close quarters; sabers, bayonets, and rifle butts were used to sweep the enemy from the field and claim victory.”
And how did one side get the “upper hand?” The lines would break down either by death, injury or desertion. The battle would be won or lost based on who could hold their line the longest.
We Christians have been in a similar battle since the time of Christ. We link arms in communion and espouse the greatness of God to unbelievers. We are tasked, by God, to go out into our communities and battle against evil through our works, our testimony, and our telling of the Good News of the gospel.
However, from my, albeit, limited experience so many of us have chosen to desert our place on the battlefield. I live in a very liberal state within the United States. Church and Christians are not valued members of many communities. In fact, we are frequently described as racist, hateful, bigots because of our adherence to the teachings in the Bible. And that, I believe causes us to shirk our duties as soldiers for God.
I know too many people who feel uncomfortable sharing the Word of God. Some are afraid to even mention their faith in the course of conversations at work. And yet, it is this responsibility that Jesus gives us. We are not called to be closet Christians, afraid of what to say, how to say it and when to say it. God himself promises to put the right words in our mouth at the right time. We just need to be willing to do the one thing that we are called to do – obey Him.
My BSGs did a study on The Armor of God (Ephesians 6). What stood out to me is the preparation we are admonished to complete before taking up the final Word of God.
Therefore, put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of
evil comes, you may be able to
stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness
in place, and with your feet
fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up
the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. Take the helmet
of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.Ephesians 6:13-17
Once we have studied and learned the character and promises of God we need to pray to have Him send us out into the world and speak His words. Each morning when we rise, we should ask God to place someone in front of us that day to whom He needs to say something. And be watchful and ready for that moment. He will give you the words to speak.
Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.James 1:22
A few years ago, I held on to that promise of God’s words when my daughter and I were in a great battle. We were pushing and pulling constantly. She was off at college and her faith was growing by leaps and bounds thanks to the organization Athletes in Action. But each time we would talk it would end in a fight or tears. I finally prayed to God to give me His words to bring this battle to an end.
The mother-daughter battle is a timeless one.
One day as we talked, the Holy Spirit gave me these words to say, “I’m so glad your faith is growing. I can see that you have learned how to give a lot of grace and forgiveness to your friends and teammates. I know that I fail you frequently in trying to not hold on too tight to you. What I’m asking for is some of that same grace and forgiveness.”
God’s words, spoken through me, began our path toward reconciliation. I just needed to stop trying to speak my thoughts and my desires and instead let God do the heavy lifting.
God needs us to fill our spot on the battlefield line. He can give us all the tools we need – including the right words to say. We just need to show up and hold the line.
Join me starting January 11 for my next series! Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help create a vision of you! The words we speak and think and pray have a great impact on our life. We will embark on a journey of praying changes into our lives. New Year’s resolutions have nothing on what God can accomplish when we ask for miracles to transform us!
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 1:18-20
Sometimes I feel like I’m in a bit of a tug-o-war with God. He’s trying to get me over that line and I keep resisting – pulling back to my way of doing things. Like a two-year old saying, “I can do it myself,” I resist the pull of God because I think I know better.
Have you ever been in a tug-o-war and the other side decides to completely let go? Your side is pulling so hard you all tumble to the ground. Even though the other side knows they’ll lose they think it’s hilarious to see the results. It’s a dirty trick. Thankfully God promises to never let go of His end. His grace and forgiveness keep me upright even when I pull on that opposite end with all my might.
When I am weak and give in to my earthly ways God gives me grace and forgiveness. I want to resist and rebel. He works in so many ways to pull me back toward Him.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
The context of that verse is Paul writing to the people of Corinth and sharing a constant pain he endured. He pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn in his side (we don’t know exactly what the thorn was). And God replied that His grace is sufficient. How many times have we complained, maybe just today alone, to God to remove something from our lives? That’s not to say that He won’t. But He reminds us that sometimes we must be weak to truly rely on Him.
Sometimes God does meet the need by substitution (ie health instead of sickness); but other times He meets the need by transformation. He gives us His grace so that the affliction works for us and not against us.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Commentary, New Testament
At times when we pray for God to remove something awful in our lives and He doesn’t perform the way we expect, we then enter into that tug-o-war game. Pulling into our own ways of “fixing things” ourselves, complaining, or even turning our backs on God by letting go of our end of the rope. We give in to our idols, our wants and needs.
We should remember the saying that God, through grace, gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve. So, when situations do not turn out as we have directed God, we need to pray to God to help us see what He wants us to see. To help us understand what He wants us to understand.
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. Life Principle # 5
Dr. Charles Stanley, 30 Life Principles
When we allow God to pull us back toward Him, He showers us with His mercy and forgiveness. He cleanses our crimson souls to be white as snow. And another covenant agreement is balanced at both ends of the rope.
In a surge of anger I hid my
face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
“To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry
with you,never to rebuke you again.
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will
not be shaken nor my covenant of
peace be removed,” says the Lord,
who has compassion on you.Isaiah 54:10
I recently stumbled upon these verses while doing a study of Genesis. As you read above, verse nine discusses “the days of Noah” and recounts the covenant God made with Noah after the flood waters receded. Noah then built an altar in remembrance of all from which God had delivered him. In witnessing Noah’s obedience, God established a covenant of peace with Noah, promising him that never again would he wipe out all of mankind in anger (Gen. 8:20-22).
When God called Noah to build the ark and spared his family from the worldwide destruction, God extended Noah a lifeline of love. Because he had compassion on Noah and truly loved mankind, God created a way out of death by giving Noah clear guidance for surviving the flood.
God showed Noah that while yes, sin had entered the world and man was disobedient, that He still loved His creation. We often get caught up on God’s wrath by sending the flood in the first place. Mass destruction and death seems a bit harsh. But if God was so harsh, then why did he save Noah? He could’ve wiped out all of mankind on Earth and started over, but His steadfast love for Noah and his offspring prevailed. God showed Noah that no matter how bad things got on Earth, His lifeline of love would always be there for those who trust in Him with complete obedience.
That lifeline shown to Noah, is Jesus. When the Lord states, in Isaiah 54:10, that his steadfast love shall not depart from you – He is talking about His son Jesus. You see, from Noah until now, we as believers all still hold on to the same lifeline that Noah, Abraham, Moses and David held onto.
The covenant God established with all those men was the covenant of His Son. The promise that one day, there would be complete restoration of all sinners who call on His name and that those holding on to the lifeline of His steadfast love, would all be brought into the glories of heaven.
Though 2020 has seemed like a worldwide disaster – think again. There will be the day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord because of the power of God they see all around them. God’s steadfast love for us believers never expires. We have the eternal hope of God’s love forever – into eternity.
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his
Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.1 John 4:10
Until then, we hold fast to His lifeline of love. Hold fast to the God that established His covenant with ordinary people like Noah and Abraham and you and me. Through His son Jesus Christ, he once again established his eternal love with us – until the day we see him again.
God’s love is abundant to those who trust in Him. He cares for us and loves us as His children – are you resting in that truth today? Have you accepted your side of the covenant?
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.Isaiah 43:4
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”Isaiah 40:3-5
A few years ago, I came home on my birthday and opened my garage door to a beautiful, new, baby blue Vespa scooter. On it sat a giant bow. I was so excited I jumped out of my car and proceeded to run toward the scooter. I suddenly realized, however, I had yet to put my car in park and turn it off. So as my car inched toward disaster I jumped back in, turned it off and started laughing. Once the excitement wore off, I realized I now was faced with a task I had long put off – getting my motorcycle license.
Since I was 15, I had wanted to ride motorcycles but my mom was fearful I’d kill myself. So here I was, 53 years old, and finally doing it. After successfully attaining that goal, my husband and I made a new one. We decided to do a long ride with the local Vespa Club out to Palm Springs, California. Taking the non-freeway route made it a 113-mile ride over a minimum of three hours. And as the ride went along, I held my own. Just before you drop from the mountains into the desert floor of Palm Springs, you’ll find a motorcyclist’s dream road. On a map it looks like a mess of squiggles. In reality it’s seven steep and sharp curves. Having ridden with the group for more than two hours I recognized the most experienced and safest riders. I picked one and decided to follow his line down the hill.
In motorcycle terms “following the line” means keeping an eye on the leader to see the smoothest, quickest and safest path along curvy roads. A few years later on a Vespa trip through the Alps, following our guide’s line was crucial as he was the most experienced rider of our group. And I certainly didn’t want to find myself riding off the edge of a cliff or smacking into a giant tour bus!
That’s me waving! As we ride through Austria!
It’s amazing the people, some of whom we barely know, that we are willing to put our trust in. Yet with God, who has been with us from the beginning, we seem to struggle in following His line. He promises to make our way straight. He will make our ground level. Yet, we are the ones that decide to take a path all on our own.
We know better. Or worse, we just don’t think He knows what we really need. My youngest daughter was famous for going against my directives. I once found her, at 2 years old, standing up on the kitchen counter attempting to get a glass down from an even higher shelf. She had asked me for some juice and I had said, “no.” I turned my back for a minute. You see, she would explain to me, I just didn’t understand why she needed x,y or z. If I had only just understood her need better I would’ve apparently said “yes.” So, to her, that justified her standing up on the kitchen counter that day.
How many times a day do we do that to God? How many times a day do we tell God what He needs to do for us? Or how many times do we just think, “if only He really understood what I need.”?
Whoever has my commands and keeps
them is the one who loves me. The
one who loves me will be loved by
my Father, and I too will love them
and show myself to them.”John 14:21
How many times have we thought our kids or friends or spouse or employees don’t respect us because they refuse to take the path you’ve laid out for them? You’ve tried sparing them from hardship and yet they still don’t listen. Now think how God must feel.
We are asked, entreated, implored by God via His prophets throughout the Bible to trust Him and follow His line. He knows the best, quickest, and safest path for us. The book of James has so many wise words about His path. It happens to be one of my favorite books of the Bible. Why? Because I like lessons to be clear. And James also makes it clear that when we learn what that path is, we need to hold steady to it.
But when you ask, you must believe
and not doubt, because the one who
doubts is like a wave of the sea,
blown and tossed by the wind.James 1:6
I’m thankful for that Vespa rider, whose name I don’t remember and I may never meet again, for leading me down that treacherous road into the desert. But I’m most thankful to Jesus, whose name I hold in my heart and on my lips, for leading me out of my desert and into a bright and beautiful path.
emboldened.net 