Month: September 2017

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10)

This year I’ve been reading Philip Yancey’s book, Grace Notes. It’s a book of daily meditations  I usually read at night. It gives me something to think about as I fall asleep. I recently read what he had to say about Psalm 46:10. He said, “The Latin imperative for “be still” is vacate. I never thought of it that way before. Yancey quotes Simon Tugwell: “God invites us to take a holiday (vacation), to stop being God for a while, and let him be God.”  Wow! That hit home for me.

This Psalm begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (verse 1). The next verses speak of the earth giving way, mountains falling and quaking. Even though nations may fall or the earth may end, God is God and He will be exalted.  God’s dwelling place will not fall!  In other words, God is powerful and eternal and He can be trusted.

I try to take matters into my own hands sometimes and think I can figure it out, which usually doesn’t work anyway.  It seems God is saying, “I will be exalted among the nations and in the earth no matter what you do.” God is God and I can never be God. Why do I try? Since the Garden of Eden people have tried to become like God.

Could it be when I pray I’m not allowing God to be God? Prayer is more than asking God for help.  It is recognizing who He is and knowing that without Him I am nothing. (In typing that last sentence I mistakenly typed “mothering” for the word “nothing”. Ouch!)  It is allowing Him to be God and to work things out in His time.  Prayer is humbly allowing God to be in control. I must vacate that place of control, take a break from trying to do it all myself. Take a vacation.

Dear God, I am so thankful You are my refuge and strength. I can do nothing without You. Your ways are not my ways and your thoughts are not my thoughts.  I want You to take control.  Amen

“They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea” (Psalm 106:20-22).

I read these verses recently and that first sentence sort of jumped off the page. I have read many times about the Israelites and their wayward ways in turning to idol worship, but the word “exchanged” got my attention. The people had exchanged their glorious God for a golden calf! I thought how absurd! That doesn’t come close to an even exchange.  Even after experiencing the many miracles they’d witnessed in their escape from Egypt they chose a statue of a bull! How ridiculous!

I have to ask myself if I have done the same. Oh, no, I don’t have any statues I’ve chosen in place of my glorious God, but I do make exchanges sometimes.  I exchange prayer time for social media or Bible reading for the newspaper.  I exchange the promises of God for worry. I choose myself over God. Sometimes I’m just downright selfish.

It’s a constant battle, isn’t it? The idol of self wants to rule. Selfishness leads to sin. The Apostle Paul fought this battle. He says in Romans 7:21 “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” He goes on to exclaim “what a wretched man I am!” We would all be wretched if we didn’t have Jesus. Paul writes extensively about our struggle with sin and our spiritual life in the Spirit. I need to read it often and heed the warnings. The Apostle also reminds us that these Old Testament events were written as warning for us as well.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

So, when I read about God’s people bowing down to a golden calf I must look inward and ask , “Is self more important than God?”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

“As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22)

Foggy mornings seem to be the norm this time of year.  The nights here in West Virginia are becoming quite cool, but so far most days are pleasant.  I like these 60s and 70s temps. (I’m not too fond of the hot and humid. I am grateful for the invention of air conditioning!)  I can see the leaves dulling in color and already some yellows. I enjoy autumn and the beauty of the foliage, but it’s also the ending of other beauties. The roses and other flowers will soon succumb to the frost. The vegetable garden is already winding down. Some green beans, tomatoes and a few beets yet to harvest. The sunflowers are busy making seeds in their blossoms. Saying good-bye to my garden is always a sad little ritual for me.

In the meantime, however, I’m enjoying the September roses. They seem to be more plentiful and beautiful than the June blooms!  I can still have a fresh tomato sandwich and fresh green beans.  And after the fog lifts I can enjoy watching the mountains change their colors.  God has given me these things to enjoy.

Then I remember those who have suffered catastrophic losses due to the hurricanes. I cannot imagine how it must feel to see your house and belongings ruined in a flood or blown away by the wind. Some have even lost loved ones. Such loss must seem unbearable.  I pray for those who have lost so much and for those who have moved in to help.

Isaiah says in chapter 61 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”  My prayer is that those affected by the hurricanes, after the mud and muck is cleared away and rebuilding is done, will find beauty instead of ashes (or mud as in this case).  Instead of mourning there will be gladness and they’ll be clothed with praise instead of despair.

Yes, I will enjoy the changing seasons, but I do not want to forget to pray for those who won’t be enjoying it so much. As long as the earth endures there will be seasons and storms.

Dear God, my heart grieves for those who have been hurt by these recent storms. You, who spoke to Job out of the storm, speak to the hearts of the hurting.  Give comfort, peace, and assurance that You are in control. Bring hope, healing, and help to those in need. In the Name of Jesus I pray. Amen

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:20).

 This verse fascinates me. It is such a vivid word picture. I think of crushing a bug under my feet or crushing a soda can.  Crushing something makes it dead or unusable. Satan is certainly alive and working in the world today, but I’m grateful that God is also at work.

This verse says that God is a God of peace and yet He is the One who will crush Satan.  I think about that mosquito or fly that gets in your car or house and gives no peace until you get rid of it.  Satan gives no peace. Only God gives lasting peace. We cannot crush Satan or get rid of him, only resist him with the Holy Spirit’s help. God will do the crushing in His time. This promise was first made in Genesis and it still stands. God said to Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Reading through Paul’s letter to the saints in Rome it becomes apparent that those early Christians were dealing with the same kind of sins we have going on today. The Apostle reminds them that no one is righteous. It is only through our faith in Jesus, who died for us and rose again, that God credits righteousness to us (Romans 4).   Paul assures them and us that God can give peace and joy through our struggle with sin. It is a matter of living under the control of the Spirit and not our sinful nature. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

We will one day be free from our struggle with sin when Satan is crushed under our feet. So until then we walk in the Spirit and proclaim the message of salvation to all. Paul’s closing to his letter is filled with hope that through the proclamation of the Word all nations may believe and obey God.

“Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:25-27).