Sitting Pretty

Watching the cat lazily rest on its haunches gave me a picture of complete serenity: no cares, worries, or anxieties, nothing to fret about. The cat simply was. I want to be like the cat, blissfully unaware of problems, people, and situations that seek to threaten my peace of mind, push into my quiet place, and disturb my rest.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The word shalom in Hebrew means completeness and wholeness spirit, soul, and body. In fact, shalom is the same word for maturity or perfection. God calls us to rest on Him. He invites us to even rests between His shoulders. He offers to carry us when we can't walk: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders”  (Deuteronomy 33:12). When I watch an African lady carry her baby, she bundles the baby with clothes to her back and tightly in front of her chest, and the baby sleeps safely and peacefully in the cradle made of her flesh and bones. I want to rest in God's presence, for in His presence is the fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) in the same way, lulled to the drowsy rest of a baby.

 Jesus invites us to cast "the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully" (I Peter 5:7). To be free of are and anxiety requires that I trust in Someone bigger and stronger than myself to take care of me. The cat doesn't worry when she will eat, whether she will be cold, or where she will sleep. She simply trusts that her master will care for every need, and thus she can relax and be at rest. Jesus knows that we will have troubles and trials in this world, so He promises that after we "have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you" (I Peter 5:10). That is what I see when I see the cat: at peace no matter the turmoil and confusion surrounding her.

On the day I took that photo, there were half a dozen people in the room, but the cat continued to doze contentedly.When we are settled in who we are and whose we are, we can rest no matter what.

I can focus on what is making me crazy or I can rest in who God is: my safe place.

Resting,

MJ

 

 
 
 
 
 

Creative Genius

 

 

As you browse nature’s aisle, your senses are awakened to its enticements. Like a visit to a home improvement store, you see a painter’s palette beyond imagination. You dream of how such picturesque beauties of wild flowers and honeyed branches could find a place in your daily life, not just the occasional visit. The fields are filled with flower carpets in the delicate and the bold; splashes of bright oranges poppies explode into view. Your sensations are most surely overwhelmed by this sight. God is clearly an uninhibited artist; his selection of pigment knows no limit. Yellows, oranges, reds coexist beside greens, browns, purples, and whites.

But you may ask why does a Creative Genius take such delight and precise care with such seemingly insignificant items? They are here today and gone tomorrow only to be replaced by others equally or even more beautiful and fragrant. These fantastic gems last so little time, yet He thoughtfully and carefully dedicated His attention to them. Can we do any less?

 

The best and most complete answer is that God wants to be seen and known, but even more so, He wants you to know how much He loves you. He goes about his job with a tremendous joy and a supreme finesse as He places each wild flower, the blue columbine, and cacti even in the arid air of the dessert. He places the succulents and the trees for the birds to build their nests near the beauty of the green mountains.

What purpose can beauty serve if it cannot draw us to rest, to contemplation, and to conversation with its Creator who has created a symphony of sight, sound, and smells? He has left His calling card and hopes you will give him a ring, so as you peruse the aisle of this world improvement store, let  each blade of grass, each petal of flower, and leaf of tree, sing  “Oh how He loves you!”
 

An Enraptured Shopper,
MJ

 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,that we should be called children of God and that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 (Isaiah 9:6)

 

When we are children, and sadly, sometimes still as adults, we dream about the gifts that we are to receive at Christmas. We often look for the newest, shiniest, and most expensive things hoping that they will satisfy. But sadly, the shine wears off, something better comes along, and the longing for more starts gnawing in our guts again. I have the secret to that angst. You see when God created man He left one space empty- it was a space the size of a manger. He always had the intention of enlarging that small space to a full-size mansion, but he just needed a little room in the inn of our hearts. And thus was born, the story of Christmas.

When God gave Jesus to mankind, He gave the best gift that would ever be given. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever would believe Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus was not forced to give his life, however. Jesus agreed, before the foundation of the earth, to be sent as a sacrifice to reconcile us to God. Before Adam and Eve sinned, in fact,  before they were ever created,  the Holy Trinity came up with a plan of redemption. They celebrated Jesus' decision to be born a man through a virgin. God the Father spoke the Word, Holy Spirit implanted that Word, Jesus, in Mary. The process was as seamless as Creation when God spoke  the worlds into existence. Jesus, the very Logos of Word, came from His mouth and the breath of God’s speech, the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha’Kodesh), hovered again over the blackness and worlds were created.

 Jesus agreed to leave his heavenly throne and be born to poor parents and to live in an occupied land. At that time, Israel was being subjugated by the world’s greatest power, Rome.  The Jewish people were looking for the Messiah, the Savior, who had been proclaimed by Isaiah.  But like so many today, they were looking in the wrong place. They expected him to be born to wealthy parents, learned rabbi and rebbitzin, or  to come from the courts of kings, not be born in Bethlehem of Judah, the least of all the cities. He lived as a blue-collar worker and was suspected to be a bastard, an illegitimate child.

 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

5But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors( Isaiah 53:3-8)

Jesus walked through the dust and grime of life to be able to be our intercessor. To know what it feels like  to be a man. He saw man’s most evil side as he lay on the cross crucified between two thieves. Yet, his love provoked him to say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He touched swindlers, thieves, prostitutes, and the self-righteous and he loved them all. He invited them to the table and to entered His Father’s house. For it was that reason, that he came. Then he endured death on the cross, bearing all or our sins so that we could be reconciled to God and experience eternal life.

Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving- He said that he came that we might have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). He came to remove fear, anxiety, sickness, lack, disease, hatred, unforgiveness, and bitterness. He even destroyed the very works of Satan and defeated death and the grave.  Even after his death, he continues to work for us as our ever-living intercessor pleading on our behalf.

Moreover, he promises to return and take us to a very special mansion he has built according our desires and wishes.  As you make room for him in your heart, he is making room for you in eternity. He is the only gift of which you will never of tire, that will always hold your interest, spark your enthusiasm. He never dulls, tatters, or rots. That would be the treasure of the world. No, the more you know of the more you want to know and them ore you will realize that you have not begun to know Him. He is the gift which keeps on giving.

Would you like to know more of Him today?

He asks only one thing- that you let him live his life through you. Because Christ lived and died for you, he asks you to allow him to live his life through you:

 "I have been crucified with Christ and it is not longer who lives, but Christ who lives within and the life I live for the Son of God who died for me. Accept the Gift of Christ means that He gets to live His life now through you and that’s the best gift you can give God this  Christmas season"  (Galatians 2:20)

When you think of Gift- think of this little acronym: God’s Investment For Mankind’s Eventual Triumphant  Return Home . He wants you to spend eternity with him. If you make room in the inn of your heart for him, he has a mansion for you in heaven and abundant life here on earth.

Enlarging My Heart This Christmas,

MJ

Godex

What does it mean to have God’s perspective on time? A  day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day in God’s sight. Can I operate in God’s timing? Can I wait as He does for people to turn to Him? Can I exude the same kind of patient passion that causes him to listen for the squeak of door of a heart that is turning towards Him? It is hard because I recognize that God has the advantage doesn’t He? He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows the hearts that ultimately are His.  But, He also knows those that will be separated from His all eternity. So how does He live  and love in the moment with the future prodigal and traitor? How does He enjoy the moment with me when my betrayal is just around the corner?

If my times and seasons are in His hands (Psalm 31:15), why do I struggle so?  I long to walk like my Daddy God, never in a head-long rush, totally at ease and patient, trusting the end is in sight, but, I dislike going around the mountain again and again. Waiting for someone to grow or change- that person can even be me.  Genesis 1:14  records  how God made seasons from the beginning:

"And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years"

 What I need is God’s perspective, but how do I get it? How can a transient ephemeral being act like a non-time dimensional ever-present, ever-existing God?

 I don’t know, but I need His sense of timing. I don’t need a Rolex, I need a Godex watch that helps me wait in seasons, repeat do-overs with grace, and a hand-out a constant supply of gracious patience to others. God help me. I want to be like the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do--200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command" (1 Chronicles 12:32).
 

A Fellow-Time Traveler,
MJ

 You and I both know that "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing"  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4).

May  He "who changes times and seasons [,who] removes kings and sets up kings[, who] gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding" (Daniel 1:12) bless you with all these things and more.

"Why the Long Pause?"

I wonder what Ruth thought and felt on the day of  her second betrothal. It had been a long and arduous path she'd taken. From the dusty hills of Moab, thru barren plains, the inhospitableness of desert stretches, to the small village of Bethlehem. Saddled with losses of home, kin, and husband, her outlook certainly could have been bleak. Upon arriving in town, hearing the well-wishes of the neighbors returned with  bitter acrimony from Naomi certainly would not have put any wind in my sails. So, why keep trying? Why get up every morning and head down the dusty lane to pick up the barley left by the harvesters? Why work to feed and clothe a body that only covers an empty soul?

There are silences in the Bible: in fact, too many for my liking. I want know the in-between stories of how Joseph persevered or what happened before king so and so rested with his fathers. Those lulls in the story where we all wonder how 'they got over' or 'how they put one foot in front of the other' through the long walk of faith and perseverance. How did hope not die within these Bible heroes like a forgotten stalk of wheat in the field?
All of my blogs are from my heart, but this one even more so because it is being written out of place of pain and hope.  Pain, because of loss, and hope, because somehow I must believe that God can be trusted in the midst of my hurt and disappointment: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Even when God chooses not to rescue us from our pain, we must remain convinced of His goodness.  When we are disappointed and disillusioned by our relationships, we must make sense of our feelings of abandonment that occur when God chooses not to rescue us from painful situations- such as widowhood or poverty as in Ruth's situation. How did Ruth hope and not fear being left alone again? Brother Andrew, who is best known for his idea of practicing the presence of God, states, "He sees, he hears, he understands." Even if Boaz had not taken notice of Ruth, God saw her. His protection of her was more real than that  which Boaz promised- His care more tangible than Boaz's promise to attempt to redeem Naomi's land and Ruth herself.

I must ask myself if I trust that everything that has happened in my life is necessary to bring me to the place where Christ is formed in me- where His beautiful face is reflected in my own. God used the famine, the death of all the male members of Naomi's immediate family, Naomi's bitterness, and Boaz's long-standing singleness, and even Orpah's return to her people, to bring about his plans for Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, and even us, through the Messiah. Why did God use a maniacal leader and a series of nasty plagues to achieve the release of his Israelite people? Surprise! God uses the messy, inconvenient, and mostly painful realities of our relationships to change us into useful servants: "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). May you and I allow God to form Christ in us, especially in our trials.  Remember that God sees you; He hears you; and He understands. He will not let your hope wither on the vine. He will bring fruitfulness from this desert. He is present and He is holding you even now.

In Hope and Trust,

MJ

The Lord of the Harvest

Men’s roles and women’s role: In the context of the story of Ruth, the women arose and spoke into Naomi’s life and blessed Ruth as well. The men sat at the gate for they judged and maintained order. The men had a role as essential as the women.The women surround each other; for instance, they helped Ruth a first–time mother in the birthing process (Ruth 4).  Both parts, male and female, are necessary for good government and community. When the strictures of society are out-of-place or simply do not exist, we have the dissolution of family and community.

The Proverbs 31 woman makes her husband strong in the gate. She does him good and not evil, all the days of his life.  Still, men need to observe other men to learn how to act. Developing as a man for a traditional Jewish male included the meeting in the gate, the traditional praying as a minyan or quorum of ten, and the study of God's word together. Allowing young men to observe and experience civic duties and study of the Torah in the synagogues and yeshivas were intrinsic aspects of the male maturation process. Bar mitzvah was the cumulative exam of what the traditional Jewish youth had learned. How would you like being considered an adult, morally responsible for your choices by the age of 13, yikes?

Men normally look at their wage-earning abilities as the definer of who they are. Men look  to be providers, but ultimately, God is the Provider: "Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest" (Jeremiah 5:24).

It is Adonai who causes the earth to put forth sprouts and grow. Therefore, Boaz must rely on God to cause the barley harvest  to grow.  A man or a job is not ultimately our provision. Ultimately, we rely on God as our provision. Boaz relies on God, and Ruth relies on God's provision through Boaz. Ruth 2:8-9 states, "Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn."  Adonai is Jehovah-Jireh- the Lord our Provider. Our trust as women and men should be solely in Him- whether dealing with relationships, finances, or whatever we face.

This trust issue came to a head for me when I visited Israel. I had limited finances, but I decided that I would trust God. I did not carry a credit card. But, God placed in the heart of people, unknown to me prior, a willingness  to give me shelter and invite me into their homes. I would go into a bakery and leave with more than I actually purchased.  Irealized that God's favor is worth more than any money.
In these trying financial times, we can rest in the fact that nothing is too hard for God. He meets
all our needs; He knows we are no longer in Moab, and we have thrown caution to the wind and are foolish enough to trust Him. God has promised, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

May we trust the Lord of the Harvest,
M.J.

Kept By His Power

Ruth works long and hard and brings everything home to Naomi.   She literally pours her grain offering into Naomi's lap. She takes the food from her own mouth to feed Naomi. I understand this feeling. Many times, I have lain awake praying, warring, and crying out for others. I do not say this to boast or to seek commendation, but when God awakens you on the behalf someone else and you are in desperate straits yourself, you begin to understand a tad bit better the concept of agape  or unconditional love. My friend, V. X., calls it 'paying the price in prayer for someone." Most of us are willing to pay the price in gossip, but not intercession and fasting. Oops, now I am meddling.

Have you ever been in a relationship where you seem to bring everything to the table: the financial, emotional, and spiritual resources? You look over at the other person and wonder what will she bring? Well, the truth is we all have benefited from Christ’s gifts for He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 2:13). We had nothing, but Christ died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). In fact, He came to earth to do just that -to die and give us abundant life (John 10:10). Of course, He did that because God so loved the world (John 3:16)

Rev. Byrn MacPhail offers these encouraging words, “The book of Ruth reminds us that, in the most difficult of times, we are kept by the power of God. We are reminded in this book that there is no such thing as an ordinary event in the lives of God's children. Everything we do, or don't do, is significant. We learn from Abraham, from Joseph, from Moses, and from Ruth, that everything we do "is a part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting"(John Piper). For the Christian, what many would call "ordinary events" are really events that are connected to a perfect eternal plan.” Romans 8:28 encourages us  to , "know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”- even on new journeys.

God works through the burdens we carry for others- the offerings of prayer, tears, and emotional, physical, and financial consolation that we pour into the laps of those who are unable to return one ounce of what we have given.Those hours of prayer and tears for a wayward child or a spouse overtaken in sin truly affect change because they touch the heart of Jesus. My friend, J.T., speaks of a monument that  we erect in God's presence rock by spiritual rock. We know that God captures every tear in a bottle labeled with our names (Psalm 56:8). This idea of  memorial comes from the following scriptures: 

Joshua 4:6-7 "That this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever."

J.T.  talks about the beauty of unexpected friendship. The unexpected friendship of Ruth and Naomi is striking, because these two seemingly different and incompatible people will become part of God’s plan of redemption. Moabites were not even allowed in the assembly until that generation. It was God exact timing to bring Ruth there. God often uses us to bring people into His kingdom and ultimately, to their destinies. It is Ruth who brings Boaz to redeem Naomi’s land- her inheritance.  Naomi is not even thinking how to help herself, forget about Ruth. She is simply existing and when she gathers  the wherewithal to ask where Ruth has been after a hard-day's labor, she lights on the idea of  hmmm a kinsman redeemer. If it hadn't been for God's intervention (right time and right place), this story would have ended differently.

 In an earlier devotion, we spoke of her role in the lineage of David and thus Christ.  God used Ruth not only to redeem Naomi’s life in old age, but the larger purpose of bringing the Messiah. No Ruth, no Obed, no David, no Messiah. When God is weaving our tapestry, we can only see a portion of the quilt- and that not so well. But the real revelation comes when I see, I am only one square in the larger quilt called humanity, touching and embracing others and causing change- a precious gift given to me by the Father.

So Don't Give Up,
M.J.

P.S. I am elated to say, I have two more travelers on the road back to Bethlehem- God’s House of Bread. God’s Provision always rests in His will. The safest place to be is in the center of His will –even the dusty road back to Bethlehem.