Wednesday, July 14, 2010

What is your treasure?

Today has been good...the sun is shining, my car has finally been cleaned, I managed to get 3,012 errands completed (well it felt like that many) and had a good visit with Grandma B. She is an incredible woman of faith which is what started this post percolating.

Jordan is preparing to go to Creation Fest next week which includes the need for passports and travel insurance...getting a diabetic ready for 5 days with a youth group in another country is much more work than just packing a sleeping bag and Bible. It includes doctors notes, extra supplies, special food, emergency kits and a way of keeping insulin cold during the trip as well as making sure the people he is with are prepared and know the signs of diabetic highs and lows....don't get me wrong, it is very doable, Jordan is extremely responsible and I am not complaining it simply requires a bit more planning... (there is a point to this I promise)

That said my mothers heart still worries. I know it is silly as God is in control and He has made Jordan very responsible and hands on where his health is concerned but the mommy in me still has mini moments of silent panic.....when Grandma B & I were talking about it she reminded me that it is those times my job is to pray!! That got my brain thinking in a strange progression about faith & Ezra and how the two were connected. I will try and be concise but, well... no promises.

For the second time this past week I have been reminded of Ezra...one of my favorite books of the Bible for the record. Ezra and his party of priests moved in faith by travelling several hundred miles from Babylon to Jerusalem carrying an awesome treasure without an armed guard. That's right, a huge extremely valuable treasure (Ezra 8), I don't what the modern day equivalent would have been but a small fortune for sure.

Ezra had told the king that Gods hand was on them so he did not want to ask for a guard despite the dangers of taking the sizable treasure through the mountains. Understand that at this time thieves and murders would surely be camped making the passage a dangerous ordeal. Regardless of the danger, they acted with a confidence that was derived from knowing that they were acting in God’s will, and consequently He would provide for their safekeeping. The treasure was delivered to Uriah intact!

The point??? My treasure is my kids therefore are they not also protected by God through faith...if God was concerned enough to protect silver and gold on a mountain trail, is He not then willing to grant the same protection to my babies? Is faith not what is required to dispel worry and fear? Since neither (worry nor fear) are from the Lord but from his enemy, then is God's word not what is needed in order to overcome? Is Gods Word not the sword that defeats the enemy? Are we not fortunate to have His Word in order to provide us with the tools we need to foster and strengthen that faith? Just a thought....

Monday, July 12, 2010

David & Faith....

It has been on my mind lately to spend some time studying the life of David...the subject has come up in books or conversation a lot lately.... now, I learned long ago that when God impresses upon me to spend more time in His word that I had best obey....I often do not know why but the lessons learned in the end are always of tremendous value (ask me about Ezra or Nehemiah sometime).

I am not really sure why I choose to share that with you tonight. Perhaps for some accountability, perhaps so you will have some idea of the background of what is sure to be a couple of future posts.

For now I will just post this verse (yes my beloved friend, this is in answer to your question today) :

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 (NIV)


It is only by spending time in God's word that we can hear the message that strengthens our faith....Hearing the Word of God = Faith

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Walk not Run!

Summer had finally arrived...I know this because the sun is out and my house is hot...and my need for iced tea is growing!! This is good news to all of us who live in the Fraser Valley and have seen a lot of grey as of late.

Although the past few weeks have been busy I have been able to carve out some time here and there for me...what a change that makes! Having been able to do a bit of reading, clean a few closets (they were the things that nightmares are made of...Narnia was NOT what we found at the back of our wardrobes) and spend a little time with friends has certainly improved my outlook. Also having regained some control at home, I simply feel less stressed. Thank you Lord for that :)

Work is also less stressful....first of course I feel better now that the pneumonia and strep are gone, second is that warehouse sale and inventory is over and thirdly, even though my favorite girl is leaving (thank goodness not for awhile still), I can now gaze upon her little bump through out the day and smile!! Actually now I must wonder who will correct my spelling and grammar next year...hmmm...I may have to email her all my proofing...I digress.

The last couple of weeks a longtime friend and a new friend have been getting together one night a week to do a bit of a book study... Plan B by Pete Wilson. I love this book and am going through it now for the second time (the first I read it quite quickly). This week we looked at the life of David. This is a long story and I do not want to sound like a church service but a bit of background is needed for those who do not know the story well. David was anointed by Samuel at a young age, his best friend was a prince and King Saul took a special interest in him...he always felt God's presence in a special way and his life was set up to become King. Life was good....good until King Saul became jealous and decided to kill him, it was then that life began to seem a bit overwhelming and oppressive so David did what many of us do, he ran! Reasonable yes, after all the king was trying to kill him. Wilson writes this about Davids running, "You see, I believe David is making a huge mistake-the same mistake so many of us have made throughout our lifetimes. He assumes he understands God and His ways. He thinks he knows what God should be doing. And when God doesn't handle things the way he expected, David just gives up".

The point of this story is that eventually David did indeed become King, although David momentarily gave up on God , God did not give up on David.

I am being long winded (sorry) but bear with me another minute or two. Our culture often runs from God...we do it by watching TV, more activities, work ridiculously long hours or indulgence in food, alcohol or drugs....we run. When we are no longer in control of our lives we panic. In our panic we allow lies to overtake us (we each have our own set of lies...you are worthless, you are ugly, you are unlovable, you are ____). Don't give in to the lies and the disappointment, keep on persevering, your miracle, the change you need and have been waiting for is just around the corner.

Remember, run to God not away from him...patience and perseverance...despite what your circumstances tell you, God is there and He loves you! He wants to walk you through the difficult times...walk not run!!