I read the news.....a lot. I have to
know. Need the info. But too much information makes me feel like that
character from the “Green Mile.” I wrote about here it the other day.
And it was happening again. There are scenes out of a horror flick,
playing out in somebody's reality, displayed on the news for all to
see. And then, like most of America, I wonder, what if it were me? Fear and doubt creep in. And I get that
thirst for the word. It's like when you go into a run already
dehydrated, and finally get home and wonder what you were thinking?
That kind of thirsty. So I open my reading plan to find I am still
in Psalms. I really would rather get back to David's story in Samuel. But reading through the Bible chronologically has taken me back and forth
between reading the account of David's life, and reading the Psalms
he wrote in the middle of it. For some reason, even though I know the
ending, I hate leaving him hiding in the caves. I need him to get out
and get him on the throne. So I would rather read 1 Samuel.
But...because I like rules, I open Psalms. Psalms 56.
Now I have to back track for a second.
Earlier that day, my girls put on a little CD of Bible verse songs
that we worked on together. This past summer, my sweet friend Robyn
wrote a Bible study for tweens and asked me to put some of the Bible
verses to music for them to memorize. So I did. And all these months
later, my girls decided to pop it in their CD player. I found myself
singing along, and thinking that we need more of this. Then I had
this crazy idea. I have been wanting to do a little giveaway on the
blog, because that is what bloggers do. So I thought, hey, I could
give away the downloads for the scripture songs for those readers
that sign up through email. Sounds easy enough. And fun. And
purposeful. Yes. I like it. :) (STAY TUNED) ;)
Ok, so where was I, oh yes, a bit
scared, a bit uneasy in my spirit, needing a drink of living water.
Sitting down I reluctantly open the Psalms, ("reluctantly" because, yes, I am that
prideful that I literally thought I have read enough Psalms to get the
gist of it) And then it happened. Again. I really don't blame you if
you don't believe me. I wouldn't believe me if it wasn't happening to
me. I mean, who am I that God is mindful of me? But He is! And He
minded me. Right through my ugly, prideful, know-it-all, heart.
Right here in Psalms 56:3-4
3.Whenever
I am afraid, I will trust in You. 4.In God (I will praise His
word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can
flesh do to me?
But wait, you don't even know the half of it! Yes, I was feeling
afraid, and yes, my reading schedule took me to a verse reminding me
not to be afraid because my spirit is eternally forever safe with
Him, and yes, that is just what I needed. But that verse, out of
every verse I could have read, is one of the songs I was singing
earlier that day, from the scripture song CD, the song that I was
thinking of giving away as a free download.
Are. You. Kidding. Me????
Let's recap: I am feeling afraid. My girls, not knowing this, put on
a song of a Bible verse I put to music reminding me to trust God
when I am afraid. Then I open up my Bible reading to read the verse
that I put to music reminding me not to be afraid. Yes. This
happened.
My Pastor, preached this weekend saying the words of Jesus to the
disciples...”Who do you say I am?”
And with every single solitary fiber of my being I know. I know
my answer. I know Who He is! Because this happens all.the.time. All
the time! I could really bust out all caps, because I am having
church right now people. And I am not the only one. Because I hear
these stories all the time from friends that are being cared for by
the God they love.
Then this:
You
number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle;
So many of my tears over my life have
come from wandering, and yet, He holds them still.
So today, this is my prayer. And I pray
it for you too.
O to grace how
great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness,
like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to
wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s
my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.
If you can relate, tell us
how has God been mindful of you.
Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The loving kindness
of God endures all day long. 2 Your tongue devises
destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. 3 You
love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is
right. [c]Selah. 4 You
love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
Feeling a bit frustrated this morning
as I read through the headlines.
Just how? How can lies be passed off as
truth, over and over and over? And then even when lies are exposed,
no one cares. So I put down my newspaper ( metaphorically speaking of
course, who holds a newspaper anymore?? ) Finally, I flip open the Bible,
(which I clearly should have opened first) to the assigned reading, as I go through the Bible chronologically and I
am reminded that there is nothing new under the sun. Those that love
deceitful and destructive words have been around for thousands of
years. They are blinded by pride and a lust for power.
Yet, the loving kindness of God
endures.
And this was my assigned reading for the day. Seriously? I couldn't have picked a more appropriate passage if I had googled "passage in the Bible that will encourage me after feeling defeated by the lies perpetrated in our world." There is no greater proof for the veracity and power of God's word, then reading through it for yourself, and realizing the relevance and power God has to meet you exactly where you are!
One of my favorite things about the
Psalms is that over and over again, David airs his grievances before
the Lord, unashamedly and unfiltered. Yet by the end, he is
encouraging himself, and us, thousands of years later, in the Lord. So
if you, like me, can feel discouraged by this uphill fight, read on.
8 But
as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I
trust in the loving kindness of God forever and ever. 9 I
will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And
I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of
Your godly ones.
I know, as David did, that although
God's loving kindness endures all day long, be not deceived, God will
not be mocked. And whatever a man sows, that will he reap. (Gal. 6:7)
I trust in His loving Kindness and give Him thanks. Mostly I am
thankful that His loving kindness endures for my own failings and
sins as much as the sins of anyone else. I pray that I would wait on
His name, for it is good. So good. And remembering this “in the
presence of Your godly ones.” Don't forget the importance of the
fellowship of believers. Aka church! We will wait on His name,
together. And trust.
Psalm 34 (click here to read the whole chapter) I
will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be
in my mouth. 2.My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The
humble will hear it and rejoice. 3.O magnify the Lord with me, And
let us exalt His name together. 4.I sought the Lord,
and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5.They
looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be
ashamed. 6.This poor man cried, and the Lord
heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. 7.The angel of
the Lord encamps around
those who fear Him, And rescues them. 8.O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is
the man who takes refuge in Him! 9.O fear the Lord, you His
saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. 10.The
young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord
shall not be in want of any good thing.
Those ten verses are like a salve to my
soul. When I was little I was regularly lulled to sleep by the guitar stylings of Ben Ferrell.
You either love this guy or don't love this guy. But man his music
invited such peace into my little life way back when and even on into my
college years, where I subjected, I mean, shared his music with my
roomates, and now to my own children. If they want to get on mommy's
good side, they will ask to listen to Ben as they fall asleep,
knowing how special his music is to me. On his cd, or cassette in those days, he sang scripture
and spoke scripture much like a modern day David.
Specifically, he quotes these ten verses which I have heard so many
times, I could probably read them with his exact intonation and cadence. They so minister to me that I had Paul read
them to me when I was in labor with Lizzie. Then ten years later I read them to that same daughter in the hospital with her broken arm, while she
waited painfully for the night to end so her surgery could begin.
Those ten verses.
It makes me wonder, how many people since David
penned those words, have been helped through the night, through the
day, through the years, from his words, while he lived a nightmare.
I have seen
such sadness over the last couple days on facebook. Two different
families, two different states, both saying goodbye to a newborn. Yet
the words flowing from their hearts are not those of anger
or bitterness, but insight and faithfulness. Like David, in their darkest moments, of unthinkable pain, they praise.
This chapter goes on to say
:Many are the afflictions
of the righteous, But the Lord
delivers him out of them all.
And then,
The righteous cry, and the Lord
hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18.The Lord
is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed
in spirit.
He is near to the brokenhearted. If you are feeling brokenhearted,
downtrodden, or crushed, turn your face to heaven, and magnify the
Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together. None of us are immune to the struggles that plague our world. But I pray that in
those moments, we would not turn to the quick fix through regular
distractions: phone, tv, internet and even alcohol. But that we would
take refuge in Him. And let His praise continually be in our mouth!
Amen! If you didn't make watch the video before, take a listen now. His second song, at about minute 4, has been a favorite of mine for over 25 years.
Who do you trust?
I have to be honest here. My brain is tired. Admittedly, most of me is usually tired, but on the whole, my daily routine does not require a lot of deep thinking. It is rushed, it is hectic, it is lovely, but it does not require or provide a lot of rigorous mental stimulation. This last week has been different. If you missed all the hubbub, my little 50 view per post blog, jumped up to over 1200 with a little post, apparently controversial, about the Ken Ham/ Bill Nye debate. Wednesday and Thursday was filled with discussing, debating and defending. Then Friday and Saturday consisted of ingesting and inspecting information at a Creation Experience conference.
Pumping adrenaline on and off throughout most of this week has my mind, spirit, and body a bit more worn out than usual. I have been reading Psalm 31 for a few days now, and I am finally sitting down to process it through my fingertips to the keyboard. Reading the Bible to me, means looking for the Character of God and allowing it to shape me. When I look at this passage, this is what I see:
In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.
But I trust in the Lord.
But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand;
Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!
Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.
God is trustworthy. I trust Him. But in a world with so much noise, so much distraction, sometimes it becomes a choice, more than a reflex. Yet, I don't choose to trust with ignorance. I choose to trust because I have been here before. And I have seen His hand. I have felt His heart. I have heard His voice. And I say with Job:
Job 42:5
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;
I remember His goodness and His faithfulness, and I trust. If you have only ever heard of God, but do not know him in this personal way, if you haven't seen Him move on your behalf in an amazing and supernatural way, He promises that if you call to Him, He will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things that you do not know. And if you seek Him, you will find Him, when you seek Him with your whole heart. (Jeremiah 3:33, Jeremiah 29:11) So many of you have had those moments, those time with God where you have seen Him move on your behalf. And when uncertainty comes, we must go back to those moments, and remember. And choose to trust.
Wow! What a morning. And all this drama
on “Clean Sheet Wednesday”? How would I get it all done? Rest
assured, the sheets (and you all know there are a lot of them) are
cleaned and back on the beds. Phew. But really, how was I ever going to reply
to Peter So and So on facebook?? He was getting impatient! He waited 30 whole
seconds on before giving me the ol' “A-HA! I knew you
couldn't answer!” Simmer down now Peter! I have beds to change!
After teaching, and cleaning, and
lunching, and witnessing unprecedented activity on my blog good and
bad, I had to go for a run. Clear my head. Pray for direction. This
is what I wanted right? A platform to tell others about Jesus? But
man, people are angry and mean. Look, I am a big girl, and have a
knack for disregarding crazy and bitter. Nevertheless, angry people can wear on
anyone. I don't know if this is the road I want to go down. In fact
from my very first post, (click here to read) you can see my struggle with God.
It started when I was a teenager and
would enjoy explaining math problems to any that were confused
around me. It went like this. They couldn't understand it. I
explained it. They were happy. It was then that I decided to become a
math teacher, although I didn't particularly like math. It was a bit
much work for my taste. And that was in just in high school! Ha! I
had no idea what I was in for pursuing a pure math degree along with
teacher certification. Over and over I prayed for permission from God
to drop out of my math major. Biblical counseling sounds like fun!
This is too hard! But God refused. “I am not calling you into
ministry because you don't want to work hard,” he whispered into my
soul. Fine. I trudged through. And I finished.
Then I taught
in a public school where over and over I heard from students that I
taught who used to hate math, but now loved it! Yes! This is what any
good teacher strives for and lots can achieve. However it was not all
sunshine and roses. It was also at this school where I learned
another important lesson I can use today. Consider the source. After
a particularly difficult lesson, a student known for being a regular
consumer of marijuana, raised his hand and proclaimed, “I
understood this last year when Mr. Hanley taught it, but I don't
understand the way you are teaching it.” Wow. The ultimate blow.
The opposite of what every good teacher strives for. But this was
Tony. So I was unfazed. “Tony,” I began, “do you think that
maybe this was easier last year because you had more brain cells
then?” And his response confirmed my theory. He looked around,
laughed, and admitted “You might be right.” So there's that.
Consider the source.
And then there was last night. I was
too tired to watch the debate, until I had to, but I definitely
wasn't going to write about it. I couldn't. My brain was mush. It was
three o'clock in the morning after my hardest day of the week. Fine.
I would start writing, but there was no way I would finish. But I
did. So for those that were so wholeheartedly offended by my less
than perfect grammar, I had been up 24 hours. Give a girl a break.
Although, truth be told, even on a good night of sleep, I would never
ever claim to be a perfect writer. Ever. So if that is your thing, we
should amicably part ways. I don't see our relationship going
anywhere.
So back to my run. I called a friend
and downloaded, and she advised, and I hung up to pray some more. But
for a faith having, God loving Christian, I have to admit I really
wasn't expecting an answer. I didn't see anything God could show me
that would give me peace one way or the other. Until he did. He
reminded me of what we have been studying in Psalms that I did not
relate to at all when I read it. In fact, in the blog, I either
didn't even mention said verses, or didn't comment on them because I
just couldn't relate. Until today. But because I was storing them in
my heart. They were there, today, when I needed them. You see, over
the last 6 hours or so, because of a blog post I wrote here, I have been “yelled” at, mocked, called
names, “laughed” at. And on and on.
Here are the verse I didn't relate to before today:
Psalm 7: O
Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those
who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2 Lest they tear
me like a lion, Rending me
in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in
my hands,
4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace
with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 Let
the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample
my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
9 Oh,
let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the
just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My
defense is of God,Who
saves the upright in heart.
14 Behold,
the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble
and brings forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and dug it out,
And
has fallen into the ditch which he made.
trouble shall
return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down
on his own crown.
Psalm 27:
3 Though
an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though
war may rise against me, In this I will be
confident.
4 One
thing I have desired of the
Lord, That will I seek: That I may
dwell in the house of the Lord All the
days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And
to inquire in His temple. 5 For in the time of trouble He
shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His
tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted
up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer
sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to the Lord.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because
of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my
adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And
such as breathe out violence.
Today I am thankful for a God who sees
the future. And longs to prepare us for it! And that, Dear Impatient
Peter from facebook, is something of which I could never be convinced
otherwise. And above all, I pray that you would find that too.
I LOVE debates!! Ask my poor husband!
I
vow one day to go to law school, because in my humble opinion, there
is no one that would make a better lawyer then someone with a math degree.
Logic, problem solving, proofs, yes, yes and yes! So when I heard
about this debate my head was spinning. These types of debates are
typically "below" all the evolution big wigs, so this was our chance! I wondered
what Ken Ham would say, which smoking gun he would bring up. Would he
use Darwin's own words to damn Bill Nye's ideas? Which proofs would he bring
out? The anticipation was almost too much. I was praying for Ken Ham,
telling others to pray for Ken Ham.
I could not wait to watch this debate.
And then, two days before the
debate I realized I wouldn't even be able to watch the it live. Weeks ago I had received free tickets to a NHL Panthers hockey game for our whole family. And it was
the same night!!
I gladly went to the game, and enjoyed the family time. But I couldn't help but wonder how the debate was going. That's when I started checking twitter. And my heart began sinking!
NO!! What? Why? Even my
Christian friends were disappointed.
I literally felt sick. I was desperate to know what had happened. I really wanted to watch it online. Like now.
When we got home from the game exhaustion was setting in. The debate was
over. The vote was in. It felt like November 2012 all over again. Should I
even watch it? What was the point?
Yeah right! Of course I had to watch it.
So
with the kids and husband asleep, I clicked on the archived event
with incredible anxiety and began watching. The truth is that I was riveted from start to
finish. But I had one question. Was I watching the same debate?
Ken Ham started off strong with the
grammar stage. Undoubtedly, we have to define our terms if we are going to
employ them throughout the discussion. However, despite Ham's rigorous and through explanations of the vocabulary they would be using, Bill Nye refused to adhere to said logical constraints and instead used
demeaning innuendos and labeled belief in a created universe as “Ken Ham's
view” as if Ken Ham invented the theory of creation. The reality is, however, that Bill Nye could have just as easily and accurately said “Francis
Bacon's view” or “Galileo's view” or “Isaac Newton's view,”
but that would have ended the whole debate right then and there as I will explain later.
There were little things stylistically that I thought Ham could have done differently, or points on which Ham could have challenged Nye,
throughout, but for the sake of time and my sanity, I am just going
to go over the fundamental fallacies that in essence caused a big
loss for Nye.
First of all, Bill Nye made the claim
that he, and all scientists since the beginning of time, welcome new
theories! (Wait why are we here again?) Yes, he spoke for all
scientists everywhere throughout all of history, declaring the joy they feel when someone offers an opposing view with any proof. But I, for one, know
this to be false. Why? Because of my FAVORITE math class ever. The
History of Calculus. It was fascinating! Seriously, great teacher.
Jaw dropping stories. And how did it portray some of those great
scientists that produced new ideas to the scientific community? They
were attacked and vilified or worse, murdered!! Surely not, you say. Oh yes, I
argue. So much so that Isaac Newton eventually gave up sharing his ideas with anyone. And what
happened? The whole country of England suffered. They were left about
a hundred years behind their competitors mathematically because one
of the greatest minds of our time (a creationist, ironically enough)
was done with fighting the "all accepting" scientists. Wait, so because
someone who believed in a creator God, stopped contributing to
science, his whole country's mathematical progress was halted?
Interesting.Very Interesting.
Next, he makes the assertion that
creationists have the ultimate potential, nay destiny, of ruining
progress and eliminating all further advances in science. Yes,
America will cease to be a leader and all will be lost if we teach creation! This claim is
easily disputed too, but mostly because his premise is more than a little
shaky. His big concern is the education of our children right? We
creationists can believe all this fairytale, Ken Ham, stuff, concedes Nye, but
please, leave the kids out of it! After all, America's science and
math education is currently leading the charts! Right at the top!
Right? We can't lose that!
Oh, well, that must be because there is so
much Bible and creation and stuff in schools nowadays, right? Nope.
So faulty premise to start because we are not at the top for
science and math education. But the end is wrong too. And that,
frankly is where Mr. Nye loses this debate.
This whole controversy started months ago
when he claimed that parents should not be allowed to teach their
children creation because it is dumb, and their kids will be dumb
(paraphrase.)
And that is what Mr. Nye kept driving home tonight.
Bill Nye: (Paraphrase) Anyone who
believes in creation can never invent or predict anything.
Evolutionists always predict amazing things,
Ken Ham: like because of
evolution we knew that people didn't really need their appendix, or
tonsils, ya know, we were evolving past those silly things, so we can
just take them out, whenever we want, no harm no.......
...wait what?
Oh,
right, ignore that prediction, that was a little off. But seriously,
where was I, oh yeah, if you believe in creation, you can never
contribute to science and predict awesome things like evolutionists
can.
Then Ken Ham brings out some people from this list of people that support the "Ken Ham Way":
Isaac
Newton (1642–1727) (WOH)
Dynamics; Calculus; Gravitation law; Reflecting telescope; Spectrum
of light (wrote more about the Bible than science, and emphatically
affirmed a Creator. Some have accused him of Arianism, but it’s
likely he held to a heterodox form of the Trinity—See Pfizenmaier,
T.C., Was Isaac Newton an Arian? Journal of the History of Ideas
68(1):57–80, 1997)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz
(1646–1716) Mathematician
Carolus Linneaus (1707–1778)
Taxonomy; Biological classification system
Louis
Pasteur (1822–1895) (WOH)
Bacteriology, Biochemistry; Sterilization; Immunization
William
Thompson, Lord Kelvin (1824–1907) Energetics; Absolute
temperatures; Atlantic cable (believed in an older earth than the
Bible indicates, but far younger than the evolutionists wanted*)
William Huggins (1824–1910)
Astral spectrometry
Bernhard Riemann (1826–1866)
Non-Euclidean geometries
And that is when it was over.
If Bill Nye's whole
point was that creationists can never predict or invent, he lost.
That's it. And believe you me, that was and is his point. (see videos below)
Listen to
his closing statements in which he praises
the scientific process (The one promoted by creationist Francis Bacon ) and reiterates that if we start teaching creation, we will be
“outcompeted” (not a word) by other countries. That was his final thought.
Now I want to talk to the
Christians. Ken Ham had an incredible amount of ground to cover, and
arguments to answer. He disputed the carbon dating and got all
sciency, yet that was completely ignored. He had a short amount of time to
accomplish an enormous task. So he proved what mattered. Yes, he
could have went back and forth with him about specifics, but when he
did, it was completely dismissed. Ken Ham stuck to the main point
with focus. He listed some of these brilliant scientists from the past and some
from the present all that contributed to science in immeasurable ways, furthering science, not crippling it. End of debate. It should have been over.
Not only that, but when, dear Christian, is sharing
scripture with millions something for us to be disappointed about? There was nothing
that Ken Ham was going to say that those staunch evolutionists hadn't
heard before and vice versa. The point Ken made time and again was
that it all came down to how they were interpreting the data, and
that they each, according to their own studies and faith (oh yes,
faith), will continue to believe those things regardless of any
laundry list of science facts stated. But here is where I differ
with the news articles that say “No one will change their opinion
from this debate.” I know that God's word is living, and active and
sharper than a two edged sword. I know that God's Word does not
return void. So I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that through this
debate, lives were changed. And that, is amazing.
Before watching the debate I felt sick
reading all the reactions. Afterward, I am elated and proud. There
are some really great discussion points that I am going to explore in
future blogs, like, how Bill Nye actually proved the ark could exist,
and also confirmed the need to seek after God! But as my mom says, my
blogs tend to be a bit wordy, so I better quit for now! In fact, if
you made it this far, thank you! You too mom!
****Edited to add these videos which were the inspiration for the post, along with his previous interviews
And here he tells us how the debate came about and why it is so important.
So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you
killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the
ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except
that one here.” And David said, “ There is none like it; give it to me.”
(I Samuel 21:9 NKJV)
The lesson here really took my breath away. Each victory in Jesus gives
us the tools to fight an even bigger battle. And it's the daily battles
that are the hardest to win. But as we fight through the temptations in
life, crucifying our flesh, our future is being defined, and mapped out.
11 And
the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the
land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”
12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Everyone wants to be known, but there is a cost, and we should take
these things to heart as well, praying for our pastors, leaders,
writers, teachers who are in the spotlight, with a target on their back,
with an enemy that roars looking for someone to devour. Take a moment
today to pray for someone you know, or have admired that might be in
this place.
I seem to have had a
case of the Januaries. I know I am not alone, because I have
confessed this “Blah” feeling to some of my closest friends, only
to hear many of them echo my sentiments. Oppressed seems like a
strong word, but yet it is the right word. This past week I felt
somewhat better, despite circumstances around me getting worse.
However, in the middle of it, if you have ever been there, and are in
charge of or responsible for anyone else, it's easy to feel
unqualified, defeated, thinking “How do I take care of my children,
or students, or coworkers, or fill in the blank....when I don't even
feel like taking care of myself?"
David
therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So
when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they
went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in
distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was
discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And
there were about four hundred men with him.
David was running for his life, trying
to cling to a promise that was given to him, betrayed by his master,
separated from his best friend, and crying out to God regularly for
protection. Yet in this broken state, they came to him, those that
were discontented, and in debt, and distressed. And he became captain
over them. How? How did he do it? He was anointed to do it. He was
chosen to do it. He was empowered to do it. He was surrendered to
God's will. And he chose to do it.
2Therefore David inquired of the Lord,
saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and
save Keilah.”
David is acutely aware of his need for guidance. In this chapter,
David asks if he should go in and defend Keilah against the
Phillistines. And God says yes. But some of his soldiers have a bit of a
problem with it. Like, really David? We are barely hanging on here, and
you want us to go defend someone else?
The simplest but most common display of
pride is denying our need for daily devotions and constant contact
with God. Pray without ceasing. So many times you hear people say, I
just wish I knew God's will. But the reality is, that many times we
wait till a big decision comes along, and then ask, when the best way
to find God's will is to be talking to Him all day long, bring your
daily decisions through the filter of God's Word.
This is a familiar story to many of us that have been studying the Bible
for some time. David has been running for his life from a man who is
now sleeping in a cave, at his feet. David was anointed king. And the
only thing that stands in his way, is the king who could be taken out of
the equation with one fell swoop. But he walks away. Not before cutting
off a piece of his robe for evidence. Then he yelled across to Saul
from a safe distance to let him know.
This story pierced my
heart today. Truly. Here was David, anointed by God, promised the crown,
and here was what seemed to be the perfect opportunity to take what was
his. But the character of his heart won out over the convenience of the
capture. He was going to trust God to deliver the throne, and through
his constant contact with God, he knew this was not how it was supposed
to go down. Patience. What? Patience to watch God's plan unfold. Vision for what God intended to do.
God gives us so many real life physical
examples of our spiritual reality. Eating right and exercising well
are a struggle. The whole point of exercising is to struggle. If you
are not sweating, or exhausting your muscle, then likely you aren't
getting anywhere. Eating is easy, but eating healthy requires denying
your wants and your desires for your goals. And that is a struggle.
17 I will praise the Lord
according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name
of the Lord Most High.
Don't be surprised by the struggle. It has to be. But as we see God
come through, time and time again, I pray that we would be
strengthened through the struggle and that we would comfort others as
we have been comforted as we praise God, putting our trust in Him.
"The crocuses are coming! The crocuses are coming!" I can still hear my own words ringing in my ears. Growing up in New York, there was nothing like seeing those beautiful signs of spring burst through the snow or frozen ground. Hope. In the form of a flower.
That is what this chapter looks like to me. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
With the news, the political climate, the crime and disease happening around us, there seems like nothing to do but fear....except, The Lord is the strength of my life! Putting your hopes in anything else, can only result in fear. If dwelling in the house of the Lord forever is your deepest desire, beholding His beauty, and that is secure, then what is left to fear? Can we just start every day with this reminder? It is the only thing that makes sense. This is going up on the wall. This needs to be said to my children when they wake up, and when they sit down, and when they walk along the road. This is what I needed.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Step One: Singing praises. Yes, I will sing!
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Step two: Seek His face. Your face, Lord, I will seek.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Step three: Wait.
Verses 13 and 14 are two of my all time favorite verses. We cannot lose heart, we who believe that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I have seen, and know I will continue to see. Wait. Wait. He will strengthen your heart. You will see those crocuses poke their little heads through. And you will know, the thaw is coming.
I pray that we would praise the Lord, that we would seek His face, and that we would wait, knowing that we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! I praying that you would be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart!
