See God {Day 14: God and the Gate}

Today, let's pray for eyes to see God in a fresh way.

In the Old Testament, we are told that anything "unclean" had to reside outside the confines of the camp where the people lived.  If a person had any sort of disease, they were sent outside the camp until they were free of that disease.

In Leviticus 13:45, we see one example of this: 
"The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, Unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease.  He is unclean.  He shall live alone.  His dwelling shall be outside the camp." We later learn that for the day of cleansing for the leper, the priest is to go outside the camp where he is to make atonement. 

Did you know that after the bull and goat were sacrificed in the temple for atonement it had to be carried outside the camp where they were burned up? They saw the substitution as now carrying the sin of the people.  Anything unclean had to be outside the gates. (Lev. 16:27)

Can you start to see the type of people that had to dwell outside of the gates and camp?  They were impure.  Corrupt.  Condemned.  Diseased.  Isolated.  Excluded.  A reproach.

This is where my heart stops beating.

Did you know that Jesus was sacrificed outside the gate?   The place of Golgotha was outside the camp, away from the city.

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood."  Hebrews 13:12
The pure and spotless Lamb of God who knew no sin, took on my sin.  He clothed Himself with my shame, corruption, reproach, condemnation, disease, and death.  He had to go where the unclean go.

Don't you see?  Jesus left the gate so that He could become the gate. "I am the gate.  Whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out and find pasture." John 10:9

Can I just stop and say glory?

But the gate theme doesn't stop there!

"Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured." Heb. 13:13

Jesus invites us into a story of suffering because He knows it will be the only thing that will make us look more and more like Him. John Piper says that we are to "move toward need, not comfort."  Jesus wants us to willingly give up the security, ease, and comfort of the "city" and go outside the gates to minister to those who need Him desperately.

We are to move towards the unclean.  Diseased.  Corrupted.  Contaminated.  Isolated.  Excluded.  Impure. Rejected.

Jesus endured the cross because there was joy on the other side.  We endure reproach, hardship, suffering, persecution, rejection, and heartache because we know that our "city" is not lasting but we do have one that is coming that will last forever! Now is temporary.  There is forever.  We cast off the love of this world because in the end, this world has nothing to really offer.

"He died so we would be willing to stop trying to make our private lives paradise on earth."  John Piper

I think our American church (as a whole) today somehow resembles being inside of the city gates. In Bible times, after Nehemiah had helped rebuild the city, the gates provided protection and security.  They were the means of entering the city...just as Jesus is our means of entering the salvation and the heavenly city.

I am not here to bash the American Church.  I believe that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the true church of God.  Do I think we have some things messed up?  Yes.  Do we have soul searching and some questioning to do?  Yes.

I think that being part of an American church is like being inside of a privileged city.  It is very comfortable.  We each have access to a Bible, even if it is located in the lost and found.  It doesn't cost us anything.  Even a tithe isn't required by the preacher before we enter the big glass doors.  We get fed and aren't required to feed others. 

It is easy.  It is comfortable.  Goodness, church even looks good on us.  But, I think we are bored out of our minds.

What if Jesus wants to come into our protected little city called the American church and break down the city gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder? 

Just to free us?

Luke 9:23 tells us to deny self.  Take up our cross.  Follow Him.  Follow Him where?  Hebrews 13:13 says that we are to go to Him.  He is outside the camp.  Outside the gates.  Outside the place of privilege.

The Greek word for camp there is "parembole" which means to put between or interpose.  We often want the lost to come into our camp called church...but what if God wants us to go to them? The word camp implies that there is a wall that has been put between us...will we go to them so they can become part of the heavenly city?

What on earth does this look like?

There has to be some sort of quitting of the world.  How do we as Americans quit the world when we look just like it?  Clarke says we have to leave the city and the system and take refuge in Jesus alone. 
I am not telling you to quit church.  God calls us to be part of a community of believers.   What a joy to live in a country that can worship The Beautiful One freely and without fear of being hauled to a dark place of imprisonment!

But, what if we decided to forsake the privileges?  Moses did this!  Hebrews 11:24-27 says "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible."

I think God spiritually cut down the gates of brass and the bars of iron of Pharaoh's house that held Moses from his God-given purpose.  He set him free.

What a sad life of not knowing the One True God...had Moses not left the gates and the privileged camp of royalty.

What if we can know Him, enjoy Him, and worship Him on a whole new level if we will simply go to Him? 

Outside the gates.

What would this look like? What if it could simply mean moving towards the need and away from the comforts?

~We could pray and fast for the lost. (Fasting is not in my comfort zone!)

~We could love on the orphans...providing either a temporary or permanent home.

~We could serve where the outcast live. 

~We could confront a friend who is living in sin. (Confrontation is not in my comfort zone, either!)

~We could move our family to a country that desperately needs to hear about grace.

~We could disciple someone and pass on whatever God has taught us.

~We could buy fewer Christmas presents so we can send more Operation Christmas Child Boxes.

~We could...what is the Holy Spirit whispering right now? Who is full of reproach that you want nothing to do with?

We need to stop hiding from the idea of persecution, hardship, and suffering because Jesus assures us of a very great reward.  It is OK to leave the comfortable gates because one day, we will dwell in a city forever, whose gates will never shut.  Imagine that.  You are always welcome.  Always protected.  You are home.

Revelation 21:25 "And its gates will never be shut by day--and there will no night there."

Jesus left the gate so that He could become the gate. He invites us to leave the gate of ease to join Him in suffering and minister to those who need the gate of grace.  One day, we will live with Him forever in a city that has no need for a sun or a moon because the visible glory of Jesus far surpasses any other form of light.  We will be at home, able to freely go in and out of the heavenly gate because we are sons and daughters of God Himself.

God, give us eyes to see!  How can we live outside the gates?

See God {Day 13: The God who Helps Each One}

He almost mowed me over with his battery operated shopping cart.  He was maybe 82 years old, frail, and alone.  "Excuse me, mam, do you know where the vienna sausages are?"  He pronounced vienna like vie-enna, slow and totally wrong.

I finally found his eyes behind the thick frames.  "No, sir, I don't have a clue."  And it was the pure truth.  Ever since our grocery store did the fancy-pants makeover, I have felt totally lost while hypertension has threatened to consume me every time I enter the doors.

Now, I will admit, the first thing that ran through my good-girl-Christian mind was that I could certainly help him find those blasted vie-enna sausages.  But, fatigue won out.  I had been at church from 7:30-12:30, received horrible news from a friend, still had to grocery shop and later fix some things for a cookout.

The flesh often wins in this battle called life.

So, I breathed easier as he motorized himself down the wider-now aisles thanks to the renovations that I am still bittersweet about.

And then, wouldn't you know it:  I went over a couple of aisles and came face to face with my worst meat farce of a nightmare:  vie-enna sausages.

Rats, I whispered to the Holy Spirit.  Now, I know I have to go track this feeble man down.

I ran into him three aisles over.  "Um, excuse me sir, but I found your vienna sausages.  If you'll follow me, I'll be happy to take you to them." 

He looked at me as if he had never seen me in his life.  And then a little light flickered and he powered up his ride, following me to his beloved sausages.

I led him to the location and then realized I would need to help him get them down.  Apparently keeping vienna sausages on the middle-catch-your-eye attention level wasn't working so well for the grocery marketers of the world.

"I like Libby brand the best.  I'll take two."

I put the small cans of meat in his buggy and told him to have a great day.

I wheeled myself away and then it hit me hard.

He was alone on Father's day.  In a grocery store.  Buying small cans of blended meat product.

 What was his story?  Did he have children?  Were they in town?  Did they care??? 

Why did he only get two cans of meat?  Why this kind of meat?  Is it all he can afford???

Questions ran through my mind and I was struck with why Jesus was always willing to stop and help the one person. 

He knew their stories ran deep.  He knew he could offer a listening ear and redemption.

Tears came easily and I thanked Jesus for the joy that consumed my heart in being able to help one single elderly man find two tiny cans of vie-enna sausages on a lonely Father's Day.

Will you stop today for just one?

See God {Day 12: The God who Plants Seeds}

This morning after trying once again my hand (or, ahem, legs) at running, I plopped my weary and sweaty self on the front porch steps.  I looked over at the gerbera daisies making their appearance and God gently reminded me of a truth I learned a couple of years ago. 

God makes provision for your needs even before you have needs.

Seeds. He is always going before us, planting seeds.

In Genesis, days before He created man, God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.  And it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good."

Before God lovingly formed man and breathed life into clay, He made sure that every single necessary provision for the longevity and blessing of mankind was in place.

Perhaps that seems like a no brainer, but do we apply it to our daily circumstances? 

We have a crest of our family name hanging on the wall.  It says, Domini Nostri Praebenda.  The Lord Jesus is our Provision.

He is our provision for daily bread, salvation, mercy during trials, and rest.  We have absolutely nothing without Him. Not even a single breath.

Going forward with this anguishing word called cancer, I know God wants to remind us that whatever we need has already been provided.  The seeds have been planted and the earth is already bringing forth vegetation. We are walking blindly through a dark tunnel, but God is promising that He is already there, providing the right doctors and right treatment.  He is already there, providing friends to pray for us and hold our hands.  He is already there, allowing portions of scripture to jump off the pages and into our weary souls.  He is Jehovah Shammah.  He is there.  And the provision has all been taken care of.  Perhaps the most humbling and beautiful part of it all is that He was planting seeds for our needs before we even knew that we would have such a great need.

What a merciful and good God.

A God who plants seeds.

See God {Day 11: The God who Sings}

One of my favorite set of verses is in Zephaniah.  I love music and I love hearing gifted singers do what God created them to do.  But, the fact that the God of the universe sings over me just about blows my mind apart. 


It makes me wonder what His voice sounds like. One of my favorite male voices is that of the actor, Dale Midkiff,  in the DVD "Love Comes Softly."  His voice is just plain tender. Not tender in a feminine way, but tender in a "I am the most compassionate man in the world and I have come to rescue you" kind of way. I think I could listen to that voice all day long.

It is probably wrong to think of God's voice in human terms, but I still wonder...if He were singing over me, just what would that sound like?

Zephaniah chapter three says:

“14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing’” (ESV).

The KJV says He will "Joy over thee with singing."

On this incredible text, C.H. Spurgeon said:

“I can understand a minister rejoicing over a soul that he has brought to Christ; I can also understand believers rejoicing to see others saved from sin and hell; but what shall I say of the infinitely happy and eternally-blessed God finding, as it were, a new joy in souls redeemed? This is another of those great wonders that cluster around the work of divine grace! … The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, imperfect though they be. He sees them as they are to be, and so he rejoices over them, even when they cannot rejoice in themselves. When your face is blurred with tears, your eyes red with weeping, and your heart heavy with sorrow for sin, the great Father is rejoicing over you. The prodigal son wept in his Father’s bosom, but the Father rejoiced over his son. We are questioning, doubting, sorrowing, trembling; and all the while he who sees the end from the beginning knows what will come out of the present disquietude, and therefore rejoices. Let us rise in faith to share the joy of God.” (sermons from 1837, #1990)

If you are waiting quietly for Him with expectation and prayer, He is singing over you. If you are trusting even though it seems like you don't have a reason to, He is singing over you. If you are returning to Him after a long drought of doing things on your own, He is singing over you.

He personally delights in you and one day you will hear Him audibly sing a love song over you.

Did you know that Jesus is the exact representation of God and that we can find Him singing as He walked this earth? 

In Matthew 26, Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples.  It is the last time his close followers will ever enjoy a meal with Jesus.  Verse 30 says they sang a hymn together and then immediately went out into the mount of Olives where their friend and savior would be arrested and later killed.

I wonder what kind of courage it took for Jesus to sing a hymn to God, knowing what lay ahead in the next few hours. He shows us that worship is the right response even when the future seems bleak and we would rather run away from God's plan.

I wonder what kind of song was coming out of His Father's mouth as His one and only Son hung upon that tree? It had to be equal parts victory cry and tender sob as the plan for redemption was unfolding.

God Almighty sings over you. Bend your ear and listen...

See God {Day 10: The God of Jacob}

The God of Jacob is my God.  I don't know whether to be embarrassed or totally relieved over this fact.  I am leaning towards relief, but I am telling you, the Jacob I see on the pages of Genesis is not really someone I want in my spiritual genealogical line.

Or is he?

I see a man who from the womb was itching to pick a fight and have his own way.  He conspired with his mother in order to manipulate his father into giving him the family blessing.  He tricked his father in law, Laban.  Time and time again, I see a man who is a cheat.  A liar.  An arrogant manipulator.

And, then, I realize why it is called grace.

God had chosen Jacob to be a Patriarch of this great nation, Israel.  God had declared that His blessing would indeed flow through Jacob's line.  God's grace allowed this despite Jacob's character.  But, God's grace didn't leave Jacob to that ugly character.

Yes, that is the God I want to worship and be aligned with.  A God of infinite care and grace.  I want to worship a God who won't leave me in my ugly and vast pit of striving and selfishness.

So, in Genesis 32, we start to see God call Jacob out of this ugly self-preservation and pride.  He has allowed Jacob to leave his deceitful father in law.  He has prospered him with children and flocks.  He has called him back to Bethel, the House of God, the place where Jacob saw the ladder and the angels ascending and descending.  He is reminding Jacob of who he is.

But, first, he must deal with his double heart.
Jacob leaves one enemy but is faced with another. He is camped between two people that he has deceived in the past.  The first thing he sees is a host of angels.

What?  That is not what I was expecting...how about you?  Once again, we see God's grace.

God takes the veil off of his eyes for a temporary moment and Jacob beholds not one army of angels, but two.  Jacob names the place "Mahanaim" which in Hebrew means "double camp." 

My heart beats faster and I wonder why it is a double camp he is allowed to see...why not just one single camp of angels?  Isn't one camp enough when God's mighty warriors are involved?

I can't get three ideas out of my head.

1.  Jacob had two adversaries:  Laban and Esau.  He was sandwiched right between them.  Perhaps God wanted him to know He was sufficient for all his troubles.

2.  Jacob had two wives and therefore, two camps of families.  Maybe God wanted Jacob to know that He would be providing double assistance for his double portion of responsibility.

3.  Jacob still had a divided heart.  Maybe God wanted to show him that he had two camps in his inner being...one that acknowledged God and the other that looked to self for provision. 

Mahanaim...double camp

Call me a tad shocked after Jacob is allowed to see the heavenly hosts in all their glory...all two camps of them and resorts back to his old ways.

Or am I shocked?  Am I not the same?

Right after the heavenly vision, Jacob resorts immediately back to fear and taking matters into his own hands.  Instead of resting in God's protection and plan, Jacob frets, divides his people into two camps, and schemes his own plan.

Do you see a theme here?  God shows us a double portion of His glory and instead of walking in faith, we cower in fear and divide.  Anytime we choose unbelief, we will take matters into our own hands which leads to division with God, stripping ourselves from intimacy with Him.
 
But, God doesn't leave Jacob in that place.  Once again, we are reminded that our God wants to change our character.  He wants to offer us life and change our very names.

Mahanaim...double camp

God wants to show Jacob what is in his heart, so He enters into a wrestling match with him.  If Jacob is to return to Bethel, the House of God, the place of intimacy and communication with God, then He is going to have to have his old character stripped away.

Currently, Jacob claims to know God, but He has some major trust issues.  His heart is in a double camp.  He is walking in the flesh and claiming to serve Jehovah.  He is battling the supernatural vs. the natural.  Faith vs. flesh.  A life walked in the Spirit vs. a life walked in Striving.

I am glad the God of Jacob is my God.

God wants Jacob in His camp.  Solely.  Not God's camp and Jacob's camp, but God's camp.  Period.

There are a million trillion things that can be said about this wrestling match.  I want to mention just two.  First, God forces Jacob to say his own name.  The last time Jacob was asked his name was probably when he deceived his father and told him it was Esau, not Jacob.  In saying his name, Jacob comes face to face with his ugly character.

After God shows Jacob who he is, he doesn't leave him there.  He shows Jacob who He is.  A God willing to bless.  A God willing to rename.  A God willing to show off his gracious character...his very face.  "And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (face of God): for I have seen God face to face (paneh:  the face, as the part that turns) and my life is preserved." Gen. 32:30

Jacob saw the Face that turned Jacob into Israel.  He saw the Gracious God who not just spared his life, but turned him from a supplanter and deceiver....one who manipulates and schemes...into a man who will rule as a prince of God...for the glory of God.

What is your Mahanaim?  What is your double camp?  Do you have two adversaries?  Two huge responsibilities?  Two portions of your heart that should beat together as one?

The God of Jacob has a double camp of warriors ready to assist.  He is the God I want to worship.

The God of Jacob is my God.

See God {Day 9: The God of Conquest}

The wilderness wanderings were finally over for the Israelites.  After years and years of it, I wonder if it had become comfortable.  The new normal.  A whole generation only knew of the wilderness.  The manna.  The constant life of a nomad. 

And then Moses died.

It was time for Israel to embark upon a new season of life.

It was time for action.  War.  Conquest.  Taking hold of God's promises.  Comfort had to take a back seat so that the warrior side of each man could rise to the surface.

God had promised them land.  Land that supposedly belonged to others.  The Israelites could only proceed with faith in a God that said He would personally drive out the enemies that occupied their land. 

The conquest recorded in Joshua required a Holy Dance between Jehovah and His people.  God promised, the people followed the rhythm with actual steps, God showed off, and the Israelites gave credit to the Master Choreographer.

His promise never negates our responsibility of action.

God wouldn't even part the waters of the Jordan until the Priests had entered the river with their feet.  The river was filled to the brim at flood stage, impossible for a huge group of people to swim across.  I wonder what was going through their minds at that moment. 

What mattered is that they entered the waters no matter what was going through their minds.  Their faith was tested.  And God proved faithful.  He always does.

Once on dry ground, the people of Israel were now referred to as a nation.  They had stepped onto their Promised Land, and they were now a nation, not just a group of wanderers.  God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2 that says He was going to make Israel a great nation had just come to fruition.

We, too are part of a nation.  The Kingdom of God.  Once washed in the purifying blood of the Lamb, we become citizens of Heaven.  A royal priesthood.  A holy nation set apart to declare the praises of the One who called us out of darkness.

Back to the Israelites.  The new generation was circumcised.  The Passover was celebrated.  The new way of life was about to begin.  The manna stopped.  The day after the new nation ate of the produce of their new land, the manna stopped.  God's timing of provision is perfect.
 
Conquest was about to begin.  Jericho.  Ai.  City after city fell.  Utterly wiped out.  God gave the victory, but man had to enter into the fight.

You wonder if Joshua and the chosen nation of God got comfortable.  Perhaps they entered into a new normal.  Because in chapter 13, the Lord tells Joshua, "You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken.  This is what remains..."

Joshua must have taken the Lord at His word, because he later asks the people, this new nation, how long they are going to sit around on their hands, putting off taking possession of the land that GOD, the GOD of their ancestors, had already given to them.  (Joshua 18:3, the Message)

The Lord had fulfilled all His good promises to His people.

How were they going to respond?

How will we respond?

Will we go forward and possess what has already been given to us?

What does this look like?

What do we possess that we won't take hold of?

If Christ is our primary inheritance, what keeps us from enjoying and partaking of Him fully?

Perhaps we are overcome with fear as we see walled cities and giants on our land.

Maybe God wants us to ask Him one simple question:  "In my life, what land remains to be taken?"

God wants us to do as Caleb did.  Despite the fact that he is 85 years old, he marches up the mountain of Kiriath-arba and overcomes the Anakim.  He takes down the giants.  The land had been promised to him long ago.  He waited 45 years for it.  And his age was not going to be his deterrent. 

He changes the name of Kiriath-Arba to Hebron.  Hebron means Communion.  Friend.  Association.  Life.

He renames it life because Caleb knew one thing:  There is life when we take possession of our land.

See God {Day 8: The God who Delights in Creating Man in His Own Image}

While going through the most trying and heart wrenching time of my life, God introduced me to photography.  He would use it to help do a work of healing in my life.  I started to long to see God's face and character in the very people He created.  He gave me a new passion six years ago...to capture the essence of each person that reflects the glory of God Himself.  Linger through the images and see a small glimpse of the glory of the Creator. He created you in His very image...and that brought Him pleasure!

 

 

 

 

 

You are created in the beautiful image of God.

He delights in the fact that you reflect His glory!

See God {Day 7: The God of Rest}

 

My mind has been a playground. A playground that has left me fatigued and spent after the thoughts have run around and around the Spin-A-Bout, afterwards only to fling the rest of me onto the hard concrete wondering which way is up.

My mind is weary from all of the anxiety. A father in law with stage 4 cancer, a dad with blood clot issues, and a schedule that just won't let up.
 

In the classic story of Mary and Martha, I am reminded that when Martha didn't choose the one thing that was truly necessary...sitting at the feet of Jesus, then she was left worried and upset. Beth Moore says "upset" is "turba" in Greek and means "crowded."
 

That has been my mind. It is crowded. Crowded with many ideas that don't know which way is up. Crowded to the point of exhaustion, anger, and unbelief. Ideas that aren't bad in and of themselves, but have become a root of sin as I have tried to take control and become obsessed with how to proceed with them.

I read a verse that made me thirsty. I want it in my life! Psalm 94:12-13 says "How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked."

I want to trade the crowd for a circle of quiet.

I think I know the way back to that. It is like going home.

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..."

"Be still and know that I am God..."

"Know that the LORD is God..."
 

"Commit your way to the LORD and trust in Him..."

When I was at the zoo, I saw a pelican going from a state of work to a state of rest. I was just simply amazed! It wasn't like I had never seen a bird at rest, with their necks doing a 180 as they tuck their beaks into their feathers. I think it caught me off guard because I was standing about 2 feet away from him. He was oblivious to the crowd around him and decided it was time to rest. And, so he did.

Apparently, this method of rest is called the "Wing Tuck" method. The birds rest their heads on their backs while they nuzzle their beaks into their back feathers (which acts as a pillow) and allows them to rest their neck muscles and tends to help them conserve heat.

It reminds me of the verse that says "under his wings you will find refuge."

It struck me as hilarious that when my "beak" or mouth is hidden beneath His feathers, I can no longer spout off words of insecurity, confusion, anxiety and unbelief. My desire for control has basically been muzzled.

I so long for a circle of quiet to replace the crowd. I lay every single burden at the foot of your cross and choose to rest.

See God {Day 6: God the Potter}

Recently, I felt compelled to read and study the book of Esther.  Mordecai is the character that jumped off the page this time.  What a man of integrity!  He took his orphaned cousin in to raise even though it makes no mention of him having a wife to come alongside of him in parenting.  He refused to bow down to Haman (even out of cultural respect) because Haman was an Agagite.  He courageously seeks Esther's help when it seems that the Jews are about to be wiped out.

All of this is wonderful, but what struck me was that Mordecai is almost always found outside the King's gate.  He must have been some sort of official.  But, the place of work is outside the King's gate instead of inside, where he would have had closer access to the King.

Mordecai seems to be just fine with that.  It is outside the gate where he is able to foil the plot to murder King Ahasuerus.  All through the book of Esther, you can see different characters being used by Providence to bring about God's rescue plan.  God uses everything from Queen Esther's position of authority to the servant who read the book of memorable deeds to the King that night.  No person seems to be wasted or in the wrong place in this fascinating book.

I want to mention four significant things that happen while Mordecai is doing what he is called to do while at the King's gate:

1.  He is able to keep tabs and communication open with his cousin, Queen Esther, whom he had promised to take care of. At the King's gate, Mordecai is a man of his word and he seeks to care for those God has placed under his care.

2.  He refuses to bow down to Haman at the King's gate.  At the King's gate (where we are at peace with where God has placed us), all idols and false pretenses wash away and true allegiance rises. 

3.  He returns straight back to the King's gate after he is honored by the king.  Even after being paraded through town wearing the King's robe and riding upon the King's horse, Mordecai makes no assumptions that his position will be promoted.  He simply and very humbly heads straight back to his post at the King's gate.

4.  He is at peace with the fact that the arrogant Haman is inside the King's gate while he is outside.  He is fine with total obscurity and seeming insignificance.


What if each one of us became totally comfortable with ourselves and the positions that God entrusted with us?

What if we knew that our job as servant/reader to the King was as significant as wife/Queen to the King?  What if pride were stripped away and we recognized the divine arrangement that God uniquely has each of us in?  All for His glory...  All for His Story...

I think there is freedom in that.  Perhaps even a double dose of victory. God is the potter. We are simply the clay. 

"You have been wishing for another position where you could do something for Jesus; do not wish anything of the kind, but serve Him where you are."  Spurgeon

See God {Day 5: The God of Refuge}

 

The analogy of wings providing refuge is a common one in the Bible. Just one reference to that is in Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." We see that it is God's character to gather his beloved under the protection of His outstretched arm as they cling to Him in faith. In the New Testament, we see that Jesus the Son shared his Father's character as he cries out, "I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." What heartbreak Jesus must have endured to have his own people reject his love.

While the imagery of being underneath the Almighty's "wings" is a nice thought, it actually has its roots in something much deeper. In Numbers 15:37-40, God instructs Moses that the Israelites are to make tassels on the corners of their garments. These fringes or tassels are to serve as a constant reminder that they should obey the Lord their God.

In Judaism, the men are to wear prayer shawls. The prayer shawl is called a "tallit," which means "little tent." Each man would have his own private sanctuary to meet with God in. The corners of the prayer shawl has fringes (called "tzitzit") and are often called "wings." In fact, the Hebrew word for "borders" in Numbers 15:38 is the same word for "wings" in Psalm 91:4!! It is "kanap" which means wing, corner, hem, or extreme part. As the arms under the prayer shawl are extended, it looks as if wings are being held out.

 

In Psalm 91, we see that if we choose to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we will find protection, peace, and deliverance. God's very "truth" becomes our shield. As Jewish men wear their prayer shawl, they are proclaiming that they are in close proximity with the Father. They are said to be dwelling under the Father's wings. As we run to our Abba in prayer, we proclaim the same thing. As we flee to Him, he literally entwines us in, as if a screen were put up against the enemy.

In Matthew 9:20, we see a woman desperate for healing. She has been hemorrhaging for twelve years. She understood scripture and took a risk of faith. She knew Malachi 4:2 to say that "the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings." Understanding the customs of her day, she knew that "wings" could be synonymous to the tassels/fringes on a person's garment. And so that is exactly what she reached for on Christ's body that day when she took her risk of faith.

She could have reached for his arm, or something that would seem more meaningful than a hem. But, she believed that if he truly was the Messiah described in Malachi, then there would be healing in that hem or fringe. And so, her faith made her well.

 

Our God is a God of refuge.

See God: {Day 4: The God who Welcomes us Home}

I am plopped on the top bunk trying not to bang my head or completely lose myself in the wad of covers.  It is the second born's domain and it is messy.  I peer down the ladder at Eli and ask which stuffed animal he wants to take to the sleepover.  The blankets are a given.  He has slept with them for 9 years and a week; I know they are going into the overnight bag.  

 But, the growing boy surprises me.  He shows me his desire for autonomy, perhaps even a taste of manhood.

"I am not taking any animals.  Or my blankets."  I almost laugh out loud and tell him the absurdity of not taking his blankets.  I make it clear we would not be bringing him blankets in the middle of the night and that it really is OK to hide them deep in his sleeping bag for insomnia-induced-emergencies. 

 But, the boy, now small man, looks at me with fierce eyes.  "No.  They are all staying here.  They can have their own bunking party." 

 I feel in my spirit this isn't the right choice, but I also feel in my spirit that it is time to allow this boy-man to make decisions.  Eli gets dropped off.  The animals and blankets are left to themselves with the mess called his bed. 

 Things are going so smoothly.  The back of my eyelids greet me and I feel a deep sleep coming on.  The sleep is perhaps deeper than I thought, for I barely hear the ringing of my phone.  I catch the end of the voicemail:  Eli can't sleep.  We are bringing him home. 

 I greet my sweet boy-man at the door and put him to bed.  Eric awakens the next morning a little shocked that we have more children at home than we did the previous night.  In his wise style, he pulls Eli aside and takes a reading of his heart.  He fathers with grace and mercy and understanding.  I am overwhelmed at God's goodness of giving me him to be their Daddy.   

"You know, when I was a little boy...."  And off comes another story of his childhood.  It cuts straight to the point.  Eric wants the boys to know that he was them once.  He wants them to know that he knows their hearts.  He wants them to know that they are accepted and cherished.  He sprinkles their hearts with grace instead of condemnation.  I have so much to learn from the leader of our home. 

 It is why I will always point all four of our boys to their father.  For one, Eric was a boy and gets boys.  Second, he is the authority of our home.  Third, he scoops out mercy and grace as if he were putting sugar on plain Cheerios.  {And those boys know how to lick up the sugary leftovers once the milk is gone.}  Fourth, he can discern reality faster than I can.  He knows how to cut to the chase and deal with the underlying matter before the emotional drama ever rears its ugly head. 

Eric often reminds me of the father of the prodigal son.  He stands by, allowing his sons to start to choose their own way, but is always in the background with arms wide open when they simply need to come home.

 

No matter the circumstances, our God is always ready to welcome us home.

See God {Day 3: The God who Hems us in}

I was late for a photo session.  The painted crosswalk offered little protection from the cars that must have been late as well.  I ventured out anyway.  A lady in front of me was walking a little slow for my taste.

I stepped away from the painted lines in order to go around her. After all, being smeared to a Suburban grille wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my day.  Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit say, "You need to be her rear guard."  I stepped back in line and slowed my pace.

I watched the lady's feet.  She wasn't crippled, but there was something about them that made her walk at a slower pace.  I don't think she could have moved faster even if she had wanted to.

Without the Holy Spirit, my rudeness would have left her in my anxious dust.

I knew the concept of God being our rear guard is in the Bible, but I had never studied it much.  Here are two verses where it is mentioned: 

But you will not leave in haste or go in flight;

for the LORD will go before you,

the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 52:12

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you

and the glory of the LORD

will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:8

The Hebrew word for "rearward" of rear guard is acaph and it means to properly collect or to gather together.  It can have the connotation of gathering up the fruit from the harvest. 

We know that the weak often fall behind.  Through injury or depression or a whole host of reasons, it is easy to think that God will give up on us.  We think He might get tired of waiting and take a step out of the confines of the crosswalk and leave us in the dust.

No child of God will ever be left behind.

One glorious day, maybe not too far off, our Rearguard will gather His precious church up and carry her off to dwell forever where the enemy will no longer nip at her feet.

But, in the meantime, He is still our Rearguard.  He is our defense, bringing us to a place of rest and safety.  No matter how slow we go, He is always there, being the eyes in the back of our head that offer protection and grace.  I love how in the book of Joshua, the rear guard of the military always followed behind the ark of the covenant that housed God's presence.

If redeemed, you house that very Presence.  He is on guard not just for you, but for His Name's sake and glory as well.

So, you may find comfort in knowing that God is your Rearguard, but what about the front of you?  After all, stepping out in faith can seem more dangerous than wondering what is lurking around behind you.

That is where God's shield comes in!

The first mention of shield in the Bible is in regard to God's covenant relationship.  He tells Abram to not be afraid, for He would be Abram's shield and very great reward.  (Genesis 15:1)

We see God as our shield all throughout scripture.  Deuteronomy 33:29 says that "He is your shield and Helper and glorious sword."  Psalm 3:3 says "But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high."

If God is our Shield, then he has to be the head of the vanguard of the army.  He is in the front lines.

Wikipedia defines it like this..."The vanguard is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force."

The church is in an all-out war simply because truth will always war against lies.  It is war, but Jehovah is going before you!

I hope these words by Spurgeon sink deep into the recesses of whatever you are dealing with...

"You shall not tread a step which is not mapped out in the great chart of God's decree.  God always makes a providence beforehand ready for his people when they get to the place.  My God does not hastily erect a tent over me when I come to a certain spot.  No, he builds an inn of mercy, and before I get there he provides a bed of comfort, and stores up the old wines of grace, that I may feast upon them.  I am certain of this, that on the road I am to travel during the next year, everything is ready for me.  Let us be of good cheer:  the rear guard shall soon be where the vanguard already is."

You house His very presence and He has you hemmed in, dear.

Hemmed in.

See God {Day 2: The God of Compassion}

 

 

I just feel like you should know that your tears are not wasted.

"Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God's name.

God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "They're mine, all mine. They'll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. Once more you'll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn't, between serving God and not serving him." (Malachi 3:16-18 The Message)

The NIV states one verse like this: "A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name."

It seems to me that every time we talk with one another and speak of how awesome our God is, God has someone come over and make a record of it so he can treat them with something a little special. "For those who honor me, I will honor." 1 Samuel 2:12-36

Don't you just love the Holy Spirit? I mean, he has the coolest job in the world (aside from the fact that he is God,) as he gets to continually point us to Christ and make Christ better known. Love that! So, I was reading these verses and immediately, the verse about God storing all our tears in a bottle came to mind.

Psalm 56:8
"You tellest my wanderings; put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book?" (KJV)

Do you see what I see? God doesn't only write down the accounts when we glorify His name; He is also writing down each tear of lament and storing it in His bottle! He is a compassionate God who understands pain.

Psalm 139:3 says, "You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways." Our tears speak a special language that goes straight to the heart of the Father. When King Hezekiah was sick, he prayed to God and wept bitterly. God tells him that He has heard his prayer and has seen his tears. God later heals him.

Part of us may scream, "Well, so what?" We are human and God is well, God. It is easy for me to forget that Jesus walked this earth as a human, as well. Even though he was fully God, he walked amongst us as fellow humans. He hurt. He even cried. We see in Luke 19:41 that he cries over the city of Jerusalem, knowing they had thrown away the one and only thing that would bring them peace. He also cries over his friend Lazarus and his sisters' expressions of anguish and grief. He knows he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead, and yet he is moved with compassion at the loss of his friend and the deep sorrow of his friends.

Did you know that in Bible times, it was actually a tradition to take a bottle to a funeral and fill it with the tears of those mourning? It represented the sorrow of the family. They believed that the more tears the bottle possessed, the more important, valued, and loved the deceased person was to them. Sometimes, they would even bury the bottle of tears with the deceased.

In a sense, Jesus died for our tears. In most cases, isn't it the war ravaging effects of sin (ours included)that bring us to tears? Death was the curse of sin. Isn't the death of something, either figuratively or literally, the thing that moves us most to weeping? He cares that our hearts are broken. He knows what a broken heart feels like.

But, someday, the old order of things will pass away!

 

 Revelation 21:1-4:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Glory! I like to picture it kind of like this: Jesus the Messiah is walking towards me, carrying a large glass container that has some type of liquid in it. He shows me his nail-scarred hands and tells me that his blood has covered over every single tear collected. He then realizes that I am bawling my eyes out in his presence, this is God, after all, and he lifts my head. He ever so gently cradles my face in his hands and wipes away the last tears that my body will ever cry again. I am set free. The old order of things has passed away!

 

Your tears are not wasted, sweet child of God. God is a God of compassion and every single drop from your beautiful eyes has been put in His precious bottle. One day you will have nothing left to cry about.  He loves you that much.

See God {Day 1: The God Who Courts Your Soul}

31 days of seeing God fresh. Clearly.  31 days of tasting His delicious goodness.  Let's see just how affectionate He is towards you, sweet one.  31 days.  Let's ask for eyes to see. It is a prayer God delights in answering. (Day 1 is below the picture and the rest of the 31 days will be added directly below for your ease!)

Day 2:  The God of Compassion
Day 3:  The God who Hems us in
Day 4:  The God who Welcomes us Home
Day 5:  The God of Refuge
Day 6:  God the Potter
Day 7:  God of Rest
Day 8:  The God who Delights in Creating Man in His Own Image
Day 9:  The God of Conquest
Day 10: The God of Jacob
Day 11:  The God who Sings
Day 12:  The God who Plants Seeds
Day 13:  The God who Helps Each One
Day 14:  God and the Gate
Day 15:  The God who Cherishes the Fetus
Day 16:  God our Stone
Day 17:  The God of Rain
Day 18:  The God of Intricate Details
Day 19:  When God's Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
Day 20:  The God with Beautiful Timing
Day 21:  God and Ditches
Day 22:  God and the Banqueting Table
Day 23:  God of Generations
Day 24:  God and His Enemy
Day 25:  God of Progress
Day 26:  When God's Daughter Pray
Day 27:  God's Grace for the Pilgrimage
Day 28:  Jesus and His First Miracle
Day 29:  What to do when God is Silent
Day 30:  Even the Bitter Becomes Sweet
Day 31:  How God Sees You

He is the God who courts your soul. Yes, yours.

He takes her out of Egypt.  He strips the yoke of slavery from her wrists, but He doesn't stop there.  He continues to peel off layer by layer of customs that He refuses to be known by.  He takes her by the hand and leads her into the wilderness, where the distractions will be few and where He will have to be enough.

She writhes under His touch.  Her spirit is still angry that He had to do things this way.  Sure, she wanted to know Him, but it was supposed to be on her terms, which meant choice foods and comfortable shelter.  She had dreamed of the day of her rescue, but now that it has come, she mocks Him and tells Him that He could have done things differently.

She doesn't understand that she has entered into a place of intimacy that will be shared with the very One who courts her soul.  It is a honeymoon of sorts, where He will allow her to see the real Him.  He will gently teach her how to love Him.  Adore Him.  Trust Him.

Despite her anger, she starts to see His beauty.  He has provided for her.  He hasn't left her to herself in the ravaged landscape.  There hasn't been a day where she has been discarded or forgotten.  She starts to peer into His heart and she discovers mercy instead of wrath.  But, she is still wary of His chisel, the one that chips away at her stone-hard heart.

Her heart is a mixture of love and distrust.  How can both reside in her innermost frame?  She warily trusts Him enough to allow the chisel once again, and over time, He chips away the layers of her dead heart.  The pain is excruciating, but the sense of relief and wholeness that she feels afterwards makes it worthwhile. 

The Carpenter keeps hacking away at the awkwardly shaped heart of stone until one day, He finds what He was looking for...the innermost and purest part of His one true love.  He gently cradles it in His hands, breathes on it, and laughs out loud when rays of light start to bind up the jagged edges marked by His refiner's tool.

She is blinded by the light.  Could it be?  Beauty starts to emanate from every crevice.  Glory!  Does someone hear her?  Know her?  Love her?

The wilderness has allowed her to trust.  Her heart softens when His voice (that she has so desperately and shockingly started to crave) speaks.  She starts to recognize that she was created for this one thing...to love Him and be loved by Him.

She gazes into His pure eyes and tells Him she will go wherever He leads.  The mere thought of even momentarily being out of His embrace is enough to undo her.

So He takes her by the hand.

And she follows, this time with joyful and complete abandon.

{God hears you.  God knows you.  God loves you.  Allow Him to take off any blinders and reveal His true self. He wants to court your soul.  Welcome to 31 days of seeing God. I am so glad you are here.  Love, Becke'}