Water The Spaces Around You With God's Love

Hosea 6:3-4 - Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."  "What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

 

Hosea spoke to the people about their need to understand the meaning of love.  They spoke the word love falsely…and let their love for God disappear as quickly as they said it. He wanted them to know that the Messiah was coming to water the Earth…and help them understand the deepest meaning of love that existed.

 

Jesus did come…and fulfill these words of Hosea.   He watered the earth and sacrificed himself on the cross. He showed us all what love truly is…and offered us a new way to worship him. He gives his love to all now… as a free gift.  It can encompass our lives and give us all we need…but some will never come close to understanding the completeness and depth it can go. 

 

Love is not a thing that God gave our hearts to let evaporate quickly into the air around us.  God gave us love so we can model it to everyone around us.  He gave us love to continue pouring out his spring rains on those that never even knew they could have a portion.  Mark 12:30-31 records Jesus’ words to one of those leaders that ask him what commandment was the most important.  It says…. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

 

It is just one more reminder to me that I come way farther down the list of ‘people that are important’ than I allow myself to believe.  God is always first….others are always…always second….and I am somewhere in the mix after that.  God gave me his love to spread it to others….nothing I could want is more important than that.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave me your love to share it with others.  Forgive me for the times when I have been selfish and kept it all for myself.  Help me to share all your love with others…with the same compassion and mercy that Jesus modeled for me on the cross….and every day of his short life. Amen.

Lead Others To God

Hosea 5:1-3 -  "Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, O royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor. The rebels are deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them.  I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt.

 

Hosea spoke some harsh words of God to the leaders of Israel.  The priests that God had charged with keeping the people pure and righteous had led them so far away from God that they were encouraging idol worship and prostitution.  God saw it all…and was not happy about it.  He was about to turn away from his people for a time so that they could be taught an important lesson about who they should serve.

 

Hosea’s words are really for all of us now.  We are each leaders in some form or fashion to someone….for those around us watch us to see what we do.  If we tell others we are followers of Christ…they watch us even closer. Satan watches us the closest….listening and plotting his next plan to turn us into self-sufficient people who think they don’t need God at all.

 

Satan’s mission is to harden our hearts …so that we see the narrow road leading to God as too difficult to travel.  He makes it easier for us to follow the world ways that led these Israelites to pagan gods and reliance on everything but Jehovah…who had picked them as his people….and given them a great land flowing with milk and honey to live in.

 

I will be the first to admit that I don’t always take my role as a leader seriously enough.  I teach 90 plus children each day…with another 1,100 looking at me when they pass me in the halls.  Let’s add the membership of my church….who see me every Sunday…singing in the choir.  Then there is the 100 or so that brush past me in the places where I shop for groceries or daily needs. And I simply have no clue how many people follow this blog post each day.  I think you get the point…we lead even when we don’t think we are.  There is a constant flow of people in and around our lives that look at us ….to see if our walk matches our talk. 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that others are watching me even when I don’t notice it.  Forgive me for the times that others have seen me at less than my best. Help me to be faithful…so when others see me they will see you.  Help me to live a life that draws people closer to you. Amen.

ConsiderThe Cost Of Forgiveness

Hosea 4:2-4 - By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.   Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven;  yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.   Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another:  for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

 

Hosea’s words from God were a list of the many sins that had broken the covenant the Israelites had made with God.  The lies…idol worship…lack of compassion and kindness….failure to study the Bible…killing ….stealing ….swearing…and adultery… spoke volumes to God.  Hosea had to deliver God’s words of judgment because of their sins.  He said the land was dying…because the people had chosen to turn their back on God.

 

He might as well have been speaking to us today….the list of sins might even be expanded.  We have gotten to the point where we do what we want….thinking that forgiveness is always there if we wander too far away.  In some cases…we justify what we are doing as no sin at all.

 

We forget that God’s forgiveness comes at a high price for someone. There are consequences to everything we choose to do….some of those we never see. Children suffer the choice of divorce and adultery.  Families suffer at the hands of drunk drivers whose choices leave someone’s loved one dead.  Drugs play havoc with families and the communities that must deal with the violence and crime people commit to support their habits. AND….Even if we don’t consider the cost of our sin on the others around us…we should at least consider the suffering of Christ. 

 

It is a reminder to me to consider all those affected by my choices each day. It is a reminder to me to always seek God’s direction and guidance so that my choices are always within his prefect will for my life.  I wonder… if Adam and Eve had thought about how the consequences of their wrong choice would affect their family’s future before they ate that fruit… would it have given them a bit more power to put it down and tell that serpent his advice was crazy?

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that my choices are always to be within the rules and commands you left for us to follow.  Forgive me for the times that I have made decisions without thinking about the consequences to others.  Help me to consider your perfect will in everything that I do…so others will be blessed by my decisions…not hurt.  Amen.

Love Should Look Like Jesus

Hosea 3:1-5  -  The LORD said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."  So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.  Then I told her, "You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you."  For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol.  Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days.

 

This chapter of Hosea is short and packed with a straight on message to all of us.  Love above everything…even if it involves forgiveness unimaginable to our heart.  God told him to take his unfaithful wife back….despite how many times she had been with other men.

 

My mind immediately thought of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 again….especially 4-7…. “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 

I admit…as usual that I needed the reminder of what God’s love should look like when other’s look at my life. I fall prey to the swiftness and impatience that makes most decisions in the world today.  It has taken me the last five years to realize that a daily time with God is the most important thing I can do every day.  It may just be a simple chapter a night….and a short 45 minutes of writing each morning…..but it keeps me grounded in the faith that I need each day to fight off most of satan’s tricks.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need you more than anything.  Forgive me for the time that I have focused too much of my time on me.  Help me to spend more and more of my time each day loving others the way you did….exactly as Paul outlines for me in his writings.  Amen.

Choose God...So He Can Help You Make Righteous Choices

Hosea 2:7-8 - She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.' She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold-- which they used for Baal.

 

Hosea was given a message for the people of Israel who had taken all the blessing God as providing…and offering them to Baal. They had chased after whatever they had wanted to….turning only to God when they had reached the utter bottom. God wanted them to know that he still loved them…but they would have to repent of these behaviors and turn back to God first.

 

It has always amazed me how forgiving God is.  We go our own ways…sinning in the process multiple times…only realizing what we have done after we have reached a super low point.  God is always there with a huge vat of forgiveness…and lobes us in spite of our mistakes.

 

What we should keep foremost in our mind is a way to keep righteous choices a part of our daily lives.  We choose so many times to fall to our earthly desires instead of letting God free us from those bad choices before we make them.  I will be the first to admit that I have made that mistake…probably more times that the Israelites.  I need to remember to fall at his feet in gratitude each morning….as a preventative measure against letting my spirit get so far tangled in sin that I don’t even see the wrong in what I have done.

 

This is the time of year when satan wins so many earthly battles.  The desire to give back a little of the blessings God gave us is quickly replaced with materialism…and the desire to give good things to our children.  It make us forget the real reason we celebrate Christ’s birth. It makes us forget that those first three presents given Jesus had real purpose for later in his life.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that this season is not about gifts…but the salvation that those gifts predicted. Forgive me for the times when I have made choices before you have given me clear answers.  Help me to stay so focused on you that I praise you for my blessings more than I ask you forgiveness for the things I have been convicted of doing wrong. Amen.

Love....Modeled by Hosea

Hosea 1: 2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea.   And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms:  for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.   3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim;  which conceived, and bare him a son.  

 

God called a prophet by the name of Hosea to speak some very harsh words to the people of Israel. Their spiritual decay was great…and God was going to use Hosea’s very life to provide a visual for them. God saw all the idol worship as prostitution of his love…so he asked Hosea to take  a prostitute as his wife…so he could show them how love could be forgiving and merciful.

 

Hosea was more than obedient.  He took Gomer as his wife knowing that she would not be faithful to him. Their life together was a model of the way the Israelites had treated God. His love for her was based on his love for God….and it allowed him to be loving…patient and merciful…just like God is with us.

 

Hosea modeled 1 Corinthians 13 for us.  He was patient…kind…did not demand his own way….and loved in spite of the way he had been treated.  He listened to God and allowed him to use all of it to be a teaching tool for the people he had been called to prophecy to.

 

It is a great reminder to me to try to love others the way Hosea loved Gomer.  I need to show mercy and forgive and be ready to love in spite of the way I am treated.  God’s love isn’t based on what I get out of it…but rather what God can do with my love to help others.

 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that love is so much more than what I can see and touch. Forgive me for the time that I have defined love as what others do for me.  Help me to see the reason you gave your son as human flesh so long ago…so I can understand how to love others no matter what they do or say to me.  Help me to manifest the sacrificial love that your son modeled for us…and not expect anything back.  Amen.

Be willing To Learn

Daniel 12:8-10 -  I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?"  He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.  Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

 

Daniel’s last words to us were an admission that even though he had spent many hours with God in prayer…brought vivid visions in his dreams….and been told he was favored by God…he still had trouble grasping the full meaning of the dreams and messages God gave him. He knew the end of the story…but all its great outcome was still hidden to his humble heart.  His only hope was to remain one of the faithful to the very end…so wisdom could open the meaning of everything he had seen in God’s timing.

 

It is a reminder to me that I never know everything I am supposed to know until God reveals it to me.  I must remain in a routine of prayer…constant study of the word he left us….and request often that he unveil what I need to know to remain a humble servant till the day he allows me passage to Heaven. I must be willing at all times to learn.  God will tell us what we need to know…when we need to know it….not always when we want it.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that God has perfect timing. Forgive me for the times that I try to speed him up…or slow him down.  Help me to accept and be willing to learn from every moment he plans out for me…to listen to others he sends my way to shape my thoughts…to open my ears as wide as possible during times of study….and just sit in quietness every once in a while to see if God needs to talk to me.  Amen.

God Is In Charge Of Everyone And Everything

Daniel 11:33-35 - "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.  When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.  Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

 

Many of Daniel’s last words to us were the record of his visions and dreams.  They parallel the visions recorded by John in Revelation in many places. Kings would rise to great power…kings would fall to complete ruin. God’s plan included times of prosperity and times of trials…so that we may be purified and refined.

 

No matter how wise or perfect we consider ourselves to be….our lives were not meant to be perfect beds of roses at all times.  God allows many blessings in our lives.  But God also allows many other things in our lives.  They may be tests that we pass or fail…the may be straight out trials....or they may be planned lessons to remove pride and keep us humble.

 

The trick is to keep God involved in every moment of our lives so that he can use whatever comes our way to glorify him…and increase our faith to a deeper level. It is the this process of refinement and purification that gives us the strength we need to face the next period of trouble…and enjoy the blessings he gives us to their fullest.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am not in charge if my own life…every moment has been planned by you to make me as strong as I can be.  Forgive me  for the times that I have whined or complained about a period of toughness in my life.  Help me to see  the worth each troubled moment has brought to help bring me closer to you.  Amen.

Touch...A Powerful Tool Of God's Healing

Daniel 10:7-10 - I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves.  So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.  Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.  A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

 

Daniel had another vision about the future.  In it he saw tribulations so great his sprit could not handle it. It put Daniel’s mind in a state of great mourning….and he fasted meat…. wine… dessert…. washing… shaving or combing of his hair for 3 weeks. He found himself next to the Tigris river one day….looking up to behold a man in bright linen garments….his face sending our flashes of blinding lightening. The men that Daniel had with men ran in fear….even though they could see and hear nothing that Daniel saw.  And Daniel fell to his knees…so weak and pale that he lost all his strength.

 

It was the touch of this angel that brought Daniel back to a standing position.  And as he stood before this heavenly creature he listened to him tell him how he had been delayed by the evil one from delivering God’s message of hope and comfort.  His touch brought back the strength that Daniel needed to continue to listen to the prophecy God was revealing about the future.

 

My heart hung on the words that revealed how the angel’s touch gave Daniel the strength to stand…then allowed him to listen and gain enough strength to continue in his vision.  Moses was saved when a young princess held him by a river.  God touched Jesus with the wings of a dove to show his pride in his baptism. Thomas believed in the risen Christ when Jesus allowed him to touch the scars of his hands.

 

Touch…what we all want and crave from others.  It gives us comfort when we are sad.  It gives us joy when we are separated.   I have felt the comfort of touch many times through the years from another human…how much more amazing and powerful it must be to come from a heavenly being.  It makes me realize that all I ever needed was a touch from the father to get through anything he needs me to go through.

 

Father...thank you for the reminder that a touch from you is all I ever need…but I thank you so very much for the many humans that you have allowed touch to give me strength.  Forgive me for the times that I am so wrapped up in me that I failed to feel your touch.  Help me to focus on you so intensely that I am never without the realization of your presence and touch on my life.  Amen.

Prayer...A tool Of Understanding And Peace

Daniel 9:21-23 -  while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.  He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.  As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:

 

Daniel learned many things by reading the words of the prophet Jeremiah.  He read and studied what books God had already had penned for us to learn from the past. He used his math ability to calculate that the 70 year period of captivity was coming to an end…and spent many hours of his prayer time confessing the sins of his people and begging for God to move and keep his promises.

 

It was during one of these prayer times that God sent one of the angels he had seen in his earlier visions….to tell him that God had already answered his prayer.  He was sent to Daniel to give him insight and understanding of all that was going to happen as a part of God’s master plan for the future.  He even gave him a glimpse of the timeline God was going to use to reveal his answer. 

 

It is important to note that the answer was not spelled out directly for Daniel.  The insight that the angel gave him was embedded in numbers and symbols that Daniel understood because of his studies of other prophets. He understood because he read and studied.  He understood because he was faithful to pray and lift God up as holy.

 

It is so hard to understand this concept of answered prayer. We expect a human response…a tangible way to see that God has moved on our requests and petitions. We want a response that makes sense to our humanness.   But God speaks to us from the depths of our relationship with him. God speaks to our heart….a heart that will only understand what we have read and studied and prayed for understanding.

 

His answers sometimes come in a code meant just for those that seek him.  They may be as tangible as a phone call or text with an address of a loved one you haven’t heard from in months….or as the unsurpassable feeling of peace he sometimes gives to wait for his timing that never seems to match our own.

 

His answers sometimes come in simple language and form…so that all can see his glory and feel the great supernatural power that drives those of us who believe.  It tells me that I need to be praying for God to show his glory like Daniel did…so that more nonbelievers can see the power God has to control this world.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that my prayers and studies are so very important to understanding all the answers you give …the moment I lift up a request to you.  Forgive me for allowing doubts to creep in when I pray….or feel slighted when your answer did not match my vision of how you would answer.  Give me an extra dose of that peace that surpasses understanding this morning…so I can wait as long as I need to for you to show your glory and move in everything I have prayed for.  Amen.

The End Is Nearer Than It Has Ever Been

Daniel 8:15-17 -  While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man.  And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."  As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."

 

Daniel had another dream that greatly disturbed him. A ram that had one horn grow longer than the other…and one of the horns even broke off to grow 4 new ones. He saw battles that were awful…the Temple was defiled …and even God restrained his army of angels from interfering. Angels discussed how long till the visions he saw would happen…but it was all a jumbled mess in Daniel’s mind. His terror gripped him full as Gabriel himself drew near to explain the dream…and he fell prostrate. He was told that the horror he saw was not to happen in his lifetime…it was a vision of the time of the end.

 

I have to admit that I am no Bible scholar…even reading the commentary I get lost in all the names and battles.  One thing is for sure in my mind….many of the things that Daniel saw have come to pass…we are closer to the end than we have ever been. Perhaps the reason that the news I see each day is full of true life horror stories is because God is restraining his army of angels to bring this dream of Daniel’s to completion.

 

My only hope is to cling to God…and petition him for strength and faith to not be tricked into falling weak in a time when I must be my strongest.  I must maintain a relationship with him so that he can guide me through the maze of crazy this world has become. I must pray for purpose…so that my life is more of a help to building his kingdom than a hindrance.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that this world is not my permanent home. Forgive me for the times that I have let the world become my focus…and allowed my time with you to lessen in importance.  Help me to place you at the top of my priority list….and spend as much time as I can with you.  Amen.

Look Up In Your Confusion

Daniel 7:15-16 -  "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.  I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things:

 

Daniel began to have dreams of the future.  He wrote each one down ….for he knew that even though they were confusing …they contained facts about the future.   The first contained a lion with wings … a bear with raised paws… a leopard with wings and four heads…..and what he called an indescribable vicious beast with ten horns. They battled each other till he watched God open a book and judge all that were present…then the beast was destroyed.

 

In his disturbed state over this dream…he gathered his faith an courage …and looked to one of the beings for an explanation of what he had seen.  And he was given one…immediately. The animals were the leaders of the future that would battle for earthly power…until God came to judge and destroy the evil creature that been allowed to have his way with the people of God.

 

It gives me great hope to have this peek at the ending of all time here on Earth. And even though I know it will get worse before it will get better….I am so glad that God wins in the end. Daniel’s dream is one more confirmation that God is real….and very alive.  God’s not dead…he is letting the evil in the world dig their own graves. Evil loses in the end because it never realizes that God is more powerful than any other creature that he created. The only ones that will share in his ‘win’ are the ones that stay faithful through the storms that evil leaves in its wake.

 

Father…thank you for the peek at the end of the story of our world that you created. Forgive me for my lack of faith on some days. Help me to look up in my confusion to the angels that you send my way to comfort and give me new insight to the purpose for which you allowed me life. Let me ask like Daniel for meaning and interpretation of all that happens in my life.  Amen.

Prayer...Morning...Noon...AND Nightime

Daniel 6:20-22 -  When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"  Daniel answered, "O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."

 

Some high officials of the king had tricked him into ordering everyone to petition only the king for any reason. They knew that Daniel would never give up his prayers to Jehovah morning….noon…and evening.  They knew that the king would have to keep his word and throw Daniel into a den of lions so that he would finally be out of their way.

 

Daniel did not deny that he had petitioned his God when he was brought before the king. So the king had no other recourse but to follow his own decree. He had a fitful night…going to bed without supper…tossing and turning…thinking of the horrible thing he had done to one of his favorite officials. He even ran at first light to the den….with hopes that Jehovah had indeed found a way to rescue Daniel and called out to his servant to come out.

 

This story is proof positive that God can do anything he wants. He shut the mouths of the lions so that Daniel could live and show the king that God was indeed real and in the business of saving his righteous followers. His faithfulness not only saved him…but became an example for all that tried to rig life in their favor to be very careful when the opponent was God.

 

It is a great reminder to me of the power of prayer.  Prayer changes things.  It shuts the mouth of lions.  It brings comfort to those suffering in trials. It brings healing to the diseases that try to take the life from our bodies.  It gives us strength in times of difficulty.  It gives us supernatural power when God needs to use us to do his work.

 

I will be the first to admit that I am no Daniel.  Sometimes I feel God’s power in my prayers…and other times I wonder if he was listening at all.  Sometimes my prayers have passion and seem effective…and others they are weak…a minimal offering of petition or praise. At first I think I am being too hard on myself…but humility works its way into my thoughts and I realize how very short I come to being a great prayer warrior like Daniel…or Moses…or even David.

 

What is great about God is that we always have a chance to get better once we admit that we are not where we need to be.  I can start today…to develop a better routine of prayer…to learn how to pray with more passion….to be a more effective prayer warrior…no matter where my physical body may be at the time.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that prayer should be an important part of my relationship with you.  Forgive me for allowing my habits of prayer to be interrupted by tiredness…or caution that I am in public….or by the simple forgetfulness that seems to rule most of my day.  Help me to be as passionate about prayer as I am about writing each day.  Help me to develop a boldness like Daniel and Moses…and David to come to you…asking you to intervene in all the needs that are brought to my attention.  Help me to connect with your holy spirit when I pray…so that they may be as powerful as possible.  Amen.

God Is In Control....Of ALL Your Life

Daniel 5:22-23 - "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

 

Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar took over as king while his father was left to be crazy for 7 years. He loved his parties…and loved the things around him even more.  One party he remembered the beautiful golden cups his father had brought back from the Temple in Jerusalem…and had them brought out to use that evening. As they drank and made a merry time…a disconnected hand appeared and wrote three words on the wall before his eyes.  But once again none of his magicians could translate their meaning.

 

The Queen reminded him of Daniel…so he was called for to tell them what they meant.  His news that the king’s days were numbered….his kingdom would be divided…and his prideful life would be judged to the fullest…were paired with Daniel’s take on the reason.  He told the king that he should have learned a lesson about humility from what happened to his father.  He told him that he should have honored Jehovah ….who held evry moment of our lives completely in his hands. Belshazzar died that very night.

 

It is a great reminder to me that God holds my life…all of it…every moment I am allowed to breathe. He controls what blessings or tragedies can become a part of my time here.  He alone chooses to protect and show mercy for the sin we allow to become a part of our life….or allow our mistakes to tumble into a life lesson that is meant to bring us to a greater understanding of who he is. The chances of staying on the mercy side of his glory are increased greatly if we maintain humility and see God as the creator and owner of everything we have.

 

Staying humble is not a guarantee of a blessed life…it just helps us to understand that the bad things that come our way have some purpose in God’s great master plan.  I will be the first to admit that I am more of a Belshazzar…than a Daniel. I struggle daily…especially this time of year to see purpose in the things that have happened to me that I perceive to be bad. I know in my heart that everything has a purpose under the son…and believe Solomon’s words from Ecclesiastes 3….but sometimes it is just hard to see the good in a divorce that broke up my first marriage…and to accept as a good thing the death of my second after such a short time. Even when I can see the purpose…it is still hard to be strong…and wait on God to show me the rest of his master plan to use it for good. I drift into times of…I need this because it will make me feel better…even if I know I don’t have God’s permission. The amazing thing is that God loves me through those times…and shows me mercy anyway.

 

Father…. Thank you for one more reminder that you are in complete control of everything I have…and you have a plan to prosper me and bless me beyond my imagination.  Forgive me for the times that I have done things just to make me feel better…and hindered the work you are trying to do in me.  Help me to find the strength of Daniel…and Paul…and Jeremiah…to listen and do exactly what you tell me. Amen.

Pride...dangerous Unless Repented Of

Daniel 4:36-37 -  At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

 

Nebuchadnezzar had a terribly frightening dream that none of his magicians or astrologers could interpret. Daniel was the only one that God favored to know its meaning…but even Daniel was terrified by the insight God provided him.  He had to tell the king that the dram was a prediction of his fall.  God was going to allow him to lose his sanity and drive him from the kingdom that was so strong.  He would live for 7 years as a wild animal eating grass before he would be restored to power.

 

The problem was the King’s pride.  He realized Daniel’s God was a powerful God….but he never accepted that he had done anything wrong.  His pride was his fall…and until he gave God the credit for all that he had accomplished…until he repented of his sin and ask God for mercy …his power on the throne was in danger of crumbling. It was a short year till the dream came true. It took 7 more years for the King to realize that his pride stood in the way of his reinstatement as king.

 

Pride….the puffing up of our hearts and souls to believe that we have any control over the things that happen to us.  Pride…the false belief that we accomplish anything on our own. Pride…the feeling that we are better that those around us simply because God has given us a time of blessing and peace. It is still this kind of false confidence that separates many a person from a deep relationship with God…the kind of relationship that Daniel had.

 

God’s remedy for the king’s pride was a huge dose of humility.  The kind of humility that made him homeless for 7 years.  The kind of humility that changed his diet to grass. It was the kind of humility that blinded Saul for a time so God could show him how to use his power to preach the rest of his life.  It was the kind of humility that gave the Messiah…the Christ child of Mary the power to live a perfect life and then sacrifice it for all who would come into the world after. 

 

I will be honest and admit that I struggle with pride every day.  I know in my heart that all I have belongs to God…and he has great power over the outcome of all that I do….but I still fight daily to learn how to leave pride behind me and internalize the kind of humility that would give me the power I know God wants me to have through him. I hear Paul’s struggle from Romans 7:21-25 in my head… “  So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

Father …thank you for the reminder that my struggle with pride is not uncommon to all.  Forgive me for all the times that I have let the world win the battle with pride and model the wrong thing for the ones you have placed me with.  Strengthen me through the blood of Christ that saved me and allow me to feel the power that you can give me to overcome….so I can be a strong warrior for you like Paul and Daniel.  Amen.

I know That He can...But I Am Ready If He Doesn't

Daniel 3:24-26 - Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."  Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire…

 

It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  The leaders who served king Nebuchadnezzar don’t like the Jews that have been assigned to high government positions….so they try to destroy them with a decree to bow down They to the king’s gold idol. They refuse…and make one of the greatest statements of faith in the Bible. They say in verses 17-18…. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king,  that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

 

They survive the heat of a furnace set up to bake bricks…with heat of around 1800 degrees fired up 7 times hotter.  But they don’t just survive this heat on their own…Some heavenly being was sent to walk in that furnace with them. Even the king recorded that he saw four men in the furnace right before he called them to come back out.

 

It reminds me that God will not ask us to do anything that he has not already prepared someone to walk through it with us. We just have to maintain an attitude that mirrors the faith filled words of Shadrach….Meshach…and Abednego. We need to be ready to accept our time to cross over to heaven…while still holding onto the hope that God will always help us in any trial.

 

Romans 8:28 says…. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Or what about Philippians 4:13 …. “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me. Or Psalms 23:4 … “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And don’t forget Jesus’ last words from the great commission in Matthew 28:20 …. “ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you will help me in all that you ask me to do or allow me to suffer through. Forgive me for the times that I have not remembered the strength filled words of these three ….and let the world beat me up and get me down.  Help me to find the faith and courage to face life with a new attitude…one that always says….I know my God can…but even if he doesn’t it is okay.  Amen.

Give God The Glory...And Others Will See Him Too

Daniel 2:19-23 - During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.  I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."

 

The king had had a disturbing dream. He called all of his magicians and astrologers together…but none them had a clue what it meant. The king was going to put them all to death…but Daniel stepped in and requested for the king not to kill them. Daniel knew that God was going to use this time to show his power over the gods they worshiped….and Daniel was given great wisdom to interpret the dream.

 

Daniel thanked God for the wisdom to interpret the king’s dream….and praised him for having such mercy on him…and the people of Babylon.  So Nebuchadnezzar praised God too. It was a simple statement that Daniel’s God had more power than his…but it was a start. Nebuchadnezzar admitting that Jehovah was wiser than any of the gods he had worshiped was a huge step.

 

It is a reminder that we just don’t know when God is going to use us to reveal his glory and love to others. We may not be able to interpret a crazy dream for a non-believer…but if we model our faith on a consistent basis…the others around us will begin to see what drives us to love in the first place. Daniel held such reverence for life that he stepped up and volunteered to do what none of them could do…just to save their lives. He knew that if he asked God to help him…he could do anything that would elevate the king’s faith in God.

 

Philippians 4:13 says…. “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” It doesn’t say I can do some things…or the things that I think need to be done.  It doesn’t say I can the easy things…and back away from what is hard. It says I can do ALL things….if I call on God to help me.

 

Father…   thank you for the reminder that I can do so much more than I ever dreamed if I let you help me.  Forgive me for the times that I fall short…and give up because I think it is too hard.  Help me to embed this story of faith…and the words of Paul in my heart and soul…so my mind will recall them the next time I want to give up. Amen.

Eating Healthy Is God's Plan

Daniel 1:5-8 - The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.  Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

 

It was one of the hardest times for Jews.  God had placed a great king in charge of them…and he decided to take the strongest and wisest of them back to Babylon.  He picked several youth….intending to train them for his army. We only know the names of four….the four that God used to change the heart and life of Nebuchadnezzar.

 

Daniel and his friends knew that the kings food would defile them…they knew it was against the dietary laws God had used their families to teach them from birth.  So they ‘resolved’ in their heart to find a ways to follow God’s plan …and find a way to stay pure and undefiled. God gave the guard in charge of their food a special love for these boys…so that he gave them all that Daniel requested.It was a simple diet of vegetables and water….but it allowed them to be healthier and stronger than all the others in the kings training camp.

 

This story was perfectly timed for me. Years of very little exercise….eating all the sweets I want….and not worrying about the 20 or so extra pounds I have accumulated in the 56 years of my life have finally begun to take its toll on my physical body.  The last doctor’s visit revealed the damage done…borderline diabetes….high blood pressure….and high cholesterol. The choice must be made to refuse some of things I love…and find a way to exercise that won’t stress my arthritis any more than necessary.

 

My habits are so deeply ingrained…I will admit I have struggled this first week after I got the news. I need Daniel’s resolve to give up the sugar…eat healthy…and use the muscles of my body for more than just crochet and knitting. Walking into school from the parking lot doesn’t count. If I can be as passionate about my diet and exercise as I feel about my visits with God in the mornings…he can help me get this under control before I have to take any meds.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that this body you loaned me to use on Earth is your Temple…and I need to keep it as healthy as possible.  Forgive me for allowing the world to teach me so many bad habits that have damaged it.  Show me how to find Daniel’s faith and resolve to change the pieces of my world that I need to begin a healthier lifestyle. Amen.

GodLeft Us each A Great Inheritance

Ezekiel 48:29 and 34-35 -"This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions," declares the Sovereign LORD.

"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.  "The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. "And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE."

 

The last words Ezekiel heard in his vision was how to divide the land God gave them among the people he had chosen to be his. God set apart a portion for himself …then each tribe received a portion. Each portion had clear boundaries….with the priests living just outside the city that God placed central to all the land.

 

The note in my Life Application Bible said that God’s clear directions and accounting of all the tribes showed his desire to accommodate all people who believe. It made the point that God’s choice to place the city and Temple central to all the portions emphasized the need to keep worship central in our lives. It was meant to take the people’s eyes off of the world around them…so they could focus more easily on Jehovah… who was taking care of them.

 

The world has become such a distraction that I need a reminder every day to keep my goals and purposes set toward him. The distractions start with the news I watch after writing….continue throughout a busy day at school…hit me the hardest after school running here and there to do this and that…till I open my Bible each night at bedtime to refocus on him before I sleep.

 

It does not surprise me that God ends his visit with Ezekiel with these words.  I found myself staring at the end of this book …filled with so much rich wisdom. The Bible doesn’t record his death…just the rich insights and visions that God gave him. I am so thankful that his faithful obedience to God was recorded so that I may learn from its words too.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to work constantly to stay focused on you and keep you central to all my thoughts each day.  I thank you for the life of Ezekiel and the faith he modeled throughout the writings you let him record.  Forgive me for the times that I let my concentration fall…and drift away from your plan for me.  Help me to stay more focused and keep my eyes on you.  Amen.

God Is a River Of Love....Swim As Deep As You Can.... Daily

Ezekiel 47:8-9 - He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.

 

Ezekiel’s tour of the Temple took him to the outer door….where he saw a stream of water flowing out from under the eastern gate. It continued to flow eastward to the sea.  The angel guide measured off 1,500 feet several times and had Ezekiel wade out into the water each time.  The first time the water hit his ankles…the next time it came up to his knees….the next to his neck.  The last time…the water came so high that his feet did not touch the river bottom…so he had to swim.

 

I heard a sermon once…so long ago that I cannot remember which preacher gave me these thoughts….but they have stayed with me.  He used this scripture to draw a curious analogy of our own inclinations to follow God at different levels. Some of us wade into his presence and never let his life giving water go further than our ankles.  We barely see the full measure of what God could do if we allowed him to lead us the next 1,500 feet down the river. Some of take his hand and go a bit further…perhaps to our knees….but something keeps us from wading any deeper into a faith that is more full and rich.  A few of us make it one more 1,500 feet….letting God lead us up to our neck…the water never fully reaches our head though….and many who come here don’t stay very long.

 

What God really wants for us is to go that last 1,500 feet….where we let go of the ground beneath us and allow him to carry us across that river by his power.  When we let go of the world…and allow his full love and power to lead and guide us…we taste the richest part of God’s presence… and have a hard time going back to less. We become part of his river. We become his hands and feet and allow is life giving love to flow through us so others might take their first walk up to their ankles.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to wade so deep into your life giving love that my feet do not touch the bottom anymore. Forgive me for wading for so long…and not having the faith to stay in the deepest waters of your power and presence.  Help me to walk as deep as I can into your love…so that I can become part of your life giving river….and help you lead others to the love your son provided for us all. Amen.