God Reigns and The Son Shines

I have been thinking about light lately.  This was partly sparked (pun intended) by an event I went to that had a table with a banner that talked about bringing the "God's light" to people.  However as I watched what they were doing I didn't see God's light.  In fact I saw quite the opposite.  I saw the darkness that comes when people are confused about who God is and how He works in our lives.  It made me sad, and it made me think.  It made me pray, and now it is making me write.

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20)

Why are people confused? 

What is light?

Light - something that makes things visible or affords illumination: All colors depend on light.

This is what the Bible says, too:

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:13,14)

God created this light.  He said in Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light," and there was!

What happens when you turn on a light in a room?  The darkness disappears as soon as the light comes on.  Even a small light can make objects in the room visable.  And without light, there would be no colors.  Light is very important.

So what is God's light really?

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." (John 1:9)

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

Jesus stepped down from His throne in Heaven to come into the world and be our light - to make things visable.  Furthermore, we learn in Revelation 22:5, that in Heaven we "will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light." 

And while I could go on and on about this, I actually am going to focus on a different aspect of this topic.

Jesus said to His disciples:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

So Jesus said He was the light of the world, and then He called His disciples that, too.  Though His disciples were not God like He is, they were to be the light of the world.  They could only be the light of the world because of Jesus.  It was His light that would shine through them, so that others could learn the truth of who Jesus was and recognize their need of Him.  The same is true of those who follow Him today.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8)

So how do we live as children of light?

First of all, in order to shine His light to anyone we need to know the truth.  We need to be students of His Word, the Bible, and know Him better as a result of our prayerful study.  This is a frustration of mine with many Christians today.  There often is a lack of reverance for not only the LORD, but also for His Word!  Sometimes the Bible is treated as an accessory or an item of decor instead of a manual for life and a vital part of each day.  Of course, there will be days when there is less time to study than others, but ask yourself:

"Am I cracking my Bible open each day?"

"Do I even know where my Bible is?"

Yikes!  We have to pick up our Bibles and learn what is said within.  How else will we be able to speak truth in boldness? Also we need to be able to articulate the truth with others.  I do believe that the Lord gives us the words to say when we need them.  I also believe that we need to have His words stored up in our hearts, so that we are ready for those moments.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105)

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2)

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15,16)

Light exposes sin.  Why do you think so many try to snuff that light out?

"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:20)

Boldness is needed now perhaps more than ever, and if those who are called light because they belong to Jesus are not willing to know the truth and then stand up for that truth how will those who are in darkness know there is a better way?

Being the light of the world is a humbling privelege because although we are called to share the Truth and to allow the God who created light to shine through us, for His glory not ours, He doesn't really need us.  He can do it without us, too, you know.  Look at what happened when Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus to go arrest some followers of Jesus.  He was a zealous man who thought that he was doing the right thing.  He thought that these followers of Jesus were blatently disregarding the Law that God had given to them through Moses.  He didn't yet know that Jesus was the fulfillment of everything he knew to be true within the books of the Bible he had studied (the books of the Bible that existed at that time).  And what did the LORD do?

"As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”" (Acts 9:3-6)

As we read on in Acts chapter 9, we learn that Paul was actually blind for three days after this encounter with Jesus.  The Lord told him what to do, and he went to a man who prayed for his sight to be returned to him.  Paul's sight was returned, and he was never the same.  In fact, most of the New Testament of the Bible was written by Paul! 

I always think of that song lyric, "Blinded by the light..." when I think of Paul's conversion experience.  He took Jesus seriously and remained the zealous man he was, except now the Light was shining through him.

I love the hymn, Be Thou My Vision, by Eleanor Hull.  Here is the first verse:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,

naught be all else to me, save that thou art;

Thou my best thought by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

What about you?  Are you even in the light, yet?  If so, do others know it?

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

Jehovah Raah: The LORD is My Shepherd Part 2

Please first read Jehovah Raah: The LORD is My Shepherd Part 1 and then come back for this one...

In John 10:1-16 and 27-30, Jesus states:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

I am always amazed when I hear someone say that they don't believe Jesus is God who came to save us from our sins, but they do believe that he was a prophet and a good teacher.  How can this be?  If He claimed He was God and was not, He wouldn't be a good teacher at all and no where near a prophet.  He would be a crazy liar!

No, Jesus is as He said He is.  The LORD is my Shepherd, and I cannot even snatch myself from His hand!  Praise God!  He is the Good Shepherd that each one of us so desperately needs.  It may not seem desperate to some, but it is indeed desperate.  A sheep without a shepherd is in a very dangerous predicament.

"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

Know anyone who is distressed and dispirited?

Distress:

1. great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.

2. a state of extreme necessity or misfortune.

Dispirited:

discouraged; dejected; disheartened; gloomy.

The Greek word for dispirited sheds even more light:

Ripto:

1. to set down (with the suggestion of haste and want of care)

2. to throw to the ground, prostrate

In Phillip Keller's book, "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23," he mentions times when sheep from neighboring pastures who were not taken care of well would try to break out from their fields in order to get to his pastures where there was nice grass and sheep who were well taken care of.  They were ready to throw themselves before him because they were desperate for care.

There are times in my life where I have forgotten this.

One time in particular was during a mission trip in Indonesia.  Interestingly enough, we (the group of ladies with whom I was traveling) were actually studying this topic of the LORD being our Shepherd, and one of the ladies even made up a little devotional for us about it.  She also bought each one of us a little lamb as a reminder. 

Well we unexpectedly ended up riding in a van, in the rain, in the dark, in the mountains to a destination where we would be staying overnight.  Church was the next morning, and we had a three hour drive that night.  We were scared.  It was scary.  We each had moments of panic, but we all tried to focus on the LORD.  I even thought at one point, "Well this could be how I go, and what a way to do it."  Thankfully I had music to listen to that the Lord used to help me stay calm.

Long story short, after hours of this, and one poor lady even getting car-sick, we made it to a hotel and pleaded with the Indonesian friends we were with to let us stay there.  The next day it would be daylight and not raining.  That would be better!

When we finally pulled up to the church where we would be connecting with other Christian women, what did we see?  A mural similar to this one reminding us of who our Shepherd was.  We had sort of forgotten.

This is not to say that bad things never happen to His sheep.  However, when those valleys do come, He is the one to walk us through them.  He is the one who takes care of us.  He takes amazingly suberb care of us because He loves us more than any other shepherd ever could.  He brings good out of it, and He is glorified. 

He was so faithful to help us keep going.  What a blessing we would have missed!

If you haven't yet trusted in Jesus as your Good Shepherd, your Savior, I pray you will...right away!

For further study on this, there are so many passages in the Bible about sheep.  Here are some books I also highly recommend:

LORD, I Want to Know You, by Kay Arthur

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 and  Lessons From a Sheep Dog by Phillip Keller

Scouting the Divine by Margaret Feinberg

Thank You, my Faithful Shepherd, for loving me like You do!  I am so undeserving and so thankful!  I love You!

Jehovah Raah: The LORD is My Shepherd Part 1

This is my absolute favorite name of God.  I just love what it means to be His sheep and have Him as my shepherd.  Of course, I didn't really understand what that meant for a long time.  After all, I actually don't know any real-live shepherds, and I have only spent time with sheep a few times and for a few minutes at a time.  Through my study of what it means to acknowledge the Lord as my Shepherd and what it means to be His sheep, I have grown to love this imagery and now have a great affection for all things sheep.

Sheep are the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible, believe it or not, and for good reason.  The more one gets to know sheep, the more one can realize how much we humans relate to them.  The bottom line is this: Sheep need not just a shepherd, but a very good one.  Without a good shepherd they eventually die, often because of not-so-smart decisions, and often slowly and painfully.  They are not the brightest of animals on their own and can be very impulsive.  Also fear can cause devastation to a flock because they all panic and often get into more trouble as a result.

Sheep need food, freedom from pests, freedom from friction (conflict), and freedom from fear in order to be able to lie down and rest peacefully.  It is completely up to the shepherd to see that these needs be met in order for his flock to thrive.  This takes constant and consistent attention and care on the shepherd's part.  The sheep trust him and look to him for help.  When they are warned of danger, they group together to help protect each other and trust that their good shepherd is on his way.

The good shepherd helps them to have everything they need. They can lie down and rest because they are satisfied.  They are lead by waters that are good for drinking because their shepherd cares for them. 

He helps them when they fall over - which can very quickly be deadly for a sheep because they literally cannot pick themselves up again.  He restores them to health and watches to be ready to help them again. 

He leads them down good paths, and he is known as a good shepherd as a result of his care for his sheep.  When there is trouble, he protects them and guides them with his rod and staff - which also can be used as a weapon to defeat predators. 

He goes ahead of his flock to prepare the fields where they will graze, making sure no deadly weeds or parasites are there.  He pours an oil mixutre on their heads to protect them from irritating and deadly parasites and pests that can devastate a sheep and even the whole flock - sheep can be so irritated by a pest that they have been known to throw themselves off of a cliff just to get relief not realizing that it also will lead to their death.

And when the year comes to a close, the sheep are lead back home to rest with their shepherd until the next journey begins.

Does all of this sound familiar at all?

Psalm 23: A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

David, King of Israel, was a shepherd.  He fully understood these words and how they related to his Jehovah Raah.  This psalm literally covers a year in the life of a shepherd and his flock!  David recognized that the LORD was his Good Shepherd, and that He could be trusted completely.

We need a good shepherd!  According to Isaiah 53:6, "All of us like sheep have gone astray.  Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."  

It is so easy for us to go astray because we often seek our own way instead of relying on our Good Shepherd, Jehovah Raah, to lead us.  Just like a stubborn sheep, we all at times step off of the good path He has laid for us in order to chase after that bright green patch of grass that looks so good.  We think we can just quickly go after it.  What harm can that bring?  We question His path.  Why this path when there is a perfectly good path (at least to our eyes) over there?  Sometimes we don't get into much trouble.  The shepherd calls us back and we come.  Other times a straying sheep can get into so much trouble that the shepherd actually has to break her legs, so she won't run away into more trouble and bring her back over his shoulders safely.  He then restores her to health and mends her wounds hoping she has learned her lesson.

This passage in Isaiah 53 speaks of the Messiah - the One who would die for our sins in order to bring salvation to those who would accept Him as their Savior, their Messiah.  He not only was willing to forever take care of His sheep as their Good Shepherd, but He also temporarily became a sheep Himself in order to pay the penalty for our sins.  "...he was led like a lamb to the slaughter...he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:7,12).

This is what Jesus did.

To be continued in Jehovah Raah: The LORD is My Shepherd Part 2

Jehovah Jireh: The LORD will provide...

It can be very easy to slip into a fretful and anxiety-ridden state of mind when I focus on my circumstances instead of on my Lord.  My circumstances sometimes, or even often depending on which season of life it is, can look rather bleak or seemingly impossible to work out.  How am I going to have enough time to do this? How can I work to get some more money for that?  The truth is that sometimes life and all of the responsibilities, bills, details, etc look impossible.

Enter the LORD of Hosts.

When my focus is on Him, even if my circumstances are still crazy, I experience peace.  This is the peace that only comes from Him, from Jesus.  This can be a real tough struggle if I let it, or I can chose to surrender even if I don't feel like it, and even if I don't feel peace...yet.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)

Why do I so often either sit and fret or get up and "get it done" without first taking my requests to the Lord, with thanksgiving, through prayer?  Wow, when I do this I notice a difference!  I have to be intentional with this because it is easy to just forget, or chose to do otherwise if my resolve is not strong.

Really this introduction can come before a discussion on any of the names of God, but today my focus is on this one: Jehovah Jireh - The LORD will provide.  What does He provide?  There are so many examples of His provision all throughout the Old and New Testements of the Bible and scriptures I hold on to regarding this, but here are three scriptures that encourage me and help me trust the Lord to provide:

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)

The LORD will never forsake His children, He will supply me with all that I need, I can rest in the fact that He is God and can handle it much better than I can, and as a result of all of this He will be glorified!  Truth is so freeing!

God provides with much more than money, and He has many ways to go about it.  We have experienced His provision with money, things, food, water, friends, decisions that were in our favor, the ability to give and bless others, talents, timely and appropriate words that were needed, ideas, creativity, protection, a liason or advocate, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, guidance, time, patience, joy, strength, hope, kindness, forgiveness, restoration, fun, peace...

Furthermore, not only will the LORD take care of me with the big and the little needs and desires (lined up with His will and plan and timing, thankfully!), He has already provided for the absolute biggest need I had to begin with.  I needed a Savior (see Romans 3:23), and He provided that by coming to earth as a baby (see Luke 2:11), giving me an example of how to live (books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of the Bible), suffering and dying to pay the price for my sins for me (see 1 Peter 3:18), and then rising again and sitting back down at the right hand of the Father (see Mark 16:6 and Hebrews 10:12)!  He didn't stop there, though.  He then wooed me to Himself as the gentleman He is, pursued me with His unconditional love, and then sealed me in with Him, making me His forever (see 2 Corinthians 1:22).  He did this not just for me, but for all who chose to believe and follow Him as Lord (see Romans 10:9,10). 

So with all of this being said, here I am in a period or at least a few days of waiting on the LORD to provide a few needs.  Am I going to trust Him to do what He has always done (take excellent care of me), or am I going to fear, fret, worry, be anxious, and doubt Him to be God?

Of these two options, which one will you chose to walk in today?

The LORD does indeed provide.  Trust Him.  You will see.  He is so good.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33,34) 

Mightily Breasted: El Shaddai

Did the title make you curious?  I did that on purpose, but I have a really good point to make.

Today I was reminded of that fact that breastmilk can be used as a remedy in many situations.  My husband and one of our children both have "pink eye" right now.  We always go the natural route and were using a home remedy that works well when a friend reminded me that breastmilk has been used by many people in many cultures to aid the eye in healing from an infection like this.  What could be better than a natural and free home remedy?  So with a dropper I dropped drops of breastmilk in their eyes several times throughout the day and evening, and their eyes have definitely improved! 

I again was astonished at how amazing God made breastmilk.  What a strange way to provide life giving nutrients to an infant.  What a miraculous process that takes place in the women's body with only really a little attention on the women's part in most cases.  This milk is all sufficient in nourishing the baby and can be used topically, in the eyes, and in so many other ways to provide life giving and healing properties.  Incredible!  I was then reminded of my study on the names of God...

Another one of the names of God that I have been studying is El Shaddai.  I have heard this one perhaps most often because there is a song that repeats this name and then others.  "El Shaddai, El Shaddai, El Elyona, Adonai..."  I didn't really know what it meant though until this week, and it is pretty cool.

El, of course, means might or power, and Shaddai is possibly rooted from the Hebrew word Shad, which means "the breast."  At first I kind of laughed at this literal translation - mighty breast - but as I continued to study, the meaning took far more significance to me.  While Shad may be translated literally to mean the breast, what its meaning points to is the way a mother is the only one who can provide her baby with the lifeblood (milk) that comes from holding her baby closely and providing for him.  This provision is a pouring forth.  This milk is all sufficient.

You don't have to have ever nursed a baby to understand the significance of a mother's milk to that baby.  What's even more significant is when we know Him as Adonai (Lord), we can also know Him as our El Shaddai - All Sufficient One.  From Him comes everything that we need.  From Him comes life.  From Him comes sustenance.

In Genesis 17 we see God as El Shaddai when revealing Himself and then initiating a covenant with Abram, who later is called Abraham by the Lord.  How much more vibrant God's covenant to Abraham becomes when we see that He is called El Shaddai here.  He would be all sufficient for Abraham, and He kept that promise.

When Jesus poured Himself out on the cross, becoming the only sacrifice needed to pay the price for our sins, we see our El Shaddai again.  The pouring forth of His blood became all sufficient for us.  We remember this when partaking in Communion.  El Shaddai provided the only way needed for salvation and true life.

One of my lessons from all of this is that often all I need has already been provided for me.  I went to the store to get colloidal silver, when all I had to do was use some breastmilk.  When I am looking for guidance, peace, answers, comfort, acceptance, hope...I don't have to run out and get a book about how to find it or come up with a creative way to make it happen or expect these needs to be met by any other (though He does use others in my life to provide these at times).  I just have to run into the loving arms of my El Shaddai who loves me unconditionally and holds me closely to protect me, to provide for me, and to be my All Sufficient and Almighty God.  What a life-giving and miraculous gift.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9a

Life Lessons from Elohim

For the next few weeks some ladies and I are going through a great study by Kay Arthur called Lord, I Want to Know You.  The study is a deeper look at the names of God in the Bible. We are only in the first week and a half (a few chapters) of the book, and I already love it.  I am very excited about what the Lord will be teaching us as we continue.

There is so much to say already of what I have learned, but I will share just a small sampling that has been rolling around for a few days in my head.  I always get excited when God teaches me something so practical, so real, and so necessary for my daily life that I have to share it with others because I believe it is important for others to hear, as well. 

The first name of God from the Bible that we have looked at is the name Elohim.  In short, this means Almighty God.  This is the name for God as Creator.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).  This is not just important because He created everything I see and everything I don't, but also because He created you and me.  "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:13,14).

Since God created me, can I not trust Him with my life?  Can I not trust Him with every little detail of my life?  He so intricately put me together 30 years ago and has used my body to do this with two others, so far!  Think of the process!  Think of the masterpiece that each human being is.  Even the ones that others may not see as a masterpiece are a masterpiece to Him!

Because I can trust Him, I have confidence that He is who He says He is.  I can boast in His name.  "Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.  They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright" (Psalm 20:7,8).  In Hebrew, to boast means to have confidence in.  What happens when I have confidence in Him?  Victory (risen and stood upright)!  When I choose to not be confident in Him, there is defeat (bowed down and fallen).

I got a glimpse of this through my older child this week.  She has all of a sudden been getting scared of the dark, and occassionally scared of anything else her imagination can dream up at any given time.  I was in another room, and suddenly she got scared.  She started running to me while cowering in fear and calling out.  During the few seconds this went on, I was telling her that she was okay, that there was nothing to be afraid of, and that I was right there.  She couldn't hear me, though.  She was too busy calling out and cowering while running to me.

This made me think of the verse from Psalm 20.  When I am bowed down and fallen, I picture myself cowering in fear.  For me that is what grips me when I am not trusting the Lord.  When I am down there cowering, I cannot hear the Lord's gentle voice (more gentle than my mommy voice) telling me that He is right there, that there is nothing to be afraid of, and that I am okay.  It is only when I am risen and standing upright that I can fix my eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2), that I can hear His voice and walk in confidence.  Then I can boast in His name.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).