Category: Biblical Wisdom

Sometimes the answers we seek to life’s troubles are in the Bible. Can I make a difference? Does God care? Am I good enough?Yes!

Glossing Over God

Posted on by Wendy
God still seeks to use us to do glorious things. Are we willing?
God still seeks to use us to do glorious things. Are we willing?

Daniel and the Lion’s Den is probably one of the most well known stories in the Bible. It has all of the elements of a made for Hollywood movie. There’s a Godly man minding his own business, trying to live a good life, who has an incredibly strong character. There are jealous antagonists who plot against him. They use his righteousness not only to try to remove him from power, but to kill him in a horrible way.

The bad guys seem to win when Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den. But, then good wins, when he comes out miraculously, without a scratch. In a manner of true justice, the bad guys are then tossed into the same lion’s den where they are devoured immediately. Roll the credits.

Isn’t that the perfect Hollywood story? Of course the famously secular Hollywood would have left out the true meat of the story. Hollywood would gloss over the God part. They might refer to God ever so lightly, as a higher power of some sort. Daniel would be characterized as a good guy, not a Godly one. They would see no need to bring God into the scenario.

They would miss the entire point of the story. Daniel wasn’t saved by some unknown mystical force. He was saved by God.

By the time Daniel faced the lion’s den, he had lived through Nebuchadnezzar’s reign where his death was imminent if he couldn’t interpret the king’s dreams. He and his friends prayed and God delivered them. He had already witnessed Sharach’s, Meshach’s and Abednego’s miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace. He had seen God strike King Belshazzar dead, for drinking out of cups stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem and praising idols in the process.

Through all of these trials, Daniel remained steadfast in his faith and God rewarded him time and time again. Most scholars believe that Daniel was in his eighties by the time the lion’s den presented itself. This was just one more way for God to use a willing Daniel to show His power and protection of those who love and worship Him.

This story is not so much about Daniel or the lions, but about the God who stands by those who remain faithful. Daniel had been growing his faith for many years. He wasn’t a new convert.

Our calling today is really not that much different from Daniel’s. God still seeks to do the miraculous through us, but like Daniel, we must grow our faith over time, through Bible study, prayer, and worship with other faithful followers.

We all face lions of some sort. They can range from doubts, to debt, to sickness, to relationship issues and anything in between. God can still shut their mouths just as He did for Daniel. We all have the ability to grow that kind of faith, the kind that changes the hearts and minds of all of those who hear our stories or cross our paths.

The question is if we are willing to make the effort to grow it. Are we willing to be the vessels for our glorious God or are we content to do the Hollywood version and gloss over Him? The choice is ours.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Trust and Obey

Posted on by Wendy
God can use anyone to serve His purposes. We only need to trust and obey.
God can use anyone to serve His purposes. We only need to trust and obey.

I’ve been participating in an online Bible study on the Book of Daniel. It’s fascinating stuff. It’s the stories I remember as a child, displayed on that black felt board, about fiery furnaces and lion’s dens, but when I read it as an adult, it means so much more.

I’m in chapter three and King Nebuchadnezzar has built a golden statue that he says everyone has to bow down to whenever they hear any type of music from horns, flutes, harps, etc.. This guy was clearly an egomaniac. He seriously wanted everyone in his kingdom to stop whatever they were doing anytime they heard music, to worship his image.

What’s even more ridiculous, is that in the chapter before, he had proclaimed Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God, the God of all gods. He seemed to have forgotten that proclamation fairly quickly, but isn’t that often the case when someone is given absolute power? They forget promises they made to get where they are, whenever it’s convenient.

But, here’s what screams at me about this story: God can use the enemies of His people to prove His love and faithfulness to those who love and obey Him.

In the previous chapter, the same king had a dream no one could interpret. The same narcissistic king was going to kill all of the wise men in his kingdom including Daniel and friends. Daniel respectfully asked the king for some time and he and his friends prayed. God gave Daniel the answers that saved him and his friends and elevated them in the king’s court.

A little while later, when the three friends are ruling the provinces that the king put them in charge of, he comes up with the golden statue law. The friends refused to bow. I suspect it was tempting. They were fairly high on the totem pole at that point. Why rock the boat?

They knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God had put them where they were. They had been true to their faith from day one. They weren’t about to cave. But, I love what they told the raging king when they were brought in for judgement.

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves in this matter. 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.” Daniel 3:16-18

God, of course, used this egomaniac king to show His power and rescued all three from the fire without a hair singed. I imagine as they were being tossed into that fire, that they were wondering if God had abandoned them. If they prayed for deliverance, I doubt seriously, it could have been in the way that God provided. But, oh how God provided.

He had a plan all along. He rewarded their faithfulness and who knows how many spectators became believers as well, because of their obedience?

I think it’s so important to remember that God is always listening. He’s in control. He can use the worst of humanity for His purposes if He chooses. I can think of some pretty awful world leaders right this very moment. I’ll bet you can too.

All we need to remember is that we are loved by the Almighty God and if we are faithful and obedient, He will save us, maybe not in the manner we expect, but in one way or another, just like Daniel and his friends.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Rainbow Reflections

Posted on by Wendy
The rainbow represents God's powerful promise.
The rainbow represents God’s everlasting promise.

My mama texted me this picture of a rainbow that my sister took on her family vacation. I’ll have to admit that I found it stunning. It’s rare to see a complete rainbow extending in a full arc, even rarer to see the second one behind it. She also wrote that she was supplying some possibility photos for my blog. She has always been one of my loudest cheerleaders.

The next day, when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, someone had taken a picture of another beautiful rainbow. Her caption was “the storm that came before it wasn’t nearly as lovely.” No kidding, I thought. Isn’t that always the case?

But, the two rainbow pics, back-to-back, made me feel like God wanted me to read the flood story, so I headed to Genesis.

There are so many fabulous examples of God’s love for His creation and of His mercy, in the account of the flood. Because one man, just one, was righteous, God saved him, his wife, his sons and their wives. Ever feel like what you do doesn’t matter? Ever wonder what’s the point of following God and trying to keep His Commandments when no one around you does?

God is watching. He knows. Noah’s salvation from the flood is a powerful testament to that.

God also gave Noah very specific instructions on how to build the ark. Noah followed them to the letter and he and all of his family, as well as all of the animals were saved due to his exact obedience. He didn’t ask God why He was flooding the earth, or decide to do it his own way, or decide that he would listen to parts of God’s instructions, but not all of them.

Just like Noah, God has given us a set of instructions to keep us safe from life’s floods. If we follow them, we too can be kept from disaster, but the key is that we’re not supposed to pick and choose. We’re supposed to be obedient, even when we don’t understand. I can’t imagine that Noah could even begin to fathom what was coming in his future, neither can we.

In Genesis 7:16, the Bible tells us that after Noah did what he was told, God shut him in. God wasn’t taking his freedom; He was keeping him safe. When God shuts doors behind us, He is doing the same. We shouldn’t try to pry them back open.

Most scholars believe that Noah and his family and all of those animals, were on the ark for a little over a year. Try to remember that the next time you are really struggling to wait on God’s timing. Chapter 8 tells us, “God remembered Noah.” God remembers us too.

When God finally told Noah and his family to come out, He blessed them. They had been obedient and steadfast and God made a covenant with them, and all of their descendants, and every living creature, and He gave them a sign.

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.Whenever the rainbow appears in the cloud, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:13-16

Can you imagine the awe that filled Noah and his family every time a rainbow appeared in the sky after the flood? It was a physical manifestation of God’s promise. It had to have been breathtaking. Reading Noah’s story reminds me of the wonder that Noah must have felt. It makes me pause and reflect and give thanks.

Maybe you needed a reminder too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Cautionary Tale

Posted on by Wendy
Once we got on the right path, why look back?
Once we got on the right path, why look back?

I’ve been following along with a study on women in the Bible on the website #SheReadsTruth. A few days ago, the post was on Lot’s wife. I’m sure she had a name, but the Bible doesn’t tell us what it was. Her story was always kind of strange and fascinating to me.

It’s found in Chapter 19 in the Book of Genesis. These angels were in town to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God had planned on destroying the cities and everything in them, but Abraham had intervened and asked God to save any righteous people there and God agreed. Those people turned out to only be four, Lot, his wife and their two daughters.

I love the fact that Abraham was able to intercede for Lot. Abraham appealed to God and God listened. Isn’t that what we do for friends and loved ones when we pray? God listens to our prayers, just as He listened to Abraham.

So, the angles told Lot to hurry and he hesitated. They finally took his hand and the hands of his wife and daughters and lead them safely out of the city. They were then told to flee and, “Don’t look back!” Genesis 19:17b

Here’s where it happens. “But, Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26

I always found that to be strange and harsh. I mean, God was raining down sulfur and there was smoke everywhere. Wouldn’t it be natural to be curious about what was happening?

Of course, angels are messengers, so when the angel said, “Don’t look back!” it came straight from God.

But, the writer at #SheReadsTruth took it a step further and said that possibly the greater lesson was our tendency to look back and then go back to our sinful lives even after we have been given mercy and forgiven. Is Lot’s wife a reminder that looking back, leads towards sin and to going back the route where certain disaster will occur?

As I play that scenario out in my head, I’m also reminded of our stubborn refusal to look back after we have been forgiven. Perhaps she is also a reminder that once we have asked for forgiveness and walked away from a bad choice, we are supposed to walk face forward. That can be a tall order can’t it?

When we make decisions for ourselves outside of God’s will for us, disaster inevitably occurs. Divorces, addiction, and all types of emotional pain, along with a host of other human misery, can often be traced back to wrong decisions in the first place. But, once we admit the sin and repent, we are giving it to God and placing it at the foot of the cross. When we look back and lament on it, we are saying we don’t believe we are forgiven. We are saying Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough.

Those thoughts don’t come from God. They come from the enemy. Perhaps Lot’s wife is a reminder that we are supposed to keep our eyes focused on God and journey forward, not backward, into the arms of Jesus.

What do you think about Lot’s wife?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

What God Waters

Posted on by Wendy
When God waters it, we can expect big results.
When God waters it, we can expect big results.

My little garden has been growing slowly. We haven’t had much rain, so I have had to water it fairly frequently. Last night we had a huge storm. It rained for a long time and almost overnight, my squash doubled in size. The plants are huge and healthy. My tomato plants went from flowers to fruit. They are covered in tiny tomatoes.

I don’t know why I’m surprised. Growing a garden always keeps me in awe of God’s work. When I water my plants, they come along slowly. They grow a little bit, but when God waters them, it’s an entirely different story. Their growth explodes.

My veggie plants remind me that life is the same way. We can work as hard as we possibly can to make something successful and sometimes it barely survives, but when we add God to the mix, it changes everything. Struggling marriages can miraculously heal and flourish. Family relationships can grow strong and beautiful.

Even churches can have a revival. Sometimes, we can begin to treat our churches as more of a social club than a house of worship. We can begin to worship the building or the people in it. Sometimes our ministries become more of a routine than a calling. At some point, we have forgotten who we serve and why we are really there.

I saw on Facebook recently a quote that said, “Christians are called to worship Christ. We aren’t called to worship other Christians.” When we forget that, we forget to put God at the center of our church. When that happens, we can’t flourish. We aren’t covered in blessings, because we are trying to succeed on our own. When we do that, we are doomed to fail.

But, the good news is that God wants to bless our churches, ministries, families and relationships. We simply have to give them back to Him and put Him at the center.

The Bible says, “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: Return to me says the Lord Almighty, and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 1:3

The verse applies to Israel who had gone astray and turned away from God, but I think it definitely applies to us too. If we give our lives to God, we don’t have to struggle to make our relationships grow. We don’t have to struggle to make our churches and ministries grow.

We do our best and then let God do the watering. The results can be amazing, just like my little garden. Maybe you’d like to give it a try?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Pentecost Ponderings

Posted on by Wendy
When the Holy Spirit shows up, prepare to be amazed.
When the Holy Spirit shows up, prepare to be amazed.

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday on our church calendar. It’s the day that we officially recognize the Holy Spirit showing up on the scene after Jesus ascended into Heaven. I love the Pentecost story. It’s found in the Book of Acts and It’s fascinating stuff.

The Book of Acts tells us that Jesus spent forty days on earth appearing to different people and eating and hanging out with the disciples. Then he tells the disciples that he is going to leave them, but that he is sending someone else. In the Book of John, Jesus calls him “Counselor and the Spirit of truth.”

The part that grabs my attention is that Jesus tell his disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4b-5

They did as they were told and gathered as a group along with the women who followed Jesus including his mother, (I so love that she got included in the story because she played such a vital part in his earthly life, like most mamas); and his brothers. According to the text, the number was around a hundred and twenty.

So, all of those people sat there together praying and waited. I would love to know what was going through their minds. Were they afraid or bold at this point? Either way, they were obedient and Jesus fulfilled his promise. Of course, God always comes through when we are obedient.

The Holy Spirit showed up in a very loud wind and dancing tongues of fire rested on each person’s head. The Spirit enabled them to speak in different languages. It was obviously a miracle. I mean, no one snaps their fingers and can speak another language.

However, as is often the case with miracles, the people in the street couldn’t believe it. They accused them of being drunk, like anyone has ever been able to speak a different language when they are intoxicated. But, there will always be those who refuse to believe in the power of God, even when there is no other possible explanation. We still have those people today.

Peter addressed the crowd of naysayers; yes, the same Peter who denied Jesus at the time of his arrest. He explained to everyone in the crowd about Jesus and salvation and grace. About three thousand accepted his message and were baptized. What a comeback!

But, redemption and forgiveness are always available to those who follow Jesus.

When we follow and obey the words of Jesus, the unimaginable can happen. If we want the Holy Spirit to show up, we have to obey. Sometimes we are called to wait. Sometimes we are called to act. Either way, when the Spirit is on the scene, be prepared for the amazing. Pentecost was only the beginning.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

A Heart Reboot

Posted on by Wendy
We can spiritually reboot our hearts and get back into perfect rhythm with God's plan.
We can spiritually reboot our hearts and get back into perfect rhythm with God’s plan.

My dad had to go to the hospital this week to have his heart stopped and restarted. Sounds pretty scary, right? Who on earth would agree to have their heart stopped on purpose? But, Daddy has a pacemaker that is supposed to keep his heart in rhythm and his heart was out of rhythm. That lack of perfect rhythm was making him tired all of the time with no energy.

The entire process took all of fifteen minutes, (although he did spend the night.) The surgeon basically rebooted his heart. It’s in perfect rhythm now and he is supposed to feel a hundred times better.

The entire process got me to thinking about how cool it would be if we could all get a heart reboot, when we get out of rhythm. Of course, I don’t mean physically, but spiritually.

There are times on our faith walk when we are just no longer motivated or so tired that we don’t want to continue anymore. We may get discouraged for a number of reasons from prayers that we feel are unanswered, to bad things that happen, to simply spreading ourselves too thinly and doing too much. Some of us are guilty of saying yes, too often.

Whatever the reason that we find ourselves out of rhythm, maybe we can reboot our hearts spiritually. If we aren’t spending any time with God in prayer, that’s a good start. But, possibly the best way to reboot, is to spend some time in His Word.

I often hear people complaining about not hearing from God or feeling His presence, but when asked if they spend anytime reading the Bible, the answer is usually, no. I bet if we would commit to just fifteen minutes a day to Bible reading, we may get fabulous results.

Prayers seem to get an electric charge when we are regularly reading the Bible. We learn to pray differently. The Holy Spirit gets really busy when we read the Bible. If the Spirit is the pacemaker; the Bible is His battery. We are granted wisdom and discernment. We feel a new peace. Our spiritual lives can reboot and we can take on a new rhythm.

There’s no magic number of minutes to spend reading the Bible or in prayer, but if we are out of rhythm, fifteen minutes a day may be a perfect place to start. Why not give it a try?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Being Faithful With a Few Things First

Posted on by Wendy
Being good stewards of what we have been given is always pleasing to the Giver.
Being good stewards of what we have been given is always pleasing to the Giver.

My family just purchased a new car. Well, it’s used, but it’s new to us. Our 2001 minivan just died, so it doesn’t take much for us to be oooohing and ahhhing over “new” technology. It’s nothing fancy, but we all love it. It’s been less than a week and my fifteen-year-old has began requesting to drive it.

Now, we got her, her own little, easy to control, easy to stop car, last summer and she’s coming along well with it. By, her birthday, I’m sure she will be ready to take the keys and go. But, right now, I’m not so sure I want to hand her the key to our newest vehicle. I wonder why she never asked to drive the minivan.

She is not alone in her quest for more and better. It seems we would all like a little bit more, a little bit newer, a little bit shinier, than what we have. I have definitely at times found myself praying for more, when I wasn’t necessarily making the best use of what I had.

I am reminded of the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew, Chapter 26. A wealthy man who was going on a journey, gave three of his servants different amounts of money to keep for him. Two of them used what they had to make more money for their master. One just buried what he had been given. When the master returned, he was pleased with the first two. He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” Matthew 24:21

The third guy didn’t do so well. The master was very angry with him and threw him out into the darkness.

I’ve heard this parable explained in many different ways and as most of Jesus’ parables, I think it likely has several layers and meanings. One of them may be that we shouldn’t ask for more, if we don’t look after and do our best with what we have.

Would you buy your kid a new bike if he always left his old one in the rain? If he didn’t take care of what you had given him, why would you spend money on more? If you were late to work every day or spent most of your day at work, playing on the internet, would you expect a promotion? If you were the boss, would you give yourself a promotion?

Perhaps if we want more of anything, we need to take care of what we already have. Are we faithful stewards of what we have been given? Are we thankful for what we have been given? More of anything could include material things; but it could also be our gifts and talents.

Maybe if we find ourselves desperately wanting more, we should take stock of what we already have and truthfully ask ourselves how we are doing with that. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

In Pursuit of Peace

Posted on by Wendy
Living in peace is active.
Living in peace is active.

The world is far from peaceful at the moment. I don’t really even watch the news much anymore, but social media and my internet homepage is more than adequate to keep me up to date on the gory details of daily events. It’s sometimes difficult to remember that chaos is not God’s will for us.

In John and Luke’s Gospels, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, his closest companions, the first thing he said was, “Peace be with you.” In fact, in John, he said it twice. I find that particularly relevant considering the horrific, violent death he endured. There was nothing peaceful about the cross.

And his closest followers deserted him. Did they deserve peace? John’s Gospel says they were hiding behind locked doors after the crucifixion, hiding from Jewish authorities. They were terrified of worldly retribution. Would they be next in line for execution?

But, then Jesus showed up out of nowhere and tells them to be at peace. Not only was he letting them off the hook for not doing anything to stop his death; he was giving them the responsibility of spreading the Good News. The men in that room went from feeling like terrified losers to the specially and carefully chosen ones to share the unique story of grace.

Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit; and after he appeared, those disciples were truly fearless. They had a unique peace that came from knowing that Jesus spoke truth when he said: “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

Peace seems to be far from us in the world we live in. Our desire to have more material things keeps us in constant turmoil. Buying all of those things keeps us working long hours and very often in deep debt. We worry about finances. We worry about our jobs. We worry about the economy. We worry about our health and the health of our families. We have so many worries and concerns that keep us from being at peace and those are just local examples.

Globally, the chaos is much worse. Last week, twelve Christians seeking an escape from war-torn Libya and work in Italy, were tossed overboard and left to drown by Muslim aggressors. The reason was simply that they professed their Christian faith.

That kind of hate seems almost unfathomable to Westerners. However, last week, many parts of the world commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s only been seventy years since the end of World War II. Hate was alive and well then.

But, hate was alive and well when Jesus was nailed to a cross too and yet, his message to his disciples and to us is to be at peace. God does have a plan.

Does that mean we should stand idly by and watch evil spread? No, I don’t think so. I think first and foremost, we are to pray for peace and protection of all Christians and Jews worldwide. I think as a nation, we should intervene where we can, to protect the innocent.

Perhaps as we begin a new election cycle, we should pray for discernment on who God would like to lead our country. Make no mistake, there will be plenty of hate to go around there as well.

But, in the end, after we have done what we can spiritually and physically, we need to lean into Jesus and seek and experience his peace. Fear and worry don’t come from him, so how can surrendering to it be his plan?

Seeking peace is active not passive. I realize that this is much easier said than done, but the outcome will be well worth it. Peace be with you.

Have an awesome day.

Wendy 🙂

The Spirituality of Sharing Meals

Posted on by Wendy
What if sharing meals together actually touches the spiritual?
What if sharing meals together actually touches the spiritual?

Last night my small community group had a pot luck meal together. Up until then, we watched a video and discussed ideas and personal triumphs and struggles. Last night was simply about breaking bread together. It was a wonderful evening with different stories being shared. We are all different ages with very different backgrounds, but our love for Jesus and a desire for strong community has brought us together.

After we all said goodnight, I found myself pondering the bonds that get stronger by simply sitting with people and sharing a meal. I don’t know what it is about eating together that brings people together, but it’s a timeless ritual that almost always produces results.

Jesus often ate with friends. The Last Supper was shared with his closest friends, the disciples. Even after the resurrection he shared a meal with his disciples. The breaking bread together seemed to be a part of the deep relationship they shared.

There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke, where two of his followers were walking along the road to a place called Emmaus. They were sadly discussing all that had happened with the crucifixion and the women reporting that Jesus had risen. As they were talking, Jesus came up and walked and talked with them. The two men didn’t know it was him.

Even as he explained all that had happened was foretold in the scriptures and how it all came together, they still didn’t know it was Jesus. When the men stopped for the evening and Jesus attempted to keep walking, they “urged him strongly,” to stay with them. He agreed.

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31

Who knows how long they walked together, most of the day, maybe? What was it about sitting together, giving thanks to God and eating together, that opened their eyes?

Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we all have to eat. Our bodies need food to survive. When we eat together; maybe we are acknowledging a need together. When we bow our heads and give thanks together, we are acknowledging that God meets our needs.

Maybe when we take time to sit together and eat together, we share thoughts and feelings. We share our stories and therefore, some of ourselves. Maybe in the sharing, others are able to have their eyes opened and see Jesus in us and we can see Jesus in others.

I don’t have the answers. But, even researchers agree that families who eat meals together are stronger. The kids are less likely to get into trouble and do better in school. What if the answer is actually spiritual? What if the reason that family meals are so important, is that breaking bread together and giving thanks, goes beyond the physical realm and touches the spiritual?

Whatever the reason, maybe we should all make a point to sit with others when we eat and give thanks, instead of eating drive through food in our cars or mindlessly eating in front of the television. We might find that we are pleasantly surprised with the results.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂