Out of reach

Out of Reach

God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. There for we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. The Lord almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalms 46:1-3

It is finally fall here in West Texas and it has come in with a vengeance. Lots of churches and organizations have had fall festivals or Trunk or Treats.  One that I saw recently had inflatable games and I did a double take going past one of them. Two people were inside of an inflatable boxing ring. They were wearing huge blow-up sumo wrestling costumes. It was hard enough to stand, much less fight. They would take a “running” start and crash into each other.  Usually one or both would fall after a rebounding bounce from the hit. The people watching were laughing and clapping. It was also quite a sight to watch them get up after they had fallen. The good thing is that it is almost impossible to get hurt in a game like this. It is also almost impossible to help someone up.  Basically, it is good for a laugh but not much else.

In life we have ways of keeping from getting hurt too, but they are not nearly as funny. My fall back (no pun intended) is that I will reject someone before they have a chance to reject me. I don’t get hurt much but I end up feeling lonely and not getting the help or encouragement that I need, or that I could give. I strenuously avoided forming new friendships after someone I love died. I also tend to bury any negative feelings or hurts, though I do this less often than I used to. When it comes to relating to God I think I am more comfortable following the rules that I am risking real relationship because it is somehow less scary than accepting love from a holy God that I might let down. No matter how far I get away from these two ways to insulate myself, in times of stress I find myself drawn back to them. I personally do not turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the edges of pain, but I know that many people do.  Ways that we isolate/ insulate are as numerous as the people who use them.

What can we do instead? First, let’s let God do the protecting. HE has said, that He is our shield and our very great reward.(Genesis 15:1) He also said in Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. There for we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. The Lord almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Second when it comes to one another, Paul urges us to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Be brave with me this week and engage with your brothers and sisters. We might be bruised or even scarred, but we will come out stronger for God’s glory.

 

Whose move is it?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They 
 are new every morning. Great is they faithfulness. The lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore I will trust in Him. Lamentations 3:23

When I was in junior high, a friend at camp taught me how to play chess. Kind of. I learned how the different pieces could move and I learned some strategy but I was never very good. Fast forward several years. My children learned how to play chess at school. They are both very linear thinkers and are really good at chess. They would want me to play so they could practice, or maybe so they could beat me. I would get excited when I figured out a strategic move, thinking two moves ahead. Then whoever I was playing would say, "Mama, you don't want to do that because then I could move my pawn here and then you would have to move your bishop there and then my queen could take this and .....So much for my great strategy.

I have a confession. For most of my life I have seen my relationship with God as a sort of cosmic chess game. This was not a conscious decision on my part, but my personality and teaching made it a natural conclusion. If I went to church then I would be blessed. If I kept the commandments I would be blessed. If I was baptized and lived right I would be saved. If I tithed then I would have plenty of money. If I had faith God would answer my prayers. I had verses to back all of these ideas up. Unfortunately the enemy took something that was basically good and distorted it. I lived under a lot of pressure. You see, if I did not do these things then I would not be blessed, or saved, or have plenty of money, Just recently, I gave someone what I considered to be a small blessing and minutes later someone gave me what I considered a much bigger blessing. I thanked God, but pointed out that I hadn't done enough for a big blessing. Once again, He reminded me that he is much more concerned by the state of my heart than with the size of my gift. He also showed me that life with him is  not a back and forth game of chess. His love is a fountain and "his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:23)

God did not wait for man to come to him for salvation before coming up with a plan. Revelation 13:8  says that Jesus was "the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world." He didn't even wait for men to seek a relationship with Him. John 15:16 is a verse that has meant so much to me. IT says this. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." In 1 John 4:19 we read, "We love because he first loved us." Unlike what I tend to think, God does not wait for us to make a move toward him. Luke 6:38 says that "the measure that we used shall be used with us, full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."

Join me this week in basking in God's love and favor. Giving is great, but it comes out of our joy and gratitude, not because we are trying to get to the next square. 

Clean Up

Clean Up

"There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

It was not a dark and stormy night. It was a hot, sunny August day in West Texas. (I know. That is redundant.) I was one of several hundred incoming freshmen at ACU. After a day of meetings, lectures and registration, the powers that be decided that we needed some fun. The intramural fields had been transformed. At one end was a huge slip-and slide. In the middle was a "volleyball" game with a giant balloon, and at the other end was the mud Olympics. After making it to the front of the line, I waded into a puddle of slimy mud and climbed up a small hill made of mud. Sliding down the other side, I landed in a moat of sorts, filled with muddy water to swim through. It was at this point that I realized I had not taken out my contacts, and shut my eyes tight to keep out the water. I emerged at the end of the course caked with mud and realized that a solution was at hand. Friendly firemen sprayed us down with fire hoses. I had no idea the power behind a fire hose. After the first layer of dirt had been power washed, I squished and dripped my way back to the dorm.  I got into the shower in the wonderful down the hall bathroom and turned on the water. Just as I wet my hair, my sister came in to check on me. She took one look and burst out laughing. I had rivulets of muddy water running all down my back. I feel sorry for whoever had to clean the showers that day.



Sin and its consequences can make a mess of our life. Sometimes it is a sin that we fall into or slide into, but sometimes we jump in headlong and splash around. However we get in it leaves its mark n us. We may try to get out of it ourselves, using will power or self help  strategies. This may take off the first layer of dirt, changing our behavior. Our behavior may change for a while but the underlying thoughts and sin nature is still a part of us. The only way out is redemption through Jesus and his sacrifice. The Bible tells us that he paid the price for our sins and can take away the penalty, giving us a  new heart. What a fantastic, amazing gift this is. Still, we are not automatically freed from the consequences of our sin. We may still have to go through legal dealings or deal with the damage done to the ones we love. Even so, He will walk with us and hold our hand. We also have the hope that this world is not our home and that God will restore all things.


The Bible tells us many places about the need for a savior and healing for our souls.
In Isaiah 1:18,  we read, "Come let us Reason together says the Lord. Though your sins were as scarlet they will be white like snow." It is not something we can do ourselves or even understand. Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 that "we are saved by grace, not by works so that no man can boast."
Romans 8:1-2 addresses tying to earn salvation by good works. " There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death."

Our own efforts to get rid of sin will be ineffective and only lead to frustration and guilt. Let Jesus and his blood wash you whiter than snow.

Eyes Wide Shut

Amarillo is not a great cultural center but there are a lot of things to do for kids. There is a symphony, a really great science museum, and then there is Thompson Park. It has picnic tables, playgrounds and a zoo. The zoo now has a lion and a tiger, but the last time I was there, other exhibits include two goats, a horse, a donkey and a skunk. Across the parking lot is an amusement park, called Wonderland Park. One summer when I was about 10 our cousins came to town and we took them to Wonderland. They talked me into going on a haunted house ride called Fantastic Journey. We climbed into the car and it started rolling toward a door which opened as we got to it. We found ourselves in a tunnel with swirling black lights We went through a second door and something jumped at the car as strobe lights flashed. That was enough. I covered my eyes and held onto my cousin's hand. I could hear the creepy noises and the screams from the people around me. My heart was beating fast and my mouth was dry. After a very long few minutes, I felt water running down my neck and the car burst through on more door into the summer sunshine. My dad asked me if it was scary. In my pre-teen wisdom, I said "How should I know? I kept my eyes closed the whole time!" Thus began my tendency to avoid things that I am afraid of.
I am not the only one who has this tendency. In Judges 6, We find Gideon hiding in a wine press threshing wheat. He was hiding from the Midianites  who would swoop in at harvest time and steal the wheat. An angel came to him and said, "Hail, mighty man of valor. The Lord is with you!"  Gideon answered "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" The angel informed him that he had been chosen to deliver his people from the Midianites. Gideon asked not once, but 3 times for a sign that the Lord had really chosen him, including a sacrifice that was immediately consumed by fire and a bowl of fleece that was wet when the ground was dry and dry when the ground was wet. He gathered 32,000 fighting men. God told him that he had too many men and to send home anyone who was afraid. 22,000 people took him up on the offer, and I'm sure Gideon wanted to be included in that group. God said that was still too many men and told him to take the men to the river and send home anyone who cupped water in their hands for a drink. 300 men were left and divided into 3 companies. 1 on each hill around the opposing army. In one of the strangest battle strategies known, he issued each man a torch, a pitcher and a trumpet. God told Gideon that if he was still afraid to go to the enemy camp and listen. One of  the soldiers was telling another about a dream of a barley loaf rolling down the hill and destroying a tent.  The soldier listening said,"This has to be Gideon son of Joash." Encouraged by this report Gideon went back to his own camp. When he gave the signal, the 300 men broke the pitchers covering the torches and blew the trumpets. The Midianites were terrified and actually killed each other in their frantic race to get away.

One encouraging thing about this story is that I am not the only one who has dealt with fear. I love the fact that God is clear about this and does not put the Bible character on a pedestal and not let us know their weaknesses. He was patient with Gideon and worked with him through his fear. He allowed him to ask for signs  to reassure him. I also love the fact that once Gideon received his reassurance, he went ahead and acted.

Psalms 56:3 tells us this.
"When I am afraid I will trust in you."Then we read this in 2 Timothy 1:7.
"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind".
Solomon tells us in Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved." Finally in Isaiah 43:1 is one of my life verses. 

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.

Over 300 times in the Bible we are told not to fear. God knows our weakness but he also knows the solution. Keep your eyes open to God's mercy and goodness this week. 

Whiter than Snow

 Whiter than snow.

“Come now, let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:though your sins are like scarlet,    they shall be as white as snow;though they are red like crimson,    they shall become like wool.

My friend and I were sharing mom stories the other day. She was telling me about a Sunday morning when her oldest child was a toddler. She had bathed him and dressed him for church. He was looking sharp in a little white short set. She was waiting with him for the church van and had forgotten something inside. She set the baby down and told her husband to watch him. She heard the van honk and came outside. When she rounded the corner, she saw her freshly cleaned baby in the middle of a mud puddle with her husband standing by laughing. “I thought I told you to watch him!” she said. “I did.” he replied. “I watched him crawl right in there. “At this point she popped her husband over the head with her Bible, cleaned up the baby and got on the van so she could go have a little talk with Jesus.

You may be like me. While I believe in salvation by grace and know that Jesus is the only way to get it I have a stubborn streak when it comes to asking for help, even from God. The other night is a good example. I was worried about something and I was doing my best to be positive, say positive things and trust. I was falling short, though. My stomach was tied in knots. My blood pressure was up and I was feeling irritable with everyone around me. The best I could do was not nearly good enough. I finally really and truly let go and let God handle it. His peace was much better than what I could muster. The thing is that I did not realize I was doing it. Trying to live God’s way without God’s power will always fall short. Many of us were raised to believe this way, but it is just not scriptural.

Isaiah 64 5-7 says this.

 You help all who gladly obey
and do what you want,
    but sin makes you angry.
Only by your help
    can we ever be saved.[a]
6 We are unfit to worship you;
each of our good deeds
    is merely a filthy rag.
We dry up like leaves;
our sins are storm winds
    sweeping us away.
7 No one worships in your name
    or remains faithful.
You have turned your back on us
and let our sins melt us away

Fortunately, while God sees the problem, he also gives us the solution. In Isaiah 1: 18 he says,
“Come now, let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.

It is tempting to try to find our own way, either to salvation or out of our difficulties. Jesus clearly told us in John 14:6, "I am the way the truth and the life.No man comes to the Father except by me."
Lay your burden's down, whether  they are burdens of sin or shame of trouble. Jesus is the key and our efforts will leave us far short.

Christmas in June

Welcome to Unseen today. Summer has arrived and with it  new challenges and lessons. Read on to find out about an unexpected lesson I learned this week.

Emmanuel

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  Revelation 21:3

Well summer in West Texas has come in with a bang. It has been over 100 several days in a row but today we are having a cold front. It is only 98. Every time it gets like this I promise God that I will not complain about winter the next year. One year I did learn that we don’t have a lot to complain about. Before we were married I went to visit my husband in North Carolina. There were these tall green things with branches which they said were trees,( which were not to be confused with mesquite trees).  Then I flew to Ohio to visit my friend. We were talking a mile a minute all the way back from the airport. We got to her house and got settled, finally going to sleep very late. The next morning she woke me up to let me know she was going to work. She told me that if I needed to go outside for anything to dress really, really warm because it was really, really cold. I assured her that I would and went back to sleep. When I woke up I realized I had left something in the car. The sun was gorgeous and reflecting off the snow. (This was actual snow and not ice like we have here.) I put on about three layers and went outside. I felt like I had walked into a brick wall. I quickly got what I needed and went back in. When she came in I told her about my trip outside. She said “I told you!”  I said, “Yeah, but the sun was shining!” She replied, “I know, Honey but it doesn’t work up here.” We had many more adventures on that trip that we will revisit later, but it was a wonderful holiday. The memory sparked Christmas carols in my mind and before I knew it, I was singing Emmanuel, Our God is With Us.  I thought it was a strange song to be singing in summer but in my spirit, I heard God say, “I am not only Emmanuel at Christmas time.

 The beautiful verses in Isaiah 7 that we read at Christmas tell us this. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Sometimes I know that God is Lord, but don’t feel like he is Father and I don’t feel like he is near.  I have been reading in Joshua this week and Joshua had some of the same thoughts I have had. He felt that he was up against a task that was too hard for him. This is what God told him. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9   Isaiah 41:10 is a wonderful promise to us. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Jesus gave his disciples a job. He said in Matthew 28:20, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, teaching and making disciples of all men. Then he gave them a promise. He said, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.

We go through seasons in our lives. Sometimes it is spring and we see God’s hand in every flower and bird song in our lives. Sometimes it is a long dry summer when things are hard. Sometimes the harvest we seek seems to fall into our laps. Sometimes it is winter and we feel that God has left us and nothing will ever be green and alive again. In every season, Jesus is Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” No matter what you feel, believe today that it is true.

Sheltered life.

Sheltered life

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46 :1

I admit it. I lived a sheltered life. When I was 17 I was in Austin for Thanksgiving with my family. For some reason I was there without my parents.  I, of course, had a wonderful time. Being with my mom’s family was always a treat for me. The problem came when it was time to go home. My Grandpa was chosen to take me to the airport. I had to fly through DFW to get to Amarillo. Even though I had done this many times he was worried about me. I assured him I would be fine but he decided to take matters into his own hands. As I was checking in he told the stewardess that I needed to pre-board, with the 5 year olds and the elderly people in wheelchairs. I protested but it was all vain. When you are 17 life is a crisis anyway. I was so embarrassed! I lined up with the other pre-boarding passengers sure that everyone was looking at me. I found my seat and sat down, covering my face with my hands. The stewardess came up and asked me if I was going to need help finding my gate in Dallas or if I was going to be OK. I told her that since I was going to be 18 in 3 months I was probably going to be fine. She smiled and said, “That’s what I figured, but we have to keep Grandpa happy, don’t we?” Once I got over my embarrassment, I realized that regardless of how it looked to me, my Grandpa had done it out of love and was only trying to protect me. I did, however do my best to finagle for someone else to take me to the airport after that.

Life is hard. Our family is going through a tragedy right now, and I am feeling sad and sort of lost. I have been talking to God about it and I let him know that I didn't think it was fair. I told him that I felt like he was wrong and I was angry. The good news is that I did not get struck by lightning. The bad news is that I did not get an answer. What I did get was a clear sense of His presence. I felt an assurance that he will hold me and shelter me in the middle of this storm. I still wish he would take this storm away for all or our sakes. but I know that he loves us and is in the storm with us. He is our shelter. 

The verse that come to mind are Psalms 46:1   God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.There are many, many more verxes that tell us that God is a shelter, a refuge and a shield. I need that right now. Storms will come, but we have a shelter and a hiding place. If you are in a similar place today, take your questions and your hurts to God and let him love you and hold you.