From His Vantage Point It All Makes Sense

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I just completed a walking tour in Jordan via iFIT and my Nordictrack treadmill. It has been amazing to see how history in that part of the world intersects with the Bible, making God’s story more real and palpable with each step.

Tour Guide Fadi Abu Jaber stands in front of Al Khazneh or “The Treasury”, a popular tourist attraction in Petra, Jordan. This site is a giant sandstone temple facade that dates back to the first century AD. You might recognize it from the Indiana Jones movie “The Last Crusade” as it is where he found the Holy Grail. In real life, the site was used for different purposes over the thousands of years it has been standing–from mausoleum to crypt to temple and places of worship and more.

I learned just how valuable and important things like frankincense and myrrh were to the economy of the day; the importance of goats and lambs then and now; and how the natural lay of the land allowed for some of the most fortified and safe strongholds. Scripture about building your house on rock instead of shifting sand makes more sense as I got to see ancient structures carved into the mountains or built with stones still standing and often still used. So many places in this land where Jesus and his disciples actually lived and walked; where the Romans built their cities; and where King David, led by God, took back what was meant for God’s people, still stand today.

This is Petra Theater. The theater was built in the cultural and political apex of the Nabataean kingdom under King Aretas IV (9 BC-40 AD)

I got to walk in beautiful Jordanian deserts, step into the now dried up Dead Sea, and hike up mountains upon which God often met with the likes of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses; where the tombs of people like Aaron, Moses’ brother, still stand. It is so hard for me to imagine how so many people still doubt the Bible. As I listened to the tour guide refer to time periods as BC and AD—a system that has been used throughout the world for century upon century and that uses the birth and death of Jesus Christ as its very foundation—I wondered how people can still doubt the importance of this one “man” who walked the earth over 2000 years ago?

How can they not believe? There was no social media nor television to send out “fake news” to the masses? There were no newspapers or telegrams or even carrier pigeons. Even without my personal relationship with Jesus which waters my faith every day, the history etched in this beautiful land, would certainly get my attention.

But, perhaps, the most impactful moment I experienced during this 7-series walking tour that covered almost eight miles of hikes through this beautiful Middle Eastern land, happened at the very end as I stood atop the final mountaintop and looked down over the area that I had just traversed. As I stood virtually atop this beautiful mountain, sweaty and tired, joy overcame my spirit as I gazed upon the places from which I had come. I could see the other mountains and the valleys and the deserts that I had walked through—sometimes just barely trudging along—to finally arrive at this pinnacle vantage point where it all became clear. I could see in a breathtaking display why each step had mattered and why it was all worth it.

You know, I truly think that this is what will happen at the end of our life.

I can just imagine standing on Heaven’s highest mountaintop and gazing upon the journey which brings me to the physical place where I stand arm-in-arm with Jesus. From His vantage point, I imagine seeing every twist and every turn, every mountaintop, every valley, every dry spot, and every place of joy which I had traversed in my lifetime and every single one will suddenly make complete sense. Each journey mattered; each step had a purpose and that purpose was Him. Our life is all about Him and all for Him. It always has been, and it always will be. He is our Protector, our Comforter, and our Savior. He is our one, true love. For eternity.

It’s in the lows that our faith can really grow

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I love this rhythm—reading God’s Word everyday in chronological order.

I love these Psalms—the Psalms of David, written while he was on the run from King Saul.

I feel like I’m sitting on a rock nearby and watching and listening as David pours out his heart to God.

So much of David’s life seems to be for the benefit of others; to help others see God at work on their behalf, but this time is just for him and God. With no one of like heart to talk to, this time is rich in purpose for David and, of course, the readers of The Word later in history.

The big miracles are a beautiful display of God’s power, but it is in the quiet times where we may feel alone where our faith is often tested and the real growth happens. It is in those times that the relationship with God grows and cements itself in our hearts.

Life is made of highs and lows. It’s our job to make the most of both and praise Him through it all.

Remember how Mary stored away details of the miracle of Jesus’ birth which she later recalled and it gave her strength after her beloved son died on the cross?

That is what I think we are supposed to do. Store up the “highs” to strengthen us in the “lows,” for it is in the lows that our faith really grows.

While Judas Raises Questions, God Raises Jesus!

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Yesterday, known as Holy Wednesday, was the day that Judas made his final decision to betray Jesus and bargained with the chief priests to do so and today, Holy Thursday, is the day that decision was carried out.

“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.” — Matthew 26: 14-16

But why Judas?

I must admit that I have always wondered why Judas was chosen to bring about the death of Christ on a cross, but have since realized perhaps ALLOWED would be a more appropriate word.

The Bible tells us very little about Judas’ lineage and life prior to him joining Jesus’ earthly ministry, but we see enough to know that greed and money were deeply embedded in his heart.

Journey with me back a couple of days, which in terms of Holy Week would be on Holy Monday. Jesus and the disciples were at the home of Simon the Leper, who Jesus had healed earlier in His ministry.

Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus –This is a Catholic Print Picture Available at St. Jude Religious Stores Inc.

“Matthew 26:6-13: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste,?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and given to the poor.’ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured the perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told, in memory of her.”

Even though it appears other disciples in addition to Judas were upset about what appeared to be a waste of expensive perfume and money, the Bible seems to indicate that it was what was driving Judas’ reactions, not so much the reaction itself. His reactions appear to come more from a root of greed than concern for the poor.

But, I also wonder if his reaction could likewise be related to what the disciples and the people, many of whom wound up calling for Jesus’ crucifixion, thought about Jesus at that point in time. With a veil that prevented them from fully understanding Jesus’ purpose of setting up an eternal kingdom, many of them seemed to think that Jesus was there to reclaim the land from the Roman empire and establish a new kingdom on earth. Did Judas’ spirit of greed encourage him to latch on to Jesus in the first place; to ride His coattails into what Judas perceived to be a pathway to power and wealth?

But—while that answers the question, “Why Judas?”—it also begs another question and that question is this: “Why, Judas?

I wonder, if after deciding that the man he called “Rabbi” was not going to win this battle to create a physical kingdom, Judas decided that a jump to the other side might win favor for himself.

That would at least explain why Judas accepted what seems like a measly 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus. You’d think to

Artwork by Gerard Seghers. Available at http://www.fineartamerica.com.

perform this type of betrayal, Judas would bargain to become among the wealthiest of the wealthy, but instead he settled for thirty pieces of silver—the equivalent of about 4 months’ wages. I think Judas, obviously acting with Satan’s prompting, was in survival mode.

We know from scripture that God allowed Judas’ heart to remain hardened to bring to fruition the very event that would have eternal impact on every human from that point on; allowed being the operative word here. God gave all humans free will to choose which direction we will go. And if we choose to go in unrighteous, sinful ways and fail to repent, we open the door for Satan to enter legally, which is exactly what happened with Judas.

Fast forward now with me to Thursday of Holy week, the day of Passover, the day of the Last Supper as it is often referred. Judas is sitting at the Passover table with Jesus and the other disciples. I imagine he probably has his newly acquired 30 pieces of silver sitting in the coin purse in his lap. He was likely feeling pretty good about his decision to turn over Jesus and realign himself with the “winning” side.

And then, with the door to his soul wide open and Jesus’ permission, it happened.

John 13:18- “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.’

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the

I do not own this image. Origin unknown.

disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to the disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one who I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, ‘what you are about to do, do quickly.’

Scripture goes on to say Judas left as soon as he took the bread, but none of the other disciples understood what was going on. They just thought Jesus must have asked him to leave to buy some needed supplies for the festival or to give to the poor.

Honestly, I’m not sure that Judas really understood either. He was no longer in control of his own life.  He had made his choices. He ignored the opportunities given to truly follow Jesus as Lord and he never repented. Consequently, Satan was thrilled to have Judas do his evil bidding. I’m not even entirely certain that Satan knew Jesus would rise from the dead. Sure, Satan knows scripture, but is it also possible he misinterpreted it just as Judas and all the Pharisees had? We will probably never know that, at least on this side of heaven.

But there is one thing we do know–Satan knows now!

And, although he still uses the same playbook to disrupt us and wreak havoc, we all know who wins in the end.

The cross was just a comma in the story. The empty grave is the exclamation point!

Does science and Creation meet on the mountain top?

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Well, I just fell into quite a rabbit hole. Today’s talk of the two mountains in the Bible Recap reading plan—Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim—got me curious about mountains in general. We all know that mountains have much significance to God in scripture and many pivotal moments happen on mountaintops. Mountains are a portrait of many qualities of God.

Photo credit: This photo is from National Geographic’s website.

And so, I did a little digging into mountains and what they actually are and what they do for us. Here are a few things I found of interest.

  1. Even after mountains stop growing, they exist for millions of years before eroding away.
  2. Mountains play a major role in determining global and regional climates. They are the source of most rivers, act as cradles, barriers and bridges for species, and are crucial for the survival and sustainability of many human societies. They provide 60-80% of all freshwater resources. In other words, mountains are crucial to our survival.

But, perhaps, this next bit of information plunged me into the deepest rabbit hole of all while struggling with the scientific claims of the earth being 4.5 billion years old. I hope you can follow this, because I’m not sure I can. Haha. But something here just won’t let go of me.

  1. I found this on a website which explores what would happen with no mountains.

“To have a world with no mountains occur naturally, there must be no plate tectonics. To have no plate tectonics, there must either be no moon, or the moon must be tidally locked to prevent its gravitic influence causing heat-producing deformation of the world.

A consequence of this is that there would be no earthquakes and erosion would eventually level land and sea-floor alike until it was eventually all an equal depth beneath the water”

And, pause!

I could be a billion miles off with this, BUT could this explain how science claims the earth is 4.5 billion years old and how biblical timing actually line up. When God appears in Genesis to create the earth as we know it:

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Hmmmm…

I told you it was a deep rabbit hole!

What do you think?

Are your GIANTS too big to defeat or too big to miss?

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As we walk with the Israelites to the borders of the Promise Land in our chronological Bible plan, the thing that stands out to me is that this same land of “milk and honey” is also a land of literal giants.

Aside from the story of David and Goliath, the church as a whole doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time on the subject of giants. However, it would explain a lot.

Sit with me for a moment. The King of Og was reported to be upwards of 13 1/2 feet tall. To put that in perspective, the average American ceiling height is 8-9 ft and the average doorway is less than 7 feet! Also, from what I can see, the height of Israelite men back in those days was 5’5” if they were lucky.

I have been very interested in this aspect of biblical history and find it believable that these people inhabiting what has been referred to as the “land of giants” are a product of the fallen angels or Nephilim mating with humans, making them all demonic beings.

In my opinion, we simply have to recognize the importance of fighting giants—Whether the Bible storybooks record the fact that Joshua led Israel into the land of giants or not. The fact is, it is a pattern throughout Scripture. In addition to the battles the Israelites faced as they stood on the fringes of the Promise Land, we would be amiss not to note that war against giants continues through to the end of the Bible. We all know the particular story of David and Goliath, but it must also be seen as part of a larger, ongoing war on giants.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ bound “the strong man,” and His life and death is not an example of a godly giant fighting a man-sized devil. No, Christ instead became one of us,and bound and defeated the Goliaths of that age.

And with Christ we can do the same.

1 John 4:4

Fortunately, our giants are more of the metaphorical breed, but the principals taught to the Israelites as they entered the Promise Land stands true for us. It all comes down to faith.
I read something earlier today that I absolutely love. It goes like this:

“Unbelief says that the giants are too big to defeat. Faith says that giants are too big to miss.”

Of Balaam, Balak and Biblical Truths: When Bible Stories go from Obscure to Luminous

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Never have I seen so much of Jesus and the heart of God in the Old Testament as I am seeing this time through the Bible. It is literally like a veil being lifted. What was once obscure and hard to understand is suddenly enlightening and illuminating when you begin to better understand the heart of its omniscient narrator and creator.

Never have I seen the whole story coming together so; like a tightly woven silk scarf—not only beautiful, but knitted together with creation’s strongest fiber.

So many things again are leaping off of these pages of Numbers, but I can’t help but zoom in again on TRUSTING God’s infinite wisdom, especially as it comes to His creation of humankind.

Balaam with angel and donkey, copperplate engraving by William Marshall Craig.
Photos.com/Thinkstock

Most of us likely wonder why idol-loving Balaam, whose heart has an obvious wicked side, was chosen for the important task of showing King Balak, a man who was hell-bent on cursing God’s people, who was indeed in charge

But, of course, God knew Balaam was the perfect one for the job. He was someone Balak obviously trusted and was also one that understood the power of God. The problem was Balaam was a an idol whore, and his loyalty and heart went wherever his own desires were met.

And herein lies my God-shot. Nothing can stop God’s plan. Nothing. God can take us free-willing humans and mold us and shape our hearts to help fulfill His purposes and plans. Of course, His core desire is for us to also desire Him and His purposes and plans and ultimately His righteousness, but He certainly doesn’t mind using someone like Balaam who obviously thinks He can use God for his own fleshly purposes.

Just as God did with Pharoah, did you catch the many life lines and chances He gave Balaam and even King Balak?

One of my favorite passages today came in Numbers 23:18-20 during Balaam’s second message to Balak. It was such a personalized call, I can’t imagine that Balak didn’t at least lose his breath for a minute. And Balaam too as the Holy Spirit made him utter such glorious words of God’s unchangeable nature.

“Balak, get up and listen, son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act or promise and not fulfill? …

Deep sigh.

Father God, as I sit here with a face drenched in tears, I want to thank You and give You praise for giving us your Word and yet another opportunity and lifeline to fully turn to You and give you all that we are to fulfill the purposes You set for us before the foundation of the world was created. Father, you know my heart and you know thatI desire to fully trust You, but I still falter daily in this area. Thank You for showing me every day—through Your Word and actions—who You really are and continuing to find me worthy. I want nothing more than to follow and love you with ALL my heart, Lord; to do my part in Your Plan. Please continue to help me with this. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen and Ehmen

God moves mountains, but it’s faith and prayer that moves God

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Amid all the heartbreak of watching a chosen and most blessed generation sentenced to die in the wilderness, a fate they fully deserved, Moses appeals to God on their behalf.

And that is where i found my God Shot today.

Moses didn’t do everything just right. He was human. But his heart was God’s and, as a result, he enjoyed one, if not the most, personal human-creator relationship recorded in scripture.

Yes, God is omnipotent, but He still wants a relationship with us. He wants us to use the free will He blessed us with to choose Him and His Purpose’s.

Moses understood that and as a result He was able to appeal to God and God listened and relented. Intercessory prayer is powerful when prayed with a right and obedient heart. And, if that prayer is within God’s will, we can help bring about a different outcome. Your faith can move God.

Prayer is a conversation with our almighty Father. It is an act of faith and relationship and it is music to God’s ears.

Give us this day our daily bread…

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Regarding Exodus 16-18: I often wondered how a people who were experiencing God’s miracles first hand could possibly complain about anything.

But then I remind myself that anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback.

Their grumbling was not a surprise to God, and it shouldn’t be to us as we are experts at it as well.

How often do we take the time to thank God for what we have? For a roof over our heads, for food we eat, for a car, for an income? How often do we stop to realize that, on the income scale, if we make minimum wage (which equates to $7.25 an hour or $15,080 a year), we would already be in the top 10% of global income. In fact, we would be in the top 7.8% of income earners worldwide. Lord knows I always want more $ecurity.

The fact is that we are human and humans tend to always want more. Think back to the Apple in the garden.

God wants us to depend on Him everyday for our needs, because He knows how quickly we forget. That’s why we are taught to ask for daily bread as we wander in our own wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.

Give us this day our daily bread…

Indeed, I am as guilty as the Israelites who were busted out of Egypt by God’s own hand and the principles He was teaching them are the principles that we all need to etch upon our hearts.

Lord, help us to replace our grumbling with praise as it is hard to complain when we are giving you the gratitude and thanks You deserve. You KNOW what we need before we do. Help us to trust You and remember what we already have. A Father who loves us and will provide!

Amen and Ehmen

Regarding Moses

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Writer’s Note: I am reading chronologically through the Bible in a year using Tara-Leigh Cobble’s Bible Recap. You can find in podcast form or on the You Version Bible App. God is really opening up His Word in a fresh way this time through and I’ve never been more excited to dig in everyday. Starting today, I thought I might share some of my thoughts from the day’s reading, which today was Exodus 4-6. If you are looking for a guided way to walk through the Word with links to study tools and videos, check out the Bible Recap. I think you will love it as much as I do. 

I have both dreaded and been excited about this story. The reason? Because I relate to Moses so deeply. I, too, have come up with every excuse in the book not to do what God has called me to do. I, too, have felt inadequate and felt that God got it all wrong when He picked me. I, too, have felt convicted and convinced by His patience with me and His power that I started the walk, but then freaked at the first sign of difficulty. Which, by the way, Satan is happy to exploit and keep you from doing God’s will.

I—we—must remember that we are operating under the authority and power of God Almighty. He knows our weaknesses. Our weakness is why He selects us so that He can display His full power.

It’s sometimes easy to look at Moses and wonder how in the world he could doubt. But, then I realize that if someone saw all the signs and wonders God has performed in my own life, they would wonder the same about me.

Moses was human. I am human. We all are human. And God understands that and is patient and compassionate with us.

I am thankful for Moses’ story. And I’m thankful that Moses walked it out even with his doubt. He could have walked away and said, “no thanks…find someone else.” And God would have…

And we would be reading about someone else. What a personal tragedy that would be. I pray that I—that we—walk the walk God has chosen us for; that we don’t run or let Satan stop us. We can’t thwart God’s plans but we can choose to not be a part of it. And, I for one, desperately want to be a part of everything He has for me. Now, to pick up my staff—-my pen—and resume doing the thing!

Pray for me as I pray for you. I don’t even know most of you, but I love you all. Thank you for being on this journey with me.

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A Father to the Fatherless…

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Father to the Fatherless

June 16, 2019

Dear Father,

Thank You for promises kept. All of them. So many promises since the genesis of time, all of which You honor, never letting a single one fall by the wayside.

But, while I thank You for all of those promises kept and for all the fulfilled promises to come, the one that touches me most deeply today–Father’s Day 2019–is found in Psalm 68:5—“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Oh, how this promise has impacted me as You so carefully wove it into the lives of my earthly family when we lost our patriarch at the hands of a murderer.

But, not only is it a personal promise that covers me and my family, it’s a promise lovingly written in broad strokes to cover all of us who for, whatever reason, grew up with anything less than a good earthly father—whether that father was absent by no choice of his own or one who willfully ignored and disregarded what his children needed most of all: to be loved, cherished, protected and valued.

Still, if I am completely honest, I still sometimes struggle with feeling loved, cherished, protected and valued. Deep down I know that I am, because not only do You say that I am, but You have proven it time and time again throughout my life.

Help me with this, Father, and thank You for always being there no matter what and for standing in the gap for my earthly dad who I miss deeply even all these years later. Amen and Ehmen.

Dear Child,

I always address you as child, because no matter how old you are or what you have or haven’t done, you will always be just that–My child. I chose you before you were born and will continue to choose you every single day of your life throughout eternity. Nothing and no one can every change that.

Brenda, I am sorry that you did not have the opportunity to truly know your earthly dad. He is a wonderful man who also loves you very much and with who you will one day be reunited. He eagerly awaits this ultimate family reunion and, in the meantime, keeps busy enjoying His many heavenly rewards of which you are one.

We are both very proud of you and the way that you are learning to lay all the twists and turns of life at My feet so that I can make your path straight. Keep your eyes on Me and, together, we will walk heart-first into My will and your purpose.

But, be careful, My Child, not to let your feelings disrupt what you know in your spirit to be true. Feelings can be fickle, a product of the flesh which, by human nature, is weak. Just like the words of a self-professed prophet, you must always test each and every feeling against My Word, the place My truth—and yours—live and breathe; the place where love–My eternal love and affection for you, My child, resides and awaits the moment you allow it to be etched on your heart, never to be forgotten again. On this Father’s Day, I give you this gift. Drink it in. Trust it. And, know, Child…

I have searched you thoroughly and I know everything about you ( Psalm 139:1), even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31). I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2) and I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3).

For you are My offspring (Acts 17:28) who I knew before you were ever conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5) and who was made in My own image (Genesis 1:27). I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12), My child. You are not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139:15-16) and in Me, you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:28).

It was Me who knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) and Me that determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26). Yes, Child, you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and it is My desire to lavish My love on you simply because you are My child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1).

Know this, too, My Child, I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11) for I am the perfect father (Matthew 5:28). Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17), for I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33).

My plan for your future, Child, has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11), because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:17-18) and I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). I will NEVER stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40), for you are My treasured possession (Exodus 19:5).

I am your greatest encourager, child (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) and I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18), for as a shepherd carries a lamb, I carry you close to my heart (Isaiah 40:11).

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus, (John 17:23) who came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31) and tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). He died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) and His death was the ultimate expression of My love for you (1 John 4:10).

Don’t you see, Child, I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8:31-32). If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive Me as well (1 John 2:23) and nothing will ever separate you from My love again (Romans 8:38-39).

I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15). My question is…Will you be my child (John 1:12-13)?