Category: Obedience (Page 7 of 10)

The God of Suddenly.

May 21, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Hagar called Him El Roi, The God who sees me. He is the God of those who feel insignificant or forgotten. God of the one who has drifted—gone astray, that wanderer, the pride-full one, the rebel, the backslider. He is the God of the one who has not picked up their bible in weeks. Jesus is “I Am,” the Triune God who has always been. “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” He is God of the “suddenly.” Calling, reshaping, pruning, refining, purifying those that are His, called by His name, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.

Personally, I take great comfort in knowing that God is both Alpha and Omega, knowing my end from my beginning. There is great comfort in the knowledge that God cannot change. He is steadfast, my Anchor. Holding me fast through the violent winds of adversity and trials, when “suddenly” winds threaten to uproot me from the very place I stand. He is my Rock, my Firm Foundation. Even though, whether intentionally or permissively, He sends these winds of change, reminders to loosen my grip on, not get too comfortable in, a world I’m just passing through.

God alone ensures we do not fall, that no enemy trap or snare overtakes us.

This great, vast, unplumbed God who refuses to fit into our small, finite imaginings of Him; this God we cannot fully comprehend, “I Am Who I Am,” has, inconceivably, deigned to take up residence within us. The burning Fire of His Spirit, groaning within! And, that He remains fully God, holy, pure, and Sovereign, still, while living in our fallen vessels makes my head swoon! It leaves me in slack-jawed, stupefied awe of the One who so loved us that He offered His only Son, Jesus, savagely beaten within inches of His Spotless life, nailed to His Cross—He hung there and died in our place.

Our God is so far beyond my ability to fully take Him in, and I am grateful for this. As God’s children, how blessed we are to rest the full weight of our trust, all of our hope in Him—in His every promise.

Friends, remember, we are the only ones caught by surprise when the “suddenly” of life happens. Every “suddenly” that changes the familiar trajectory of our lives, God saw coming.

Nothing ever catches our God off guard. In truth, He built these twists and turns into His plan for our lives somewhere in eternity past. Using them to build our faith and trust in Him, make it stronger. Being Sovereign, God certainly allowed them. “Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil” –Job 1:8. Yet as willy nilly, as random and wholly disruptive as “suddenly” as they may appear, be reminded today: these unexpected tests and trials are intentional, Beloved. Remember too: “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” –Romans 8:58.

Your loving Father has allowed each “suddenly” into your life, being used to help bring about your purpose—to mold you into the image and likeness of His Son. Romans 8:29 makes plain this Truth, listen: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” And in 1 Corinthians 15:49, we read this promise: “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall, also bear the image of the man of heaven.” Beloved, God has a plan for your life. Like every brother and sister before you, you came into the world to be used by God. The very moment you gave your life to Jesus, you gave Him carte blanche to do with you whatever He sees fit. This, long before you had any idea what He may ask of you. Long before your first, “suddenly” appeared. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” –Isaiah 6:8. Read how Molly Law explains this complete surrender to God:

The use of “Here I am Lord” reveals purpose. Isaiah was saying he was here on earth for a specific purpose, and he wanted that purpose to be the Lord’s. As he immediately followed it with “send me,” he didn’t wait to hear what the Lord would say but wrote a blank check to the Lord, a universal yes to God’s plan for him.

Jesus says it this way in Luke 9:23: “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

This denying self and taking up whatever cross our Father requires of us, part of “counting the cost” Jesus spoke of in Luke 14. “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Many who had followed Jesus because of the miracles they’d witnessed or the power-filled Words of Life they’d heard left Him when He spoke this.

From the beginning, well before Christ wrapped Himself in flesh and lived among us, Jesus knew those who would surrender all and those who would think the price of following Him too great, walking away. Only God knows whether they’ll ever reconsider their foolish choice. I pray they did and do return to God. This life is but a vapor. And eternity, a long time to be separated from Jesus.

So here’s the question each child of God must answer: Do you truly trust your Father? Are you willing to lay down your life and take up your cross?

When that whiplash-like suddenly comes, and it will surely come, will you trust God when you can’t see a conceivable way the pieces of your well-ordered life will ever fit back together now that God just upended it? Fitting you in where He’d have you go, doing what He’d have you to do, for a season or a lifetime—whether or not it makes any sense?

I mean, will you really trust God? Abraham, trust Him? Ready to plunge that knife kind of trust Him? “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” – Genesis 22:10. Leave everything familiar behind to go wherever God leads you, trust Him? “The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you” –Genesis 12:1. I know; it makes you a little nervous to think that God might ask any of this of you. Jesus understands that. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” –Luke 22:42.

Yet, Beloved, these are the terms and conditions you agreed to.

The price you said you’d pay to belong to Jesus. This Truth is a hard thing, I know. I’m there myself right now. Standing, toes on the line of my next “suddenly” with God. Thankfully, because of His great mercy and grace, I know my Father well enough to know that, contrary to how I may feel about this, God is faithful—I’ve been here before.

So, since He has permitted this “suddenly” to touch my life, though uncomfortable and trying certainly, I am confident it is for my good and God’s glory. Equally, God is faithful and, by faith, has already given me the grace, strength, wisdom, time, and all else I may need to carry out His latest plot twist. I’ve banked my life on this Truth. And if you’re saying, “me too, I’m also in the throes of a suddenly,” I pray your strength for this same certainty. I encourage you to re-mind yourself of God’s faithfulness in your last “suddenly.”

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” –Romans 15:13. “Suddenly” will come, brothers and sisters. That’s a guarantee. The question is, will you still pick up your cross and follow Him when it does?

Friend, if you have read this far yet have not asked this God I’ve spoken of, the Only True God, Jesus, into your heart and life as Lord and Savior, I pray you’ll do that now—understanding you are not here by accident, there is no such thing. Instead, this Loving, Sovereign God is calling you to Himself. He loves you. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” –Isaiah 55: 6-8.

Lifeline.

May 7, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins” –James 5:19-20.

Lifeline: support that enables people to survive or to continue doing something (often by providing an essential connection).

This message is your lifeline, Beloved. Love is an action word. So is faith. Each connects us to Truth. And what is Truth? Jesus Christ. We see this Truth splashed across every chapter of James’ Epistle. This Truth saturates every Word we read, from Genesis to Revelation. From the very beginning of his writings, James makes clear to his reader: if you simply know God’s Word, as in having head knowledge of ” I know the Bible! I’ve read it from cover to cover!” yet don’t put legs beneath what you’ve heard or read, don’t have a genuine, loving, dependent, entwined relationship with the God who wrote each Living Word you profess having read, you’re only fooling yourself into thinking your faith is genuine. This is not my opinion; it’s God’s Word. “For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” –James 1:23-24.

James speaks to us of practical faith. A faith that not only sees the needs of those around us, those hurting or struggling, in need of food or shelter, clothing, those sick in body or spirit, it also compels us to act. To put legs under what we profess—more, to practically demonstrate, give away, the love we claim to carry within us—the love of Christ. James calls for us to lay down our lives and resources for the wounded brother or sister we see before us—and, truth be told, we all see at least one.

That lonely one there in the back row, in need of conversation and a cup of coffee, a hot meal, maybe even a couch to crash on for the night so they can sleep in peace and safety. “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” –James 2: 14-17.

Now before I go on, allow me to clarify something. Your good works will not and cannot save you. Understand that. Your being a “good person” won’t save you, and neither will you just knowing about Jesus. Even Satan knows about Jesus! Good works do not save you. Only belief in Jesus Christ, a genuine relationship with Him, will save you. Not Church. Not reading your Bible from cover to cover, not a pastor, no one but the Living God can save you. “Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” John 14:6.

James’s good works in his Epistle are but threads of evidence of your having been transformed, your genuine salvation, being new in Christ Jesus. In having met, been stitched together as one, with the Author and Perfector of your faith. That established, back to where we left off…

Are you guilty of ignoring that one? That lonely one, the hurting one, that one in need? I know I certainly have been. Too busy. No time. What about my privacy, my comfort? If I hadn’t already made plans, then maybe…

I thank God for second chances. I thank God for the ones He sent my way to rescue me, offering me a lifeline, a way back to my first love when I needed conversation and a cup of coffee. When I needed a friend’s couch for the night, some safe place to lay my head and rest. When I just needed to know that I was seen, I mattered to someone. Now hear me, friend, it wasn’t that I didn’t believe Jesus loves me, will never leave me nor forsake me. I had just walked away from that mirror James spoke of and had momentarily forgotten what I looked like, more, who I looked like, belonged to. I needed to be re-minded. And my beautiful, merciful Savior knew just who to send my way.

That is the only reason I can come to you today and speak boldly and confidently. I have been that one. I have been that charred branch plucked from the fire that threatened to take me out on more than one occasion.

I have experienced firsthand that God’s Word, God Himself, is Truth. God can and will and does save us, over and over and over again. And not for just a moment, but our lifetime and beyond. God truly is El Roi, the God who sees. I know this because when I felt invisible, lost, confused, and afraid I had lost Him, God knew precisely where I was. And He saved me, yet again. The Holy Spirit threw me a lifeline in the way of a sister in Christ who came and refused to leave my house until I opened my door. Depression and fear had me believing if people would just leave me alone, I’d be fine in a little while. I just needed some alone time, space to just breathe and think. But instead, God showed up in the flesh that day, and He cleared away every lie that had dared to raise itself in place of the Truth I knew. He made the way back to Himself with this very Truth, spoken in love, yet again. “keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh” –Jude 1:22-23.

And to say I am grateful, well, those are just words. I owe God my life.

So today, as I do every day, I’ve chosen to lay my life down. To ask God what it is, who it is, He’d have me reach out to this day. He led me to you, Beloved. Please, take my hand, God’s hand. Because even when a lifeline is thrown, you have to want to reach for it, decide to grab it, be desperate enough just to hang on, and trust God to do the rest, to pull you in and back to Himself! “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will 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” –John 10:28-29.

And so, having had a lifeline thrown my way on more than one occasion, the Holy Spirit has sent me here to you, my brothers, and sisters in the faith, and those wanting to be. To you, who sit in that pew week after week, searching God’s Word, trying to believe, doing your best to remain faithful, all the while struggling to hang on to the hope you so desperately need, the strength that will keep you coming back to Christ, hungry, just one more day. Or you, who so want to feel alive again—to feel that joy and peace, that fire in your belly you felt when you first believed. You’ve been spending way too much time of late questioning your faith, asking yourself, is it really true? Everything you once held so dearly, so tightly. You hear yourself thinking, “the world around me just doesn’t align with what I’m hearing week after week when I come to church.” I get it; I do. I hear and see many of the same things in the world around me that have caused you to lose heart, question, dare I say, doubt God?

But it is all True, child of God! If you are sitting under a shepherd who teaches the undiluted Word of God, then what you are hearing is Truth. And if you’re not, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to a church that does teach God’s Perfect Word.

Jesus is the Truth. So then, hear me, please! Be re-minded of Truth. How? By actively putting into practice, determining to heed the Apostle Paul’s instructions, taking it to heart. Applying it lavishly, a healing balm to your every wounded, doubt-filled, questioning place: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” –Romans 12:2. Consider this your lifeline friend, your connection to Truth—back to Christ. The support you prayed for—the shift needed to reroute you who have wandered dangerously close to the edge of “the things of this world.” You who have lost hope. Have been laboring under your own strength. You who have forgotten you were not created to carry your burdens alone. Hear Jesus’ heart toward you, child of God. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls” –Matthew 11:29.

And, dear friend, if you have read this far and have related to these words more, the Truth of this message. Know this; there is no such thing as coincidence. You are here because God led you here. God’s Truth will remain Truth, eternally, whether or not you believe it. But oh, I pray you do, believe it. More, I pray you grab it, wrapping it tightly around you, using it as the lifeline that will draw you to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, if you’ll let it. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” –James 4: 7-10.

Don’t Sleep On This.

April 30, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Live every day as if Jesus can come back right now, but plan as if you still have another hundred years on this earth. –unknown

Certain moments in life mark you. Moments that latch on to your heart, periodically making their way back to memory. One of those moments came to me in a high school Bible class as my teacher gave us the quote mentioned above. As I wrestle with the mystery of the second coming of Christ spoken of in the scriptures, I often remember what he said. Live every day as if Jesus can come back right now…

While it is not gospel, its depth of meaning challenges me each time I think about it. The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming back, but it is also clear that not one person knows the day nor the hour of His return. “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son —except the Father alone”– Matt 24:36. Jesus, Himself doesn’t know when the Father will send Him. What makes anyone think they could make such an arrogant prediction? Some believers blindly believe the false teachers who claim to know one of the very things the Bible says we cannot know. Now, I am not here to berate the person who believes their words; instead, I hope to send out a call to action in this hour of waiting for our Lord’s second coming.

When I think of the coming of Christ, I am reminded of the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25.

“At that time the kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” “No,” they replied, “there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. “Lord, Lord,” they said, “open the door for us!” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” – Matt 25:1-14

The “virgins” in this passage possibly refer to members of a bridal party waiting to greet the groom as he arrives; these represent followers of Jesus, while the bridegroom represents Jesus. In this parable, Jesus is cautioning people to prepare themselves while they await His coming. Do you identify with the foolish virgins who slept while they should have been preparing for the bridegroom? These are people who know Jesus is coming. They can be believers who say they love Jesus or know of Jesus but do not live righteous lives. The scary thing about this is that they are part of the bridal party – they prepared for this wedding with the bride, who is the church, but in those last hours, they slept instead of preparing their lamps (or hearts) for the coming of the bridegroom. I have heard believers say, “what’s the point of working or being ambitious? Jesus is about to come”. I’m not making this up. I have heard these words fr*om people who are believers. Jesus never called us to be lazy; in fact, the Bible refers to laziness as foolish. These lazy virgins who slept instead of preparing their lamps with oil are referred to as foolish. Instead, it is wise to continue to prepare both in body and spirit. First, you must prepare your heart. Jesus is more concerned about your heart than anything else, but He does not stop there. You must, secondly, continue to be good stewards of what the Lord has given you. Has He given you a home? Care for it. A family? Provide for them and leave them an inheritance. A business? Steward that well and continue to care for it as He blesses the work of your hands.

Continue to put God first, spend time with Him, and care for what He has given you. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” – Matthew 6:33. God created this earth for us to enjoy and to care for as we reside here until the day that He calls us home.

Maybe you identify with the wise virgins instead? Those who were vigilant in filling their lamps with oil before the bridegroom’s arrival. They, too, fell asleep. However, they could rest knowing that they were prepared for the wedding (or the kingdom of Heaven). These are people who prepare themselves by learning God’s word, even when their peers tell them it doesn’t matter. They go against the grain and prepare themselves for the groom’s coming. When He arrives, they can light their lamps with the oil they already have and join the wedding party while the others are locked out because they slept instead of being prepared.

… plan as if you still have another hundred years on this earth.

What are you doing with your time? Have you given up on any ambition? Have you lost hope? Have you given yourself to procrastination, saying you have time to figure it out? Or do you spend time filling your -*lamp with oil? The oil of the Holy Spirit and the Word that gives you that fills you with purpose, hope, and vision. As you fill your lamp with oil, you live with your eyes wide open, searching for the opportunity to obey God’s Word and live rightly. The word of God is hidden in your heart so that you can use it when you need it. Spending time with God in His Word and prayer fills your lamp with oil and gives you the passion for preparing yourself physically and spiritually for His coming.

This message is not one of sadness; this is a call to action!

If you have been following Jesus yet feel that you identify with the foolish virgins, it is not too late. Wake up, get up, and fill your lamps with oil. Seek Jesus with all your heart, and you will find Him. And if you don’t yet know Jesus as Lord, ask Him to come into your heart, to be your Savior. Repent of your sins, and God will lead you in the way you were created to go in. He is faithful and wants to have a relationship with you! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” –Jeremiah 29:11-13.

The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming again, but no one knows when, so I will echo the words I heard over ten years ago…

Live every day like He’s coming now, but plan as if you have another hundred years.

He’ll Make a Warrior Out of You.

April 9, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it” – Judges 8:4.

Today, we will follow the story of an unlikely hero in the Old Testament who restored his nation with God’s help. This story can’t just be cherry-picked, one verse and call it a day, so we are going on a bit of a storytelling journey. But trust me, it’s a good one! Judges six introduces us to a timid young man from the least of his tribe. He was also the youngest child in his family.

From the beginning of this story, it is evident that Gideon was far from strong and courageous.

We read many Bible stories of brave, valiant men and women who trusted God with all confidence, yet God’s choice of Gideon highlights someone who may not be a “typical hero.” Gideon was a fearful person, probably a bit anxious if I were to guess. Yet the beauty of his story is that God’s mercy sees past Gideon’s current circumstance and speaks into his destiny. One small blog post is not enough to cover Gideon’s whole story, yet there is much we can learn about what it means to walk in our God-given purpose, nevertheless.

“The weakest tribe.” “The youngest in his family.”

You and I know these terms of inadequacy; there’s really nothing new under the sun. These terms of inadequacy were the exact words used to describe one of the greatest warriors of old. Often, we know what our end goal needs to be, yet we also have the sense we somehow don’t have what it takes to fill the shoes to make things happen.

Whether it’s our career, ministry, personal, or family-related, everyone knows the feeling of inadequacy. Thankfully, our Creator is not surprised by our self-perceived shortcomings. He anticipates them.

God knows exactly how we see ourselves. He also knows how to extract the absolute best from us—through His Holy Spirit at work in us. The Lord approached Gideon, He said, “the Lord is with you mighty warrior” – v. 12. Gideon’s response to being called a mighty warrior was riddled with fearful doubt, not faith. Gideon failed, initially, to recognize God was trying to inspire him by calling him a mighty warrior. “Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” – Judges 6:15. Gideon affirmed two things in questioning God the way he did: his insignificance and lack of faith. He had heard of the God who delivered his people from Egypt years ago, but he didn’t believe the same God was still with them. Gideon felt helpless and abandoned. He didn’t realize that Israel’s Savior had come to lift Israel’s heads—yet again.

Gideon’s response sounded awfully familiar to me. I’ve heard many people respond in this same fashion. “If God is with me, why do I still not have a house?” ‘If God is with me, why am I still sick?’ “If God is with me, why don’t I have my dream job?” “If God is with me, why am I not married yet?”

If-then statements affirm our fears and doubts rather than decree God’s faithfulness.

God was trying to teach Gideon a lesson in steadfastness—and through him, us as well. You have to understand the background of this story to appreciate Gideon’s response to God. Moses had led the Israelites out of being enslaved people in Egypt just a few generations before. They were a free people now, but they had turned away from God, worshipping idols instead. They explicitly broke the command given them by God, to have “no other gods before the one true God- Yahweh”—Exodus 20:3. And because of their spiritual adultery, God allowed the Israelites to fall into the hands of their enemies, yet again. The Bible says the Midianites were like locusts, ravaging the land of the Israelites –Judges 6:5. The Israelites were afraid of Midianites after succumbing to the deception of giving their hearts to the pagan God, Baal. This makes Gideon’s fearful response to God’s sudden appearance make sense.

If Gideon were to re-establish Yahweh as Israel’s one true God, he knew he’d be doing so in opposition to the people around him. He’d be in the minority. The Israelites crafted false gods with their hands; today, many people hold their god in their hands—their phones. Remember, gods can come in the form of family members, significant others, nature, entertainment, possessions, careers—anything can become a god if we allow it. And while it may feel right at that moment, giving our hearts to other gods has long-term, devastating effects on our spirits. We were created to thrive when our heart, mind, soul, and strength are fixed on the one true God. “Jesus declared, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” –Matthew 22:37-38.

If our hearts are not purposefully committed to serving Jesus only, losing them to another god is easy.

Back to Gideon. He lived in a culture that had given its heart to idols and was oppressed by pagans. Then God shows up and calls Gideon a mighty warrior – Judges 6:12. Gideon could not see his worth because God was calling Gideon by his potential.

God has a way of showing us who He’s created us to be.

When God showed up, Gideon was by no means a mighty warrior; he was the timid, youngest child of his tribe, threshing wheat in a winepress—Judges 6:11. Little did Gideon know, God was about to make him one of His greatest warriors. To help accomplish this, the Lord selects a three-hundred-man army to fight alongside Gideon. Yet, for them to come away victorious from this battle with the Midianites would require a trained army of some tens of thousands! Surely, they were in for an impossible fight. Yet here they were, this unlikely army of just three hundred men hand-picked by the Lord. Their number, part of God’s plan. God jealously wanted the glory in freeing His people from their captors, and He still does.

So, if you feel like you’re in an impossible situation, you are in the prime position for a miraculous victory, which can only happen by the hand of God! Let the Spirit of God remind you who He is and who you are in Him. Even when you’ve walked away from the Lord, He sees you, still. He is still pursuing you, just as He did the Israelites, repeatedly. Jesus never fails to remind us of who He’s been in our lives, even when we didn’t realize it. When the time finally comes to fight for the vision in your heart, it may be scary, but you must remember that the Lord has already been working on your behalf behind the scenes. We see the Truth of this in Gideons’ story.

Gideon had gone through a series of events leading up to this battle, yet he still wasn’t the mighty warrior he would become. But the Lord wasn’t surprised by this. He expected Gideon to be afraid. Moments before this battle, the Lord leaks some intel to Gideon, telling him that he should eavesdrop on what his enemies are saying if he is still afraid. Sure enough, the princes of Midian were discussing a dream.

“This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.'”… While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords” – Judges 7:14-18; 21-22.

God went ahead of Gideon, weakening the hearts of his enemy. But I want us to pay attention to Gideon’s response to God’s actions. He bowed down and worshiped. Too many today receive their blessing and get up prideful, rather than humble—boastful, instead of praising the Lord, remembering the blessing came by His hand alone. God loves a humble heart and will continue to bless it—Proverbs 3:34.

But the story isn’t over yet. Gideon had one more battle to fight; they couldn’t give up just yet. In the middle of this passage, we read that Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it. – Judges 8:4. They were exhausted but continued their pursuit.

I don’t know about you, but I deeply feel this verse. I get so tired of fighting sometimes I just want to stop and relax, taking some time for myself.

But God did not create us to live in comfort; He created us to live in Him, operate in His strength when we feel weak. To be bold and courageous. And our having such courage sometimes requires being uncomfortable. It requires faith and perseverance. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon…” –Judges 6:34. Gideon defied the ungodly culture he lived amongst by the power of God’s Spirit at work in him. By his choosing to obey and follow after the one true God.

When culture tells us to do what feels good, the Bible tells us to step out in faith even when it feels uncomfortable.

Like Gideon, I believe the Lord wants to make a mighty warrior out of you. Wherever you are in life, I pray you to have the courage to obey the Lord in everything. God knows what’s going on, whether in your work, family, or personal life. If you are willing to listen, He is ready to lead you. And as He leads you, trust that He is working behind the scenes in ways you could never imagine. You may be afraid and anxious, but Gideon’s story should inspire hope, ensuring that God is not afraid of your shortcomings. He expects them and prepares us, despite them. Keep fighting. Keep trusting the Lord. He moves in ways that you could never think or imagine. And when you see your victory, respond in worship. Not in pride.

If you don’t know the Lord who fights for you, I promise that He is available to you right here and now if you would humble yourself and pray to Him. If you seek Jesus with all your heart, He will meet you exactly where you are. Your need is not too small nor too big. Ask Jesus into your heart today. He will strengthen you to walk through this life in victory!

Run, Don’t Walk.

April 2, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise against me, spouting malicious accusations” –Psalm 27:10-12.

David knew firsthand the sudden, waspish sting of betrayal. That gut-punch instant when the enemy of your soul lands some unexpected blow straight to your solar plexus, leaving you disoriented, stunned, silent—air-less. As Christians, we expect this from our enemy. After all, Scripture has taught us that he comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). But what about when our “enemy” comes wrapped in the flesh of a friend? Worst yet, a trusted family member. A mother or father, sister, brother, that beloved grandparent?

What do we do in that instant?

How do we respond to such an attack?

As always, God’s Word holds our answer. God’s Word alone the guardrails that prevent us from going over the edge when pain, fear, betrayal, or some other “suddenly” blindsides us.

Recently, I faced this very situation. Satan used the one person I naturally expected to love and comfort me to bring me to my knees—I was left air-less by their vicious verbal assault—stunned, silent. Yet God brought beauty from my ashes. He used this experience—dare I say permitted it (think Job), to refine me, mature me, draw me closer. In this most painful of times, God re-minded me of the most straightforward, most basic Truth; He alone is more than enough. He is all I need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” –Psalm 46:1.

At that moment, and for some days following, I didn’t want to talk with anyone. Not my beloved pastors, though I know they care for and cover me in prayer. I didn’t need to call my dearest sister or brother in the faith. I just needed my Father. I just needed to be still. In that most painful of times, only God would do. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” –Exodus 14:14. At that moment, I was reminded that there are instances in life where we need specialized help. One doesn’t call 911 when they get a flat; they call 911 when there’s been an accident. When someone is in imminent danger, is injured, or has been harmed. God used the crushing weight of my betrayal to remind me He wants to be my first call. The One I call on in my hour of need—period. He alone upholds me.

Yes, God has grafted me into a loving, supportive Body of brothers and sisters. Yes, God’s blessed me with loving, caring, hands-on shepherds, and I am grateful to Him for these blessings.

But not one of these can take God’s place in my life.

No one can love me as Jesus can. Not one person possesses the precise Words of life I need to hear at that moment I need to hear them. Because what I need, only God can provide. He alone is my Lord; no one knows me as my Father does. “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” –Psalm 18:2.

Ed Jarret says this about God’s abiding presence: God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is with us in a very personal and intimate way. The God of all creation lives within me. He comforts me in challenging times. He teaches me his ways. Ed’s simple words encapsulate the bigger Truth Jesus shared with His disciples on the last night He would dine with them, this side of eternity. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth” –John 14:16-17.

And though that bitter sting of betrayal may last for a season, the Holy Spirit of God is alive within us—always. Empowering us to overcome, forgive and heal, to pray for the very one who betrayed us. Christ alone is eternal and Mighty to save. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock” –Psalm 27:1;5.

And while scholars cannot pinpoint a specific time in David’s life when He may have penned this Psalm, they seemingly agree on this one point: David knew precisely from whom his strength, comfort, and ability to forgive and move forward flowed.

Right now, many of God’s children are standing on the very edge of their breakthrough. Yet fear, or some impending threat from the enemy they see in the natural, that unexpected betrayal, has caused them to lose sight of their true position, that of being smack-dab in the centre of God’s will. Beloved, don’t let this temporary pain, the fear of what you see happening around you, blind you to what God is doing in your midst, regardless its severity.

Child of God, I know how hard it is for you not to run as fast as your legs will take you from the pain of the moment you’re standing in right now, to not fold before the giants staring you down. Yet, amid the pain, while you’re still smarting over that betrayal, allow me to lead you back to Truth. Back to Who it is that will mend your broken heart, restore your troubled peace, speak Life-affirming Words of love over you. “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” –Psalm 27:5

I, too, have experienced that same blindsided stupor you’re experiencing. That “suddenly” when the air was sucked out of the room. When some news or someone’s bitter words, that diagnosis, or that trusted someone’s startling betrayal hits you so deeply, everything inside goes numb. I get it; I do. But please, just breathe for a moment. Because there are times, we need someone else to speak into our situation—our fear or pain. To redirect our focus—we’ve momentarily lost our footing. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” –Proverbs 27:17.

Dear friend, I’m not suggesting it will all be okay by Tuesday. I have no idea about your situation—the scope of your loss or pain. I was simply sent here today to share God’s promise to bind up your broken places and to encourage you. To remind you of God’s Sovereign timing, His eagle-eyed ability to swoop in at the very second our enemy’s talons are about to inflict some fatal blow, taking him out, causing him to fall. “When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident” –Psalm 27:2-3.

Be encouraged, child of God, and don’t find it strange these trials—this pain or betrayal, have come to visit you. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you. But rejoice insofar as you share in Christ’s sufferings so that you may rejoice and be glad also in the revelation of His glory. If you are reproached because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” –1 Peter 4:12-14. Instead, put the full weight of your trust in the God you profess. And know this: for as long as our Spirit is wrapped up in this flesh, there will be moments in each believer’s life when God will allow some adversity to test us—God is maturing us, refining our character.

Answering that prayer, we whispered at midnight, Shape me and mold me, Lord. Make me look more like you. Let Thy perfect will be done in and through my life. “But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” –James 1:4.

Child of God, if you are staggering under the sting of some recent trial, some pain inflicted at the hands of another, some betrayal, I encourage you to run—not walk, to your Lord. Pour out your heart before Jesus. Invite Him into your very raw and wounded place that He might minister healing and restore you—lest some root of bitterness takes root in your heart, poisoning you.

And if this is you, and you’ve yet to ask Jesus into your heart, please, do it today. Let Him into your every wounded place. Ask Him to wash away your every sin, restoring newness of life to you and fresh hope into your dry places.

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” –Psalm 27: 13-14.

His Perfect Will

March 26, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Talk is cheap. It doesn’t cost anyone to say something that makes them feel right. We often hear people saying things that perhaps they don’t mean, but it sounds great at the moment. They make their feel-good comments and carry about their day, probably forgetting what they said. We’ve all been there. Surely, you’ve heard the phrase, “Follow your heart?” How about “Do you?”

In Christian culture, we do this same thing sometimes! We have become fluent in “Christianese.” Verbiage that sounds theologically correct, good to our listener, making us feel like we’ve said a good thing. We become so well versed in Scripture that we learn how to hide behind it, masking our wicked intentions with what we know to be Biblical. We say things like, “love God, love people,” but then turn around and act in an unloving way towards our brother when we exit the church doors. We say things like, “I’m not worried, God is in control,” but get lost when we don’t get what we want or when life doesn’t go as planned. And while each of the above statements holds much Truth, it is easy for us to speak them without conveying the full weight of their meaning.

I’m suggesting this: There are times when God will allow us to go through troubles so that He can deepen our understanding of these seemingly basic principles.

When we say, “God is in control,” what do we mean? I have been revisiting the concept of the Sovereignty of God lately, and if I’m being honest, there are times I’ve let that principle get away from me. Instead of walking by faith as the Bible instructs (2 Corinthians 5:7), I walked instead by sight.

As believers, we must live on a level of trust in God that sets us apart from the world around us.

We witness a clear cycle with the Israelites in the Old Testament, God’s chosen people. They start out trusting God; yet, over time, when God no longer meets their expectations, they begin to murmur and complain. They disobey God’s instructions. Remember, God is concerned with our heart and character. And so, God is pleased when our intentions are pure, and our heart desires righteousness (Psalm 51:17). We can make statements like, “God is in control,” but if our hearts don’t honestly believe what we’re professing, what good is our declaration?

When we talk about God’s Sovereignty, we may hear it referred to as “the will of God.” Others may point to His sovereignty by saying that He is in complete control. Sovereignty is God’s supreme power and authority being exercised over all things. In the Bible, we see several references to “God’s will” used in different contexts.

First, we have God’s perfect will. “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2.

The perfect will of God is the way which God intended for us to live since creation. His perfect will goes beyond what our eyes can see; it targets our hearts, lives, thoughts, and choices. God’s perfect will for us is found in His Word. He instructs us in the type of spouse we should choose what it looks like to be a Godly man/woman, our family dynamics, and what love truly means. God didn’t set these parameters to frustrate us; Instead, He designed us to work optimally within a particular environment. God’s perfect will is not found in manufactured philosophies or our careers. His perfect will is found in our knowing and trusting His Word so completely, so deeply, it forms the very foundation of how we make decisions concerning every aspect of life.

Knowing God’s Word sharpens our discernment as we begin to recognize His voice. His perfect will is found in our obedience; God leads us through life as we respond to His gentle prompting.

We see yet another example of God’s perfect will right before Jesus was arrested. Jesus was in such distress, knowing that the burden of His death was before Him. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” – Matthew 26:39. I imagine that in His humanity, Jesus could have chosen to disobey God, yet He didn’t. Even when Jesus’ despair was so great, He began to sweat blood; even then, Jesus chose to lay His human desires down to fulfill God’s perfect will. Jesus was not meant to escape this fate. Jesus was sent into this world to pass through Gethsemane, taking the sins of the whole world upon Himself, then, finally, stand victorious on the far side of Golgatha.

How many times do we quit before we see our victory?

Jesus is our perfect example, enduring pain and suffering in the face of death. For most of us, our struggles are unpleasant at best; they do not compare to what Jesus endured. If God uses death to bring about victory, I know He can turn your situation around for good. Stay faithful to Him in your circumstance, asking Him to lead you in His good and perfect will, even when what you see doesn’t make sense. He will work it out for your good!

Second, the Bible shows us examples of the provisional will of God. God’s provisional will may also be called the “permissive will of God.” In God’s permissive will, we begin to understand why bad things happen to good people. While I do not believe that God causes harm or pain to His people, Scripture makes clear He does allow it. Jesus’ life exemplifies this Truth.

We read about the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years in the Book of Numbers. They were supposed to take possession of the land called Canaan, the land God had promised them, yet because of their disobedience, God did not allow them to enter it. His plan was for them to have a home in this new land, so He instructed them to go in at a specific time, but fear caused the Israelites not to enter it in God’s appointed time. Numbers 14 describes the Israelites getting stressed out about entering Canaan because of the strong men and a fortified city the spies sent to check it out had found there.

They let what they could see with their eyes stop them from trusting what God had promised them.

Only two men, Joshua and Caleb, trusted God and tried to urge the people to invade and take the land. They alone trusted more in the power and favor of God than in what their eyes could see or in what their minds told them was impossible. They said the land they had explored was ” an extremely good land.” They went on to say, “If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the Lord and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” – Numbers 14:7-9.

There are two conditions found in this passage: have faith and not rebel against God’s will. But instead, the Israelites were fearful, so they missed God’s best for them. While God still loved and favored the Israelites, providing for their every need (Deuteronomy 2:36), God allowed them to wander in the wilderness instead of walking into their promise, because of their unbelief.

As you go about your week, I want to remind you to let God be in control, one day at a time. I challenge you to try and understand the principles of God’s Word more deeply, that you might live in His perfect will. As He walks with you, He will lead you—but it’s up to you to obey. I challenge you to look beyond what your eyes can see, and, as you do, may God continue to grow your faith. If you don’t yet know Jesus, or you can’t understand how living with this kind of faith is possible, I invite you to accept Him into your heart today. Ask God to forgive your sins and help you live blameless before him. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9.

Welcome to the family of God! I pray you to begin to see the fruit walking in His will produce in your life!

Set Apart for Sacred Use

March 19, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today” –1 Peter 4:20.

God has always had a plan—before He spoke night and day into being, God had a plan. And, if you are a child of God—or will be, you’ve been factored into His plan, designed to fit. Your puzzle piece fits precisely. How? God is ordered and intentional, patient, and methodical. We would each do well to re-member that the next time some “suddenly” touches our lives, when that seemingly random thing happens, changing everything—God has a plan. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

As it had been in the days of his Father, Abraham, so now with Isaac, another famine had touched Canaan. Genesis 26 opens by informing us that Isaac decided not to go to Egypt, unlike Abraham. Instead, he was headed to Gerar to see King Abimelech. Yet scripture doesn’t inform us whether or not Isaac sought the Lord before doing this; it simply states: “The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.” Whether in answer to prayer—or not, God had a plan—and it was very good.

Yet God will allow His chosen vessels to be kissed by the fires of affliction—but its kisses will never overtake them. “So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” –Daniel 3:26-27. Isaac’s faith was being tested—refined, as by fire. A famine had struck the land.

The Lord will allow famines to touch our lives, health, family, finances, marriages, and children. Our ministries, plans, and dreams, all that He might test us, our faith in Him, our obedience, our loyalty to Him. In Scripture, Abraham’s life attests to this Truth. King David and Job’s, as well. God refines His people as He alone sees fit. He allows us to be sifted as wheat—yet not without praying we endure such siftings. He sifts some with a Saul, others with boils and a less than supportive spouse.

While others will be asked to sacrifice children on the altar of obedience. “Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.” Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” –Luke 6:61-62.

When faced with famine or some lack, spiritual or physical, will we opt to run to Egypt? To that place, we know we’re sure to find plenty, or at least what we want/need right now? Or will we remain in Gerar, where He has commanded us to sojourn for a season—no matter the cost, regardless of our uncertainties, disappointments, or any feelings of alienation we may experience while there? Will we choose to live in the place of God’s choosing, living by faith? Walking our faith out—being doers of what we so readily profess.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” –Hebrews 12:1-2.

Will we choose faith over fear? Will we “come out and be separate,” choosing to live as the Royal Priests we are? “Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you” –2 Corinthians 6:17; Isiah 52:11.

Isaac had to learn this lesson, so did Abraham, as did every brother and sister before us. And so must we. But how?

By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, our brother Peter points us in the right direction. This very day, and every day the Lord allows us to breathe, we are to remember who we are in Christ Jesus—by calling to mind God’s faithfulness, long-suffering, patience, grace, mercy, His unfathomable love for us. By re-membering, God chose us while we were yet covered in the filth of our sins. We must be intentional in remembering the cost our precious Lord willingly paid to save us. I pray our desire for the things of this world loses sway over us, even now, as we freely, joyfully, submit ourselves to the perfecting work of the Holy Spirit, alive in us. “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” –2 Corinthians 6:1-2.

Now we could continue on in Genesis 26, witnessing the Lord blessing Isaac for his faithfulness—lavishing him with material favor, because that is Truth. It is precisely what the Lord did. Instead, I feel led to loop us back to something far greater than any material blessing. Of course, I’m talking about God’s saving grace. So, let’s head back to what our brother Peter, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had to say in today’s Scripture verse. “Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today” –1 Peter 4:20.

Instead of speaking to you of the material blessings bestowed upon Isaac, which our God lavishly provides for His children, let me focus instead on that moment when God, in His infinite mercy, removed the scales from our eyes. Let’s choose to re-member that moment when God enabled us to see that we were once dead in our sin—slaves of the “iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.” Yet, because of Jesus, because of God’s infinite mercy and grace, because of His great love and Sovereign election, we now get to call Him Abba! Father! Sovereign Lord! Merciful Savior!

We get to worship this God who so loved Abraham and Isaac, so loves us, that He gave His Only Son, our Lord, to ransom us! “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God”–Hebrews 11:8-10, emphasis my own.

God has always had a plan—before He spoke night and day into being, God had a plan. And, if you are a child of God—or will be, you’ve been factored into His plan, designed to fit it. Your puzzle piece fits precisely. And this means you, too, friend. God is calling you to say yes to Him. Yes, to His plan and the purpose He has for your life. Today is the day, now is the acceptable time. “But my prayer to You, O LORD, is for a time of favor. In Your abundant loving devotion, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation” –Psalm 69:13.

Blessings, in Disguise.

March 5, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“The Israelites were leaving with their arms raised in victory. But the Lord caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to become brave. And Pharaoh chased the Israelites” –Exodus 14:8.

“I’ve heard it said, “nothing can stop God’s love, and God’s love stops at nothing.”

The Lord had told Abram that His chosen people would be afflicted for 400 years— “Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for 400 years” –Genesis 15:13. We read of the Israelite’s first steps towards freedom from their oppressor through the lens of today’s Scripture. They were leaving behind some 430 years of affliction and subjugation in Egypt. This bloody, tyrannical chapter in the lives of God’s people coming to a seemingly implausible close; God’s Word is inerrant, All-Powerful, it cannot return to Him void. So even as God spoke to Abram, a non-rescindable promise was released over future generations. God’s people would be free. God’s promise would be fulfilled. All of this then, in God’s own time.

No seeming victory by the prince of this world can ever come to bear over the will and plans of our Sovereign King.

It is God alone who gives Satan both the power and permission to execute his thieving, murderous plots and schemes so that, in the end, all men may witness God’s glory and victory over every evil, giving glory to God for the victory. “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this'” –Exodus 14:4.

So how do we respond when our blessings show up disguised as trials? When the love of God feels like anything but love?

Do we take God at His Word? Do we honestly know, trust, believe that even our trials are blessings in disguise? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” –Romans 8:28.

Scripture reveals two vastly different responses to this question.

Yet before we read about those, I pray the Holy Spirit gives us a fresh vision, a new level of discernment, that He does what only He can in removing the scales from our eyes, every preconceived notion we have concerning God, period. Specifically, I pray this as we walk through these perilous times of wars and rumors of wars concerning how we perceive God will, or will not, can, or cannot move, in our lives and our world. I pray we trust His Omniscience. I pray He refines us, bringing us to new levels of surrender to His will. I pray we catch a fresh revelation of the Sovereignty and Power of our God—and fully surrender ourselves to Him, leaving our every fear, our unbelief, need for control, our striving, and grappling at His feet. “Father, not our will, but Yours be done.” Amen.

Hear the heart of God’s people when faced with a situation that looked nothing like the blessing they had been told was coming. “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” –Exodus 14:10-12.

And later, having walked through a seemingly impossible situation, a sea divided, walls of water standing tall, straight, and obedient as soldiers at attention. God continued to stand watch, ensuring the last Israelite stepped out from between the walls of water before commanding them to stand down. God spoke, and the water came crashing down. Exodus 12 informs us some 600,000 men plus their women and children safely crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, the walls of water God had used to deliver His people; He also used to bury their enemy. Yet their grumbling continued. “Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” –Exodus 15:22-24.

Having endured a season of crushing, time spent in the wilderness, or the fire of affliction, how long do you walk around with your hands raised in victory and thanksgiving before dropping them, beloved? For the Israelites, it was three short days. The sea had been parted. They’d crossed over on dry land. They sang songs of thanksgiving and deliverance; then, their need for water appears to have washed away any remembrance of the miracle they’d literally walked through.

Is it any wonder that God calls us sheep? How easily we forget, go astray, want what we want, forgetting the blows the sin of rebellion once dealt us.

Until we come to a garden, that is. Not the first one; that is where all this finger-pointing, pride, and rebellion was born. It’s in the second garden, during the watches of the night—Scripture informs us it was about midnight that finger-pointing, pride, rebellion, every sin, was poured into one Life-demanding cup. Understanding fully now that accepting the cup meant death, Jesus knelt and prayed. He asked the Father if this bitter affliction might be removed from Him. But God said no. Not only did He say no, He waited as Jesus drank deeply and all, the very last drop of the sins of this world. Your sins—all of them. Mine, too, poured upon His Beloved Son. God knew the Cross awaited Jesus. Just as He knew, the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army awaited his people.

God also knew for our sins to be removed, for us to be restored to Him, Jesus had to die. That had always been part of His plan. We catch our first glimpse of it back in that first garden when innocent animals were killed; their bloody skins used to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. Even in our rebellion and sin, the heart of the Father is to provide for His children. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” –Genesis 3:21.

Jesus would eventually finish the work we witnessed in the garden when His Spotless Blood was shed as the final covering for all that those might accept His free gift of salvation.

So how do we respond when God’s love feels like anything but love?

Now, hear the Words of the One who said “absolutely! I’ll go” when asked to lay down His life in exchange for ours. Listen for Jesus’ pure tones of acceptance, resolve, trust, obedience, love, devotion, His wholehearted desire to do endure anything the Father asked of Him. “Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” –Matthew 26:38-39.

And a while later, going back to pray, Jesus’ heart is revealed to us a second time—God always confirms His Word. This same One who took away our sin-blackened garments and, not leaving us naked, cloaks us instead with His Pure White Royal Robes of His Righteousness. “He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done” –Matthew 26:42.

Friends, God has given us the unfathomable gift of free will. Not wanting robots that love, worship, or serve Him out of fear or some false sense of obligation or duty, God affords us the privilege of serving Him.

The cup Jesus drank in the Garden of Gethsemane affords us that privilege—still. Your ability to serve God, to call Him Father, to carry His Spirit, alive, in you, is the costliest privilege afforded any man, having cost Jesus His very life.

Two examples. Two vastly different responses. Willful rebellion and self-satisfaction on one side, complete surrender, and the giving of self for another, even unto death, on the other.

So not if friend, but when your blessing comes disguised as anything but a blessing, which of these responses will be yours?

If you have not accepted Jesus into your heart, why wait? Ask Him in now, friend. He’s just waiting for your invitation. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” –Revelation 3:20-21.

It’s Personal

February 19, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]” –John 16:7

While speaking to His disciples, Jesus said the above. His point? Not even death will keep Him from being with those the Father has given Him—His Beloved Bride. His disciples. You and me. “…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” –Matthew 28:20. He is the eternal One: The Alpha and Omega, God’s Logos. Bound by no-thing, nor anybody. He is our Promise Keeper—All-Seeing and All-Knowing. Time cannot constrain God, nor can flesh and bone, angel nor demon hide anything from Him who stands outside of the very time He created. Nothing is hidden from He who imagined and fashioned the flesh and bone, blood, cells, and sinew that uphold us. “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.”–Psalm 139.1-4.

This Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent God exists at once, within all His children.

Jesus had to look His beloved friends square in the eye and tell them; He would soon be leaving them, physically, that is. Have you ever stopped to consider how Jesus’s disciples felt hearing such news? Jesus knew His return to the Father would bless His friends. Being fully God and fully man, He knew the pain His words brought to His friends. I can only imagine that Jesus took some measure of comfort in knowing it was for their betterment. But sitting there in what indeed may have been a moment of slack-jawed silence, fear, and pain, Jesus’ disciples, had not one clue that soon and very soon, His Holy Spirit would be living within them, always.

In my anemic imaginings, I can almost feel the leaded gut-punch of Jesus’ statement landing squarely against His disciple’s defenseless hearts, lacerating them. And while pausing to imagine my brothers’ emotional states, I was reminded of yet another brother who had experienced similar pain, King David. I was reminded of his desperate anguish before the Lord. David had an illicit affair with Bathsheba then ordered Uriah, her husband, to be sent into a fierce battle, ensuring he would die there on the front line. David’s sin was great, and God had temporarily withdrawn His spirit from David. So, in a desperate, heartrending plea, David cried out to God r forgiveness, not to take His Holy Spirit from him—remember that? Unrelated to Jesus’ disciples, but akin in similar emotion; the fear of losing God.

I can empathize, can’t you? In allowing myself to imagine my life without God’s Holy Spirit living in me, at the helm of my life, a desperate panic grips my heart.

How could I live without the Holy Spirit’s comforting? His Ever-present-ness? His leading and guiding, opening, closing, correcting, and realigning, without His whisperings? His merciful, unmerited kindness? Without His friendship and unfathomable love? Even allowing myself to examine these vain imaginings is unnerving. Losing God’s Holy Spirit is as inconceivable to me as losing some piece of me; a leg, arm, or eye—being struck mute suddenly or going blind. Yet far more piercing even than any of these. I could live minus anyone of them. I would be the walking dead minus God’s Holy Spirit alive in me. And I experientially know this because I was the walking dead in my not-so-distant past.

Yet despite the pain I know Jesus’ disciples experienced, I, for one, thank Him for His unswerving obedience to our Father. For His physically coming into this world and physically leaving it as well. If you are God’s child, His Holy Spirit alive in you, then I am sure you are thank-full as well. We, my true brothers and sisters and I, scattered across the globe, millions each united as one now in Christ, by His Holy Spirit alive in us. Jesus loved us enough to leave us—bodily, that is.“…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” –Matthew 28:20.

As our Great High Priest, Jesus accomplished His work here on earth through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The Blood of God’s Perfect, Spotless Lamb, shed for the sins of the whole world. Having resurrected, He is our Great High Priest forever, seated now at the Father’s Right hand, as Intercessor He pleads our cause and presents our offerings before God. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” –Hebrews 4:14-15.

Back now, to Jesus and His disciples. We will continue looking at John, Chapter Sixteen, digging a bit deeper. But before we do, to recap: Jesus had just told His disciples He was leaving. It was time for Him to return to the Father. Not leaving them hopeless, Jesus promised them He would send a “Helper” His Holy Spirit. Jesus knew the work the Father had sent Him to do was nearing completion—His Cross before Him now.

In John Sixteen, starting in verse Eight, Jesus begins to unfold “why” the Holy Spirit is coming.

In part, He is sent into this world to convict it—of its sin and God’s righteous judgment, also, of the coming judgment. And in verse thirteen, Jesus reveals even more of the “why.” He goes on to say that when the “Spirit of Truth” comes, He will guide us, you, me, every Blood-bought believer in Jesus Christ, into all Truth. Seemingly, and in part, this Truth is the “so much more” Jesus spoke of in verse twelve? While in verses thirteen and fourteen, Jesus assures His friends that when the Holy Spirit begins to reveal future events to them, they can trust His voice—His leading, counsel, His revelation. Why? Because the wisdom of the One to come flows directly from Him. Jesus is His Source. Remember, up to this point, Jesus’ disciples have only known, trusted, relied on Him, Jesus’ voice, His teaching. So Jesus assures his friends that the Holy Spirit only speaks what He has received from Him, and that Jesus speaks only from what He receives from God. Triune Unity. “I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it” –John 12:49.

Perhaps penning the Revelation from Jesus while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, John remembered Jesus having spoken these very Words? But I stray.

In verse fifteen, we witness Jesus make plain the greatest mystery ever shared with humanity: The mystery of The Trinity. Here, Jesus makes plain yet deepens the Truth He has been speaking to his disciples from the beginning, He and the Father are One. Jesus now broadens their understanding of this marvelous mystery by including the Holy Spirit in this Oneness.

For the past three and a half years, His friends have solely depended on Jesus. Relied on Him to reveal, teach, expound on, point the way toward the Truth. Towards God and His Kingdom plan. They have witnessed Jesus’ miracles, healing the sick, lame, and blind, bringing the dead to life. Yet the disciple’s pain and disbelief, coupled with their yet limited spiritual understanding, momentarily prevents them from fully understanding that Jesus is not deserting them. Instead, He is passing the proverbial baton to the Holy Spirit. The One who will be with them now, living in them, always. They yet to understand that the work of the Holy Spirit is, in part, to point them, and all those who will come to belong to Jesus, “into all Truth.”

That He will spread God’s Truth globally, by revealing Christ, God’s Logos, person by person; the work of the Holy Spirit is nothing if not personal. And being one of those to whom He has revealed Christ, I thank God for my very personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. I thank God for the engagement ring Jesus slipped on my finger in the person of His Holy Spirit alive in me. Christ’s assurance He will fulfill the promise He made me, returning to bring me to where He is, eternally. And so, I wait. We wait, family. Assured and hope full—we are never alone. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given to Me [as Your gift to Me], may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, because You loved Me before the foundation of the world” –John 17:24.

Friend, Jesus died that you might have eternal life, live each day with His Holy Spirit alive in you. Leading and guiding and strengthening you—regardless of sins you may have committed. Won’t you ask Jesus to be Lord of your life today? Confess your sins and be saved!

Don’t Forget to Remember.

February 12, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done” –Psalm 143:5

Remember when the simple things brought joy to your childhood heart? I mean, really simple, like getting out of class 5 minutes early or going out for ice cream on a sizzling summer day? How about waking up on Christmas morning to find a pile of gifts ready for your little hands to tear open or when your mom cooked your favorite meal? Then, one day, seemingly while you weren’t looking, the simple things that once put a sparkle in your eye seem so ordinary now.

They’ve become so normal now; you complain when they don’t show up exactly as expected. Gone is the appreciation for the very thing that once brought you such joy. So many times, our spiritual journey can be a bit like this. The curiosity for the things of God can begin to fade when you neglect reading His word, forgetting to look for what He is saying to you through the Bible. The excitement for answered prayer can begin to fade as your prayer life takes a back seat to everyday busyness. God’s provision becomes so ordinary that you don’t even remember what life was like before His bountiful hand touched your life.

Failing to remember what God has done for you is an open invitation for complacency to come in and rob you of your destiny.

The Old Testament describes a cycle of forgetfulness in the Israelites, whom the Bible calls God’s Chosen people. God chose to favor the Israelites of all the people on earth, calling them His own people. Unfortunately, the Israelites’ fatal flaw was that they consistently forgot what God had done for them. They forgot who He was to them as their God, warrior, provider, and protector. For some background, the first few books of the Bible show us a bit of Israel’s history. We see, repeatedly, the signs and wonders God performed to lead His people into freedom.

While enslaved in Egypt, the Lord brought Moses to lead them out of the land of captivity. In these first few books of the Bible, we see God perform impossible acts for His people. These acts included the Red Sea parting for their escape from the Egyptian army, Manna from heaven for their daily bread, and a pillar of fire descending from heaven to lead them on their journey through the desert. They were in the desert for 40 years, as told in the book of Numbers.

When the people complained, it displeased the Lord, for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused.

The mixed multitude among them yielded to their intense cravings, so the children of Israel wept before the Lord again, saying: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it. Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased” –Numbers 11:1, 4-10.

When we remember Egypt…

The people of God remembered the wrong things. Sure, they recognized that they had fish in Egypt but forgot that they had been forced to build cities for a cruel master. Exodus 1 describes the Egyptians as “ruthless in all the tasks assigned to the Israelites while they were enslaved.” The people of Israel had forgotten how horrible their lives were in Egypt, but they remembered the meat they had eaten there. The manna that was once a miraculous provision from God Himself became a source of great murmuring and complaining.

Instead of continuing to be grateful for the nourishment given by God, they resorted to wishing they could trade their freedom for slavery again, simply for something different to eat. The Lord was angry with their complaining hearts. I’m convinced that it wasn’t the fact that they wanted something else to eat; instead, it was the fact they looked at God with anger in their hearts rather than as their provider. Asking Him for something other to eat, then trusting Him; however, He would have responded.

There are several stories of people in the Bible asking God for something different, and He provided the change they needed- whether it be laws or victories. He responded to a humble heart that asked for provision. But the prideful heart that complains and makes demands of God is not pleasing to Him. In the same way that the Lord provided for His people in ancient days, He continues to provide everything you need right when you need it. His favor is unmatched and will follow you wherever you go, so long as your faith and trust are in Him alone.

Because of their half-hearted trust in Him, the Lord did not allow that generation to see the land that would have been their home. “Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me” –Numbers 32:11.

While there is so much beauty and redemption in deliverance, equally, there is the danger of slipping back into old habits, reverting to old ways of thinking and behaving. Instead of fully turning their backs on Egypt, they walked, looking over their shoulder as if something beneficial had been left behind. Instead of fully trusting God and looking forward, eyes full of faith, trusting God for the promised land that lay ahead, they looked instead with physical eyes. Eyes that only saw the lack that came with living a nomadic life in the Egyptian desert. They almost entered the promised land but didn’t . The fear of their enemies and their lack faith in God prevented their entering in. The Lord waited for the older generation to pass away before giving Israel the land He had promised them.

God waited for a whole new generation, untouched by Egypt, to take over and occupy the land He had promised them.

Many times, our eyes are fixed on the wrong things. We, like the Israelites before us, remember the wrong things. Think back to when you felt like you were in a desert of sorts.

It’s hard when you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s hard when you can’t afford the groceries you want to buy. It’s hard when you feel like things are tough at work. Yet, it becomes easy too long for an oasis in those same desert moments, even if it meant taking steps backward to reach it. Yet this biblical account reminds us to keep pressing forward, even when it’s hard. It calls us to live by the principle; God is ever faithful, and feelings are fleeting. It instructs us to walk in obedience to God, even when things don’t seem to make sense.

Jesus is our key to communion with Father God.

Just as He wanted the Israelites free to live in community with Him, He wants us to be part of His family, too. Jesus made the way for that! He is our righteousness. You don’t have to have it all together to come to Him or to pray. Wherever you are, ask Him to come into your heart. Commit to living in obedience to Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Remember who you are today and who you have been, and, moving forward, never forget what God does for you, and give thanks in all things.

If you know Jesus, take a moment to recenter your heart and mind on Him today. Ask Him to purify your heart and help you trust Him in all things. And don’t forget to remember who He is and who you are in Him. And if you don’t know Jesus personally, if you haven’t fully surrendered your heart to Him, do it today.

“We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first. As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?” –Hebrews 3:14-16.

Category: Obedience (Page 7 of 10)

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