Tag: Obedience (Page 12 of 14)

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.

Moments.

January 29, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” –Deuteronomy 8:1.

As it was with God’s people in days past, so it is today. Born-again believers continue to make like decisions and choices, operating similarly to those who came before us. We won’t always understand our spiritual seasons unless we continually communicate with the Father. Are we faithfully reading His Word, fellowshipping, and gathering with like-minded brothers and sisters? Scripture teaches that “iron sharpens iron, so we sharpen each other” –Prov. 27:17. Our part in helping usher in the revelation of our unique destinies is by seeking God’s presence daily through His Holy Spirit at work in us. We must be intentional and vigilant to catch this revelation. We must ready ourselves and be careful to follow the commands of the Lord. These revelations will often come when we are at the feet of Jesus, just as Mary, Martha’s sister, once was. “As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message” –Luke 10:38-39.

Wilderness times of testing are inevitable! They will come. And God will humble us that we may come out of this testing refined, polished, and ready for what He has before us.

Typically, these “God moments” we experience happen when something meaningful happens in our lives. Often, our emotions are tied to these moments. Deuteronomy Eight tells us about one such moment in time.

The Israelites had to experience a season of testing before God allowed them to enter their “Promised Land.” This season of anticipation, of inheriting God’s promise, a promise that had been spoken of and handed down for generations, was now before them. The moment of their liberation was in reach. Yet knowing the oppression they had endured in Egypt; the Israelites had never anticipated that God’s promise to give them the Promised Land would be attached to a test. A test of their faithfulness—forty years of preparation, wandering in the wilderness.

As anticipation grew in the Israeli-Camp, they expectantly waited out what they thought would be eleven days of preparation before entering in. They were thrilled that finally, after what felt like forever, they’d be ushered into the fulfillment of God’s promise. Yet it would not be eleven days but forty years before they’d walk into their promised land.

God had warned the Israelites to follow His commands carefully, yet they could not obey even this one command. So, it wasn’t the physical distance between Egypt and The Promised Land that had delayed their taking possession of it. It was their disobedience, their grumbling, which had delayed their access. They thought they knew better than God. Disobedience, pride, grumbling, bitterness is what delayed the Israelites from taking possession of God’s promise. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it, this human condition? Our thinking we know better than God? It is so hard, even impossible, to obey God’s commands on our own, trusting God and not ourselves or our ideas. To be quiet and simply obey God. “Be still and know that I am God” –Psalm 46:10.

Before coming to know the Lord, this concept of simple obedience was foreign to me. It seemed unattainable. I was too busy, and “time was gold.” My prayers were quick, and everything else came first. Now that I’ve aged some, I call this time spent waiting on God a gift from my Father to me. I have learned that it is in the waiting that the Lord prepares me for my “moments.” I have assignments to fulfill. Every child of God does. And often, they’re scattered throughout our mundane, daily lives.

Also hidden within the mundane are many distractions. “The Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-42.

While working at a previous job, I remember when the Lord allowed me to share His love with someone, and I totally missed it. For days, I felt guilty for not obeying God. A seemingly small thing, yet it marked my life significantly. It was a missed moment. I was disobedient. I had been saved about five years at that time, yet I was paralyzed still by anxiety and fear; so intimidated, I withdrew. I lived a quiet life, not speaking up or out when I should have.

I was so torn by the fact that I had missed the moment. But I thank the Lord, He set me free from this oppression. From the fear, anxiety, and intimidation that once held me captive. Just as He had for the Israelites before me, instead, that missed moment became a memorial of sorts; it caused me to step out bravely, sharing His love with others instead of being quiet. It was part of my deliverance from these demonic forces that once had a grip on me. I have determined to share my experiences more openly and boldly as the opportunities present themselves. And in making that decision to be bold for Christ, my life was never the same.

Moments can grow, inspire, bless, and transform us as we walk out our faith. Romans Eight assures us of this.

God created us. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 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 8:27-28. Because of God’s Agape Love for us –aGreek term used to define a particular aspect of love. Love without condition, sacrificial, gracious, and underserved God is the source of agape love.God will allow what He knows is necessary to touch our lives, bringing about these moments that mark us—Think about God’s servant Job here.

And the key to not missing these moments is to spend quiet time with God in our prayer closets.

There is always a reason for all that God does or allows. But, as I said earlier, we must be ready, tuned in to His voice, prepared to receive so as not to miss our moment. As Scripture makes clear in Ecclesiastes: there is a time for everything under heaven. “a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build” –Ecc. 3:2-3.

Let us all pray this prayer throughout our New Year: “Lord, I Trust In You.” Regardless of what may happen, my eyes will stay focused on your promises and the command You gave to follow You. So I say yes, I will trust in You alone!”

Proverbs 3:5-6 says this same thing this way: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Typically, we only want to hear what we want to hear, yet it’s in those quiet moments spent alone with our Father where God whispers the plan He has for our lives, what He is testifying to within our hearts. It’s here too, where we must choose God’s way or our own. I pray, fast, refocus in my wilderness, and my moment appears after pressing, pushing, and standing. It is as though the Lord is saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Here is your reward” –Matthew 5:23. My previous test prepares me for the one to come. And I’ll face it with greater confidence, knowing that what I have seen God do before, He will do again – in more excellent ways. There are no limitations with God.

The mission is spiritual, but the victory is supernatural! Victory typically follows our wilderness experiences. It was no different for the Israelites. We witnessed Joshua lead his people into The Promised Land and conquer Jericho.

So be encouraged. Continue trusting in God alone. Follow and obey His commands.

Remember that His promises become our reality. Being one in Him, we will enter the Promised Land awaiting those that love Him and are called by His name. A Land flowing with milk and honey. “On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” –Joshua 4:19-24.

I encourage us all to make the following our New Year’s prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I give you my heart and make you Lord of my life. Making this decision for the first time takes a measure of faith. And Jesus strengthens us. He makes us new. He promises never to leave nor forsake you. So, march forward into your Promised Land with confidence. Be assured that Jesus will cause “moments” of revelation, the fullness of joy, peace, and abundant life to follow you! May His Love fill your heart as you embark on this spiritual journey! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Cor 5:17

A very blessed New Year to you!

Incognito Christianity.

January 1, 2022 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“And after these things Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took away his body. And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds” –John 19:38-39.

As children of God, we are called—chosen in Christ Jesus, to live out loud. To openly, and with unabashed boldness, share the Treasure we have been given with everyone we meet—no matter what happens. They’ll be no hiding our Light under some bushel, no selective sharing for us. No shying away—eyes averted. Instead, we must love our neighbor as ourselves—not because we feel like it, not because it’s safe or comfortable, but because God has commanded us to love them. To take what we have been freely given and, breaking off a piece, share it with everyone we meet—loaves and fishes. Whether they eat it—or not, like us for sharing His Truth—or not, whether they accept or respect us—we do it anyway. Whether we are persecuted or welcomed as brothers, beaten, lose our jobs or homes, lose our place among family, beloved friends, and colleagues. When we don’t understand for ourselves why God is asking us to share His Truth with a particular person or group. As those who profess to have been crucified with Christ, we must live fear-free and brightly—especially as the days grow darker, even unto our death. We must not be hearers of His Word—a mere depository; instead, we must be doers—conduits, streams, basins of His Love being poured out on a lost and dying world. Living out His Truth, our Truth, one sacrificial step at a time.

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

Allow me to pause for a moment to clarify: Are there times when Christians must live incognito, yes. Wisdom dictates they must. Yet in the end, faced with whatever circumstance they may find themselves. Even if it’s their martyrdom, they choose death over denying their Lord—each of the Apostles and countless other brothers and sisters are my witnesses. Living incognito is momentary at best. Living boldly for our God is a choice each Blood bought believer must make for themselves.

And so what is this Treasure we’ve so graciously been afforded? This unfathomable gift?

By no means is it a “some-thing.” Instead, He is the Third Person of the Trinity. God’s most Holy Spirit, living in us. Our Father has chosen to take up residency in His children. Emmanuel, God with us.

Philip, the Evangelist, one of the seven deacons chosen to faithfully serve the church in Jerusalem—Acts 6:5, coveted this Treasure. He chose to live in noonday-like obedience to the Holy One who lived inside of Him. And so he shared his Treasure with many. One of these was an Ethiopian eunuch whose chariot had broken down on the side of a road leading from Jerusalem into Gaza. But he was no palace guard, or one chosen to watch over a king’s harem. This eunuch was the treasurer of Candance, Queen of Ethiopia—a man of pedigree and position. This eunuch had far-reaching influence. Not that God is at all interested in this eunuch’s position or pedigree; after all, a quick scroll through the pedigree of the Fathers of The Faith drives home the point that God appears to care little for such things. And our listening in on a conversation between God and the Prophet Samuel confirms this. It serves to remove all doubt as to what, in part, God does consider essential. And it has little to do with our positions or pedigree—save any access perhaps said position or pedigree may afford us—in this case, having access to a queen, her court, and an entirely new people group. Listen to God’s heart on this matter. To what He describes to the prophet Samuel as being vital: “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart” –1 Samuel 16:7.

When the Lord saw the heart of this eunuch, a man hungering to know Him, He knew this man could be entrusted to serve His plan and purpose. And what was that plan? Same as it is today— Go into all the world and spread His Truth—further the reach of the Gospel message. Our God does not change. “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” –Mark 16:15. Part of this same plan is to be light and salt to a dark and dying world. To pick up the proverbial ball he’d just been handed and to run, full out, until he had passed it along to “whosoever” was willing to catch it, then, running full out in-kind—hand it off. Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. And God used Phillip’s faithful obedience, allowing his light ” to shine before men,” to lead this eunuch to salvation and baptism. –Acts 8:26-39.

“With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless…” –Psalm 18:25.

Unlike Joseph of Arimathaea or Nicodemus, even Philip, each Jews, Scripture does not clarify this eunuch’s faith—some scholars believe this to be intentional. Had this eunuch been a proselyte Jew? (a newcomer to Israel, a sojourner in the land, or a new convert to Judaism, perhaps)? Or was he a God-fearer? (A gentile who observed certain Jewish customs and rites yet did not convert to Judaism). God-fearer or Proselyte? We’ll never know for sure, at least not this side of eternity. Yet the one clue scripture does afford us is this: this eunuch had come to Jerusalem to worship the One, True, God. What we can say for sure, whether God-fearer or Proselyte, his heart hungered to know more of the Living God. To full out follow God’s Word and ways. How can I say this with such certitude? Because Scripture tells me so. Read for yourself the full of account of this eunuch’s story, of his holy hunger, and passionate pursuit of Godly living in Acts 8:26-40.

“The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”—Acts 8:34-36.

By now I suppose you may be asking yourself, “What do an Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip, an Evangelist, have to do with Joseph of Arimathaea, Nicodemus, or today’s scripture?”

My simple answer: Everything! As believers in Jesus Christ, each of these men’s lives speaks volumes of everyday believers’ choices. Shine our Light, or hide it, live out loud for Christ, or incognito? This decision, as much ours to make as it was each of theirs. Hence, I believe why John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, may have shined His Light on these two men. Object lessons in living with the consequences of our choices. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other” –Revelation 3:15!

To elaborate a bit: Joseph of Arimathea, who knowingly showed his defense of Jesus before the Sanhedrin (a group of pious leaders) who, like Nicodemus, was a secret, “under-the-cover-of-night” follower of Christ did, however, boldly showed His connection to Jesus, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, His Messiah, yet sadly, only after Jesus had been crucified. –Luke 23:50-51; Matthew 27:57; John 19:38.

And Nicodemus, the “Billy Graham” of first-century Jerusalem. A Pharisee of impeccable pedigree lauded for his scholarly knowledge; he too came to Christ hidden safely under the shielding cloak of night to have his many questions answered. And even though something deep within both these men was straining against their self-imposed control, threatening to erupt. Still, after having their every question answered, their curiosity assuaged. Even after Nicodemus proclaimed that Jesus had to have been sent by God, each man gets up and, cloaked by that same night sky, walks away. Lights each—yet hidden under baskets. Scripture doesn’t tell us what happens to these men once Jesus’ body was entombed. Their story shut up, sealed away, with the One they dared not live flat out for. Dared not lay down their life, family, position, and possessions, their status, and following. They dared not shine too brightly, lest others judge them, finding them wanting, shunning them. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea showed seemingly little desire to flat out follow Jesus, to serve and obey Him, unlike this simple Ethiopian eunuch.

Both the eunuch and Philip were unashamed in their desire not only to obey God but to live out what each knew and had experienced of God—openly, wholeheartedly, joy-fully. These were no incognito Christians. Are you?

Friend If you’ve yet to meet this Jesus I’ve spoken of today; I pray you do not close this teaching without asking Him to show Himself to you. He did it for the Ethiopian eunuch, for me and countless others, won’t you ask Him to come and live in you as well? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” –John 3:16-18.

Who Better Than The Master?

October 23, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability” –Matthew 25:14-15.

The same God of Springs burgeoning, embryotic buds and the verdant, leafy fullness of summer is the very same God of Fall’s brilliant, swirling colors and their seemingly final, fiery farewell, a showy changing of the guard really. He’s also the same God of the outward barren-ness of winter’s stark, snow-kissed branch, a masterful illusion. And, though diverse certainly, their bond and connection are their similarities—they’re seasons, each.

Each one, God’s gift to us, each bringing with it its own lessons, favor, and challenges; yet, if we’re wise, we will drink deeply from their unique cups—draining them dry across the span of our lifetimes, so as not to miss one precious drop of all God desires to teach us throughout our cyclical seasons, those of our holding on to, and of our letting go.

God entrusts each season with its unique lessons, expecting each to unfold them before us within their allotted time.

I was walking my dog as I do every morning, just drinking in the beauty of the sun playing in the treetops. I was admiring all the trees changing colors, no longer stark-thick green but so many now, red-tipped, others yellow, orange, others still, mixed variants of all the above. It was apparent that the season had changed. Yet behind the continued summer-like warmth of the waning sun on my face, a mask of sorts, laid the noticeable. Actual Fall had arrived. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and I was caught in a shower of falling leaves.

And, just as suddenly, God spoke: “Harvest season is over. It’s no longer time to reap; it’s time to store up, be a good steward over all of your resources.” I recognized my Father’s voice and sensed in my spirit, The good Stewart, that God was referring to managing, investing wisely, all of what’s He’s entrusted to us in this new season, hence our Scripture verse.

This Word is meant to prepare us—forewarn us, if you will, of something yet to come.

Whether that be a lean season on its way? —Think Joseph in Egypt here, some sudden turn in our societal or personal economy. Some collective “pinch” that will be felt across the Body of Christ or the globe? Or, perhaps, it had nothing to do with finances at all. But instead, it concerns the use of our talents and our time? Or, at the risk of sounding too vague, all the above? To tell you, “Thus said the Lord… it’s all about your money….” I’d be lying. Yet, as any watchman must, I’m sharing with you what God clearly said to me. And so, I encourage you to seek the Lord, asking Him how this Word, His Word, applies explicitly to your walk with Him in this season. ‘The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns” –Luke 12:42-43.

I would hate not to obey a Word from God because I’ve foolishly allowed myself to become deluded. Believing, unwisely, that I’ve somehow figured out how it is God will next move—as if a mere formula or His past acts could ever bind, or alter somehow, how God may choose to move, now, in this season!

Satan was once that puffed up, thinking he had God all figured out. But on the third day, when Jesus’ tomb was found empty, Satan discovered he’d been mistaken! So, to those standing outside of Noah’s Ark as the rain began to fall. God forbid, any such delusion be allowed the slightest room to grow within me, within any child of God—like some invasive, poisonous weed. Just because I’ve been walking with Jesus for some years now, I pray I never come close to thinking; pridefully, I have things figured out. More, foolishly believing, God’s “Living Word” has somehow lost its “Living-ness” due to my knowledge of it. That God’s ability to do as He pleases, whenever He so pleases, His being Sovereign, has ceased somehow?

Here’s what I know with fixed certainty, what I’ve been sent here today to tell you, confirm, for many I’m sure: the season has changed.

Our time of “squandering” God’s provisions, be they financial, His gifts, talents, His Gospel message, or the time we’re afforded—these being different for each of us (five bags, two bags, one bag) is well over. Soon and very soon, we will stand before the Master of the house and be asked to give an account of how we invested, nurtured, managed everything and everyone entrusted to us. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them” –Matthew 25:19. The Parable of the Bags of Gold clarifies for us the outcomes of those whom God had entrusted with His possessions. If you’re not familiar with this Parable, I will encourage you to go to Matthew’s Gospel and read Chapter 25 in its entirety.

I know with certainty this Word is a Word in season for me, yet I felt led to share it with you as well. I pray it is a confirming Word. And I pray that you will seek the Lord for His direction and guidance, allowing Him full and unfettered access to every “good thing” He alone has provided you. I pray you to entrust it all back into His Sovereign, capable hands, having used it wisely, invested it well. Who better than the Master of our house, after all, to instruct us in its optimal running? “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” –Matthew 25:26-29.

Friend, if you’ve read this far yet don’t know Jesus personally, you can no longer say that He’s never spoken to your heart. The very fact that you’re reading this now is because Jesus has led you and kept you here. He is talking to you, pursuing you, right now. Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. Won’t you invite Him to come into your heart, that He might share more of Himself with you? “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” – Revelation 3:20.

“When Gods Best Is, “No.”

October 9, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire” –Matthew 26:39.

God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. –Max Lucado

God’s answer to the anguished tone of Christ’s impassioned plea to be loosed from having to drink deeply of the bitter dregs of Golgotha’s cup; was a life-exacting “no.” God knew that part of Christ, His “fully man,” needed to hand over its will at that moment—dying there in Golgatha to what it wanted—making Jesus’ Cross possible to bear then as “fully God.” What needed to be accomplished only God could achieve.

It appears that it was in His flesh, His humanity, that Christ pleaded with God to save Him from that hour, sparing Him from the inscrutable trial He was about to face. Remember, Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Privy to feeling everything that we mere mortals can feel—all pleasures and pain; yet Jesus was without sin. “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin” –Hebrews 4:15. But God!

Again, In His Sovereignty, God knew Jesus’ flesh had to die. Why? Our only hope of being restored to right relationship with God—now, and in the world to come, hinged on Jesus’ obedience.

Ever wonder what hinges on your obedience? We’ll touch on that in a bit. But for now…

Three times, Jesus pleaded with the Father that if there be any other way around what He knew was coming, to let His cup of brutal suffering pass over Him. Let pass; what He knew would be a gut-wrenching betrayal, a savage, near-fatal beating at the hands of His ruthless Roman oppressors, to say nothing of His pain-full, shame-filled, very public crucifixion. We need only read what God says about any man hung on a tree to recognize the implication of Christs’ guilt and the shame Jews would have associated with His crucifixion. “His body shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall most certainly bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is cursed by God) …” –Deuteronomy 21:23.

And yet, God never intended for Jesus’ cup of suffering to pass over His Passover Lamb.

“Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS [crucified] ON A TREE (cross)”—Galatians 3:13.

So intense were Christ’s pleas to be delivered from the death He knew was imminent; the Bible informs us that as He knelt pleading with God, droplets of His blood mixed with sweat and stained the ground just beneath His slumped frame. “So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing” –Matthew 26:44.

The blood shed by God to cover Adam and Eve after their fall—a foreshadowing of Jesus’ Blood, attests to this Truth. “The LORD God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them” –Genesis 3:21. The blood the Israelites painted on the doorposts and lintels of their homes, yet another foreshadowing of Jesus’ Blood. “Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [above the door] of the houses in which they eat it. The blood shall be a sign for you on [the doorposts of] the houses where you live; when I see the blood I shall pass over you, and no affliction shall happen to you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” Exodus 12:7;13.

Now if you’re wondering, “why is she telling me that God’s best for me right now, may be His saying “no” in answer to my fervent prayers? Doesn’t she know how much I need hope! To be encouraged. Is she living in some corner of the globe where people aren’t living in fear? Fear of losing their jobs for noncompliance. Fear of being ostracized. Of being shunned by family or friends because they’ve chosen to exercise their freedom in Christ, saying yes and amen to what God has impressed on their heart. Fear they won’t have enough money to pay the rent or mortgage, buy groceries, and put gas in their car?

So why this? And why now?

I’ll pass your questions over to Jesus to answer…

Listen to what Jesus taught His disciples as He stooped low to wash their feet. What He’s teaching us today about obedience, humility, and preparedness. “I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.….” –John 13:15-17.

Much like God knew the hour had come for the “fully man” in Jesus to die, He also knows that time has come for us as well. The days of lukewarm half-stepping have long passed. God is calling those who are His to surrender their whole life to Him while it is still today. Dying to whatever their flesh may be tugging to hang on to—or avoid. Jobs, family, friends, feeling accepted, “fitting in,” running away from Jesus—and not wholly surrendering. Why? In part, for the same underline reason, Jesus had to submit. The reason God asked Father Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, “obedience.” We must be willing to give God whatever it is He may ask of us—even unto our very lives. He alone is God. Above Him, there is no other. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” –Genesis 22:12, emphasis added.

Jesus needed to lay down His life so that He could take it up again in three days, having defeated sin, death, and the grave then, once, for us all. Father Abraham needed to know there was nothing he’d hold back from God. So do you and me. We’re in that season of learning now—a season of preparation. Of our garments being scrubbed with a more powerful cleanser, a new strength of bleach being applied to those stains that have stubbornly clung to our garments—being made whiter than snow, without spot or wrinkle. The Bridegroom is coming!

So why this? And why now? Because it’s time, and you need to be ready.

Because like Jesus, our most excellent example, we must submit and submit and go back and submit again, until it’s finished, until our whole heart, all of it, can say, “not my will, but Thine will be done,” and mean it. And if it took Jesus thrice to surrender His whole will to God, then you must keep going back as many times as you need to. He is faithful to receive the humble and contrite in heart. “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]” –1John 1:9.

We each are in our own Gethsemane, Beloved.

In these final hours, minutes, perhaps, of the world as we’ve known it, we’re being made ready for the Bridegrooms return. That’s why I’m telling you all of this now. To point you towards a future and the hope that so many are desperately seeking. A future and hope found only in obedience to God in this hour. Not in striving or sinless perfection, that’s impossible; John 1:8 makes that clear, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” It’s by God’s grace alone, our unwavering desire to be obedient to Him, no matter what happens, that we are made whole and ready for our Bridegroom’s return.

So if God is moving on your heart today to give up something or someone or to stand firm in a God-given conviction, obey God. And, if you feel God tugging on your heart, know that you’re in Gethsemane too. That it’s now your time to say, “not my will, but yours be done, God,” and mean it.

“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” –Revelation 19:8

Jehovah Jireh—Yesterday, Today, Forever

September 25, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“He fed you manna in the wilderness, [a substance] which your fathers did not know, so that He might humble you [by dependence on Him] and that He might test you, to do good [things] for you at the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth’ –Deut. 8:16-17.

Outwardly, their grumbling was directed at Moses and Aaron. In truth, however, the Israelites were grumbling against God. It was God’s abilities they were calling into question—not Moses’. God’s ability to provide for them. It had started at the edge of the Red Sea when the Egyptians, Israelite’s savage oppressors, had them hemmed in—in front, a wall of charging chariots and fierce soldiers in hot pursuit, and behind, an impassable sea. “Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” –Exodus 14: 11. The Israelites’ persisted in their grumbling at Marah when the only water for miles was bitter. And the grumbling continued during their barren desert trek concerning what they’d be given to eat. Then again at Rephidim, also concerning water, “So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?” –Exodus 17:2.

Until the time of His death, the Israelites were relentless in their tetchy grumbling against Moses.

As modern-day Christians, how like the Israelites of old many of us can be, waspish in our complaining—often petulant and unbelieving, even while professing our faith in the God who knit us together in mother’s womb. We complain about our jobs or our boss, or our lack thereof. We complain about the size of our house or the lack of desired clothing not hanging in our wardrobes. We complain about the weather—it’s too hot, too cold, too rainy, too dry. We complain about where we live. “Why couldn’t I have been born in Hawaii or Fiji or Spain instead of ________?” All the while, precious brothers and sisters are being martyred for their faith in Afghanistan.

And like the Israelites before us, we too forget, at times, that at the heart of our grumbling, at its core, is our professed dissatisfaction with God—our complaining aimed at Him. Our unrelenting questioning of His motives, intentions, those things He allows to touch, influence, or straight-up change life as we’ve known it, is, too often, tinged, not with honest questioning, but with lack of faith. As if we, His creation, somehow know better than God, our Creator, which experiences, and paths are best for us. As if we, in our overinflated sense of self-importance, feel, somehow, that we know better than God what will ultimately bring about His plan of our being fashioned into the image and likeness of His Son—our purpose.

Am I the only One who finds themselves murmuring of late?

Whispering complaints under my breath against any host of circumstances, people, or events—praying, in one instant, that God has His way in my life. That He builds-up or tears down whatever needs reworking in me, that I might draw closer to Him, serve Him with a pure heart? While in the next minute forgetting, momentarily, that my God is Sovereign. And His Words command me to give thanks in every circumstance in which I find myself—regardless of how I feel. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God” –1 Thessalonians 5:18.

There are no accidents in life, not even in those events our finite-limited minds define as such. In God’s economy, He has already made provision for our perceived losses before they could ever affect us. “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” –Romans 8:28.

To believe otherwise flies in the face of God’s Sovereignty.

Our God is not caught off guard by where we find ourselves right now, whatever our circumstance—be that employed, unemployed, clothed in the finest, or in second-hand clothes. Belly full or empty, body toasty warm or bone-chilling cold, wet, dry, vaccinated, or not, joy-full, or in mourning. “I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation— to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:12-13. El Roi, the God who sees me, the very same God who saw Hagar laying on a hot and dusty desert floor, knows where each of us is right now. And, He has already made a way out of this place in which we now find ourselves, though we can’t see it quite yet. For me personally, that’s day two of mourning the loss of my only brother—my beloved friend. The One I sat laughing with just two weeks ago as he recounted childhood tales of adventures we’d shared.

Though frail then, he bravely did all he could to shield my sister and me from the pain cancer was causing in his body. There is no way I could have put this teaching out today and not mentioned one of the most significant, most hard-hitting, darkest valleys I have experienced to date; witnessing my brother die.

To tell you that it was not difficult would be a bald-faced lie. It was agonizing, as anyone who has witnessed a loved one inch away daily can attest. But it’s not towards my brother’s struggle or pain or even his passing that I want to point you; instead, it’s towards God. Towards the One who provides for our every need, even the strength to let go when all we want to do is selfishly hold tight. I want to point you towards His waterfall of mercy, grace, peace, and provision—towards His faithfulness. Both towards my brother, in God never once leaving him to walk through the dark and unfamiliar valley of death alone, always ensuring that he had everything he needed right when he needed it, down to our being with him as he took his final breath, and towards us. Giving each of us His strength in place of our human weakness. This leads me to God’s faithfulness to me personally. To one of the greatest blessings of my life, indeed, one of the most bittersweet. The sure knowledge that the God of the 11^th hour answered my prayers for my brother’s salvation and met him as he lay dying in his bed. And, in His great mercy, quenched my brother’s parched soul with Living Water, washing him white as snow.

“But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life” –John 14:4. God met my brother in his dry and solitary bed of suffering as assuredly as He’d met Hagar as she lay crying out to Him on that hot, arid desert floor.

That’s our God. The One who comes and provides those things we didn’t even realize we needed.

I have peace in the knowledge and the greatest of blessings knowing that in my brother’s darkest hour, the Light of the world came and did for him what none of us as his family could. He drew close to my brother and lit the way before him, leading him to the place He had prepared for him. I know this because our God is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Our God is faith full. Yesterday, today, and forever. A Pillar of Fire by night and a covering of Cloud by day—our Protector.

My family and I may have been blessed in having had the great privilege to care for our brother in his final hours, but clearly, it is Christ Jesus alone who deserves all the glory. In His Sovereignty, God orchestrated all things to work together for the good of all involved—according to His will, and for His glory.

Friend, if you have yet to ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, do it today, please. No man is promised tomorrow. “But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that 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. For with your heart, you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved” –Romans 10:8-10.

In Loving Memory of Richard M. Murphy

Do Everything In Love, Part 2.

August 21, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

“Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us)” – 1 Corinthians 16:14.

A few weeks ago, while asking for guidance on what to teach, the Holy Spirit directed me to the refreshingly simple and profound message of doing everything in love. Immediately, I was filled with the Lord’s peace and joy, and I smiled at God’s gentle reminder and His answer to my prayer. Not long before having sought the Lord’s guidance, I’d been doing a bit of mental juggling. I was trying to determine the most effective way to share the knowledge of Jesus Christ with someone I know. God’s reminder to do “everything in love” reminded me that sometimes I might overcomplicate things in my head regarding the “how” I’ll share the reality of Jesus Christ with others. Forgetting at times the Word of God makes clear “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord’ –Isaiah 55:8.

I was focused on capturing this person’s attention while in His infinite mercy and grace; God wants to transform their heart and life, bringing them from death into life, knowing full well their mind will surely follow.

By this, I was reminded of Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church. He had reminded them to focus on their love for God, for from that love, that starting place, they would then flow in genuine love, affection, and honor towards each other. The Bible says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). Paul’s heart, purpose, and his calling were, in part, to point both the Church in Corinth and us towards the love of God—just as Jesus did. The Bible is replete with examples of Jesus directing both His disciples and those He taught in the Synagogues towards the love of the Father. Christ came, gave His life, that we might be restored into right relationship with God. Scripture makes clear that Jesus’ love was sacrificial, compassionate, truthful, servant-hearted, counter-cultural, selfless, and that it remains revolutionary and life-changing even unto today. The power that enabled Jesus to “do everything in love” is the very same power that indwells every born-again believer allowing us to do the same miracles Jesus did. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” –John 14:12.

So in an everyday practical sense, what does it look like to do “everything in love”?

Above all else, it is spending one-on-one time with God. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” –1 John 4:8. Our time spent drinking in God’s Word allows it to take deep root; marinate within us, if you will, whether through praying, confessing, listening, dancing, or singing praises unto Him. Our time spent with God will fill our minds with the knowledge of Him and fill our hearts with a deeper understanding of His enhancing Love. The more we dwell in God’s presence, the more we learn the nature of our God, the more too, we ought to be reflecting that same heart towards others through our deeds, actions, and attitudes—a living proof to the world around us of the Light that lives within us.

With the above as our starting point, next, we do “everything in love” by meeting people right where they are. Right at their “well.” Exactly as Jesus did when He met the Samaritan woman where she was—standing in her sin and shame beside Jacob’s well. Yet God did not leave her there, and neither should we. Just as Jesus did, we too must share Living water with all those we meet, giving them God’s Word—His eternal Truth—because only Jesus can satisfy the deepest longings of their soul. So following Jesus’ lead, we too must meet people right where they are. Regardless of their lifestyle, circumstance, or societal status. Our job is to love people and to speak the Truth of God’s Word in love, with compassion and kindness, pointing everyone we meet towards their Savior. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” –Matthew 9:36.

We do “everything in love” by being patient, kind, honorable, and truthful to others. The Bible states that “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” Corinthians 13:4-8.

So sometimes, doing “everything in love” means encouraging one another, speaking life into those who are battle-weary. Or it can also mean speaking that hard Truth to someone because we love them, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” Proverbs 27:5. To “Do everything in love” means that to the best of our ability, we must love as God loves. Our hearts ought to be compelled to love this way because God first loved us in this way. He loved/loves us unconditionally, graciously, mercifully, patiently, with tender, loving-kindness, and He demonstrates each of these to us still, “Let everything you do be done in love (motivated and inspired by God’s love for us).” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 [AMP]

Why Love? Because love draws us close, makes us come alive, extinguishes fear, guides us, frees us, and compels us. And so, I pray that every chance you get, every window of opportunity opened to you, whether in speech or deed, you demonstrate, cultivate, point, or redirect others to the love of Jesus Christ.

And I pray that when you do, the glory of God shines even more brightly from you, being magnified all the more because of Him who dwells within you, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” 1 John 4:12. I could talk forever about love because it is a beautiful emotion and is made all the more powerful when it’s put into action to accomplish God’s will. God, the maker of heaven and earth, knitted that element of His divine nature into humanity’s DNA, and it’s that force, that spark of the Divine, Him with us all, that stirs us from within and is used to birth within us the desire to pursue Him—to answer His Call.

It can be challenging to demonstrate God’s love to those we feel are undeserving of it in our flesh.

Thankfully, as Christians, we live by faith and Truth and not according to our carnal feelings—at least we ought to be living that way. And because of this, we choose to live differently than those in the world around us, not being guided by how we feel; instead, we rely upon the Holy Spirit to empowers us to “do everything in love” despite ourselves. Not because we are superior in any way, no. It is because we live with the undeniable knowledge that one second before Jesus revealed His Love for us, to us, we too lived the way those in the world do. And as undeserving as we are, God still continues to demonstrate His love to us daily. If only we exercised more love, perhaps our homes would flourish, and our world would be a more loving place.

So, it’s because of Jesus, because He first loved us, loves us still, that we choose to live in such a way as pleases God. So be reminded, fellow believers, that we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. As such, everything we do, from our thinking to our words, ought to be rooted and motivated by Godly Love. I know of no other love like this. There is no other love like the love of Jesus. And so I pray that if you haven’t accepted Jesus into your heart, you’ll do it today! That today is your day to receive and experience God’s unconditional love for you. “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. 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 3:19-21.

Face it, Afraid.

August 14, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

I found myself on the shoreline of the most beautiful beach I’d ever seen; one might call it by happy accident. With only one way in and one way out, you’d never know this beautiful beach was even there except fate lead you, as it did me, and, once discovered, it was truly a sight to behold. Encircling the steep shoreline were cliffs that hold back an ocean that seemed to come alive as the wonder of what lies beneath its surface beckons onlookers. Copper sand sifted between my toes while my curiosity led me down the steep coastline that continued to descend rapidly into the water, a swimmer’s dream. With its splintered walls and four decaying posts, a hut stood not too far in front of me. It served as a resting spot for tired surfers and swimmers. “There is no way that thing is safe,” I thought as I observed the veteran swimmers hop up onto its deck. I could sense the power of the ocean as its banks tried their best to hold all that power back just long enough for me to be able to absorb the beauty before me. But the feeble ability of the shoreline proved no match for the powerful might of the ocean. So, its efforts at holding back the more sea didn’t last awfully long.

The receding water was the ocean’s way of communicating that trouble was on the way, or so I thought. I sensed impending doom. A tsunami-type wave was approaching. Panicking, I RAN to try and get everyone to safety. To hurry them out towards the only tiny opening available for everyone to escape through. This once beautiful oasis quickly became my nightmare. And yet, no one else seemed phased by this enormous wave that was mounting up higher now than my eyes could see over. Then, just as that terrifying wave crashed, I woke up, heart pounding, gasping for air!

In my dreams, I found myself on this beach several more times. Each time I wondered what my being there meant. On one such night, I pushed the limits of my fear and feelings of doom and just stood on the shoreline. And this time, like everyone else in the dream, I didn’t move when the wave finally came. Yet the anxiety that stood with me in my dream felt as powerful as that tsunami-wave had looked, and it told me it had come to take me away. And just as I braced for its crash, nothing. Nothing happened to me. The wave crashed, and it didn’t take me out. It didn’t destroy the hut, and everyone else just continued with their day.

The once anxiety-inducing tsunami, which had become a regular occurrence in my dreams, lost its power once I faced it afraid.

I’ve shared this dream in-depth with you because it marked me. Since I was a child, I have found comfort in the Bible stories of Joseph of Samuel. If you read their stories, the former proves that God can speak to us in dreams, and the latter proves that His voice is not partial to adults. Yes, even children can hear His voice, just as young Samuel did in the Old Testament. Like Joseph, I believe God was teaching me something about bravery in my dream.

Anxiety can often feel as real, terrifying, and overwhelming, inescapable, and larger than life, as that wave in my dream felt to me. But alas, God is not surprised by our anxiety or stress. He is aware of this very human condition and gives us guidance on how to handle it—with Him. In Joshua, we find a young man who has suddenly been raised to power in the wake of his predecessor, Moses, death. God is about to lead His people (the Israelites) into the land He promised to them. But before Joshua can get his men ready for battle, the Lord God gives him explicit instructions and a directive: Be “strong and courageous.” In fact, God gives Joshua this same directive three times within Joshua, Chapter One. God knew that this would be a high anxiety situation for him. Any human heading into battle, weighing victory or defeat, would be anxious imagining what lies ahead.

I imagine God knew Joshua’s mental state of mind required one of the greatest pep talks we see in the Old Testament. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” -Joshua 1:7-9.

Culture tells us that we can’t help feeling anxious. We can’t do anything to help with our anxious thoughts. It tells us that we can’t control what we think or feel. But this verse says otherwise. Within it, God instructs Joshua to go against his anxious thoughts and feelings and choose strength and courage instead!

Now, I’m not saying we’ll never have moments of fear or anxiety, but I am saying this: God will always give us the power not to have live-in, stay stuck in our anxiety. Through His Word, He gives us the tools not to allow our emotions to cripple us. Instead, He empowers us to face our fears with courage and strength. It’s as if this passage is our “how-to” on living courageously.

Obedience is at the helm of God’s instruction.

After telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, the next thing God tells Joshua is to “obey all the law Moses gave” (v. 7). Remember, before his death, Moses, one of the most important prophets of all time, was Joshua’s mentor. The laws that Moses passed on were given to him directly from God himself. So when God tells Joshua to obey Moses’ law, God is, in fact, telling Joshua to obey His law. There is order. God didn’t give Joshua a new set of laws; He told him to honor what had already been set before him. Furthermore, God tells Joshua not to “turn to the left or the right” (v. 7), speaking of having a singular focus. If Joshua had allowed the many voices that I’m sure were clamoring for his attention to distract him, he wouldn’t have been able to fix his focus on God and was He was speaking to him. So what is the takeaway? First, we must obey the Word of the Lord. Not looking to the right or left, we must focus solely on Him, honoring His commands.

The next thing outlined in this passage; we find in verse 8. God reiterates His first point: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In this world riddled with distraction, it is easy to forget what the Truth is. We hear numerous self-affirmations, motivational speakers’ thoughts and ideas, and good vibes sayings, and we almost believe those things to be the truth. Yet so much of what the world says is true does not align with God’s perfect Truth. To give one example, how many times do we hear, “do what makes you feel good?” But the Bible says this regarding the world’s truth: “the heart is deceitful above all things” -Jeremiah 17:9. This Truth is just one of the many such examples found in Scripture concerning our feelings. Yet, in this one verse, we learn that although something may “feel good,” that doesn’t always mean it’s the right thing to do. Truth is found only in God’s Word. So if you are searching for The Truth, not others’ opinions or some feel-good message, spend time learning the Truth found in the Word of God. Listen to Godly podcasts and read books that will help you to grow in your faith.

Spend time in prayer. It is there, and only there, where God promises you will be prosperous and successful.

Finally, God seals this segment by promising Joshua His presence. He’s not giving Joshua an ultimatum in it by saying, “only if you’re not afraid, will I be with you,” or “don’t be afraid, or else I won’t be with you.” I understand this instead to be a comforting saying, “I’m with you; therefore, you have nothing to be afraid of.”

When I was younger, the house I lived in with my parents was located within the woods. I was so afraid of the dark. I would not go outside by myself under any circumstance. Yet, whenever my dad was with me, my story changed. I had nothing to be afraid of if dad were with me because I knew he would take care of anything that might attack or harm me. I think this is the same sense of security that God was trying to instill in Joshua. God gives Joshua his instructions, and then God rewards Joshua’s obedience with His presence. A presence that did not and does not fail—any of us.

Maybe you’re in a place where you feel you can’t face the waves of anxiety that are coming at you in life. Yet if you’d dare to stand on the shore and allow yourself the experience that the wave won’t kill you, after all, you’d find that fear truly doesn’t have to own you. Maybe you’re like Joshua, and you need to be reminded several times over to be strong and courageous in your present circumstance? Whatever it is, the apostle Paul reminds you to “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6.

So if you’re anxious or fearful today, I encourage you to respond to your fear with prayer. Respond by reading and meditating on the Word of God. Start by surrendering your heart, whether for the first or the hundredth time and humble yourself before God. Repent of your sins. Ask God for His forgiveness and that He leads you in His ways. Pray these verses to God. And as you dedicate time to learn His Word and commands, He will bless and prosper your faith. I pray your heart’s desire is for God to be with you all the days of your life. I pray that you find the courage to face your wave and fulfill the God-given purpose you were created to, even if it means you do it afraid.

And, if you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior, please “be strong and courageous ” and do it now. The same promises God made Joshua can be yours today. Why wait another day?

Previews…

March 6, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” –1 Samuel 16:12-13.

The Word of God is full of these—previews, I mean. Of God allowing His chosen to catch some small sliver of a glimpse of the destiny, they’ve been set apart to fulfill…

One minute a young David is out in the field tending his father’s sheep, and the next, his father’s servant is calling out to him. “David, come quickly; the prophet Samuel is asking after you!” And right there, in the presence of his slack-jawed family, in one life-changing, whirlwind of a moment, David, a young shepherd boy, is anointed Israel’s new King. “Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance” –1 Samuel 16: 10-12. And although it took only a few short minutes for Samuel to seal the destiny of this newly appointed boy-King, it would take David’s “preview” some 15 plus years and beyond to bear mature fruit. And Scripture is littered with examples like David’s. Of the destinies of God’s chosen suddenly being shifted on a dime. Of the so-big plans of God being carried out by His finite creations. Examples of men and women who were changed in an instant, yet it took years for them to grow into the fullness of their calling. A calling God had deposited within them in less time than it takes us to blink! One such example that comes to mind is Joseph, Jacob’s youngest son…

I have to wonder how many times Joseph thought, “Lord, why all this lag time,” as he watched and waited for his preview to come to pass? (Lag time: that period, however short or long, God uses to prepare us for the destiny He’s allowed us to catch some glimpse of). Remember, Joseph was about 17 years old when God gave him a glimpse of his future via a dream. Then, shortly after sharing that dream with his family, he was violently ripped away from his beloved father and sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. After which, Potiphar’s wife unjustly accused him, and he was imprisoned. While there, he was betrayed by those he had worked to free. Then, finally, some 13 years later, at the approximate age of 30, Joseph entered Pharaoh’s service, becoming the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. And soon after that, the dream given him by God when he was 17 was finally fulfilled when those who had sold him into slavery came and bowed down before Joseph. You can read all about Joseph’s extraordinary life in Genesis, Chapters 37- 50.

My apology; we were talking about David.

Some scholars suggest David was somewhere between 12 to 15 years old when he was anointed King by the Prophet Samuel; you can read about this in 1 Samuel, Chapter 16. And yet, David would not ascend to his throne for another 15 plus years. Sound familiar? Didn’t we just read of something similar happening to Joseph? We’ll need to jump over to 2 Samuel 5 and beyond in order to read the account of David’s ascension and reign. And then, moving on from David, let’s look at others throughout the Scriptures who’d caught a preview of their destinies as well.

We’ll start with a young Galilean girl from Nazareth named Mary. She had been given a glimpse of God’s calling on her life—and so had her fiancé, Joseph. Apocryphal accounts say Mary was between 12 to 15 years old when she became betrothed to Joseph. Yet before they could marry, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary—changing the course of her life forever—Joseph’s too. “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you”—Luke 1:26-28. Verses 30-31 goes on to tell us that Gabriel told Mary, this newly engaged virgin, not to be afraid, that she was going to have God’s baby—and she was to name Him Jesus, listen: “Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.” And then there’s John the Baptist, Elizabeth’s son. And Father Abraham. God called him to leave behind his family and country, all that was familiar to him—to set off towards a destiny that would rival even that of a Hollywood blockbuster! And the list goes on and on. There’s also a young Samuel, woken up one night out of a sound sleep by God’s preview on his life. –1 Samuel 3. And then Moses, who went from a babe being drawn from the Nile in a pitch-sealed basket to a mighty prince of Egypt, turned wilderness shepherd before finally being used by God to free His people from the tyrannical grip of Pharaoh –Exodus, Chapters 2-5. And We haven’t even touched on the Apostles Peter, John, and Paul; each of these men and women hand-chosen by God—and all of them given a “preview” of sorts.

So why the lag time between their being called and that call being fulfilled? Why, since God had chosen them, didn’t He just use them right away? Why so long for David to finally take the throne? Or for Joseph or Abraham to see the call on their life fulfilled? Why did Moses have to experience so many tests and trials? And why will you and I have to endure lag time as well?

The answer is “simple—yet not.”

First, the simple: It’s about election and preparation. The simpler part of it, well, simple for God at least, is election—being chosen in Him: God’s initial call on their lives bubbled up from a deep place within them in an instant—it was effortless. But the preparation part, well, that took some time. That required God to prepare them for the preview He had given them. Preparation then is the “yet not” piece of, “simple, yet not.”

Their preparation would involve God having to strengthen and refine their trust in Him—in His ways and timing as they faced the many challenges and trials that answering His call brought with it. He was teaching them to walk out the “how” of His call on their life—that stepping out in faith part. That, faith over feelings—regardless of what it looks like, part. Think Paul here in Acts 9. Think of the reshaping that God did in Him, the breaking down, and the rebuilding that took place deep within him as he spent three days and nights in that room on Straight Street, having been blinded after seeing God. “He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink” –Acts 9:9.

Times of preparation allowed each of the above mentioned to grow into God’s unique call on their life. They afforded them both the circumstances and the opportunities to learn about accepting heartache and loss. To grow in love, they discovered new levels of sacrifice and how to be stretched to the point of breaking yet trusting God that they wouldn’t be. But that’s only after passing their first test, that of answering God’s call on their life. Then, and only then could they start putting one foot in front of the other and, over time, through adversity and times of great confusion or suffering, learn to follow God wherever He led them. And through all of this, they became awoken to what some may say is the hardest of all God’s lessons—trusting His timing. It’s Scripturally sound to say that of the many things God will use to test our calling, His use of time is undoubtedly one of His biggest. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day “–2 Peter 3:8.

So, let me ask you, has God shown you a preview? Has He allowed you to catch some small sliver of a glimpse of His call on your life?

Are you heading off to Bible College? Is God calling you into your first pastoral position? Or, maybe, He’s calling you to head up the worship team or become an evangelist or missionary? Perhaps He’s just calling you to get up out of your pew and join in? Does God want to use you somewhere in the board room, city council, or the Nation’s Capital instead of in the pulpit? As a mom instead of a worship leader, or maybe you’ll be both? Wherever that “bubbling up” from your depths inevitably takes you, of this one thing be assured, friend: there will be times of preparation ahead. But oh, the joy they’ll bring with them! The surpassing peace and unplumbed Love of God you’ll experience by stepping out in faith and learning to trust His mysterious ways and timing, learning to accept heartache and loss, love, and sacrifice—the ever-changing-same-ness of God. The fixed fluidness of following Him. And the learning to be stretched to the point of breaking yet trusting God that you won’t be. Learning, as Mary Fairchild so aptly put it: We can pour out our honest desires to God, even when we know they conflict with his, even when we wish with all of our body and soul that God’s will could be done in some other way.

Learning, like Mary, David, Joseph, and Peter did, as Jesus did, to say: “Father, not my will but Thy will be done” –Luke 22:44.

Friend, I hope you know this God who both calls and prepares us for the previews He allows us to catch. But know this: if you don’t yet, you can today. Know that God’s Word brings salvation. Won’t you ask Him into your life as Lord and Savior right now? “But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that 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. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved” –Romans 10:8-10.

What’s in Your Hand?

February 14, 2021 / ministermaryellen@gmail.com

Somewhere on the far side of the wilderness, there’s a heaven-meets-earth moment waiting for you. It’s just past the whirlwind of insecurity that can leave you feeling the sting of defeat. It’s beyond the doubts that tell you that there is nothing about you that could ever make a difference in this life because you’re just an average person.

But what if? What if I told you that the Creator of the universe wholeheartedly disagrees with you? What if He could take your most common attribute and make it extraordinary? God is not afraid of your inabilities; instead, He sees abilities in you—you never even knew existed. And so, it was with an unlikely character we encounter at the beginning of the Old Testament. His story a remarkable one, filled with redemption. Moses, a Hebrew turned Egyptian Prince born during a very hostile and oppressive time in Egypt’s history.

Follow me as I paraphrase Moses’ story. I believe historical context is important:

…During Joseph’s reign in Egypt, he was second in command of all Egypt. Scripture tells us the Israelites prospered and multiplied while under his care. “…the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them”—Exodus 1:7. So much so that even after his death, they continued to thrive and flourish because Joseph had been so highly revered and regarded. The Bible informs us that the Israelites did far more than merely exist in this new land; they fully occupied it.

Now, fast forward 400 years. Joseph is long dead, and a new Pharaoh has been appointed. One who found Joseph’s legacy irrelevant, and the Israelites’ success in their small Egypt corner a threat to his rule. His response then—enslave them all. It’s extreme, I know. And, sadly, it only gets worse from there. To decrease the Hebrew population, Pharaoh ordered all the male babies be killed at birth.

Meanwhile, a humble yet audacious Hebrew woman gives birth to a son. And in her desire to save him from Pharaoh’s death decree, she sends him floating down the Nile river in a pitch-protected basket. And Pharaoh’s daughter was just a way downstream, bathing. Her handmaids were with her; they saw the basket and brought it to her. She was delighted, believing this was a gift from the gods! Little did she know that he would one day become the Hebrew God, Yahweh’s gift to His own people. She sends for a Hebrew slave to come and nurse the child, but the slave who comes ends up being the child’s mother.

Even amid oppression, God still showed kindness to his people.

After the child was weaned, he was sent back to Pharaoh’s daughter. She gave him the name Moses, and he grew up in Pharaoh’s palace. As you read in Exodus, skipping ahead, after a series of destiny-shaping events, Moses ran away from the palace to Midian, today’s Saudi Arabia. There he met his wife, worked as a shepherd, and started his family. All of that could have been his happily ever after, but God had other plans for Moses’s life. One day, this Egyptian prince-turned-shepherd led his sheep to the “far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God” –Exodus 3:1. In the perfect position for a heaven-touches-earth moment, Moses was all alone on the mountain, and he got that exact moment! We know that God manifested as fire burning within a bush, yet the bush wasn’t burning up—this mystified Moses. God had preserved Moses, allowing him to be rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter, to now stand before this burning bush. And the same God that saved Him was now commissioning him to go and free His enslaved people, the Israelites, just as He had promised Moses’ great-great-grandfather He would do hundreds of years before. God says to Moses, “the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” –Exodus 3:9-10.

Let’s pause here for a moment and figure out where we fit into this story.

From Joseph to Moses, the above events didn’t happen in a day, a week, a month, or even over a year’s time. Over the years and lifetimes, these events occurred by God having placed these men strategically into positions where He would equip them to lead His people out of the places and circumstances that oppressed them and led to their suffering. And so, He might do this same thing for you, too. Perhaps that’s where you fit into this story? You may feel like you’re on the “far side of the wilderness,” but God has not forgotten you there. Even as you read this, you’re just moving along, living your everyday life. And yet, right in the middle of your daily life, God might show up in a sudden, all-consuming, “burning bush moment” that will forever rearrange the trajectory of your entire life, turning your ‘just daily living’ into something extra-ordinary. Or maybe you may feel so content with your everyday life that you’re missing those burning bush moments that are right in front of you?

Back to the story, Moses is in front of the burning bush and is so confused about why God would ask him of all people to lead His people out of Egypt. He’s just an average shepherd, and remember, he had that series of unfortunate circumstances back in Egypt? He wasn’t sure how he would do any of what God asked of him without getting himself killed? Little did Moses know, something extraordinary was about to happen to him. Yet in that pivotal moment, the Lord asked the most seemingly random question: “The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. Then the Lord said, ‘Put your hand inside your cloak.’ So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[a]—it had become as white as snow. ‘Now put it back into your cloak,’ he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.” –Exodus 4:2-4; 6-7).

God used what Moses had. Moses didn’t need special equipment, a theology degree, or a select title. All he needed was obedience and loyalty to God. As you read on, Moses was not a fan of this idea of being used by God. He made excuse after excuse. He even asked God to send someone else. Yet in the end, Moses obeyed God; and his obedience led to an entire people’s freedom. It also led him to experience the glory of God in ways he never knew were possible. His obedience to the Lord led to his being used by God to transcribe God’s law for the people. Moses became one of the Old Testament’s most prominent leaders because of his obedience to God’s call.

Hebrews 11 tells us: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt,not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”

We often want to see remarkable things in our lives, yet we aren’t willing to act in simple obedience. We admire the faith of people who can keep their relationships with God even through the craziness of life. Those who can be joyful amid trials. Those who can still pray for the house seemingly beyond their means or for the job they didn’t think they’d ever get. Those who pray for healing and see it happen. Those who have a powerful walk with the Lord. We admire that faith, and we even want it. Let me remind you, “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” –Hebrews 11:1-2. Faith is not something to be attained; it is a lifestyle. As you obey the word of God, you grow in faith—your faith increasing as your obedience gets bolder.

I will ask you the same thing God asked Moses…

“What’s in your hand? What do you already have that God can use?” Ask God to help you to see the burning bush even within the ordinary. He is faithful to meet you right where you are, just as He did with Moses. God will introduce Himself to you. And, as you discover Him, I promise you’ll find that you have far more in your hand than you ever realized you had. God will use you in ways you never thought possible. And, if you’re here today and have never asked this God into your life, please, do it now. Let Him use what you have sitting right there in your hand…

Tag: Obedience (Page 12 of 14)

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