When I Am Weak, He is Strong...

I have read and reread today's passage. For weeks now, I've struggled with what to focus on in this section of scripture that is so full of heavy content and profound revelation. I have prayed for days about what I might write here, because I don't want to miss the thing that most needs to be said about Elijah's story if I only have this one opportunity.

1 Kings 15:25 through 19, and 2 Chronicles 17 cover some of the most fascinating events in all of scripture. It's in these chapters that Elijah shows up. This prophet of God lived during one of Israel's darkest times in terms of its idolatry, and he experienced a supernatural demonstration of God's power on Mount Carmel, several miraculous displays of God's provision for his physical needs, and a spiritual and emotional bout with depression and discouragement that rivals any other in all of the Bible.

In my own life, I have witnessed times when God showed up in a way for me that can only be described as miraculous. He has answered prayer, He has fought battles, He has demonstrated His provision, He has calmed my fear and He has spoken to me almost audibly through His Word and by His Spirit. And yet because I am still so prone to miss the marvelous and muddle in the mundane, I find myself compelled by Elijah's demonstration of his humanness as evidenced by his admitted fear; his "ready to throw in the towel-ness," evidenced by his flight to Sinai; and his "I'm done-ness" evidenced by his admission of feeling so alone.

I love that God gives us a picture of the highest highs and the lowest lows of earthly existence through the life of Elijah. And if there is one big lesson that I think we should take away from his journey, it might be to remember something that Charles Spurgeon noted when writing about this great hero of the faith:

"Elijah failed in the very point at which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is the wisest man who proves himself to be the greatest fool; just as the meekest man, Moses, spoke hasty and bitter words. Abraham failed in his faith, and Job in his patience; so, he who was the most courageous of all men, fled from an angry woman."

My prayer for myself today--and my prayer for you, is that we keep ourselves on guard and prayed up in the areas that we believe ourselves to be secure. If Elijah, a man who witnessed the visible, supernatural demonstration of God's might and power, could later fear that this same God couldn't easily protect him from a mouthy, idolatrous woman, God help us!

Lord, as we humble ourselves in recognition of our weaknesses, please open our eyes to all delusion and deception, keep us strong and safe from the enemy's plans to devour or destroy, and perfect your strength in our weakness by fighting for us as we face life's battles and temptations. Create in us clean hearts and keep us from evil as you keep the evil one from us, in Your Most Holy, Wonderful Name, Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Preoccupied...

My husband told me a couple of weeks ago that if I was not going to post my devotional notes every day, I should at least write something to explain why not.

I argued, countering that my blog wasn't one that people checked regularly, and reminded him that this is just a convenient way to organize this project that I'm working on for my grandchildren.

Well...it turns out that maybe he was right. A few friends have emailed me or asked me what's up with my not posting every day, so here are my "excuses".

1. I don't want to include anything in this journal that hasn't been prayed about and pondered-researched enough, so on days that don't afford me adequate time for doing that, I'm making my notes elsewhere for inclusion later.

2. I've taken on a few additional projects that I didn't anticipate when I imagined that this feat was possible to accomplish in a year.

3. I'm enjoying my grandchildren every day if I possibly can! I don't want to do something for them (this journal), but miss being with them--and since I'm blessed enough to have them close by, I am trying to be intentional about spending fun times with them as often as possible.

So...unless something unexpected happens, I will continue to post my scripture journal here as often as I can each week until I've made it through the entire Bible. But if you were possibly one who's wondering what's up with me and this process...other than my usual work and routine, here's your answer in photographs...


Our newest edition to the family, Cadence Louise Broome, blessed us with her arrival on October 1, 2009!


Lilia turned 1 on September 19!


Ava Grace turned 2 on September 26!


I now have THREE beautiful granddaughters who have birthdays within two weeks of each other!


I hope to be the kind of Nana who will always offer an accessible, fun, and skeleton free closet for my girls to explore! I adore them-- and I thank God for blessing me with three beautiful granddaughters. (so far....!!!)

Have a beautiful October, and check in soon, I'll be back!

Love,
Nana (Sandy)!

Age and Mileage...

My father is a man of many aphorisms. In fact, I've considered before that I really should take the time to list them because they are so much a part of my history. There is rarely a day that one or two of his random sayings don't pop into my head.

When I was growing up, a few of them nearly drove me crazy. For instance, each time I'd exuberantly shout, "Daddy! Guess What?!!" Without hesitation he'd respond, "The higher you raise a mule's tail, the better you can see his butt." I know, you weren't expecting anything quite so uncouth here. But honestly, that was just the first of many that came to my mind when thinking about some of dad's wise-cracks and sayings.

I'm happy to report that although he's quite a character and still a kidder (Dad: "You can kid leather and string beans, but you can't bull frogs.") he remains wise in his golden years (with the exception of that one recent tree-cutting incident). Conversely, 1 Kings 15:1-24 and 2 Chronicles 13-16 (today's passages) tell of a man who was wise in the early years of his life, but in his later years, behaved foolishly.

That man, Asa, King of Judah, faced an army from Ethiopia that outnumbered his and could easily overwhelm them. Logic said he was doomed, but wisdom demanded that he cry out to God. Here is his plea as recorded in 2 Chronicles 14:11
“O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”

The next verses say that "the Lord defeated the Ethiopians". What an incredible thing that must have been. This wise, young king saw God's might and power unquestionably demonstrated. Yet when we continue to read, we learn that later in his life he entered into a treaty with an earthly king, resulting in a legacy of sad, diseased defeat for Asa.

Finishing strong requires going all the way with God and refusing to enter into a treaty with this world. One of the most encouraging passages in all of scripture is also one of the saddest. King Asa was rebuked by Hanani with these words:

7 ...“Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. 8 Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. 9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”

How sad. How tragic!

Another of my dad's aphorisms when asked how he's doing, is this: "Pretty good, considering my age and mileage." King Asa had age and mileage (which should have ensured wisdom) on his side, and yet he did not finish well. I pray that we emulate my father and not Asa. I hope that we will keep on keeping on and walking the faith walk even when age and mileage have taken their toll. The rewards will be eternal and worth any sacrifice or challenge along the way.

So Dad, here's to you, even though you're probably feeling like you were, "sent for, couldn't go, finally went, and wouldn't do," you are an example to me and others of one who keeps the faith when the going is tough. Thank you.

Father, help us remember that your eyes are searching the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to you. Fix our eyes like flint on your purpose, plan and promises! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Truth or Consequences...

Will a person automatically be wise because of their heritage? Is the guarantee of wisdom handed down? This next passage of scripture (1 Kings 12-14; 2 Chronicles 10-12) gives us the answer, and it is an emphatic no.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon, was not wise. In fact, just after having been made king of Israel, his first decision proved that he was quite foolish when the leaders of Israel asked him to lighten the tax and labor load forced upon them during Solomon's reign. They promised allegiance if he agreed, and he asked them for three days to think about it. Next, he consulted the elders who had advised his father. Sounds wise so far, right?

The elders gave him good advice, explaining that granting the request of the people would ensure him a successful reign as king. But he rejected their advice, deciding he'd consult his own, new advisers, his life-long buddies.

The buddies told him to sock it to the people even harder than his father had, and that sounded like a good plan to him. He wanted to be a big deal, so he did what he probably wanted to do all along, but now he had advocates who gave him the thumbs up, so it was all good. Or was it?

No, it was not. These passages reveal the rough road ahead as a result of his terrible decision. So...what can we learn from Rehoboam's folly? Many things, but here are two that just jump out at me.

First, when elders advise, be quick to listen. If they are godly and mature and wise, they will give counsel with experienced advice that will be worth heeding-- even if it is the exact opposite of what you or I prefer.

Second, when peers advise, be slow to act and quick to pray. I would never suggest that all advice from young/younger people is bad or wrong. But the caution here seems to be that it may be--especially if we surround ourselves by "yes" pals.

It's understandable to think that old/older people don't have a clue. It's common to imagine that they don't understand or can't put themselves in our place. And it's preferable, quite often, to do what seems personally expedient rather than laboriously difficult. It's even worse to hear advice that requires a delay of gratification. But remember this, anyone who tells you what you want to hear, or encourages you to follow your flesh/heart down a path that even in the tiniest way violates scripture, is a bad advisor--and following their advice will render you as foolish as Rehoboam.

My prayer for you, and my prayer for myself, is that we will be wise. First, by praying and asking the giver of wisdom to lead our lives, and second, by always seeking solid, wise, Godly counsel when we are in doubt, from those who wouldn't be "yes" friends.

Father, help us to hear your still, small voice because we've stopped talking long enough to listen, and please send us Godly, wise mentors and friends who will speak the truth into our lives even when it's not what we want to hear. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Good Guilt

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a woman whose inner beauty, strength, ingenuity, wisdom and dignity were so exceptional that she put all others to shame. Her name? Mrs. Proverbs 31. And she is the subject of today's scripture passages which are chapters 30 and 31 of this book of wisdom.

I read about her, this portrait of feminine excellence, and I am bewildered by the chasm that exists between the description of her and the one that would accurately define me. So what am I to do with this specific chapter of scripture? And how can I escape the penitentiary of guilt that my failure to measure up to this ideal imposes?

In attempting to answer my own questions, I'm reminded that guilt, in and of itself, has gotten a bad rap. The truth is, guilt can be good. I fear, though, that we've confused guilt with shame, resulting in elimination of necessary guilt. So rather than allowing it to do its beneficial work within us, we're tempted to embrace the "always have positive self-esteem" philosophy that is pervasive in our culture. The danger of this surfaces when possession of positive self-esteem is unmerited by one's actions or attitudes. Recognition of our guilt is what motivates us to confess and repent, which may explain why this seems to be a subject you don't hear much about any more.

As I write these words, I realize that what I'm trying to convey is not a typical response to such beautiful chapters, but I want you to understand that although it is important for you to have healthy self esteem, it's equally important that you understand one of scripture's clear teachings: We are not good apart from God, and are in fact, guilty. We are unworthy of salvation. We deserve punishment and judgment. And yet...God offers us just the opposite when we acknowledge the truth about ourselves.

So what is the truth? I think Romans 3 sums it up nicely:

10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

We're all pretty much messes. And despite the fact that some women are probably a lot closer to a bonafide Proverbs 31 lady than I'll ever be, they are just as needy and lacking as I am in the eyes of God. And just as we're told that we have no righteousness apart from Him, we are also told that He so loved the world (that includes us) that He gave His only Son to be righteous for us.

In Jesus Christ alone we are made new and good and worthy. And because of Him we can ALL share in the glorious truth of the final verses of Proverbs 31:

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Father, please help us have hope and health in terms of the way we view ourselves as women (and men) so that we never fail to recognize our dependency on you and our depravity apart from you. May the praise of your name be on our lips because of your great love and mercy as long as we have breath. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

For Queens and other Seekers...

"Who do you think you are, the Queen of Sheba?" This sarcastic question has been asked of me (hopefully in jest) before. Most of us have probably heard of her if not in that same way, then maybe from having read today's passages, 1 Kings 10-11 and 2 Chronicles 9.

This Queen, who was no small potato herself, paid a visit to Solomon to see if all that she'd heard about him was true. Take a look at her reaction to what she saw:

7 "I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told....9 Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”

Miss Q.o.S. was very impressed, wasn't she? So much so that she made a curious statement referencing her praise of Solomon's Lord God. But there is not a shred of evidence that any of this persuaded her to place her own trust or faith in Him.

Reading this account reminds me that we often fail to remember that there is nothing "WE" possess, no wisdom, no wealth, no impressive possession or position that will draw someone in to a personal place of surrender to God as Lord.

All of our striving is in vain if we think we can cleverly, wisely argue someone to believing faith. All of our human effort to establish ourselves as admired, reputable spokesmen and women is futile when we are counting in any way upon those things as convincing accoutrements in our witnessing "arsenal". Only God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, draws anyone to Himself. We are reminded to always be prepared and willing to be used, but the great mistake we would make is assuming that we are ever able to conjure enough credentials or credibility on our own to "impress" someone into believing the Word of God.

The Queen of Sheba was apparently "seeking," but despite having been impressed with all the splendor of his facilities, organization and maybe even his programs and personal brilliance, it wasn't enough. This passage reminded me of the need to pray for our churches as we also pray for ourselves so that we remember the critical truth of Romans 10:17: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

It is Christ alone who saves. As His ambassadors, we must hide His Word in our hearts because it alone has the power to save.

Father, help us commit your Word to memory so that we are ready and able to give the reason for our great hope when you send seekers our way, and may we never forget that it is by hearing your Word, not being impressed by our wit or wisdom, that anyone comes to faith. Forgive me for forgetting that. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Nothing is New...

If you haven't read Ecclesiastes before, today's scripture reading includes the entire book--which may seem confusing, alarming, frustrating and disconcerting upon first read. And that's just for starters! As I begin to try to explain a little of what is so great and so difficult about the book, let me encourage you to read and study it for yourself.

Written by Solomon, Ecclesiastes is a compilation of his thoughts about life and the futility and frustration associated with human, earthly existence. At first glance and without a little deeper digging, it seems that he is basically saying everything is pointless, so eat, drink and be merry because you are going to die eventually and take nothing with you. He seems to be warning us that we are nothing more than animals with benefits.

That's why it is important to note that Solomon's book is not dealing with the "spiritual" man, it is dealing with the "natural" man and his search for life's purpose. In these chapters, the wise king is not speaking of God as Jehovah God, instead he is referencing God in much the same way a lost, worldly person views him--something akin to a force or higher power as in the Star Wars movies.

In his great wisdom, Solomon recognized that the search for meaning in life is futile apart from personally experiencing God in a way that transcends the superficial, artificial manner that relegates him to a place of distance or merely a force of power beyond our realm and consciousness.

Throughout theses chapters, there are hidden gems of truth that must be acknowledged though--and because I would not attempt to improve upon or better convey these thoughts, I have selected these verses as worthy of contemplation. Think on these things as you join me in giving thanks to God for allowing us to have lives of purpose because of our personal relationships with Him through Christ, His Son.

Ecclesiastes:

2:9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

5:10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

7:4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

10:2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.

12:1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”

12:13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.