Thirsty

I'm so thirsty.

I long for more of the Lord. I long for deep fellowship and growth. I long for impact. I get tired of being thirsty. I get tired of longing.

I look forward with great anticipation to the fulfillment of this promise:

Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.

~ John 4:14

Something Special in Life

Most of us would like to do something special in life, something to distinguish us. We suppose that we desire it for God's sake, but more likely we are discontent with ordinary life and crave special privileges. When Israel asked if they should offer some spectacular sacrifice--thousands of rams, ten thousand "rivers of oil," a firstborn child--the answer was, "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8 RSV).

There is nothing conspicuous about those requirements. It is not a "special" service for which one would be likely to be decorated or even particularly remembered. But it is worth more to God than any sacrifice.

Lord, deliver me from the delusion of imagining that my desire is to serve You, when my real desire is the distinction of serving in some way which others admire.

~ Elisabeth Elliot,

from A Lamp for My Feet

What I Learned from My Little Toe

My little toe--the one I injured at the conference last week--still hurts. Tonight over supper, I asked my dad how long he thought it would hurt, and he said, "It could be six weeks." Six weeks?! I don't want to be in pain that long!! I don't have much of a choice, do I?

The spiritual principle this has taught me--one of them, anyway--is what Paul so convincingly describes in 1 Corinthians. He writes:

...The head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable...If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

~ 1 Corinthians 12:21,22,26

One Must Stop Reading the Bible or...

Those few visits [to the sick and poor] used up the very time I usually spend in drawing. But on the whole I am glad I went with Mother because it has gratified her. Besides, one must either stop reading the Bible altogether or else leave off spending one's whole time in just doing easy, pleasant things one likes to do.

~ from Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

~ James 1:22

Wounds from a Friend

In a conversation with a friend recently, I was complaining (mildly, I thought) about a situation in my life and was admitting how my natural response is childish--about the level of a two year-old, really. She quickly said, "Oh, don't do that. Don't have that tantrum."

As soon as she said that, my thoughts ran in two directions. First, "she doesn't understand because she doesn't have a similar situation in her life," but second, "she's right, absolutely right."

Despite my agreement with her, yesterday when I had to deal with the situation, I found myself thinking (more than once, truth be told), "But I want to have this tantrum." And although I didn't physically stamp my foot like an independence-exerting toddler, I did on the inside. In those moments, her words echoed in my ears, calling me higher, urging me to grow towards maturity. "Don't have that tantrum!"

And then the voice of Wisdom called:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

~ Proverbs 27:6

I don't think this particular friend will ever read this; but regardless, thank you, friend, for speaking truth into my life. Thank you for wounding me. Thank you for contributing to my growth in the Lord. I know I can trust you, and that means so much to me.

Understanding

A mother understands what a child does not say.

~ anonymous

But it is the spirit in a man,

the breath of the Almighty,

that gives him understanding.

~ Job 32:8

Today I pray to have understanding, the deep insightful understanding that comes from God, as I mother my children.

With Parental Fondness

If there is any one truth I would gladly impress on the mind of a young Christian, it is just this, that God notices the most trivial act, accepts the poorest, most threadbare little service, listens to the coldest, feeblest petition, and gathers up with parental fondness all our fragmentary desires and attempts at good works Oh, if we could only begin to conceive how He loves us, what different creatures we should be!

~ Mrs. Cabot (the minister's wife)

in Stepping Heavenward

by Elizabeth Prentiss

And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

~ Matthew 25:40

An Antidote for Pride

The basis of all sin of whatever kind is pride. This was what inspired the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and it is always with us. One very common form it takes is the pride of privilege. When a man is given a special position, he forgets that it was given. He becomes proud, as though "his own arm" had gotten him the victory.

God knows well the heart and made provision for this sin of pride when He instructed the Israelites about appointing a king. He was to make a copy of the law. This would be the antidote, necessary for him and likewise for all of us (for "law" read "Word").

...The attempt itself to keep the commandments, one by one and day after day, will be sufficient to humble us, for the "straightedge of the law" (Rom. 3:20 JBP) will only show us, as Paul found, how crooked we are. We will find, in fact, that we cannot keep it. "The whole matter is on a different plane--believing instead of achieving" (Rom. 3:27 JBP). Pride won't find much foothold on that plane.

"The real test of being in the presence of God is that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether" (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

~ Elisabeth Elliot

When he [the king] takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.

~ Deuteronomy 17:19-20

They Deliberately Forget

I saw this verse at the Creation Museum today. During this week, I've been amazed again at how many New Testament scriptures refer to the Old Testament, specifically the events of Genesis 1-11.

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

~ 2 Peter 3:5-7

Yet I Will Rejoice

At the Defending the Faith conference...

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the conference was the music that John Elliott provided for us and led us in. My favorite song was "Yet I Will Rejoice," and I'm looking forward to getting his CD that I ordered in the mail so I can listen to it again and learn it by heart. Here are the verses that inspired his song (and here is a post I had written about them on my other blog):

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

~ Habakkuk 3:17-18

Did God Really Say?

At the Defending the Faith conference...

A verse that has been referred to a number of times during this conference is this one:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

~ Genesis 3:1

The Genesis 3 attack has been used ever since. "Did God really say..." that children are a blessing and should be welcomed not killed? that marriage is between one man and one woman? etc.

I think, if the conference could be summed up in one sentence, it would be this: Yes, God really said it; the whole Bible, from beginning to end, is true.

To Be Lived In

At the Defending the Faith conference...

Dr. Jason Lisle read the first verse below during his talk on Astronomy and the Bible. I liked that verse a lot, and then read on to the next one which was also quite good.

For the Lord is God,

and he created the heavens and earth

and put everything in place.

He made the world to be lived in,

not to be a place of empty chaos.

"I am the Lord," he says,

"and there is no other.

I publicly proclaim bold promises.

I do not whisper obscurities

in some dark corner.

I would not have told the people of Israel

to seek me

if I could not be found.

I, the Lord, speak only what is true

and declare only what is right."

~ Isaiah 45:18-19

Every Word of God

At the Defending the Faith conference...

Ken Ham mentioned these verses:

Every word of God proves true.

He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Do not add to his words,

or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

~ Proverbs 30:5-6

No Delight on Earth

I think I know of no delight on earth that is higher than that of knowing that you really are with all your heart adoringly serving God.

~ from Spurgeon at His Best

by Tom Carter

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

~ Psalm 73:25

One's Real Life

The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's "own," or "real" life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life--the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's "real life" is a phantom of one's own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it's hard to remember it all the time.

~ C. S. Lewis

in The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves

I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own;

it is not for man to direct his steps.

~ Jeremiah 10:23

Praying for Healing for Luke

I read the following words from Philip Yancey yesterday evening and planned to post them this morning. I never got around to it though; but mid-morning, I learned that a young friend of ours, Luke, was just diagnosed with leukemia. As I grieved at the news, I was reminded of Yancey's words; and they gave me direction and hope.

Dr. Vernon Grounds says that when he hears of someone in need of healing, he prays like this: "God, I know you have your own purposes and undoubtedly have a plan for this person, but I'll tell you straight out what I would like to see happen."

If diagnosed with a serious illness, I would ask directly for physical healing. We are commanded to pray for healing, Jesus decisively demonstrated God's desire for human health and wholeness, and dozens of studies have borne out the effectiveness of prayer in the healing process. Faith works. It aligns body, mind, and spirit, and galvanizes the healing process built into our bodies.

...In prayers for healing, as in all prayers of request, we should honestly present the problem and tell God our heart's desire.

~ Philip Yancey,

in Prayer: Does It Make a Difference?

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.

~ James 5:14-15

Pray First

From Samaritan Ministries (an organization for which I'm incredibly grateful and thrilled to be a part!)...

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people... This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth.

~ 1 Timothy 2:1,3-4

In the passage above, Paul makes it clear that prayer is the foundation of ministry...If you are having a fruitful ministry, but not praying very much, you are probably being supported by the prayers of others.

Why is prayer so necessary? Because the work of ministry is so immense...When we pray first, we acknowledge that ministry requires more than we have...

...Prayer is how we express our relationship and reliance on God through the work of Christ.

First of all, pray, then go minister in Christ's Name.

Working for the Lord

I've been thinking about the subject of work recently, and two things in particular have brought today's manna to mind. First, teaching my boys to work (which I write about here), and second, having a conversation with a newlywed couple about who does what chores in the home and how to keep a humble, Godly heart that seeks to bless the other person (even if he didn't do the dishes!).

The manna is...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

~ Colossians 3:23-24

Today (and probably every day of my life!) I need to be reminded of that.

Left to Himself

Proverbs 29:15 -

A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. (KJV)

A child left to himself disgraces his mother. (NIV)

~ Do you say, "Just a minute," to a child wanting your attention?

~ Do the minutes run into many more than just one?

~ Do you have a passion for something besides your children? In other words, is there a hobby, work, or other interest that holds you more than your children do?

~ Do you have a quiet child, perhaps one that everyone else speaks for, that you haven't bothered to take aside and get to know? This child is being left to himself.

~ Do your children spend many hours in their rooms, alone, without interaction from you or their father?

~ Is your child being "left to himself" as he spends hours in school or preschool?

* Be the mother your children need. You do not have to "do it all." Neither a spotless home nor a perfect school is required. Focus on the priorities: God first, family next, personal interests last. Put time with God first in your day, then breakfast, then school or child time. After your duties, personal activities come next, or--on some days--not at all. However, a mom who puts "first things first" will usually have extra time for self and interests. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal. 6:7).

~ Lorraine Curry,

from Easy Homeschooling Companion

I've heard mention in a few places about the growing "epidemic," so to speak, of mothers who neglect their children because they're wrapped up in the computer: blogging, doing FaceBook, Twittering, etc. These words from Lorraine Curry were a good reminder to me to guard myself in this way. The first two questions she asked were particularly challenging to me because I feel like I'm *always* getting interrupted by someone, and I do have to sometimes answer with a "just a minute." But I know there are too many times when I could pause and give my child the attention he needs at that moment, but I'm simply too selfish to do so. I need to be more vigilant to sow love and attention into my children now--when they're young and want my attention!

Numbers

A few days ago, I rather randomly ran across this short piece about numbers: specifically, the hearts behind counting people in our ministries. When Jeff and I worked in the full-time ministry, this was something we definitely struggled with; but even now, it can be a stumbling block. I particularly like how Mark Batterson identified the real issue behind the problem with numbers. He said, "Numbers tend to produce pride or jealousy." So true. Both of those are things I want to steer clear of and do my best to purify my heart from.

So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number."

But Joab resisted the king: "May your God multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?"

~ 2 Samuel 24:2-3

Gravel

My manna for today is here.

The Cloud on the Tabernacle

I wrote about the context for this manna here, but I want to include the full text of these verses since they have been a blessing to me.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

~ Exodus 40:34-38

I long for the day when the presence of the Lord is such a visible manifestation in my eyes!

I Will Never Turn

What is God asking of you? Is it impossible? Do you feel arrows attacking from the left and right? So what! Keep working. Keep walking. Walk straight. Remember when Joan of Arc was asked, "What will you do if no one follows you?" Joan of Arc answered, "I'll never know, because I will never turn to see." God is asking you to walk the line. Keep your head up, focused straight ahead, and see the One who loves to do the impossible for you.

~ Jeanne DeTellis,

in the July 1, 2010, newsletter for New Missions

Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's kingdom!

~ Luke 9:62 (CEV)

The Father's Song

I first heard this during our church service on Father's Day. I loved it right away and have found the idea, the words, and the melody to be comforting and sustaining since then. Yesterday as I sorted through my kids' junk (otherwise known as toys!), I felt the Father's song swirling over me. As I made macaroni and cheese for my children, I heard the Father's song being passed from me to them. In all the moments of life, that song is there, if I just take a moment to listen.

I wish I could find this song and "All I Want" on playlist.com so I could add them to my playlist for this blog. (And speaking of playlist, don't forget to scroll down and turn off my playlist before you click "play" on this video!) But unfortunately, they're not there--at least, not yet. Regardless, it's here, in my heart, the most important place.

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17

How Do I Treat My Mother-in-Law?

A few days ago, I happened to tune into the radio when a program by Chip Ingram was on. He was speaking on the subject of "House or Home: What's a Child to Do? Part 2"; and during his talk, he gave a strong challenge to adult children about how we treat our parents. In short, even though we are no longer called to obey them, we are called to honor, respect, provide, and care for them. He said a lot of other good stuff, too. :)

My initial response was to feel gratitude, once again, for how close we live to my parents and what a good relationship we have with them. But then I started thinking about Jeff's mom and what a poor job I do of staying in touch with her. I love her dearly and appreciate her very much. When she comes to visit, it's wonderful! But when we're apart (like we are so much of the time), I neglect her dreadfully. The fact that she isn't my biological mother doesn't mean that I shouldn't make the effort to connect with her.

I was SO convicted.

So last night, I did something that I should have done long ago. I got out an actual card, wrote a letter to her, and included two pictures of Shav. I addressed the envelope, put a stamp on it, and took it down to the minivan to take to the post office today. I know that's just a small step, but I hope and pray that it's the beginning of a different way of relating to her.

I want her to know how loved she is and how often we think of her.

I want to respect and honor her.

I want to connect with her.

I want to be the kind of daughter-in-law that I hope to have some day. I haven't been, but I WILL CHANGE.

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God...If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

~ 1 Timothy 5:3-4,8

Grace - It's Amazing

Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more--no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries and divinity schools, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less--no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.

~ Philip Yancey,

June 2 in Grace Notes

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

~ 2 Corinthians 13:14

Step One

To be transformed into the image of Christ, I must begin to do the will of the Father in the same place where He began: He emptied Himself. There is for any serious disciple, quite simply, no other starting place. It is a matter of beginning today to say no to yourself--specifically, about something you've been insisting you must have, specifically about something you have been refusing. This is step one.

~ Elisabeth Elliot

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing...

~ Philippians 2:5-7

Chains, on Independence Day

Today's manna is here.

Training for Maturity

In my other blog, I wrote at length tonight about the training that we're doing with Tobin to help him learn submission and obedience, so naturally the verses that have been on my mind come from Hebrews 12.

I'm most familiar with the NIV, but The Message is refreshing to read for its new way of expressing thoughts. It reads like this in verse 11:

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

"The well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." That's exactly what I'm shooting for with Tobin, and that's exactly what I'm striving for myself.

Are Good and Do Good

The verse that's been twirling around in my head is Psalm 119:68a.

In the NIV...

You are good, and what you do is good.

In the NKJV...

You are good and do good.

In the NLT...

You are good and do only good.

In The Message...

You are good, and the source of good.

(And the verse continues with this...)

Train me in your goodness.

Yes, Lord, please train me in Your goodness.

If Christ Is Not My Substitute

Jeff received this quote in an email from a dear friend yesterday, and I was so moved by it that I wanted to include it here...

To put it bluntly and plainly, if Christ is not my substitute, I still occupy the place of a condemned sinner. If my sins and my guilt are not transferred to Him, if He did not take them upon Himself, then surely they remain with me. If He did not deal with my sins, I must face their consequences. If my penalty was not borne by Him, it still hangs over me. There is no other possibility. To say that substitution is immoral is to say that redemption is impossible. We must beware of taking up such a disastrous position...

In the process of salvation, God is not transferring penalty from one man (guilty) to another man (innocent). He is bearing it Himself. The absolute oneness between the Father and the Son in the work of atonement must not for a moment be lost sight of. When Christ substitutes for sinful man in His death, that is God Himself bearing the consequences of our sin, God saving man at cost to Himself, not at cost to someone else. In part the atonement is to be understood as a process whereby God absorbs in Himself the consequences of man's sin.

~ Leon Morris

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

~ Ephesians 2:13