undignified

David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel- I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes."  2 Samuel 6:21-22

Today's reading finds King David dancing around, shouting and leaping to the sound of trumpets, outside for all to see, dressed in a linen ephod.  His wife wasn't real happy about it.  She thought it was undistinguished.  I've heard people say David was dancing around in his underwear.  I don't really think that's true.  Apparently he removed his royal clothing and was dancing around just like any regular old guy.  I think he was so overjoyed that the ark, the presence of the Almighty God, was being brought to the City of David, that he couldn't keep it in.  And in the presence of the Almighty, King David is just like any other guy.  He was humiliated in his own eyes- he knew that God is God, and David was not.  And David rejoiced in knowing that somehow God had chosen him for God's glorious purposes.

Some of you worship with me on Sunday mornings.  So you know that I kind of get into it.  I can't help but raise my hands and sometimes I even dance around a little bit.  (You should see me in my own home, dancing around the kitchen, singing LOUDLY, worshipping while nobody is around!)  At church I try to focus on God, the audience of one.  I try to be me, authentically worshipping God the way He created me to.  I try not to be distracted by worrying what other people might think.  Then I read this on the blog about Stuff Christians Like: 

"There's nothing that snaps me out of the worship zone faster than seeing a middle aged soccer mom grooving along to a praise song as if she was at a Bonnie Raitt concert.  There's no call for that.  Please stop."  That's under post #33.  Singing With Our Hands Raised.  That's me!!  I mean, I'm not quite middle aged yet, but everything else is ME!!  I have laughed so hard that my stomach hurt at that blog about stuff Christians like, until I found that post.  Then I just felt kind of embarrassed.  But only for a couple of minutes.  Then I moved onto the next post and started laughing again.  

Because I am so overjoyed that God Almighty has chosen me for His glorious purposes that I just can't hold it in.  So I'm gonna keep on raising my hands and grooving along to the praise songs.  Look out, because I might become even more undignified than this!

precious

I think Psalm 139 is a window into David's relationship with God.  Reading this psalm shows me why David is called a man after God's own heart.  Psalm 139 is intimate, glorious, honest, and humble.  I go to this psalm when I need encouragement, or when I want to be reminded that God cares for me.  I pray the last two verses of this psalm almost every day.

Today I am meditating on verse 17:  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  

God's ways are higher than our ways; His thoughts are innumerable.  Who can know the mind of God?  Yet God has shared some of His thoughts with us!  What a miracle is our bible!!  I pray that it is true of me that God's thoughts are precious to me.  Precious means of high price or great value, highly esteemed, dear, beloved.

Every morning when I wake up, God shares His thoughts with me through His Word.  GOD!  The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, my Maker, my Savior, the Omnipotent GOD!!  Shares His thoughts with me.  That is amazing.  That time is precious to me.

words

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  Matt 12:34

Words.  I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced the power of words.  They can hurt, heal, build up, or tear down.  Who hasn't wished that they could take back carelessly spoken words? Who hasn't agonized over what was said, wishing you had thought before you spoke?  But this verse teaches us that the words we speak reveal what is in our hearts.  I know this to be true.  And what's in our hearts doesn't only dictate which words we say, but also how we say them.  

When I am tired and drained, my words to my children come out harsh and impatient.  When I have harbored some kind of hurt or disappointment in my heart, my words to my husband are less than loving.  I want my mouth to speak words that encourage, words that are kind, words that reflect the heart of God.  To have that kind of speech come out of my mouth, I just have to be filled up with God every single morning.  

You gotta love this.  Here I am, writing about the kind words that should flow out of our hearts, and my two youngest sons just burst through the door.  One of them called the other "fat butt".  It's a good thing I spent time with Jesus this morning.  I have a teachable moment here I just have to jump on!

unforced rhythms of grace

I didn't have time yesterday morning to post, but I thought about my morning devotion all day long.  I read Matthew 1o, where Jesus sends out His disciples with some very interesting instructions.  He certainly didn't promise them that it would be easy!  He promised them conflict and sacrifice.  He warned them that to follow Jesus means putting Him before all else, and that life in Christ requires death to self.  The disciples were promised rejection and persecution.

Throughout the day yesterday I thought about the words of  Jesus in Matthew 10 and felt very aware that life can be difficult.  Following Jesus can be difficult.  I wondered how the disciples felt when they heard the words of Jesus?  Did they pause and consider the cost?  Did they doubt?  This morning's reading answers that question!  Sitting in jail, awaiting his death, John the Baptist is wondering if Jesus really is the Messiah.  

Part of following Jesus is accepting that God doesn't always work in the way we expect.  Life isn't always as we think it should be.  Religion doesn't allow us ask questions or deal with our doubts.  But God welcomes us to come to Him through Jesus, with our doubts, fears and uncertainties.  And we find that JESUS is always who HE says HE is.  In HIM is true LIFE.  I love how the Message says Matthew 11:28-29.  This will be my day's meditation:

Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

do not disturb

Yesterday afternoon my son Zack wrote "Do Not Disturb" on a piece of paper then taped it to his back.  He said his brothers were bothering him.  Sometimes I feel for that little guy!  He is the middle of my three boys.  Their ages are 6, 8 and 9.  That's pretty close!  And they all share the bonus room upstairs for sleeping and playing.  I think it is completely understandable that he would need to put that sign on his back for a few hours.

Honestly, sometimes I wish I could put a "do not disturb" sign on my back.  Don't you?  Sometimes I wish for a little escape, a refuge, a break from the day after day....  The psalms provide that for me.  It 's a good thing that I follow a bible reading plan each day because otherwise, I would pretty much camp out in the psalms.  The Life Journal readings include Old and New Testament each day, and on the good days we get to read some psalms!!  Well today we hit a favorite!  Psalm 63.  My good friends know I love this one.  And I know Chip loves this one.  This morning I am dwelling on verses 2-5.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

These words are my "do not disturb" sign today.  Actually, they are my "I cannot be disturbed" sign.  These words are my comfort and my encouragement.  They are my place of rest and my peace.  No matter what happens today, or what is bothering me, these words will keep me joyful.  Because these words are true.  In God's presence, my soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods.  I am loved by the all-powerful God of Glory, and I will praise Him as long as I live!

worry and irritability

Matthew 8:26  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

In Matthew 8 we find Jesus traveling with His disciples, interacting with different people, healing many.  He demonstrates power over sickness; He heals by the words He speaks.  The disciples are there watching, with front-row seats for the display of the power of Jesus.  But when they find themselves in a small boat in a big stormy sea, they are afraid.  

Jesus, on the other hand, is asleep.  Asleep!  I think the disciples do pretty well.  They've seen what Jesus can do.  So they wake Him up and ask Him to help.  And of course, He does.  With just a few words He calms the wind and the waves.  

But it seems that He was hoping for more from His disciples.  He wants them to trust Him.  He doesn't want them to be afraid.  I don't live my life with a sense of fear, exactly.  But this morning I recognize that being out of control of life's circumstances can bring out some unwanted characteristics of mine.  Worry and irritability.  They, like fear, are a sign of a lack of trust in Jesus.  They can creep up in me without me even noticing them. But there they are, showing me that I need to get back to that place of quiet trust in Jesus.  

I meditated on this passage of Scripture this morning.  In my mind I was in that boat with Jesus.  He was resting, and I was fretting.  Fretting over my oldest son's health, worrying about problems that I can't possibly solve, weighed down by sadness over a friend's death...  And Jesus lovingly asks me, you of little faith, why are you so afraid?  He draws me closer to Him and invites me to rest with Him, who has the authority over even the wind and the waves.

the Kingdom of Heaven, forgiveness and lice checks

Reading in Matthew 5 this morning, the Sermon on the Mount.  I love to imagine that I was there, listening to this Teacher speak as none had spoken before.  As I read the words this morning, they seem so beautiful and at the same time so convicting.  I ask the Holy Spirit to make the words fresh for me, like I have never heard them or read them before.  What will encourage me today?  What will challenge me?

I am encouraged by these words:  v16  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I needed to hear this today because it is the day of my sons' school's monthly lice checks.  Really.  You could probably guess that this isn't the most popular volunteer opportunity at the school.  So already this morning I have let all sorts of excuses dance around in my head, reasons why I couldn't possibly show up this morning to look through dozens of heads of hair, looking for little bugs.  I am going today to check for lice.  Not because I like it, not because I know that there won't be enough people if I don't go, not because I have to...  I am going because I get to let the light of Jesus shine before students and teachers, and maybe, just maybe, someone will praise My Father in Heaven!!

I am challenged by these words:  vv 23-24 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

It occurs to me that sometimes it is easier to do something good than it is to say I'm sorry.  I recognize that there are times when I would like to move on from own mistakes without being humble enough to take responsibility and ask for forgiveness.  Living with a Kingdom-mindset requires humility and sensitivity.  God wants my heart!  He doesn't just want me to do good things, to offer sacrifices in His Name, He wants to transform me.  It isn't easy.  It isn't convenient.  But it is beautiful.  So before I go to check for lice I will pray and ask God to show me if I have offended anyone.  I probably have.  I will ask for forgiveness.

The Message ends Matthew 5 like this:

In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up.  You're kingdom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

Here I go!  Lord, help me.

trying to deter Jesus?!

This morning's reading includes the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3.  Here is what struck me:

vv 13-14  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

John has spent his whole life preparing the way for the Messiah, and now the Messiah has come.  But when He tells John what to do John argues with Him!!  And when Jesus doesn't come through for John the Baptist in the way he expects, he questions if Jesus is in fact the Messiah after all (Mt. 11:3).  Throughout the Gospels we see that happening.  Jesus' disciples don't understand the way in which the Savior will save, so they try to deter Him.  And oh, how they doubt!  Why was it so hard for them to trust Him, and to submit to His plan?  Why is it so hard for me?!

God's plans often surprise me.  Jesus works in my life in ways that I could never expect or predict.  But I am learning to trust Him more.  I have experienced that God's will is good, pleasing and perfect, even when it doesn't make sense to me at the time.  And thankfully, God is patient with us when we don't understand.  Jesus explained why John needed to baptize Jesus and John consented.  And what a joyous wonder it must have been!  What must John have felt like when he got to see up close and personal the Spirit of God descending like a dove on Jesus.  And to hear the voice of God the Father say, "This is My Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  Yes, there are blessings of obedience!  

And anyway, could anyone really deter Jesus?!

i don't feel like slaying any giants

Even though I went to bed early last night, I still woke up feeling really tired.  Sluggish.  Moving very slowly....

I began my daily reading with 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath.  Normally, that would really get me going!  But not today.  I am just tired.  I don't feel like slaying any giants.  Not gonna be chasing any lions this morning.

So I moved on to Psalm 9.

(1-2) I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

(9-10)The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name will trust in you, for  you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

The first verses in the psalm are almost like a declaration, a decision.  I will be glad in God.  I will be glad in God.  I will be glad in God!!!  And so I sat there, on the sofa, allowing my heart to rejoice in the Lord.  Yes, He is worthy of my praise.  Oh, there are so many wonders to speak of!  He has given me life, answered my prayers, blessed me with the greatest husband and children.  He speaks to me, through His Word and His Holy Spirit!  I know the name of the Lord.  He is Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Stronghold, Shelter, Refuge, Comfort, Strength, Father and Friend.  I do trust in the Lord, and He has never, and will never forsake me.

hmmmm.....  Are there any giants around that need to be slain?

lessons from Saul

In the story of Saul and the Amalekites there are several behaviors and attitudes that are common to God's people throughout the bible, and are sadly still common today.  If I am honest, I recognize them in my own life.  

Here are a few:

Saul rationalizes doing the wrong thing because it is partial obedience.

Saul applies selective hearing to the Word of God.

Saul allows himself to become prideful about what he has done, forgetting that none of it would be possible without God.

Saul offers sacrifices to God without offering himself to God in obedience.

1 Samuel15:22  Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice...

Lord, I offer you my heart.  I ask You to help me seek Your Word, and to obey it completely.  Protect me from pride.  Help me to abide in You.  Keep me honest.

like all the others

In 1 Samuel 8 God's people ask for a king to lead them.  verse 19:

We want a king over us.  Then we will be like all the other nations...

But of course, God's purpose for His people was (and is) that they would be unlike any other nation!  He regarded their request for a king as a rejection of His leadership (verse 7).  How have we as God's people become like all other people, and thereby rejected God's leadership in our lives?  The battle rages on about contextualizing the Gospel to reach a postmodern culture.  Is it God-inspired creativity or a compromising of the Truth?   (I think it depends on the people and the church!)  I hope we are also considering whether or not the qualities of love, obedience and holiness mark us as God's people, because too often they don't.

As for me this morning, I am simply allowing God to speak to me about my own life.  Are there places in my life where I have become "like all the other" people, and God is no longer my King in that area?  I pray, Search me O God and know my heart...  Examine my habits, my priorities, my lifestyle, my finances, my appearance, my attitude.  I want Jesus to be My King, even if it means I am not like all the others.

blessed to be a blessing

Reading in 2 Corinthians 9 this morning, where Paul strongly encourages the Corinthian believers to give generously (and cheerfully!) to the Macedonians who are in need.  Verse 11 from the message:

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you.  He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

Throughout the bible we see that God's people are blessed by God so that they could in turn be a blessing to others.  As we live that out, we experience the crazy paradox that in giving to others we receive even more.  I agree with Paul that God has been "more than extravagant" with me!  I pray that I will be a grateful and generous person, producing great praise of God.

So my prayer this morning is Lord, how have You blessed me so that I would bless others?  Am I giving generously out of the abundance You have given me?  If not, show me where I need to change.

• We in America are blessed with financial abundance unlike any other country or culture in the history of the world.  How much does God want me to give away?
  

• I was so blessed early on in my walk with Jesus to have someone invest in me as a mentor and friend.  Am I investing in others that way?
  

• God faithfully speaks to me and leads me each day.  As I learn from God, am I obeying Him and then teaching others what He has taught me?
  

• Am I modeling generosity and thankfulness to my children?
  

I will remember

Psalm 77: 9-12

Has God forgotten to be merciful?  Has he in anger withheld his compassion? 

Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."  I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes,  will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will mediate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

This psalm begins in despair and ends in confident hope.  This psalm reminds me of the importance of remembering.  When I am in an impossibly hopeless situation, when I am heavy-hearted, when I feel like God is far from me, when I am tired of the trials of this life...  I will remember the deeds of the Lord.

Today,

I have friends who are very sick.  I will remember how God has healed in the past, and how God has used sickness to reveal His love in such powerful ways.

It seems like our money will run out before our bills are paid.  I will remember how God has always provided for us in the past, and that money is never a problem for God.

I am affected by circumstances that are beyond my control.  I will remember that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, and that He is sovereign.

I am really, really tired of cold and cloudy days.  I will remember that God's glory shines brightly throughout the summer in Eugene.  It won't be much longer...

verses 13-14:  Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

2 favorites

Today's Life Journal readings include 2 of my favorites.  One is the story of Hannah, who is heartbroken because she has no children.  1 Samuel 1: 10 describes her response:

In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.

She brought all of her disappointment, sorrow, and bitterness to the only One who could truly understand her heart.  She "poured out her soul" (v 15) to the only One who could really help her.  I believe she held nothing back.  She was so lost in prayer that the priest thought she was drunk.

C. S. Lewis wrote that "The prayer preceding all prayers is "May it be the real I who speaks, and the real Thou that I speak to."  I pray that prayer daily.  I don't want to pray empty words out of dutiful routine.  I want to pour my heart out to God.  And as I do, as I seek God in prayer, I want to find God as He really is.  Authenticity, such a buzz word in today's culture, is an ancient value.

And then Hannah trusts God to answer her prayer.  Verse 18 says "Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast."  At least nine months before she would actually meet her son Samuel, the answer to her prayer, she believed.  By the way, this story also reminds me to treasure my boys (what a gift they are!) and reminds me that they belong to the LORD.

(My 2nd favorite in today's reading is in Psalm 66:16, where I found the words sung in one of my favorite David Crowder Band songs.  "Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.")

looking for what I cannot see

2 Corinthians 4:18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

What a great verse to meditate on this morning!  It reminds me to invest in the eternal, to prioritize God and people over earthly pleasure and possessions.  This truth assures me that whatever trials I face today can produce eternal reward if I allow God to shape my inmost being. I asked God to show me how this truth could impact my life practically today:

In relational conflict I can choose to focus on the other person's character, heart, or intentions instead of dwelling on hurtful things done or said to me.  I can offer grace.

When disciplining my children I can take the time to address their hearts as well as correcting their outward behavior.

I can ask God to help me do the right thing, and to give me godly motivation.

Throughout the day I can purpose to see the invisible God manifested through what He has created- the people in my life, the beauty of sunshine peeking through clouds, the glimpses His glory that escape through this fallen world.  

Today I am going to look for what I cannot see, and I will find God at work all around me.

for such a time as this

I love Thursday mornings because I go to bible study.  Today we are looking at Esther 4, which includes one of the most memorable lines of scripture:

v14  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?

It's a beautiful statement of the appropriate view of God that says God certainly doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes.  He can use whomever, whatever, whenever He wants!  But at the same time He chooses to use people, so be on the lookout for God's purpose for you in the context He has placed you.

This morning I am asking God to show me the things for which I am uniquely suited, with my particular gifts, passion, and experience.  Is there an opportunity for great faith and obedience before me right now, about which it could be said,  Who knows, but that I have come to this place for such a time as this?

I am also asking Him to remind me of the things for which I am uniquely responsible.  No one else can be a good wife to Chip.  No one else can be a Godly mother to my boys.  Those roles are reserved for me- I must treasure them and prioritize them!

Nintendo is not like God

Today I thought I'd share a few things I am learning from my three boys:

Joshua told me yesterday that he started an Origami club at recess.  He has 17 members so far.  I am guessing that those 17 third-graders aren't so into folding paper that they really want to give up their recess to do it.  But Joshua is a nice kid and a good friend, so they care about what he cares about.  Being kind and compassionate opens doors to share with others, whether we are sharing origami or the Gospel.

Zack sent a letter to Nintendo recently.  The letter was short and to the point.  It said, "My dog chewed up my Pokemon Diamond game.  Please send me a new one."  The chewed up game is taped onto his letter.  He goes to the mailbox every day, eagerly expecting the answer to his request.  That is how I should pray- with eager expectation, confident that God can and will provide for me, not because I deserve it but because He loves me and because He is all-powerful.  There is surely another life lesson coming soon for Zack:

Nintendo is not like God.

Nathan came to the grocery store with me on Monday and chose as his special treat Captain Crunch cereal.  But the small box of sugary cereal was 5 dollars!  So I convinced him to choose the much larger, much cheaper, generic knock-off instead.  He happily came home with a large bag of cereal that looked just like his coveted Captain Crunch.  At home he carefully poured some in a zip-lock and skipped off with his snack.  Two minutes later he was back in the kitchen.  He needed to tell me something.  "Mom, I know why this cereal costs less dollars than Captain Crunch.  It doesn't taste good."  I now have a very large bag of sugar cereal that no one will eat.  I'm sure there are plenty of life lessons here.  Something like, excellence costs more, or anything worth doing (or making) should be done well.

Honestly, I just think it is funny that my 6 year-old son, whose idea of haute cuisine is chicken nuggets and wheat thins, draws the line at fake Captain Crunch.

God of all comfort

Reading 2 Corinthians 2:1 this morning.  Verses 3&4 say this:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

I love this idea!  When we go through hard times God comforts us, then allows us to help others by offering that same comfort to a friend who is struggling.  I meditated this morning on the hard times in my life and how God comforted me.  I find great refuge in His Word.  Here are some favorites:

When I am struggling with life experiences:

Romans 8: 18  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8: 28  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.

(Okay, all of Romans 8 is a comfort and encouragement to me!!)

When things don't go as planned:

Proverbs 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

When I am paying bills:

Matthew 6:19-34  including verse 33  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Any of you want to share some scripture that comforts and encourages you?