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Small Beginnings and a Big Finish

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
We want the big. We
want the great. We want the finish without the start. The grand finale without
the in-between.
 
In the book of
Zechariah, God is using him as a voice to the people. That’s why he’s called a
prophet. His ministry was to the exiles returning to Jerusalem.
 
Nebuchadnezzar
(Babylonian empire) had invaded, taking the captive (including Daniel–the one
from the lion’s den) the people, and destroying the cities. You can read more on this in my post, Joy from Light bulb moments: A Lesson in Daniel. 
 
Then the Medo-Persian
empire took power and Cyrus began letting the people go back home to
rebuild–Jeremiah the prophet prophesied this. These were the scrolls Daniel
read (the ones Baruch had written for Jeremiah. You can read about that in my post, Pick up the Pen and Do it Again).
 
The exiles were
going to go back home to face utter chaos and ruins.  Imagine that. But like last week’s post, It
isn’t over until God says. He hadn’t forgotten His people.
 
In fact, they had a
constant reminder from Zechariah. Just by hearing his name. It means, “Yahweh Remembers.” Isn’t that
beautiful?
 
This book is full of
visions about the Second Coming of Christ and is very interesting, but what I
want to hit home today comes from Chapter 4, concerning the finishing of the
temple which had been destroyed when the Babylonians invaded.
 
God is talking of
Zerubbabel, the grandson of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of
returning exiles from Babylon.
 
Verse 9-10: “Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this Temple, and he
will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord All-Powerful has
sent me to you. “The
people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools,
building the Temple…”
 
In the
NKJV, it says in verse 10, “For who has despised the day of small
things?”
 
This
verse hit me hard. It reminded me of something a friend of mine always says
about publishing. That she’s okay with small beginnings. I agree with her. I am
too. If we are faithful with little, we’ll be ruler over much. Jesus said that,
not me.
 
But the
morning I read this, it really stuck with me. I was thinking over a twenty year
dream (not about writing) and things have been so small. A door is about to
open which is huge and yet…compared to my big dreams, it’s still a small
beginning.
 
But small beginnings aren’t unimportant.
 
So, I
cross-referenced it for further insight and it led me to 2 Chronicles 16:9.
 
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose
heart is loyal to Him.” 
 
That
word loyal stuck out to me. Here were a few of my thoughts directed to God in
that moment:
 
What do
you mean by loyal, Lord?
I feel
like I mess up so often, I couldn’t be considered loyal.
But I
want to be loyal.
Loyal
translates kindness in some passages…what exactly is this?
 
But I
didn’t have time to pull up my Lexicon and see what that word meant in the
Hebrew. I decided I’d come back to it later.
 
I
grabbed my iPad and headed out to the gym with my husband. After our strength
training session, I climbed on the treadmill and pulled up a John Piper sermon,
using my Desiring God app.
 
The last
thing I’d read was 2 Chronicles so I clicked on a sermon from that book and
began to read. You can read the full version of his sermon HERE.
 
When you ask God questions, when you’re curious
about His Word, He answers.
 
Here is
what I read from John Piper:
 
“…It’s
one of my favorite verses in all the Bible. I hope you will learn it by heart.
‘The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show his
might in behalf of those whose heart is blameless…”
 
The same
verse I’d read in NKJV earlier from 2 Chronicles. But he went on to share what
that word blameless (loyal) means.
 
“whole,
i.e., wholly relying on Him, that’s what the context requires toward him.”
~John Piper
 
Right
there the Lord spoke to me. Through His Word. And into my heart.
 
God is
looking, searching for those who will rely wholly on Him–to be strong on their
behalf.
 
My
prayer on that treadmill was a picture. In my head I saw the menu screen of the
Shrek movie–where Donkey is pacing the crowd and jumping up over their heads.
 
“Pick
me! Pick me!” He chants repeatedly.
 
I said,
“Lord, I will rely wholly on you. Pick me! Be strong for me! I’m just like
Donkey. Stubborn, run my mouth way more than I ought to and half the time
nothing of any substance comes out, I have off-the-wall ideas that generally
fall flat, but I’m willing. Pick me. Pick me.”
 
Sunday
during worship (I can’t even remember the song), that image popped into my
brain but this time, strong hands took hold of Donkey’s face, calmed his spirit
and settled him down from jumping and pacing and begging, “Pick me! Pick
me!”
 
And He
whispered to my heart.
 
“I’ve
already picked you. Before the foundations of the world.” This was in
reference to my dream and what I desperately long to do. At this moment, I
can’t give the details (it’s not writing related at all) but when I can, I
will. But Sunday I was uncertain. Sunday, I just wanted to beg God to use me.
To try and convince Him, I’d rely on Him wholly.
 
And He reminded me: “Yahweh Remembers.”
 
Sometime
we–I–let the areas I struggle with overshadow the areas I’m obedient and I
ignore that my heart longs and desires to be in God’s will. I forget that I am
trusting wholly in and on Him.
 
I need reminded: God didn’t ask for perfection. He asks for
commitment. To wholly rely. I’m progress. Not perfection.
 
And God
is moving on my behalf. And yours.
 
Small
beginnings means there’s an end.
 
God will
perfect that which concerns me, and you.
 
He will
finish the good work He began in me, and you.
 
“…Not
by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6:
 

 

What about you? 
Are you relying on Him wholly? 
How do you feel
about small beginnings?
 

When It All Goes to Pot, Buy a Field

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
Can you imagine God sending you to the President of the
United States to tell him he’s about to lose the “throne” to an enemy because he’s
neglected God? And the President had all the power to put you in prison for
that…or worse? If there were no such thing as freedom of speech?
 
Well that’s sort of what happened with Jeremiah the prophet.
 
Check it:
 
“This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah in
the tenth year Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.  At
that time the army of the king of Babylon was surrounding Jerusalem. Jeremiah
the prophet was under arrest in the courtyard of the guard, which was at the
palace of the king of Judah.
 
Zedekiah king of Judah
had put Jeremiah in prison there. Zedekiah had asked, “Why have you prophesied
the things you have?” (Jeremiah had said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I
will soon hand the city of Jerusalem over to the king of Babylon, and he will
capture it. Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the Babylonian
army, but he will surely be handed over to the king of Babylon. And he will
speak to the king of Babylon face to face and see him with his own eyes.  The
king will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I have punished
him,’ says the Lord. ‘If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not
succeed.’”)” Jeremiah 32:1-5
 
Didn’t matter that the king didn’t like what Jeremiah had to
say. Didn’t matter he imprisoned him for it.
 
“If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.”
 
God had a plan. It involved some serious discipline.
Intended to bring repentance. And it was part of a conditional promise God had
made to His people. They broke their end and turned after other gods.
Sacrificed their babies to the demon god Molech through fire on the very
rooftops of their homes.
 
And God allowed, key word here: allowed, Nebuchadnezzar to
be the instrument of discipline. He brought his troops in, over a period of
time, and ransacked the city taking many captive (including Daniel).
But in the following verses, God does something weird. He
tells Jeremiah that his cousin is coming to see him and to sell him a field. By
law, next of kin had rights to buy property (redeem it; like in the story of
Ruth) if a family member was in financial troubles.
 
Sure enough, the cousin comes and tells Jeremiah to buy the
field from him.
He’s just prophesied that their land was about to be in
ruins. Destroyed.
Jeremiah says to God, ““Look! The enemy has surrounded the
city and has built roads to the top of the walls to capture it. Because of war,
hunger, and terrible diseases, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians
who are attacking it. You said this would happen, and now you see it is
happening.  But now, Lord God, you tell me,
‘Buy the field with silver and call in witnesses.’ You tell me this while the
Babylonian army is ready to capture the city.” Jeremiah 32:24-25
 
In other words: Have you lost your mind, Lord? You’re making
me look like an idiot!
 
“Hey ya’ll Ole Neb’s about to do us in…well, you guys
anyway. Me? Well I’m gonna buy a field. Are you kidding me?”
 
The Lord said (paraphrase) “I am going to do these things. I
haven’t lost my mind. You see it’s not over until it’s over.”
 
However,
it’s not over until God says it’s over.
 
“I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth.
Nothing is impossible for me.” Jeremiah 32:7
 
He goes on to explain why He’s allowing this tragedy to
befall the people, but He ends with a promise.
 
“This is what the Lord says: “I have brought this
great disaster to the people of Israel and Judah. In the same way I will bring
the good things that I promise to do for them.” Jeremiah 32:42
 
Verse 44: “…They will again buy fields in the land of
Benjamin, in the area around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the
mountains, in the western hills, and in southern Judah. I will make everything
as good for them as it once was,” says the Lord.”
 
Do you
feel like things are crashing down around you? Burning to the ground? Do you
wonder where God is? If He even cares about you?
 
It’s through trials and tragedies, we learn to trust most.
 
He cares. What seems to be an ash heap, can be rebuilt.
Reborn. Reclaimed.
 
Sometimes it’s consequences for our sins and poor choices and
sometimes simple pruning (though nothing feels simple at the time, does it?)
that leads us into these kinds of circumstances.
 
In this context, the people had turned their back on God,
chasing other lovers. Putting things before God, after promising never to do
that.
 
Weeping
may last a night, but joy comes in the morning.
 
God planned to restore what was being lost. To bring back a repentant
people.
 
Jeremiah buying that field at God’s request was a living
picture of God’s love for His people.
 
He loves you.
 
It ain’t over till it’s over.
 
Do you like reading the Old Testament?Why or why not?
 

 

 
 
Happy 4th tomorrow! What are your big plans?

Get Your Ax Out of the Water!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
I’m
not a lumberjack. I’ve never chopped wood with such determination that my ax
flew from my hands. I have watched a wide-toothed comb fly across the bathroom
due to tangles. Similar…yet not so much.
 
In 2
Kings Chapter 6, we read about the sons of the prophets who Elisha taught. Some
translations say a group of prophets. A guild in some commentaries. Point is
they decided to build a bigger facility for them to live in. So they went out
to cut down cedars.
 
On
in particular had borrowed an ax. An iron ax. Look at verse 5:  “As one man was cutting down
a tree, the head of his ax fell into the water. He yelled, “Oh, my master! I
borrowed that ax!”
 
He
could have sighed, dusted his hands on his pants and copped a squat. “Well, I’m
out. Ya’ll keep working on your own beams. I’m gonna sit back and do nothing.” Or
“I’m just going to wait until Elisha sees I’m sitting on the sidelines and says
something.” Good thing Elisha was there. Verse 3 lets us know that Elisha told
them to go, but they asked him to go along with them. Good lesson right there.
 
Back
to the man:
 
He
cried out! “It’s gone! My ax head has been flung from my hands and has been
buried in the water!”
 
Notice
Elisha did not say, “You should have had a better grip. Stinks for you. Go
find another ax.” He said, “Where did it fall?”
 
The
Ax head may represent your dead dreams. A promise. A failed marriage. A broken relationship.
Finances (Fill in the blank). At some point along the way you were working and  it flew from your grasp, landed with a splash and
sunk to the miry bottom. Never to be seen from the murky waters that drowned
it.
 
Where did it fall? Where were you in
life? Where were you spiritually?
 
The
man knew. And he showed the place to Elisha.
 
Then
Elisha did something similar to what Moses did when he cast the tree branch
into the bitter waters in the desert, making them sweet and drinkable. Elisha
cast a stick, wood, into the water.
 
And
the laws of gravity were defied. Iron doesn’t float. Period.
 
But when Jesus died on a wooden cross,
everything became possible for those who believe. For those who cry out.
 
When
that wood went into the water, something miraculous happened. The ax head floated.
 
But the
man had to reach out and grab it. Elisha didn’t do it for him.
 
Are
you ready to pick your dream back up if it’s flown from your hands? Have you
cried out to God to help. He cares for you. He cares about things that are big
and small to you. But nothing is too big or small for him. Nothing is too
difficult.
 
You
may have to go back to the place you lost it. And that might be painful, but
the same power than makes iron float can heal whatever wounds you carry.
Disappointments, struggles, exhaustion from working so hard. Whatever it is,
God can change it. He can resurrect what you think has sunk.
 
There is nothing He cannot bring to the
surface and restore.
 
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
 

 

Will you reach out and take it when it
surfaces? 
 

Man of Steel vs. Man of the Cross

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
Lots of buzz
circulating about the newest Superman movie, Man of Steel. I entered the theater with my family on Father’s Day.
Excitement bubbling. Superman is my favorite hero. From Christopher Reeve to
Brandon Routh. I’ve enjoyed them all.
 
As I took my seat and
the music began to play, I felt a keen sense that God was near. I know He’s always
near, but it was almost tangible. You ever experience His nearness like that?
 
I cried through the entire movie. I
swear I did. Not because
it was a fabulous romance. Not because it was an emotional watch, but I
recognized many of Jesus’ attributes during the movie and it moved me. Superman
was modeled after Jesus. But like every good fictional character, he needs
flaws. 
 
Unlike Jesus Christ.
 
After I left the
movie, I couldn’t get a particular scene from my head. (NO spoiler alert, keep
reading) A scene that jerked and awakened my insides, and seared into my brain.
 
Yesterday, during my
morning time, I was reading a story about a farmer who tried to protect his
wheat field from a fire. When he did a final check, he discovered a dead hen.
Burned to a crisp. He kicked it over and out from under her wings, several baby
chicks scattered, untouched. The story was in relation to the verse about Jesus
wanting to cover the people like a hen covers her chicks with her wings.
 
The scene from Man of Steel replayed in my head as I
thought about the fire
 

ravaging the hen.

 
Superman was coming
to Lois Lane’s rescue (as always) during a huge explosion. He caught her
mid-air and drew her to his chest, wrapping powerful arms around her as fire
blazed through the air.
 
Lois tucked her head
down and as new intense flames burst, Superman did a sudden turn, shielding her
from the heat. His back took the brunt, and his red cape blew gloriously around
him, encircling her, and he blew through intense fire to freedom.
 
Lois unscathed.
 
And that’s when Jesus
whispered to my heart Isaiah 43:2-3: “…When you walk through the fire, you
shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your
God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…”
 
 
Superman didn’t take Lois from the
flame. He took her through it.
 
Isaiah 61:10 says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered
me with the robe of righteousness…”
 
Just like Superman’s crimson cape extended
from himself and covered Lois, saving her, so does the blood of Christ envelope
us, inking out our sin and robing us in right standing with God.
 
No matter what fiery
circumstance you find yourself in, God will bring you 
through it. Unscathed.
Stronger.
 
Hang on, draw near.
Revel in His glorious comfort and protection. And know that your Savior has no
weakness. No flaws. He is all-powerful. All holy. 
 
Almighty. All splendorous.
 
All Able.
 

 

 
 

 

Have you seen Man of Steel? If you’re going through fire, how can I pray for you?
If you don’t want to leave a comment, send me an email. Click on the Connect
page for my email address.

Learn to Fan a Flame of Passion

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I
shouldn’t be afraid of good things.
 
But
sometimes I am.
 
I knew I
was supposed to lead women’s ministry at our church and I tried every single
way to talk God out of His idea. I get ticked over that scripture where God
says, “Come let us reason together.” My reply is always the same.
“I’ll come but we both know I’m going to lose.” To this day, God has
yet to call me a loser, even though I never win in the “reasoning”
department.
 
So shaking
in my boots, or flip flops–I can’t remember what I wore–I set off to our
pastor’s office to break the news. That’s how I felt about it at the time.
Ready to vomit. Unequipped. Void of any great ideas.
 
Ter-ri-fied.
I sat across from him. I told him what I felt God has nudged me in my spirit to
do, and then I broke down and sobbed.
 
I’ll never
forget his words. With a smile on his face (and he had back pain that day) he
said, “Well, don’t cry about it.” And I laughed…and cried. And  cracked a terrible joke.
 
In that
moment of obedience, the nerves calmed. And ideas started flittering through my
mind. And something happened. I got excited. And scared. Then excited. God
began equipping me with people–out of the woodwork!
 
Things
clicked in place. For three years, I led women’s ministry.
 
But God
led me.
 
One of the
greatest verses in the Bible is found in 2 Timothy 1:7. You may know it by
heart. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love, and of a sound mind.” NKJV
 
We use it
all the time, don’t we? For any fear or confusion. Some versions say
self-control in place of sound mind.
 
But we
can’t skip the teeny tiny linking word in this verse. Those little words are
important because it gives us context. And context is vital! Even in the Bible.
 
So what
verses are linked to 1:7?
 
Let’s look
at verse 6 in the NKJV. “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God
 

which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

 
Paul is
talking to Timothy about the gift God gave him. But we have one of those
important words: therefore. What’s it there for? So we have to link up again.
 
Verses
3-5: “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure
conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I
remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see
you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when
I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in
your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you
also.” NKJV
 
Paul
recognizes Timothy has genuine faith. He’s not riding Mom and Grandma’s coat
tails–because that’s impossible. And with genuine faith comes something
wonderful.
 
Spiritual
Gifts.
 
Given
by the Holy Spirit. For us. To equip.
 
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There
are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:”
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NKJV
 
You have a gift given by God. And it’s to be used to profit
all in the church.
 
Listen
to the way the Message translation reads Ephesians 4:11-13:
 “But that doesn’t mean you should
all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of
us is given his own gift. The text for this is,
 
He
climbed the high mountain,
He
captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He
handed it all out in gifts to the people.
 
Is
it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley
of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to
highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his
gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet,
evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant
work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving
rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to
God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive
like Christ.”
 
 
My
beloved has gone to his garden, To the beds of spices, 
To feed his flock in the gardens, 
And to
gather lilies. Song of Solomon 6:2
NKJV
says, “to equip the saints…”
 
Timothy
had a gift. So do you. So do I.
 
The
#1 things holding us back is fear. Our fears may stem from many different
things. Pick one:
 
My
past reads like a crime novel. I don’t deserve to serve.
 
 No way can I do something like this. I’m a
nobody.
 
I’m
a hypocrite. Half the time I don’t have it all together. And until I do, I
can’t serve.
 
What
if I fail? I failed so many people, broke so many promises, what if I fail God
and He’s been good to me so far.
 
I
have too much going on to get involved in church…i.e. I’m lazy. I’m scared. I’m
insecure. I’m justifying being vulnerable.
 
I’ve
been hurt by the body of Christ (the church people) and I don’t want to go back
there. *Note* People are imperfect. They hurt us. But God never does.
 
Insert
your fear here.
 
If
you belong to Jesus and if you are in a church, you have a responsibility to be
doing something there. How do I know this? 1Corinthians 12:12-31.
 
And
now I’m going to show you the context this famous verse was written in. This is
the answer to all your fears and misgivings about using your gifts in the body
of Christ.
 
“For
God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7.
 
Timothy
was a worrier. Probably about a lot of things. But certainly about using the
gift/gifts God gave him for the church.
 
Paul
told Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23) “Stop drinking only water, and use a
little wine 
 

because of your stomach and your frequent
illnesses.”

 
Did
you know that drinking some (not lush amounts) of red wine can control
bacteria, heal ulcers and even prevent them. Here is just one link that shares this information. *This is not my personal
invitation for you to go out and slosh down wine or beer. It’s a point I’m
making about Timothy.
 
He
worried himself sick. Literally. Fear jacked up his stomach.
 
My point is: God didn’t give you spiritual gifts to keep
under a flame, hidden in the ashes for whatever excuse you can come up with not
to use them.
 
The
NIV translations says, “..fan into flame the gift of God, which is in
you…”
 
Fan
the flame. Stir it up.
 
Time rekindle it. That word, stir up in the Greek  is anazōpyreō  and it means to kindle up, inflame one’s mind, strength, zeal
 
According
to Dictionary.com, inflame means:
to become hot with passion;
to set or be set on fire
 
 
But how do we do this?
 
*Cue
Alicia Keys, That Girl is On Fire or simply turn to the book of Revelation*
 
Revelation
1:14 is talking about Jesus Christ: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow,
and His eyes like a flame of
fire…”
 
What are
His eyes like?
 
A flame of
fire.
 
You want
to excited about the gifts God has placed in you? You want to overcome the fear
and shyness that holds you back? You need to stir up some passion and fire? You
need your fire fanned?
 
Look into
the eyes of fire. Let Him stoke the embers to a blazing inferno. The Lord guides you with
His eye. Full of passion. Fire. Ready to consume your fear. Your timidity. And
to kindle/rekindle the zeal you’ve been lacking. 
 
*For more on looking into His eyes read this POST! I wrote on focusing on His eyes while we dance to complicated moves.
 
Don’t you
be afraid! Now get out there and profit the church in a way only you can!
 

 

If you are serving in your church, what do you do? I’d
love to hear!
 

The #1 Reason to Wake Up Early

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Have you
ever had a craving (non-pregnant) and gotten out of bed– you may or may not
have even suffered to put on an undergarment (ladies) simply to go after that
delicious Peanut Butter Sonic shake…or Zaxby’s Banana shake…or whatever?
I may or
may not have done that i.e. created a mouth watering description so my husband
craved one and went instead.
But you
know what I love more than any of those sweet treats.
Mornings
with Jesus. When the house is still. It’s just the gurgling coffee pot, my
bedhead, and the lover of my soul. Alone. And I’m passionate about passing that
love off on you. On my Wednesday night class. On my children. I want to see
Christians everywhere longing for the treasure of God through His word.
Today’s post may be a little longer than usual, but I pray it not only
blesses you, but moves you with excitement to fill up on the sweetness of Jesus
Christ.
In
preparation for my class on reading and studying the Word of God, my lesson I
normally teach took a drastic turn. And I’m thankful it did.
If you
have your Bible in your hand, take a look at Exodus chapter 16. If not, you can

read it later. I hope you will!

The
Israelites had been led out of Egypt, which represents bondage many times in
scripture. They were slaves. Miserable. And they cried out to God. Who heard
them! I love that God not only hears the cries of His people, but He acts. He
rose up a deliverer. You know him by the name, Moses.
When they
left Egypt, they journeyed into the wilderness with a few stops. They’d seen
the Red Sea parted, bitter waters turned sweet by tossing a branch in. But when
they entered the Wilderness of Sin (pronounced Seen and has nothing to do with
actual sin–in fact the word in Hebrew means thorns and clay) they grumbled and
complained.
“Oh
that we had died by the hand of the LORD in Egypt when we sat by pots of meat
and when we ate bread to the full!” Exodus 16:3
According
to Numbers 11:5, they had pots of stew, onions, leeks, garlic and bread. The
people of God were freaked out. Fear sometimes does that–freaks us out and
makes us forget the former miracles of God.
But God does not lead us into new places of promise to watch us wither
and die. He has every intention of filling us to the full.
Bread to
the full. I can picture God, “Oh, you want bread? You have never seen the
kind of bread I’m about to give you. Watch. And. See.”
Verse
7 of Exodus 16 says, “And in the morning you shall see glory of the
LORD.”
God
was about to supply them with bread from heaven. Something they’d never seen
before. That’s why it’s called Manna. It means, “What is it?”
Exodus
16 accompanied with Numbers 11 tells us a few things about this Manna.
  • It
    was small and round, like coriander seed.
  • It
    came with the dew and when the dew lifted, it covered the ground
  • Moses
    said, “This is the bread of which LORD has given you to eat.”
  • And
    it came with detailed instructions.

They had to gather it every morning. When?
Every. Morning. Why? Verse 21 tells us that when the sun became hot, it melted
away. We’re coming back to that.
Hang
with me, I know this post is long.
So
what does this have to do with us today? Many of know that Jesus represents the
Manna. This OT account is a foreshadowing of Jesus. And God is in the details.
I want you to see it. And I want you to long for the Word of God….for the Bread
of Heaven. Let’s dig into some scripture.
John
1:1-5 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were
made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did
not comprehend it.
John
1:14 goes on to say, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory…”
Now
go back and insert the word JESUS in every place you read “Word.” Did
you do it? Well, go do it!
Jesus
is the Word. Now, lets’ pick up in John Chapter 6. Jesus has just fed the
multitude with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. A miracle. Then he walked on water
to the neighboring town. Cause He’s Jesus and He does stuff like that. I chose
the MSG translation for this next passage because it packs a punch.
John
6:22-40:
22-24 The next day the crowd that was left
behind realized that there had been only one

boat, and that Jesus had not
gotten into it with his disciples. They had seen them go off without him. By
now boats from Tiberias had pulled up near where they had eaten the bread
blessed by the Master. So when the crowd realized he was gone and wasn’t coming
back, they piled into the Tiberias boats and headed for Capernaum, looking for
Jesus.

25 When they found him back across the sea,
they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking
for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free.
27 “Don’t waste your energy striving for
perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that
nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does
are guaranteed by God the Father to last.”
28 To that they said, “Well, what do we do
then to get in on God’s works?”
29 Jesus said, “Throw your lot in with the
One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.”
(NKJV says, Believe in Him whom He sent; believe in Jesus)
30-31 They waffled: “Why don’t you give us
a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s
up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It
says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32-33 Jesus responded, “The real
significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but
that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down
out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”
34 They jumped at that: “Master, give us
this bread, now and forever!”
35-38 Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life.
The person who aligns with me hungers And once that person is with me,
I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own
whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have
told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you
don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes
running to me.

39-40 “This, in a nutshell, is that will:
that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single
detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put
together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees
the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will
enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of
time.”
Jesus
is the real Manna. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Bread of Heaven. Jesus holds
onto you and does. Not. Let. Go. Ever. He puts you on your feet alive and
whole! He expects us to fill up on Him.
When
the Spirit drove him into the…what? WILDERNESS, and Satan tempted Him, He
replied with ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
And we know that the Word is Jesus himself from the earlier scripture in John
1. 
The
Word.
Matthew
26:26, Jesus is instituting a new covenant, “And as they were eating,
Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My
body.”  This is symbolic, just in case
you got grossed out or thought, “She really needs to lay off the show
Hannibal.”
When
Jesus taught us how to pray he said in Luke 11:3, “Give us day by day our
daily bread.”
How often are we to have bread? Daily?
Exodus
16:4 The people were to go out and gather it according to their need daily.
Get
up and gather what you need for the day. Before the noon heat comes–the
trials, unexpected circumstances, grumpy co-workers, rebellious teens wake
up–they ain’t getting up before noon–financial crisis, bills come in the
mail, rent is due, the car breaks down or runs out of air, the babies get sick
and you lose your insurance. Heat of the day. Before the hot noon sun beats you
down. Before all of this comes, gather your daily bread. Be filled. Be ready.
Be content. Satisfied.
Because
when the heat comes and you haven’t gathered your bread for the day, you’ll

melt. You’ll melt.

This
is where I beg you to do it early! And for sake of word count–too late–I
can’t give you dozens of scriptures about seeking God early and God Himself
meeting you early, but… look up the keywords: early, morning, seek in
Biblegateway. Do it early!
Now
that’s not to say God won’t meet your needs if you don’t get up early. His
mercies are new every day and His compassion fail not. Any time with God is a
great time for God. But for the love God, literally, do it! If for no other
reason. If you can’t come up with some good motivation other than, “I’m a
Christian and I’m supposed to.” Which I cringe at but have said. How about
this, for crying out loud!
This
is it! Right here!! Pay attention!
Let’s
revisit Numbers 11:8-9. Let’s breakdown this Manna together. I want you to see
the God of details. I want you to feel the love Jesus has for you! And here it
is:
The
had a part to play in receiving this bread of heaven. What does it say they
did?
Gather
it
Ground
it
Beat
it
Cook
it
And
then they ate of it. It’s taste was sweet like a pastry with honey. Exodus
16:31
What
does this have to do with Jesus?
Gathered: John 18:3 tells us, “Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief
priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.”
And in Luke 22:54 we see,  “Having arrested Him, they
led Him and brought Him into
the high priest’s house.
They went out and found him. They gathered Him up.
Ground: In the Hebrew this word is
“tachan” (tah-han) and it means to crush.
Isaiah
53:5 says, “But He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon
Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
 The word bruised in Hebrew is:
“daka” (duhah) and it means “to be crushed.” ” to be
shattered”.
He was crushed, ground just like the coriander seed.
Beat: Matthew 26:67 tells us, “Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others

struck Him with the palms of their hands… Luke 19:2-3 “And
the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on
Him a purple robe. Then they said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck him
with their hands.”

Where were
the Israelites when God rained down bread of heaven? What environment were they
in? The Wilderness of Sin–a place of thorns. Here is the Bread of Heaven,
being gathered, ground/crushed, beat–prepared with thorns upon His head.
This is no
coincidence. This is the mastery of our Lord. The details. We can trust someone
who works things out down to the minute detail…down to thorns.
Cooked: They took a cat of nine tails, filled
with bone fragments, and they tenderized his flesh. (Matthew 27:26)
Then they
cooked him on a cross. They watched as he baked. John 19:30 “He said, It
is finished!” And bowing His head (even humble in death) he gave up His
spirit.
Death on a
cross was like a crock pot kind of death. Slow. And sometimes they would hurry
the process by breaking the legs of the criminals, but when they came to Jesus,
he had already died. But just to make sure he was done. John 19:34 tell us,
“But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. And blood and
water flowed.” As if sticking a fork in him–the juices running out.
But that’s
not the end! It had to be this way in order to get to this next part!
Sweet to taste: 
Exodus 16:31  lets us in on the
fact that the Manna, “was like
white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like
wafers made with honey.”
John
19:39-42: “So he came and took the body of
Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they
took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the
custom of the Jews is to bury.”
Catch
those key words: myrrh, spices…aloes.
 Song of Solomon is a symbolic description of
the lover of our souls–our beloved, our savior, our king. In chapter 5:13 the
spouse, the bride, says, “His cheeks are like
a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.”
In
chapter 3:6 of the same book, she sees her Beloved. Look where He is coming
from. And what He is like.
 “Who is this
coming out of the wilderness, Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed
with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant
powders?”
Notice
He has been in the wilderness–a place of thorns. And He reminds her of pillars
of smoke, the very way He led His beloveds those forty years. And see how He is
perfumed? With what? Myrrh.
We
are talking about Jesus! We are taking about the Word! Spiritual food.
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8
“How
sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
 Psalm 119:103
“The
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be
desired are they than gold;
Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover
by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm
19:9-11
He
is the Bread of Heaven. He is the Word. He is sweet to taste. Oh He loves it
when we fall into His word and lap Him up. When we’re so full of Him. So much
so, He says in Song of  Solomon 4:11 to
His bride, “Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue.”
Don’t
you want to drip His sweetness when you open your mouth? Don’t you want others
to know what you’ve been eating? Don’t you want to ooze with the sweet taste of
Jesus. Just wallow in His goodness.
You’re
not just reading your Bible. Your immersing yourself in Jesus Himself. And when
you’ve spent time with Him–the sweet Bread of Heaven, expect to drip with
goodness. Pour it out all over those around who are hungry.
I
hope you stuck out the lengthy teaching today. And I pray that He moves you to
sacrifice some time (preferably in the still of morning before the heat comes)
and love on the Word.

See
ya’ll next Wednesday! Also, are there any topics you’d like me cover over the summer? I’m open for study/devotional ideas! If you want to message me privately, my email address is on the CONNECT page at the top right corner of the site. 
What is your favorite sweet treat? And what do you think holds you back from diving into God’s Word?

Hello, Mr. Wrong!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey everyone! I know my photo is of a cat. I know it’s crazy as I am not a cat lover. They wig me out! But this animal has the right look. Doesn’t she? 

“Uh, don’t even strut this way with a line you think goes down as smooth as butter buttah. It’s comin up about like one of my fur balls, yah freak.” Can you see that? 

 It’s great to be back but I’m sort of not here. I’m over at Casey Herringshaw’s blog and I’m talking about Mr. Wrong.

We hear so much about Mr. Right, so  I thought I’d share with you a few deal-breakers, in my opinion, about who constitutes Mr. Wrong. I have based these 3 things on my own personal experience. 

Please don’t judge me after reading.

One other item to share: I’m revamping my summer schedule. I have a WIP (Work In Progress) to revise and a few critiques to do over the summer and I’d like to focus my attention on them.  So for the rest of summer, I’ll only post on Wednesdays.

As always, plan to experience hope! 

And of course, I reserve the right to post on Mondays and Fridays if something crops up that I feel you can’t live without reading. 🙂 

So come by Casey’s and jump in the conversation. Casey’s blog! (um…click the link!)

Tell me one quality that makes Mr. Wrong in your opinion. And you don’t have to be serious, you can be silly. In fact, please do! 

Random 101 Learn It Here

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

First, let me just say if I could go back and do it all over again, I’d so sport these glasses. In fact, if I could come up with them now, I’d wear them today. Totally would. Okay…moving on.

Technically, I’m not here but I am. As in, it feels like I’m here to you because you’re reading my words. But I’m not actually here. I’m somewhere else. 

In my writing/editing cave to be exact. Well most of the day! Part of it I’m at work and…

Today is my anniversary! My husband has put up with my mess for 18 years! Talk about a hero! 
Thanks to my new Thirty One
file box and wall hanger, my
writing space is better
organized! So here’s where I really am!

But I am working on revisions. My goal is to get this joker sent out to critique partners in about three weeks. 

My kids are out of school for summer, and I’m taking a couple days off to spend with them, i.e. force them by standing over them to clean their rooms correctly. Not like they clean. Like I clean.

Do your kids do that?

“Kids, clean your rooms!”

“Like your kind of clean?” 

Is there any other way than mine? Uh…no. No there is not. We’re seeing what fits, what doesn’t and hauling anything that doesn’t to GoodWill. Then I will know if my daughter really is telling the truth when she says, “I have nothing to wear.”

And hey, talk about dedication to branding!
See how my new glasses match the circles on my banner?
Yeah, I’m that good. Truth is, it was an accident. But whatever.

Also, did I mention I’m trying to work on revisions in all this? Yeah. I thought I might have. In fact, I have a small circle of sunburn on ONE leg to prove I’ve been revising. How does this prove I’ve been revising?…well it doesn’t to you. But I know how long I sat outside reading through my ms. It’s not suspense either. It’s contemporary romance bordering romantic comedy. I say bordering because I may be the only one that finds it funny.

So I’ll be off the blogosphere until May 31st when I guest post about Mr. Wrong at Casey Herringshaw’s place. We hear so much about Mr. Right, I thought it’s high time we talk about  the tool you never married or will never marry. And you’d be surprised what sprang to mind about this after watching an episode of Hannibal. Just sayin.

So find me on facebook or twitter if you can’t live without me. And if you can, it’ll hurt my feelings. At least for a minute. 

If my back hurts, I have this treadmill desk, which is just a few pieces of wood. 
My son came running through my room the other night and my husband said, “Hey, watch out before you hit your head on your mama’s lumber yard.” Whatever. 

Would you rather walk a mile in someone else’s shoes–literally like at least two sizes too big. Or walk a mile in your own shoes (literal shoes) but walk 100 miles further than you would if you were in someone else’s shoes that were too big for your feet? Also, this walking would be done in one sitting. Well not really sitting, but you get it…don’t you? 😉

 

Let’s Take a Trip

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Guess what, peeps? I’m over at Writing 4 Two blog talking about my writing journey, what books inspired me–you’ll find I’m not an Anne of Green Gables girl…is that a deal breaker between us? Whatever, it is not. And I’m giving out some writerly-ish advice. 

So come over. Meet Gina and Shannon! Two mommies living out their dreams.

 

You have one week on a private yacht. You can sail anywhere. 
Where are you going?

Just a Little Jesus Spit

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
Have you ever been in a situation and you feel there’s no
way out? You give up believing. You take on the motto: It is what it is.
 
In Mark chapter 8, there was a blind man who lived in
Bethsaida. It says, “…they brought a blind man to him.” It never says the blind
man asked for healing. Or that he used his walking-stick to find Jesus. Maybe
he did, but it never says.
 
What if this man finally had succumbed to his condition? It
is what it is.
Sometimes when our friends lack faith, it’s up to us to
believe for them. To exhort them. To raise them up to Jesus, to take them to
Him. And let’s be honest, isn’t it easier to believe for someone else than for
ourselves?
 
It says, Jesus took the man out of the city. Why not do it
on the spot? Why take him out? I think sometimes when we’ve been in a condition
it becomes the norm. No one really believes we can be more than we are. Maybe
the town was full of skeptics, other than a few friends. Or maybe the man was
comfortable being blind. It didn’t seem that he was searching Jesus out on his
own.
 
God will often take us out of our comfort zone to do the
miraculous. To prove who he is.
 
After Jesus spit in his eyes (gross, Jesus! But I’d take His
spit. I tell you I
 

would.) he asked him what he saw.

 
The man answered, “I see men like trees, walking.” 
 
Did Jesus make a mistake? Had he lost too much sleep and wasn’t on his A 
game?
 
No! 
 
He wasn’t only healing this man. He was doing two
things: Jesus was forcing the man to trust. And He was teaching the disciples and
us a lesson. Prior to this event, Jesus fed 4000 bread. He’d just walked on
water on his way to Bethsaida. But his disciples didn’t fully understand. 
 
During this feeding, they worried about provisions. Afterwards, the Pharisees
wanted to see a sign. Jesus departs with his disciples and warns them to be
aware of the leaven (sin/corruption) of the Pharisees. But they didn’t get this
either. 
 
They thought he was making a point about forgetting bread earlier.
 
Jesus says, ““Why do you reason because you have no bread?
Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having
eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not
remember? When 
I broke the five loaves for the five
thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
 
They said to Him, “Twelve.”
 
 “Also, when I broke the
seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you
take up?”
 
And they said, “Seven.”
 
So He said to them, “How is
it you do not
 

understand?”

 
His disciples saw…but dimly. We
see things dimly too. Sometimes we don’t understand what Jesus is up to. That’s
okay. We don’t have to understand it all.
 
We do have to trust.
 
He will perfect that which
concerns you.
 
He told the man who was now seeing
blurry to look up. Sometimes we just need to look up—to him. When he did this,
he could see clearly.
 
I read a story about a man named
Virgil. He was 50 years old and had been blind since birth. He had a “successful”
eye surgery, but “he often felt more disabled than he had felt when he was
blind.” He saw things but he had a hard time making sense of what he saw. Trees
ran together, the trunks and leaves. Dimensions were skewed.
 
Apparently, motion and colors are
inherent in the brain; they need not be learned or relearned. We just see them.
They are just there. But this is no surprise for Jesus. He knew the newly
healed blind man would have no depth perception or ability to synthesize shape
and form (much like Virgil). The man’s brain had to be recalibrated—renewed.
One amazing second! And in that moment he knew what you and I have since
childhood—how to see.
 
We’re born into sin. It distorts
our view. What we need is to look up. Have Jesus renew our minds to His. Like the
blind man, it’s a process. But one day, in an instant we’ll be changed and see
so clearly!
 
We have to exercise our brain and
tell our eyes what they’re really seeing. 
 
How do we do that? By the washing of
the water of the word. In Revelation 3:18 Jesus says, “…anoint your eyes with
eye salve, that you may see.” That Greek word for “salve” means a remedy for
tender eyes. He is our remedy! 
 
Jesus will never leave a work
unfinished.
 
“What do you see?” Jesus asks.
 
Only you and I can admit our
condition.
 
He is always willing to help us
see things more clearly.
 
Do you need a recalibration? Have
things been looking a little blurry lately?
 
Repent.
Restored.
Reprogrammed.