Tag: #devotions

Musing on Psalm 13:6

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

It’s great to be
back after a refreshing spring break! I think that’s why I chose this
particular picture with spring blossoms. This week I’ve had the chance to
really feel this verse. But it’s the last verse in a rather somber Psalm by
David. And I felt that this week as well.
Wednesday, we’ll
unpack the entire Psalm. It’s short, stop hyperventilating.
Meditation/Musings: Think on all the things
that seem small or trivial in your life, but are good things. Waking up. Kids
that are healthy. Breathing without machines. A chocolate bar. Coffee. Warm
weather. Oh how good God is! Remember the big things that have happened in your
life: safety from a car wreck, a good report from the medical lab, a
disappointment that became a blessing after all. A hurt that turned into a
ministry.
God is so good to
us. Truly, in all circumstances, He deals bountifully with us. He is good to
us.
Name
one good thing whether large or small that has happened already today–and it
might be very early for you right now! 

My Own Personal Miracle!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 

“…Jesus
said to him,”‘Feed My sheep.'” John 21:17 (Jesus
talking to Peter)

 
Last
Tuesday,  I received a payment–a rather
large chunk–for my critiquing services. My husband came home, handed me an
envelope. I glanced at it. Another monthly packet from Voice of the Martyrs. I’d love to tell you I open it every month
and pray diligently for those who are being persecuted for the cause of Christ,
but I’d be lying. I might breathe a small prayer as I toss it out.
 
But this
night, I laid it on my desk and climbed up on my bed to chat with my husband
after he came home from Karate.
 
“Hand
me that envelope, Jess.”
 
“Voice
of the Martyrs? What do you want with that?” I grabbed it and held it up.
 
“Oh,”
he said. “I thought it was Project Rescue. What’s Voice of the
Martyrs?”
 
I told
him. He pulled up Project Rescue’s site. “I know you support them and on
the way home God made it clear that the amount of money you received isn’t
ours. So I thought of PR. Giving it to them.”
 
Of
course I was thrilled. Any chance to sow into Project Rescue (I have a page
devoted to this amazing ministry) makes me happy. But something stuck in my gut
and I focused on the packet from VOM (Voice of the Martyrs). I opened it up and
skimmed the booklet.
 
“Hey
Tim, this says we can donate Bibles.” A knot in my stomach formed as I
prayed in my head. Lord, where should this
money go? I was just thinking how we take Bibles for granted. We give them away
at GoodWills and there are people who weep over wanting just one. Yet we ignore
the treasures for extra sleep or hobbies…But I also love Project Rescue–girls
forced into sexual slavery.
 
“I
don’t really know about this ministry,” Tim said. I understand. These days
giving your debit card number over a website can be scary. And will those
people actually receive Bibles?
 
I wanted
to follow my husband’s lead. I’ve always prayed and asked God to increase us so
we can sow into the kingdom. One day I’d love to see a place on my novels that
says, “A portion of proceeds go to Project Rescue.”
 
We
decided to give part to Voice of the Martyrs and sponsor 10 bibles and give the
other portion to Project Rescue.
 
On
Wednesday morning, after I dropped my daughter off at school and got my little
sickie settled on the couch, I prayed about those Bibles. And I prayed about my
neck problems, asking once again for healing and then believing that if God
didn’t heal me, His grace would be sufficient.
 
My phone
dinged. Email. Naturally, I told God to hold up. I mean don’t we all do that?
Oh, it’s just me. I checked my email and it was two devotionals that I’d signed
up for at Bible Gateway. Now, I’d like to tell you I read them faithfully, but
I can’t. In fact, I normally delete them without even reading them. Why did I
even sign up? I deleted the first one, but…
 
I felt a
need to open the second one. I can’t explain it. Just a feeling I should. *Disclaimer: Just because your phone dings during prayer doesn’t mean you should
always check it.
 
SUFFERING ACCOMPLISHES UNKNOWN PURPOSES
 
This was
the title. And it was the devotional about persecuted Christians. Christians
like the ones I’d just sent Bibles to–or at least I hoped that was what my
money was actually going to.
 
As I
read, I thought God was speaking to me about my neck. It talked about Paul’s
thorn in his flesh that God didn’t heal him of, but His grace was sufficient.
 
And then
I read a story about a boy, named Abdul, who drowned and died for an hour.
(Normally, I think…oh here we go when I read death stories.) But I kept
reading. The angels that carried him, told him he still had work to do and when
he opened his eyes, alive, a pastor sat praying over him.
 
It went on to say, “This happened twenty years ago and
ever since, Abdul’s life has been changed. Even though Abdul only completed
fifth grade in school, he is currently the pastor of a small church in a very
poor village on the island of Mindanao in the Philippine Islands. In his own
words Abdul says, “I don’t understand God’s purposes in my suffering, but I now
know the Lord.””
 
Something struck me!
Mindanao. I know that place. How do I know that place? I’ve never read anything
about the Philippine Islands. I poked my lips out and scrunched my brows.
 
Yes
you do. You skimmed it last night.
 
I snatched up the
Voice of the Martyrs booklet/newsletter and opened to the editor’s page.
 
First paragraph:
“Our newsletter editor recently met with Christians on the Philippine
island of Mindanao, where Christians are heavily persecuted. Her trip was well
timed because the Philippine government had just signed a preliminary agreement
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (a rebel group) to create an Islamic
region in Mindanao called Bangsamore.” It went on to tell of horrible
persecutions to the Christians. Bombs. Fear. Theft. Vandalism. Beatings.
 
I had just read
about this place in my devotional I never read! But there’s more!
 
“When our
editor asked a pastor
why he stays in Mindanao when he could have a peaceful life in another part of
the Philippines, he said, “For me it’s not really difficult. We need to feed the sheep.”
He asked only for more Bibles, as many Christians families in his village do
not have one.”
 
Do I believe that
the boy who drowned is this man, “Arnel” (name changed due to
anonymity and security issues) is Abdul.
 
I do.
 
Do I believe that
when we listen, God speaks–even if it’s a whisper or thought?
 
I do.
 
Do I believe that
God is sovereign and is constantly working to spread a message of hope to those
who are dying in sin and begging for just a taste of His word?
 
I do.
 
Do I believe that
when we seek God’s will, but are unsure and ask for confirmation, that He gives
it? Even through devotions and newsletters we would normally never read?
 
I do.
 
Do I believe the
money I could have kept and saved for a writer’s conference is now going to
Mindanao to spread the gospel, to feed the sheep of Jesus Christ’s pasture?
 
I do.
 
Did I mention that
on the Wednesday night after all this happened in the morning, I was teaching
on Peter’s life and discovering God’s will for your life to my new &
growing believer’s class, that we were reviewing real living and relationships
that included giving with a cheerful heart as God purposes in our hearts?
 
I did.
 
Do I believe that
this was a practical application I could share and encourage them with?
 
I do.
 
Do I believe that if
God can orchestrate something so amazing as this, then He can also orchestrate
other things in my life and make good on promises such as writing, publishing,
teaching, family concerns, physical healing (or lack of), finances…?
 
I do.
 
I do.
 
I do.
 
Do
you?
 
“So let each one give as he purposes in
his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7
 
If you are
interested in sowing into the Kingdom and feeding God’s sheep, please visit
Voice of the Martyrs. And as always, Project Rescue!
 
“Like” us on facebook!
 

Designed to Bloom in Fire

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
 
 
Monday we mused on
Psalm 66:11-13.
 
“You brought us into the net;
You laid
affliction on our backs.
You have
caused men to ride over our heads;
We went
through fire and through water;
But You
brought us out to rich fulfillment.”
NKJV
 
Let’s
jump into context for a moment before we get to the meat of the message.
 
It’s
hard hearing that God brought His people into the net (or prison) and laid
afflictions (hardships) on them. Men rode over their heads? Yikes!
 
But
waaaay back in Deuteronomy God clues His people in by giving them commands. In
fact, He warns them a billion times it seems not to leave Him to worship other
gods (false gods, idols i.e. anything you put before Him) and then He gave them
clear conditions of what would happen if they did.
 
One of
those was allowing other nations to come in and take them captive–to net them
so to speak. Many died. But He promised, because He’s
faithful, to keep a remnant of people and that He would deliver them.
The whole point was to turn them back to Him. Away from things that they were
putting first and from ungodly practices.
 
The
Psalmist, here, is actually praising God for His wonderful works. Yes, fire and
water came. But yes! God delivered His people through and on the other side
came abundance. Rich fulfillment.
 
Isaiah
43:1-2 says,”O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for
I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will
be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When
you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames
will not consume you.”
 
Guess what? You’re going through the fire. And water. Probably
many times. But you won’t be burned. You won’t drown.
 
Let’s
take a look at an interesting tree.
 
 
The
Rocky Mountain Lodgepole. The lodgepole “produces serontinous cones which
do not open at maturity because they’re sealed shut by a resin between the cone
and the scale.” *taken from HERE*
 
These
trees require heat with temperatures between 113-140 degrees F to melt that
resin and release the seeds.
 
In nature, only forest fires can produce those kind of
temperatures.
 
The
Jackpine, in Michigan, is similar to the Lodgepole. And there’s a bird called
the Kirtland Warbler, which is endangered, that loves to nest in them. So the
Department of Natural Resources actually light fires in these Jackpine
ecosystems so they can release seeds from their cones and thus produce more
trees, thus as more Warblers breed, they have a safe place to live.
 
In 2002,
“the annual census counted over 1000 singing males…” They can be
heard singing beautiful melodies up to half a mile.
 
To prepare the ground work, fire is necessary.
I think we’re a lot like Lodgepole pines and Jackpines. We need the fire
cranked up to open us up, to produce seed in order to grow–to bear fruit.
 
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears
the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and
produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23
 
When we
allow the fire to come, when God allows heated circumstances to develop us and
open us up for His glory, it will draw others to us and ultimately to Christ.
Like the Warblers. Flocking to us.
 
Like the
mustard seed in Matthew 13:31, which was a small seed but, when it grew, it
became a tree for birds of the air to nest in its branches. The body of Christ
is like that tree. A place for those to come and nest. Make their home.
Connect. Find comfort–the same comfort we were comforted with when we went
through the fire, when it opened us up and produced good fruit in our lives.
 
I think
with each Warbler, a new song is sung.
 
“He
put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our
God. Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust
the Lord.” Psalm 40:3
 
We just
have to get through the fire first. And sometimes, it burns hot. Because that’s
what it takes for us to bloom and grow and produce for the Kingdom. For glory
of our King. And to bring in new birds, with new songs.
 
I’m
hosting at Living by Grace! Like our page on facebook and a new devotional will
pop into your feed every single day! I can use daily encouragement, how about
you? 
 
I’m curious, do you have a favorite bird? God’s creatures are
amazing! 

Musing on Psalm 66:11-13: Through Fire & Water

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I wanted to
concentrate on this particular part of the verse that’s in the picture, but
here it is as a whole:
“You brought us into the net;
You laid
affliction on our backs.
 You have caused men to ride over our
heads;
We went
through fire and through water;
But You
brought us out to rich fulfillment.” NKJV
“You
brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let
people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,
 but
you brought us to a place of abundance.” NIV
When we
think of God as good, we may have a hard time with verses like these. The key
to understanding them is: word focus, context, and culture. This isn’t a
frightening verse. It’s a comforting verse.
Wednesday,
we’ll unpack it and take a look at it from something we can understand. A
particular tree that grows in Michigan and Colorado.
Musing/Meditation Prompts: Remember a time you
felt your feet were in the fire, maybe you’re whole body. Everything seemed to
burn up before your eyes, but you called on the Lord and He delivered you. Can
you picture that time–that season? How did it stretch you? Grow you? How did
you respond–as clay in the Potter’s hands, silver in the refiner’s pot? Did
you buck and fight and grow bitter in that time? What could you have done
differently if you had bucked. What wonderful spiritual treasure developed
inside you from the fire? Have you been able to comfort others with the same
comfort you were given by God?
Ever
felt like you were drowning? Being flooded? When the enemy flooded you, how did
God raise a standard and beat him back? Remember the moment your spiritual
lungs were free to breath. Fire and floods are beneficial to our spiritual
journey. Thank God today that He loves you enough to allow those tough times.
You’ll reap rich fulfillment–spiritually.
Where are you? Fire? Going through murky waters? Have you come out
on the other side? If so, do you have any words of encouragement for those are
facing fiery trials and raging storms?

Relax, Don’t Do It!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
If you were an 80s
child, you’re now going to be singing Frankie Goes To Hollywood all day, or
referencing Friends. Die-hard fans of the show know exactly what I’m talking
about!
 
On Monday we mused
and meditated on Exodus 14:13-14. This past week, I had a terrible few days of
fear. A fear of failing in a certain area of my life (no, it wasn’t
writing–for once). I’ve been circling a mountain, so to speak, that I can’t
seem to get victory in. Surely, I am not alone.
 
These verses means so
much to me.
 
 
In context, He was
talking to the Israelites. His chosen people. The ones He went into covenant
with. They were leaving Egypt, which represents bondage; slavery. And
also…Egypt. Ha! God had judged the nation and its gods with 10 plagues.
Fascinating stuff.
 
On their way out,
Pharaoh decided to come after them. He brought all his army, horses and
chariots, with every intention of enslaving them again. Victory would not be
theirs.
 
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but
we trust in the
name of the Lord our God.”
Psalm 20:7
 
The people shook in
their boots sandals. They said to Moses,
“Didn’t we say to you, ‘leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’?
Better for us to serve the Egyptians than die in the desert!”
 
Wow! They would
rather go back to affliction, pain, slavery, bondage, and misery than trust
God. Ultimately, that’s what they were saying. God had no intentions of leading
them out to let the enemy slaughter them.
 
 
He
has no intention of leading you out of whatever you may be enslaved to, only to
let the enemy defeat you when you get a taste of freedom.
 
Then the LORD speaks
and that’s where our verse starts.
 
Let’s look at our key words: Stand firm, deliverance, fight, be
still
 
Stand firm in the
KJV is “stand still” and in the Hebrew, the word is
“yatsab” which means, “to station oneself or to present
oneself.”
 
 Now this next little
ditty is interesting. The word is deliverance. In the KJV, it’s salvation.
Let’s take a good look at it in the Hebrew, because I want to show you
something super fascinating!
 
In the Hebrew, that
word deliverance or salvation is “yĕshuw`ah” Say it
out loud. Does it remind you of another word you may have heard in the Hebrew?
 
You
guessed right. (I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt!)
 
Jesus. In Hebrew. Yĕhowshuwa`
 
You may not be able
to read Hebrew, but can you see the similarities? Why do they sound so similar?  Because the name Jesus comes from two Hebrew
root words.
 
 
Yĕhovah meaning, Jehovah–the existing One.
The proper name of the one true God. And the other root word is yasha` which means, to save, to be saved, be
delivered!
 
We may
not be facing the literal Red Sea or the Egyptian army. If so, I’d really like
to hear your story, but we do face impossible obstacles and sins that hold us
captive. Sometimes we call those sins bad habits or social faux paus. But they
are sin. Maybe we can’t get a grip on our anger, bitterness, lewd tongue,
gossiping mouths, selfishness, pride, the list goes on.
 
So we could say: ” The LORD says, ‘Don’t be afraid of the
obstacles or the bondage in your life. Present yourself to Me and see Jesus
Christ work in your life today to set you free.'”
 
But
we’re not done yet!
 
“The
Egyptians (sin; bondage) you see today you will never see again.” () mine.
God is going to not only set you a little free. He’s going to set you all the
way free.
 
But how,
you may cry out? I can’t do this. It’s too hard. I’ve tried before. I’ve cried
out before. I’m afraid I’ll fail again.
 
“The
LORD will fight for you…”  He will
engage in battle; make war.
 
“The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name.” Exodus 15:3
 
You only
need to be still.
 
Is God
telling us that we don’t have to do anything?
 
Yes and
no.
 
 
No, we
don’t have to worry and try to take matters into our own hands. No we don’t
have to fight the battle in our own strength, which so many times we do, even
when we think we’re not.
 
Yes, we
have a part.  God said, “stand firm” for one thing. Okay, how?
 
“…because it is by faith you stand firm.”
2 Corinthians 1:24 When you engage your faith, you stand firm. That’s how you
fight.
 
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:3
 
“Resist
him, standing firm in the faith…” 1
Peter 5:9 (him = enemy)
 
Look at the verse in
the New Century Version:
 
“Don’t
be afraid! Stand still and you will see the Lord save you today. You will
never see these Egyptians again after today. You only need to remain calm; the
Lord will fight for you.” Not do nothing, just…
 
Remain calm. 
 
So we could say: ” The LORD says, ‘Don’t be afraid of
the obstacles or the bondage in your life. Present yourself to Me and see Jesus
Christ work in your life today to set you free.’ I’m going to wipe out that sin
in your life. I’m a skilled fighter. And I fight for you. Remain calm, have
faith. Put on your armor, and know that I AM.”
 
Relax. Don’t do it! Don’t wig out and
take matters into your own hands or flip out so bad you buckle your knees and
give up. So many times the Israelites did that and it always cost them. It’ll
cost you. It’ll cost me too.
 
What
part of this verse brings you most comfort? I love the whole verse, but
“The LORD will fight for you” really gives me goosebumps in a warm,
delicious way. 
 
*I normally don’t post on Thursdays but tomorrow I am thrilled to have Jordyn Redwood in the house and she’s talking about a deadly poison. Stop by because the medical facts are intriguing to say the least!

*And Friday will conclude our Real-Life Romance series with Gabrielle Meyer! 

 
I’m hosting today! “Like” our
Living by Grace facebook page1
Devotionals for each day!
 
 
 

How to Make it Through Tough Times

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 
On Monday we mused
over Proverbs 19:23.
 
“The fear of the Lord leads to
life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will
not be visited with evil.” NKJV
 
So what
does this verse really mean and how can we apply it to our lives? After all, we
live in evil and harmful times. We’re not immune to it. In fact, James says in
chapter 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
 
Harm and
evil are part of this fallen world. It’s inevitable.
 
Solomon
said, “All things come alike
to all: One event happens to
the righteous and the wicked;” Ecc.9:2
 
Then we
need to dig into this verse and pull out the hidden gems. Because we know that
the Bible does not contradict itself. It’s infallible.
 
First,
let’s look at our…
 
Key Words: Life, Abide, Satisfied, Visited With
Evil
 
“Life”
in Hebrew is “chay” and it means, “living, alive, flowing (of
water), reviving (springtime). From the root word, “chayah” meaning
“to live, have life, remain alive, live forever.”
 
“Abide”
is “luwn” meaning, “remain, cause to rest, to lodge.”
 
And
“satisfied” is “sabea” meaning “sated, satisified,
abounding” from the root word, “saba” meaning “to be
fulfilled, sated (with food), be filled, to have in excess.”
 
So we could say, “To have a deep awe and respect for the Lord
brings us alive like living or flowing water, like the budding flowers at
springtime and we will live forever–eternally and because of this, we can rest
in excess and abundance of Jesus Christ….”
 
But what
about the latter half of the verse? “He will not be visited with
evil.” NKJV
 
I’m
reminded of the story of Joseph. A young teenager who was thrown into a pit by
his brothers. Begged to be drawn out, only to be sold–bound and fettered
before their calloused hearts and evil eyes–and taken to Egypt. (Genesis 37)
 
Working
as a slave to an Egyptian captain. (Genesis 39:1)
 
Yet he
continued to fear the Lord. And he abided in abundance. Everything he set his
hand to, God was with him.
 
Then
Potiphar’s wife nagged him everyday, working her best to seduce him until he’d
come to a point of weakness and he fled. “How can I do this wickedness
against God?” (Genesis 39:10-15)
 
And
instead of a, “Well done, Joseph! You passed another test!” He was
falsely accused or rape/attempted rape, and thrown into prison. (Genesis 39:20)
 
Which
tells me that evil–calamity, sickness, disaster happens to anyone. Even those
abiding in the Lord. It happened to Joseph. It happens to us.
 
Jesus
says in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may
have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
 
Abiding in Christ brings an inner peace when everything on the
outside is falling apart.
 
“Visited
with evil” in the Hebrew means, “to pay attention to.” So we
could say:
 
“To
have a deep awe and respect for the Lord brings us alive like living or flowing
water, like the budding flowers at springtime and we will live
forever–eternally and because of this, we can rest in excess and abundance of
Jesus Christ and when calamity or bad things of this world happen, we don’t
have to be bothered or fixate on it because we know that all things work
together for good for those who love God.”
 
What
Joseph’s brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. (Genesis 50:20)
 
All
things work together for good. Not all good things happen. We have to trust
that the hurt, disappointments, calamities, sickness, deaths, rejection, abuse
can be used by God for good in our lives. (Romans 8:28)
 
That’s
hard to do sometimes, isn’t it?
 
Joseph
said, “You have made me fruitful in the
land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:52)
 
It’s in
the worst of times, we learn to trust the most.
 
Would you say that you have learned to depend on God most in the
good times or the tough times? Why?

Musing on Proverbs 19:23

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Today’s meditation
and musing comes from Proverbs 19:23. Here it is in a few other versions.
“The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one
rests content, untouched by trouble.” NIV
“The fear of the Lord leads to life,
 and
whoever has it rests satisfied;
 he
will not be visited by harm.” ESV (English Standard Version)
“The fear of the Lord leads to
life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will
not be visited with evil.” NKJV

We’ll unpack this
interesting scripture on Wednesday. The key question: If we will not be visited
with evil or harm, then why does evil and harm happen to us? Hmmm…. Yep, there
is an answer and we’ll discover it in our study.
Musing/Meditation prompts:  Reflect and ask yourself what fearing the
Lord means to you? How can this lead to life? If I feared (had a deep awesome,
revering respect) the Lord how would my life look differently? Contentment to
me is….? How does my version of contentment line up with what scriptures says
about contentment? Remember when God satisfied you during evil and/or
frightening times. Give Him praise for those occasions.
What
does the perfect restful 
day look like to you?
Here’s mine: I would
sleep in (you know till like 8:30 lol) and my back wouldn’t hurt from being in
the bed too long. Coffee would already be brewed. I’d spend some time in my
Bible and chatting with the Lord then  my
husband would fix a big calorie-killer breakfast. Yes, it would involve bacon.
The house would be dust and clutter free. Candles lit. I’d read on my hammock
(since the day would be a perfect 70 degrees with sunshine and a light breeze).
Take a nap if I wanted. Write. No fussing or questions from children. My dog
wouldn’t have fleas or poop on my tile. And the Lord would be so close I could
breathe Him in. Then I’d take a hot bath, put on fresh PJs, climb in bed and
read the Word before going to bed. Perfect restful day!
**Feel free to pin the photo to your Pinterest board! If I knew how to put a “pin it” button on my blog, I would! If you know how, email me. jrpatch(at)yahoo(dot)com

It’s All About Water

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

On a sunny day in the middle of July, after being outside for more time than I care to be…I get thirsty. Parched. I can get a water bottle on about any corner. Or in my house. Water is accessible. 

In more ways than one. Imagine desert heat. Sticky-hot wildernesses. No CVS. No tap. Unbearable heat. 

But…

God makes rivers and gives water. 

Musing/Meditation prompts: Imagine the last time you were in a mess, how God made a way for you. Was it unexpected? Was it satisfying? Give Him praise for making the impossible, possible. He’s limitless. All-knowing, All-powerful! His voice is like a rush of waters. Tremble at His awesomeness. And muse on the fact that you are His beloved. He chose you. You did nothing to make Him choose you. Before you were born, He said, “You are mine. I want you.” His Word is living water. When was the last time you craved a drink? 

Fill in the blank:
If God came down (again) in the flesh to spend the day with just me, I would want Him to take me to___________ and we would__________. 


Here’s mine: I would want Him to take me to a tropical island–just the two of us. I would hold His Hand, chase Him along the beach–when He wasn’t chasing me–splashing Him with the water. I’d like to listen to Him tell the creation story as we sat in warm sand, the waves lapping at my imperfect toes, washing over his scarred feet. And as the sun set, I’d ask Him to recite a passage from Song of Solomon as I leaned on His shoulder–that took bruises for me. I’d trace my fingers along His hands, feeling the ragged edges of endured pain. He’d wrap me in the train of his white robe when I shivered from the salty air and whisper how much I’m loved. And I’d cry and squeeze Him tighter and tell him the same. Then I’d beg Him not to go or to at least whisk me away into eternity. Because a day like that, I don’t think I could ever go back to “normal” and He’d say, “I don’t want you to. I want you to go back and share the love we treasured today with others. But don’t cry…” He’d wipe my tears away and slide them into a crystal bottle He holds close to His heart. Then He’d lean down, his eyes would flash like flames of fire, and He’d whisper, “I’m coming back.”

*Lori Wildenberg will be here on Wednesday talking about Living Water! Don’t miss it! Especially if you’re a parent. 

The Pasture of Uncertainty

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

Where do you dwell?
Today we’re breaking down Psalm 37:3. After spending Monday musing and
meditating over this verse, I think it only fair to spend today studying it.
 
The NKJV says it
like this: “Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on
His faithfulness.”
 
But the KJV puts it
like this: “Trust in the LORD, and do good so shalt though dwell in the
land and verily thou shalt be fed.”
 
Looks like we need
to pull out…
 
Key
Words: “good” “dwell” “feed on His faithfulness”
 
Trust in the Lord.
Trust defined by the dictionary is: “assured reliance on the character,
ability, strength, or truth of someone or something”
 
But what is good?
It’s a broad word.
 
“Good” in
the Hebrew is “towb” meaning, “pleasing, agreeable (to the
senses” it means to be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial.” (from the
root word)
 
So we could say,
“Rely on God and His character, ability, strength and His truth and be
joyful and beneficial…”
 
What exactly does it
mean to dwell? Off the top of my head, I would say live. But it actually means
something else.
 
“Dwell” in
Hebrew is “shakan” and it means to “settle down, abide” and
the root word of “shakan” is “shakab” which means “to
lie down, to rest, to relax”
 
 
Reminds me a little
of David’s Psalm, “you make me lie down in green pastures.”
 
And what of land?
Well, the Psalmist might be referring to 
Canaan–the promised land. However, we can’t all just pick up and move
on in over there. So it must mean more than just that particular piece of land.
Right?
 
It can also mean
land in general or the whole earth.
 
And our last key
word before we put it all together is that phrase “feed on his
faithfulness” or in the KJV, “thou shalt be fed”
 
The Hebrew word for
this phrase is “ra’ah” meaning, “to pasture, to tend, to graze,
to shepherd.
 
So we could say,
“Rely on God and His character, ability, strength and His truth and be
joyful and beneficial and you will abide and be able to relax on this earth and
be fed as sheep in a pasture, tended by a good shepherd.”
 
We
live in a land that is full of uncertainty, chaos, violence, disease, death,
grief and the list goes on.
 
Proverbs 3:5 says,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding.”
 
I’m so glad that’s
there, because when it comes to this earth and what happens in it, I don’t
understand. But I don’t have to. And neither do you. We are to trust the LORD
in every sense of the meaning.
 
 
This scripture in
the Psalms is like a sandwich. It begins with a command to trust and what? do
good. Be beneficial and joyful. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be overcome by
evil but overcome evil with doing good.”
 
God knows the place
we live can suck the joy right out of us. He knows we need to trust Him and He
speaks that first, and then we’re plopped into the land to dwell. But…the hope
and promise is in the last part of the verse.
 
You shall be fed
i.e. taken care of, provided for, able to rest and abide because someone is
looking out for you and caring for you.
 
John 10:11 (Jesus
speaking) says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep.”
 
I can trust a
shepherd who laid down His life for me. 
And so can you.
 
He is faithful!
 
Practical
application: Trust God to take care of you in an uncertain world. Relax. Be
joyful. He is the good Shepherd.
 
What
is one of your go-to scriptures when you are in uncertain times and need to be
reminded you can trust God?
 
Come by I’m hosting! 🙂 
 

Joy from Light Bulb Moments and a Lesson from Daniel

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Ah-ha
moments. I love them. How about you? Those moments when the light bulb clicks
on over your head. We’re unpacking Psalm 19 the next few weeks. Let’s look at verse 8 today.

“The
statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes;” NKJV
Here
it is in the Message:

“The
life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.

The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.”

KEY WORDS Today: Statutes/life-maps/pure/eyes
(always pull a few key words from
scripture to help you understand the meaning better)
Statutes
or life-maps are also translated as precepts.
Statutes
in Hebrew is, “piqquwd” and it means “precepts.”
Precept
according to the online dictionary means:
1. A
rule or principle prescribing a particular course of action or conduct.
2. Law An authorized direction or order; a
writ.
So,
we could say, God’s authorized
directions that come from His written Word make the heart glad and bring joy.
The
order, commandment, of God is pure. “Pure” in the Hebrew is “bar” and
it means sincere, or clear. It enlightens, or brings light to the eyes. Eyes in
Hebrew is “ayin” and it means, “eye” “of mental or spiritual
faculties/qualities.”
So
we could say, God’s Word is sincere and
clear and it gives us spiritual and mental ah-ha light bulb moments about our
life and the direction we need to take.
Let’s
look at someone from the Bible who had an ah-ha moment. We’ll look at what it
led him to clearly do and the result that came from his obedience.
Let’s
look at Daniel. Chapter 9 starting in
verse 1.
“It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the
son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of
his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as
revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy
years.” 
From reading scripture (scrolls and Jeremiah’s word more
specifically), Daniel had a light bulb
moment. Here’s what God told Jeremiah:
“This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early
in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. “This
is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple
of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to
worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. Perhaps
they will listen and turn from their evil ways.”  Jeremiah 26:1-3
God’s people were turning from Him. He’d warned them early on that
if they stopped serving Him, He would do whatever was necessary to draw them
back. Jeremiah has come to warn them and bring judgment–which is fair.
Here’s what God instructed Jeremiah to say, and this is what
Daniel read years later.
 “Say
to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me
and obey my word I have given you, and if you will not listen to my
servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you
would not listen to them—–then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed
Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem
an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”The priests, the prophets,
and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s
Temple.  But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying
everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all
the people at the Temple mobbed him. “Kill him!” they shouted. Jeremiah 26:4-7
Not exactly welcoming to God’s
words, huh? So…
“Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his
own defense. “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and
this city,” he said. “The Lord gave me every word that I have
spoken.  But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey
the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that
he has announced against you.” Jeremiah 26:12-13
However they did not. And…
“‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God
of Israel, says: With my great strength and powerful arm I made the
earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to
anyone I choose.  Now I will give your countries to King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the
wild animals, under his control.  All the nations will serve
him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and
great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.  So you must
submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will
punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send
war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.”
Jeremiah 27:5-8
Seems harsh? Nah, not really
and besides…
“‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay
there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to
Jerusalem again.’””Jeremiah 27:22
When?
“This
entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands
will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.” Jeremiah 25:11
And what will happen then you ask?
“This
is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years.
But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I
will bring you home again.” Jeremiah 29:10
And what famous verse comes after?
 “I say this
because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt
you. I will give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11
And we know in Daniel Chapter one, it begins. Nebuchadnezzar comes
in and takes them captive, a young Daniel is swept up among them.
At this point in Chapter 9, Daniel is an old man, still serving
the Lord, still reading scripture. He’s been in captivity about 67 years. And
he discovers that the 70 years is almost up. The same words we take comfort in today, Jeremiah 29:11, he took
comfort in on that day.
God was about to do something awesome! Daniel had trusted God on
many occasions. When he refused to eat idol-sacrificed food at the king’s
table, when he interpreted dreams for the Neb and then later his
great-grandson, and of course when he was thrown into the lion’s den for not
compromising his faith.
Daniel knew when God spoke a
word, He was good for it. Do you know that? Do you believe it?
As a result of reading this, of having his eyes enlightened—he knew
good things were coming. Freedom could be tasted! What did Daniel do?
 “I turned to the Lord
God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.” Daniel 9:3
Turned;
prayer; fasted
Daniel’s
prayer is amazing and it’s recorded in verses 4-19. But I want to pull out
these verses:
“But
the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled
against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed
the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. All
Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to
your voice.” Daniel 9:9-11
God wasn’t being harsh, He was being fair. They rebelled. They had
not followed the instructions.
What does Psalm 19 say? The instruction of the Lord (His precepts)
rejoice the heart. When we do not follow them, when we rebel, we go into
captivity. Maybe not like the Israelites…but I assure you, you’ll find yourself in
bondage. Enslaved.
And miserable.
Like Daniel, we pray. And God,
Who is faithful to forgive us our sins when we confess them, acts. On our
behalf. With mercy. And grace.
 “O my
God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how
your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not
because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O
Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my
God, for your people and your city bear your name.” Daniel 9:18-19
Daniel’s faith and faithfulness to God opened up a special
blessing. God gives Daniel some amazing visions, and he gets to see Christ in all
His glory in a few of them! What could bring more joy?
All because he loved the Word of God.
Practical application: Spend time in God’s Word. When we spend
time with God in His Word, it will always keep us pointed on Jesus Christ.
When was the last time you
had a light bulb moment from scripture? If it’s been awhile, why do you think
that is? And care to share that amazing moment in the comments? 

I’m hosting at LBG today!
Come by and share your
favorite verse about light!


**Photocredit: lightbulb tree: freedigitalphotos/zirconicusso
**Photo credit: bulb with a book: freedigitalphotos/digitalart
**Photo credit: clear glass of water: freedigitalphotos/by gt_pann 
**Photo credit: rubble: freedigitalphotos/cbenjasuwan 
**Photo credit: infant hand: freedigitalphotosNutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot
**Photo credit: faith and believe: freedigitalphotos/thepathtraveler
/**Photo credit: steel cage: freedigitalphotos/bejim