I came across this on a friend’s Facebook page. I hope that you find it as helpful I did.
Category Archives: Hope For The Faint Of Heart
Crossing The River
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’” And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.” Joshua 1 (NKJV)
What fears are keeping us from entering into God’s promises for us?
What areas of disobedience impede our progress towards what God has purposed for our lives?
What faith is required in order for us to walk into what God has ordained?
We make choices every day that determine whether or not we will ”take possession of the land” which God has given us.
Each of us must first put our foot into the water in order to cross our “Jordan River.” The rapid water and the rocks can not be allowed to deter us.
No one can do this for us. We will never make it to the other side unless we do.
Joshua had a choice to make: faith, courage, and obedience OR fear, cowardice, and disobedience.
Joshua chose faith, courage, and obedience. As a result, God went before him, making a way where there did not appear to be a way. Joshua submitted to God’s Word and took possession of the land which God had promised a generation before. Were there battles? Absolutely, but God’s mighty hand brought victory for each one until Joshua, Caleb, and the Israelites took possession of the land.
When God makes us a promise, we have a part to play, just as Joshua did. Our faith, obedience, and courage will be required to take possession of it.
What would happen if we took God at His Word?
What would happen if when God spoke to us, we said: “Yes, Sir!”
Would God go before us and bring victory to the battles that we face?
Would we too enter into the “land of milk and honey” which God has planned for us?
Would God’s ultimate purposes then be accomplished in the earth?
Just as it was for Joshua, I believe that choice is also ours.
God’s Hand will fulfill what His Word has ordained.
Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
Limitations
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NKJV)
It will not come as a great shock to anyone when I admit that I am no Albert Einstein. I have long been aware of the limitations of the intellect which God has given me. No matter how much I might wish it, there are certain things that I will likely never understand. Over the course of the past year, as I have searched, researched, and written about various subjects for this blog, I have had the privilege of reading the offerings of some incredibly gifted writers and great thinkers. To be honest, I don’t “get” much of it. I appreciate the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity of ideas, but much of the meaning is lost on me. I will never be an erudite scholar, no matter how hard I try. God hasn’t gifted me in that way.
As a “recovering perfectionist,” I could spend a lot of time in discouragement over what I haven’t been given. I could try harder to understand physics, abstract mathematical concepts, philosophy, great literature, and logic, but the end result would leave me disappointed. And, in that disappointment, would be the seeds of ingratitude and eventual bitterness.
During my college years, there were many other nursing students who had a much deeper grasp of the information that we studied. They did much better on their exams than I did, but ultimately, didn’t do better overall. What saved me grade-wise were our clinical rotations. Here is where I seemed to excel. The practical application of the concepts we learned in class, found their fulfillment at the bedside with those who were sick. God gave me the gift to be able to intuit what patients were feeling and what they needed.
Each of us needs to be aware of our limitations but we can not allow ourselves to be defined by them. We need to understand where God has gifted us and where He has not. It is no use for me to wish that I could sing beautifully, play a musical instrument flawlessly, or write masterpieces of literature. I will never be a brilliant thinker, great leader, or a well-known anything. God did not see fit to give me those abilities. No matter what I do, I can not change that, nor would I want to.
One of the greatest blessings of getting older is that you begin to come to terms with your limitations. You understand that the talents and abilities God has given to you are enough. The striving and intensity of your younger years begins to dissipate, and in its place is a greater contentment with where God has placed you in the grand scheme of life. You realize that it isn’t your responsibility to “fix” the world; you have figured out that you can’t even fix yourself. You finally start to ”get over” yourself (hopefully).
I am approaching my fifty-seventh birthday in a few weeks. Maybe these reflections have much to do with that, I don’t know. Maybe this has to do with the fact that my daughter is graduating from college next spring, and as I help her to work through where God is taking her, I have also taken a good look at where God has brought me. Either way, I find myself finally content with who God has made me to be. I know the limitations of my intellect, talents, and abilities and I am o.k. with that. While certainly there is still more to be done to develop these in whatever way God leads, the “work” has gone out of it. For that I am grateful.
For most of my life I have thought that intellect (in the amount I was given) defined me. I am finding that I was wrong. It is the capacity of my heart that does. At the end of my life, few will care whether I was particularly brilliant at anything, but they will care that I left a piece of my heart behind for each of them. And that is the reason I write this blog. I am finding a passion for my daughter’s generation, a need to pass down to them something that will endure in their lives. I believe that there is a desire in every heart to leave behind a legacy. I want my legacy to be whatever wisdom God has granted me. I want my daughter to learn from these hard-won lessons decades before I did.
Brought up in the stoic tradition of the Scandinavians, British, and Germans of my heritage, I always envied those who had an obvious passion that drove their lives. Never feeling “passionate” about any particular thing (even my faith, as much a part of my life as it has been) left me with the sense that I was missing out on something “grand and glorious.”
In this past year, I have discovered that there has always been “passion” in my heart. The fact that it was buried so deeply that I didn’t know it was there, does not negate its presence. It is difficult to tell whether it was fear, immaturity, or blindness that kept this passion a secret to me. Whatever the case, my heart is waking up. I am discovering a passion for my daughter’s generation that has surprised me. There is a new-found passion for Jesus Christ, a passion for worship, and a passion to know Him better. As that passion grows, as He grows in me, I realize that there are no limitations when Jesus Christ has control of your heart and mind. My passion for Him, releases His passion through me.
A little frightening? It has been for me. Every once in a while I get a small glimpse of the power of His passion for those who are broken; His passion for those who are hurt and sick; His passion for those who are spiritually blind. Several times I have seen, for just a split second, into the eternal and it has been overwhelming.
It is God’s desire to flow out of our hearts to others. It is God’s desire to awaken in each of us the heart of a warrior. We are to be containers for His Power and His Presence. We are to bring Light into the darkness that we encounter. We don’t have to search for a passion to define us and give meaning to our lives. We just have to let His passion become ours. As we begin to walk in this, we will no longer care about our limitations because we will find that He has none.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
The Chrysalis Of Fear
The Chrysalis
He sleeps in a chrysalis of fear, Afraid to go forward, unable to go back, Life measured by rules of others, Path clouded by uncertainty.
The desire of his heart before him, Reaching out, must let go of his fear. Must choose to trust, And cut the cords that bind him.
Chains of isolation, torment are his, Fear paralyzes, fear wounds. No comfort there, only a prison. No escape without a fight.
Metamorphosis, violent and painful Battle to the grave, No other way to freedom, To stay within the chrysalis means certain death.
Before the throne of God
He casts down his fear. Peace found in obedience, Clear purpose is there.
Stepping into his future, Destiny driven by God’s Will, Fear defeated,
No longer alone.
Changed forever.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
Peace, Be Still
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJV)
I had a rather unusual experience at work towards the end of last week. In the course of my job, I travel from floor to floor with my computer and all my worldly goods on a cart, much like a “gypsy.” My challenge is always to find a place to work: a corner, a chair, and a place to plug in. As I am a visitor to the nursing units that I cover, I have no designated spot where I can audit the medical records I must review each day. Generally, I try to sit in the same place so that, if I am reviewing a chart that is needed by a doctor or another nurse, they know where to find me.
On one my units, the nursing director put a large display in the place where I would normally sit, so I had to go hunting for another place to work–something of a challenge in a place where space is always at a premium. I found myself sitting at the end of a hallway just opposite the doorway to some stairs; not a bad place to work. It was quiet, out of the way, and yet visible.
As I returned to my newly found “office” after returning a chart that I had just finished, I sat down and became aware that something was different. There was a palpable stillness in my little corner of the world–nowhere else on the unit, just there. As I was puzzling over what I was sensing, recognition began to dawn on me: this was God’s peace so profound that it was physically palpable. I hadn’t been looking for it, I hadn’t been expecting it, and yet there it was: a gift far more precious than I could have imagined.
These past two and a half years have been extremely difficult for our family. Long periods of unemployment for my husband, punctuated by all too short bursts of contract work, have left us financially devastated. There is no way to describe the terror, humiliation, and shame associated with the harassing letters and phone calls, threats of foreclosure, and the inability to provide for more than our daughter’s basic needs. In addition, we were betrayed by a good friend, who stole a business idea that would have resolved our financial issues.
We are not alone these days. Many others have gone through (or are still going through) what we have. There is an old saying: “If you are going through hell, keep going!” So many times we considered just making it to the end of each day a major victory.
I know the tide has turned and the season has changed for us, even though things may not appear that much different on the surface. I know that we are now standing on the back side of this “wilderness experience.” I can ”smell” the change of season in the air, just as I used to be able to tell that Fall was coming as a girl growing up in Wisconsin: there was something detectable in the air, something that told me autumn was on our doorstep.
I know it is the love of God that allowed us to go through the experiences of these past two and a half years. We are not the same people we were then. We are grateful for that. God allows tests and trials into our lives to grow and prove our faith. Our faith is precious to Him. As we press into Jesus during those hours in the middle of the night when we can’t sleep, our faith is tried and proven. Our faith becomes an offering of praise to the God who sustains us even during our darkest hours.
At the end of each day, everything is about bringing praise, honor, and glory to Jesus. We need to be grateful for even those small things which God provides for us every day; those things we so often take for granted. We must come to the place where, no matter what is going on around about us, we are able to say like the old hymn: “It is well with my soul.” It is there that the “peace that passes all understanding” resides. It is there that our faith grows and brings honor to God. It is there that we are sustained and upheld in His righteous right hand.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Hymn by Horatio Spafford; Composed by Phillip Bliss
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-8 (NKJV)
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
The Now And The Not Yet
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:12 (NKJV)
Answer From The Lord
Sometimes I ask the question, “My Lord, is this your will?”
It’s then I hear You answer me, “My precious child… be still.”
Sometimes I feel frustrated, because I think I know what’s best.
It is then I hear You say to me, “My busy child… just rest.”
Sometimes I feel so lonely and think I’d like a mate.
Your still small voice gets oh so clear, “My child, please wait.”
“I know the plans I have for you, the wondrous things you’ll see.
If you can just be patient child, and put your trust in Me.”
“I’ve plans to draw you closer, I’ve plans to help you grow.
There’s much I do you cannot see, and much you do not know.”
“But know this, CHILD…I LOVE YOU. You are precious unto Me.
Before I formed you in the womb, I planned your destiny.”
“I’ve something very special that I hope for you to learn.
The gifts I wish to give to you, are gifts you cannot earn.”
“They come without a price tag, but not without a cost.
At Calvary I gave my Son, so you would not be lost.”
“Rest child, and do not weary of doing what is good.
I promise I’ll come back for you, just like I said I would.”
“Your name is written on My palm, I never could forget.
Therefore, do not be discouraged when my answer is: ‘NOT YET’.”
“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God; how pleasant and fitting to praise Him.” Psalm 147:1 (NIV)
Author Unknown
Edited by Susan E. Johnson
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
Just A Worm In Life’s Apple
“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’ And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.’” Numbers 13:31-33 (NKJV)
All of my life, in the church and otherwise, I have been told that I am just a “worm in life’s apple”. Not in so many words, but you know what I mean. You were probably taught that too: that the sin in us has made us worthless. We have been taught, from the pulpit and by the words of others, that self-abasement is the road to true humility. We practice, both in our lives and in our church services, this “woe is me, I am nothing” mentality, and we have become paralyzed by our own sense of worthlessness.
Oh, I agree, we are as “filthy rags” when standing in the presence of a Holy, Righteous God.
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. ” Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV)
Here is my problem. I agree that we are nothing, and can do nothing, without the Grace of God. But here is the deal: we have been redeemed. We are no longer what we once were. When God looks at us now, He sees the image of His Son superimposed upon us. Our sins have been washed away. We are no longer “just a worm in life’s apple.” We are joint heirs with Christ. What does that mean, anyway?
I believe that when God created Adam and Eve, He had a very specific purpose for them. Obviously, sin came in and bollixed up the whole plan. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was necessary to restore to mankind what God originally created in the Garden of Eden: fellowship with the Father and dominion of the earth.
When we continue to focus on our sins, we place greater importance on our sins than we do on the sacrifice of Christ. We place the focus on ourselves. If we will focus on the fact that we are redeemed, we then place the focus where it belongs, on Jesus Christ. The more we focus on our sin, the greater our sense of worthlessness, the more our confidence is eroded, and the less we are able to do. Focusing on our sin is right temporarily, if it leads us to repentance and we then turn and change. We have to let the Word of God renew and restore us; we have to let the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit remake us into His image. If we continue to wallow in the memory of our sins, we in essence, say that the power of our sins is stronger the power of His Redemption. We stay focused on self, self, self. . . Me, me, me. . .
On the flip side of that coin are churches that never preach or teach about sin. Every Sunday sermon is a “feel good” experience that leaves people unchanged. People leave those church services feeling good about self, self, self. . . Me, me, me. . .
And that is the recurring theme: self, self, self. . . me, me, me. I can look over my life at the multitude of examples where I have drawn attention to myself with comments about my many failings. I wasn’t exhibiting humility; not even close. I wanted others to validate me as I blurted out my many sins and insecurities. I wanted them to tell me that I had worth, because I believed that I had none. I wanted others to join me in self-pity for a perceived lack of talent, abilities, or character. Self, self, self. . . Me, me, me. . .
I am grateful for the unfailing grace and mercy of God. I am grateful for His patience and His love. But, I have needed to repent for all of those years of my life that I told Him that what He created, and what He sent His Son to die for on the Calvary, was worthless. How could I have valued my opinion above His own? Self, self, self. . . Me, me, me. . .
It is time for us to bring some balance into our lives. We have to examine our hearts and lives for sin: yes, absolutely. We also have to be able to, after we repent and accept God’s forgiveness, forgive ourselves. We have to be able to move on instead of having a continual “pity party” (poor me, I am just a worm in life’s apple) over our past sins.
I am not advocating arrogance here, only a certain confidence that we have been bought with a price. We have been set free. We do not have to continually beat ourselves up for the lack of perfection in our lives. And, we should be able to extend some of the Grace that we have so graciously been given, to others when they fail to measure up to perfection in their lives.
I will never understand why a God who can see the end from the beginning would create man, knowing that he would sin, and that it would require the sacrifice of His only Son in order to redeem that man. What kind of value could God have created into mankind that would make that sacrifice an acceptable one to Him? What did Satan see in Adam and Eve that drove him to defile the perfection of Adam and Eve?
The blood of Jesus Christ, not only redeemed us from our sins, and restored us to fellowship with the Father, but restored us to all that God created us to be in the first place–the man and woman who caused God to say that what He had created was “good.” It is time for us to understand that God loves us and values us. It is time for us to walk in the knowledge that we are redeemed, and with that redemption comes responsibilies and privileges. It is time to stop focusing on self, self, self. . . me, me, me, and begin to focus on Him, Him, Him.
“For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:9-12 (NKJV)
“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
Pampered Pets
“Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?” Joshua 18:3 (NKJV)
I had an experience a couple of weeks ago at work that left me annoyed. A couple of days ago, I had a repeat of that experience, which left me angry. These experiences consisted of brief conversations with a fellow employee who sought me out to ask me a few questions.
This employee’s opening comment to me (in our first conversation) was, “I understand that you are really religious. I am thinking about checking out a new religion and I wanted to ask you about it.” So, to be perfectly honest, my hackles immediately go up because I detest the phrase “really religious.” She went on to explain that she was brought up in a particular denomination (one which I was familiar with) and wanted to check out this other “religion.” However, she did not know that this “other religion” was also a Christian denomination. I tried to briefly answer her questions and sent her on her way, leaving me shaking my head at what I had just heard.
Fast forward to a couple of days ago. She sought me out again to tell me that she hadn’t yet visited this other “religion,” but that she had gone to hear a couple of preachers (who are actually affiliated with this denomination). When I told her that she had already met her goal of checking things out, she was surprised. I knew then what she was looking for. She was looking for a “show.” She was expecting something akin to ”rolling in the aisles and foaming at the mouth,” and when she didn’t see what she was expecting, she didn’t know the difference. I found out later that this woman’s primary interest in this denomination had more to do about gaining favor with the man she was currently intimate with, than any real interest in matters of faith.
I realized that she was playing games with Christianity and it made me angry–really angry.
For most of my life I have been willing to “go along to get along.” Of a socially reticent nature, I have always wanted to “play nice in the sandbox” because I never wanted to “rock the boat.” Conflict and anger were something I studiously avoided. I was too insecure and fearful to do otherwise. I became the ultimate in “stealth Christianity.” I couldn’t bear the thought of a disagreement with anyone about anything. I realize now that I have been afraid of the offense of the Gospel and inadvertently became a spiritual “pampered pet.”
But you see, God has no “pampered pets” in His Kingdom. God’s prevailing principle is this: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:48b) The multitude of talents and abilities each of us have been given, are for a specific purpose: to advance God’s Kingdom. We didn’t do anything to earn them; we didn’t do anything to deserve them; they were a gift and we have been given the responsiblity to use them wisely on His behalf.
Christians in the rest of the world know far better than we do that God has no “pampered pets.” In most countries, there is a real price to be paid for faith in Jesus Christ. These Christians are willing to pay the price to hold tight to the great gift of salvation they have been given through Jesus Christ, no matter what it costs them.
The American church, for the most part, seems to have forgotten this. We sit in the ease of our comfortable churches, with our pretty pews, sweet songs and lengthy liturgies, listening to pastors preach soothing sermons. We come out of our Sunday services feeling good about ourselves, but no one can tell we are much different for the experience. If the sermon being preached on any given Sunday doesn’t make us squirm a bit and cause us to change, it hasn’t done its job. We should be called to repentance; we should be called to prayer; we should be called to action when the Word is preached. Our pastor’s job is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Most of us are far too comfortable and satisfied in our Christian lives; we aren’t being “afflicted” nearly enough. What would happen if we actually met the power of the Living Word on any given Sunday morning? Would we ever be the same? Could those around us ever be the same?
“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.” Exodus 34: 29-35 (NKJV)
There was no doubt in any of the Israelite’s minds that Moses had spent time with God. It was visible. In fact, when the Israelites saw the power of God manifested on Moses’ face, they were afraid. When was the last time we came out of church and people saw that much of the power of God on us?
God has given each of us specific talents and abilities and He has put us in a place of influence in which to apply them. It doesn’t matter whether God has given us great intellect or He has given us simple talents. Our work, whatever it might be, is part of our act of worship. Our work is also the act of taking dominion in this world that God has entrusted to us (just as Adam was commanded to do in Genesis 1:28). Work is not a curse. Adam had a “job” before the fall of man and sin entered into the world. The work of our hands should flow out of our love, gratitude, and obedience to the God Who gives us breath. And as we do His work at His command, God’s presence will be manifested to others through us.
I believe that it is time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work in changing the world around us with the Good News of the Gospel, instead of sitting around waiting for the “rapture” to yank us out of this mess. Over the last couple of weeks, I have heard phrases of an old song by Steve Green rolling around in my heart.
Do you think God is trying to tell me something?
The River
There’s a river ever flowing, wid’ning, never slowing and all who wade out in are swept away. When it ends, where it’s going, like the wind, no way of knowing until we answer the call to risk it all and enter in.
The river calls, we can’t deny. A step of faith is our reply. We feel the Spirit draw us in. The water’s swift. We’re forced to swim. We’re out of control and we go where He flows.
There’s a river, ever flowing, wid’ning, never slowing, and all who wade out in are swept away. When it ends, where it’s going, like the wind, no way of knowing, until we answer the call to risk it all and enter in.
Danger awaits at ev’ry turn. We choose a course, we live and learn. As we surrender to His will, we’re at peace but we’re seldom still. He is in control and we go where He flows.
There’s a river ever flowing, wid’ning, never slowing and all who wade out in are swept away. When it ends, where it’s going, like the wind, no way of knowing until we answer the call to risk it all and enter in.
Words and music by Jon Mohr and Randall Dennis
Copyright 1998 Sony/ATV Songs LLC, Randy Cox Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Molto Bravo! Music, Inc. All rights admin by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203.
Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved
The Day Of The Lord Is Coming
Joel 2 (NKJV)
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like swift steeds, so they run.
With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
Before them the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of color.
They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like men of war;
Every one marches in formation,
And they do not break ranks.
They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.
They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief.
The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness.
The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?
”Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him—
A grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the people,
Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not give Your heritage to reproach,
That the nations should rule over them.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD will be zealous for His land,
And pity His people.
The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied by them;
I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.
But I will remove far from you the northern army,
And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,
With his face toward the eastern sea
And his back toward the western sea;
His stench will come up,
And his foul odor will rise,
Because he has done monstrous things.”
Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the LORD has done marvelous things!
Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the LORD your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame.”
“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Shall be saved.”
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the LORD has said,
Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
With Everlasting Joy
Isaiah 35 (NKJV)
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
The excellency of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk there,
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
