A TALE OF THREE CHRISTMASES (Matthew 2)

They [the scholars from the East] could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! (Matthew 2:10, MSG)

The first two chapters of Matthew give us a glimpse behind the Christmas story. The first Christmas. Or maybe the second--Jesus was probably about two years old.

And of course Jesus wasn't born on December 25th.

But, the Christmas story happened in real time and space. And people chose to believe or not, each in their own way, even back then.

We looked at Joseph a bit in chapter 1. The angel appeared to him a dream, and gave him very specific instructions. He obeyed. No questioning the dreams. No complaints. He speaks through his actions, not his words. Although he was asked to believe the impossible, at least the message was clear.

Then we have Herod. God sent the message to him via three foreigners. The message was confirmed in Micah's prophecy. An unlikely source--but he gave it enough credit to assassinate them when they returned to Jerusalem. Herod could have joined them in worship of the Messiah. So could the priests.Instead of rejoicing in the birth of Israel's Messiah--the hope the priests at least claimed--Herod feared it, and sought to kill the Messiah. Instead of obedience, he wanted the death of the threat.

Finally we have the wise men. The Message calls them "a band of scholars." The traditional number three is assumed because of three gifts, but the exact number is unknown.

They had no direct revelation, but they were students of God through nature, especially the stars. Somehow they also knew about Israel's king, and his importance.

With nothing more than an interpretation of the sky--no verbal instructions at all--they invested a lot of money and four years of their time (going and coming) into worshipping Israel's Messiah.

What do we choose to do with the Christ of Christmas today?

My son told me that he was going to ask friends, "Why do you give gifts at Christmas?"

In one of those proud-moments-to-be-a-mother, he went on. "I remember that you taught us that we give gifts because God gave us the greatest gift of all, His Son."

He went on to mention those who said they did it to show love for their families and friends, or because of the gift of the wise men. Or even just because of the tradition and the commercialism that urges us to buy, buy, buy.

Today we have the three ways of receiving God's message.

We have His message in the Bible, and we can choose to obey.

We have His unwritten message in the songs of Christmas, in the traditions in which I see the gospel about the Great Gift, the Light of the World, the eternal life represented by an evergreen.

If we are Christians, we hear His message in our hearts, since He lives within us.

Why do you give gifts at Christmas?

God as Your Possession (Ezekiel 42-44)

God commissioned the Levitcal Priesthood to teach God’s people “the difference between the holy and common” (Ezekiel 44:23). They served the Lord in the temple and lived off the sacrifices the people brought to them. They adhered to laws dealing with what they ate, what they wore, how they cut their hair and beard and who they married. They owned no land. “I am your possession,” declared the Lord (Ezekiel 44:28).

In the Old Testament, God commanded to and commended people for seeing Him, not  fame, riches, power, or happiness.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. (I Chronicles 16:10-11)

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

 Despite his weaknesses, David pleased God by being a man after His heart (I Samuel 13:13-14 and Acts 13:22).

Christians not only belong to Christ, in a sense, He belongs to us. He receives us into His family. We receive Him as our portion.

We can seek God the Father by getting to know Jesus.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.  (Hebrews 1:3)  

God also gave us His Holy Spirit to help.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.   (Romans 8:26)

Seeking God isn't just a good idea; it should be the most important activity in our life.   

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

In seeking God, our focus changes.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3)

We not only seek Him, we come to Him believing we will find Him.

 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.   Hebrews 11:6

If we are healthy, rich and powerful, what good is that if we don’t have the Lord? Let’s seek Him today in all the ways we know how, trusting Him to add what we need and desire as a natural result.

Connie L. Peters has thirty years of experience in writing poetry, adult and children’s fiction and inspirational non-fiction. Currently she writes devotions for The Presidential Prayer Team and The Pagosa Sun. She also writes a poem a day on enthusiaticsoul.blogspot.com. Connie’s work has appeared in numerous publications including Focus on the Family, Bible Advocate and The Quiet Hour. She has served on the board of Southwest Christian Writers Association for the past twenty years. Connie lives in Cortez, CO where she and her husband host two adults with developmental disabilities. The Peters’ two grown children live in Arizona.

MOURNING FOR MOAB

"I know"--God's Decree--"his rooster-crowing pride, the inflated claims, the sheer nothingness of Moab. But I will weep for Moab, yes, I will mourn for the people of Moab." (Jeremiah 48:30-32, MSG)

Chapters 48 and 49 of Jeremiah deal with judgments on Israel's neighbors. Ho hum, although I did run across an interesting verse ("sloppy work in God's name is cursed," 48:16).

But then I ran across this unexpected word midway through the judgments. I will weep for Moab.

I went back and confirmed. Yes, God was speaking, not Jeremiah.

I went forward. God repeats His grief: "My heart moans for Moab." (48:36)

God doesn't give a reason for grieving Moab. He says the men of the city Kir-heres are like flute sounds carried by the wind. They will lose everything. But if the severity of judgment hurt God's heart, He would mourn every nation under judgment.

If you're wondering--keep reading. God doesn't express the same grief about Ammon or Damascus.

It's not even because the Moabites descended from Abraham's nephew Lot. So did the Ammonites. They are destroyed without sympathy.

Is it because of David's Moabitess great-grandmother, Ruth?

Or more precisely, because of Ruth herself? Her faith inspired an entire book of the Bible. Its legacy lived on, affecting generations to come. Perhaps she even held an infant David on her knee, telling him of Israel's great God.

I don't know. God doesn't tell us, so all my reasonings are pure conjecture.

The fact that God mourned Moab gladdens my heart, however. God's heart always included other nations than Israel. Israel was meant to be the lighthouse to draw the world to Himself. The lament regarding Moab is a comparatively rare record of that love in the Old Testament.

God gives Moab a promise: "There's a day that's coming that I'll put things right in Moab." (Jeremiahs 48:47)

Jordan (which includes the old Moab) and Israel should "just get along."

Well, Moab, Israel and Judah didn't do so well either.

SIEGE (Jeremiah 39)

In the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem. In the eleventh year and fourth month, on the ninth day of Zedekiah’s reign, they broke , MSG)through into the city. (Jeremiah 39:1-2, MSG)

October 2009 to April 2011--easier for me to calculate than "10th month of the 9th year and the 4th month of the 11th year."

The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem for 18 months.

Eighteen months.

The famous siege of Masada in the first century, where all the residents killed themselves rather than be captured, only lasted a few months. Two pregnancies. No new supplies for a year and a half. This was a city, after all. House gardens wouldn't provide the grains and produce without the surrounding countryside.

No grain or livestock for the daily sacrifice.

Surviving eighteen months of dwindling resources and the threat of annihilation would ordinarily rouse admiration for their courage. We would admire the king who look to their leaders for our heroes.

Instead, Jeremiah told them to go to the Babylonians and end the siege. And Zedekiah is remembered as the last king of Judah.

Are you facing any long-term problems? Where would you like to be in eighteen months? Do you do the right thing by fighting towards that goal, using all of your resources and then some more?

Or is God calling you to give up that battle and to move on to the next stage of your life?

Is the future God wants for you something other than that seems obvious to you?

It's worth thinking about.

WHEN BAD NEWS IS GOOD: LIFE, POLLYANA-STYLE

You won't be killed. You'll die a peaceful death. They will honor you with funeral rites as they honored your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will properly mourn your death. (Jeremiah 34:4-5)

I'm going to see you free--God's Decree--free to get killed in war or by disease or by starvation. (Jeremiah 34:7-8)

Poor King Zedekiah.

Well, not so poor. As king, I expect he had a fairly comfortable lifestyle; and his father was the great Hezekiah, one of the high notes as the kingdom of Judah stumbled toward exile.

The exile Judah had been earning year by year, decade by decade, century by century, came due during Zedekiah's reign. He couldn't escape. He would end his life in Babylon, far away from home.

Jeremiah sugar-coated the bitter pill of death in exile. He would live a full life span. He wouldn't die in battle, be executed or assassinated. When he died, he would be honored and mourned. His family and his people would mark his passing.

He might be a prisoner of war, but he was given VIP treatment. Bad news, with a twist that turned it good.

Later in the chapter, God turned good news into bad.

The people of Judah had entered into a covenant to free their slaves. They never should have kept their fellow-Israelites as slaves beyond seven years. But like so much else of the law, they paid no attention.

And in this case, they went back on their word almost as soon as they released them, pulling their former slaves back to work in their homes.

God teased them. I'm going to set you free!

Grins on everyone's faces. For a split second.

Freedom to get killed. Not in old age, in their sleep. No, war, disease, and starvation would thin their ranks.

Clouds can have silver linings. The glass can be half full when it seems half empty.

I believe I read this story in Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. They were in a concentration camp. And their barracks had bedbugs. Suffering upon suffering. Corrie complained about it until she realized--the guards turned their back on the Bible reading and prayer because they didn't want to come to close t the bugs.

Death in exile.

Small mercies help us keep the bigger problems in perspective.

God is Good (Jeremiah 32:33)

     Thirty-four years ago, when my husband and I married, we were unaware he had bipolar disorder. In fact, he said he didn't get depressed. He did cite one time of mental confusion years earlier, but blamed it on coming off meth, the turning point when he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. His dedication to the Lord and his emotional stability attracted me to him. On the other hand, I struggled with depression.

     About nine years into our marriage, when our two children were little, job instability, financial pressures and budding marital problems woke up the sleeping monster of bipolar disorder. Once so stable, my husband became a roller coaster of emotions, with breaks from reality. Once sensitive to God’s wisdom and insight, he became confused and lost confidence in his relationship with the Lord.

     He and I always had been opposites, but over the next fifteen years or so we struggled to keep body, mind and marriage together. We often gave up trying to see eye to eye and simply said, “The Lord is good!”  We could always agree on that, even though times were tough.

     In Jeremiah 32, King Zedekiah couldn't understand why Jeremiah would prophecy destruction. He even locked the prophet up in prison. But the king only understood part of the message. When God called Jeremiah, He told him to buy land from his cousin and seal it up in a clay pot so it would keep for a long time. Because of the Israelites’ evil ways, God would destroy the city, but He promised they would live and thrive there again. Jeremiah’s deed was a sign of hope.

     God’s intentions were, are and always will be to love and care for His people. The Lord said in Jeremiah 32:41, “I will rejoice in doing them good.” In Jeremiah 33:15, He went on to say that He would send “a righteous Branch to spring up for David” who would carry out justice and righteousness.

     That branch is Jesus, in whom we find grace, love, forgiveness, and the good God has always wanted for His people. Most importantly, we have a loving relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit within us.

God is good and desires good for His people. He will take us through bad times to get to the good times. Many marriages would stay intact, if they’d grasp the vision of what God intended to do for them through trials.

     My husband is back to being emotionally stable (for the most part) and the spiritual man I fell in love with. And I’m seldom depressed. We’re still opposites. If there are two way to do things, he’ll do it one way and I’ll do it the other. But we always agree that God is good.  

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)             

                                                                                                                                

Connie L. Peters has thirty years of experience in writing poetry, adult and children’s fiction and inspirational non-fiction. Currently she writes devotions for The Presidential Prayer Team and The Pagosa Sun. She also writes a poem a day on enthusiaticsoul.blogspot.com. Connie’s work has appeared in numerous publications including Focus on the Family, Bible Advocate and The Quiet Hour. She has served on the board of Southwest Christian Writers Association for the past twenty years. Connie lives in Cortez, CO where she and her husband host two adults with developmental disabilities. The Peters’ two grown children live in Arizona.

IN THE COMPANY OF YOUR PEERS (Jeremiah 26)

At another time there had been a man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, who had preached similarly in the name of God. He preached against this same city and country just as Jeremiah did. (Jeremiah 26:20-21, MSG)

Fairly often in the posts I have talked about the theme of "why me? Why do I have to suffer?"

My mother used to ask, "Why not me? Why have I been spared natural disasters and illness and . . .?"

Today's passage reminded me of Mom. Earlier Jeremiah has spoken along the lines of Elijah, "I am the only one left who believes in God." Today, he talks about all the prophets God has sent who shared the same message: Doom is imminent if you don't repent! (Jeremiah 25:4-6)

In the next chapter, he gives us a small insight into one of those prophets, Uriah, son of Shemaiah.

The question of why God called Jeremiah to write His message and not Uriah or the other prophets intrigues me, but I won't chase down that rabbit trail.

Jeremiah and Uriah served the same God. They preached the same message and in the same place.

However, when a lynch mob formed. . .

• Ahikam intervened and spared Jeremiah's life.
• Uriah was killed even though he went into hiding.

The unspoken "Why me?" rings through Jeremiah's description of events:

The king had him killed. They dumped his body unceremoniously outside the city. But in Jeremiah's case, Ahikam son of Shaphan stepped forward and took his sidie, preventing the mob from lynching him. (Jeremiah 26:23-24)

Why Jeremiah, indeed. Why did God spare Jeremiah's life but allow Uriah to be killed? God lost a loyal servant (on earth, at least), but Jeremiah lost a friend and ally.

Why did God spare Jeremiah but not Uriah?

Corrie ten Boom asked the same question when her sister Betsy died in the concentration, while Corrie lived a long and blessed life.

I lived in Colorado at the time of the Columbine killings. Our churches overflowed in the ensuing weeks, as the stories of Cassie and Rachel's brave testimony circulated.

The death of one of our own. We hurt. Incredibly. We may put on brave faces and continue to work while our insides fall apart.

Their deaths might inspire others--to faith. To service. To spending more time with people they love.

We're not told how the people of Jerusalem or the other prophets responded to Uriah's death. But we can infer that was grieved.

Whatever ministry God has called us, Uriah also reminds us that we are not alone. A writer's life is often a lonely one, but we can count on our peers to encourage us, to come alongside with their message, stories, prayers.

ADVICE (Jeremiah 23)

Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as "How do we understand God in this?" But don't go around pretending to know it all, saying "God told me this. . .God told me that. . . ." . . . You can the prophets, "How did God answer you? What did he tell you? But don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves. (Jeremiah 23:35-37, MSG)

To start with today, I will apologize to those of you from the pentecostal/prophecy branch of the Christian faith, in case my comments offend you. But today's passage reminded of an earlier incident which struck me as insensitive:

For years I was part of a face-to-face critique group. We met every other week for almost ten years, until our hostess died. Vicki Baker left an unforgettable influence on my life, only partly because of her courageous life in spite of living as a quadriplegic. She described herself as a "wheelchair-bound trapeze artist" because that explained both her high-octane enthusiasm for living and the way she broke her neck.

Like Joni Erickson Tada, she believed that "in every way that matters, (she) was already healed."

One day a new writer visited our group. On her second visit, she told Vicki, "I have a word from God. He wants to do a work of healing in you, starting with your legs."

Embarrassed silence. At the time, the comment struck me as incredibly insensitive. I now suspect the visitor came from a practice where such words are received and accepted. I still think, however,that she handled it poorly.

She might have benefited from Jeremiah's advice today. Perhaps she could have initiated a dialogue about divine healing. Perhaps even that would have felt like an assault. The time is too far removed for me to gauge it today.

Suggestions included:
Don't pretend you have all the answers.
Ask others what their understanding of the situation is.
Assume that others are seeking God about the same matter. You should find common ground in His answers.

In Jeremiah's time, they faced strong military oppression, the king of Judah already deposed. Rarely did the decision to fight or to surrender carry such a heavy weight. The decision affected many people.

If you feel God is urging a change of direction on you. . .ask the people your decision will impact. What has God told your church? your co-workers? your family? your spouse?

Then listen. . .really listen.




23:35-37





Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as ‘How do we understand God in this?’ But don’t go around pretending to know it all, saying ‘God told me this . . . God told me that. . . .’ I don’t want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

37-38 “You can ask the prophets, ‘How did God answer you? What did he tell you?’ But don’t pretend that you know all the answers yourselves

FIRST THINGS FIRST (Jeremiah 21)

Start each day by dealing with justice. Rescue victims from their exploiters. (Jeremiah 21:11-12)

I'm not a psychiatrist, but my daughter struggled with mental illness for most of her life.

So I have this to say about Jeremiah: Like someone with bipolar disorder (manic/depressive), he swings from the depth of despair (curse the day I was born!) to attempts at happiness (sing praise to God!) He expresses his faith by obeying God in spite of the fear, paranoia, and isolation he experienced.

His message didn't make things any better. No one wanted to listen to the doomsday prophet. His countrymen tolerated him as the voice of a minority of one.

Tucked into today's message, God told the leaders how to avert the coming catastrophe. Get your priorities straight.

The first order of business each and every day? Deal with justice. Rescue victims from the perpetrators.

Justice suggests a court with judge and jury. The king acted as the supreme court, or perhaps a presidential pardon. The people brought their most difficult cases to him. Solomon's decision regarding the two mothers and one child is a classic example of discerning the truth of a situation.

Rescuing victims suggests a more active role. The king not only judge impartially. He, and his leaders with him, should seek out victims. The poor, orphans, widows, and foreigners are often mentioned throughout the Bible in need of special consideration.

Good advice. But Jeremiah preached this wisdom when the kingdom felt increased pressure from invaders. I'm sure national leaders focused on defense, alliances, weapons, a strong army. Even then, "the best offense was a good defense."

Taking care of the poor and downtrodden, preventing prejudice against foreigners, ranked low in the national conscience.

Yet God said to take care of it first.

These last couple of days have come out as more political than I like, but that is where the scripture took me. On an individual basis, perhaps I should look to the needs of others instead of always expecting them to accommodate my needs.

For years, I met with fellow writer Vicki Baker twice a month. A fall during a trapeze act left her paralyzed. She said how she learned to make others comfortable with her chair.

I've thought of that lately. When people visit, I need to be prepared to involve them. If I wait for them to initiate a lively discussion, they're at a loss.

That happened the last time I spoke with my son. I mentioned my post on "cheap whining," and we got into an interesting exploration of the idea.

Anyhow: first things first.

MASSACRES (Jeremiah 19)

It's payday, and soon--God's Decree!--this place will no longer be known as Topheth or Valley of Ben-hinnom, but Massacre Meadows. . . I'll turn this city into such a museum of atrocities that anyone coming near will be shocked speechless by the savage brutality. (Jeremiah 19:6-9, MSG)

"Massacre Meadows" instantly brought to mind my daughter Jolene's poem, "Hope in Black and White, in memory of the Sand Creek Massacre."

The website of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site describes the events of November 29, 1864 as "8 hours that would change the Great Plains forever." The date strikes me because it echoes my grandmother's birthday of November 28, 1894. It is possible that my greatgrandparents were alive at the time of the massacre, and I wonder how they reacted as the news spread across the United States.

A 700-man militia attacked and killed the majority of a friendly village of Cheyenne & Arapahoe--mostly women and children. Colonel Chivington insisted he had valid reason for the attack, and that many warriors were killed. Eye witness accounts differed, describing the torture and mutilatioGon of women and children. As news spread, public outcry grew.

Sand Creek, Little Big Horn, Wounded Knee became symbols of the ugly wars between white and native Americans. The same thing happened at Topheth and Ben-hinnom, turning them to Massacre Meadows" (the origin of "Gehenna," one of the words used for "hell.")

The ugly truth here is that God allowed the destruction of this place.

We hold God to a higher standard. We expect Him to step in and prevent genocide and massacres. If God is real, or if He cares, the words Auschwitz, Sand Creek, 9-11, and Gehenna wouldn't evoke feelings of horror.

But God does allow them to happen. At times, such as the occasion in Jeremiah 19, He chooses the atrocity to punish wrongdoing.

When we hear of such events, we are right to be shocked and speechless. We should be horrified by the evil which causes it to happen. Perhaps we should also view the brutality as a wake up call, to examine our own behavior.

I'm not saying that the depth of human depravity always strikes a society which has turned away from God.

But perhaps we should always reflect on our shortcomings.

About Jolene's poem? I can't find it. I would have posted it here. She wrote the truth much better than I just did.

CHEAP WHINING (Jeremiah 15)

Why, why this chronic pain, this ever worsening wound and no healing in sight? . . .Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining. Then, but only then, you'll speak for me. (Jeremiah 15:17-189, MSG)

This passage from Jeremiah hits me close, both as a nursing home resident and as a writer.

Lately the pain hasn't been as bad, in spite on the arrival of cooler, damper fall weather. But with Jeremiah, I want relief from the pain. I can imagine a pain so bad that I would rather die than continue to live with it. I pray that I would never such a choice that would dishonor the "me" God made and God Himself. But I can imagine it.

In essence, God tells Jeremiah to shut up. Don't whine. He even calls it "cheap" whining. While someone with chronic pain may not whine, I would never call those people who do whine "cheap."

The point God is making is that Jeremiah's not investing his words wisely. He is spending them on complaints, which give nothing in return.

Instead, God encourages Jeremiah to use his words "truly and well."

Good words to hear at a point when I am in the editing phase of a book project--even if they are the dreaded adverbs, forbidden in good writing. Finding just the right word. To speak truth in character, location, occupation, relationships--writing demands my best use of language.

To speak for God, as all Christian writers claim to do, let's concentrate on true, good writing instead of whining.

FAVORITE CHILD (Isaiah 43)

I paid a huge price for you. . .That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. (Isaiah 43:3-4, MSG)

Children ask their parents, do you love me the most? The truth is, we might find one child more--enjoyable? Is that the word?--than another.

I think about that, sometimes, with my grandchildren. Grandchild number one, well, she was the first child and the first grandchild. She got plenty of attention. Grandchildren number three, my first biological grandchild, was the first child born of my son's marriage and came on the heels of my daughter's suicide. Grandchild #4 is the only son and grandson.

So although grandchild #2 is precious--I wonder if she ever feels overlooked?

Parents and grandparents struggle with loving our children equally. But God doesn't.

Isaiah 43 brags about God's love for His people. He paid a huge price for us. Isaiah talks about the nations God conquered for Israel's sake. Of course, in the church, we look at the ultimate price of God's love. He gave His only begotten, one-and-only Son, for me. For you.

When sin kidnaps us, God is willing to pay whatever ransom is demanded. He will give creation. He did give His Son. We don't have to worry that God won't come to the rescue.

But . . .if God loves His children equally. . .with everything He has and does. . .why does one person live in a mansion while another is homeless on the streets of Calcutta?

The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Equal before the law--but not equal in opportunity, financial status, intelligence, or athletic ability.

The same is true of God's love for His children.

He paid the same price for each one of us: the death of His Son.
He created each one of us in His image.
He gave every child one or more spiritual gifts.
His Spirit dwells in every child.
In God's economy, every gift is equally important.
God has the same ultimate goal for each of us: to be holy, to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Whatever each individual needs to reach that goal, God provides. No two are exactly alike.
He has prepared a home for each of us in heaven.

I'm sure I could list dozens more ways God treats us equally. . .

Do you ever wish that you were God's favorite? Think about all the things He has done for you that He doesn't give to those who reject Him.

LESSONS FROM THE ROACHH

"Do you feel like a lowly worm, Jacob?
Don't be afraid.
Feel like a fragile insect, Israel?
I'll help you.
You'll be confident and exuberant,
expansive in The Holy of Israel! (Isaiah 41:14-16)

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'm going to go eat worms. A sad child's rhyme. It's even worse when we feel like the worm.

Forget all about all the positive aspects of insects. Yes, God did create them as an important aspect of our ecosystem. But I prefer to squash them under my foot, if I don't shrink away in disgust first.
j
Sometimes I feel like others see me that way. I feel like I wear a neon sign that reads "victim," that invites other to take advantage of me. I squiggle like a worm when a visitor who cares, who wants to encourage me, can't find a conversational topic. (I decided that the next time, I'll ask them questions. It's my job to make them comfortable.)

But God never wants me to feel that way. Not fear, but faith--faith that even if I feel as unlikable as a worm, as fragile as an insect, God will help me. He'll not only help me, He'll make confident. Exuberant. Expansive.

Confident--without doubt, moving forward without questioning myself
Exuberant--boisterously happy. Unable to stay quiet about what God is doing.
Expansive--doing more than originally planned.

That's the way I want to live my life. When God's help--I will.

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN (Isaiah 35)

The people God has ransomed will come back on this road. They'll sing as they make their way home to Zion, unfading halos of joy encircling their heads, welcomed home with gifts of joy and gladness as all sorrows and sighs scurry into the night. (Isaiah 35:9-10, MSG)

Jesus is "the way," the only way to heaven and eternal life. In fact, early Christians were known as followers of the Way.

Jesus mentioned the Way in His teaching. During the Sermon on the Mount, He said, "Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14, NKJV) I've heard it said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It is definitely the easy road, wide, easy to find and to follow. Jesus describes the road that leads to life as narrow and hard to find.

In Isaiah, we read of the joy we find on the road--joy that grows the closer we approach to heaven. One has to have a ticket punched by the blood of Jesus's righteousness to get on the road. It's holy, and closed to the rude and rebellious. It is reserved for God's people, for those who are ransomed and redeemed. Once we're on that road, we can't get lost.

If you ever want a picture of our redemption, watch the death and resurrection of Aslan on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

We're singing our way home. When Mom lay on her bed dying, I held her hand and sang hymns of hope and God's love and heaven. That's the way I'd like to go myself--and at least humming along if my voice or mind gives out.

Like the description in Revelation, all sorrows and sighs scurry away. Terrors of the night can't exist--darkness doesn't exist. God Himself is the light.

Best yet, we'll be welcomed home. Embraced like the father embraced his prodigal son, like my Jolene ran to Jesus's lap. So many I have loved, the numbers growing more and more each year.

In its own way, it's the believer's version of the tortoise and the rabbit. The rabbits scamper down the wide path but lose the prize.

Narrow the highway may be, but everyone on the road knows the Lord. The Teacher walks with us, warning us of any bends in the road. When I come before the pearly gate, I will march in with the confidence that "whomsoever will" may enter in God's divine purpose before time began.

Amen and amen.

GRACE AND MORE GRACE (Isaiah 30)

Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right. (Isaiah 30:19-22, MSG)

Mercy and grace go hand in hand, but I think at their heart, mercy means we don't get the punishment we deserve and grace refers to the times we get all of God's marvelous gifts that we don't deserve.

And Isaiah promises--grace and MORE grace. He mentions it in the context of answered prayer.

God longs to answer our prayers. He waits, eager to hear our pleas for help. Isaiah says He'll answer as soon as he hears our cries.

That's not always my experience--probably because I equate an answer with a definite "yes" or guidance. Sometimes God says, "Trust Me. I have things under control." Sometimes the answer is "no"--the hardest to accept answer, but it is an answer.

How does God answer? He stays with us. He's "local and on the job," the kind of workman who would receive top reviews on Angie's List.

The two words used to describe God's relationship with us remind me of the words used to describe Jesus by His disciples. He was their Master and their Teacher. He was responsible for their physical needs and for the content that they learned.

God has always done the same for His people. He keeps us during the hard times. It says He keeps us alive--but we can't take that literally. Too many believers have died for their faith, or have died of illness or war or other reasons. But the hard times alone don't kill us.

While we are going through those hard times, our Teacher works right beside us. He tells us when we go astray. He encourages us to stay true to our faith. If we ever wonder which road God wants us to take, He will show us, left or right.

What I also find interesting: this explanation of grace comes in the context of our cries for help. Most of us would prefer for God's grace to spare us from hard times. Instead, He promises us grace to get through them.

I have a lifetime of stories of grace to share. How about you?

Isaiah 28-29

Love’s Dimensions

     Ah, Monday. Sometimes you may stumble out of bed in a stupor, wondering where the weekend went and why you weren't wise enough to go to bed early on a Sunday night. Foggy brains, like drinking alcohol, makes you do stupid things (like posting a silly poem on the wrong website).

     In Isaiah, God called the priests, prophets and people of Ephraim and Jerusalem a bunch of drunks. They just weren't getting it. They said they loved the Lord and followed His ways, but they were all talk and no action.

     In these two chapters, Isaiah 28-29, you can feel God’s anguish, His anger and His love all rolled into one. He’s a Holy Father with disobedient children. If they’d only listen, life would be good for them.

He’s the same Father today. He provides forgiveness and eternal salvation in Christ, graces you with the ability to walk in His fellowship and will, and promises to answer your prayers. But sometimes His people just don’t get it. What’s a loving father to do?

     Hebrews 4:7 says to endure hardship as discipline. Thank Him today for the hardships in your life and the fact that no matter if it feels like it or not, He does love you. He knows everything about you and wants a close relationship with you. He wants what’s best for you. He answers your faith-filled prayers in His time. Commit to Him, and recommit to Him, your troubles, cares and concerns. And thank Him daily for His love and all the ways He expresses it to you. 

     He loves you so much He experiences sorrow whenever you just don’t get it. Ask God for a revelation of the dimensions of His love and all He provided for you on the cross. Look up all the verses using the phrases “in Christ” to see what God has already given you.

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19) The Message

Connie L. Peters has thirty years of experience in writing poetry, adult and children’s fiction and inspirational non-fiction. Currently she writes devotions for The Presidential Prayer Team and The Pagosa Sun. She also writes a poem a day on enthusiaticsoul.blogspot.com. Connie’s work has appeared in numerous publications including Focus on the Family, Bible Advocate and The Quiet Hour. She has served on the board of Southwest Christian Writers Association for the past twenty years. Connie lives in Cortez, CO where she and her husband host two adults with developmental disabilities. The Peters’ two grown children live in Arizona.

TAKE YOUR TIME (Isaiah 26)

We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want. (Isaiah 26:8, MSG)

Do you ever want God to hurry up? I know I do. You know, the kind of prayer that says, teach me patience, and I want it NOW.

I get impatient when I can see the road I'm on deadending in front of me and have no idea what direction God will send me in next. I especially get that way when the deadline for my final book contract approaches and I don't have another one--or even the hint of another one. But it works the same whenever I have to move or find a job or decide about a trip.

Living in a nursing home, I know that right now this is God's plan for me. When I wonder if I'll be here, in this same place, until I die? I try to avoid thinking about that possibility, but I kind of wish I had a hint about "what next."

Oh, to have the attitude Isaiah mentions in today's verse. To be content to live for today. To linger in this place and time where I know God has placed me. To accept the stoplight without wondering if or when it will turn green again.

How do I change from worrying about the future to living content, today? Change my focus. Today and tomorrow, praising God for who He is and thanking Him for what He does will keep my heart in the right place. When I remember how God has proven faithful in the past, I am reassured for the future. When I ponder His character, what makes Him act t he way He does, I know He will always do what is best for me.

I don't know what the future holds--but I know Who holds the future.

So way hurry? Linger on the path with God.

(P.S. There's a great song, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Ira Stanphill, but I can't due to copyright. If you want to, look it up. :) )

NIGHTLY NEWS (Isaiah 21)

Because of this news I'm doubled up in pain, . . . baffled by what I hear,undone by what I see. Absolutely stunned, horror-stricken, I had hoped for a relaxed evening, but it has turned into a nightmare. (Isaiah 21:4-5, MSG)

Isaiah, whom I would describe as dignified, wandered around naked for three years in one of God's living parables. I'm not sure how I have missed that in reading Isaiah before. (Chapter 20:1-3). I was tempted to write about that until I read the riveting paragraph in the next chapter.

He described it as a hard vision. In the 21st century, it reads like something we would see on the nightly news in time of war. Plunder, attack, siege, moaning and groaning. Vietnam aired nightly when I was in high school and college and it feels like we've been fighting in the Middle East for years without end, just shifting from one country to another (that is not meant as a political comment, btw.) In addition to the news, we are inundated by violence on screen, in TV series and movies. Long term exposure leads to a numbness, and I'm one of the worst.

Isaiah wasn't. The vision made him physically sick and gave him nightmares. He couldn't believe what he saw, and he couldn't understand it.. It's been awhile since I felt that way about something I watched. How about you?

Even stranger, the bad news happened to Israel's aggessors. Elam, Media, Persia, Babylon, Edom, Arabia--the betrayers were betrayed. The plunderers were plundered. The battles happened in the sands of the Negev desert, probably in conditions close to those of our recent conflicts.

In Isaiah's shoes, I might have rejoiced to see the fall of my nation's enemies. I certainly didn't lose any sleep when the leaders of the Iraq regime were picked off one by one. But Isaiah felt their pain. In an earlier chapter, he wrote glowing words about the road that would run through the desert from Egypt to Israel. He rejoiced in that vision. Not this one.

I like the Isaiah of this chapter. If he lived today, he would stay current on international news. He would weep over the destruction one nation throws at another.

He certainly wouldn't close his eyes.

THE ONE WHO MADE US (Isaiah 17)

Yes, the Day is coming when people will notice The One Who Made Them, take a long hard look at the Holy of Israel. They'll lost interest in all the stuff they've made. (Isaiah 17:7-8, MSG)

The idea is not unique to the Terminator franchise, but they spoke to the issue well. Humans fear that some day the things we have made will turn on us.

The irony is that humans in general treat the One who made us the same way. We rebel. We don't respect Him. We don't even admit He made us. We creep closer and closer to the miracle of procreation, with cloning and in vitro fertilization.

Unlike the Terminator machines who come close to exterminating the human race, we can never kill God. What we do is even worse--we ignore Him.

God could kill us with a single word--a thought. He doesn't have to tolerate our rebellion. He doesn't because He loves us.

But the day is coming when everyone will acknowledge the Creator God. They will bend their knees to His right to govern them. They will be judged. Those with Jesus as their Defense attorney join Him in glory; those without that defense, head to the lake of fire.

The One Who Made Us us also the Holy. As our parent, He has the responsibility of disciplining us. As the Holy, He has earned the right to judge our behavior. He not only is the Holy in heaven, where His lordship runs things. He is also the only perfect, holy man. With Jesus' death and resurrection, He bought our pardon.

For now we can squander our time on our toys, on what we've made. What exists at the top of your list? Right now, I suppose it's writing. I've "made" a growing list of books. It could be our children, a business we've grown, a hobby.

None of those things are wrong in and of themselves. But if they shine so brightly that they eclipse the Holy Creator, I'm blinded to the truth.

A long hard look--look long. Take your time. Study the tiniest details and open your mind to as much of the whole picture as you can grasp. Humans experience of God resembles the blind men with an elephant. One of them comments on the trunk, another the tusks, another the leathery legs, and so forth. But the more we look, the more we will see. Look hard--look at the things about God that you'd rather ignore--like His holiness.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full on His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace--Helen H. Lemmel

RECOVERY ROOM (Isaiah 14)

When God has given you time to recover from the abuse and trouble and harsh servitude that you had to endure, you can amuse yourselves by taking up this satire, a taunt against the king of Babylon. (Isaiah 14:3-4, MSG)

I love this verse. Get this, everyone who has ever experienced abuse or hard times or oppression: God gets it. He understands. He doesn't expect us to get up and walk away as if nothing ever happened.

He gives us time to recover, That fact has so many implications. For one thing, He knows what I went through. He doesn't explain why He allowed it to happen--but He saw. He cared.

For another thing, anyone who has suffered from abuse, trouble, servitude, needs time to heal and recover. I'm a big believer that forgiveness is a process. God allowed and shared my feelings of anger. But I prayed for my enemies--and in time that helped me to see their stunted lives. In time--a long time--I was able to commit an act of forgiveness.

How strange, but how satisfying, that God breaks into that time of healing by offering amusement at the cost of the our enemies.

God may not ask us to write a satire--although if you want to write one, that would be fine too. But is it all right to make fun of our enemies? To laugh at their misfortunes? This passage suggests that's okay.

And you know what? As I prayed for my enemy, I saw his disasters. A part of me rejoiced. Another part felt sorry for him. As long as he refused to repent, he had a lifetime of unhappiness ahead of him.

When the Germans tore down the Berlin Wall--when Iraqis tore down the statue of Saddam Hussein--maybe God was there, celebrating the victory against oppression.

I know He celebrates when one of His children is delivered.

BLUE-COLLAR MESSIAH (Isaiah 11)

Each morning he'll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots, and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land. (Isaiah 11:5, MSG)

I want to know this Savior.

Isaiah 11 describes the day when the green shoot will come out of Jesse. Commentators agree that it refers to the Messiah, the Son of David. Reading his words makes me hungry for the day He will rule the earth.

Although the Messiah is a king--he is from the stump of Jesse, the Davidic line--he is a working-man's leader. Instead of suit coat and tie, he dons work clothes and boots. He doesn't only tell others what to do. He builds righteousness and faithfulness with His own hands.

His priorities focus not on the rich and the privileged but for the invisible. "He'll judge the needy by what is right, render decisions on earth's poor with justice." (Isaiah 11:3-4)

When I read, "He won't judge by appearances," I was reminded of Martin Luther King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. This Messiah will definitely judge us by the content of our character and not the color of our skin. He chooses the poor in spirit, those who are lost, the sinner and not the saint.

This man chose me. Not because I'm white, because I longed for perfection, because I'm smart. He didn't reject me because I'm overweight and self-centered. He chose me because of all the things I'm lacking, all the reasons why the world passes me by.

I love Him because He first loved me. I love Him because He knows me inside out and loves me anyway.

Of course this Messiah needs work boots. He is a carpenter, after all.

THE FIST OF GOD (Isaiah 9-10)

Even after all this, God is still angry, his fist still raised, ready to hit them again. (Isaiah 10:10)

Yesterday I looked at the Rock of God--either a hiding place of refuge or an immoveable obstacle.

Today Isaiah talked about God's fist.

Strangely enough, one of the most-often quoted prophecies about the coming Messiah lies between the two passages: Isaiah 9:6. Say it with me: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting father, the Prince of Peace.

But instead of the healing, encouraging Prince of Peace (the Message uses the word "wholeness"), verse 8 talks about the "Master." God is depicted as a harsh school headmaster, trying to discipline the rebellion out of Israel, fighting fire with fire and with fist still raised, ready to strike agtoain.

God sent them prophets but they were too arrogant to listen (if anyone is interested, this passage includes the verse that the Cahn's The Harbinger is based on but I won't get into political rhetoric, for or against.)God used the Philistines to punish them. God's fist was still raised.

Next, God went after the leaders, chopping off the head and tail. The people got the leaders they deserved. God's fist was still raised.

The people indulged insatiable lusts--food, drugs, power, things, you name it. Civil war ensued. God's fist was still raised.

Lastly, they legislated evil. God's fist was still raised.

It is tempting to apply this to America, but I'm not sure we should.

What I do think is truth-for-any-age from this passage?

God is angry when we go from sin to sin. The Bible tells us He disciplines us because He loves us. That punishment may reach greater and greater levels.

It is by God's mercy that we are not consumed by His holy fire or crushed underneath His rock.

Instead, His rock shelters and His fire purifies us and provides comfort.








Even after all this, God is still angry,
his fist still raised, ready to hit them again.

STAND YOUR GROUND (Isaiah 7-8)

If you don't take your stand in faith, you won't have a leg to stand on. (Isaiah 7:9, MSG)

Hmm. I read chapters 3-4 and couldn't find anything to write about. Today is overflowing with wonderful truths, so many that I had a hard time deciding. That says more about where I was on Thursday than about God's Word.

Although chapters 7-8 include separate prophecies, they all reflect on the truth of standing in faith. Foundational truths of why and how we take that stand.

How about--When all is said and done, the last word is Immanuel--God-With-Us. (Isaiah 8:10, MSG).
How fitting that "the" Word (in John 1) has the "last word." After all debates end and all wars cease, He will still be standing. He is the foundation, the rock on which I stand. Sing it with me. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand." Oh, and what is Jesus's name? Yup. Immanuel, God with us.

Take these words to heart: If you're going to worry, worry about the Holy. Fear God-of-the-Angel-Armies. The Holy can be either a Hiding Place or a Boulder blocking your way." (Isaiah 7:12-14, MSG) What a great picture of "fear God". He is either the place to which I run when I am afraid (Oh, Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place). Or else He is the thing that I fear. He places a boulder that I can't climb on and when things go far enough, the boulder can smash. Strong, hard, immoveable--all I want my defender to be, all I don't want in my opposition.

The last verse that stood out to me is one of those "I wish this wasn't true" passages. It talks about the times God "remains in hiding." If you want a great book on the subject, try Seeking God's Hidden Face by Cecil Murphey. Thursday I felt a hint of that, when I read God's Word and it felt dead, not the living organism that I have encountered over and over again during this nibble experiment. If God seems silent--it doesn't always mean something is wrong. Isaiah gives us the only answer to a time of silence: While I am waiting, I continue to hope. I don't give up on Him.

Take your stand on faith.
Stand your ground and hope.

They both say the same thing.

LIFE FROM DEATH

**A quick note: I have been fighting a bad cold recently. Sorry to have missed the remainder of the Wisdom books but we jump back in with the prophets.**

The country will look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down--Every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps. But there's a holy seed in those stumps. (Isaiah 6:13, MSG)

Today the social worker at the nursing home asked me for the most special moment of my life.

The question made me think of what accomplishments could I celebrate? And the answer is--very few. My accomplishment has come in surviving a difficult life.

(My answer? The birth of my granddaughter nine months after my daughter's death, and the publication of my first book.)

When I read about the "huge field of stumps," I thought about that conversation. If all of my dreams pictured trees reaching to the sky, what remains are stumps. My family--stripped of my till-death husband and one of my two children. Music--not a career and now no longer a ministry. Writing--a tree, perhaps, but more like a seedling than a tree in California's Redwood Forest.

Dreams stunted by health and events and age.

But that isn't the final word.

God tells Isaiah that He is going to empty Israel. That even if a tenth is left, those will be removed as well--leaving stumps out of what was once a great forest.

But in those stumps--a holy seed rests. The stumps aren't dead. Out of their death, a new life grows.

Kind of like Jordan's birth, and then Isaiah. Jordan, born a full pregnancy after Jolene's death. Isaiah, born seven months after my mother passed away.

A seed, ready to fall into the ground, to grow to fullness. Kind of like The Lion King's circle of life.

Another reminder of God's grace. God's holy seed rests in me, ready to sprout to new growth. My roots will grow deeper in him. My trunk will grow taller--stronger, and more like Christ. My branches will spread outward, to other people. There will be fruit ready for picking for others. They will grow strong--and in term, a new holy seed is planted in them.

The circles will continue to ripple through death and beyond.

Amen.

Please pray!

Hey, friends. Roberta Brosius here. Darlene has been sick the last few days and not able to write and post her daily nibbles. Please pray for her quick recovery, and send her a message of encouragement. Thanks!

HANDLING THE TRUTH (Proverbs 8)

You'll recognize this as true--you with open minds; truth-ready minds will see it at once. (Proverbs 8:9, MSG)

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.--spoken by Jack Nicholson in his role as Col. Jessep in A Few Good Men.

When I checked on the quote, I learned that it is #29 on AFI's 100 most memorable movie quotes of all time.Those of you who have seen the largely forgettable movie have it ingrained on our memories. What I didn't remember as well was Jessep's explanation of "handling the truth."

"You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a life trying to defend something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." (forgive the cuss word.)

Jessep was saying Tom Cruise's character wasn't "truth ready." What were his standards for getting truth ready? Values like honor, code, loyalty, backed up by putting his life on the line. We in America live in freedom, and as Christians, we are free from God's law and eternal death. If that is all we want out of wisdom, God will receive our thanksgiving, disappointed, perhaps, that we didn't get ready for more. We stay satisfied with baby milk.

The question of "what is wisdom?" has occupied my attention recently. I would like to think I have the spiritual gift of wisdom, but I have decided that I don't. I do have the gift of knowledge, of making connections between one scripture and another, and presenting in an accessible manner. Oh, yes, that goes right along with my gifts of teaching and encourager.

That doesn't mean I can't attain some degree of wisdom. Jessep defined truth-ready qualities as honor, code, and loyalty. I'm not sure what the Christian's code might be--unless it is God's holiness? We have the honor of representing God to other people.

The code obviously ties into the Bible. Paul said, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Corinthians 2;15, NIV) The more we delve into the Bible, the better prepared we are to compare other so-called "truths" against God's standards.

Loyalty? Purity, holiness, whole-hearted commitment to God. We have touched on those qualities fairly often this year. When our loyalty remains 100% focused, we have a clearer vision of truth. The closer I can come to being a Christian first and an American second. To being God's daughter before being a woman in the 21st century. The easier I will find it to sift today's popular philosophies against God's eternal truth. (Note: in saying that, I am not saying that every contemporary opinion is false. I am dangerously liberal in some people's opinions.)

What is our reward for getting ready for the truth? We'll recognize it when we see it. We can discern falsehoods and embrace the truth.

Let's check our truth-readiness on a truth-o-meter and work to improve our score.

Psalm 135-136

Focus

Who would be so foolish to make an idol like the Israelites did with the golden calf and worship it?  It seems even more unfathomable when you consider all the miracles God performed that they saw with their own eyes: the Red Sea splitting, manna and water in the desert, and pillars of cloud and fire, to name just a few.

Psalm 135: 15-18 sums it up, The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. (NIV)

Even though we may not worship idols, when we set our affection on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2 KJV), we develop idolatrous hearts. It’s a sobering thought that we become like what we worship. As we set our attention on the God, focusing on Him and His word, our thoughts and actions become more like God’s. Conversely, as we make the values of the world our aim, we become more like it.

Psalm 135:3 reminds us that the Lord is good. And Psalm136 repeats, “His love endures forever.” If we center on God’s goodness, we’ll do the good works he called us to (Ephesians 2:10). When we concentrate on His enduring love we will obey His command to love the Lord and people (Matthew 22:35-41).

Let’s get our attention off the things of the world: power, position and possessions.  Friendship with the world means enmity with God. (James 4:4 NIV) Let’s focus on the wonderful Triune God, and make it our aim and prayer to be more like Christ.

 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

 

 

 

Connie L. Peters has thirty years of experience in writing poetry, adult and children’s fiction and inspirational non-fiction. Currently she writes devotions for The Presidential Prayer Team and The Pagosa Sun. She also writes a poem a day on enthusiaticsoul.blogspot.com. Connie’s work has appeared in numerous publications including Focus on the Family, Bible Advocate and The Quiet Hour. She has served on the board of Southwest Christian Writers Association for the past twenty years. Connie lives in Cortez, CO where she and her husband host two adults with developmental disabilities. The Peterses’ two grown children live in Arizona.

 

PLEASE FEED ME (Psalm 3)

Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person. Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time" or "Try me tomorrow" when the money's right there in your pocket (Proverbs 3:27-28, MSG)

Oh, boy, at times God just wants to get my attention about a subject. Today is one of those days. Notice that it's one of those always/never extremes that frighten me away?

Only last night I was confessing my prejudice against panhandlers to a friend. We were discussing prejudice. You may have noticed that I posted two versions of yesterday's nibble. The reason is that the first version included a poorly stated racial slur against Jews. That was never my intent, but when she probed, I realized I would make the same statement about a different racial group. I was shocked and convicted. (And at the moment, since I can't seem to delete the post, I reposted it with a correction.)

As we examined each other's problem prejudices, I admitted my feelings about panhandlers. She at least tries to set aside her prejudice. I hold tight to mine (and my purse strings). As a single mother, I resented young adults who could be working approaching me for money. I have offered food to those who are hungry (to have it rejected) and bus tokens to those needing a ride (also refused). Twice I took the plunge of sharing a meal with a panhandler. One of them was a sweet man whom I believe passed away soon after. (I no longer saw him at his usual haunts.) The second time, my guest ordered the most expensive item on the menu and wanted to bring food "home" to her cat and showed me the DVDs she had purchased with the money received that morning.

So today God sends me THIS verse reminding me that God plans to use me to help others. Yes, the verse says someone "deserves" help. But in case I take comfort in that loophole, it continues on to say "help your neighbor." Don't refuse to help him when you have the means to do so.

And we know Jesus's answer to "who is my neighbor?" I doubt that any religious Jew of Jesus time would have thought any Samaritan deserved help.

I hide behind the opinion that I'm not helping someone if I enable his homelessness/drug addiction/whatever by giving him money.

The problem is, I don't know what made the person destitute. Even if only one in a hundred is honestly homeless due to circumstances beyond his control, doesn't God encourage to help that one? To rejoice when that one returns to the fold of a productive society member and committed follower of Jesus?

I don't face destitute people here in the home. An occasional homeless person comes here to be restored to health. One such man left, drugs and cancer free, and reconnected with his father. His was a success story, but the only part I had in that restitution was friendship. Maybe that mattered more than anyone else.

Perhaps instead someone here wants my ear to listen and take their sad story seriously. Not to agree, necessarily, but to speak grace into a hurting heart.

Today's favorite verse: a promise to hold on to as I age: The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. (Proverbs 4:18, MSG)

MATERIALISM (Proverbs 1)

When you grab all you can get, that's what happens: the more you get, the less you are. (Proverbs 1:19, MSG)

Tada! Today we start Proverbs.

I have observed that men seem to favor Proverbs. I can understand why. Unlike the poetic extravaganzas of Psalms, Proverbs is full of pithy sayings a la Ben Franklin's "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise."

That's the reason why I don't "enjoy" reading Proverbs. It reads more like a tear-away calendar; meditate on a single principle for an entire day. Some people read five Psalms and one chapter a day of Proverbs each day. You would quickly become very familiar with them, since you would read through both books in a month.

Another reason I'm not all that fond of Proverbs: I am not given to extremes. I see shades of gray more than black and white. Give me a scale of one to ten, and I use two to nine.

And Proverbs is full of all-or-nothing statements, such as the ones I quote below. My mind tends to fill in the blanks. [All] carelessness [always] kills. [any] complacency [kills the good]

I don't handle all-or-nothing principles very well. I've fought a streak of perfectionism for years. So looking for verses from Proverbs that don't leave me feeling like a complete failure may prove to be a challenge.

So after saying all of that, I found a great verse today, warning against the dangers of materialism.

I once worked for a new-age boss with a materialistic attitude. His sole measurement of success lay in a person's wealth. For me, money and cars are a means to an end, not a measurement of success. As a single mother, I treasured "gently used" items passed on to us. And aside from family picture and books (always books and more books and . . .), I didn't really horde anything.

My son has caught that value as well. He has to; two parents and four children living in a small three bedroom, one full bath home with two dogs and a cat have to share space wisely. And he grabs what he can get by dint of hard work, actually accomplishing the goal of becoming debt-free except for their house mortgage.

I guess I'm saying I'm not someone who grabs all I can get. But if I had the money to spend, would I be? Perhaps. And put me in front of an ice cream bar? Hmm, I'll fill up my bowl several times.

But what fascinates me the most about this principle is the consequence: Grabbing more==being less.

The suggestion is that the price of grabbing things is high, higher than we should be willing to pay.

The more I have grabbed of becoming a good writer, the less time I have devoted to my health and my family. The more I've grabbed of reading a good book, the less of enjoying outdoors and physical activity have I enjoyed.

The more I hold onto of the $50 a month I receive, the less money I have to spend on presents for the family--something my son is asking me for.

The more I think "me, me, me" in doing and spending--the less I have left to give to others.

Oh, Lord, let me find my self-worth in You, not in what I own.

Today's favorite verse: Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. (Proverbs 1;31-32, MSG)
Posted by Darlene Franklin

THE DANGERS OF MATERIALISM (Proverbs 1)

When you grab all you can get, that's what happens: the more you get, the less you are. (Proverbs 1:19, MSG)

Tada! Today we start Proverbs.

I have observed that men seem to favor Proverbs. I can understand why. Unlike the poetic extravaganzas of Psalms, Proverbs is full of pithy sayings a la Ben Franklin's "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise."

That's the reason why I don't "enjoy" reading Proverbs. It reads more like a tear-away calendar; meditate on a single principle for an entire day. Some people read five Psalms and one chapter a day of Proverbs each day. You would quickly become very familiar with them, since you would read through both books in a month.

Another reason I'm not all that fond of Proverbs: I am not given to extremes. I see shades of gray more than black and white. Give me a scale of one to ten, and I use two to nine.

And Proverbs is full of all-or-nothing statements, such as the ones I quote below. My mind tends to fill in the blanks. [All] carelessness [always] kills. [any] complacency [kills the good]

I don't handle all-or-nothing principles very well. I've fought a streak of perfectionism for years. So looking for verses from Proverbs that don't leave me feeling like a complete failure may prove to be a challenge.

So after saying all of that, I found a great verse today, warning against the dangers of materialism.

I once worked for a new-age Jewish boss. Just saying he didn't "get" the Christian worldview. It showed in his materialistic attitude. His sole measurement of success lay in a person's wealth. For me, money and cars are a means to an end, not a measurement of success. As a single mother, I treasured "gently used" items passed on to us. And aside from family picture and books (always books and more books and . . .), I didn't really horde anything.

My son has caught that value as well. He has to; two parents and four children living in a small three bedroom, one full bath home with two dogs and a cat have to share space wisely. And he grabs what he can get by dint of hard work, actually accomplishing the goal of becoming debt-free except for their house mortgage.

I guess I'm saying I'm not someone who grabs all I can get. But if I had the money to spend, would I be? Perhaps. And put me in front of an ice cream bar? Hmm, I'll fill up my bowl several times.

But what fascinates me the most about this principle is the consequence: Grabbing more==being less.

The suggestion is that the price of grabbing things is high, higher than we should be willing to pay.

The more I have grabbed of becoming a good writer, the less time I have devoted to my health and my family. The more I've grabbed of reading a good book, the less of enjoying outdoors and physical activity have I enjoyed.

The more I hold onto of the $50 a month I receive, the less money I have to spend on presents for the family--something my son is asking me for.

The more I think "me, me, me" in doing and spending--the less I have left to give to others.

Oh, Lord, let me find my self-worth in You, not in what I own.

Today's favorite verse: Carelessness kills; complacency is murder. First pay attention to me, and then relax. (Proverbs 1;31-32, MSG)

ROMANCE, INC. (Psalm 149)

Let true lovers break out in praise, sing out from wherever they're sitting,
Shout the high praises of God, brandish their swords in the wild sword-dance. (Psalm 149:5-6, MSG)

Today I come to the end of Psalms. Oh, my, what an amazing journey. David seems to have a poem for every mood and circumstance of the Christian life. Whether I want to question for His absence or invite the whole world to join me in song, and everywhere in between, he speaks about it. I have found it hard to add anything of meaning to his powerful words, but I have enjoyed the road. I hope you have to.

I could end with a meditation on the very last verse in Psalms: Let every living, breathing creature praise God! Hallelujah! But as always, David says it all, perfectly.

But as a writer of Christian romance, I was thrilled to read the above verses. For me and all the other romance writers out there, who doesn't perk up their ears when they hear instructions for all true lovers?

Let's see what advice the Psalmist dishes out for writers.

First, the instruction are for true lovers. Two people are committed solely to each other (at least by the end of the book). Their love has been tested throughout the book. They have had obstacles to overcome on their path to love. But their love has been proven true. When we reach the last page, author and reader alike have no doubt that their love is indeed "happily ever after," the stuff fairy tales are made of.

Those true lovers are to "break out" in praise. Their faith should flow seamlessly with the story. There should be times when they pause, amazed by God, and give Him praise.

They are to sing. I thought I included music (in my current WIP, it's Scottish ballads and hymns from the Psalter)in my books because music has been the language of my heart since childhood. The Psalmist encourages us to include music in our stories as well.

The setting? Wherever they are sitting. Any part of the world. Any time. Any occupation. As long as they praise god, the setting is left to the author's imagination.

My favorite instructions have to be "brandish their swords in the wild sword-dance." That makes me think of Scottish warriors, or perhaps pirates. A good, manly hero will be ready to defend his family--and God's honor. A swashbuckling pirate or a bronco-busting cowboy bring their own brand of praise to God.

If a romance includes conflict, true love that conquers all, a focus on God, a song or two, and an epic confrontation, the author is well on the way to a grand story.

Today's favorite verse: Let them praise the name of God--it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; he's built a monument--his very own people! (Psalm 148:13-14, MSG)

NO EXPIRATION DATE (Psalm 146)

Don't put your life in the hands of experts who nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing. (Psalm 146:3-5, MSG)

I need these verses at this point in my life. My fear, staring down the year to my next birthday? That I have fewer years and worse health to accomplish my life dreams.

I was thinking like a "mere human," as if my projects and dreams would die with me. As if my life consisted solely from the minutes from birth in 1954 until my death whenever it comes.

I have more than a mere mortal's life. I have salvation life, eternal life. I know that. I count on it. I look forward to it. I look forward to reuniting with my family who have gone on before.

If the question was put to me, I would even admit that my life will have ripple effects across the future. Not only my son and my grandchildren, but also my students. Children I taught for five years are reaching adulthood. Part of their impact on the body of Christ will reflect on me..

And those precious souls whom I have had a part in leading to the Lord. Them too.

But those are people. Not "projects."

My writing definitely qualifies as a project. And unless a publisher decides to commission another author to complete an unfinished manuscript at my death, my project will die with me.

But my projects--the body of my work--will outlive me. Oh, the Psalmist come out and say so, but it's implied. It's the positive implied by the negative. Life in place of death.

I have written curriculum used by thousands of Sunday school teachers around the world. At one time over 300 thousand copies of my books had sold. There must be more by now.

Any difference any of that has made in those teachers, students, readers--all of that traces back to me (and those who trained me, of course)

My books may not be read a hundred years from now. (I sincerely doubt it.) But they'll have had generations to send ripples in widening circles.

My sixty-plus years on this earth are only the beginning.

Making It Through the Day (Psalm 143)

If you wake me up each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you. (Psalm 143:7-8, MSG)

One (or two or even three) bad hours does not a bad day make. I learned this truth while struggling with my daughter's Borderline Personality Disorder. We had celebrated a marvelous "Jaralene" Day (Jaran + Jolene, the day between their March birthdays). Grammy was there, a rare treat. We had eaten out, opened presents, gone to a movie, and settled down to a game of Chinese checkers.

Jolene, who had behaved well all day long, fell apart. She threw the game board across the floor and stormed to her room. Mom was shaken. I was disappointed, but surprised? Not so much.

Mom said, "What a terrible day."

I said, "No, it wasn't. It was a good day, with a bad spot in the middle. I have learned to treasure the good hours--the good minutes, at times--because I rarely have an entire day that is 'good.'"

This weekend I thought about that long ago Jaralene day. For three hours, I was miserable and angrier than a hornet,to use a cliche. I needed help, and it took three hours to get it.

I decided those three hours didn't have to destroy the good day's work or the good night's rest, any more than Jolene's tantrum had to destroy our Jaralene day.

That philosophy jumped to my mind when I read the above verse. Come to God in the morning, hear His loving voice. Keep it in mind all day, so that by the time I go to sleep, I still feel like I'm floating on the cloud of His love. It reads like a seamless transition from love and God's presence in the morning to trust at night.

Sounds good. But where my life hits, my days are rarely that smooth. Perhaps if I made a better discipline of the remainder of the psalm, my days would go better.

• Stay on the road God has marked for me.
• Hope in God, not elsewhere.
• Follow where the Holy Spirit leads.
• Watch while God vanquishes my enemies.

Like any loving parent, God loves us morning, noon, and night. If we wake up to the sound of His voice and go to sleep remembering His goodness, He will declare it a good day.


Today's favorite verse: I wonder why you care, God--why do you bother with us at all? All we are is a puff of air; we're like shadows in a campfire. (Psalm 144:3-4, MSG)

WHEN TEMPTATION CALLS (Psalm 141)

May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me.
Don't let sin anoint my head. (Psalm 141:5, MSG)

Temptation. Conviction. Ugh. I'd rather pretend that we don't sin, that we never need correction. I don't like receiving it, and I'm not very good at giving. I'm a good teacher of children--if you discount poor discipline.

But the truth is, of course, that we all sin. As John says in his epistle, If we say we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:10, NIV)

Since I do sin and I need correction, I'll take David's prayer as my own.

When I sin--I need both the God of justice and of mercy. The God of Justice will show me how far I have strayed from the 100% holiness. He will set me on a straight path when I have made it crooked. Without the Just One to set me straight, I won't know what the right path is. I won't know what holiness looks like. I will wander aimlessly, left only to platitudes and to my sin-weakened conscience.

But I also need the God of kindness and mercy. If I only could appeal to the God of justice, I would run the other way. I'd hope I could escape, because I know He would punish to the full extent of the law. By this point in my life, I'd be sitting on death row.

When the Kind one corrects me, I know He loves me. He understands my weakness. He became like me, to restore me to wholeness. I don't have to fear His correction. He will correct me, but fairly, in a way not meant to punish but rather to rehabilitate me.

Above all, I want to ask God to keep sin from anointing me. I don't want its ugly black oil smearing my soul,distorting the image of God in me.

Amen. Lord,

Today's favorite verse: I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence. (Psalm 140:12-13)

A Very Uncomfortable Psalm (Psalm 137)

            I recently read an excellent article on the discipline of singing, “Love the Lord with All Your Voice” by Steven R. Guthrie. He writes, “For Athanasius, the first virtue of the Psalms is not that they allow me to express my emotions. Rather, singing the Psalms makes it possible for me to express Moses' or David's emotions as my own…”

            I love the Psalms because I can match my emotions, however positive or negative, with the emotions of the psalmists and gain hope and perspective. However, is it possible to go too far? Is Psalm 137 in anybody’s hymnal?

            This despondent lament ends with a cry of revenge, “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” How do we reconcile the raw hatred of that phrase with the forgiveness urged and practiced by Jesus in the Gospels? We have his words in Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” 

            Do we believe the same Holy Spirit inspired both sentences?

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
    when we remembered Zion.
² There on the poplars
    we hung our harps,
³ for there our captors asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

            These are the lucky ones, the ones who went into exile in Babylon earlier or those who survived Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem to join them. I can’t identify with loss of everything but my own life, but I imagine the world’s refugees can. I imagine Europe’s Jewish musicians, “playing for time” in Nazi death camps, could.

            In a fractionally tiny way, the actions of a bully might compare:  Someone hurts you physically and/or otherwise and then gloats and taunts you.

⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶ May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
    my highest joy.

            Occasionally, nostalgia for people and places, past or lost, turns to overwhelming sadness. My mom died at the young age of 57. I mourn not only her, but also my college, which closed its doors, trivial as that grief may seem. I am pulled out of that sadness by hopeful, joyful relationships with other people and places. The psalmist had no joy other than the memory of lost Jerusalem. He had no hope, other than the desire for brutal retaliation against the destroyers and their cheerleaders, seen in the final stanza of Psalm 137.

⁷ Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did
    on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
    “tear it down to its foundations!”
⁸ Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
    happy is the one who repays you
    according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants
    and dashes them against the rocks

            I only find encouragement, just the slightest wisp, in verse 7, “Remember, LORD…” The psalmist is praying. Having suffered the loss of all things, experiencing ridicule from his captors, holding no hope, the psalmist is praying.

            He is still praying.