Author: barbwangerin

Woman of the Bible

And She Spoke

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In 34th chapter of 2 Chronicles an 8 year old boy named Josiah becomes king and does what is right in the sight of the Lord. Josiah wiped out idol worship and literally purged Jerusalem and Judah of these practices and any symbolism of their existence.

While in the temple, Hilkiah the priest, found the book of the law of Jehovah. (Jewish writers believe it was the book of Deuteronomy) God’s Word was hidden, but no longer.

Hilkiah gives the book of the Law to Shaphan, the king’s scribe, who presents it to Josiah. Josiah has God’s word read to him and recognizes everything Israel is lacking in their worship to God. All that he did to rid the land of idol worship and idols, it was not enough.  He was deathly afraid of God’s wrath and his heart was truly repentant of his ignorance of God’s Word.  Josiah decides to verify the message from Moses to him and God’s people.

Josiah sends his men of education, religion, and royal servants, to a woman. The author of 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings calls her a prophetess, the wife of Shallum , who was keeper of the kings wardrobe. She and her husband dwelt in the part of Jerusalem called the Mishneh (the “Second Quarter or District”), which in Hebrew literally translates “in the college”. Her name is Huldah.

Huldah recognized God’s Word and was able to deliver the message of judgment and mercy to the king. Verse 23 states she spoke to them.  When you announce the Word of God, you are teaching.  She taught them the heart of God’s message to His people. She spoke of the saving power that would spare an entire nation.  She spoke words of hope that changed her nation’s religious habits and views. She laid out God Words to these men to take back to their king.

Huldah’s standing and reputation in the city are attested to by the fact that she was the one consulted when The Book of the Law was discovered. Huldah obviously knew God intimately and was known for her knowledge of God. Her family obviously obeyed Moses writings in Deuteronomy 11: 8,18-25 because she put God’s word in her heart. God intended for Huldah to be the one to deliver this particular message at this particular time.

Huldah is a prophetess, she is a wife, and she is a teacher. Her culture and customs would denote she maintained a household. She was in subjection to her husband, yet God used her as His mouth piece to proclaim His Word.  Jewish history writers state Shallum was the wardrobe keeper before Josiah became king. He and Huldah probably watched Josiah grow up. It may be that Josiah’s prior relationship to Huldah may have held her in a higher esteem, therefore, his request to seek her out for this very intense and important moment in his life.

Huldah was in a right relationship with God, her confidence in God shows no hesitation to be God’s mouthpiece, she was faithful to God, her faith changed a nation, and her greatest strength was having an intense devotion to God’s Word. She was prepared in the knowledge that was entrusted to her to correctly deliver the message of God.

Confidence in God is not a virtue but an inner strength and determination inspired by God. Deut. 31:7-8. Pray for wisdom and knowledge of His word and it will be given to you. God has given us the means to stand confident in Him. Eph. 6:10-17. God’s faithfulness to us, challenges us to be steadfast in our loyalty and our unwavering trust in Him.

It doesn’t matter who we think we are, God chose us to be who He purposed us to be.  He wants us to know Him.  Philippians 4:8-We too have the command and empowerment to internalize God’s word. Colossians 1:9-10  2 Timothy 2:2  Philippians 4:8-9 9

Huldah is known only from this circumstance. I do not see where she is mentioned again. Like Huldah, if this is the only story I’m known for, I’m good with that. I have a long way to go to have the knowledge Huldah had, but I’m working on it.  I invite you to fall in love with God’s Word.

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Stand In Awe

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A few Sundays ago during worship services, the scripture reader asked everyone to stand for the reading of God’s Word.  The audible moaning and groaning was heartbreaking to me. I can only try to fathom how it affected God’s heart.  Then another speaker asked us to kneel in prayer with him as he led us in prayer.  We were reminded by both speakers that God’s Word affirms and approves both actions all throughout God’s Word, but especially in Nehemiah chapter 8. The entire chapter permeates reverence for God’s Holy Word.

Nehemiah received king Artaxerxes blessing to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and restore its people to the city.  Nehemiah and God’s people rallied to rebuild Jerusalem, endured, and overcame opposition.  They were focused on pleasing God, not man.

After the rebuilding was finished, God’s Word says in Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 1 that ALL the people; men, women, and those who were old enough to understand, came together as one for the reading of God’s Word through the law of Moses.  This reading started at daylight and ended at midday.  As soon as the people watched Ezra open God’s Word they stood.  Nehemiah writes that the ears of all the people were to the book of the law.  God’s Word had the undivided attention of ALL who were present. Israel truly revered God’s Word and responded from their hearts.

After they lifted their hands, they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces on the ground.  God’s people listened so intently, as a nation, they understood His Words.  It left them hungry for more.  They rejoiced in His Word – vs 12 they came back the very next day and asked to hear more and to seek understanding.

After this the people mourned and wept because they understood what they heard and realized they need to make changes in their worship to God.  Have we lost our reverence for Gods Holy Word? My heart weeps at the impatience, disrespect, and disloyalty displayed by so many that Sunday morning.  Are we a people who have forgotten the Holiness of God’s Word?

God’s people should not have to be asked to stand at the reading of His Word!  God’s people should not be embarrassed or afraid of what others might think if they knelt in prayer.  God   designed   this.  His own Son, Jesus the Christ, kneeled in prayer before God His Father.  We do not have the right to claim “comfort zones”!!  We do not have the authority to change how God should be worshipped.  Example after example in God’s Word shows a people who bowed down to the ground in worship and in prayer.  Who decided, way back when, that this just isn’t convenient anymore?  Who on this earth had or has the authority to change what God’s people knew to be right, pure, and undefiled? I have yet to read or find where God’s Word condemns lifting hands or kneeling in prayer to God.  If that were true, then Paul sinned in 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 7 where he wrote, “I will therefore pray that men everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”  I’ve heard it said “we are in modern times now and we only have to bow our hearts”.  No one has the authority to “modernize” or dilute God’s Holy Word.  God wrote it.. He is the author. 

Nehemiah states upon hearing God’s Word His people cried at His Word, they stood at His Word, they grieved at His Word, they lifted hands at His Word, and they bowed down at His Word. Was all this an accepted practice before God?  Yes. Are we today focused on pleasing God or man?  God received every prophet, messenger, and His own Son who knelt when praying and stood for the reading of His Word.  

Hearing God’s Word will never leave you empty when you take it with you. We can’t leave His Holy Word in the pew.

When scripture is being read we should stand in reverence and listen so intently it causes a change in us.  Just like the people of Israel. We should rejoice at God’s Word and hold it in our hearts as Holy and pure on a daily basis.  Our purpose in listening should invite us to compare our lives to His truth and joyfully make any changes necessary to grow in faith.

Ezra didn’t have to ask them, it was a reflexive response.  Not only did the reverence in their hearts bring forth a spoken Amen but they lifted their hands, then if that is not enough, they voluntarily bowed their heads and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground. 

Finally, Ezra told them to go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing has been prepared.  Do not be grieved, why? Jehovah is your Strength.  Israel did as they were told while rejoicing because they understood the Words of God.  They listened and heard with all their heart, mind, and souls.

There is so much more in Nehemiah chapter 8 to enliven your yearning to draw nearer to God and His Word. I encourage you step up and recapture the AWE and reverence God’s Word has always deserved and demands. 

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The Last Gift

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My Mother’s declining health was a predecessor to our moving back to her hometown and joining her in her Winter Season.  We worked through all the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of jumping the hurdles of her Dementia Alzheimer’s in a six year span.  My Mother, like most, taught me values, skills, and reasoning while growing up under my parents roof, but the lessons I learned walking, running, and at times crawling with her through her Winter Season will forever alter me.  Each lesson was presented as a challenge of character and perseverance.  Each lesson reminded me age has no boundaries when inheriting knowledge and wisdom from your parents.  Mom infused a new knowledge of who I am to her, to God, and to others I had not perceived yet.  Unbeknownst to her, Mom imparted a measure of wisdom that will stand firm and continue to grow within me with God’s grace.

I despised watching the demon called Dementia Alzheimer’s take over my Mom’s life and yet, somehow, I was gifted with another woman to love and cherish.  As Mom’s mind was replaced with a new personality, a new perspective, and new avenues of expression or communication, I grew to appreciate and love dearly the other woman in my Mom’s life.  My “new” Mom struggled with verbal communication which caused me to be more attentive to her facial expressions and body language. I call her a “new” Mom because everything I knew and loved about the woman I grew up with, and old with, was no longer present and only visited occasionally. It was excruciatingly painful to let go of my Mom as I knew her, but realized all too soon how necessary it was in order to embrace and love the woman she became.

There were no absolutes to knowing what my Mom needed or wanted.  Her inability to vocally communicate the last year or so of her life caused me to develop a keen awareness of her new language spoken through her body movements, eyebrow movement, moans, nodding, and occasional tears rolling down the sides of her cheeks.  Mom expressed her joy with the humming of a song that only she could hear the music.  She conveyed when she was hurting with moans or grunts to the movements that brought her pain.  Once in a while, when Mom was cognizant of the conversation, she would nod signaling she agreed to the question at hand or an unmistakable disagreeing nod. When the pain was overwhelming, her tears spoke for her as they rolled down her cheeks without a sound to signify the pain was more than she could bear.

Mom was one of the strongest women I’ve ever known.  She had an inner strength unmatched and unrelenting. Her Winter Season never robbed her of that beautiful inner strength which she displayed many times during her decline. Two days before she died, she turned to me and said almost apologetically she was doing her best to get better.

Mom also had a level of physical strength a lot of men could only wish for.  She was my Dad’s hero time and time again when he couldn’t muster enough strength to get a bolt loosened or an alternator belt tightened, or even opening a jar of his favorite pickles.  When you heard him call out “Judith Ann”; that was his “come and save me” cry.  She never disappointed. Mom’s hero status was demonstrated in all facets of her character and personality.  She always seemed to be saving someone from whatever crisis they were in without thinking of the consequences to her wellbeing.  I guess that is the definition of a hero. 

Interacting and caring for Mom these last six years of her life never left me empty.  It wasn’t always “peachy”, but I learned to listen so much more tentatively and hear her heart.  Sometimes her words were hurtful, but I learned what truth was and what involuntary change was. Realizing the majority of the time, the involuntary changes were not within Moms control.  Dementia wreaked havoc on her emotions, her words, her moods, and especially her perspective.  Mom would create the most erratic and unreasonable scenarios in her mind, but for Mom, they truly were her reality when none of it was true.  This is what we crawled through together because the horrors of desperately defining truth from fiction were her constant nightmares. It was easier to crawl through these times and then rise up, than to walk and fall to our knees in defeat.

There came a time when looking into my Momma’s eyes wrenched my heart in directions I didn’t know it could go or expand to.  Seeing this “nothingness” caused a panic in my soul and I desperately wanted to “break through” and rescue her from the dungeon of darkness she now lived in.  Writing this brings tears to my eyes all over again.  I felt helpless and scared of this new stage.  Dementia eventually robbed her of all her facial expressions except being able to raise her eyebrows or furrow them.  I knew I still had a morsel of my Mom still fighting this demon to stay with me.  We had several trial and error lessons in communicating with limited understanding on my part.  It truly was hard.

A few of days before Mom passed; God gave us a most memorable gift. For approximately four hours, Mom broke the chains of her bondage and spoke to me as if all were right with the world. When I realized it was truly her, I called my daughter Amber, Mom’s brother Ronnie, and her son David so she could talk to them. Mom carried on an actual conversation with each of them. Watching and listening speak words of love and longing to each other, that otherwise would never been uttered, held such elation for me. My most precious instant was when Mom spoke to me. Her words will forever be encapsulated in my heart.

God used Mom’s condition to refine me, purify me, and create a deeper compassion within me I didn’t know I had the capacity to occupy or confine.  Thank you God for working Your plan through Mom’s Winter Season.

Romans 8:28 Paul states, “And we know (and are convicted to) that ALL THINGS (the purpose and will as He planned it) work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called (through the Gospel) according to His purpose.”

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Do You See What I See?

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Have you ever thought, how can others not see what is right in front of them? Are they blind? It should be as plain as the nose on their face. These are all expressions I have said or thought at one point or another in my life when Truth is louder than the Lie.

Paul said the god of this world has blinded the MINDS of the unbelieving.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Doubt has been greatly exercised in my life, but the one facet, the biggest facet of my life, without a morsel of doubt, is the unseen waiting for me beyond this earthly journey. I can see all there is to see with the eyes of vision God has so graciously given to me. I can speak to, feel, smell, and hear my children and grandchildren. I can dream, imagine, and create scenarios in my head that are tangible, accessible, and believable. I can explore every inch of this earth, see every creation God blessed us with, and have firsthand knowledge of their existence. God has provided us with so much and yet our eternal lives are an unseen mystery.

We are given “likenesses” throughout His Word of what heaven will be like. We are told about our resurrected bodies and meeting Him in the air right before we ascend to heaven. We are told, what following Jesus the Christ, should look like in our daily lives. But the unseen is not visible to us.

Another aspect of this passage transports me to envision myself as a flower decaying. There are seasons when the decay seems to progress at a rapid velocity and stages where the decay can slow down to a snails pace. Each has its own level or degree of pain. Both strides lead to death. The afflictions, struggles, and emotional wars I experience can be the decay. Sometimes, the changes in me, from the ravaging decay, are torturous and cruel. Other times, the drawn out lingering decay is almost unbearable to endure with no visible signs of justification or usefulness.

Praise God of all creation, under all the decay, life awaits through renewal of His planted and protected seeds that bring an abundance of growth not only within myself, but an overflowing wealth to share with others. THIS is my faith, knowing God is in total control of it ALL. While my new growth begins to sprout, thrive, and then bloom, He is there feeding me, nurturing me, and watering me with His promises. His Son is my source of nutrients and Light. Our Father knows the seeds of life in me, are far better than the layers of decay that only He can lovingly, skillfully prune and remove with mercy. I also know it is necessary and warranted for my eternal soul. Not until He strips them away, do I see His plan and will for me so much clearer.

So, maybe a truer question is, do I see what God sees?

God is working His eternal plan for me and through me EVERY day, EVERY hour, and EVERY minute of my life through His Word which produces faith in His Wisdom to cause and allow decay. By faith I accept it, knowing this is essential to my growth and His glory.

I can see what others fail to see in the life I have chosen, willingly, joyfully, and completely. I can see their confusion and disbelief in my commitment to Christ. I can see my Father working in ALL of it. I can see eternity with my Father in heaven. 1 John 5:13

Open their eyes Lord and let them see Jesus.

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Even If…

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I was recently reminded of one the greatest “Even Ifs” recorded in God’s Word.  I was so awestruck at the words spoken to king Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 3 beginning in verse 16.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are taking a stand of faith before Nebuchadnezzar by refusing to bow down to his golden image as the law dictates.  In verse 17 three of the bravest men I’ve ever read about declare they will be delivered by the God of Israel out of the king’s hand one way or another!  As if that isn’t enough, verse 18 explodes with total awesomeness and why my refreshed soul abides in these words, “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image that you have set up”.

This is the biggest “Even if” I have ever experienced in my life.  I’ve witnessed many Even if statements that were not always audible.  The loudest comes from faith in action lived out on a daily basis. 

Our faith must be true and unconditional even if…

  • You prayed for the removal of cancer or disease of your loved one, yet it rages on
  • You are betrayed to the most inner sanctuary of your being
  • You are rejected by the ones who are supposed to love you the most
  • Your spouse  or child committed suicide
  • You, alone, are left to raise your grandchildren
  • Your mother or father is plagued by the demon called Alzheimer’s Dementia
  • You are jobless, homeless, and hungry
  • You are victimized and violated
  • You’ve convinced yourself you are carrying your cross alone

The Even Ifs of this world can seem as detrimental as what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced in their moment of truth.  Sometimes we are forced into a fiery furnace situation that we are not sure if it will consume us or not.  We’re not sure if our faith is big enough to see us through the furnace.  So we beg God to not test us in this. 

There is a song by Mercy Me called “Even If”.  I encourage you to listen and see if this song can help you take your stand and denounce the kings of this world when all logic tells you to succumb.  The song says even if God does not save us from the fire with His Mighty Hand, our hope alone is in Him.  The song continues with “I know the sorrow and I know the hurt would all go away if You’d just say the word, but even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.” I’ve stated this before, ALL things, good, bad, and indifferent are for our good and God’s glory.  We don’t always understand it, but just know He is working in your life and sometimes, it hurts.  God sometimes allows what He hates in order to accomplish what He loves.

Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation, (not even the one to quit), has taken you except that which is common to man, and God IS FAITHFUL, Who will not allow that you be tempted beyond what you are able, but will, with the temptation, also make the way out, that you may be able to endure it.”  You will be able to stand up under it according to the Greek.  This measurement of what we are able to endure is not by our measuring stick, it is what He KNOWS we are capable of.  We sell ourselves short way too many times, but our loving heavenly Father knows what we can achieve, overcome, and endure.  He believes in us!!

So, when the Even Ifs of this world knock at your door, open it and embrace the truth of Who God is and His promise to be there with you EVERY STEP of the way. Daniel goes on to record that when these three brave and faithful men were thrown into the fiery furnace, Jesus walked with them in the heat.  He didn’t call them out like He did with Lazarus.  He was in the furnace with them and brought them out unharmed.  He will do the same for you. 

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Newborns

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Watching the birth of a new child before your very eyes cannot be described in a few words.  A new birth brings great joy, relief, excitement, tears, peace, comfort, purity, wonder, awe, and so many more emotions that are unique to the individual experiencing the event.  

The most important birth any of us can witness is when one is born into Christ.   Joy infiltrates our hearts when someone makes the decision to name Jesus as their Lord, Master, and keeper of their soul.  Excitement ensues amongst the witnesses for their earthly and eternal futures. A vision of purity beholds in the moment when this new child rises up out of the waters of baptism and are called holy in Christ’s eyes. Our hearts are reminded of the great AWE in knowing Jesus’ blood cleansed all of the sins of this new child.

Jesus taught this second birth was far more valuable and essential than the first. In John 3:3-8   Jesus answered and said to him (Nicodemus), “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”   Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.   Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.”

Nicodemus asks a very logical question.  How are we born again?  We know Jesus is speaking of baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sins.  Paul and Peter speak of this repeatedly throughout the New Testament.  Acts 2:38, 4:12, 16:31ff, Mark 16:16, Colossians 1:13-14, 2:13.  Paul also confirms baptism as a rebirth in Titus 2:11 through 3:5-7.In verse 5, Paul states “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.   The word “regeneration,” in the original language of Greek, means “spiritual rebirth”.

Every soul of the age of accountability on this earth must come to Jesus, be baptized into His possession, receive forgiveness of sins, and be given the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are not saved in the eyes of God, or His Son, until you have obeyed the words of Jesus.  Jesus said UNLESS one is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

When we witness this incredible birth, should not our hearts be just as awed, excited, comforted, shed tears of joy, make plans for helping them grow, teach them what Jesus wants them to understand, provide the spiritual milk they need until they are ready for meat, look on them with the same purity as a newborn child, and love them with the love of the Father?  YES!!  These babes in Christ need nurturing and guidance as any earthly newborn child does.  MORE!!  Some are trying to unlearn the familiar lives they’ve led and learn anew to live a life in Christ. Births do not produce grown or mature beings. There are no second class children in Christ.

I know many of you believed I was talking about the earthly birth of a child at the beginning of my thoughts.  We need to get just as thrilled and excited when a soul from this broken world recognizes they need Jesus and are willing to give up themselves to be transformed by Christ and through Christ into His image.  When they bow their knee to Him and accept the fact they need His love, His mercy, His grace, and His forgiveness, we need to recognize it all the more.  We never stop needing Jesus.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said,”Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

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Beauty Begins with The Perfect Foundation

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I struggled with my appearance in my early years.  I’ve always felt inadequate physically. I have spent way too much time and energy on trying to improve, cover up, and change my appearance. My foundation was not perfect, my eyes were shadowed with doubt, and my lips knew no boundaries.

Beauty begins with the perfect foundation. There is only one perfect and flawless foundation.  1 Corinthians 3:11“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, (present tense) which is Jesus Christ.” Your foundation should be the cornerstone of your beauty.  Christ loved you enough to give you a perfect foundation.  Christ laid the foundation with His life because you and I couldn’t and never will. Christ means nothing until He means everything.

This was planned in the beginning. Isaiah 28:16 “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.” This perfect foundation is applicable to all skin types and colors.

Once we accept Him as our foundation, know that His blood acts as our cleanser, exfoliating our sins.    Only Jesus has the desire, power, and authority to cleanse our very souls so His perfect foundation can stand within us.  Jesus is the reason our beauty goes heart deep.

Physical beauty or traits may be inherited, but true beauty must be acquired.  Christ can’t and won’t change the outside, but He invites us to change the inside through applying His Word to our heart, mind, and soul.  Changing the heart without changing the mind is like trying to gather fresh water from a frog pond.  Passages such as 2 Peter 1:5-10, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Colossians 3:12-15, Galatians 5:22-26, and 1 Peter 3:3-6 provides applicable traits we can add to our perfect foundation.  Don’t worry about whether you have all of these or not right now, because Psalms 119:59 implies every admirable trait can be developed. 

I believe our eyes and our hearts are closely linked. Matthew 5:8 Jesus states, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”  In the latter part of I Samuel 16:7 God informs Samuel, He does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  Women who are filled with Jesus have eyes that are not overshadowed.  We know joy materializes from the heart.  Joy is not something you can learn, it is a decision you make. John 15:10-11. Conveys our joy is a result from the peace that we have when we are in obedience to God.   Jesus doesn’t shadow our vision, He clears it up.

Another beauty we possess for Jesus is our lips.  Our lips are full and filled with the substance of our hearts. Matthew 12:34 “…Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth/lips speak.”   We can line our lips to create boundaries taking preventive measures to make sure that what leaves our lips stays within those boundaries.  Our lip liner is the Word of God and our lipstick is the fullness of His promises. Our lips were created to speak His Word, to praise Him, and to pray to Him.  Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Can you imagine anything better than praise and prayer leaving our lips?  It has been said, many things are opened by mistake but none so frequently as our lips.  Our lips display more vividly and pronounce more clearly, than any other body part, the beauty of a Christian woman.  So when we are utilizing our lips, let’s prayerfully choose our words and stay within the lip liner of God’s Word. 

Our foundation must be Christ.  Our eyes must never be overshadowed by the world. Our lips must never smudge the name of Jesus. Beauty that starts with THE perfect foundation leads to eyes opened to God, lips that pray joyfully while praising our Creator.

I truly want to reflect the beauty of my Father’s image. When His Words, Ways, and Will are the essence of my beauty, my reflection is mirrored in Him.

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Corn Maze Madness

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Corn Mazes have always intrigued me. I’m that person who doesn’t want a copy of the map.  I want the full scale challenge.  I want to outsmart the corn maze and the creator who designed it. Watching other corn maze participants is a great source of entertainment while I am there.  I adore the wee ones who cling to their parent’s legs never leaving their side, undecided whether this is a nightmare or a fun adventure.  The grade school kids are too busy arguing over who gets to hold the map and is it upside down or not.  They constantly point fingers at each other each time they hit a dead end.  Then there are the teens who have lost every bit of common sense their parents tried to instill in them.  They will literally run around in circles truly believing they’ve not come this way before. It is quite comical. Young couples who attend are never in any hurry to get through the maze. They usually follow the majority crowd while gawking at each other.  With all of that said, I still enjoy the adventure.

Mazes of any kind requires focus on the goal or destination you are seeking.  Proverbs 4:25-26 the writer says “Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze, (your focus), be straight in front of you.  Make straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.”  Notice the writer did not use the word “paths”.  There’s only one path that leads to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.  The Psalmist in Psalm 119:105 writes “Your Word (God’s Word) is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.”  Again, only one path. God’s light is in His Word and it is this light that allows you to see His path clearly. The Psalmist in Psalm 43:3 shows how this works. He writes, “Send forth Your Light and Your Truths, THEY will lead me, they will bring me to Your Holy Mountain.” No one is going to find the path that leads to Jesus unless they are seeking the Truth and reading the only map He provides, which is His Holy Word.  That’s why David will say in Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked from Jehovah; that do I seek; To dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire in His temple.” David’s focus is on what he seeks.

Mazes can cause confusion and anxiety. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not of confusion but of peace.” We are not lab rats who are teased, taunted, and tested in a maze by God.  Neither does God want us to be anxious. Philippians 4:6 “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” God is not the creator of mazes, man is.

Our gracious heavenly Father makes straight any maze we face, when our focus is on Him. He is the Creator of the path. He is our stronghold when we are not sure of what lies ahead. He will not bring us to a dead end.  He gives us His light so we are always in forward motion and not running around in circles.

Following Jesus is easy when you know, anywhere He leads you, He has been there first. 

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Scapegoats

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The book of Leviticus in chapter 16 Moses tells Aaron the process God wants him to follow for the sin Atonement for the people. Aaron was to take 2 goats for the sin atonement and cast lots between them to distinguish which would be sacrificed on the altar and which one would be sent into the wilderness.

After the first goat was sacrificed as a sin offering, its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Then some of the blood was also put on the horns of the altar on all sides.  After Aaron finished atoning for the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, then his attention went to the remaining goat.  The live goat chosen to be sent out into the wilderness had a heavy load to bear, therefore referred to as the Scapegoat.  Aaron placed both of his hands on the goat’s head transferring all the sins committed by all the people of Israel by confessing all the iniquities of the sons of Israel. Aaron then hands the goat off to another who will be responsible for releasing the goat into the wilderness.  Verse 34 states this is to take place once every year. Fast forward almost 1500 years.

Three crosses are erected on the hill of Golgotha before the various onlookers. Some that are gathered there are in great sorrow and disbelief seeing their teacher and mentor nailed to the middle cross. The women who followed and cared for Jesus throughout His ministry were nearby to witness the agony of His crucifixion. Hearing tormenting and taunting by the Roman guards pierced the heart of His mother as she stood with John at the foot of His cross. At the ninth hour Jesus cries out in a loud voice, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

In this moment, can you see the 1500 goats lining up before His cross? One by one, as each goat approached the cross of Jesus, the transferring of the sins of Israel placed upon them becomes the weight Jesus must now bear. As the last goat walks away, the sins of the past are now fully laid on Jesus. He must also take on all the sins of the present and future.  His Father is no longer able to look upon His Son while He is filled with the sins of the world. In that moment, Jesus was separated from His Father in heaven.

Being a scapegoat is not a chosen position to be in. Just as lots were cast to determine which goat carried the sins of Israel out to the wilderness, sometimes we can be chosen to be a scapegoat without our knowledge or permission. Praise God we are not called to carry sins that don’t belong to us. The weight would be unbearable. Our Father did not design us to carry others sins. Only Jesus had the ability and willingness to carry what didn’t belong to Him.

The same sin that temporarily caused God to forsake Jesus on the His cross is the same sin that will keep us separated from our Father in heaven. Sometimes, the weight of our sins is too heavy to bear alone. Praise God Jesus shed His life giving blood to cover ALL of these sins and set us free from the bondage of eternal death. Jesus conquered death and the penalty of sin so we can return to our Maker. Jesus invites us to allow Him to  cleanse us, purge our souls of our sins, and accept the gift of salvation and eternal life with Him and the Father. What a glorious day that will be!

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Where Did My Soul Come From?

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When I was a little girl, I often wondered where I came from.  My brain knew I came from my parents, but something deep inside of me that I couldn’t explain said there is so much more to being in existence than the process of procreation.  My heart knew, even as an innocent child, I am here because of a Creator I didn’t know yet.  How did I know that?  There was this feeling of being accountable to a moral code I couldn’t define or understand how it came to be within me.  My curiosity sent me on a search for the parts within me that sometimes felt united and other times separated.  Questions began to flood my heart.  What are those parts of me I don’t understand and how did they get inside of me?  Where do they come from? 

As time went by, my questions were answered, but not in the way I imagined. I learned about the different parts of me that I couldn’t identify as a child.  My discovery led me to believe I am made up of distinct parts, but united in one body.  I determined I have a heart, a mind, a spirit, a soul, and a strength within this body of mine.  My natural curiosity begged to ask where they came from and which one came first.

I am persuaded and convicted of the knowledge I gained through a book of history, poetry, and letters written to people, who like me, had questions about their existence and where they came from.  This book contains all the answers I was looking for.  Within its pages, I discovered the why’s and how’s of what I could see, hear, taste, touch, and walk upon.  My sense of belonging to a higher understanding brought me great joy and hope, but I still didn’t understand the object of the joy or the hope rising to my consciousness. Reading this book caused me to ask more questions and as long as I kept reading, the answers continued to flow from the message within its pages.

I can remember swinging on a neighborhood swing set and gazing into the sky with each passing swoop, trying to comprehend how did all of this happen? As I reeled back and forth to gain as much height as possible, the sensation of the freedom to flow through the air with little regard to the dynamics of how that is even possible, brought an incredible sensation of sovereignty I knew did not belong to me.  The answers were found in the same amazing book.

Life as we know it begins at conception.  Within seven days, red blood cells are delivering oxygen to the tissue and the development of vascular channels.  After twenty days, the heart begins to pump fluid through blood vessels.  Even before THIS, God says He knew me.  The first ten words in the book of Jeremiah, Gods Word says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… HOW?  Could it be because the prophet Ezekiel says in chapter 18, verse 4, “ Behold ALL souls are Mine;…God is The Keeper of souls!! Psalm 139:13-16, Ecclesiastes 11:5, Isaiah 43:10, 44:2, 24, and Leviticus 17:11-14 all  of these passages from the Bible, speak of the Owner and Maker of our souls.  The passage in Leviticus states the life of the flesh is in the blood.  The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language.  In most instances like this one, when “life” is used in a passage, the meaning is soul. God decided when to send our souls to a womb to be born of a man and woman. 

Psalm 97:10, Job 33:28, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 34:22,and Hebrews 10:39  convey to Gods faithful followers one way or another He is serious about preserving, redeeming, remaining, and providing promises for the salvation of our souls so we can return to Him and our first home. In the gospel of Matthew, it is recorded that God invites us to find His rest. What a peaceful and comforting place to search for. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. In Jeremiah 6:16 the Lord says, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.  In each instance of God’s rest for our souls, there is act of finding we must be engaged in.  You will not stumble into or trip over His rest.  You must be seeking it. 

Knowing our Almighty and Powerful God carefully formed me into a working, breathing, thinking, moving, speaking, hearing, touching, and seeing human being, that has a special soul assigned to them, from HIS creation.  We truly are uniquely formed and woven by God.  That is astounding, awesome, and amazing!!  Only an intelligent Creator could conceive my form before there was even one day to my life.

Our souls are so precious to our Father, He records all the different ways He preserves them, protects them, and provides promises for our souls throughout His Word.  Isaiah 38:17 states God is the one who keeps our souls from the pit of nothingness.  1 Peter 2:25 tells us when we choose to stay in the Shepherd’s flock, we are in the Guardians protection. 1 Peter 1:9 explains when we live for Christ wholly and completely, we will, not might, will obtain the outcome of our faith the salvation of our souls.

Now that I am older, I can explain, explore, and praise the excitement of knowing Who is responsible for all that is within me.  Now God wants me to know Him through His Son Jesus the Christ.  God wants me to love Him with the very soul, heart, mind, and strength He gave me.  One day, God is going to require my soul from me.  It is my responsibility to find His rest, curl up in His lap, and lay my head against His loving heart.