No Neutral Ground

I am reading "This Day We Fight!" by Francis Frangipane. Not far into the second chapter, he writes, "The Holy Spirit is looking for determination in us so that, like David, we will pursue our enemies until they are consumed…He [Jesus] never allowed evil spirits to control Him. He was aggressive toward His spiritual enemies. There is no neutral ground."

 

How do we, like David, aggressively pursue spiritual enemies? The answer is prayer. The Psalms give a glimpse into some of David's pursuit and help us realize that spiritual battles warrant spiritual weapons.

 

Paul wrote that clothed in the full armor of God and brandishing the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, we are to be "praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:18 NKJ) This is how The Voice puts Paul's words: "Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God’s people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed."

 

If we are not doing so—feverishly pursuing our enemies in prayer—the reality is the enemy has not been stayed but is freely on the loose.

 

Staying the enemy means engaging in the battle that leads to conquest. That battle begins when we start praying. "Which may be why we are all so hesitant to start at all!" says Mike Glenn.

 

He is probably right. We don't want to fight. We don't want the conflict, which always happens when we get serious about prayer. We don't want to get wounded, a genuine risk. We want no worries and happiness, serenity and peace.

 

But, that is a mind-set that lets the enemy gain ground we're supposed to be staking claim to. In fact, Jesus Himself said, “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse." (Luke 11:23 MSG)

 

The way only way to true peace is to enter the battle to conquer the enemy. Jesus' words in Revelation to the churches remind us that's what it is all about—conquering. Repeatedly, Jesus said to John, "To the one who conquers…" (See Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:8, 12, 21) The Greek word for conquer, which many versions translate "overcome," is nikaō. It means to conquer or carry off the victory that results in freedom from the power of the enemy.

 

Sure, the battle is not easy and sometimes is drawn out. But, the ancient accounts written on the pages of the Scriptures are meant to encourage us to persevere. For example, the walls of Jericho fell after eight long days of obedient devotion to the Lord's strange command. Only then did the Israelites conquer.

 

We've been left here to join God in what He is doing. Oswald Chambers wrote, "God brings His marvels to pass in lives by means of prayer, and the prayers of the saints are part of God's program." (Revelation 8)

 

I noticed something a while back. When my husband gets up to go, the three dogs rise to go with their master. They don't care where he is going. They just want to be a part of what he is doing.

 

Our Master is on the go. He is aggressively pursuing the enemy by actively interceding for us right now.  (Hebrews 7:25)

 

What about you and me? Are we actively being a part of what our Master is doing?

 

If we are not feverishly praying for our children and for those who influence their lives, then we are losing ground. Moms, that means the enemy is gaining ground! Because—

 

—there is no neutral ground!

Been to Bethlehem

We've been to Bethlehem. We've experienced the birth of the Christ Child. We've marveled at the miracle of God Incarnate. We've glorified and praised God.

 

But, have we done as Mary—"kept all these things and pondered them"? How does that work itself out in day to day life?

 

The Greek word translated "kept" is syntēreō. It means to preserve something so it does not perish or is lost. It is actually a word that indicates one "works" or is diligent to do so. And add to that "pondered," the Greek word symballō. This interesting word means to throw or bring together, to converse. But, it is a word that has a sense of conflict or dispute attached to it.

 

These words made me think that Mary, as she carefully and continually thought on the particular and peculiar elements of Christ's birth, that conflict often arose within her heart and mind. Was it real? Yes, it was real! Are the promises of God really going to come to be? Yes, He always keeps His word! This child, my child, is truly my Savior? Yes, in fact, that is the meaning of His name, Jesus—God saves!

 

It would seem that she worked this out, the keeping and pondering, the conflict in her heart and mind, as she watched her child grow and become strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God. It would seem that she always, always brought all her pondering conflict back to faith.

 

Remember Mary's words prior to the birth of her baby?

 

And Mary said:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 (NKJ)

 

She knew her God. She knew His character. She not only knew, she believed. The future was already an "is" to her understanding.

 

That is the key, praying moms, as you watch your children grow. That is how it worked out in daily life for Mary and how it will for us. Belief. Faith.

 

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for,

being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality

[faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)

 

Praying moms, as Mary worked out her faith in her life that what she had heard from the Lord was reality, we are to work out our faith that what we have "heard" through the pages of His Word is also reality.

 

As we pray the words of the Scripture over our children, standing on the promises of God, we can hold fast to the truth that the Lord God Almighty hears our prayers and will act on behalf of those prayers. Waiting may be involved, even hard times, but we can know with surety that our prayers are not unheard.

Now this is the confidence we have before Him:

Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

And if we know that He hears whatever we ask,

we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

1 John 5:14-15 (HCSB)

 

 

Widely Known

Glory in the Highest

[Title given by the NKJ Thomas Nelson Study Bible of Luke 2:8-20]

 

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

 

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

 

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

 

Shepherds! Of all the people available, the astounding announcement of the birth of our Savior, the long awaited Messiah, was made to shepherds—commoners that were not highly regarded by their fellow citizens. Randy Alcorn wrote, "In Christ’s day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax collectors and dung sweepers." So—why the shepherds?

 

Perhaps it was because of their humble hearts. Just think. They pretty much literally gave their lives for their sheep. They couldn't let climate bother them. They had to stand up to thieves and wolves, even lions and bears as David did. Their flock's comfort and needs came before their own. So much of what was lived out in the lives of shepherds is what we see in the Messiah Himself.

 

Peter described Jesus as "the Chief Shepherd" and our "Shepherd and Guardian" (1 Peter 5:4; 2:25 HCSB), which only echoes what Jesus said of Himself in John 10:11, "I am the Good Shepherd."

 

Perhaps there were other reasons. Out where the shepherds lived among their flocks there was deep darkness and wide open sky with no city distractions. And, unlike the city folks who were asleep, the shepherds were awake and aware. They wouldn't roll over in their beds and pull up the blankets over the heads to hide from the light.

 

Or, perhaps it was because, used to the rejection of the populace, they were uninhibited in proclaiming to all they could what they had heard and seen. What the Lord through the angels made known to the shepherds and what they'd seen with their own eyes—their Messiah "wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger"—they in turn made "widely known" to others.

 

The prayers of Israel and others had been answered. The Child promised had been born. The birth announcement was made. Yet—

 

How soon was the announcement forgotten. How soon the darkness again overshadowed the shepherds' words of good news. Trials and day to day struggles seem to have that effect on humans.

 

Perhaps, though, the shepherds kept the good news alive telling over and over the story as they sat around the camp fires, sharing it as newcomers joined them. The Lord God knew just who would be the ones who should hear the announcement first and who would not let the news go unheard.

 

Praying moms, as you follow the example of the shepherds and share the good news of Christmas with your children, make the message widely known and living through your prayers and through Christ in you, the Hope of glory.

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o’er the plains,

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

Which inspire your heav’nly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see

Christ Whose birth the angels sing;

Come, adore on bended knee,

Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

See Him in a manger laid,

Whom the choirs of angels praise;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

While our hearts in love we raise.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

 

 

Joyous Noel to you all!

Radically Pursued!

The other morning, while the weather was cold with freezing rain and while it was still dark, I was leaning out the front door trying to catch my daughter's attention as she was preparing her car to leave for work. In the blink of an eye, Hunter, our great adventurer, took off through the door into the front yard. Not a good thing as all our cats are indoor pets since we live on a busy corner with lots of traffic.

 

I also took off through the door closing it just in time to keep the youngest cat, still basically a kitten, from joining him. Thank the Lord I had my shoes on and a shirt over my pjs. Hunter kept just in front of me traveling around outside the fence line until we almost reached the alley. Then, he must have decided that icy, snowy grass and freezing rain weren't for him. I scooped him up and headed back into the house where it was much, much warmer.

 

Our Hunter

 

The whole incident reminded me of the Lord's loving pursuit of us when we go off on our own adventures ignoring His voice.

 

Listen to what David wrote of God's pursuit of us, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” (Psalms 23:6 NLT) Or, in the words of the Message, “Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.” Psalm 23:6a

 

In the pages of the Scripture, we see God actively pursuing Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Jonah, Mary, the woman at the well, Paul and you and me.

 

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,” and “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (Luke 19:10 ESV, John 3:16 HCSB)

 

John later echoed Jesus when he wrote that God first loved us. (1 John 4:19) And Paul agreed writing, "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT) Still sinners not pursuing God—Him pursuing us! 

 

Jesus' birth, God coming to dwell in flesh among us, showed just how serious He is in His pursuit of us. And the cross revealed how far He would go—to death!

 

While the enemy pursues us to destroy us, as Moses wrote in Exodus 15:9, Mark Driscoll said, "God pursues us for the purpose of relationship." That's a radical pursuit!

 

Praying moms, you through your prayers come alongside God in His radical pursuit for your children.

 

Consider these words penned by Andrew Greeley, "Our God is not patiently standing by and waiting for us to offer love; He is actively and vigorously pursuing us...He is the father running down the trail to embrace the prodigal son even before the boy can speak his act of contrition. He is the mad farmer showering a full day's wage on men who hadn't even worked. He is Jesus forgiving the sinful woman even before she spoke her sorrow. He is the king lavishing a banquet on beggars. These are all symbols of a God whose love for us is so active, so strong, that by human standards He would be, at least, said to be mad."

 

Just like I was willing to be a "mad" woman out in the dark and freezing rain chasing a cat who really didn't want to be caught, so God pursues us in our rebellious nature to bring us out of the cold darkness to the warmth of His light.

Don't grow weary in prayer and lose heart. Continue joining the Lord in the pursuit of your children.

Hope Everlasting

One of my favorite songs is “Where There is Faith,” by the former group 4 Him.  The chorus says:

Where there is faith,

there is a voice calling, keep walking

you’re not alone in this world.

Where there is faith,

there is a peace like a child sleeping

HOPE EVERLASTING in He who is able

to bear every burden

to heal every hurt in my heart.

It is a wonderful, powerful place

where there is faith.

 

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) tells us that faith "is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Faith is the dwelling place of hope everlasting.

 

“In our prayers,” Andrew Murray wrote, “above everything else, beware of limiting God not only through unbelief but also by thinking you know exactly what He can do.  Learn to expect the unexpected, beyond all that you can ask or think. So each time you intercede through prayer, first be quiet and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, how He delights in Christ His Son, and of your place in Him—then expect great things.”

 

This is what hope is—the expectation of something good, something great. And hope everlasting is founded in the unchanging character of God and His unfailing compassion and lovingkindness.

 

That is just what Jeremiah, the prophet, wrote that he kept in mind to give him hope.  He remembered that each day is a new day filled with God’s love for us. He is faithful. He never changes. Because of that fact, Jeremiah knew hope everlasting. (Lamentations 3:22-24)

 

Paul, too, noted this in his letter to the Thessalonians telling them that God in His love for us has given us everlasting consolation and good hope. (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

 

This hope is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! (1 Timothy 1:1)

 

That tiny baby born of a virgin and laid in a hay manger, whose birth we are celebrating, He is our Hope. In this child, Jesus, the Son of God, we have the joyful expectation of everlasting glory! Because, in Him, we have hope that does not disappoint. (Romans 5:5)

 

We are praying moms because we believe—we know—our Lord is the God of Hope. 

 

What praises we can voice to the Lord God! The celebration of the birth of Jesus reminds us that the substance of our hope is just as the angel told the shepherds outside of Bethlehem—GOOD TIDINGS! It is healing, liberty, comfort, consolation, beauty for ashes, joy for mourning and the garment of praise for heaviness. (Isaiah 60:1-61:11)

 

Now may the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that you may abound in hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Author of the Earth

Dear Living Lord,

 

This morning, I opened up an Advent devotional booklet to today's reading and in the dim light mistook the title to read "Author of the Earth"—Earth instead of Faith. But, it made me reflect. You are the Author of the Earth. It is Your pen that wrote our history from the beginning to the finish. You are the sovereign Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. That is a truth we can "take to the bank."

 

Thousands of years ago, You made a promise to Eve. And You echoed that promise throughout the pages of Your written Word. Eve's Seed, the baby that would be born of a virgin, would crush the serpent.

 

Mary, Eve's descendant, laid that baby in a humble manger—the promise kept. In the pages of the Scripture, we see that infant become a child, a teen, and an adult. And we read the eye witness reports of His life, death, and resurrection and His ascension into His Father's presence.

 

The serpent may still be deceiving and fighting, but the victory has already been accomplished, written by the pen of the Author of the Earth.

 

Father, Your promise kept reminds us that You are true to Your Word. You kept Your promise to Eve. And every promise You make is a "yes." The finish will be as Your pen wrote.

 

In this busy season with all its joyful reminders, I ask that we are mindful of the import and impact of each one. Keep us in confidence that our prayers matter. Keep us from discouragement and frustration. Remind us, Lord, You are not just the Author of the Earth, You are the Author of each life on the Earth—our own and that of our children.

 

I praise You that we are rich among humanity because the truth we "take to the bank" is a treasure above all others. You are the Author of the Earth who came to dwell among us as a humble infant but now sits at the Throne, high and lifted up!

 

We bless Your Name, the Name above all names, Jesus. Amen.

 

Looking unto Jesus

the author and finisher of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him,

endured the cross, and despised the shame,

and is set at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 (GNV)

Sparkles & Glitter

This past week, the temperatures were often in the low teens even though the sun shone brightly and the sky was blue. At one point, we needed to do some shopping, so we bundled up and got into the car. We soon were laughing, because when my husband started the engine, the heater fan came on and sparkles began flying all around us! The air moisture had frozen in the vents and was blowing out like shiny glitter in the sunlight.

 

 

It made me think. What if we could see all our prayers? Would they brilliantly fill the air and make it hard to see anything else?

 

If Jesus "ever lives to make intercession" for us (Hebrews 7:25 JUB), should not we who are His body make intercession a priority, too? Should not the air be filled with the glitter of our voices?

 

Indeed, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and, thus to us, that we should "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV) Matthew Henry commented that Paul didn't mean that we "should do nothing but pray, but that nothing else we do should hinder prayer in its proper season. Prayer will help forward and not hinder all other lawful business, and every good work."

 

Yet in this season when we are reminded at every turn of Jesus, isn't it as easy as ever to be so busy tied up with the things of this world that our voices are not being heard in the ear of God?

 

It takes daily diligence to make persistent and consistent prayer a priority, just as Jesus did on earth and just as He is doing now.

 

Then our prayers will be power-filled as they join with Jesus' prayers—

 

Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost

(completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity)

those who come to God through Him,

since He is always living to make petition to God

and intercede with Him

and intervene for them.

Hebrews 7:25 (AMP)

 

I don't know about you, but I know I always need the intervention of the King of kings and Lord of lords active in my life and in the lives of my family members.

 

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit,

with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.

To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,

interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

Ephesians 6:18 (AMP)

The Light

My December calendar is lovely with bright colors of red and white and touches of green. Just to the right of the word "December," its author-artist put a little elf fairy lighting a candle with the words "what fun it is to laugh and sing" floating above the flame. What a great reminder to be joy-filled to overflowing! The author, Susan Branch, also quoted 1 Peter 1:6 from the Living Bible, "Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead." Those are important words to keep at the forefront of our thinking.

Although in our corner of the world it is the darkest of months, December is also when we celebrate The Light. Our community does this early in December with a Parade of Lights. Creative displays travel up Main Street, each one trying to outdo the other. It's a chilly but fun time.

 

And it is a celebration that stirs us who know the Lord to remember our Light has come! For that reason, we can with confidence, even in this dark world, be those who "are happy with the inexpressible joy that comes from heaven itself" knowing that the "reward for trusting [The Light] will be the salvation of [our] souls" and a share in the Lord's eternal glory! (1 Peter 1:8-9; 5:10 TLB)

 

Even more, it reminds us that as the people of the Lord, children of The Light, we are told to "Arise, shine; for your Light has come…" (Isaiah 60:1)  Paul wrote that we ourselves are to be light bearers, bright lights, stars, or beacons shining out clearly in this dark world. (Philippians 2:14-16 AMP)

 

Praying moms, do you realize that as you choose to make it your priority to walk in The Light that you are wise women who "shine, like the brightness of the firmament"? Do you realize that you will shine "like the stars forever and ever" because your prayers work mightily to "turn many to righteousness"? (Daniel 12:3 NKJ)  

 

Keep your flame lit with joy-filled confidence. "Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead."

 

May The Light wrap around you and hug you with comfort and JOY!

Led by the Hand

While at church one Sunday, I noticed that the sun was shining through the foyer's glass doors into the sanctuary creating oversized shadows on the wall nearby. As I watched, I saw the shadow of an adult entering the church building leading a child by the hand as the door slowly closed behind them.

 

The Scripture speaks of the Lord God leading His people by His hand—

 

Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:10 NKJ

 

For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands

Isaiah 55:12 NKJ

 

But the Word of God also speaks of humans being used to lead God's people—

 

You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 77:20 NKJ

 

Who led them by the right hand of Moses, with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them to make for Himself an everlasting name.

Isaiah 63:12 NKJ

 

Praying moms, like Moses, God has given us the task to lead our children many places. One very important place we lead them is into the church building where they enter the fellowship of God's people and where the Word of God wrap around them through the lives of other followers of Jesus.

 

However, you know the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink."

 

So, what do you do?

 

Pray!

 

Our prayers are crucial. All that church offers is important, but it will not be the Sunday school, youth group, sermon, etc that wins the battle of freeing our children from the enslavement of sin. It will be our prayers.

 

Remember, praying moms, this land of the living is currently the dominion of the prince of the world. We cannot depend on a church and the people inside its doors, even ourselves, to change our children's hearts.

 

It is via prayer that our children are led by the hand to the Throne of the King who strikes the winning knockout blow to the prince and frees our children to drink the living water He offers.

When ordinary mothers pray, extraordinary things happen.

Cheri Fuller

Worry Blinder

Have you noticed that horses pulling wagons or carriages often wear blinders as part of their harness? Blinders keep them looking forward away from all the distractions, from possibly being "spooked" or startled, from becoming anxious, worried and uncontrollable.

 

We moms can become fretful, anxious, and worried. And worry can easily cause us to become uncontrollable. Now that's a word with some serious synonyms: unmanageable, out of control, irrepressible, uncontainable, unruly, disorderly, wild, abandoned, and disobedient. No wonder worry is a sin. But there's more.

 

We strive to make everything perfect for our children.  We think our presence wherever they are is what will keep them safe, assuming our involvement in every detail of their day will protect them.  We spend our lives for them. 

We forget that God wants us to spend our lives for Him.  He wants us to be good mothers, but His priority for our lives is for us to be good disciples of Jesus. 

 

When our involvement in our children’s lives creeps up to replace His involvement in our own lives, the enemy has succeeded in deceiving us.  We have taken on the job of being the god of our children’s lives.  And that is sin! 

 

It is only when we release our children from our arms into God’s arms that they are truly in a perfect place.  That is why prayer for our children will always be essential—for them and for us.  Through prayer, we are constantly reminded that God is God and we are not. 

We cannot control what happens to our children, whether they are in the same room or across the world.  We cannot make everything perfect for them.  We could spend all waking moments with them—at school, at soccer practice, at baseball’s games, at club meetings, at play times, chaperoning their every activity—but in reality, we haven’t the power to keep them safe.  Only God does.  We cannot be more than one of many influences in their lives.  But God’s Holy Spirit can be their greatest influence when they are in His embrace.  We can have peace that He is fully with them as He is fully with us.

Sometimes, when we release our children into His care, we learn that His plans for our children differ from our own.  I would not have allowed my son to seriously injure his knee the fourth day of his freshman year of college. It was not "good" in my eyes.  But God allowed what was meant for harm to have some good. This injury resulted in my son having to come out of his comfort zone, literally, into a place where the staff and students around him would come out of theirs to get to know him. It was a difficult first semester, but my son did well through it all. His leg gives him pain occasionally, but it hasn't stopped him from running marathons with his bride. We can trust our God's everlasting arms.

So, praying moms, "wear" your worry blinder.

 

Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God;

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJ

Peace comes with God’s authority released in our lives as we pray according to His Word which doesn’t return null and void.

 

Shalom!

 

 

"Yadah" — Give Thanks!

I love Psalm 107, which my Bible titles, "Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance." (Thomas Nelson NKJ Study Bible)

 

Matthew Henry wrote that Psalm 107 celebrates the Lord's providential care of His people, that the "psalmist specifies some of the most common calamities of human life, and shows how God succours those that labour under them, in answer to their prayers."

 

Psalm 107 ends with—"Whoever is wise will observe these things and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord." (107:43 NKJ)

 

What things?

 

Perhaps it is what we see repeated. When reading Scripture, repetition is something to note, just like we do when we see the word "Selah" in other Psalms.

 

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble." This is repeated in verses 6, 15, 19, and 28.

 

These words are followed by, what I believe, are the answer to "What things?"—

 

"He [the Lord] delivered them…led them…saved them…brought them…broke their chains…saved them…sent His word…healed them…delivered them…brings them out of their distresses…guides them to their desired haven…" (107:6-7, 13-14, 19-20, 28, 30 NKJ) And, the Psalmist goes on and on to list further actions of the Lord on the behalf of those who cry out to Him.

 

But, there's more.

 

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" These words are repeated in verses 8, 15, 21, and 31. 

 

The Hebrew word used to express "give thanks" is "yadah" and it means to throw, shoot, or cast. No apathy here. In fact, these repeated words sound out as a plea as if men were not giving thanks. Verse 2 adds credibility to this statement as it begins, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." As Matthew Henry wrote, this Psalm begins as a "general call to all to give thanks to God."

 

We who have experienced the lovingkindness and redemption (verse 2) of the Lord have voices that we need to use to vocally "say so."

 

What lovingkindnesses has your God shown to you? Are you saying so?

 

When those who know the goodness of the Lord say so, the result is priceless.

 

Good people see this and are glad;

bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks.

If you are really wise, you’ll think this over—

it’s time you appreciated God’s deep love.

Psalm 107:42-43 (MSG)

 

So, praying moms, we must, as Paul wrote—

 

Rejoice always,

pray continually,

give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

 

 

 

 

Danger Zone

This time it was Hunter's turn to catch a mouse. I heard some odd noises in the back of the house where the bedrooms are. Something in the back of my mind was stirred and I almost took a look, but just then I heard my husband leaving in his truck to take the dogs training, so I thought he must have been the source of the strange sounds.

Not so.

 

Very, very shortly after the truck left, I saw Hunter coming into the dining room where I was working on my Precept's Bible study. He had a gray skinny tail hanging from his mouth. I could tell immediately by his attitude, not just the skinny tail, that this was a real mouse, not one of the toys he has all over the house.

 

I made many failed attempts to get the mouse from him. He'd drop it to play with it, but he'd pick it up as I reached down—and mumble growl at me! I attempted carrying both him and the mouse outside, but he'd drop it after I took a few steps—it's difficult to hold a mouse, mumble growl, and breathe. So I'd drop him to get it, but he was always quicker than me and would retrieve the tiny thing. We kept repeating this until, finally, he made a "toy mouse" mistake. He put the mouse in my shoe (yuck!), but that made it easy for me to "capture" the mouse and remove it from the house. I am so thankful we play the "hide the toy mouse in the shoe" game.

 

 

Poor little mouse.

 

Warmth and the possibility of food put it in the three, no, now four cat danger zone.

 

Interesting timing, though.

 

My Precepts lesson is on Genesis 3 this week—sin and temptation. Poor mouse gave into temptation. As James wrote, desire conceived gives birth to sin which when it is full-grown brings death. (James 1:15) Best to nip sin in the bud before it can grow. Or, even better, don't put yourself in the danger zone.

 

But, when sin is birthed, the best thing to do is quickly confess it and be cleansed. Toss it out of your house!

 

The Moms in Prayer International Booklet has some excellent advice as to how to confess our sin when we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, something we make a part of our weekly prayer meetings.

 

1. Name the sin specifically, agreeing with God that it is sin.
2. Repent concerning the sin. This will result in changed attitudes and actions.
3. Thank God that He has forgiven your sin because of what Christ did on the cross.
4. Ask to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Surrender your will and make a total commitment to God.
5. By faith, thank Him that He has filled you on the basis of His promise. Do not depend on your feelings. The promise of God's Word, not our feelings, is our authority.

As 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

 

The cleansing of confession is vital for intercessors—those who pray on behalf of others. God's Word tells us that our sins make a separation between us and the Lord, that our sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear our prayers. (Isaiah 59:2)

 

So, if we find ourselves in the danger zone, we can be rescued out of it through confession and repentance—turning around and fleeing as fast as we can.

 

For creature lovers (like me), it does appear the little mouse was rescued in time—this time. It fled immediately upon coming to itself after I put it outside. Hopefully, it won't again enter the danger zone.

 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD."

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:5 NIV

Leaves for Healing

What fun my sisters and I used to have as children with leaves. We didn't see them as a chore but as a delight!

We made piles of crisp leaves to jump into with no worries about dirt or bugs. We were kids!

 

We raked them into orderly lines to create "walls" for houses. We shaped them into furniture. We brought out our dolls and their blankets and played for hours.

 

But, there came a time when the leaves were just no more fun. They'd deteriorated too much. That meant it was time for them to be raked and burned. Oh, the smell of burning leaves. Autumn was in the air.

 

Sadly, that's not so much the case anymore. My husband used a leaf blower to propel our leaves into piles at the edge of the street for city pick up. Hopefully, that will happen before the wind blows them all back into our yard—or the neighbor's.

The wind has already began redistributing them!

 

The first mention of leaves in the Word of God is in the Garden. When sin exposed their nakedness, Adam and Eve picked leaves off fig trees and sewed them together to create coverings.

 

Their effort to hide, though, was unsuccessful. It didn't "work." Not only did sin's consequences include exclusion from eating of the tree of life, Adam and Eve were sent from their Garden home wearing death—the skin of dead animals on the outside, the beginning of physical death on the inside and the death of spiritual oneness with their Creator.

 

Our first parents were taken away like the leaves, and so it is for all of us, their descendants. "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isaiah 64:6 ESV)

 

Yet, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV) Praise the Creator for His plan from the beginning for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:15)

 

The last mention of leaves in the Scripture fills those who serve the Lord with hope by telling us that we will have access to the leaves of the tree of life which will be used to bring healing for the nations. (Revelation 22:2)

 

The difference between hiding and healing is, as Jeremiah wrote, found in trusting the Lord. It is in listening to and heeding His voice, which clearly sounds through the "leaves" of His Word, the Bible.

 

Praying mom, when you bring your child to the Lord in prayer, be sure you are also bringing with you the Word of God, "leaves" that are for healing not hiding. The result will be anxiety healed and fruit borne of the Lord's powerful Word acting on behalf of your child.