Joy, Prayer, and Gratitude

Many times I wonder what God's will is for my life. What college should I attend? What major should I take? What should I do with my summer? The questions go on and on, usually without any definite answers (at least not right when I want them) so that I end up living one month, week, day, or moment at a time, uncertain as to exactly what God wants of me.

But on the other hand, there are instances when God astounds me with the clarity in His Word. Lately, as I have been reading through the New Testament, I have been searching for what I call "Purpose Passages." These are verses which tell me what I am meant for, how God wants me to use my life for Him. I have actually been surprised -- and wholly excited -- by the number of such passages that God has shown me. But perhaps the most shocking thus far is 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, which reads:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

What caught my attention was the last portion, which says, "this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Certainly I knew that rejoicing, praying, and thanking God were things we should do, but I never thought of them as God's will for me. When God designed me, He intended that I should "[r]ejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks." That sounds so...happy. And, honestly, truly wonderful! It is incredibly exciting that God wills this for every Christian! He wants us to have joy, to constantly talk with Him, to have sincere gratitude residing in our hearts. What could be better?

Yet, as I read those three seemingly simple commands, I realize that they are not nearly as easy to follow as  they would appear to be. They do not happen on a regular basis...and they should. They are the sort of commands which sound so fairy-tale perfect that it is hard to imagine them happening in modern-day reality. And yet, I know that they are a genuine possibility because,

"...with God nothing will be impossible." Luke 1:37

So then, in application, what might 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 look like in my life?

1. Rejoice always. God has given me incredible blessings to be joyful about! Baby goats, a horse to ride, a love for walking and running, good books to read, the ability to write, a fantastic family, twenty secluded acres in the Bull Mountains of Montana, a wiggly dog who wakes me up with kisses in the morning.... I could go on and on! There are a lot of rotten things that happen in life, but I need to look for the good things. The old adage "every cloud has a silver lining" is definitely true. Even in the most miserable, dreary, terrible day, I can find joy in God's presence and in the hope of His return. Joy must be sought before it can be found. Satan would love to tear me down with frustration and hopelessness, but I must keep my eyes on the joy Christ offers. My mind and heart need to be open to the little things of life -- the wildflower on the ground, the scent of hot cocoa, the way the sunlight glistens on my horse's neck, my quiet moments with Mom in the morning before anyone else is awake. They are little things, but they can -- and do -- bring joy to my heart.

2. Pray without ceasing. If one of my best friends from Lewtana were with me all day, I would not stop talking with her, would I? Of course not! I would not necessarily be doing all the talking; I would be listening, too. And I can do the same with God. He is with me 24-7, so I can pray with Him all the time -- talking and listening to Him. Who knows what He wants to teach me through such ordinary tasks as vacuuming, painting the garage, feeding baby goats, doing homework, etc. It seems as if I learn the most valuable lessons through simple things like these. I am confident that Christ has a great deal to teach me...if I will take the time to listen and discuss things with Him.

3. In everything give thanks. This command seems to go hand-in-hand with "Rejoice always." If there is always something to be joyful about, then there is always something to be thankful for, right? Even in difficult, discouraging situations, I can always find some part of my life to be thankful about. In addition, I can be thankful for "bad" things because when trials and tribulations come my way, I know that they are intended for my spiritual growth and development. When times get tough, I need to be grateful that God will use it for good, that He can be glorified through the way I handle the situation, and that the challenge can help me to become more like Him. Now, I know being thankful is not always easy; my sinful human nature makes it more natural to complain and grumble when things go wrong. But what if I did look at even the difficult situations with "an attitude of gratitude?" Why, then the whole picture would change! I would see hope, encouragement. I would realize that no obstacle is insurmountable with Christ, and that each mountain I must climb will only serve to bring me nearer to Him.

Now, it is time for me to put this passage into practice. In summation, I need to 1) keep my eyes open for the joy around me; 2) talk to my Best Friend and listen to what He has to say; and 3) thank Him, thank Him, thank Him!

This is, after all, His will for my life.

Completion of the Borders Project

So now I'm finally posting the final production of my art class "borders" project! Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to this.

To start with, Dr. Salix gave me a previous student's board to use for my project. I had to tear off the initial artwork, which consisted of drawing paper thickly glued onto the board. I didn't take any pictures of this process, although I should have because it ended up taking way more time than I expected. And I learned two lessons: 1) Remove glued paper by scrubbing it with a rag and water and 2) remove the excess glue by scraping it off after it has dried. Of course, I learned this the hard way by trying to scrape the paper and wash off the glue...oops.

Once I had removed as much paper and glue as possible, I painted the entire board (which is over four feet tall and three feet wide) with white gesso. So this is what I had to start with when I came to class on Monday morning.

To begin with, I sketched a jumping horse (taken from a photograph) with graphite.

Next, I traced over the graphite with charcoal.

Then the painting began. Here's the first wash of charcoal and gesso.

He's coming to life! Next comes more shading and definition. I also deepened his barrel and drew in the fence rails for him to jump over. This was the end product of three hours of work on Monday.

On Tuesday morning, I decided that the rails were too dark, so I painted over them with gesso. I was going to completely white them out, but the first coat of paint didn't completely cover them, and Dr. Salix and I agreed the faded look actually suited the picture. They gave the horse something to jump over, but their color didn't detract from his. I also added in some background elements (the grain of the board and the remaining glue gave the sky a fantastic texture) and continued to finesse my horse

Then, more detail work. I added more highlights and shadows to the horse and the fence rails, added charcoal lines for tiny marks, and made the mane stand out more from the mountains.

Finally, after more shadowing, highlighting, and blending, the piece was complete.

So it was a far cry from my initial idea, but Dr. Salix was very pleased with it and I was excited with how well it turned out. As for the idea of a mysterious border theme...well, I guess it doesn't have much of that. But, at the same time, if you think about it, there is some concept of a border. The horse is jumping over a fence, apparently out of a pasture, but what is he jumping into? And why is he jumping at all? Is he jumping away from something, or toward something?

Regardless of how you interpret the drawing, the horse is crossing some sort of boundary. Maybe, for me, this painting is almost a reflection of my past year in college. I stepped outside of several of the borders I was accustomed to -- my home, a primarily Christian community, a room to myself, home school, a safe and secure environment without tons of sinful influences. It was a giant leap, and there were so many times when I wanted to run back to my "home pasture" and just stay there. Sometimes the "hurdles" I had to surmount seemed too great for little ol' me, and only God's grace helped me to clear them without knocking down too many poles.

At the same time, I know that there are more borders ahead of me which I must eventually pass over. New steps I must take, new obstacles to surmount. College, work, writing, relationships...only God knows where my future may lead. But He is offering those new opportunities to me, like a fresh, green expansive pasture, and I hope that I will leap toward them as eagerly as this horse appears to be leaping out of the old pasture and into the new one. The jumps themselves may be frightening, but I believe the landings themselves will be worth it.

What about you? What border and boundaries are you facing...or avoiding...in your life?

The Borders Project

I can't believe this school year is almost over! It's so exciting that I'll be heading home on Thursday!

This last block I'm doing now is a drawing class, and our final in-class project consists of painting/drawing an image on a large sheet of paper, canvas, or wood. Dr. Salix has given us the theme of "border" -- physical, psychological...you name it. It just has to have a personal implication as well. And, since it's personal, he's actually letting us do horses, which means, of course, I'm doing a horse. (Me? Pass up an opportunity to draw horses? Nuh-uh!) We have to come up with our own scene and idea, which is the hardest part for me, since it has to a) meet all the requirements in the rubric, b) show some sort of border, and c) have a very subtle and mysterious message. I'm used to having strict guidelines to follow for class projects, so thevague openness of what we can do left me pretty blank for a while. Dr. Salix gave us time to brainstorm in class, and this was my first idea:

Basically, the horse and rider would be jumping over the fence, sort of from one world into another. The fence and landscape would show the difference, as well as the two halves of the rider's apparel. Dr. Salix said it was a good start, but to go home and do some sketches and play with it some more. So that evening, I did several sketches and studied different pictures to come up with my second plan (click on the image to see it more clearly; I apologize for it being so washed out in the center):

So I brought that into class, but it is a little too long. Also, Dr. Salix says that it's too literal and the message needs to be harder to grasp. So I brainstormed for a little bit and...I'm back to square one: a jumping horse. And that's pretty much all I have at the moment. Dr. Salix told me to leave it at that for now, practice drawing charcoal and gesso horses over the weekend, and then we'd see what happened after I painted the horse for the actual project. So here are my products of the weekend practicing; the two standing horses are from live drawings, while the jumping horses are from photos:

So, tomorrow I'll actually paint the jumping horse for the project...and then I guess we'll see where it goes from there! I'll try to photograph the process so that I can post it here. It should be interesting, especially considering that I only have two days to complete it!

Solid Walls

I few days ago, I was reading in Ezekiel and, I'll admit, I was rather bored. Normally I find the chapters fascinating but that daily section consisted primarily of an analysis of the dimensions of the new temple. I understand that it was important, and that it likely had a great deal of significance for the Jews, but for me, cubits and spans and chambers and gates get a little mundane after a while.

However, God seems to have a phenomenal way of teaching me something extraordinary from something I find quite dull.

The chapters for the day were 39-42, and the last verse of chapter 42 caught my attention. It reads: "He [the man with Ezekiel] measured it [the temple] on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common."

A wall. And my footnotes said that "common" could also be translated as "profane." There's a a division, a separation. It makes sense, doesn't it? The temple was the holy place of God. Every task that was performed there, and anything and anyone who entered there, had to be perfect. Priests entering the inner court even had to wear special linen garments that they weren't permitted to wear elsewhere. The temple had to be clean, pure, holy...set apart from the rest of the world.

But it wasn't as if the temple was set off on a distant mountain, apart from all society, war, sin, and whatnot. It was in the middle of Jerusalem, surrounded by people who, try as they might, could not be perfect. It was surrounded by war and famine and death and everything else that the first sin has brought into our world. But the temple itself was a unique place. It was, literally, the God's home among the Israelites.

God's home. It was unique. It was extraordinary. It was the God of the universe living among mankind. The temple had to be set apart to reflect God's presence there.

The connection between then and now?

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 -- "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."

We are the temple. The world is Jerusalem.

Just as the priests still interacted with the common people, so we still interact with the people in the world around us. But, unlike the priests, we don't leave the temple behind when we go out into the world. If we are Christians, then we are the temple and Christ is in us wherever we may go.

Now, we are God's home. Therefore we are unique. Our hearts are extraordinary. The God of the universe in living not only with, but in mankind. We ought to be set apart to reflect God's presence within us.

We're surrounded by a lot of junk and evil -- sin-stained scum -- in this world. Vulgarity, murder, lies, immorality, laziness, greed, cruelty, etc., and all of this threatens to dominate us, to infiltrate our temple and profane it. Satan will use any ploy he can to get inside of us and mar the house of God. If you don't think it's possible, just look at the story of the ancient Israelites. Even the Levites, who were supposed to serve as priests in the temple, were corrupted during Israel's spiritual decline (Ezekiel 44:10-14). Satan is cunning and deceptive. And he will do anything to diminish our ability to glorify God.

We need spiritual walls in our lives. Walls that will shield us from all the pollution of the world, walls that will be a defense against the enemy's attack. Granted, we can't be cut off from the world entirely, nor should we be. The temple was a witness and a reminder to the Israelites of the great Lord of the universe; our lives should be the same sort of witness to the world around us. To borrow from a line in Journey to the Center of the Earth, we need to be "a world within the world."

We must build a strong defense rooted in the salvation of Christ. We must be on the constant alert to repair tiny fissures in our wall -- fissures which could expand into massive holes or cause a whole section of the wall to come crashing down.

We need to build solid walls.

Look Up

Gazing at death may be terrifying, but gazing past death to the presence of Jesus waiting for the believer is the hope that dissolves the fear. We have the opportunity to glorify God in the face of death, boldly declaring our confidence in the fact that we will spend eternity in the presence of God. ~ NKJV footnotes

"When they [the Jewish council members] heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him [Stephen] with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!'" Acts 7:54-56

I don't face death in the same way Stephen did; I won't be stoned for my faith. But I do face a lot of sin here on campus and sin is, in a sense, death. Oftentimes, I find it very difficult to deal with this sin that surrounds me. Try as I might, I can't ignore it, but I don't want it to taint or depress me either.

Here, in Stephen's example, I have found the answer I've been looking for.

I want to be like Stephen -- pleasing God and being Spirit-led. The problem is that too often I get so fretful and distraught over life that I try to deal with issues in my own way. However, hen I truly take the time to consider the outcomes and alternatives, I find that it would be far better to yield everything to God and to pray, "Lord, guide me in this situation. Let me know what to say and do." I do not have to brave life on my own, no matter if I am the only "Christian" in class; God is with me, and that makes "us" a majority.

Stephen's words in verse 56 have given me such hope because they have reminded me that I can look beyond the crudity, profanity, and obscenity that I face. If I focus on those evil things, then, yes, they're definitely going to tear me down. But...why should I think about them? Why should I worry or fret over them? They are so petty compared to Christ! He has already conquered all of those things and He has promised me an eternity free from sin. An eternity. Can you imagine it? That makes the short period of our suffering here on earth seem so...little. Someday, I won't have to worry about all this junk and worldliness. Even here and now, I shouldn't let it overwhelm me because, through His death and resurrection, Christ has already conquered the sin and wickedness of the world. That means He will conquer them in my life as well...if I only allow Him to.

I think this has been one of my challenges for this block of the school year-- to look beyond the sin to the glory of God, to yield my responses to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to focus on Christ's victory over sin. The phrase that has kept coming into my mind is "Look up." My hope is in Christ. My future is in heaven. And my victory is in my Lord.

Look up. Look up. Always look up.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. ~ Colossians 3:1-4

A Drive on Dillon's Highway 91

View out on Highway 91

Old shed out on Highway 91

Western view from Clark's Lookout

Northeastern view from Clark's Lookout

Southern view from Clark's Lookout

The gophers are out and about!

It's Spring!!!!

Okay, so this isn’t my usual blog post, but I don’t have anything especially noteworthy to share, and I’m too excited about spring to not talk about it! So – here you go: my top reasons for why I’m so excited about spring being here!

1.      The sun is shining and it’s actually getting warm outside.

2.      Since the sun rises earlier, I’ll soon be waking up with it, rather than before it.

3.      The green grass is starting to shoot up, along with flowers and weeds, of course.

4.      I hear the birds singing outside my dorm window every morning, and I’m pretty sure some of them are sandhill cranes.

5.      I can go running without dressing in four layers of clothes.

6.      If I don’t wear a sweatshirt, I won’t freeze.

7.      I don’t have to be so worried about driving home.

8.      I’ll see herds of calves (and maybe lambs) when I drive home.

9.      School will be over in a month and half.

10.  I’ll be able to work outside as soon as I get home.

11.  I’ll be able to ride my horse when I get home, and I can ride my friends’ horses here.

12.  All the critters are slicking out and growing shiny, soft coats.

13.  Our goats will be kidding soon; that means I’ll be cuddling little bundles of legs and ears every single day over break and during this summer.

14.  More hours of the day can be spent outside.

15.  Easter is only a few weeks away.

16.  The new life and warmth fill me with hope and joy.

17.  Spring always reminds of the new life we have in Christ, and how everyday with Him is a “spring” day for us to grow in our faith.

Isaiah 42:5-9 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You [Jesus] in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Drought

So...originally, this post was going to be about springtime. What with all the glorious weather we've been having (until today, that is, as it snows like crazy!) and with Easter just a few weeks off, it seemed to be the perfect idea for a blog. But as I searched Scripture this morning for some applicable verses, my focus turned to something else....

Drought.

Not exactly a "springy" thought, is it? But there's a message here which I believe is worth sharing.

The passage that triggered this subject is Joel 2:21-23:

Fear not, O land;

Be glad and rejoice,

For the Lord has done marvelous things!

Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;

For the open pastures are springing up,

And the tree bears its fruit;

The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.

Be glad then, you children of Zion, 

And rejoice in the Lord your God;

For He has given you the former rain faithfully,

And He will cause the rain to come down for you -- 

The former rain,

And the latter rain in the first month.

Now, granted, this passage is referring to Israel and, I believe, a specific time period. But doesn't the message still ring true for us? Doesn't our Lord still do marvelous things in creation? Doesn't He provide feed for the animals and rains for the crops? The last few weeks, He certainly has been! The sun shining and rain dripping...tendrils of grass poking their heads through the earth...gardens being planted...my sister's flowers edging out of dormancy. It all radiates with His glorious providence.

It's curious how the prophet writes, "Do not be afraid" to the animals because, when you consider it, the animals aren't the ones who worry. We are! When snow or rain is scarce, our rumors spread about a summer drought. We worry and fret about wildfires, hay prices, and poor crops. But what about the wild animals, like deer and elk, who depend on native forage for their sustenance? They don't stress about a drought when it comes; instead, they take what is given to them and then, oftentimes, move on when they've exhausted their resources because they recognize that there must be new, fresh food somewhere else.

Animals are pretty smart, and I believe we can learn a lesson from them about dealing with the "droughts" in our own lives. 

Sometimes life -- or a certain portion of it -- seems stale or flat. We're stuck in a rut and can't go anywhere. Maybe we can't find work, or the job we have is far too constraining. Perhaps we've realized that the degree we're pursuing in college isn't an area in which we want to spend the rest of our life. Or maybe we're in a spiritual drought, where we feel distant from God, as if our faith is cold and ritualistic. When these droughts enter our lives, we behave like typical human beings, either ignoring what's happening or fretting and agonizing over all the "what if's" that could possibly happen.

But in all our concern and anxiety, we miss the point. 

God allows droughts to occur in our lives to show us that He has something more for us...something we're blindly missing. Accepting a different job. Switching majors. Moving to a new town or college. Identifying weak spots in our relationship with Him as well as ways to "draw near" to Him. Droughts aren't just another burden of life to bear. They have a purpose.

Two, in fact.

The first is that droughts teach us to rely on and listen to God. When faced with a physical drought, the poor animals can't do much to make it rain...nothing really. So they follow their instinct and and their noses to the nearest moisture and green grass. We can do the same. Instead of trusting our "instinct" and sense of smell, we can trust the urging of the Holy Spirit and also "sniff out" God's will for our lives by reading the Bible and earnestly praying. The more we learn to rely on God for His guidance and provision, the better we will understand His will for our lives. As we endure droughts not on our own strength, but on His, our relationship with God will bloom and blossom like the well-nurtured, over-productive zucchini plants in my mom's garden at home.

The second purpose is that, through droughts, God will lead us to green pasture. After all, that's where the deer travel. They don't wander out into a desert or back to the field which they cleaned up the night before. They head somewhere where the grass is green and nutritious, scarce though it may be. And that's exactly what God does for us. He has somewhere new He wants to lead us, or something new to teach us. God has a fabulous future in store for each of us and He refuses to let any of His children settle for second best.

And so, with a drought, God drives us out of Ordinary and into the Unknown.

He doesn't promise to make it easy, simple, or a bed of roses once we get there; most of us have seen pictures of drought-driven animals, skinny and footsore. But God does promise that, in the long run, the journey will be worth all the weariness and bumps and bruises. Because, in the end, our destination is far better than where we have been, and it's one step closer to where God wants us to be.

The Lord will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58: 11

Home

"There's no place like home.

There's no place like home.

There's no place like home."

Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz"

I'm home for spring break and I'm treasuring every minute of it. I was so excited to be able to attend church with my family this morning instead of having to head back to Dillon! Plus there's all of the other "usual" home things that I miss so much when I'm at college. Feeding goats and horses. Talking to my critters. Curling up on the couch in front of the fire. Eating homemade pizza. Saying "good morning" to my mom as soon as I get up in the morning. Eating my dad's tzatziki. Talking with my sister about college opportunities and where we want to travel in the future. Sleeping in my own bed. Drinking goat milk. The list goes on and on.

I'll admit that I'm very much a "Dorothy" who just wants to be home. I'm a bit of a hermit (to the annoyance of some of the RA's on campus) and I like just spending time with my family. I am so thankful for the schedule at Dillon that allows me to come home once a month. I think I'd be desperately homesick otherwise...I get homesick enough as it is!

And yet, God has fantastic ways of helping me find a new "home" in Dillon. He has blessed me in some incredible ways which, since I haven't mentioned any before, I'll talk about in this blog post.

The first blessing was Prairie Bible Church. It's only a fifteen minute walk from campus in a nice neighborhood, and it reminds me so much of my home church. Most of the people are elderly although there are a few kids my age. When I attended the church for the first time, I was shocked by how welcoming the church members were, and they are still just as loving, caring, and warm-hearted as they were then. Most importantly, the pastor preaches the true Word, and he does it in a down-to-earth style that is easy to understand and follow. I look forward to going to church every Sunday morning to hear a sermon, sing praises, see smiling faces, and fellowship with others in an area where the presence of God is clearly felt.

Another blessing is the physical setting of the Dillon community. The town squats in a valley surrounded by low-lying mountains. I can't see the mountains from my dorm window, but there's one road I take for walks that leads out of town and up a hill a ways. I'm typically lost in my own thoughts for the first half of the journey, but when I turn around there to head back, I am awed by the mountains rising in all their glory beyond the city. The wind sweeps through the pasture to my left, bringing with it the sweet scents of hay and grass. On my right, fat beef cattle with blinking brown eyes watch as I pass. The wind can have a sharp nip that burns my cheeks and nose, but the cold is well-worth its tingly freshness that seems to wash away so much of my sadness, weariness, or frustration.

Having been raised on ranches and farms most of my life, I am also an animal girl. I love my critters -- my goats, my horses, my rabbit, my cat, our dogs, our chickens.... Unfortunately, in the dorms, all I can have is fish, so my bed supports five or six stuffed animals and my walls pasture several calendar cut-out horses. But cuddly toys and brilliant pictures can only go so far. And that's where God has brought a truly fantastic blessing into my life...He has given me animals. An elderly couple from my church allow me to come ride their horses as often as I like. They own an older Arab mare named Dawn who is an absolute sweetheart and a young Quarter Horse mare called Happy, who certainly challenges my riding abilities but is a joy to ride. Some days, when the sun is bursting over head and my heart is soaring and I can hardly keep from skipping, laughing, and running everywhere I go, the foremost thing on my mind is, "It's the perfect day for a ride." And now, if I can spare the time, that's exactly what I do. And there are few things are wonderful and freeing as riding. (But that's another blog post.)

Horses aren't the only animals now in my Dillon life. For my class last block, I was assigned ten hours of community service, most of which I chose to serve at the humane society. I hadn't realized what a relief and joy that could be. Scrubbing puppy pens and cleaning litter boxes may not be the most enjoyable jobs, but the animals are worth it. The best rewards are brushing cats (who want to sit on your shoulder and chew on your shoes and rub all over you) and walking dogs (or being walked by a dog; it depends on which dog and how you look at it). There's one dog in particular who is my especial favorite -- Gabe, a heeler/boxer who acts just like Lukie at home. He's an absolute love and walks pretty well -- once you run the steam out of him.

A home is any place where you are welcomed, where you feel comfortable, where you find purpose, where you are loved, where God is present. I wonder if somebody without a "home" has any incentive, desire, or strength to live. For me, my most important earthly home is in the Bull Mountains of Montana. But since I have to spend eight months out of the year in Dillon, God has done wonders to make that place my new "home away from home." His blessings never cease to amaze me. I am so thankful for a church family to fellowship with, mountain scenery to admire, and critters to love.

A Calling, a Promise, a Warning, and a Covenant

Stephen is quite the story-teller as he launches into Israel's history in Acts 7. But he isn't talking for entertainment; he's making a point. And in the first eight verses, he keys in on four important aspects of Abraham's relationship with God.

1. God called Abraham out of his old land and into a new one.
2. God promised Abraham a future through his descendants, even though Abraham probably thought he would never have any children.
3. God warned Abraham that his posterity would suffer in bondage for four hundred years, but He also promised to rescue them and to judge the nation which enslaved them.
4. God gave Abraham a covenant in the form of circumcision -- a covenant that marked those who had faith. It was a symbol of God's promise to bless those who followed Him.

A calling. A promise. A warning. And a covenant. But they aren't only true for Abraham. God is doing the same sort of things in our lives.

1. God has called us out of our old lives and into a new one. (Colossians 3:1-17)

As unsaved sinners, we were stuck in a world of sin. That was what we knew; that was how we lived. But then God said, "Look, I have something better for you." And He offered us a whole new world! We no longer have to be slaves to sin. Now we can find purpose and meaning in life; through Christ we can discover hope, joy, and encouragement. God wants us to put off the "old" part of us and put on the "new," clean, pure, Christ-inspired selves that God intended and designed for each of us individually!

2. God has promised us a future. (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28)

Like Abraham, we might not know exactly what that future is or precisely how it is going to come about. But God knows. He has a fantastic future in mind for us, and He has our best interests at heart. It may not seem like it at times, but those faith-testing moments are when we have to remember to implicitly trust Him. He knows what He is doing. Maybe our lives don't make sense. Maybe we don't see God working in our lives. But He is.

Sometimes, like Abraham and Sarah, we are faced with a sort of hopeless barrenness in our lives. We don't see how God can bring anything good out of it.

God might surprise us with an Isaac.

We must have hope in Christ and not in ourselves. We must rely on Him and not on the circumstances of our lives. If we give our life over to Him, He is sure to use every moment for His glory. But if we cling to life, it is sure to slip through our fingers and we will be left with less than we had before.

3. God warns us in His Word that we will face persecution and hardship for our faith, but He also promises to eventually rescue us from this world and to serve justice to all mankind. (John 16:33)

Becoming a Christian doesn't mean that life is going to be a bed of roses. In fact, it's more likely to get pretty thorny! We will face difficulties -- guaranteed. People will despise, taunt, or reject us -- guaranteed. In some parts of the world, believers will be tortured and killed -- guaranteed. As Satan attacks and attacks and the sharp thorns prick our hearts, we may wonder why we have to suffer like this. We may wonder if our torment will ever end.

And that is when we must remember to look beyond this life. Many Israelites perished in captivity, and yet they knew that eventually their nation would be rescued. There was hope in the future.

The same is true for us. If we're living as we should, we won't escape tribulation in this life. We may very well die at the hands of our persecutors. But, fortunately, our story doesn't end here. After death, when we go to heaven to be with Jesus, we will be free. Free from sorrow, free from suffering, free from trials.

We will be rescued, and justice will be served.

4. God has given us a covenant in the form of Communion. 

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Perhaps Paul says it best:
"For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."

1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

This is our covenant. We can remember what Christ has done -- the sacrifice He made, His blood that was shed. We can partake in the Communion Service to be humbled and confess our sins, to ask for Christ's forgiveness, and to thank Him for His salvation.

And yet, this is also a time to look ahead in hope because we know that our Savior is now alive, and that someday He will return! His kingdom will be established, wrongs will be made right, sin will be destroyed, and everything will be genuinely perfect.

What a marvelous world that will be!

Often we are amazed by how God worked in and through the lives of men and women of the Bible. But, the truth is, He desires to work in and through us in the same way. However, He can't use us unless we are devoted to Him. 

Abraham was. Can we follow his example?

Accept God's calling.

Trust in His promises.

Take heed to His warnings.

Cling to His covenants. 

A Different Look at "Mercy"

  “Mercy.” It’s a word I’ve often heard defined as “not getting what we deserve.” I think of it as illustrated by salvation, and our not having to face punishment in hell.  It’s demonstrated through forgiveness and patience.

  But as I was reading through Psalms the other day, I stumbled across another meaning for "mercy." Hebrew terminology is much more specific than our English, and some of our translations are little vague as to what is actually meant by a given word. “Love” is one of the most common examples, having at least three Biblical forms. And I discovered that “mercy” is yet another one of those vague, multi-dimensional words.

  Psalm 136 is a “Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy.” Twenty-six times, once in every single verse, the psalmist repeats, “For His mercy endures forever.”

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!

For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!

For His mercy endures forever.”

  This is a different form of the word "mercy" than what we're accustomed to, a form that my footnotes tell me can mean “loyal love.” I had to pause when I first read that; I have never heard mercy defined in such a way. And yet it is such a beautiful, mind-opening definition. Suddenly, the word has new depth. Verses have new meaning.

“To Him alone who does great wonders,

For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,

For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,

For His mercy endures forever….”

  Curious, I used my Strong’s Concordance to find more references using “mercy” in the “loyal love” sense rather than in the “forgiveness” sense. There are numerous instances in the Old Testament. Genesis 39: 21 says, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy….” How true. God’s devoted, unwavering love is incredibly obvious in the life of Joseph. In the Ten Commandments, it’s written, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Thousands? Wow. His love isn’t limited; He doesn’t have a certain allotment He can expend.      

  The Psalms are flooded with this sort of mercy. No wonder…David, one of the foremost writers of the Psalms, had certainly experienced God’s “loyal love.” From lowly shepherd to giant-slayer to King of Israel to adulterous murderer to forgiven man – David, if anybody, knew the incredible mercy of our Lord.  

“To Him who made great lights,

For His mercy endures forever –

The sun to rule by day,

For His mercy endures forever;

The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His mercy endures forever.”

  Skimming through the concordance, I noticed another phrase often used in conjunction with God’s mercy: “endures forever.” His loyal love endures forever. It makes sense; after all, that’s a part of being loyal. God’s love will always be loyal. He will stick with us through thick and thin. He will endure our wanderings and iniquities, our stumbles and failures. And He will do it forever; there is no end to His love; no amount of time can ever separate us from Him once we are His (Romans 8: 38-39).

“Who remembered us in our lowly state,

For His mercy endures forever;

And rescued us from our enemies,

For his mercy endures forever;

Who gives food to all flesh,

For His mercy endures forever.”

  I read Psalm 136 a few days ago, and yet this definition of “mercy” still amazes me. I keep stumbling across the word in my daily devotions, and sometimes it can once again be translated as “loyal love.” 

  I knew God loves me. I knew He is loyal. But I never put the two together. The thought of it fills me with a peace and confidence. God’s love will never fade or ebb. He will love me for always; He will love me passionately; and He will always be my most loyal Lover. What a marvelous God He is.

“Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!

For His mercy endures forever.”

All Were Healed

“And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people….Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” Acts 5: 12,16

What a beautiful analogy of Christ’s salvation. Who knows how many people were brought to the disciples to be healed. And who knows what all they suffered from! Perhaps they were blind, leprous, bleeding, paralyzed, injured, demon-possessed…. But it didn’t matter what they had; as long as they came to the disciples about it, they were healed. But the folks who stayed at home…they just continued to suffer. Assuredly, if they had decided to be healed by the disciples, then they would have been. However, they continued to suffer because they refused to believe and go to the disciples.

Salvation is much the same. Jesus died not for a select few, but for “the world” (John 3: 16). His offer of salvation is an offer of healing and it is freely given to all who come to Him. The sick people came to the disciples because they knew they would be healed, and we must come to Jesus with the same belief. Only this time, our sickness is sin. Some people believe that they have sinned too much to ever be forgiven, but that is a lie from Satan. The disciples healed all kinds of illness; Jesus forgives all kinds of sin. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a murderer, or an adulteress, or a liar; or whether you’ve lost your temper, or been divorced, or been in jail. Jesus forgives all. He heals all.

But we must believe enough to come to Him. That’s the major condition – to believe, repent, and yield to Him. Otherwise, we’re no better off than the sick people who stayed home. We won’t be healed. We’ll continue to suffer, not only here on Earth, but after death in Hell. If we do not believe, we will not be forgiven.

Christ’s gift of salvation is offered to all mankind, but it is only given to those who believe enough to come to Him.