I Will Go

Rebekah

 

Dust filled her mouth, despite the heavy veil covering her face leaving only her eyes free to observe the terrain.  Not that there was much to see, she thought wryly, everything looked the same after the first day.  Sand, sand, sand everywhere dotted by occasional circles of brown brush only hinting at green.  Her heart sank thinking of her hometown, surrounded by lush green fields and trees, only a short walk away from the river.  Would this vast bareness be what she would now call home? If they ever got there. Home. How strange to think of a place she’d never seen and people she’d never met as home.

Leaning back in the saddle, the familiar rocking of the camel, reminded her of how weary she was of traveling.  If only she could sleep, but the aching of her body, as the camel lurched forward again and again kept her from the blissful oblivion of true rest.  She wondered for the thousandth time if she had made the right choice.  She must have been mad to agree to leave immediately, to agree to marry a man she’d never met, to never see her family again.  Days melted into weeks and weeks into months and with them the possibility of turning back. Her camel stopped and Rebekah unwound the veil from around her face allowing herself the freedom of inhaling clean air. Glancing around, she was surprised to see they had stopped at a great well of water, and just beyond she could see fields of green.

Eliezer, the servant of Abraham approached her “My lady, we will rest here for a time.”

“Will we not stop for the night?” asked Rebekah confused, noting the sun drawing a close to the day. 

“No, for the tents of Abraham are just beyond those fields.”

Rebekah looked up surprised.  An end to the journey seemed impossible, yet the fields he spoke of lay directly before them.  Shielding her eyes, Rebekah made out the form of a man headed toward the well.  “Eliezer, do you know who approaches us?”

Turning, he spied the man in the distance “Why, it looks to be Master Isaac, stay there and I will lead you to him.”

Her fatigue gave way to excitement, her pain to joy, and her doubt to determination.  “No, help me down.  Keterah,” she called to one of her handmaidens, “bring my wedding veil and some water.  Quickly.”  Washing her face and arms, Rebekah removed her outer traveling coat caked with dust, and donned a vest glittering with beads.  She longed for a bath and to wash her hair, but time would not allow and she would meet her bridegroom humble and ready to be his bride not as a proud, weary, stranger looking down upon him.  Taking the veil held out to her, she thought briefly of her mother as the embroidered threads of her handiwork glinted in the sun.  She had been preparing for this day her entire life. Securing the veil, thin enough to just see out of, she took Eliezer’s hand and walked toward her future.

 

“I will go.”  Rebekah’s simple answer in Genesis 24:58, was the beginning of a long journey that would have allowed time to question her decision.  Bible Scholars estimate the journey to have been approximately 500 miles, taking 2-4 months to complete, for Rebekah to have traveled to Isaac.  How many days do you think she questioned her calling?  When Eliezer revealed all that had happened, in seeking a bride for Isaac, to her family, they had known it was the will of the Lord. (Genesis 24:50)  Yet, along the journey Rebekah’s fears and doubt would’ve crept in, causing her to wonder if all would indeed be well, if Isaac would want her, if she would want him, if they would find happiness.  But the Bible says as soon as she saw him approaching, she dismounted from her camel and veiled herself.  (Genesis 24:65)  Despite being exhausted from travel, homesick, and uncertain of the future she prepared herself to meet him as a bride.  (Just a side note, she did not veil herself to hide her face but to honor the custom for a marriage ceremony much like we are familiar with today.)

I want to remember that Rebekah, saying “I will go,” was in many ways the easy part.  Being willing is a huge step in taking a closer walk with God, and the closer we get to Him the bigger the, I will, becomes.  Saying yes is the beginning of a journey.  And journeys are not always easy.  A journey will wear you out more thoroughly than running a mile ever could, and sometimes at the end of a journey all we can do is collapse thankful it’s all over.  We have to be ready to revive ourselves, just as Rebekah got down of the camel and prepared to meet Jacob, we have to be ready to do what God has asked no matter how bruised we are from the trip, physically and mentally.  We have to continue to pray and study, ready to do his work.  Rebekah had her veil ready, not packed away in a trunk on one of the camels but close by where she could reach it.  We have to keep God’s word close by and hidden in our hearts (Ps 119:11), ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2) answering the call to become the women God designed us to be.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+24&version=NKJV

Spirit of Power

Hagar

Her hands shook as she laid the child beneath the small bush, its branches scarcely enough to shield the relentless rays of heat from the boy’s face.  Her breath caught as she stumbled back, unwilling to watch the inevitable taking place.  Turning the opposite direction, she lay down and curled her knees tightly to her chest.  If only Abraham were here, he might at least take their son to safety. But, no he’d been the one to leave them in this wilderness assuring her a caravan would be by giving her enough coin to ensure their passage and their safety.  Weeks had passed and the useless coins now lay scattered next to the empty wineskin.  How could he do this?  How could he abandon their son?  Their son.  It was never meant to be so.  Ishmael was to be Abraham and Sarah’s son.  Never hers.  She’d obeyed Sarah, she always obeyed Sarah it was all she’d known her entire life.  How could she have known the fierce passion and love she would feel for her child, the only thing in life that had ever been hers?  They’d forgotten to include emotion in all the careful planning.  Hagar, as much as she tried could not deny her son, and Sarah couldn’t love him.  They’d managed until Isaac was born.  Ishmael basked in the love of Hagar and his father, Abraham despite Sarah’s indifference.  But then Isaac, the long awaited promised child arrived.  And everything changed.  Now here they were, about to die because of rivalry, of pettiness, of jealousy. Hagar felt ready though.  Ready to be done with it all, she was so very tired.  Raising her voice she began to cry her grief into the wind, perhaps it would carry them off to the other side of this life.

A roar of thunder startled her and silenced her moaning.  “Hagar”, the voice came to her on the wind.  Looking around, she at first thought Abraham had returned, but the voice continued carried on the wind picking up around her.  “Hagar, fear not.  God hath heard the voice of your son where he is.  Arise, pick him up and carry him to safety for I will make him a great nation.” Recognizing a power beyond the earth, Hagar obeyed without thought.  Turning to Ishmael, she saw he still breathed and that his lips moved.  Leaning closer she recognized the words as those Abraham prayed to his God.  Ishmael had been praying while she had been ready to die.  Looking up, Hagar stared in disbelief unwilling to believe what her eyes beheld for just beyond the bush lay a small pool of water. 

“Ishmael, Ishmael we are saved.”  Hagar took her son’s hand and brought him to his feet, the weight of his body leaning upon her heavily in his weakness.  Together they made it to the water and knelt to drink life back into their bodies.

 

Hagar’s life story seems often overlooked, only a small part of the account of Abraham and Sarah.  How her story seems to speak to us though.  Perhaps because we have too many times found ourselves or others we are close to, a slave to events beyond our control.  Hagar obeyed her mistress, bore a child and in doing so became cut off from the only life she’d ever known.  Yet, in her weakest moment God spoke to her and gave her instruction which she followed. Despite the fact that they were facing death God said “Fear Not!”  Fear, one of our greatest enemies will rob us from hearing God and will keep us from finding that refuge and present help only to be found in him (Psalms 46:1-2).  But we have scripture after scripture to trust in, to help us when we don’t know what to pray, over and over we are told “Fear Not!”, in fact about 80 times are we told to fear not and another 30 to not be afraid, do not fear, etc.  The next time you are facing a situation that has dehydrated you to the point of spiritual exhaustion, and you just want to walk away remember the instructions to Hagar, “Fear Not, Arise…”, and get up and keep going.  God will provide the water you need (John 4:14), He will be with you every step of the way (Matthew 28:20), He will see you through (Philippians 4:6-7).  Lastly, remember you have the power to “do something” because that power comes from the love of God living in your heart 2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us not the spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.

The Journey

Sarah: The journey

A hot stifling breeze filled the already close tent, its inhabitants standing shoulder to shoulder.  A still form lay sleeping, unaware of those encircling her, the rise and fall of her chest the focus of their gaze.  Abundant dark hair with only traces of silver fanned out around her face, belying the years her life had seen.  Seated close at her right side, a man with a full white beard and flowing hair, gently stroked her hand.  Her eyes fluttered open, taking his breath for a mere moment once again struck by her beauty.  His princess, his Sarai.  So she had been called when he first took her hand, promising her the world in the impetuosity of his youth.  No wonder he feared for his life, believing others would kill just to possess her, even now with age her beauty still shone brilliantly.  Her eyes met his with a look of understanding only a lifetime of togetherness could produce.  Time had come for good-bye.  He pressed her hand to his heart, trying to quell the storm threatening to break within him.  He couldn’t.  He didn’t know how. 

Sarah looked into the eyes of her beloved, wishing she could somehow spare him the pain of this moment.  If only she could impart a tiny part of the peace now shrouding her like a quiet rain dampening every spark of fear threatening to break through.  If only she could tell him everything in her heart.  Of how much the love of Abraham had enriched her very existence, how blessed to have been loved and to love but most importantly of their journey together.  Not the miles they had traveled, or the places they had been, but the journey of finding God.  Finding God and at last knowing Him, reveling in the majesty of belonging to Him.  Raising her free hand she reached towards her son.  Isaac.  Running her hand through his curls she felt a small regret knowing she would never behold her grandchildren, however she still marveled at the miracle of Isaac’s existence.  Raising his head to look at her, she brushed the tears away and spoke softly so that only Abraham and Isaac could hear her, “Trust God.”  She felt Abraham’s grip tighten and looking into his face realized no other words were necessary, together through mistakes, doubts, and fears they’d learned the importance of those two simple words.  Even now, he nodded understanding even in her death he must continue to Trust God and to teach Isaac who would teach his children, and they theirs, until their legacy spread throughout an entire nation whose numbers would be greater than all the stars of the heaven…

 

As I studied and looked in between the lines and tried to write, all I could see was the entirety of her life.  Sarah was the matriarch of the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1).  Through her lineage and Abraham’s God declared would come kings (Genesis17:6), including the King of Kings.  Her husband, despite his faith and willingness to follow God, wasn’t perfect and his decision making cost them more than once, but ultimately he led his family to understand that no matter what the sacrifice God would provide (Genesis 22). What can we glean from all of this? I believe a great deal can be learned by just taking a moment to remember life is messy.  No matter how great a job you have or don’t have, no matter how wonderful your family is or isn’t, no matter how much money you have or don’t have, life is messy. 

Life is messy.  Thankfully I know a God who specializes in messes.  I want my life to be like Sarah’s. I want the mess of it all, combined with God’s grace, to reveal a beautiful story at the end worthy of a legacy left to the generations behind me.

Called Together

“An ark?” she looked at her husband puzzled by the description he’d just given her. An ark that measured three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high seemed an impossible picture to grasp, much less build. “Out of gopher wood?”

Noah looked at his hands, hearing the disbelief in his wife’s voice. “Yes,” he stated simply.

“And how exactly, where exactly, with what money are we to build it with?” She asked incredulously, looking around at their humble hut, its belongings meager indeed.

“I don’t know. I just know we have to and the Creator will make a way." Noah’s statement held no room for argument or question.

She knew that tone, and knew nothing she could say or do would sway him from his current path. Sitting down, for she found her legs suddenly would not hold her, a hundred thoughts went through her mind in an instant. They would have to move; somewhere deep in the forest for there would be no room to build anything here. What would her family say, her neighbors? How would they survive in the woods without the protection of the village? There were wild beasts, as well as men, who roamed the woods with no thought to life. Recent episodes of the wildness also in the village, of murder and rape, drunkenness and plunder, so widespread she or Noah remained awake around the clock to keep their home safe. The only moments fear did not accompany her every breath were those spent at the altar with Noah as he made sacrifice to the God of the heavens. Everyone else had abandon the rites at the altar, and forsaken the God taught to them of old, but Noah held steadfast to the teachings he learned at his grandfather’s knee. She looked up to find him watching her. Did she trust him? Did she believe him? He would walk into the woods to build an ark, and leave her here, if he really believed God commanded him to do so. Could she make the same sacrifice? The faces of her sons, bright and expectant filled her thoughts. She wanted something better for them. Something besides the fear they lived in every day. She wanted them to know the peace she found with Noah at the altar. Standing, hands on her hips her expression matching the resoluteness in his, she proclaimed, “Well, I guess we have a lot of work ahead of us then.”

When I think about the account of Noah I find myself wondering how he and his family, especially his wife handled the burden God placed upon them. I believe Noah found grace in the eyes of God because he still sacrificed at the altar as God commanded Adam. If others were continuing, then their sins would have been covered and they would have also found grace in God’s eyes. I believe he took his family with him, and they experienced the anointing of the altar together building a relationship of trust and respect with God and one another. Her role in supporting him, encouraging him, praying for him, and simply believing in him would have been vital to carrying out God’s will. Just as the animals were brought on male and female, so were Noah and his wife called together. Without doubt I believe God gave Noah the wife he would need to assist him. I'm sure she looked at their lives and the seeming impossiblity of the task and wondered, as I often have, how they would afford it, or how their tiny family could possibly build something so huge! But she chose to trust in Noah and trust in God. What characteristics and attitudes can we attribute to her, that possibly we can model to be ready when God calls us to the impossible?

We can be willing. Willing to sacrifice anything God asks of us to be in His will.

We can be supportive. We can be an encouragement to our family and friends, and support them when they are called to a ministry or task. No matter how big or small it may seem, encouragement is huge, just a smile or a word of “you’re doing a good job, I’m praying for you” can make all the difference.

We can be praying for and with those we are blessed to be in relationships with. Whether spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, or friend we need to find God at the center of our relationships.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+6-9&version=NKJV

From Mistake to Purpose

 

She walked along the bubbling stream, the carpet of the grass soft upon her feet.  Many days they would walk together, but at times like this one they would part and revel in finding new creations yet to name and explore.  Without realizing how far she went, the trees opened into a clearing and looking up, she beheld the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  They had been to this place and seen the tree together  after being instructed that every other part of creation was at their disposal, except this one.  Since the animals did not visit this part of the garden they had found no reason to return.  Turning to leave a flash of movement, behind the massive gnarled trunk, caught her eye.  Intrigued she stopped and stared.  There is was again, something almost like the animal called serpent.  She knew she should go and seek  Adam, but if she just had a closer look perhaps she would be able to describe it better.  It was curious for no other living thing had ever been followed here.  She started to take steps closer, some unseen force seemed to push her toward the tree.  Mist swirled around her as she stepped over the first root, it’s claw like ends sinking into the ground as if trying to consume the earth beneath.  Her breath came in short pants, and her eyes widened beholding a creature bedecked with glittering colors.  It rose up, and she backed away briefly an unknown coiling welling up inside her, but something pushed her forward again.

“Wisdom is yours.  You shall know everything the moment you eat of the tree.  Your job to find every living thing and its purpose in the universe will be complete in an instant.  For you shall know everything.”  Soft and smooth, the serpent spoke.  Somehow not alarming although none of the other creatures ever spoke in the same manner she and Adam did.  But the longer she stood here the more the coiling sensation left.  Maybe she should find out more.  Maybe it would help.  Just maybe. 

Looking up she saw the branches heavy and ready to harvest.  Large bluish orbs the color of the night sky glistened with ripeness.  Without hesitation her hand reached out and felt the velvety skin of the fruit right in front of her.  She should be able to tell him all she could about it,  shouldn’t she?  How heavy it looked, but the only way to gage it would be to hold it.  The voice of the serpent spoke into her mind “pull it from the tree”.   And she did, the fruit filling the palm of her hand, yet surprisingly light for its size.  If she took a bite she would be able to tell him if it would be a food for them or for the animals, as some plants seemed more for one than the other.  After all, they were to categorize everything.  Her lips touched the velvet smooth skin and her teeth bit into the softness of its flesh.  A bitter sweet juice filled her mouth.  Looking down Eve’s heart began racing, the fresh fruit was rotting in her hand.  Rancid sourness met her tongue and she tried spewing everything from her mouth.  A pain hit her stomach and she sunk to the ground unable to move. 

That’s where he found her.  Lying at the base of the forbidden tree.  His mind whirled.  Why was she there, they never came here, there was no reason to, no purpose in it.  Running to her, confused at the contorted look on her face, one he’d never seen nor recognized.  Her eyes opened, and filled with water, at the sight of his face.  Holding out her hand to him she revealed a piece of rotting fruit.  Looking back to her face, he shook his head.  No, he thought, no she didn’t eat it.  She wouldn’t, she knows not too.  But his eyes beheld the truth.

“I thought to eat of it for food, I thought it would be a good thing, I thought to bring you new knowledge.”  She whispered.  Listening with disbelief, he took the fruit from her hand.  Perhaps if he ate of it then God would spare her, perhaps He would believe that he, Adam, was at fault.  Perhaps he could save her.  Gagging at the smell of the fruit he brought it to his mouth and bit into it. 

Everything in the Old Testament is supposed to be a reflection of what would happen in the New.  Adam a reflection of Jesus Christ to come, 1 Corinthians 15:45 So it is written:  “the first Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life giving spirit.”  And the thought of what if it wasn’t a seduction.?  A temptation on Eve’s part to get him to join her in sin, as often portrayed.  Have you ever had a loved one in a circumstance of their own doing because of the bad decisions they made,  which placed them in a place of hardship difficult to watch?  Have you ever wanted to take on that pain yourself just to make it a little easier for them?  I have.  I have wanted to take their place.  To make everything better.  To carry their load for them.  Of course, it doesn’t work that way.  Try as we might we can’t carry their sin, or their guilt, or the pain.  Only by their own repentance are they able to give it over to Jesus Christ, who alone can wash away their sin.  Is it plausible then  that perhaps she did not entice him.  Perhaps she merely held out her hand telling him of what she’d done and in his humanness he sought to take her sin upon himself and ease her suffering.  Adam, the reflection of Christ to come, could he have attempted to take Eve’s sins upon himself revealing the greater plan to come that Christ would take all our sins to the cross. 

Grace is a blanket.  A big one.  Have you ever fought over a blanket?  Those tug of wars when it’s too small to keep everybody comfortable and warm?  We have fifteen blankets in the bin downstairs because don’t anybody even think about sharing my blanket when I’m curled up on the sofa, get your own!  But grace isn’t like that.  Our actions, unfortunately affect more than just ourselves.  Sometimes we, including myself, hold onto our sin because of  how it affected others.  We sell grace short of the fact that His grace is sufficient for all.  His grace covers every part of the situation.  In that same way were Adam and Eve both covered, God did not just cover Adam and leave Eve to her mistake…see Genesis 3:21…but he covered them both.

Lastly, after the mistake.  Despite the fact that they were told how they were to endure the pain and suffering of life (Genesis 3:16-19)  Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.  She still had purpose, value, and place in the plan of God.  A mistake does not define us, it does not define our purpose,  it most certainly does not define God’s will for us.  He always intended for Eve to be the mother of all living, it’s what he created her to be and we find that is still who she became.

 God’s plan can and will still be found in our lives despite our flaws, despite our mess ups, despite the fact that we are imperfect.   

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3&version=NKJV

One Who Helps

Hot.  So hot.  They had been clearing this bit of ground for 3 days and still rocks were everywhere.  She was sick of rocks, and of hearing Adam’s plan to grow the plants they learned would take away the sensation they now recognized as hunger. She reached down to pick up the next rock and stumbled to the ground.  Unhurt, she remained seated, and looking ahead she made out the broad shoulders of Adam intent on his work.  Just a moment she thought, I’ll rest for just a moment and if he says anything well maybe I’ll just throw one of these rocks his way, she grinned, imagining his response to the action.  Leaning back, she covered her face, attempting to keep the sun from her already burnt skin.  Closing her eyes she could feel the warmth of her breath against her check.  Her ears roared, remembering the day, that very first day when she felt the warmth of her first breath fill her body.  Her ears had roared that day, with sounds as loud as the waves of the river crashing on the banks during a storm.  And then the roar stopped suddenly, as her eyes flew open revealing a perfect blue sky.  Her chest had expanded with an intense warmth until the pressure, threatening to burst from the inside, at last gave way to the wind that parted her lips.  That’s when she first saw him.  Piercing brown eyes looking into her soul, revealed everything all at once.  Without words, she knew everything in an instant.  Knew who he was, how he was formed from the earth by the living God who breathed life into him, how that same God had made everything, including her, how he communed with God in the cool of the day, and what purpose her life held.  Help, he needed her and God had granted him an helpmeet.  Raising her to her feet, she looked up and saw the expanse of an ocean the green of life a backdrop to its vastness.  Suddenly, the vision vanished and she looked up to see the same piercing eyes looking at her with concern. 

            “We can stop for today, if we need to” he spoke helping her to stand.  Looking around she couldn’t help but see the difference.  A brown desert wasteland, with only small spots of patchy green, filled the space as far as she could see in any direction. He took her hand, his concern making her fill the tiniest bit guilty for her thoughts of hurling rocks at his head.  Help him, her conscious spoke clearly, you are to help him.

            Shaking her hand gently she replied, “No, it’s okay. I’m okay.  Let us continue on the work until the sun is a little farther down in the sky.” And side by side they continued their work, together.

 

Eve. What can we learn and see about the woman everybody seems to want to shake a finger at?

Genesis 1:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Alone. I admittedly hate being alone. Especially at night, when darkness falls and my imagination creates wild things out of every sound and shadow. But it wasn’t just because Adam needed the security of a companion because he had night time fears, he had been given work to do, even in his perfect Paradise and he needed help. Hold it, there’s a thought. Even when we have worked to find exactly where God wants us to be, we have to keep working? Yes. Living for God IS working for HIM, it does require effort. But THANK YOU Jesus, he will not leave you alone in that work. I believe just a God created Eve as an helpmeet for Adam, he has created us as helpmeets for one another. Perhaps God is placing you in a workplace, or as a neighbor, or in a family situation, or simply as a friend but be assured He is positioning you somewhere to be a helpmeet for someone.

Now, I know many of us are aware of the next chapters where weak Eve is persuaded to disobey. But let’s stop. Before we get there, to the part where mistakes are made in life, and if we let them can define our very existence. Today let’s focus on our purpose in creation, on Eve’s purpose. To be an helpmeet. The simplest definition of helpmeet is “one who helps”. Help, as defined by Merriam- Webster, is a verb, an action: to do something that makes it easier for someone to do a job: to make something less severe or more pleasant/easier to deal with: to aid or assist someone. Whichever way you choose to look at it, help is what woman was created to do. Ask yourself a very simple question, how can I help?

Read Genesis 1 & 2 NKJV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1-2&version=NKJV

  

A little basket

     Her hand trembled as she brushed the last of the dark pitch across the small basket.  Is it enough? she wondered surveying her work.  How many other baskets had she made over the years, overlain with pitch to hold the water in as she carried it from the river.  But this time, there needed to be enough of the dark substance to keep the water out.  Thoughts of water filling the basket caused her to drop the brush, the sound of it hitting the dirt floor filled the silence of the room.  Covering her face she prayed, Oh, Lord God Jehovah, why why have you brought your people to this time.  How Great One, how can you ask this of me?
      "Wife," the worried voice of her husband Amram interrupted her thoughts, "you must go now.  Soldiers have begun to search this quarter."  As he spoke he went to children sleeping in the corner.  "Miriam," he whispered, shaking the slim shoulder of his young daughter. Waking, she turned, revealing a small bundle her form had been hiding.  Amram gently drew the bundle to him, and paused a moment as if willing time to just stand still.  Then without hesitation he stood and quickly placed the tightly bound cloths in the basket.  Little eyes, closed for now, revealed a sleeping infant oblivious to the world around him.
     "Amram, are you sure? I don't know if I can do this."  Jochebed gripped her husbands arm in desperation, hoping some other plan had come to his mind.
     "I am sure.  We have already decided.  Better to give him to God and the river than see his blood on the tip of an Egyptian sword.  Now, go swiftly, they will be here soon."  Amram closed the basket and firmly drew his wife to the door.  Laying his hand on top of hers, he held her gaze steadfast, "We give back unto God what he has given to us. Do not hesitate to do what has been instructed."
     Jochebed nodded mutely and looked away searching for words but as she did so a scream rose up in the corridor just beyond their small hovel.  A grief stricken scream.  The scream of a mother whose infant son was found and murdered.  With one last glance at Amram she fled from their home.  Making her way in the shadows, she held tightly to the basket, her feet flying stealthily through the night by some miracle.  Hearing footsteps she drew herself into a doorway and paused.  Small Miriam's face appeared and without a word Jochebed drew the girl to her side and together they moved towards the rivers edge.
     Sounds came from all over the quarter now as homes were invaded and searched.  Pharaoh's soldiers seeking out any infant male children, murdering them in front of their parents, in an attempt to lessen the growing number of Israelite slaves for fear they might overthrow their captors.  Swiftly, as if carried by angels wings, they continued their journey away from what lay behind them.  Soon they were rewarded with the sounds of water as it trickled slowly over the rocks and through the reeds, it's peaceful serenity a contrast to the horror just beyond it's shores.  Jochebed slowed, her eyes looking keenly for signs of the river creatures hiding just below the waters surface, their yellow eyes the only clue to their presence.  They could mean certain death for herself and Miriam as well as destruction to the small basket in her arms.  Breathing a sigh of relief at seeing none of the horrible beasts, she found a place close to the waters edge where tall reeds blowing in the wind hid their presence.  Unable to resist, she opened the basket, to gaze a final time upon her sleeping baby.  Brushing his cheek, she remembered Amrams words, this was God's baby now.  Her mothers heart squeezed inside her chest and began to beat madly.  How had Father Abraham been able to do it? she questioned, remembering her lineage and the history of her people.  Abraham had been called upon by God to sacrifice his only son.  Had Sarah, the wife of Abraham known?  Jochebed wondered and just as quickly knew that the mother so long ago had also been asked of the Lord if she trusted her husband as well as her God.  "Help me to trust in thee, O Lord God of Abraham and Sarah.  Just as they trusted in you."  Tears mingled with her words, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke.  For a moment the wind ceased and peace surrounded the three figures hidden from sight.
    "Mama, God says to remember He made a way.  Don't you remember the story of Father Abraham?  God provided a way with the ram caught in the bushes."  Miriams clear bell like voice spoke into her mother's heart.  Jochebed looked with surprise at her daughter, had YWYH just spoken to her through the voice of her child?  Knowing time ran on to quickly, she placed a kiss on the infant sleeping soundly, thanks to the herbs placed on his tongue.  She filled her mind with one last look and closed the lid.
     "Make a way God of Abraham."  Jochebed prayed one final prayer giving the basket a small push into the current of the river.  As the basket began to float away she felt a nudging at her heart.  "Follow it Miriam, until you can't see it anymore.  You are small, stay hidden.  When you can't see it anymore, come home and tell me where you saw it last." Miriam wordlessly left her side, the absence of her presence leaving Jochebed cold.

Has God ever asked you to do something that seemed like more than you could handle?Something you actually fought against Him, like Jonah perhaps running the other way, because you really didn't want to obey His voice.  As I study the life of Moses, the initial sacrifice of His mother and father keeps playing over and over in my head.  I'm sure there were many families who hid their children in an effort to save their lives from Pharaoh's decree at that time.  But hiding them wasn't enough.  Were there others who like Jochebed and Amram, instructed of the Lord to give their sons back to Him in a measure of faith.  We read of Jochebed because her infant of course grew into the patriarch Moses, but knowing God I don't question He also made a way for many of His Israelite sons.  But oh the sacrifice of those mothers and fathers.  

I don't doubt that in my walk with Christ I will be called to make sacrifices.  In my short thirty-four years I have already had to make many.  I have learned how weak I really am in those moments. How powerless I am.  We are wired to control, and boy do we try.  To control EVERYTHING. And it is this control I realize we have to give up first and foremost.  If we can loose ourselves of the control we think we have then all other decisions are so much easier to turn over to God. No matter how big or how small the sacrifice is, when I can realize--God's got this, I can rest knowing His ways are higher than my ways, His thoughts are higher than my thoughts, as stated in the book of Isaiah. Not only that, but His thoughts are not to harm us, ever, even when faced with a challenge we don't think we can bear, the Word says in Jeremiah His thought is to give us peace and hope and a future in Him.  

As we read of Jochebed and Amram being called to sacrifice their child's life into the trust of the Lord, as a parent I can't think of too many greater challenges than this.  But it is what I am called to do.  I have been called for a little while to train up my child in the way he should go, Proverbs 22:6.  And then trust in God.  What are you being called to trust God with today?Finances, a job, a calling, your time, the health of a loved one.  How grateful I am that I can be weak in those moments of uncertainty, for it is in my moment of weakness that He is strongest. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  It is the moments of letting go that we are able to truly let Him guide our footsteps.  

Today, I pray for more of Him and less of me.  For more of his guidance and less of my plans.  For His dreams to become mine.  Today my oldest son turned thirteen.  My challenge this morning has been to truly given him back to God.  To know I have trained him, and will continue to do so, but that God will guide him to His will.  The same way He guided a little basket down a river, to an expected future that would save His people. 

     Jochebed, knelt by the fire making the final preparations for the evening meal.  She knew today she wouldn't be able to eat, but her husband and son would be home soon needing nourishment after a harsh day of slave labor .  She wasn't sure when she would be able to eat again.  Pain in her chest reminded her that she would soon have to express some of the mother's milk from her body until  it came no more.  Sounds of a horse and chariot drew her attention to the doorway.  
     "Mother,"  came Miriams excited cry.  Jochebed rushed to her daughter, scared she had been captured in the quest she bid her to take that day, but Miriam straightened herself and spoke with a calm past her years. "Mother, you are needed at the palace.  The princess says the river gods gave her a baby and they are looking for a wet nurse for the new prince.  I told them I knew where to find one."  Miriam's eyes twinkled as she flashed a look hidden from everyone else.  
     "Stay here.  See to your father and brother.  I will return."   Jochebed spoke in a daze, trying to comprehend what her daughter was really saying.  Climbing into the chariot, the same soldiers she had feared would take the life of her son now carried her back to him, by royal request.  It all happened so quickly.  She was taken to the palace, to the rooms of the princess, and there surrounded by a court of royal women lay her infant son.  The women chattered away in Egyptian, not even noticing her for some time until one by one they were dismissed leaving her alone with a princess.  No one could deny her beauty, standing there in Egyptian linen with no adornment other than a gold circlet around her head, her soft skin glowing against the backdrop of the setting sun.  Surprising Jochebed, the princess spoke, in the language of the slaves.  
     "I am a mother in need of milk, and you are a mother in need of a child.  Serve me well and serve this prince well and you will be rewarded." as she spoke she lay the infant in Jochebed's arms.  Jochebed looked into the other woman's eyes and their stations in life melted away.  Their eyes spoke beyond race, beyond riches, beyond fame.  Their eyes spoke a mutual language of love, a mutual language of women.  She knows, thought Jochebed.  The words would never be spoken aloud, but as Jochebed kneeled before the princess in gratitude she knew the princess knew her to be this child's mother. She also realized the princess was risking her own life in defying her father to save the life of this child.  In an instant they were closer than any sister Jochebed ever had.  God connected them. God had given a mothers love to the daughter of Pharaoh. Jochebed knew this woman would protect her son.  Reaching down, the princess held the baby's hand and said one word, "Moses."  

Imperfection

She held the baby close, breathing in the smell of his sweetness as her nose brushed an impossibly soft cheek.  Watching him sleep she wondered to herself, could there be anything more perfect?  Her heart swelled with love, and deep inside her she knew no matter what the future brought that this love would never leave her heart.  In that moment she was bound forever to this tiny boy, sleeping blissfully, unaware of a world other than his mothers arms.  

Have you ever pondered the meaning of perfection?  So much of our lives are spent attempting to gain perfection in our homes, our relationships, our jobs, our hobbies, in simply everything we do.  It is this drive for perfection that perhaps causes us to miss out on other things going on around us.  We become so focused on making something perfect that everything else fades in the background.  What we strive for might be different things, but we are all striving for perfection in some area of our lives.  And it is exhausting.  I'm not saying we shouldn't do our best, do no misunderstand.  I'm simply challenging us all to perhaps look at areas where we are striving to be perfect and perhaps reevaluate what PERFECT really is.  

I struggle with this daily as a wife and mother.  In my eyes a perfect wife will have a spotless home, laundry clean-folded-and put away, healthy organic snacks readily available,  a good supper on the table, appointments made and kept accordingly, children well behaved-happy-healthy-and clean, and do you get the picture?  While my husband has frequently made a point to say I worry way too much about all that stuff.  He wants a kiss when he walks in the door, food-any kind really-in the cabinet, and a bed to sleep in.  It has taken me a long time to learn how to be less like the perfect wife in my head and more like the perfect wife in his.  I must be truthful and say I still hold myself to many of the standards above, my mother taught me well, but I have learned how to let go (eh hem most of the time) when things don't measure up where I think they should be.  

Spiritually, it should come as no surprise, we also seek perfection.  After all, we are called to Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37:37. It can seem a daunting task to be a "perfect" Christian.  Dear reader, here is my revelation for this day, and the next when you and I once again miss the mark at being perfect.  You don't have to be perfect TO BE perfect!  I know right, amazing thought.  A point others have realized before me, and one we have to realize again and again on a frequent basis.  

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses reviews the commandments of God with the Israelite people. In chapter 18:13 he states Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.  This scripture follows instructions to the people telling them not to follow the ways or religions of others around them.  The instruction here was not to be faultless but to be sincere, to be upright.  To not be fake, to not seek after instruction from someone other than God, but to be free from pretense or deceit, proceeding from genuine feelings which is to be sincere according to Miriam Webster. 

God knows we are not perfect.  And does He.  But as a mother looks down on the perfection of her newborn child, so does God look upon us.  As that child grows the imperfections of being human reveal themselves, but true love in a parent loves despite the imperfections.  God not only loves us despite ourselves, but He provides a way for us to experience perfection.   Here is the glorious, wonderful, fabulous little tidbit to never forget.  1 John chapter 4 tells us God is love.  If we dwell in love we dwell in God.  Herein is our love made perfect.  Therefore, if we love God we love our brethren also.  If I am able to love those around me despite their flaws, if I am able to be sincere with them, and show them genuine love, if I am able to love my enemies and do good to those who hate me then I find perfection in Christ. Matthew 5:48.  

What promise we are given when we seek after this type of perfection.  2 Chronicles 16:9  says The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him.  God's peace and love shall be with you 2 Corinthians 13:11.  So today, and the next, instead of attempting to make yourself into a model of perfection, that you will never achieve-that will exhaust you, instead be real.  Be yourself, be sincere. And above all, learn to love.  And if that task is difficult pray to the one who first loved you, despite every little thing about you that is not perfect. 

Dwell in love and you dwell IN perfection despite your IMperfections.  

The Standard

Time chased her, every precious second propelled her forward, knowing that those seconds meant life to the ones she loved.  Her feet barely touched the ground as she hastened toward Moses' tent.  All around her wails of grief rose to a feverish pitch, but she refused to acknowledge them.  Not now.  She had spent the last three days tending to the sick, watching the venom slowly drain the life blood from each one.  Snake venom.  Snakes with red eyes, their eyes being the only alert to their presence, their dust colored scales blending into the desert sand keeping them hidden until it was too late.  At first the venom appeared to do no harm, but mild fevers of two days rose in the night.  Rose to deathly heights, and now the cloud of death spiraled through the camp.  Many of the creatures were killed, but now there were too many too number, too many to avoid, too many to doubt they were punishment from God.  Zipporah halted, a wall of people preventing her from going any farther.  Raising her eyes she could just see the top of Moses' tent.  Voices mixed with anger and sorrow filled the air, their meanings drowned out by the number of them.  Ignoring her own fear, growing in the pit of her stomach, she pushed onward determined to get to that tent but with every step forward she was pushed back two.  Panic began to rise , as the crowd surged, overwhelming her and pushing her back farther still, until she lost her footing and fell to her knees.  NO.  God of Moses, help me.  And the wave stopped.  Voices quieted.  Looking up she watched as the wall of people opened up, revealing a clear path to the tent of Moses.  A man strode toward her.  A man she knew but her mind too busy to think of his name.  He reached down, pulling her gently up.

"Joshua," she said, remembering.

"Make way," he spoke with a calmness surreal to the moment.  "Make way for the wife of Moses."

In Numbers 21 we find an account of the Israelites once again complaining that God delivered them from Egypt.  They felt their plight in the desert was worse than the slavery they had endured, already taking for granted the freedom given them.  And forgetting the sovereignty of God.  God, in his right, sent fiery serpents among the Israelites, and it is recorded that after bitten many died.  Now whether or not the serpents just bit the unbelievers it doesn't say, and I'm inclined to think the serpents did not take time to determine the innocence of their prey. Most likely the serpents were a natural inhabitant of the desert that God used to perform His will, not some supernatural demon serpents cast down from the heavens, although He of course could cause that to happen as well.  Therefore, just like with so many things today, the serpents bit the unjust and the just.  I can't imagine living in the wilderness, I can't imagine feeling so hungry and lost I would rather be a slave, I can't imagine experiencing any of the things the Israelites faced.  Like many of us are or have been, including myself, many  were stubborn and rebellious and doubted God.  There doubt, and actions, created consequences to everyone around them.  Just like our actions, whether we want them to or not, affect those around us not just we ourselves.  At any rate, where am I going with this?  Well, read on.

Zipporah made her way into the tent, Joshua standing guard at his usual post outside.  Darkness enveloped her and for a moment she groped trying to find her way.  Moans, pitiful and quiet, made their way to her ears and guided her to a form prostrate on the ground. 

"Oh, Moses."  She whispered dropping to her knees beside him, the weight he felt pressing her down as well.

"God, my God.  Why hast though forsaken thy people?  I know they are stiff necked, I know they don't deserve your mercy.  But, I cry out in their place, I cry out for mercy."  Moses sobs wracked his body, his words barely audible.

Stroking his hair, Zipporah cried.  Hot tears she had not felt in many, many years.  Tears of anguish as the one she cherished suffered for a people who did not seem to care.  Tears of bitterness as she realized his love for that people took precedence over his love for anyone else, including his family, including her.  Only his love for His God triumphed over the passion he felt for the Israelites.  A passion that drove him from his home, from his children, from her arms.  A passion that had cost him his youth, his health, his happiness.  Oh!  How undeserving these Israelites.  She cried over him a while but the reason for her coming had not been to see Moses, or to weep and pray with him.  She was much more selfish than that and God had not given her the passion to love the Israelites more than her own family.

"Moses," she spoke.  "I need your help, you must come quickly."

Moses looked up, his tears continuously flowing as if permanent rivers into his beard.  Once youthful and bright, his eyes looked dully out at her, understanding of time and place nonexistent, instead holding a look of a place far from reality.  "O God, my God,"  he began to pray again.

"Moses, look at me, hear me.  Listen to me."  Zipporah clasped his face with her hands, willing him to look at her with his vacant eyes. 

"How can I when my people are perishing with every moment.  What cause can be greater than this?"  he questioned, once again placing the needs of the Israelites before her. 

"Not people, Moses,"  she repeated calmly, long ago learning it would do no good to respond with the anger she felt.  "Your son, your grandson.  Gershom, your first born, Eliezer his first born.  They have been infected, just this morning.  Moses they will die like all the others.  You must come and pray over them, God will hear you, he will listen to your voice."  She could not stop the pleading that crept into her tone, or the sob that wrenched from her throat at the names of her precious son and grandson.

"Do you think their plight worse than those around them?  All the encampment has been flooded with the consequence of their murmurings against God.  Are they any different than those I pray over now?" His grief poured out of him, a well unleashed.

"Moses, Moses.  You won't even go to them.  You won't even entreat God specifically for your own son?"  Her disbelief rang in her own ears, as well as defeat in the knowledge that nothing she could say would sway him.  With a final sob, she rose to her feet, stumbling through the darkness to find her way out.  Moses' prayers for Israel continuing behind her.  She didn't care about Israel, she didn't care about these stupid people who wanted to return to their land of bondage, she didn't care about this nation who had robbed her of a husband, all that mattered to her, all that was left to her of her life with Moses was her sons, and the children born to them.  Children she poured all of herself into, children she lived for, children she would die for.  She felt overwhelmed by that flood of consequences, the flood of consequences these stubborn people never seemed to learn from.  She would go to them.  She would fight for their lives with everything in her, but even as she fought her way back to their beds she knew nothing except the God of Moses could save her children.  Her fear was, what it had always been, that only Moses could reach that God.

Have you ever been there?  Where Zipporah was, overwhelmed and afraid that your prayers aren't heard by God. Angry at circumstances out of your control, and powerless to change them.  Working with all of your might to fix a problem, that deep down you realize is much bigger than you are.  I have.  I have felt so overwhelmed in floods of circumstances that I thought I would drown, when all I could do was fight to keep my head above water.  Alone, even though I wasn't, my prayers seemed as empty shells returning void.  In a message recently given at our church (last night to be exact),  God reminded me again that there are some battles we simply can't fight.  Some battles that are simply WAY bigger than we are.  It's not a new message, it's one I have heard before, as I am sure many of you have as well.  But this time it struck a chord, one deep down in my heart. 

When we attempt to fix problems and fight battles way bigger than we are, well that's when things really get tough.  That's when perhaps we make the battle a little harder to handle.  Isaiah 59:19 states, When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.  Last night I learned a new concept of what that standard is.  A standard is a military term.  A signal, or a symbol, or a call to a specific  part of the army to act.  In battle when it was time for the archers, the standard for archery was given indicating for them to step forward and shoot their arrows.  When time for the Calvary to charge, the standard for the Calvary was raised so that all knew it was time to go into battle.  A standard held great importance.  It kept everything organized.  It is what won battles.  If the components of the army simply acted whenever they wanted crucial elements of time in a battle were missed and would cost them the victory.  Spiritually speaking, God is our commander in chief.  He can see the battle above where we are.  When it appears that the enemy is overtaking us he raises up a spiritual standard to fight the battle raging in our life.  The key is He knows which standard to call in.  He knows how to fight this battle and so often we charge in before he has lifted the standard to give us the wisdom or knowledge we need to face the situation.  Or the ability to sit still, while he does the work. I admit this is hardest for me.  Someone once referred to me as a "Martha", it both complimented and checked me as I do want to work hard for the Lord, but I don't want to be working so hard that I don't take the time to remember what this is all about.  That I don't take the time to sit at his feet and give him the adoration he is due.  That I don't step in and try to do God's job and fix problems way out of my league.

That's where we find Zipporah.  Did this actually happen.  Maybe...maybe not.  But the Israelites did face this and it is certain that many felt just as we would today.  Overwhelmed, alone, and afraid, just as I am portraying Zipporah.

Two days had past.  Two agonizing days.  Zipporah used all of her skill to fight the venom even now robbing the life from her son and grandson.  Every herbal remedy, every concoction taught her, she used.  She had prayed too.  She had prayed feverishly while she worked, that God would grant her the lives of these two.  Hadn't she sacrificed enough in his name?  Hadn't she sacrificed her husband to his will?  Oh yes, she had prayed.  Sometimes in anger, sometimes in frustration, sometimes without thought. It didn't seem to matter, her prayers didn't seem to be heard anyway, and her children were dying in front of her eyes. 

"God, Oh God," she cried out her small grandson's breaths became shallow.  Broken at last.  Her work spent, she had nothing left to try.  "God, I can't do it.  I can't fight this.  I am not able.  I need you, they need you.  You, oh God who can part a sea, who can send food from heaven, who have written your word on tablets of stone.  Hear this mother, if they can't be saved let me die also, for I can't bear it."   Her words came, but still she worked.  Laying a had to Gershom's head she knew the fever was rising to dangerous heights.  She removed his poultice and place another in it's place, willing him to breathe.  As she turned to replace the cloth made hot with his fever, she jumped startled at the sight of Moses.  So busy she had been, she hadn't heard him enter the room.

"Sit still Zipporah.  This is a battle for the Lord."  Moses commanded, without looking at her.  He strode to Gershom's bedside, holding a staff topped with a brazen serpent, it's ruby eyes flashed red as it's living counterpart. 

"Gershom,"  Moses spoke softly, lifting up the head of his grown child.  "Gershom, behold the serpent.  God has raised up a standard for us, he has heard our prayers, his standard brings life." 

Gershom's eyes, glazed with fever, opened to the voice of his father.  His eyes fell upon the brass serpent, and instantly the fever left him.  "Father," he rasped, his voice weak only from the dehydration his body had suffered.  "Father, I have been in a nightmare.  In the darkness were there was only fire."  Gershom's face held his fear. 

"Fear no longer, my son, the battle is over.  The fire is quenched, the standard of the Lord has been raised."  Moses spoke, for a moment holding his son close, as he did when he was a child.   Quickly they brought the staff to Eliezer and Gershom spoke the same words to his son.  The child opened his eyes and sat up quickly, his mischievous nature returning to his smile as if it had never left. 

"Savta," he cried out to his grandmother, Zipporah.

Zipporah, standing the entire time in the shadows had no words.  She rushed to her grandson, gathering him in her arms, smelling the sweet scent of his hair upon her cheek, the scent of death completely gone from him.  She turned as Moses made ready to leave. 

"I have to go." He spoke with the same certainty when God had called him back to Egypt, and forever changed the course of their lives. 

He touched her hand briefly, the first contact in more years than she could remember.  His look holding the love she thought forgotten through the years.  It held no promise, no indication that things would change.  He was a prophet of God, his work transcended his earthly life.  He was not meant to be an ordinary man, purposed only to provide for his family.  He served God above all else.  And she was his wife.  God called her to that, knowing her to be strong enough to bear the sacrifice. 

As he left she realized he came to their home first.  God instructed him to save his family first.  Her heart burst with the love of God as in that moment He promised her Moses would return when his work was done.  Not on this day, or the next, but when his calling in this life was complete, his work finished, God would bring them back together for a moment of peace.

Although the Israelites were cursed by God as a consequence to their murmurings, God still raised up a standard for them as a result of the prayers of Moses(Numbers 21:7).  The Israelites faced a spiritual battle with their doubt and unbelief and only by expressing belief when they viewed the brazen serpent would they find life.  Viewing that brazen serpent sent out a message to the forces at play, announcing we believe, we believe in the One, True God. 

As we look farther into the Word we find in John 3:14 and 15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  Ultimately Jesus is our standard.  He is the standard we raise when the enemy comes in like a flood.  His blood has covered us, through our weakness He is made strong, He will fight our battles.  If you find yourself in the middle of a war, maybe a personal one, or one for a loved one.  Remember sometimes we have to stand still, put on our strength, raise the standard of Jesus and He will fight our battle.

Blessings,
Laura

P.S.  Thank you for allowing me to take poetic justice with very real people, who existed, whose lives we only get a glimpse of when we read the Word, but who all had emotions and fought the same battles we face today.

With You

    Swaying violently, the ship appeared to be loosing it's battle with the sea.  Men struggled with the sail, working feverishly to keep the boat upright in the midst of the sudden storm.  Voices hollered out, their words lost in the wind, adding to the chaos.  One man, clinging to the side of the impossibly small vessel, made his way to the bow of the boat.  Waves crashed upon him, claiming his breath and his footing.  For a moment he stopped, seeming to surrender to the fight nature had unleashed.  What had went wrong?  It should have been an easy journey.  Only a few hours maybe.  How did a simple trip across the sea turn into such a nightmare?

     I am a Physical Therapist Assistant at a local hospital.  I am blessed because even though I am not Catholic, the hospital is a Catholic organization and so prayer and God are a daily part of the hospital's workings.  This week as I went through the motions of my job, which I love by the way, God spoke to me through a patient. 
     "I'm going to walk today," she said, "and I'm not going to cry."  Her previous session with another therapist had ended when her emotions overcame her and she couldn't continue.
       "Let's do it!" I said, praying silently her pain would not become too excruciating to stop her from reaching her goal. 
      As I helped her feeble body, modifying the task as best I could to ease her discomfort, she looked straight into my eyes and said, "There is a reason, there is a reason God is allowing me to go through this." 
     Her eyes began to fill up with tears as my heart filled with compassion.  Assure her.  That unmistakable prompting from God caused me to take a moment to stop our session.  I reached for her hand, my own eyes welling up as I held the fingers so distorted with arthritis.  Taking a deep breath, I let the words being formed in my mind speak to both our hearts, "God wants you to remember, when a storm blows in, storms of life that happen suddenly and don't make sense, he is with you.  You are never alone.  He is with you."
     "And that is why I am not going to cry," she said, her eyes glistening and head held high.  We then proceeded to walk quadruple the distance she had managed the previous day, laughing while her family related stories, telling of the spryness and strength of their matriarch.
      I left her room with a smile on both our lips and a lighter heart.  I know we are told often about how close God is to us, but I know sometimes I forget that and allow small things to steal a little of my joy.  In study I came across one of my "strength building" passages.  Matthew 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink: nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment...verse 32 ...for your heavenly Father knoweth ye have need of all these things...  verse33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you...  verse 34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

     Finally reaching the bow, the man reached down with one hand, shaking the form lying miraculously still in the bow of the boat.  A face peered calmly at him, not seeming to mind the torrential downpour from the sea and rain.  "Master," the man hollered, " how can you sleep?  We will surely die in this storm."  A wave came crashing in causing him to release his grip on the side of the boat.  He felt his body lifted up as he allowed the sea to take him, the strength to fight gone from him.  Suddenly he was righted, and a hand tied a rope firmly around his waist, securing him to the boat.  He watched as the man he called Master stood, seemingly unaffected by the storm.
     With hand outstretched his Master spoke, his words quiet, authoritative, and amazingly audible "Peace, be still."
     In the space of a moment the storm ceased, as suddenly as it began.  Waters relaxed and lapped quietly against the side of the boat.  Still holding firmly to his life saving rope, the man felt a mixture of awe and fear.  Sensing his companions coming along side him, he knew they too were spell bound watching the Master of the wind and sea. 
    Turning, eyes of compassion and understanding greeted his, as his Master questioned,  "Where is your faith?" 
      It was not a rebuke.  Merely a call to belief.  A call to understand.  A call to recognize the Master of the World. 
     Shaking, the man bent his head, realization assuring his heart.  Doubt washed away with the storm.  For before him stood the Messiah.

     Today my prayer is that I never fail to recognize that God is in control of my life.  No matter what storms come my way.  Those that are spiritual, and those that are just part of life, all are in the hands of the Master. 
    

Order my Steps

     Hot did not begin to describe the unrelenting beating of the sun's rays.  No water, no trees, no rock, just sand as far as the eye could see.  No road or markings led in any direction.  A lone figure on the horizon fell, knees buckling under the weight of his circumstance. 
     "It is too much" he murmured, for he had not the strength to cry out.  I'm going to die here.
     NO.
     His head snapped up, looking for the voice shouting at him.  He found only sand.  Lowering his head, he felt the blazing heat sapping his remaining strength.
     GET UP.
     Fear renewed his strength and he leaped up, looking for the voice.  Laughing, he surveyed the desert.  Nothing had changed, still sand for miles.  I'm surely going mad.
     WALK.
     "I don't know which way to go."  His voice, barely audible, screamed his defeat.
     JUST WALK.
     And so he walked, with a strength not his own, in the direction his feet took him.

     How many times do we find ourselves wondering which way to go?   What decision to make?  Which choice is best?  Does it seem easier to make those decisions when our health, finances, and family are in order?  When the world is in our favor, those decisions don't seem as daunting and the consequences don't seem as significant. 
     Biblical thougt.  If Moses had to experience the desert before making the choice to reveal his identity, would he have chosen to remain a prince of Egypt?  Once cast in the desert, wandering in the sun, his flesh must have warred within him, questioning the decision he made, questioning the God who brought him to that moment. 
     How many times I have faced this same battle.  God I feel like I'm in the heat here, wandering, I don't know which way to go.  I don't know which way to step.  Surely it would be better if I just stopped. 
     And the still small voice of God says, "JUST WALK".
     Psalms tells us, the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.  It doesn't say what condition or in what place the righteous man is in, does it?  Today, if you find yourself in a desert or in a rose garden, remember your steps are ordered of the Lord, and even if it doesn't make sense, even if it seems unbearably hot, rest assured God knows where he is taking you.

     Years after coming out of the desert, Moses stood in awe of the Unnamed One's glory, at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Life far from the palace but full of a wealth he never dreamed possible.  Egypt's palace life ahad become a distant memory.  Today his feet led him down a path unknown but once again something propelled him forward.  Suddenly, a light blinded his eyes, and a wave of heat took his breath away.  Looking up, he beheld a bush a light with fire, yet there was no smoke for the bush did not burn. 
     MOSES.
     Dropping to his face, he wept, hearing once again the voice from the desert, onlythis time much louder and much stronger.  Certainty flood through him.  The God of his fathers had led him through the desert for this moment.

     You see, God has a plan for you.  He is guiding your footsteps through every situation, to bring you to a burning bush:  a revelation of his plan for your life.  Keep in the word.  Remain steadfast in prayer.  Make your decisions with confidence knowing God is ordering your steps.  Psalm 37:23.