Tuesday, September 21, 2010

You are Mine!

Last week I was reminded once again of how we belong to one another. As happens regularly, since our senior pastor’s name is Tim and my son-in-law Tim is youth pastor, people at church often distinguish between the two by saying “your Tim”. It happen again and at that moment my heart was warmed for “our Tim” and for who he is in my heart. Of course, there is also your mom, your daughter, or your husband meaning that in some way we are connected and belong together. I often refer to my daughters or grandkids as “my sweet girl” or my sweet Kelly with a heart that wants so much to relay words that indeed they belong to me, they are precious and I love them.


In Isaiah 43:1 the Lord says…
He who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel; “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name you are mine.

Later in vs. 4 he says:
You are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.


Too many times we take for granted our connections with people as well as with God. Just think of it, He who created you, O Jacob as well as He who created you “O Jeanie” and He who created everything that there is, says “you are mine”. I’ll have to tell you, I don’t mind being a name dropper. Hey, anyone who will listen, I am God’s child. He knows me by name, he knows my every thought and I am precious and honored in his sight. Hallelujah I am His!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Rolled Up Pant Legs

As any parent can tell you, when your child has a high fever it is pretty scary especially when it will not come down. The last thing in the world any parent wants to do is put them in a cool bath to take their temperature down. I remember many times, running the bath, starting out with a lukewarm water and gradually adding cooler water and here a child who is already shivering is made even more uncomfortable sitting in cold water. One of the things that usually happened when my kids had to take this “polar plunge“, was their Dad would roll up his pant legs and sit on the edge of the tub with his legs in the cool water. He would comfort them and try to keep them in the much needed cool bath until the fever started to come down. It seemed that when they saw their dad in the water with them it wasn’t so bad. He would gently pour water on their hot little bodies from his cupped hand. Finally their temp would come down and this little body would cool and be ready to be put back into bed.

As God from heaven looked upon his children he could see that they were suffering from sin. So he sent Jesus to roll up his pant legs and step into our cold world. He suffered what we suffered and enjoyed what we enjoy. He grimaced with a belly ache but smiled over the newness of a puppy. He understood temptation, he knew what it was like to get angry. He celebrated weddings and grieved at funerals. He had a mom and earthly father, he had siblings and all that come with family life. I’m sure he had aunts that kissed him when he didn’t want them to and uncles who wrestled with him. He got splinters in his fingers from the carpenter shop and on occasion, I’m sure, he hit his finger with the hammer. He came to our world knowing that he would have to die for our sins but he did it because of his love for us. He became a mere man so that we could see the love of the father.

My kids have grown up now so Larry doesn’t need to sit knee deep in cold water but many times I know he and I wish that life could be as simple as it was then. As parents, we still want to climb into our kid’s world and cheer them on. As much as we would love to bring them comfort nothing could compare to seeing the Heavenly Father roll up his pant legs and sit down to comfort His children as only He can.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Have You Been to the Mountain?




Poor Moses! He was called by God to go up on Mount Sinai and get instructions about how life would be for the Israelites after leaving the slavery of Egypt. While he was gone, the impatient Israelites got tired of waiting for him and took matters into their own hands. When Moses came down the mountain, he found a bunch of heathens dancing and worshiping a golden calf. God had written his commandments with his own hand on two tablets but after being in the very presence of God, Moses lost his temper and threw the tablets down and they broke into pieces. How could this happen? He had worshiped, sang hymns, praised God in a way that few had ever done. Yet, when he left the mountain and returned to the same problems that he had left he became angry as most of us would have. He had to deal with the same difficult people, he was appalled once again with the sin of the people, and the hope and peace he felt while on the mountain was gone.


I know how he felt, I just left a most wonderful place myself! It was my time with God. I found love there and I found a peace that surrounded me. I was warmed by the hope written in His Word and was propelled to move forward in God‘s strength. I find him there every morning when I am enveloped by the safety of His presence. I love to read about being in the cleft and covered with His hand, that he is my refuge and my strength. I love to think of myself flying as an eagle and not getting tired. Boy could I use that promise! I would love to stay there. The only problem is, I have to come down from the mountain. When my stay on the mountain is over the house still needs cleaned, difficult people are still difficult and I still get discouraged and frustrated and want to run right back.


Well, that is just what Moses did, he went up the mountain again. God wrote on the tablets again and again Moses made that trip back down the mountain. This time when he came down he was glowing and all the people noticed and knew that he had been with God. The Bible says that after that, every time he talked with God he had that same glow.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. Exodus 34:33


I don’t know, but I think Moses decided he was not going to descend the mountain again by himself, he was going to bring God down with him. He wanted to share the power of God, the love of the Father and to show everyone that he had been with Jehovah.


I don’t want to leave God on the mountain either, I want people to know that I have been with God. I don’t know that I want to glow as Moses did but I definitely want to share with everyone what God writes, not on tablets, but on my heart. I want others to know the love of God, the peace and joy that can surround us even in times of trouble. I want everyone to know that the cleft that he covers with His hand is made for all of us to take refuge in. Hallelujah the God of the mountain is still the God of the valley.