Category: Bible

Someone on an online forum I belong to recently asked this question: “How do we keep Jesus Christ and His birth at the center of our Christmas celebration?”  This really got me thinking and I pray that my response will bless you, too.

Growing up our family never went to church apart from going with my grandparents.  I wasn’t raised to pray or read the Bible and yet, my family celebrated Christmas.  We put up stockings and a Christmas tree and exchanged gifts and my parents played Santa just like everyone else.

By the time I was a teenager, I was an outspoken atheist that found pleasure in ridiculing and arguing with Christians.  So when I was in college, I questioned my parents about our Christmas festivities, asking them why we celebrated Christmas if we weren’t Christians.  I still wanted to exchange gifts (come on, who wouldn’t?), but I wished we would do it for New Years so that it wasn’t a religious event.  I don’t actually remember how this played out, but the point is that I knew that whatever we were doing wasn’t right.

Sadly, despite being a hard-hearted atheist, I really had no idea what Christianity was all about.  I did not understand that Christians believed that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and that Christmas was celebrated to remember the day He was born on earth to live as a man.  I also did not realize that Easter was the celebration of His resurrection from the dead after He had shed His blood on the cross to pay the penalty for man’s sin.

It was not until many heated debates with a Christian young man (who later became my husband) that I heard the good news of the gospel – that I could be forgiven and set free from my slavery to sin by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on my behalf.

So, with that background, let me encourage everyone how IMPORTANT it is to keep CHRIST at the focus of your Christmas celebrations.  That is certainly a good question to ask, but, at the same time, I fear that the question that’s being asked is actually the wrong question.  I think the real question, the better question, is this: HOW DO WE KEEP CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF OUR EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR LIFE?  This is really the heart of the matter because I think that as we keep our heart focused on Him, when we live and move and have our being in Him, then He will be guiding us away from the crazy busy commercialization of this holiday that has actually become more of a deterrent to our devotion to Jesus than an asset.

In response to the question – “How do we keep Christ at the center of Christmas,” the answer is to walk by faith and not by sight, to set our minds on things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.  Every advent activity needs to be evaluated by whether it is drawing your family closer to Jesus or pushing you farther away.

Yes, we festively decorate our home and Christmas tree.  Yes, we buy gifts for our children and other members of our family.  Yes, we drive around town and look at the pretty Christmas lights.

But, no, we don’t spend days and weeks putting up and taking down decorations.  We refuse to go into debt feeding our kids’ appetites for stuff and our own appetite to impress others with our earthly possessions. And, no, we do not attend a dozen holiday plays, cookie exchanges and Santa Claus festivals because truthfully they take our family’s eyes off the true GIFT of Jesus and just add busy-ness to our already full lives.

But, once again, these are not decisions that are made just for the Christmas advent season, these are decisions that we have to make each and every day.  Every day we have to choose for ourselves who we will serve and as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  This means walking daily deciding what God wants us to do that particular day and that particular week, rather than just saying, “Yes” to every fun opportunity that comes our way.

Truthfully, in my almost 20 years now of being a follower of Jesus Christ, I have learned that the Christian life is so much more than a list of do’s and don’ts, shoulds and shouldn’ts.  It really is a living relationship with the great Creator, the Ruler of the Universe and the Lord of my soul.  If the Lord is calling you to spend a month putting on a Christmas play for your neighbors, if the Lord is calling you to organize the cookie exchange to end all cookie exchanges, if the Lord is calling you to decorate your home in a thousand lights, then DO IT!  But, don’t do it to “keep up with the Joneses.”  Don’t do it because “everybody’s doing it.”

Truly, when you seek the Lord with all your heart, you will find Him.  Trust Him.  His Word is a light to Your feet.  Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

As for our family, here are some things we do that help us not lose Jesus in the midst of our Christmas celebration –

We limit ourselves to three gifts per child.  This limits not only the money, but also the time and energy, we spend on Christmas gifts.

Each of our four children choose a gift for each of their siblings and parents.  They use their own money that they have earned doing chores throughout the year to buy them.  This helps them focus on the giving, rather than just the receiving, of gifts.

My husband and I and our children give our gifts to the recipients, rather than taking our gifts.  This, too, helps to keep the focus on giving rather than receiving.

My husband and I try to have most of our gifts bought before December 1, so my mind is not being consumed by shopping.  The stress of finding “just the right gifts” was frequently enough to make me anxious and angry, not good for the Christmas spirit.

I have to commit myself to going to bed on time every night.  If it’s not done by 10:30, then it doesn’t need to be done.  Tomorrow is another day.  A tired mommy is a cranky mommy.

We enjoy sending Christmas letters – now via email – but try to keep the focus on the goodness of God and His sustaining grace.

We spread out opening gifts over several days or even weeks.  With two sets of out-of-town grandparents, plus aunts and uncles, plus our own family’s gifts, we wanted everyone’s gifts to receive the attention they deserved.  This means our kids might receive their gifts from us a week before Christmas, so that they can enjoy them and still appreciate the gifts from their grandparents they’ll receive on Christmas Eve.  Does this make sense?

We taught our kids from a young age that playing pretend is fun, but it’s just pretend.  God is real.  Santa is pretend.  We used to “play Santa” and do stockings and leave Santa cookies, but our kids knew the truth.  I know this is a big can of worms I’m opening here, but I believe God wants us to be truth bearers and I wanted my kids to know that Mommy always speaks the truth.  I want them to trust me, to know that I will not deceive them.  That does not mean that we can’t play pretend – but they know we are pretending.  Does this make sense?

Christmas morning we have family breakfast and worship before any gifts are opened.

And, yes, we do try to have daily prayer and scripture reading and discussion as a family.  But, this is not just for the advent season.  Why would we only read the Bible for the couple weeks before Christmas?  Jesus is not just the King of Christmas, He is the King every day of the year!

I love you guys and I pray that this is an encouragement to you.  I am in no way writing this to make you feel guilty about what you’re not doing.  No!  I am writing this because I’ve had to make it up as I go along for the last twenty years and I am grateful that the Lord has impressed this on me.

In His Service and In His Grip,

TWIG

“Again and again we will see places where we must yield up our rights,
as Jesus yielded up His for us. We shall have to see that the thing in
us that reacts so sharply to another’s selfishness and pride is simply
our own selfishness and pride, which we are unwilling to sacrifice. We
shall have to accept another’s ways and doings as God’s will for us
and meekly bend the neck to all God’s providences. That does not mean
that we must accept another’s selfishness as God’s will for him — far
from it — but only as God’s will for us.”

The Calvary Road
By Roy Hession
copyright 1990
page 74

“Do not let your adorning be external – the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear – but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.  For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.  And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” 1 Peter 3:3-6

Today let’s dig into those two words – gentle and quiet (ESV).  (KJV translates them as meek and quiet.)

That first word translated gentle or meek comes from the Greeks word “prays,” meaning mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness.  On the Blue Letter Bible website’s Outline of Biblical Usage, it is described thus:

Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time (Isa 41:17, Luk 18:1-8). Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will (Gal 5:23).

When I read this, it leaped off the page because of its context.  Read it again with me.  I am being subject to my own husband even when he is not obeying God’s word because my spirit is meek before God.  I am humble before God.  I trust GOD more than my own sense of what “seems right” to me.

This same word – Strong’s Number G4239 appears 3 other times in the New Testament, twice referring to Jesus Christ, our gentle and humble king.

• “”Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 ESV
• “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:29 ESV
• “”Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'”” – Matthew 21:5 ESV

That second word, translated quiet, is “hesychios” which in the Greek means quiet, tranquil or peaceable.

The only other time it is used in the New Testament is in 1 Timothy 2:2 where Paul is urging that prayers be made “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

For any of you that know me, being “quiet” is not high on my list of character traits.  I talk rather loudly and I talk rather a lot.  But, that doesn’t mean that my spirit cannot be gentle and quiet.

On occasion I’ve worried that I must speak in whispers or sit in silence in order to have the quiet spirit to which 1 Peter 3:4 is referring.  With further study, though, I am convinced that this gentle, meek, quiet, peaceable spirit is not so much based on volume or even quantity, as it is on the quality and nature of my speech and the hidden person of my heart.

Am I anxious?  Am I quarrelsome?  Am I irritable?

-or-

Am I joyful?  Am I humble?  Am I meek?

So, then, how exactly am I to adorn myself with this imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious?

Specifically, I display my gentle, quiet spirit by submitting (hypotasso = “appointed under” – see previous entry) myself to my own husband, even as Sarah obeyed (hypakouo = “hear under,” to listen, to harken to a command) Abraham, calling him lord.

Imagine my dismay when I discovered that this Greek word hypakouo is the very same word for obey found in Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents…”  This is also the same Greek word describing that the winds and the sea (Matthew 8:27) and even unclean spirits (Mark 1:27) obey Jesus.

We are being called to harken to our husband, to hear and obey him.  Yes, my children do have the freedom to discuss things with me and yes, I am called to be a good helpmate to my husband, but ultimately, I am being asked to submit myself under his authority over me and to obey his spoken word.  Is this easy?  No.  Will things sometimes not go as I would like?  Yes.  Is God sovereign?  Indeed.  Yes.

Lord, help me.  In my weakness, may Your strength be magnified and made manifest.  May Your kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven.  May You be glorified in my home, in my household, in my family as we submit ourselves to You and to one another and to those in authority over us.

To God be the glory.

TWIG

Dear Sisters,

In my November 15 blog entry regarding Ephesians 5:24 “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” I’d said I’d share more on my study of 1 Peter 3.  I apologize that it has taken me this long to type it out.  Please pray for me, I’m planning to have surgery on my right elbow on December 19 which will hopefully help with all the pain and difficulty I’ve been having with writing and typing.

So, when I was reading Ephesians 5:24 and saw that word “submits,” I wondered if it was the same (in the Greek) in 1 Peter 3.  Sure enough.  It was.

1 Peter 3:1 (ESV) – “Likewise, wives, be subject (hypotasso) to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey (apeitheo) the word, they may be won (kerdaino) without a word by the conduct of their wives.”

Apeitheo – not to allow one’s self to be persuaded, to refuse or withhold belief, to refuse belief and obedience, not to comply with.

Kerdaino – to gain, acquire.  To gain one to faith in Christ.

Listen, these wives are being told to submit to their own husbands – even (or especially) the ones who do not believe, comply with, obey God’s Word.

Let me tell it like it is.  You know, for me, when my husband is being a godly, humble, patient, loving, servant leader, it is a joy for me to submit to him … but what about the times when he isn’t.  The times when he’s being selfish? Childish? Careless?

Yep.  Even then.  I am told to submit to him even in those times.  In fact, those are the times when I need to be praying fervently for strength and wisdom.  Those are the times when I must walk by the spirit and not by the lusts of my flesh.  Those are the times when I need to display as the following verse references my “respectful and pure conduct.”

One more thing – in the King James Version, 1 Peter 3:1 is translated like this:

“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation (this word means conduct, not speech) of the wives.”

Did you catch it?  In the KJV both times the Greek word is translated to phrase is “the word” while in the ESV it is “the word” the first time and “a word” the second time.
As I understand it, there is no indefinite article (“a”) in Greek.  In the original Greek, both of these are simply written as “logos” so we cannot be certain whether it is “a word” or “the word.”  And, do you know what?  They BOTH make sense.  Our husbands might be won without THE word, but they may also be won without A word from our mouths.  But it both ways, it is our respectful & pure (chaste) conduct which wins them.

This brings us to 1 Peter 3:2 “when they see your respectful and pure conduct.“

This verse was unremarkable until I looked it up in the Greek.  Any guess what the Greek word translated “respectful” is?  PHOBOS.  Yes.  Phobos – fear, dread, terror … revererence.  Look back at my previous entry on Ephesians 5 on this word “phobos.”  Wow – another agreement between these two passages of 1 Peter 3 and Ephesians 5.

And how about that word “pure?”  This is “hagnos” in Greek, meaning “exciting reverence, venerable, sacred, pure, chaste, immaculate, clean.”

When I read this it reminds me of my teenage years, before I had come to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I would look around and see my friends leading sin-filled lives and yet calling themselves Christians and I was confused.  Their conduct was certainly not winning me to the Lord, in fact it led me to “blaspheme the word of God” (Titus 2:5).

My life as a wife and a follower of Jesus Christ must be characterized by purity and respect, by reverence and chastity, that I would draw my husband – whether a follower of Christ or not – into a closer walk with Jesus.  When I find myself getting caught up in petty, selfish quarrels, I need to ask myself, “Is this really that important?  Is this really a battle God wants ME to fight?  Am I trying to be God to my husband?”

May we all remember Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and He will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”

More tomorrow — God willing.

TWIG

If you have not yet read my last two posts on Ephesians 5, I would encourage you to read them before digging into this tough verse.

Ephesians 5:33 “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

When you see the word “phobeo” what do you think of? Phobia? Me, too. What does that mean to you? Fear? Me, too.

In my trusty Blue Letter Bible app, it defines PHOBEO (G5399) as:
* to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away)
* to put to flight, to flee
* to fear, be afraid
* to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm
* of those startled by strange sights or occurrences
* of those struck with amazement
* to fear, be afraid of one
* to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm)
* to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience

The KJV translates Strongs G5399 in the following manner: fear (62x), be afraid (23x), be afraid of (5x), reverence (1x), misc (2x).

Phobeo occurs 97 times in 91 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB.

In looking through the concordance for this Greek word, many of the times this word is used is when Jesus says “FEAR NOT” or “DO NOT BE AFRAID.” It is also used three times in Revelation – Rev. 14:7, 15:4 and 19:5 – encouraging man to fear God and give Him glory.

But in THIS verse? “Phobeo?”

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

We are told to RESPECT our husband, to PHOBEO, to FEAR?? our husband. WHAT????

I can get fearing God, reverencing Him as HOLY, being struck with amazement at the GLORY of the Lord. But, my husband???? How can this be?

The Lord brought 1 Peter 3 to mind, to see if that same word was used there …. and YES, it is.

But, that’ll have to wait until another time. My household and familial responsibilities call.

Maybe you could read 1 Peter 3 for yourself while you’re waiting. Try out Blue Letter Bible for yourself.

Heavenly Father, please speak to us. Open our eyes to Your truth. Teach us Your ways. Show us how to reverence and honor and fear our own husbands in a way which brings You honor and glory. You alone are worthy. Amen.

Hi! If you haven’t read yesterday’s post on Ephesians 5:1-2, I’d encourage you to do that prior to reading today’s.

So, as I arrived at the section of this chapter that I was looking toward studying, I settled on verse 24:
“Now as the church submits (hypotasso) to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”

I had to look up that word submits, so back to my favorite Bible study app – which is also my favorite Bible study website – Blue Letter Bible I went. I highly recommend it. This is where I find much of this info I share with you guys!

Anyway, while reading Ephesians 5:24, I clicked on the verse, then went to “concordance/interlinear”. So painless!

Hypotasso –
* to arrange under, to subordinate;
* to subject, put in subjection;
* to subject one’s self, obey;
* to submit to one’s control;
* to yield to one’s admonition or advice;
* to obey, be subject;

This word was a Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”.

For those of you who haven’t heard my testimony, this was a key verse the Lord used to change my heart. This verse spoke to my deepest places of control, of independence, of self-reliance. First, I needed to submit myself to CHRIST. Second, I needed to submit myself to my husband. Submitting to Christ is hard enough, but submitting myself to a fellow, fallen human being, now that is doubly tough.

Then, in verses 25-30, Paul instructs husbands to love their wives.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. [Eph 5:25-30 ESV]

As I just shared, it is HARD for me to submit to my husband, but, sisters, it is just as hard for my husband to love me self-sacrificially. I pray the Lord will fill me with empathy for Bill as he struggles to give himself up for me, as I struggle to give myself up for him.

But, keep waiting, there’s more.

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. [Eph 5:31-32 ESV]

Look here. So, God joins the man and woman together and they become one flesh. They are joined together. They become one body. Remember, what GOD has joined together, let no man separate.

In the same way, Christ and the church become one. We are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price. We are to glorify God in our body. We have become joined in our flesh with GOD. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are the BODY of Christ.

We submit to Christ because He is the head of the body, the Church. We submit to our husbands because he is the head of the one body which we have formed. (Look back at Ephesians 5:23)

Suddenly all these verses are joining together in a way that I had never grasped before.

This is indeed a profound mystery.

Lord, I pray You would give me the strength and the humility to submit myself. As Christ gave Himself up for me, let me give myself up to Him and to my husband in willing submission and love and obedience. Father, I pray for all my sisters who cannot fathom giving up control, who cannot imagine letting go of the hundreds of plates they are trying to keep spinning. I ask you to help us. Give us the strength to humble ourselves under YOUR mighty right hand as we submit to You, the head of the church, and submit to our husband as the head of our one flesh.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s look at verse 33.

This morning I was drawn to study Ephesians chapter 5. Join me, in watching how it played out.

As I’m looking at Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,” I see that word therefore and I think, “Something must come before this,” so I’ve gotta look back at the previous verses ….

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

Got it. I’m imitating God by being kind and tenderhearted and full of grace, forgiving others as God has forgiven me. Simple enough. (Ha!)

But, don’t miss the other big nugget buried in this 8-word verse – I am imitating God as His child, and not just any child, but His *beloved* child. Wow! This is great already, and I’m only one verse into it.

Now, as I’m moving on to verse 2, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” I immediately jump on that “walk” word (Greek – peripateo) and mentally think – WOW! I’ve got to study this more — looking at what else we walk IN and what we walk BY. But, anyway, I am reminded that I need “regulate my life, conduct my life, pass my life” in LOVE. Yes, I did look up “love” and this is agape love – both times – I am to walk in agape, as Christ agape-d me.

And more than that, I see that Jesus gave HIMSELF. Gave = paradidomi = to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use; to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage; to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death; Jesus did this Himself. He gave HIMSELF up. He became a sacrifice, an offering, Himself – and I know that He sacrificed Himself, not on His own behalf, but on MY behalf. He gave Himself up – for me – this is how He showed His love for me and this is how I am to imitate Him, walking in love, giving myself up for the benefit of others – even others who do not deserve it.

Notes to self:
Imitate God by being tender and kind and forgiving
I am His beloved child
I am WALKING in love
Jesus gave Himself up for me as a living sacrifice to God

Getting good here! I could stop now, really, and have some great things to think about as I go about conducting my life today, but I really wanted to get down to the end of this chapter. For your sake, though, I’ve been long-winded enough for one day! Please stay tuned for tomorrow for the rest of the chapter.

Until then, go walk in love, being imitators of God as His beloved children.

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

God is a constant being of apparent contradictions. He is both full of mercy and judgment. He is both all-powerful and humble. He is both invisible and everywhere.

The Christian life, as well, is full of these same apparent contradictions. We are to both work for the Lord with all our hearts and to wait patiently upon Him.

But as I see it, this is where the greatness of God leaps out at us. As we humble ourselves, as we cast all our cares on Him, as we take His yoke upon us, this is where we find rest for our souls. This is where we are still and know that He is God and that we are not.

Sisters, my right elbow/arm/hand is really acting up and I am trying to figure out how I am going to be able to “keep at it.” How am I supposed to keep typing, writing, driving, cooking, phone talking, cleaning, and disciplining with only my left arm?

And this is where God grabs me. This is where the rubber meets the road. Is He sufficient? Is His strength made perfect in my weakness? Will I be still and know that He is God? Will I be thankful for two working legs and a working left arm?

This is where the choice is made. I have to choose to take up His yoke, to cast my cares on Him, to humble myself, to make my requests known to Him.

Lord, thank You that You are the giver of rest and peace and life to the fullest. In my weakness is your strength made perfect. As I humble myself, I am exalted. Magnify Yourself in me. Father, I pray You would use this time of weakness to show Yourself mighty, both to me and to the world who is watching. Whether this is displayed in healing me in an amazing way or in blessing me with a gentle and humble spirit, please Lord work in me to exalt Yourself. Sustain me and my family by Your grace and love. Amen.

This weekend I was telling a friend how black and white I see life … And yet I somehow also see life as a series of ideals. This just didn’t make any sense to me. How could I have it both ways???

For example, I truly believe that homeschooling is the best way to train up our children. Black and white.

And yet, I also know that not everyone is able to homeschool for one reason or another and I know without a doubt that God can work good in even the worst of situations. I remember how hard it was for me when my son went to our local public school for part of his 2nd and 3rd grade years. Yet, I am firmly convinced that God used that time for each of our good.

I am loving my Scripture Typer memory verse app. One of the passages I am working on is this:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

In this passage, I see that black and white. That life vs death. That blessing vs curse.

Yet I also see that series of ideals – that loving the Lord, that obedience to His voice, that holding fast to Him.

I can already hear some of you screaming, “What??? That’s still black and white!”

And yes, that is still black and white. We are each either in obedience or disobedience. We are each either loving Him or not loving Him. But I have learned that each of us in our daily lives are being called to a different ministry, a different deed.

Noah was called to build an ark and he obeyed. Abraham was called to leave Haran and strike out on his own, to go where God told him. David was not called to build the temple, but his son, Solomon, was.

We each are called to walk in the obedience of faith. Each of us have life and death, blessing and curse, laid before us. All of us are commanded to love God, to obey His voice and hold fast to Him and yet that may look different from the outside for each and every one of us. All of us are commanded to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself. This is black and white. Yet how that is lived out will look different for each of us.

So, I tell you, as your sister in the Lord, CHOOSE LIFE! Make the tough choices. Obey His voice for He is good. Hold fast to Him. He is your life and length of days. I desire to see you in the land of the living. I desire to walk alongside you as each of obey the Lord’s call.