DROP YOUR BAGGAGE AT THE DOOR

'THEREFORE THEY INQUIRED FURTHER OF THE LORD, 'HAS THE MAN COME HERE YET?' SO THE LORD SAID, 'BEHOLD, HE IS HIDING HIMSELF BY THE BAGGAGE.'
I SAMUEL 10:21

The lives of King Saul and King David, first and second kings of Israel, are a study in contrasts. Oh to be sure, there are some similarities.  They were both handsome, had loyal followers, and were excellent military leaders.  It ends about there, though.  Saul wanted to look good in front of the people, and he would do anything to preserve his image in front of them.  David wanted to follow God, and he would do anything to preserve his relationship with Him.  Here are a few examples:

• Saul sought to murder David (I Samuel 19:1); David extended mercy to Saul. (I Samuel 26:7-25)
• Saul broke promises (I Samuel 18:19); David kept promises. (II Samuel 9:1)
• Saul relied on human strength (I Samuel 17:11); David relied on divine strength. (I Samuel 17:45-47)
• Saul was cruel (I Samuel 22:11-29); David was kind. (II Samuel 9:1-13)
• Saul lied (I Samuel 15:10-31); David confessed. (II Samuel 12:13)
• Saul's kingdom did not endure (I Samuel 13:14); David's kingdom is eternal. (II Samuel 7:16)
• Saul hid behind the baggage (I Samuel 10:22); David left his baggage with the baggage keeper and ran to the battle line. (I Samuel 17:22)

Hey, back up...what was that last line?  Even though it is the last one listed, it is the first contrast I noticed and it has to do with BAGGAGE.  The English definition for baggage is:

1. Personal belongings packed in suitcases for traveling; luggage.
2. The portable equipment of an army.
3. Past experiences or long-held ideas regarded as burdens and impediments.

The Hebrew word for baggage is "keliy" which is translated vessels (of gold and silver), ornaments of clothing, jewels, stuff, things, furniture, carriage, deadly weapons and armor.

These definitions say it all: we carry a lot of our "stuff" around with us, both physically and emotionally.

PHYSICAL BAGGAGE:  Whole industries have been created to make it easier to travel with our things.  We roll suitcases to hoist into the trunk of our car, but now that is not enough space, so we have carriers on the tops of our cars and trailers to hitch behind our cars for all the rest of our gear. Airlines have weight limits for our baggage because we pack so much stuff to take with us, and even though they have started charging us for each bag, we fuss and complain but still drag it along with us.  Then when we return home and unpack, we hide behind our things:  the neighborhood we live in, the cars we drive, the jewelry and clothing we wear, the careers we are building.  Keep up appearances takes a lot of time, effort, and money; it's exhausting!

EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE:  We have all heard the term "emotional baggage". Some of us are so wrapped in our wounds of the past that they are visibly evident for all to see.  To be sure, many horrible wrongs have been done to us that are valid and completely unjustified.  It is what we do with those wrongs over time, however, that define us.  David was able to leave his baggage with the baggage keepers.  God Himself is our ultimate baggage carrier because we can daily come before Him to confess the wrongs we have done.  He is so faithful to remove our sins and heal our wounds!

If we have deeper hurts that need unraveling, however, whether from our own mistakes or from harm done to us by others, pray for Him to encircle you with a trustworthy Christian counselor, mentor, friend, small group and/or pastor.  There are amazing men and women of God being used to help free us from our heavy burdens.  David later honors those who must stay by the baggage. "For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike." (I Samuel 30:24)  Don't hide any longer.  Expose it to the light.  God want you to be set free so you can run to the battle line and use it for His glory to set others free!

How about you?  The first question to ask is: Are you carrying around unwanted baggage?  If the answer is yes, then the second question is: "Do you wish to get well?" (John 5:6).  Jesus asked this very question to a man who had been in a paralyzed condition for 38 years, which means it is never too late to be healed.  Don't be a victim but be victorious.  Lighten the load.  Seek help today.  Run the race with no encumbrances.

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.  These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.  Beautiful people do not just happen."-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART

"MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCES BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART." I SAMUEL 16:7

Pop quiz: if you were asked to name the most famous king of Israel, who would it be? You guessed it: King David. He was born the youngest of 8 sons, the shepherd boy of Bethlehem, almost forgotten in the mix. When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king, Jesse paraded before Samuel his first 7 sons. Samuel's response, "Are these all the children? (I Samuel 16:11) Jesse had to send for David out in the pasture shepherding the flock to run home and stand before Samuel and be anointed.

David is described by God as a man after His own heart, but David is also a man of contrasts. A mighty warrior with so much bloodshed on his hands that God would not let him build the temple and yet a poetic writer of over 1/2 of the Psalms. A faithful follower of King Saul, who would not take the life of the king, and yet when David was king himself, he schemed to have Bathsheba's husband die on the battlefield. A man who writes, "My shield is with God, Who saves the upright" (Psalm 7:10) and yet commands that an evil census be taken to number his valiant warriors.

The trend in David's life is this: When David was at his best, it was when he walked in faith, with prayer, and by following the Word of God.

TRUSTING IN FAITH: "Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands...the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's." (I Samuel 17:45-47) One smooth stone slung from a slingshot later and Goliath toppled over in defeat.

TRUSTING IN PRAYER: Early in his reign the Philistines twice went to battle with David. David twice inquired of the Lord. David twice defeated the Philistines. "David did just as God had commanded him...then the fame of David went out into all the lands." (I Chronicles 14:16-17)

TRUSTING GOD'S WORD: David tried to move the ark of the covenant with disastrous results. A few months later he repeats the same event but with success because he only had the Levites carry the ark. Why the difference? The first time "we did not seek Him according to the ordinance". (I Chronicles 15:13) The first time around David consulted with the leaders of Israel; the second time he consulted with the Word of the Lord and did it according to God's way.

When David was at his worst, lack of prayer and relying on self were his downfalls. Consider the following:

LACK OF PRAYER: When David was first on the run from King Saul, he goes to Ahimelech the priest and lies to him, saying that the king had commissioned him. Later the priests are tragically killed because of his deception.

RELYING ON SELF: Years later, weary from running, "David said to himself, 'Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul" (I Samuel 7:1) so he crosses over to enemy territory and becomes a servant to the King of Gath - the very Philistines that Israel defeated after David was victorius over Goliath!

And then there was Bathsheba. He took another man's wife in adultery and then had her husband moved to the front lines to be killed in battle. The Lord's response: "The thing that David has done was evil in the sight of the Lord." (II Samuel 11:27)

How can this be the same man? How can we reconcile in the life of David the walk of faith on one hand with the lack of faith on another? I believe it is David's response to God's correction that is the key.

CONFESSION AFTERWARD: David's simple response to Nathan, the prophet, after David's affair with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah: "I have sinned against the Lord." (II Samuel 12:13) Also, he writes in Psalm 51:4, "Against You, You only I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when you speak and blameless when You judge."

OBEDIENCE IN BETWEEN: "When You said, 'Seek My face, my heart said to You, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." (Psalm 27:8)

WORSHIP THROUGHOUT: "I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever." (Psalm 145:1-2)

God does not demand perfection from us. What He loves is a heart that trusts in Him, is obedient to Him, and one that confesses and turns back to Him instead of one that responds with pride and lack of remorse. He knows our frailties. He knows our hearts. He knows our humanness and that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) It is what you do with the moments of weakness that sets you apart and allows you to still be called a man or woman after God's own heart.

How about you? Do you willingly run to Him when you have sinned against Him, confessing to Him and accepting His forgiveness? Do you seek to follow Him all the days of your life? Do you praise Him in the good and the bad circumstances of life, trusting Him for the outcome? If so, you are blessed. If not, turn back to Him. You are only one prayer away.

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING

"THEN SAUL SAID TO SAMUEL, 'I HAVE SINNED; I HAVE INDEED TRANSGRESSED THE COMMAND OF THE LORD AND YOUR WORDS, BECAUSE I FEARED THE PEOPLE AND LISTENED TO THEIR VOICE." I SAMUEL 15:24

One of the most famous verses in the Bible is this: "...for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) If the people of Israel were to pick their first king based on outward appearances alone, Saul would have been their frontrunner. Scripture says he was choice, more handsome, and taller than anyone in the crowd. He knew courage because his father was a mighty man of valor. From humble beginnings, as his family was the least of the families from the smallest of the tribes of Israel.

Saul would begin his reign at 40 years of age and rule for 32 years. He started out well. Greatness and honor should have been allotted to him, but time has a way of telling what is lying beneath the surface. Saul had the appearance from his outward actions that inwardly he was a man of God: fasting, sacrificing, wanting God's favor, and mentioning God's name in conversations. But appearances can be deceiving, and Saul had one major flaw going against him: he considered too highly the opinion of others. It would be his downfall. Here are a few examples:

PEOPLE PLEASER. The first time is when the Israelites are at war with the Philistines. Saul waits 7 days for the prophet, Samuel, to appear to perform the burnt and peace offerings to the Lord before going into battle. The people are frightened, however, and begin to scatter, so Saul takes it upon himself to offer the sacrifices himself. It looks good in front of the people to to this, but it was specifically against the commandment of God. When confronted by Samuel, Saul makes excuses and says "I forced myself" to do it. (I Samuel 13:12) Because of his disobedience, Samuel tells Saul that his kingdom will not endure.

PARTIAL OBEDIENCE. The second time is when he partially obeys the Lord. Years before God had declared that He would "utterly blot out the memory" of the Amalekites who had attacked Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. As Saul goes to war with the Amalekites, God asks Saul to carry out this judgment by completely destroying them. Saul was not willing to do so. He spares Agag the king as well as the best of the sheep, the oxen, the lambs, and all that is good. His excuses: I have carried out the command of the Lord, and I have saved the best to sacrifice to God. But when pressed further by Samuel, he finally confesses: I have sinned. I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord. I feared the people and listened to their voice. Do you know that later Saul is not given credit for being partially obedient, but that it is referenced to as disobedience?

PUBLIC IMAGE. A third time is immediately following Saul's partial obedience. Samuel has declared that, because Saul has rejected the word of the Lord, that God has rejected him as king. Samuel turned to go, but Saul begs him to "honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel." (I Samuel 15:30) In other words, Saul wanted to worship with Samuel to look good in front of the people and not have them think that Samuel was no longer supportive of Saul as king. Sadly, this is the only time in Scripture that the words "Saul" and "worshipped" are linked togther, and then it was with wrong motive of the heart.

POPULARITY. The fourth is Saul's reaction to David slaying Goliath. For 40 days Saul and the armies of Israel had been trembling in fear of the taunting of Goliath and the Philistines. David, only a shepherd boy, picked up a stone and his sling and killed the giant. When the women of Israel were singing and dancing over the victory, they declared that Saul had slain thousands but that David had slain ten thousands. Words such as angry, displeased, suspicious, and dread are used to describe Saul's reaction to David's popularity and prospering in all that he did. Saul's jealousy would lead him to try and kill David from that day forward and chase David for years around the countryside of Israel, even though David would marry Saul's, daughter, be protected by Saul's son, and be anointed by Samuel as the next king.

How about you? Do you find yourself in circumstances which would cause you to follow the crowd instead of following God's leading? Do you do things for God half way when He is asking for your all? Do you dress up on Sunday mornings and put on a smile so you look good to others but are empty and depleted from worshipping the Lord on the inside? Are you jealous of someone else when the receive recognition for a job well done and seek to tear them down in order to build yourself up?

Much of Saul's actions were based in fear of the opinions of others, but Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?" When you are walking in the light of Christ, there is nothing to fear except a healthy reverence for God and obedience to Him. Start anew today with Him, say YES to whatever He asks of you, and then follow Him fully with a worshipful heart. His opinion is the only one that matters.

GOD TAKES NOTE OF OUR SACRIFICES

"OFFER TO GOD A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING AND PAY YOUR VOWS TO THE MOST HIGH" PSALM 50:14

As New Testament believers filled with grace and freedom, we look backwards into the Old Testament and are somewhat mystified by the exactness of the Law, the consequences for breaking the Law, and the tedious rules and regulations for a nation to follow. Within its pages are instructions for community living, for personal living, and for religious living. To approach a Holy God, we find laws for the various sacrifical offerings: through grain, peace, sin, guilt, and burnt offerings. Each type of offering carries its own set of rules. For instance, the grain offerings have a different set of rituals dependng upon whether the offering is baked in an oven OR made on a griddle OR made in a pan OR if it is fresh grain roasted in the fire. There is an entire tribe of Israel, the Levites, dedicated to serving the nation as priests to perform the duties of the sacrifices.

In the midst of reading Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and of Numbers, a lengthy passage highlighed a wonderful thought: God takes note of our sacrifices--each and every one of them. The prime example for this is found in Numbers 7. Eighty-nine verses are written to describe the sacrifices brought to the tent of meeting to dedicate the altar. For 12 consecutive days a leader from each of the 12 tribes of Israel brings an offering before the Lord. The interesting thing: they each bring THE EXACT SAME THING:

--1 silver dish weighing 130 shekels filled with flour for a grain offering.
--1 silver bowl weighing 70 shekels filled with flour and oil for a grain offering.
--1 gold pan weighing 10 shekels full of incense.
--1 bull, 1 ram, 1 male lamb for a burnt offering.
--1 male goat for a sin offering.
--2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 male lambs for a peace offering.

Every 6 verses it lists the name of the leader bringing the offering and then the same list of each offering for each day. In today's world we would copy and paste the text to speed up things. Most writings would simply summarize the whole event in 2 to 3 lines. Even the footnote at the bottom of the page of my study bible has the description to this text as "the almost monotonous repetition" of items brought, but when God repeats in His Word, we are to take note because He is trying to tell us something. The message: He takes great delight in each and every sacrifice we give in order to honor Him.

In the New Testament, Jesus, the exact representation of God, takes note of another sacrifice: the widow's mite. The widow placed 2 small copper coins into the offering plate at the Temple, the equivalent of about a penny. Rich people were giving out of their surplus but she gave "all she had to live on." (Mark 12:44)

The two stories are stories in contrast. In the Old Testament, it was prominent leaders of Israel, recorded by name and by tribe, coming before the Lord and the nation to dedicate the altar in great wealth; in the New Testament it was a nameless widow giving out of poverty and humbleness. In the Old Testament it was a 12 day ceremony with much pomp and circumstance; in the New Testament it was only Jesus who noticed the widow drop her two coins into the treasury. But don't be mistaken: both types of sacrifices were costly. For the altar dedication, riches and wealth were attached to the offering. For the widow, however, she gave generously within her poverty because she gave everything she had. After all, where would her next meal come from?

What about you? what have you sacrificed on the altar today for the God of the Universe to take notice? What is He asking you to give up that is costly to you? Time? Energy? Money? Career? Standing out in the crowd for Jesus? As King David said, "I will not...offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing." (I Chronicles 20:24). Whatever it is, remember this: God sacrificed His only Son so that you might relationship and restoration with Him. He gave up His all, His best, for us. We should follow His example and do the same.

HE IS ALWAYS THERE

"AND RUTH THE MOABITESS SAID TO NAOMI, 'PLEASE LET ME GO TO THE FIELD AND GLEAN AMONG THE EARS OF GRAIN AFTER ONE IN WHOSE SIGHT I MIGHT FIND FAVOR.' AND SHE SAID TO HER, 'GO MY DAUGHTER.' SO SHE DEPARTED AND WENT AND GLEANED IN THE FIELD AFTER THE REAPERS; AND SHE HAPPENED TO COME TO THE PORTION OF THE FIELD BELONGING TO BOAZ, WHO WAS OF THE FAMILY OF ELIMELECH." RUTH 2:2-3

God is in the everyday ordinary. When we rise us in the morning, He is there. When we cook the dinner meal, He is there. When we go to work each day, He is there. When we struggle with grief or pain or loneliness and believe He has gone around the corner or turned His back on us--no, He is there right beside us, filling the void.

Such was the case with Naomi. Widow of Elimilech, she buries her two sons in a foreign land and turns home to Bethlehem. She states to anyone who will listen:

"the hand of the Lord has gone against me." (Ruth 1:13)
"The Almighty has dealt very bitterly against me." (Ruth 1:20)
"the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me." (Ruth 1:21)

In her grief, she cannot see past the pain and despair. But one person can: her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Somehow this Moabitess, a foreigner, has seen God in the midst and wants to adopt Him as her own as well as Naomi and her people as her own. Ruth leaves everything behind to accompany Naomi and seek refuge under the eternal Father's everlasting wings.

The shelter and protection they find comes in the daily, ordinary dealings of life. No major miracles here. It is a simple story of obedience and faithfulness in the normal everyday. The Law of Moses had set up a provision for the poor: the corners of the fields were not to be reaped but left for the needy. (Leviticus 19:9) How humbling to walk the fields amongst people you do not know, a foreigner and a stranger, fearful for your safety, gathering grain to feed two widowed women who have no other means.

In the midst of this story there is a precious jewel: "and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech." (Ruth 2:3) Wait a minute--Elimelech--that's Ruth's father-in-law who died in Moab. Wait a minute--Boaz--this is who would become Ruth's husband. Wait a minute--Boaz and Ruth together--this is who would become the great-grandparents of King David. She just
H-A-P-P-E-N-E-D to glean in the one field on this one day that would bring life anew, provision, and protection both from God on High and Boaz here on earth? It just goes to show you that there are no coincidences in life because God is in the details and God ordains our very footsteps.

How about you? It is easy to see the Lord God Almighty in the parting of the Red Sea and when the walls of Jericho come tumbling down, but do you see God in the everyday,ordinary tasks? The grocery shopping, the friendships that are developing, the children you dress each morning. Ruth was known as a "woman of excellence" (Ruth 3:11) for simply being faithful in the ordinary. Rise up and call Him blessed and seek what He has in store for you today. In His footsteps ordained for you the ordinary becomes extraordinary. When Ruth went out to glean a field for food, she did not know that her name would be recorded in the lineage of Jesus Christ in the first book of the New Testament. She was simply faithful to perform the tasks set in front of her day by day because she was obedient to God's calling. May we follow in her example and footsteps and do the same.

WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY?

"JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, WHO STANDS BEFORE YOU, HE SHALL ENTER THERE; ENCOURAGE HIM, FOR HE SHALL CAUSE ISRAEL TO INHERIT IT." DEUTERONOMY 1:38

Faith is given to us in an instant, but it takes a lifetime to develop, to strenghten, and to mature. Twelve men were sent to spy out the land the Israelites were about to enter. All twelve men were leaders of each of the family tribes of Israel. All twelve had lived through the plagues cast onto Egypt by God, had walked over dry land as they crossed the Red Sea, had drank water from the rock at Horeb when they were thirsty and had eaten manna from heaven when they were hungry. They had each seen and experienced The Lord first hand in action.

These twelve were sent out and for 40 days they walked the land promised to them by God. Ten of the spies came back with a bad report. They looked at the people who were strong and the cities which were fortified and proclaimed, "We are not able to go up against the people." (Numbers 13:31) Then men looked at the circumstances and said no. Two of the spies, however, looked to God and said yes: Joshua and Caleb. Their minority report: "Do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land...their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Numbers 14:9)

The Israelites chose fear instead of faith. They murmured and cried in their tents and then picked up stones to put Joshua and Caleb to death. The popular opinion did not matter, however--only God's vote counted. His glory appeared in the tent of meeting and He rendered His judgment. Joshua and Caleb alone would be the only ones of their generation that would enter the Promised Land. The remaining Israelites twenty and older would wander for 40 years and die in the wilderness for their unbelief.

So how do two men stand up to a nation of two million people, willing to speak the truth and die for believing God and His promises? This was not a momentary act of faith. No, it started before, as mapped out in the life of Joshua. There are three instances that stand out in the life of Joshua as he learned to trust God and grow in Him.

In the first battle after leaving Egypt, Joshua led the army militarily against the Amalekites. The physical battle was mixed with a spiritual battle: when Moses' hands were held high overlooking the battle, the Israelites prevailed. When his arms grew heavy and dropped, however, Amalek prevailed, so Aaron and Hur held Moses' hands up until the battle was won. Joshua experienced the spiritual and the practical played out together in a very important victory.

A second mention of Joshua was when he sat at the foot of the mountain for 40 days while Moses met with God to receive instruction and bring down the Ten Commandments and the Law. It says Joshua went up and went down with Moses, but it does not say that he sat in on the meeting with God and Moses. We do not know what he saw, but we do know that God's glory rested on Mt. Sinai: to Moses it looke like a "midst in the cloud" but to the sons of Israel it looked like "a consuming fire." (Exodus 24:16-17) That means Joshua was faithful to sit and wait. Meanwhile the Israelites were back at camp being unfaithful, building and worshiping a golden calf because God had delayed. No impatience is mentioned for Joshua, however. He was faithful at his post and was exposed to the glory of God and the stories of Moses.

My favorite verse regarding Joshua, however, is found in Exodus 33. It says that Moses would enter the tent of meeting and God would talk with him face to face. All the people would see the pillar of cloud and worship at the entrance of their own tents, but "When Moses would return to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exodus 33:11) In other words, he lingered in God's presence. He could not get enough of God!

This up close and personal walk with the Lord would allow Joshua to later lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land and believe by faith that God was the victor as He had them cross over the flooded Jordan on dry land and walk around the walls of Jericho to make them tumble down. Joshua never questioned and never flinched at such strange, humanly impossible instructions. This is because he saw life through God's eyes, plus his own eyes had seen and experienced God's power, His glory, and His faithfulness throughout his lifetime.

What about you? What is your story of your walk with God? Where are you building faithfulness day by day, peering in and seeing God for who He really is? After all, your story is really His-story, because "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) Allow Him to reveal Himself to you by yielding to Him day by day, moment by moment. Believe in the miracles he has set before you today. Walk the journey of faith that Joshua did who, during his lifetime was known as the servant of Moses, but in the end was called "the servant of the Lord." (Joshua 24:29)

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

"THEN MOSES SAID TO GOD, 'BEHOLD, I AM GOING TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL, AND I SHALL SAY TO THEM, 'THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS HAS SENT ME TO YOU.' NOW THEY MAY SAY TO ME, 'WHAT IS HIS NAME?' WHAT SHALL I SAY TO THEM? GOD SAID TO MOSES, 'I AM WHO I AM';AND HE SAID, 'THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO THE SONS OF ISRAEL, 'I AM HAS SENT ME TO YOU." EXODUS 3:13-14

At times we are at a loss when it comes to our English translation of the Bible. Hidden underneath the words "God" and "Lord" are a vast array of meanings and revelations into God's character. For instance,"I AM WHO I AM" is Jehovah or Yawheh, which translates "Lord". It is rendered from a Hebrew verb which means "to be". It also signifies the source of everything, without beginning and without end. How vast. How hard for us as finite creatures to understand! This name the God gives Himself allows us to learn a little bit more about who He really is.

In the original Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible, the list is quite lengthy of the various forms and meanings of God's names. For example, a few other names of God:

All Sufficient One (El Shaddai)
The Lord My Friend (Jehovah Raah)
Most Exalted or Most High One (El Elyon)

The list goes on forever, but what has captured my attention in the last few weeks is not the names that God has given Himself, but rather the names people have given God out of experiencing Him in their lives and learning more about Him. Here are some examples:

GENESIS 16:13: "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are a God who sees..." El Roi. God of My Vision. Hagar had fled from Sarai's harsh treatment after she had conceived Abram's son. But an angel of the Lord comes to her in her affliction, comforts her, and promises her to make Ishmael a great nation. This means that God sees our suffering and takes heed of it!

GENESIS 21:33: "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God." El Olam. The God of Eternity. This comes exactly one verse before God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. In the book of Hebrews it says that, since God had promised Abraham's heirs would be through Isaac, then Abraham believed that God would bring Isaac back from the dead. In His perfect timing, God taught Abraham that He is eternal and that He rules over life and death, so Abraham could therefore could place his trust in Him and have confidence to be obedient. He does the same for us today!

GENESIS 22:13-14: "Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place "The Lord Will Provide..." Jehovah Jireh. The God Who Sees or the God Who Sees To It. He is the One who meets our needs at just the right time as He did for Abraham, even supplying what is required of us when He asks!

EXODUS 17:15: "Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner." Jehovah Nissi. God is our rallying point and our way to victory--the one who fights for His people. That means when we are in the midst of a battle, we are to focus on Him and not the circumstances that surrounds us and that He fights our battles for us!

How about you? Where do you need to get to know God better? If you need healing physically, emotionally, relationally, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals. If your life is filled with strife, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of Peace. If you have a hard decision to make or don't know which way to turn next, maybe you need to get to know Jehovah Ra-ah, the Lord Our Shepherd. Whatever your need, He is the only true God, revealing His character and His love for you in a very personal way. Call on the name of the Lord; there is no other name!

GOD IN THE MIDST

"THEN THE CLOUD COVERED THE TENT OF MEETING, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE TABERNACLE." EXODUS 40:34

God has just spend 15 chapters in Exodus asking the Israelites to raise a contribution for the tent of meeting, giving detailed instructions on how to build exactly, detail by detail, this portable structure, and then the precise carrying out of His design by skilled craftsmen that He has appointed to direct and oversee its completion. In the middle of this, there is the story of the people going their own way, building a golden calf to worship instead of the living, Holy God who parted the Red Sea and brought deliverance for them from the mighty hand of the Egyptians. 

God forgives them, God redeems them, and God renews His covenant with them. Why? Because He wants to be with them, in the midst: to be worshipped, to be reveranced as a Holy God, but also to forgive and to be with His people on a daily basis.

He has always wanted to be with us! First in the garden. Next, in the Old Testament, in the tent of meeting and eventually in His temple still to be built. And today, under the New Covenant, if you have accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour, then He abides in your heart through His Holy Spirit. How amazing! How wonderful!

God was in the midst of their camp night and day

Directing the nation of Israel's every step, every way

A cloud by day, at night a burning fire

To be amongst them was His holy desire

God alone would direct when to go and when to stay put

So His people would wait a day or two or even a year to set foot

A journey of faith to follow His lead

A washing of sins from the animals that would bleed

Offerings and sacrifices His people would bring to atone

To the Lord they were dedicated to worship Holy alone

Until one day in the future the Lamb of God who was slain

The ultimate sacrifice on the cross to be obtained

Holy Holy Holy is the Almighty God, Sovereign Lord!

Worship Him. Love Him. He is to be adored!

How about you? Where is your tent of meeting with God? Where do you daily worship Him, bow down before Him, love and adore Him? Where do you confess sin, fellowship with Him, receive instruction, and reverance Him as Lord of all? Maybe it is in your living room chair with a cup of coffee. Maybe it is on the floor of your walk-in closet. Maybe it is early in the morning before the sun rises or late at night. Wherever and whenever it is, it is one on one fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. Open up the pages of His living, active Word, and listen to Him speak to your heart. Then visit with Him in prayer. It is what He desires: to be with you and be intertwined in the midst of your day-to-day life. Bring it all to Him and lay it at His feet, because He is worthy.

REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER

"YOU SHALL SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER TO THE LORD YOUR GOD...YOU SHALL NOT EAT LEAVENED BREAD WITH IT; SEVEN DAYS YOU SHALL EAT WITH IT UNLEAVENED BREAD, THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION (FOR YOU CAME OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT IN HASTE), IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY REMEMBER ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE THE DAY WHEN YOU CAME OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT." DEUTERONOMY 16:23

The Passover: a time of remembrance for the nation of Israel being brought out of bondage and slavery in the land of Egypt by the Lord's powerful hand. The Israelites left in such a hurry that they grabbed their bread bowls and took them with them to bake the bread on the run. Because of this, for seven days each year during the Passover, they were not to eat any unleavened bread. Every time they took a bite of bread they were to remember!

Unleavened bread is called the bread of affliction. God sees us in our affliction. Affliction means "the cause of continued pain of body or mind, as sickness, losses, etc., an instance of grievous distress; a pain or grief."(1) Our pain is real. First, there is the spiritual pain of separation from God, when we have not come to know Him as He truly is. Then there is the emotional, mental, and physical pain of life: death of loved ones, lost jobs, broken relationships, illness, depression, earthquakes...just to name a few. Here's the funny thing: God wants us to remember. We usually do the opposite: run from the pain, shut the door, and throw away the key trying to forget the past or the present, but by doing so, we forget what God has done for us to rescue us, redeem us, and restore us. (2)

When you look up the word "affliction" in the Old Testament, intertwined in many of the verses are two repeating thoughts: the Lord is in the midst of our affliction and new life and joy is brought forth out of affliction. Here are several examples:

An angel of the Lord told Haggar, Sarai's maid, that she would bare a son and name him Ishmael "because the Lord has given heed to your affliction." (Genesis 17:11)

Leah named her firstborn Reuben, "because the Lord has seen my affliction." (Genesis 29:32)

Joseph named his second son Ephraim because "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Genesis 41:52)

Hannah, the mother of the great prophet, Samuel, prayed, "If You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me" (I Samuel 1:11) that she would dedicate her first born son to the Lord all the days of his life. And she did, plus had three more sons and two daughters born after him!

How can we rejoice if we do not remember? It says at the beginning of Exodus, when Moses told the Israelites that God was about to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians: "So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped." (Exodus 4:31)

Our response is not to continually look back, stuck in the past, reopening old wounds and not allowing them to heal. It is like a cut on a finger. We doctor and bandage it. Over time healing occurs and the pain goes away. When we look down, however, we are reminded by the scar that we once hurt our finger. In the same way, our call is not to keep drudging up the pain but give it to God so He can heal our hearts. Only through Him can we stop, reflect, remember, then turn and rejoice and worship God through the risen Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He was sacrificed for our sins so that the penalty of death would "pass over" us onto Him. This is cause to celebrate! This is cause for feasting!

How about you? Do you know our loving Heavenly Father, who delivers you from sin and bondage? If not, fall on your knees, ask for forgiveness and accept the love and grace He freely offers you through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Do you know Him but are stuck in the past with your memories of pain and disappointment? If so, open up the Bible and be reminded of all the great and mighty things He has done and ask for your mind to be renewed when you think on the past. 

Are you in the midst of suffering? Then cry out to Him because He sees your pain and gives heed to it.

Have you been delivered and set free? Then remember the great victories in your life and recognize God is your healer and redeemer. Bow low, worship and celebrate the new life He has given you! Follow the example of David: "I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindess, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul." (Psalm 31:7)

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(1) Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

(2) Disclaimer: There are times to run. If you are being tempted, you are called to flee from that temptation. you are to flee from immorality. And if you are in a dangerous relationship, you need to flee and seek help from others.

A HEART AS COLD AS STONE

"BUT I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH'S HEART THAT I MAY MULTIPLY MY SIGNS AND MY WONDERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. WHEN PHARAOH WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU, THEN I WILL LAY MY HAND ON EGYPT AND BRING OUT MY HOSTS, MY PEOPLE THE SONS OF ISRAEL, FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT BY GREAT JUDGMENTS." EXODUS 7:4-5

We are linear people. We see things one-sided, believing that if only good things happen to us, goodness will be derived. God is multi-faceted, a glorious prism arrayed with splendor and color and majesty, where the same events can produce drastically different results side by side, heart by heart.

Ten plagues are about to be cast upon the nation of Egypt. In the same verses God calls them signs and wonders but also calls them judgments and plagues. God says that He is performing these signs to harden Pharaoh's heart but He is perfoming these signs so Moses can tell his sons and grandsons to "know that I am Lord." (Exodus 10:1-22. Same God. Same events. Different results.

Here is how it is played out: Over and over, when God speaks, Moses and Aaron listen and are obedient to do as the Lord commanded. Over and over, when Moses and Aaron present themselves before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to ask that he let the Israelites go, Pharoah will not let the people of Israel go. So the Nile River turns to blood, frogs jump into beds and bowls, locust eat the crops, darkness covers the land. Pharoah begins to bend, but he will not break. A total of 10 signs. His heart is hardened with each event until the last: when God strikes down the firstborn in every Egyptian household.

At the same time, with each encounter, you can see Moses' faith and confidence growing in this mysterious God, whose name is "I AM WHO I AM". (Exodus 3:14) When Moses first encounters God at the burning bush, Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." (Exodus 3:6) By the time the Ten Commandments are written on the stone tablets, however, Moses is meeting with God face to face and asking to behold His glory!

Then again, when God asks Moses to go back to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh, Moses objects and says he is "slow of speech and slow of tongue." (Exodus 4:10) The Lord's anger burns against Moses. The Lord brings alongside Moses' brother, Aaron, as the spokesperson before Pharoah...well, at least in the beginning. By the end of the ten judgments, it appears that Moses has stolen the show and is doing all the speaking! His faith is growing at the same time that Pharoah's heart is turning cold towards God.

How about you? When darkness comes into your life, through disease or destruction or death, have you become embittered and closed your heart to God, or have you worshiped Him as Job did, despite the circumstances?

"NAKED I CAME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB, AND NAKED I SHALL RETURN TO THERE. THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY. BLESSED BY THE NAME OF THE LORD." JOB 1:21

Which way will you chose? To turn away? Or to believe that He is at work through the circumstances? God is for you and not against you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. Worship Him and fall at His feet in the good and the bad, in the laughter and the tears. Cry in His everlasting arms. Know with all your heart that, when darkness settles in, God is still at work in your life, no matter what the outcome, no matter what the suffering, and He will bring comfort and peace and that you may come to know Him as He truly is!

LET MY WORDS BE VERY FEW

"Then Job answered the Lord and said, 'Behold, I am insignificant, what I reply to Thee.  I lay my hand on my mouth, once I have spoken, and I will not answer, even twice, and I will add no more."  Job 40-35

God is in our conversations.  God is in our day-to-day dealings with others:  our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, our families.  How many conversations are wasted?  How many of these discussions are dead-ends with wrong advise, wrong motives, wrong  perceptions?

I am a talker.  But today I don't want to say much--just sit at the feet of Jesus and listen instead.  I am even questioning writing anything down because then I will still be talking through my fingers.  Many a day we simply need to sit still and listen in awe to what God has to say through His word, through His creation, and through His Spirit moving in our hearts. So let's listen to some of His words of wisdom regarding speech instead.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.  Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." Psalm 19:1-2

"He who loves purity of heart and whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend." Proverbs 22:11

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.  Put away from  you a deceitful mouth, and put devious lips far from you." Proverbs 4:23-24

"He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.  The wise in heart will be called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.  Understanding is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly.  The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips.  Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."  Proverbs 16:20-24

How about you?  Are you training your tongue for sweetness of speech filled with sound wisdom from on high?  Are you allowing God to teach your words to be nourishing to the soul and healing to the bones?  Drink deep from His Word and from His truth, sit at His feet, listen, and day by day He will train your lips for righteousness because it will flow out of a wise and discerning heart.

These words, sung by Phillips, Craig, and Dean from "Let My Words Be Few"(1)  are a perfect summation:

You are God in Heaven

And here am I on earth

So I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with You.

And I'll stand in awe of You, Jesus.

Yes, I'll stand in awe of You.

And I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with You.

(1) Phillips, Craig & Dean. "Let My Words Be Few."  Let My Words Be Few CD.  Sparrow Records. 2001.

CAIN IS NOT ABLE

"Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too great to bear!" Genesis 4:13

How many times do we blame God for the circumstances we have created--the messes that have muddled up our lives? Two sons are born to Eve and grow up together: Cain and then Abel.  One day they both approach the Lord with an offering.  Somewhere in the life of this little family God had made it plain and clear that a blood sacrifice is how you would come near Him, because "the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard." (Genesis 4:4)  What was Abel's sacrifice? A lamb.  Innocent.  Dead.  Bloody.  What was Cain's sacrifice? Produce tilled from the ground. Maybe a colorful array of fruit and vegetables with a bundle of wheat tied on the side--most likely arranged skillfully on a platter or in a woven basket. Nice. Neat. Tidy.  Beautiful to see and touch and taste.  Hmmm...sounds like the choice his mother made awhile back in the garden...

Cain becomes angry.  His countenance falls.  I don't think I would have wanted to be around him during this time.  There was a way back to God for Cain, but by God's way: through the blood of a lamb.  God tells him his countenance can be lifted up but instead Cain follows his anger, goes his own way, and kills his brother--an act that the Law of God later would consider punishable by death.

However, after Cain commits the murder, God is merciful in His justice by allowing Cain to live, but He curses the ground so it will not produce the beautiful fruits and vegetables that he so loved to till.  Cain only sees it as cruelty and that it is all God's fault.  The saddest statement found in the passage is this one:  "Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord". (Genesis 4:16)  He chose his own path apart from God.  He stayed angry, didn't he?  Cain is left to wander the land in his rebellion.  Wander in his sin.  Wander in his anger.

A painful note is that what we do in disobedience affects others around us.  Just think of Adam and Eve and their loss.  One son dead; the other chooses to rebel.  When Eve gives birth to her third son, she names him Seth, which means "the appointed one, the substitute (for slain Abel)." (1)  Just think: every time Eve called out Seth's name for dinner, she was reminded of Abel.  Forever the birth of one son linked to the death of another.

How about you?  Where do you blame God for your choices in life.  Where do you "follow the ways of Cain"? (Jude 11)  God's grace is waiting to receive you back.  He gives you a way to find fellowship with Him again, but will you take it?  You may bear the scars of wrong choices made but you can still come back into the fold and in His presence or you can go it alone: bitter, angry, blaming God.  Don't walk away from the God who loves you, who redeems you, who buys you back.  He provides forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God.  Go to Him in prayer and pour out your heart to Him. He is waiting for you there.

(1) Ryrie Study Bible pg. 11.  Copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation 

ALL ABOUT EVE

"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." Genesis 3:6

What the woman did, eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge, was disobedient to God. He had commanded specifically not to eat from this one tree and this one tree only. But what were the steps leading up to that act of disobedience? Break Eve's action into 3 parts:

• She saw that the tree was good for food
• She saw that it was a delight to the eyes
• She saw that the tree was desirable to make one wise

As women, we do all 3 separately or all 3 together day in and day out. We go to the grocery store and find good food from around the world. The freshest food. The best brands. The tastiest treats. We create meals, homes, wardrobes to delight the eyes. We read magazine articles to gain wisdom on how to organize, how to handle friendships, how to manage our time. We watch cooking shows and talk shows and decorating shows to see how to live our lives day to day. We are lead by our eyes.
God, however, wants to lead us by His Word as it speaks to our hearts. I know that the progression of steps were already leading Eve to a sinful act, just as most sinful acts begin with "seeing" something we want and taking it. But there is also something I am "seeing" for the first time: it was the act of independence that was Eve's downfall.
First, independence from God. Eve was in perfect fellowship in the garden with God. If she was confused, why did she not stop, say to the serpent, "I'll get back to you on this one" and then go find her Creator Father and ask: "You said something about that tree over there, so can I just double check that again with You?"
There was also someone else she could have turned to: her husband, who was standing right there with her: "...she gave also to her husband with her." Hey Adam, what do you think about all of this? Who is this serpent guy anyway?" No, instead she looked and then took and then passed it on because misery does love company.
Blame it all on Eve, but men are not immune to actions of independence. I recall Joshua attacking a little town called Ai without asking of the Lord and was sorely defeated because of it. I also remember him being deceived by the appearance of his enemies, the Gibeonites, and making a treaty without inquiring of the Lord. The only 2 times Joshua had a downfall in his leadership was when he did not consult the Lord with 2 seemingly inconsequential courses of action.
How about you? Have you asked the Lord today: What would You have me do...or not do? Do you want me to clean the house and cook the gourmet meal or play with my kids in the middle of the mess? Do you want me to be about Your business today or sit at Your feet? Eat that apple or say no thanks? Run to Him. Cling to Him. He wants to be a part of all of your decisions and all of your days. He wants your fellowship and your dependence on Him. He wants you to walk in the garden with Him.