Not Wanted

My heart sank as I listened one afternoon this week to an NPR report about girls in a district of India who were given Hindi names meaning “unwanted.” How sad to spend your childhood years being called a name which tells everyone, “Because I’m a girl, I’m not acceptable. My family let me live, but they did not want me.” Today, however, two hundred eight-five of those girls, in a special re-naming ceremony, chose new names for themselves. They chose the names of stars in the Hindi film industry or goddesses or traditional names with happy meanings like prosperous, beautiful, and good.

That reminds me of Scripture in the Bible which describes the land of Israel. “You'll get a brand-new name straight from the mouth of God. You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of God's hand, a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God. No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration. (Isaiah 62:2-4) Names described the deplorable condition of the land and the people, but as they turned back to God, He gave them new names which honored them.

Present-day individuals, too, are tagged with undesirable names. Have you ever heard of someone named “Nerd” or “Wimp” or “Dumbo” or “Loser”? We may even name ourselves: “Victim,” “Failure,” or “Stupid.” Those are unhappy appellations to live with, and before long one begins to believe that they must be true. God has a different way of naming; we are wanted by Him, even chosen to be His beloved. Take the new name He offers!

Mary/Martha

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Real World

I ran across a book the other day which argued for the possibility that our existence here is an illusion. It may indeed be real, but on the other hand, why couldn’t it be someone’s dream? Maybe it’s merely a computerized parallel world; that was the premise of the TV program “The Matrix” wherein the reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality created by sentient machines. I even was once acquainted with a person who wondered aloud if we might, at the end of all things, find that our life and the world as we know it are merely our own or someone else’s imagination.

I don’t accept this view, but even it were true, I would go on with my life as it is. I have found the way to live! God is my source, my cause, and my loving friend . Why would I trouble myself to wonder whether there could be any other explanation?

I shared my musings with a friend, and she said, “The unseen world is becoming more real to me than the world around me.” Exactly.

MaryMartha

Art from http://ww.sxc.hu/

A Matter of Taste

My friend’s husband is a farmer-type person and a huge fan of auctions, antique farm machinery, and all things John Deere. His wife is part of the professional community, and her tastes happen to run along other lines. The man complained to his buddy, “I don’t know how to get my wife to like tractors.”

The short answer, my friend, is, “You can’t.” You may expose her to the countless green behemoths you love and she may admire them for your sake, but you cannot make her as fond of them as you are!

It’s that way with a lot of things. Personal tastes sometimes coexist uncomfortably—even in church. If you have been attending church for many years, and if your place of worship is anything like mine, you may have noticed some changes in the last few years. Maybe the music is different; it’s faster and louder. And you don’t even use the hymn books nowadays; the words are projected up on those big glaring screens. Perhaps some of the leaders are not the people (usually men) who held those positions earlier for ten, twenty, thirty years. There may not be a library any more, or a choir. The Sunday evening service may have disappeared, and the nursery has taken over what used to be classroom space. And let’s not talk about what people wear now! Where has my church gone anyway?

It has not gone far away. It is just wearing a different fashion. My church, and perhaps yours, has a younger congregation than it used to have or it would like to attract a younger crowd. That group probably doesn’t want to sing “Rock of Ages” with their noses in a book, and in many congregations those twenty- and thirty- and even forty-year-olds outnumber those who would be quite comfortable doing just that! They would rather hear guitars and drums than a choir and they don’t even own a Sunday suit.

And if you are one of that crowd, I personally am glad for younger and stronger folks to take on the responsibilities and sheer hard work of serving God through the church. What doesn’t make sense is for an older group to insist—even in their own minds—“but I want you to do it this way. Sing this music, emphasize these ministries, and use these leaders.”

Church people’s tastes are not the same, just like green tractors don’t hold appeal for everyone. That does not mean someone has to be wrong.

MaryMartha
 
Art from http://www.sxc.hu//

 9/11

A solemn day,

A day for remembering

Cross at Ground Zero

     although we can't forget. 



 Not afraid, only sad
That life was crushed,

     hope forever changed.

Proud too. Proud that sacrifice
     and heroism won
O’er evil intent and hate.

And even when no duty called,
Some loved neighbor more
        than they loved themselves.

Fountains flow with tears that never dry,
Trees reach up their hands into the sky.
Twin lights pierce heaven, a prayer and a sigh.


A cross of beams, a tattered flag,

     remind us of our call. 

We still believe.

MaryMartha



Art from http:www.sxc/hu.com





Labor Day

This is Labor Day in the U.S., observed with a Monday holiday, making a welcome three-day weekend for working people.

There are some people who believe work is part of the curse laid on mankind for Adam’s part in disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden. They don’t like the fact that we have to work; it is bad. But there’s good evidence against this.

If you think about the “bad” things that are personally carried out, you come to the conclusion that they’re done by people when they are not working, at least, not working honestly. The death rate for people who stop doing anything productive, particularly after early retirement, is alarming. Work is a good thing!

Work was invented by God. Adam and Eve tended the Garden He had planted, and took some responsibility for the animals; that is, they worked. This was while they were still in their perfect sinless environment, not as a result of sin. It was part of God’s plan. God did not curse Adam, but the ground itself so that it would be productive only through difficulty. Most of us no longer make our living directly from the earth; by extension, this hardship means, for many, keeping a distasteful job that they hate but have to maintain.

This would be a good day to thank God for inventing work as a way to guard and guide us. It would be a good day for gratitude if you have a job. It would be a good day to pray for the unemployed who would labor if they could.

MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

The Happiness of Pursuit

Many of us long ago attended some class in civics or American government and learned that Thomas Jefferson penned a statement in the Declaration of Independence which has since become famous. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Note that this document does not guarantee to this country’s citizens their personal happiness, but only recognizes that we have the right to pursue it.

Many people have geared their whole life toward attaining happiness. It is elusive, particularly when that is what a person is seeking. It tends, rather than the end of one’s search, to be the by-product of some other mind-set. It follows after purpose, creativity, self-giving, achievement, and similar outgoing activities.

The other day I came across a book titled, The Happiness of Pursuit. Ah, I thought, that is it. Instead of a search centered on one’s own satisfaction, happiness comes to us while we pursue a better goal. While there are numerous things the Bible tells us to seek, it specifically mentions one goal worthy of our pursuit. “Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14, and quoted by the apostle in I Peter 3:11)

If we would be happy, it’s the journey that counts!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

It Takes a While

The same child, now all grown up, who routinely asked me to stop a block away when I drove her to school so that she wouldn’t be seen with me, told me the other day, “Mom, I’m proud of you.” She named several of my achievements: returning to school, working two jobs when necessary, and parenting her as a single mom. She compared me to some adults she knows who are not doing much of anything, and said again that she was proud of me.

If you’re parenting an ungrateful child—most of them are during some portion of their years—just be patient. I thought maybe the thanks would never come at all.

Sometimes it takes a while.

MaryMartha

Art: http:www.sxc.hu/

Please Help Me

I told a friend that I had pleaded with God for help on a pressing issue, and her reply was, “You don’t need to beg God.”

That’s true, and I know I don’t. He is not like the judge in the Bible parable who initially refused to help a poor widow. He was unmerciful, but she wore him down with her continued begging until finally he relented. God is ready to hear. In fact, before they [God’s people] call, I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

There may be another aspect to examine. While we do not convince God to hear us by our earnest praying, we ourselves may profit from the exercise of our spiritual muscles. During a time of extreme financial stress, I prayed intensely, “Please give me a miracle or a workable plan. Please! Please!” I learned then to wait until it was God’s time, and the “door” swung open easily. Had I not been so desperate, had I prayed more casually, perhaps I would not have been so expectant, failing to recognize that God was at work engineering the answer that eventually filled the need so well.

I know a couple who had a wayward son. They could have sat in their easy chairs and prayed, “Help Jimmy come back to Your way.” But at one particularly crucial point, they lay on the floor, sobbing, “Oh God! Keep Jimmy! Oh God! Help Jimmy!” God hears the lowest whisper, but their own brokenness made them know they had touched God for their child.

“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” Isaiah 59:1

MaryMartha
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Water for the Thirsty

Kansas has had an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Where I live, we entered the season with a rain deficit from early spring, and had almost no rain in July. I tried to water the plantings next to the house enough to stay green, but I had a “KFC” lawn—extra-crispy.

We finally had some rain about a week ago. I was so excited and grateful, I opened the window and let it blow in on my face! Even with that limited moisture, the grass greened up and began to look alive again. The birds and squirrels whose ready access to water had been limited to the little pool I provided for them, drank from rivers flowing in the gutters. (Although that didn’t last long!)

I am reminded how vital water is, and how much I use it. Fortunately, our City has adequate sources of suitable water, and our use was not curtailed except voluntarily. I try not to waste it carelessly though, recognizing that over a billion people throughout the world lack access to clean water in sufficient supply. (U.S. Center for Disease Control)

When I think of our need for water, I think too of the Water of Life. It is always in abundant supply. Jesus promised, “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (Revelation 21:6 NLT) There is a thirst in the human heart that He is ready to quench, and that only He can!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

What's Important

All of us, perhaps, have an idea or two which we hold especially dear and just cannot understand why other people are so obtuse that they can’t accept. It’s plain enough, maybe even a belief we find written in Scripture, but they just don’t get it. Regardless of our persuasive arguments, in spite of our careful reasoning, they remain unconvinced.

Notice that Jesus did not say, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, by your correct doctrine . . . by impeccable lifestyle . . . by your years of Christian experience.” Instead, He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV) If my speaking sounded like the voices of angels, if I understood all the mysteries surrounding the ways of God, even if I knew everything there is to know, but I did not demonstrate love, it would be as useless and irritating as the smoke detector in your kitchen, gone haywire. (I’m paraphrasing I Corinthians 13.)

“While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” (I Corinthians 8:1 NLT) Is it really so important that we all appreciate the same music in church? Or that everyone is baptized in the same way? Or that we all use or do not use the latest technology in our worship services?
 

L - O - V - E



Not nearly as important as letting people know they are loved.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotation marked NLT is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved

Breath of Life

A dear friend and co-worker died last week. She was gone from work just a few days—and then she was gone from this life. She was not even retirement age yet, so she did not get to enjoy “the golden years” that we hear so much about. A wife, mother, and grandmother, friend of many, a cheerful public servant—she leaves a large empty place in many people’s lives.

Not allergic to dandelions!

 “Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14) Our lives are not inconsequential, of no more value than a bit of mist, but this verse expresses how brief and uncertain life is. Breathing is something we do not think much about, and I have always taken it for granted. Earlier this summer, I had some anxious days and nights when I had significant shortness of breath, a symptom I’ve never experienced. The doctor checked me over and assured me it was common for folks with allergies, but these are new to me. An antihistamine brings almost immediate relief.

I have a new gratitude for the breath of life, and new compassion for people whose breathing is always a struggle. When I take a deep breath and it fills my lungs completely, I now say, “Thank You, Lord.” Life and breath are a gift from Him.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Who Will Be King?



Buckingham Palace

 When the royal wedding between Prince William and Katherine took place last spring, some interesting thoughts occurred to me about inheriting the throne. Using the common names by which we know them rather than their formal names, the succession is this:

1. Queen Elizabeth, presently reigning

2. Elizabeth’s oldest son with Philip, Charles,

3. Charles’ oldest son with Diana, William,

4. William’s oldest son, then younger sons; otherwise oldest daughter, then younger daughters. BUT if no heirs are born, Henry (“Harry”) if still living or his oldest son could succeed his brother.

The point that  most interested me was who got left out by the sheer accident of birth order. Elizabeth had a younger sister Margaret, now deceased, but her son is presently fourteenth in the line of succession and will soon be pushed further down by the arrival of heirs born to the eldest child of the eldest child of the eldest child, and so on. Elizabeth has two other sons, and Charles and Diana had another son, “Harry.” These men have less claim to the throne than the younger sons that William might have. Furthermore, no matter how many people might prefer William over Charles as their sovereign, that is not how it works! After Elizabeth, Charles will be king, unless he precedes the Queen in death or he chooses not to serve. There is no official list of those who are line to succeed, but researchers suggest that there are several thousand people potentially in line for the throne! It’s not going to happen!

No amount of wishing it were different is going to change this order which has been established by descent and by law. How wonderful it is then that entering the royal family of Heaven’s King is a simple matter of choice! “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5, 6)

No one is left out of the royal lineage, all are welcome to join in succeeding to the throne! “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (The Christ in Revelation 3:21)

Amazing!

Mary Martha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Easter Tradition

I found Easter this year especially meaningful as I participated in the worship of a couple churches other than my own and encountered new ways to observe the season.

On Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper, I attended a service reminding us of Jesus' humbly washing the disciples' feet. I grew up in a foot-washing church, but was really too young then to find it very significant. Since then I have taken part in only one such service. Many people now are uncomfortable with the custom and most churches no longer practice it. The church I attended Thursday washes one another's hands. The worship assistants poured water from a pitcher over each one's hands into a bowl, and then another person carefully and tenderly dried them with a white towel.

My first thought was “What? Washing hands is not the same as washing feet at all!” But of course, it is. We no longer wear sandals along dusty footpaths and need to wash our feet when we enter a home. Washing hands is probably as appropriate for today as washing feet was in Jesus' time. I found it a moving experience and a very fitting remembrance of Jesus' passion and death.

On Good Friday, I participated in another church's “Stations of the Cross.” A very large cross had been constructed of beams and rope. One of the men carried it as the little group moved from one place to another in the neighborhood. First a little park, then the school playground, then the corner  grocery store, then other places in the immediate vicinity—seven in all, with the last one in the sanctuary. At each station, someone from a specific church ministry (youth fellowship, evangelism committee, men's group, and so on) read a passage from the crucifixion story and an appropriate prayer, then another person led in prayer for that part of the community (the children, the businesses, etc.) This too was a different sort of reminder that the the truth of Jesus' sacrifice is for everyone, not just the Church.

Most of my life, I have observed Easter in the customary ways: a new dress, the Easter cantata, an egg hunt and candy for the kids, and ham dinner. This year was different, and very meaningful.

MaryMartha

Art from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org and http://www.sxc. hu/

Speak with Grace

In the dentist's chair this afternoon, I was forced to endure an almost non-stop conversation by the patient in the adjoining area. I don't know how the hygienist worked with him, for his mouth was constantly open—but only very briefly for her instruments! His talk was 'way too loud, so that the whole office had to listen, and it wasn't even interesting! It was all about him: his expertise, his education, his job, his travel, his know-how on a computer. Employees had to speak more loudly than usual too, because they had to compete with the barrage from the second room

When I left, I thought how pointed an example that was of not speaking with grace. “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:16) One version explains that the salt idea means bringing out the best in everyone. Gracious speech is not overbearing, self-centered, and thoughtless of others.

My visit to the dentist meant a healthy mouth and a reminder to have “healthy” speech!

 

MaryMartha

 

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Supply for My Need

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV) We love to quote this verse, because it assures us that God will take care of us. But something that I had never noticed before: The promise is in the future tense! That tells me that some things I need and ask for may come later rather than sooner.

Besides, sometimes I have to feel a need keenly so that I will recognize and appreciate the gift when it comes!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


Art from http//:www.sxc.hu/

I Just Came to Talk with You

A friend called me a few weeks ago to suggest that we have lunch one day soon. Yesterday was the day, and we met for a pleasant brunch. I expected that she needed something. She might want me to listen as she vented about something that had upset her. (I say, “Well, maybe this or this was the reason.) She might want to borrow money, my tools, or the car. (I always say no, but she still tries!) She might want advice about something. (I say, “You could try such-and-such.) To my surprise and delight, she didn't ask me for anything, even when I questioned her about her agenda. She just came to talk with me. How refreshing!

I wonder if God finds it refreshing when we come to Him without a “gimme” agenda, when we don't whine or beg or ask about anything. He won't be surprised, of course, but maybe delighted? The late Dottie Rambo, gospel song writer and singer, said, “I didn't come here to ask You for anything. I just came to talk with You, Lord.” How refreshing for Him—and for us!

MaryMartha

“I Feel” ≠ “I Am”

"You talkin' to me?"

On Monday morning after the weekend change to Daylight Saving Time, I felt like not going to work. I felt that I had not rested enough. I felt cross, grumpy, out of sorts.



I told myself, “But you do not have to act out what you feel. You do not have to think, 'I am cross, I am grumpy, I am out of sorts!' “ And you know what? After another cup of coffee and telling my co-workers good morning with our accustomed cheer, I didn't feel so cross and grumpy and out of sorts.

Lesson learned: I do not have to give to my feelings the authority to regulate what I am!

MaryMartha
 
 

Green Babies

I cannot remember that I have ever before planted seeds rather than buying young plants—not since I received the kids' one-cent packet from the Henry Field Seed Company when my parents placed their order each spring. How excited I was with my assortment of seeds! My brothers and I each sorted our personal bounty carefully: peas, beans, carrots, radishes, corn. We planted them in short little rows, watered, weeded and watched until they had produced a harvest.

I lost to the extreme winter weather the ground cover seeds I had planted last summer, so I decided to begin early with seed-starter kits by a sunny window inside. Little peat pellets which expanded when I added water were the medium in which I deposited the tiny

, tiny little seeds. I placed a plastic dome over the top of each tray to hold in the moisture, and in five days little sprouts were pushing up their leaves! I can't really be proud, since it is God that makes things grow when we co-operate by providing a suitable environment, but maybe I can say, “Look what we did!” I checked, and my thumb isn't green but I am awfully pleased all the same. I can see why they call garden centers “nurseries.” Those little green babies are just so cute!

I never cease to be amazed by the faithfulness of the seasons—God's faithfulness. Each spring I marvel, as though I had never before seen the greening of the earth after a cold, dreary winter! I never tire of this season of the year, although I know we are probably healthier and happier for having the variety that follows these beautiful days.

Praise our good Provider! And enjoy!

MaryMartha

 

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Where Is God?



A street in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture.

As I read the reports and view the pictures of the tragic loss and suffering in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami along with fear of nuclear danger, I am stunned. To see buildings and vehicles swirling inland on the rushing flood and to know that in the wreckage are hundreds of human bodies is almost incomprehensible.
Where is God? If one is among those who are overwhelmed by the disaster, that might well be the question.

It certainly may feel at such a time of anguish that God has forsaken us. David, the psalmist and “a man after God's own heart,” cried out in his deep distress, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1, 2) Here was a godly man who did not “deserve” the trauma in his life, but circumstances closed in on him until he felt that he had been abandoned by his God. But he had not been left alone; he would see the light again and feel hope once more.

Even Jesus, being made one of us, suffered that crushing sense of loss. On the Cross, he too cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) He had not been left alone either, but would rise again in triumph three days hence. Can it be that this experience of feeling abandoned is not uncommon to the human condition, and that we must wait through it if we would see what is on the other side? May God give me grace, should my turn come, to affirm boldly, “He has not abandoned me.”

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo:  AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi  3/14/11

Puzzling Things

I am putting together another picture puzzle. Periodically, I take an interest in this activity, and may do several before I move on to something else. Right now I am working on a thousand-piece puzzle, the picture of which was expertly painted, I think, to be difficult! Many pieces are similar in an extreme way, both in color shading and

 in shape. After I am becoming confused in a section, I sometimes discover I have placed a piece where it didn't belong. The only way I can tell this is by holding it up to the light, which reveals tiny cracks where the piece did not fit perfectly.

I realized this afternoon how like our Christian life that is. We may be moving right along until we discover something is not quite right. The best way to see this is by holding it up to the light. The light is the Word of God, embodied in Jesus Christ. Things not fitting does not necessarily mean something is wrong; it may just be out of place. We might be trying to squeeze meaning into something without a contextual basis for doing so. Or we could be avoiding an understanding that is there to be seen if we are open to receive it.

Hold it up to the light!

Another of my posts on puzzles, here.
MaryMartha

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Something for Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday on the calendar of the Christian church. The season of Lent begins today, observed by liturgical churches and some other denominations as a time of “sacrifice,” preparing believers to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. A co-worker had on her forehead today a smudge of ashes in the form of a cross, and I knew she had been to her church early this morning to receive the “imposition of ashes.” We had an interesting conversation when I told her that I remembered this was a special day and that I respected her devotion. Although my own faith tradition does not formally observe Lent, I try each year to offer up something to the Lord that would normally be a part of my everyday life. This keeps me reminded of the approaching season and its importance.

She responded by telling me, “Last night I tried to explain to my boys (the three are still very young), that sacrifice does not always mean giving up some favorite thing Perhaps they can, every day, go out of their way to help someone, cheer them with a smile, or be friendly to a student who is not especially likeable. Her own upbringing emphasized the negative, giving up something, and she hated it! Although now she understands the benefit of self-denial, it made no sense to her as a youngster.



I went away with a better appreciation of the meaning of “giving up something for Lent.” Maybe that something is part of me. God doesn't necessarily need my “sacrifice,” but maybe someone else does.

Some of my other posts about Lent:

It's Hard to Be Humble   here

Self-Denial    here

 

MaryMartha

 

The Treasure of Snow

Here in the Midwest, we have recently had a couple of big winter storms, although nothing like some parts of the country have endured. I have been pondering the last few days about the verse in Job, recounting God's words to Job. “Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail?” (Job 38:22 NKJV) When I clear my drifted sidewalks or drive on ice-rutted roadways, I wonder about calling snow a “treasure”! I decided there must be something I was missing.

Was Job even all that familiar with snow? Scholars are not certain where Uz, his homeland, was located, but possibly in the area southeast of Palestine and the Dead Sea or the north part of the Arabian Peninsula. Did it snow where Job lived? Perhaps. Snow falls in the mountains farther north and at higher elevations, but we can't say with certainty that Job had experienced the mysterious appearance of snow. To him, snow drifts amounting to a “treasury” would have been beyond belief. We know more about the weather-related creation of snowflakes than he would have studied, and we have micro-photographs that reveal their intricate designs, all different. A treasury indeed!

History tells us that about fifteen hundred years later, people in other parts of the world discovered they that could make flavorful icy desserts with fresh snow from faraway mountains along with fruits and nuts, juice, or honey. (Every Kansas kid knows that! Although with the “clean” of snow being in doubt now, many moms do not allow that delicacy.) God didn't invent ice cream, but it seems to me He just as well have when he made snow! The “discovery” of ice cream is another treasure for which I can be grateful when I drive through snow-clogged streets!

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Art from http:www.sxc.hu/

Build on Rock

Recently, some of the home owners in one housing development in our city have found huge cracks developing in the walls, floors, and driveways of their homes. The houses were not cheap when purchased only a few years ago, and now people are faced with repairs that amount, in some cases, to half the original price. When the owners' complaints were investigated, it was found that the houses had been built on

 unstable soil that expanded as it absorbed water and contracted as it dried. The structures were on shaky ground—clay and insufficiently compacted fill dirt. One foundation repair company reported that their crew had to drill down 45 feet to reach rock solid enough to support the crumbling foundation.

This reveals again Jesus' wise words about building on the Rock. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

I've always supposed Jesus meant that we had to search and find the rock on which to build, spiritually, in a world full of “sand.” But what if there is no rock to be seen and we have to dig deep to reach anything solid? He did not guarantee that rock would be there just for the taking, without any additional effort. It may require us to do some spiritual “drilling.”

MaryMartha

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

Living in Hope

If seed catalogs come, can spring be far behind? (Apologies to Shelley, the English poet, who asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”)

On a regular basis, I have been receiving catalogs from the mail-order seed and plant nurseries who entice me with their bright pictures of fully-developed fruits and flowers. It will be months before I can plant anything outside, and many more months—in some cases, years—before my produce will look like the pictures. Ah, but there's hope! That's what the companies are believing I will feel when I look at their offerings.

Hope is an essential ingredient in the spiritual realm as well. With eternity in Jesus' presence ahead of us—what the Apostle calls “our blessed hope”—we have every reason for hope. In fact, hope is one of the three things that endure throughout all of earthly life, eventually coming to fruition in sight. Such a long view might be less than encouraging were it not for its continual operation. The writer to the Hebrews wrote, “We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 10:18, 19)

That anchor of hope holds us steady through whatever the stormy seasons of life and around us. We access the real presence of God, even though we are not yet able to view Him. We are continually enlivened by knowing what will someday be ours to see clearly!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
 
Art from http://www.sxc.hu/

A Prosperous New Year

We are only a few days into 2011 and still hear wishes for a “Happy and Prosperous New Year.” I am nearly always reminded that what we consider “prosperous” may not be the same as God's idea at all! He has a different view, you know, about what constitutes time, riches, health, and yes, prosperity too.

When Joshua was chosen by God to lead the Israelites after Moses' death, he received strong words of commissioning. “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7, 8) It is obvious from the context of God's words about prospering that He did not mean career success as we think of it. He did not mean wealth or fame, either.

How does God see that promise of prosperity? My Strong's Concordance gives some insight by defining the term as profitable, suitable, skillful, to be an expert, to guide wisely. Doesn't that describe how Joshua took on the task of leading the people?

Nor is it enough to just wish for this to happen. Joshua had a part to play; we do too. Be strong! Be courageous. Keep the laws of God by meditating on them and then doing them! That is our responsibility. Then as God prospered Joshua, He will also prosper us in the New Year. He would help us to be wise, skillful Christians! Expert Christians! Profitable to the Kingdom!

Happy and Prosperous New Year to you!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.