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/

Hail to the Chief

This is President's Day in the U.S. Once observed on George Washington's birthday, during the Nixon administration it was designated by many states as Presidents Day to honor all the men who have served in that office

The President's arrival for many public appearances is announced with four ruffles (played by drums) and flourishes (by bugles) and the band playing "Hail to the Chief." The music was composed by James Sanderson around 1810 for verses from Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake: "Hail to the chief, who in triumph advances, Honored and bless'd be the evergreen pine!" It first became associated with American presidents in 1815 when it was played to honor George Washington and the end of the War of 1812. Later, more suitable lyrics were written by Albert Gamse, but they are rarely sung.

Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation,
Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all.
Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation
In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call.

Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander,
This you will do, that's our strong, firm belief.
Hail to the one we selected as commander,
Hail to the President! Hail to the Chief!

I realize that not everyone who reads these lines actually believes we are headed toward being a grander nation. You may not have had a part in selecting our President as commander, and you are not ready to pledge cooperation in proud fulfillment. Nevertheless, the Scripture gives us a clear directive. "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4)

Some say, "Don't gripe if you didn't vote." Not that I'm in favor of griping, but I think that certainly one doesn't have a right to be griping if they're not praying!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation 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/

What's the Use?

One of Job's so-called comforters was a young man named Elihu. He deferred to the older men, letting them speak first. Round after round, they chastised Job for what surely must be some sin, in order for him to be suffering so greatly. Finally, Elihu could not contain himself any longer. In fact, he said his belly was full of words, ready to burst like a wineskin without a vent. (Beware the danger of talking when you simply cannot keep your thoughts to yourself!)

Job had complained that the righteous suffer along with the wicked—that hardly seems fair—and sometimes the godly even suffer while the wicked prosper! Elihu carried Job's words a bit far, insinuating that Job thought serving God was a vain endeavor. "He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’ and ‘What’s in it for me? What’s the use of living a righteous life?’ " (Job 34:9; 35:3) Even so, Job would not be the only one who has ever said, "This holy stuff doesn't work. What's the use? I'm wasting my time."

No, this is missing the point. We are not trying to make something work. We are not wasting our time just because things are difficult. According to one Scripture paraphrase I recall (maybe the old "Living Bible," forerunner of the New Living Translation), the Psalmist sang, "He helps me do what honors Him the most." (Psalm 23:3) That is the point.

Seeking to honor the Lord is the most helpful way I have found for directing my daily path. Trying to make the life of faith work is frustrating—and doesn’t work. Trying to be good enough to please the perfect Divine One is never a sure thing—and doesn't work. Trying to find the benefit to me of living a righteous life is self-centered, maybe even hypocritical—and doesn’t work. Letting Him help me do what honors Him the most—works.

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.

Labor Day

This is Labor Day, celebrated with a three-day weekend in the U.S. I learned as a child that it was intended to recognize the importance of American workers, but that made no sense to me. A day off to honor working people? On the farm we worked just the same as every other day. (Well, that's not quite true. We didn't go to school, but back then school didn't start until after Labor Day, anyway.) So I think it would be nice to honor people who do work on Labor Day and most other holidays. Among them:

* Farmers, ranchers, dairymen, veterinarians and all who tend to animals' needs
* Police officers and other safety/law enforcement personnel
* Firefighters
* Nurses, doctors, lab technicians, and other hospital attendants including cooks and cleaning staff
* Military men and women
* Ambulance drivers and emergency medical technicians
* Disaster relief workers
* Hotel and motel employees
* Restaurateurs and their cooks and wait staff
* Service station and convenience store employees
* Transportation workers for airlines, railroads, shipping companies, and taxi services
* Movie theater attendants, along with workers at many other entertainment centers
* Trash pickup workers
* Retail store employees, including grocery stores
* Shelter and food service workers at sites which aid the needy
* Church staffs, when called upon

Let's hear it for the laborers who make holidays safer, happier, more fun, for the rest of us! [Insert loud clapping and cheering here]

P.S. And don't forget the mothers who are in labor, giving birth today!

MaryMartha

A Place to Honor a Name

Work continues to progress on the new arena being built in our city. Now it has a name. It cost a homegrown bank over seven million dollars to purchase the right to have its name connected to the building for the next twenty-five years or so. The bank's name, in its familiar colors and style, is now boldly displayed on the main entry side of the structure. It is not unattractive at all, but $7,500,000 is a lot of money! You really have to pay if you want a place named for you!

In contrast, King Solomon built the Temple specifically to honor God's name. "I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’ " (I Kings 5:5 NLT) Solomon did not design the beautiful and costly place of worship and then sell the naming rights. It was named for God, as it were, because it was built for the express purpose of honoring Him.

In a generation or two, the arena will likely be re-named to acknowledge someone else's civic contribution or financial underwriting. Another name will hang on the front of the building, the bank's millions long forgotten. Or maybe disgruntled tax-payers who have been the ones footing the bill will have their way and it will be named the People's Arena or something like that!

Not so for the house of the Lord. When the Temple was finished and dedicated, the Lord said, “I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart." (I Kings 9:3 NLT) While Solomon's temple no longer exists, it was merely a "shadow" anyway, as was the tabernacle before it. "They [the priests] serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: 'Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.' ” (Hebrews 8:5 NLT) That is how it can be said that the Temple will honor the name of God forever. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John, the apostle writes, "The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. But there was no sign of a Temple, for the Lord God—the Sovereign-Strong—and the Lamb are the Temple. The City doesn't need sun or moon for light. God's Glory is its light, the Lamb its lamp!" (Revelation 21:22, 23 MSG)

What a glorious place will eternally honor the name of our God!

MaryMartha

Scripture quotations marked NLT 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. Scripture marked MSG is taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

I Will Remember

This morning—Veterans Day in the U.S.—I drove, as an exercise in grateful reflection, through several local cemeteries. In one park-like setting, the grave markers are all marble tablets, laid in rows. A great many have flowers alongside, placed there by some friend or family member. There are flags too, denoting the sites of those who had served in the military. I knew that doubtless some of these men and women had given their lives in that service, and I asked God to comfort those who loved them. I will remember.

One of the cemeteries I visited is very old. By way of contrast, some of the grave monuments there are truly monumental; many are three or four feet tall, a few I estimated at more than six feet. There are quite a number of benches, and even a few small structures, privately built. Obviously, great effort was given to honoring the departed. But noticeably absent on this day of remembrance were the flowers and flags. “Why?” I wondered.

Perhaps, because they died so long ago, their friends and families too are gone. The younger generations have moved away, never even knowing their ancestors who fought for them in the two World Wars. And while the grounds are well-kept by those who have pledged perpetual care, there are few personal memories in evidence. Then I will remember.

In 1897, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The words, “Lest we forget,” form the refrain of each verse. Some years later, following “The Great War,” the phrase became linked with Remembrance Day observations, becoming a plea not to forget the sacrifices of those who had fought for freedom. So I will remember.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Two Brave Queens: Vashti and Esther

Almost every Sunday School child knows the story of Queen Esther, and how she bravely faced King Ahasureus (Xerxes, reigning from 486-465 B.C.) in order to spare the lives of her people, the Jews. When we’re young, we’re not told the whole story, really, because of some of its “adult content”!

In the third year of Ahasureus’s reign, he gave a sumptuous banquet for his military officers and the nobles and princes of the 127 provinces he ruled. For six months, he displayed the opulent wealth of his empire and his personal splendor. When that was over, he gave another banquet for all the people (men), great and small, in the courtyard of the palace. The garden was decorated extravagantly, with gold and silver couches arranged on a mosaic pavement of costly stones. Drinks were served in golden goblets, and the royal wine flowed freely, for the King had instructed his palace staff to serve each man as much as he wanted. And this feasting and drinking went on for a week!

Meanwhile, in the palace, Queen Vashti, the reigning queen, was hostess at a banquet for all the women. I am intrigued by Vashti’s story, although we are given the barest of details. We don’t know what the women drank—Kool-Aid maybe? I think they were not drinking a great deal of wine, because Vashti still had her wits about her, completely, as we shall see. On the seventh day, the King, in high spirits because of the wine, (he was just plain drunk!) sent seven of his attendants to call Queen Vashti. She must come to the King’s feast, wearing her royal crown which would signal to all who she was—and to whom she belonged. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty because she was a very lovely woman. Imagine! Several hundred drunken men ogling one beautiful woman—and who knows what other lascivious behavior would have ensued.

But Vashti refused! The King was furious. He consulted with his accustomed counselors who knew all the laws and customs. “What should be done to Queen Vashti?” he demanded. What penalty does the law provide for a queen who dares to refuse the King’s orders?”

One of the wise men answered, "It's not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it's all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes' provinces. The word's going to get out: 'Did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn't do it!' When the women hear it, they'll start treating their husbands with contempt. The day the wives of the Persian and Mede officials get wind of the queen's insolence, they'll be out of control. Is that what we want, a country of angry women who don't know their place?

"So, if the king agrees, let him pronounce a royal ruling and have it recorded in the laws of the Persians and Medes so that it cannot be revoked, that Vashti is permanently banned from King Xerxes' presence. And then let the king give her royal position to a woman who knows her place. When the king's ruling becomes public knowledge throughout the kingdom, extensive as it is, every woman, regardless of her social position, will show proper respect to her husband.’ The king and the princes liked this. The king did what [the counselor] proposed. He sent bulletins to every part of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, to each people in their own language: ‘Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes.’ " (Esther 1:16-22)

After the King had calmed down a bit, he began to have second thoughts about the beautiful Vashti and what he had ordered. Since the ruling could not be rescinded, the King’s young attendants suggested that a search be conducted throughout the kingdom to bring every beautiful young virgin to the royal harem. There they would all be given twelve months of beauty treatments, and after that, the young woman who most pleased the King would be made queen, replacing Vashti. Each young woman in turn was to spend one night with the King, thus becoming a “secondary wife” who could not marry any other man. She must live as a recluse unless the King specifically sent for her again. And that is how Esther became the queen, for she had a lovely figure and beautiful face, which naturally pleased the lustful king.

Read the whole story of Queen Esther again; she was indeed very brave. She said, “I will,” and risked her life. I will go in to the King although he hasn’t sent for me. I will expose the wicked man who has plotted against my people. I will stand up for my Uncle Mordecai who has taken me as his own daughter. I will find a way to save my people. “And if I perish, I perish.” But Vashti too was enormously courageous. She said, ”I will not,” and lost her throne. We never hear of her in Scripture again.

Probably Vashti was not a believer in the God of Israel, but she was a woman who had the moral strength to tell her evil husband “no.” In those days, women—even queens— did not tell their husbands what they would or would not do, especially not with a whole empire of subjugated women watching. But Vashti did not let fear prevent her from doing right. And for that, I have to admire her.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

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

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Things Mama Taught Me: Give Back to God

I’m not sure my parents ever explained to me just why we put money in the offering plate at church. I don’t remember any rules about giving: to whom, how much, and how often. We gave pennies in the special birthday offering, according to the years of our age. We gave nickels and dimes in Sunday School, and my parents put bills in the offering plate in “big church.” I knew it all went to God, but I don’t think I ever thought about why He would want it! Now I understand that there are some very good reasons for giving found in Scripture, and a number of them turn out to be for my benefit!

-- Giving lays up treasure in heaven. Writing to his young colleague Timothy, the Apostle Paul said, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (I Timothy 6:18, 19 NIV). Jesus taught the same thing in His ministry. Speaking to a rich young man who was seeking eternal life, He said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. . . Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21 NLT) I confess I don’t know exactly how this “sending stuff ahead” works, but since we cannot take it with us anyway when we depart this world, it makes sense to invest it in eternity!

-- Giving is the ultimate safe investment. "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matthew 6:19-21 MSG)

-- Giving assures an earthly return as well. “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38 NLT) One of the powerful lessons I have learned in my maturing years as a Christian is that the return may not be from the person(s) who benefited from my gift. I kept expecting gratitude and the overflowing “lap” from the same source and it seldom, if ever, came. I expected the return to be in kind too, but that did not often happen either. God promises a return, but He is in charge of what and how and when! A second part of the same lesson is as familiar to us as the principle of planting and harvesting. What I give is enlarged, and what I get back is greater than I gave—although, again, it may not be of the same sort.

-- Giving is a way of encouraging another’s efforts, supporting them in what they are doing for God and good. “How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:10-11, 18 NLT)

-- Giving reflects my trustworthiness in spiritual matters. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:10-11 NLT

-- Giving acknowledges God as my source and shows my gratitude. As long as there have been people on the earth, they have been bringing gifts to God. One beautiful expression is recorded in the Old Testament. “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession and you have conquered it and settled there, put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land he swore to our ancestors he would give us’ . . . He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him.” (Deuteronomy 26:1-4, 9, 10 NLT)

-- Giving brings honor to God. “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich [enriched] in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (II Corinthians 9:10-12 NIV)

-- Giving is received by God Himself, even though we have offered it to meet a human need. When God sorts out rewards for those entering the heavenly Kingdom, He tells some, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.” They object, having never done those deeds. “Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' “ (Matthew 25:35-36, 40 MSG)

The nature of God Himself is to give. Give—and watch what happens!

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Scripture quotations marked NIV are 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 quotations marked NLT 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. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Trophies of Grace

All through the centuries, God has put some of His people on display. In the Bible, there are Abraham, David, Esther, the twelve apostles, Stephen, Paul, Lydia, and scores of others. That is one of the reasons we read the Scriptural accounts: to see how this Christian faith works.

There were early church fathers: the “honey-tongued” Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and others; there were some “mothers” too, but we know very little about them. Much later some of the heroes were Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Bunyan, and many more. We read of their remarkable achievements for the sake of the Gospel, and we are challenged and encouraged.

Modern times have given us Fanny Crosby, Billy Graham, the five martyred missionaries to the Huaorani (Auca) Indians in Ecuador, Mother Teresa and others that you might recognize even more readily than these. The common thread throughout is that they were or are living examples of the grace of God.

You and I could very well be on someone’s list. They are watching to see, “How does this faith thing work?” “What does grace do, anyway?” We’ll likely not write famous doctrinal theses, preach to tens of thousands, or die with an arrow in our heart. But for someone, we are the ones God has put on display to demonstrate His grace.

There will be, some day, an even grander display when God showcases what He has done in the lives of those who follow Him. “He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6, 7 NLT) Can’t you just see it? He points to you or me, and says, “We worked together, she and I, and see what we did!” Or “I’m so proud of him! He was worth the investment.”

“Look at them all! They’re My trophies. We won!”

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

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.

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com

Remember Who You Are

Some of us grew up with an unhealthy portion of shame attached to our little psyches! It may be that we learned shame from parents who could not be pleased—or at least in our childish understanding, it was so. We may have learned shame from teachers who instilled fear in us rather than genuine respect. It may have been religious instruction that pictured us as “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” to quote Jonathan Edwards in 1741, and did not offer us vibrant hope in a way we could understand. There are other causes as well—things that others have said or done to impact our lives—and because we do not know how to differentiate between true guilt and feelings of shame, we have carried the burden far too long. It has made people-pleasers of us.

Those who struggle with these issues may have a warped idea of God as well: He is waiting to pounce on our failings and sins. He is less like a compassionate father than a prison guard. Yes, He loves everybody in the world—but He doesn’t really like me very well. As for pleasing Him—forget it. He is difficult, even impossible, to please. We may know very well the truths of forgiveness and salvation. But the old feelings persist.

Sometimes it helps to reframe that earlier understanding. Instead of trying so hard to please God, we can think in terms of honoring Him. A friend expressed it this way: “My father told me, ‘Always remember you are a Smith.’ ” (not his real name) The young man understood this to mean, “Be guided by those who bear this name. Remember who you are.”

We may have to work our whole lifetime at changing faulty understandings, and certainly we will fall short of becoming perfect while we’re in this life. But that is not what God is looking for! “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (II Chronicles16:9 KJV) The understanding is perfect? No. The behavior is perfect? No. The heart is fully committed to Him. We are part of the family of God. We share His name. He is honored when we remember who He really is. He is honored when we remember who we are.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com