Weapons for the Battle

Today I’m engaged in a battle. This particular offensive has been waged before, but I find myself pinned down once again. Satan knows many of my weaknesses, but this particular weakness has been attacked regularly. You would think by now I would be highly skilled at defending this particular chink in my armor, but again I find Satan firing his grenade launcher causing me to cry out to God for the assistance of many weapons.

The first weapon is prayer! Jesus, the reigning general has provided access to the commander in chief, my Father, Creator, and Sustainer who reassures me that the war is already won. My job is to be faithful to engage the enemy of my soul, Satan, and rely on the weaponry that my God has provided. Starting with the intimacy of prayer, I have opportunity to study the battle plan and I can be prepared to know where the enemy may strike next by reviewing the layout of the battlefield. This battle requires vigilance and the Holy Spirit is on watch continually, reminding me of truth and guiding my footsteps to avoid the mines. Yes, without the preparation of prayer, I would have no chance for survival.

The second weapon is Scripture. I put on the sidearm of knowing the Lord “delights in me” as Zephaniah 3:17 assures me. My machine gun is knowing God has plans to “prosper me,…to give me a hope and a future” as revealed in Jeremiah 29:11. I’m using Ephesians 2:10 as a shield as I remember that I am His masterpiece and that He has “works for me to walk in”. Finally, I reach for the grenade of “If God is for us [me], who can be against us [me]” found in Romans 8:31. These are weapons that no enemy can withstand.

The final weapon is godly relationships. Try as I might I cannot fight this battle on my own! I must enlist the aid of people who love me and will pray for me in the battle. These are people who know me and my weaknesses, who will be faithful to pray for me, and will speak God’s truth to me. I am grateful for God’s provision in this particular weaponry. He is faithful and my Jehovah Jireh, my provider, has enlisted brothers and sisters to guard my back!

The enemy is mine! In the provision of my righteous God, the God of the angel armies, I find the weaponry to fight, to rest when needed, and to prepare daily for the war. Some battles will be fought over and over, but I am assured of victory through Jesus Christ! My joy is complete!

Joy Through a Painful Season

I am enduring a season of watching some of my most intimate friends go through some truly difficult struggles. One cherished sister is in the midst of a frightening medical crisis that could have long-term implications for her future. Another precious couple is in the midst of grave relationship issues. A third treasured sister is dealing with a wayward child who has some serious personal problems of his own. These are people in whom I have invested a great deal of time and love. And I must say recently I have felt so powerless to do anything helpful. I feel like all I can do is pray…and be there with and for them.

As I have sat with these individuals, I have shared the burden of feelings; feelings of pain, fear, hurt, abandonment and loss. My heart aches as I have wept with and for each of them. The earnest prayers in the dead of night on their behalf has comforted and strengthened me, and I pray, them. Yet, as frightening, sad, and painful as these circumstances are to observe in the different lives affected, I wouldn’t be anywhere else! These people are my family. And one day, I will be the one in the midst of the pain, loss, and confusion and they will be there comforting, praying, and present with me!

This kind of love is God’s design, and I am astounded at how profound the care and the love is that He gives us for each other….if we are willing to risk; to risk loving our neighbor, to risk being used by and submitting to our God. Please understand me; I know that none of this is from my strength for I am a weak vessel! But I am experiencing the truths of the Scriptures so powerfully! For instance, 2 Corinthians 12:9 is deeply poignant to me through the heavy days because I am experiencing the truth of it: "’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” This verse is more alive to me today than it has ever been before.

As difficult as these last several months have been, I have truly sensed God’s grace and strength filling me when I have thought I have nothing left to give. My dependence on Him has grown profoundly. In my neediness, I am acutely aware of the sufficiency of God’s grace…and I am marveling at the beauty of His design for His Church! This is the love that we are commanded to demonstrate to each other. This is love that has eternal value as I invest in the lives of these people and they invest in me! These are the moments when treasures are being stored up in heaven. It is through this kind of love that God’s faithfulness is confirmed as He is creating His testimonies in our lives. My joy is overflowing as I discover yet again how faithful my God truly is. Ultimately, I pray that through these circumstances God is receiving the glory He so richly deserves.

A Different Easter Celebration

For the first time in more years than I can remember, I was not in church on Easter Sunday. My husband and I had gone camping with our daughter and son-in-law for some much needed respite after a season of extreme stress and sadness. But early on Monday morning I was feeling so guilty! How could I have missed the one service in the year where the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated? I tried to comfort myself by the fact that all day long yesterday I hummed, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” but somehow, it didn’t seem like enough. How could I have missed declaring, “He is risen!” followed by, “He is risen indeed!” almost as though the phrase was a secret password for an exclusive club?

Even last night, I was awake fretting over the fact that I missed church yesterday. What would people think? Would they think I didn’t love Jesus? Would my status as a “good” Christian be called into question? Does my not attending a church service on Easter make me a backslidden Christian? Do I need to repent and confess that my heart and soul has been in a period of mourning and I just couldn’t bring myself to put on my Christian “suit” and behave like all born-again Christians are supposed to behave on Easter Sunday? Does Jesus think that I don’t love Him enough to attend church?

Finally this morning, after some quiet time with Jesus in the Word, then praying and listening, I turned to a loving, precious sister in Christ, and shared some of my fears and heart-aches. As I poured out my heart, the tears were flowing down my face as I wept over the grief and loss I have experienced over the last year. And after the phone call ended, I continued to weep with my Lord, sensing His comforting presence as though He had gathered me into His arms, as a mother would her injured child. I was comforted and soon my soul was feeling refreshed. The ringing of my phone gently interrupted my comfortable silence. The voice on the other end was a different beloved sister who was experiencing her own grief and was seeking counsel. As we spoke, God provided a unique opportunity to share the reality of my Easter morning with her. The following is how I spent my Easter morning.

I had the privilege of observing two sets of new-born twin lambs, barely an hour old. New life! They were still struggling to get to their feet, breathing air for the first time, and softly bleating as they explored their small stall. As I described the scene to my friend, my heart turned to Jesus, our Lamb, the paschal Lamb! Isaiah 53:7 tells us, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” As I described watching those new-born lambs, I was reminded of the unfathomable gift, a gift that I did not and do not deserve, but was given in spite of my sinful self: Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Watching them yesterday, in that moment, I was once again overwhelmed with the grace of God the Father who was willing to allow His only-begotten Son to die on a cross, to show us His power and love by raising Jesus from the dead to new life to provide a means of communing with our holy Creator. And to think that we have been invited to receive this gift of new life through Jesus Christ! That is Easter – the celebration of the resurrection!

As I ended the conmversation with my friend, it became obvious to me that my heart needed to be reminded that Easter is not about attending a church service, or the sin of worrying about what people may be thinking about me. Easter is about truly worshipping Jesus Christ! As I told my friend, perhaps that was a far more authentic celebration of Easter: to be in a barn watching those little lambs so fresh and new to the world. May I be able to recognize that every day can be a celebration of His death and resurrection and the new life that I have because of that precious Lamb of God!

In My Heart of Hearts

Last year while attending our women’s retreat, I was privileged to become acquainted with our tremendous speaker, Wendi Pope of Proverbs 31 Ministries. As she delivered her message, I was gleaning deep spiritual truths and God convicted my heart about a sin of disobedience. I had long felt God was calling me to pursue a ministry of speaking and writing, but I was convinced that I had neither the ability nor the credentials to do it. In His grace, one of the truths that Wendi revealed is that God “will qualify the called, not necessarily call the qualified.” As I allowed that truth to permeate my being, God provided the means to take a leap of faith in radical obedience! Through Wendi, I learned about an amazing conference, fittingly called, ‘She Speaks!’ ‘She Speaks!’ is hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries and is a remarkable opportunity for women who believe God may be calling them into ministry for Christian writing and/or speaking. For the first time, acknowledging a longing in my heart of hearts, I took the risk of believing that God was calling me in a new direction for ministry. So feeling akin to Moses and his feelings of inadequacy, with great trepidation and astonishment at my own chutzpah I registered and started to gather the funds needed to attend.

And as always, when we are obedient, the Lord blesses! I have never been so energized, educated, and encouraged by a conference! ‘She Speaks!’ provides practical and thorough training as a speaker and/or a writer, while networking with like-minded women who are also pursuing their passion for Jesus Christ. The break-out sessions far exceeded my expectations, providing current information and resources while consistently focusing our hearts on serving Jesus Christ and our community. Furthermore, those who presented were knowledgeable and concise in what is required to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace. Is God possibly calling you to this ministry? Prayerfully consider going to Proverbs 31 Ministries to discover more details about attending this conference.

Upon returning home, I found myself taking steps to finally pursue the dream of a new ministry. Because of the encouragement of last year’s conference, I am involved in a local Christian writer’s group and working slowly but steadily on a book which I plan on presenting to a publisher at this year’s conference. Currently, I am registered and planning to attend ‘She Speaks!’ again this year. Proverbs 31 Ministries has provided even more incentive to attend this year’s conference by offering a scholarship for women who are bloggers. I started blogging and have been blessed by sharing what God is teaching me in my life. If you are a blogger and you would like more information, go to Lisa TerKeurst's blog . I cannot wait to reconnect with those I met last year, and I’m looking forward to making new relationships this year. My testimony is that while I may be living proof that God uses the “foolish things of the world to shame the wise”, I cannot adequately express God’s faithfulness in providing the venue of ‘She Speaks!’ Only our loving God could provide a woman like me such an opportunity to pursue a dream He planted deep in my heart of hearts.

The Order of Things

As many of my beloved readers may be aware, I am a routine individual (refer to the previous blog, “Bovine Creatures”). Last week was proof yet again of how discombobulated I become when my routine is interrupted! In my normal week I have daily devotions every morning and I also work-out three times a week. Mondays are usually my day to do a regular housecleaning: laundry, scrub floors, vacuum, clean bathrooms, pick-up, and generally set my agenda for the week. I see clients on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and between clients I write, do personal bills and our business invoicing and bookkeeping, along with ministry research. Fridays I leave open for a variety of things: writing, gardening, or perhaps major household projects. Basically, every day has its routine.

Last week however the routine was interrupted. I had a funereal to attend on Monday which encompassed most of the day. Therefore, Monday’s work got pushed to Tuesday leaving Wednesday and Thursday to become overwhelmingly busy so that I would be free to assist my husband on Friday with his business. Needless to say, all week long, I had to consult a calendar to remember what day of the week it was and avoid missing client appointments. I like my routine, the order of events; order allows me to accomplish my work and maintain sanity and the comfort of our household. I become confused, tired and grumpy when my routine is altered.

Oddly enough, during my devotion reading last week, I realized that Jesus had a routine, an order, to His life. As I was reading John 13:1-5, I was immediately arrested by the order of events as He prepared to wash the feet of His disciples. The passage reads like this:

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:1-5

Beginning in verse 1, John shares with us that Jesus knew that His time to leave the world and return to the Father from whom He had come was rapidly approaching. Jesus is longing to show His disciples the full extent of His love. Then, in verse 3, we read that Jesus knew that all power was His, that He had authority over everything, and that He had come from the Father and was returning to the Father. Did you catch it? That was the order: knowing how deeply beloved Jesus is by His Father and His authority was from God. Then Jesus would display His unfathomable love for His disciples. The only begotten Son of God, the Prince of Peace would don a simple towel, and take on the role of a servant to wash the filthy feet of His disciples.

I’m not saying that Jesus could not have become a servant to His disciples without first recognizing God’s love for Him. He’s perfect; of course He knew God’s love for Him! My point is that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John spells out an order of events for broken, weak, and faulty people: us. If we truly want to become the loving servant demonstrated by Jesus, we have to first stop and acknowledge to the depths of our soul how deeply loved we are by our Father; that we belong to Him as His children and He to us as our loving Father. God and God alone is the source of our power – power to love our neighbor and become their servant. Only as we acknowledge His love and care for us can we then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, become the loving servants God created us to be, in that order! Otherwise, we will become confused, grumpy, and exhausted!

If confused, grumpy, or exhausted is your state of mind, take a look inward. Are you focused on God’s love for you, even reveling in it? Or are you focusing on crossing your duties off of a never-ending list of chores, feeling resentful? Find the correct routine! Get things in order! I can’t speak for you, but I know that I have much to do to further His kingdom today and I do a better job when I do things in the correct order!