George Floyd. Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for almost 9 minutes.  Can’t breathe.  The enemy choking the very life out.  David Dorn.  Retired police captain, fatally shot by looters.

Tensions are high.

Our nation is in desperate need. Healing. Reconciliation. Justice. Jesus among us.

We are broken. And is it any wonder…that a nation would be anything else when it scorns His presence?

It’s a heart issue.  Only God can change the innards of a man–the generational sin induced thought patterns that lead to wicked behavior.  This is war.  The physical has now birthed out of the spiritual.  It is both spirit and physical, but let’s not forget that the war is never really against flesh and blood.

The Enemy knows we are created in the image of the Most High God.  He hates us for it.  His intent is to steal, kill, and destroy that image…and bonus points if he can get us to kill each another.  He’s been successful at instigating this kind of hatred since the days of Cain and Abel: when one brother killed his own brother.  Not much has changed: brother is still killing brother. {I hear God whispering to each one of us what He whispered to Cain, “Why are you angry?” What if he wants us to get at the root of the anger before we act on it?}

It is a war on our souls.  A war on God’s image: the image that God has been trying to stomp out since the good ol’ garden days.

I keep thinking of Saul/Paul. (You can find him in the book of Acts.)  I can’t get him out of my mind.  Pharisee of Pharisees.  Upholder of the law.  Did everything according to the book and probably made up a few of his own laws along the way.  Pedigree of pedigrees. Knew the Torah by heart.  He truly thinks he is doing the right thing by dragging followers of the Way out of their home to either be beheaded, stoned, or put into prison.  They called him the Butcher.  He witnessed the stoning of Stephen. He approved. He was there. {Let that sink in.  He did nothing to stop it. He agreed with each stone finding their target.} I can’t get Stephen’s final words out of my heart because I know it reveals the mess of my own heart: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

I haven’t seen that line splayed across the pages of the news or social media.

I know God is sovereign and had a plan all along for Saul/Paul, but what if, just what if God takes this final plea of Stephen’s and goes into action on behalf of Saul’s heart?

Saul walking.  Blinding light.  Stumbling.  Disoriented.  Hearing a voice he doesn’t recognize: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” {A timely question for all of us.}

“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”

Now, Saul was pretty sure he knew exactly who he was persecuting, but Jesus blinds him with light to show him just how blind he has been.  Jesus has to rip off the scales of Saul’s eyes so he can finally see. The only hope for Saul is a blinding encounter with Jesus Himself.

We can’t miss the significance of this fact: Jesus has been crucified and is dwelling in heaven at this point, but the truth is clear, to persecute Christians is to persecute Christ Himself.  One big body, ya’ll.

Enter Ananias.  Each player has a part in the story, and this man might be an unsung hero. Saul has been the murdering eradicator of anyone trying to spread the good news and now God is calling Ananias to go meet with this murderer in order to restore his sight.  Such precious obedience, one we need to dwell on for longer than 5 seconds.  Was there love in Ananias’s heart towards Saul at this point?  Probably not. Did He love His master enough to willingly obey?  Yes, and the gospel was proclaimed to the Gentiles as a result of one man’s act of surrender to the hard thing that God was calling him to.

Scales fell.

No one is beyond redemption.  No one is beyond truth or the grasp of God’s love.  What if we are to be reconcilers of man to God; reconcilers of man to man? It started with the prayer of Stephen and ended with the obedience of Ananias, laying his hands on a man who was a threat to his very life.

And the gospel exploded.

{Ponder this today: What if that miserable sin soaked person that you want to wipe off the face of the planet at this very moment is God’s chosen vessel, and He is calling you to either be a Stephen or an Ananias? Dear God, we beg you, implant this kind of love into our hearts.}

The love is fierce.  Definitely not safe, but good cocooned in a higher purpose.  The love is the roar of the waves, rushing in to consume and overtake.  It has no obstacle and rips through everything in its path.  It is unfathomable.  It sends its own Son into the front lines, knowing full well the outcome.

Darkness and dirtiness is the norm until this love speaks something different.  The roar and rush of the waves brings a whole new language: a whole new that has never before entered the finite mind of the shore.

Sacrifice is the only way back to the Father, the owner of Fierce Love.  The pure Son is the only acceptable method.

Fierce Love chases. Pursues.  Hunts down.

And then it finds its mark.  All because the shoreline keeps missing it.

The sweet soul of the shoreline is the intended target.  Since even before sin scattered itself, this was the Purpose.

Does it know how dirty it is? Is it crying out to be cleansed? Does it know that with God, all things can be made new?

Deep footprints of being stomped on with abuse and harassment.

Broken bits of shell: fragments that the enemy chipped off via rejection, loneliness, and hardship.

A single used maxi pad which seems totally out of place until echoes of “all our righteous deeds are as repugnant as a used menstrual product” invade the thoughts.  Spectators want to bury such filth even deeper, but Fierce Love doesn’t work that way.

The Fierce Love sees all, even more than the littered landscape can see.  It arrives not necessarily unannounced, but definitely unexpected.  The crest mounts with a singular goal: to make it new.

It’s a holy roar, but only those with ears to hear can tune in.  The massive wave overtakes everything in its path, making its way to the shore.

Despite the immeasurable power, it lands softly, foaming with the suds that cleanse.

Caressing every inch of the shore, it whispers of a new way.  It kisses the landscape with these simple words, “I will take it, shore.”

The deep imprint of being trampled.

The tangled up mess of stench.

The smashed bits of brokenness.

Even the repulsive pad.

Fierce Love doesn’t bury it; Fierce Love takes it on and carries it back.

In one fell swoop, the mess is gone.  The wave has died.

It is finished.

The sand smiles in a way it never has before; it is glimmering from ear to ear.  Each fleck a diamond. It is radiant.  Graced by grace, it now has eyes to see…the wave has resurrected.

“Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you…” Isaiah 60:5a

I believe with all my heart that God wants each one of us healed, restored, and made whole.  The Hebrew word for peace is shalom.  It is a really rich word and one of its meanings is wholeness.  It is impossible to be at peace when we aren’t whole and we can’t be whole if we aren’t standing on the truth of God’s word.  If we make bold or subtle agreements with what the enemy says instead of what God says regarding ourselves, regarding another person, or regarding a situation, then we better believe that our peace has just flown out the window.

One thing shalom can mean is “to be safe in your mind.” So, I have a question for us: Have we ever made an agreement with the enemy that has hindered our peace, joy, wholeness, or identity? Are there any areas of our mind where we don’t feel safe?

We are going to look at three things today: we are going to identify the enemy, we are going to define what an agreement is, and we are going to learn how to break the agreement.

First, let’s identity the enemy.  Here are just three things the Bible teaches us:

1.  John 8:44 says these six things about the devil: he was a murderer from the beginning, he does not stand in the truth, there is no truth in him, when he lies he speaks out of his character, he is a liar, and he is the father of lies.
2. In Genesis, we learn that the enemy is subtle, but his attack will always be to contradict God’s word. God’s words in Genesis 2:17 say “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.  He said to the woman, Did God actually say, “you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'” Verse 4 says, “you will not surely die.”

The enemy started by simply planting doubt about what God had said.  You want to know the enemy’s tactic?  Here it is: the devil will blatantly contradict God’s word but in a very clever way.

3.  We can break down the Greek word for devil and get a glimpse of how he operates.  Devil in Greek is diabolos and means to slander or accuse falsely, but what is intriguing is if you break down the word.

dia: to penetrate or go through

bolos: to throw or cast

The tactic of the enemy is to throw lies at us until they penetrate.  But, they can only penetrate if we make an agreement with them.

 

So, we have identified the enemy.  Now, let’s define what an agreement is.  This definition comes from John Eldredge in his book Walking with God:

By agreements, I mean those subtle convictions we come to, assent to, give way to, or are raised to assume are true.  It happens down deep in our souls where our real beliefs about life are formed.  Something or someone whispers to us, “Life is never going to turn out the way you’d hoped,” or “Nobody’s going to come through,” or God has forsaken you.” And something in us responds: “that’s true.” We make an agreement with it and a conviction is formed.

Listen, if we don’t break the agreements, they are going to become strongholds in our lives and the lens in which we view life. It will rob us of the peace and wholeness that God desires for us.

Think of agreements this way: they pin our hearts down and give the enemy a place to work in our lives.

So, let’s look at how to break these agreements!

The first step is to RECOGNIZE THE LIE. Invite the Holy Spirit in and give him the freedom to bring some exposure.  We simply ask God to show us what kinds of agreements we have made that are not true.  Sit with your Bible and journal and be still and listen.  The Holy Spirit is the most comforting and tender counselor we could ever hope for. He wants healing and freedom over us, not condemnation.  John 16:13 promises us “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”

The second step is to RENOUNCE THE LIE.  Reject it.  Refuse to let it penetrate any longer.  Take the lies captive!  2 Corinthians 10:3-5 say, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Now, some of us get stuck on step two because we don’t move forward to step three, which is where the power resides.

Step three is to REPLACE THE LIE WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. The word of God is where the power for change will come.  When Jesus is praying to the Father in John 17:17, He cries out, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” The sanctification of believers is a lifelong process and has everything to do with our increasing ability to live in the truth.

What we want to do is find a specific scripture that replaces the lie with the truth.  Here is just one example of how to do this.

The Lie:  “Prayer doesn’t make a difference.”

The Truth (James 5:16):  “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

The lie might continue, Satan doing his best to get it to penetrate.  He may follow up with getting you to think something like this: “But, I’m not righteous.  You should have seen how I yelled at my husband this week.”  Do you see how sneaky and subtle the enemy is? The truth of Romans 3:22 says you have right standing with God because of Jesus.  So, your righteousness is based on what Christ did for you on the cross and not based on your own actions.  So, if you are a believer, you are righteous and your prayers have GREAT POWER and are WORKING.

Be brave, precious soul.  Carve out a little extra time this week and ask God a simple question: “Lord, show me what kind of agreements I have made that are not true.” The answers just might surprise you and bring a whole new level of peace and wholeness in your life.

It baffles me that God would set apart Noah when all around, He saw wickedness and evil when He peered into the hearts of men.  It brought Him such sorrow that He was grieved that he had even made man and animals.  So, God did a reversal.  He reversed creation and brought back the waters that He had formerly divided in order to wipe things out and start fresh.

What baffles me is that God didn’t have to start anew. He could have destroyed it all and then washed his hands free of us.

But, God loves life.  He loves reversals.  He loves restoration.  He loves new beginnings.

So, He poured out His favor on Noah.

{It’s important to note that God’s favor was poured out before it says that Noah was a righteous man.  Grace always precedes a righteous walk.}

We are about to see how beautiful and meaningful Hebrew words are in the Word. Noah “noakh” comes from “nuakh” which means rest and the related concept of comfort “nakham.”

When God was grieved he had made mankind, the word used is “nakham.” It means to be sorry, to change your mind…but it can also mean to have compassion and to be comforted. Perhaps He was comforted, knowing that a righteous remnant would continue to live.

Noah’s name means rest and comfort.  Noah will bring both rest and comfort from the painful toil of working the soil.  Noah will build an ark and bring rest and comfort for his family against the rains that pelt down for 40 days and 40 nights.  Noah will get off of the ark 370 days later (the waters needed time to abate) and he will build an altar and offer a sacrifice to Yahweh as an act of atonement and an act of gratitude.

The pleasing aroma of the sacrifice will soothe God’s anger at the collective whole of human sin and will bring about peace.  This word “pleasing” is “nikhoakh” and means rest and tranquility.

Can you see all of the word plays used in the text…”noakh,” “nakham,” and “nikhoakh,”  all bringing us back to the concepts of rest and comfort?

If God has poured out His grace on us, then we are covered in the blood of Jesus.  Jesus is our rest and comfort.  Therefore, we can be at rest and comforted no matter what storms we are facing. He is for us, not against us.

3rd grade.  An elementary school without walls. The classrooms were wide open at Butterfield Elementary.  There were no walls or doors for separation as each set of grades was contained in a pod.  Only bookcases provided a bit of privacy.  I’m not sure what educational research went into thinking this set up was a good idea, but it wasn’t my favorite.  The shyest of shy, I wanted boundaries, quiet, and seclusion in order to thrive.  Introverts love them some doors and walls!

In our class, there was a Mrs. Henderson, an Amy, a Whitney, a Sara, an Allison, a Staci, an Ann, an Anita, a Bethany, a Kandi, a Kyle, an Anna, two Matts and two Robbies. There were others, but my memory fails.  Mr. Day was the Principal and Mrs. May was the secretary.  I can’t make this stuff up.  Did they hire her because she wore three inch stilettos or because her name rhymed with the boss?  (You know, to encourage phonics and reading, and such.) I guess we students weren’t privy to that information.  We were only eight, after all. But, we were about to watch something on T.V. that added a few more years to each one of us in a matter of mere seconds.

Having a T.V. in every classroom was probably a big deal in 1986.  Ours was up high in a corner and we all sat in our little chairs, giddy with anticipation.  We knew we were about to watch history take place, we just didn’t realize the depths of such history.  The Challenger Space Shuttle was about to launch.  We all had our hearts and eyes on Christa McAuliffe.  She would be the first teacher in space and it gave us hope that we “simple folk” could go up in a ship one day, too. (In 3rd grade, teachers were commoners and astronauts were totally awesome.  Now, I realize that teachers are the real superheroes.)

We counted down “10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1” and cheered.  We watched for a little over a minute and then the space ship exploded.  I remember vividly seeing the plume of smoke that separated into two tails.

It is hard to remember what exactly went through my mind as an eight year old, but I remember being confused and wondering what was going on.  I had never seen a spaceship launch, so I did not understand that something had gone terribly wrong.  The collective audible gasps from every single teacher at open-floor-plan Butterfield Elementary was what told me a disaster had occurred.

Christa McAuliffe, gone at 37.

I ponder 3rd grade and I think of how it either taught me about death or gifted me with loved ones that would die all too soon.  Our beloved teacher, Mrs. Henderson, doted on us.  She wore big Texas style hair, fancy clothes, and colored pumps.  Her tan skin and makeup were always perfect.  We were her children, as she was unable to have any.  She sent home encouraging notes, some of which I still have to this day.  We shared a love of German Shepherds, mine named Brandy, and hers proudly framed across her classroom.  She lost her dog to death that year.  I remember her saying the word cancer.  We all cried with her.

We students adored Matt and Matt and Robbie and Robbie.  They were inseparable and always had us rolling in laughter.  I secretly had a crush on one of those boys.  Perhaps as I got older, I should have at least told him how funny and neat of a person I thought he was.  People need to hear of their value, after all.  After college, he took his life and left us all reeling.  All I could think about were his endearing big ears and sweet smile.  His loss makes me sad to this day.

Robbie Macke, gone at 26.

In August of 92′, I was a sophomore in high school.  New town, new school, new home, new bed. Zero friends.  I remember my Mom coming into my room and telling me that Mrs. Henderson and her husband had died in a house fire.  Her big hair, tan skin, and zest for life were simply gone.  Who would write her students the encouraging words they so desperately needed to hear? I think a piece of my eight year old self died that day, as well.

Melissa Henderson, gone at 38.

Simple math tells me I am forty two, but that’s not entirely true.  I am also the eight year old girl, fifteen year old teen, and twenty six year old young lady, all of them holding the weight of loss in her hands.  I have outlived all of these unique souls that left their mark. If forty two year old Becke’ could tell eight year old Becke’ two things it would be to never run away from loss and to cherish the here and now. I would tell her that grief and joy are always in a sacred dance together, and that God can be found in both. I would tell her to LIVE because tomorrow is never promised.

She is stumbling in the dark woods, not even seeing the muck that she plows right into. Who knew sin had such power, such weight to suck her in? Deeper. Deeper.  She flings around, trying everything she can think of to get her out of the quicksand, but it won’t remove its hold.  Swimming is impossible.  The nearest branches are too far away, and she knows it would be a futile attempt as her arms aren’t strong enough. So, her body admits defeat.  She becomes a slave to the weight of the muck and mire, the dark roots grasping and pulling to the bottomless depths.  She is almost in over her head. Her face alone is exposed to air.

But, the tiniest spark of hope bursts through her inner heart as she remembers a story of a Savior long ago in Sunday School. For some reason, the meaning of the word glory swims around in her mind: weight. God’s glory has weight.  It is heavy.  Her eyes blink in expectation and she realizes she was wrong in thinking she could save herself.

She cries out, “Jesus, I believe you are stronger than the sin that is pulling me right under.  You have weight.  Have mercy, and pull me out.  My only hope for freedom is you!”

She catches a glimpse of Him.  He is running towards her and then he jumps right into the muck. “No!” she screams, not wanting him to be sucked under.  He only smiles, picks her up, and brings her to a rock on dry land.  In the wrap of a single embrace, every last bit of mud falls to the ground.  Her skin is almost glistening.  For the first time in her life, she is truly clean.

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry blog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 40:2

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21

To try and sum up all that God’s been revealing to me regarding light is a daunting task, but the fact that I have information to try to share is proof of one thing: He is answering my prayer about wanting to see His glory in the creation of light.  So, thank you, Father!

Allen Ross is incredibly helpful.  How is it that God can make some people so stinkin’ smart? What a blessing they are–those who understand the Hebrew and have done the hard work for me–a much lesser mind!  I love his reference to “bara.” I had previously mentioned that it means to create something out of nothing.  This is not necessarily true; but it is true that God alone does this kind of creating.  Ross says there are three main ways this word is used: the formation of the universe, establishing the nation Israel, and transformation for the renewal of things. (One example of the third would be “create” in me a clean heart.  Only God can bring this kind of renewal.) So bara is “used exclusively for the activity of God in which He fashions something anew.”

Darkness was upon the face of the deep.  That word is “hosek” and represents evil and death.  It is very possible that the fall of Satan brought about this chaos and darkness that was on the earth.  So, it is mind boggling, but I think when God steps onto the scene in Genesis 1, it is actually a recreation of something God had already created.  God’s first act of redemption is to salvage the world and make it new.  At the end of the world as we know it, He will step in and do the same.  God is showing me that this is His heartbeat: not to always abolish or destroy what seems hopeless, but to often come in and renew, restore, and redeem.  It is the gospel everyday…on people and on creation.  Yahweh absolutely gets giddy about turning chaos into blessing.

His first act of this was light.  The Spirit was hovering and the Word came forth.  Great and mighty things transpire with the Spirit and the Word!  God speaks forth light, not totally banishing darkness, but bringing its antithesis, the thing that is good, holy, pure, life-giving, and gladdening.  God is clear about the division of light and dark and God made it clear to me as to the purpose behind the distinction. (Yay!) From the beginning, God wanted us to know that He makes divisions.  Ross says, “The division of light from darkness in creation thus displays the will of God as a foretaste of the Law.”  We need the law because it points to our need for a Savior. So, in my mind, I see it as God announcing our need for a Savior, even before sin entered the picture.  The law brought all kinds of divisions and separations (holy vs. profane, a set apart Sabbath day to rest, the outer court, inner court, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place….) mainly to set apart the people of Israel from other nations. Even after Jesus came to fulfill the law, there are still divisions: either one is a child of light or of the darkness, there is no middle ground as 1 Thessalonians 5:5 says.

Because of the blood of Jesus on my life, I am a child of light. Ephesians 5:8 says I am now “light in the Lord” and spurs me on to walk as a child of light. What does this look like? Spurgeon would say there are to be distinctions on my life. “No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than a division is necessary. Light and darkness have no communion; God has divided them, let’s not confuse them.  Sons of light must not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of darkness.” God wants us as believers to “maintain the great distinction which the Lord made upon the world’s first day.”

What does that look like?

Andrew Peterson says “if we are called to speak light into the darkness, then believe this: the darkness wants to shut you up.” So, we know this is warfare and we need to encourage our souls along the way.

My favorite way to move forward is to think about how Kathie Lee Gifford puts it in her book, “The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi.” She says God’s first action as Creator was to bring light out of darkness and thus, order out of chaos. “When we imitate our Creator, we allow God’s light to shine in the midst of the darkness, thereby displaying our good works to others so they might glorify our Father in heaven.” Our purpose as children of light is to bring God’s shalom to the chaos of the world.  This should drive my passion in everyday life, in my talents, and in how I relate to others.  Light dispels chaos and brings shalom, which is wholeness.

To think that this light within can bring peace, blessing, completeness, and rest to another person is mind blowing.  We are more powerful than we think, and it isn’t us at all, but the light of Christ in us.  The fact that He allows us to partner with Him on this mission of shalom is humbling and satisfying.  Let us preserve the knowledge of God to the next generation!  Let us be “gleeful rearrangers” of words (as Peterson says) in order to point to the beauty of God!  Let us radiate all that He is—for His glory alone!

Shine on!  His light looks good on you.

If everything God speaks into being is good, then why did I wrestle with Him over my word of the year: “LIGHT?” It just seemed too broad, overused, and well, boring. (Let me go hide in shame for a few minutes. OK, I’m back.)
God created the heavens and the earth, but He doesn’t say that He spoke them into existence. Nor does He outright call them good. The earth was without form. Void. Empty. Dark. But the Spirit was hovering over the waters and we can all feel the expectation and energy of something about to transpire.
It’s fascinating to me that the Hebrew word for create (bara) is only used with God as the subject. It’s like the Creator gets his very own word that He shares with no one else. That’s because this word for create (bara) means that He created something out of nothing (ex nihilo) and only God can do that. The Hebrew word asah is also used in this first chapter, but it means to create or fashion something from something that has already been created.
I can’t imagine an earth of darkness. Enter verse three, one that we both memorize and skim over, assuming we understand such ramifications. But, can we? Can our finite minds hold such glory?
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”
This Hebrew for “let there be” is different from bara and asah, it is hayah, which means to breathe, to become, to exist. Our Creator God sure uses a variety of words for create! It seems darkness is the norm until God speaks something different. He merely speaks and things are illuminated. He makes a huge distinction: light vs. darkness. He brings a separation and calls the light good (tov: adequate/sufficient.) It is His very first mention of calling something good. We need to sit here awhile and ponder the implications of such a profound moment.
His very first mention of good: Light. Lord, reveal to us the glory and purpose behind this. (I don’t have all the answers, but I’m opening myself up to receive whatever God wants to say regarding this.) I know the Law of First Mention tells us that the Bible’s first mention of a concept is the simplest and clearest representation so that all other thoughts in the Bible can be based on the first one. (The first mention helps us understand the other passages that contain the word.)
So, why is this one so hard for my mind to wrap around? It’s like your glory is in that light and it is beyond me.
Perhaps the first mention is important in what it doesn’t tell us. The first mention of light never names the sun, moon, and stars. It is profound to me that there is no mention of the sun, moon, and stars when God says “let there be light.” In fact, it isn’t until the 4th days that God says, “let there be lights…one to rule the day, one to rule the night, as well as the stars.”
LIGHT on day one. Lesser lights on day four.
It’s almost as if God knew we mere humans would be easily persuaded to worship the sun, moon, and stars instead of the One True Light.
So, what was this initial light? Part of me at first says that it is simply God Himself as He chooses to reveal Himself to what had been created thus far. After all, God is light. But that theory can’t be, because He says, “Let there be light” which means He is allowing something to come into existence. Since God is an everlasting God (El Olam) then this idea is totally refuted.
I don’t know the answer. My simple mind made up something, it may fail in accuracy but I think God smiles when we at least try to use our brains. God created light (an electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. I have no idea what that means but it sounds fancy.) The light was all around. Then, on day four, he molded it like play dough and turned it into the sun, moon, and stars. Perhaps this theory fails on levels, I’m really not smart enough to know. But, I’m open to God bringing Himself glory to me by showing me what this first mention of good really entails.
I know Jesus is the light of the world. To a world (either physical or spiritual) lost in darkness, Christ is our only guide and hope of seeing. To think that He is both the illumination of our sins and the way out of those is pretty profound to me.
Most of what I think He wants me to dwell upon has to do with Him making a distinction and a separation. There was darkness. God didn’t do away with the darkness, but He did bring in light to separate it. (I find it interesting that He didn’t just banish the darkness!) Divided is “badal” and means to separate, disjoin, to select out of a group, make a difference (having the sense of consecration,) and to distinguish as diverse.
This is important, my soul knows it. It frames how He will do things and who He is as God. In Psalm 139, God says we have been wonderfully made or set apart. God sets His people apart, making a distinction between those that are his and those that are not, as evidenced in Exodus 10 when the Egyptians were in darkness but the Israelites dwelling in Goshen had light.
I think there is more to this separation/distinction stuff than I am understanding, but I am hoping to learn more.
God is light and in Him there is no darkness. I am a child of God. I radiate out the light of God. What would 2020 look like for me to let my light shine?
There is a lot I would like to study this year (the transfiguration, for starters!) regarding light. Pray with me that God would reveal the glory behind the first mention of “good” in the Word?

Fresh was the word for 2019.  God called me to things that required a lot of faith, courage, and stepping outside of my comfortable little circle.

God asked me to speak at two different women’s retreat events.  I am pretty sure He was laughing His head off, gently nudging me into this.  I’ve said numerous times I’ll do about anything except public speaking.  It pretty much makes me ill…and these two speaking engagements were no different.  I wanted to run from both.  I wanted to say no on the front end, but I felt like I would be acting out of disobedience and fear…and I am so tired of fear ruling my life. So, I did each one afraid.  And guess what?  I’m not a good speaker.  But, perhaps God used me anyway.  Speaking to rooms full of women was fresh.  It was hard.  But, God showed up.  Truth was taught. Women learned about God’s hesed love for each of them as put on display in the book of Ruth.  Women learned about how to have peace in their lives by refuting the lies that the enemy throws at them and replacing those lies with truth.  God was so sweet to make it possible for Michelle to go to each event with me and be my emotional and prayer support. Love her so.

In early spring, I was asked to shoot the cover stories for a local magazine.  This was a huge honor but also a huge leap outside of my comfort zone.  I loved meeting new people and working amidst a team to accomplish a higher vision.  I learned a lot about myself and how I am wired by God.  Seeing some of the “God” stories that are out there is always a blessing to my heart.  Due to a lack of time and some other issues,  this “fresh” part of 2019 won’t continue into 2020, but one area that will continue is being able to manage the faith article section of the magazine.  Lord, help me and other guest writers make you beautiful and known in a deeper way. Be glorified with our words.

Eric’s work was fresh.  He started with a new company in the spring and has enjoyed it.  He has such a gift of discernment and being a consultant is the perfect fit for the mind God gifted him with.

I will tell you what was totally fresh in 2019:  my firstborn went away to college.  The kiddo that I was used to seeing every single day only came home twice during the semester.  While that is a huge change on my momma heart, God’s grace has been sufficient.  He is thriving with Cru, Honors college, church, and grades.  I’m so proud and loving the fact that he is adjusting and loving school.

More fresh things included:

*Asher starting kindergarten

*Sam singing his first solo (huge answer to prayer!)

*Eli going to Nationals in Denver for soccer and visiting the Czech for the first time

*All 17 Stuarts taking a beach trip together

*Joining a new home church

*Historic flooding

*Dad’s retirement

*More prayer opportunities at our church

*A personal medical scare (no one ever wants to hear the word “mass”)

As I look back over 2019, I see a year where I had to be bold and brave….from speaking in front of crowds to sitting and waiting to talk to the radiologist.  Perhaps fresh things always require one to be bold and brave…at least for people like me who love the safety net of security.

One thing is for sure: God never left my side.  Some of the hard things I had to totally do on my own, but I had such a peace that God was with me.  I am so thankful He never asked me to go do anything without His presence.

If 2019 taught me anything, it’s that Fresh always requires Faith.

Happy New Year, everyone.  Here’s to 2020 and a year of “Light.”

It has always been my heart’s cry to see Christ fresh during the Christmas season. This year, I keep thinking about how unassuming his entrance was. It almost seems that Jesus purposefully embraced smallness. First, after leaving His throne, He entered the small womb of a virgin teenager. Second, he could have chosen to be born in the grand city of Jerusalem, but he opted for the tiny village of Bethlehem, instead. (Of course, it is only fitting that the Bread of Life would be born in a city called “the House of Bread.”) Third, even though Jesus is eternal royalty, he didn’t attach himself to a noble family. Lastly, he didn’t opt for an inn or home to be born in. A stable seemed just fine for him. Small, small, small.

 
King of Kings, and yet, He arrived in a humble and insignificant way. God-man born amidst the muck and manure. Who would have dreamed the Son of God who created the world and holds it in His hands would choose to lay down his majesty and enter his creation in this way?

 
Jesus came for my smallness. I couldn’t save myself from my own sinful wretchedness. He came to ultimately die on the cross, conquer death, redeem me from myself, and dwell inside of me. He loves to make His home in the small things of life. How profound, that the uncontainable God chooses to contain Himself in my inmost being.

 
This season, I am learning to not shun small beginnings. (“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see…” Zechariah 4:10a) God can take those small beginnings anywhere he wants, even to death on a cross that would be humanity’s only chance of redemption.

 
I am reminded of the story of Elijah and how God’s voice wasn’t found in the grandeur of the wind or the earthquake, but was found in a low whisper, more like a “thin silence.” (1 Kings 19)

 
Even when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, it wasn’t on a war horse, but on a humble donkey. The first cry of Hosanna (save us!!) had to be fulfilled with the King laying down his life, not setting up His earthly throne.

 
Perhaps like you, I’ve been in a season of needing God to show up. I’m pondering during this Christmas season that God’s ways are often quiet. Humble. Seemingly insignificant. Unassuming. Silent. Without fanfare. Small. Unobtrusive. Meek. Gentle. Hidden. Lowly. Inconspicuous. Simple.

 
It’s quite possible the answers we seek won’t come with the fanfare of a majestic marching band. It probably won’t be with the dramatic flair or sensationalism our culture thrives on. If it is of God, there is a good chance it will be found in the humble and unassuming path, where the voice of God is almost a thin silence. God’s ways might even include a wooden manger covered in a pasty concoction of grain and livestock saliva.

 
It could have been so easy to miss Christ’s first coming. Angels could have announced his arrival to every single person on earth, but they picked a few mere shepherds. It would be easy to miss Jesus in our daily lives, as well. But I believe that Jesus is always at work on our behalves. Always. We can pray for eyes to see and ask for glimpses of glory along the way. We can prepare our hearts to see Jesus in the unexpected and in the small. We can train our ears to listen for the gentle whisper of His voice.

 
“How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” O Little Town of Bethlehem

 
“Whenever I have seen God’s wondrous work in the case of some miraculous healing or some extraordinary deliverance by His Providence, the thing that has always impressed me most was the absolute quietness in which it was done. I have also been impressed by the absence of anything sensational and dramatic, and the utter sense of my own uselessness as I stood in the presence of this mighty God, realizing how easy all this was for Him to do without even the faintest effort on His part, or the slightest help from me.” A. B. Simpson

 
This Christmas season, let’s remind our hearts of one simple truth: faith sees that God often embraces smallness.