Search Results for: fear the Lord

Psalm 34: Good to Know

November 16, 2018 by Jaime Hilton Leave a Comment

“Hey friend! How’s it going?”

“Good! Things are good.”

Sound familiar? I know I have this conversation on a regular basis.

Good. What does it really mean?

Charles Spurgeon describes the first half of Psalm 34 as a hymn and the second part a sermon. Remember the backstory In 1 Samuel 21? David escapes the Philistines by pretending to be a madman. The story continues in 1 Samuel 22:1-2.

David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Picture the scene with me. David, fresh from danger, delivered but humbled and in hiding. His heart is overflowing with gratitude which he channels into this beautiful psalm. He looks out at the camp. Four hundred men, not even counting the women and children, seeking leadership. Not a crowd of warriors ready to overthrow the sitting king, but broken down, depressed people.

Have you ever been in distress? Burdened by debt? Bitter in your soul? In desperate need of something good?

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

I can almost hear David’s urging in the exclamation, Oh!

Taste. See. Engage personally and know for yourself. The Lord is good. Not the superficial good based on circumstance or perspective, but good in the wider sense. As in, when God finished creating the heavens and the earth, looked at it all and called it good (Genesis 1:31).

The people have come to the cave seeking shelter, safety, and reprieve. David reminds them and us that true refuge is found in the Lord who is good.

Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack.

We’ve talked before on the blog about what it means to “fear” the Lord. (Check it out here) To fear Him is to acknowledge that He is in control and over all things. He can be trusted because He is capable of delivering on all His promises. He called David to the cave at Adullam (which, fun fact, means “justice of the people”) and he called each man and woman there as well. We are called to be set apart (1 Peter 2:9) and He will provide for us (Phil 4:19).

The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

What image does the phrase “young lion” call to mind? A lion has both positive and negative connotations throughout Scripture (Psalm 7:2, Proverbs 28:1). Personally I like Matthew Henry’s take on the subject.

“Those that live by faith in God’s all-sufficiency want nothing; for in him they have enough. The young lions. often lack and suffer hunger-those that live upon common providence, as the lions do, shall want that satisfaction which those have that live by faith in the promise; those that trust to themselves, and think their own hands sufficient for them, shall want (for bread is not always to the wise)-but verily those shall be fed that trust in God and desire to be at his finding. Those that are ravenous, and prey upon all about them, shall want; but the meek shall inherit the earth. Those shall not want who with quietness work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage enough, when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish for hunger.”

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Dig Deeper

What is your go-to when you are in distress or bitter in soul? How can you take refuge in the Lord?
What does it mean that the Lord is good? How can you taste and see this for yourself?
Do a word study on some of the key words in these verses (good, fear the Lord, lion). How do these words enhance your understanding of the text?

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I Sought. He Delivered and Answered.

November 9, 2018 by Ali Shaw 1 Comment

All this month we’re looking at Psalm 34. Today’s focus in on Psalm 34:4-7. David tells us, “I sought…” and the Lord “answered and delivered.”

I don’t think I’ve always been a fearful person, but as I get older, I’m more aware of my battle with fear.

I’m a so-called “creature of habit” and I’m most comfortable being comfortable. I like knowing what to expect and don’t typically care for change. And when things inevitably do change, it makes me feel a little (or a lot) insecure.

Then fear starts creeping in.

I’ve become familiar with wrestling with and wrangling up thoughts when the ground shifts beneath my feet. And though I’m learning to wrestle and wrangle faster (taking every thought captive), I’m definitely a work in progress. I continue to practice surrendering my fears.

When I fear, I have the opportunity to choose faith. Fear is a feeling. Faith is a choice.

David reminds us all of what to do when fear creeps in. When David feared, he made a choice of faith to seek God.

I Sought. He answered and Delivered.

David was on the run from an enraged King Saul who was hunting David to kill him. (See 1 Samuel 21:10-15)

I’m sure David was confused since he’d already been anointed as king by Samuel (see 1 Samuel 16:10-13). How could be actually be king if he was killed?

It makes me wonder what things I fear or worry about that God has already promised me.

But David, with fearful emotions and all, knew what to do. We’re told in the Samuel passage that he feigned madness. It’s this verse in the Psalms that gives us insight into what actually happened:

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)

David sought God and trusted Him to work things out. Though he feared, he exercised his faith. Perhaps he even stopped and prayed before pretending to be crazy. We’ll never know the specifics. But what we do know is this: God is still in the business of delivering His children from fear!

Fear is an enemy and a liar. It compounds our problems, distracts our focus, steals our peace, and robs us of joy. And joy? That’s our strength!

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b

Those Who Look Are Radiant

We don’t always get what we want in life. That’s a hard truth. But it isn’t an ugly truth when looked at in the light of God’s love.

Though life doesn’t always work out in the way we want or expect, God is a good, good Father who loves us tremendously. Even the most tragic, earthly outcomes are made beautiful in Heaven.

Ultimately, God will not let us down. All things are for His glory and our eternal best.

Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed. (Psalm 34:5)

“Those who look to him are radiant.” When our faces seek His, we are brightened and cheered up by His light. A peace is found in us that the world cannot explain nor take away. We are assured of His love and promise to never forsake His children.

“The burden is removed from the heart and the countenance becomes radiant with hope and joy.” – Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.

Because He is faithful, we know we have no need to be ashamed of our trust and faith in Him.

The Lord Heard and Saved

Are you in a place of suffering right now? The word translated in the ESV as “poor” in verse 6 is the Hebrew word ani, which is most often translated as “afflicted.”

David was afflicted. He was suffering. But because he knew what to do with his fear and distress, He cried out to the Lord. The result? The Lord heard him and saved him.

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6)

God always hears us when we cry out to Him. Our job is to make sure that we do go to Him. And when we do, we don’t have to be afraid that our prayers hit the ceiling and fall back down. Though we may not get the answer we are looking for, be certain: God hears us! He will answer in the perfect way, in the perfect time.

The Angel of Lord Encamps

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

I love this promise. Quite simply, when we “fear the Lord,” He delivers us. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”

The Bible promises again and again that God guards and protects us. We know that we are sheep in Jesus’ hands and we are safe there. (John 10:27-30).

It isn’t clear in this verse if the “Angel of the Lord” is Jesus Christ as an uncreated angel (meaning messenger) of God’s presence, or a created angel (or angels) sent on His command. Either way, there is clarity that we are protected by this angel of the Lord, always!

For Study and Reflection:

Read Psalm 34:4-7. What do these verses say mankind should do? What does God do?
As we approach Thanksgiving, spend time in prayer thanking God for all His actions listed in these verses.
Are you suffering? Choose one verse from today’s passage to memorize, or try memorizing all four verses.
What do these verses tell us about not being put to shame? Psalm 22:5, Romans 9:33, and 1 John 2:28. How do they connect with Psalm 33:5?
Research the Angel of the Lord. Here is a good place to start.

What do you love most about the verses in this passage? Tell us in the comments or in our DoNotDepart Community on Facebook.

I Sought. He Answered and Delivered. A study of Psalm 34:4-7. #Psalm34TasteAndSee

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The Simple Beauty of Wisdom {Proverbs 30-31}

January 31, 2018 by Patti Brown 1 Comment

We have come to the end of our 31 days in the book of Proverbs. At times convicting, at times inspiring, this collection of “the words of the wise and their riddles” (Proverbs 1:6) has taken us on a journey of truth in search of wisdom.

And like a lovely package all tied up, Proverbs begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7) and a woman (Proverbs 1:20-33), and it ends with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 30:30) and a woman (Proverbs 31:10-31).

We see a style shift in chapters 30 and 31. Chapter 29 concluded another set of one-verse proverbs, and now in chapter 30 we embark on longer lessons that use numerical parallelism and poetry to convey truth.

In addition, both Proverbs 30 and Proverbs 31 are explicitly attributed to someone other than Solomon, though a few scholars think these may be nicknames for him. We actually know nothing about either Agur (chapter 30) or Lemuel (chapter 31), other than the fact that what they recorded was deemed worthy to be included in Holy Scripture.

Proverbs 30—The Wisdom of a Simple Man

Agur is a humble man. The first section of Proverbs 30 is a clear reminder, necessary in a book about wisdom, that no matter how wise a human may become, no one will ever be as wise as God. True human wisdom leads to fearing God, and taking refuge in Him and in His Word (verse 5). We can not add to nor detract from God’s Word – it has been tested and stands.

Wisdom leads Agur to ask God to make him neither rich nor poor. Riches would distract him from God, and poverty tempt him to steal. Rather he asks, much like Jesus commands in the Lord’s Prayer (Mathew 6:11), only for his daily bread.

After describing some very unsavory characters (the sort of people who are spiritual fools), Agur moves into five sets of numerical parallel proverbs that are riddle-like. The words in this section paint a picture of the physical world with bright brush strokes. These Holy Spirit inspired pictures help us to understand deeper, spiritual realities: the greatest emptiness is life without God, His creation is awe-inspiring and mysterious, being small or unimportant does not preclude being wise.

Words and our use of them, or perhaps more accurately, our restraint from using them, are a major theme throughout the entire book of Proverbs. At this point, it’s time to be blunt: “put your hand on your mouth” (verse 32). This verse makes me laugh—I think we have all had moments when this would have been the best choice!

Proverbs 31—Eshet Chayil—The Virtuous Woman

As a mama, it brings joy to my heart that this entire chapter is a teaching from mother to son. Lemuel has paid attention to Proverbs 1:8-9:

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
Proverbs 1:8-9

In the first nine verses of Proverbs 31, King Lemuel’s mother gives him wise advice for leadership: do not be distracted by alcohol or women. A good leader focuses his strength on serving, not on indulging his appetites. She also exhorts him to speak up for those who have no voice: the afflicted, the poor, the unfortunate. A wise leader is one who thinks of others over himself and is compassionate.

Lemuel’s mother then moves on to describing an excellent wife. Verses 10-31 are an alphabetic acrostic poem. Each of the 22 verses starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are a number of reasons why the acrostic form might have been used, a simple one being that it makes a passage easier to memorize. This theory seems supported by the fact that these verses are traditionally memorized by Jewish men to sing to their wives as praise during the Sabbath meal. Imagine being blessed weekly by having these verses sung over you by your husband?

Many women shudder when they hear mention of Proverbs 31. “This stresses me out,” “An impossible to-do list!,” “I don’t know how to spin wool!” For some reason many Christians have taken this passage and turned it into a source of shame for women, when it is not meant to be a snapshot in time, but rather the arc of the life of a virtuous woman, or Eshet Chayil אֵשֶׁת חַיִל.

Think for a moment of Ruth. Ruth was a widow, a foreigner, and desperately poor. The only way she survived was by going into the fields after a harvest and gathering what was left behind. She did not have her own home, or servants, or fancy scarlet clothes like the woman in Proverbs 31. No husband to sit in the gates. And yet when Boaz spoke of her before their marriage, he called her Eshet Chayil, just like the Proverbs 31 woman!

You see, all the things the Proverbs 31 woman does are the fruit of her wise choice to fear the Lord. Getting up in the dark hours of the morning (Proverbs 31:15) or buying a field (Proverbs 31:16) aren’t what make her virtuous. She does those things because she loves God, and in her life, that’s what serving Him wisely looks like.

Does your husband work very late so you stay up to welcome him home, then are too tired to get up before dawn? Blessing your husband shows wisdom, so in your case getting up early is not the right choice. Do you make wise decisions about money so that you are a blessing to your family finances? That’s your field.

Proverbs 31 may seem like a picture of a complicated life, but in fact, it is beautifully simple, and summed up in verses 30-31, the final verses of Proverbs:

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:30-31

God cares about our insides first. Running around trying to look like the Proverbs 31 woman is like trying to heal a wound by putting makeup on it. It might look okay for a while, but it makes the infection worse. When the focus of our hearts is on God, the rest falls into place.

#31DaysInProverbs—Our Whole Series

Our month in Proverbs has come to an end. Take a look back through all we have learned! The thirty one chapters of Proverbs are filled with advice, admonition, and observations on the nature of God’s world and humanity. The wisdom of Proverbs is practical, yet also addresses the spiritual realities of the eternal kingdom.

We make things complex, but they needn’t be. Fear God and you will grow in wisdom, then you will know how to live. This is the simple beauty of the wisdom that is shared in Proverbs.

1 for 31 Challenge - Read one Bible chapter a day for 31 days -- read more at DoNotDepart.com

Does the Proverbs 31 woman stress you out? Learn why she shouldn’t! #31DaysInProverbs

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The message of Proverbs is simple: fear God and you will grow in wisdom.#31DaysInProverbs

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Give Attention to the Word and Find Good {Proverbs 13-16}

January 16, 2018 by Patti Brown 1 Comment

When I lived in Rhode Island, I would occasionally find Canadian coins mixed in with my American coins when it was time to pay for something. This happened because of our proximity to Canada and the fact that some of the coins looked fairly similar to American coins, if you weren’t looking closely. I would receive them back as change and not notice until later. We were all used to this happening, but we also understood that the Canadian money wasn’t usable in our stores.

Like my mixed-up change purse of American and Canadian coins, Proverbs is chock full of little nuggets that are applicable in particular contexts. In the Anchor Yale Bible commentary, Biblical scholar Michael Fox writes:

A proverb is like a coin, which has a “meaning” within its particular currency system and can be situated in relation to other coins in that system and translated into other currencies. Also like a coin, a proverb has a ﬁnite range of potential applications—a coin can buy some things but not everything. The coin gains its “performance-meaning” only when it is spent on something, when it is used in a particular situation to attain a certain goal. So too a proverb.

Each proverb has a unique value. Like Proverbs 16:20 says, when we give thought to these words (דָּ֭בָר or dabar) we will discover good, indeed a treasure, and the result is blessing!

One Hundred and Twenty Six Proverbs!

We are half way through the month, and half way through the book of Proverbs. Starting with chapter 10, we shifted out of the longer “lessons” and into short one-verse proverbs. Scholars have found no particular ordering system to these sayings. You won’t find all the proverbs on, say, fearing the Lord, or pride, or anger, organized in one place. Rather, the many topics addressed in Proverbs are scattered about the entirety of the book.

Today we will take a look at chapters 13 through 16, which together have a total of 126 verses – that’s 126 proverbs, each of which could be the topic of an entire post! So for the purpose of today’s discussion, I will focus on the topic in each chapter that has the most proverbs. In each case you can find proverbs in other chapters that address the same topic. And of course in each chapter you will find many other topics!

Proverbs Chapter 13

Wealth and poverty get a good bit of attention in chapter 13 (all verses quoted are in ESV):

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. (Proverbs 13:7)
The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. (Proverbs 13:8)
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. (Proverbs 13:11)
Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. (Proverbs 13:18)
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)

There may be situations in which these verses can be applied to earthly wealth, but we know that financial prosperity and godliness do not always go hand in hand (see Job!)

Thanks be to God, as believers in Jesus Christ we are assured of eternal wealth (Matthew 16:19-21, Colossians 3:24) in heaven!

Proverbs Chapter 14

Six of the thirty-five verses of Proverbs 14 address the topic of righteousness and those who are upright:

Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. (Proverbs 14:2)
Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance. (Proverbs 14:9)
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. (Proverbs 14:11)
The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous. (Proverbs 14:19)
The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death. (Proverbs 14:32)
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

The upright fear the Lord, find goodwill with one another, will not experience eternal death like the wicked, will ultimately have victory, and know that after physical death is eternal life. In righteousness even an entire nation may be elevated.

Living right with God brings temporal and especially eternal blessing!

Proverbs Chapter 15

The topic of what we say – the mouth, tongue, lips, and words in general – is a frequent one throughout Proverbs. There are eight related verses in chapter 15:

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. (Proverbs 15:2)
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)
The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. (Proverbs 15:7)
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. (Proverbs 15:14)
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! (Proverbs 15:23)
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but gracious words are pure. (Proverbs 15:26)
The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. (Proverbs 15:28)

Those who are wise with their words speak softly and purely, commend and spread knowledge, give life and joy to others with their words, and carefully ponder how to answer.

By contrast, fools speak harshly causing anger, break others’ spirits with their words, consume folly, and speak evil.

Many years later, James would write of taming the tongue (James 3:1-12). Our words makes a profound impact. Oh that we would be careful to “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

Proverbs Chapter 16

In Proverbs 16 we read five verses that discuss the king. These are proverbs that highlight what good leadership should look like.

An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. (Proverbs 16:10)
It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. (Proverbs 16:12)
Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. (Proverbs 16:13)
A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. (Proverbs 16:14)
In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. (Proverbs 16:15)

A good king, or leader, should be wise, and he should speak and act righteously. He attends to the advice of those who speak rightly. Those who interact with the king would be wise not to incite his wrath, and to look for his favor.

We know that Jesus, the King of kings, embodies perfection. He is the perfect example on which all others, at any level of leadership, should model their behavior. “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)

Discerning Between God’s Way and Man’s Way

As Christians we must use caution in reading the Proverbs and not become overly legalistic. They are not a list of commandments, but rather are wise sayings gathered to help people in their daily lives. Wisdom is a valuable goal, but relying on one’s own wisdom is extremely dangerous.

A verse about this appears twice, word for word, once in chapter 14 and chapter 16:

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 16:25

It is pride that makes us think our own ways are wise. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom! (Proverbs 9:10) We can trust Him and His perfect ways.

What verses were especially meaningful to you in Proverbs 13-16?
Did any themes catch your attention?

Leave a comment, or join the conversation in our community Facebook group, where each day we discuss a new Proverb!

31 Days of Wisdom and Growth -- Studying Proverbs Free Printable Packet at DoNotDepart.com

Our series so far:

Themes in Proverbs 13-16 include wealth, righteousness, and our words. #31DaysInProverbs

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Don’t confuse worldly wisdom with God’s wisdom! #31DaysInProverbs

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His Steadfast Love Endures Forever – Psalm 118:4

April 21, 2015 by Patti Brown 1 Comment

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.

– Psalm 118:1-5 (ESV)

Every day this month the Do Not Depart team will be posting a scripture graphic that you can use to spread the Word of God. Share it on social media, print it out and write someone a letter, email it to someone who needs encouragement.

You are free to share our image with Psalm 118:4b above. If you have questions about how to download images, just ask in the comments (be sure to tell us what type of computer/device you are using.)

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“His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 118:4b. #SpreadTheWord

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His Steadfast Love Endures Forever (Psalm 118:2-7)

November 7, 2014 by Patti Brown 3 Comments

My eight year old son has been reading his bible, a chapter a day. He started in Genesis and is steadily making his way to Revelation.

The other day we were sitting on the couch reading quietly, when he turned to me from his chapter in the Old Testament and said, “I don’t understand why God put up with it. They kept doing the things He said not to, and He kept forgiving them.”

I too have wondered. How could God be so patient… so forgiving… so merciful? And not just forgiving of small mistakes. No… patient with those who were willfully disobedient. Merciful to people selfishly seeking their own gain.

Kind of like us.

Even more amazing? His steadfast love lasts forever.

Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

Psalm 118:2-7

This is the covenant love that brought Jesus to earth. This is the everlasting love that made a way for us to enter into an eternity of fellowship with God.

It is difficult for us to grasp this kind of love. My son’s response is more intuitive, isn’t it? People do bad things, they get punished.

Forgiveness is not natural, it is supernatural.

I’ll confess, there are days even now when I lose my head a little, when I forget that our heavenly Father’s love is steadfast and endures forever. Instead I wonder when He is going to punish me for my most recent selfish choice.

Yet I only have to look a little farther along in Psalm 118 to be reminded:

I can call on the Lord any time (v. 5)
He will answer me! (v. 5)
He sets me free (v. 5) Glory alleluia!
He is on my side (v. 6)
I do not need to fear (v. 6)
Man can do nothing to me (v. 6) that will separate me from His love
The Lord helps me (v. 7)

God knows we will be afraid. He knows we need help. He does not leave us in bondage, slaves to our fears and sin.

Are you feeling bound, all tied up in knots today? Do you find yourself at the mercy of your guilt, and afraid of God’s righteous anger?

Remember this, dear believer:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 103:8

You are His child. (Galatians 3:26) Your Father “redeems your life from the pit… crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” (Psalm 103:4)

Do you think that you can’t be loved by God? It is hard to grasp, but there is nothing you can do to end His love for you.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

You can choose to walk in disobedience. You can choose to reject His love. But He is not going to give up on you.

Every moment of every day you have the chance for a new beginning. Turn to the Lord right now and He will set you free! (Psalm 104:5)

Beloved, forever is a long time. And that is how long God will love you.

Forgiveness is not natural, it is supernatural.

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God is not going to give up on you. His steadfast love endures forever!

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The Gift of Hope

December 9, 2021 by Ali Shaw 1 Comment

(This post about the Gift of Hope is the second in our new series on Unwrapping Christmas: Gifts From Jesus.)

Hope. It’s a word we often see at Christmastime on decorations, ornaments, and in Christmas cards. We hear it in Christmas songs and hymns. And this Christmas– almost two years into this new life with Covid— it stands out as a special, treasured, and even coveted promise of God.

We hope. And we long for hope.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…. (Ephesians 1:3)

Like this verse mentions, and Cheli said in the introduction to this series, Jesus has given us innumerable blessings. One of those blessings is hope.

Let’s unwrap that.

What Is Hope?

Years ago, I did a study on the English word hope. I found that some researchers say, etymologically speaking, that the word is closely tied to the word “hop.” The idea is that hope makes one lean forward expectantly, moving forward with a leap of certain belief, toward something positive and wonderful. Hope. Hop. As a visual person who loves words, this image made total sense to me. I never saw the word hope the same way!

Look closely at the idea of what hope entails:

It is expectant
It moves forward
It takes leaps (a mark of trust)
With certainty
With belief (both from the head and the heart)
Toward something positive and wonderful (God)

Easton’s Bible Dictionary expounds on hope, saying: “Hope is an essential and fundamental element of Christian life, so essential indeed, that, like faith and love, it can itself designate the essence of Christianity.”

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

I love the words above from Easton. He refers to the three Christian virtues mentioned in the verse from 1 Corinthians – faith, hope, and love. These three are so fundamental to Christianity, that if you stripped them away what’s left would be unrecognizable. After all, what on earth would our religion (our relationship with Christ) look like if we didn’t have hope? Hope is tied so closely to faith, I might propose that if you loosened the knot of hope, the string of faith would unravel.

Have you seen someone lose all hope? And then lose their faith? (Of course, one could argue that they might not have had true saving faith in the first place, but that is another discussion.)

Hope is crucial to a forward movement. Without it, we would spiritually stall and wither.

There’s something beautiful about hope; like faith and love, hope can grow. As we use it, practice it, rely on God through it, it strengthens and develops. (Because He works that growth in us!)

How Is Hope “Spiritual?”

Though it isn’t listed as a “spiritual gift,” hope is indeed a gift that is given to us by God. We were “saved in hope:”

²³Not only this, but we ourselves also, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves while we await eagerly our adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we await it eagerly with patient endurance. (Romans 8:23-25)

And God Himself is the God of hope:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

We have the power to hope when there seems to be no hope. Through this miraculous gift of hope, God gives us comfort. Hope is founded on truth and gives us confidence – because it affirms what we know in our heads and enables us to feel that knowledge in our hearts.

When I was in labor with my youngest child, I was told to walk for one hour. And so I did. My contractions became increasingly powerful but the hour wasn’t up, so I kept walking. When labor grew so intense that I could barely continue, I forced myself to think “One foot in front of the other… one foot in front of the other…” And somehow, I kept moving.

This experience reminds me a bit of the way hope works. When life is at its hardest, hope propels us forward in faith as we remind ourselves that God is safe to hope in. Then, He helps us to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces patient endurance, 4 and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3–5)

What Hope Isn’t

Biblical hope isn’t merely a wish. We definitely can misuse the word. As in, “Mommy, I hope I get a pony for Christmas!” But that is the expression of a wish, and that isn’t what hope is. Instead, hope is planted in what’s real and true. (A’hem… Jesus.)

Hope also isn’t a simplistic, unrealistic frivolity that doesn’t take things seriously. No, hope can see exactly how bad the finances are, how serious the health issue, how dangerous the condition, how daunting the task, how impossible the circumstances… and yet still believe and trust in the God who can handle it all.

Hope doesn’t put faith in the things of this world. Hope knows that what’s most important is the unseen God who is working for His glory and our eternal good. Hope looks far forward, past the diagnosis, through the crisis, over the mess, and beyond the fear.

Hope doesn’t go it alone. If all this hope sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is… almost. We can only have hope because of Christ. And as Believers, we have Christ’s Holy Spirit in our hearts. That means He’s with us. We aren’t alone– and He can enable us to hope when hope seems impossible! (See? That hope really is too good, but it’s true.)

Who is the Object of our Hope?

I’ve hinted at this throughout, but true hope isn’t necessarily something we can have apart from God.

As Christians, we place our hope for salvation in Jesus Christ alone. (Remember, we hope confidently, being completely assured of our salvation– as I’ve explained above, this is more than a wish or an uncertainty!)

Yes, we hope in our mighty and loving God for our deliverance, future, provision, and care.

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?” (Romans 8:24)

What’s the Result of Hope?

Hope increases and sustains our faith. As we are sustained in our faith through hope, we continue to look for God’s activity. As we look, we find. And when we see Him working in our lives (or in the lives of those we love and pray for), our faith is strengthened. That makes us hope more! It becomes a cycle with a snowball effect— round and round, growing and growing.

Seeing God at work makes us confident we will see Him work again. We see evidence that He is trustworthy which increases our hope of His work in the future. This matures our faith.

Hope Trusts, Regardless

But what about when we hope for something that doesn’t happen? Or when the prayers don’t get answered in the way we want? What about when we hope for a healing, provision, job, reconciliation, or what have you, and it just doesn’t come?

Hope trusts God, regardless. And that’s when things get hard. Or actually, maybe a better way to look at it would be this: that’s when it gets simple. (Admittedly that doesn’t mean it’s easy.)

Sometimes it’s hard to hope in God– when things don’t go like we planned, or like we wanted. But the simple thing to do is to trust God anyway. Hope is realistic, remember? That means that a true, biblical hope keeps in mind that God knows best. Even when God chooses differently than what we’d like. (If you struggle with this, read Job chapters 39-42. It’ll help your perspective.)

In other words? A hopeful heart is a submissive heart.

Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, the ones who hope for his loyal love. (Psalm 147:11)

Reflecting on Hope

As you reflect on this year, or even the past couple of years, what would you say God has taught you about hope? Has He given you special opportunities to practice it? To rely on Him through it? Thank Him for that.

As we spend the rest of the month focusing on Christmas, I challenge you to remember the fullness of the hope that came those two-thousand years ago. Each time you see a nativity, let it be a reminder to stop and praise God for His innumerable blessings! Praise God for sending His Son, Jesus— the gift of hope to the world!

Merry Christmas,

Ali

180 Degree Repentance: Bartolomé de las Casas

September 23, 2021 by Jennifer Hong 1 Comment

Bartolomé de las Casas.

I had never heard of this man when I signed up for a one hour Spanish course by the same name my first semester of college. It was just one hour. A light addition to my pre-med course load, just to keep me using Spanish regularly. It seemed nonthreatening enough. I was so wrong.

On the first day of class, I and three upperclassmen learned that Bartolome de las Casas was a Spanish priest who lived 1485-1566 and that we would be studying his original writings on the topic of slavery in the New World. If I thought reading Shakespeare’s English was complicated, well, 16th century Spanish was something else. It’s just as well that Dr. Garcia refused to sign my drop slip the second week of school. (Two of the upperclassmen had beat me to it, leaving me as one of two remaining students.) The reading for this one hour course was brutal, but the introduction to Bartolomé de las Casas was unforgettable.

No Small Change: Slave Owner to Protector of the Indians

Bartolomé de las Casas was among the earliest European immigrants to the New World, settling in Hispaniola with his father in 1502 and becoming a land owner and slave owner in the Spanish encomienda system. He differs markedly from other missionaries we have looked at this month in that his relationship to the people group he served was initially exploitative rather than bearing the Gospel.

Las Casas participated in slave raids and the active enslavement of Indigenous peoples during his early years on Hispanola, including the conquest of Cuba in the years following his ordination as one of the first priests in the Americas. Years later he wrote, “What we committed in the Indies stands out among the most unpardonable offenses ever committed against God and mankind and this trade [in Indian slaves] as one of the most unjust, evil, and cruel among them.”

The words of visiting Dominican friars and Scripture began to affect his perspective. As he prepared for a Pentacost sermon, Las Casas was convicted of the injustices committed against the Indigenous people through the encomienda system and of his own participation in such atrocities. He responded by releasing ownership of his hacienda land and slaves and then traveling to Spain to advocate before King Charles V against the encomienda system of Indigenous enslavement.

Despite his clarity on the injustice of Indigenous enslavement, it was much later before he repented of initially advocating for the enslavement of Africans in place of Indigenous Americans. With time, he came to recognize that the enslavement of any people was wrong. In 1548 Las Casas wrote in Defense of the Indians, “Christ wanted love to be called his single commandment. This we owe to all men. Nobody is excepted.”

Las Casas also argued against forced conversions, which were common in the Spanish colonial Americas. After writing a treatise on the subject, Bartolomé de las Casas led a group of Dominican friars into Guatemala in 1537 to bring the Gospel to native peoples peacefully, employing the use of Christian songs to introduce and teach the faith. In this way, a number of local chiefs came to Christian faith, and several churches began in the area.

180° Repentance

As a young college student wrestling with the Spanish of the 1500’s and some very sobering Church history, I discovered that the arguments between Las Casas and his opponents centered on the question of whether the Indigenous were “barbarians” and thereby “natural slaves,” or fully human. It was with grief and horror that I saw how such terms have been applied to people made in the image of God to justify exploitation.

Today, as I look more closely at Bartolomé de las Casas’s personal history and early years, I am struck by his life trajectory, from fully entrenched in the enslavement of Indigenous people to the first appointed “Protector of the Indians” under King Charles V. I marvel at the way God revealed truth to Bartolomé and walked him through a full (though not instantaneous) 180° repentance, personally rejecting his former ways, and then fervently advocating for the protection of the people he’d harmed. Over time, God further developed Bartolomé’s understanding of the value of every human life.

I wonder if you noticed the similarities between the life of Las Casas and that of English slave ship captain turned abolitionist John Newton. The Apostle Paul also comes to mind, as God carried him from violent persecution of early Christians to missionary to the Gentiles. Our God is all about redemption. What hope it is to see how fully his grace turns our lives around.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

Lord, expose and uproot sin in my life.
May I be grieved by what grieves your heart.
May I see injustice for what it is.
May my heart be supple and responsive to your conviction, obedient to your leading.
Soften my heart in repentance and fill my life with redemption as you did the life of Bartolomé.
May my life be marked by a love for the people whom you made and love.
Amen.

Jericho: Walking by Faith

June 8, 2021 by Jaime Hilton Leave a Comment

Being an avid fan of early American history, I can remember vividly how I felt when we moved to Lancaster County. Strolling the streets of downtown or driving around the rolling hills and farmlands, I was overwhelmed by a sense of connection to the people from the past who were once walking these same streets, seeing and falling in love with these same views. Though separated by hundreds of years and radically different cultures we are linked by this common place.

When Jesus walked through Israel with his disciples, they were walking over a land rich with the history of Yahweh showing up, over and over again for his people, calling them to righteousness and saving them by his grace. Can you imagine one of those disciples, growing up in Galilee, knowing the stories of Moses and Joshua by heart? Their world is already turned upside down as they travel with Jesus, but imagine them coming to the plains of Jericho, the place where their ancestors first took possession of the land promised to Abraham. I think I would be geeking out a little.

Jericho’s Walls

Jericho is frequently described as an oasis in the desert of the Jordan Valley. It is the lowest city in the world (800 feet below sea level) and one of the oldest continuous settlement from the earliest days of civilization.

The name, Jericho, is from the Canaanite word for “moon” (yareah) or the Hebrew word for “fragrant” (reah). It is thought to be the center of worship for the Canaanite deity of the moon (Yarikh) and also is known the world over for its sweet-smelling dates and balsam. It is often described as the “city of palms” because of its abundant palm trees but most modern readers remember it for the walls.

In Joshua 3-5 we read about the Israelites crossing over the Jordan River (on dry ground!), rededicating themselves to the covenant, and celebrating their first Passover as inhabitants. In chapter 6, they march around the massive walls of the most impressive city without saying a word for seven days. On the seventh day, they marched the approximate mile around seven times. Finally, they blew their shofars and shouted praises to the Lord. Their marching orders were beyond bizarre, but the Israelites responded in faith, and the walls of the fortified city crumbled in defeat.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” (Heb 11:30)

Sitting in a deep valley between Jerusalem and the Jordan River (just across from where Jesus was baptized), Jericho serves as a gateway to the Promised Land, a place where faith is abundant, and promises are fulfilled.

The Jericho Jesus Knew

By New Testament times the city of Jericho had been rebuilt and resettled by the tribe of Benjamin, hosted a school of prophets, and served a place of rest for David’s men and Elisha. Inhabitants from Jericho were included in the exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Attracted to it beauty and strategic location, Herod the Great built his winter palace, making Jericho again an affluent oasis in the desert.

Stories in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke indicate that Jesus entered Jerusalem (for what we now call Holy Week) by way of Jericho.

Though there are only two brief encounters recorded at Jericho during Jesus’ ministry both stories reflect the faith in action first seen by the Israelites taking possession of Canaan.

Not Short on Faith

“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” (Luke 19:1-8)

Zacchaeus was a prominent tax collector which likely means he was cheating his neighbors and getting rich off their suffering. We’re also told he was short and curious about Jesus, so he climbed a tree. It never occurred to him that he was the one Jesus was coming to see. But Jesus did see him and called him by name, inviting him to take part in the promise of his forefathers.

He responded in joy, faith, and repentance. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (vv. 9-10)

Blind No More

“On his way out of town, a beggar by the name of Bartimaeus called out to him, persistently begging for mercy. And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 46-52)

Mark paints a picture of a desperate man, odds stacked against him. He acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah by calling out “Son of David.” Jesus, likewise, acknowledged his faith and told him to go on his way. Bartimeaus chose to follow Jesus from that day forward.

Interestingly, the name Bartimaeus is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “unclean” and is specifically used in reference to Gentiles. It’s a reminder of another Gentile from Jericho who was rewarded for faith in a god she could not see.

An Open Heart

Before crossing the Jordan River and taking Jericho by faith, Joshua sent spies to scope out the city. We read in Joshua 2 that they stayed at the home of Rahab the prostitute, who hid them from the king and told them,

“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:9-11)

She is one of only five women named in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), and remembered in the Hebrews “Hall of Faith”

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews 11:31

Examples of faith in Jericho: Rahab hid the spies, Zacchaeus climbed a tree, and Bartimaeus cried out for mercy. Click To Tweet

A Heritage of Faith

Jesus walked a hard road while he was on earth. As he left the lush and fertile Jericho, he faced an uphill climb to Jerusalem where pain, humiliation, betrayal, and death awaited him. Yet he walked in faith, the security of knowing his Father would fulfill his promise to restore the world through his sacrifice.

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

Psalm 51: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration

May 21, 2021 by Cheli Sigler Leave a Comment

No matter how safely I drive my car, when I see a law enforcement vehicle, I panic. The fear of breaking the law scares me. This automatic reaction prompts me to consider how I think of God and His response to my sin. Do I see God as a traffic cop or as gracious and merciful Father (Exodus 34:6)?

King David, “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), confronted with his grievous sin, turned toward God instead of hiding from Him. I learn from David that the best place for me when I sin is in God’s presence. A child of God, His gracious and merciful heart welcomes my confession of sin and repentance.

Confession

As I mature in faith, I recognize more and more my need for daily confession.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

³For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51: 1-6

Repentance

Once offered, confession leads to repentance, a turning away from sin and towards God.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right^[b] spirit within me.
¹¹Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:7-12

Restoration

Having confessed and repented of my sin, God faithfully forgives and cleanses me from unrighteousness. He readies me again to do His will.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
¹⁹then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar. Psalm 51:13-19

Blessed are the Forgiven

Until Jesus returns, I will practice running to God with my sin. He is ready and waiting to forgive and restore me.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:7-8

God is a gracious and merciful Father who is ready to forgive and restore me. #Psalm51 #BeautifulPsalms

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Beautiful Psalms – Psalm 121

May 19, 2021 by Ali Shaw Leave a Comment

For the remainder of this month, we will be doing a short series on Beautiful Psalms. We’ll share some of our favorites with you and how God has used them to teach or encourage us over the years. In today’s post, we remember that Psalm 121 reminds us of God’s love and watchful care. We pray you’ll be blessed by this series.

Growing up, one of my favorite movies was The Sound of Music. From the time I was a very little girl, I was intrigued by the storyline and loved the fun, lively songs. While the reason for Maria’s dilemma about whether to stay with the Von Trapp family or head back to the abbey where she’d been raised was over my head, I found myself drawn in when she (in desperation) discussed her worries with the calm and wise Mother Abbess.

There was something about the abbess’s quiet and firm personal faith that gave me hope for Maria and hope for a good resolution to the story. I didn’t realize until my early teen years that Mother Abbess was alluding to Psalm 121 when she reminded Maria to lift up her eyes to the hills… to where her help comes from. (And of course, a fitting song followed!)

Something about those words gave me great hope and, as years passed, I grew to love them even more. They give so much encouragement! The word of the Lord is powerful, even when quoted indirectly as a line in a movie.

About 15 years ago, my daughters and I set out to memorize all of Psalm 121. Planting the words firmly in my heart and mind have served me well. When I’ve struggled physically, emotionally, or spiritually, they have soothed me and reminded me that God is my protector and strength.

(A few years ago, right here on DoNotDepart, we had a memory challenge based on this Psalm. Did you memorize Psalm 121 with us?)

Overview of Psalm 121

Psalm 121 is a “Song of Ascents.” Worshipers coming to the Temple would sing this psalm together as they climbed the hills to reach Jerusalem. This psalm’s origination is interesting because, like Lisa stated here, “We don’t know who wrote this Psalm, when, or on what occasion. But we can understand why: To build confidence in the Lord’s care.”

Psalm 121:1-2

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

In these first two verses, the psalmist encourages others to remember that help comes from the Lord. The original reciters of this psalm looked up on their journey, toward the hills of Jerusalem, and remembered God’s presence in the Temple. Similarly, we can look to God’s beautiful creation and remember our Helper is a powerful Creator! Since He created heaven and earth, He can easily take care of me.

Psalm 121:3-4

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4)

Not only does God take care of us, but He is always on duty. I love the reminder that He never “slumbers nor sleeps.” Though I don’t always see Him working, and perhaps I don’t always feel His presence, He is protecting me. (Yes, I have been through both of those situations.) These two verses have given me great comfort in times of grief, worry, and fear.

Instead of relying on feelings or even by my interpretation of my experiences, I can trust in this truth: God will not let me be moved. He keeps me from “slipping and falling” spiritually. (Of course, this doesn’t rule out my need to be obedient. It means that He is ever faithful to watch over me!)

Psalm 121:5-6

5The LORD is your keeper;

the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:5-6)

The original pilgrims heading toward Jerusalem would have encountered the heat and sun of the Middle East, yet God Himself is their shade. As a Central Texas girl, the analogy of dangerous heat and sun is something I can understand. A hot, sunny day can go from beautiful to dangerous in a matter of minutes, in certain situations.

What a beautiful reminder that when our Christian walk gets tough (as inevitably happens) God provides us with rest in His shade. That promise in verse 5 reminds me of the safe, green pastures of Psalm 23:2 and the shadow of the Almighty in Psalm 91:1. God gives us rest and keeps us safe from hurt. Instead of being struck down by the heat of the sun’s powerful rays, we are promised a reprieve. And no matter how scary the night may seem (literally or metaphorically), God will protect us then, too!

Psalm 121:7-8

7The LORD will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8The LORD will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)

These verses give so much hope! Not only does the Lord watch and protect us now as we travel our pilgrim roads (life), He will keep us safe in the future– for our entire lives.

“When we go out in youth to begin life, and come in at the end to die, we shall experience the same keeping. Our exits and our entrances are under one protection.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)

The original audience likely would have understood the “going out” and “coming in” to refer to their entrance into and exit out of Jerusalem, but they are also symbolic of all the goings on in a person’s whole life, and even of life itself.

Yes, every time we come and go (in other words, every time we do anything) we can be confident that God is with us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a Believer’s seal, reminding us of this truth. Like little children learn in Sunday School, we can know God is always with us because Jesus lives in our hearts!

Look to the Hills, or to the…

Many of us will likely never go to Jerusalem. But we don’t have to be on a pilgrimage, looking to those hilltops in order to praise along with the psalmist.

No, we can praise God as we lift up our eyes to other hills or to the brilliant stars, mackerel clouds, budding flowers, trilling songbirds, and… you get the picture! His creation reminds us that He is powerful. He will take care of us, protect us, and always be with us!

Has this Psalm ever encouraged you? Or has looking toward God’s creation reminded you about His faithful protection? Please share with us in the comments or in our Facebook community.

Be blessed in all your goings out and your comings in!

We can look to God’s beautiful creation and remember our Helper is a powerful! He is an ever-faithful protector. #BeautifulPsalms #Psalm121

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In Him,

Ali

Pray for Nigeria

March 18, 2021 by Jennifer Hong 1 Comment

We are praying for nations during our Do Not Depart missions month “So That the World May Know,” and today we pray for Nigeria. To gain some perspective on how to pray, I interviewed a good friend who serves as a long-term missionary teaching health care providers in Nigeria while her husband teaches at a local seminary.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is also one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups speaking more than 500 different native languages. Both Christianity and Islam have growth substantially in recent decades, with Nigeria generally divided into the predominantly Muslim North and the predominantly Christian South.

Praise God for the Church in Nigeria

As we pray for Nigeria this week, we begin by rejoicing in the Nigerian Church. My friend tells me that she sees in her Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ a unique perseverance and strength. She sees that their faith is not easily shaken by the difficulties and heartache of life.

Nigerian Christians are undertaking a massive translation effort. Through the National Bible Translation Trust, Nigerians are currently working towards the translation of the Bible into 250 additional languages. However, many of these projects have encountered roadblocks during the pandemic. Pray for the furtherance of Bible translation in Nigeria and for safe ways for translators to gather and collaborate. Pray also for the safety and protection of pastors and other Believers supporting Nigerian Christians from Muslim people groups, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

Pray for the Safety of Nigerians

According to BBC reporting this month, more than 800 children have been taken in four mass school kidnappings in the past 3 months. Pray for their protection — physical, spiritual, and emotional, and for their safe return to their families. My friend tells me small-scale, roadside kidnappings are also so common that “fear of kidnapping” is a common every-day worry of her husband’s seminary students.

Pray for Nigeria’s Girls and Women

The rates of teenage marriage are particularly high in Northern Nigeria and in more rural areas; the median age of marriage in some regions is 15 years of age according to a 2018 Demographic and Health Survey, with more than 40% of Nigerian women marrying before age 18. Among married women, 80% have risk factors for high-risk births. The report also reflects normalization of “wife beating,” with 20-30% of women reporting belief that it is okay for a husband to beat his wife in circumstances such a burned dinner, a disagreement, or turning down sex. Pray for God’s hand of mercy in protecting women in Nigeria and worldwide and for healing of the factors underlying violence.

Join Me in Prayer

Lord, may Your name be glorified in Nigeria among every people group and in every language.

Strengthen and encourage your Church there. May they treasure Your Word and increasingly have the Bible translated into every language. May truth, love, and grace spread across the land, igniting hearts for You.

“…So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Free the children and adults held captive in Nigeria today, releasing them to their families and healing their wounds. Protect the vulnerable, and bring justice. May each man, woman, and child come to see him or herself and those around them as Your image bearers.

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

As you pray for Nigeria, check out this beautiful recording of Mai Taimako Na (My Helper) by Nigerian worship musician Solomon Lange, who sings in Hausa, a language of Northern Nigeria, with English subtitles.

The Origin of Our Rescue {Memorize Isaiah 12:2}

March 1, 2021 by Lisa Burgess 2 Comments

Welcome to Week 2 in our 6-week challenge to memorize Isaiah 12 during Lent.

MEMORIZE THIS WEEK

This is the verse to memorize this week:

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2

THINK ABOUT THIS

We’re all afraid of something. The origin of our fears may differ, but we all know what fear feels like.

But the origin of our rescue doesn’t differ. It’s the same source: God.

God is where we gather our strength and to whom we sing a new song.

Because He is strong, we are secure. Whatever fears may come, God is bigger than each one.

Because God is strong, I am secure. Memorize #Isaiah12 with us. #HideHisWord

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Don’t Be Afraid: Let Go of Control (And Surrender to God)

January 7, 2021 by Ali Shaw 3 Comments

What does it say about God’s nature that we should Let Go of Control and Surrender to God? How is control tied to fear? We’ll examine both of those questions in this post— the first in our series, Let Go and Know He is God.

We Aren’t in Control Anyway

God has shown me over and over again in my life that I am not really in control.

Twenty-twenty has been no exception. (Can I get an amen?)

I’m a “gracious” and relaxed Type-A personality. I like to do things right (whatever that means) and I tend to be a perfectionist. That said, I don’t hold others to that same standard. I’m flexible, gracious, and forgiving with others but sometimes struggle to be this way with myself.

In this post about fear and God’s protection, I describe myself this way:

I’m a so-called “creature of habit” and I’m most comfortable being comfortable. I like knowing what to expect and don’t typically care for change. And when things inevitably do change, it makes me feel a little (or a lot) insecure.

You see, I am not a controlling person, but I like to have a measure of control. Make sense? Control means feeling secure, because I know what to expect. Control means that I never have to step outside of my comfort zone. Ever.

And even if I needed to do something that wasn’t routine or normal for me, having control would mean that I’d be completely prepared to do that.

But that’s not real life. And that’s not what God has asked of me. It’s not what He asks of any of us.

Yes, God has shown me repeatedly that I’m not in control. I think He does this for many reasons, but mostly I think it’s to remind me that He’s in charge. Not me. (And to remind me of that is a good and loving thing for Him to do!)

Do we have some measure of control? Of course! After all, self-control is one aspect of the Spirit’s fruit. But ultimately? We aren’t the ones running the show.

And that’s a good thing!

So Why Do We Want Control?

The answer to that question is multifold and probably different for every person. But I’d bet that many of us want control because of the same reasons I hit on above.

Now, I’m not digging super deep into the Biblical doctrine of mankind here, but on a superficial level, control makes most of us feel secure. Control can be rooted in fear, pride, and self-reliance. Whatever the root, the absence of control leaves most of us feeling insecure and afraid.

And fear*? Well, that’s a powerful thing! It keeps us paralyzed and immobile. It keeps us from boldly stepping out of our comfort zones and into God’s best plans for us. (*I’m not talking about rational fears like being afraid to walk out in front of a moving bus. I’m referring to what the Bible calls the “spirit of fear” in 2 Timothy 1:7.)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Yep, we humans tend to want stability, and we often look to ourselves to get it — thinking that if we control everything “just so” we can build security for ourselves.

Surrender to God’s Control

Mankind strives to gain control for ourselves, but God has a better way! Rather than continually learning the hard way that we aren’t in control, God has given us the opportunity to surrender to His control and the unique spiritual stability that only He can give. Isn’t that amazing?

This type of surrender is an act and display of our faith in God. But what does this opportunity-of-surrender that He gives us say about Him? What does it say about His divine nature?

We can surrender to the Lord because He is sovereign. As followers of Christ we get the privilege of stepping out in faith (even if and when it’s difficult) and growing stronger because He is sovereign and in control.

We can safely trust in the fact that He works behind the scenes on behalf of His children, working all things together for our eternal, spiritual good, and for His ultimate glory.

Mankind strives to gain control for ourselves, but God has a better way! God has given us the opportunity to surrender to His control and the unique spiritual stability that only He can give. #LetGoAndKnow

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What is God’s Sovereignty?

God’s sovereignty is the fact that He is in control. Whatever He wills, He brings about.

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:10)

I wrote these words in this post about Hoping in God’s Sovereignty:

The easiest way to define God’s sovereignty is that, ultimately, He is in charge. He has the right to do whatever He decides is best, and He has the power to accomplish His will.

Knowing that He is always good, and that He is love, helps us see that whatever He decides is best is best— for our eternal good and for His glory. And even when things are hard (or even terrible), knowing that we are in good, loving, and capable hands brings comfort. Even in the most dire situations, and even when our limited human perspective just can’t see it, God is working His good and perfect plan!

Twenty-twenty has been incredibly difficult for so many of us. Some of us have experienced illness, loss, strife, suffering, financial hardship, and the death of loved ones.

But sisters in Christ, it’s right, wise, and obedient for us to submit to His sovereignty and trust in His ability to work all things together for good. (Romans 8:28) There is nothing too big for our God to handle. He is so very worthy of our surrender!

Submitting to God and surrendering to His control brings us to the safest and most peace-giving place to be!

“God can do more with my surrender than I can do with my control.” – Stephen Heleman

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8 a)

God is sovereign! He is so very worthy of our surrender. We can submit to His sovereignty and trust in His ability to work all things together for good. #LetGoAndKnow

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Do you need to let go of control? He is sovereign and completely worthy of our faith and trust! Let’s take a step of faith today and surrender to God.

Blessings in Christ,
Ali

Put on Your Gospel Hat

September 22, 2020 by Kelli LaFram 1 Comment

We all wear many hats and those hats usually change with the different places we go. The “work hat” is worn Monday through Friday. “Student hat” late at night as we complete another essay. “Friend hat” when we meet for a girls night. “Neighbor hat” when we walk the extra tomatoes from our garden to the folks next door. “Church hat” Sunday mornings and Wednesday evening for Bible study. We might also have a “wife hat,” “mom hat,” “chef hat,” etc., etc., etc. But what about our “Gospel hat”? Is it the same as our “church hat” or is it something different? More importantly, when do we put it on and when do we take it off?

The Great Commission

This month the Do Not Depart contributors are writing about missional living — living as disciples of Christ, striving to represent His kingdom well, and carrying out His mission on earth. When I think of this I think of the great commission.

Just before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus spoke to His disciples. He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus assigned them a mission and, as disciples born of their obedience, we are assigned this mission as well.

To go and make disciples looks a little different for each of us depending on where God has situated us on this planet. However, no matter who we are, where we are, or what we do for a living we can start tackling this assignment right away. We can begin sharing the gospel with the people around us — with our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

The Gospel is the Key to the Mission

The Gospel is the most wonderful news on the planet. The Gospel tells us that the one perfect, holy God stepped out of heaven to save us — people who are ugly rotten sinners deserving of death. He did this by living a perfect life but taking our punishment for sin. That punishment? A gruesome death on a Roman cross.

But the Gospel doesn’t stop there. Not only did Jesus take our punishment, He rose from the grave defeating eternal spiritual death. He also gives us His reward for living His perfect life. Those that put their faith in Him are forgiven of their sins, made holy and blameless, and are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3-7).

The Gospel is wonderful news and we need to live it.

Living the Gospel starts with remembering that we were once enemies of God. Before someone shared the Gospel with us, before the Holy Spirit got ahold of our hearts, before we confessed our sins and put our faith in Jesus we walked and talked how we wanted, we indulge our lusts, and fulfilled the desires of our flesh. We did all that and God still made a way for us to be alive together with Christ (read Ephesians 2:1-4). We cannot forget this as we go on a mission for Jesus sharing His gospel. By grace you have been saved! And it is by grace that others will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as well.

Sharing the Gospel with Your Actions

Many of us have heard that our actions speak louder than our words. This is because when we say one thing and do another, people notice. If we say that we have been saved by grace, but do not show grace to others we are hypocrites. Instead we need to treat others… no we need to love others the way God has loved us.

Sharing the Gospel with our actions means what we do and how we treat people reflects what God did for us and how He continues to treat us. Here are just a few examples of how that looks:

- Forgiving those who have hurt you. Jesus forgave while hanging on the cross. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” — Luke 23:34
- Choosing not to judge. Jesus looked at the woman caught in adultery and said, “‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘ No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’” — John 8:10-11
- Returning a blessing for a curse. Peter wrote, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing… For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” — 1 Peter 2:9, 18
- Speaking kindly of others and choosing not to gossip. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” I hear a lot of people say that if something is true then it’s not gossip. If what is “true” is not your information to share or sharing does not give grace to the person you are speaking about, then you are gossiping.
- Displaying contentment and joy in all circumstances. We live on Earth so this is difficult. However, meditating on what Jesus has done for us helps us to keep our eyes on things above, not on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2).

When we display these types of behaviors to those around us, it glorifies God. It displays a way of life that is more appealing than anything this world has to offer. People become curious and start to ask why we are different.

Sharing the Gospel with Your Words

Many of us feel awkward or uncomfortable when it comes to talking about Jesus. Perhaps we fear making others feel awkward or uncomfortable as well, but it is a fear we need to get over and get over quickly. We wouldn’t feel this way when it comes to talking about other people that we love or care for, such as our friends and family members. If they have done something remarkable we share it. We don’t shy away from talking about these people and we shouldn’t shy away from speaking about Jesus and what He has done for us either.

When it comes to sharing the Gospel verbally it’s important to speak the truth, be specific not vague, and speak about eternity frequently. There is a lot of misinformation about Christianity and what it means to be saved. We must be clear that Christianity is about being in a relationship with Christ and that salvation is received through Christ alone. It cannot be found through anyone or anything else.

We must also speak of our eternity frequently. Earth is not our eternal home. Our eternal home will be heaven or hell depending on whether or not we put our faith in Jesus. For nonbelievers earth is the best their lives will ever be; for believers the best is yet to come. Speaking about eternity is not meant to scare others into being a Christian. Rather it is meant to highlight the fact our full satisfaction and joy will be found in the presence of our Saviour.

Let the Holy Spirit Do His Work

Here is one last thought about sharing the Gospel: it’s not our job to change the hearts of nonbelievers. That job belongs to the Holy Spirit. Jesus asks us to share His good news and then make disciples of those who choose to follow him.

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” — Matthew 7:6. In other words, don’t force the Gospel on someone who doesn’t want to hear it. Instead pray for them, asking the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts to receive the truth of Jesus.

I mentioned at the beginning of the post that we wear many hats throughout the week. We put them on and take them off as we go about our business, but our “Gospel hat” needs to stay put, day in and day out, no matter what we are doing. I guess this isn’t a great metaphor if you are picturing yourself wearing two baseball caps at the same time . But if you realise that your life, every aspect of it, is an avenue to share the gospel with your family, friends and co-workers, then you also realize that your “Gospel hat” replaces all the others. Your “Gospel hat” stays put because it is essential to missional living.

Hope in God’s Good Purpose

August 11, 2020 by Jaime Hilton 1 Comment

I had a really clear picture of what this year was going to look like. Projects were lined up. Wheels were in motion. My long held dream of working as a director was coming true.

Then everything shut down.

Rehearsals were cancelled. Shows postponed. We held our breath waiting for normal to return. I cried with my children over our broken dreams. We prayed and talked about God and how He is good. About how he brings good from the bad and beauty from ashes. How He is our rock, the anchor holding us fast through the storms of life. Things started to open up again. We made some plans. Then everything shut down again and our dreams were dashed a second time.

Now Joseph had a dream…

Joseph was the 11th and favorite son of Jacob (whom God named Israel). Genesis 37 tells us that Joseph tattled on his brothers and that his father gave him a robe of many colors, a very costly gift. Neither even endeared Joseph to his older brothers. In fact, verse 4 says, “they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.”

In this context, Joseph has his first dream.

“Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, ‘Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.’ His brothers said to him, ‘Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Genesis 37:5-8)

I can’t help but notice, Joseph shares his dream, but it is his brothers who do the interpreting.

The Bible doesn’t tell us at this point if Joseph knows what his dream is about, but it’s not hard to imagine what a 17 year old shepherd might expect his life to look like. His family is wealthy, and though by birth order he is next to last, perhaps he will take his father’s place as head of the family some day. Not a bad future to look forward to.

His brothers had a different idea. They threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. What was going through that young boy’s mind as he made the long journey from his home to Egypt? Did he watch his dreams fade away with the landscape and grieve over what would have been? Could he hope in the future he’d been promised when his present looked so bleak?

Interpretations Belong to God

In chapter 39, the Bible picks up Joseph’s story again. He is a slave in the household of Potiphar, an important government official, and he is doing very well.

“The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.” (Genesis 39:2)

A few years have gone by and the young shepherd enjoys the trust and favor of his boss. Here we get a glimpse of Joseph growing in maturity as a man of integrity and faith. The lady of the house tempts him, but Joseph resists, both out of respect for the man who has been kind to him and honoring the God of his people. Potiphar’s wife accuses him and he is thrown in prison, but again, God is with him.

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (v. 21)

After a time, two of Pharaoh’s officials are thrown into prison with Joseph and each have troubling dreams.

At this point in his life, Joseph could not be further from the dreams he had as a boy. There might have been a chance to return home, as a successful, favored servant of an important government official. But not now. Not from prison. But Joseph is not bitter or broken. He recognizes God as the author and interpreter of dreams. “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” (Genesis 40:8)

He has learned that though his own dreams have not yet come to fruition, God has never left him.

Joseph remembers the dream

Years pass. Joseph is eventually remembered by the cupbearer, and is given an opportunity to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, which is a warning of the famine coming to the land. Pharaoh elevates him to governor and gives him a wife because he sees that Joseph is filled with the Spirit of God (Genesis 41:37). Joseph sets to work again, storing up grain, planning for the future. He gives his two sons Hebrew names, showing that he has not forgotten God or his people.

The famine reaches Canaan and Joseph’s brothers travel to Egypt to buy grain. As they kneel before the great leader, second only to Pharaoh, unrecognizable from the brother they sold into slavery so many years ago, Joseph remembers his dream (Genesis 42:9).

I doubt very much that 17 year old Joseph knew all along that he was going to rise to power in Egypt. There must have been moments along the way where he wondered what it was all about it. But over the course of his life, the many ups and downs, from the pit in Canaan to the palace in Egypt, Joseph learned to trust in God, not the dream.

God’s Good Purpose

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today’.” Genesis 50:19-20

Summer is in full swing but fall is quickly approaching. Our community is opening slowly, and like Joseph, we are looking forward with hope. Not in the dreams God has placed on our hearts, but in God himself, who never leaves us.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

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