Month: July 2023

“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”

Genesis 28:16 ( NIV)

Everyone experiences some type of scarcity at some point in their lives. A scarcity could refer to something other than a financial or material undersupply. There are scarcities of health, hope, love, peace, courage, and the list could go on.

God has met people in a special way, while they were in a place of scarcity. If we look at examples through scripture, when anyone struggled for lack of something, their faith was rewarded in a special way by a manifestation of God’s presence. 

Jacob was fleeing from his twin brother, Esau, who sought to kill him and take back his birthright, after he traded it for a bowl of stew, in a moment of hunger. Jacob was living like a fugitive, trying to escape his brother’s vengeance. He was living with a scarcity of peace and security. 

Sometimes we are not aware that God is right here with us, in our moments of anxiety and insecurity. When Jacob laid down to sleep one night, he dreamed of a ladder or stairway that led to heaven. God met him in that dream, telling him He would be with him and watch over him wherever he goes, promising to bring him back to this land. God confirmed that Jacob would live, and that his descendants would have their own nation, the promised land. Jacob woke up and said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it,” and he found peace and security knowing everything was going to be alright. 

During a drought and a famine, the prophet Elijah came to the house of a poor widow. He asked her to make him something to eat and in her scarcity of food, she used the last of her flour and oil to feed the prophet. By taking what she had and giving it to the prophet of God, she was giving her scarcity to God. His presence was manifested over those jars of flour and oil, they never became empty again. When we bring whatever we lack to God, He blesses us in our scarcity, in a lasting and special way. 

Peter spoke to a poor, crippled  beggar who had a scarcity of everything, health, financial and spiritual well being.  Peter, himself, was scarce in money, and he said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Then taking him by the right hand, the man jumped to his feet and began to walk. The mention of Jesus’ name brought healing power to the body of a paralyzed man. Peter gave what simple faith he had, and Jesus met the crippled beggar in his scarcity that day. 

When family friends of Mary ran out of wine, early on in their wedding celebration, God already was present at that wedding feast in the person of Jesus. He took the jars of water and changed them into wine. It was His first public miracle, and it all started with scarcity, and in this case it was a scarcity of wine. The guests marveled that the best quality wine was served last.

When God comes to us in our scarcity, He brings quality blessings with Him. The scarcity of wine led to the first miracle, which led to the first public awareness that the Messiah was here, as Jesus changed water into top quality wine. 

We also may not know God is right here with us, while we are looking at our lack, in some form of empty jars, weak, crippled legs, or listening to threatening words. He will give us His peace as He gave it to Jacob, through his dream. When we give our scarcity to God, as the widow did, He replenishes our emptiness, as He did with her jars. We serve a God who transformed water into top quality wine, and brought healing and salvation to a crippled man, all in the name of Jesus. 

The bridal party was a platform used to first introduce Jesus, the Messiah, to the world, and it all began through a scarcity of wine. The world is full of scarcities and God is still trying to introduce Jesus to the world today.

We never know how God will show up in our personal scarcity, but we know that His mercies are present for us in new ways each day. 

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Lord, we bring our scarcity to you and trust you will meet us where we are. Whether it’s financial, health related, or a scarcity of security, peace, patience, courage, hope or love, Jesus, please fill us with whatever we are lacking. We say as Jacob said, “Truly the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”

Amen

“Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Psalm 50:15 (RSV)

I become overwhelmed when things break or malfunction, especially when I’m not sure who to call first, to get it fixed.  If you live alone like me, you will understand how stressful this can be. 

I once shared the story of when my dryer vent broke loose and I didn’t know whether I should go to Home Depot to ask an employee for advice, or hire a handyman. Then I recalled when my husband died, that his best friend, Ben, told me to call him if I ever needed anything. Hesitating at first, I finally called Ben and he immediately came over, looked at the problem, went to buy the part that was needed, and fixed the dryer vent. I felt that my husband would want me to call him in that situation and I’m glad I did, but I don’t want to call Ben for everything. 

When something breaks or malfunctions, God has to be my first “go to”person. First, I want to call on Him, and then I’ll ask God who to call next. 

I recently lost my internet connection, and tried restarting and replugging it, but nothing helped. I learned from my internet provider that I needed a new modem. Computer issues stress me out, since I have limited technical skill or knowledge in that area. I think this is true of most people in my generation, while our kids are naturally adapted to the entire computer world they grew up in. 

My son is comfortable navigating the internet for everything. He learned many skills, through “YouTube” instructional videos. From watching these videos, he learned how to remodel his own house, from flooring, to kitchen cabinets, to plumbing, and other household projects. 

Unfortunately he lives out of state, so 

when I need something fixed, I have to call a professional company. Before I do so, I pray for a good repairman, but also made a habit of asking God to send an angel along with him, to guide him through every aspect of the project, because every repairman needs extra help from above. 

It’s funny because most of the repairmen who’ve done work in my home, had first names of a heavenly origin. My window man was Michael, my electrician was Raphael, and my plumber was Gabriel. To top it off,  my exterminator’s name was Jesus. 

Not that names really matter, but it’s funny, considering my prayer for heavenly assistance. 

If I pray first, I always get a person who does a great job. In my home, it’s not DIY (do it yourself), but rather DIWJ (do it with Jesus).

My point is that calling first on God in our day of trouble, and receiving the help we need, does matter. Having a problem we cannot solve on our own, leaves us feeling a sense of distress, and we can feel quite alone, even when we are not alone. If we make God the first go to person, He will lead us in the right path. Whatever kind of trouble we have, today’s verse tells us to call upon God in our day of trouble, and He will deliver us and send us help.

Lord, I pray you give each reader a sense of confidence in you to know beyond a doubt, that you hear us when we call, and will send us the help we need. We thank you and give you all the honor and glory for what you are about to do for us. Amen

“And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and “his garments became white as light.”

Matthew 17:2 (RSV)

This transfiguration was a mystical experience. It took place on a high mountain top, where two deceased men of God reappeared for a few moments with Jesus, as His face shone like the sun and His garments became like dazzling white light. Peter, James and John were the only ones with Him and witnessed Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah. 

(Matthew 17:3)

Moses had the honor of meeting and speaking with the eternal Passover lamb of God. Elijah, who raised the dead, called down fire from heaven, healed leprosy and performed many miracles, was honored to meet the incarnate God and Savior of the world. I wonder what they talked about on that mountain top.

Then a cloud hovered over the three disciples and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Upon hearing the voice, they dropped to the ground, lying prostrate in reverence. Can you imagine hearing an audible voice from a cloud that just descended over you? Jesus touched them saying, “Rise, do not be afraid.” Then the three looked up and saw only Jesus remaining, as Moses and Elijah disappeared. 

This mystical experience wasn’t for the purpose of escaping reality, as some meditation practices do. Instead of an escape from reality, it was a verification of reality. The transfiguration revealed just who Jesus really is. The three disciples heard God speak from a cloud, and He made it clear that no one else is comparable to His son. It was to remind us to always keep our focus on Jesus. 

In the world, we are distracted by pseudo transfigurations. They are emotion stirring experiences that shine brightly, but lure people away from Jesus and His truth. Although times change over the years, the devil’s tactics remain the same.

There always has been and always will be pseudo transfigurations, throughout history. 

In the beginning of Stalin’s rule, the hammer and sickle commemorated the hard work and solidarity of working class people. Many who supported his policies were deceived, and what started as a radiant symbol of hope for fairness among workers, ended up as a loss of freedom and loss of lives, through Stalin’s brutal, tyrannical and oppressive regime of communism.

The hippie peace movement of the 60’s and 70’s, swept the world with a pretense of peace and love, but actually sent the world on a downward moral spiral, removing all moral barriers, resulting in increased sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, child sex trafficking, and a climbing rate of divorce and abortion. In spite of the images of flowers, peace and love, it was an era of moral decay. The peace symbol was the icon of those years, but closer examination reveals that a peace symbol is essentially an upside down, and broken cross.  ☮️

The Son of God is still the one and only true transfiguration. He is not an illusion or a form of escape from the real world. He is the real radiance of God’s glory and He sustains all things by his powerful word, and that includes sustaining our faith in discerning the false messiahs, deceptive causes and shiny distractions. 

Jesus lays His hand on each of us as He did to the three on that mountain top, saying “Rise, do not be afraid.” Only through Him are we forgiven of sin, comforted and receive true peace. That is the timeless, unchanging truth of the gospel message for the past two thousand years. He alone is worthy of glory and praise.

By God’s grace, we are saved through faith in His eternal covenant, by the blood of His cross, in His way, and not by any leader or a movement in this world. 

Lord, help us to discern your true light, apart from the deceptive pseudo transfigurations that are in the world. Lay your hand on us and raise us up, without fear, to share your truth and love, to see the fulness of your transfigured radiance. Amen

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (RSV)

When I was around 13 years old, my best friend and I used to enjoy ice skating as a pastime. As giddy, silly pre-teens, we laughed at almost everything. If we fell on the ice, we usually laughed at ourselves before getting back up.

One day I fell, and as I remained sitting on the ice giggling, a skater, who was skating backwards, ran into me. We both apologized and then she skated off. 

I started to get up, but felt intense pain and weakness in my left leg. I managed to limp to the restroom, even as we continued giggling, while 

neither one of us bothered to look at my leg. I just assumed I would have a large bruise from the person who ran into me, but when I looked down, I was shocked to see a deep bloody hole in my left thigh, right through my green stretch pants, about an inch and a half in diameter.  I was brought to the nearest emergency room, received stitches, and survived just fine.  

We often hear stories of people who’ve been injured but don’t realize the severity of it, until afterward. It could be attributed to a combination of adrenaline and determination to complete a task. Soldiers, firemen and paramedics make heroic rescues, sometimes unaware of their own injuries. People are capable of heroism, especially when adrenaline energizes them. In my case, heroism didn’t factor in, just silly youthful ignorance.

In the spiritual realm, we all face different forms of adversity, which will test our faith. We have all been through hardships that leave us feeling wounded in some way, but somehow we managed to continue our walk of faith. Jesus said that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit fills us. We may feel ourselves attacked physically, spiritually, or emotionally, but the Spirit of God is in us, and upholding us.

Our spiritual adrenaline is the Holy Spirit. He gives us the resilience to rise from adversity, assuring us that we can do all things through Christ.

(Philippians 4:13)

Occasionally, we may limp or bleed, but we are never forsaken or destroyed, because the resurrection power of Jesus is always within us. 

We are afflicted, but we are not crushed, we may be perplexed, but never driven to despair. Every affliction makes us more resilient, because spiritual adrenaline has given us spiritual stamina.

We aren’t going to walk around giggling, but there is a deep and lasting joy from the Holy Spirit, that strengthens us. Peter tells us that the God of all grace will restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast, after we have suffered a while. 

(1 Peter 5:10)

It’s difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of God’s love when we are suffering, but He loves us more than we can imagine, and will keep raising us up, through a lifetime of mini resurrections. 

Holy Spirit, empower us with the adrenaline of your resurrection power, and fill us with deep joy and the resilience to rise above all adversity, today and always. Amen

“As the horns blew, the people began to shout. When they heard the sound of the horn, they raised a tremendous shout. The wall collapsed, and the people attacked the city straight ahead and took it.”

Joshua 6:20 

A heavenly being appeared to Joshua one day, giving him specific instructions. Those instructions involved marching silently around the city of Jericho, after positioning the priests and the ark of the covenant, protected by his best military men at the front and back of the crowd. They were to march around Jericho for six days, but on the seventh day, they were told to  march seven times and then blow the rams horns while shouting loudly. The walls of Jericho collapsed into the ground, and they conquered the city.

That involved a lot of ritual, and it shows that worship has several forms, and God should not be put in a box. 

God does not get nervous, and no sincere worship is too silent, too ritualistic or too loud with music and shouts of praise. He welcomes it all.

Worship brings victory, so let’s give God all the praise through all the forms that He deserves, as the Spirit leads, and march on in victory today, glorifying the name Jesus. Amen