But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. John 16:7-11
Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23b,24b
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7b-10) ~Paul the apostle
There are days, weeks, lifetimes that I feel overwhelmed by my weaknesses. My sins. Regrets.
And I think how in the world could I ever expect God to use someone like me?
I have nothing. I am wholly inadequate. I live with daily constraints of fatigue and pain. I am constantly thinking and saying and doing things I don’t want to. Things that are contrary to the nature of a loving and forgiving and gracious God. I look at who I am and I’m disappointed. How could God not be?
If I were Him I’d run in the other direction in search of someone better.
But here’s the thing: I’m not God – praise the Lord.
And here’s the other thing – I may be inadequate, I may be sinful, but I love my Jesus.
It’s those very weaknesses that had me running to Him in the first place, and keep me running back because I know how much I need Him.
Spending time with my gracious Lord brings into focus even more how great He is and it is humbling. I compare myself to Him and I see how short I come up in the godliness department. My weaknesses and sins are more evident when I’m in His presence.
And I see again just how very much I need my Father.
When I need Him I call on Him to do in and through me what I never could. I leave room for Him to do the miraculous, because I need a miracle, every single day.
There are those who would have Christians believe God doesn’t want any of His children to be sick. I would refer them to Paul. And there are those who believe their sickness must mean they are being punished by God. I would again refer them to Paul, and Job, and the many others who found themselves weak in some way, yet we clearly see God’s hand was on them.
Yes, God heals. Yes, God still does miracles. When it suits His purposes.
But don’t limit God. God uses all kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances for all kinds of things.
Our weaknesses, whatever they may be, don’t disqualify us from being used by God. In fact they can be the road leading right to it.
We are all weak in some way, most of us in many ways.
The world tells us Be strong! Be powerful. In doing that we refuse the power of God in our lives, and we remain in our weakness.
But acknowledging our weaknesses, taking them to the throne room of God and putting our life in His hands out of sheer desperation, knowing we have nothing good in and of ourselves, is the very thing that will make us useful. He’s then able to fill us with His strength and do great things through us, not because of who we are, but in spite of it.
And all the glory is His.
The prayers prayed out of desperation tend to be stripped of all pretense. The mask comes off, the formality is laid aside, and we get real with God. That kind of realness leads to an authentic, personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. Our Abba. And that unleashes His power in us.
It’s not the strength of our bodies, or the intelligence of our minds, or the skill of our hands.
It’s the willingness of our hearts.
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
The beauty of a mom is in the way she reflects the glory of the Lord.
She shines with His nurturing heart and gives herself away. She sees when no one else does. Her mind treasures every precious moment. She gives her attention to every call.
She smiles at every growing step, and longs to rush in at every stumble. Wisdom tells her when stand back, and when to step in.
Her love overflows the same when she smiles at an accomplishment as when she disciplines. Thoughts of her children never cease.
Whether you’re a mom of little ones or your children are grown, let us always seek to be filled with the LORD that we might shine with His glory in all we do, and our lives speak of His goodness and grace.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life…
Psalm 23:6
It is the goodness of God that overflows into this world and makes it habitable. It is His goodness we experience that make our lives bearable, even enjoyable.
But sometimes that goodness becomes overshadowed by pain, grief, disappointment, disillusionment.
Like thick billows of never-ending clouds, they can block out the light. And sometimes there’s rain for days, weeks on end. Maybe it’s like living in Seattle.
I’m sure it can get dreary, and even depressing, and yet, there’s a certain beauty to Seattle.
The frequent drizzles allow for some of the most beautiful growth in the world, and also some of the most diverse, life-giving wildlife.
No matter how many weeks the shadows overtake the city, no one wonders if the sun is still there. They know it is, and they trust they’ll see it again.
I have to remember that when my world has been darkened with shadows for too long. The Son is still there. And His goodness will shine whether there are rain clouds that bring new growth, and maturity, and life, or He moves them away.
I have to remember that when everything in me, all my feelings and understanding want to tell me that because I don’t see or feel the Son He isn’t there.
I have to set aside my understanding and believe in what I know to be true – surely His goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…
Because that’s who He is. What I feel doesn’t change that. What I see doesn’t change that. And I am thankful.
“Lord Jesus, help us hold onto our confidence that you are who you say you are. That you are good, and that you love us, and no matter what’s happening in our lives you’re still there, and you are still pouring out your goodness into our lives, and we are thankful.”
“For I will declare the name of Jehovah. Tell about the greatness of our God! The Rock, perfect is His activity, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:3-4
“So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’ For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:16-18)
Salvation does not depend on being a good person, going to church, owning a Bible, or being an American.
It depends on Who we say Jesus is. Some say he was just a good man, maybe a prophet. He said He was God. Either He was crazy, a liar, or speaking the truth. If He was telling the truth, then what we do with that truth will determine where we spend eternity. If we reject it, we reject God, for the Father and the Son are one.
Jesus Himself said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Without accepting Christ and His payment on the cross for our sins, we will stand before God at the end of our mortal lives and the beginning of our eternal ones with no excuse, and we will receive the just payment for our sins – eternity apart from God and the love and peace that originate in Him and flow from Him.
But, if we accept that Jesus is who He says He is, that He is God, and by accepting Him we accept His sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins, then there is no condemnation for us, and will be no judgment for our sins as we stand before God, since Christ paid it all.
Salvation isn’t dependent on what we do or who we are, but what we believe. If we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, and we will forever live in His presence and all that He is – love, joy, peace, goodness, grace, mercy, kindness…
It’s so easy and so natural to focus on the negative. And there is a lot we could be negative about.
But….
We who are in Christ must never forget – we are of the supernatural. We are filled with the power of the Spirit of God, and no matter what we’re going through, whether good times or bad, we know our God is with us, providing us a way through by His very presence.
So we are not just thankful in a general sense, but, having our spiritual eyes and eternal souls awakened, we are able to see and acknowledge that all things come from the hand of a good and loving Father and we give thanks to Him for His provision in our lives.
Ultimately, it is He we are thankful for, for “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17) And all things, no matter how they look on this side, are being worked together for Good by a masterful Weaver for those who love Him.
It is He who gives sunshine; it is He who gives rain; it is He who gives air to breathe, keeps our hearts beating, and gives them the capacity to love. It is He who provides for us in a million different ways, and it is He who our hearts and voices are privileged to acknowledge with thanksgiving for all things.
And when we do, it is He who is glorified, and our lives fulfill their ultimate purpose.
There is more that I am thankful for than I could ever begin to list here.
I will start with my salvation. That story is a miracle all on its own, and when I look back at all that went into it, every person involved, every prayer lifted up, every perfect step taken that lead to that day, that place, that moment, when the Spirit of God overwhelmed me and called me His own, I am overwhelmed by His goodness.
That He would come after me, pour out His grace and mercy, open my spiritual eyes with belief, fill me with His Spirit and love, and call me His daughter, is enough to keep me praising His Name forever.
But that wasn’t enough for Him. He has continued to do miracles and pour out His blessing in countless ways since that day 27 years ago. He is my bounty, and I am forever thankful to my El Shaddai.
I know you have much to be thankful for, too, and I’d love to hear it!
“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
“The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:1,6
Mighty Warrior.
If that were the name of a superhero in an epic comic book story brought to life on the big screen you’d expect he’d be a 6 foot 6, muscle-bound behemoth of a man who shook the earth when he walked. He’d carry himself with confidence, a stern face and eyes set while everyone was sure to stay out of his way.
But this was Gideon.
Ancient winepress discovered in Israel
When Gideon heard someone say mighty warrior he may very well have flinched and looked around to see who the person was talking to as he hid from the Midianites in a winepress threshing wheat.
But the Lord was speaking to Gideon, calling him to deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Midianites.
But Gideon didn’t jump up from the winepress, grab a sword, don his armor and shout “Yes, this is my chance! I am ready!”
Instead he questioned, “But, Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15
Gideon was a young man who came from a small, poor, weakened, and seemingly insignificant family. He was a nobody. At least that’s how he saw it.
Nugget: Gideon’s clan – the Abiezrites – together with five other clans all form the tribe of Manasseh. And Manasseh, together with the tribe of Ephraim form the tribe of Joseph, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Manasseh descends from Manasseh who was one of the sons of Joseph, the boy who was sold into slavery by his brothers (to guess who? The Midianites), and through the continual hand of God, rose to eventually become 2nd in command over Egypt, exceeded only by Pharaoh himself.
Do you know that God loves to call the insignificant, the weak, the poor, the underdog, the nobody, fill that person with His Spirit, and lead him or her to do great and mighty things?
Gideon might have seen himself as young, weak and ill-equipped, but God saw him differently. God saw him not just as he was, but as He would make him to be – a mighty warrior.
And just as God had a great plan for his ancestor Joseph even while he sat in a pit, served Pharaoh’s official, and languished in prison, He had a great plan for Gideon and all the people of Israel.
Throughout the process of overcoming the Midianites, Gideon is unsure and shaky in his next steps, and continually asks God for signs that He is with him, and God continually reassures Gideon that He is.
As the plan begins to succeed, Gideon begins to fulfill the name given to him by the angel of the Lord. He transforms from the young man hiding in the winepress, full of questions and requests for fleeces, into a mighty warrior who is confident in God’s presence, provision, and desire to do a mighty work through him.
Gideon chose to believe in and obey God, and God gave victory to the Israelites through Gideon and his whittled-down army of 300 men to 135,000 Midianite and neighboring peoples, 120,000 of whom were killed.
Gideon’s confidence and boldness had grown, and he himself killed two kings of Midian, while the men of Ephraim killed two leaders of the Midianites, one of them, ironically, at a winepress.
I can relate to Gideon. Can you?
When God told me twelve years ago to be strong and courageous just before my own battle began with my health, I felt anything but strong and courageous. At the time I tried to understand it as best I could. But just like Gideon, I’ve grown in my understanding of God along the way. I know God sees us not only as we are, but as He is making us to be. God was calling me to be something He was going to fulfill in the journey. I have been becoming strong and courageous in Him, for He is with me wherever I go.
What does God call you? What has He called you to do? Do you feel too weak and insignificant? Like a nobody? Well, you’re in good company. David was only a boy; Jonah was filled with fear; Joseph was thrown into a pit; and Mary was just a simple, unassuming young girl who would give birth to the Savior of the world.
In a world where everyone wants to be famous, “…the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9) regardless of our fame, standing, finances, intelligence, or anything else the world says is important.
God loves to do His work through a humble spirit, the ones in whom the world takes no notice. They have no agenda, and know they have nothing sufficient in themselves. They must rely wholly on God – where true and lasting success always lies, and He always gets the glory.
No matter what you’re going through, God sees you through the eyes of His Risen Son. He may very well be using that struggle in your life to prepare you for something great. Whatever He’s doing, He knows the plans He has for you, and what He is making you to be.
Oh dear ones, loved so greatly by God, can I ask you to, for just a moment, lay down your tape and scissors? To take your eyes away from the Christmas movies and your ears from the holiday music?
Can I ask you to come take a journey with me? We are going to see a King.
There is a little, ancient town full of people who have come to be counted in the census. All the rooms are full, too.
There is a very young woman who is about ready to give birth. She and her husband have come a long way and she looks tired and uncomfortable. Her labor pains have begun.
“The barn is available,” they’re told.
Humbly, they make their way to the stable. He tries to make her comfortable with a bed of hay as the animals make room for a royal guest.
She gives birth and the pain is soon forgotten as joy overwhelms her. He is perfect in every way. They gaze upon their miracle child, the one given to them by God Himself. There is a feeding trough, and he makes a bed for this tiny baby. The stars are shining on this most special of nights.
Meanwhile, out in the nearby fields, men who only a moment ago were tending sheep now stand in shock and fear as a glorious and heavenly light shines around them and an angel of the Lord appears to them and says,
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The shepherds are barely able to take it in when a whole host of angels appears, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
They grab their staffs and run to the place where this Savior, this long-awaited Messiah has been born. He is beautiful and they can hardly believe it. They have seen the great Shepherd.
Room has been made for this little family of three. They wonder what the future holds in and through this new and precious life.
Sometime later, other worshippers make their way from the east. A star has led some wise men on a journey. It’s been long and dusty, but they’ve been moved by something, Someone, beyond them to make it. They’ve brought gifts suitable to present to royalty: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Gold for a King, but not just any king. A King who has chosen to strip Himself of His heavenly robes and crown and become like us.
Frankincense, symbolizing His priesthood, one that would never end.
Myrrh for embalming, for one day in the not-too-distant future, this King will die for the sins of the world.
The star that led them from so far away has stopped directly over the house where the King lay. They step inside and bow before Him and worship Him. They present their gifts, and Mary and Joseph continue to marvel at God’s love, His miracles and His glory.
The world looks different to them now. Suddenly it is filled with hope and love and promise. Under the light of the stars was the Light of the world. Salvation was here.
