Wonderful Exodus 31!

I am so grateful for Exodus 31:1-11. After reading chapters 25 through 30 where God describes all the things that needed to be done in order to complete the Tabernacle, I was wondering if Moses was feeling a little overwhelmed. I know I was after reading the descriptions of every article that was supposed to go into the tabernacle. Make the ark of the Covenant this way, and cut the curtains the other way, face the tent this way, and make the priestly garments this other way. Phew! It was a lot!  But this morning I read Exodus 31, wonderful chapter 31, where God tells Moses that he was not to do all that work alone. In fact, God was equipping especially chosen people to do everything with skill and wisdom. Bezalel was chosen to make all kinds of artistic designs with gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, and Oholiab was chosen to help him. Moreover, God was giving all the skilled workers involved in the work of the temple, the ability to do well everything God had commanded.

What an amazing promise. God didn’t tell Moses to do all that work and then let him figure out how to do it. It was God’s special work and He was going to make sure everyone had everything needed to go a great job, thus glorifying God in every little detail.

How wonderful to know that when God asks us to do something, He will give us all we need to complete our assignment with success.  A few months prior He had given Moses the task of freeing the Israelites from Egypt, but sent Aaron to help him. Even Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was used to give great counsel to make Moses’ work lighter. Now God was sending all kinds of skilled workers to complete the temple just as God had instructed.

It’s amazing to notice how true this is in my own life. God has been there for me and given me everything I needed for the tasks He has asked me to do. When He asked me to move to a different country far away from my family, He provided all the resources and people to help me through that time. As He has called me to be a parent and a wife,  in spite of my many shortcomings, it’s comforting to know that He is helping me daily to be there for my family. And as I hear Him asking me to embark on a new adventure with Him, I know I will never be alone and will be thoroughly equipped for the job at hand. I don’t have to fear!

God may be calling you to a special work. It can be to go somewhere as a missionary, or to become a parent either through birth, adoption, or foster care. He may be calling you to go back to school or change your careers. Perhaps He is asking you to do a special work at your church, neighborhood, or your community. Whatever He is asking you to do for Him, whether big or small, know that God will give you absolutely everything you need and send all the help you need to do a great work for Him. You have nothing to fear!

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”
Psalm 144:1

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Philippians 1:6

Hot Air Balloon Ride

It was one of those very busy mornings trying to rush out of the door, so I could get on time to where I needed to be. Already somewhat stressed, I got in the car and joined the many others who seemed to be going to the same place at the same time as me. The traffic was insane! It took several turns just to get through one traffic light. It’s very difficult to wait patiently when one’s in a hurry! I looked at the sea of cars in front of me, on the opposite lane, and to the rest of the city in the distance. There were cars everywhere. Hundreds, thousands maybe! So many people on the road at that same time of the morning busy starting their day, some going to work, others going to school, and yet others probably heading back home after working all night. I should’ve picked a different time to have to leave the house! Rush hour is almost always stressful.
As I contemplated the scene in front of me, my eyes were suddenly directed upwards. Way up, above the morning madness, a couple of hot air balloons gently rode the beautiful blue sky. Completely unaffected by the traffic around me, they slowly moved through the air. I thought how quiet it must have been to rise above the morning chaos and quietly enjoy the amazing mountain views and watch the sunrise from above. As I watched the contrast between life on the ground and life in the air, the words of a song came to my mind:

"There is a quiet place,

 Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind.
Sheltered by tree and flow’r,
There in my quiet hour
With Him my cares are left behind.
Whether a garden small,
Or on a mountain tall,
New strength and courage there I find;
Then from this quiet place
I go prepared to face a new day
With love for all mankind.”

A quiet place… I couldn’t help but take a deep breath and start talking with God. In the middle of the rapid pace, I can always find rest in my Savior. All of a sudden I could feel the stress melting away and I enjoyed the time alone inside my car to speak and listen to my best Friend. It was as if I had gone on my personal hot air balloon ride, and quietly enjoyed the rest of my commute looking at the beautiful mountains, the glorious sunrise, and the hot balloons gently riding the high air. I too became unaffected by the morning chaos.

Our world is getting crazier and crazier. People are so busy with so many things, it’s mad chaos every day, every time. We are constantly on the go! God knew beforehand that we would be easily tempted to join the mad rush and live life on the fast lane. He also knew that doing so would be detrimental to our lives in many different ways. That’s why the Bible is filled with counsel for us to go to Him and rest in Him. To stop running and simply be still. To be so quiet that we can see the work of God around us, which gets easily missed when we are so busy.

I encourage you to get on that personal “hot air balloon” with God and go for a ride. Enjoy the cool breeze on your face and the quietness of the moment away from it all. Get refreshed and recharged. Seek His wisdom and counsel for your life. Simply enjoy the company of One who is filled with love for you and can gently change your life for the better. You can do this at any time. It’s nice to begin the day with Him, but we can always go to Him for rest…even during morning rush hour in the big city.
 

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Mark 6:31

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

 Matthew 11:28

Praying for a stranger

The conversation was small at first. We talked about the weather, what we did for a living, and life in the big city. We had met by chance and I thought shortly I would be on my way continuing with my errands. I was wrong. Before I knew it, he was telling me his life story and what was in his heart. He was in pain and he talked freely. With tears rolling down his face he shared with me, a stranger to him, the emotional suffering he had been going through for the past year. I listened attentively wondering what could I do to help. I asked questions and we talked for longer than we both probably expected at first. I finally asked him what his thoughts on God were. With so much stress in his life, this gentleman was in desperate need of Christ. I think my question caught him by surprise. Stuttering his words, he just said he didn’t go to church. I told Him I believed God could help the pain in his heart and that I would be praying for him. We continued talking and after a while we decided it was time to part ways. Of everything we said during our conversation, he made sure to thank me for praying for him.

I left wondering if I would ever meet that man again. Unlikely. This city is so big, with so many people. The chances of both being in the same place at the same time again were slim, but I decided to pray for him. I couldn’t even remember his name, but God and I talked about him often. I asked God to give that man strength, comfort, and the amazing peace that changes everything. I didn’t know if I would ever see the results of my prayers, but it wasn’t about me anyway. One of God’s kids was in pain and needed Him desperately.

I must shout to the world that my God is an amazing God! In His wisdom and love, He allowed me to get a glimpse of His work in this man’s life. Unexpectedly I saw him again. He recognized me and gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen! The conversation was short, but enough for me to see God at work. There was joy in the man’s face. He was happier and at peace. The outlook on life wasn’t as gloomy as when we had previously met. He said he had decided to be more positive and take one day at a time. We ended the conversation with him saying, “I feel great!”

The joy in my heart was so big I think I had a smile on my face the rest of the day. I was so happy for my new friend. What amazed me even more, and this happens so often, is that his life hadn’t changed much. In fact he still had all the same problems he’s been having, but his attitude and outlook in life had changed. Instead of feeling helpless and discouraged, he felt strong and had a clear mind to make the important decisions he needed to make. He had hope!

I thanked God for His amazing work in this person’s life and for the blessing of seeing the transformation. How incredible! I may not see this gentleman again, but I know God is taking care of him. Oh the power of prayer. What an amazing tool of courage and strength God has graciously given to us. It solves everything. Even if it doesn't change our circumstances, it always changes our hearts and that's what truly matters.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted  

and saves the crushed in spirit." 

Psalm 34:18

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.'"

Matthew 11:28

 

Cleaning up our mess!

I was driving through town the other day thinking about a situation a friend had just asked me to pray for. As I was intensely reflecting on all the details and asking God to intervene, I spoke out loud: “What a mess God. You have to fix this!” Humanly speaking the situation seemed completely out of control and there was no way out. In fact, the more people tried to fix things, the worse the situation became. One thing I knew though: God could take care of everything because for Him nothing is impossible! Even after we make a big mess of life, God can fix it if we let Him.

I just finished reading the book of Genesis. Have you read Genesis lately? Talk about a big mess, beginning with the biggest of them all when Adam and Eve decided to eat of the fruit God had asked them not to. Then there was Abraham who kept hiding from others the fact that Sarah was his wife and who had a difficult time waiting for the son God had promised him. Isaac must have learned from his parents because he did something similar with Rebekah. Then there’s Jacob. Oh Jacob! He really wanted to have the birthright of the first born son, so he deceived his own father in order to receive it. Of course that made things even worse and he had to run from home. His life was a complete disaster! Then the deceiver was deceived and Jacob was tricked into marrying his uncle’s two daughters, which caused many family problems as long as both sisters lived. And even after Rachel died, her son Joseph was loved by the father, but hated by his own brothers. The hatred was such that they had all the intentions on killing him, though they ended up selling Joseph as a slave instead. Of course they couldn’t tell their father what they had done, so they covered their actions up by telling Jacob that his beloved Joseph must have been eaten by a wild animal. Poor Jacob and poor Joseph. And if things weren’t bad enough for him as a slave, Joseph ends up being put in prison for something he didn’t do.

What a mess! These were God’s chosen, His special possession. He had great plans for these people, but they kept getting in the way, doing their own thing, and carrying their own plans trying to fix their problems. However, their lives and the lives of others just kept getting worse. What amazes me is that the God who says that “all things work together for the good of those who love Him,” was able to transform these people’s bad decisions into incredible blessings. In the end, Abraham became a friend of God; Jacob the deceiver became Israel because God prevails; Joseph became second in command over the whole land in Egypt, which enabled him to save his brothers, the rest of his family, and a whole nation  from famine. Because Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons loved God, decided to follow Him no matter what, and believed He could help them, God picked up all the broken pieces, all the bad decisions, and all the consequences from those bad decisions, and transformed them into something that brought glory to His name. A happy ending. Wow! How amazing!

I talked with my friend this afternoon and she shared some of the things God has been doing in her life. Slowly she is getting a little glimpse of His work and that’s enough to give her strength to press on.

Wherever you are in your life, know that God is at work and will take care of you. You may have made lots of poor decisions. You may be suffering because of other people’s bad choices. Whatever your case, know that if you remain in God’s side, He will pick up the mess you are in and transform it into something amazingly beautiful! He did it for His people long ago, He's doing it for my friend, and He'll do it for you too.

"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!"

I Samuel 12:16 

"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." 

Psalm 34:7

Jacob's promises

Jacob was a mess! He had deceived his own father by stealing the firstborn blessing from his older brother Esau, and now Esau was angry and wanted to kill him. In her despair, his mother Rebekah devised a plan for Jacob to run away to her brother in search of a wife. At least that’s what she told Isaac. After one lie too many, Jacob was now running for his life. That first night away from home he got a stone for a pillow and laid down to sleep. I can’t imagine having to use a rock as a pillow. Jacob had hit a low point in his life and felt lonely now far from his beloved home and family. However, he was not alone. Someone was watching him. Someone who had been present from the very beginning was there with him. God was there and He wanted Jacob to know it, so He gave him a dream. 

You may know this story. If not you can find it in Genesis 28. In the dream Jacob sees a stairway connecting Heaven and earth, angels going up and down, and God standing on top. Then God speaks and fills Jacob’s mind with promises of prosperity and peace. God promises He’ll take care of Jacob until he returns to his family’s home and that He’ll bless others through him. Finally God says He won’t leave Jacob until all His promises are fulfilled.

As I read this story my first thought was “wow, what a dream. With promises like this Jacob had no reasons to fear for his future.” I was slightly jealous that Jacob heard from God Himself that He would take care of him all the time. As soon as that thought entered my mind though, God flooded my mind with Bible promises reminding me that they are mine too. I too had no reason to fear for my future.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“God has said, ‘never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'" Hebrews 13:5,6

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” God's dwelling place is now among the people and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:1,3
 
These and so many other promises are for all of us. We too are promised peace and prosperity and God will use us to bless others. God promises to take care of us until the day we arrive Home and He will never leave us until all His promises are fulfilled. May we respond like Jacob did when he realized God was there with him that first night away from home and make the Lord our God. 

The Champion is coming!

July 11, 2016. I woke up to find my Facebook flooded with red and green. Portugal had won their first Euro cup the day before and the fans were celebrating big. I watched some of the highlights of the games and felt proud of my favorite soccer team. They had done great! Curious I checked the news for photos and videos of the celebrations. I was delighted watching the team arrive in Lisbon and the thousands of people singing and shouting for joy as the new champions arrived home. The day was packed with festivities, including a stop by the presidential palace, and many opportunities to sing the national anthem throughout the country. One could feel the joy that an entire nation was feeling. You see, this is the first big championship the Portuguese team has won. The Euro cup began in 1960 and even though Portugal played in several semi-finals and finals, this is the first time they won. They never gave up, trained hard, and finally won. And they won big!

As I was watching the many celebrations, the thousands of voices singing together, I couldn’t help but imagine how it will be when the biggest celebration of all times finally takes place. You see, one day, the Champion of all champions will come to earth to take His children home. The Portuguese team won a beautiful trophy for all their hard work, but Jesus won eternal life for all of us. Can you imagine the celebration when we finally see Him coming? And He’s not coming on an airplane, large boat, or decorated bus. He’s coming in the clouds! He will bring tens of thousands of His angels with Him, and will come in the glory of His Father. The whole world will witness His coming and trumpets will fill the universe with an incredible sound! It will be the event of the events. Can you imagine what God’s children will do when they realize that their beloved and much wanted best Friend is finally here? Just thinking about it makes me smile ear to ear. Oh the celebration! The dead in Christ will rise, we will be reunited with our loved ones, and we will finally meet our Lord face to face. The whole world will be shouting for joy, praising the King of kings. I think the celebration will be such that we will shake the earth out of orbit!

That day is coming and is coming very soon. Sometimes we think that Jesus is taking too long to come, but we can’t lose heart. His promises are sure. His love for us is so great that knowing we would be tempted to feel discouraged by His seemingly delay, He told us ahead of time that He is coming even if it feels like it’s taking too long. Just like the Portuguese soccer team never gave up the dream of winning the Euro cup after all these years, we too cannot give up the dream and assurance of seeing Jesus face to face. Even if we have to go through the sleep of death first, His promises are sure. In His infinite love for us, He’s not going to let anyone miss out on His coming and the celebrations that will take place. It’s going to be amazing!

Hold on to your faith. Hold on to God’s promises. Be strong, courageous, and faithful. Fulfill your mission and keep your eyes on the prize. The Champion is coming!

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

I Thessalonians 4:16

"At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory."

Mark 13:26

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:8,9

Worry free!

 I love early mornings because they can be so calming and refreshing. Exactly what I need at the beginning of my very busy days. This morning I read the story of creation in Genesis 1, a story I have read since I was a child, so I know it well. The Bible however, is a well of amazing never-ending discoveries and once again God showed me something new in a story that is so familiar to me. Have you noticed how much work it took to create this whole world? All God did was speak and things happened. If I could speak my work into being, I could get so much done!! Yet if we look closer, God did not speak a bunch of stuff into creation all at once. He took His time. The first day all He did was create light. How long do you think it took Him to say, “Let there be light”? Not very long. And when he finished speaking, there it was, beautiful light that He got to call day. And that’s it! That was the first day. Evening and morning of the first day. He didn’t create anything else until the second day. And on the second day all He did was to tell the waters to separate into two groups: waters below and waters above. Nothing more! The same pattern went on for the whole six days of Creation, with the exception of when God created mankind out of the dust of the ground on the sixth day. God slowly, gently, and with extreme perfection put this world together, one day at a time and then on the seventh-day He rested. Not because He was tired, but because He wanted a full day of enjoying all the beautiful work He had just done. In His love and wisdom, He gave the seventh-day as a day of rest for us too.

As I read the story of Creation with this new perspective for me, I was reminded of several Bible texts. Throughout scriptures God is calling us to rest, to take things calmly without rushing. Often He tells us to be still. He asks us to come to Him when we’re tired, because He will gives us rest. He tells us not to be anxious or to worry about anything. The Bible also says that in the last days people will be rushing here and there and the book of Ecclesiastes speaks often of all the toil we do under the sun as meaningless. Do you notice a trend here?

Life can be very hectic. In fact, when you ask someone how they are doing, people don’t answer with an automatically “I’m fine” any more, but answer instead with just one word: “busy.” Humans are very busy. I know I am. We are constantly bombarded with information that tries to incite us to do more and more with our time and organize our life better so we can do even more. There are many things calling for our time and attention. We are too busy, but God does not want us to be. He doesn’t want us to live this chaotic, anxiety and worry filled lives we have been living. He wants to live a life of peace and calm, as we faithfully and gently work for Him.

Today, look at your busy schedule and see what can be crossed off that ever growing to do list. Looking at mine I can see plenty of opportunities for improvement. And then go enjoy your day. Spend time with your family, your friends, and serving others. Take care of your body and your mind. Truly stop and smell the flowers. Sit outside and soak in some vitamin D from the sun without a cell phone in front of your eyes. Just sit and be. We’re not guaranteed the future, so let’s use well the present.

Of course the devil will always be tempting us to do more and more. He knows that we’ll forget the important things in life when we’re preoccupied with the cares of this world. The wonderful thing is that we don’t have to try to simplify our schedules alone. God is ever available to help us. His strength is the one that is perfect, not ours. He is the One who is all powerful. Our part is to go to Him. His part is to give us rest. Sweet, beautiful rest.

“... seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.” 

Daniel 12:4
 

“Be still, and know that I am God.” 

Psalm 46:10

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

Matthew 11:18

“Do not be anxious for anything.” 

Philippians 4:6

“Do not worry.” 

Matthew 6:31