Little Flock

Don’t keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink and don’t be anxious…but seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:29, 31,32

In these days we become anxious over where the money’s going to come from for this or that. Money is tight for most of us and anxiety runs through our days. But, we don’t have to get ourselves all worked up over our lives…anything we need…from physical to emotional to spiritual.

Jesus tells us “Don’t be afraid, little flock…” I went to Strong’s Concordance again and looked up flock…sheep or disciples. So in this case it means disciples. But the word “little” is more interesting. It could mean little in age. Maybe they were younger disciples or younger Christians. It could mean little time. Maybe it was because His time was short here. It could mean quantity, there were only a few of them. And last it could mean little in rank or influence. They may have been common people with nothing special to cause them to be moving up in the ranks of the world.

So when Jesus said “little flock” it affectionately meant I love you because you’re little  in so many ways.We’re all little… our time is short, numbers of Christians are small and most of us have no rank or influence.It’s comforting to be loved by Him even though we’re small.

I used to call my nieces and nephews “little one” and “sweetie”. I can’t call them that any more. But I loved them as if they were my own. I sang songs to them about the Lord. I became a kid when we played together. I had prayed for each of them  since before they were born. So there was one way to express all that love and that was through a nickname, a term of endearment.

Then He delights to give us the kingdom. He takes pleasure in showing us favor by providing what we need. How can we worry? Our every need is affectionately, pleasantly, with favor bestowed on us. 🙂

3 comments October 30, 2010

The Pebble with a Name

In Revelation 2:12-17 the Holy Spirit has a message for the Church at Pergamum. Satan dwelt where they were so the Lord was proud of them for not denying Him. But they did have some sin issues some of them needed to overcome – lewdness and worship of another god.

God said if you overcome you will receive hidden manna and He would give them a white stone with their name on it but only they would understand their name. Sounds a little weird right?

I did some checking on the words used in this verse (Rev. 2:17) Manna in heaven is angel food and food for the blessed. So there’s some manna hidden up there especially for those who overcome lewdness and idol worship.

But the white stone to me is romantic. Male penguins in one of the movies give their female a pebble that they keep for life. It’s similar to a wedding ring. I’m not sure how much of that is just drama but it’s sweet.  Well this white stone is even more special in heaven because our name is on it. And in Strong’s Concordance it said something to the effect of: a name includes everything the name covers, every thought or feeling caused to come up in the mind by mentioning, hearing or remembering the name. So our name to Jesus that he would engrave on our stone would have every forgiving thing we did, every time we reached out to love someone, every tear we shed when He said no…every thing about us, everything He feels for us would be in the name on that stone.

The other day I was reading a blog and the author asked what would your name be now that you are saved. I said Grace because of a couple of reasons. One, He shows me such grace for my sins, which are many. Two because He speaks grace into my life when I need it to go on. Well, looking back on that answer, it probably isn’t a pinpoint compared to the meaning Jesus would give for my name. Not because I’m so wonderful but because we’ve been through so much together. Can you begin to come up with a name that fits all Jesus feels for you, all you’ve been through together? It must be a language from heaven.

Add a comment October 29, 2010

With a Friend

I’m experiencing right now that friends don’t always agree. Discussion is necessary to weed out the answer to the dilemma. Not harsh argument, just reasoning together is what’s needed. The Lord said, “Come let us reason together…”  so not only do we reason with each other but we reason with the Lord.

Moses reasoned with the Lord. Exodus 33:11 says “And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend.” There’s a great song that says “I am a friend of God…” and we can’t take that lightly. God reveals Himself to us and that makes us a friend of His. But He is holy and we are unworthy to be called His friend except by the sacrifice of His Son. The Lord paid a precious price to be able to call us friends.

In Exodus 33:13-19 Moses reasons with God because God is ready to let the Israelites go on their own. He had reached His limit with them. But Moses interceded for them and God heard Him and said ”My Presence will go with you.” Moses told God…You don’t go, I don’t go. Moses wasn’t leaving his Friend.

Then Moses asked to see God’s glory. Can you imagine feeling comfortable enough with God to ask Him face to face to experience His glory? So God did show Moses the back of His glory. We can’t see the face of His glory and live. During the conversation God says I will show mercy…and I will show lovingkindness… They must be part of His glory. When we show mercy and lovingkindness I wonder if we don’t glow a little too.

Add a comment October 29, 2010

His Mercy In Spite Of

And he said to them, I am a Hebrew, and I [reverently] fear and worship the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and dry land. Jonah 1:9

He said he feared the Lord but the Lord had called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, an evil people. He ran and boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. I run from the Lord when He calls me sometimes. A little fear or a little rebellion gets in the way and I’m gone. It’s sad because I miss out on a lot of Life like that.

Nineveh was preached to anyway because the Lord got Jonah’s attention. A large fish swallowed and kept him for 3 days and Jonah had time to rethink the running option.

There’s a lot more that’s interesting in this story…God’s love for an evil people, Jonah’s shame of God’s mercy, God’s patient moving in His stubborn prophet’s life. But the point I wanted to make is that revival can come in any land if we do what God calls us to do. To me it’s easy right now…to pray for my family, friends and country. But do I do it? Sporadically at best.

Our country needs revival. We haven’t reached the fullness of evil that Sodom and Gomorrah had. But we’re heading in that direction. So we could use some people to pray and those who are called to preach to tell people that the Lord will have mercy if they turn to Him. We don’t preach or pray in judgment on them. We preach and pray God’s mercy for them. We’re sinners and our only rescue was his grace. So any praying we do or preaching we do should be done humbly.

The Ninevites came to the Lord. They fasted and prayed for Him to relent from their destruction. And our loving, tenderhearted Lord relented. What a sight and a sweet aroma to the Lord if our country was to fast and pray for the Lord to have mercy on us. I want to be here!

Add a comment October 28, 2010

Confident and Competent

We have this treasure in earthen vessels.

“We have this type of confidence toward God through Christ, not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit produces life.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Chuck Swindoll and Adrian Rogers write (and wrote) devotions and they so often speak exactly what I need to hear. And they must touch others’ lives because they are popular and famous. There are ladies whose devotions I read that bring me to tears sometimes because of their grace. Paul wrote a lot of the New Testament so God must have felt like he was a competent minister. These people have reason it seems to be confident because they are so competent.

My nephew was five years old and he was in trouble with his babysitter, me. I told him he was not to do whatever he was doing. He said to me, “I can’t do anything right, Aunt Donna.” I said yes you do. As a five year old he and I had just had a conversation about why I wasn’t married. I told him I just hadn’t found anyone yet. He told me “You’ll find someone.” It may seem simple but coming from a five year old it spoke to me and comforted me. So I told him he had just done something right and special to me. He doesn’t do everything wrong. There are some important things he does right.

This five year old was a competent minister. God used him to minister in the Spirit, not the letter of the law. If we pray and listen to God’s word and obey to the best of our knowledge we are competent ministers. It’s not a matter of forcing people to obey the commandments. It’s showing grace, it’s encouraging, it’s speaking what someone’s heart needs to hear.

One more illustration, I have a friend who’s imperfect and that’s encouraging to me because he wants to grow. He can sing and play the guitar and seems to know the exact song I need to hear at the exact time I need it. He’s an imperfect person who is a competent minister. That brings me hope. I have qualities about me that I really don’t like. I’d love to hide them all and seem perfect. That would make me a better minister right? Well Paul says our confidence comes from God not from ourselves and He has made us competent ministers. And God says through Paul “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:5

Lord, my heart longs to minister to people. There are such needs in each person. You say You have made me confident and competent. Help me be used of you like my five year old nephew and my friend. Make me most of all like You, Jesus. And when I’m not like You I’m a jar of clay that You choose to use anyway.

2 comments October 27, 2010

Precious Belonging

Lamentations 1:7

During the days of her affliction and homelessness
Jerusalem remembers all her precious belongings
that were hers in days of old…

We all have belongings that are precious to us. I have a lamp my mom gave me one year. I have pictures of friends and nieces and nephews that are so sweet to me. I have an afghan made by an elderly friend who passed away. She was partially blind and asked me what colors were in my living room and made it to match perfectly.

What makes a possession precious is the person behind it. My mom and I have a beautiful relationship. We’ve been through many, very tough times together. My friends and family are my heart and have brought me nearer to the Lord. My elderly friend I miss and as much as I enjoy my afghan I’d rather have her back to go eat with at the Moonlight Diner .

The thing about this verse and the verses of the first chapter of Lamentations was that they missed their country, their possessions. But they didn’t miss their relationship with the Lord. The Lord was the One who gave them their possessions and their country. The Lord was the One who gave them their Temple. He was the One to be worshiped in the Temple. The Lord was the One who loved them and was their heart and soul.

We need to love the Lord no matter what we have or don’t have. He’s been with us through tough times, He’s our heart and soul and He even sups and has deep conversation with us at the Moonlight Diner. He’s near, close, ear at our lips, listening to us waiting for us to speak His Name and find our joy, our precious belonging in Him.

2 comments October 26, 2010

To Build

Through skillful and godly wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built and by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation]. And by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3, 4.

Daniel 1:17 As for these four youths God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all [kinds of] visions and dreams.

“These four youths” are Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel. They built their lives on wisdom and because they did they were established on a sound and good foundation. They, in wisdom, chose God’s diet over the Babylonian king’s diet. It made them healthier and won the respect of those above them. Daniel read the kings dream at a critical time to the country. Shad, Mesh and Abed were thrown into the fiery furnace but came out not even smelling like smoke.

They had knowledge that filled the chambers of their lives with precious and pleasant riches. Today our battles are not fiery furnaces or reading dreams for kings. But we have our lives and the battles of fear, anger, questions in our mind that can be won by the knowledge of God’s word. And we have homes that we decorate with God’s word…maybe literally maybe by speaking to others what is in the chambers of our hearts. We have families that we can use God’s wisdom in praying for them.

Precious riches are verses like Lamentations 3:22,23 “…His mercies never end, they are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.” And like Proverbs 24:6 “…victory comes with many counselors.” And such as Matthew 22:37 “…you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind..” Our God is merciful and has pity on us. And His advice to us is get advice from those who are ahead of us in Him. And He longs for us to love Him with all our heart. There are all kinds of riches. We just have to dig and find them.

A woman can tear her house down. Or she can build it with God’s wisdom, understanding and knowledge. I pray the chambers of my heart and my mind and my soul will be filled with precious and pleasant riches. And I pray that the riches in me will overflow to those around me.

Add a comment October 24, 2010

The Battle Belongs to the Weak

A Weaker One

I went to the movie “Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga’Hoole” tonight. It’s a less intense, quicker version of “Lord of the Rings.” It was humorous in places and a little dark, just a little. I enjoy kids movies and this was an older kids movie with some life lessons.

Listening to the stories we’re told about right and wrong, fighting for right, being a hero; it’s all very important when we’re in trouble. We respond the way we believe. God’s word is supposed to be passed down to our children for a reason. It’s to help them face life graciously and powerfully. And that’s how the main character lived his life because he believed the stories his father told him.

There was an older warrior who had been a hero many years ago. The main character, an owlet just gloried in meeting this hero. The hero told him there’s nothing glorious about battle. “You go out, you do what’s right, you’re scarred and then you go and do it all again.” This made me think of prayer warriors. It’s so difficult sometimes to pray and yet they battle on our behalf and face the spirit world in their hearts. Ephesians 6:10-18 is about putting on our armor before we pray. Verse 18 says “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance , interceding on behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).” Sounds like a battle to me!

Then the most beautiful lesson in the movie was what was said at the end. It was something to the effect of…”strengthen the weak, rescue the fainthearted and be honorable in all you do.” Our theme in this world today is the survival of the fittest. This was just really refreshing that our kids would hear this. God uses the weak to confound the wise. Samuel was taken care of and taught by his mom until he was weaned (Weaning was later than we do now.). She tenderly watched over him until he was ready for his calling. Moses’ mom protected him from harm and the Egyptian maid that found him gave him back to his mom to nurse until he was weaned. These two babes became warriors in God’s kingdom. I’m so glad we have them as an example to follow that the weak if we watch over and protect them can turn into strong, powerful men, women of God.

Add a comment October 22, 2010

A King for a Friend

He who loves purity and the pure in heart and who is gracious in speech – because of the grace of his lips will he have the king be his friend. Proverbs 22: 11

This reads “he” but I’m pretty sure you can substitute “she.” So we ladies who love purity and if we’re pure in heart and are gracious in speech because of the grace of our lips we will  be friends of the king.

There are two kinds of purity. One is when you save yourself for marriage. That is an important kind of purity yet difficult to keep in our culture. And there are always new beginnings if you fall. Nevertheless I watched my niece and newest nephew keep their purity and never was there such joy at a wedding!

The second kind of purity is when your heart is undivided. When you have a single (not unmarried) heart it only loves the Lord. It’s only devotion is Jesus. You can be married and love your children and your husband, you can be single and love your extended family and you can work. But an undivided heart will see everything through the eyes of their love for the Lord.

Gracious in speech is showing the person you’re talking with favor. It is sincerely charming and pleasant.  My mom went to something called Cotillion and learned how to talk, and walk, and dance. She learned her sweet manners there. It’s out of style now but would really be good for all of us to learn.

To have a king for a friend we need to be pure in two ways, we need to speak graciously. Personally, I don’t need to have a President for a friend. I don’t need a governor for a friend. But I want my king, my husband to know that my heart is undivided for Jesus and I want to speak with sincere charm and favor to him. There were some stories in God’s word of people who had a king for a friend. Some of them are Joseph, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel…I’ll probably never get to that level. That’s OK. That’s not where I want to be. I want my husband for my best friend should that day come.

Add a comment October 22, 2010

The Lady’s Battle

Proverbs 31:17, 18 She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental and physical fitness for her God given tasks] and makes her arms strong and firm. She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out but burns continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt and distrust].

The version this came out of is the Amplified Bible. It expands on the Hebrew or Greek words that we may not have in English. This is a whole new take on these verses for me. She wasn’t just a lady who worked hard every day, was prosperous and made her husband happy. She fought a spiritual battle every day. In verse 17 it talks about spiritual, mental and physical fitness.

Spiritual fitness gets left behind sometimes for most of us when there are so many more urgent things to do.  Mentally we tend to work on to stay employed or to keep our minds sharp for day to day living. So many people now are going to the gym to get fit and keep their health. That’s actually a godly thing to do. Physical fitness is something I struggle with.

Her work is with God as well as for Him. She allows Him to work through and in her. She’s yoked to Him. Her light stays on through trouble, hardship, adversity and sorrow.

Beth Moore recommends having a set of Scripture verses for each season of life. When you’re going through trouble verses of God’s  power, tender love for you, His light, the promise of heaven all light up those days of darkness. There are verses about Moses seeing the face of God and talking with Him as a friend. That can comfort you that you can talk with Him and bring everything before Him in need for wisdom. You can read the armor of God in Ephesians 6 so that you’ll be prepared for whatever comes up and so the evil one will be thwarted.  There are other verses that are encouraging in the midst of trouble.

His word is a lamp unto our feet Psalm 119 says. So that’s how we fight the battle of life…with His word. And that’s why our lamp should not go out at night. That’s when we need our “lamp” the most.

Add a comment October 21, 2010