Out with the Old

Stock photo from the web.  

Have you ever felt like the little girl in this photo?  At the start of every year I begin thinking about the clutter in my home and what needs to go, what needs to stay, how I can better organize.  This morning I am thinking about the clutter in my life and the cleaning out of my heart I need to do.

In Numbers 33: 51-53 Moses shares this word from the LORD, "When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and destroy all their high places.  And you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I (the LORD) have given the land to you to possess it."

In considering how this section of Scripture might apply to me I began thinking about the things I have allowed in my life that do not honor God.  Things I have kept in my life that pull me away from a life that brings honor and glory to Him.  Many of those things are attitudes deep within my heart such as old hurts I have held on to or areas in my life that tempt me in ways that are harmful to my life and walk.  Others are activities that I engage in, things that ask for my time.  It can be a struggle at times to find balance in these areas.
And have I told you about my weakness for chocolate and what that does to my waistline?  I tell myself it is just that "over 40 weight gain," but there are things I should be doing, and things I should stop doing, that would really help me obtain and maintain a healthy weight.

How overwhelming it can be; looking at the big picture of my life and identifying "inhabitants" I need to drive out.  There are things in my life I feel the Lord has been calling me to destroy that I have been stubbornly clinging to. When I really stop and think about it, I am amazed at how much control some of these things have over me.  I am not pleased with that realization.  So, in my desire to become all that God wants me to be I am going to start taking steps to be rid of these things.  It is not something that can be done all at once.  As I prayed it over with the Lord this morning a couple of things kept coming to mind and I made a commitment to Him to start right away cleaning out those areas.  If I am brave I will even make an actual list this week of all those things I need to drive out or destroy and keep it tucked away in my prayer journal until next January.  If I am brave enough...there is something about writing specific things down that makes them very real, that makes it hard not to deal with them since I have actually acknowledged that they exist. Hopefully I will be able to celebrate a year of successes in my campaign to be the woman God desires me to be.

Grace, Peace, and Mercy,

Deb

He's Got My Back

As I was musing about today's reading from Numbers 32:20-24 a scene from the movie The Bear came to mind.  The clip I found is a little longer than I would have liked, but I love the scene where the mountain lion is face to face with the cub and suddenly turns tail and runs away.  At first all you see is the cub standing it's ground and roaring for all it is worth- but as the camera pans out, standing behind the cub is this huge bear also roaring and looking much more intimidating.

I thought it was a great picture of the verses for today.  Moses tells the sons of Reuben and Gad that they must arm themselves and cross over the Jordan, not just before the rest of Israel, but also before the LORD and then adds, "until He (the LORD) has driven His enemies out from before Him, and the land is subdued before the LORD."  Sometimes when I am "going into battle" I forget who is really the One who achieves the victory.  I forget that when I am facing "my enemies' it is not me they are running from, but the One who stands behind me.  Bearing that in mind, what do I really have to fear as I enter into 2012?

Grace, Peace, and Mercy,

Deb

It's Not All About Me

Then they came near to him and said, “We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance.

This is an image of a sheepfold I pulled off the web and is not my own.

Today's study in Numbers brought me to Chapter 32, verses 16-18.  As I thought about how building sheepfolds and fortified cities, going to battle, and possessing inheritances had anything to do with me I noticed a couple of things.
First, there was still a fear of the inhabitants of the land, but in their willingness to go into battle to take possession of the promised land perhaps there was also more trust and faith in God to do what He had promised.  I totally understand the desire to provide a safe place, I like my safe place.  In praying this year to become the woman God intends me to be I also want to be willing to leave my safe place and venture wherever He leads.  This is so totally against my nature; I could be a very happy hermit.

Secondly, while the sons of Reuben and Gad were being given what they desired, they were still a part of the larger community.  There was still a responsibility to see that the other tribes of Israel received their promised inheritance.  Sitting here in my comfy chair, safe and secure in the knowledge that I have eternal life though Christ my Savior, I am convinced that I have much to do in sharing that precious gift with others.  Knowing that God does not desire for any to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) indicates to me that I need to make sure this goal encompasses everyone I meet.  Yet I see in it too a responsibility to other believers, like the ones I worship with every Sunday.  A call to lift them up in prayer, to encourage them in their own journeys, to seek their good and be a positive influence.  I am feeling more and more called out of my safe, comfy place, to go out in the world.  Already I am starting to think that becoming the woman God wants me to be is going to present personal challenges that will work to deepen my own faith and trust in the One who has saved me and calls me His own.

Grace, Peace, and Mercy,

Deb

On Becoming What I Am Meant to Be

We had a wonderfully refreshing week with family in the Dallas area last week.  Now it is back to semi-normal around home except for the fact that the university does not start back until January 17th.  So I either need to resort to getting up in the wee hours for my quiet time or retreating to a quiet place somewhere away from distractions while my fellas are up.  With all of our late nights for the last several days the wee hours did not work for me this morning- even with the best of intentions.  I sympathize with you moms out there trying to fit in a quiet time with children about the house.  I remember well how hard it was to get up while it was still dark in order to finish my quiet time before the boys got up and our home school day got underway.  I can be much lazier now; so this vacation thing is really messing with my peaceful attitude.  (Funny how, when I sit down to write, these things come to mind and I see I have a matter of the heart that needs some prayer.)

I am back in Numbers this morning for my Old Testament reading.  The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad have come to Moses to seek his permission to settle on the side of the Jordan river that they currently occupy rather than crossing into the promised land and taking possession of it.  Moses responds, "Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?  Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them?  This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land." (Numbers 32:6-8, NASB)

My initial observations were that these men were simply identifying a good spot to settle down with their flocks and families.  What's the big deal which side of the Jordan river it happens to be?  Yet Moses' response to them makes it clear it is a big deal.  In fact it is no different than that huge turning point in Israel's life when the men came back from spying out the promised land with their reports of giants in the land and as a result were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  I do not know whether these men feared what lay ahead or just really liked what they saw and desired to go no further.  Either way, their decision would impact the whole nation, bringing discouragement and perhaps disobedience to once again refuse to go where God was leading.

As I look ahead to this new year of 2012 I was challenged by our pastor yesterday to become what God wants me to be.  His sermon was based on Philippians 3:12-14 and verse 13 really hit me:  "This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind me, and straining forward to what lies ahead."  I have to ask myself: will I cross my Jordan river this year or settle for what lies on this side of it?  Will I strain to move ahead towards becoming the woman God wants me to be or will I stay put in my comfy place?

The Psalmist asked of me today in my daily reading "Why do people waste time with futile plans?" (Psalm 2:1b, NLT) and in Proverbs I was reminded that the "Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.  Only fools despise wisdom and discipline."  All are pointing me to the one thing I want to do this year and what it takes to accomplish that goal.  So I am once again committing to read through the Bible this year and to make prayer a priority.  Without those two things I am woefully bereft of those things which will allow me to become more of what God wants me to be.  It is part of the straining forward process as I too, like Paul before me, "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 3:14, NASB)


Grace, Peace, and Mercy,

Deb

Now That's Grace

Today I move to the section in Numbers where Moses pleads with the LORD to forgive His people.  The LORD has just told Moses He is going to dispossess this people who refuse to believe in Him, and Moses begins to pray.  The whole context is that the LORD should forgive them not because of who they are; not because of anything they have done, but because of who He is:  slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression.  Moses then prays, "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You have also forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."  GRACE.  I sit here with great hope and joy in my heart because of grace- and it continually amazes me.

Grace, Peace, and Mercy,

Deb

 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

Have No Fear

Have no fear.  That is so much easier to say than to live out.  I am by nature a very fearful person; not to be confused with a person to fear.  All of my life I have struggled with issues related to shyness, fear of all sorts of things being very much a part of that.  Today I am very convicted about how those fears have interfered with my obedience to the Lord.

This morning I read the section in Numbers where Caleb and Joshua have their say with the people of Israel  (Numbers 14:6-9),  "Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land....the LORD is with us, do not fear them." (verse 9, in part)

I have come a long way from the young girl who would become physically ill at the mere thought of being called on by her teachers.  I have such a fear of failure, of looking foolish, that it has at times crippled me as a servant of the King.  What comes so easily in writing is a struggle if I have to actually talk to someone.  In comparison to the men of Israel my fears seem so silly.  I am not going into battle with mighty men of great stature.  The giants I face are in my mind.  But for me they are huge, and each day I trust in the Lord and go out to face those giants is a great victory.  Sometimes it comes in the form of speaking up at Bible study instead of whispering my thoughts to my husband and hoping he does it for me, or worse yet, remaining quiet when I feel the Spirit prodding me.  Sometimes it comes in the form of agreeing to be a part of ministries that mean I need to meet new people and engage them in conversation.  Sometimes it even means getting up in front of people and speaking to a crowd.  Mainly it means that my love for the Lord is greater than my love for myself; that I am willing to face my fears because I do not want to let Him down.

Looking back over my life I can see how the Lord has been at work all this time slaying those giants I fear and has been helping me not to succumb to those fears as often as I used to.  My knees still knock and my stomach still churns at times; so I cling to verses like the one in my reading today, "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety." (Proverbs 29:25, NLT)  I do not know what giants you face each day, but I pray we both find strength in the Lord to "fear not."

Grace and Peace,

Deb





 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

Surprised by Joy

Why am I surprised when God does amazing things?  A family at church has been in a battle with cancer since their young son was diagnosed with a brain tumor a year ago.  Friday they were back for surgery to remove a second tumor.  Prayer warriors all over the world are praying for this family.  Yet when Rex's mom posted that her son was being discharged from the hospital on Sunday; when his dad wrote about the doctor seeing Rex walking the halls Sunday morning, experiencing absolutely no complications from brain surgery that had taken place less than 48 hours previously; my reaction was, "WOW!"  I was surprised.  And I was immediately convicted.  Hadn't I been praying all week for God to do a mighty work?  Surprised by Joy could be the title of a book about my life too.

As I read Numbers 13:26-28, 31 I was reminded once again to trust the Lord to do amazing things.  A group of men returns to Moses and the rest of the people of Israel with their report on the Promised Land.  Yes, everything about it is awesome.  They even bring back some of its produce to prove what a great land it is.  But there is this problem that leaves them terrified.  Giants in the land.  "We are not able to go up against this people, for they are too strong for us," they report.  I do not have very many brave bones in my body.  There are things out there that terrify me.  I am not able to go up against them.  They are too strong for me.  All true statements.  Equally true:  God is bigger and stronger than any of them.

I have got to remember Whose I am.

I came to Revelation 3 in the rest of my daily Bible reading. To the church in Philadelphia He says, "This is the message from the One who is holy and true, the One who has the key of David.  What He opens, no one can close; and what He closes, no one can open.  I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close.  You have little strength, yet you obeyed My word and did not deny Me. (Rev. 3:7-8, NLT- emphasis mine)

The Lord knows how weak I am.  It does not matter.  What matters is my obedience, and I believe that part of obedience is trusting Him because He has said He is trustworthy.  My life is in His hands.  Whatever terrors are out there for me; my God is bigger.  Sometimes He opens a door, I take a peak, see that everything looks beautiful, and walzt right through it.  Sometimes when I take a peak it does not look so inviting and I hesitate to enter; sometimes I have a choice to back away, while other times I am thrust through kicking and screaming.  My prayer this morning is that I will not be afraid to go through any door that God opens, trusting Him with my life, knowing that He is able to handle anything that is beyond that open door.  And maybe someday I will not be surprised by joy, but totally expectant because of Whose I am.


Grace and Peace,

Deb



 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

                         Linking today with Shanda at A Pause on the Path for:

Wherever He leads

My kitchen is a disaster this morning.  I spent the afternoon baking several dozen sugar cookies to be decorated at a Christmas party the science club at HSU is hosting this afternoon.  Then our kids all descended about 9pm with the makings for gingerbread houses so we sat around the table and had a great time together.  It became clear that some of us have a little more patience and artistic talent than others.

My beloved husband Ken, perhaps this is not his talent.

That's better.

Our two sons: Jeff and Matthew

Jeff and his sweet lady, Samantha

Hmmmm, I don't know where the boys get it from?

 Having my family around makes me feel content.  When I read the final section of Numbers this week I began to think about contentment.  Numbers 9:15-19 speaks about the cloud that covered the tabernacle by day and the appearance of fire by night.  Whenever the cloud lifted the whole congregation of Israel would set out until they reached the place where the cloud settled down again.  There the people would remain until the Lord directed them to move on, whether it be for a few days, a month, or a year. (from verse 22 further in the chapter.)
I don't have the benefit of a cloud guiding me to where I am to "camp."  But God has clearly led me to several different locations over the years.  I am such an Oregon girl.  Never dreaming that one day the Lord would lead me away.  My husband is a bit of a wanderer and by his side I have learned a lot about being content wherever I am.  I confess, though, I have a lot of learning yet to do.  I was content when we moved to eastern Washington for grad school, it was still close to "home."  I was a bit of a grumbler when we moved to Michigan for his first teaching assignment.  There was absolutely nothing familiar, and I was sooooo far from home.  Over the years of our stay there I grew more content and it began to feel like home.    But another move loomed on the horizon.  This time to Colorado.  Can you imagine someone dragging their feet about the opportunity to live in that beautiful state?  I remember how my heart sank when we pulled in to Grand Junction.  This was not the Colorado of my dreams, but high desert.  Where were the forests?!  Eventually I fell in love with our new setting, but again there was a lot of grumbling along the way.
I can't believe it has now been just over six years since we made our move to Texas.  This was the hardest for me.  The nearest forests are a day's drive.  My extended family is now further away.  It's brutally hot in the summer, which can begin sometime in the spring.  This is NOT the place for me.
Oh, but it is.  This is exactly where the Lord wants me.  Once again I am learning to be content, and I can even honestly say I love being here now, well, most of the time.  But it is not the place, the trees, the climate that make me content. It has always been about the people.  Wherever I have gone I have fallen in love with the people.  And folks, the people in Texas are the cream of the crop.  I love how they "love on you."
What is becoming clear to me is that it is not in things or places that I find contentment.  The way I feel when my kids and husband are around, that total contentment that comes with being surrounded by them; my heart needs relationships.  The one relationship that should make my heart completely content is the one I have with the Lord.  It should not matter to me where He moves us on this planet.  It should not matter how long He causes us to linger here.  Lately I have been dreaming of Oregon again.  Longing to be back where so many of my favorite places are.  It's the time of year.  I miss the big family celebrations.  I miss my family, as cancer and Alzheimer's have taken their toll.  It makes it hard to be content.  I think that is why this section of Numbers, that really has nothing to do with contentment, speaks to me as it does.  The Lord is reminding me of Whose I am.  He is reminding me that His plan for me is perfect.  He is reminding me to rest in Him and be content. He knows my heart and He's got this too.

Woofie congratulating Matthew on a job well done.

Ta Da!

Grace and Peace,

Deb

God Will Make A Way

 I enjoyed the final morning of my winter wonderland yesterday.  When I got back from my afternoon commitments the snow was gone except for the north side of the house.

The view from my front porch

Yesterday my study of the book of Numbers took me to verses 9-11a of chapter 9.  Looking over my notebook this morning I want to share that these verses spoke to me about the character of God.  He is the God who hears us.  When we come to Him with our questions He has the answers we need.  I have been guilty of sometimes seeing God as unmovable, legalistic in nature.  But here were men who honestly wanted to obey and worship but they could not with the current prescribed code.  God heard the pleas of their hearts through Moses and He answered and made a way for them to worship that did not lessen what He required of them, but gave them the opportunity they needed to follow in obedience.  It made me think of that verse in 2 Peter 3:9, which basically says the Lord does not desire that any should perish but all come to repentance.  God will make a way where there seems to be no way.  He did it then and He continues to do it today.

The Light of the World came to pour out His Blood, giving us new life, and making us whiter than snow.   I am reminded of each as I look at the photo I took this week after decorating our fence- the lights (the Light), the red ribbons (His blood), the greenery  (new life), the snow...


God made a way the night of Jesus birth!




Grace and Peace,

Deb



 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

Wait and Listen to the Lord

Brown Thrasher puffed up in the cold

Spotted Towhee-
I just happened to look
out the window at the right time

This morning I am distracted by all the birds coming to feast on this cold morning outside my window.  Especially distracting since two of them were newcomers.  One stuck around for quite a while while the other hardly gave me a chance to snap a hasty photo.

Oddly, it made me think about my Bible reading for today.  In the next four verses from Numbers chapter 9 the people have observed the Passover as the LORD commanded.  However there was a group that came to Moses who were unclean because of a death and were unable to observe Passover on that day and they wanted to know why they were restrained from making an offering to the Lord on the appointed day.  Moses told them to wait while he listened to what the LORD would command concerning them.  (Now I have not gotten to the answer yet in my reading, though I have read this passage many times before and know what is coming, but I am trying to approach it fresh.)  I was struck by Moses' response.  He did not dismiss them or ignore their desire to please the Lord even though outside of what had been prescribed.  He went and sought the Lord's will on the matter.  It strikes me because Moses did not limit God to what he already understood.  It strikes me because Moses recognized that the Lord just might make some room for people who do not fit in with the rest- who couldn't meet the standard of cleanliness prescribed by God.  It strikes me because Moses was willing to wait and listen to what God had to say on the matter.
It made me wonder if we sometimes chase people away because we are not very good at accepting those who do not fit into our mold- those who have a desire to worship and serve but want to go about it a slightly different way.  Do we respond like Moses to them, seeking the Lord's direction even if it might fly in the face of our conventions?  Are we willing to make changes to meet the needs of others?
Oh, that last question has much more personal application for me.  I have my way of doing things.  I have my preferred schedule for what my day looks like.  Am I willing to make room for people who need the Lord but mess up my day?
Like those birds, sometimes what I have to offer leads people to stay and sometimes I cannot meet the needs and they need to go elsewhere.  But may they never leave because I refuse to consider that the Lord might have something new for me to see.  Perhaps they have come my way because I need a fresh perspective.

Goldfinch-very bold fella that allows me to get close to the window

Plenty of Goldfinches in the winter here

Love getting winter shots of Cardinals

Chickadee- comes mainly for the sunflower seed and flits in and out,
not one to linger long for a photo.

House Finch

Blue Jay- kind of shy and only comes close when the pear tree is no longer producing.

Another Goldfinch

Surprised that a Mockingbird is hanging around
- seems to like the lantana that has gone to seed under my window

Junco- always visits whenever the snow flies

Grace and Peace,

Deb



 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

It Helps to Have Friends on This Journey

Today did not get started like every other day.  I think I am one of the few people in Texas who has been asking the Lord to send snow.  This morning our world was blanketed in white.

 I was out with my camera as soon as the sun started to come up and was reluctant to come in and get to my quiet time.  So I posted my photos on Facebook and joined in a few conversations there.   One of my friends has decided to seek out others who would be like-minded in doing a Couch to 5k training plan, and after some thought I decided I was ready to join in.  I started this process last year but did not make my goal so I am hoping that with the encouragement and accountability of friends this time around will be a success.

That is one of my goals with my blogging.  That through my commitment to share with you what I am getting out of my quiet times you will in turn be encouraged to spend time with the Lord, and maybe in the process we will be able to encourage one another and have some accountability.

This week my study takes me to Numbers chapter 9.  In the first four verses this morning my observations were that Moses received a word from the LORD about observing Passover and in turn shared that word with the people of Israel.  I took it as an encouragement that what the Lord reveals to my heart as I spend time with Him in the Scriptures I should in turn share with others.  He may even be encouraging me to see it as my responsibility, but that takes it to a level I am not comfortable with just yet.

Having finished my quiet time and taken care of some other Monday responsibilities I cleaned up the clutter that was in the way and opened up my treadmill to get started on the training program.  Stepping on  my eyes were drawn out the window to the icicles now forming and I quickly jumped off, grabbed my camera and headed out again.  After a few more photos to capture the day I returned and completed Day 1 on my treadmill.  Whew! and WooHoo!  

I think my legs might do some talking to me tomorrow but it felt good to add some physical activity back into my day.   I hope that you too will be encouraged to flex your spiritual as well as physical muscles today.  Let me know how it goes.

And now I am heading back out to enjoy the snow as my two German Shepherds have had enough of this sitting inside on a day like today.  I think they were even more excited than I was this morning.

Grace and Peace,

Deb



 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

Starting Over

This morning I sat staring at the Scriptures I had copied down.  "What can I possibly get out of that?" I silently prayed.  That still small voice that continues to encourage and guide simply said, "Start with your observations."  Have I told you how much I love this SOAP method of looking at the Word?  I just have to share again with you what I wrote in my notebook.

Scripture-But if a man dies very suddenly beside him (I am reading the section about those who take a Nazirite vow.) and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall save it on the seventh day.
     Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting.
     The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him concerning his sin because of the dead person.  And that same day he shall consecrate his head.
     And shall dedicate to the LORD his days as a Nazirite, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former days will be void because his separation has been defiled. -Numbers 6:9-12, NASB

(Do you see my dilemma?! So I dutifully move on to Observation.)

Observation-Atonement needs to be made for sin, for guilt, even when it was not intentional.  While sin interrupts the vow and he/she has to start over, it does not negate ones ability to be dedicated to the LORD.

(Wow!  I am truly excited now!  Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!)

Application- When I sin I must "Pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again."  Also need to watch my attitude with others; free them to start over with me too- with a clean slate.

(I am just amazed that God has been able to teach me, to grow me, with these particular Scriptures.  I can get so bogged down in my walk when I am wallowing in the sins of my past.  Jesus did it all on the cross, I need to cling to that and not to past mistakes.
And boy, I can be so slow to forgive others.  My conscience is pricked over how I treat people around me. I am one to say that I forgive- but I won't forget.  Funny, I cannot seem to find that verse anywhere in my Bible.  And so I move on to the final step in this process.)

Prayer- Father God, how can I ever put into words how grateful I am for the way that you love me?  Thank You for continuing to teach me, for encouraging me to take time to consider what You have to say and for Your Spirit at work to guide my thoughts.  Thank You for being the God who redeems, who forgives, whose love has no limits.  Father I pray that you will work in me to share this precious gift with others by being one who forgives and loves without limits.  Oh how I love You, Lord.
   

Grace and Peace,
Deb

 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.

                            Linking up with Angela at Good Morning Girls today

A Different Focus This Advent

It's day two in the book of Numbers and, as I told a friend last night, I was not expecting much.  Once again I doubted that God could continue to speak through this book.  I can be such a slow learner sometimes.

This morning my focus was on Numbers 6:5-8 and a recurring phrase caught my attention "all the days of his (or her) separation to the LORD."  It led my thoughts in directions about how I am to be separated from sin, from "the world."  One verse in particular stood out, "He shall be holy until all the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD."  My question is what does it mean to be holy.  I have always heard it was "set apart," but after a little research I do not think that does it justice.  I came away with a couple of understandings: one being the idea of wholeness and used to mean uninjured, sound, healthy, entire, complete; and the other conveys the idea of separation, a life not influenced by the world in which one lives.  So in putting the two ideas together I come up with: being holy to the Lord means being whole and being a part of but not influenced by the ways of the world.  For now I stuck in this mortal body with it's fleshly desires, I am a part of the world, but I am not to be influenced by these things.  To be whole in this life I need to let Jesus set my course, listen closely to what God has to say in His word and live a life of obedience to Him.

Another part of that verse that struck me was "until all the days are fulfilled."  This led me down the path of thinking about Advent.  Everywhere we look there are preparations for Christmas going on.  Do I get caught up in all the shopping?  Do I need my house to look like Better Homes and Garden?  Is that what Advent is all about?  Or is it a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus.  Not just the baby born in the manger, but His promised return to earth.  This year I am determined to set my sights not on what lies behind but on what lies ahead.  This Advent I am going to remind myself daily that what I am waiting for is Christ's return, not those presents under the tree.


Grace and Peace,

Deb

 I would love to hear about your own journeys. Feel free to share what God is teaching you, as well as your thoughts on my musings. May we grow in wisdom and understanding together.


                                 Linking today with Shanda at A Pause on the Path for:

What Kind of Offering Can I Bring?

Christmas.  It reminds me that God sent His Son because of His great love for us.  It reminds me that the story isn't over yet; Jesus will return one day; and oh, what a day that will be!
I came to the end of my readings in Numbers for this week.  These verses wrap up with what a person must do once their time of separation has ended, and this one caught my attention, "He shall present his offering to the LORD."  It started me thinking about that wonderful day when I will meet my Savior face to face, whether it be  at His triumphant return or the day He calls me home.  Do I come to Him with an offering?  And if so, what kind?  It won't be anything I carry with me, not like the Nazirite offering of lambs and rams and unleavened cakes.  
My first thought was a life marked by the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then I remembered Samuel's words, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." (I Samuel 15:22, NASB) I can offer Him my obedience.

That thought was reinforced when I read my New Testament Scriptures for today from 1 John 2:1-17 which says in part: How can we be sure we belong to God?  By obeying His commands.  Those who obey God's word really do love Him.  Those who say they live for God should live their loves the way Christ did.  Stop loving the world and all that it offers, for the world offers only lust for physical pleasure, the lust of everything you see, and pride in our possessions.  They are not from the Father.  This world is fading away, along with everything it craves.  But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.

What do you think?  Should we come with an offering to the Lord when the fulfillment of our time of separation comes?  And what does that offering look like?  I would love to hear your thoughts.



Grace and Peace,

Deb

Life on the Edge?!

We start a new study in our Sunday School class this week.  I had decided when I started writing my blog again that I would take whatever we were studying in class to use for my daily SOAP time.  I was so excited when I saw what we were studying!  Numbers, Deuteronomy: Life on the Edge.  Okay, that was not really my reaction.  It was more like, "Are you kidding me?!!"  I really wanted to jump into another part of Scripture this morning.  I read the passage for this week's lesson: Numbers 6:1-15.  BORING...I have no plans to take a Nazirite vow and I am definitely not giving up grapes or even vinegar.  Love my white balsamic on a salad.

But the title of the lesson kept drawing me back as I prayed about where to go in the Scriptures for my morning quiet times, Stay True to Your Commitments; Take Your Commitments Seriously.  Those ideas really resonated with me this morning.  As I have picked up writing again I am giving a lot of thought about what I want this blog to be, what I want to be as a writer and the things I want to avoid.  This blog is my commitment to follow the prodding of the Holy Spirit to get back to writing about my daily walk.  I want to take that seriously.  I desire to stay true to my commitment to the Lord in this venture.  Soooo maybe I should give this study a try with the SOAP method this morning and see how it goes.  Maybe the Lord can even speak to me through the book of Numbers.

S-Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
    "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD,
    he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh or dried grapes.
    All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, the seeds even to the skin.  -Numbers 6:1-4 (NASB)

O- The LORD is instructing Moses.
   - This instruction applies to both men and women- women too can dedicate themselves to the LORD.

A-In dedicating myself to the LORD there are things I need to abstain from-not necessarily grape related, but  hmmm, this kind of follows the ideas from the last couple of weeks in Romans about not doing things that would hurt fellow believers.  I think there are also things that I should be aware of in what I watch, read, and listen to.  What things do I take part in as a woman dedicated to the Lord that I should abstain from?  There are some obvious lists that come to mind in the New Testament books.

P-Father God, forgive me for thinking that You could not possibly speak to me through Numbers. Instruct me as I read through this book, show me how to apply it's truths.  And Father, give me wisdom to discern which things I should abstain from; those things that would make my walk here on earth harder and the strength to follow through on what You reveal.