Arming Ourselves with the Word

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living. Psalm 27: 13

At this moment in time there are so many scary, frightening, terrifying, troublesome things happening in our society and the world at large, that people like me who are naturally negative/pessimistic can't help to struggle keeping an attitude of hope alive. I try to take precautions to avoid falling in the sink hole of hopelessness...like for instance, I avoid the news like an airborne virus...but regardless, the world finds a way to filter into my mind and my hope begins to shake.

This is why it is not enough to just try to insulate oneself from the world...if we are not getting our daily dose of the Word of God, our defenses don't hold.  The Word is the Sword (Ephesians 6: 17).  And without the Sword, we cannot counter attack...without the Word we can't fight back.  Therefore, it is verses like Psalm 27: 13 what we need to have stored into our hearts and souls in order to charge against the enemy when he launches attacks on our hope...because the only way to keep our hope alive is by carrying Him who IS Hope, inside of us...ready to strike.

Believe it or not, we are at war. So, we better take time to gather the tools and weapons we need to not get crushed in the battles ahead.  The Word of God is our arsenal, so let's not waste time and make sure we have it in us.  That's the way to remain confident that we will see the goodness of the Lord not just in heaven, but also in the land of the living.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, Who Is The Word!  Amen!

No Lies

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

 for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations. Psalm 27: 12

I've always told my kids to be the kind of person whose word is solid.  "Be the one that when people ask: 'who said that?' and someone says, 'Dylan' or 'Grant' they go like...'ok, if Dylan/Grant said it...it must be true.'"  They still lie to me to my face, though.  I do have to say, it is very difficult for Dylan to lie to me.  He can't keep a straight face.  Grant, on the other hand...boy...that kids lies...ugh.  He said it's not that he is lying...he is trying to protect me because he knows I can't handle the truth...sigh...yep.  

Regardless, I continue to preach.  I want them to understand the importance of honesty.  I want them to adhere to the "Thou Shall Not Lie" Rule.  I especially don't want them to spout malicious accusations against anyone...no malicious lies against those they don't like so they can cause hurt.  I sure hope they never get into that.  I hope I don't get into that either.  I always worry about others doing that to me...but, I want to never fall in the trap of doing that to anyone just because my pride is hurt or I'm not a fan.

I pray the Lord does not "turn me over to the desire of my foes..." but that He doesn't turn me over to my own sinful ways either.  I pray the lessons about honesty I've been trying to instill into my sons also permeate my own soul.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, The One Who Is Truth! Amen!

Teach Us Your Way

Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors. Psalm 27: 11

There's a time during summer break when I begin stressing out about the mountains of work I've ignored since the end of the previous academic year...that's the time when I realize I have procrastinated long enough and I have no wiggle room left so I better get my head back in gear so I can organize my classes for the new year...well...that time has arrived.  UGH...sigh...roll eyes...

The "things-to-do-over-summer-FOR-WORK" list that began as a thin outline back in early May is now fully fleshed out...and I'm beginning to fret.

The most important things in that highly cryptic and borderline schizophrenic list are the lessons I need to teach.  I have to go over each of the courses I'm teaching in the fall and spend time designing the outcomes I want my students to achieve by the end of the semester in each of them...and then...I have to figure out fun/intelligent/entertaining/engaging/impactful/differentiated/non-boring ways to teach them...sigh... I'm exhausted just contemplating the task.

Thinking about all these, and now looking at verse 11 in Psalm 27 I'm reminded that one of the names of Our Lord is "Teacher." Oh, how I love that Name! If there was ever a most glorious role model for how to be a good teacher, that was Jesus, no contest.  He sure knew how to design a most effective lesson plan, that's for sure!  And His delivery methods...WOW!  He knew how to command an audience!  I doubt anyone would ever fall asleep, stare out the windows, zone out or aimlessly scroll down their social media on their phone while He was teaching...

Jesus not only taught...but once they heard Him, people wanted to be taught!!  They followed Him and clamored for more! I cannot even jokingly fantasize about it:  "Please, pretty please...teach us more!!" HA! Yeah...that'll happen...NEVER!  But with Jesus, we feel the urgency of the message, and we want Him to teach us!  He need to hear from Him to know which way to go, because He IS The Way! Without Him, we are utterly lost...no hope of ever finding that straight path.  

It's peculiar to me how the verse ends kind of openly...it almost feels as if it is left hanging...lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors... I almost want to say, "because of my oppressors, what?? What is it?"  But we know, don't we?  It goes without saying that without Him as The Way, the road leads straight to death.

As a teacher, I know I will never be even a pale, very distant and faint reflection of what Jesus is...but as a teacher I also know that one of our main jobs is our willingness to be constantly learning...so I pray the Lord teaches me and all educators, His Way as we walk with Him Who Is The Way, so we can find the straight path in this world of confusion, conflict and uncertainty.  May the Divine and Most Perfect Teacher who ever walked this earth guide us and lead us as we try to find our way on these rocky and muddied roadways. And may He also inspire me to start working already! In the Precious Name of Jesus.  Amen!

  

Fear of Abandonment

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Psalm 27: 10

Dylan is a pretty strong, young man.  He is solid as a rock.  I tell you, the weight lifting equipment he made me "invest" in is paying off.  But, inside that tough façade, he is mush. We tease him because he's afraid of tiny bugs...I mean, who isn't, right? But one thing that is no joke with my son is this one thing he is terrified of: abandonment. There is a deep-seated, primal dread in his psyche of being rejected...forsaken.  Though this angst works mostly at the subconscious level and he doesn't quite understand it...he feels it.  And it rattles him every time it surfaces. It is this feeling what makes him specially sensitive to stories of neglect.  So, when he came home after spending time at a Christian concert-camping adventure, he related to me some of the accounts he heard from the morning talks he attended and from some other more personal sources.  He was really taken by the horrific tales he heard and I could see the fear emerging.  At the end of his narrations, he said:  "but you love me, right?"

In my deeply rooted inadequacy as a mother, I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me in this rockiest of paths, the path of parenthood...and He blessed me by moving me to do what my son needed at that moment of extreme vulnerability: give him a big hug and quietly reassure him that of course I love him. 

My love for my son goes beyond what I can express and demonstrate to him.  But it doesn't matter as long as he remembers that there is a greater love...a love we don't deserve, but that is given nonetheless

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5: 8

A love that remains even when everyone else has left us...forsaken us...a love that endures even when we are not worthy ... because, like Paul says in Romans 8: 35-39...

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dylan kept telling me all about his experiences at the concert/camping trip he'd just returned from...as I listened, I kept thinking how much I love this kid and how grateful I am God decided to lend him to me for these years...I am so not worthy of such a gift...but that is the mystery of God's love, that even when we are so insignificant that even our own fathers and mothers might forsaken us...the Lord receives us...

Thank you, Lord Jesus for never abandoning us and for having such profound love for us that we don't have to fear because nothing could ever separate us from You.  In Your Precious Name.  Amen!

He Is Mighty to Save!

Do not hide your face from me, 

 do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior. Psalm 27: 9

Teenagers are experts at being sassy.  The word sassy could have an endearing connotation, however...and in my opinion, some of the adolescents that I've come in contact with...in my house...without going into much details as to whom I am talking about...are beyond the implied cuteness of "sassy," and border the territory where "insolent" and "impertinent" reside.  Needless to say, when the level of rudeness and lack of respect rises in my beloved teen...the last thing I want is to be in his presence.  I know it's harsh, but, I have been known to say phrases like: "get out of my face!!" (double or triple exclamation mark) every so often...once in a while...yeah...bad Mom-move...

At any rate, in those moments of unacceptable behavior, I don't want to be in the presence of my child, lest I do something I will regret later...like using whatever I may have in my hand at the moment, as a projectile aimed to his (THICK) head!!

...breathe...in...out...in...out...again...calm down.

I'm OK, now...I'm OK...and so is he...in case you were wondering!

My point is, as parents, sometimes we need time to cool off after our kids have done something that seems incorrigible and completely out of line.  We need time away.  I think parents invented "time-out" not just for the kids but for ourselves as well.  It comes a time when we all need "time-out" from each other in order to regroup and patch up the relationship.  Since that's our experience as parents and as children, that's the model we use to imagine our relationship with our Heavenly Father too.  We think of ourselves as the rebellious teenager who knows has done something wrong and needs punishment...and we think of God as the parent who wants to put us on a time-out...out of His face...far far away, out of his reach to avoid hurting us inadvertently.  

The thing is, well, first, we could and would never be out of God's reach.  It's impossible!  We will always be within the scope of His outstretched arm. And, most importantly, Our Heavenly Father is not a human parent...Jesus Himself reminds us in Luke 11: 13

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

However, there are moments when we can't help but feel completely unworthy.  How often have we implored Our Lord the words in Psalm 27: 9? How many times have we felt like we don't deserve to be in His presence? How frequently have we feared our guilt is too deep to deserve to see His face?  

He will not reject us, or forsake us, or send us away in anger, though.  He doesn't need to cool off.  In those moments when we feel like we are that unruly, sassy, insolent, imprudent adolescent whose sin seems unforgivable, we must remember, He is the One who "did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all..."  so "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (Romans 8:32, John 3: 16)

He is nothing like our human parents.  His love knows no measure.  His grace covers us.  His patience is limitless.  His Son saves us and forgives us again and again and again.

May the Holy Spirit remind us when we are feeling lowly, that

The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Amen!

Distractions

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Psalm 27: 8

Do you feel distracted often? I do. 

I find it so easily to get distracted, it's not even funny anymore.  Social Media alone is responsible for a great deal of it (at least in my case).  We are so bombarded with stimuli that it becomes harder and harder to lift one's head up from the phone.  And even though it affects younger people at a higher scale, it is not just kids...I'm guilty of it myself.  I can spend so much time scrolling through media that when I finally put the phone down, a good part of the day is gone without me having done anything productive.  Quiet time with the Lord? I'm ashamed to say, I have to be very intentional about it, and almost schedule it in my calendar...otherwise, weeks would go by without me setting aside time in prayer.

Verse 8 in Psalm 27 says how the calling to seek His face is one that comes from the heart...and as such...our response is simple: yes..."Your face, Lord, I will seek."  But, do I?  Do I make it a priority to seek His face?

I've lived in this world for over 50 years...how many of those have I used to seek His face?  How much of a priority has seeking Him been in my life?

I don't even want to go there.

However, it is time I do.  It is time I open my eyes to the reality that it is imperative that I set aside the lesser things, and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...Matthew 6: 33a

How do I do that?  Well...

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 13

"With all my heart..."  that's the key.  When my heart finally learns how to completely surrender to Jesus, then, I will empty it out of all the distractions and fill it up with the urgent desire to seek Him first.  It is hard to do that with the world pulling us from every side...reeling us in...but it is possible through discipline and intentionality.  It is a conscious decision.  It is a decision born out of the necessity to do the only thing that will bring us fulfillment: to follow Him...to know Him...to feel His presence...to dive in His peace...to experience His love.  

Nothing this world has to offer will bring our hearts and souls the satisfaction and contentment that seeking Him first offers...so why not?  There's still time to turn things around and change our priorities, being more present and less distracted.  Maybe it can be something as simple as following Christian influencers who post Biblical messages which may switch us from mindless scrolling, to purposeful guidance into paths that lead to a Christ-centered experience in social media?  Maybe? I don't know...but let's fill our feeds with the Word of God and see what happens?  It's worth the shot...I mean, we know social media is not going to go away.  We know we are going to continue to use it (at least I will).  We may as well use it for good, don't you think?

May the Holy Spirit show us the way to Christ through all the distractions.  May we hear the voice of the Shepherd in a society so full of noise.  May His hand reach us and pull us to where we can finally see His face.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, whom I want to seek first.  Amen!

Amazon Prayers?

Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. Psalm 27: 7

Does God really hear us when we pray?

That's the question, isn't it?

Yesterday at church, visiting Pastor, Gordon Jardy talked to our congregation about a series of instances in which he fervently prayed and the outcomes were not what he had so passionately prayed for...and how that could be crushing if we are looking at prayer from misleading perspective.  I call it, the "Amazon Prayer" perspective.  This is when we present our petition/request to God and expect to get exactly what we asked for in a very timely manner -like when we go to Amazon, place our order, pay for it and in two days we expect to receive it in a neatly wrapped package.    

They say, God is not a genie, right?  Well, He is not Amazon either.

As I listened to Pastor Jardy and an audio podcast from a Panamanian priest from my hometown who also addressed this issue, the Holy Spirit is revealing in me the fact that the miracle, the gift, the real answer to our every prayer is prayer itself!  The fact that we can communicate with the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Ruler of the Universe, is the answer to our prayer.  The real miracle is that Jesus opened the path of direct communication with Our Heavenly Father by His birth, life, death and resurrection...and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us.  The gift is His saving grace.  The answer is His constant love and His presence.

What about me? What about my pain? What about my needs? What about my hurt? What about my brokenness? What about my healing? What about my suffering? Why can't You take it away, God?

He certainly can...if it is in His plan.  And that is the toughest thing to accept, isn't it?  To trust that an All-powerful and Almighty and Loving God chooses to answer our prayers and petitions differently from what we wanted, is a hard pill to swallow.  But that's the test.  That is the test of our faith.  That's what reveals what we are made of.  That's what allows our complete dependence and reliance on Him to flourish.  That is how He becomes Our Lord of All.

As we realize this truth, we continue to pray.  We continue to pray He hears us.  We continue to pray He answers us in a way we can understand.  And we continue to trust Him, His Love, His Mercy, His Provision, His All-Sustaining Power and His Perfect Will.  In the Precious Name of Our Lord, Jesus the Christ.  Amen

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5: 14