Occupation

    

   Many of you know well of the time when Daniel prayed fervently for his people near the end of their exile to Babylon* (Daniel 10). Nothing seemed to be happening in response to his prayers and fasting, until finally Gabriel appeared before him and told him how God had responded immediately to Daniel’s prayers before he had even finished speaking, but demonic intervention had waylaid his arrival. 

   This morning as I was rereading this section of Daniel, I heard God promoting me to stop and see something new. In this passage. The word occupation came strongly to mind. Gabriel was kept occupied by the enemy so he couldn’t get to Daniel. Holy Spirit pointed out to me that the enemy of our souls does the same thing today in our minds and in our lives. If he can keep us otherwise occupied and distracted from connecting with Him, we won’t hear His messages of direction and encouragement or receive the strengthening He is sending us. 

   It isn’t that He hasn’t immediately responded to our prayers. His help has gone forth, but we haven’t put ourselves in battle position to receive it. Yes, thankfully we have angels to help us, but we must do battle, also, in order to receive what the Father wants us to have.

   Sometimes this means, in addition to intercession, the putting aside of various activities, entertainment, all-consuming worry, self-pity, lack of trust, or the demand to understand….to have answers to the ‘whys’. Occupation can take so many forms. The Lord wants us aware that these can all be ‘spiritual battles in the heavenlies’. We must treat them as such and fight accordingly, knowing that He is on our side. He doesn’t want us to be passive victims of attacks masquerading as busyness, soundbites, escapism, or simple distractions. Our very lifeblood, our very breath come from our connection with and trust in The Lover of our Souls. 

   He has also given us authority to fight powerfully, to fight effectively, and to win. To stand up, to decree, to declare what His Word says. Yes! But also to be still and commune with Him. To speak to Him of our abiding trust and love, and even more, to listen. I know this word just now was for me, but I share it because it may well speak to you, also.

   Yes, “the battle belongs to Him,” but it also belongs to us. Let’s ponder our part and not find ourselves passive victims by being ‘otherwise occupied’.  Let’s make it our first priority to be occupied by Him.

+++++++++++

 “You man so greatly loved, don’t be afraid. Shalom to you; and be strong, yes, truly strong.” His speaking to me strengthened me, and I said, “My lord, keep speaking; because you’ve given me strength.” —Daniel 10: 19

“Don’t be afraid, Dani’el; because since the first day that you determined to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard; and I have come because of what you said. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha’el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia. —Daniel 10: 12-13

“Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world..”** [1John 4:4]

“For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” Ephesians 6:12 

+++++++

+after the Persian takeover from the Babylonians

Perplexed in Advent

    

   What would it have been like, 9 months pregnant, bouncing on the back of a donkey for days, only to find there was nowhere to lay your head, not to mention give birth? Or for Joseph, charged with protecting the Savior of the World, as well as His human mother, and yet at a total loss for how to do so? We know the rest of the story. They didn’t. “No worries, Joseph,” we say. “Help is on the way!” [“What are you afraid of, Moses? That sea is going to stand up and separate any second now!”] But they could only stand still, trusting and waiting for deliverance. And that is precisely what they awaited….in fact what we all awaited in this birth.

   You and I may at this very moment have worries, disappointments, griefs, fears, or frustrations swirling through our heads. Yet It never ceases to stop me short in Advent…..never ceases to put circumstances, disappointments, joys, longings, thanksgivings, mistakes, and concerns of all kinds in the perspective of eternity. Not just ‘the sweet by and by’ of someday in heaven, but now’s eternity. That is where our true Shalom lies………entrusted to the Trustworthy One, the one and only Three-in-One. Knowing He knows the end of every story and has already prepared an Abigail for us. Wise men are already heading our way with provision. Seas are ready to stand up at His command.. He’s about to give angelic direction for our protection. All we need do is listen, receive, and obey.. Though we may be clueless about how things will play out, our ABBA is not. Trusting Him goes hand-in-hand with doing what we best understand of His will for us at the moment. Our ‘faith of a child’ warms His heart.

   I am fond of the following passage from one of my favorite Max Lucado books, In the Grip of Grace: 

“Stepping from the throne, he removed his robe of light and wrapped himself in skin: pigmented, human skin. The light of the universe entered a dark, wet womb. He whom angels worship nestled himself in the placenta of a peasant, was birthed into a cold night, and then slept on cow’s hay.

Mary didn’t know whether to give him milk or give him praise, but she gave him both since he was, as near as she could figure, hungry and holy. Joseph didn’t know whether to call him Junior or Father. But in the end he called him Jesus, since that’s what the angel had said and since he didn’t have the faintest idea what to name a God he could cradle in his arms . .” .

*****

“For only a God could create a plan this mad. Only a Creator beyond the fence of logic could offer such a gift of love. What man can’t do, God does. So, when it comes to goodies and candy, cherub cheeks and red noses, go to the North Pole. But when it comes to eternity, forgiveness, purpose, and truth, go to the manger. Kneel with the shepherds. Worship the God who dared to do what man dared not dream. “

——-And the Angels Were Silent, Max Lucado

 ***

“This isn’t the way I planned it, God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable? This isn’t the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain? This isn’t at all what I imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation. That’s how I thought it would be. The midwife would hand me my child, and all the people would applaud. Mary would rest and we would celebrate. All of Nazareth would celebrate. But now. Now look. Nazareth is five days’ journey away. And here we are in a . . . in a sheep pasture. Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars? This doesn’t seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey. My house for her is a shed of hay and straw. The smell is bad, the animals are loud. Why, I even smell like a shepherd myself. Did I miss something? Did I, God?     

—Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life and He Still Moves Stones  

***

“I could not comprehend God’s plan, but my understanding was not essential. My obedience was.” —-Gabriel, from An Angel’s Story; Max Lucado

***

“…why would you say, “Yahweh isn’t paying attention to my situation. He has lost all interest in what happens to me.?” Isaiah 40: 27

“…Yahweh….is never puzzled over what to do! He empowers the feeble and infuses the powerless with increasing strength” Ibid  29

***

May the rest of your Advent season be a tender, obedient, and trusting one.

Julie

Breath of Heaven:  

https://youtu.be/TOQRtYYERGo?si=wUd_DdOS3PGth-On

Mary, Did You Know?   https://youtu.be/trW_lD9sBt0?si=JpDYwYHdpEF6jABg

What is Ruling Us?

 

   I try to pray to God each day that my family and I would please Him in thought, word and deed. Recently, He stopped me and said,

 “You need to add one more thing to that list.” 

“What else is there, Lord?” 

“Your soul. Please me in soul.”

“Isn’t my soul covered in thought, word, and deed?”

I rehearsed in my mind the elements of the soul:  mind, will, and emotions. “Lord, my thoughts are part of my mind. What I say and do comes out of my will, right?  Doesn’t that about cover it?

“Take a look at your emotions and see how greatly they affect what you think, say, and do.”

   As I focused on His question, I pondered the truth that our spirits, created by and joined with God’s, are to rule over both our souls and bodies. The problem is, they rarely do. For some of us, it is our bodies that take the lead, but for most I believe it is our souls: our mind, will, and emotions. Most assuredly, it is our emotions that often dictate our thoughts and what comes out of our mouths, as well as the actions we take.  

   I thought about how often emotions like anger, unforgiveness frustration, resentment, fear, discouragement, sorrow, pride, as well as positive ones like thankfulness, joy, and elation affect our thoughts, words, and actions. When we allow our emotions to rule us, even when they are not dark ones but stem from sincere compassion and empathy, we are not listening to Holy Spirit. We jump in, often without God’s wisdom or direction, to ‘rescue’ others. It all seems so right and good, but it may not be. We may actually be interfering in plans He has for others. He may be calling another of His children, for example, to step up to the plate and get involved, resulting in blessing for both parties. He may have an even bigger solution than we are trying to provide. We should never stop being compassionate or helping others, but taking time to pray for His direction beforehand is wisdom He prizes.

   Our souls; our emotions, our wills, our beliefs of all kinds; can lead us into prolonged thoughts, words and deeds which can be life or death-giving. Letting our emotions direct us, instead of our spirits submitted to God’s, can get us in a world of trouble, or even derail situations in ways we may never know.

   The Father made us all so different. Yet the principle still applies. Some of us are wildly empathetic, some of us are more reserved, more cerebral, or more reticent to interact or intervene. Because we are so different, we are often bewildered by the attitudes, words, and actions (or inactions) of others. God appears to love variety in His creation, whether it be human, animal, plant, or mineral. Yet all of us are to be submitted to the guidance of His loving Spirit. Some of His creation has no choice, but we do. And therein is the rub. 

   There we can find people screaming at one another and spouting all kinds of hateful things in the name of ‘right’. Or we can see cold, calculated, intellectual evisceration. Both are deadly. We can even see twisted compassion (see 8/12 post) spouting both of the above. 

   When we do not take time to lay our emotional and intellectual responses to situations at the feet of Jesus for direction, we can grieve Him deeply by our thoughts, words and deeds. Like Paul, we may be so sure we are right and yet be deadly wrong, even in doing something seemingly altruistic His planning, His timing, His chosen cast of participants, His resources, His truth , His ways spoken in His way….bring Life, Freedom, and Transformation. 

   Take time today and every day to ask Him about His perspective, whether it be concerning world situations or your very personal ones. Let’s ask Him daily to help us submit our personalities, our thought life, our words, our actions, our entire souls to His Spirit so that we please Him by bearing good fruit (instead of unknowingly bearing the outwardly beautiful but internally rotten kind.)

+++++++++++++++

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV): “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” —-Hebrews 4: 12

Here is a song that reflects the heart of my post:

https://youtu.be/ABWnLjXer10?si=mCBg8V6D2-oXqH4m

The Huddle

   

   In the last decade, I have been reading, studying, and listening to teachings about the Lord’s desire to partner with His people to see His plans manifested on the earth. Recently, He gave me an image of a football huddle. His arms were intertwined with the shoulders of His team. Heads were lowered and ears attuned to the Coach. The players were envisioning the play as He spoke. 

   We often think of God as the One Who answers our prayers and ourselves as relatively passive petitioners who then wait for His answer. He is indeed the Source of all power, knowledge, wisdom, efficacy, and fruitfulness. However, He did not create us to be passive servants, but rather born-again, informed, active, and authoritative co-workers and friends. Jesus said, “I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [John 15:15] 

   When we put our whole trust in His grace and love, turning our lives over to Him, Holy Spirit ‘seeds’ us, endowing us with His very own spiritual DNA. We join His team to help see “His will done on earth as it is in Heaven.” 

   “For you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God” [1 Peter 1:23 AMP]

   “So,” He says in the huddle, “here’s the Plan…. John, you will sprint down field, while Larry fakes a pass but then runs down center field, instead of passing the football 🏈. Mary, you will….” Sometimes the Coach’s plays don’t make sense to His players. They don’t understand how His plans will work. If they trust the Coach and follow His directions, however, they will eventually see surprising touchdowns. Success is not accomplished by the quarterback or any star player, but by the whole team’s [Ekklesia’s] movements, orchestrated by the Coach.

   God has given us authority* to change things on the earth and in the heavens under His direction. To speak life into death-bound situations, hope where there is despair, light where there is darkness, turn-arounds to wrong directions, transformation of lives, freedom from deception, truth to those steeped in lies, and all-around failure to the plans of our opponent, the enemy of our souls. Scripture says* angels hearken to the Word of God and work to help see it manifested on the earth. They, too, are part of the team. Yes, our actions, under the Coach’s direction, absolutely have power to effect change, but so do our words in accordance with His Word. Just as He created the cosmos with His Words, so we who contain His seeded DNA can bring life in place of death, when we agree with and say what He says. We declare and decree His Plan. “Yes, Coach, so be it! We’re with You. We trust You! We’re listening! We’re on it! 

   So be it.

*******

“For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].” 1Cor 2:16 AMP

“Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word”. —Psalm 103:20

“Nothing activates the Kingdom of God and the angel armies like the Word of God. Holy Spirit hovers until He hears the Word of God. God’s Word activates His power and Kingdom resources.”

Psalms 103:20 says that angels hearken to the voice of God’s Word. The entire universe is made to respond to the voice of God’s Word. The heavens and the earth are made to respond to the powerful voice of His Word. Amazingly, human beings made in His image and in His likeness are carriers of that Word when they are activated at the new birth. They are “lifed” by it when they are born again

—Tim Sheets, Planting the Heavens

“Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19 NKJV). Using the original Greek word meanings, it says this, “Whatever you at any time encounter of hell’s council or authority that I am determined My church will prevail against, you will then face the decision whether you will or will not bind it. What transpires is conditional to your response. If you do purposely and consciously involve yourself in binding the issue on earth, you will find at that future moment when you do that it has been yes’d in Heaven.” If we say yes, it’s been yes’d in Heaven, and if we say no, it’s been no’d in Heaven. In other words, the authority He has delegated to us is backed up in Heaven. —Tim Sheets, Planting the Heavens

“We do not create from nothing like God did, but we take what God has done and steward it in such a way that we can decree a creative force into the heavens and the earth. —ibid

“If we are going to plant the heavens and lay God’s Word into our culture’s foundations, we must learn, practice, and activate authority language. The King’s seed that is sown into us, the King’s DNA that has been transmitted into our spirit at the new birth, needs to manifest inside of us. We need to become who and what we really are. We are under the Lordship of King Jesus, forgiven, re-imaged, and born again into His family. We truly are in the King’s lineage. We are heirs of God and we are joint heirs with Christ. We are a part of the Kingdom of Almighty God and are expected to reign with Him right now.” Ibid

You were born anew of incorruptible seed through the Word of God. The Greek word for “seed” is spora, and it’s filled with new identity, new purpose, and new destiny (Strong, G4701). It also reveals the love of God for a son or a daughter, and it explains His combined affection and care for His new “born-gain” ones. It’s a love that is real, pure, and constant. A love that caused the apostle John to exclaim in First John 3:1 (MSG), Tim Sheets, Planting the Heavens

“Never speak negative words or unbelief. They are contrary to the seed of God that is in you.” —Tim Sheets

“The Power of life and death is in the tongue.” —

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. —Proverbs 18:21

“God’s Words are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” —Proverbs 4:22

Keep Swimming

   

   Remember Dorie from “Finding Nemo”? Such a loveable fish. The older I get, the more I am identifying with her short term memory issues. God brought her to mind this morning as He spoke to me about being free from anxiety in my daily life. 

   My sisters and I are sometimes attacked by what psychologists call “free-floating anxiety.” We all know the definition of anxiety in general, but with this type, there is no reason to be anxious, no circumstance in particular causing concern. There is just this sense that there is something wrong, that we are not doing all we should be doing, that we aren’t keeping up with needs or necessities somewhere, somehow. It’s almost as if we are reaching out and searching for what we should be concerned about.

   This, of course, is the exact opposite of how our Father wants us to live. He knows us inside out…our struggles, our vulnerabilities, our hearts’ desires. He longs for us to live in the Shalom of the abundant life He suffered and died for us to have. Anxiety, worry, and fretfulness are not part of His plan for us.

   Lately, in my retired state, I have become aware of my underlying concern that I am spending my life the way He wants me to. Am I wasting the gift of time He has given me? Am I fulfilling the destiny and meeting the divine appointments He has planned for me? Am I leaving untapped some of the. gifts He placed in me before I was born?  Are there people whose lives He wants me to touch that I am too lazy or too uncomfortable to pursue? Will He speak over me when I come Home to Him, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Sometimes I feel like Dorie that I need to “just keep swimming,” but maybe even harder.

   He knows my heart and those of all His children. He is merciful and forgiving and full of lovingkindness. This I know. That is the very reason I want to please Him by the way I live my life. This morning, because He always reads my heart, He told me (as best I can record: “I love you. Don’t fret. I will show you (and remind you ha ha^) what to do. Flow in the river of My grace. You don’t need to do laps. Settle into My grace and float on your back. I will keep you buoyant. Your head will not go under water. It is panic and anxiety that can lead to drowning.”

   Have you ever felt that you were “not enough”? Are you, too, sometimes attacked by “free-floating” anxiety or awash in the sense that you aren’t doing enough, that you must keep swimming harder to please others…or, more, importantly, your Heavenly Father? 

   Turn over on your back and float in His grace. Keep your ear attuned to Him. He won’t allow your head to go under water. You will find the true Shalom of His abundant life. There, floating peacefully on your back, look up.

*********

• Here is one of my drawings for God from my journal from 2020. No fair making fun of my ‘art.’  

• For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].  —John 1:16 AMP
• 
  
• Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb —Revelation 22:1

• Ezekiel 47 also describes the river flowing from under the throne of God

• “To “drink deeply” of the Spirit is the same as receiving his power and gifts until rivers of living water flow from the inside of us. See John 3:34; 7:37.” —Brian Simmons, TPT note from 1. Corinthians p-12-13
• 
  
• ^I have difficulty, sometimes, recording the chuckle or outright laughter I hear from Him. He is also a great punster. (To remind ‘Dorie’ is worth a guffaw.)
  

Overboard: Is it fear or wisdom?

   

  A friend recently shared her dream with me. (I am deliberately keeping any identities vague.) She and a loved one were on a cruise, but the ship was traveling not in a warm climate but in a colder one, with waves fomenting around them. Somehow (as one can in dreams) they were high on the ship above these waters, almost as if in a crow’s nest of a sailing ship.  Her loved one was wearing a backpack 🎒 chocked full, which she suddenly removed from her shoulders and hurled into the churning sea. In the dream, my friend was at first totally aghast, because the backpack’s contents had included a large number of provisions. However, she then began to wonder….

   As soon as she described the dream, I knew the hurling of the backpack was a good thing, despite the provisions it carried. I knew that backpacks often represent burdens weighing us down. But provisions? How do they fit in the picture?

   Obvious candidates for burdens include: unforgiveness, hurts, offenses, financial worries, concerns about our families, health issues, anxieties about the future, unshakable guilt, old mistakes and outright sins. We could all generate a list of more backpack items which need to be thrown overboard to free us from their weight. We know the Lord does not want us carrying these things wherever we go, especially since He suffered so to deliver us from them. 

   But back to my question: why “provisions”? Aren’t they good? Doesn’t God promise to provide for us? Doesn’t He declare Himself our Yahweh Yireh?* Yes, indeed! However, suddenly it hit me that we don’t carry His provision around on our backs. He is our ongoing  Provider. Are the provisions we’re lugging around on our own shoulders jammed in there out of fear that He won’t provide? Is the rock of anxiety in our packs, for example, our reason for trying to supply our own protection from loss? Ouch, Lord. Do we ‘hedge our bets’ just in case You don’t come through? Like Sarah+, do we try with our own human solutions to make Your Word come to pass? Help You along a bit since things might not take place as You said? 

  I know He wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us++, to ‘be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’, to plan ahead and not to be spendthrifts, to refrain from wasting what He is providing for us. He wants us to work hard ‘as unto Him’ in our jobs. Yet we are to do these things not out of fear but out of heeding His Scriptural truth for us, out of our thankfulness and duty to be responsible in using His gifts. 

   When we truly examine our hearts, what motivates us to carry around our own provision on our backs, whether comprised of our own solutions, our own ‘bootstraps,’ our own righteousness, our own wealth, the filling of our own barns+++? 

   Is it fear that God will disappoint us, that His Word (Logos or Rhema) is not reliable, that it might indeed ‘come back void,’? That He may love others that way but us, not so much? Do we in our heart of hearts trust more in the non-Biblical adage that ‘God helps those who help themselves’ than we do in Jesus’ promises regarding the lilies and the sparrows or the loaves and fishes? Yes, we offer our little fishes and some paltry loaves of bread, and He does not sneer at them.. He’s delighted with our offering. But we both know it is He that feeds us, body and soul.

   Let’s ask Him to show us if we have in our packs things of which we may be unaware, things which need to be not just tossed but hurled overboard. These may even be  as subtle as our backup provisions, cleverly disguised as proverbial wisdom. 

   Go ahead and hurl that thing, Feel the lightness on your shoulders and the wind in your hair!

******************

+Genesis 16

++Matthew 25

+++Luke 12

++++Matthew 6

*Genesis 22:4 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

*Colossians 3: 23-24Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

When it’s never TMI

  

       I am continuing to slowly work my way through “The Names of God” book* by Ann Spangler. I arrived today at Philos, “Friend” or “Relative.” It never fails to astound me that Yeshua calls those who believe, obey, and trust in Him, friends. He is after all Creator and King of the Cosmos. I know He loves us deeply, but friends? This condescension+ is almost too great for me to grasp, yet I rejoice in it. 

   This morning I began a list of what a relationship with a close friend is like. (Jesus is not just an ‘acquaintance’.) As I did, I compared each aspect to my current interactions with Him. Yes, He is my trusted Savior and Lord, but in what ways, if any, is He truly my closest friend? Here is what I came up with so far as characteristic of a close friendship:

• I share my foibles
• I share funny stories, mostly at my own expense
• I share my deepest hopes and fears (the kind I wouldn’t tell others)
• I share my disappointments, without explaining that I know I shouldn’t feel the way I do
• I don’t keep things back from sheer embarrassment or TMI
• I share my true self without fear of judgment, criticism or rejection
• I ask for prayer, for guidance, for discernment 
• I ask my friend about what she is going through and how I can pray for her. I listen to her hopes, fears, and funny stories. I reciprocate all of the above.
• It is not a one-sided relationship, with her doing all the listening, all the caring, all the carrying of my burdens.
• I want to know what is on her heart, not just have her listen to mine. (I have experienced ‘friendships’ like the latter.)

   As I ran the lyrics to the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus through my mind, I began to ponder if the song accurately described a close friendship. Are there aspects missing in this wonderful hymn?

1. 
   
2. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
3. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
4. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
5. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.
6. —lyrics, Joseph Scriven; tune: Charles Converse
7.   Beautiful, right? True, right? But Is our friendship with Yeshua (in fact, with the whole of the Trinity) reciprocal? Do we ask Him what is on His heart, what He wants us to pray for, declare, and decree? Are we truly partnering with Him for His will to be done? Do we pray for those He loves, listening for His prompts? (Obeying His prompts even when we don’t want to) Do we do so in the same way in which we pray for those on the hearts of our close human friends? Do our hearts hurt and celebrate when His does? Do we mourn when He mourns and rejoice when He rejoices?** Reach out to help someone for whom He is concerned? Or is our ‘friendship’ with Him more one-sided? Do we share our needs, give him our burdens, and then turn and walk on with our own lives and agendas, checking back in from time to see if our prayers have been properly addressed?
8.    I know I am guilty of this sometimes. But I don’t want to be that kind of ‘friend’. I want to be a close friend ‘who sticks closer than a brother.’ One who is willing to lay down her life for her Friend. One who is as concerned for what is on His heart as for what is on hers. Maybe more.
9.    I love sharing all the funny things with Yeshua, as well as the heart-wrenching ones…and the ones that would be TMI for anyone else. He knows it all anyway, but we laugh and cry together about them. I know He holds my tears in a bottle***,  as well as giving me the kind of belly laughs that ‘do good like medicine.’ I want it all with Him. I want Him to say when I see Him in person, “Truly, you have been My close friend. Welcome Home and know Me even better.”
10. **************
11. *See post “When it’s ok to be gluttonous” from April 15, 2025
12. + condescension’s original meaning: to “voluntarily waive ceremony or dignity proper to one's superior position or rank and willingly assume equality with inferiors”….”make gracious allowance for human frailty”
13. ** “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. —Romans 12:15
14. 
    8 ***”You number my wanderings;
    Put my tears into Your bottle;
    Are they not in Your book?”  —Psalm 56:8
15. “It is almost unimaginable that the Creator of the entire universe, Almighty God HIMSELF, invites and even encourages us to come and commune ans communicate with Him.” —Bobby Corner 
16. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” —John 15:13-15
17. “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” —Proverbs 18:24
18. “Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.” —Proverbs 27:9
19. “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” —Job 29:4
    “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” —Proverbs 17:9
    
    22 “ A happy heart is good medicine,
        but low spirits sap one’s strength —Proverbs 17:22
    From Ann Spangler, author of The Names of God : “Confess any complacency toward those who are lost. Ask Jesus to assign your heart with His purposes.”
20. Related words: to Philos: Phileo: “to love”; Philema: “to kiss” 
21. Jadon Lavik singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus:
22. https://youtu.be/5XsXYTWVdGE?si=
23. 
    
24. 
    

On my father’s shoe

 

   Does anyone else remember grabbing on to your father’s leg and not letting go, so when he tried to walk, he had to drag his leg (and you) behind him? Sometimes you could even manage to ride on his shoe.👞 Surprisingly, he never appeared irritated (at least mine didn't). He just looked down and chuckled. I probably did the same thing with my mother; I just don’t remember it. I’ve seen my toddler granddaughter attach herself to her mom in this way. 

   We were not a demonstrative family. [Hugging wasn’t something you would have seen in our home, both my parents having been raised in a ‘keep your emotions inside’ heritage. Hugging, for example, wasn’t seen in our home until my sister came home from college one day and threw her arms around my neck. I thought to myself, “Wow, I like this hugging thing!”] My father was predominantly of German background and my mother, English. Yet we knew they loved us, and my sisters and I are very grateful to have been blessed with the parents we  had (still have, in heaven).

   This morning I was reading and pondering Psalm 65, The first 2 verses read, 

   “Oh God in Zion, to you even silence is praise! You who answers  prayer…”] 

Brian Simmons (The Passion Translation) noted: 

The root of the Hebrew word for ‘prayer’ is palal, which also means ‘tent peg.’ Jewish tradition views palal prayer (intercession) as a means of attaching yourself to God. In the same way a tent peg establishes a tent and fastens it securely, so palal prayer fastens the soul to God. Palal prayer is when you grab hold of God and attach yourself to him in surrender and humility. Hold on to God like a tent peg holds on to a tent.

I thought this was wonderful. However, instead I pictured myself riding on God’s shoe, with my arms attached to His leg. I could hear Him chuckle. Certainly, He wants us to pray ‘face to face,’ but I believe it also pleases Him when we attach ourselves to Him and don’t let go. 

   Go ahead, pray, holding on tight, and make sure your humility, gratefulness, and love towards Him abound with His every step. I believe He will laugh out loud and most surely respond tenderly to your prayer.

    

Trisagion and more

     One of my favorite musical artists for quiet praise is Fernando Ortega. The peace of God descends on me whenever I listen to him. He sings treasures old and new. One of the ‘old’ is the Trisagion (linked below). The last line is ‘Have mercy, have mercy, Lord.’ 

   Whenever I hear these words, Father reminds me that because of Jesus, He always has mercy (towards those who believe and trust in Him.). We don’t have to beg Him for it. Yet the truth and beauty of these lyrics touch our souls with heartfelt thankfulness. He knows what we mean when we sing them.  

   This ancient song is short. It has always left me wanting more. So I added verses, under Holy Spirit’s inspiration. Listen to Fernando sing Trisagion, and then continue praising God with the lyrics below.

Original: 

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy, have mercy on us

Trisagion sung by Fernando Ortega

VARIATIONS ON THE TRISAGION*

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty 

Holy, Immortal One

We praise You, we praise You, Lord

Blessed Trinity,

Trinity of Righteousness,

Trinity of Justice and Mercy,

We sing to You, we sing to You, Lord

Lord of all Creation,

Creator most lovely

All of Your creatures rejoice in You

We dance for You, we dance with You, Lord

Shepherd of Your sheep,

Giver of blessings,

You alone deserve our praises

We follow You, we follow You, Lord

Lover of our souls,

Sanctifier glorious,

Rescuer of Your people,

We thank You, we thank You, Lord

+++++++++++

*The Greek phrase Trisagion translates as "Thrice Holy". In this hymn God is described as holy in three different qualities; Agios o Theos means "Holy God". (Wikipedi)

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