I've recently discovered reruns of Touched by an Angel on our cable network. At the end of each episode, a dove usually comes to represent God's presence in the resolution of the conflict. Did you ever wonder why the dove is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit? Of course we know that at Jesus' baptism "the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove...."*. That alone is reason enough. However, I've come to understand how much more symbolism is packed into that image. (Plumbing the depths of God's imagery in Scripture is definitely a lifetime process.)
I was unaware that in the time of Abraham a contract was ratified between two people when they walked together over the blood between the halves of the animal sacrifice. 10 witnesses stood on either side to serve as 'enforcers' of the agreement in the future, should either side renege. However, when God made the covenant with Abraham, only He passed between the halves of the sacrifice. He already knew we wouldn't keep our side of the covenant and that He Himself, through His Son, would have to pay our penalty for us.
The dove** was not divided, however, as were the other animals. It remained whole. Chaim explains that the word for dove or pigeon (tsiphar) in the Hebrew carries a second meaning of a humble or soft voice bringing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The second word used for bird in this passage is gozel, which can mean 'to pass over.' Hmmmm, where have I heard that passover thing mentioned before in Scripture? Ah yes, the angel of death passed over the Hebrews when they put the blood on their doorposts in Egypt. Yeshua, Himself, was the Lamb at the Great Passover. Wow, the whole Trinity of God was represented in the Covenant ADONAI made with Abraham. (Why am I surprised?)
Another meaning for the word tavar, whose first meaning is turtledove, is to search out one's heart to discover the truth, which, indeed, is a function of The Holy Spirit according to Scripture. The wonderful thing is that ADONAI knows it all, every beautiful and ugly detail within our hearts, and yet has provided Himself to stand in the gap between who we are and who we should be. He made the Walk through the sacrifice, and He is the Sacrifice. He presents us with one of two interlinking turtledove ornaments as a remembrance and presses the other close to His heart. May we do the same.
*Luke 3:22
**Chaim explains why the singular, versus the plural, of the word(s) for bird might be more correctly used, in his Study 68 of Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God. The chapter includes other insights as well.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good
Loving rereading my favorite modern author Jan Karon's Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good* in anticipation of her newest book coming out next week. Here's a sampling:
"I ask you to give Timothy your words, and to anoint all that he says and does to draw Sammy into the circle of your astonishing grace. May it be a tender time, somehow transforming in ways we can't know." [p. 226]
"At the altar of defeat, he laid the stick of grace. Then he turned and went home to the yellow house where he had been given everything and more, none of it especially deserved." [p. 228]
"He wept face forward, then, into the gale of those aghast at what was happening, wept for the wounds of any clergy gone out into a darkness of self-loathing and beguilement; for the loss and sorrow of those who could not believe, or who had once believed but lost all sense of shield and buckler and any notion of God's radical tenderness, for the ceaseless besettings of the flesh, for the worthless idols of his own and of others; for those sidetracked, stumped, frozen, flung away, for those both false and true, the just and the unjust, the quick and the dead....
He wept for himself, for the pain of long years and the exquisite satisfactions of the faith, for the holiness of the mundane, for the thrashing exhaustions and the endless dyings and resurrectings that malign the soul incarnate...."
"...And the people wept with him, most of them. Some turned away, and a few got up and left in a hurry, fearful of the swift and astounding movement of the Holy Spirit among them..." [p. 252]
*from her Mitford series, beginning with At Home in Mitford
"I ask you to give Timothy your words, and to anoint all that he says and does to draw Sammy into the circle of your astonishing grace. May it be a tender time, somehow transforming in ways we can't know." [p. 226]
"At the altar of defeat, he laid the stick of grace. Then he turned and went home to the yellow house where he had been given everything and more, none of it especially deserved." [p. 228]
"He wept face forward, then, into the gale of those aghast at what was happening, wept for the wounds of any clergy gone out into a darkness of self-loathing and beguilement; for the loss and sorrow of those who could not believe, or who had once believed but lost all sense of shield and buckler and any notion of God's radical tenderness, for the ceaseless besettings of the flesh, for the worthless idols of his own and of others; for those sidetracked, stumped, frozen, flung away, for those both false and true, the just and the unjust, the quick and the dead....
He wept for himself, for the pain of long years and the exquisite satisfactions of the faith, for the holiness of the mundane, for the thrashing exhaustions and the endless dyings and resurrectings that malign the soul incarnate...."
"...And the people wept with him, most of them. Some turned away, and a few got up and left in a hurry, fearful of the swift and astounding movement of the Holy Spirit among them..." [p. 252]
*from her Mitford series, beginning with At Home in Mitford
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Frog in the pool
Some might think I'm a little daft, but this morning I went for a swim in the housing development pool. Right now there is only a gentle rain falling, and the pool water is still warm from the summer's heat. No one else was swimming (of course), so I enjoyed the peace of the moment, with the trees gently swaying (calm before the storm). It turned out to be a great place to talk some things over with the Love and Lord of my life.
Along with the leaves blown into the pool, there was also a small frog, swimming and floating, swimming and floating around the perimeter. I wanted to rescue him, but the question arose in my mind, 'Was he better off in the pool than on land tonight?' What if, in trying to rescue him, I was actually sending him to his doom? Maybe the instinct God put in him sent him to the pool for safety. Perhaps the seeming water danger was not as bad as the greater danger on land? Yet he was working so hard, I couldn't imagine him doing that all day and all night without drowning. Finally, I went to get my flip flop to lift him out, only to completely lose sight of him in the pool. Perhaps he went into one of the drain vents as I went on my rescue mission.
Does God ever refrain from rescuing us from the smaller danger because He knows a much greater danger is at hand should He save us from the first? The worst an earthly danger can do is kill the body. An eternity without God is a much bigger danger than a 5+ hurricane. If we don't even recognize the eternal danger of refusing His salvation, what good will it do to save our homes and possessions for the moment? It could actually be, like my frog rescue, a harmful decision.
Only He knows what's best for frogs in a storm, but I know for sure that nothing is more important than gratefully gripping His outstretched carpenter's hand and being pulled to safety for all time.
Along with the leaves blown into the pool, there was also a small frog, swimming and floating, swimming and floating around the perimeter. I wanted to rescue him, but the question arose in my mind, 'Was he better off in the pool than on land tonight?' What if, in trying to rescue him, I was actually sending him to his doom? Maybe the instinct God put in him sent him to the pool for safety. Perhaps the seeming water danger was not as bad as the greater danger on land? Yet he was working so hard, I couldn't imagine him doing that all day and all night without drowning. Finally, I went to get my flip flop to lift him out, only to completely lose sight of him in the pool. Perhaps he went into one of the drain vents as I went on my rescue mission.
Does God ever refrain from rescuing us from the smaller danger because He knows a much greater danger is at hand should He save us from the first? The worst an earthly danger can do is kill the body. An eternity without God is a much bigger danger than a 5+ hurricane. If we don't even recognize the eternal danger of refusing His salvation, what good will it do to save our homes and possessions for the moment? It could actually be, like my frog rescue, a harmful decision.
Only He knows what's best for frogs in a storm, but I know for sure that nothing is more important than gratefully gripping His outstretched carpenter's hand and being pulled to safety for all time.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Shelter
I have found it interesting to examine my own behavior in the midst of Hurricane Irma's threat to
the Tampa area. I came over early, ironically, to get away from the threat to the east coast. I wanted to be sure, also, to be here for my daughter's baby shower and my son's wedding. Scripture has some interesting comments about man's plans, which I have tried to keep in my heart anytime people ask me about mine for the future. Recently I have commented that 'my cup runneth over,' with happy fall events.
I can still say that, no matter what happens over the course of the weekend, my cup runs over with my Heavenly Father's goodness to me and to my family. He truly is a Good, Good Father.... Knowing His goodness is not dependent on circumstances going my way....although I most certainly pray for the protection of my family and the homes and provision He has provided to us. I am, indeed, praying for His miraculous intervention, something I have seen over and over since I've been in Florida dealing with hurricanes. Meteorologists have repeatedly had no explanation for the way hurricanes have stopped in their tracks or moved in a completely unexpected direction.
Yet how quickly many forget His intervention and begin thinking their lives are under their own control. How quickly we can forget the level of His grace involved in our very existence as we get
absorbed in our day to day activities and personal priorities.
I have been a surprise to myself in a different way, however. Instead of my usual first-thing-in-the-morning prayer time, seeking Him early and eagerly, I have sought the distractions of busy activity and mind-numbing entertainment instead of running to meet Him in my prayer chair. I would have thought it would be the opposite. But I find myself fighting my way to prayer in this time of severe crisis, struggling to bypass old television shows, jigsaw puzzles, baking, cleaning, organizing, and, worst of all, endless weather reports. The Source of every bit of protection, power, and loving care is
patiently waiting to talk with me and give me the reassurance I crave. Why am I sitting on the floor playing with toys, instead?
Proverbs 8:17 says that He will love those who seek Him early and that they will find Him. Chaim Bentorah delves into the Hebrew here and summarizes it as those who seek Him eagerly and as their first priority will discover His Presence, hidden knowledge, and understanding. It's rather like the person who arrives early to dinner and is able to talk privately and informally with the host (or the King, in the case of an ancient parable).
Why wouldn't we desire to put on our sneakers and eagerly run out to meet Him in the dawn of the morning? Even if morning isn't the best time for us to be alone with Him, due to the current season of our lives, do we wish it were? Do we open our eyes declaring our love for Him, whether we must hit the ground running or not? Do we hungrily seek a time that is ours alone, anticipating it and preserving it against the tyranny of the urgent, as my mother used to say? His secret place is waiting, and its shelter is unsurpassed. There the winds quiet and the storm cannot be felt. Shalom waits there. His Name is ADONAI.
*********************
Psalm 91
the Tampa area. I came over early, ironically, to get away from the threat to the east coast. I wanted to be sure, also, to be here for my daughter's baby shower and my son's wedding. Scripture has some interesting comments about man's plans, which I have tried to keep in my heart anytime people ask me about mine for the future. Recently I have commented that 'my cup runneth over,' with happy fall events.
I can still say that, no matter what happens over the course of the weekend, my cup runs over with my Heavenly Father's goodness to me and to my family. He truly is a Good, Good Father.... Knowing His goodness is not dependent on circumstances going my way....although I most certainly pray for the protection of my family and the homes and provision He has provided to us. I am, indeed, praying for His miraculous intervention, something I have seen over and over since I've been in Florida dealing with hurricanes. Meteorologists have repeatedly had no explanation for the way hurricanes have stopped in their tracks or moved in a completely unexpected direction.
Yet how quickly many forget His intervention and begin thinking their lives are under their own control. How quickly we can forget the level of His grace involved in our very existence as we get
absorbed in our day to day activities and personal priorities.
I have been a surprise to myself in a different way, however. Instead of my usual first-thing-in-the-morning prayer time, seeking Him early and eagerly, I have sought the distractions of busy activity and mind-numbing entertainment instead of running to meet Him in my prayer chair. I would have thought it would be the opposite. But I find myself fighting my way to prayer in this time of severe crisis, struggling to bypass old television shows, jigsaw puzzles, baking, cleaning, organizing, and, worst of all, endless weather reports. The Source of every bit of protection, power, and loving care is
patiently waiting to talk with me and give me the reassurance I crave. Why am I sitting on the floor playing with toys, instead?
Proverbs 8:17 says that He will love those who seek Him early and that they will find Him. Chaim Bentorah delves into the Hebrew here and summarizes it as those who seek Him eagerly and as their first priority will discover His Presence, hidden knowledge, and understanding. It's rather like the person who arrives early to dinner and is able to talk privately and informally with the host (or the King, in the case of an ancient parable).
Why wouldn't we desire to put on our sneakers and eagerly run out to meet Him in the dawn of the morning? Even if morning isn't the best time for us to be alone with Him, due to the current season of our lives, do we wish it were? Do we open our eyes declaring our love for Him, whether we must hit the ground running or not? Do we hungrily seek a time that is ours alone, anticipating it and preserving it against the tyranny of the urgent, as my mother used to say? His secret place is waiting, and its shelter is unsurpassed. There the winds quiet and the storm cannot be felt. Shalom waits there. His Name is ADONAI.
*********************
Psalm 91
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Does God have tattoos?
I don't know why I am often amazed at the way God uses phrases, images, and even slang, from our current culture when He speaks to us. Why wouldn't He use our current world and circumstances to illustrate His point? Any good teacher does so. Still, it always takes me by surprise (and usually makes me laugh).
I've been reading two such examples in the oft-referred-to Hebrew Word Study book I continue to relish. I'll select just one for today to keep this post succinct, as I try to do in this blog so you can be assured you will be able to read the post as soon as you see it (and not wait until the later which never comes). 😉
I've always loved Adonai's assurance that our names are written/engraved on His hand once we accept His invitation of adoption. What I didn't know was that many ancient cultures believed that one's 'heart' was centered in the palm. Assyrian mothers often had their sons' names tattooed on their palms when their sons grew up and went into the army, to represent their continued love and care for them and the connection that would always remain. This tattoo on the hand kept their sons close to 'their heart.'
The extended meaning of the word for forget ('I will not forget you') in Isaiah 49, says Chaim, is I will not leave or neglect you. Unfortunately, many with whom I've spoken cannot say that about their earthly parents, some of whom not only neglected them but caused them harm, physically or emotionally.
Whether or not you had parents who loved, cared for, and nurtured you when you were growing up, Your Heavenly Father promises always to do so. Your name is tattooed in His palm through much pain and sacrifice. You are never distant from His mind. In fact, He is aware of Your every move and thought and circumstance. He longs for you to be just as aware of His and of His tender heart towards you.
When my children were small and I had to be away from them, it was like there was a band stretching from my heart to theirs. I could feel the pull, the tug on my heart every moment until I returned to them (or they to me). They were on my heart and mind. It isn't all that much different now that they're grown and live their own lives in God's care away from me. Our Heavenly Father still sees our name written in His palm no matter how old we are....raising our own little ones or dealing with the aches and pains of old age.
Don't every forget how treasured you are, should you never have experienced it from a single other human being or even been betrayed by those who should have loved you the most. You can't even number the tender thoughts of love He has toward you. Love Him back with as much whole-hearted abandonment as you're able, and you will find He is the embodiment of the perfect Parent of which you've always dreamed.
******************************************
Isaiah 49:15-16 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Psalm 139: 1-18
Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
I've been reading two such examples in the oft-referred-to Hebrew Word Study book I continue to relish. I'll select just one for today to keep this post succinct, as I try to do in this blog so you can be assured you will be able to read the post as soon as you see it (and not wait until the later which never comes). 😉
I've always loved Adonai's assurance that our names are written/engraved on His hand once we accept His invitation of adoption. What I didn't know was that many ancient cultures believed that one's 'heart' was centered in the palm. Assyrian mothers often had their sons' names tattooed on their palms when their sons grew up and went into the army, to represent their continued love and care for them and the connection that would always remain. This tattoo on the hand kept their sons close to 'their heart.'
The extended meaning of the word for forget ('I will not forget you') in Isaiah 49, says Chaim, is I will not leave or neglect you. Unfortunately, many with whom I've spoken cannot say that about their earthly parents, some of whom not only neglected them but caused them harm, physically or emotionally.
Whether or not you had parents who loved, cared for, and nurtured you when you were growing up, Your Heavenly Father promises always to do so. Your name is tattooed in His palm through much pain and sacrifice. You are never distant from His mind. In fact, He is aware of Your every move and thought and circumstance. He longs for you to be just as aware of His and of His tender heart towards you.
When my children were small and I had to be away from them, it was like there was a band stretching from my heart to theirs. I could feel the pull, the tug on my heart every moment until I returned to them (or they to me). They were on my heart and mind. It isn't all that much different now that they're grown and live their own lives in God's care away from me. Our Heavenly Father still sees our name written in His palm no matter how old we are....raising our own little ones or dealing with the aches and pains of old age.
Don't every forget how treasured you are, should you never have experienced it from a single other human being or even been betrayed by those who should have loved you the most. You can't even number the tender thoughts of love He has toward you. Love Him back with as much whole-hearted abandonment as you're able, and you will find He is the embodiment of the perfect Parent of which you've always dreamed.
******************************************
Isaiah 49:15-16 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
15 Can a woman forget her child at the breast,
not show pity on the child from her womb?
Even if these were to forget,
I would not forget you.
16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,
your walls are always before me.”
not show pity on the child from her womb?
Even if these were to forget,
I would not forget you.
16 I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,
your walls are always before me.”
Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being,
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
17 God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I thank you because I am awesomely made,
wonderfully; your works are wonders —
I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo,
but in your book all my days were already written;
my days had been shaped
before any of them existed.
17 God, how I prize your thoughts!
How many of them there are!
18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand;
if I finish the count, I am still with you.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Sleepwalking
I remember a day, years ago, when I stood at the window of the middle school in which I taught, communing with the One Who loves me best, before the onslaught of the day.. Certainly not an unusual morning in that respect. What was unusual, however, was that even as I began to carry out my various job responsibilities, I felt like I was walking a couple feet above the ground. It was as if I moved in a dream. His Presence, His reality was still so strong that although I completed all my tasks and even had conversations with people, I was dwelling in a different realm. I don't remember how long it was before I came back to earth, so to speak.
I was reminded of this experience recently. The Lord told me I was 'sleepwalking' in Him, and that this was possible on a regular basis. It was a form of finding and entering His Rest. Often I start out the morning feeling connected to Him, but then, as my day progresses, I get caught up in carrying out my responsibilities and lose touch with Him. I forget He's as near as my breath. I forget to ask Him for wisdom in dealing with an ill-behaved but needy middle schooler or an oblivious teacher. I forget to take His hand and ask Him to help me see behind the outward behavior to the soul inside. I allow anger, frustration, and discouragement to reign over me instead of His Holy Spirit.
Paradoxically, I want to learn how to draw close to people and yet see them from a distance...from above the earth. I want to experience sleepwalking in Him once again. To love unreservedly yet from the place of His rest; where my mind, will, and emotions are not tossed to and fro with every wind of someone else's behavior or the whims of our current culture.
I want to be tucked deep into His heart while withholding nothing which He calls me to offer to others. To enter fully into the life He's given me, yet never let circumstances rule over me and slam me about, as I react to one thing and then spin about to confront the next. I want to walk above, efficacious in my work because I'm always connected to the Source of all fruitfulness.
Chaim describes something similar in a scene of painting with one hand while the other arm is wrapped around the Lord. Yeshua, too, holds a paintbrush in his opposite hand, while holding him with the other. "Let's do this together," He says. Why do I keep forgetting and running off from His embrace?
Help me, Lord, to remain in Your reality and Your Rest while working diligently and with excellence...working not for men but for You. And not only for You but with You and in You. Keep me sleepwalking in Your Presence.
*****************
Colossians 3:23: "And whatever you do, do it heartily and unto the Lord and not unto men..."
*Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God, Study 43
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Wrestling Match
Always intrigued by Jacob's wrestling match with 'the angel,' I was interested in Chaim Bentorah's deeper investigation into the Hebrew terminology for this account*. I had always felt that Jacob was really wrestling with himself over his own character and future. Or, even more so, with God's will for his life over his own.
These wrestling matches do, indeed, leave you scarred. But so did Jesus' Gethsemane battle. And His was cosmic, its outcome affecting all of us now and for eternity. Ours, too, obviously on a much smaller scale, can affect the lives of many, including our own family. Decades ago I faced my own individual whirlwind with deep implications for my family's very existence, not to mention the impact on future relationships of all kinds. At the time, I knew I was in the midst of a huge personal decision about which way my life would go, but I had no idea how far-reaching its implications.
Beth Moore challenges us to see battle scars of various kinds as marks of our love for God, rather as objects of self-pity in which we wallow. Even now, as we wrestle on a day-to-day basis with our Lord's command to forgive, or with letting go of offenses, or with choosing His will over our own in any form, the scars of these wrestling matches, whether small skirmishes or all-out war, are invisible signs of our deep love and commitment to Him and His ways. They may be invisible to others, but they are not to Him. He touches their puckered skin with tender awareness of what it took for us to choose life, which is ultimately what we're doing when we choose His will over our own.
That's what Jesus did, and the life he wrought for us is beyond reckoning. In the smallest corners of our world, let's pray for God's grace to be like Him....
****************************
Genesis 32
1 Thessalonians 1:5-7
Hebrews 6:11-13
*Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God; Study 22
These wrestling matches do, indeed, leave you scarred. But so did Jesus' Gethsemane battle. And His was cosmic, its outcome affecting all of us now and for eternity. Ours, too, obviously on a much smaller scale, can affect the lives of many, including our own family. Decades ago I faced my own individual whirlwind with deep implications for my family's very existence, not to mention the impact on future relationships of all kinds. At the time, I knew I was in the midst of a huge personal decision about which way my life would go, but I had no idea how far-reaching its implications.
Beth Moore challenges us to see battle scars of various kinds as marks of our love for God, rather as objects of self-pity in which we wallow. Even now, as we wrestle on a day-to-day basis with our Lord's command to forgive, or with letting go of offenses, or with choosing His will over our own in any form, the scars of these wrestling matches, whether small skirmishes or all-out war, are invisible signs of our deep love and commitment to Him and His ways. They may be invisible to others, but they are not to Him. He touches their puckered skin with tender awareness of what it took for us to choose life, which is ultimately what we're doing when we choose His will over our own.
That's what Jesus did, and the life he wrought for us is beyond reckoning. In the smallest corners of our world, let's pray for God's grace to be like Him....
****************************
Genesis 32
1 Thessalonians 1:5-7
Hebrews 6:11-13
*Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God; Study 22
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Come As Far as You Can
Do you ever feel full of unrest? You're not even sure why, but you cannot find a place of peace. A psychologist once diagnosed my mom with 'free-floating anxiety,' the kind not related to any particular concern or worry. Sometimes I struggle with that, the nameless face of anxiousness.
I know sometimes it is related to moving from one location, situation, time zone/period, or season of life to another. However, that is not always so. There are times when my usual comfort in the presence of God eludes me for no apparent reason. I know He has not moved away; it is I who have somehow unintentionally distanced myself from Him. I have allowed something or someone to build a wall. That instant closeness in my prayer time seems to have evaporated, and I wonder where I took a wrong turn. I find myself pursuing every distraction, to avoid actually sitting down and seeking His Word and His face. Yet I know from experience that that is exactly where deep peace and rest will be found. How ironic.
Chaim Bentorah, in delving into the Hebrew word Yadiyad, translated Beloved, explains that the double yad presents the image of 'hand in hand.' In fact, he says, "many ancients believed the heart was in the palm of the right hand, so when people joined their right hands together, it was a symbol of sharing each other's hearts." He also tells a story from the Talmud "about a king who had a disagreement with his son. As a result of this falling out, the son left home to live in another kingdom. After some time, the father sent a messenger to his son, asking him to come home. The son replied, 'It is too far for me to come.' So the father sent a messenger back with this response: 'Then come as far as you can, and I will meet you.' "*
Sometimes it's not a matter of a deliberate departure related to a disagreement, but rather a case of taking a walk, with your mind occupied elsewhere, not paying attention to where you are going.. You turn around, looking for the way home, and see you have wandered quite far away. You can barely see the castle in the distance, and your father's face is a little hazy in your mind. You can't summon the strength or the means to make it home. Just remember, you are your Father's Yadidah, His Beloved. Come as far as you can towards Him, and He will come to meet you. His heart's desire is to walk hand in hand (heart to heart) with you. He will grip your small hand with His strong one and lead you home.
******************************************************
*Chaim Bentorah: Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God
I know sometimes it is related to moving from one location, situation, time zone/period, or season of life to another. However, that is not always so. There are times when my usual comfort in the presence of God eludes me for no apparent reason. I know He has not moved away; it is I who have somehow unintentionally distanced myself from Him. I have allowed something or someone to build a wall. That instant closeness in my prayer time seems to have evaporated, and I wonder where I took a wrong turn. I find myself pursuing every distraction, to avoid actually sitting down and seeking His Word and His face. Yet I know from experience that that is exactly where deep peace and rest will be found. How ironic.
Chaim Bentorah, in delving into the Hebrew word Yadiyad, translated Beloved, explains that the double yad presents the image of 'hand in hand.' In fact, he says, "many ancients believed the heart was in the palm of the right hand, so when people joined their right hands together, it was a symbol of sharing each other's hearts." He also tells a story from the Talmud "about a king who had a disagreement with his son. As a result of this falling out, the son left home to live in another kingdom. After some time, the father sent a messenger to his son, asking him to come home. The son replied, 'It is too far for me to come.' So the father sent a messenger back with this response: 'Then come as far as you can, and I will meet you.' "*
Sometimes it's not a matter of a deliberate departure related to a disagreement, but rather a case of taking a walk, with your mind occupied elsewhere, not paying attention to where you are going.. You turn around, looking for the way home, and see you have wandered quite far away. You can barely see the castle in the distance, and your father's face is a little hazy in your mind. You can't summon the strength or the means to make it home. Just remember, you are your Father's Yadidah, His Beloved. Come as far as you can towards Him, and He will come to meet you. His heart's desire is to walk hand in hand (heart to heart) with you. He will grip your small hand with His strong one and lead you home.
******************************************************
*Chaim Bentorah: Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God
Friday, July 21, 2017
Eleventh Hour
Remember in 1 Kings 17, where the widow and her son are starving, with only a tiny amount of grain left with which to make a final bit of bread, and Elijah asks her for food? She says she is just about to take two sticks, make their last meal, and die? I've always assumed she was building a fire with the sticks to bake the bread. But how could you make a fire with two sticks?
Chaim Bentorah, delving deeper into the wording of the Scripture, explains that in the northern kingdom, where they couldn't worship at the temple, they took two sticks, tied a cloth between them, and placed shewbread inside. The husband and wife (or in this case the mother and son, since the father had died) would each hold one stick and together present the bread before God, similar to what the priests would do with the shewbread in the temple. It was an offering of thanksgiving and worship.
This woman was offering to God all she had left and asking Him for provision, since without food, she and her son (like many others in this famine-stricken land) would surely die. Chaim says that the word translated die could better be translated 'receive' to not die. She hadn't even had the chance to carry out her plan, before God sent Elijah in answer to her prayer. He always knows what's in our hearts, doesn't He? But why would He wait until the 'eleventh hour' to send her help? Has that been the case for you, sometimes? Do you ever feel as if you're left hanging with a prayer on your lips and nothing but the breeze around you in answer?
Chaim comments on this: "Sometimes it seems that God waits until the eleventh hour--until you've exhausted all your resources, trying everything you could in the natural. And then one day, when your furniture has been loaded onto the truck to be repossessed, God says to the truck driver, 'Okay, you can put it back.' I mean, that's hard on your heart. But I will tell you one thing: you will know it was God who delivered you and not your own cleverness. " *
Then there are those times when you watch the truck drive away, saying "God, what just happened? Why didn't you deliver us?" And He says, "Ah, the story isn't over....Stay tuned. Sometimes he wants us to learn from Him how better to steward the resources with which He's blessed us. Sometimes He wants to rebuild our lives from the bottom up. Sometimes He wants to provide us with something better than we lost.
No matter what, He says, "Keep on trusting Me, despite what you see in front of your eyes. There's always more. More to be learned. More wisdom to be gained. More to be given. More fruit to be brought forth. I Am the Restorer, the Rebuilder, the Resurrector.
Whether He saves us in the morning, at noon, at the eleventh hour, in the middle of the night, or in the unseen future, He promises to never leave or forsake us. Take joy in that promise born of His love for you.
*Chaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God, p. 135
Chaim Bentorah, delving deeper into the wording of the Scripture, explains that in the northern kingdom, where they couldn't worship at the temple, they took two sticks, tied a cloth between them, and placed shewbread inside. The husband and wife (or in this case the mother and son, since the father had died) would each hold one stick and together present the bread before God, similar to what the priests would do with the shewbread in the temple. It was an offering of thanksgiving and worship.
This woman was offering to God all she had left and asking Him for provision, since without food, she and her son (like many others in this famine-stricken land) would surely die. Chaim says that the word translated die could better be translated 'receive' to not die. She hadn't even had the chance to carry out her plan, before God sent Elijah in answer to her prayer. He always knows what's in our hearts, doesn't He? But why would He wait until the 'eleventh hour' to send her help? Has that been the case for you, sometimes? Do you ever feel as if you're left hanging with a prayer on your lips and nothing but the breeze around you in answer?
Chaim comments on this: "Sometimes it seems that God waits until the eleventh hour--until you've exhausted all your resources, trying everything you could in the natural. And then one day, when your furniture has been loaded onto the truck to be repossessed, God says to the truck driver, 'Okay, you can put it back.' I mean, that's hard on your heart. But I will tell you one thing: you will know it was God who delivered you and not your own cleverness. " *
Then there are those times when you watch the truck drive away, saying "God, what just happened? Why didn't you deliver us?" And He says, "Ah, the story isn't over....Stay tuned. Sometimes he wants us to learn from Him how better to steward the resources with which He's blessed us. Sometimes He wants to rebuild our lives from the bottom up. Sometimes He wants to provide us with something better than we lost.
No matter what, He says, "Keep on trusting Me, despite what you see in front of your eyes. There's always more. More to be learned. More wisdom to be gained. More to be given. More fruit to be brought forth. I Am the Restorer, the Rebuilder, the Resurrector.
Whether He saves us in the morning, at noon, at the eleventh hour, in the middle of the night, or in the unseen future, He promises to never leave or forsake us. Take joy in that promise born of His love for you.
*Chaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God, p. 135
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Night Hours
I drape myself over the railing, basking in the combination of warm and cool which feather my skin. I am like the pansies currently thriving in baskets here on my deck. 'They do not toil or spin,' but their Creator takes tender care of them, as He does me.
In the night hours, worries and anxieties sometimes assail me, and that neverland between sleep and consciousness leaves me vulnerable to concerns which seem relatively insignificant in the day. I wish that I could turn a switch off as I say 'goodnight' to my mind and sleep the slumber of the lilies of the field. I know the Father desires it, just as I always want my own children to sleep in peace, safety, and contentment.
Knowing Scriptures by heart helps stem the tide of worries that can wash over my mind in waves. But my thoughts will often slip into the watery depths, taken by other currents or stuck in eddies which go round and round. I have to swim against the mental tide to return to the peace of His Word once again.
I know this happens to others, too, because they have shared similar experiences with me. How blessed we are to know that we are never alone in the night or the day. How my heart breaks for those who don't yet know the Author of Peace, the One Who says He will never leave or forsake us and that no one can snatch us from His hand, once we have chosen to entrust our lives to Him.
Sleep in peace, dear friends. May you rest in His love both in the day and in the wee night hours.
*************
"I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
--Psalm 4:9
In the night hours, worries and anxieties sometimes assail me, and that neverland between sleep and consciousness leaves me vulnerable to concerns which seem relatively insignificant in the day. I wish that I could turn a switch off as I say 'goodnight' to my mind and sleep the slumber of the lilies of the field. I know the Father desires it, just as I always want my own children to sleep in peace, safety, and contentment.
Knowing Scriptures by heart helps stem the tide of worries that can wash over my mind in waves. But my thoughts will often slip into the watery depths, taken by other currents or stuck in eddies which go round and round. I have to swim against the mental tide to return to the peace of His Word once again.
I know this happens to others, too, because they have shared similar experiences with me. How blessed we are to know that we are never alone in the night or the day. How my heart breaks for those who don't yet know the Author of Peace, the One Who says He will never leave or forsake us and that no one can snatch us from His hand, once we have chosen to entrust our lives to Him.
Sleep in peace, dear friends. May you rest in His love both in the day and in the wee night hours.
*************
"I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
--Psalm 4:9
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Two Dogs
Not long after I wrote the last post, Heart and Soul, I read Chaim's retelling of the story of a Native American who became a Christian and was then asked what it was like. "He answered, 'It is like having two dogs inside of me fighting, one good and one evil.' When asked which one would win, the old man said, 'Whichever I feed the most.'
Just like Elijah [in his fear of Jezebel] and that old Native American man, we have two 'dogs' fighting inside of us--a dog of fear and a dog of faith. For awhile, we let the 'arm of flesh' feed us and take care of us. But when that arm of flesh fails us, and we must turn to God to feed us, our faith falters because for too long we have been feeding the the dog of fear rather than the dog of faith."*
I believe the same analogy applies in another sense. Are we feeding, within us and others, the dog of today's culture, gradually becoming accustomed to its values and using the terminologies that reflect them? Do we talk about "karma," which is absolutely antithetical to the heart of Christianity? Do we refer to how 'lucky' we were in a particular situation? Do we tell someone for whom we should be praying that we will 'think positive thoughts' of them (which will provide them no help whatsoever)? Do we say we'll 'cross our fingers' or 'knock on wood' (a practice which dates back to idolatry of Gaia, whom many New Agers still believe dwells within the trees)? Do we place our hope in lotteries and other forms of gambling, rather than entrusting our provision to God? Have we become so accustomed to sexual immorality that we just accept it as part of our TV and movie entertainment? Do we listen to secular music (new or old) containing crude, foul, or even idolatrous lyrics because we like 'the beat' or enjoy the nostalgia of remembering the time from which they came?
If so, our frogish souls are in very hot water, and we don't even realize the temperature is increasing. (Sorry for the abrupt change in species.) If we are adapting to our culture, rather than influencing it toward God's Truth, then we are definitely feeding the wrong dog, who will eventually consume us from the inside out.
I say this to myself, as well, as I wrestle daily with how I will spend my time. I enjoy a good mystery, trying to figure out 'who done it,' like my mother before me. In her time, however, they would usually only intimate or imply a death, by showing just the feet on the floor, and then spend the show trying to solve the puzzle of the perpetrator. How much sexual immorality, violence, and perversion have I become accustomed to by watching today's mystery stories? How have I gradually become inured to them? Am I listening to the voice of God who reminds me where the power button is on my remote?
Let us not rationalize any more how often we feed the wrong dog, but rather ask God, Who understands every temptation we face, to help us withstand them. Let's ask His help in remaining sensitive to the direction of His Holy Spirit...in shaping our thoughts, in discerning His Truth, and in determining, day by day, what types of entertainment are acceptable to Him. Which things has He given us to enjoy and which are like eating from that other tree in the garden, which He forbids us to eat because He knows it will destroy us?
****************************************
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
*Chaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God; p. 81-82
Just like Elijah [in his fear of Jezebel] and that old Native American man, we have two 'dogs' fighting inside of us--a dog of fear and a dog of faith. For awhile, we let the 'arm of flesh' feed us and take care of us. But when that arm of flesh fails us, and we must turn to God to feed us, our faith falters because for too long we have been feeding the the dog of fear rather than the dog of faith."*
I believe the same analogy applies in another sense. Are we feeding, within us and others, the dog of today's culture, gradually becoming accustomed to its values and using the terminologies that reflect them? Do we talk about "karma," which is absolutely antithetical to the heart of Christianity? Do we refer to how 'lucky' we were in a particular situation? Do we tell someone for whom we should be praying that we will 'think positive thoughts' of them (which will provide them no help whatsoever)? Do we say we'll 'cross our fingers' or 'knock on wood' (a practice which dates back to idolatry of Gaia, whom many New Agers still believe dwells within the trees)? Do we place our hope in lotteries and other forms of gambling, rather than entrusting our provision to God? Have we become so accustomed to sexual immorality that we just accept it as part of our TV and movie entertainment? Do we listen to secular music (new or old) containing crude, foul, or even idolatrous lyrics because we like 'the beat' or enjoy the nostalgia of remembering the time from which they came?
If so, our frogish souls are in very hot water, and we don't even realize the temperature is increasing. (Sorry for the abrupt change in species.) If we are adapting to our culture, rather than influencing it toward God's Truth, then we are definitely feeding the wrong dog, who will eventually consume us from the inside out.
I say this to myself, as well, as I wrestle daily with how I will spend my time. I enjoy a good mystery, trying to figure out 'who done it,' like my mother before me. In her time, however, they would usually only intimate or imply a death, by showing just the feet on the floor, and then spend the show trying to solve the puzzle of the perpetrator. How much sexual immorality, violence, and perversion have I become accustomed to by watching today's mystery stories? How have I gradually become inured to them? Am I listening to the voice of God who reminds me where the power button is on my remote?
Let us not rationalize any more how often we feed the wrong dog, but rather ask God, Who understands every temptation we face, to help us withstand them. Let's ask His help in remaining sensitive to the direction of His Holy Spirit...in shaping our thoughts, in discerning His Truth, and in determining, day by day, what types of entertainment are acceptable to Him. Which things has He given us to enjoy and which are like eating from that other tree in the garden, which He forbids us to eat because He knows it will destroy us?
****************************************
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Genesis 3:1-6:
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
**************************************************Chaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God; p. 81-82
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Heart and Soul
Remember that song Heart and Soul we played on the piano (at least with one finger) even when we really didn't know how to play (in addition to Chopsticks, that is)? Bum bum bum, budumbudumbudum... Hmmm, wish I could hum it for you.
"Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind....' ". (Matthew 22:37).
"By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth..." (Song of Solomon 3:1)
So what's the difference between loving with your whole heart and loving with your soul? The soul, though difficult to define, is by many considered to consist of our mind, will, and emotions. The western world refers to the heart as the center of one's being, but the Hebrews refer to one's 'gut' or intestinal area as the center. We sometimes talk about 'a gut reaction.' Or, we might say,"What do you feel about this decision 'in your gut?'
Now, my heart might say and feel, 'I love You, Lord!' However, my 'gut' might be afraid to stand up for Him against persecution. My heart might say, 'You're the most important thing in the world to me,' but my soul might say, 'Let's spend the evening watching mindless, or even immoral television..' My heart might humbly say, 'You're the source of every good thing in my life,' but my soul might say, 'How much success and notoriety can I achieve from pursuing this venture?'
So the more I think about the delineation Jesus made between what has been translated 'heart' and 'soul,' the more I begin to get a glimmer of the difference. My willful soul wants to do what it wants to do. It fears the opinion of man, is selfish in how it wants to spend its time, can be prideful and critical of others, and is easily hurt and offended. I think it's time to spend some time in Galatians (and, more importantly, with Him), if I want to love the Lord God with all my soul. I want my soul transformed and directed by His Holy Spirit. I don't want to give Him my heart one minute and then pursue my own willful way the next, finding rationalizations to excuse myself for it.
There's an older praise song many of us sing: "I Give You My Heart...I Give You my soul...I live for You alone...have Your way in me..." I sing it with gusto, and I want it to be so. But while I'm singing it, if I'm honest with myself, I'm aware that it's not really true. He reads and knows me, however (the good, the bad, and the ugly). He knows my soul is still 'under construction.' There is no condemnation from Him, only from the Enemy of my soul. Yet I want to please Him, to make Him happy, to be soul clay, soft enough to mold into a beautiful work of art, no matter how wrinkled the body in which my soul resides. Let it be so, Lover of my soul. Let it be so.
**************************************************
Galatians 1: 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 5:17-26
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under the law.
"Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind....' ". (Matthew 22:37).
"By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth..." (Song of Solomon 3:1)
So what's the difference between loving with your whole heart and loving with your soul? The soul, though difficult to define, is by many considered to consist of our mind, will, and emotions. The western world refers to the heart as the center of one's being, but the Hebrews refer to one's 'gut' or intestinal area as the center. We sometimes talk about 'a gut reaction.' Or, we might say,"What do you feel about this decision 'in your gut?'
Now, my heart might say and feel, 'I love You, Lord!' However, my 'gut' might be afraid to stand up for Him against persecution. My heart might say, 'You're the most important thing in the world to me,' but my soul might say, 'Let's spend the evening watching mindless, or even immoral television..' My heart might humbly say, 'You're the source of every good thing in my life,' but my soul might say, 'How much success and notoriety can I achieve from pursuing this venture?'
So the more I think about the delineation Jesus made between what has been translated 'heart' and 'soul,' the more I begin to get a glimmer of the difference. My willful soul wants to do what it wants to do. It fears the opinion of man, is selfish in how it wants to spend its time, can be prideful and critical of others, and is easily hurt and offended. I think it's time to spend some time in Galatians (and, more importantly, with Him), if I want to love the Lord God with all my soul. I want my soul transformed and directed by His Holy Spirit. I don't want to give Him my heart one minute and then pursue my own willful way the next, finding rationalizations to excuse myself for it.
There's an older praise song many of us sing: "I Give You My Heart...I Give You my soul...I live for You alone...have Your way in me..." I sing it with gusto, and I want it to be so. But while I'm singing it, if I'm honest with myself, I'm aware that it's not really true. He reads and knows me, however (the good, the bad, and the ugly). He knows my soul is still 'under construction.' There is no condemnation from Him, only from the Enemy of my soul. Yet I want to please Him, to make Him happy, to be soul clay, soft enough to mold into a beautiful work of art, no matter how wrinkled the body in which my soul resides. Let it be so, Lover of my soul. Let it be so.
**************************************************
Galatians 1: 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 5:17-26
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited,provoking and envying each other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)