The Wonders of God

"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you." Joshua 3:5

An interesting thing was about to happen to the children of Israel.  A miracle was about to occur; but before the miracle, the people were required to do something.

They were to sanctify themselves.

"Because this would be a spiritual battle, Joshua required Israel to make spiritual preparations.  Sanctify yourselves means they were to separate themselves from common things to focus on the LORD, and to see that the LORD would do wonders among them." Guzik

Just as God had allowed the children of Israel to walk on dry land through the Red Sea as Moses held up his rod, God was going to allow the children of Israel to walk on dry land through the Jordan River as soon as the soles of the priests' feet rested in the waters.

Sanctification =The Wonders of God.

I think we miss a lot of the wonders of God because we are not looking in the right direction, (Joshua 3:3) when we have unconfessed sin in our lives or when we have worldly dust clinging to our clothing. 

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27"

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I would like to see Christians, not kept in a glass case away from trial and temptation, but yet covered with an invisible shield, so that, wherever he went, he would be guarded and protected from the evil influences that are in the world in almost every place."

If I want to see the wonders of God in my life...

    I must separate myself from the world and worldly things...

        And it will be worth it...

            But that's just me!

"The glory of God always comes at the sacrifice of self."

A.W. Tozer

        

Do I Glow?

"But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him." Exodus 34:34-35

"The face of Moses shone because he had long looked upon the face of God." Spurgeon

I love this account!  The first thing I thought of when I read these two verses today was that Moses removed his vail when he spoke with God.  I'm reminded of the Hymn, 'Nothing Between my soul and My Saviour!'

God sees us for who we are. Nothing is hidden from Him.  Moses had a personal, intimate relationship with God, and Moses removed all barriers.

When I commune with God, I don't want anything between Him and me either.  Have I confessed my sin? Am I trying to hide myself from him?

After Moses communed with God, his face radiated with the glory of God!

There is something about being in the presence of God Almighty that will change you!

Do people know when I've spent time with my Lord?

After reading this account I immediately thought of the birth announcement of Jesus!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke 2:8-14

Did you see it?  When the angel of the Lord proclaimed his message, 'the glory of the Lord shone round about them." And if the glorious light of God's glory shone because of one angel's presence, can you imagine the light surrounding the multitude of the heavenly host as they praised God?!

When you are in the presence of God, you will reflect His glory!

When you have spent time with the Lord in prayer and bible reading, you will reflect His glory!  You will GLOW!

And what about the transfiguration in Luke 9:29 -31?

"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."

I bet that was a sight to behold!

Is my light still shining...

    or do I need to replace my light bulb with extra prayer and bible reading?

        But that's just me!

A Lighter Load

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Words of Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30

I spent most of my day yesterday sorting through boxes and totes that have taken up residence on the basement shelves for years.  It was time to see what was actually stuffed into those boxes and decide whether or not to keep an item, donate an item or put it in the trash.  By the end of the day, I had purged a lot of unnecessary items. My little house seemed lighter when I finished.

My soul feels lighter when I give my unnecessary burdens over to the Lord as well.

Funny how the cares of the world and the demands of others weigh us down.  But it turns tragic when we try to carry the weight by ourselves. But then the Lord comes along and whispers to our hearts and says, "Let me carry that, I've got this!"

Psalm 68:19 reminded me today, that there are two different kinds of loads:

1- Burdens, and

2-Benefits.

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."

Jesus bears our burdens and blesses us with benefits! 

When I give the Lord what I was never meant to carry, my day has a new outlook.  Unnecessary burdens shift shoulders.  

An unnecessary weight is lifted.

Today I choose to give Him my burden...

    And I choose to accept His benefits..

        He carries, I rest...

            But that's just me!

Gratitude Produces Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving traces its origins to a 1621 harvest feast shared by Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag people, but it wasn't made a national holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November a day of thanksgiving.  Congress officially established the fourth Thursday of November as the legal federal holiday in 1941. (AI Overview)

Every year on Thanksgiving, I reflect on Thanksgivings past.  Every year it was a huge celebration with grandparents, parents, sisters and my brother, aunts and uncles and cousins.  The house was not only full of people, but the tables held a plethora of assorted meats, vegetables, fruits and desserts and the edges of the plates touched, leaving no space for one more thing! Voices allowed no room for silence.  Games littered the living room floor. Picture albums were set out on the coffee tables. The smell of coffee almost covered the aroma of the turkey. My childhood was blessed.

Today there will be empty chairs at the table that represented loved ones who have gone on to meet the Lord.  My house will not be as full as times past, but the presence of some family and friends will make this day festive.  There will still be lots of food, laughter and conversations.  Smiles, hugs, and yes, even a little indigestion.  LOL

The Lord continues to bless.

During our midweek bible study, Pastor Josh Fryman reminded us of something.  It's based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18. "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

He also defined the difference between Gratitude and Thanksgiving.  Gratitude is being thankful, but Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks.  It's our prayer expressing gratitude.  

If you want to be obedient to Christ, praise Him!

If you want to know the will of God concerning you, Praise Him!

If you want to have a happy heart, Praise Him!

Our Lord is worthy to be praised...

    Not just on one Thursday of the year...

        But every day!

               But that's just me!

"God doesn't want us to just feel gratitude, but for us to show it by giving thanks to God with our lives."

R.C. Sproul

Come On In!

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality." Romans 12:13

My husband and I had lived in Military Base Housing for twenty years when we decided it was time to buy our first home. We were so excited!  We began driving around our small town to look at houses that were up for sale and began to pray, asking the Lord which one He would want us to have. Every time we drove around town, we would drive by this one tiny house.  It was a neglected house; one used as a Rental property and had been on the market for over a year.  When a house is on the market for that length of time, it's easy to wonder, 'What is wrong with this house?'  But the more times we drove by this old house, we were beginning to wonder if this house had been on the market this long because it was the house the Lord had chosen for us.  We decided to contact the Realtor and take a look inside.  We were right.  It was old, damaged, outdated and needed a lot of work, but as we walked around from room to room, my husband and I just looked at each other and new:  The Lord wants us here!  

The day of signing, we promised God that we would repair and take care of this dilapidated house and use it for His honor and glory.

The other night we were privileged to host the Singles Bible Study group in our home.  As each young person walked into our home, my heart smiled.  We've kept that promise to the Lord, to use what He has given to us for others throughout the years. (It really belongs to Him anyway!)

There are many examples in the bible of those who have opened their homes for bible studies, for the ministering of the saints, or for just a simple refuge in a time of need.

There is the widow in Zarephath who ministered to Elijah in 1 Kings 17:9.

Lydia in Acts 16:15.

Priscilla and Aquila who expounded the word of God to Apollos in Acts 18:26.

Even the converted jailer brought Paul and Silas into his home in Acts 16:34, and this is just to name a few.

Hospitality can be misunderstood...

    it's not about elaborate meals, or a perfect home...

        It's about inviting someone inside, whose been left outside...

            And letting them know that you care...

                But that's just me!

            

The Worth of a Widow's Mite

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

Mark 12:41-44

I love this account of the widow woman.  It's a true story, not a parable. Jesus witnessed this widow give all she had, and he decided to share what He saw with His disciples to teach them a valuable lesson.

It's interesting to note that Jesus 'beheld how' the people had cast in their money into the treasury.  Jesus knows the motive behind our giving.  Is it mechanical? Exactly ten percent? Do I really sacrifice anything at all when I give monetarily?  Am I giving from a cheerful heart?

The rich gave much, there is no doubt about that.  Had it become routine for them? Was there prayer behind their giving? 

"This is for You, Lord."

Then along came a widow woman.  What a contrast in the amount that was put into the treasury and what a contrast between the hearts of those who gave.  The wealthy gave large amounts of gold, silver, copper and bronze coins, and this poor widow woman gave two lepta.  A lepton was the smallest bronze Jewish coin in circulation in Palestine. Two lepta were worth 1/64 of a Roman denarius, a day's wage for the laborer.  In other words, what the widow woman gave, was a fraction of a penny, and yet in the sight of Jesus it was worth more than all the gold and silver coins given by the rich.

The rich gave out of their material wealth at little cost to them, but this woman gave out of her poverty.

She gave all she had to live on, and by doing this she gave sacrificially to God knowing that He would provide for her every need. She knew the principle of 'give and it shall be given unto you.'

This widow woman not only gave what she had materially, but in faith, she gave her heart as well.

She gave...

    because she needed...

        But that's just me!

A Walk in the Park

"Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears." 2 Samuel 7:22

Because of the unseasonably warm Fall weather, my husband and I and our little dog, Grace, have been hiking the trails at our State Park.  Just the other day, as we were walking through the leaf-strewn paths, breathing the fresh, crisp, clean air, and watching wildlife busily scampering about preparing for the Winter, we stood in Awe of our Creator.  Seeing the beauty in Nature and watching God's Critters all throughout the wooded area of this park, we were simply amazed! In all of Creation, God has a purpose and a perfect plan.  He takes care of even the tiniest, minute detail.  Greenery, foliage, and even the empty beehive with its remaining decomposing honeycomb will serve a purpose to provide for the animals during the Winter. The fallen leaves, and the bark on the tree, will all serve a purpose to make this wooded area a masterpiece when Spring arrives. The berries left on the bushes, and the grubs within the branches and pines make delicious food for the remaining birds and woodpeckers. Our hearts were full just looking at the wonder all around us.

Our God is a Magnificent, Marvelous Creator.  Trying to come up with words to describe our God leaves me wordless.  Can anything really describe our God?  In church last night, we sang the hymn, How Great Thou Art by Carl Boberg.  As I sang the words, I began to see my Creator, My Saviour, God and LORD.

"Carl Boberg wrote this hymn in 1886.  He was a Swedish Pastor, and while visiting a beautiful country estate, he was caught in a sudden thunderstorm. The awesome and violent lightning and thunder quickly ended, leaving clear and brilliant sunshine and calm, sweet singing of the birds in the trees.  Falling on his knees in awe and adoration of Almighty God, He wrote How Great Thou Art." (Amazing Grace, Kenneth W. Osbeck) 

"O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy pow'r thruout the universe displayed!

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in-That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adorations and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Chorus: Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee; how great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee; how great thou art, how great Thou art!"

I encourage you to go and take a walk outside today...

    Take a good look around you...

        You will see your Creator God...

            Everywhere you look!

                But that's just me!

"I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." Psalm 145:1-3