Battling with the Strength of the Lord in the Elah Valley

As the rain poured down outside, we sat in the bus and looked out over the Elah Valley.  To the left, the hill that was occupied by the Philistines. 

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah.  Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.  The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 1 SAMUEL 17:1-3




To the right, the place where Saul and the Israelites would have assembled. And though now dry, the remains of a riverbed with smooth stones.

David, the youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem,  a shepherd boy, had been anointed to be king of Israel by Samuel,

and from that day the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul and a harmful Spirit of the Lord tormented him.  1 SAMUEL 16:13-14

For Saul to be leading this battle knowing that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him must have been particularly difficult. 

For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. 1 SAMUEL 17:16

Trying to lead in our own strength can be so defeating, feeling like we are battling a Giant Philistine, but not getting anywhere. In contrast, the young shepherd, David, who was engaging this giant Philistine with the Spirit of the Lord, and all the experience of protecting his flock, was able to easily defeat the Giant. 

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.  1 SAMUEL 17:45; 47-50

This image of the Giant taking his stand for forty days is powerful! When we're trying and trying, expending a lot of effort with no movement or results, could it be that we're operating without the power of the Lord? 

In these days, the Lord has already poured out his Spirit - the wisdom and strength of the Lord is accessible. Paul writes:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  EPHESIANS 6:12-18

My prayer is that, like David, you and I have a similar display of humble confidence in these times.  And, that we pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers ad requests SO THAT we will fearlessly make know the mystery of the Gospel. 

What battle are your fighting for which we can pray with you? 

That It May Be Well With You

Hearing the voice of the LORD is one thing;
obeying the voice of the LORD is another.  

I've been reading Jeremiah and there is a clear message that the Lord is speaking and the people aren't listening.  He's longing for them to listen.  

The LORD isn't a tyrant of a master, He is a caring shepherd and loving Father who always desires the best for his children.  He wants people to have healthy relationships, meaningful work, abundance in provision, healthy bodies, and to care about their communities and the people in them.  

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat met.  For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.  But this is what I commanded them, saying 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people.  And walk in all the ways I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'  JEREMIAH 7:21-23

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he replied:

“The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  MARK 12:29-31

It was the same command that the LORD had give to the Israelites as they were entering the promised land:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. DEUTERONOMY 6:1-9

The LORD knows that we have temptations and distractions all around. 

He calls us back to focus on His good things, SO THAT it may be well with us. 

Take time to listen, and obey, so that it may be well with you!

All Access Pass

Often in people's prayers I hear: "Lord, send more of your Holy Spirit" or "fill me with more of your Holy Spirit.  

Could it be that we have this backward? 

After Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, He released the Holy Spirit that now lives within the people who believe 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20

Thinking back to Isaiah's vision:  In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  ISAIAH 6:1

If the train of God's robe filled the temple, we can know that God's Holy Spirit fills us in the same way.  The issue isn't that we need God to give us more - rather, we need to loosen the secured places and private spaces that we protect and give God more access to our lives.  

God wants an 

ALL ACCESS PASS

Jesus said that we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our hearts, ALL our minds, ALL our strength and ALL our soul.  We are to give God access to our WHOLE BEING!

So, the next time you desire God to give you more of the Holy Spirit and more answers to your prayers, also consider how much more of YOU God may need to access in order to accomplish what you desire. 

A Rhythm of Work and Rest

Do you rest from work, or work from rest?

I had always thought about rest as a necessary part of recouping from work, but I hadn't really thought about what working from a place of rest might be...

Rest from Work

and 

Work from Rest

God's way is to have a rhythm of Work and Rest. Rest is not merely intended to be solely a means of regenerating from the activity of work; the rest God desires for people is twofold:
1) a time to enjoy the fruit of our labors, and
2) a time set aside to be intentional about enjoying our
    relationship with the creator.

To extend grace, enjoy this day, be present, breathe deeply, show gratitude, live with intention, be fearless and try new things - requires some space... first to be present with God in preparation to be present for others.  

When living in a state of busyness or hurry,
these things are difficult, if not impossible. 

God had liberated his people from slavery in Egypt, and he is tying sabbath rest as freedom from slavery.  
“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.  DEUTERONOMY 5:12-15

I can hear God saying "Come, spend time with me, I rescued you and I love you."  And more than that, by spending time with me, you'll approach your work being mindful of my goodness, regardless of the circumstances.  

Someone once asked, "what is your satisfaction level with God?"  Really???  How satisfied am I with God?  The question really impacted me and continues to years later!  

When we are running from activity to activity, work is pressing, family is pressing, the routines of daily living are pressing, where do we have margin?  What space is available to just be?  To breathe?  To enjoy?  To truly rest!

Sabbath rest isn't another task,

it's an invitation to enjoy!

Our Lord invites us to rest.  We don't have to be slaves to work.  God may be reminding us that anyone who cannot rest from their work is really a slave... that's a new and hard thought!  God rested and demonstrates for us that there is time to enjoy the fruit of our labors.  

Tim Keller writes about three types of rest: 

• Contemplative rest - Prayer and worship are a critical part of Sabbath rest, from any perspective. Regular time for devotion, reading the Scripture, and listening to God forms the basis for inner rest and provides time away from the more exhausting exertions of life.
• Recreational rest - Re-Creation... Find recreation that doesn't exhaust and really refreshes.
• Aesthetic rest - Expose yourself to works of God’s creation that refresh and energize you, and that you find beautiful. This may mean outdoor things. It may mean art—music, drama, and visual art. God looked around at the world he made and said it was good, so aesthetic rest is necessary for participating in God’s Sabbath fully.

My prayer for you is that you find enjoyment in your Sabbath rest that flows into your work!

Let me know how it's going for you...

Absolutely Everyone!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  MATTHEW 7:7-8

Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.  If we take this out of context, there are times we
might wonder if God really does answer prayer.

David writes in Psalm 37:

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,    when they carry out their wicked schemes.  PSALM 37:3-7



Jesus is saying...
ASK, beg, call for, crave, desire, require that God reveal insights about His Kingdom...
SEEK after these insights, searching for the less obvious deeper understanding...
KNOCK, literally rap on God's door, imploring him to share his thoughts and wisdom... 

Jesus is saying that
absolutely everyone
who earnestly asks, seeks, and knocks 

will discover God himself and His wisdom.   

Will everyone receive the answer they are hoping for when asking about their own desires? While we may hope for this, and sometimes conclude that God isn't answering if it doesn't come through just so...  the opportunity is there to gain deeper understanding.

Whenever it's difficult to make sense of circumstances, I look to Jesus.
On the night before his crucifixion, he instructed the disciples: Pray, that you will not fall into temptation.  

Then he moved about a stone's throw away, knelt down and prayed.
     "Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering from me; 
      yet not my will, but yours be done."  LUKE 22:42

We know this prayer was answered.  The cup of suffering was not removed, and yet God's will was done.  Jesus fulfilled the work he came to do.  He fulfilled God's will perfectly.  

It is much easier when God's will aligns with ours, and much more difficult when our desires aren't aligning with what's happening...  

And so I pray:
Good and gracious Lord, your ways are not our ways.  You tell us that we do not have because we have not asked.  Especially when it is difficult, when in times of trouble or tragedy or disaster, may we A.S.K. you first.  May we pray for your wisdom, to see how your will continues to be fulfilled, particularly when the immediate circumstances may not seem that way.  As we pray, may we seek where and how you might call us to be in it.  We give thanks for your longsuffering-patience and your everlasting faithfulness and your love that extends through eternity.  We pray this in Jesus name, AMEN.

The Power of Spoken Words

When praying for someone, with them, I often hear these words: "Thank you for your prayers." 

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 

ROMANS 10:16b-17

When we speak to the Lord of Creation on behalf of someone, something happens.  Words in the Lutheran Liturgy come to mind: "He recalls his promises and leads his people forth in joy."  How powerful it is to have someone express intercede for their burdens, or give thanks for their joy!

It is the Lord who spoke the Word

It is His People who give voice to that Word

When we pray for another, when we speak God's Words of promise, we remind or help others know of His love and faithfulness.  We can't always solve someone else's problems or take their burdens from them, but we can always pray.  

Mother Teresa said: "Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God."

Living in a practice of mission, Jesus style, prayer is our #1 go to conversation.  Jesus lived in an intentional rhythm of prayer.  Paul urges us to: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18  Imagine what God could do if we actually did that!