Bending the Bow of Peace

Lately it seems as if I have had a difficult time maintaining my peace. My favorite scripture to quote lately is "great is my peace and undisturbed composure" but I seem to be struggling with the great part. During a recent battle to maintain that peace the Lord answered my cry for help by directing me to a scripture in Joshua Chapter 12 (v.6). The Israelites had conquered the Kings of Og and Sihon and Moses had given their lands to tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.
We know that peace is a weapon in itself - the peace that comes only from God. The enemy tries to send us in circles of anxiety, taunting us to go from one negative thought to another like a whirling dervish, getting ever more frantic as our minds spiral out of control. But, Jesus said 'My peace I give to you' so how do we get that peace and keep it?
When I looked up the meaning of Sihon and Og, I discovered that the name Sihon means 'tempestuous' and the name Og means 'circle or to gyrate', then I knew I was onto something. So the next question is, if we've conquered Sihon & Og, then why am I going in these circles and where is my peace?
The answer is, of course, always in His word. Lets look at the people that possess the land of Og and Sihon: Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. Being a Reubenite has to do with being a son. We conquer the fear and the anxiety by remembering our 'sonship' in Christ. We are all children of the King and rightful heirs to the inheritance that comes through the blood shed on the cross. We have the same authority and power that Jesus does. We need to remember who we are in Christ and the authority given to us; then we need to use it.
The Gadites were fierce, a war-like tribe that would conquer by crowding upon, by attacking and by pressing in. So let's be Gadites and press in to God. Let's not just lay down and let the enemy rule over us but stand up and fight back! Declare who you are in Christ, declare the things that God has done and that God has promised. Speak His word loudly and clearly over your situation - the devil is not going to hang around if you get on your knees and start to worship the Lord. Turn up the music! God inhabits the praises of His people.
And lastly, remember, when the accuser of the brethren comes to remind you of all the things that you should have, could have or already did do wrong rebuke him! Because you have been forgiven. Jesus died for the remission of your sins and He does not speak in condemnation nor does He accuse. Rebuke the enemy and stand on the rock of Jesus Christ and fight back! We have the power, the authority and the knowledge so let's use it. Bend your bow, shoot back at the enemy by pressing in to God. Take back what was stolen, take back your peace, take back your confidence and RULE! It works.
And Jesus said" Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27
Bending my bow in love and peace! Susan

The Waiting Game

Sometimes I think that the Lord's favorite word to me is "wait". It's always spoken very softly, very gently and with lots of love but the reaction it causes in me cannot always be described as such. I am now at the point where I have "waited" long enough that I understand more about the character of God and why He calls us to wait. You know, when we don't understand something God is faithful to open up the eyes of our understanding if we are patient and listen. Most of the time we don't want to do either. Now, when I hear the word "wait" I pause, take a deep breath and say "yes Lord".
Two insights the Lord has been gracious enough to show me have helped me to understand 'the waiting game'. First, Jesus had to wait too. In Luke Chapter 2:46-49 we see a picture of a 12 year old boy who amazed and astonished the great priests of the temple. At that time, Jesus knew that he had work to do, he even told them 'I must be about My Father's business'. Yet, He had to return to the boondocks of Nazareth to WAIT. So, what did He do in Nazareth as He was waiting besides build furniture? First, He was subject to His parents - He stayed within the lines of authority, He was obedient (v. 51). Second, He grew in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God & man (v. 52). I believe that He grew because He was obedient.
The second insight was found in the Old Testament. In Psalm 37 the word 'wait' occurs 3 times. We are told to 'Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (v. 7), then we "shall inherit the earth" (v. 9) and "He will exalt us to inherit the land"(v. 34). That sounds like a direct cause and effect: if we are obedient we will receive the promise. Please note that we don't exalt ourselves but that we allow Him to exalt us.
Waiting is not about sitting around and twiddling our thumbs, it is an active word. In Hebrew it means to twist, to dance, to bind together, to writhe as in the pain of childbirth, to collect and to expect.
In other words, as we 'wait' God twists us more tightly to Him, as we wait He leads us in a dance of celebration of the blessings that He bestows on us, and as we wait He binds His word deep into our hearts. In the waiting there will be painful times as we birth through prayer the new life that He has for us, but too in that birthing, we will collect things along the way, including increased faith, perseverance, and an expectation that comes from the joy of knowing Who God is and how He operates. So, friends, if you're in the waiting game, feeling as if you've been forgotten, be encouraged -you're in good company and remember, it's not about the destination but the journey. Blessings and may His grace shine upon you and give you peace!

Thoughts on Legacy

Legacy is not about what you leave behind but rather what's in front of you. The word legacy is rooted in the Latin word 'lego' - meaning to send, or bequeath. In the Roman army a legate had command over a thousand men. He had a thousand men to send out in battle. So, my question is: "what are we sending to the people around us?" Today as you are making your way through the challenges of life, what will you send to those who intersect your day? Will you bequeath to them a smile, a pat on the back or an encouraging word? Or will it be the isolation of busyness, the reluctance to reach or the fear of being rejected? The Lord has given us an inheritance to tap into today. It is the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came that we would have life more abundantly! He doesn't want us to hide that inheritance but to share it with those around us. Legacy is not about leading everyone to the Lord ... it's about being Jesus. He offered forgiveness and healing before He offered salvation - so can we. That's part of the abundance - we love because He first loved us. Spread some of that love around. When sombody cuts in front of you in line, bless them! It might be the only blessing they receive this week.
Look at your kids and the kind of legacy you're giving them. Maybe you wish you could have done some things differently? Then, look at the future - isn't it worth investing in? Legacy is about walking in authority and taking back territory - it's our right, it's our purpose, it's our privilege and it's about having life more abundantly. Legacy is about refusing to give up. We are positioned to influence those around us whether they are kids, coworkers, friends or strangers. Do some influencing - be a legacy. Don't just leave one.

Every Man's Prayer

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself. ~ Exodus 19:5
Yes, Lord, You have brought me to heights I didn't even know existed - You have cleaned me and redeemed me from my self. You have taught me and loved me and showered me with Your grace; Your longsuffering and Your lovingkindness have wrapped me and surrounded me with a veil of Your mercy and Your goodness. You have taught me how to look afar without losing sight of what is set right in front of me. You have released me into a greater understanding of Your character and brought to life the scriptures that say to seek You with all our heart and we will find You. I have found You! A relentless pursuit of You proved to be my undoing - that finding You means letting go of my self. That the single minded determination to be in Your presence, to keep pushing until I went over the edge - only to fall directly into Your arms. To feel the very breath of Your Spirit cloaking my brokenness in tenderness and love only to bind up the pieces of my broken heart in visions of the joy set before me. That nothing else matters but to be enveloped in Your design for me. To let myself be pressed and molded into a vessel that can be used by You to declare Your glory.
That my shattered dreams offered up to You on the fire of Your sacrifice could bring me such peace knowing that each one was safe in Your nail scarred hands. That you take the dreams of my heart and reweave them into a tapestry that fits like a glove with an open palm to receive Your blessing and is then woven into the lives that surround me. That Your lofty position encompasses my every move, breath and thought yet, You still rejoice over me with singing! You still delight in me despite my failures, my frustrations and my insecurities. You give us such authority but are so understanding when I fail to use it and Your unequaled love washes me clean in the tears of liquid prayers as I bow myself before You once again to whisper, "be it unto me according to Your word."

Give Me My Mountain: Faith vs. Fear

There are 2 ways we can look at the situations unfolding before us today - with the mind of faith or the face of fear. God is taking all of us to a new place, just as He took Abraham and walked him right off of his map and just as He freed the Israelites from the yokes of slavery into the land of promise. On that road to the Promised Land are some pretty scary sights: seas we have to cross, mountains we have to climb, giants we have to fight and desert places where we hunger and thirst for justice.
Let's look at 2 Scriptures that could provide some keys on the map of our future. In the first picture Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they are caught between the Red Sea in front of them and the full force of the Egyptian army behind them - rather like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. This is what they say to Moses: 'Is this not the word we told you in Egypt, saying "Let us alone that we might serve the Egyptians"? For it would've been better for us to serve the Egyptians that we should die in the wilderness' (Exodus 14:12). There are some folks that would rather be slaves than live in the faith and freedom that God has for us. Fear of the unknown, fear of change is worse for some people than the known fear of a whip and unending days of drudgery. This is definitely where the enemy wants us because then we are ineffective in the Kingdom. God wants to redeem us from that pit, He wants to set us free to be able to live in the the life that He has ordained for us to have. He sent Jesus to the cross so that we would not have to live in bondage, yet, because He loves us enough to give us free choice, many people choose the pain of slavery.
Compare this to 80 year old Caleb, who after waiting for 40 years in the desert, says to Joshua "Now therefore give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim (giants) were there and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord has said."
Caleb believes what the Lord has said to him. He's believed it for 40 years; he continues to believe it and now even stands on that word, willing to fight for what he believes in! There may be some strongholds that he has to overcome and some giants he has to slay but he knows that the battle is really the Lords. Are we running from battles that Lord has already won? God never said we wouldn't struggle but He did say 'be strong and courageous for I will never leave you or forsake you" (Joshua 1:9)
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! I will declare it over and over, as many times as are necessary to remind me that I am serving the Lord, not the forces of this world. Remember, the Egyptians were a people who glorified death, who lived in darkness and believed they were 'enlightened'. The Israelites had been in bondage so long that they began to worship the same gods as the Egyptians, forgetting that they were 'set apart' that they were chosen ones called to live differently!
Where will you live? Believing that God will part the seas that are before you and destroy the enemy in the process? Will you claim your mountain believing that the giants will be defeated for the glory of God? Or will you continue to build shrines that glorify death, gathering hay and stubble to make bricks that you leave behind?
As for me? I've waited long enough - give me my mountain!

Right and True

Do you ever feel like you’re standing on shifting sand? Are you reluctant to turn on the news or the computer because the headlines are always screaming ‘fear!’ fear!? The media loves to be the bearer of bad news but there is some good news. In fact, there’s a lot of Good News if we just look in the right place.
Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the Lord is right and all His work is done in truth.”
Right does not just mean correct – in the Hebrew it means ‘straight’, ‘even’, ‘pleasant’, and ‘prosperous’. If we move our feet to stand on the word of the Lord then we know that we are standing in an even place, a pleasant place and one that prospers us.
The Lord’s work is done in truth – all of it, not just part of it. It is not deception nor is it necessary to do it in secret because there is no shame in the work of the Lord. Jesus was transparent with His struggles. He wept, He went off to be alone with the Father and He was moved to compassion. His work is done in truth – in other words it is done in firmness, in security and in fidelity. It is established and trustworthy.
As I pondered this scripture some thoughts came to me. We live in times that are turbulent, tumultuous, and violently shaking but we have been given direction, the knowledge of where we should stand in these unstable times. If we don’t plant ourselves in the ‘right’ place we are in danger of succumbing to the maelstrom of fear that surrounds us. The enemy desperately wants us to take our eyes off of the goal and surrender to the waters of despair that rise with every news cast.
So, my friends, be encouraged that we can go to His word and have the security of knowing that when we stand on the word of the Lord and in His work then we are standing in a place that will build us up and render us firm. We can rest assured that our God understands fidelity, that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He will establish us and that He is able to be trusted. He is a place of permanence --- so go to the Right Hand, go to the Source, go to the One who loves us with an everlasting love!

Egg-citing Egg-plosion - Excerpts from My Stay at Home Mom Time

Yes, another Easter has come and gone and with it lessons learned. It all started when I decided to dye some eggs this year on Easter Sunday. Coloring Easter eggs is an activity that we have not participated in recently but one which I felt would be creative and festive - a chance to connect with my teenage daughter across a table of bright colors, stickers and eggs.
I had prepared my eggs the day before so they would be chilled and ready for the dye bath. We had all our tools assembled, the instructions were consulted and I saw where the pink tablet was not allowed to be mixed with vinegar. Of course, I realized this after I had prepared 4 cups of combined vinegar and water. So after 4 tries of dropping tablets I thought were pink into cups (only to find that they were really orange, yellow and green) I determined that their idea of 'pink' was really gray!
As we began to place the eggs in the dye I suddenly noticed that I had boiled brown eggs. Note to self: brown eggs do not absorb color like white eggs do! My zeal for healthy eggs on the inside resulted in not so pretty dye jobs on the outside. Although, on a positive note, we did come up with some new colors and my neighbor, the hunter, was delighted with his ‘camouflage’ egg!
My daughter was determined to customize one of the eggs with the decorative ‘wrap’ in the kit but was having trouble getting the cellophane sleeve to adhere to the egg. With perseverance, she tried time and again until finally deciding to heat the cup of water in the microwave. Unfortunately, she forgot to remove the egg from the cup. The ensuing ‘boom of destruction’ inside the microwave caused gasps of alarm as the realization sunk in. Yes, we exploded an egg in the microwave – it is not an urban legend – it is the truth! Eggs will explode in the microwave. The destruction was complete. Tiny bits of egg plastered the sides of the oven and a horrible stench greeted us as we opened the door. Ick! My daughter was mortified and I was laughing with the glee only a parent has at such a ridiculous situation. She did not find the same humor in it that I did and actually forbade me from mentioning the incident on Facebook! It took a bit to clean up the mess but fortunately, the cup remained intact and no one was injured.
I know that God has a sense of humor and I was delighted to discover His messages to me in this life lesson. Not everyone sees things the same way we do – my definition of pink might not be the same as your definition of pink and truthfully things have a way of coming out in the wash. And no matter the way things look on the outside, it really matters what’s on the inside. We can dress ourselves up in all sorts of pretty colors but God sees our heart. He knows what’s in it and He’s not fooled by any dye job. And that stuff on the inside? Sooner or later that shell will crack and it’ll be time to peel back and examine what’s inside. Are you hard cooked? Will you explode with the application of eternal heat? Or will you run out of the shell and offer yourself up to the great Creator and let Him decide how to prepare you?
2 Chronicles 6:30 “then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all His ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men).”
1John 3:20 “for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”
Let Him be the author and finisher of your faith – He is, after all the One who created you and He who began a good work in us will carry it to completion! May the power of the resurrection dwell within you! Blessings, Susan