Know God - Know Joy

David knew God. He knew God’s love for him. He knew God’s strength and protection. He knew God’s majesty. He knew God’s silence. He knew God’s rewards. He knew God’s peace. He knew God’s retribution.

All through the Psalms we hear David’s conversations with God … when he is in awe of God’s majesty and when he can’t feel God’s presence; when God brings victory and when the enemy is winning; when there is great sorrow and loss and when the blessings abound; when there is shame and fear of losing the One who has been his hiding place and when there is an unconditional love that engulfs him.

It seems that in all things David encountered, he was always able to circle around to the source of his joy. Knowing God. He knew God in an intimate manner that caused him to connect with Him on all occasions. It strengthened the bond that he did not ever want to lose.

How did David get to know God like that, you might ask. Well, once there was this lion that threatened his life and the life of his sheep and God was there. Then there was this giant that needed to be slain... and God was there. Then a King that David loved and served faithfully put out a contract on his life... and God was there.  And there was a heinous sin in his life ... and still God was there. Looking at the life of David I think it is safe to say that we get to know God a whole lot better when life is rough than when it is smooth sailing.

How is your joy level? Being a mom gives you many opportunities for joy… but what about when the milk is dripping off the table for the third time today, the baby has another ear infection, Tigger is bouncing in and out of the toilet, your checking account is in the red and you are exhausted from trying to keep all the plates spinning and you can’t even remember the last time you had quality time with your husband?

Don’t let the events of the day rob you of your joy. Instead use those lions and giants and crazy kings that threaten to bring you down as an opportunity for you to watch God do what only He can do. Joy for David didn’t disappear when his life was in jeopardy because he had learned from a very young age that God was his Provider. In the midst of the storm that can sucked every ounce of happiness out of your world, God is your Provider. No matter what is going on in your life. He is there and is able to bring comfort and peace if you will let go of your need for control and realize that He’s got this. It’s too big for you anyway. 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I will praise him."

Psalm 28:7

Questions

Recently I taught a class of fourth and fifth grade students who delighted my heart – not because they were studious, compliant and attentive, but because they voiced their doubts and questions. “Everything is created so who created God?” “How can God have no beginning and no ending?” With every question I could respond, “Great question! I have wondered about that, too!”

I love watching their minds begin to process the mysteries that will never be solved this side of heaven. They were each making their list of questions to ask when they get to heaven. To me, that was a beautiful experience because I was able to explain that there are so many things we will not be able to understand because we are human and think like humans. God is far above us and we are not able to think as He thinks or understand His ways. It is in these precious times that faith is born. Hopefully these are just the beginning of questions that they will ponder in life.

Parents, never discourage questions because by asking the questions, their minds are working and they are ready to learn about the faith that will ultimately shove aside the questions and say, “even if I don’t understand the things of God, I am beginning to know God and that relationship is what assures me that I don’t have to understand Him, I just have to follow Him.” As you nurture a healthy faith in your children, make sure that you allow them to ask questions. Being ready to respond to these questions in a healthy manner requires only a few things:

1.      Make God’s Word your source of Truth. It is the foundation upon which a follower of God builds their life and the things that do not align with it will not be tolerated as an acceptable alternative.

2.      Make your relationship with God your classroom. We all learn out of relationship more than we do out of text books.  As you grow closer to God, watching Him work, learning of His love, it will help your heart to accept His ways in a manner that your mind cannot comprehend.

3.      Ask your own questions. Be in relationship with godly people who are seeking Truth and “as iron sharpens iron” help each other to grow and learn and walk more  closely with the Creator, growing as you learn and as you accept the things that are beyond your comprehension.

4.      Tell them your faith story. They are too young to have developed the connection with God that you have had the opportunity to grow in your life. They will love hearing about how you once felt (even if it was yesterday) and how walking with God changed your mind and your heart.

May God bless you immeasurably as you walk the path of God’s choosing with your children’s eyes upon you.

Open your ears to what I am saying,

 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past --

stories we have heard and know, stories our ancestors handed down to us.

 We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did… 

 so the next generation might know them -- even the children not yet born –

that they in turn might teach their children.

So each generation can set its hope anew on God,

 Remembering his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

Psalm 78:1-4, 6-7

New Beginnings

At our house there is no corner where you can look to find perfection. Not because we humbly hide it, but because it doesn’t exist. We do have some good times, some victories, some reasons to feel that we are moving in the right direction, but it seems like more often than not we are seeing our failures and being reminded that we are definitely a work in progress and there is a great need for improvement.

I try not to be discouraged with this failure in my life, but to acknowledge my shortcomings and make every attempt to allow the old to pass away and invite the new to come. Today the clouds have parted and the sun is shining. Trees are budding and birds are singing and the reminder of fresh beginnings gives me hope for my own life.

As I attempt to write this blog today I am surrounded by the squeals of delight from all the little cousins who are so happy to be together over spring break. There are frequent interventions needed because we are learning to share and to be kind. An occasional “time-out” to adjust an attitude and take a break is essential to keeping the peace. These times help me to remember what the Father deals with as He helps me to grow in Him. Time out to adjust my attitude and quiet time to be reminded that I am His child, learning to be kind and share.

As you watch the trees budding and the flowers breaking through the ground, be reminded that your kids are also a work in process and the flaws you see in them are not unlike the ones your Heavenly Father is witnessing in you. Guide them gently and lovingly, just as God is guiding you. Be patient and remember they are His finest creation, blooming beautifully as you nurture them. The story of spring… the story of Easter is about new beginnings…transformation. Be careful not to expect to see  transformation in your children if your Father is not seeing it in you! Set the pace; be their example!

“Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God -- who chose you to be his children -- is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.  He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.  God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.”                    I Peter 1:14-20 (NLT) 

Holy Week at Home

This is Holy Week, commemorating the last week that Jesus walk on this earth as a man before His cruel and undeserved death on the cross. How will you spend it in your home? I am guessing that we will all do our share in the purchasing of the estimated 120 million pounds of candy and then there will be the new clothes and gifts and all that total a whopping 16+ billion that statistics predict.

And we wonder why this nation is wandering for God. We blame the media or the government or the Jones’ with whom we must compete. But who is actually putting those things in your cart? Who is it that talks up the Easter bunny and stands in line forever for a picture with that over-sized ball of fur? I am not judging. I have been there. I just spent the morning cutting out Easter bunny cookies for the grandkids. It isn’t such a problem to live in this culture. The problem arises when the culture lives in you and begins to dictate your actions, your spending habits, and the way you share truth with your kids.

Make sure that this week doesn’t pass without time spent in reflection about the sacrifice Jesus made so that we could be with him forever. Make sure that they know that you love them and would die for them if it would save them…. But it won’t. It is only the death and resurrection of Jesus that guarantees us the promised of the abundant life He promises. The only man without sin actually took on all the sin of humankind so that we don’t have to carry that burden of sin and separation from God. We can have victory in this life because of what happened that first Easter.

Reflect and enjoy the week with Jesus life and death in every dinner conversation. Let them ask hard questions and do you best to answer and it really is okay to tell them that it is sometimes hard for you to understand, too. Learning and grasping God’s gift is a life-long lesson. Learn it with them!

“He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

 All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”                                

2 Corinthians 5:15-21