Though I absolutely love Christmas music, I restrain myself from breaking it out before Thanksgiving. When I give any thought to music at Thanksgiving, my mind immediately goes to the hymn, “We Gather Together.” Well, that, and “Over the River and Through the Woods!”
Thanksgiving Gatherings
As we close in on Thanksgiving 2021, I am mindful of the fact that, for many, Thanksgiving is going to look a bit different this year. Some families have joyously added on in 2021. Others have subtracted. For some, gathering together this Thanksgiving won’t even be an option. And some will be gathering in a completely different location.
Guest List
I don’t know how your Thanksgiving gathering is shaping up this year, but I do know someone who will be delighted to join you, regardless of the setting or time. It doesn’t even matter if the weather cooperates because there is no commute involved! As believers, we have access to God 24/7 through the Holy Spirit living inside us, all thanks to Jesus. Isn’t that a beautiful thing?
Personality Traits
In a sermon series recently concluded by my pastor, we took a deep dive into the character of God. It was based on the following verse:
“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” Exodus 34:6b NIV
By the end of the series, we had the 5 characteristics from this verse memorized.
God is…
Compassionate
Gracious
Slow to Anger
Loyal in Love
Faithful
He’s all that…and in just one verse! Who of us doesn’t need that reminder when life is throwing curveballs our way? If you are old enough to read this, I imagine you’ve already learned that things don’t always go as planned or expected. Are you still waiting on an answer to prayer? Have your hopes been dashed? Your dreams shattered?
The Real King
My small group recently finished watching and discussing a 5-part sermon series by Andy Stanley titled “David”. If you recall, David was known as a man after God’s own heart. In spite of that, David was still a flawed man. He learned some tough lessons throughout his lifetime, but, in his messages, Andy Stanley kept stressing that David never lost his confidence in God. In spite of his position as king of Israel, David never confused himself with THE King. That King is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loyal in love and faithful for starters. Our hope isn’t found in fulfilled dreams or answers to prayers, but rather, in the character of God.
“He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8b CEV
Circumstances change, God does not. He is our Rock, a refuge in times of trouble. In the words of David,
“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. My hope is in you ALL day long.” Psalms 25:1,5 NIV
Though your Thanksgiving celebration may look a bit different this year, the MVP has already RSVP’d. He’ll be there!
Enjoy your gathering, no matter the size or shape…Happy Thanksgiving!
The sermon series for this Advent season at my church is aptly titled, “A Disrupted Christmas.” If you can’t relate to that this year, then you’ve missed a good chance! It seems this global pandemic has turned everyone’s life upside down in one way or another. Nothing is as expected in 2020.
Disrupted Plans
It seems we may have something in common with Mary & Joseph. It wasn’t a pandemic, but rather a couple of angels who disrupted their plans, hopes, and dreams. After Mary and Joseph were engaged, they were busy making wedding plans and dreaming of their future as husband and wife when God sent the angel Gabriel to give Mary a message:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Luke 1:31-33 NLT
When Mary questioned how that was possible for a virgin,
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35 NIV
Gabriel left Mary with one final message:
“For no word from God will ever fail.”
Luke 1:37 NIV
As you can imagine, the news of Mary’s pregnancy didn’t sit well with Joseph. He had decided to break their engagement quietly when he, too, had an encounter with an angel.
“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-21 NLT
Upon waking from his dream, Joseph did as the angel directed and married Mary.
Not As Expected
I have a feeling that this wasn’t quite how Mary & Joseph drew it up when they got engaged. But God had far bigger plans for them than they could have ever imagined. These angelic disruptions, coupled with Mary and Joseph’s obedience, changed not only the course of Mary & Joseph’s life, but also the course of eternity for all who have placed their faith in the Son of God. From the womb to the tomb, Jesus fulfilled His Father’s purpose and saved his people from their sins. Furthermore, His resurrection conquers death. Believers everywhere can look forward to everlasting life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NIV
Because of love, He came for us;
Because of grace, He died;
Because of hope, He gave us life—a living sacrifice.
Jesus truly is the Ultimate Gift—believe and receive.
“Remember the things I have done in
the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”
Isaiah
46:9 NLT
Focus Word and Verse of the Year
At my home church, we are encouraged
to choose a word with an accompanying verse from the Bible at the beginning of
each year. This word and verse are to serve as a battle cry of sorts as we seek
to deepen our faith and keep our focus where it belongs—on Jesus.
The Search Begins
When we flipped our calendars
earlier this month, my thought process was that it would be fitting to choose a
word that had to do with vision in the year 2020. Get it? The search for my
verse and word of the year only seemed to lead to a dead end. Or did it?
I panicked earlier this week when I
realized that January was nearly over and I hadn’t found my word and verse yet.
Was there a deadline? Only in my mind. My husband calls these my “self-imposed”
deadlines. He would know! Surely, I can’t start February without having this
settled.
I Think I Found It…I Think
Just the other night, I found a
potential winner for 2020. And then I lost it! I was using the Bible App on my
phone at bedtime when the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a verse that was at
least somewhat related to vision. I already had it highlighted, so I simply
filed 46:9 away in my brain. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t forget that
because the verse after it is one of my favorites—“Be still and know that I am
God.” (Psalm 46:10) So, the next day I go to take a closer look at that verse
on my iPad and literally couldn’t find it. Psalm 46:9 had nothing to do with
vision. Now what? I stewed about this the whole day and kept checking verses
that I could have confused with Psalm 46:9. But, to no avail. At bedtime that
night, I was on my phone and looked at my recent searches. And there it
was—ISAIAH 46:9. Oops…I was looking in the wrong book of the Bible!
My word for 2020 is REMEMBER.
Apparently, I am deficient in that skill so it seems to be a very appropriate
choice! My verse, Isaiah 46:9, states:
“Remember the things I have done in
the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”
A Lesson That Stuck
The first experience I had in
leading a small group occurred about 15 years ago when my whole church
participated in the “Old Testament Challenge”. I often tell my students or my
small group that you get out of it what you put into it. “It” is either the
class I’m teaching or the study that I’m leading. It’s true! I get way more out
of the studies that I lead than the studies that I am simply a participant.
Why? Because I have to put time into preparing so I don’t look like a fool! So,
I remember (LOL) one lesson in particular from that study that fits nicely with
this verse. But first, allow me to set the stage.
God’s Plan
After 40 years of wandering in the
desert, the Israelites, under the direction of Joshua, were finally ready to
stake their claim to the land God had promised them so long ago. Their first
obstacle was the Jordan River. God, of course, had it all figured out. So, He
had Joshua relay His message to the Israelites regarding what was about to
transpire. The priests would lead the way, carrying the Ark of the Covenant.
When they stepped into the Jordan, the flow of water would be cut off and the
river would stand up like a wall. This would allow the Israelites to pass
through on dry ground while the priests stood in the middle of the Jordan
riverbed with the Ark.
How’s that for a plan? Of all the
ways to get across the Jordan River, I have a feeling that this plan never
crossed your mind. Mine either. Look how my verse for the year ends—“For I
alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.” That explains why this plan
never occurred to us!
It all shook out exactly the way God
said it would. I wonder how many jaws had to be picked off the riverbed as the
people made their way to the other side?
The Story Isn’t Over
Next, the Lord told Joshua to choose
12 men, one from each tribe, and have them take 12 stones from the riverbed
where the priests were standing. They were to carry them out and pile them up
where they would be camping that night. Joshua did as directed and the twelve
men complied. These stones were going to be used to build a memorial. Why do we
have memorials? To REMEMBER!
“Then Joshua said to the Israelites,
“In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you
can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it
dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it
up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth
might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord
your God forever.””
Joshua
4:21-24 NLT
Taking Action
That lesson from the “Old Testament
Challenge” encouraged each of us to choose a “memorial” of our own to serve as
a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past. Our memorial doesn’t have to be
made of stones. The only qualification necessary is that it helps us REMEMBER.
The Point
When the going gets tough, and Jesus
promised that it would, it’s easy to get discouraged. The enemy does whatever
he can to drive a wedge between us and God, remember? You may be feeling
hopeless right now and ready to give up. If you don’t feel that way now, I’m
sure your turn is coming. That is, if you haven’t already had yours. It is at
those times that it is critically important to look back and REMEMBER. Reflect
on who God is and how He has been faithful in the past. Your vision is 20/20
when looking at your life in the rear-view mirror!
“Remember the things I have done in
the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”
The definition of the adjective sovereign is
“possessing supreme or ultimate power”. It is a word often used to describe
God. Stay tuned for more on that.
It has been a difficult week for several people in my circle of influence—two had their jobs eliminated and one is having his lung surgically removed following a cancer diagnosis as I write this. And that’s just a small sample of the difficulties people I care about are currently experiencing! Life is hard at times, isn’t it? That’s what makes the timing of this week’s small group lesson perfect. We are currently studying “40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith” by Laurie Polich Short. In her book, Laurie gleans much meaning from 40 lesser known verses from the Bible and shares it with her readers. They are verses that I’ve probably read a hundred times and skimmed right past. Here is one that particularly caught my attention this week, considering all that was going on around me:
“He asked me, “Son
of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.””
Ezekiel 37:3 NIV
Allow me to provide the backdrop of this verse. The prophet
Ezekiel is standing in a valley full of dry, dead bones and God wants to know
the extent of Ezekiel’s faith. You see, the Israelites were being held captive
in Babylon at the time. Ezekiel prophesied a bright future for them in the
preceding chapter, one where they would be united and strong. No part of that
message seemed possible given their current predicament. It is in this valley
of bones that God reveals a vision of miraculous hope to Ezekiel. The
impossible becomes possible—the bones come to life, representing the bright
future He has for the Israelites.
God often reveals His power to us while we are in the valley of despair. In Laurie’s words, “Our places of despair set the stage for hope.” I have been known to say that God does His best work in the valley. That may not quite be the correct wording. Often, I can look back later from a different vantage point and see the magnitude of His work in me while in the valley. It’s much more noticeable than when I’m standing on top of the mountain. It is also in the valley where we have the opportunity to demonstrate that our faith is real.
Ezekiel’s response to God’s question in Verse 3 has become my battle cry this week as I encounter so many who are hurting. I am at a loss. “Sovereign Lord, you alone know” clears the way for the miracles God has in mind. I imagine, if you’re anything like me, you have an idea for how you would like God to answer your valley prayers (and probably when too!). We limit Him when we ask Him to answer in a specific way and possibly set ourselves up for disappointment in the process. God sees the big picture and by acknowledging His sovereignty, we make room for how He wants to answer our prayers. He’s often up to something much bigger than the prayers we pray.
Let’s open the door and witness the unfolding miracle God
has for us.
