My husband and I sometimes spoke pig Latin when we didn’t want our young children to understand what we were saying. For instance, “After we put the kids to bed let’s eatyay iceyay emecray.” [eat ice cream].
I have always admired Jesus’ gifted communication. Communicating with parables allowed some to clearly understand what He was saying, all the while intending that others would not have a clue. In Matthew 13 the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (verses 10b – 11)
According to Blue Letter Bible, the word parables means “a placing of one thing by the side of another.” Jesus used parables to place something unfamiliar beside something familiar to explain spiritual truths. I love parables because I’m a visual person. I can barely order off a restaurant menu unless it has pictures. Read more
I received a funny birthday card picturing three cartoon cows. There were two lean cows and one fattened cow having a chat. They were standing on their back legs with their front legs (appearing as arms) leaning against the fence. The fattened cow was bragging, “There’s a big party tonight. The master’s lost son has returned home, and he specifically requested for the fattest calf to be there.”₁ If you are familiar with the story of the prodigal son, you know the future of the fattened calf is connected to the firepit that is pictured in the background.
We rented a pontoon for our family gathering. When the anchor was thrown overboard, we realized the anchor was not actually attached to the long rope. The anchor went flying into the deep waters never to be seen again. I’m feeling weary by my sinful heart these days and there is an ongoing need for repentance. Thankfully, God’s promises are not anchored in my righteousness, they are attached to the One who placed them in my heart! God’s promises are anchored in God!
Here are a few points that have greatly encouraged me about David’s story lately!
I personally like the idea of reaping and sowing. That is, when it is working in my favor as opposed to working against me. My winter of laxed exercise and increased carb intake certainly proved this principle to be true in the negative. I like to dig in and work hard at a task or goal relying on the principle that I will reap what I have sown.
My theme verse for my ministry this year is Genesis 26:12a: “And Isaac sowed in the land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.”
I count on this principle working in my favor, yet we are all aware of exceptions: That wicked person who prospers; That person who takes great care of their health, yet their life is wrecked battling disease; The wise person who hits hard times and financially loses it all.
The context of the above verse is very interesting. It immediately follows an incident where Isaac, out of fear for his life, lied that his wife was his sister (just like his father Abram had lied about Sarai).
When Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, catches Isaac and beautiful Rebekah in the act of marital intimacy, the pagan king reprimanded Isaac for his lie which would bring guilt upon them. The irony should not fail us.
The second interesting point concerning the context is that this was during a famine! Yet, God “blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.” Gen. 26:12b
God’s grace is an exception to the principle of reaping and sowing that brings me to my knees! God’s grace catches me in the act and extends what I cannot earn and what I do not deserve.
God’s grace ensures that we get absolutely what we don’t deserve!
I was put on HOLD for an extended time, only to be told by someone who could care less about my need, my insurance did not cover the expense. I hung up feeling infuriated by the experience and the fact that I was responsible for an expense I was certain was covered by my insurance.
My elevated anger burned within me. I felt out of control and concerned I may wrongfully misplace my anger on my family, so I grabbed my keys and purse to flee from my home to allow a few minutes to cool down. I called my husband to let him know everything was fine, I just need a few minutes to get control of my emotions.
The formal attire wedding invitation called for a shopping adventure. As we perused the suits for Steve I glanced over to see he had slipped into a jacket. Oh, my word, he looked AMAZING. I had grown so accustomed to t-shirt and khaki attire, the moment I spotted him in that suit jacket I was mesmerized.
Hand in hand, I led both Naomi and Titus into the hospital lobby. Naomi stopped me immediately inside the door as if she couldn’t take another step without proclaiming what was on her heart. Glancing up at me with her gorgeous blue eyes and thick curly hair, she had something important to tell me. I leaned down to give her my full attention and the words she spoke have lingered in my heart for the last 6 months.
Driving my husband’s pickup truck helps me feel connected to my country roots and it only seems right to haul something in the truck bed. As I approached the malfunctioning traffic light on main street, the traffic safety office signaled my stop. The brakes are much more sensitive than my vehicle and my less than graceful stop caught the officer’s attention. Traffic lights in our community are known for being extra-long, but it felt like I sat forever and a day waiting before he finally waived his baton giving me the signal to make the turn and move on.
Four months of preparations and I could hardly wait for the first session of my bible study to begin. I couldn’t sleep for excitement. I slipped out of bed in the early hours of the morning pleading with God to allow His spirit to work through me in writing homework sessions and crafting messages that would inspire and encourage.
After the first session, I could not believe how quickly my heart connected with the moms. I felt vulnerable at the heightened level of transparency God required of me in sharing my own story. The teary-eyed responses served as painful reminders of the hardships and sacrifices that so often accompany motherhood. The technology required for moms to join in via live video from five states only heightened my nerves.
Six weeks into the project as the study was nearing the end, I was beginning to feel exhausted. I told my husband, “After this class, I’m going to take the rest of the year off from ministry!” Honestly, I think even my husband needed a break. Such level of commitment comes with sacrifices made by our loved ones.
Have you ever felt like giving up due to exhaustion? Maybe you are there now! God even rested from all His work!
And then I read Paul’s words…
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
2 Corinthians 11: 23b – 27
Suddenly, my efforts felt so small in comparison to Paul. Instead of giving up, I enjoyed a much-needed break to refresh and regenerate.
And now I’m asking God, “What next?” God breathed a deeper desire into my heart to serve Him more.
The virgin conception of Jesus was miraculous. But the lack of details given to the actual birth could leave the appearance of ordinary. The eternal Son of God being born as human happened quietly and they laid him in a manger.
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2: 7 (ESV)
