Enjoying the Presence of God

Lately I've been so much more grateful than usual for the presence of God.

The song "Emmanuel" came out of a special quiet time with God while reading 2 Corinthians 4 at the piano one day.  Emmanuel means "God with us" and is often used in Scripture as a declaration of the omnipresence of God, specifically during times of distress.

Since writing and sharing the song, the times in my life that I've needed to be reminded of this truth (that God is with me) has been magnified.  What a blessing it has been to hear the words of the Lord, spoken through my own mouth, to comfort me and convict me when I need them most.

In the last couple of days, I've been constantly reminded of the presence of God.  Reminded that He sees, hears, and knows me.

......my joy.

.....my pain.

.....my thoughts.

.....my good and bad.

.....my coming and going.

Nothing escapes Him.

Creepy?  No.

Necessary.

If I don't have God to be accountable to, I'm a lost cause.  His Spirit keeps me in line: convicting me and comforting me when I'm attentive to Him.  Best part?  Every situation works out when I am attentive to Him - whether it started out good or bad.

I've never heard this song before, or of this singer, but I really enjoyed the reminder of God's presence in my life, in our lives, as I listened to it.  I hope you are encouraged by this truth today - that God is with you - and that with Him we truly can have peace.

"Your Presence Is Heaven" by Israel & New Breed - Lyrics

Who is like You Lord in all the earth?

Matchless love and beauty, endless worth

Nothing in this world can satisfy

'Cause Jesus You're the cup that won't run dry

Your presence is heaven to me

Your presence is heaven to me

Treasure of my heart and of my soul

In my weakness You are merciful

Redeemer of my past and present wrongs

Holder of my future days to come

Your presence is heaven to me

Your presence is heaven to me

Heaven to me, God

Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus

Your presence is heaven to me

All my days on earth I will await

The moment that I see You face to face

Nothing in this world can satisfy

'Cause Jesus You're the cup that won't run dry

'Cause Jesus You're the cup that won't run dry

You never run dry

Your presence is heaven to me

Lord, Your presence is heaven to me

New Year - New Adventure

Welcome to the new year! It's a little late coming, so forgive me, but if you know me personally, you know my year has been a delightful new adventure!

A couple days before my birthday, I got engaged to an amazing friend and partner in the Kingdom of God.  We are working out details for a wedding, but getting to know each other better is our top goal right now as we pray about those details.

New adventures always bring more dynamic and thrilling views, along with the harder paths and rockier terrain.  I choose the hard stuff for the good stuff, and that's where I've been most blessed.  What about you?

If you've chosen a road less traveled, let me encourage you today... don't give up on the things you love because of the effort it takes to get them.  This is as true in any relationship as it is in a life-goal: hard times come, but the reward is worth it.

Hang in there and keep pressing forward!

Encouragement from Scripture...

Galations 6:9
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Philippians 3:14
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

The New Leg of Our Journey: Crystal Laine

For anyone that has read my blogs throughout the years, you may not know that my writing extends beyond this website.  I have been writing music and lyrics for over ten years now, and praying for every line to be used in some way.  For an artist, to reveal artwork is a huge risk, because we make ourselves vulnerable to the world's interpretation of it in addition to our intention behind it.   At the same time, this risk is what makes artwork so beautiful and vibrant:  every perspective brings a new light to the artwork.

Without "too much, too soon," I'll share with you that I've ventured into this new journey with you of singing and songwriting.  I specifically titled this post as "Our" instead of "My" because - without a doubt - no artist does it alone.  This is so much more than "all about me".  There are countless people that fall into the category of musician, producer, encourager, promoter, listener, and prayer partner (to name a few).  All play a pivotal role in ensuring a message reaches the ears, eyes, and hearts of people worldwide and throughout the generations to come.

In the next few months, I'll be working with some local musicians (including Phillip Gonzales) and distant musicians (including my cousin, Zack Leffew) to polish and record songs.  I need your help in these ways:

• Pray - For me, every administrative aspect of this dream's goal, people to be blessed by it, and for the people who *get* to deal with me ;)
• Write - Send me a note to encourage me, ask specific questions about the music, or to let me know of the best calorie-free chocolate recipe you can find
• Share - With your friends, family, online community, the doorman, the taxicab driver, and the neighbor's pets (to name a few)

Below I have just a couple links to my new social media sites where people can "follow" or "like".  Please pass them on, have no shame in sharing, and help me stay accountable on this journey.  I'm excited.  I'm challenged to new levels.  I think you will like taking this trip with me.  ;)

Facebook | CrystalLaineSings

Twitter | @CrystalLaine28

One final note: don't give up on dreams God has placed in your heart.  Trust Him and His timing, walk closely with Him even when you don't see fruition, and enjoy His presence every step of the way.

Soli Deo Gloria

Pass it on! :-)

Love Comes to You

My analytical mind gets so overloaded with details sometimes that it's so hard to sift out the facts that are needed versus he facts that are not. On the day I'm writing this, I'm reminded of the truth that whatever debris is swirling around inside of my mind, I can depend on the truth that God is constant. He's the anchor in the storm, He's the unshifting rock I can rest on. 

There's a song that Kari Jobe sings called "Love Came Down" and I'm going to share the lyrics here because of their powerful truth that I am focusing on today: though I may be overwhelmed, I will trust in Him still, because his Love comes down to rescue me every time. 

Like waves on the shore, God's love consistently flows to us.

If my heart is overwhelmed, and I cannot hear Your voice 

I hold on to what is true, though I cannot see 

If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep 

I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe 

I'll remind myself of all that You've done 

And the life I have because of Your son 

Love came down and rescued me 

Love came down and set me free 

I am Yours 

Lord, I'm forever Yours 

Mountains high or valley low 

I sing out and remind my soul 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

When my heart is filled with hope: every promise comes my way 

When I feel Your hands of grace rest upon me 

Staying desperate for You, God; staying humble at Your feet 

I will lift these hands in praise, I will believe 

I'll remind myself of all that You've done 

And the life I have because of Your son 

Love came down and rescued me 

Love came down and set me free 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

Mountains high or valley low 

I sing out and remind my soul 

I am Yours 

I am forever Yours 

Finding Opportunity in Boundaries

Several weeks ago I had the chance to visit a friend of mine.  We try to get together every few months and it's a fabulous time of reciprocal encouragement.  My friend, Phyllis, just recently was told by her doctors to switch to a new diet to see if it is beneficial for her.

In despair, Phyllis told me about this new diet restriction.  She lived most of her life in the Midwest as a farmer's wife, working hard to till the land, plant seed, cultivate, and harvest.  She knows mashed potatoes and fried chicken like breathing.  She knows all the goodness of a fresh apple pie and the buttery delight of warm biscuits and gravy.  But she's been told "no" to all of that.

Even with the food changes being made in this generation, change is never easy.  I understood Phyllis' frustration and yet I had to believe there was a better opportunity in this new diet challenge.  As we sat there, Phyllis showed me her list of ingredients that were "safe" and that she could eat on her new eating plan.  We concocted a recipe and went to the kitchen to start making it.

An inviting aroma wafted through the small kitchen as we started to cook the vegetables.  We talked about new ideas for recipe's that could be made with these same ingredients and we laughed at, truly, the opportunities that are revealed within this dietary restriction.

You see, if Phyllis had never been told to limit herself of what was comfortable, she never would have come up with these new ideas.  She never would have found out that she actually liked other things.

 

Often, God does this for us, doesn't He?  He takes us from what we know, what we're comfortable with, and He closes that door of opportunity.  We respond with frustration, usually; heartbroken at the reality that He has removed something we loved so much from our life.

What if....

What if He was actually cutting out those things that were toxic to us, that we could not tell were toxic??

What if He was actually moving us to a place where we could see an abundance of blessing that we have been missing all along??

Do you see where I'm going with this?  Let's take a new approach.  Let's purposefully look for the God-viewpoint and stay in that place.  It may mean coming across as insensitive at times, but done in love, it can be a gift second only to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let's explore the boundaries that God has given us with fresh excitement: He's not through with lavishing His love on us yet!

Finding a Little Bit of Light

I've got some family friends that travel every so often and ask me to house and dog-sit for them.  They live about an hour away from where my home is, so I make it into my own little retreat and look forward to the time with their tiny Yorkie's.

As I fall asleep at night, silky fur snuggled around me, I can look up and see a skylight in the roof of the adjoining bathroom.  It's a small one - maybe one foot across - but it lets in a good amount of moonlight for it's size.

Earlier in the night, though, I was taking care of things around the house, and I couldn't tell that any light was coming through at all.  Of course, the lights in the house were on, so there was not enough contrast to tell.  But when the lights were out, that moonlight glowed enough to not turn on anything else, and still see where I was going.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark spot.  We don't really like to be there.  We usually pray, begging God to bring us into the light, as we should!  But so often, we get discouraged or downcast in the the darkness.

Let me encourage you today: look for the skylight.  Look for that shimmer in the darkness and ask God to let your eyes adjust a little.  God will never abandon you, but sometimes our sense of fear is heightened in those dark times.  Let Him show you things with that little shimmer - just enough to get you through until morning.

There's a sunrise coming.

How to Win Every Day

Several months ago I had the privilege of talking with my friend who struggles greatly with a painful (and sometimes debilitating) illness.  She shared several creative ideas God gave her for raising her (now grown) children despite her illness, but one of them made me smile big!

"Crystal," she said, "every morning, I would sit down at the piano, and we would sing praise songs.  That way, if we got nothing else done that day, we would at least praise God."

What wisdom!

Over and over and over again, we are told in scripture to praise the Lord!  It matters not if you wake up and play a piano, play a song on your mp3 player, or make up a praise song of your own. What matters is this: that you praise God.

Praise can take on a lot of different forms (and that is an entirely different topic), but know this: when you start your day out praising God, placing Him as leader of your life, you win.  Immediately, you win.  You've put up a sign on your heart that says, "God is worth praise today, despite everything I lack."

Soon after my conversation with my sweet friend, I heard the song "You Are Good", sung by Kari Jobe on Gateway Worship's album Wake Up the World.  With lyrics like "Everyday I'll awaken my praise and pour out a song from my heart", I recommend this one for any morning routine.

Winning starts now.  Are you ready?

If you'd like more information on the benefits of praise, in great detail with scriptural references, I recommend this article by Watchman Nee.

**Leave me a comment below with your favorite praise song!**

Transformation (Scripture Notes: Psalm 30)

“Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” 

-Psalm 30:4-5 (NLT)

I find it refreshing to know that, while God has a time for everything, He gives little of it to anger and weeping. Rather, He dwells on the good: favor and joy. Favor for a lifetime and joy in the morning.

Notice that He doesn't promise to shelter us from His anger or from the weeping that this world brings, but He does bring favor and joy that far outlast the time spent in anger or weeping. And not only that, but He transforms us by the bad into something good. His anger becomes the action that leads to Him disciplining us because He loves us. Our weeping and mourning become joyful dancing.

Why does He do this?

So that, out of our great thankfulness, we will finally see a bigger piece of His great love for us.

vs. 11-12
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

Bloom Where Planted (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 05)

I was driving a friend to dinner one night and happened to have a conversation with her over the phrase “bloom where you are planted”.  You may have grown up with the phrase, like I did, but she is from a different country and was unfamiliar with the phrase. 

“Bloom where you are planted. Basically, it means to grow wherever God puts you. You know, like a flower blooms in the soil.”

Then, my friend made a very valid statement, “But sometimes, the flower dies.”

Ah, yes.  Sometimes the flower dies.  Sometimes the plant withers and the heart breaks.  Sometimes the dream is turned to dust.  Sometimes the walls are destroyed.  Let me be a little vulnerable here: sometimes I don’t bloom.  Sometimes my dreams are crushed and sometimes my walls are destroyed.  Sometimes, all the work of my lifetime that I have put into a task or a project is looked over and I’m left wondering, “What is left?”

Well, a fragment.  Fragments are left.  Nehemiah’s city was fragmented.  And what did he do with the vision God placed in his heart?  Nehemiah led his fellow countrymen (and women!) into a strategic plan to rebuild what was fragmented.  The key to their success was to take what was in front of them and build it up based on the threats that were specific to their part of the wall.  Each person was responsible for a little part, and their little part, in turn, helped fortify the whole city.

God has a vision for rebuilding us, too.  When you or I find ourselves left with pieces of a fragmented dream, or even a reality that went badly wrong, God will step in to redeem these fragmented pieces and build something even greater out of them, if we let Him. 

Garden of Gethsemane, Israel
May 2012

You see, sometimes the flower dies, but sometimes it only dies for a season.  Sometimes it just needs to be replanted into richer soil (like when you lose a job and are relocated), fertilized with the right nutrients (like when you become sick and have to cleanse your body of the sickness), watered (like when you are simply drained from life and need to take time to rest and recuperate), or placed in the right light (like when you have a bad day that helps you see a different perspective). 

Chapter 3 of Nehemiah shows us that God’s plan for our success involves not just where we’re at, but it is also about taking advantage of the other resources He has given us in this place.  Also, we learn that no success is found alone – there are always people surrounding us and God directing us.  As in blooming, I may be the best gardener ever, but God alone sees that the seed opens and life comes forth.

Blooming is not easy.  Blooming requires lots of growth, lots of change, lots of waiting, and lots of weather changes.  But this process also develops strength and beauty that cannot be found in a closed seed sitting in soil. 

Dare to pick up the pieces of what is left.  Dare to go to God with a fragment and work with Him as He rebuilds what has been broken and lost in your life.  Dare to bloom where you have been planted.

Questions for Reflection

• What things in your life have been shattered (seemingly) beyond repair?
• Can you see where God has had a divine purpose in allowing these things to happen?
• How might God use your broken walls to draw people closer together? How might God use your broken walls to draw people to Him?  What makes the difference in bringing people together and bringing people to Him?
• Are you willing to let God restore what has been lost in your life?
• What is holding you back from daring to live a life of Christ-honoring influence in the place God has planted you?

Scripture Notes: Psalm 34 (Benefit of the Broken Heart)

“The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” -Psalm 34:17-18 (NLT)

There have been times of deep brokenness in my life that have led me to seek Scripture for a taste of hope. Psalm 34 gives lots of hope for a hurting person. I ran across this chapter in my Bible and saw a note from a few years ago I had written in the margin…

I have been rescued and restored so many times. I am a testimony to the Lord’s constant presence. So is the heartache a bad thing, really? Would I have known the Lord with this depth without a broken heart?

The broken heart is worth it for that depth.

That old phrase “whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger” rings true here in the context of God’s response to the calamity. If He has called us to a challenge, He either has already equipped us or will equip us soon to get through that challenge. From my own experience, every time we face these broken places in our lives by clinging to God and finding shelter in His presence, we know Him deeper.

Consider this: how well do you know a person’s clothing?  You see them from far off and they have on a blue shirt, but the closer you get, you see the blue shirt is actually a white shirt with blue pinstripes. Upon closer inspection, you see that the pinstripes aren't even solid lines, but rather, broken stitches in a line.

This is how it is with God.

We see Him better when we get closer to Him. And sometimes, getting closer only happens when we are clinging desperately to Him for help, guidance, or strength in our broken state.

The broken heart is worth it for that.

From my friends at Second Chance Upscale Resale

Solid Ground amidst a Shifting World (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 04)

Wait. 

Wait wait wait wait wait…..!  Ugh!

Many of us struggled with this part of Lesson 04 of the Nehemiah study.  We share a passion to see things done effectively and efficiently in our world while still keeping a perspective of how things are affecting those around us.  But to tell us to wait?  Haven’t we waited long enough? 

Often, I find myself in the same boat as these amazing women: filled with a vision of destiny and yet so very limited by my “here and now” circumstances.  You may liken it to a paraplegic who was once an amazing athlete or a person in the throes of the aging cycle who used to be so independent.  Waiting can feel like a trap.  And acting on a whim can feel like the solution. 

But a whim fails.  Sure, sometimes you pull it off without a hitch and internally wonder “how on earth did I make that happen??” Most times, though, the whim is an immature response to our fear of the wait. 

What a great encouragement Nehemiah’s example was, then!  He waited in prayer before he spoke to the king, he waited in inspection of the city’s status, and he waited in sharing the king’s approval of his mission (Nehemiah 2:20).  Likewise, we can have freedom from lies that tell us we have to rush forward when we remember that restraint is not a bad thing.  Waiting helps us to see a different perspective while God works out the details. 

• Details like officers and horsemen to protect you.  Nehemiah did not ask for them, but the King provided them anyways.  Earlier, Ezra needed them as well, but was ashamed to ask for them (See Ezra 8:22).  Despite Ezra’s shame and Nehemiah’s lack of shame, God provided.  God does not need us to come to Him with all our shame, but He does not turn away from us when we bring it to Him either.  In both circumstances, He provides exactly what we need.  And so we can confidently wait on Him. 

• Details like opposition that is already in place.  Nehemiah likely knew of Ezra’s opposition when he tried to rebuild the wall years earlier, but he had no way of knowing what was to come.  Sanballat and Tobiah proved to be deeply threatened by Nehemiah’s attempts to rebuild the wall.  Nehemiah needed the confidence that God had sent him, not the king.  As the footnotes in my Bible read, “Knowing that God is behind your task is the best incentive to move ahead in the face of opposition.” Certainly Nehemiah’s preparation for this task showed that God was behind Him.  God will show us too, when we seek Him.  And we can confidently wait on Him for this also.

Sanballat and Tobiah were city officials, probably similar to mayors or governors as we know leadership today.  If the city was rebuilt, Sanballat and Tobiah would receive less money in taxes, which would be reason enough to be threatened by the welfare of the city and its people.  Even more threatening was the knowledge that the rebuilding of Jerusalem threatened their entire position of power.  Think about it – would you be more threatened by a decrease in pay or a possibility your job was going to be eliminated? 

Their response makes sense from a worldly perspective.  In order to survive in our world, we often find this threat creeping into our lives.  It may come in the form of competition in our workplace, jealousy in a circle of friends, or a broken economy.  Why?  Because the root of the problem is not work, not jealousy, and not opportunity! The root of our entire issue with waiting is security. 

We desperately want something true and solid to stand on in life, so we look to jobs, property, relationships, or wealth.  Every single time we are disappointed in the long run.  Everything we use to try and stand on aside from God’s truth fails us.  And I would challenge you with this today: it was made to do so!  Do you get that?  Our world was designed to collapse so that we would land on the one thing that does not shift for all eternity: God.  (See Hebrews 12:27)

All this from learning about Nehemiah’s wisdom in waiting… wow!  It’s hard to imagine how nearly 2,500 years ago there was a man living in a world so dramatically different than ours, and yet we can relate so intensely to his story!  That’s the thing: it’s not about Nehemiah’s story.  It’s about God’s thread through history.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and His truth applies to every generation.  Including ours! 

Jerusalem at Sunrise, May 2012

Questions for Reflection

• Nehemiah’s waiting makes me wonder: what caused him to wait?  What life experiences caused him to stop and consider things before he acted on them? What life experiences have charged you to wait before you act on, or react to, something?
• What things do you find yourself turning to when life gets tough?  Does this thing have a possibility of failing you?  How would you react if even that one thing crumbled?
• What are some active ways you can choose to wait on God and seek Him for your confidence instead of other forms of pseudo-security?
• Do you get annoyed or frustrated when you see insecurity in others?  Take time to pray for the people you know who are struggling with a very obvious form of insecurity. 
• What vision have you had for your life that you are still waiting on God for?  Has He given you any direction to act on that vision?  Do you ever fear acting on something God tells you to act on for fear of not being able to tell what the result will be?  Pray for God to give you confidence to step out when He gives you a vision.

God Knows Your Need

I needed an escape.  

I needed to feel the wind in my hair and feel free from the stress of the world.  Just for an afternoon.  Just for a little while.  I just needed an escape.

So I grabbed my headphones (after a frustratingly long search), hopped on my bike, and headed out for an adventure.  I had some ideas of where I could go but I just knew I needed to ride.  I planned to bike to a friend’s house and just decompress there for a few minutes.  I didn't hear back from my friend in time to make the turn to her house, though, so I sat at the intersection for a moment, trying to decide on my course of action. 

I could take the risky road – the one I hadn't biked before – and see what new places I could find.  Or, I could turn around and go back from the direction I came.  I needed an escape.  Adventure. I took the new road.

In my defense, I have driven this road often, but I had never biked this road.  I could tell you major landmarks, but I could not tell you details about the shops that lined it or the sights that surrounded it.  I needed to see a different perspective.  While praying for protection and direction, I was also praying for God to speak to my soul this day.  Lord, I desperately need You right now to show me things I would not normally see.

Butterflies and wildflowers lined my trail - there were so many
butterflies that I was afraid I was going to run over them as I
breezed past them! But what a beautiful sight - the fluttering
white all around me!  

That day, I had the best bike ride I have had in a long time.  I took the time to get off my bike and bend down close to the flowers, to notice the little details of the path, to explore shops and diners I had never known were so close to home.  I found a park! I drank a fruit smoothie.  I took pictures of the water. I joked with the fishermen on the bridge.  This was “me”.  This is me. 

Most importantly from that day, God whispered into my heart life. This was the "life" I needed to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.

Let’s face it: there are some people in life that speak to you in a way that nobody else can.  These people know how to speak love and truth to you, and you can receive it knowing you’re safe with them.  Their words may sting but they do not cut.  Their presence may compel, but it does not overwhelm. 

This is how God spoke to me that day: 

as the One who knows me. 

My stresses.

My heartache.

My joy and delight.

My questions.

My dreams.

My need.

God knows what I need.  God knows what you need.  I was desperate enough to run away with Him to a place where He could speak to me.  And He did.  He glided with me down a path of a thousand butterflies, all the while orchestrating that a beautiful song of life would be playing in my ears. 

Are you desperate enough to push away the things that are holding you back and to run away with Him like you might a lover?  Are you that desperate?  Because He can speak life to you in that desperation.  Run to Him.  Run with Him.  Look for the butterflies on your path and listen to His promises that He sings over you.  

He knows your need.

"For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!   Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

-Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

Places to Hide

Looking out from a not-so-conspicuous cave in the
oasis of Ein Gedi, Israel.
Photo taken May 2012

Some days I just want to crawl in a cave and hide. 

I can certainly relate to King David during these days.  Well, the future King David, who was, instead, running for his life and indeed hiding in caves.  Do you ever have days like this?  Days where you’re just ready to run away from the world? 

On days like this, I resist the urge to run away completely from challenges that come my way, but I do some serious internal interrogation (generally, in quiet places with just God and I).

Why are you feeling this way?  What is making you so anxious?  What is causing you stress?  What boundaries do you need to set to avoid these things?

If we’re honest, the daily challenges of life can feel like they are shoving us into a hole, whether we want to go there or not.  And sometimes the same challenges can feel like they are propelling us out into the world as a superhero to fix them all.  While it’s not healthy for us to constantly run away and hide, neither is it healthy for us to have an inkling of an idea that we can fix all the problems we’re dealt without the help of God.

So what did the mighty David do?  He hid.  But he hid in the shelter of the promises of God.  Look at these translations of David’s words in Psalm 62:5....

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. (NIV 84)

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. (NLT) 

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. (ESV) 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. (KJV)

Waterfalls in the hills of Ein Gedi, Israel,
where David hid from Saul's pursuit and wrote
many of the Psalms.
Photo taken May 2012

Resting. 

Waiting. 

Hoping. 

Expecting. 

This is my remedy for the anxious feelings that come my way.  And though it takes a conscious effort to set aside my drive to “do” and simply “wait”, it’s where I find the most peace.

Sometimes, a short term cave-experience isn't so bad after all.  

Judging a Book by its Cover (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 02)

I grew up doing musicals.  

Without sharing my life story with you, let it suffice to say that memories involving music, drama, or arts, always seem to stick with me.  One of the musicals I was in at some point in my childhood was called “O Me, O My, O Nehemiah!”.  The first thing I thought of when I heard about this Bible study was one of the predominant memories that remains of this fun little children’s musical: Nehemiah rebuilt the wall (see what I mean here if you are unfamiliar with what wall I'm talking about).

I say all of this to tell you one thing: the book of Nehemiah is so much less about the rebuilding of a wall... 

In fact, in all the peripheral research I did in personal preparation for his week’s group study, almost every resource I came to primarily talked of Nehemiah’s focus on prayer.   Prayer.  He was no engineer, after all.  He was a trusted, faithful leader that relied heavily on prayer.  For this reason, when we study Nehemiah, we may have to throw away some of our cozy childhood memories of our Biblical expertise and look at what the book really says.  We’re only in week two of this study, and still on the brief chapter one, but already we see a foundation Nehemiah builds in his life that has little to do with cutting or moving stone and a lot to do with relying on his communication with our Creator.

There are some very distinct truths that we can pull out of these 11 verses about Nehemiah, about our lives, and about prayer. 

We can pray with confidence!

As a God-follower (specifically now, a Christ-follower), we can have confidence in prayer.  Nehemiah demonstrated this confidence in that he knew the God he was praying to when he made his requests.  Nehemiah had a respect for God’s wonderfulness, he had a trust in God’s faithfulness, and he had a righteousness that taught him God was approachable.  Our attitude about prayer is often shaped by our attitude about God.  Nehemiah would have grown up learning about the attitudes toward prayer of Kings in his heritage, and one of them was Hezekiah.

Hezekiah prayed confidently to God in the same manner that we see Nehemiah doing so.  (See 2 Kings 19:14-19).  Hezekiah’s confidence was not just a boldness with the intent to flatter or manipulate God, but was to demonstrate his reliance on God’s faithfulness to keep His promises. We were reminded that prayer is not an opportunity for us to align God’s plan with our wishes, but as we seek God, our wishes are aligned to God’s plan.

Prayer brings success!

Do you see?  This is the answer to success in every area of life!  Prayer changes our heart’s desires to God’s desires.  God’s desires always match His great plan and purpose, and His purposes never fail.  Therefore, prayer always leads to success when we are seeking to have the heart of God, rather than seeking to have our own way.

God’s answers are immediate!

When we are praying for the plans and purposes of God to pan out, we can be confident that He has already answered those prayers.  Here are some examples: In 2 Kings 20, the prophet Isaiah came to tell King Hezekiah that he was going to die.  The King prayed as soon as the prophet left, and before Isaiah had passed through the courtyard of the temple (which was not very far at all-perhaps from your house to two doors down), God gave him the answer to Hezekiah’s prayer: “I’m giving you 15 more years to live.”  

Wow!  That's pretty immediate!

Consider also, Daniel and his prayer (see Daniel 10:1-14).  Daniel started praying and immediately God sent out the answer.  The angel sent to deliver the answer was held up for three weeks, though, and so Daniel kept praying.  Come to find out, Daniel’s prayers weren't just for an answer from God – they were for the delivery of that answer.  Do you get it?  When we pray, God answers immediately!  If we don’t see or know the answer immediately, we keep praying for the delivery of the answer!  God’s ready to dish out answers to prayer.  They are not as few and far between as they may seem, but we have a responsibility: act.  Pray.  Ask for what we need and then pray for a clear delivery of your answer while you praise God for what you can confidently trust that He has already done.

Prayer is valuable!

In verse 11 of Nehemiah chapter 1, we read that Nehemiah was praying with other people.   His request of God was not just to hear his prayers, but to hear the prayers of all the faithful people who have been in prayer.  Nehemiah was the spokesperson for his people at this time, but he was not the only person interceding through prayer for the Israelites and for the city of Jerusalem.  Sometimes we are in a place in life where we are a “spokesperson” – we are in the position and have the ability to speak up for that which we and others are praying.  But sometimes, we are the silent warrior, praying with other believers, expecting from our faithful God, but not necessarily writing a book about it or leading a movement for it.  Each prayer is vital.  Each prayer is valuable.  And no prayer goes unheard.

That “circumstance” in your life is your divine opportunity!

In fact, Nehemiah’s mentioning that he was a cup-bearer to the king wasn't necessarily as out-of-placed as it seems, initially.  The assignment of cup-bearer was a high honor bestowed on people that were loyal leaders and whose character had been tested.  This testing of character would have taken years, perhaps Nehemiah’s entire lifetime up to this point, but certainly before Nehemiah knew how God was going to use him.  Instead, while this verse states a fact, it also states a history: God had been putting this plan into place for a very long time!  His statement (in 444 B.C.) resembles the heart of what Mordecai spoke to Queen Esther approximately 40 years earlier (in 473 B.C.) – God has placed Nehemiah (like Esther) in the position and with the express ability to carry out a divine plan “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). 

You can take heart from this, because it is a truth that runs like a thread through the entire Bible, through the ages, and into the timeline of your life today: God has placed you in a position, and has placed in you the ability, to carry out His plan “for such a time as this”.  Your job is not a coincidence, your neighbors are not a coincidence, and your car troubles are not a coincidence.  All these things that shape our lives – the “dailies” that we have to deal with – are all part of the plan that God has in mind – and they have been that way forever!  Trusting, honoring, and following God during whatever you’re dealing with is your opportunity to jump into a divine plan and see restoration happen in your life and in the lives of those with whom you come in contact. 

Logic can be our biggest ally or our biggest enemy!

Often, we fall into “logic traps”, leading us to believe that an answer from God was really not from God at all, but was because “that’s just the way things naturally happen”.  While this latter statement is true much of the time, the reasoning behind it is not true.

When you cut your finger and ask for healing, God may use a salve to heal your finger, but the salve was not the healer.  The salve may have been the resource, and your application of the salve was perhaps the obedience required, but God is the one who did the healing, not the salve.  This is what we mean by logic traps.

Nehemiah didn't succumb to these traps, though he was certainly a wise man.  He chose to bring the details to God and let God work those details out.  His prayer was desperate and brokenhearted for the heritage of which he had only heard stories.  Even with these disjointed burdens, Nehemiah knew that God was big enough to ease his burden, in whichever way was suitable to His plan.  Like the heart of Nehemiah, let’s be mindful to thank God for each and every answer to prayer – even those we don’t physically see.  And let’s remember that while logic has its value, nothing surpasses the power or value that is held in the very being of God.

Despite a busy week and a late, exciting night of preparation the night before our group meeting, I was stoked to share these truths with the ladies!  In choosing to dive in and figure out more about exactly what we are reading, we found that while historical records intrigue and stories themselves can delight, seeking out deeper truths helps us to re-cover our perspective on this book of Nehemiah and to recapture the essence of what Nehemiah was really about: drawing closer to the heart of God. 

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you ever had an event in your life that has caused you such great sorrow that you have wept for days or weeks?  What was it?  Did you take time to seriously pray about it?
• How would you evaluate your current prayer life?  Is there something you would want to change?
• Do you view prayer as a privilege, a job, or both?
• Knowing what we know about Nehemiah’s divine placement in history (like Esther, like Jesus, like Moses), can you see how God may be taking you through places and seasons that could bring Him glory and bring you long-term goodness?  We cannot know which way the hand of God will move, but working to see our “hard times” through the eyes of eternity can give us hope in the short-term.

Waters of Great Love

At twenty-nine the waiting game is over
No offense, but I've got lots of things to do
So I've left you this little note
And I'm hoping that you'll find it:
Meet me in the waters of Great Love

I held off for a while, just stalling Him, you see
But His calling for me was growing quite too faint
I realized my love for you
Would never be enough for you
Unless I drank the waters of Great Love

So I'm drinking deeply now, still hoping you'll show up
Yet this waiting time hasn't been for naught
And when you've made your peace
With all you've done and fought
I'll be wading in the waters of Great Love

People Can Be Messy (A Reflective Entry on Nehemiah 01)

People can be messy… especially me. 

You may not look at me and see it, but I've got a past.  I've got a history, a story of heartache and shame; a story of misunderstandings and a broken spirit.  I have it.  You probably do too. 

This is why joining together with friends to get down to the nitty-gritty of life can be messy too.

Tonight I spent about two hours going over chapter one of the book of Nehemiah in the Bible.  It’s a short chapter – only 11 verses.  It’s a scene setup, for all practical purposes.  Chapter one of Nehemiah doesn't have a whole lot of juicy detail that splashes on you from the pages of old.  Rather, it’s quite factual, with a little emotion from the perspective of the writer. 

But…

There’s so much more.  There’s always so much more, isn't there?  I have a history.  You have a history.  Nehemiah had a history, as did Jerusalem.  And while I’ll leave the historical perspective of chapter one to my friend and pastor here, I’ll give you some internal reflection. 

Consequences

My history is not much different than that of the Israelites.  I have had good days and bad days like them.  The Israelites were told that their sin would lead them to destruction, and God has issued the same warning to me.  I knew this even before I had an understanding of God in my mind. As children, we’re taught a basic moral concept of right and wrong.  As adolescents, we test this concept.  As adults, we live in its consequences.  Nehemiah wept at these consequences; his heart broke because of them. He did not weep because he thought it was unfair; rather, he knew how ugly his heart and the heart of his people had become.

Redemption

Still, Nehemiah knew the promise of God was not only to punish wrong, but was to restore what was lost when people did right. (See verses 8-9 in chapter 1.) God promised his people an option for redemption when they turned to Him.  God promises that for me, too.  Through Jesus Christ, I have this prescription for grace with no expiration date.  It’s available to me any time I call it in – turn to Jesus, He restores, He redeems, He heals.

Acceptance

Just like a medicine, I have to receive God’s grace.  I have to accept it, allow it to cover me, and allow it to heal me.  The Israelites had a lot of healing to do after being captive in Babylon, too.  They had a lot of rebuilding of their lives, of their city, and of their commitment to the right living God had planned for them. 

Amidst Bibles, brownies, and Boggle (the game!), I was allowed to be messy tonight.  I was allowed to share shame and my journey through redemption and acceptance of God’s grace.  I felt I was in safe company with Nehemiah – a beautiful soul that dealt with messy things.  But Nehemiah’s story was not unplanned.  And neither is my mess.  God has a plan to use me to rebuild things like He did Nehemiah.  He can use you too, if you let Him.  It might get a little messy, though.

Scripture Notes: Matthew 28 (Loyalty)

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20b

Matthew records one of the last things he remembers Jesus saying as, “I am with you always.” It obviously meant a lot to him.

Matthew was a tax collector-turned-disciple. His whole career up to this point was riddled with trickery and deceit. Manipulation was the game. He would spend his time swindling people out of money to get a commission the government wouldn’t give him.

Up until Jesus called him, Matthew didn’t really know loyalty at all.

Walking with Jesus, following him quite literally, listening to His every word — these things gave Matthew the proof he needed in his spirit of Jesus’ loyalty. So, when Jesus said, “I am with you always,” Matthew knew it was no joke. Jesus wasn’t just saying something to get Matthew to do something. There was no manipulation involved here.

A light went on in Matthew’s mind. His heart finally understood all the prophecies of old: Jesus is the Savior. When He said He would be with him, Jesus had proven that He would. Whether He showed up physically or simply set up residence in his heart, Matthew had the most loyal friend he would ever find.

And he knew it.

When we choose to receive God’s gift of Salvation, the sacrifice of Jesus Himself, we choose loyalty to be on our side. Never again will we be able to say “I am alone” because Jesus promises to be with us. In Jesus, Matthew found genuine loyalty.

We can, too.

Mangers and the Hard Stuff

It wasn’t wooden.

In fact, it may not even have been covered.

It was certainly crowded.

It most likely wasn’t winter, and most likely was sweltering.

…on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Mangers in Israel during the first century weren't wooden.  They were stone – like this one…

Manger on the ruins of Mount Megiddo (AKA "Tel Megiddo")
May 2012

Chances are, Jesus was laid in a pile of hay (or feed of some sort).  Depending on where the manger was, it may not have even been covered, or maybe only covered with a small tent sheet.  Given that the shepherds were in their fields, it was probably late summer to early fall that Jesus was born, not the dead of winter. 

There are so many unknowns about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus that could be debated over and over, but let me share with you my point: it wasn't wooden.  Jesus wasn't born into a cozy little warm stable on a cold winter’s night and laid in a soft wooden manger.  He came into a hot, sweaty, crowded town full of people registering for a census.  He was born to two tired parents who had just been rejected by society because of the possible “scandal” surrounding Mary’s pregnancy.  He was laid in a hard, stone manger to be displayed before visitors.  The manger never became “un-hard”, but the purpose of that manger was never greater than when Jesus was laid in it.

God took the Delight of eternity and stuck Him smack-dab in the middle of our crazy world in a hard stone manger.  He did it then, and has not changed His technique for all these years.  He comes smack-dab in the middle of our crazy, hectic lives and lays out His love on all the hard things with which we deal.  

Joseph and Mary dealt with a hard manger, a hard journey, a hard society.  We deal with hard questions, hard realities, and hard decisions every day. 

I deal with hard stuff every day.  But God has chosen to come right in the middle of those hard things and lay His Love out for me. 

...for you.

Jesus wasn't just a gift for Christmas.  He was a gift for every hard moment in our lives.  We choose to let Him stay in our mangers of the hard things.  What manger of your life can you lay Jesus in today?  The hard things won’t change, but they will finally have a purpose when we let God use them to show His love to a watching world.  

A watching world of 

kings… 

nobles… 

shepherds… 

innkeepers… 

presidents… 

children...

politicians… 

auto-body repair shop workers… 

hotel managers…

bosses...

the local deli owner...

parents...

neighbors...