Be Still

Today, I just finished preparing for the first twelve weeks of the Community Bible Study class, for which I am its teaching director.  For the past 5 weeks, I have had plenty of time to do it, as I recover from two surgeries and a serious infection.  I have spent much time in bed or sitting on the lawn chair in the garden.  God has provided me ample time to study His word and prepare for the role He has called me to fill.  During these long hours of research, writing and reading the scriptures I got to spend more time with my Savior than ever before.  I used to think that “being still” before God meant I needed to “be quite” and listen for divine revelation.  This is true to some degree, but after reading and studying Psalm 46, I have an even deeper understanding of verse 10…”He says, be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”

The word “still” in Hebrew is translated “rapa” which means: “Enough! It also means “let down, to drop”.  God is essentially telling His people to stop their frantic activity.  In context of the scripture, Israel is facing the challenges of war and the harsh environment of their surroundings.  God wants His people to stop what they are doing and look up to the Lord for help.  To God’s enemies, it means they are to put down their weapons and surrender. 

This command would be counter-cultural to our society today, which is always on the go, pursuing the American Dream.  We live in a society that values success and hard work.  We admire athletes, celebrities and billionaires, who have made it to the top.  But this doesn’t quite fit into the gospel, does it?

Being still before God is a practice that gives us our identity as a child of God.  Jesus was our role model.  He not only showed us how to run to God for help, but He showed us how to humble ourselves before the throne of God.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus would often retreat from the crowds to pray and be still before His Heavenly Father.  It is because of Christ’s ministry and His death and resurrection that we too may come before the throne of God and live with Him forever in His Kingdom.  Through faith, we know this to be true.  We understand who God is through His scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit.  This means we must make the time to read the scriptures to better know God.  We must drop to our knees in humble prayer before His throne of Grace.  We seek to live a life of holiness because we serve a Holy God.  We must be vigilant and watchful as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12) in order that we may see the goodness of God working in our lives.  We must not take a cavalier attitude towards our salvation.  We must keep watch over each other’s souls and guard each other from sin.   Finally, when life gets crazy, just remember Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble.”  We must be still and know God, if we are to live a life that gives Him glory...So, keep looking up!

Enjoy one of my favorite hymns:   "Be Still, My Soul” (1752, Katharina von Schlegel)

Rock of My Salvation

The woodland surrounding our home is covered in trees and huge boulders.  At one time the property was both a tree farm and a rock quarry.  The rocks are also a nuisance, because they are everywhere and make walking the property and gardening a challenge.  But these big boulders are also very useful.  The tall oak trees, which tower over the woods have deep roots which wrap around these buried boulders.  These huge rocks act as an anchor during heavy storms, keeping the mighty oaks firm in the ground where they belong. Occasionally, a weakened tree succumbs to the wind and providentially finds its way into one of our home’s wood stoves.  For the most part, these towering oaks are strong and surround our property like a wooded fortress.  The trees shelter and feed herds of deer, dozens of squirrels and countless birds.  It truly feels like a woodland fortress. 

What comes to mind when you think of a fortress? Do you picture something strong and undefeatable, like a Medieval castle? A castle fortress like the ones our family saw scattered around the Scottish countryside were made of indestructible boulders.  These castles clearly had stood the test of time.  They are steadfast and held up to the enemy’s attacks for centuries. 

Lately, I feel like I have been under attack.  I have been diagnosed with breast cancer, received a double mastectomy and now, I am recovering from a potentially life-threatening infection.  At times, I have felt like one of the trees in my woods, swaying in the wind, holding on to the boulders for dear life.  But I worship a great God, who’s unfailing love is infinitely greater than any storms or illness the enemy throws at me.  Psalm 62: 1-2 says, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

In God, through the saving work of Jesus, my salvation is secure and protected by my Heavenly Father.  That is the hope I cling to.  Rest assured, my fleshly body will fail me and news flash…. so, will yours one day too!  But “God is our refuge”; in him our destiny is secure. In God our souls find rest and salvation!  While I may turn to others for encouragement and help during this cancer journey, God alone is the rock to which I cling to for eternal rest.  In the mean time during this storm, I stretch out my roots and hold on for dear life to the “Rock of my salvation”.  This may be my fight, but it is all for God’s glory!

No Short Cuts To Heaven

This week I decided to get my hair cut really short in preparation for my first day of chemotherapy which is scheduled for May 30^th.  I was told by my oncologist my hair will fall out after the first treatment which will include three heavy-duty chemo agents.  This really isn’t a concern for me, considering I lost both breasts.  So, on my way home from the salon I decided to take a short cut home.  It brought a pleasant surprise.  Along the side of the road appeared a sunny, but small meadow with a full display of Texas blue bonnets.  This “short cut” clearly was a little gift from God as it served as a pleasant reminder of dear friends and times spent in Texas. 

While this day, two “short cuts” appeared as blessings from God…. they also reminded me of. a very important truth:  There are NO short cuts to heaven!  Over the past year, I have been teaching a group of women from the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers.  We saw how God fulfilled his promise to Abraham to make Israel into a great nation and lead His people into the Promised Land of Canaan.  This promise wasn’t fulfilled overnight, nor did God lead Israel out of Egypt via a series of short cuts.  God’s people, all 2-million or more of them traveled by foot through some of the harshest landscapes on the planet.  God made them wander in the wilderness for 40-years before He brought them safely into the land flowing with milk and honey.  During this long journey, we can trace Israel being rescued from slavery, how they were delivered through the death of an innocent lamb, how God provided for them in the wilderness.  Through His law, His worship and His miracles….we see God revealing His glory not just to Israel, but to the entire world.  God remained close to His people in the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day.  God resided with them in the tabernacle and spoke to the people through His faithful servant Moses.  This story of Israel’s deliverance is also our story.  Everything God was doing through Israel on this journey was preparing the world for the coming of his son, Jesus Christ: our Great High Priest and the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29)

While the gift salvation or forgiveness of sin comes through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, God doesn’t promise us our new life will be easy.  Jesus lightens the burden of our sins and gives rest to our souls (Matthew 11:28-29).  Until Christ returns as He promised, our physical bodies are going to have its shares of ups and downs and long journeys in this world, because the world is still full of sin and evil and bad stuff happens, even to good people.  The Message Bible translates Matthew 7:13 this way, “Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.” 

I wish there was a short cut to my cancer treatment.  A year of chemotherapy is not a picnic, but it is what I need for physical healing.  Sometimes Jesus answers my prayers and sometimes, I must go through pain and struggle.  But that is o.k. with me.  I know from the scriptures, being a child of God will be hard and I choose to follow Christ anyway, because I believe what He offers is so much better than any hardship that comes with it. Jesus never promised me short cuts in life, but he did promise me eternal life in the Promised Land.  That is the hope I cling to.  If my pain and struggle can give Him glory and bring hope of the gospel to others, I am ready for the long journey.  It may be my fight, but in the end, it is all for His glory!

Community Bible Study Collegeville Servant Team
Sharing Day May 9, 2019

A Good & A Bad Kind of Day

Today is what I would call a “good day” and a “bad day”.  The good news is that I received news that my lymph nodes did not show evidence of cancer.  My surgical wounds are healing well, and the pain is down considerably.  The bad news is, I stayed awake in a state of worry for nothing last night and my tumor was bigger than expected.  At 1.8 cm, and the nature of my pathology, I must now receive not 2, but 3 chemotherapy agents every three weeks for a year.  I should lose my hair after the first round of chemo.  Not that I’m worried about that, because summer is coming and I found some cute and stylish head scarves to wear. 

I must confess, it has been hard to play the role of an invalid, relying on others to help me do the simplest of tasks.  Unable to drive anywhere or getting into my gardens, I feel at times like a prisoner in my own home.  As I was reading Philemon this week, I was reminded of the Apostle Paul who wrote many of his epistles while locked up in a cramped prison cell where he was chained, physically abused and often cut off from friends.  Paul’s conditions were no picnic and he never spoke of being a prisoner of his circumstances; instead, he called himself “a prisoner of Christ” (see Philemon 1:1; Ephesians 3:1). The Apostle Paul understood God’s sovereign will and embraced these circumstances for his life at that moment. 

I am certainly not suffering like Paul and I by no means am I isolated from my family, ministry or the church.  I have met wonderful women who have taken time to bring my family a meal.  I have received countless cards and words of encouragement.  I have received lovely flowers and gifts to brighten my day.  I may be limited physically at the present, but if I consider my healing a time to be a Prisoner of Christ, what a privilege that is.  As a matter of fact, if you love God and have chosen to serve Him, you too are a prisoner of the Lord.  So, no matter what your fight or circumstance, if you are a prisoner of the Lord, you have the choice to persevere and give Him all the glory!