Deuteronomy 32

1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he

Deuteronomy 31:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Psalm 116

Psalm 116

1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"

5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

10 I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."

11 And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."

12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.

14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

"For You O Lord have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

Why has God done great things in my life? Taught me lessons, brought me through trials, made me to rise above the circumstances and find victory? Because He wants me to be a witness. He wants me to proclaim to others what great things He has done for me. God is an awesome God. He wants the world to know and I am one of the messengers!

Reflections on Numbers 8

Numbers 8:7-11

…and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us,[then is implied] he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

Dear Lord,

Here I am again trying not to worry about not getting an interview at xxx. Osmel has asked me everyday if I have head anything and I don’t want to tell him about xxxxx getting an interview. My passage once again is about not complaining. TRUST! That is the message. The Children of Israel were fearful and untrusting despite the way the Lord had provided for them and had given them shelter. They complained and grumbled and now they were wanting to stone those that were trying to encourage them to believe in what God could do, would do, and had promised to do.

The message of encouragement was to not be afraid but trust. Those words are ringing in my ear unlike the phone call that I am hoping for. School starts on Monday and I had really hoped for something so I could start on the first day of school. I had hoped for a classroom that was opening before the kids started. I HATE taking someone else’s class. Oh God… help me to be strong and trust in YOU.

Lord, I give this to You and I ask that You work it out. As You know, my desire is to have a full time position. My desire is to be in the classroom. My desire is that You would give me a job before the school year starts, but I give it all to You and ask that You would work it out in the way that is best for me. Help me Lord to trust You. To trust that You have my best interest in mind, and that You really know what is best for me.

Reflections on Deuteronomy 8

Deuteronomy 8:1-6

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him.

Dear Lord,

I know that these years of testing at the end of each year are to teach me to follow You… but can I please have a job? I am afraid that You don’t have a that for me this year, and I don’t know why but that scares me. I want to have a classroom… and my head knows that whatever You provide is what is best, I need to trust right now. God, I ask for a full time position.

Deuteronomy 8:7-11 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.

Dear Lord,

I pray that this is Your way of confirming that I will indeed get a job. I don’t know if this is true, for this period, but I do know You are faithful. This was the passage I was meant to read today, I ask that You would make it true. That the wilderness experience is over and that today You are telling me, I am to enter into the promised land… a new phase with our children coming into our home and starting a family.

Deuteronomy 8:12-20

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,

and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

Dear Lord,

I am thankful, that You take every precaution to prevent our hearts from turning away from You. My heart’s desire is that I would never put anything before You, though I know I am just as Israel is… I remember my prayer when getting married was to never put my husband before You. I ask today, that if You do bless us with a family, me with a job, that You would continue to do the work to keep my heart dependent upon You and to keep You as first in my heart and in my life. I love You Lord and though I am unfaithful in my heart of hearts, it is Your grace and Your patience that keeps me humble. As I am praying this prayer, I am afraid of what I might do, and how You might respond to answer my prayer.

I am fully aware of what I am without You- nothing.

I am fully aware of what I would have without You- nothing.

I am fully aware that without You life is worth- nothing.

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall--Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.

Dear Lord,

I love this passage. It confirms that without You we can do nothing, but with You nothing is impossible. My job situation seems impossible… but it isn’t. I am hoping that these passages from Deuteronomy 8 and 9 are in fact a message for me. Help me to trust You Lord when things seem impossible!

Deuteronomy 9:4-6

After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

Dear Lord… I love that it is not about me or my deserving of anything… it is about You and Your glory and Your grace. Having said that, I am hoping that You are speaking to me!

I love You Lord,

Karen

Background: The Promise of Something Great... (this is a taste of the introduction)

I continued to throw myself into ministry. I began teaching in a Christian School and I started working in Children’s Ministry Leadership at my church. Life was good. It was rich. I was content (most of the time). God was using me and I could see it, I could feel it, I was moving forward. It is only in the Lord that we can move forward as we wait. I was waiting on God to do a work in my life. During these years, God did 3 significant things for me to help me on my way, to confirm to me that He had a plan and a good work for my life.
A word from God: There was a friend of mine that came to me and told me that he felt God has spoken to him about me:
Joel 2:23-25- so rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the LORD your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. "Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
It took me awhile for me to understand this passage and what it meant for me. What a strange word. As I meditated upon it, and prayed over it, I realized- it was a promise of restoration. The relationship that I had been in with Mr. Wrong, and the things that I needed to purge as a result, would be redeemed. There would be blessings to come. The Lord had given to me other messages along the way that helped me to understand that this was a promise of hope for marriage. This empowered me, strengthened my resolve, helped me to press on, and increased my desire to wait for God’s best and never settle. Never settle!
One of the things that God used was through a gift received from a friend. She had a book with beautiful illustrations. She cut the illustrations from the book, framed them, and gave them to the ministry leaders as gifts. She assigned each frame a number, wrapped them up and we cast lots for the pictures. The picture that I received was of a black man who was encased in stone, like a statue being carved and the hand of God was chiseling him, taking his form out of the block of stone and making it into something to be beautiful. I remember when I received it, I cried, because I thought it was God’s way of confirming to me, that He was chiseling my life, making me into something useful for His good pleasure. I placed the picture on the mantle in the living room where it remains to this day.
The final word from God was through my quiet time. I was reading in the book of 1 Kings and when I read the following passage:
1 Kings 6:7 The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.
God is so funny! I love the way He works and the way He makes His word alive! As I read the verse, I knew there was something there for me. I could hear His voice, He was prompting me to dig and to meditate. As I did, my attention was drawn to the picture of the man on the mantle, the man being chiseled. OK, I am starting to get it. This isn’t me; this is he, it is my husband. He is being chiseled for me. In fact, we are being chiseled simultaneously to bring us together, ready for one another. As I continued to meditate I came to understand something about this passage; the stones were being chiseled, formed, and quarried away from the site of the temple. They were not even being quarried together. They were being formed away from each other so there would be no sound of an axe, or hammer, or any other tool; and when they came together, there would be a perfect fit. Most of my friends were married way before I was, I knew how hard marriage could be, therefore, I knew that the more work God had to do to me in the middle of my marriage, the harder it would be. That made the waiting easier. God had given me a beautiful picture and with it, a promise. Once again felt hopeful regarding my future, my husband, and my marriage. I didn’t know to whom, but I understood the fact that I probably didn’t know him yet, and if I did, we weren’t going to know what our future together was until the Lord had prepared us for one another. Now, my job was to NOT look for him, but to wait until the Lord brought us together.

open doors

Dear Jesus,

today bob taught from acts 16 and paul's 2nd missionary journey. something i had never thought of before. when paul left, he tried to go to two places and each time, god closed the door. then he had a vision to go to macedonia. but he didn't have the vision until he hit the end of the road. literally because the city he was in was a coastal city and where was he going to go from there? it was a good message.

the nugget that i walked away with had to do with starting to move forward when god says go and letting god direct your steps, trusting that he will open and close doors as you go forward. none of us like to have doors closed on us, but it is better than never trying.

as bob started teaching, i asked god to speak to me directly about our situation with adoption. we had started to move forward and then i lost my job and it seemed to be a roadblock for sure. but as bob continued to share from your word, i started to wonder what you were going to show us. we had just talked about going through the county at this point because going with a private agency is so expensive. after service, i was working the married's table and osmel was waiting for me. we started to talk to steve and i thought it the perfect opportunity for osmel to hear first hand someone's experience with adoption.... funny thing- he and jill adopted through the county which as i already stated was looking like it was going to be our next step.

i really love the way you guide and direct our steps. as we talked to steve, i could see osmel's heart melting- as if it was the perfect conversation for us to have.

lord, i am overwhelmed with the possibility that you have a perfect situation for our family, that you may have a child with whom we will be a perfect match and that you will make it come about in your timing!!

jesus i love you and i look forward to you leading us to our next destination.

July 21, 2010

Exodus 4:29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Dear Jesus,

How like Israel I am, yesterday I was feeling hopeful, I might end up with a job. I have an inside man- God, He is the one that turns the heart of the king. He is the one that will get me a job. I know that, I believe that, and yesterday I was thankful. Today, not so much. Today, I’m feeling frustrated and discouraged. Today I am wondering if it will happen again for me. God I have no reason to believe that You will give me a position. How many brothers and sisters are there right now that are out of work and struggling to make ends meet, or losing their homes and many of them are much more faithful to You and Your work than we have been. God, I realize that this isn’t about rewarding your children, but that is the way I see it, and I am afraid.

Exodus 5:22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." 2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.' "

Dear Jesus,

Tonight as I was reading in Exodus, I started feeling You speaking to me through these passages. Exodus is how You confirmed to me that You wanted me to go to Cuba. Exodus was how You revealed to me that I was facing the hardening of a heart against me- not finding favor in the sight of my boss- And now once again, I am feeling comforted by the words in Exodus.

God is telling Moses, I will use your situation to deliver my people. I will use your situation to bring glory to myself. Others will look upon you and they will see me at work… Lord that is what I want for my life. My prayer is that I would be a witness. That my faith would be strengthened, but even more importantly, that You would show yourself strong through my weaknesses and failings.

What Does a New Life Look Like?

Dear Jesus,

This morning, I had been watching a great movie, it was the end and Osmel wanted to tell me what he had heard about Jose. I reluctantly paused the movie in the final moments. The climax-- I was entrenched in the movie and filled with emotion from what I had seen on the screen. And as I paused the movie, and Osmel began to share- I felt transported somehow. I felt that the story he was telling me were pages from a story that were coming to life in my heart and I was so overcome with emotion that I began to weep. I can't explain the feelings, but I felt that I needed to write this event down as soon as I was able. And as Osmel was sharing the story with me, I was formulating in my mind what to say and how to say it.

We talk about conversion and having a new life in Christ, but sometimes the changes are so gradual that it is hard to see.

Today, I heard about a radical change that brought me to tears. Through the last few years, as we have been following Jose's story, I have to say that I have doubted the depth of the conversion. There were things that he had in his life that made me doubt, but those were judgements based on my expectations not on Yours. Jose was a worker within the communist regime in Cuba. He was communist and he believed in the ideals of his government. He believed in his president, and he had made a life pursuing work within the dictates of his governing system. He had a good reputation with the people above him and he had lived a life that was pleasing to the leaders. But something extraordinary happened to him. He met You Jesus. You got a hold of his heart. How you did it is a story in and of itself, but You not only called him to come to You, You called him to come out of himself. You used him as a witness... literally, a witness!

Jose is a part of the church in Cuba. They are fighting the battle with the government over their right to exist. The pastor is in danger of losing his license, he and his family could lose their home, the church is in danger of losing its building, and if the government gets its way, there will be nothing left. No church, no testimony, nada! This church is growing and seems to be thriving in the midst of harshness. You Jesus want this church to thrive and I believe that You want this little church to grow and represent You in great ways to the outlying community. The people in the neighborhood are watching, and though they might not have always like what they have seen coming from within, there will be no denying Your presence and Your handiwork when all this is done.

From an earthly perspective, it looks so discouraging. The government is trying to destroy what You are trying to build up. I will not be surprised to find out that You are in the middle of this seemingly destructive turn of events- that like the mythic beast the phoenix rose from the ashes- Your church will also rise from the events that it will endure and it will be stronger and more pure than before... what is the word? Refined? Refined!

It has been a blessing for us to watch You work from afar and to see Your hand. But Osmel and I have had an opportunity to peer into this situation from a vantage point that comes only from You. We see Your hand all over the people and the happenings and we know that whatever the outcome, it is exactly what You want and You will still be on the throne in the end. God you work miracles, and today we saw the miracle of who Jose had been and what he had become and it captivated my very soul and gave me a strange feeling of being carried away into his story, into his life and he into mine. Suddenly, Jose was my family and the feelings that I was feeling were pride and what he had done, joy at what he had become, hope of what the unbelievers in my life could become.

In the depth of my heart, this story brings forth a sense of emptiness, and although emptiness sounds like a negative word, it isn't. It is a feeling created by the realization that You Jesus are going to transport us into the middle of Jose's world and we will share in the realization of what he has become and be a part of what he has yet to accomplish. We will one day soon be there with Jose to walk alongside him and continue to witness what You are going to do in his life.

Thanks for the message

Dear Jesus,
Sunday Bob's message was great! It was mission Sunday and Osmel decided to go to service with me. It is always great to sit together in church. Bob taught on Isaiah 6. God asks, "Who will go for us...?" and Isaiah's reply, "Here am I, send me."
I came across this verse for the first time when I was about 17. It was just before our summer concert event and Terry had given us (the youth group leaders) some tasks to prepare. To be honest, I don't remember what my task was, but I do remember the outcome. I was looking for verses to post on the wall of our meeting room- motivational posters to help us remember what our purpose was in ministry. I read Isaiah 6 and I thought, "This is is, God wants us to be ready... to be willing... to serve him." But in my own heart, this verse struck a cord with me that would carry over for the rest of my life. In me, was born the heart of a missionary.
So when Bob taught on this, wow, it was a reminder of where I have been, and brought to mind the question, where do I want to go? At the end of the message, there was a chance to stand- to come forward and to proclaim that I was willing to be used of God wherever and whenever He wanted me. I started to pray, "God, call my husband too." My heart was practically pounding out of my chest, I was crying, and I was certainly ready to jump on up to the front of the church, but I needed my husband to go with me. We went forward on Sunday, proclaiming to all that we were ready to go where God wanted us and when He was ready for us to go.
After service, we went for lunch. While we wer having lunch, we started talking about the service and what it meant that we had gone forward. We have always known that you Jesus have brought us together for a great purpose. We acknowledge that our lives are a testimony and that people will look upon us to see what God has brought together. So as we were talking about it all- we started to think about, discuss what might be our calling. Where were we going to serve God and how. As we talked- surmised, dreamed, we came to the conclusion that God might be calling us to return to Cuba and that might be the place of our ministry. We surmised about what specifically might be our function, but of course, we are only guessing. We do feel strongly, that God is preparing us for His service and we look forward to seeing what and when we will be doing.