Author: desertspringblog

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Coming Near

“Draw near to God,

He will draw near to you.”

James 4:8

She was lovely, sitting on the floor in front of me, quietly coaching me on basic Arabic vocabulary.  Suddenly the room cleared and we were alone.  Leaning in, she quietly asked,  “You know Jesus?”   In this place where Followers were not welcome, I hesitated.  Was it a trap?

“Yes,” I nodded.

“Tell me!”

Without knowing much about her nation’s faith, I began at the beginning….where sin entered the world…distancing us from God. I touched on the many messengers who God had sent throughout time, longing to draw us back to Himself.  And then, choosing to “come Himself…”   She finished those two words along with me.  Tears filled her eyes.      “You speak of God as One so near to you.  We only know of Him as so high above us…so far from us.”

As our time ended, I prayed for her….that God would come near to her, and that she would come to know Him. . .as near.  With tears running down her cheeks, she quickly asked that I write the words I had prayed so that she could pray them herself.

A year later, we saw each other again.  She said,  “I pray this prayer every day, and my mom and dad like this prayer very much, so we all pray it together every day.”

 This world is filled with people who long to experience God coming near to them.  Yet, they have not known how that could be possible.

We who have come to know Him as the One Who Draws Near to us carry the great privilege of knowing Him “near.”   May we live this . . . and share this . . .in our world, to our world, where so many have never known it was possible to be near.

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Thanksgiving Story

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back,

 praising God in a loud voice.

 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him

—and he was a Samaritan.”  

Luke 17:15-16

Jesus was, as usual, crossing the cultural and religious “lines” of his earthly world.  He had chosen to take a route back to Jerusalem that went through Samaritan territory…..”shlepping” where Jews preferred NOT to “shlep.”  To make matters worse, Jesus passed through a “special area”  that was reserved for lepers – outcasts of the towns.  These were the “untouchables,” and had to declare themselves to anyone passing by, so travelers would not risk being contaminated by their leprosy.  Humiliating! Jesus did not seem to see all those “lines” that this world draws that are meant to separate people from each other.

The lepers saw Jesus and recognized Him as Someone who could help them.  They called out to Him…by name…asking for His help.  Jesus directed them to go to the nearby priest in the village, to have him check their skin.  They all headed to the village, their skin healing as they walked.  Imagine their amazement and thrill as they watched their skin becoming new.  No more living in pain….no more living as outcasts….no more separation from their families…their lives!   I can imagine that their walking soon became running.  It was a miracle!!!

BUT….one of them stopped.  He turned around, walking….running…back to the place where he had been suffering on so many levels for such a long time!

Jesus was there.

The man with the new skin threw himself at Jesus’ feet. He had tofirst thank this One who had heard their cries, stopped, and spoken Words that began the healing process that would change their lives. His life.

The other 9 had continued back to their village….homes….families…lives.  But this one, a Samaritan at that, went back, falling at the feet of Jesus.  He could not go home without thanking the One Who had stopped, heard, and given him a new life.

May our words and our lives be a thanks-giving to Him as well.

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Thankful

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving

 and His courts with praise;

 give thanks to Him

 and praise His name.”

  Psalm 100:4

When I think of times I have been the most thankful, it is often when I have been doing without something, and then the situation has changed to “doing with”.  Being withoutseems to make beingwithmore meaningful.

[For me, one example that springs to mind is that not a day goes by that I do not sincerely thank God for flush toilets. Really!  Having grown up with that wonderful invention in every place I’d ever lived, I never realized its value and blessing until I began spending time in desert places that have none.  (Without going into detail, they’re called “squatty-potty’s” …..I’m sure you can get the idea.  The acrobatics involved only add to the adventure, and my gratitude!)  The point is that gratitude springs up most when we experience something good that we’ve not experienced before.]

The first time I visited the ruins of the Temple in Israel where Jesus had literally walked, I was struck by the different courtyards designated for different groups of people.  The “court” nearest to where God’s Presence resided allowed for spiritual leaders, then further back more common folk (men), then women and Gentiles (non-Jews).  If I had lived in that time, I would have been waaayyy in the back.  The literal experience of being so far away from where the ancient spiritual Presence and worship took place struck me deeply.

Because of what Jesus did in giving His Life for us, all those old categories crumbled away, and He made it possible to “come near” to Him.  We can walk through that gate…and keep moving through all those designated “courts”…right into His Presence.   Men, women, children, no matter your ethnicity, “status” in life, or any of the other categories with which people are labeled.

He simply opens up His Arms and says, “Come!”

 

 

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Like Babies

“Desire God’s pure word

as newborn babies desire milk.

Then you will grow in your salvation.

Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good!” 

1 Peter 2:2-3

We can make things very complicated, can’t we?  I was awake at 4 am today, and my mind was quickly spinning, moving along from topic to topic as my conscious brain seemed to kick into high gear.  After about 3 hours, I was a mess.  Emotionally and mentally.   Then, I heard a little “ding” on my phone, and here was the “verse of the day” that I check every morning.  It seemed to bring all of the thoughts, worries, fears and emotions down to something very simple and basic.

I love babies.  I am fascinated watching them in their “awake” hours….how much they are taking in every moment, and learning.  I love holding them, engaging with them, and take delight in rocking them to sleep.  After repeating the same lullabye with each baby’s favorite rocking position – 14 in our family, including the first 3 baby boys who were my own –  I am kind of a “baby whisperer,”  and have moved into a whole new level by putting myself to sleep in the process!

In our complex lives, overly-stimulated minds, and daily bombardment of stressful realities, it is good to hit the “pause button” and be reminded of how our Father God sees us. We’re His “babies”…..like a mother often looks at her grown children but still glimpses her babies.

Peter seemed to “get that.”   Though a very energetic “act-before-you-think” follower of Jesus, he captured the picture of the simple, pure basics of knowing Jesus, remembering where we’ve come from, and Who’s we are.  Spiritually babies, just beginning to grow into a life that has been born anew into a child/father relationship with God.  Those early days of total dependency and safety in His Arms build the trust and security that we will need to live out however many years we have on this earth.  Remembering Who He Is, and Whose we are, is the Foundation we have for the rest of our lives.

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Wilder-ness

[ A psalm by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.]

“O God, you are my God.

At dawn I search for you.

My soul thirsts for you.

My body longs for you in a dry, parched land

 where there is no water.” 

Psalm. 63:1

Have you ever thought about the term “wilderness”? It looks like it sounds…”wild-er-ness.”   It’s “wilder” than the normal places of trees, “green” vegetation, and water.   It’s “wilder” than most people choose to live in.   Dry.  Harsh. Less of everything that would be considered “nice.”   Wilderness is a small step up from desert…minus the beauty.

Picture how David describes his wilderness…..

  • He is experiencing “wilderness” in a way that he needs to call out to God; he reminds himself of Who God is to him.   He’s been through a wilderness night, with all of its darkness, vulnerability, shadows, strange sounds, and the fears that swell in our hearts when we are utterly alone;
  • As the sky begins to lighten by the yet-unseen sun’s gentle glow, still beyond the horizon, the fears of the long, dark night begin to slowly dissolve.
  • Throughout the darkness of the night, he became aware of his thirst….for water, surely, but also a deeper thirst in his soul.The wilderness experience focuses our attention inward, and the deep dryness of soul is felt….without distraction….and without any way for us to bring relief to that deep place.
  • The growing thirst in our soul drives us to look for some relief… something to quench and ease the gnawing awareness of deep need of fresh water for our parched lips, dry mouth, dehydrated body and sad soul.

Whatever drew us to that wilderness place has only increased our need ….physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  We come face to face with our present reality, and it forces us to look up.  The night is over.

And God is there.

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Getting the Best Advice

“The Lord advisesthose who fear him.

He revealsto them the intentof his Promise.

My eyes are always on the Lord. He removes my feet from traps.”

Psalm 25:14-15

Where do you look when you need advice?   A mentor? A trusted friend?  A wise person in your life?   A parent?  A spiritual advisor?  The internet? Books?

How about God Himself?   Do you think of Him in that way?

An advisor is different from “materials.”   An advisor is an interactive resource…one who can listen to you, ask good questions, provoke your thoughts and help you see into the future a bit.   A good advisor has wisdom.

Thinking about God as my own Advisor adds a wonderful dimension to Who He Is.  Note the ways the Psalm writer describes Him:

  • He advises: Not demands, not commands.  We can go to Him with our needs, ask for His advice (with healthy respect), knowing that He is near, and aware;
  • He has already given us Promises, and He will help us understand the intent of those Promises.Knowing that He has made promises to us lays a beautiful groundwork for us to come to Him.  He will “go there” with us, helping us to understand the intent of those Promises.  He opens His own heart to us, willing to give us His Time and Patience as we ask Him to help us truly understand and clarify what His Promises mean in our lives.  He gives us permission to think, wonder, and ask questions.  There is a two-way relationship involved.
  • As the Psalm writer states, “my eyes are always on the Lord.” This One Who gave me life and made promises for my life is worthy of my conscious attention, always.  And there will be wonderful “Aha” moments throughout life when we see in new ways the loving and wise reasons behind His Promises and guidance.  (even when we have come precariously close to the traps along our path.)
  • When we step into one of those “traps”, His response is not to stand there saying, “I told you so!”, leaving us bloodied and unable to keep walking. He steps into that nasty, bloody situation….opens the trap, and removes my “foot” painful and gross as it is, freeing me from what I’ve blindly stepped into.
  • Best part: He’s never too busy, can always take my call, and He’s always right!

 

 

 

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When He’s Near

“Seek the Lord while he may be found.

Call on him while he is near.”  

Isaiah 55:6

Sometimes we go through seasons in our lives when God seems distant …far from us.

At other times we sense that He is very near.   

Isaiah certainly had those seasons in life when he felt very alone.  Yet he knew that he was not abandoned by God.  Often, after the times of feeling the distance, he experienced God in new ways, and God did amazing things in Isaiah’s life.

Those seasons of feeling lost or far away from God are often times when we become more desperate for His nearness.  We may even begin to imagine what we would do if He had left us.  Our pursuit of Him becomes more urgent.

But it’s in those times when He is more evident and active in our lives that we can slip into “neutral” in our pursuit of Him. We take Him for granted when life is going well.

Thoughts of, “OK…I’ve got this now!” or “Hey! Things are going great!  I’ll take it from here!” creep into our minds.   We begin to lose the passion for Him that was driven by desperation over tough things in our lives.  

 When we do not feel our pressing need for our Rescuer, the direction of our pursuit often changes as well.

But He is the same yesterday….today….and forever. When we wait to call on Him until something desperate happens, we miss the sweetness of His Presence because we have been enjoying other sweet things instead.

Think about how you feel when you are being taken for granted by someone you care about.   Or is there someone in your life who only comes to you when they need you?  Doesn’t it cheapen the relationship you have shared?

My 11 grandchildren take turns having a “date” with me.  They want to, and it warms my heart.  Recently, one of the little boys had his turn and chose a cute movie to watch with me. We had our popcorn, pillows, blankets and sippy-cups, and settled in to watch our movie.  In a short while, his little hand made its way into mine…without a word or glance. And we just sat there holding hands as the movie played. It was a precious moment for me.

God created each of us with intentionality….with Love….with the goal of relationship.  In all of His Goodness,  Kindness, and Love, all of His Plans for us involved relationship with Him. That is cheapened when we don’t run to Him unless we need or want something.  We “use Him” for what He can do for us.

Isaiah points out God’s heart for us in that, even when we don’t feel “needy” or “lost”, He wants us to pursue Him…not for what we “need”….but because we simply love Him.

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Calling All Nations

“You will summon a nation that you don’t know,

    and a nation that doesn’t know you will run to you

        because of the Lord your God…..”

Isaiah 55:5

How do you do with “out of the box” thinking?  Isaiah was a very, very out-of-the-box man.  Prophets always are.  He could “see” things that did not yet exist.  He could “see” at times with God’s Eyes.

Prophets not only “see” with God’s Eyes, but they also have such an impact that an entire nation may be affected.  In this passage, the person God is talking to apparently did three basic things:

  • Got involved with a nation he did not know;
  • Called to (summoned) that nation;
  • Was present for the nation to run to.

How often has God “ear-marked” people to step into a situation…or a nation, that they do not know, to tell those who have not heard the Good News, but did not go?  Jesus’ last words on this planet had to do with the word “GO”….”into all the world…”   Isaiah said it was an honorto be Called.

The exciting part of Isaiah’s verse is the impact upon the people to whom the “called one” went:  “…a nation that does not know you will runto you…”

“Because of the Lord your God.”

I had just a glimpse of that when I met two strangers – religious leadership men – who had been searching for anyone who was a Follower of Jesus.  They had never met one.  But they had found a verse in their own Book that said they should find a ‘person of the Book’ (Bible) and ask them to explain about Christ.  When they realized that I was a ‘person of the Book,’ their excitement was incredible.  Of course, I was trying to not panic, not knowing what they were expecting of me! 

We never know what God may stir in someone’s mind or heart, nor in a nation’s mind or heart.  But we can be certain that He is moving….stirring….in this world, and those who know Him must be willing to get involved in bringing understanding about Who God Is.  We don’t need all the answers….no one on earth has that!  But to the extent that you have come to know God, He calls on you to share that knowledge…that experience in your own life and heart….with whoever comes to you….calls on you….asks questions…..and identifies “Something” in you that connects you with God.

 

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Leading a Nation

“Worship the Lord your God,

fear him,

 obey his commands,

 listen to what he says,

 serve him,

and be loyal to him.”

Deut. 13:4

Moses was going to die. He knew it.  God had told him.  These above words were uppermost in his mind.

After a life that began as a slave’s baby boy, he grew up in the palace of Pharoah.

He learned how to lead a nation there.

Then came 40 years as a shepherd out in the wilderness.

He learned to be alone, and how to lead mottley sheep in a dry land.

He learned to lead a nation there.

Next he followed God’s voice to deliver his birth-people out of godless Egypt.

He learned to lead a nation there.

Another 40 years of leading refugees, former slaves, through another desert.

There he learned to hear and speak with God,

receiving 10 crucial commands for his people to live by.

He learned to lead a nation there.

From a mountain top he saw the Land that would be Home for his small nation.

He learned to say, “Good-bye” to his nation there.

And found his Home with God.

He learned how to rest in the Arms of God.

And lead a nation there.

 

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ACTS 12 COMEDY

There’s one in every bunch who seems to provide some comic relief to their friends.  I think Peter was “that guy” for the 12 disciples of Jesus.  I find him delightful, and love to “see” the color he often painted into the stories of Jesus.

Setting:   Jerusalem.  An intense time in Israel, with a maniac King (Herod) who had become obsessedwith abusive activities toward followers of Jesus. He had just had James (brother of John and one of the 12) executed.  That went over so well that Herod arrested Peter, too.

Peter now found himself in a prison cell under the 24/7 watch of 4 squads of soldier guards. Sixteen guards in a 4-squadron rotation. Two sat beside Peter in his cell, hands bound by two chains, while 2 more guarded the door to his cell.  We don’t know what Peter had been through under arrest, but King Herod was famous for brutality and torture, so Peter’s condition couldn’t have been good.  Yet, he slept.  Deeply, apparently.

A Glowing Angel from God suddenly appears in Peter’s cell, flooding it with Light.  I picture this shining angel’s sudden appearance in that dark, smelly, moldy cell.  It would have normally elicited shock and fear from the four soldiers and Peter. (Angels are used to that kind of reaction.)  But Peter didn’t even open an eye. Nothing stirred him.  I imagine the Angel sighing as he literally had to go over and nudgePeter.  He was “out!”  Not a common situation for an Angel, I would imagine.  Glowing Angel said,(likely in a whisper)  “Hurry!  Get up!” and Peter’s chains immediately fell off.

Glowing Angel returns to his regal stance of glowing.  But there’s a problem.  Peter’s still just sitting on the ground.  Perhaps nodding off again.  He’d been through alot…beatings, chains, probable death sentence.  You know….part of Peter’s “new life” in following Jesus.

Noticing the lack of activity from this sleepy fisherman-follower of Jesus,  Glowing Angel tells him to put his shoes on and get ready to go.  Go?  Go where?  Who are You?  Yikes…  OK.  Shoes on.   Again with the Regal Glowing Angel, “Put  your coat on, and follow me.”    I almost hear the celestial sigh and rolling of the glowing eyes.

Scraggly Prisoner and Glowing Angel walk right past the armed guards at Peter’s cell’s door and then past the next prison guardposts.  When they get to the iron gate that would lead to the city, the big old heavy thing opened by itself!  Groggy Peter thought he was dreaming.  The unlikely pair walked out, and headed up the street.

Glowing Angel of God had completed his brief, irregular rescue mission and disappeared. I wonder if it wasn’t one of the most unusual he’d ever been assigned.  Certainly a most uncommon reaction from the chosen Prisoner Peter.

Left on his own, with his shoes and coat on (hopefully), Peter went to Mary’s house, where a secret gathering of followers of Jesus were hiding….and praying.  For him.

Fully awake now, he knocked.  Here was a safe place for him.  Here were people surely praying for his safety…and freedom.   Through the door, Servant Girl recognizes that voice.  It’s Peter!!  Peter awaits a swift, stealthy opening of the door, ready to make quick steps into this safe house.  But instead, only silence as Servant Rhoda rushes back to tell the gathered friends that Peter was at the door knocking.  Knocking Peter keeps knocking.  No one in the room believed it was Peter, assuming he was now dead in prison.  The Knocker must be Peter’s angel, they thought.

Nervous Peter is in a predicament….he can’t call out, lest he be caught.  He can’t get in, as the door is locked.  At any moment the guards might burst from around the corner looking for their missing prisoner.

As the hushed conference continued inside the house, the Knocking Peter continued his frantic knocking…as quietly as he could.

The door finally cracks open…just enough for several eyeballs to see it was Peter.  Shushing them with his hand, Peter slips in.  What a story he had to tell them!  The whispered celebration must have continued the rest of the night.

Meanwhile….back at the jail, frantic guards were searching for Peter.  Even Herod was out there looking!   But Peter had disappeared.   And the most unfortunate guards realized they had spent the last night of their lives in the presence of a Sleepy Peter (and a Glowing Angel) who disappeared without a trace…shoes, coat and all!