Tag: Character of God

Winning the “Lot”-tery

The character of Lot in the Biblical book of Genesis is one that often gets overlooked in favor of his uncle, Abram/Abraham. Yet Lot lingers in the background, following Abram to Canaan, and later to the area between Bethel and Ai. (See the end of Genesis 11 and the beginning Genesis 13.) Curiously, we don’t hear anything of Lot when Abram and Sarai travel to Egypt during a period of famine. He isn’t there to support his uncle, or share his burden. He isn’t there to alleviate any of Abram’s fears relating to Sarai (See Genesis 12). Abram resorts to lying about his relationship, and causing difficulties with Pharaoh, but there is no mention of Lot until Abram and Sarai return from Egypt. Lot rejoins his uncle and they move into a fertile region– so fertile, in fact, that their flocks and herds soon grow too big for the area.

At the beginning of Genesis 13, things have come to a crisis point. Abram, as the elder, could have used his age and position to demand the best grazing land and force Lot to fend for himself elsewhere. But he doesn’t. God has already promised that Abram and he will become a great nation and own the land of Canaan. Abram, in faith, tells Lot that he can have his choice of the land– anywhere he goes, Abram will pull back and take the leftovers.

It must have felt like winning a prize–being given carte blanche– first dibs on the best land in the region, while your elder agrees to give you even more space to expand. And Lot makes the most of this golden opportunity. He chooses the best land in the area– well watered, green, and near wealthy centers of commerce and culture–what could go wrong?

Before we explore the answer to that question, let’s stop and consider Lot’s character and choice in comparison to his uncle’s character and offer.

Abram reveals much of his character in a pattern of “calling on the Lord.” He does it in Genesis 12:7, 13:4, and again after the separation from Lot in Genesis 13:18, where he built an altar. There is no mention of Lot ever calling on the Lord for anything. Not to seek His face, or give Him praise, or memorialize an event. Lot is not a giver– he is a taker. He takes advantage of his uncle’s wealth and standing time after time, but we never see him thanking his uncle or showing deference to him as an elder. This is not to say that Lot never showed gratitude or deference, but he seems not to have made a habit of it. In taking the best land for himself, Lot acted with supreme self-interest. He could have sought out good land elsewhere, leaving his older uncle in possession of good land close by. He could have taken time to consider more than just the obvious good points of the land he chose. But he didn’t. He jumped at what looked like an amazing stroke of luck. But in the end it turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing.

How often am I like Lot? When have I jumped at the chance to take the “easy” path, never bothering to consider how it impacts others? Have I developed the bad habit of taking “good fortune” for granted? Do I thank God, and those who have poured into my life, for their care and help? Am I dependable– am I “there” for my friends and family in good times and in times of famine, hardship, or pain?

Lord, help me to learn these lessons from your word. Help me to be more like Abram, and less like Lot as I go through the day and week ahead. And Thank You for Your character of faithfulness and grace, that chose to rescue Lot (twice!) in spite of his selfish choices. Help me to show the same grace to others I encounter.

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What Does Prayer Look Like?

What does prayer look like?
Do I bow my head,
Or lift my face toward heaven?
Should I fold my hands,
Or lift them up like an offering?
Do I kneel?
Should I fall prostrate on the ground?
Should I sit in my favorite easy chair?
Or stand in the corner of my closet?

What does prayer sound like?
Is it sung in joyful cadence?
Or murmured? Or chanted?
Or recited?
Is it poured out in an unknown tongue?
Does it sound like groaning?
Or humming? Or sobbing?
Or laughter?
Is it shouted on the street?
Or mouthed in reverent silence?

What does prayer feel like?
A weight lifted?
A breath of pure majesty?
A ray of cleansing light?
A mist of living water falling on dry ground?
Energy and motivation?
Peace?
Complete trust?
Being held?
Being overwhelmed?
Being lifted?

Prayer cannot be defined or comprehended–
Not because we cannot find ways to speak about it,
But because it involves a God who is beyond our
Comprehension.
Our closest friend
Is robed in impenetrable glory.
Our Loving Father
Is the King Above All Kings.
We cannot be too bold or too quiet.
We cannot surprise Him with our
Emotional outbursts, or
Our halting, awkward noises,
Or our sophisticated verbiage.

He IS.
And we are
Aware
Of His Presence!

AMEN!

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“Seasoning” Prayer

I plant an herb garden every year. This year, it’s been cold, so I started the plants indoors. Recently, my husband finally transplanted our starts into bigger pots, where they will grow through the summer and into the fall. I harvest the herbs for salads and other dishes, but I also dry the herbs for use throughout the winter. The herbs add flavor and texture to our food, and I love having fresh ones available. I was thinking about various herbs and their symbolism. What we plant in our garden; what we use in our cooking; how we “season” our prayer life– it all makes a difference. So here are some tips for “seasoning” our prayers…Make sure to add:

  • Rosemary– for remembrance. Remember and worship God for who He is. Remember His past goodness. Remember His faithfulness. Remember His Great Love. Remember that He sees and hears you; He knows you intimately, and loves you eternally. (Psalm 103:2)
  • Sage– for wisdom. Ask for it. God longs to give you stores of wisdom and guidance. He longs for you to seek His wisdom every day. (James 1:5)
  • Fennel– for praiseworthiness. God is worthy of all our praise and worship. Prayer is just one way of expressing His worthiness and glory! (Psalm 150:6)
  • Mustard seed– for faith. Faith grows exponentially larger and stronger when it is tended. One seed of faith can produce a large plant, which in turn produced hundreds of new seeds. Don’t let the weight of doubt crush that little seed–it really is enough! Not because of the size of your faith, but because of the size of the One in whom it rests. (Hebrews 11)
  • Horseradish/radishes– for bitterness and contrition. A Holy God can only be approached by those whose sins have been forgiven. God offers mercy and grace in abundance– for those who acknowledge their sin and wish to be restored in Grace. Confession and repentance should be a regular part of our prayer life… and this leads to..
  • Hyssop– for cleansing. King David prayed: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51: 7, 10) May we seek to have a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. And as we are cleansed, we will have…
  • Parsley– for gratitude and joy. Parsley brightens and garnishes; it brings a finishing touch and its bright green color suggests growth and abundance. Prayer should result in thankfulness and rejoicing as we enter into the very presence of the Giver of All Life. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
  • Thyme–for, well, time. Take time every day to meet with God. Make both “quality time” and “quantity time” when you can, knowing that God wants to be part of your day, all day, every day.
  • Chives– for usefulness and peace. Chives add flavor and balance when used in cooking. Bring your daily tasks, your goals, even your everyday worries to God in prayer. Pray as you work, as you run, as you do useful things throughout the day. This will lead to peace and purpose.
  • Garlic– for strength and healing. Especially in times when people are experiencing sickness and confusion, prayer brings strength. As we pray for healing– physical, emotional, and spiritual– we cast our cares upon a Loving and Omnipotent God.

For some more interesting symbolic meanings of herbs and flowers, you can visit the following sites:
https://theherbalacademy.com/the-secret-meaning-of-herbs/
https://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=InfoSheets/d9003.html
and many others.

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He’s Already There (and Here, and Everywhere!)

Sometimes, when I pray for a particular person, I say, “God, please BE with …..” But I’ve had to rethink that wording. Because God is already with ….. Instead, what I really mean to pray is that God’s presence will be felt and acknowledged by the other person; that God will move and act in such a way that the focus will shift to HIS almighty power and provision in a certain situation.

God is omnipresent. There is no place in Heaven or on Earth where God is NOT. In fact, the only place where we could be removed from God’s presence is in Hell. In fact, the most horrifying aspect of Hell is that it is the complete absence of God’s presence. The misery, torture, and fear of Hell is a direct consequence of God’s absence.

There are many situations in our lives when it may seem that God is absent, or that God has turned His back on us. Sometimes, this is really because WE have chosen to turn our backs on God. He is right there, but we are deliberately looking the other way. Other times, God is there, but He chooses not to remove an obstacle or circumstance that is causing us pain or grief. We don’t always know why He seems silent or inactive. But He is there, inviting us to trust His timing and wisdom in every situation. He delights with us, and He grieves with us. He may not give an instant answer to our questions or doubts, but he sits with us, ready to hold our hand and wrap us in His loving care. He doesn’t give up and leave us when the going gets rough. He is closer than a whisper, and He sees and hears everything. No matter what darkness we face, His light can guide us through.

The Psalmist, King David spoke of this with wonder:

7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you. (Psalm 139:7-12 The Living Bible)

The Apostle Paul also spoke of God’s abiding presence, through Jesus Christ:

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV)

Jesus Himself promised His eternal presence as well:

Matthew 28:20–“…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Hebrews 13:5 (quoting Jesus)…’for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”’
John 14:18– “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

No matter where you are today, God’s already there! No matter what difficult road you have to travel; no matter how long it takes you; no matter what other obstacles you will face, God’s already there! Whether you are resting in green pastures or walking through the valley of the shadow of death (see Psalm 23), God is with you– He’s already there!

And as we pray, God is already there– He already sees the future. He’s already redeemed the past. He has already seen the end from the beginning, and yet He patiently sits with us in the present, offering comfort and hope.

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Of Stubbed Toes, Pet Cats, and Lost Coins

Prayer doesn’t have to be BIG to catch God’s ear or His heart. God cares about the “big” things– war, cancer, broken relationships. And we must be persistent in our prayers about such things. But God also cares about stubbed toes. He cares about the illness of pets and the pop quiz at school and “that noise” the car has been making lately. And we are not just encouraged; we are commanded to come to Him about the ordinary and “little” things in life.

I was challenged in this a few weeks ago when someone disparaged the prayer group I belong to. We meet every Wednesday morning to pray. And we have a running list of concerns that have been brought to our attention– some requests come from our members, some from prayer cards and requests that have been turned in after Sunday Services at our church. Some of our requests are about “big” things– social issues, wars, the persecuted Church around the world, etc… And some of our requests stay on the list for months. We don’t give up– we rejoice in God’s timing. For instance, we were praying for several months for a dear sister who was having housing issues. She was in assisted living because of her many health issues. But she wanted to live independently. So, we prayed. Miraculously, many of her health issues disappeared, and it seemed that she would be able to move out of the facility, but she didn’t know where she could go on her limited budget, and she still had some issues with mobility. So, we prayed. We got updates– it seemed that a situation would be opening soon, only to find that she had been denied. And denied again! Still, we prayed. Then, a couple of weeks ago, God acted by taking her Home to Heaven unexpectedly. It wasn’t the answer we imagined, but it was God’s perfect timing to answer her greatest needs.

Often, the stories are much smaller. One of the children in our church filled out a prayer card asking for us to pray for their pet cat, who was ill. So, we prayed. There was more to this request than just an animal feeling sick. This child had just lost a grandparent. The family was already dealing with loss, and this child did exactly what Faith tells us to do– call on the LORD in our distress. Bring “everything” to God in prayer (“Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7)And as brothers and sisters in Christ, we were encouraged by this child’s faith and willingness to share. We pray for twisted ankles and hip surgeries. We pray for broken-down cars and those who are struggling to buy groceries this week.

And when someone seemed to disparage our group’s efforts, I was confused and a bit hurt. The other person wasn’t saying that the requests themselves were wrong, but they felt that we might be “wasting” time on such requests at the expense of “more important” issues. Instead of praying for “uncle Joe’s stubbed toe,” we could be praying for social change in our community. “Uncle Joe” was on our list, but world peace was not. Their approach was that such “small” requests might be dealt with in a more personal and immediate way. And that shows another marvelous aspect of prayer. We don’t need to wait for Wednesday, or Sunday, or for a particular group to pray for our needs. In fact, on the strength of their suggestion, our church now announces that there is a “prayer team” at each Sunday service who will take time to offer immediate and personal prayer for those who want it. And both the weekly prayer group and the weekly prayer team can joyfully bring prayers before the Throne of Grace– no matter how big or small, dire or fleeting, personal or corporate.

Our group still offers to pray for “Uncle Joe’s stubbed toe” or Wendy’s car trouble, or Alice, who would like someone to help with yard work. Some of these requests also get passed on to or from our “Help” team, connecting them with practical help from volunteers in our congregation AND prayer support. Because it is our privilege to pray for others– to share their sorrows, struggles, and joys as we travel life together. And we also pray for war-torn areas, our persecuted churches around the world, and spiritual battles taking place in our congregation– addictions, ruptured families, stroke victims and their families, and much more.

Jesus told the three stories of people facing “loss” in Luke, chapter 15. The first story is of the lost sheep and the shepherd who is willing to abandon 99 sheep in order to look for one sheep that is lost. The third, and most famous of the three stories, is of the Prodigal Son, who runs away, spends all of his inheritance, and returns home to find that his father not only forgives him, but celebrates his return. Tucked in between is the story of a woman who loses one silver coin and sweeps through her entire house looking for it. When she finds it, she wants to celebrate with all her neighbors. THAT is what prayer can be–we don’t pray for lost coins or stubbed toes because they are earth-shaking events–we pray because that is how we share life with our neighbors, our brothers and sisters around the world, and the God who Loves each and every one with boundless, eternal, extravagant Love!

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Heroes of the Faith

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews11&version=NIV

When I was just a girl, many of my cousins and playmates were fans of comic-book heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Spiderman, and many others. In fact, in second grade, we had a “superhero” club that met at recess and played out scenarios. Most of us got to be heroes; a few had to take turns being villains. We ran as fast as we could; we pretended to fly; we pretended to save the world!

Each super hero has a special super power (or several super powers), and each one has a “fatal flaw”– some weakness that could keep him (or her) from easy victory over a villain. Superman can fly; but he cannot overcome the effects of Krypton. Batman has a seemingly endless array of cool gadgets, but they are not always enough to counter the cool gadgets of his foes. Spider-man can spin webs, but being a superhero doesn’t pay his bills. Wonder Woman has a lasso of truth and an invisible airplane, but she must struggle between promoting peace and fighting to stop violence and war.

I was reminded recently that we often confuse Biblical characters with comic-book superheroes. Moses had his staff. Samson had great strength. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. David wrote poetry and killed giants…and so on. And each “hero” of the faith seemed to have a “fatal flaw”– Abraham did not wait for God’s promise of Isaac. Moses had a temper. Jacob was hunted by his twin brother. Samson was arrogant and forgot the source of his strength. David was tempted by lust, which led him to commit adultery and murder!

There is nothing wrong with reading about comic book superheroes, or with honoring men and women of faith and courage and obedience. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is devoted to “heroes” of the faith, and the faith of Godly heroes.

But we can turn heroes into idols, and that leads us to false thinking. We falsely believe that God only calls those who are already heroic and strong. We sometimes feel that God cannot use us unless we first show that we have some superpower. We also carry a false guilt about our “fatal flaws,” feeling that we have somehow ruined God’s plans or let the enemy “win” whenever we stumble. Finally, we fail to see that our ordinary obedience–even our shaky and stumbling faith– IS heroic.

The biggest difference between Biblical “heroes” of the Faith and comic book superheroes, is that the latter often inhabit a world in which there is no Sovereign God. Often, comic book heroes come from a distant planet, or are “accidentally” created by exposure to radiation. Their actions “save” the world when ordinary people cannot overcome evil and villains. They may appear ordinary some of the time, but their lives are actually very different from ours. Biblical heroes, on the other hand, are ordinary people who were used, not because of who they are, but in spite of who they are!

Superheroes are exciting and noble, but they are not Biblical, and Biblical characters are not “accidental” superheroes. They are ordinary men and women who were used by God to do extraordinary things– things that only God can really do! Most of them spent their lives doing mostly ordinary things– farming, fishing, carpentry, tax collecting, herding sheep! There is only one actual “superhero” in the Bible– God himself–and He has no fatal flaw. Instead, He chooses flawed and ordinary people to obey Him as HE does extraordinary things through them. Even in our own time, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary “super” things in the lives of others. We may not see anyone killing giants or parting the waters of the Red Sea. We may not see anyone slinging webs, leaping over tall buildings or single-handedly saving Gotham City, but we can see how faithful Christ-followers can transform their families and communities because of God’s power working through them. No capes or costumes needed!

One consistent thing about the people we celebrate as “heroes” in the Bible– they all prayed! They all knew that real power (and wisdom and help) comes from God alone. Prayer and obedience are not guaranteed to make us famous or heroic. But God can use the simplest acts and the smallest measure of true faith to do great things in, and around, and through ordinary people just like us!

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Prayers in the Dark

We live in dark times. War, hatred, terrorism, oppression, destruction, and despair– they are all around us. And yet, we pray. We do not succumb to the darkness, but we seek out the light. Many Christians pray in literal darkness, as they have no electricity, or they are in dark prisons, or they worship in secret locations and inner rooms. But many of us pray in figurative darkness– our minds and eyes clouded with overstimulation and muddied theology. And we may pray “in the dark” about the situations faced by our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world– even in other parts of our local communities!

Praying in the dark, much like walking in the dark, involves a lot of caution, and a lot of trust. We pray strategically, knowing there are unseen obstacles and dangers around us, but confident that, with God’s wisdom and presence, we can avoid them and reach our goals.

What are some specific features that prayer should have when we find ourselves in the dark places of life?

  • Fervency–There is a quality of urgent and whole-hearted commitment to seeing God’s face, God’s wisdom, God’s will, God’s timing, and God’s guidance as we pray. “Not my will, but THINE, be done!” Christ, as He prayed in Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:36-46) We may not sweat drops of blood, but we should pray with a fervent desire to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
  • Focus– Sometimes, we can “see” more clearly in the dark. This is because we have fewer (visual) distractions. When we are overwhelmed with darkness, we let go of lesser things and concerns, and we pray for those things we really need, rather than those things we desire. We also have a greater sense of God’s provision and power, so we grow more grateful and joyful for what we DO have.
    ” For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)
  • Frequency–I pray almost constantly when I am burdened or facing obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Dark times can remind us that God alone can be trusted to lead us through. HE is God, and I am NOT! And like the men and women of the Bible who faced incredible odds, I can trust Him to hear and act. He sees me, He hears me, He Loves me, and He has a plan for my life that includes being with Him for Eternity!
    “Whom have I in heaven but you?
        And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
     My flesh and my heart may fail,
        but God is the strength of my heart
        and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)
  • Fellowship– This one may seem counter-intuitive. Many times, I feel more alone in the dark. But I have learned that I can actually feel just as lonely in a crowd and in the light. Dark times may make our “circle” smaller, but we may find that our few relationships grow stronger, and we open ourselves up to suffering in others that we would ignore in our carefree days. I think of those who end up on refugee camps or cancer treatment centers– the friendships made there are sometimes stronger than family! 
    “Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Philippians 1:3-6 (The Message)

Darkness and trials can drive us away from help and hope. But when we learn to Pray in the dark– to seek God with a whole and undivided heart– He will be our light in the darkness and our hope in the midst of desperate circumstances. And we can take comfort, even in the midst of pain and danger, in knowing that we are NEVER alone when we pray– even in the dark! We may not know the perfect words or have the perfect circumstances; we may not be able to see our next step– but we serve a perfect God, who will never let us go. There is no darkness– no circumstance– that can separate us from God’s love or His salvation, or keep our prayers from reaching Him.

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If I Could Change the World

Several years ago, Eric Clapton recorded a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. It was called, “(If I Could) Change the World”, and it ended up winning three Grammy awards. The chorus keeps repeating, “(if) I could change the world– I would be the sunlight in your universe. You would think my love was really something good. Baby, if I could change the world.”

The song speaks to a great longing we have to, if not change the entire world, at least change the circumstances around us. If only we could! Especially in a situation like that of the singer, who is in love with someone who doesn’t return his feelings. Oh the things he would do– He would bring down the stars, he would be king for a day, he would shine as bright as the sun! All in the hope of changing the heart of the woman he loves…Ahh, romance.

But there is a reality in this song that grieves the heart of God. Our world NEEDS to change. It is fallen, and it is on a collision course with death and destruction due to Sin. It is natural that we should want to change the world around us– it is full of danger, disappointment, death, and deception. But the only one who can truly change it (for the better) is the one who created it in the first place. We want to change the world by taking the place of God. WE want to be the sun in the center of our solar system. WE want to place the stars and planets. WE want to be the kings and queens of our days and lives.

And there are certain things over which we DO have that kind of control. WE can change our attitudes. WE can change our behaviors. WE can change some elements of our environment and our social circle. We can change jobs, hairstyles, addresses, sleep schedules, gym memberships, diets, and more.

But there are other things that we simply cannot change. We can’t change the weather– even when we talk of “climate change” we don’t speak of individuals being able to single-handedly improve (or destroy) the environment. We can’t change another person’s heart (as this song laments), or their mind. And, as Jesus reminds us, we can’t add a single hour to our lives (see Matthew 6:27)! We cannot change our genetic code to add inches to our height or subtract inches around our middle! And, while surgeons suggest that we can change our gender, it is not possible for a man or woman to change their basic DNA and assigned organs to completely “become” someone else. We cannot change the rotation of the Earth (and thank goodness! Even the slightest changes would wipe out life as we know it!) We cannot even rid the world of mosquitoes!

But our “groaning” echoes that of all nature (see Romans 8:22-23)– we long to see the world as it SHOULD BE. Something in our souls longs to see the world renewed, transformed, and perfected. And it WILL BE! God has promised to make a “new heaven and earth” (see Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1) And when that happens, HE will be the sunshine in our universe. We will KNOW that His Love is REALLY something Good! And while we wait, Jesus has promised to change our current situation, as well. HE can change our world! And that’s something worth singing about!

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On the Occasion of a Whimper

Have you ever noticed in reading through the Bible how often God shows up, not on the occasion of fanfare and praise, but on the occasion of a whimper? When all hope seems lost, and a heart is so broken it can no longer call out– when words are useless and all that is left is a dull, exhausted moaning?

God “inhabits the praise of His people” (Psalm 22:3), but He is also “close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). We work so hard to get close to the heart of God, but sometimes, we need to be broken to actually get there. We need to experience the God who finds us in our failures and rescues us from disasters– even those of our own making. God loves us enough to come to us in our brokenness– and He loves us too much to leave us there. God is not a “fairy godfather” who will magically make our circumstances comfortable and painless. But He is a true Father, who will provide comfort and strength to get back up and face the future with hope and courage.

Long ago, a woman named Hagar was despondent. She was a slave who was told by her mistress to sleep with the master so he could have a son. Hagar got pregnant when her mistress couldn’t, and she became proud and disdainful toward her mistress. When she was punished for her arrogance, she ran away into the desert–a foolish and impulsive act, as she had nowhere to go and no one to support her or her unborn son. An angel found her by a spring of water and told her to return and submit to her mistress. Several years later, she and her son, Ishmael, were sent into the desert because of Ishmael’s contempt for his brother. Ishmael was near death, and his mother in despair. Not being able to watch her son die, she moved a short distance away and began to sob. But another angel came and showed Hagar a well of water. He reminded her that God had seen her the first time she ran to the desert, and He had heard her crying this time, too. Hagar was not a queen; she was not a warrior princess or the daughter of a noble. She was not righteous or innocent. She was a rebellious slave; the victim of a sinful scheme, but headstrong and rash. God did not stop her from running away; He did not give her victory over her mistress. But God rescued Hagar and Ishmael. And He blessed them both– on the occasion of a whimper. (See Genesis 16 and Genesis 21)

Today, don’t be afraid to whimper. Don’t pretend that everything is under your control– it isn’t. But be willing to look and listen for the ways that God will show himself. It may be in the words of a stranger; it may be in the beauty of a sunset; it may even be that song on the radio, or a cool drink of water in the middle of a desert. God doesn’t always rescue us from sorrow and pain. Sometimes He rescues us through it.

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When God “Remembers No More…”

In my last post, I discussed what it means (or doesn’t mean) when the Bible says that “God remembered…” God is not forgetful. He is omniscient, meaning that He knows everything, all the time. When God “remembers,” the Bible is usually talking about God’s timing. God “remembers” His promises– meaning that the time has come for God’s promises to be fulfilled. The reminder isn’t for God– it is for US. We need to trust that God will fulfill ALL of His promises in His time, not ours.

So what does it mean when God says, “ “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12? Or “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 ? (emphasis added)

How can a God who knows everything and remembers everything say that He will NOT remember? Once again, God does not forget. But He does choose what He will call to mind– what He will hold against us, or what He will hold in our favor. And, just as God remembers His promises, He promises to “forget” our sins and remove them “as far as the east is from the west” Psalm 103:12.

God’s perfect justice demands that He should remember every wrong, every injustice, every sin–and punish them. God will never leave one of His precious children as an eternal victim. Every martyr, every victim of theft, abuse, betrayal, slander, and injury will someday be vindicated, healed, and made whole. But God can, more perfectly than any human being, remember and correct the injustice without attaching all of the punishment to guilty party. Instead, He sees the Blood of Christ as the complete and entire payment for our sins! God has promised that the Blood of Christ has fully atoned for Sin. Our response of Faith allows us to claim that promise and move forward in New Life. Not just Eternal Life, but newness and abundance of Life today. Just as God can “remember (our) sins no more,” so we too can turn away from them.

There is great comfort in remembering that God always remembers His promises. There is also great comfort in knowing that God will NOT remember all of our failures and rebellious thoughts and actions. His forgiveness is not conditional on our level of guilt or our attempt to make atonement. It is complete, even to the point of wiping clear the very memory of our past sins! And Christ’s finished work on the cross also guarantees that every hurt and injustice we have suffered will also be made right–in His perfect way and time.

But there is a further comfort– WE can rest in the promise that our guilt and shame can stay in the past. We do not have to continually ask for God’s forgiveness for the sins we committed years ago, nor do we have to continually live in the guilt of knowing we have fallen short of the Glory of God. We do not have to live as constant victims of someone else’s sin. We do not have to rehearse our failures, justify our scars, or live as second-class Christians, feeling that we are not “as good” as others, since we are all saved by Faith, and not by our own works of goodness (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

Being a Christian is not a matter of what we’ve done (or what has been done to us) in the past. It is walking a new road, following Christ’s example and resting in His assurances. It is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us on the road ahead, not letting our accuser (Satan) drag us back to our former paths. We will still remember our old actions, the pain of what we have suffered, the pain we have caused others. But we need not live in those memories. We can be ecstatically grateful for God’s promise to “remember (our) sins no more!”

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