Honest Reflections

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” Exodus 3:2-3

God used burning bushes to send His message to Moses.  Moses didn’t have a phone with notifications to alert him to new texts.  But he did have a burning bush that wasn’t actually burning to get his attention.  The burning bush for Moses is significant because it shows, God can reach us wherever we are.  Not only does He know how to find us, He knows how to communicate with each of us in a way that is personal to us.  One way God communicates with us is through our own burning bushes.

God used the burning bush in Moses life to liberate the Israelite’s from slavery.  God used the burning bush in my life to draw me closer to Him. I was working for a company in a miserable job I hated.  I felt that there was no way out. I had to accept the working conditions that I was enduring. I had bills to pay. As I spoke to a trusted Christ following friend, she reminded me, God was my provider, not the company.  Still I wavered, until God gave me a “burning bush moment.” It was at the end of the meeting, new conditions had been added to my job responsibilities. I didn’t know how I could possibly do even more, but I was willing.  Then it happened. I felt like I was watching a jumbotron at a sporting event as I saw the words, “Trust in me,” roll across my mind. I knew it was a message from God. I didn’t hesitate, I immediately gave my two weeks notice.  When God talks, get ready to walk.

When God talks, get ready to walk.

God did provide.  Over the next months He led me to a job that I loved and worked for the next 16 years.  Not one of my bills went unpaid, He provided every step of the way. The journey wasn’t always easy, but knowing I was following Him, made it all worthwhile.  My burning bush moment was a jumbotron at the end of a meeting. For many people, their first burning bush moment is when they realize their need for Jesus. That moment when you realize, without Him, you can’t go on.  You need His love and mercy, His grace and peace. And you can have it, simply say, “God, I’m a sinner in need of grace. Help me.” Ten words that will start you on an adventure like you can’t imagine. God uses burning bush moments in our lives to communicate to us.  

Question of the Day:

What burning bush moment has God used in your life?

Further Reading: Exodus 2:11-3:22 NIV, Matthew 17:10-27 NIV, Psalm 22:1-18 NIV,

Proverbs 5:7-14 NIV

 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 NIV

The only way to tell whether something is bad or good is to wait and see.  Joseph, the man speaking these words, is referring to when his brothers threw him in a pit to die, then feeling remorseful, sold him into slavery instead.  They meant him harm, but now, years later, it turned out to be good. The only way to know if it’s bad or good is to wait and see.

Joseph’s life was spent in and out of prison after his brothers sold him into slavery. But then through divine intervention, he became second-in-command of  Egypt. God and Pharaoh were the only two he had to report too. When his brothers needed help during the 7 year famine, he gave it to them freely. What they meant as harmful, God intended for good.   Only with hindsight is Joseph able to see the truth. With hindsight comes perspective and truth.

With hindsight comes perspective and truth.

My job was eliminated Nov. 1, 2019.  I had been working a volunteer staff position at the church we attended.  Due to some restructuring, they eliminated my position. I was devastated.  I didn’t understand why? I was doing a great job, so good in fact, I had grown the position from part time to full time.  I wasn’t consulted. I was called in to the office and told I no longer had a position. None of it made sense to me that day, or in the days that followed.  But now, over a year later, I completely understand. God knew exactly what He was doing. He had a different journey for me to take, but first He had to remove me from where I was.  What I thought was bad, was good. I just needed time to be able to see it.

Whatever “bad” thing has happened to you, wait to make the final judgement.  If a relationship has ended, there may be a reason you don’t know about. If you lost your job, God has something better in store for you, don’t give up.  Whatever the situation, trust that God is maneuvering you where He wants you to be. It may take time before you can see the good in a situation. Joseph was in his late teens when his brother’s tried to kill him, by the time they reconnect, he is in his 30’s.  The only way to truly know if something is bad or good is to wait and see. Sometimes, the wait is longer than we would like. During those times, we can do what Joseph did, keep our eyes on God and trust Him.

Question of the Day:

What is one situation you thought was bad, but now you realize was good?

Further Reading:  Genesis 50:1 – Exodus 2:10 NIV, Matthew 16:13-17:9 NIV, Psalm 21:1-13 NIV, Proverbs 5:1-6 NIV

“Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.”  Proverbs 4:23 NIV

The easiest way to guard your heart is to monitor what you allow into it.  What you put into your heart is what will flow from it. A recent study about our culture’s exposure to violence in the media showed it does affect us.  The study found links to stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.  When we’re constantly being barraged with negativity, it starts to produce negativity in us.  The first step in guarding your heart is being aware of what you are allowing into it. The key to guarding your heart, blocking out the negative and allowing in more good.

God tells us not only to guard our hearts, He also gives us practical tips how too in the verses that follow today’s verse.   “Keep your mouth free of perversity;  keep corrupt talk far from your lips.  Let your eyes look straight ahead;  fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.  Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Prov. 4:24-27 NIV).  In other words, watch what you say, keep your eyes on your own path, think about what you are doing and which way you are going.  Guarding your heart not only protects it, but allows good to flow from it.

Guarding your heart not only protects it, but allows good to flow from it.

I guard my heart by limiting my exposure to media violence.  I don’t watch violent movies, I don’t read violent books. Instead, each morning I take time with God.  I read His word, I pray and fill my heart with His goodness. As I learn more about Him, I’m able to stay focused on the path He made for me.  By taking time with Him each morning I’m more aware of the words that flow from my mouth. I’m more sensitive to the times my speech is not uplifting and encouraging.  I guard my heart by limiting the negative and choosing to fill it with God’s goodness. When I fill my heart with God’s goodness, then good flows from it.  

Guarding our hearts is a daily choice to monitor what we allow into it.  If we want good to flow from it, we must put good into it. Just like putting gasoline into a car, if we get bad gas, the car won’t run.  But when we fuel it with high octane petroleum, we’ll be able to to go for miles and miles on it’s goodness.

Question of the Day:

What are you filling your heart with?

Further Reading:  Genesis 48:1-49:33 NIV, Matthew 15:29-16:12 NIV, Psalm 20:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 4:20-27 NIV

“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.”  Proverbs 4:14 NIV

One way to paraphrase today’s verse is simple, make sure you know who you are following.  We all follow someone. The people we follow, are the people we mimic. You know who you follow by who you imitate.  For instance, my husband and I follow Dave Ramsey.  Our financial plan is modeled after the plan he teaches, Financial Peace University. His financial plan is based on the Biblical principles for handling money.   We follow Dave. Dave follows Jesus. Therefore, following Dave means we’re also following Jesus.  Knowing who you follow is important to knowing what path you are on.

Charles Manson was a self-proclaimed Jesus who led a cult in California.  Members of his cult committed brutal murders, including Sharon Tate, a pregnant actress.  He ordered the murders. The people that followed him were walking in the way of an evildoer. Their lives were affected by who they chose to follow.  When his followers mimicked Manson, they were mimicking a mad man. Their actions are what tell their tale. Because of who they chose to follow, four of his followers were convicted of murder along with Manson.  Manson wasn’t following Jesus because he thought he was Jesus. We need to know who we’re following.

We need to know who we’re following.

Ultimately, the person to follow is Jesus.  As we follow Jesus, we meet other people on the same path as we are.  People who know they are sinners. People who are trying to put Jesus first in their lives, even though they falter by times.  People who know that in our deepest of messes, God still loves us. When we ask for forgiveness, He forgives. But as we follow Jesus, we also follow other people.  People who are ahead of us on our journey with God. People who have been through what we’re going through and are on the other side of it. Ordinary people who have daily walked with Jesus a little longer than we have.  People who know how to get back on track with Jesus after they falter.

When I first started my adult journey with Jesus, my friend Laura is who I followed to Him.  Friends since highschool, we had lost touch for a few years after college. When we reconnected, she had come to know Jesus.  He was a daily part of her life. I couldn’t have a conversation with her without talking about Jesus. The same is true 25 years later, I still can’t have a conversation with her without talking about Jesus.  Because Laura wanted to be like Jesus, she helped me start following Jesus. Who you want to be like is who you are following.  

Question of the Day:

Who do you want to be like?

Further Reading: Genesis 46:1-47:31 NIV, Matthew 15:1-28 NIV, Psalm 19:1-14 NIV, Proverbs 4:14-19 NIV

““Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”  Matthew 14:29 NIV

The first step is always the hardest.  The first step towards a new relationship.  The first step towards forgiveness in an old relationship.  The first step to a healthier lifestyle. No matter what the “first step” is, it’s always the hardest one to take.  In Peter’s case, his first step was to defy all odds and walk on water. What was it that gave Peter the strength to take the first step?  His faith in Jesus. Peter was able to take the first step because Jesus told him too. He trusted Jesus. He had faith in Jesus. The first step is always the hardest, but if our faith is in Jesus, we’ll have the strength to take it.

One of the most famous first step’s every taken was by Neil Armstrong.  Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.  Armstrong went first. That step was covered in prayer by the Apollo Prayer League (APL).  The APL was formed to protect the religious rights of Astronauts. Because of them,  Aldrin was allowed to conduct communion on the Apollo 11.  Before he walked on the moon, he took communion.  The scripture he read from a 3×5 card: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me”  (John 15:5 KJV).  The first thing the astronauts did when they landed on the moon was thank God.  The first act done on the moon by man was remember Jesus through communion. The astronaut’s faith was in Jesus, just like Peter’s.  Instead of walking on water, they walked on the moon. When we focus on Jesus, there’s no step we can’t take.

When we focus on Jesus, there’s no step we can’t take.

Peter was looking at Jesus when he took his first step out of the boat.  Aldrin was focusing on Jesus when he celebrated communion. We have to keep our eyes on the Son in order for Him to light our path.  Paul, in his letter to the Phillipians says he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Phil 4:13 NIV).  We can tap into the same strength Paul did.  The same strength Peter did. The same strength Aldrin did.  We can take the first step we need to take in our own lives if we focus our eyes on Jesus.  When keep the Son in our eyes, He’ll give us the strength to take the step.

Question of the Day:

What first steps do you need to tap into Jesus’ strength to take today?

Further Reading:Genesis 44:1-45:28 NIV, Matthew 14:13-36 NIV, Psalm 18:37-50 NIV, Proverbs 4:11-13 NIV

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”  Psalm 18:32 NIV

God’s strength and security are one way to get back on the board of life. He uses people to make the intangible, tangible. I see His strength in the young mom’s in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class.  I watch as they manage to arrive on time each week, kids in tow.  I witness His strength and security as they bond their lives together, encouraging and helping each other.  I’ve witnessed God’s strength and security in elderly couples who have overcome a lifetime of adversity, nurturing each other in old age. And I’ve experienced His strength and security during tragic losses in the people who have surrounded me with love on the most difficult of days.  God’s people are one way He gets us back on the board.

How do we know who God’s people are in our lives? The easiest way to determine who is a warrior of the Almighty is by examining the fruit that they produce.  Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace winner for her work with orphans in India, was a warrior for God.  The fruit of her work tells you what she was most passionate about in her life. God made her a warrior for orphans.  Obviously, not all of us are called to do what Mother Teresa did, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t just as important. Each of us were born with our own purpose and passions that God designed us for specifically. I have a passion for writing. I don’t find it a burden.  Other people think writing is torture, but are passionate about something else. God not only creates us as warriors, He gives us a specific purpose.

God not only creates us as warriors, He gives us a specific purpose.

 Bethany Meilani Hamilton-Dirks is someone who I think is doing what God created her to do.  She is a professional surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13.  Yet that didn’t stop her. Her love of God, her passion for surfing kept her going. After recovering from the attack, she got back on her surfboard and returned to professional surfing.  God’s strength and security armed her to get back on her board. The people God surrounded her with helped her get back up on her board.  All of us work together so intricately, none of us can do life on our own. We need God and we need each other. One way He gets us back on the board of life is through His people.

Question of the Day:

Who are the people God has used to give you strength and security?

Further Reading: Genesis 42:18-43:34 NIV, Matthew 13:47-14:12 NIV, Psalm 18:16-36 NIV, Proverbs 4:7-10 NIV

“Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart keep my commands, and you will live.” Proverbs 4:4 NIV

Why do we make decisions that inevitably cause us harm? Why do people drink too much on Saturday night only to repent on Sunday morning?  In essence, that is all it takes. When we acknowledge our sin before God, He forgives us, over and over again (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV).  But when people continue in their life of bad decisions, they aren’t enjoying the peace of God’s presence in their lives.  Just because we make a bad decision, doesn’t mean we’re bad people. We’re human, bad decisions are a part of life for everyone.

When I was in college, I was an alcoholic.  I drank to extremes. I had experienced the loss of my father at the age of 16, drinking was my coping mechanism.  One night, I drank so much I blacked out. A common story heard among college students. However, I drove a half hour home during that black out.  I woke up the next morning in my bed, having no idea how I got there. I praised God I hadn’t hurt anyone. That night changed my life. I realized, my bad decisions were out of control.  I realized I needed help. The first place I turned was God, the second place was to my mother. They helped me out of the darkness I had created. I wasn’t following Jesus at the time, my bad decision is what drew me back to Him.  When we at least try, He’ll meet us more than half way.

When we at least try, He’ll meet us more than half way.

Once I turned my life back towards Christ, it changed completely.  I began to find hope. I began to deal with the issues that came from losing my father.  I began to find God’s peace in my life. I didn’t need alcohol to cope any longer, I found what I needed in Jesus.  But the journey wasn’t easy, and it still continues. Each day I choose to follow God’s commands instead of my human desires.  Each day I start again. When I make a bad decision, I admit it, I learn from it, and I start again.

In tennis, there is a common phrase that people say, “You’re only as good as your next shot.”  What this means is, it doesn’t matter what lies in the past, whether good or bad, it’s only what you do next that really counts.  We can choose to change the parts of our life that we don’t like. We can choose to make different decisions than we did before. We can choose turmoil and heartache, or we can choose peace and love.  Don’t let one bad decision define you, instead, let Jesus help you overcome it. Choose to follow His commands, and you’ll find you make less bad decisions.

Question of the Day:

How can Jesus help you overcome a bad decision in your life?

Further Reading: Genesis 41:17-42:17 NIV, Matthew 13:24-46 NIV, Psalm 18:1-15 NIV, Proverbs 4:1-6 NIV

“Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.” Psalm 17:3”

God understands intent. When we deal with imperfect people in an imperfect world, we judge by actions. When someone cuts us off in traffic, we assume that their intent is to harm us.  Anger can easily begin to well up because of the perceived offense. In reality, their intent was probably innocent. They may not have seen another car in the lane. Perhaps they’ve just found out a loved one was in an accident, their only intent to get to them as quickly as possible.  Whatever their intent, it wasn’t to harm someone else. For whatever reason, they accidently cut off another car, unintentionally. God understands the intent of the offensive driver. He looks at their heart, not just their actions.  

God looks at our hearts.  He knows when we accidentally say the wrong thing to someone.  He knows we weren’t trying to offend them, yet we did. For example, congratulating someone on their pregnancy only to find out they aren’t pregnant, is a mistake you only make once. The intent was never to offend the person, it was the exact opposite.  But they inevitably are offended. Intent is overlooked when we’re offended. Understanding intent can help us let go of the offense.

Understanding intent can help us let go of the offense. 

I grew up with brothers. I would look for ways to get them in trouble with our parents.  Anything they did, I would interpret through the lens of offense. When my brothers invited me to play baseball with them, I didn’t trust their intent.  If I got hit with a baseball, I assumed it was intentional. I can hear my mother’s voice telling me, “They didn’t intend to hurt you, they’re just playing a game.” They were just boys being boys. And I was a girl who didn’t understand their intent. My Mom taught me about intent because of my brothers. God wants us to look at intent.  He wants us to look at the heart, not just the actions. The heart is where we find what a person’s true intent is.  

David is appealing to God in Psalm 17.   Whatever fire David is going through in this Psalm, he’s asking God to check his heart.  He wants God to know his intent was not to harm. In the same way, whether we have been offended, or we’re the offender, the first place to go is God.  Let Him examine the situation, let Him reveal the intent of the involved parties. Let Him be the judge. When we stop overlooking intent, we’ll have a better view of reality.  We’ll find freedom from unintended offense. 

Question of the Day:

Whose intent have you misjudged lately?

Further Reading:Genesis 39:1-41:16 NIV,  Matthew 12:46-13:23 NIV,  Psalm 17:1-15 NIV,  Proverbs 3:33-35 NIV

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”  Matthew 12:25 NIV

Unity is a common prayer I pray for our country.  The division I see in daily life breaks God’s heart, and mine.  In today’s verse, Jesus has just healed a demon possessed man. When asked who this could be doing such a thing.  The Pharisees, judgy religious leaders, said it was just satan looking after his own. Stop a moment and think about what the Pharisees are actually saying.  A demon has done his job, possessing a man. Satan, his boss, comes along and undoes the work his employee has done. That doesn’t even make sense to me. But that is what the Pharisees are saying has happened.

Jesus is once again correcting them.  A team has to work together in order to reach their goal.  A country has to be united to stand strong.  

One of my favorite warm up drills when teaching kids tennis is the cone drill.  I take several round, soccer cones and scatter them all over the court. Some of the cones are upside down, some rightside up.  I split the kids into two teams. One team has to turn the cones right side up, one team turns them upside down. I give them a minute to accomplish their goals.  Do you know what happens when they are finished? The cones are usually about the same as when we started. Nothing gets accomplished because they aren’t working together, they’re working against each other.  A household divided against itself will not stand. 

A household divided against itself will not stand.

One of the most famous speeches in American history was only 271 words long.  It came at a time when our country was at its worst division. And it contained these words:

“conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln, when elected president,  appointed all three of his rivals to his cabinet.  Men that valiantly opposed his ideas and thoughts, he chose to work with daily.  Because he did, he helped unite a divided nation. He treated all men as equal, he valued the opinions of those who opposed him.  He knew Jesus well, he knew a house divided could not stand. The same truth still applies today. We all are created equal in Christ.  We are one nation under God. If we can start to have conversations with people whose opinions may not be the same as ours, we will begin to build a united nation once again.  

Question of the Day:

What is one thing you can do today to promote unity?

Further Reading: Genesis 37:1-38:30 NIV, Matthew 12:22-45 NIV, Psalm 16:1-11NIV, Proverbs 3:27-32 NIV

“He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?” Matthew 12:11 NIV

The passage today’s verse is found in is one of the reasons I love Jesus.  Jesus and His boys are hanging out on the Sabbath. God appointed one day a week as rest, that day is known as the Sabbath.  No work is to be done, yet here we find the disciples feeding themselves (Matthew 12:1 NIV).   The law abiding religious folks, Pharisees, judged their actions as sinful; and confronted them.  Jesus, the master of confrontation, knew exactly what to do.

The Pharisees, knew all of the Old Testament inside and out.  They carried around scrolls with the laws written on them. There are 613 laws that they spent their time trying to enforce.  Jesus knew these laws better than anyone. He knew it was impossible for man to live up to them. No one is capable of keeping all of those laws.  Jesus came to fulfill them for us once and for all, which He did on the cross. Jesus understood the Pharisees way of thinking. He understood how to talk to them.  Jesus doesn’t waste time, He speaks to our hearts.

 Jesus doesn’t waste time, He speaks to our hearts.

Jesus response to His accusers is simple.  He reminded them of what they already knew.  He reminded them David had eaten from the temple on the Sabbath.  Jesus reminded them about the priests who desecrated the temple, yet were innocent   He speaks to their hearts, telling them they don’t understand mercy. And then He makes His final point. He tells them He is Lord of the Sabbath.  And why is it important that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath? Because He is the epitome of grace and mercy. The full story is found in Matthew 12:1-8 NIV.

Lord, if I could be more like You.  If I could judge less and love more, how much better the world would be.  If we could all show mercy to those who falter, our world would be brighter.  Jesus understood the fundamental principle we forget, none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes.  We all need mercy and forgiveness. None of us are capable of keeping all of the “laws.” Jesus had mercy on the Pharisees.  He showed them a new way to think by reminding them of the past. He showed them mercy. It was up to them to accept it, just like it’s up to us.  Jesus offers us mercy for our mistakes, it’s up to us to take it.

Question of the Day:

What area of your life do you need to accept the mercy Jesus is offering you?

Further Reading:Genesis 35:1-36:43 NIV, Matthew 12:1-21NIV, Psalm 15:1-5 NIV, Proverbs 3:21-26 NIV