God's Forgiveness through Christ

 Luke 17: And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.  Pay attention to yourselves!  If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him.'

In the Anglican Book of Common Prayer I am always drawn to The Confession of Sin. We say it before the peace.  The Confession has always been a window into my soul during the service, a chance to let my heart pour out before God, even if I am weak in hope, destitute by fear and I let my pride coax me.  I feel the Holy Spirit working with me almost as a counselor when I say this prayer, guiding me to know God's will through Jesus Christ as I am forgiven my sins.

 Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

As we continue in the path of the Passion, it is important for us to look inward while letting God's light shine in.  You can hide your sins and doubts, but light illumines the darkness.  The only way to cure cancer is to acknowledge the tumor.  I try to say this prayer every day to clear my mind and keep my soul pure so I can be fully in tune with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Christ is ready to forgive us our sins, he is ready to accept us into his Holy Name in the banner of heaven with love and grace - we must first humble ourselves before him - admitting our faults, our fears, our anxieties - Christ can bind and heal all woulds - if we let go and let HIM.  Part of the confession is TRUST, in addition to being humble and sincere (something we all struggle with in varying times of our life) we must TRUST in the forgiveness as absolute and not dwell on the sin any longer.  Take the lessons learned, but don't ruminate on the sin or let guilt weigh you down - God has forgiven you by grace - HIS will be done.  I know I have a hard time forgiving my mistakes, even if they are not 'sins' per say as much as circumstances I'd like to redo - I know when we ask God to cleanse that hurt and pain - he will - he wants us to learn from our transgressions so we might understand 'why' it was a mistake and God's truth so we won't stumble again - and when we do we'll have direct recourse to Christ.

I have found the more I examine my life, the restless worrier, anxious doer and faithful servant who feels at times forgotten or it is my duty to not fulfill the desires of my heart - that my worry and rumination, nitpicking, self-loathing do not pay homage to Christ, but rather block me from coming into full communion with him and all HIS saints and angels.  We must be willing to learn to humble ourselves, but also be willing to let go and let GOD - fear and hate paralyze. 

I know I am a sinner.  I have been so focused on my fear of not having enough food or money that I often nitpick and scrutinize my choices - attending college out of state (they had the best department in my field), not being successful enough in my career, not being thinner...I let this build a wall between me and God instead of asking God to show me the way - where am I supposed to go - what is my role in life - Here I am LORD.  I find God speaks to us in the quiet depths of our soul, in unexpected places - but we need to listen - part of that is letting go of regret, anger, guilt and desperation - instead give it to God with a sincere heart and allow him to heal you and show you how to be healed.  Christ forgives our sins, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to suffer repercussions on earth for sin - there is a reaction to every choice - forgiveness and grace means it won't take God away from your soul and he will allow you to be lifted up and to learn from the suffering.  God won't forsake us through Christ we are saved, and we have the Holy Spirit as our guide! 3 in 1 - one God to love, guide, protect and save us!

Confessing our sins is also about forgiving others, when we pray The Lord's Prayer we say 'forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us.'  God wants us to forgive others because anger keeps us from HIS love.  Forgiveness doesn't not condone an action - rather it turns it over to God's care.

Forgiveness is the highest reflection of God's love, forgive and be forgiven, love even if love means leaving a difficult situation - God will heal you through HIS son Christ Jesus!

 

The Triumph of the Passion - Christ's Work in the World

Matthew 21:
"Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ' Go into the village in front of you, and immediate you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once.

Of all the things to ask for - a donkey - a donkey is practical for transport in the 1st century - but it seems a strange request when the Son of God, Jesus is preparing to make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  The saying 'God works in mysterious ways,' God does and his mysteries are holy and just.  Jesus or His Father could have made a donkey appear out of thin air at a word's breath of command - but Jesus reminds us that HIS will and OUR Father's will in salvation is to save us from sin - yes, but also to engage us in a relationship with God.  God has needs for us in HIS Kingdom on earth - as simple as going to find 'a donkey' to carry Christ into Jerusalem.  God is calling us on Palm Sunday through HIS son Jesus - are we willing to hear the call. I find in the thickest times of chaos and fear, God calls us to do the impossible - often through what seem to be unimportant tasks.


Untying the donkey and bringing it to Jesus fulfulls a prophecy in Zechariah "Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'

 

In the Old Testament there is a interesting vignette about a donkey and a prophet who is sent to curse the Israelites as they journey to the Promise Land.  The donkey perceives the will of God before the foreign prophet - the donkey speaks and listens to God's angelic messenger - I think about this parallel - reminding us that God often turns tables on our perception - sometimes the things that seem too common place or so out of the world - are where we find God working his plans.  You can read the Balaam story here.




"The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them  Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting. 'Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!'  And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying, "Who is this?' And the crowds said  'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.'" Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday is the start of Passion Week.  The Passion of Christ is a crossroads of faith and doubt, hope and betrayal, celebration and death.  In a span of a week, Jesus is glorified by the masses, hailed as the Messiah, before the darkest depths of time overshadow the light.  Jesus is lauded, persecuted, betrayed, condemned, crucified and seemingly forsaken.  The week of Passion reminds us of the fickleness of the world against the current of greed, selfishness and anger - contrasted with the infinite love, compassion, gentle and loving Christ.  While we know that Jesus came for this task, to face death, condemned as an innocent man so God's law could offer salvation to all sinners - it is important to meditate on the act of self-sacrifice, trust, resilience of faith against evil - LOVE & Active GRACE Jesus provides us in the passion.  It is so hard to fathom the suffering he endured on the cross - we don't like being in the thick of the shadows that crowd the sun, it is easier to focus on the end message: Christ has risen - Alleuia.  While we should always sing praises to the LORD and not lose hope, part of the Lenten journey and our walk in the passion this week is the realization of the suffering Christ took on out of Love and how hate and sin were absolved out of selfless love - Jesus, though divine - fully God, was also human, he knows the pain of the flesh - Jesus's heart shattered when he was betrayed, he longed for his disciples to stand by his side in the face of trial.  Only John was there when he died, with Mary.  We must ponder and marinate on Christ's suffering - with a heart set on forgiveness, releasing our burdens and rage to Jesus so that we can be made well.  We often take for granted Christ's suffering - we don't realize the call of suffering in our own lives as disciples as Jesus.  While I have learned the hard way that life is not about suffering, Christ does what us to enjoy an abundant life, we cannot rest so strong in our faith that we neglect to follow God's will in our lives.  When we clutch the grace of salvation without being willing to give-up worldly matters to help those in need then are we really living in the GRACE of Jesus.

When Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was in deep despair - he asked HIS Father to spare him, if it was possible...Jesus in his humanity feared death and the pain of the trial before HIM.

We all face trials - the world can be a cruel place, but God is at work in the world and any suffering we endure - God through Christ and the Holy Spirit will lead you through.  Who fears the darkness when you have the light of God within you?

Christ cast aside his fear, he turned it over to God and out of LOVE for the Father, but more importantly LOVE for humanity and the world - Christ took on suffering, he accepted his death - knowing in dying - he would be reborn through the resurrection of God.   

During this Passion Week - look inward, realize your brokenness and give the shattered shards to Christ - he knows what it is to be bruised, beaten, mocked and broken...he understands the pain we feel when we are bullied and betrayed - he knows our hearts - even the dark spaces.

Imagine yourself if you were following Jesus the week of the Passion - What role would you play - would you magnify Jesus then step into the shadows of fear in times of persecution - or would you be at the foot of the cross.  We are probably a bit like Peter, deeply faithful and desperate for Jesus in our lives to fill up our soul's cup, but in adversity we cling to the ways of the world, before recognizing our errors.  It is important to be willing to scrutinize yourself - every blotch of anger, resentment, fear, bigotry and judgment this week and cast it aside - give it to God through Jesus Christ - ask that Christ come into your heart through the Holy Spirit with unceasing light - even for the darkest nights of the soul.

We live in uncertain times.  Every material possession is built on sand.  While God wants us to be grateful and enjoy life's blessings unless we can surrender fully our greed and anger to God - ready to serve him, then we will lie lost.  I contemplate the pain and sorrow of those afflicted by war and famine, to the homelessness and greed in all societies.  The evils of ISIS and Boko Haram - it is hard to have faith in good in uncertain times, but against the evil of this world we must be vigiliant in God's love, and walk in the way of Christ - actively fighting with our spirit of hope and truth to light a fire of love on the darkest paths.  Evil might have its night, but the glory of God's goodness is forever and we are called in this world not only to prepare our hearts for the coming kingdom of heaven, but to bring heaven to earth in love, service and faith - even if that means we face hardship.  The Lord is with you - do not be afraid.

Sometimes we must fight with arrows of faith - guarding and protecting those who are in danger - in the physical and spiritual realm...we cannot forget too our own journey - times when to let go of anger and when to be active soldiers for Christ - we need a balance because sometimes being a servant of God is letting go of the bitterness - so a cycle of forgiveness can begin - other times we must actively pursue justice

What if you stood at the base of the cross - seeing the despair and the hope out of the darkness - knowing that 'this man truly was the Son of God,' and still you turned away - too concerned about the status quo and worldly gains.

We all straddle these harsh questions and there are no easy answers.  The only answer is to walk in the path of Christ: Jesus lived in love and compassion, he served and offered hope - and when it came between betraying HIS Father and HIS mission of salvation he rebuked the carnal world of the flesh for his DIVINE purpose of dying on the cross -

Remember Jesus - while we are reckless sinners lost and wandering - God is guiding us, he hears our prayers - He is not immune to our suffering - HE faced it and endured it in the worst way imaginable - so when we are called into suffering - God works to use it for our highest good - if we lean on Christ for understanding.  Jesus trusted HIS Father to make HIM whole even in the face of pure evil and death - he maintained a focus of love and compassion and service to God.  When he cried out 'My God...Why have you forsaken me,' Jesus is like us when we faithfully cry out in prayer 'Help us - do not be listening.'  Even Jesus cried out in the silent spaces of suffering - God listens - God provides.

Christ is the Triumphant Way to God and he Restores all life...This week we must suffer as we give up our sins to God.  I say suffer because it is hard to change bad habits, but when you let the past die you can move onto the future.

My minister tonight - reminded us the definition of passion:

an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

"the English have a passion for gardens"

synonyms:

fervor, ardor, enthusiasm, eagerness, zeal, zealousness, vigor, fire, fieriness, energy, fervency, animation, spirit, spiritedness,

 I am passionate about writing, music, art, service - passionate starts with what we love - Jesus's passion was a infinite boundless love for humanity and in that passion, he was willing to suffer and die without sin to save a sinful world.  How great is God's love for us through Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit - Jesus calls us to be made well.  Suffering is a part of life, but we need to balance our role as a suffering servant and being at peace and harmony in the world God created - never losing sight of the power of grace and our duty to be instruments of peace, love, forgiveness, light and service through Christ - that should be our life's work in all be do - even if it is something as simple as untying a metaphorical donkey.

Be willing to hear God's call, be willing to follow the way of Christ and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance - they answer prayers - even if sometimes it is through a journey in the wilderness to learn lessons and build our character in faith

I recently forgave those who had harmed me and led me to near destitution - I could not understand why God placed such burdens on me - I learned to rely on him and cast aside my fears - God sometimes calls us to tear down old foundations and ways of thinking so we can build our cornerstone in HIS Son, Jesus.

I hope you will join me this week as I blog about Passion Week.  I sent prayers to all my readers.  Remember the light out of suffering and the power of mercy in trial.  God is with us, Christ is for us, the Holy Spirit is within us - DO NOT BE AFRAID

Restoration of Fortunes - Lessons in the Spirit

Jeremiah 30-31:
(30:1-10) "The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Thus says he LORD, the God of Israel: 'Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.  For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it."....(8)And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him....(10) Then fear not, O Jacob my servant declared the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold I will save you from far away..."

Reading these two chapters of Jeremiah in the midst of Lent as we approach Palm Sunday we straddle the paradox of hope and doubt; comfort and the forsaken path of desolation.  Faith is not an easy road.  Even those closest to Jesus struggled to believe at times - even his own family doubted him.  Jesus understands our fears, doubts and he faced the feeling of loss - he understands the pain of being forsaken, betrayed and mocked.  So when we bring our concerns to Jesus he understands, he's walked a lonely road while also experienced the crowd buzz of 'fame' as people followed him in search of miracles - not perceiving the truth miracle was his life in the Father and salvation. 

Jesus understands the role of humanity in a fractured world.  He wants us to be happy on earth and to live abundantly, but when you die to sins and are made Alive with Christ (Colossians 2:13) you shed your own ways not out of obligation because the veil has been torn - when you are in the presence of Jesus - the Holy Spirit you want to live as he did - enjoying the many blessings of God's provision, actively helping those in need, healing out of love and compassion - not for self-gain - all glory to God is your path because you are drawn to SERVICE. 

As Christians we live in uncertain times.  The world seems to be a wreck.  The killings and murders in Syria - the persecution of Christians and all faiths that stand as a testament to peace and grace - are facing dark days with the threat of ISIS and Boko Haram.  What makes this such a horrid tragedy is the apostasy of saying this killing and hate is for God.  God is love...God so loved the world HE gave HIS only SON to die for us to forgive us from sin.  Mercy.  Peace. Hope are seeds we desperately want to sow, but the land is parched and death and despair surround us.

We can easily cry out 'Why God' -Why this suffering.  A few prominent religious leaders have turned their backs on God because they cannot find truth in a God that allows such suffering.  I think that is a tragedy because God is full of light and has provided such wonders in the world.

Humanity has free will and on this plain it is a battlefield - just because evil seems to be winning DON'T think for a second that God and all the company of heaven aren't there. 

We are called as Christians and Jews are called to be A Light to the Nations.  Being a light means standing as a guiding beacon - it means penetrating the darkness - even if you cannot rid the world of its shadow.  Light is so strong that even a particle of light pierces the hold of dark space. 

In being called to be a light to the nations - we must serve, we must be willing to love, we must be ready to show active compassion - to volunteer, to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Jesus was a carpenter and wants us to build a sure foundation with God in our lives - that doesn't mean we cannot pursue our talents and if you like to shop that you should deprive yourself of things you enjoy in life, but when you put things above people and material over the eternal spiritual nature of God's grace, the love and sacrifice of Christ, our advocate, and the light of the Holy Spirit - you will be lost - It is easy to want to cling to the things we can see - what we can touch - God's life lesson is about spiritual sight and trusting in his WORD, and valuing the light in our souls. 

If you write down all the things you are grateful in life, even simple things like enjoying a nice meal, or owning a car, seeing a flowering tree - you realize God is at work and it is our duty to hear his call to go out into the world as light - to illumine the darkness.

We are not just supposed to idly wait for salvation in heaven.  The kingdom has come and is coming.  Christ came to save us, but also to remind us that life is a beautiful gift and it is our duty to honor him in Living and helping to ensure everyone is shown love, compassion and grace as Christ showed us.

Christ says that the only person who will not be saved is the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit.  The reason for this is because - while Christ would forgive the person if they asked - a person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit has extinguished the light in their soul - relying fully on the world - hate, evil, anger - instead of the eternal love, grace and power of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus and God the Father. http://biblehub.com/mark/3-29.htm - Mark 3:29

Part of not blaspheming the Holy Spirit is always confessing our sins known and unknown to us - we forget that the Spirit of GOD dwells in us and we must be a holy dwelling.  Pray for forgiveness and cleanse your hearts. 

Honoring Jesus means living a life you love, but do it with Christ as your priority - If you seek the kingdom of God first - everything else will be provided.  When we find solace in the Trinity - we often learn that the things we thought we wanted were just cracked facades - our foundation is sure in Christ.

The verses from Jeremiah talk about exile and punishment, but more importantly they remind us that the world is temporal - fighting and wars happen, suffering happens - we can heal it through pursuing the eternal love of God.  While you may only be a remnant - a small flash of light in the darkest of evil nights - goodness is eternal - God restores life.

Jeremiah 31: "At that time, declares the Lord, 'I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people." Thus says the Lord; The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from fr away.  I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.  Again I will build you and you shall be built." - The Lord wipes our tears, he gives us water out of drought, he brings sun in the shadows - The Lord will turn mourning into joy.
 

Wait on the Lord - be confident even in the trials of life that HE is with you.  Even when you cannot see God at work - he is working behind the scenes and front and center in our lives.  God often uses people as instruments of change in the world - we are called to service.

Prayer I wrote to turn to the Holy Spirit - when you are confused - pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance - trust the spirit of God
Dear Holy Spirit, through Christ and God the Father, bless me and keep me.  Protect my weary heart and guide my soul as a compass of truth to always know the path that the Father commands me.  May I sow pureness and light, goodness and mercy, hope and peace, love and compassion.  Awaken me to Truth and the ways of Justice.  Help me to be an advocate for the oppressed, while knowing how to forgive my transgressors, while admitting my own sins.  Don't let me fail in being grateful for ordinary and extraordinary blessings.  Refine me in hardship, so I can find stillness in a rough current.  Teach me to be selfless.  Help me to honor my strengths and give in service to Christ.  Help me discern the will of the LORD and be willing to trust in HIS timing.  I know as long as you keep me under the light of the eternal flame of your spirit I will be sustained through Christ Jesus.  Help me in all manner of life and never leave me Holy Spirit. 

Seeds of Faith

James 5: Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. ... 

As I enjoyed a spring walk in our neighborhood park I was struck by the bursts of color as flowers have popped up in splendor.  I also noticed a lot of bare patches of land, gardens yet to bloom.  It has been chilly the past month and I naturally assumed, the flowers have not sprung yet, but they will bloom in their time.  I had no doubt by the laws of science and knowledge of the season that bulbs will burst and trees with flower by mid-April.

Suddenly such a simple reality hit me over the head like lightning.  For months I have been gripping to fear and anxiety about finances and my career and housing situation.  I have been fighting the current, wrestling with God as I beg in prayer for answers to my needs.  While I trust God has heard the prayer and hope in belief they will be answered, I'm so blocked by doubt that I begin to accept the fact that my prayer won't manifest because it has yet to bloom.  

Faith is a seed.  It is something you must plant, care for and cultivate.  Our relationship with Christ is one built on trust and in that trust turning ourselves completely over to GOD's will.

When you go to a garden store, or if you are a farmer - when you plant seeds in the ground you expect to have the seed germinate and grow.  You also expect that the seed you are planting will yield the same plant you cultivated (i.e. you don't plant wheat and expect corn).  A farmer and gardener trusts that if they plant the seed, tend it and sow it properly they will reap the harvest - unless some external factor like hail or drought prevents a fruitful harvest.  In drought or hail - I know farmers often are crushed, but the next season they plant again knowing the seed they plant will grow into wheat.

It is so important on our spiritual journey to be mindful of the seeds we plant and to always cultivate right relationships.  Even more importantly when we plant the seed of faith in God, by freewill choosing to turn over ourselves to HIS will we must act in faith like a farmer preparing the harvest.  When you plant a rose bush you don't expect roses to pop up overnight.  All the while you are fully aware that you have a rose bush in you garden.  You plant daffodils and they might not sprout for months - it takes time to cultivate the harvest...it takes time for faith to translate into active results, but like the germinating seed that is taken root in the ground spreading life in the heart of the earth - secretly cultivating and growing out of sight - God is at work the second we ask for something in prayer.  We need to learn to have faith that he as at work and cultivate a conversation with God.

Cultivating has varying degrees of action.  It is important to speak to Christ daily (or hourly in prayer), but I have learned in meditation on scripture that while God wants us to keep praying and it is okay to pray about the same issue, we also cannot smother that prayer - if you keep coming to God angry that the need has not been met and bitter - it dries up the seed of faith and trust - it makes your relationship brittle.  On the flip side, God does encourage us to question His will.  Abraham and Sarah did...Moses questioned God, but when you question do it with the intention of cultivating faith and be willing to release control of the situation over to God.  He is at work.  

I was frantic the other day about the pray I'm waiting on when I stumbled on a page in a magazine about Lazarus.  Jesus knew his friend was sick and continued to heal other people, strangers, and seemed to neglect Lazarus in suffering - wouldn't that drive you mad?  Our human reaction is 'how selfish,' but Jesus did not leave Lazarus.  He let him die so Jesus could glorify God in healing of Lazarus.  The story of Lazarus reminds us that sometimes you have to 'die' to past obstacles - bad relationships, let go of anger and trust issues and turn them over to God, so when you come out of your 'desert' suffering you are ready to receive the abundant joy of Christ in all manner of living and help others in that life.  

In Washington State, the soil is high quality because in geologic history life was killed through ashen volcanic explosions - it seems counter intuitive to think a place destroyed by the fires of a volcano is very rich, but the soil is rich from the death of trees and other nutrients - an example of when we let our sins die we can find a new abundance in the soil of Christ - it is a lush land, a rich land for harvest - we merely need plant the seed of faith and He will be our source and supply.

Christ did not forsake Lazarus - Jesus had a plan - sometimes God's plans are so out of sync with our world we feel he has abandoned us or life on earth is only suffering.  Trust in God, ask for discernment - pray to the Holy Spirit.  God is in action the second you pray -he knows your desires before you speak them - He will help - unanswered prayers are answered with an alternative door - far better than the limits of human imagination.  Trust in God, he makes our broken thoughts set on his path and he turns desert soil into abundant fields.

I think it is AMAZING how many churches have gardens, community gathering places, where the harvest of the soil is given to local food banks to help feed the community.  A lot of towns have community gardens and parks to help add the healing power of green spaces to concrete jungles - gardens and fields are places of peace.  

During Lenten giving consider donating to a non-profit that helps to feed the hungry and plants seeds of hope.  Many non-profits literally plant seeds - offering micro-loans to farmers and helping to protect water supply.  Episcopal Relief Development is one of the many great organizations for this work.  $50 can go a long way.  Remember all that we have is Christs and of thine own have we given HIM.  

There is a website http://www.freerice.com  I try to do 1000 grains a week (daily if I can) - you click words and learn vocabulary while giving rice to the World Food Program.  Can you carve 10 minutes out of your day to help cultivate a harvest in the lives of others.

 

 This is a local garden at our park - as I walk by I don't doubt that even though it is barren now that floral colors will burst forth by late spring.  Gardeners were at work nearby.  God is always at work in our lives and working to help us with our prayers.

Your mission is to trust in God as you wait for HIS harvest with gratitude and thanksgiving.  Also be ready to serve in tending the needs of others like a sower who has come to reap.  Help others, trust in God.  Peace be with you.  Let LOVE be the light that stirs your soul and mercy the water to nourish your seed of faith.

Bible verses on sowing seeds and faith: 

http://www.openbible.info/topics/planting_seeds_for_the_harvest

http://www.openbible.info/topics/sowing_seeds

Luke 8:15 ESV / 119 helpful votes

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

A New Way, A New Life

In desert times of faith, when we are in crisis we often feel as though God has forsaken us because our prayers are not instantly granted.  We begin to let anger, doubt, fear and other negative emotions cloud our faith and prevent us from walking in a right relationship with Christ.  I have struggled with this lately - I had a desperate financial issue I wanted resolved and instead of the cash - I found out all my belongings are going to be lost.  I screamed and cried out to the LORD.  In conversation with God, I continued to trust in his mercy in salvation and the goodness of God, but I felt that my life on earth and daily struggles were not important to him, I clutched my fears and even said 'well guess life is only about suffering and loss.'

I prayed to God to help heal my soul from that pain and doubt.  I'm a work in progress.  Jesus even had moments of fear and doubt - he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that the burden of crucifixion be lifted from him, still HE submitted himself to the Father's will.  On the cross, Christ asked Our Father 'why have you forsaken me.'  Taking on the darkness of the world and purifying in through killing of the flesh, was a hard trial even for the Son of God, yet God revealed his Glory in wonder and ETERNAL LOVE.  God does not want us to suffer, HE calls us to live an abundant life in FAITH.  However in our fallen world, where sin and darkness is at odds with God's will, we are in a battle at times.  Suffering doesn't come from God.  When we suffer God gives us the tools spiritually and physically to triumph over suffering.  Sometimes believing is an impossible task, especially when we look at the evil of ISIS - killing Christians, the Nazi's extermination of the Jews - how could God let that happen.  The world has evil, it is part of the human condition - yet fighting evil with fear will only allow evil and darkness vanquish our life.  For every martyr lost in suffering, God lifts them up in HIS arms and restores them in heaven. 

On the other side - we cannot look at life from the narrow gaze that it is only about suffering and we must suffer because Christ and saints suffered.  If suffering comes to us we are called in faith to trust God, but in truth and light - God wants his KINGDOM to reign on earth in love.  God doesn't want us to suffer - he wants us to turn to him and trust in HIM.  God knows suffering and the poor are with us, so he calls us as servants to do HIS will on this earthly plane.  We can have all the wealth in the world, but if we do not sow with seeds of generosity and faith helping others in their time of need and standing up against the evil in the world - as beacons of light - then we are suffering from a lack of communion with God - just in a different way.

Life is about lessons.  Life is about growing closer in our relationship with Christ.  Don't think for a second that God doesn't want you to have a happy life and life on earth is about suffering until the bitter end.  God-Jesus-Holy Spirit want us to live JOYFULLY and find peace in HIS SPIRIT, sow seeds of peace and love and do HIS will on earth.  God knows are needs and wants and will provide if we let him, it is a long bridge over turbulent waters in the angst of a human soul to cross from doubt into faith.  If you straddle the middle of the swinging bridge you will be straddled over troubled waters.  God is ready to help.  When we receive God's help we must let him into our hearts in love.  We must also be willing to accept the provision on HIS terms and trust HIS will is the right path.

Have you ever looked back on a trial in your life, maybe you didn't get a job or you lost someone in a relationship - you prayed and prayed about it with deaf ears - God heard your cry - if he did not answer your prayer exactly by your terms - he has a better way - ask HIM to show you the way. 

Broken in the Grand Canyon: God's surprising acts of faith

I have been praying steadfastly for God's divine assistance.  God's loving light is always around us - still it is often hard to perceive it during difficult times.  Have you ever just been on your last dollar before a paycheck.  You knew the check was coming, still the anxiety rips you apart.  Have you ever felt so lost you scream at God for not providing you with a map?  In Lent as we completely purge ourselves in self-reflection we wrestle with doubts and fears.

I often find in the season of Lent I am navigating impossible obstacles - last year our car died in the middle of Arizona - right by the Grand Canyon before dying again in Gallup New Mexico.  What a scene to be looking under the hood of your car (the bumper fell off from the Arizona potholes on 89) while the most majestic of canyons - a true testament to God's glory and his use of the natural world for beauty and wonder just feet away from my frantic breathes.  I got so focused on being stranded, I barely noticed the wonder and grace before me. 

The Grand Canyon was cut and carved over millions of years of upheaval and erosion.  In its glorious color and jagged splendor - I should have taken time to say a prayer to God 'help us' and trust in help.  That doesn't mean you don't be proactive when you are stranded on the side of the road, but try to take the situation in perspective.  Anxiety is natural, but when anxiety turns to deep fear and angst we don't see clearly and we are so flummoxed we'll never be able to find the solution right before us.

We did end up in Flagstaff - where the dealership put on the wrong part - so as we drove down the road in tumbling desert winds, our bumper fell off again - this time in Gallup New Mexico.  Oh I thought the earth had been pulled from beneath my feet - I crashed into fear and doubt - how could we pay for this, who would fix our car at 11 p.m. at night - would be be stuck in New Mexico?  What would happen.

God was working while I panicked.  our car died right by a Cracker Barrel, Wal-Mart and Hampton Inn.  With no other alternatives for the night, my mom and I went to the hotel - much to our shock we got the last room available in all of Gallup - LITERALLY - the last room at the inn.  It cost $200 a night.  With only $1000 left to get across country - instead of being grateful for the room - I panicked - I turned to God in desperation, my prayer driven by fear.

In the end God provided a respite on the road in a safe place.  Our car was fixed by the Insurance Adjustor and we were safe.  While we lacked a lot of money - we got to Raleigh safe and sound.  Two weeks after I arrived home - I got a job and my first paycheck came the day our bills were due.  God works out of the dust and trials of life - he can create miracles in a breath, but he often uses people and ordinary situations to help heal our anxiety and answer our prayers.

I know that as I wait on the LORD - he is working, God's love and light is always surrounding us in the most desperate of times.

My Grand Canyon solace

 The canyons dance in color, the light is the gaze of God as he illumines the earth in grace.  The wind is a harp and the river a hammer, saw and wrench cutting and carving.  The rain are the tears of mercy nourishing the ground.  The electricity is a kindling spark, and the fire's destroying path cannot stop the healing power of Christ's mercy.  The flood waters recede, the desert will not thirst.  This land is harsh and beautiful, the road is steep to train our muscles - as we wander we learn the path, as we journey we come to learn the destination of everything is love and God is love eternal

Psalm 51: Lenten Song Wash me Clean

One of the most important goals of Lent is to purify oneself, by looking inward - reflecting on our transgressions and the caner of sin active in lives.  It is fitting that Lent crosses the boundary of winter and spring - winter appears barren, stark and a desert time of the soul - winter however helps prepare the ground for the burst of life for spring.  In the Rockies winter provides the water of life from snow and ice to nourish the arid landscape through the summer months.

Barren winter scene - desert frost

It is important that we look inward and at our lives, bringing a lamp to dark places and fully taking account of our transgressions.  One sin we might not think of is blaming ourselves and hating ourselves for past mistakes when we've already prayed to CHRIST to forgive us the debt.  It is proactive and positive to learn from a mistake, but when you ruminate on it in shame you are disregarding God's grace, the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you and Jesus's sacrifice on the cross. I am prone to anxiety - the type of person that while I have total faith that the sin is forgiven in God's mind, I cannot let go of my anger and fear because I want to fix the problem and thinking blaming myself - particularly when I was a victim in a situation - is my first calling card of defense.

If God forgives a sin through HIS SON Jesus CHRIST it is our duty to turn it fully over to God.  Pray that he release the negativity around your worries and fears and ask that he help you build trust in HIS spirit and trust the insight and love of the HOLY SPIRIT.  We do not walk alone.  God is before us guiding us as he did in the exodus, Christ is beside us and the Holy Spirit is within us.  Don't doubt for a second that the creator of the entire universe, who is pure love and righteousness cannot tend your brokenness and heal your brittle bones.  Angels work in God's name.  We are safe and loved, even in the most desperate times of life. 

If God deems it right by grace to forgive you - accept the forgiveness...Live and learn, don't toil in pity and anger.  Lent is a time of sacrifice and fasting because by purging ourselves of sin, doubt, anxiety, fear and frustrations...we are making room to let God in and allow Christ, the Holy Spirit and the company of heaven give us the gift of grace eternal as it is in heaven and also as it is on earth.

God wants us to live an abundant life through him.  While God will provide for your material needs, abundance is more a matter of spiritual significance.  When you seek the kingdom of God's love first then you will understand the blessings of even simple aspects of life and joy will burst forth.  God loves us and wants to help.  We have to allow him to close a door and when he opens a new one step in with confidence of faith.

I love this Psalm because it reminds us that we are unworthy sinners, yes and we need to admit our wrongs; however this psalm gets to the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of contrition - it is a healing prayer.  It is a psalm of turning doubt into trust and reminding us that we have to let go of sin (sin in this context might not be a horrible immoral act, but rather a psychological block preventing you from moving forward.  You make be the victim of a crime, you are the victim and justice has not been served on earth.  It seems impossible to just turn it over to God - but holding onto anger prevents us from a complete relationship with God.  I am learning this - there is a great power in forgiveness.  Forgiveness does not make you a door mat or excuse a person's behavior - sometimes it means cracking glass metaphorically in your hands and allowing your heart to bleed out a bit as you negotiate the pain - God is there with us in pain and helps us if we let him heal our broken heart.  Forgiveness means you realize the other person cannot pay a debt and your stop pursuing that debt - working instead to live in the abundance of love - and letting that person and their anger go from you life.)

God's forgiveness is GRACE because HE not only forgives our debts, but in Christ he wants a relationship with us.  If we think for a moment about our sins, simple and complex - the times we focused on doubt instead of faith - fear instead of active hope we realize - if God created the world and has granted GRACE, we must accept it with a humble heart.  I feel unworthy of HIS love, yet Christ reminds me through the intercession of the Holy Spirit - that while I may be a sinner - unable to pay my debts - God has chosen to forgive and more importantly to love me with his whole heart - if God believes us worthy of his love, by grace we must accept this divine love and learn to love ourselves and others as Christ loves us.  Loving ourselves is different than ego.  Loving ourselves is being willing to stand before God, asking for help and always remembering though we are but dust God calls us to his service and we have a purpose and light we need to shine in the world.

A little light goes a long way.  Let Christ's light cleanse you of all negative energy and spiritual obstacles in your life.  Ask for forgiveness of your sins, but equally important during Lent you must forgive others and fully work to purify your hearts to allow the resurrection light of Christ into you life.  I will post more on forgiveness soon as I am forgiving those who hurt me and asking forgiveness for my personal sins.  Let God's light in and he will cut all the vines that strangle you in doubt, a new vine will burst forth that is ever living.  Even if your feet are tired and blistered on your wandering stumbling walk, Christ walks with you - he knows suffering and even doubt, yet he reminds us - Turn it over to God and let God wash it from you. 

Psalm 51:1-13

¹   Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
²   Wash me through and through from my wickedness *
and cleanse me from my sin.
³   For I know my transgressions, *
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴   Against you only have I sinned *
and done what is evil in your sight.
⁵   And so you are justified when you speak *
and upright in your judgment.
⁶   Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *
a sinner from my mother's womb.
⁷   For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
⁸   Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
⁹   Make me hear of joy and gladness, *
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
¹⁰   Hide your face from my sins *
and blot out all my iniquities.
¹¹   Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹²   Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
¹³   Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

The Great Salt Lake - salt actually has great purifying powers - taking grime and muck from the skin -while it is not water we can drink - it does have healing powers.  Salt is used in Judaism and Christianity in purifying practices and cleansing negative energy.  Even in the most death ridden places - God can sow life abundantly!

Let Go, Let God

 Matthew 7
⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

The past few days has been a hurricane in the desert for me, the sort of sand storm that leaves you lost and so disoriented all you can do is break down and ask GOD for help.  I have been exorcising many ghosts from my past lately.  I won't get into the grime and grit of my personal life up to this point, but I have faced a lot of trauma and abuse that left me and my mother in a precarious position.  Throughout the upheaval of my life - God has acted as my FATHER - whom I trust and love.  That is why I was in a state of shock with the last of our personal family pieces, including my baby pictures, which I kept in storage for five years (long story about my own coming out of Egypt so to speak as I was freed from bondage in an abusive family dynamic.  My mother and I lean on each other for support to heal from our pain and suffering - God is our anchor and we follow HIS Light of Love.  I know many parts of my past are fractured but in fractured glass sometimes a prism forms a rainbow.  The rainbow is a testament of God's covenant and love.  No matter heavy our tears God always wipes our eyes and prevents sorrow from flooding the soul if we turn our worries over to HIM and to HIS SON allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to guide us.

I have clung to our family antiques and personal belongings for five years paying over $7000 in fees in that time just to hang onto the remnants of a life we lost, this was all we had left of a past stolen from us under foot.  I found out two days ago that all of my life - the material aspects of it are going to be auctioned off and while I do have an opportunity to get my baby pictures - the majority of the personal items that meant so much to me will be gone, taken away from us.

When I first heard the news I fell to my knees and bargained with God, I blamed HIM for not helping us with the finances to move our furniture by the deadline, I just couldn't understand why he has stood by idly and let us suffer at the hands of oppressors who have literally taken the rug out from under our feet.  I particularly did not understand this because I had just completed what is known as The Flying Novena.  One of my requests was for the financial means to have our stuff moved to Raleigh from Nashville - I wake up the next day and our stuff will be sold - it seemed like the opposite of what I wanted and begged for in prayer.

I realize now that God is teaching me a lesson - he approves of our sentimental attachment to things - the memories that they carry, but given our toxic history with a past broken, I realize God wants us to let go and release that negativity and move forward by trusting in HIM.  I had prayed before this happened that in God's mercy he will restore our fortunes so the increasing worry of money is not before us - I work hard and it is difficult when you are emotionally abused.  I love my mom and she is such a blessing - and I know God gave us a miracle in keeping our relationship strong out of the fire.

God is going to restore our fortunes - I trust in HIM - HE is the divine master and creator - I understand now that part of this process is to let go of the past and let God in.  Any slight anger or fear attached to the items leaves a residual energy of sadness - God turns sadness into joy - God often destroys what is corrupted and builds it back up again.  His mercy is with us even in suffering.

I know that this was actually an answer to my prayer - for too long I have held onto these items without any recourse or room to move them into my present life and future journey.  God makes crooked paths straight - sometimes it means leaving baggage behind.

I continue to pray the Novena - believing that Christ will answer my prayers to help us get to Nashville to get our family photo albums.  It seems like an impossible task but with God anything is possible if we believe through HIS son Jesus Christ and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit.
God will heal the brokenness if we release it to his arms. 

I pray to St. Michael to cleanse all the negative energy in Christ's name.  I also continue to pray the rosary and the Novena.  I believe in the miraculous work of Jesus Christ in our lives, even if it makes us hit the brakes.  Sometimes what we think of as a curse is a blessing from God to get us to make a sharp turn in the right direction.

If Christ is for us who can be against us - he makes all path's straight.

Women in the Bible: Jochebed

Women in the Bible:
In the first of our Women in the Bible features I am turning the focus to a woman often overlooked in bible studies - who plays a key role in the fulfilled promise of God's active mission in the Jewish nation and in the light of the world.

Jochebed is just a cameo figure at first glance in the Old Testament, proof that you don't have to have the starring role to play a vital role.  Jochebed is the mother of Moses, the highest prophet and writer of scripture.  Jochebed stands out as a model of living in faith because she had to trust God completely.

Born in Egypt - an alien in a land, her people enslaved and their only hope in a God who seemed to be silent to their suffering Jochebed believed in God's able hand.  She had two children: Aaron and Miriam, who will also be key roles in God's journey of his people and the Jewish people.  Jochebed had Moses according to Jewish scholars later in life - God bringing life in barren places - she already had been blessed with two children...so when Moses came it was an amazing surprise blessing of God's gifts.  Imagine her pain and shock that in the midst of this amazing miracle - the pharaoh had issued an edict calling on all midwives to kill baby Hebrew boys.  Jochebed was faced with a choice to sacrifice her son and go with the establishment - bowing down to a foreign king and false god, or trust in her God to save her son.

Jochebed's love for her son was so strong, she turned her faith to God to save her son and to use him as an instrument of his will.  While we don't know if Jochebed had divine intuition that Moses would become a leader of his people, it shows the power of love and how love is an instrument for miracles when given in selfless service in trust of God's will.


Jochebed left her baby in a reed basket and placed him in the Nile.  We are so familiar with the story of Moses we often forget the pain it must have caused her to give up her son and to let him drift - probably under normal circumstances - to his death in the Nile.  Jochebed trusted God.  Her daughter Miriam was gifted by God in cleverness and conniving - which in this case is a good thing.  Miriam made sure that pharaoh's daughter saw Moses.  When the pharaoh's daughter decided to adopt Moses, Miriam suggested that Jochebed be his nurse - God found a way for Jochebed to stay close to Moses.

Add in the fact that society dictated that Jochebed as a woman and a slave had no rights - while women in Egypt fared better than Greece and other Middle Eastern countries in the region - she was not in a social position to question pharaoh - but she did so by instead trusting in the God of Israel.  God the Father, expects faith but in our faith journey he also expects conversation - he wants us to cry out to him in question - all the while learning in the process He is not immune to our suffering - if we do suffer he has a plan and will always help us in the right time.

I must highlight the saving power of God through pharaoh's daughter as well - although she was a pagan and part of a household that ordered children to be killed mercilessly (though they saw it as culling the population - it is murder and in my opinion a reason for being pro-life and standing up for all life conception to death - the most vulnerable were left to die) Pharaoh's daughter showed great courage, love and compassion taking care of Moses and it reminds us that God uses the unexpected and forsaken to do his will in his time.

Also the midwives (Egyptians) felt the power of God and they too defied social norms and their place to stand up for the children - a true testament of faith and living a life in Christ is giving up ourselves for the service of others even if it puts us in harms way.  How powerful a message that God used midwives, a mother and a sister and a princess to make his aims come into play.

Jochebed is not mentioned again, except briefly in Numbers (where her name appears for the first time, she is referred to as the mother of Moses in Exodus); Hebrews in the New Testament lists Jochebed as a strong testament of faith.

If Jochebed had not taken a risk in love - Moses - a great leader and patriarch who wrote our scriptures and heard God's call - would have perished - God did not just save Moses from the womb - he used human agents in his plan because God wants a relationship with use and uses us for his purposes - are we willing and ready to hear his call? 

Contemplate how God calls you out of Egypt and the struggles you face in the desert - remember to call on God and trust in HIS will - he will not fail - even in silence his hands are at work and we are called to be instruments of peace - so if you see suffering stand up against it and offer your help as the Midwives did - if you are in a situation where it comes between the social norms, powers of the world and your faith - choose to life in faith.  Most importantly - LOVE is a key to open great doors and in love, faith colludes for miracles in Grace and hope in desert times.

This story parallels in many ways to the Blessed Mother Mary, Mary was a young mother who had to risk life and limb to save Jesus from Herod.  Children died - while Christ lived and those are the first martyrs of the church.  Some see the plague of the first born God unleashes on Egypt as revenge - it is justice, but don't think that God did not mourn for the children of Egypt too - God used it for his glory in the passover - but anytime blood is shed - God cries - the moral is that when we harden our hearts against God's action in our lives and turn away from his love - we are dead to the spirit.  Pharaoh's pride allowed his people to suffer.  Our actions must always be in accordance with God's will so that we don't cause others to stumble. 

Land of Egypt

The Hebrews were strangers in the land of Egypt; Egypt stood as a beacon of wealth - a place of affluence, knowledge, science, with pyramids that rivaled Babel. 

From the time of Abraham, people had left the land of Canaan in times of drought to seek refuge in the sustaining waters of the Nile.  The Nile flooded regularly providing fertile soil for agriculture and provided the food and resources the Egyptians needed to pursue other cultural exploits such as building the pyramids.  The Gift of the Nile is often a term historians use to identify Egypt's rise.  The Gift of the Nile allowed the Egyptians more leisure time to develop other trade skills which developed into scientific (medical) knowledge, architecture and the ability to be insulated from the otherwise volatile Fertile Crescent - a land rich in resources but vulnerable to attack. 


I have a passion for history and I'll be the first to admit I enjoy studying Egyptian history - it is amazing to think that they were at the height of their culture nearly 4,000 years ago and the pyramids were built centuries upon centuries before Christ.  The Egyptians were experts in medicine and had a strong understanding of human anatomy - which helped in developing their burial practice of mummification.

In fact life in Egypt was so 'good' that they believed in death - life would go on as it had in this life - just across the Nile - whereas other regional powers often had doom and gloom beliefs about the afterlife - Egyptians believed you had to store up your worldly fortunes and built lavish tombs to ensure you continued to have everything you need in the next life.

In spite of their science, math and somewhat forward philosophy in state affairs - Egypt had thousands of pagan gods - each with their own cult - the people of Egypt and the Pharaoh paid homage to these gods - who are nothing more than dusts and statues.  

I bring this up because it is important to understand the historical and cultural background of Egypt during the Hebrew enslavement.  Egypt was the richest land with thousands of foreign gods and a king who claimed to be god.  Pharaoh was supposed to be a god acting like The Nile, calm and discerning - but power is a bitter thing when the ego hordes it.

In Genesis we learn that Joseph, Jacob's son by his beloved Rachel, is hated by several of his brothers, who conspire to throw him into a pit...they end up selling him to Egyptian traders as a slave instead.  Joseph is forced into slavery in Egypt - far from his home in the Promised Land.  Many would lash out and feel forsaken by God...once again God uses his will and HIS purpose in strange ways.  He knew that Joseph's brothers were kindled with hate, when they acted on their hate - God turned suffering into a blessing - though a blight at first was crucial in God's glorious timing.

Joseph suffered in slavery - going to prison, but God redeemed him and Pharaoh so honored Joseph's help in preparing for a famine in the land Joseph received many blessings.  When the famine occurred, his family came to Egypt - where instead of seeking revenge on his brothers - Joseph forgives them - Jacob eventually comes to Egypt where he dies - Jacob gives the instruction that his bones should be buried in the promised land.

Exodus starts off by letting us know that a new pharaoh is in charge and did not know Joseph. 
A lot of scholars and theologians have pondered over this because if a man saves you from famine as Joseph did and his descendants were well-regarded - why is there such a shift from abundance to slavery.  Truth is sadly humans have exercised xenophobia and hate for the alien throughout time and God demands justice against this hate - he tells us to take care of aliens, widows, orphans...all human creation is precious in HIS sight.

I'm a historian and there are a lot of theories about the time of the Exodus and Hebrew slavery in Egypt.  I have several ideas and think many scholars of differing views have valid points - I would not be surprised if Joseph dealt with a non-Egyptian Pharaoh - The Hykssos took over Egypt before the New Kingdom era - they were from Asia (around Turkey possibly - there remains some debate) and the Egyptians did not want them in their country.  So if Joseph were dealing with a Pharaoh who was not of Egyptian descent - it would make sense when the Hykssos fell that the new pharaoh would subjugate his allies and also want to oppress foreigners in the land. 

"Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, ⁷ but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
⁸ Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. ⁹ “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. ¹⁰ Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
  
For centuries (400 years in Egypt) the Hebrews suffered and toiled in slavery (some hypothesize they were paid - but were indentured servants of sorts - either way they were bound to a foreign land and dependent on a foreign ruler who believed in false gods) - how crushing to be God's people yet marginalized and degraded by a foreign ruler - a pharaoh who claimed to be a god.  The Hebrews prayed for hundreds of years to their God, the only true God in heaven to release their load and lead them out of Egypt and the bonds of slavery.

For years it seemed the Lord was indifferent to their suffering, still the Hebrew people kept their faith in their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Even in their captivity in Egypt, God blessed them in suffering - their nation grew by leaps and bounds and they found abundance even in the confines of slavery - God is faithful - this population boom made pharaoh nervous - he feared an slave uprising and rebellion - the Egyptians did not want to be taken over again (Egypt historically was overtaken by neighboring Nubia, but for the most part remained with local leadership with the exception of the Hykssos)  

The Pharaoh could have let the Hebrews go or made them citizens - but he required their labor and also if you let them be citizens they would surely usurp the Egyptian ruling class.  So pharaoh devised a plan to kill all the newborn Hebrew males.  Why males?  The idea was the Hebrew women would marry Egyptians or be barren - either way assimilating into the culture and giving up their Hebrew identity.  Pharaoh underestimated the power of women in God's mighty hands...read onto our next post for our feature on Jochebed - a woman who defied the Pharaoh - trusting God's work in a time of hardship and doubt. 

Zion Canyon Prayer

 Zion Canyon Prayer

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, ² it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy....
 But only the redeemed will walk there,
¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
 Isaiah 35

Lent is a desert season; a time of fasting where we look inward, taking inventory of our sins and with pure hearts submit our act of contrition to Christ.  This desert time often comes with doubt and despair as we wander suffocating in the forsaken land of human error - plagued by the burdens and worries of the world.  We find ourselves complaining about lack in desert times.  We clutch our fear and demand water to quench our thirst.  We lose foresight and perception of trust in God's divine will.  If God brings you to a trial, forced to traverse the narrow canyons of dry wash out creek beds and vast expanses of salt earth prairie and towering mountains with no way out - instead of saying:

God, Holy Spirit - guide me through this and help me to perceive your will in gladness of heart in this trial for you will not forsake me...

Most of us, whether we like to admit it or not fail to trust God in these periods of life - we start complaining and idealize the past - like Lot's wife we stuck - the past is the past and if you try to turn back and open doors God has closed - you will be stuck, unable to move forward and fulfill God's plan for us. 

A year ago I was in Zion National Park - it is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever stepped foot on - I truly believe it, like Yellowstone and other natural wonders, is a living testament to the majesty of God's loving care and his artistic work as a CREATOR.  Zion is a place of extremes - it is a desert - in a the midst of a plateau - in spite of the dry desert air - life abounds in Zion fueled by The Virgin River - a river so small at first glance it appears as a creek.  How can life be so vibrant in this desert land - countless Indian tribes lived on this land and learned to respect and find gratitude for Zion's resources - sometimes the extreme climate forced them migrant - but they returned to the desert understanding that even in the midst of this land's desperate hardship - there is peace and abundance.  The spirit of joy and hope can be felt in this paradise of stone and rock.  It took eons of desperate wandering and painful uplift to transform Zion into the awe-inspiring place it is today.  Erosion, uplift and earthquakes, rock slides, monsoons and drought define the land and also carved it into a place only God's eyes could have envisioned.  It took the tiny Virgin River's persistence, cutting and carving, flooding and drying up - the tears of the river spring life abundant into dry places.

Such is the will of God.  Our Father does not use easy roads to accomplish his mission, he is willing to take the hard path because it strengthens his WORD and helps to exact justice, truth, light and love in this world - you cannot gain endurance by walking on flat land, we need to cross deserts so we are humbled to trust only on God's will.  God gives us the gift of resilience and being self-reliant  - at times God shouts for us to wake up and take action on our own - to have faith to just act (I feared moving because of change - when God was actively calling me to move onto another situation - it took the situation hitting rock bottom for me to wake up smell the coffee and take action). 

In the journey out of Egypt - God chose the desert road because it was actually the safest road.  Many tribes and obstacles lay on the so-called easier path - by wandering in the desert God could keep HIS people in HIS care and help them to journey in safety to the Promised Land.  God provided the Israelites with manna and ensured their needs were met...in spite of all of God's miracles they wanted to go back to a life of slavery - a life in Egypt.

From a psychology point - we can all get dependent on the world - our flesh is weak, God makes our spirit strong.  When we are slaves to the world we starve after perishable food that breaks the back and makes us hunger in envy and jealousy - even when the world turns its back on us we are so conditioned to rely on the material ways of the world - we try to fix things ourselves - instead of trusting God to guide us.  So part of the desert experience is God's love testing us and helping us to release the cycle of dependence on the world so we may be reliant on him.  Self-reliance actually comes from full faith and assurance in God - when we lend on the brokenness of the world we are left with bitter water.  God turns bitter water sweet and in his spirit we will thirst no more.

I speak a lot about desert times because the bible has a recurring theme of barrenness - barren land, barren wombs, barren lives...we all face these obstacles.  I have lost my financial security and for so long I tried to restore it by going back to the people who took my home and cursed my name because I wanted to mend the fractured relationship.  Each time I was let down and I fell into despair.  I did not doubt God's salvation, but I could not understand how Christ would not answer my prayer - and give me justice and peace.  It took really going through this desert time and filtering out the rage and the anger and thirsting for the world's justice, that I found peace in turning over the anger to God and trusting Christ to be my shield, my provider and protector.  Christ does not fail.  Though we may question his GPS directions - if we lean on Christ for understanding and submit to his will our path will be straight.

During our trip in Zion I had a panic attack about our budget because I have such a fear of not having enough to eat and all the other issues of day to day life.  I had experienced the wonders of God's creation, yet in the shadow of Watchman I started crying - I argued and lamented the situation...I let fear deprive me of the blessings surrounding me.  We all do this - and Christ understands.  While we may have real cause to worry - worry solves nothing - it is the worst dividend in the universe.  Rather be GRATEFUL for all the love surrounding you - even when you are alone and forsaken by the world - tempted by the devil - God is before you, Christ is beside you and the Holy Spirit is within you - YOU Shall NOT be MOVED - rather the will of God will take your burdens guiding you in a way out of the fear and doubt.  Often times we may push back or flat out refuse the gifts God gives us because we want 'cucumbers' instead of manna.  In Lent look to God's love and the provision of Christ in the discernment of the Holy Spirit for all your needs - do not lose sight of the cross and life in the cross for a short-sighted detour.  God will bring you back the lost, but his way is always the most direct - even if it seems like a long road home.

In scripture God constantly brings his servants into desert times: Abraham and Sarah (fleeing to Egypt because of famine, Hagar...); Jacob's flight to Laban, Joseph's exile in Egypt, Elijah, Jeremiah, the exile of the Jews in Babylon...there are so many desert times.

Jesus suffered many 'desert' times - when you think - why did he as the son of the Father - god incarnate have to endure lack and suffering - Christ knows our burdens and wants to help - he helps us learn in suffering (free will prevents some healing in the world - but Christ never abandons his own - trust even in death you are saved)

Matthew 4

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

Look to Jesus and his sojourn in the desert - he desperately thirsted and hungered and struggled with lack - yet he turned that lack into gratitude of faith that Our Father would sustain Him.  He refused all the offers of the devil - who promised the world - Christ in his human state still held close to the Father - We often put this off as 'oh Jesus was God, so he could handle it,' - Jesus is God, but He was also man and felt the burdens we face and the power of temptation - he turned temptation over to the Father and trusted Our Father in Heaven to keep him and guide Him, even if that mean thirst and hunger - because the spirit of God provides abundant life to all who seek HIS love even in desert times.  Be patient, be grateful for the resilience God provides, be grateful Christ is with you and remember His suffering.  All is well. 

Praise be to God.

Prayer:
Oh Zion, canyon of wonders, where life bursts in the desert, the cacti bloom and the heart of the narrows floods in the everliving waters of your kingdom on earth.  In floods and monsoon you release the skies and the earth quakes, still you use this destroying power for good as the waters fill the earth and the dry land is quenched and the mountains echo in your love and light.  The darkness is deep here - so human eyes may pray on your stars and know that you bring light into the universe.  Nothing is too great for your hands - you created the galaxies and stirred the Virgin River to wander.  You are an architect, a carpenter who builds strong foundations.  Your work is perfect and in perfection we find patience in your example.  You are God!  You could merely breathe the words Zion and the whole of this heavenly land could be created, but you used your hands, you used your imagination and will and might with the elements of nature to create this space and we are grateful stewards in its wonder and protection.  Bless us God and help us always follow the example of Zion and the desert blessings   - you bring water to dry places so our souls thirst no more.  Teach us to care for the land and heal the land so it can provide for us by your will, in YOUR NAME.  Praise be to Father, Son and Holy Ghost in the spirit of Zion and all of your creation.  World without end.  Amen.