Elom reflects on Scott's reflections: Heroes- Part 3

I sometimes wish I had a 7-step manual to making solid decisions (decisions I will NEVER regret). I am so scared of making the wrong choice that I often end up paralyzed with fear. A recent time of fasting and prayer made me realize that I should not confuse patience (in this particular case hearing from the Lord) with inaction. The following verses are very reassuring when it comes to making important decisions, or asking God for direction:

So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." Genesis 13:8-9

It really didn't matter which direction Abram went... he had already received his promise. Every time Abram and Sarai tried to "make it happen" (I am not a big fan of this expression anymore...), they made such a mess that God had to intervene to make things right again. It's really reassuring to know that even though I make mistakes along the way, I am never alone. He is always there to set me on the right path... or sometimes knock me off course when I decide to do it on my own...

One of my favorite songs "I can only imagine" speaks to a lot of people. I personally loves this song, because it gives me hope. Hope that regardless of the steps I take, the decisions I make, the mistakes I will surely make, I still can't imagine "what it will be like when I walk by His side"

EED

The book of Judges, or stories of disobedience and mercy

Continuing my reading of the Old Testament...I recently finished reading the book of Judges. It was so exiting!

I was seriously blown away by God's mercy! Mercy for his forgetful people, mercy for his flawed judges/leaders, mercy for me! It's so easy to break eye contact with God, so easy to get distracted, so easy to worship others gods, whether work, money, TV, stars...or even worse, ourselves. It's so easy to get lost!

"Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD... "

This verse is repeated multiple times throughout the book. After the Israelites realized they were lost, they suddenly remembered how their God heard them, answered their prayers, and led them out of the land despair. It is hard for me to imagine why He keeps forgiving their sins; fully knowing that they will sin again.

"The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" Judges 10: 11-14

Almost immediately followed by:

"Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And He could bear Israel's misery no longer." Judges 10:16

I can't possibly imagine why He keeps coming to my rescue. Is that what love is? Unconditional love? Wow! Obviously, I am speechless...

EED

Elom reflects on Scott's reflections: Heroes- Part 2

Is heroic faith exiting? Well, READING about heroic faith is exiting, but I am not so sure how I feel about jumping in a blazing furnace... I am a bit of a chicken, you see?

I tried to imagine the equivalent of what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did, in 21st century Dayton, OH (or anywhere really). A quick look at the local news confirmed the absence of maniac, self centered kings who required me to worship gold statues.. that's actually great news for once! (from what I hear, a blazing furnace requires a considerable amount of time, energy and money in maintenance). More seriously, there are a few things I refuse to do because I sincerely believe they are outside of the boundaries for my faith (or simple common sense). I wouldn't call them heroic acts of faith, but it is sometimes necessary to take a stand on relatively small things, in order to take one on bigger decisions.

I like how SS often talks about the difference between faith and foolishness. Refusing to bow down to a statue at the risk of being burnt alive might sound borderline foolish, but it was the right and only thing to do for these three young heroes. With God on their side, they knew that anything was possible. If they were scared, they didn't really show it; except maybe when they admitted that they needed to be realistic.

But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. Daniel 3:18

Pretty bold if you ask me. I often pray for this kind of boldness. Boldness in my daily life, boldness in my prayer life, boldness to jump in my own blazing furnace, knowing that God will protect me, walk with me, and leave me "unbound and unharmed".

EED

Ah, teenagers...

I was talking to a teenager a couple of nights ago, and she was telling how she could not wait for her birthday next month...

Teenager: I cant wait to be older, wiser and more mature!

Me: How old are you going to be?

Teenager: 14!

I just smiled...

A good one...

I heard this joke the other day:

"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!"

I wonder how true that is...

EED

One of my heroes

The "Heroes series" prompted me to think about my own heroes, both Biblical and around me.

I was talking to someone a couple of days ago, and he mentioned one of my heroes from the Bible: the Samaritan woman, better known as the woman at the well... He talked about a few different theological aspects of this story, but all I could think about was what must have been going through her mind while she was talking to Jesus.

Here is a woman, who woke up that morning and went to her daily activities, not knowing that her life would be dramatically changed by one encounter. When she talked about worshiping on the mountain versus worshiping in Jerusalem, it reminded me of all the times I have a prayed for a miraculous sign or some kind of divine answer. Instead, the answer was often given to me through a friend, or a smile, an encouraging word, a phone call... I love when that happens!

I wish I knew her name...

EED

Reach out!

One of my favorite songs: Reach out by The Four Tops
(Farewell Mr. Levi Stubbs)

Now if you feel that you can't go on
Because all of your hope is gone
And your life is filled with much confusion
Until happiness is just an illusion
And your world around is crumbling down, darlin
Reach out come on girl reach on out for me
Reach out reach out for me
I'll be there with a love that will shelter you
I'll be there with a love that will see you through

When you feel lost and about to give up
Cause your life just ain't good enough
And your feel the world has grown cold
And your drifting out all on your own
And you need a hand to hold, darlin
Reach out come on girl reach out for me
Reach out reach out for me
I'll be there to love and comfort you
And I'll be there to cherish and care for you

I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there to love and comfort you
I can tell the way you hang your head
Your not in love now, now your afraid
And through the tears you look around
But there's no piece of mind to be found
I know what your thinking,
You're alone now, no love of your own, but darling
Reach out come on girl reach out for me
Reach out reach out.......... just look over your shoulder
I'll be there to give you all the love you need
And I'll be there you can always depend on me
I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there to love and comfort you




French version...

Failures and disappointments

Reading through the book of Exodus had me thinking about failures, tribulations and God's promises for our lives.

From the first few chapters, the promise is clearly established, when Moses is told:

-"So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt" Exodus 3:10

Throughout the next few chapters, Moses almost continuously goes back and asks the same question: "Me? Are you sure?". This is from a man, who practically spoke face to face with God. I almost cringed when I heard Moses say:

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

If this is how Moses felt, can you now imagine how the Israelites were feeling? I could not find any passages where God instructed Moses to share with the Israelites the details of how He would deliver them out of Egypt. In fact, when Moses shared with the Israelites that God would lead them out of Egypt, they refused to believe him because of their "discouragement and cruel bondage" (Exodus 6:9). I think a part of them was secretly hoping and praying that Moses was telling the truth.

Can you imagine how the Israelites were feeling? Each time Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to stop a plague, and promised to let them go; hope would start rising again amongst the Israelites. Each time Pharaoh's heart hardened, they had to wake up and face another day of forced labor and crushed hope. Imagine the door being slammed in your face over and over. Imagine waking up in the morning, having received a promise from God, and going to bed at night knowing that yet another door was closed...

Knowing that I have a promise doesn't make any easier for me to make sense of the failures and disappointments in life. I find it very challenging to see beyond the current disappointments and remember the bigger picture. I still like to be reminded of where to look for hope.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" Exodus 14:14



We all know how the story ends, the Israelites are led out of Egypt, where the adventure really starts.

EED

Elom reflects on Scott's reflections: Heroes- part 1

I like the definition of heroes for this series:

"Heroes are ordinary people displaying extraordinary courage and faith".

Heroes are everyday people... The first hero of the Bible, Adam, was not exactly perfect. He and Eve had everything! They were rulers of the earth and had a relationship with Our Heavenly Father most of us long for. After breaking the one restriction God gave them, they tried to cover it up and hide among the trees.

"But the LORD God called to the man, 'Where are you?" Genesis 3:9

Where was I? Well, Father, I was in denial for a long time. I was hiding because I thought I could do it on my own. I was hiding because I didn't want to be found. I was hiding because I didn't want to be accountable for my actions. I was hiding because it was easier to make excuses. Thankfully Father, you let me confess these things to you, and made me promise to walk in the light. I don't feel like hiding anymore...

One of my friends says that I can make up the most ridiculous things, while looking and sounding very serious. She calls it the "are you lying again?" game. I say something completely outrageous, but tell her that I am joking the very next minute. For instance, I managed to convince a few people that I can't drink bottled water sold at Meijer for some bogus reason. I had to fess up after a while, and tell them that there is nothing wrong with Meijer water.

Ideally, I want to lead a perfect life and never sin again, but only one person lived a perfect and sinless life. Instead, I try to play the "are you lying again?" game, confessing my sins as soon as I feel something stirring in my heart. It doesn't stop me from trying to do the right things for the right reasons...

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1: 9

EED

Financial crisis...

I don't want to get into the numerous causes of the current financial crisis, but just share an actual conversation that may shed some light on what happened, at least on a smaller scale. This conversation happened earlier today while I was waiting in line at a department store.

Cashier: Do you have a credit card with us?

Customer: Yes, I think so...

Cashier: Do you have a gold one, or a regular one?

Customer: The gold one, I think...

Cashier: Would you like to apply for the regular card and save 15% on your purchase? (the 15% represented a savings of a couple bucks)

Customer: Sure! Why not...

Cashier: Let's get you started then...


No judgment, just an observation.

EED

Genesis 9:15-16

"I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:16

As I read these verses, my mind went back to the first day we worked at Beulah Land Baptist Church in New Orleans. At the end of the workday, while pastor Michael Zachary was delivering a great sermon, and sharing some promises with us; it rained for a long time... I have to admit that I was a little scared being inside the church, the weather forecast called for all sorts of warnings.

At the end of the service, we all went outside and saw not one, but two rainbows in the sky. We all intuitively knew that God was smiling down on us. It was such an incredible moment. Reading these verses just took me back to that day, and I am so grateful that the church was not only protected from hurricane Gustav, but Ike as well.


So faithful!

EED

Another odd conversation

*Phone rings*

My brother: Hi!

Me: Hi!

My brother: Did you miss me?

Me: Hum... maybe...

My brother (laughing): Hey! That's my line!

Me: I know... How does it feel?

My brother: Not very good.

Me: I am just kidding! Of course I miss you!

EED

Elom reflects on Scott's reflections: Surviving the storm

Elom's weather forecast: severe thunderstorms earlier in the year have been replaced with cloudy but beautiful skies. Occasional showers might be in the forecast, but hopefully nothing that an umbrella can't take care of...

What a year! I feel like I have received a crash course on life in the past few months, after years of wandering in the rain. I was sitting in my shaky boat, wondering when the rain would stop, instead of asking the right question: "Who can I turn to in the storm?".I have learned my lesson, and I am getting better at crying out to Him for help even in relatively mundane situations.

I was feeling a little down last week, and decided to do a load of laundry (I like to do housework when I am upset). I walked to the utility room, turned on the washer, and not a sound... NOTHING. The washer was just staring back at me, fully aware that I am appliance challenged. After about 10 minutes of uncontrollable sobbing (alright, maybe it was closer to 20 minutes...), I finally calmed down and started praying. I walked back to the utility room, looked around and figured out what was wrong with the washer (something with the water pipe). Not bad for someone who is appliance challenged.

One thing I found interesting from the scene with the disciples in the storm:

"In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him' Luke 8:25

After reading this passage, I started wondering what the disciples expected Jesus to do when they called out to Him:

1- They called out to Him in the middle of a storm

2- He answered by calming the storm.

3- They end up fearful and amazed.

Amazed, I get... but fearful? I guess, even people who spent so much with Jesus, and saw Him accomplish so many miracles could still be terrified by so much power.

EED