You are just making it up

I laughed when I read my 4 chapters of Nehemiah this morning.
You may find that surprising, considering the subject matter of that OT book.
But check out ch 6 v 8 in the NIV.....I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head."
The context is Nehemiah replying to accusations his enemies had written to him.
I laughed because the wording sounds pretty funny and I can just imagine an old man in a long robe with a flowing beard saying these words with the shake of a finger.
But then I thought more about Nehemiah's words and got the feeling that you and I could probably have those same words said to us many times in a week. Not that people actually say them out loud to us, but perhaps it's what they and God would like to say.


And we give them reason to....Do any of these thoughts sound familiar?
There's just too much to do today. I won't be able to do it all.
I can't believe they said that about me.
I'm terrified of letting my kids out of my sight...they won't be safe.
I'll never be as good as her.
The doctor will have bad news for us.
Ahhhh! Christmas with his family...it'll be chaos!
Why bother applying for that job...I won't get it.
My husband just doesn't love me, otherwise he would do/say......
They all must think I'm an idiot now...
I always worry/fail/put my foot in my mouth/go off the deep end/get sick/etc...that's just what I do.
Teach RE / Sunday School God? But I'm not good with kids.
I have nothing interesting to say.
God could never forgive me for that.
And there's no doubt 13 or 57 or 189 more thoughts we have in a week that come from a similar place.


Isn't it tragic that we give so much of our thought-life to things that a) will never happen or b) simply aren't true? We worry and we fret and we get frustrated and in reality "we are just making it up out of our head." Silly us!


How about being really conscious of what you're thinking today and asking God to help you get a good dose of reality regarding those thoughts. Pray that your thoughts would be His...life-affirming and positive....joyful and true. 

Maybe then you'll be able to laugh often, love more and live long!

3 things....

What do the Old Testament books Nahum, Deuteronomy and II Chronicles have in common?


Well, apart from the extremely high body count (anyone else struggle with that part of the OT?), at first glance it may not seem like they are similar in any way. Oh yeah, apart from mentioning God.


I have read passages from these 3 books in the past 3 days and I want to draw out 3 points...not all beginning with 'P'. I'll post the sections below so you can have a read and I am sure you'll see where I am headed with my thoughts before I even put them on the page.


Nahum 1:3-7
 ³ The LORD is slow to anger and great in power;
       the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
       His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
       and clouds are the dust of his feet.
 ⁴ He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
       he makes all the rivers run dry.
       Bashan and Carmel wither
       and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
 ⁵ The mountains quake before him
       and the hills melt away.
       The earth trembles at his presence,
       the world and all who live in it.
 ⁶ Who can withstand his indignation?
       Who can endure his fierce anger?
       His wrath is poured out like fire;
       the rocks are shattered before him.
 ⁷ The LORD is good,
       a refuge in times of trouble.
       He cares for those who trust in him,


WOW! What a God we serve. One with incredible power.....emotion....plans and purposes. One who is in control as creator and sustainer of the earth. One who is generous and good and HUGE.


What is our response to this awesome God to be? Read the RED bits below and you'll see how important our response to Him is....for our sake, our children's and His. Choose well my friends.


Deuteronomy 6
¹ These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, ² so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. ³ Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
 ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
 ¹⁰ When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
 ¹³ Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. ¹⁴ Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; ¹⁵ for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. ¹⁶ Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. ¹⁷ Be sure to keep the commands of the LORD your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. ¹⁸ Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers, ¹⁹ thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said.
 ²⁰ In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?" ²¹ tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ²² Before our eyes the LORD sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. ²³ But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. ²⁴ The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. ²⁵ And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."


And finally, you want further proof of what God does in response to our response to Him? Check out Amaziah, Uzziah and Ahaz's stories.


II Chronicles Ch 25 and 26 - more stories of the kings
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles+25&version=NIV


As I read these 3 passages over the past 3 days, I was once again reminded of my total INSIGNIFICANCE (I should be writing that word in the tiniest font I can find) before an INCREDIBLE (imagine this in the largest font you can) God.


And yet, I have great SIGNIFICANCE because of God's plan and purpose for me as a treasured creation of His.


The trick? Getting that balance right in my thinking and my doing.

I want to be like....

King Asa is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament...of the entire Bible really. Funny how most of us have probably never heard of him. Although I guess you would have if you've ever read II Chronicles 15-16.
In a nutshell, his story is short but oh so sweet. Well, those 2 chapters are sweet...it looks like things get a bit ugly in Ch. 17 but I will be reading that next week in my Bible reading plan.
The first description we find of Asa in Ch. 14 is one I want people to say of me...'he did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God'.....change the pronouns though.
Look at the verbs that follow. Seek, obey, removed, built, rely. Doing what is good and right in God's eyes looks the same today. Are we seeking Him....wholeheartedly? Moment by moment? With our thoughts...words...actions?Are we obeying all His commands...not just the ones that suit us? Are we removing the idols, obstacles, hinderances, habits that take our focus away from God? Are we building ourselves in knowledge and understanding of what God wants for us and how we are to live? And are we relying on Him as our sustainer, provider, protector?
The rewards for Asa and for us are great. Asa not only had military victorys...that's one we might not revel in....but also, he prospered.....was at peace.....and was given rest. Ahhhh delightful words......even better experiences.
Then God promises Asa 2 things at the beginning of Ch. 15....that He will be found by Asa if A seeks Him and if A forsakes God, God will forsake A. Seems logical to me...a fair trade even. And perhaps an easy choice to make. A choice we all get to make...both on a macro level....where does God fit in my life? And a micro level....each day we make the decision to seek and acknowledge God or to ignore His presence and directions.
Asa makes the wisest choice he could.....with the people, he makes a covenant with God....a binding promise...to seek God. Not half heartedly...or when the going is good....or when they remember too....but with all their heart and soul (v12).
And doing that is not a chore...it brings them such joy and they did it eagerly (v15). How much joy do you have in living for God....do you do it eagerly?...or is a slog? A chore? A requirement so I get the ultimate reward of an eternity in heaven?
I hope, that like Asa and the people he ruled, we too can live for our God with a great passion and willingness. That we would be faithful and ruthless in our obedience and devotion to Him and that we would know the great benefits of living that way.
Finally, like Asa, I want people to say of me....(her) heart was fully committed to the LORD, all her life (Ch. 15 v17). 

Logically Speaking...

This morning I read from II Chronicles 11-15 and even though no-one reading this is likely to be royalty, like Kings Rehoboam or Asa - there's much to learn from the lives of both of these men.

R was the son of Solomon...the wisest man the world has ever seen. And after his Dad died, he started his reign well. Leading by example, the entire Israelite nation 'set their hearts on seeking the LORD' (v16).

I love that there is logic in following our God, even though He so often does the unpredictable and you end up in places and spaces you never expected to be in....like Uganda, Africa or married to a Happyrocker....or a first time Mum at 36 (when you had thought you'd have 3 kids by the time the millenium rolled around...the one that cllicked over in 2000, not the one coming in another 2990 years!)

Here in II Chronicles there is a clear correlation between this 'seeking the LORD' and what happens next. Well, actually, in Chapter 12, the logic disappears for a time. After the blessings experienced by David and Solomon who walked in the ways of God, and after a great start under Rehoboam, the people 'abandoned the law of the LORD...becoming unfaithful to Him.' Hmmmmmm where's the logic in that? And notice, it's not God being illogical, but the people.

Anyway, God's not willing to let this pass and promises, logically, to abandon the people as they have abandoned Him. But here's where the people get smart again and it's a smartness we'd do well to imitate. Vs 6-7 tells us the leaders and the people 'humbled themselves' before God. So too, our response to Him should always be one of humility and obedience...it's what please Him most.

Logically, God saves His people, but there are still consequences to their previous choices. In this situation, they have to live under the rule of the king of Egypt, but even in that, God has a plan. He wants to teach His people about serving. How like God, to take our mistakes and still use them to refine and change us into the people He wants us to be.

Tomorrow....Asa's story. He's just that bit smarter than his old Dad (Abijah) and his Grandad (Rehoboam). That's great news for all the Israelites and for us with kids.....hopefully they'll make more logical choices than us too:)

The (G)Old Testament

As I mentioned in a previous post, my sister and I have been reading through the Bible in a year. It has been a great experience on the whole, despite the slog of some of the books - Leviticus, the lists in Numbers and Chronicles and a few of the prophet-penned books. Common theme is.....? They are Old Testament books.

But just yesterday I read the first couple of chapters of Acts and Peter, in a very short space of time, quoted from the OT at least 3 times. He knew and loved those scriptures and could use them to great effect. I was challenged to think about the OT in a new way. Rather than seeing it as mumbo-jumbo, a slog, confusing or irrelevant (I mean when have I ever had to choose a dove for sacrifice or put a friend outside the camp because of leprosy?)...what has it said to me as I have read through so much of it this year?

I have learned that God is God...He is a planner, a creator, a lover and sustainer, a protector, a provider, a faithful God despite the unfaithfulness of His chosen ones. That's a God I want to spend my life with.

I have learned that human nature runs contrary to God's...even though we have the ability to live like Him because we have been created in His image. Just like so many of the OT people, I am rebellious, impatient, prideful, scared, selfish, jealous, difficult, disobedient...yet just as there was hope for them, there is for me. Thanks to this faithful God.

I have learned that the great rescue plan was always in place and motion. Jesus was there at the beginning and so much of the OT points not only to our desperate need for Him but also to His glorious coming and astounding sacrifice for us. Nothing happened by accident or without God knowing. Nothing happens by accident or without God knowing.

I have learned that God can do wonderful things through those who live lives of faithfulness and obedience, even if doubt or obstacles also exist. Think about Moses, Gideon, Esther, Ruth, Jacob, Hosea, Jonah, Daniel, David, Jonathan, Abigail....so many amazing lives and wonderful lessons to learn from their successes and their failures.

Lots of other 'learnings' along the way too, but there's just a few and ones that I don't want to forget any time soon.

Meanwhile, I appreciate how real the Word of God is. It speaks truth from the one who cannot lie Hebrews 6:18. It tells me the hard facts of life...there's no sugar-coating wars and famines and murder and death and waiting and suffering and ..... yet it provides the true message of hope for all who go through those tough times. It speaks of love and justice, of righteousness and punishment, of blessings and curses. And it reminds us that we all have the choice to follow truth or to run from it.

I have learned there is great value in all of the Bible...it is, after all, our God speaking to us. What a concept....what a REALITY!