Who I am reading and why - part 3 (alma mater edition)

After a few busy weeks, I'm getting back into the swing of things with my little on-again, off-again blog.  As promised, I'm sharing about a few of the blogs I enjoy as a series of posts.  Of course, this wouldn't be much of a series if I left off after only two entries on this topic!  So, here's the third installment:

My alma mater, Lancaster Bible College, has produced several interesting bloggers.  I'm following all of the ones I know about, which is likely only a small percentage of them.  (Readers, please let me know who I am missing!)

My friend, Jessica Weleski, chairs the Arts & Sciences department at LBC, and she chronicles her daily experiences in her humorous, heartfelt blog.  She's held this leadership position at the college for several years, despite her youth.  She's a genuinely lovely gal who graduated at the top of our class.  She has channeled her love of learning into a successful teaching career, where she guides students into the ways of faith and correct grammar.  As the daughter of a teacher, I just love her classroom stories!  On the side, she is working to renovate her vintage home while defending it against all sorts of wildlife, with her faithful sidekicks, Deogi and Gretel, always at the ready.  Most posts read like a humorous short story, though she allows herself to be honest about the hard parts of life as well.  Those interested in both compositions and opossums should check out http://oneenglishteacher.wordpress.com/.   

One of my life's greatest blessings was my time spent in my college theology classes.  LBC's Bible/theology professors are top notch, and one of the most memorable from my day was Dr. James McGahey.  While he is no longer teaching at the college, it is no surprise that "Doc," a learned and lettered man, is utilizing this venue for sharing his scholarly writing and research.  A proud Philadelphian, his blog covers the City of Brotherly Love, Pauline theology, church polity, Bruce Springsteen, and baseball...among other topics.  Sometimes, these subjects bleed into one another in the same post, so you know you're bound for a good read.  Caution:  This guy loves a little (or a lot) of controversy every now and again (or nearly every day, as I know he'll readily admit), so read his posts when you have time to ponder the depth of his topics.  Make sure to keep an open mind and a sense of humor...and be ready to defend your point of view if it differs from his.  He loves a good, logical argument, and you can find his points of view at http://jamesmcgahey.blogspot.com/.

Blogging has become a way to keep family and friends updated when things are going well...and when they're not.  My classmate, Josh Mott, has a brain tumor and has experienced all types of treatments in the pursuit of a cure.  Josh is a couple of years or so younger than me, and he has a young family, so I found his diagnosis heartbreaking and unbelievable.  He is a man of great faith, and his family exhibits such amazing grace and fortitude that I am frequently overcome with praise to the Lord who is sustaining them so faithfully.  Josh's wife, Kristin, updates their family blog on occasion, and I marvel at the maturity of her words and faith.  She's an excellent writer, and I believe the Lord has gifted her with this so she can share the good news of the Gospel that she and Josh are so passionate about, even in the midst of this present trial.  More of the Mott Family story may be read at http://thejoshmottfamily.blogspot.com/.

Finally, I ran across a blog that has no direct link to my time at LBC, but it does put me in mind of the mandatory two semesters of Biblical Hermeneutics classes I took in my freshman year.  That was fantastic training for the rest of my life, and I am grateful for the time I spent under Dr. John Soden's teaching.  In the Preaching with Greater Accuracy posts,  Pastor Randal Emery Pelton "attempts to show how hermeneutics affects the development of sermons. Preaching portions have ways of displaying theology which, in turn, creates relevant messages for the Church. The entries may provide direction for preaching a particular Text and also equip you to handle other Texts that present theology in similar ways. Those interested in Christ-centered preaching will observe numerous ways in which the Gospel fleshes out the interpretation and application of Scripture."  (Quote taken from the blog itself.)  I don't remember how I found this blog and I don't read the posts as often as I'd like, but I enjoy having posts like these at my fingertips just to stay in touch with hermeneutical concepts.  I believe it would be a great resource for teaching pastors, and it can be located at http://preachingwithgreateraccuracy.blogspot.com/.  

I'm also following a number of personal friends:

BJ Martin at http://bjchronicle.com/blog.html
Lindsay Spreadbury at http://spreadburystories.wordpress.com/about/
Andrew "Puffy" Pederson at http://drewism.me/
Jennifer Story at http://hydrangeasandharmony.blogspot.com/
Steve "Scuba" Grusendorf at http://martyrpriest.com/

Encourage him (Deuteronomy 1:38) – c.h. spurgeon

God employs his people to encourage one another.

He did not say to an angel, “Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan—go, encourage him.”

God never works needless miracles;
     if his purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means,
          he will not use miraculous agency.

Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as Moses.
A brother's sympathy is more precious than an angel's embassy.

The angel, swift of wing, had...
     never experienced the hardness of the road,
          nor seen the fiery serpents,
     nor had he led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as Moses had done.

We should be glad that God usually works for man by man.
     It forms a bond of brotherhood,
          and being mutually dependent on one another,
               we are fused more completely into one family.

Brethren, take the text as God's message to you.

Labor to help others,
and especially strive
to encourage them.

When you find a spark of grace in the heart,
kneel down and blow it into a flame.

Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees,
      but tell him of the strength which dwells in God,
          of the sureness of the promise,
               and of the charms of communion with Christ.

Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding.

Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful to go on their way with gladness.

God
encourages you by his promises;
Christ
encourages you as he points to the heaven he has won for you,
and the Spirit
encourages you as he works in you to will and to do of his own will and pleasure.

Imitate divine wisdom,
     and encourage others,
according to the word of this evening.

As Moses said, “The Lord…said, ‘You shall not enter [the Promised Land].  But, your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it.  Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.’”
Deuteronomy 1:37-38

Go again seven times (1 Kings 18:43) - c.h. spurgeon

Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. 

Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of answer, 
     it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf 
          when his people are earnest in a matter which concerns his glory. 

The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God, 
and never for a moment 
gave way 
to a fear that he should be non-suited in Jehovah's courts. 

Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but 
“Go again.” 

We must not dream of unbelief, but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. 

Faith 
sends 
expectant hope 
to look from Carmel's brow, 
and if nothing is beheld, 
she sends 
again 
and again. 

So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, 
     faith is animated to plead more fervently with her God. 

She is humbled, but not abashed: 
     her groans are deeper, 
          and her sighings more vehement, 
                but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. 

It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive, and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. 

Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself, 
     and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: 
deadly blows are thus struck at our corruption, 
     and the chambers of imagery are cleansed. 

The great danger is lest men should faint, and miss the blessing. 

Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue in prayer and watching. 

At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain, 
     and even so with you, the token for good shall surely be given, 
          and you shall rise as a prevailing prince 
                to enjoy the mercy you have sought. 

Elijah was a man of like passions with us: 
his power with God did not lie in his own merits. 

If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? 

Plead the precious blood 
     with unceasing importunity, 
          and it shall be with you according to your desire.


"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant.  And he went up and looked.  "There is nothing there," he said.  Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."  The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." ... Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling.
1 Kings 18:43-45

Who I am reading and why - part 2 (house & home edition)

Big news!  I'm...such a...girl.  Yes, I read some blogs because they speak to that feminine need to "feather the nest," so to speak.  Here are a few of my favorite domestic idea-crafters:

Rachel Meeks has mastered the mantra, "Simplify, simplify, simplify."  In her Small Notebook blog, she shares insights for bringing simplicity to the heart and home.  As a wife and mother of young children, her goal is to share the peace her family has found through identifying what is truly important (in relationships, budgets, possessions, etc.) and letting go of as much of the rest as possible.  When I gather enough courage, I will attempt her "No-Spend Month" challenge.  On another note, whenever I consider a new piece of clothing, I remember her advice about choosing to purchase only a few truly beautiful, well-made items that will last for years rather than spending money on many, lower-quality garments.  (Unlike others who give out this tip, I believe Rachel actually follows her own advice.)  Check out all of Rachel's ideas at http://smallnotebook.org/start-here/.

Ladies, if you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Irish dairy farmer's wife (and who hasn't?), Imen's "I Married an Irish Farmer" blog will fill you in quickly...and leave you wishing to be her neighbor and tea-time visitor.  Imen worked in big-city America as an ad executive until she met a charming Irish farmer who was visiting the States.  They hit it off and ended up returning to his Irish farm.  The rest is history and has been very neatly recorded in her posts.  Many of these posts have to do with the lovely foods she creates in her farmhouse kitchen--sometimes gourmet and unique, sometimes traditional and simple, but always with a distinctly Irish flavor.  Her photography is gorgeous as well.  You may visit her farm and home at http://marriedanirishfarmer.com/about-2/.

April Swiger keeps a journal of her life as a Pittsburgh-area worship pastor's wife.  I first found her blog when I was researching, of all things, B&Bs in New York.  She wrote a lovely piece about an anniversary trip to the Chautauqua region, and featured the Brick House B&B (Westfield, NY) prominently in the post.  Her description sold us on staying there ourselves, and it is now one of my family's favorite destinations.  She writes for her friends and family, is a committed DIYer, and shares her projects--as well as delicious recipes--on her site.  Most intriguing is her belief that her ministry is to her church and husband.  She works part time at her church, but she is primarily a stay-at-home wife (what is that again?).  The Swigers are currently awaiting God's timing on adopting their first child, and I've enjoyed praying with them through their journey.  April's journal can be accessed at http://theswigers.blogspot.com/.   

Who I am reading and why - part 1

In the age of social media, everyone knows what everyone else is doing and saying and eating and thinking (when they are thinking and not just mindlessly posting). Blogs take this to a whole 'nother level.

The blogosphere can be such a fascinating, yet slightly disturbing, place.

I now know so much more about my friends and quite a few strangers than I ever would have thought possible.  I also know more about society, trends, and ideas.

Happily, I know more about theology and God and His work amidst His creation.  I am able to sit under sound teaching in the comfort of my living room instead of trekking midway across the country to conferences and the like for portions of spiritual nourishment.

Here are a few details on some of my favorite blogs:

Michael Hyatt writes a fantastic leadership blog.  He has been a successful businessman and author (and was the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) for years.  He has taken his expertise, and his Christian principals, and turned his talents toward providing a wealth of resources for other leaders, speakers, authors, aspiring writers/bloggers, and those simply interested in utilizing their gifts to the utmost.  Hyatt has advice on the technical side of blogging and publishing as well.  He posts multiple times each week and often invites like-minded guest authors to post when he is speaking at conferences or otherwise away from his writing desk.  Follow this link to his home page:  http://michaelhyatt.com/.

Ann Voskamp records a life beautifully real and seasoned with grace on her blog.  Voskamp, the now much-read author of One Thousand Gifts:  A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, keeps what she calls a "journal" on her aesthetically gorgeous site.  She reflects on her calling as a farmer's wife and mother of six with language that is both lyrically poetic and heartachingly honest.  She writes primarily for women from what I gather, though her challenge to recall 1,000 blessings in each year's time is open to all.  I've not yet read her book, but I plan to do so soon.  I discovered her writings when a friend started posting snippets on facebook.  It is well worth the time it takes to wander through her artistic verbiage, and you may find her at http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

Lily Pads.  What a lovely name for a blog!  Kate Elizabeth Connor, who is somehow related to a friend of mine...though I am no longer sure which one, writes from the perspective of being a youth pastor's wife and young mother of two (soon to be three).  In the recent past, one of her posts made its way around facebook, and I have since found her observations to be both hilarious and solemn, depending on the topic.  I strive never to miss a post, and in fact this one is among my favorites.  You may find more of Kate's insight at http://kateelizabethconner.com/.

When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2) - c.h. spurgeon

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; 
emptied as when a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside down; 
submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm.

Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt.

Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. 

Blessed be God,
     at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace,
          our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails,
               the hospice of forlorn pilgrims.

Higher
     than we are
          is he,
     his mercy higher than our sins,
          his love higher than our thoughts. 

It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord.

A Rock
     he is
          since
               he changes not,

and a high Rock,
     because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at his feet; 
he is not disturbed by them,
     but rules them at his will.

If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. 

Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter.

Hence the prayer of the text.

O Lord, our God,
     by thy Holy Spirit,
teach us the way of faith,
     lead us into thy rest. 

The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand;

thou, thou alone
     canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. 

How dependent we are upon thee—we need thee to bring us to thee. 
     To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is thy gift, 
               and thine alone. 
     This night be pleased to deal well with thy servants.


From the ends of the earth I call to You,
   I call as my heart grows faint;
      lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2

Infinite Value

True confession time.

I can be a music reality show junkie.  If I can't catch an episode, I record it or find it in OnDemand.  Quite honestly, I am drawn in weekly less by the talent of it all and more by the human interest of the experience.

There's one overarching characteristic linking the contestants of these shows together.  They're all looking for acceptance.  From the very early stages of the competition, they are praying to be affirmed.

They don't seem to want to be told that they are the most amazing talent to ever grace a stage.

Instead, the longing is to be told simply that they are good.  Good enough.  Valued.  Valued by someone...the judges, the fans, their peers, their parents, their long-lost critics of bygone ages.

Many of the contestants have overcome adversity:  years of being told they aren't worthy of chasing their dreams, physical difficulties and accidents to fight through, family responsibilities that take up the majority of their time, setbacks of all types.

These are the ones we love.  We cry when we hear their stories.  We root for them.  Know them by name.

As long as pride does not overwhelm their story, we take them into our hearts.  We are drawn to the humble strength that comes with suffering for a cause, for a part of oneself.

Isn't that the way we were created?

Created for affirmation, created for relationship, created for caring.

The Fall perverted how we seek to fill this created part of our being.  Instead of seeking fellowship with the One who created us for eternal, holy fellowship, we put our trust in people, in acquisition, in status, in success.

We were created with intrinsic value.  We were created in His image.  He has value, infinite value.  He imparted that valuableness to us.

We sense that we have value, and we wish to have that confirmed in our souls.  When the affirmation is fickle or slow in coming, we are crushed.  This is why we can't entrust our value to other humans.  Our ability to esteem each other is tarnished and circumscribed by selfishness and pride.

Yet, we long to let others know that we value them.  We were created for this as well.  We are relational and were made to give back to Him...to others.  We don't know how to do this perfectly or even well.  We struggle and stumble in our small attempts to express that which is too big for us to grasp:  Love.  Charity.  Goodness.  Kindness.  Sacrifice.

I watch the contestants explain why they are driven to do what they do.  Why they are willing to stand in front of thousands with their rare gift and be completely vulnerable with the thing they care about most:  their dreams.

So often, it comes down to finding positive recognition for their giftings.

They need Jesus.  Sometimes, I tell my television this.  They need the perfect affirmation that comes only from knowing Him.

I remember the day it became clear to me that I am never out of His mind.  He thinks of me constantly.  Prays for me.  Remembers me before the Father.  Loves me.  Calls me His beloved.

For a girl with many dreams and a few disappointments, this was astounding.  I've known Him for many years, but I still forget these precious bits and bobs in the midst of just living.

Do you wonder if you are precious?  If you are remembered?  If you and your dreams and your giftings are valuable despite your failures and adversity and loneliness?

Beloved, He spent His life on you.  That's the value He places on your life.  He took the value you already had and increased it infinitely.

A people near unto Him (Psalm 148:14) – c.h. spurgeon

The dispensation of the old covenant was that of distance.

When God appeared even to his servant Moses,
     he said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet”;
and when he manifested himself upon Mount Sinai,
     to his own chosen and separated people,
          one of the first commands was, “Thou shalt set bounds about the mount.”

Both in the sacred worship of the tabernacle and the temple,
     the thought of distance was always prominent.

The mass of the people
          did not even enter
                    the outer court.
Into the inner court
          none but the priests
                    might dare to intrude;
while into the innermost place,
          or the holy of holies,
                    the high priest entered but once in the year. 

It was as if the Lord in those early ages would teach man that sin was so utterly loathsome to him, that he must treat men as lepers put without the camp; and when he came nearest to them, he yet made them feel the width of the separation between a holy God and an impure sinner.

When the gospel came,
     we were placed on quite another footing.

The word “Go”
was exchanged for
“Come”;

distance was made to give place to nearness,
and we who aforetime were afar off,
were made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Incarnate Deity has no wall of fire about it.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” is the joyful proclamation of God as he appears in human flesh. 

Not now does he teach the leper his leprosy by setting him at a distance, but by himself suffering the penalty of his defilement.

What a state of safety and privilege is this nearness to God through Jesus!

Do you know it by experience?
If you know it, are you living in the power of it?

Marvellous is this nearness,
     yet it is to be followed by a dispensation of greater nearness still,
          when it shall be said,
               “The tabernacle of God is with men, and he doth dwell among them.”

Hasten it, O Lord.

“He has raised up for His people a horn, the praise of all His saints, of Israel, the people close to His heart.”
Psalm 148:14

Trust in him at all times (Psalm 62:8) - c.h. spurgeon

Faith 
is as much the rule of temporal as of spiritual life; 
we ought to have faith in God 
for our earthly affairs as well as for our heavenly business. 

It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we shall live above the world. 

We are not to be idle, 
     that would show we did not trust in God, who worketh hitherto, 
          but in the devil, who is the father of idleness. 

We are not to be imprudent or rash; 
     that were to trust chance, 
          and not the living God, who is a God of economy and order. 

Acting in all prudence and uprightness, 
     we are to rely simply and entirely upon the Lord at all times. 

Let me commend to you a life of trust in God in temporal things....

Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience. 

[H]e that trusteth in the Lord is like a vessel propelled by steam, 
     she cuts through the waves, 
          defies the wind, 
               and makes one bright silvery 
                     straightforward track to her destined haven. 

Be you a man with living principles within; never bow to the varying customs of worldly wisdom. 

Walk in your path of integrity with steadfast steps, and show that you are invincibly strong in the strength which confidence in God alone can confer. 

Thus you will be delivered from anxious care, 
     you will not be troubled with evil tidings, 
          your heart will be fixed, trusting in the Lord. 

How pleasant to float along the stream of providence! 

There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. 

We have no care, 
     for he careth for us; 
we have no troubles, 
     because we cast our burdens upon the Lord.


Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8 

Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide (Genesis 24:63) – c.h. spurgeon

Very admirable was his occupation.

If those who spend so many hours in idle company,
     light reading, and useless pastimes,
could learn wisdom,

they would find more profitable society and more interesting engagements
     in meditation
than in the vanities which now have such charms for them.

We should all know more,
     live nearer to God,
          and grow in grace,
               if we were more alone.

Meditation…extracts the real nutriment from the mental food gathered elsewhere.

When Jesus is the theme, meditation is sweet indeed.

Isaac found Rebecca while engaged in private musings;
          many others have found their best beloved there.


Very admirable was the choice of place.

In the field we have a study hung round with texts for thought.

From the cedar to the hyssop,
     from the soaring eagle down to the chirping grasshopper,
          from the blue expanse of heaven to a drop of dew,
all things are full of teaching,
     and when the eye is divinely opened,
          that teaching flashes upon the mind
               far more vividly than from written books.

Our little rooms are neither
so healthy,
so suggestive,
so agreeable,
or
so inspiring as the fields.

Let us count nothing common or unclean,
     but feel that all created things point to their Maker,
          and the field will at once be hallowed.


Very admirable was the season.

The season of sunset
     as it draws a veil over the day,
befits that repose of the soul
     when earthborn cares yield
           to the joys of heavenly communion.

The glory of the setting sun excites our wonder,
     and the solemnity of approaching night awakens our awe.

If the business of this day will permit it, it will be well,
dear reader,
if you can spare an hour to walk in the field at eventide,

but if not,
the Lord is in the town too,
and
will meet with thee in thy chamber or in the crowded street.

Let thy heart go forth to meet him.

He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"  

Genesis 24:63-65

Everlasting consolation (2 Thessalonians 2:16) – c.h. spurgeon

“Consolation.”

There is music in the word: like David's harp, it charms away the evil spirit of melancholy.

It was a distinguished honour to Barnabas to be called “the son of consolation”;
     nay, it is one of the illustrious names of a greater than Barnabas,
          for the Lord Jesus is “the consolation of Israel.”

“Everlasting consolation” — here is the cream of all,
     for the eternity of comfort
          is the crown and glory of it.

What is this “everlasting consolation”?


It includes a sense of pardoned sin.  
A Christian man has received in his heart the witness of the Spirit that his iniquities are put away like a cloud, and his transgressions like a thick cloud.

If sin be pardoned, is not that an everlasting consolation?

Next, the Lord gives his people an abiding sense of acceptance in Christ.
The Christian knows that God looks upon him as standing in union with Jesus.  Union to the risen Lord is a consolation of the most abiding order; it is, in fact, everlasting.

Let sickness prostrate us,
     have we not seen hundreds of believers as happy in the weakness of disease
          as they would have been in the strength of hale and blooming health?

Let death's arrows pierce us to the heart,
     our comfort dies not, for have not our ears full often heard
          the songs of saints as they have rejoiced
because the living love of God was shed abroad in their hearts in dying moments?

Yes, a sense of acceptance in the Beloved is an everlasting consolation.

Moreover, the Christian has a conviction of his security.
God has promised to save those who trust in Christ: the Christian does trust in Christ, and he believes that God will be as good as his word, and will save him.

He feels that he is safe
     by virtue of his being bound up
          with the person and work of Jesus.

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”
II Thessalonians 2:16-17

Her last two coins

On my nightstand rest two tiny coppery disks.  The symbols engraved on them are foreign, ancient.  I don’t exactly know how I came by these metallic images of sacrifice.

(source)

Each one represents a coin placed in the temple treasury by the widow whose story is recorded in Luke 21:1-4.

I learned her narrative in my childhood Sunday School class.  There, her humble gift of two small coins was always contrasted with the showy contributions of the pompous rich.  I understood, as the record shows, that she gave everything she had to live on for the Lord’s work.

By my teachers, she was lauded as a woman of great generosity…and rightfully so.  The lesson was that we should be generous in giving to the Lord, and not just in times of comfortable wealth.

But I never really thought about WHY she gave her last two coins as an offering.

It certainly wasn’t for praise or honor—it seems that Jesus was the only one who noticed her and knew her situation.  He drew attention to her, not the other way around.  My guess is that it was incredibly humbling for her to place that little bit of change in the treasury in the midst of all of the other liberal wealth flowing that day.

It wasn’t to “keep up with the Joneses” either, for who would willingly give up her last pennies as an offering at an already gilded temple when there is daily bread to buy and monthly rent to pay?

I doubt it was for atonement or some sort of guilt offering.  If she needed to respond to God’s requirements of justice, surely she would have done all she could to save up enough to purchase the appropriate animal to sacrifice at that temple, as she had been raised to do.

If not for these reasons, then why would she give all she had to live on?

Two thoughts spring to mind.

1.  She was fully devoted to God.  She had something, tiny yet precious, to give Him as an offering, and she did not allow her poverty to stop her from giving from a willing, generous, loving heart.

2.  More importantly, I think it was that she knew something about the God she served with her last ounce of sustenance:  She knew her God would provide for her needs.  Perhaps she reasoned that He had brought her, a lowly and impoverished widow, this far, and He could certainly grant her all she needed in the days to come.  She was throwing herself on His gracious promise to care for the most vulnerable of Israel (Psalm 146:9; Proverbs 15:25).

Another idea dances around the edges of my thoughts:  What if God simply laid it on her heart to take her two very last coins to the temple on the very day Jesus and His disciples were standing there?  All so future generations could have an object lesson about what it truly means to give righteously?

Of course, that prompting would likely not go too far unless our dear widow’s heart was both devoted to her Lord and filled with faith in His promises.

Stories like these make me want to grab a dozen Bible commentaries, as I did when I had an entire Bible college library easily within reach, and read what others have to say about her story.  There is so much more to an account when the cultural and historical context is explained in greater detail.  If I tried to add that to this little post, I’d get so excited and share everything…and this would end up being 20 pages long!

Back to the replicas of the widow’s “mites.”  I keep them on my nightstand to remind me to be gracious in my offerings.  (While I have not yet attained this level of giving in my finances or any of my other resources, I want to press on toward that goal.)

We humans like visible reminders of spiritual concepts.

Touchstones.

Tangibles that give us something finite to hold on to when we’re struggling to grasp what it means to serve an infinite God.

I gaze at their holding place.

These little metal disks sit beside two equally small glass spheres.  Two marbles, each one a tiny icon of two of my ongoing prayer requests.  Once each prayer is answered with a clear “yes,” “no,” or “now is the right time,” the marble representing it will be taken back to my alma mater’s prayer room and deposited in the glass bowl filled with other multi-colored, round demonstrations of the answered prayers of fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

As I reflect on these four objects lined up together for the time being, it occurs to me that my coins should also be speaking a message of whole-hearted devotion and unwavering trust in a God who hears and answers our prayers and cares for us in our most vulnerable state.

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called (1 Corinthians 7:20) – c.h. spurgeon

Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women.  

Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case.  

Beloved, it is not office,
     it is earnestness;
it is not position,
      it is grace
which will enable us to glorify God. 

God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Saviour's love…. 

The name of Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by the roadside….  

God is glorified by our serving him in our proper vocations.

Take care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your occupation,
     and take care you do not dishonour your profession while in it.

Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings.
     Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends.

Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness.

Therefore be not discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he calls you to something else.

Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost of your power where you are.
     Fill your present sphere to his praise, and if he needs you in another he will show it you.

This evening
     lay aside vexatious ambition,
          and embrace
               peaceful content.

“Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.”
I Corinthians 7:20

Thy will...

I wonder what would happen if I ended each of my prayers with the small but powerful phrase, “Thy will be done.”

You know, as in “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

Yes, that’s from the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 5, which is of course the prayer Christ gave us as a model for righteous and effectual conversations with the Father.

I am ashamed,
     yet not surprised,
          by how infrequently I include
               this humble entreaty in my talks with the Lord.

We live in a results-oriented, “get-it-done-yesterday” society that compounds the trouble we already have with the impatience and willfulness deeply seated in our human condition.

What would happen if our prayers were still specific and persistent,
     but each request ended with,
          “Lord, not as I will, but as You will”? 
(Compare Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane as recorded in Matthew 26:39.)

The relief that comes from throwing our concerns squarely into the capable hands of our gracious, powerful Father! 

Not taking on any of the responsibility for moving the mountain other than bringing the matter to the Lord in faith-filled petition!

What freedom! 

Yes, I wonder what would happen.

Why go I mourning? (Psalm 42:9) – c.h. spurgeon

Canst thou answer this, believer?
     Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning 
          instead of rejoicing?
     Why yield to gloomy anticipations?  
              
Who told thee that the night would never end in day?

Who told thee that the sea of circumstances would ebb out
     till there should be nothing left
          but long leagues of the mud of horrible poverty?

Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed
     from frost to frost,
          from snow, and ice,
               and hail,
                    to deeper snow,
          and yet more heavy tempest of despair?

Knowest thou not that day follows night,
that flood comes after ebb,
that spring and summer succeed winter?

Hope thou then!  Hope thou ever!
     For God fails thee not.

Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in the midst of all this?

Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day,
     and God's love is as true to thee now as it was in thy brightest moments.

No father chastens always: thy Lord hates the rod as much as thou dost;
     he only cares to use it for that reason
          which should make thee willing to receive it,
namely, that it works thy lasting good.

Thou shalt yet climb Jacob's ladder with the angels,
and behold him who sits at the top of it—thy covenant God.

Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendours of eternity,    
     forget the trials of time,
          or only remember them to bless the God who led thee through them,
               and wrought thy lasting good by them.

Come, sing
     in the midst of tribulation.
Rejoice
     even while passing through the furnace.
Make
     the wilderness to blossom like the rose!
Cause
     the desert to ring with thine exulting joys,

for these light afflictions will soon be over,
     and then “for ever with the Lord,”
          thy bliss shall never wane.


“Faint not nor fear, his arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe and thou shalt see,
That Christ is all in all to thee.”
 

I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me?  Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”
Psalm 42:9

The voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) – c.h spurgeon

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come,
     retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God.

He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear.
     If there be any slowness to commune it is not on his part,
          but altogether on thine own, for he stands at the door and knocks,
               and if his people will but open he rejoices to enter.

But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord's garden?

May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for him?

If not, he will have much to reprove, but still I pray him to come unto me,
     for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition
as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in his wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God,
my soul invites thee earnestly,
and waits for thee eagerly.

Come to me, O Jesus,
my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden,
such as I see blooming in such perfection in thy matchless character!

Come, O my Father,
who art the Husbandman,
and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence!

Come, O Holy Spirit,
and bedew my whole nature,
as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews.

O that God would speak to me.
     Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth!

O that he would walk with me;
     I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to him,
          and every other thought is hushed.

I am only asking what he delights to give.
     I am sure that he will condescend to have fellowship with me,
          for he has given me his Holy Spirit to abide with me for ever.

Sweet is the cool twilight,
     when every star seems like the eye of heaven,
and the cool wind
     is as the breath of celestial love.

My Father,
     my elder Brother,
          my sweet Comforter,
speak now in lovingkindness,
     for thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious.



Then [Adam and Eve] heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day….”
Genesis 3:8

Like stars

Hope shines brightest in the midst of trial.

My pastor believes this.  He spoke on it this morning in his sermon.

I believe this, too.

How does bright hope pour out of the believer in the midst of 

hardship, 

tragedy, 

struggle?

It’s not simply a mindset, though there is much to be said for the strength of character that declares, “God has allowed this situation for my good and His glory, so I will trust Him for the outcome…despite these difficult circumstances.” 

It’s more than that.
    

It’s the power of Christ in us.
     The power that confounds the wise.

The power that makes the weak mysteriously emerge as strong and mighty.
     Christ’s own reflection in our lives.

I know a little something of trauma, of disappointment, of battling painful forces beyond my control.

How often, though, am I prepared to give a gentle answer to those who wonder about the Hope I have?  (I Peter 3:15)

Can others even see my Hope…or do they only see me fussing and fretting and fighting in my own strength?

Do I allow the Holy Spirit to shine through me in my hour of grief?  Do I find my identity and purpose in Christ’s own suffering for my sake?  (Philippians 2:5ff)

When this season is over, will I have completed the course well…or will I have wasted precious teachable, refining moments in frustration and faithlessness?


Do you find yourself in the midst of discouragement and distress? 
     Rest assured:  the redemption of this season is already at hand.  

          The Lord’s purposes are for your wellbeing,

               and His care for you is like that of a tender shepherd.  

His beautiful pathway for your life is upheld in His ability to know and do all things and to love you without condition or prejudice.  His glorious plans cannot be thwarted!  (Job 42:2)


Lord, may we—and the Hope that You have placed within us—shine forth like stars as we hold out the Word of Life!  (Philippians 2:15)


“God has chosen to make known among [us] the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in [us], the hope of glory.”  (Colossians 1:27)  

Blessed is he that watcheth (Revelation 16:15) – c.h. spurgeon

“We die daily,” said the apostle.

This was the life of the early Christians;
they went everywhere with their lives in their hands.

We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions:
     if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test;
but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible,
     are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age. 

We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is little;
     its blandishments,
          its soft words,
               its oily speeches,
                    its fawning,
                         its hypocrisy, are far worse.

Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud,
lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world,
and lose our faith.

Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous.
     If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion,
     if we may be hugged to death by the bear,
the devil little cares which it is,
     so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in him. 

I fear me
     that the Christian church
          is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days
               than in those rougher times.

We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground,
and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing,
unless our faith in Jesus be a reality,
and our love to Jesus a vehement flame.

Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat;
     hypocrites with fair masks on their faces,
          but not the true-born children of the living God.

Christian,
     do not think that these are times
in which you can dispense with watchfulness
     or with holy ardour;
you need these things more than ever,
     and may God the eternal Spirit display his omnipotence in you,
that you may be able to say,
     in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher,
“We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

 “Behold, I am coming like a thief.  Blessed is the one who stays awake….”
Revelation 16:15

That those things which cannot be shaken may remain (Hebrews 12:27) – c.h. spurgeon

We have many things in our possession at the present moment which can be shaken, and it ill becomes a Christian man to set much store by them, for there is nothing stable beneath these rolling skies; change is written upon all things.

Yet, we have certain “things which cannot be shaken,” and I invite you this evening to think of them, that if the things which can be shaken should all be taken away, you may derive real comfort from the things that cannot be shaken, which will remain.

Whatever your losses have been,
or may be,
you enjoy present salvation.

You are standing at the foot of his cross,
     trusting alone in the merit of Jesus’ precious blood,
and no rise or fall of the markets can interfere with your salvation in him;
     no breaking of banks, no failures and bankruptcies can touch that.

Then you are a child of God this evening. God is your Father. No change of circumstances can ever rob you of that.

Although by losses brought to poverty,
     and stripped bare,
          you can say,
“He is my Father still.
     In my Father's house are many mansions;
          therefore
               will I not be troubled.”

You have another permanent blessing,
namely,
the love of Jesus Christ.

He who is God and Man loves you with all the strength of his affectionate nature — nothing can affect that.

The fig tree may not blossom,
     and the flocks may cease from the field,
          it matters not to the man who can sing,
               “My Beloved is mine, and I am his.”
Our best portion and richest heritage we cannot lose.

Whatever troubles come, let us…show that we are not such little children as to be cast down by what may happen in this poor fleeting state of time.

Our country is Immanuel's land,
     our hope is above the sky,
          and therefore, calm as the summer's ocean;
we will see the wreck of everything earthborn,
     and yet 
          rejoice
               in the God of our salvation.

At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  The words “once more” indicate a removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Hebrews 12:26-27