IS HONESTY BAD?

I was reading this morning from Numbers 13.  Its the story of when the ten spies went into the promised land and came back to give a report.  

Verse 32 says, "And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature."

I stopped there and thought, "That's not fair, they gave an honest report!"  I sat with this for a moment and prayed for an answer.  It's a good idea when reading Scripture to wrestle with it, not just ignore it.

As I thought, I remembered Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."

I believe an honest report becomes a bad report because of two things.

1.  We have unrealistic expectations about what breaking new ground will mean.  For years these people had been fed by miraculous manna, did they expect this was going to be handed to them on a plate?  

Psalm 23:5 says that the table is set IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR ENEMIES.  Life is not perfect, we do have obstacles.  Let's not be naive about what it means to break new ground, break old habits, create new ones.  

2.  They focused on the enemies, not the One who was hosting them at this table.  Sure, the problems were there, but The Greater One had set this table, and the fact that he anoints us with oil is a sign that He is the host.  Hosts don't walk away from the dinner, so let's give attention to the host, not the problems.  

So while we acknowledge the problems, we look to the One who loves us, who provides for us, and who anoints us!

Next time we are facing some new ground, personally or otherwise let's not be unrealistic about the realities we are facing, but let's honour our Host, by trusting Him.

Now to demolish some old habits and establish some new ones.....

Until next time,

much love,

Lynda xx

PURE GOLDEN COMFORT

One of the most exciting, hope filled things parents do is get a nursery ready for their soon to arrive child.  There is love, there is hope, there are dreams.  This is not a last minute throw-together. The colours are carefully chosen, the furniture, the linen, the nursing chair, the decorations and the clothing.  The equipment, and so it goes.  A baby comes into an environment that has been prepared with joy, with love and with intentionality.

"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth" Genesis 1:1.

It is not, "In the beginning there was the heavens and the earth".  How cold and lonely that would be!

Now, I'm not going to enter into the debate about how long it took. He stands outside of time, time is part of His creation.  But that is not the point of this blog.  

God can do this anyway He chooses.  

In the beginning there was God, not matter.

Take the Creator out of it, and it may be beautiful and exciting.  But also chilling and lonely.

Imagine a child finding themselves in a beautiful nursery, but no parents.  Alone. Helpless. Lost.

God is love... which tells us that He created everything out of love.  God is holy... which tells us that his motivation is pure.  

We can ask the question, "then why is there evil?"  Because true love cannot be without choice and freedom.  

Then, thousands of years later we see Him, God revealed in Jesus.  ... "In the beginning was the Word, and.... the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John , chapter 1.

If the glory of creation is not enough, Jesus came and demonstrated God's love to us, in His life, death and resurrection.  

If you want to know what God is like, read the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.  Whatever you find Jesus saying, doing or thinking, is exactly the heart of God, demonstrated.

How sublime is this truth!  Creation itself is warmed by Him.  It's not chance, it's purpose.  It's not cold science alone. It's science, infused with His love.  

He holds it all together (John 1:2, 9-10, Colossians 1:16-17)  

In the beginning God....

        In the beginning was The Word....

May He be the beginning of your fresh new beginning, He is only a prayer away. 

With love,

Lynda xo

A PRIVATE WELCOME

Hi everyone,

I was recently reminded that while most people in my world respect my faith, it is seen as something that is 'my thing', not theirs; not disrespectfully, just, it seemed that they don't feel that they could make it their thing as well.

It jolted me.

There is room in God's heart for everyone.  ALL really are welcome.

THE GATE IS OPEN

Throughout all time, there has been an open invitation to come to God. Sadly, many don’t know the welcome is genuine; they see a ‘Private’ sign on the gate, creating hesitation in their soul, even though it is wide open.

 

I love this picture because it invites us into a place that is at once private and open. It speaks of the gospel to me.

We are invited into a personal space that is between Jesus and us. It’s a place that belongs to Him, but He invites us to share it with Him.  

It’s a space that is beautiful, personal and holy.  The terms of entry are to understand that it is His space, and we are to live with that in mind.  It is also to realize that the gate stands open for all.  We are not called in isolation; we are called to be part of His household, His family.  The Lord's pray begins OUR Father, not MY Father.

As we stand at the gate and ponder whether we are welcome, the terms of entry are to leave our sin, selfishness, and pride outside the gate, like a weight of luggage we are not meant to hold onto.

There is another entry spoken of in Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

It paints a similar picture, except that He stands on the outside waiting for the invitation. That door represents your heart.

A simple prayer, “Lord, I want You in my life”, is a way to open that door.

And as we step through that open, yet private gate into His kingdom, a simple prayer could be,

 “Lord, thank you for your invitation, made possible through the cross.  Thank you that because you died on the cross, I can come to you without guilt. And because you rose again, you help me live for you from this day forward.  Come into my life and change my heart by Your Spirit.  In Jesus name, Amen.”

I cannot overstate the reality of my life changed by the love of God, and I cannot overstate the love He has for all of us!

Don't be afraid to step past the "Private" sign on the open gate, and find out that you are more than welcome!

Until next time,

Lynda xx