Embracing Our Differences in Worship

You might not worship God the same way I do, and that's okay.

The amount of judgment and criticism that has infiltrated the church in regards to worship breaks my heart. All too often, people take a personal preference, or a style issue, and present it as a right or wrong way to worship. They engage in worship one way, and so they think everyone else should, too. And sometimes they assume a person who isn’t worshiping the same way they do must not be truly worshiping at all.

There is an article that has begun circulating around the Internet about worship. At first I wasn’t going to write about this or address it, but worship is so important to me, and I wanted to share this. I wanted to respond to this article because I think it’s important for all of us to understand, this is not a right or wrong thing. It’s a style choice. A personal preference. It does not mean someone who doesn’t share his opinions is worshiping incorrectly, or not truly worshiping at all.

The way a believer worships is as unique as his or her God-given personality, gifts, and life experiences. I am a hand raiser. My husband is not. That doesn’t mean one of us worships more authentically or better than the other. We’re just different. And my own life experiences have changed the way I worship, too. I do not worship God the same way I did before I lost my dad. Why? Because I know Him on a much deeper level than I did before. I understand my utter dependence on Him on a much greater level. That doesn’t mean I didn’t truly worship Him before. It’s just different now.

The debate about hymns vs. contemporary worship songs has been going on for several years. The author of this article makes the case for using hymns in worship services. I want to acknowledge that, if that is how he can best express his heart to God and engage in authentic worship, I applaud him. However, I want to explain why I don’t feel the same way about hymns. And that doesn’t make me wrong, or less of a true worshiper.

Here’s his first claim:

First, hymns have been sung by the giants of the faith who have gone on before us over the last two millennia. When we sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, we join with Martin Luther who wrote it, and with Calvin and Spurgeon and Edwards who invariably sang and cherished it. When we sing It Is Well With My Soul we are encouraged by the faith of Horatio Spafford who wrote the hymn in the wake of the tragic death of his four daughters. And while many contemporary songs have certainly been written by wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who have surely endured trials, the fact that we can join with generations past and be reminded that the Church is vastly larger than our local congregation, farther reaching than our town or state or country, and much, much older than the oldest saint living today is something we should not take lightly.

I understand the idea of respecting and appreciating our heritage. However, I believe God can and does use people today just as much as he did in days gone by. And I do believe I can respect and appreciate my Christian heritage while still singing contemporary songs, in the same way that I do when I use the English Standard Version of my Bible instead of the King James Version.

I do not base my worship on who wrote the song I’m singing or how many people have sung it before. I do not base my worship on other people at all. My worship is 100% an act of expressing my heart to God. For me, that means complete transparency and authenticity with God. If I wouldn’t use a certain type of language in my prayer life, why would I use it to worship through song? In most cases, the language used in hymns that were written centuries ago creates a feeling of disconnect for me. It doesn’t reflect who I am or how I naturally express my heart to God. For that reason, it makes it difficult for me to fully engage in worship when I’m singing a hymn. There are some exceptions to this, but on the whole, that is the reality for me.

Here’s his second claim:  

Second, the content of hymns is almost always vastly more theologically rich. When I say rich, I don’t necessarily mean every hymn recounts the Gospel in its entirety, or that all hymns clearly teach the Five Points of Calvinism. Rather, the theology in the hymns is typically more sound or healthy than much of contemporary worship music. As I said earlier, contemporary songs engage our emotions more often, where the hymns engage our hearts by way of the mind.

First of all, what authorizes him to make the claim that hymns are more theologically rich at all, let alone with the adjective “vastly” thrown in there? Where is his evidence to support that claim?

He uses one comparison as an example. Here’s what he says:

By way of example, one of the top ten contemporary songs being sung in American evangelical churches right now is called One Thing Remains. While there is nothing in the song particularly bad (in fact, much of it is pretty good), it seems to me that the purpose of the song is to work the listeners into an emotional state. The chorus is:

“Your love never fails / It never gives up / Never runs out on me / Your love never fails / It never gives up / Never runs out on me / Your love never fails / It never gives up / Never runs out on me / Your love / Your love / Your love.”

With the repetition of a simple lyric like that, it isn’t a stretch to say that the composers’ goal was not to engage the listeners mind.

Whereas Augustus Toplady’s hymn Rock of Ages is doctrinally sound, it also is a very moving song of our dependance upon Christ our Rock:

“Rock of Ages cleft for me / Let me hide myself in Thee / Let the water and the blood / From Thy wounded side which flowed / Be of sin the double cure / Save from wrath and make me pure.”

Actually, the chorus of “One Thing Remains” is pretty incredible, in my opinion. And it absolutely engages my mind. No matter how many times I have failed God, questioned Him, or doubted His goodness, His love has never failed me. He has never given up on me, thrown up His hands and said, “That’s it, I’m out of here. You’re on your own.” His love is a persistent love, patient through all my human struggles and failures, welcoming me back time and time again. Simple lyric, yes, but powerful truth! And repeating it only makes me think about it more, and allows its truth to penetrate my heart and mind. You better believe that’s a truth worth singing about!

And there are so many songs written in the past few decades that have wonderful, inspiring, and even theologically deep lyrics! “In Christ Alone.” “10,000 Reasons.” “Indescribable.” “Everlasting God.” “Our God.” “Praise the Father, Praise the Son.” “Reign in Us.” “Glory to God Forever.” “Son of God.” I could go on, but you get my point. If you’re not familiar with these songs, I encourage you to look up the lyrics. They contain great Biblical truths.

I won’t discredit the merit of the hymn he references, other than to reiterate the disconnectedness its language creates for me. I just want to acknowledge that there is merit in the contemporary song as well. And I personally feel the author of this article has no right to judge the composer’s motive in writing this lyric, or a worship leader’s motive when he or she chooses this song as part of the worship set.

And while we’re on the subject of comparison, let’s look at these two songs.

Here is a line from the old hymn, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” a hymn I often sang with our congregation as a youngster: “I sing because I’m happy / I sing because I’m free / for His eye is on the sparrow / and I know He watches me.” I can’t sing this song anymore, because I completely disagree with the line, “I sing because I’m happy.” Let me tell you why.

After my dad died, I went through a period of time when I wrestled with God. I had doubts and questions and fears I had never had before. And I let Satan take my song away. I had sung in church from the moment I could talk. I had led worship for years. And suddenly I didn’t want to sing anymore.

Then, one day, standing in my kitchen, God put this song in my heart: “The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning / It’s time to sing Your song again / Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me / Let me be singing when the evening comes.” And I realized that does not mean, “Lord, please let only good things happen to me today so at the end of the day I’ll still feel like singing.” It means that, no matter what happens to me today, I will choose to sing and worship my Savior. I don’t sing because I’m  happy. I sing because He is worthy and He is good. He did not expect me to be happy when I had just lost my dad. But He did want me to choose to worship Him. And He used a contemporary song, not a hymn, to teach me that truth.

I suppose what bothers me the most about this article is this plea at the end:  “So I make this plea to my fellow ministers, do not neglect these milestones from ages past. In fact, I would make the case for the abandonment of most contemporary songs. If you choose a song for congregational worship based on its content (say you have chosen a contemporary song because of its focus on the Cross), do the hard work of finding a hymn that more than likely addresses the same topic or doctrine in a much deeper way.”

I fully agree that we should not abandon hymns, because they do help some people to engage in worship on a real and deep level. Some people. And that’s why I want to cry out in protest against the rest of his plea. Just as we should not abandon hymns of the past, please, do not abandon most contemporary songs. That would be such a devastating loss to me and others like me in the church, who do find contemporary songs help us fully engage in worship, and who struggle to express our hearts to God through the words of hymns that simply don’t resonate with us.

I feel a little bit like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. Diversity in worship is a wonderful thing. God created us all so uniquely and beautifully different. That pleases Him. Rather than telling other people they should worship the same way we do, let’s embrace our differences. Let’s incorporate and learn to appreciate different worship styles. And let’s acknowledge that personal preferences are simply that: personal preferences, not right or wrong.

If I Really Loved Them

I had a conversation with my 14-year-old the other day about the reality that sometimes things don't go the way we think they should in this life. Sometimes God closes doors we desperately wanted Him to open for us, because He knows there's another door just down the hall that leads to something far more wonderful, and that's the door He wants to open for us. "When that happens," I said, "ask yourself what God is trying to teach you."

The thing is, when you say something like that to your kid, you have to do it yourself. Because your children are shaped more by the way they see you live your life than by your words. Oh, the words are good, for sure, but only if they're backed up by action.

Over the past few weeks I have felt like I am under attack. Like Satan is coming at me with arrow after arrow. My Shield of Faith is seeing a lot of action on the battle lines right now. In my previous post, I shared about mom's recent diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia with ALS. It's difficult to watch her struggle, not only physically, but emotionally as the disease progresses. At the same time, my husband had to deal with a large kidney stone that took a two-day hospital stay, a surgical procedure, and two separate occasions of shock-wave lithotripsy to break the stone up into small enough pieces that he could pass them. I came down with a cold and fever that kept me from going with him to the second procedure. And then our son got the stomach flu. Not a big deal to some people, but stomach bugs freak me out. And in light of everything else that's been going on, it was an arrow that almost got through my shield.

Almost.

I have begun the practice of speaking out loud, "Satan does not win" when these things happen. I do this because of the example of Christ in Matthew 16:23, where he said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns." The power of the Holy Spirit in me gives me the authority to rebuke Satan when he attacks. And it's a good reminder to me that Satan only wins if I let him. What's more, he does not know the heart and mind of God. He would love nothing more than to distract me from the concerns of God by getting me to focus solely on human concerns. How awesome to not only extinguish the arrows of the enemy with my shield of faith, but also to allow God to use those very arrows in my life to accomplish His purpose and bring glory to Him!

So as I prayed, "Lord, it's so hard to watch the people I love suffer," I had to be open to what He wants to teach me through all of this. And He responded with this question: "Why just them?"

Why does it grieve me to watch my mom suffer the effects of dementia and ALS, but I am relatively unconcerned for the people in Africa who are losing their loved ones to Ebola every day? Why does seeing my husband in physical distress make me so distraught, but I have become almost numb to the distress I see on the Nightly News? Why would I do anything in my power to make my son well, but I drive right past the homeless man on the corner begging for a little bit of food? More importantly, why am I not more burdened for souls that are lost, bound to spend eternity separated from God?

Oh, sure, I feel sorry for those people. But that's not the same thing. It's not enough.

If I really loved them, the way Christ wants me to love them, my heart would be broken by their suffering. I would grieve over their lost souls.

I'm sure this isn't the only lesson God has for me through all of this, but it's a big one. I want my heart to be broken over the things that break His heart. I want to love the people around me enough to care, truly and deeply, when they hurt. I want to care not just about human concerns, but about the concerns of God. And I want it to motivate me to do something - anything - to help.

Even If

A few years ago, I participated in a Beth Moore Bible study of the book of Daniel. One of the sessions that particularly spoke to me was the session on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

If you were raised in the church, you know this story from Daniel 3. And if you're like me, every time you've heard this story, you've probably focused your attention on that Fourth Man in the fiery furnace and the wonderful and miraculous thought of three humans walking around in a blazing furnace without being burned. It's absurd, isn't it? I mean, when they came out, there wasn't even the smell of fire on them! I've sat next to a campfire and I know how that smell lingers. But our God is just powerful and amazing enough to do what seems absurd to us!

There's another part of this story, though, that I overlooked for many years, until Mrs. Moore brought it to my attention. It starts in verse 16:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do  not  need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 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.

Even if He does not. Even if He does not. I know my God is powerful enough to save me. To deliver me. To rescue me from this trial. But even if He does not, I will worship Him and Him alone.

I've written some previous blog posts about my journey to healing after my dad passed away, just shy of two years ago. Through that experience, I have come to a deeper, fuller understanding of the goodness of God, even when life is hard. I am clinging to that goodness now as I walk through another valley.

On Thursday, October 23, my mom was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS). For the past several months, her mental health and physical strength have been declining. We spent months searching for answers - partly because we had to fight tooth and nail with her insurance company to get an important test approved, which delayed the diagnostic process, and partly because her first symptoms were dementia symptoms, and most patients with this disease present with ALS symptoms first.

For a long time, I just wanted answers. I thought, no matter the diagnosis, it would surely be better just to know. Now I find that knowing the diagnosis makes it more difficult to simply enjoy the moments I have with her, without thinking about what lies ahead. We can expect to see the same physical symptoms that an ALS patient experiences. However, with the added component of frontotemporal dementia come additional complications. This disease also progresses more rapidly than either ALS or FTD alone. The neurologist feels we are looking at anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.

So what do you do when you’ve prayed for a miracle and the miracle doesn’t come? When you’ve poured out your heart and stripped your soul bare before Him and His answer was not, “Yes, child, I will do that for you,” but simply, “I understand”?

This is not what I prayed for. This is exactly what I prayed would not happen!

I don't like being helpless. I don't like watching my mom fade away and lose her strength. I don't want to think about feeding tubes and wheel chairs and ventilators. I don't want to face the possibility that she might forget me. I want it my way. I want her to be the way she was before this nightmare began. I’m the persistent, begging child and God is the Father who knows the better way.

So what do you do? You make a choice. I have to make a choice. I serve a God who is big enough, strong enough, and powerful enough to speak a word and heal her in an instant. But even if He does not, I will worship Him. Serve Him. Love Him. Because whatever happens to me in this life - whatever happened to my dad, whatever happens to my mom - does not change Who God is. It doesn't change His goodness.

I love my mom. God loves her more. He is holding her in the palm of his hand. I am helpless. He is not. He will be her strength when she has none. He will be my strength, and my sister's and my brother's, when we have none. I trust in His power to heal, and I choose to trust in His goodness even if He chooses not to heal her physical body. His ways are higher than mine. His purpose is greater than I can even comprehend. His love never fails.

John 16:33 - “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

"Why Am I Ugly?" - A Teenage Girl's Heartbreaking Question

Last week we had a group of teens at Youth Haven, and we gave them an opportunity to write down questions for our staff. Anything that was on their minds or in their hearts, they were offered a chance to ask anonymously on a blank sheet of paper, with the idea that our staff would address as many of these questions as possible during Friday's chapel session.

As I opened one carefully folded piece of paper and read the words, "Why am I ugly?" my eyes filled with tears. I wish I knew which girl had written those words so I could talk to her face to face. But I don't think she's alone in her question. So here is my response.

A few weeks ago I was watching LIVE! with Kelly and Michael. (Disclaimer: I don't usually watch that show, but the weather was such that I had to run on the treadmill instead of running outside. When I run on the treadmill I need a distraction, and I had seen the episode of Treehouse Masters that was on three times already, so there you have it.)

Anyway, Kelly Ripa was on vacation that particular day, so Michael had a guest co-host. Her name was Chrissy Teiger, and she is a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. At the beginning of the show, Chrissy was telling Michael all about going to a Medieval Times dinner show, where she had been served a five-course meal while watching a reenactment of a medieval tournament. Then she told him that afterwards, she and some of her friends headed to Outback Steakhouse for a bloomin' onion.

I'm sure I won't get this 100% word-for-word, but as my memory serves me, the conversation from that point went pretty much like this:

Michael: "So, you ate a five-course meal, and then you went to Outback for a bloomin' onion?"
Chrissy: "Yes."
Michael: "And you're a swimsuit model."
Chrissy: "It's called Photoshop."

It certainly wasn't a news flash to me that what we see in magazines, television shows, movies, and advertisements isn't always real. Stories of Photoshopped models have been a hot topic for quite a while now, highlighting the fact that our society has set unrealistic and naturally unachievable standards of beauty for women. A few female celebrities have even claimed to be outraged by Photoshopped images of themselves surfacing. Chrissy seemed to think it was funny. I didn't.

Today's technology has provided new methods for creating this false idea of beauty, but the underlying philosophy here is nothing new. Take Barbie, for example. Barbie has been around for generations, and according to an article titled "Dying to be Barbie" (along with several other articles that make similar claims), "The ubiquitous Barbie doll is stated to be 5'9" tall and weigh 110 lbs -- about 35 lbs below a healthy weight for a woman of that height." The article also claims that, if a healthy woman were to change her body to have the proportions of Barbie, she "would have to grow two feet taller, extend [her] neck length by 3.2 inches, gain 5 inches in chest size, and lose 6 inches in waist circumference. No woman could ever hope to achieve such impossible dimensions, and yet young girls are shown that this is a body to emulate" (emphasis mine).

Besides having a humanly impossible body shape, Barbie also has facial characteristics unlike any real human being - including giant eyes and an oddly pointed chin. And while young girls are playing with Barbie and developing the idea that this is what beauty looks like, they are also being inundated with images of super models and celebrities who have achieved their "beauty" at the hands of a plastic surgeon or Photoshop artist.

We live in a society that promotes a distorted view of beauty. Why, then, should we be surprised when a troubled teenage girl, offered the opportunity to ask any questions that are weighing on her heart, writes down the words, "Why am I ugly?"

Reading this question absolutely broke my heart. I can only imagine how it broke God's heart.

Here's what every girl, teen, and woman needs to know: You are God's masterpiece, exquisitely beautiful, deliberately crafted, and valued beyond all measure.

The world may tell you that you are not beautiful. Not good enough. You don't measure up. Don't believe that lie.

Believe this instead.

You are a wonderful work of God.

 

Psalm 139:13-14: "For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well."

Did you catch that? What word is repeated here, in both adverb and adjective form? Wonderful. It's used in adverb form to describe how we were created. You were wonderfully made. Then it's repeated in adjective form to describe the works of God. If His works are wonderful, and you are one of His works, then you are nothing less than wonderful.

Shout it out: "I am a wonderful work of God!"

What's more, every fiber of your being was intimately designed by the hand of your Creator.

This verse says that God knit you together. An item that has been knit wasn't just thrown together at the last minute. Every detail - every loop, stitch, variation, or any other knitting term you can throw out there - is intricately put together. There is an endless variety of colors, patterns, designs, shapes, and sizes; no two projects are exactly alike. Yet the hands of the person who knit the items together have done so lovingly. Delicately. Painstakingly. With incredible planning and forethought.

That's how God knit you together. He didn't just snap His fingers, out you popped and He had to live with the result. He planned you, carefully and thoughtfully. And, piece by piece, He put you together to become the wonderful work of His hands.

 

But your physical body is just a tiny, microscopic part of the wonderful work He created when He crafted you.  

I Samuel 16:7:

"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

 

Proverbs 31:30:

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

 

God cares about every detail of your being - physical, emotional, and spiritual. He knows the number of hairs that are on your head (Luke 12:27). He keeps a record of your tears (Psalm 56:8). You are worth far more to him than the birds he feeds and the wildflowers he clothes in radiant beauty (Luke 12:24-28).

And what matters most to Him has nothing to do with how thin you are, the size of your nose, the color of your eyes, or whether your face is wrinkled or scarred. What matters most to Him is your heart. More than anything, He wants you to have a heart that loves Him, seeks to know Him more, and strives to follow His teaching. A heart that is fully devoted to Him and not easily swayed by the things the world considers important.

Eventually, all of us will become wrinkled old ladies with wispy white hair and dentures. Even that Photoshopped supermodel.

 

You know what? One of the most beautiful women I ever met was a wrinkled old lady with wispy white hair and dentures. My great-grandmother loved the Lord with all her heart. She taught me so much about Jesus. She was a faithful wife and a loving mother and grandmother. And she knew she had immeasurable worth because she was a child of God - carefully planned, artfully purposed, and intricately knit together by the hands of God.

If you look in the mirror and ask yourself the question, "Why am I ugly?" please stop. See that question for the lie that it is.

You are not ugly. You are God's wonderful work of art. You are worth far more than rubies. You are beautiful.

 

 

No Matter the Cost

"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" -Luke 9:23

I think it is an incredible thing to be a teacher of the Word of God. If you have never been a pastor, or lived in the home of a pastor, you probably don't know the extent to which these men pour themselves into their ministry. It is an incredible sacrifice, often with great personal cost. But, oh, to be used by God to speak truth into His children!

This verse, and the God-inspired words of our pastor, shook me to the core today. And the funny thing is, it wasn't even the main point of the message that did it. It was a side point, a separate revelation that dawned in my heart as our pastor shared a poignant illustration. And God stirred inside my heart.

What does it mean to take up your cross daily? As our pastor explained, in the day when Christ spoke these words, his audience would have understood that a person carrying a cross was approaching imminent death. Condemned to die. Jesus carried a cross - my cross - and gave His life upon it to pay the penalty for my sin. If He already bore my cross, why do I have to take it up again? The Bible says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), right?

In short, taking up my cross means choosing to die to the world and all the things the world says are important. It is daily choosing not to be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). This is what Christ said we are to do if we want to truly follow Him.

And here's where the side point came in. When you are deliberately different from the world, you should expect the world to treat you with hostility. As our pastor pointed out, we don't really understand what it means to be persecuted here in America, praise God. We get upset when kids are told they can't pray in school or the Ten Commandments are taken down from a public library. But we have no idea what real persecution is.

Then he read this story from a book called Jesus Freaks: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus.

For years, Pastor Kim and 27 of his flock of Korean saints had lived in hand-dug tunnels beneath the earth. Then as the communists were building a road, they discovered the Christians living underground.

The officials brought them out before a crowd of 30,000 in the village of Gok San for a public trial and execution. They were told, “Deny Christ, or you will die.” But they refused.

At this point the head Communist officer ordered four children from the group seized and had them prepared for hanging. With ropes tied around their small necks, the official again commanded the parents to deny Christ.  Not one of the believers would deny their faith. They told the children, we will see you in Heaven.” The children died quickly.

The officer then called for a steamroller to be brought in. He forced the Christians to lay on the ground in its path. As its engines revved, they were given one last chance to recant their faith in Jesus. Again they refused.

As the steamroller began to inch forward, the Christians began to sing a song they had often sung together. As their bones and bodies were crushed under the pressure of the massive rollers, their lips uttered the words:

“More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee
Thee alone I seek, more love to thee
Let sorrow do its work, more love to thee
Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
More love, O Christ, to thee.”

I can't even tell you how this story wrenched my heart. Because it's one thing to realize as a Christ-follower I have to deny the things of the world. It would be another thing altogether to have to deny my children when I could save their lives with a word. To cling to Jesus and watch my children hang. I imagine the steamroller couldn't have caused any greater pain than what those parents had already experienced.

If I was told to deny Christ or watch my children die, what would I do? Could I bear it? Could I cling to Jesus like these amazing Christians did and reassure my children with the words, "I will see you soon in heaven?" Or would I be quick to deny Him, like Peter on the night of His betrayal? Truthfully, I don't know. I fear I am too much like Peter sometimes. 

But I do know I can't wait until the moment of my greatest trial and then expect my faith to magically be strong enough. It begins now, day by day, taking up my cross. Seeking to know Him more and follow Him better. Making the prayer of my heart, "More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee." Only then will I be able to cling to Him when persecution comes.

And here's the reassuring part: Even though I can't do it on my own, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). 

I pray we will never, ever face that kind of persecution here in America. But if we do, I pray that God will give me the strength to stand firm no matter the cost.

Winter Will Not Last Forever

As much as I have become weary of the snow, and the ice, and the cold - as I think pretty much everyone in the state of Michigan has - I must admit I love looking out our front door when I let the dog out every morning and seeing the sun rise over a completely white landscape. This winter we have undoubtedly been witness to the power and might of our God, the Creator of the universe. The ice has wreaked its havoc. The wind has shrieked and howled about, swirling snow in all directions and blinding all who are out in it. And it is all by the breath of our awesome God.

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone he has made may know his work,
    he stops all people from their labor. 
The animals take cover;
    they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
    the cold from the driving winds.
The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen. 
He loads the clouds with moisture;
    he scatters his lightning through them.
At his direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever he commands them.
 -Job 37:5-11

I am grateful for the calm after the storm. For the blanket of white that covers the earth with a pristine calm. For my own breath, swirling about in visible wisps as I step out into the cold. For the promise that winter will not last forever, for even in the depths of winter there is life. "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7).

Jehoshaphat: A Redemption Story

"Why should I fear when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me --
those who trust in their wealth
     and boast of their great riches?
No man can redeem the life of another
     or give to God a ransom for him --
the ransom for a life is costly,
     no payment is ever enough...
But God will redeem my life from the grave;
     he will surely take me to himself."
-Psalm 49:5-8, 15

One of the things I love about my chronological Bible is that the Psalms are placed with the stories that inspired them. And this particular Psalm was inspired by an incredibly beautiful story of redemption.

First, to give you some context, let me introduce you to a guy named Ahab. You may have heard of him already, actually. I learned about him and his not-so-lovely wife Jezebel as a kid in Sunday school. If you haven't, then read these words borrowed from the songwriter's description of Mr. Grinch:

"You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch,
You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched
With moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch
Your soul is an appalling dump heap
Overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of rubbish imaginable
Mangled up in tangled up knots!"

Now, realize that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the evil that was in the heart of Ahab, King of Israel. In fact, here's what I Kings 30-33 says about him: "Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him."

Here enters Jehoshaphat, who became the king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab's reign. I Kings 22:43 says of Jehoshaphat, "In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there."

And it is Jehoshaphat whose story of redemption spoke to my heart. Because he was a basically good guy. His heart's desire was to please the Lord and do what was right in His eyes. But he messed up. We all do. We're human. And, unfortunately, that means we have a sinful nature.

Jehoshaphat's sin described in these passages was to ally himself with Ahab and go with him into battle. Granted, he did tell Ahab to first seek the counsel of the Lord. However, when the prophet declared that the battle would result in Ahab's death, Ahab had the prophet thrown in prison. At this point, it's almost like I'm watching a movie and I can hear the sinister music escalating in the background. I don't want him to align himself with this jerk who just threw God's messenger into prison and decided to ignore God's words. I can see the shadows lurking and I'm screaming at the TV, "Don't go, Jehoshaphat!" But, alas, he can't see the shadows I see or hear the expertly composed music conveying the danger that is to come. He goes. The prophet's words are fulfilled, and Ahab is killed.

And here's what comes next, according to 2 Chronicles 19:1-3: "When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, 'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.'"

This is incredibly important, because it reveals a truth about the character of God that we all too often ignore or are too uncomfortable to acknowledge: God hates sin. It provokes him to wrath. And not just the sin that is committed by evildoers like Ahab; He hates sin even when the sin is committed by one whose heart is set on seeking Him. God is absolutely a loving, compassionate God. He does not hate the sinner. But he does hate sin.

It is also incredibly important because of Jehoshaphat's immediate response: "Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people... and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers" (2 Chronicles 19:4). He could have answered God's wrath with wrath of his own. He could have tried to justify his actions and somehow placate God. Instead, he turned his people back to God. And when you are in a position of authority and leadership, you can't turn others to God unless you first turn to Him yourself.

Right away, we see that Jehoshaphat is faced with another impending battle, this time from an army he knows his army can't defeat. At least, not without help. But he doesn't seek to ally himself with the king of Israel this time, or any nation, for that matter. This time, he seeks help only from God.

He prays: "O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you... But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir... We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you" (2 Chronicles 20: 6, 10 & 12).

This is such an incredible prayer! I didn't quote the entire prayer because of its length, but I would encourage you to get your Bible out and read 2 Chronicles 20. He begins his prayer with an attitude of worship. He acknowledges who God is and His sovereignty. He remembers what God has already done for His people. And then he brings his need before God, admitting the impossibility of the situation if left up to him. My favorite part of the entire prayer is the very last sentence: "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." With this comes not only the acknowledgement of his own inability, but an expectation that God will show him what to do.

And God is faithful. He answers the prayer, sends Jehoshaphat into battle, and brings about an impossible victory for the people of Judah.

Redemption. God did not abandon him because of his sin. Because he turned back to God and continued to seek Him, God's wrath was turned away. He answered Jehoshaphat's prayer with a miraculous display of his power, might, and faithfulness to His children.

Which brings me back to the words of the psalm. No man can redeem the life of another. The ransom for a life is costly. No payment is ever enough.

So God had to send His only Son, Jesus, to pay the ransom for our lives. We couldn't ever hope to pay it ourselves. And it was costly. So very costly. With the blood of Jesus, God has redeemed my life from the grave and drawn me to himself.

I don't know why. Because I am sure a sinner. And God hates sin. But he loves the sinner enough to redeem me. All I have to do is turn to Him. Place my trust in Him and not in myself or my fellow man. He is my redeemer. My only help in times of trouble.

So the next time I fail him, my response will be to turn to Him, ask His forgiveness and seek Him with all my heart. The next time I face an impossible situation, my prayer will be "I do not know what to do, but my eyes are on you." I will expect Him to show me what to do, and to pull off the impossible when I obey Him.

Christians Should Never Stop Saying We Are Blessed

I am not a confrontational person. I hate conflicts and controversy and do my best to avoid them. However, there is a blog post that has been shared by a lot of Christians on Facebook lately that I believe is wrong in some of its points, and I have felt convicted to speak up. Please know that I am not judging or condemning anyone who has posted this article, or even the author of it. I am simply sharing what I believe God has revealed to me on this issue.  

The article is titled, "The One Thing Christians Should Stop Saying." The writer argues that we should not consider our financial or material possessions blessings from God. I think there are many things Christians should stop saying. That everything I have is a blessing from God is not one of them.

The article claims:

First, when I say that my material fortune is the result of God's blessing, it reduces The Almighty to some sort of sky-bound, wish-granting fairy who spends his days randomly bestowing cars and cash upon his followers. I can't help but draw parallels to how I handed out M&M's to my own kids when they followed my directions and chose to poop in the toilet rather than in their pants. Sure, God wants us to continually seek His will, and it's for our own good. But positive reinforcement?

God is not a behavioral psychologist.

Here's the thing. Sometimes, God does reward us for our obedience. You can't read the story of Abraham offering Isaac on the altar and deny that truth. But most of the time God chooses to bless us, not because He is rewarding us for good behavior, but because He loves us. Because we are His children. My husband and I are in full-time ministry. We don't make a lot of money, yet God has faithfully provided for our needs. We have a house that shelters us and keeps us warm on these icy cold days. We have a car to get to and from work and to get the kids to and from school. We have food on the table and clothes on our backs. Are these things blessings from God? Absolutely! And in saying so, I am not in any way suggesting these are rewards for our service in the ministry. Nor am I reducing God to the level of a parent handing out potty-training rewards. On the contrary, I am acknowledging God as the loving, compassionate, giving Father He is - One who pours out blessings we don't deserve, because we could never be good enough to earn His favor. That's why He had to send Jesus to die on the cross. That's what grace is.

The article also claims:

Second, and more importantly, calling myself blessed because of material good fortune is just plain wrong. For starters, it can be offensive to the hundreds of millions of Christians in the world who live on less than $10 per day. You read that right. Hundreds of millions who receive a single-digit dollar "blessing" per day.

To make this claim is to suggest that God must bless each of His children equally, with the same blessings, in order to not "offend" anyone who might receive a different blessing than someone else. This is not Biblical.

Have a look at I Corinthians 12:4-11:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."

Now, I understand that this passage is directly addressing spiritual gifts, not monetary or material possessions. However, it clearly communicates that God gives different gifts to different people, as He determines. Should a person who is not given the gift of teaching be offended when a person who has been given that gift calls it a blessing from God? No. Because God gifts each one of us differently to accomplish His purpose. Jealousy, envy, coveting another person's blessing... these have no place in the body of Christ.

And the Bible gives very clear examples of God choosing to bless people -yes, the word "blessed" is directly used here - with financial wealth and successful business ventures. Abraham (Genesis 24:35). Isaac (Genesis 26:12). Laban through Jacob (Genesis 30:27-30). Potiphar through Joseph (Genesis 39:5). And this is just in the first book of the Bible! The list goes on as you read. What if Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph had not acknowledged their financial prosperity as a blessing from God because they were afraid of offending people who hadn't received the same blessing?

The important things here are: 1) to acknowledge that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17), and 2) to seek to understand God's purpose for the blessings He has bestowed upon you, and use those gifts to accomplish His purpose. If I have been blessed with financial wealth, how can I use that to bless others and meet their needs? Are there things I could sell and give to the poor? I should not just sit back and enjoy my blessings, keeping them all to myself. I must first give back to God, and second help those in need (Luke 12:33). But if I don't even consider everything I have to be a blessing from His hand, why would I need to use my resources for His glory? If I earned it, it's mine and I am entitled to it. If it is a blessing from God, He deserves the glory. No, He does not bless us with strings attached, but He does entrust us with certain things so that we can use those things to build His kingdom. To be fair, I think this is the point the author of the article was trying to communicate. But I do believe we have to first acknowledge that these things really are blessings from the hand of God.

I do firmly agree with this article's statement that the Bible does not promise us "worldly ease in return for our pledge of faith." I fully agree that the broken, downtrodden, and poor in spirit are blessed as Christ taught in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. And I absolutely agree that our reward is in heaven, not here on earth. In fact, we are guaranteed that we will have trouble in the world (John 16:33). Often, God's blessing comes through difficulties in our lives that bring us to a greater level of intimacy with our Father. But that doesn't mean we will have only trouble, or that there are no earthly blessings.

Look at the life of Job. When Satan brought his accusation against Job, he said to God, "You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land" (Job 1:10). Job's financial prosperity was unquestionably a blessing from God. Satan could not take those blessings away or touch Job until God gave him permission. And although Job did not understand what happened to him, he acknowledged God's sovereignty over and over: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2-6).

Job acknowledged that God is sovereign, and that everything that had happened to him - the good and the bad - were from the hand of God. That's how it is for us, too. Our lives in this world are often roller coasters of good and bad. And guess what? Every up and down is orchestrated by a sovereign God who has a purpose for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). Often times we don't understand our hardships, but we must acknowledge that God has a purpose for them, and that His ultimate purpose is for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). This is something I have come to understand to a much greater degree after seeing my dad suffer with health issues the last few years of his life, and ultimately, go home to be with the Lord.

But the reality that some people are going through difficult times - financial or otherwise - doesn't mean I shouldn't consider myself blessed if I'm not currently going through hardships.

In its original form, the article stated, "My place of birth, my opportunities, and my good fortune are not a result of God’s choosing. It’s dumb luck." I'm glad to see the author has changed this to read,

The truth is, I have no idea why I was born where I was or why I have the opportunity I have. It's beyond comprehension. But I certainly don't believe God has chosen me above others because of the veracity of my prayers or the depth of my faith. Still, if I take advantage of the opportunities set before me, a comfortable life may come my way. It's not guaranteed. But if it does happen, I don't believe Jesus will call me blessed.

I agree with most of the revised paragraph. I don't believe my prayer life or my faith earn me God's favor. But I do believe that I was chosen - "predestined," according to Paul - according to God's plan and purpose, and for His glory. And I do believe Jesus would want me to acknowledge that every good thing that happens to me here on earth is a blessing from God, not a result of my own efforts or "taking advantage of opportunities." Financial and material things included. I will have to give an account for how I used those blessings, but blessings they are,  indeed. And, as long as we understand the true significance of the word, Christians should never stop saying we are blessed.