When the sky lights up, we are amazed at His glory. With the going out of the morning and the evening, we shout for joy!
Praise is due our God. Not only has Zion been the hope of the nation of Israel but it is the spiritual hope of the world. Israel has helped to point us to the glory of YHWH.
How has this great God-the Creator, Sustainer and Deliverer chosen to pursue a world determined to ignore Zion?
Those who trust in the God of Zion receive this refreshing rain and joyful harvest. In the Old Testament, this was represented physically as a suzerain vassal treaty.
In the New Testament, Paul describes the blessing of God as being grafted into the Olive Tree. This is only possible through the Messiah, Christ Jesus the LORD.
Our spiritual rest is beyond complete as the LORD has accomplished His amazing work for us to be born in Zion. Praise is due YOU, O LORD! – Teresa #bornagain #Nicodemus
Psalm 65:1-13 (ESV) (bold added for emphasis)
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
65 Praise is due to you,[a] O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. 2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. 3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. 4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; 6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; 7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, 8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it;[b] you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.Read full chapter
The church was persecuted from the start, by Judaizers. Even Saul (whose name would be changed to Paul) was responsible for imprisoning those who believed that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah).
What a beautiful transformation to see one who was so angered by this teaching becoming a preacher of truth.
There are times when it is required to “ride the waves”, although it involves being buffeted around. We have no idea what God is doing in the lives of those who are being drawn to God. #Stephen
Through the process, we may be molded by the turbulence into a more caring and compassionate individual. When Christ taught His disciples to carry the soldier’s gear “more than” the required mile, He was emphasizing that those equipped for cruelty are disarmed by genuine kindness.
The kingdom of God is not intuitive to our worldly culture or natural human desires, it is decisively greater than.
Lord, give us the courage to live our lives with YOU foremost in our mind’s eye. You are great and deserve all the glory. -Teresa
Galatians 1:22-24 (ESV)
22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.
Love is strong, love is fierce, love is a fire that burns through many waters.
A heart in love cannot be bought, instead it is sealed for life- for richer or for poorer.
I was thinking about the importance of faith this week. After watching “The Chosen” season 4, episode 4, we were impacted by the faith of the centurion (Gaius) in Jesus. How beautiful our simple faith is to God.
Then, I was reading I Corinthians 13 reminding me of that which is greater than faith…love. If I have enough faith to move a mountain but have not love, I am nothing.
I Corinthians 13: 2b (NIV)
…and if I have a faith
that can move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
Christ Jesus alone has the power to save us from the sin nature of our flesh but why would He pay the penalty owed for our sin? It had to be love!
The love of the Father flowed to the Son. Through the Holy Spirit we too have been empowered to love as He has loved.
It is not our faith that is the greatest but the gift of God through His Son, Christ Jesus that allows His love to be spread abroad in our hearts.- Teresa #brideofChrist #thechurch
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (ESV)
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy[m] is fierce as the grave.[n] Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he[o] would be utterly despised.
We took a few of our grandkids camping this week. It was priceless! The joy on their faces brought us enough encouragement to last a month.
As we get older and more fragile physically, I notice that the weight of what really matters to us becomes the driving force of our lives.
Paul also brings across a similar point (in the passage below). If the only thing to consider was their physical comfort, I doubt the apostles would have continued in the spread of the gospel.
Instead, they realized that the weight of glory or the heaviness and importance of God’s work changing lives was far more important than the outward afflictions that they were required to endure.
I told my husband that as great as our trip was, it may be the last “tent” camping for awhile (since the physical aches and pains were a bit much).
Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself to be tough (aka to have “sisu” in the Finnish culture), yet I don’t enjoy pain or discomfort any more than the next person does.
Eternal perspective, however, really does help bring about encouragement and not just for a month. I’m referring to the amazing refreshment found through the renewing of our inner self. This is only accomplished by the love of God poured out in our hearts.
For some, they will resist that truth (that God loves them) and cause pain in order to keep others from experiencing it.
God’s perspective is the only right one. -Teresa #truth #love #notjustnow #eternally
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
When King David provided a description of our lives as fleeting, I was not prepared for how short that would be…as short as a breath!
If we think about this (selah) and truly ponder what that means, I believe that God will grant us a heart of wisdom. This was noted in a Psalm of Moses.
Psalm 90:12[12] So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
When I am mindful of my breathing 😮💨, I can feel the turbulence on the exhale. Is this exemplary of the turmoil within the sin nature?
Am I able to extend my life through the pursuit of hard work (in order to gain wealth)? More importantly, am I able to see the beauty of God’s hand of discipline on me (molding me into His gracious heart and valuing what He values)?
Whether my life is short or long by earthly standards, in the heavenly realm it is merely a moment (or a breath).
Your presence, Lord, brings hope and deliverance from all transgressions. You make us wise in the midst of worldly woes, since we are sojourning here as a guest.
Lord, please make my life count for you.- Teresa #myheartyourhome
Psalm 39English Standard Version
What Is the Measure of My Days?
To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” 2 I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing[a] they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. 10 Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. 11 When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
Me and my daughter working at Star Camp last week (for the cuties)
Thanks for all the likes and comments on my blog over the years. It will be 10 years soon!!
This passage (below) I’ve shared before. After posting it (onFB) this week, felt that I should also copy it for all of you…Enjoy!
This took place when I was 15 years old and changed my life for the good.
When I was travelling with our youth group (many years ago), our bus encountered serious brake malfunction. I was sitting in the upper deck of the old greyhound when around the corner came a semi truck right in our lane approaching at full speed-head on. When the whites of the driver’s eyes got very wide, I knew I was about to die. Then, God miraculously widened the bridge we were on. The bridge gave us safe passage across a deep ravine in the Rocky Mountains. The cars we had swerved past were on the right, the semi squeaked by on the left and our bus was not slowing down as it barreled through the narrow 2-lane ribbon of a road. Eventually, the mountain descent wound down to a flat plateau and we pulled off to the side of the road. God spoke to me with verse seven of this passage as I read my Bible that morning. I knew that Jesus Himself had come to not only intervene with a surrounding protection but to teach me an unforgettable lesson. My prayer before the summer was…Lord, I need to know that you are just as interactive with people today as when the Bible was written! Thank you for your protection, Lord. We fear you…our creator, defender, the One worth giving all for. – Teresa
Psalm 34:4-10 (NLT) 4 “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. 7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”
After a week of “Star Camp” with my grandkids, I’m feeling amazed. Amazed at their spiritual eyes and the beauty of teaching the truth of God’s word.
Doing those things that lead us to a greater understanding of God may feel like a waste of time to some, but ultimately it helps the next generation begin their own relationship with God.
We can sacrifice by working to keep everyone in a materialistic bubble and yet we can do what is right and just by spending time teaching them about Jesus, God’s own Son. Which is more acceptable? His desire is to be involved in their lives. #our-promise #theNewCovenant
Grandparents have a unique role and an important one. It is not as complicated as much as it is straightforward, loving those in our sphere of influence for HIS glory. -Teresa #welovebecauseHefirstlovedus
Proverbs 21:3English Standard Version
3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
When the ocean fog starts to lift, you can see the hazards (especially for boats). They are up close and personal.
In this passage, King Josiah made sure to get a clear view of the consequences that awaited their nation due to forsaking God’s book of the Law.
Censoring books did not need to happen in this case because God’s book was simply neglected.
In spite of the dire warning, Josiah humbled himself before God. How great to have leaders with wisdom, embracing the written word of God.
Our actions reflect obedient faith (or lack of). We may not have a high profile service to God, never fear…He sees even our humble prayers (like King Josiah).
He read it to the people, made a covenant to keep it and made the people serve the LORD. How radical is that?
Truth involves obedient action. Not my truth or your truth. I’m talking about God’s truth. #theBible #mostauthenticatedbodyancientliterature
When it’s up close and personal, avoid the hazard of neglecting God’s word by getting a clear assessment of the danger ahead. We still have free will to humble ourselves before Him and a choice to serve the LORD. -Teresa #delayed-disaster #meanspeace
2 Chronicles 34: 22-33 (ESV)
Huldah Prophesies Disaster
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent[d] went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. 23 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. 25 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.26 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’” And they brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 31 And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32 Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.
Footnotes
2 Chronicles 33:19 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts of Hozai
King Jehoshaphat took the right posture to save his nation (in the passage below). He humbled himself before God, assembled the people and allowed the Spirit of the Lord to move.
My father-in-law is also such a man. He has no doubt where his help comes from. (although coffee especially while wearing an amazing hat may be a runner up : )
Like Jehoshaphat, we can confidently face the scary things that life throws at us. His recipe for success can be repeated in our own hearts.
Humility, a posture of surrender to God, working with others of like-minded surrender and declaring the truth of God’s word (prophecy) are all parts of this recipe for confidence.
When the blessing (Baraka) abounds, we must be certain to come back to this place of surrendering our praise back to Him. God is great and greatly to be praised, His greatness is beyond our comprehension (Psalm 145:3).
We should invite the Spirit of the Lord to come on us during the days of evil. He alone will make a way of success.- Teresa
Put your foot in the water- start today!
2 Chronicles 20: 1-30 (ESV)
20 After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[b] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[c] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[d] or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came[e]upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.
The Lord Delivers Judah
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there[f] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,[g] for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.28 They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
Although I had an adventurous heart when we started out (I even bought a fishing license), I was not prepared for the refreshing dose of nature that awaited me.
We went for just three nights but every hour I was significantly less high strung. There is something like “connecting with my roots” that happens when I smell the pine trees and feel the wind on my face. Alright, we had more than our fair share of wind when paddling the raft back in!
After my deep dive into grief the previous week, the balm of nature was very soothing. I reflected, journaled and found that long debates (with our youngest son) around the fire were just the ticket.
marshmallows accelerate the healing process
When our children transition from being coaxed along to actually blazing the trail, then joy has arrived. Too bad David was not around to witness Solomon’s offerings to God (in the passage below). If he was, I’m sure that he would have started dancing before God.
I don’t want to miss this. Watching them take authentic steps of faith, I find such great joy in witnessing God’s faithfulness.
Speaking of…here’s a few links to take a listen to Geoff Krieger, our son-in-law’s new album “Clouds” (came out this week on Spotify or Apple Music). “Rocket”, “Heaven Song”, and “Signal of Love” are my 3 favorites.
It’s not enough to have a desire to do the job right. We also need direction and an outpouring of God’s wisdom.
Lord, please see our devoted hearts to you, based on the desire to understand your rich love towards us. Help me to never miss it but to gain wisdom, even from the house of mourning. – Teresa #griefwork #generationalwealth
2 Chronicles 1-3New Living Translation
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
1 Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.
2 Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army,[a] the judges, and all the political and clan leaders.3 Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle[b] was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)
4 David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there[c] at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord.[d]6 There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
8 Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. 9 O LordGod, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth!10 Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,[e] for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”
11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”
Reconnection 