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

1. 2 Chronicles 33:19 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts of Hozai
2. 2 Chronicles 34:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
3. 2 Chronicles 34:14 Hebrew by the hand of
4. 2 Chronicles 34:22 Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks had sent

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

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.

Footnotes

1. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Hebrew the good
2. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Compare 26:7; Hebrew Ammonites
3. 2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (Syria)
4. 2 Chronicles 20:9 Or the sword of judgment
5. 2 Chronicles 20:14 Or was
6. 2 Chronicles 20:24 Hebrew they
7. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Beracah means blessing

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.

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!”

Have you ever lived by the principle that a little over a long time will bring benefits?

Although I am an “easy does it” type of exercise person, there are times when the demand requires a mammoth output.

Yes, not just the muscle “warm-up” exercise with a bit of cardio for 12-15 minutes but I’m talking about a marathon run that lasts over 3 days!

Of course, I’m saying this metaphorically as our exercise room is still being used “reasonably”. In the workout room called life…however, I was required to do a deep dive to understand my grief responses.

Yet, no amount of little by little work helped me get back over the line. It all depended on the ultimate 3-day marathon work of our Savior. (See Romans 3, 4 below)

Can someone’s tragic death, leave us with unresolved grief? I believe it can. Reading through Art Holmes book this week (The Grieving Indian), I could relate to some of his clients as they were going through grief therapy decades ago. There was resolution to be had, there were parts of the grief cycle that had not been successfully managed.

Whatever caused the loss: (miscarriage, accident, cancer or even suicide), the ending of one person’s life can be the beginning of a grief cycle for another. The pain involved may be so great that it gets buried or pushed aside. At odd times it may come back to remind them it’s still there, waiting to be worked through.

The beauty of the book of Romans is that it reveals God’s amazing plan for us to know and accept that we are created by Him. We can come to believe His word as true and step out in faith according to His love for us.

From Romans 1, you may ask ‘what causes the world’s grief’? Well, for a comprehensive picture just read this passage in its entirety.

In this scenario, life really does seem hopeless.

So, this passage in the Bible reading today helped me as I have come through a “deep dive grief therapy” week.

Basically, don’t forget that chaos/grief will happen as long as humanity is around. It’s part of this world order. Because our Savior “overdid it” for us (through his death, burial and resurrection), we can find peace. By learning to trust His forgiveness and covering of our sin, we can also forgive others (even an unresolved grief mindset) from such devastating results. #journaling

Coming face to face with an unforgiving mindset has not been easy, feeling the pain of unresolved grief is even worse but knowing His truth that brings peace provides reassurance that this seemingly never-ending vicious cycle will come to a healthy end.

I hope you will also find solace today, if you are grieving. Remember that He is the ONE who has “lavished” us with His love. -Teresa #heavenlyFather #ChristJesusmyLord #trinity

Romans 1:28-32 (ESV)

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Romans 3:21-31, ESV

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

[21] But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—[22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

[27] Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. [28] For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. [29] Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, [30] since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. [31] Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 4:1-17 (ESV)

Abraham Justified by Faith

[1] What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? [2] For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. [3] For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” [4] Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. [5] And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, [6] just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:[7] “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; [8] blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” [9] Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. [10] How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. [11] He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, [12] and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

[13] For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. [14] For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. [15] For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

[16] That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, [17] as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

When Adam chose a name for his wife, Eve, he chose it according to what she meant to him “life-giver.” No other creature or bird was suitable to be Adam’s companion. Then, God formed her from her husband’s rib and Adam felt a supernatural kinship with her, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

Because she was made from his own DNA, Adam associated Eve with life (not just bearing children will make a mother but being full of life, “life-giving”- for those adoptive parents).

No doubt the loneliness of realizing that everything on the Earth with him was created from the ground, made him long for “like” companionship. Although Adam was made from dust, there was one important difference, he was also made in God’s image.

I find it interesting that Eve was called his “wife” from the start. That was one amazing wedding ceremony, in the presence of supernatural creativity.

Of course, the passage goes on to describe the curse of sin on mankind. Our sin nature is with us throughout our days on the earth. The beautiful allusion here is to the woman’s offspring (Christ Jesus the Lord) who would eventually be born of a woman and bruise the serpent’s (aka Satan’s) head.

The power of sin is broken through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This one act broke the curse of sin and brought mankind from death to life.

It is up to each person to receive God’s gift of the Savior (His Son). Those who gain eternal life will be the ones who “know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Today, if you have not made a confession of faith in the Savior, be sure to call out in faith. …”If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.“- Teresa

John 17:3 ESV

[3] And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Romans 10:9-10 ESV

[9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Genesis 3:14-24 ESV

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you of all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring^[v] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to^[w] your husband,
    but he shall rule over you.”

¹⁷ And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
¹⁸ thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

²⁰ The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.^[x] 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

²² Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

1. Genesis 3:15 Hebrew seed; so throughout Genesis
2. Genesis 3:16 Or shall be toward (see 4:7)
3. Genesis 3:20 Eve sounds like the Hebrew for life-giver and resembles the word for living

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

One thing that struck me as a first-time mom was the way our daughter studied my face. It was as though all those months of talking to her and singing to her in the womb made her very curious to know me.

In this passage, I feel the maternal heart of God. He nurtures those who are small or humble. He even hears the insignificant cry of a baby bird. Trusting His provision, they are cared for.

When we need our wounds to be bound up, He sees and hears our cry.

In turn, we look to Him, trusting that He is good.

As we hope in His steadfast love, He finds delight and takes pleasure in those who “fear” Him. We recognize that not only is our God tender but He is great. He is able to save us.

Because He understands us beyond measure, we can gaze into His eyes (so to speak) in wonder, curious to know Him and willing to trust Him. – Teresa #fullyloved

Psalm 147English Standard Version

He Heals the Brokenhearted

147 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for it is pleasant,^[a] and a song of praise is fitting.
² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars;
    he gives to all of them their names.
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
    his understanding is beyond measure.
⁶ The Lord lifts up the humble;^[b]
    he casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on the lyre!
⁸ He covers the heavens with clouds;
    he prepares rain for the earth;
    he makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He gives to the beasts their food,
    and to the young ravens that cry.
¹⁰ His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
¹¹ but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.

¹² Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
¹³ For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
¹⁴ He makes peace in your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
¹⁵ He sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
¹⁶ He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
¹⁷ He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
¹⁸ He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
¹⁹ He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and rules^[c] to Israel.
²⁰ He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.^[d]
Praise the Lord!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Psalm 147:1 Or for he is beautiful
2. Psalm 147:6 Or afflicted
3. Psalm 147:19 Or and just decrees
4. Psalm 147:20 Or his just decrees

During my recent visit to Minnesota, I was blessed to spend some quality time with mom. There is one thing that has really impressed me about her- a joyful heart first thing in the morning.

Despite age, hard circumstances or worldly concerns she wakes up ready to face the day with energy. In fact, I’m sure to set an alarm in order to be as “ready” for the day as her!

My coffee in hand, I would walk to her place and we’d walk back to the hotel for a lovely continental breakfast. That was only a year ago, I happened to spend a night at the same place this year and the young man who watches over the breakfast buffet remembered her with delight.

This year, I’d meet her after her breakfast but would usually bring a “treat” (like a Pannekoeken) for her and her boyfriend. They both enjoy watching TV in her apartment (or his, depending on the day).

When we returned from our shopping (or an appointment) closer to dinner time, she would be especially happy to get back “home” to see him.

Her joyful heart in spite of circumstances is good medicine. There are times for all of us when our spirit feels crushed. Dried up bones are the specialty of our God.

I was thinking especially of Ezekiel’s vision regarding the valley of dry bones. God made those bones come back to life!

In our family’s story, it was when my brother died tragically at age 28. It was enough for all of us to feel dried up for a very long time. I was especially touched by this loss, learning the importance to work through it at a “grief seminar” in Hooper Bay, AK. It was hosted by an Ojibwe couple, Art and Elizabeth Holmes.

Art was older and wiser than most and addressed the elephant in the room (the tragic suicide rate amongst the Inuit young people). He spoke to the importance of taking time to grieve the losses as a whole for their culture. By addressing this and acknowledging what had happened over the years, he opened everyone’s heart with wisdom that can only be found in the house of mourning. He pointed us to the comfort of the Scriptures and the love of God for the Native American young people in particular.

I opened my heart as well in spite of this buried pain to take time and mourn my personal loss, to acknowledge the grief and walk through it. It was a safe place with God’s wisdom present. Our pastor had also accompanied us on this trip (Pastor Ron Mancini). He was another elder who later that same year helped me decide to attend seminary by convincing me to open my heart to the Covenant Church doctrine that women are able to lead as evidenced throughout the Bible. There are many who bring good medicine through their examples and their words.

Lord, help us to share your joy with others as good medicine. In those places of dried bones please speak your Spirit of life again. Heal those who are crushed so that you may be praised again among the nations. – Teresa

Proverbs 17:22English Standard Version

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Read full chapter

Ezekiel 37:11-24 ESV

[11] Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are for the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ [12] Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. [13] And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. [14] And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

I Will Be Their God; They Shall Be My People

[15] The word of the LORD came to me: [16] “Son of man, take a stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ [17] And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. [18] And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ [19] say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. [20] When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, [21] then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. [22] And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. [23] They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

[24] “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.

This wonderful photo was taken when we were young married’s (in our 20’s). Our best “couple” friends were in their 60’s! Yup, that’s who we spent our socialization time with. There was really no distinction between us despite being 2 generations apart.

Traveling together (staying at the same hotel), playing board games, attending events like family reunions, buying fruit at the orchards, baking or talking together and mostly eating together were some of our happiest memories at that time of life.

Too often we get caught up in only mixing with our own age group or people who are “like” us. This passage reminds us to follow God’s leading when choosing where to go and who to socialize with. God does not distinguish between race, class, creed or age. In fact, He reminds us to think outside of the box.

Peter’s theology was tested and a new thing was happening. Peter’s faith in God took him beyond his own narrow limits. Through obedience, Peter was blessed and used by God to bless a whole household who were looking for Him.

Fearing God is a theme in this passage. When we stand in reverence of Him, we can be assured that His kingdom will come and His will be done. Lord, it is in you that we live and move and have our being. -Teresa

Acts 10:1-23 (ESV)

10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, ² a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.³ About the ninth hour of the day^[a] he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” ⁴ And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. ⁵ And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, ⁸ and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

⁹ The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour^[b] to pray. ¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance ¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. ¹² In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” ¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate ¹⁸ and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. ¹⁹ And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation,^[c] for I have sent them.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” ²³ So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Acts 10:3 That is, 3 p.m.
2. Acts 10:9 That is, noon
3. Acts 10:20 Or accompany them, making no distinction

Acts 17:22-34 (ESV)

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

[22] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. [23] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. [24] The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, [25] nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. [26] And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, [27] that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, [28] for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ [29] Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. [30] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, [31] because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

[32] Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” [33] So Paul went out from their midst. [34] But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

My chromes are reflecting the residential speed limit in the beautiful neighborhood we walk through every Saturday.

In life, there are accurate reflections and there are distorted reflections. When someone has an accusatory tone, the truth more often than not, gets distorted.

In this passage, Stephen (the deacon), is full of courage and boldness. He was known for his good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom.

The men from the synagogues could not stand up to the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. In other words, they were afraid of losing power as many priests were turning to Christ.

In response, they rounded up some accusers (men who sounded very convincing). They said things that would stir up the people against Stephen. They wanted to stir them up enough to stone him.

The Bible reminds us that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. No wonder this tactic was used against Stephen with such vehemence.

Stephen’s face became angelic. God’s Spirit was greatly upon him, shining forth even in the midst of persecution.

One way to discern truth is to notice the tone. If it’s full of accusations, then it may be a distorted version of reality (aka lies).

What can we take away from this great example of Stephen? Having a mind centered on the Spirit gives us strength and wisdom in dealing with falsehood. -Teresa

Acts 6:1-14 (ESV)

Seven Chosen to Serve

6 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists^[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brothers,^[b] pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.⁶ These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷ And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen Is Seized

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law,¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Acts 6:1 That is, Greek-speaking Jews
2. Acts 6:3 Or brothers and sisters

Revelation 12:10 (ESV)

[10] And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

When I had to agree that my beautiful red rose bush was gone (Abraham Lincoln), I lamented having to cut it down to the soil level. Most of the root fell out, rotten in my hand. What I did not foresee was a whole new plant “appearing” about 2 feet away and blooming red roses. I bought two trellises and slowly trained it to climb.

Sometimes, when we think all is lost, God is re-creating. He foresees the purpose that will bring Him the greatest glory. A purpose that is also for our good. In the moment it may not feel good. It may feel like death or loss, hours of grieving.

This passage reflects that type of joy for the disciples. John finally believed what Jesus said when he saw for himself the empty tomb. Thomas could not deny it was the risen LORD when asked to touch his wounded hands and side.

More than that, Jesus knew that each of us (who had never seen him in person) would also be full of joy when we believed. Why? Because physical seeing is NOT believing but Spiritual insight is. When the Holy Spirit draws us to the Father, we can SEE it clearly. It becomes evident by how strong and powerful the love of God is.

Christ Jesus the Lord is the one who makes it evident. His amazing love for us erases all the questions and doubts. He allows our lives to bloom again. Are you willing to die relationally to the old self (like Christ did physically) and be alive in a wonderful relationship with the One who loves you, unconditionally?

Read this passage and ask God to show you. He is a good Father. – Teresa #eternalife #knowHim #unionwithChristmeanslife

John 20:26-31 (ESV)

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.