Be a Job

“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.” – Job 42:12-15

I heard this passage the other day when I was listening to my through the Bible in a year. I have not been able to get this out of my head. So, I have been pondering why in the world would God lay these particular verses and this particular instance on my mind day after day?

It’s a rather obscure concept to have stuck in your head. Yes, we have all heard the story of Job probably more times than we can count. We have all pondered Job and his reactions to his circumstances and questioned why in the world would he tolerate such unsupportive “friends”. Yet, not too often do we consider Job’s daughters.

We know that the first 3 daughters were killed in a tragic accident with their 7 brothers. And that’s about all we know about them. However, after Job perseveres through all his struggles and strife, we are told that he was blessed more at the end than at the beginning. He was blessed with 7 more sons and 3 more daughters. We are told that Job lived 140 more years after his trial. It’s not listed at how old he was when he died.

But let’s take a closer look at what we are told about his daughters. 1) We know their names. We have no clue what the names of the sons were, just the daughters. This is interesting to me because normally the sons are the ones listed. Daughters were usually considered a byword, in those days. However, the writer of Job, which many consider to be Moses, was led to identify these women specifically. 2) We are told of their unsurpassed beauty. Now, why is this important? I have no clue. I’m guessing that with great beauty came great respect and admiration. Maybe this beauty was a reflection of the high regard that God had for Job? I’m just guessing here. But for whatever reason, the writer of the book felt it was very important to speak of their beauty. 3) They received an inheritance when Job died. Now, this is HUGE! We have to remember context of time here. Women, in these days, were rarely given an inheritance by their father. They had a dowry and that was about it. They were not educated and were often thought of as second class citizens. These women were respected and perceived as worthy of obtaining and managing an inheritance.

So what does this have to do with me, you might ask.

Why do you think that these women were so blessed? Is it something that they did? Is it because they were considered beautiful by everyone?

I think it is because of the faithfulness of their father. Job was a righteous man. He lived his life boldly and above reproach. He wasn’t afraid to go through the trials with God because he knew that one day he would see his Redeemer victorious over all his current and future problems. He wasn’t afraid to be frank and honest with God. He knew when he messed up and went too far and was wise enough to ask for forgiveness.

You may think that your life effects no one else but yourself. You are wrong. Your life reaches beyond your fingertips and extends past your line of sight. Your actions, your words, your choices reach way beyond you. It touches generations after you. Just as you are shaped by the ones who came before you – by their experiences, by their choices, by their decisions – so you effect those that come after you.

What message are you sending to future generations? Are you making your mark on those around you for a positive change or are you infusing negativity into your future?

Be a Job.

Building a house

“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3,4

My husband and I are building a house right now. It seems like we have been building it for years and years. I don’t know if you have ever been through this situation, but it can be very stressful and aggravating. Last February or March (it has been so long that I can’t remember), we bought a piece of property with a builder in mind to build the home. Then all things went crazy and prices went through the roof, so to speak. We decided to hold off for a bit and see if prices came down. Then in October, we picked out everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, for our home in 3 days. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was a whirlwind of time. My husband and I had done research, prepared pictures and made endless lists on the things that we wanted to make this house uniquely ours. Skip ahead a few heartaches and we have today, April 21, and we still aren’t there yet. We have an end date in sight – the end of June. Y’all, when I say this has been the most challenging thing I have faced in a while, I am not lying.

But you know what, God has brought us through. He has heard many, many prayers and petitions for resolution. He has heard many, many prayers for safety for the ones working. He has heard many, many prayers to help the ones working to stay on task and get it done efficiently and properly.

Let me take some time to reflect on what He has taught me through this process so far – 1) be patient. Oh. My. Goodness do I detest learning this lesson over and over and over again! I want things to move faster. I want things to be done last week. God says, “Take a chill. All in good time. My ways aren’t your ways. Settle down.” 2) acceptance – Sometimes people are just frustrating and you have to find a way to work in that situation. Oh bless him, the guy that designed our cabinets was tough. He has been doing his job for a really, really long time and it is probably time to enjoy the grandkids, maybe even the great grandkids. 3) forgiveness – People are going to fail you and disappoint you and you just have to forgive them and move on whether they ask for it or not. Lord, give me strength, the number of times I have had to do that in this project. 4) appreciation – I am blessed beyond measure. My cup has been filled up, pressed down and is running over. Sometimes I go over to the site by myself and just walk around and say “Thank you Lord.”

Now, what in the world does this blabbering about have to do with Proverbs 24:3,4. I am filling my rooms with treasures. It’s not treasures from a store or the internet that will grace my house. But rather, lessons of character and virtue that will make my home truly one to be treasured. I have been blessed to walk this crazy path with my husband and my Jesus. Jesus is teaching me patience, acceptance, forgiveness and appreciation that will ooze out into other parts of my life. It won’t just be my physical home that is made better by these lessons, but my spiritual house will benefit as well.

I’m not just building a home on a piece of dirt. No, friend, I am building a home for eternity that will last long after this earthly home is gone. And I want its rooms to be filled with anything and everything that honors and glorifies God.

Desires of today

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” – I Peter 4:17

Public Service Announcement – This isn’t going to be an easy one because it hits a little too close to home.

The time has come for renovation. The time has come to decide what we keep and what needs to be removed. The time has come to be brave enough to let go and willing enough to accept the new. The time has come to allow God to clean house – so to speak.

I was asking God and searching for what He wanted me to write about this week. I haven’t written in a while…well, for a number of reasons. This verse was the last verse that I could bring myself to research today. And it stuck. It stuck big time.

I have a bad habit of putting things off, sometimes. Usually, if it is vitally important in my book, I will get up immediately and tend to the task. But if my brain and heart do not hold it in high necessity, well, it gets put off until the last minute. Take for instance house cleaning. I like to have my house tidy when my husband comes home. I can power clean with the best of them. If I know he will be home in 15 minutes, I can get more done in that 15 minutes than the last 4 hours of the day. But I put it off until the last minute. That’s not always the best way to do things.

I was reviewing some of my old sermon notes. I came across one that was on Romans 10:1-14. Let’s look at that first verse – “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Okay. Now, we all know that it was Paul’s singular desire that all people might accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. However, despite being sent to the Gentiles to preach salvation, He desired for his fellow Jews to accept Jesus as their Savior as well. We all long for the entirety of the ones that we care the most about to come alongside of us into Eternity. But what about everyone else?

Let me ask you this question – What was your desire last week? Or how about this – What was your desire yesterday?

One of the phrases that I have highlighted from this message is this – The desires of our heart is what we do daily. Ouch. That hurts.

If the time has come for renovation – for judgment to begin at the house of God – what does the desires of your yesterday say about what you need done on your foundation today?

I don’t know about you, but that sentence alone brings conviction.

For most days, my desire is for me. What do I want to do today? How do I want to spend my moments? I don’t think about others so much. I think about me. How is this effecting me?

I’m sad to say that far too often my desire for my day only briefly focuses on God and His will for my life. I need more of His Word in my life. I need more of my time focused on communicating with Him. I need more of my activities to focus on things that others need from me and not always what I want my time to be focused on. I need to make improvements. I need to get rid of activities that overtake my thoughts. I need to become more of what He would have me to be. I need to stop putting things off.

I know this has been a tough one. Maybe for you, your desires from yesterday are full of His will. But maybe you’re rowing in a boat right next to me. My prayer is that we can renovate our life starting today to better reflect Him tomorrow.

One day at a time

Matthew 6:33,34 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

I’m doing a new Bible study, and today’s lesson was so very simple, yet so profound.

One day at a time.

So, I have a friend that would say this to me – all the time. Every circumstance, every problem, every good thing – every single conversation – One day at a time. Bless her heart, she is so much wiser than she gives herself credit for.

My husband is a big picture guy. He can see so far down the road that I’m sure it drives his team members crazy sometimes. I’m not like that at all. Big picture stuff makes me shut down. I can only process small chunks of that big picture that my husband so easily sees. He will come up with an idea and before he wakes up in the morning, he has a plan to see it to completion. Meanwhile, I’m still stuck in concept stage. I think I make him crazy sometimes because he feels like he is always catching me up on something. But that is just how my brain works. He will have to take it up with the Good Lord Almighty on that one!

In the book I am reading, it makes mention of people asking the question – “What is God’s will for my life?” Seniors finishing high school are often bombarded with the question, “What are your plans for the future? Where are you going to college? What are you majoring in?” I’m guilty of asking those questions. Just ask my children. They will tell you. Asking questions about the big picture that you have for yourself may or may not be the right question.

What if, instead, we asked – “What is God’s will?” period. We get so focused on ourself and add the “for my life” part.

What I learned today is that we need to ask the right question to get the right answer. I need to change my perspective. I need to know and understand that God gives me daily assignments. When I follow those assignments and walk with Him daily, I will get to the big picture stuff when He is ready for me to know and understand it. You see, if God was to tell me, “Okay, Melissa. Here is what I am asking you to do. Here is what you need to get it done. And here is what is going to happen when you get to the end”, I would have all the details at the beginning. How much trust does that require? What kind of relationship would I have with Him if I knew everything ahead of time? Not a very strong one, if I were to guess.

One day at a time.

Have you ever listened to that song? Yep, it is a song from waaayyy back when. Let me give you the chorus. “One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That’s all I’m asking of You
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What I have to do
Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord help me today
Show me the way One day at a time”

Now how true is that?

There are times when the big picture stuff is necessary. A senior needs to have some idea of what he/she thinks the future will hold. But they need to get that perspective from the One that knows the end of the story. I need to know and understand what the end will be – eternity with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But I don’t, necessarily, need to know every detail along the way until I get there. No, I need to be sufficient with taking one day at a time. One assignment at a time. One step at a time. One day at a time.

A Lesson from Lucy

John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”

About a year and a half ago, we got a dog. She is awesome. Her name is Lucy. She is a mini Bernedoodle. Her mom was a Bernese mountain dog (62 pounds) and her dad was a mini poodle (12 pounds). I’ll give you a minute to figure that one out.

We have been trying to train Lucy, on and off, to walk without a leash. Let me tell you this, that is the most terrifying thing to do. My heart is pounding in my chest the whole time. She has her good girl collar on, which helps us to keep her from darting out in the street, but still. I prefer to walk her on her leash. That way, I can keep her close and make sure she doesn’t eat anything that I will regret later. It also keeps her from darting away from me to chase after squirrels and cats and rabbits. It also helps me to keep her on track, that way I don’t have to stand for 10 minutes while she sniffs a blade of grass.

As I was walking her the other day, I got to thinking about my walk with Jesus. Sometimes, I wish that He had me on a leash to keep me from things that He knows can hurt me. He could just give me a gentle tug and get me away from something that I will regret later. He could keep me from chasing something that looks fun. He would also be able to keep me on track easier and keep me from lingering too long at something useless.

But Jesus doesn’t keep us on a harness. He lets us roam free and make our own choices. There is a great big world out there full of distractions and places to linger at and stuff that looks really fun to chase. Yet, it is our choice to stay walking right beside Him.

The great thing about our walk is Him calling out to us. Now, I don’t hear Him audibly but I hear Him in my heart. I hear Him call out to me – “Hey, that’s not something you need to linger at.” or “Melissa, come on. You don’t need to chase that right now.” or “Come on, that thing over there is not worth your time.” But sometimes I don’t listen. That thing is just too shiny or too interesting or I think I just have to go check it out. And off I go. Wandering away.

One of my son’s most favorite sayings is – “Not all who wander are lost.”

And that is so very true of me. I am not lost. I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and I am a child of the King. He always knows where I am at. But I do have a tendency to wander. And sometimes, wandering can get me in a heap of trouble.

But thanks be to God, for that still, small voice that calls out to me to come home. Come back to His loving arms of protection. Come back to the place where I am loved and cared for. Come back to the place where I can walk with Him.

Another leg of the journey

Psalm 28:7 – “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

It was May 1, 2019 the last time I took to the computer to write my blog. The journey with God is never boring, I’ll say that for sure and for certain. My life has taken some new paths in this year. Some have been fun and exciting and some have been challenging and frustrating.

Yet, here we are. My son has finished his freshman year in college and my daughter will graduate from high school in 18 days. After that, she will be following her brother to college in August. The empty nest is clearly in sight. I’m not quite sure how to feel about that.

The world, in general, has changed so much. My work has made me look at things differently and caused me to dig deep to examine how I really feel. And you know what, I am tired of fear. I am tired of everyone being afraid all the time. I am tired of getting that sideways look whenever I sneeze or cough in public. I am tired of people not thinking for themselves.

I know, in the deepest part of my soul, God is in control. I know that I know that I know that He knows exactly what vehicle I am taking out of this old world. And I’m done being scared of it. Ok, that’s all I’m going to say about that for now.

I have had several people ask me lately if I was ever going to start writing again. I have been rolling it around in my mind for some time. And I have been coming up with every excuse in the book of why I don’t have time. But this is part of my song. This is part of my gift to Him.

Last night, I was teaching my Wednesday night kids about the effect that we can have on people by living our lives for Jesus. I don’t think we fully appreciate how much our words of encouragement, our positive attitude and our unfading joy can have on the world. All most people see is darkness. They see fear and uncertainty and vulnerability and it petrifies their ability to move forward. They need to see our Light. They need to see our confidence and firm foundation and our Shield. They need to see us moving forward with Jesus.

Too often, I’m afraid, they see us acting just like them. Why is that? Why do we keep Jesus hidden away? Why do we keep Him in the church building?

I want my Light to be seen. I want my song to be heard. I want my joy and confidence to be seen. And I want all of that to show them Jesus. It’s not about me. It’s not about making me popular. It is about bringing them the opportunity to have what I have – joy in the Lord.

So, let’s give it a go, again, shall we? Let’s see where God takes this next leg of the journey….

Day 1

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬ – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

And so it begins…..

Today is the first day of school for my kids. My son will be in 11th grade and my daughter will be in 10th grade. Where, o where, has the time gone?

It is my prayer today that they be an example of Christ through their service to others. They are both in student government and and in another club that focuses on service. I am blessed that we are able to send them to a Christ-centered school. I know that today they will pray and be encouraged in God’s word.

I have this verse on a chalkboard at the top of the stairs at my house. I know that it has been there so long that they probably rarely see it. But it is something that they need to remember. It is something that we all need to remember.

In fact, let me relate this to another matter. I went back to see a patient yesterday that I had not seen in a couple of months. He was expressing to me that his arm strength just wasn’t enough to help him do what he wanted to do. When I asked him if he was completing the arm exercises I gave him when I left, he replied “no”. Now, how in the world did he expect to get any stronger if he didn’t complete the exercises I gave him?

How in the world do we expect to get any stronger in our faith if we don’t study? How in the world do I expect my children to be successful in school if I don’t encourage them to study and do their homework?

It takes work and effort to be successful. It takes work and effort to make time to be in God’s word. It takes work and effort to apply the information that we learn in our studying. It takes work and effort.

I think that is a point of break down in things. Too many people don’t want to put in the work and effort – at school or in their relationship with Christ. If it doesn’t come easy, then some people just don’t want it. And that is sad. There is great reward and encouragement in a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is great reward and satisfaction in a job well done and/or a goal accomplished.

So this year, as kids all across the nation get ready to go back to school, let’s take this time to use their new start as a new start of our own. Let’s make a commitment to get more into His Word and more into His will for our life. Let’s put in the work and effort that we so easily shy away from into our relationship with Him. Let’s make this Day 1.

Becoming

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬ – “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

Last night, one of the guys at my church brought a message partially centered around this verse. He did a great job.

I had listened to a podcast earlier in the day about becoming who you are. Of course, it was a secular thing and there was really no spiritual meaning attached to anything they said, but I believe that God brings things into your life to teach you and grow who you are, no matter the source.

So, those things together got me to thinking about becoming. What does it actually mean? Off to Dictionary.com I went. Here is the definition I found – “to come, change, or grow to be (as specified)”. The 1828 Webster’s definition is this – “to pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character”.

I am not the same person I was yesterday. I will not be the same person tomorrow that I am today. I should be growing and changing and becoming closer to the person God would have me to be.

When Jesus called out His first disciples, they were a ragtag bunch of men that really had no significant background. They were fishermen who had probably been fishermen since they came into that area. It was what they did and who they were. They weren’t great scholars or problem solvers or men of renown. But Jesus saw something in them that made Him call them away from their nets and everything that they had ever known.

And they weren’t great missionaries straight off the starting line. It was something they had to grow into. It was a pattern of growth from one state to another by the learning of new qualities and the refining of pre-existing qualities. But it required challenges and choices and being thrusted into situations that were confusing and combative. It wasn’t an easy growth period to be sure. But each one became someone different, someone better, someone who would advance the Kingdom of God beyond all human comprehension.

Where does that leave me? Have you ever heard that song “He’s still working on me”? That’s where I am. I am still becoming. I am still becoming the wife, mother, employee, blogger, daughter, friend, occupational therapist (and whatever other word to describe me that I’m currently leaving out) that He wants me to be. I’m a process – a work in progress. I need a sign some days.

I guess what I want to send out to everyone is this – be patient with yourself and with others. We are all becoming. We are all works in progress. It might take a while to get where God wants us to be, but one day, we will get there.

Identity Crisis

1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭KJV – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”‭‭‬‬

I have an exercise for you today – get out a piece of paper and write “I AM” on the top of it. Then below that, I want you to write words that describe you – character traits, career choices, hobbies – anything and everything that describe you. Then, I want you to cross out all the words that describe your personality, your career, your hobbies and anything else that describes you. Now, I know that you are thinking, “Good grief Melissa, that was dumb to write it all down and then cross it all out.”

Here is the point –

We tend to think of ourself in certain ways. We see ourself as defined by words that man has made up to describe things and actions. But is that really who you are? Are you really nice? If I had to guess, if you’re like me, not all the time. Are you really hard-working? If you’re like me, laziness creeps into your life sometimes. You see, the words that we describe ourself with are temporary and unreliable. In reality, they limit us. They put us in a box or in a column that restricts who we can truly be. 

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, oh dear, you are so much more than adjectives on a page. You have been created and designed for a special purpose that it is your duty to fulfill in this life we live on a daily basis. Adjectives on a page don’t begin to describe the beauty and purpose that God has in store for you.

BUT, you have to make a choice. You see, you can see yourself as the world sees you all day long. Or, you can see yourself in the Light of Heaven and find freedom. 

Those adjectives you used to describe yourself are bars around you that keep you from reaching your full potential. The world will tell you – “It’s your life. Live it how you want to live it.” Oh, that may sound like freedom and options and all sorts of wonderful things, but in reality, when you are in control of your life and you are trying to figure out how to live it, things get messy and restrictive. 

But when you let Jesus drive your life, when you let Him describe who you are and what He wants you to do and how He wants you to do it, things begin to loosen up. You are no longer bound by the limits the world places on you. You are allowed to dream big and hope fully. And you can do this because you don’t have to worry about how things are going to work out. You know that when Jesus is in control that everything works out in His time and according to His will. You just have to follow and not stray onto your own path. 

I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately trying to tell me how to be the best version of myself and how to improve my quality of life and so on. But the one thing that all of these “professionals” have failed to mention is the importance of Christ in my daily life. He is the One who makes every little thing I do worthwhile. 

So, today is Thursday. The weekend is just around the corner. Take some time to think about how you see yourself. And then, ask Jesus how He sees you. And then, make His perspective, your perspective. When you realize that your identity isn’t found in the limits of the world, you’re scope opens up in a whole new way. “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:26‬ ‭KJV)

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Contemplations

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬ – “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”
It is a simple idea – seek the Lord. If it is so simple, why do we make it so hard? 

God has told us that He is near us.  ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:57‬ ‭KJV‬‬ -“Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.” Why do we feel He is so difficult to find? It seems that all we have to do is “call upon” Him. Why is that so hard?

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬ – “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  Jesus promised to never leave us…nor forsake us (that means to leave us by the wayside).

So, why do we neglect to seek the Lord? 

Pride. 

We like to look into a mirror to see what we look like. There are people that spend what seems like hours in front of a mirror trying to achieve just the right look. And then, once they walk away, it seems as though they completely forget what they look like because each time they see a mirror, they are gazing in it once again. 

What if we did that with the Word of God? What if we spent, what seemed like, hours in it allowing Him to make us into who He wants us to be and then every time we had the opportunity we looked in it again to determine how we needed to tweek things to make ourself even better for Him?

Sounds crazy, right? Or maybe ideal? 

You know, I get up almost every morning and read my Bible. But do I let it change me? Do I take it’s words to heart? Do I consistently go back to it to allow it to continually change me? Sadly, the answer is no, not always. 

Jesus is waiting for me to come looking for Him. He wants to be found. He wants to have a special relationship with me. He wants to talk to me, share with me and be my absolute, very best friend. 

So why do I make it so hard for Him?

I don’t know that I have an answer today. I just wanted to throw that out there. The day is drawing near when Jesus won’t be so easily found. Oh, He will still be there but it won’t be so easy. Now is the time to build that relationship. Now is the time to seek Him out. Now is the time to call upon Him. Tomorrow may be too late.