Greatly Loved

Daniel 10:11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved”….

My husband and I are in the last few weeks of our study in Daniel. Wow! It has been amazing! I cannot get over, nor do I desire to get over ,so many of the amazing truths I have learned.

This morning as I was reading in Daniel 10 I was so warmed by the verse above. This was not the first time nor the last that Daniel was told he was “greatly loved”.

I wonder what it was like for Daniel at this period in his life. As far as we know his three friends we saw in chapters 1 and 3 are no longer with him. It seems as though he does not have many if any close friends in the faith. This must have been a pretty lonely time for the prophet. I think I tend to de-humanize people in the bible unless I imagine what day to day life was like for them. So, as I read this exhortation to him this morning, I wonder how much did he need to hear, that his prayers were heard and that he, Daniel, was greatly loved? I wonder if sometimes at night he could still hear his mama tell him that she loved him, or his dad say he was proud? I wonder if he would tell God, “I need to know, you hear and that you love me’, as he would curl up and go to sleep each night.

I remember a time not too much in the past that I too felt this overwhelming need to have the Father’s arms wrapped around my lonely self.  God feels the same way about His children today as He did about Daniel. We may not have the same trials that Daniel had, most likely none of do, but we can rest assured at night that He does hear, and that He does love us.

Cave Dwelling

I wonder how many people who will read this ever feel like going into a cave and not coming out until Christ has made all things right on the world? Or, how many who will read this, regularly go into a “cave ” of sorts, where they check out of life as they know it for a period of time until they feel like they can handle various situations? Or maybe you are like me; I have had so many times, a strong urge to run away from the world, take my husband and children and go live on a deserted island! There are times in my life where because of interaction with people and the things which I stand on, I become overwhelmed and want to just flip the switch and check out. In fact, my friend Melody and I have talked often about this state of mind.   However, I seldom stay there very long as my personality and more importantly my LORD compel me to stay connected with others and keep on running the race.

As I was in Psalms this week, I came across Psalms 142. 

The heading says that David wrote this while “in the cave”.

WOW! As I meditated on this short chapter, I was so impressed with the heart of David. He was so honest. He was willing to bare it all before the LORD, and tell Him how he felt so alone in the world. Was he alone? No, at the time which this was written, David had many men who fought beside him, many mighty men. But, all it took was one whom he had once counted as a friend to turn against him, and he was overwhelmed with loneliness just like me so very often.  I wanted to share this, because I feel encouraged to see that David too had to encourage himself to say to God, ” You, are my portion”. In other words, You are all I need, I will run after Your heart!

 

Psalms 142

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil [1] of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.142:1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
 with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
 I tell my trouble before him.

 

3 When my spirit faints within me,
 you know my way!
In the path where I walk
 they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
 there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
 no one cares for my soul.

 

5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.

Conviction

Daniel 9:10″O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

 

I have much on my heart and mind as I begin to type this morning. The danger in this is the possibility of not having much clarity when I write.

I see almost on a daily basis the coldness of hearts around me. Some who claim to be His and others who would never make that claim. The ones that worry me the most are the ones who say they are God’s people and yet their lives reflect none of who He is. My heart is heavy for this reason. As I read Daniel 9 this morning, verses 3-19 is Daniel making his plea to God for God’s people. I am convicted over my lack of prayer for the body of Christ that has been replaced with complaint and worry.

I am concerned, this is true. But shouldn’t my concerns drive me to my knees?

 Daniel 9:3-19

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, [1] by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Salvation’s Song~ Nekoda’s Story

John 5:39,40

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

 

 

I am going to attempt with Nekoda’s help to write out the details of what happened in the Gott home yesterday.

 

 

Tony and I have known for a while something that I had just suspected for A VERY LONG TIME that Nekoda was struggling with his salvation. He had made a profession of faith as a 5 year old and then again as an 8 year old but he lacked a true life change which would be evidence of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of his life. He has had some struggles that were difficult to overcome and seemed to become withdrawn when it would come to really speaking about the deeper issues of life.

 

We are going to a church that the truth is preached every time we are there. The gospel is made clear and an invitation to accept is given. Nekoda is now home schooled again which also provides an atmosphere of confrontational truth to be in his life at almost all times. We have also been blessed with a leader of our home who digs in the Word for himself and then HAS to share it with his family. He is not scared to go to the hard areas of Nekoda’s life as he himself always wanted someone who would do that with him.

 

For the last few weeks Nekoda has struggled at church. He has questioned inside and out. Tony and I sensed it and as of Sunday had really started praying for him with fervency! Yesterday morning I woke up with a heavy burden and told Tony that we needed to pray more! As I was getting ready for the day, the urgency for Nekoda was so strong that I almost made him stop doing school work right then and talk to me! However I felt the need for more prayer.

 

As I was checking his school work yesterday I made him come outside and begin to address the lack of effort which he has been putting into his education. I told him that I believed it was a spiritual issue and then asked him to tell me the last time he had really examined his salvation to see if he was saved. He told me it had been a couple of weeks ago at church in which he had left without a peace from God that he truly was saved. He told me then that he doubted that the Word was true and even at times if God was real… He argued with himself, I didn’t have to do it. J If you could have seen the torment on his face! He truly was at war.. He then asked me if I could pray for him. I told him that I could pray for him but  that I could not believe for him… he answered that he knew and began to pray himself.. As he began to pray he prayed the “sinner’s prayer” just as he had heard over and over.. yet I knew there was no saving faith. He knew that it didn’t work and it seemed to scare him. He told me he wanted to be saved but he couldn’t believe.  I told him to go start reading John out loud! I told him that faith came by HEARING the Word of God, so he needed to read and hear! He started reading and read the first two verses of John and started to argue with it. How can we know that God is real? How does Forever work? Explain the Trinity! He truly was so much warring with God! When I told him that his mind was never going to understand it, that these were matters of faith he started reading again… He got to chapter four and started holding his chest in anguish… “Mom, I feel it! I feel something pulling!” I asked him what he thought it was and he said “I guess, God”. I told him to keep reading. I told him I was going to go start cooking and if he had any questions to ask me. … I was in the middle of responding to a text when I heard “MOM!” I replied as he walked into the kitchen. “Mom, I just got saved.  I got to chapter 5 and the verse that says that you read the scriptures expecting to gain eternal life but you refuse to come to me, and that is me! I started praying and told God that I wanted to be saved and thought of the verse that talks about Jesus being lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent so that all those who looked at Him would be saved ( John 3:14 ) I heard God whisper, “Look.”  And I did and He saved me!”… He then looked at Abbie and apologized for the way he had been treating her… Which for me was the first “ fruit of repentance”…

 

Anyway, Nekoda is sure that he is now reconciled with God through Christ and our home is rejoicing!

 

Thank you to all who prayed for us during that time yesterday and I would ask that you continue to pray for our family and Nekoda as he starts his journey with Christ!

 

Luke 24: 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

 

Hallelujah to the Lamb!

More Lessons From King Neb

Proverbs 25 :11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

 

Yesterday in Sunday school we discussed the act of “rebuking” someone that we perceive to be in the wrong about something, or maybe we feel like we have had a direct word from God about an issue in a certain persons life. How do we handle this? I have been the receiver of some harsh and hasty rebukes in my life. I have been hurt by them and yet God used them to teach me something about a “word fitly spoken”. Unfortunately this is because I have been the giver of some hasty and harsh rebukes in my life as well.

5-7 years ago I was a very different person with a very different mindset about some of the issues and hardships of this earthly life. I was very prideful to say the least and I believe the enemy was just waiting to let me get as high as I could before he pushed me off the “high-horse” I was on.

During this time I was quick to argue pointless issues. I was quick to point out another’s sin, without seeing the hurt behind it and caused from it.If you are reading this, and I offended you somehow doing just that, I sincerely apologize.

I went through some things in my own life that caused me to not just take one step back but probably ten! Last night Tony, the kids and I watched a session by Beth Moore in the study on Daniel. The passage below was brought afresh to mine and Tony’s minds and caused us to stay up late last night talking, laughing, and crying with each other about the mercy of God. Please read this passage.

Daniel 4

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

4:1  [1] King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

3 How great are his signs,
 how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
 and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

 

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4  [2]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods [3]—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! 20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
 and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
 and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
 and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
 or say to him, “What have you done?”

 

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

 WOW… If you took the time to do that ( which I SO hope you did), is that not CRAZY? I can so identify with receiving a warning FROM GOD, and not heeding it, only to face the horrible circumstances afterwards and yet the restoration only God can bring once we have been divinely disciplined!

One of the many things about this passage that I love is that Daniel has SO much tact! He has a true love for King Neb. He doesn’t come to him in judgement but rather truth and grace! He even proposes how to possibly delay the coming judgement if not escape it. Such a man of God! With God’s heart! That brings me back to the beginning verse.. may I, Deanna Gott, be so in love with Christ and therefore His bride, that when I speak truth it is fitly spoken, and also when I hear truth may I have a “listening ear. ” God bless your day!

Failed But Not A “Failure”

Eph 6 : 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So, I just for the first time watched the whole Lord Of The Rings , The Fellowship Of The Ring, movie…. I know,I know, it’s crazy! I tried twice before but fell asleep…

Now after watching it I am not quite sure how that happened other than my life was so crazy during those two times, that to focus on anything was very difficult.

While I was watching this moving film, my heart was touched by many aspects of which the characters portrayed. Obviously, the loyalty of Samwise, the conflict that most people had with the lure of the ring, the absolute hilarious Meriadoc and Pippin.

But, I am drawn this afternoon to a scene in which Boromir falls to the powerful temptation of the ring… If you have seen the movie you know which I speak of, if not, let me fill you in a little bit.

 

Frodo (the ring bearer) has wandered away from the group seeking a little solitude during the magnifincent burden that he carries. Boromir comes into the same clearing and immediatly a discussion about the ring takes place… this man who had sworn loyalty and his sword, is now bent on taking the ring into his possesion for the shear power that it yeilds! A struggle takes place in which the man whom we have learned to lean on for support becomes the enemy.. when he comes to his senses Frodo is gone and he understands he has failed, screaming out “What have I said? What have I done? Frodo, Frodo! Come back! A madness took me, but it has passed. Come back!”.

The ugly truth is that just as evil found a soft spot into this warrior’s armor, he does the same with us today. The enemy is always looking for an area that we have not shielded with faith but instead pride and arrogance, and then he will come in like a flood and seek to destroy us and others with us.

The next scene however is him taking up his sword and fighting off the Orcs which have assailed “the little ones” ( The Hobbitts)..

To say he fights with bravery is such an understatement! He takes three Orc arrows to the chest and is still swinging his sword, each time with more determination!

As the scene winds down we see him on the ground confessing his failure to Aragorn… this is when I began thinking about my fight in the Chrsitian life. I know well the times when I have lost the battle to temptation and have run with a fury towards destruction. If not for the grace of an Almighty God, I would never have seen the “madness” that had taken me and been able to take up my sword again and start fighting!

He fought to his death… he did not let the enemy beat him without leaving his mark on the Orcs.

Lesson In Worship

I love my husband. I know, most of you who read this will not be shocked at that statement, but as I get ready to blog about what he taught me this morning, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the God of heaven Whom has given such a man to me!

This morning after studying in Daniel, Tony asked me to come over to him,( he has to have eye to eye contact to be assured that the person is listening to him…) as he began to tell me what he got out of his time in the Word, I knew I had blogging material!

A little background to this lesson, Daniel and his friends were taken captive by king Nebuchadnezzar’s command to bring the best and the brightest that Israel had to offer when he conquered their land. However Daniel and his friends were 4 out of many, and  yet they are the only ones mentioned that did not compromise their beliefs and stand on truth! The king has a disturbing dream and tells the wisemen that they not only must give him the interpretation but also must tell him what his dream was! How in the WORLD he could think this would be done, I have no idea! Because in the WORLD, this is impossible! The wisemen cannot do this and so they are facing death…. not just any kind of death but to be cut into pieces… this king obviously had some anger issues.. Daniel gets word that this is going on, and immediately ask to have an appointment with the king to interpret the dream! Now, this is before he even prayed about it! He had faith because he knew God had already done such great things in his life and the lives of his friends! Daniel and his friends get to praying and God gives Daniel the dream and the meaning which he in turn gives to the king! Now, this is where Tony picked up his lesson..

Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

 

The king responded in worship. Worship of his mouth and body as you can see above… he confessed/ acknowledged who God was, and then prostrated himself on the ground in honor of Him! One problem…. and the next chapter tells us what it was… HIMSELF! After this great show of worship, he then has an image built that looks like HIM and makes people bow down to it!

 

Isaiah 29:13

And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.

This gives us a perfect picture of what was going on here… his heart never came close to God…. just his mouth…

Romans 10:9 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.

Tells us that there are two parts of relationship to Christ… confessing (which was done) and believing, ( which was absent). You see, the King kept God as “Daniel’s God”… never believed Him for himself.

I wonder how true this is in our churches today? How many come to church, acknowledging God with their mouth and even their demonstrative body language and yet go home to build an image of themselves that must be worshiped by them and others!

Just some thinking and teaching this morning in the Gott home…

To Know You Are Ready!

1 John 5:13

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

Jimmy is seventy something years old, has lived a good life, seemingly a moral life, has a loving wife, has children and grandchildren who love him and he adores, however, Jimmy is lacking something.

This morning at the gym, he began to tell me as we walked side by side that he didn’t feel like he would have much longer to live. He has no outward health problems, just the normal aches and pains of getting older… and yet he is unsettled in his lifespan. I asked him, ” Are you Ready?” He answered me, very bleakly and with empty eyes, ” I don’t think we are ever ready.”  This broke my heart!

 I slowed my walking pace and said, “Jimmy, not that we look for death but we can know that we are ready!” He just shook his head and looked off into the distance.

This has burdened my heart this morning more than I could ever convey! I cannot imagine getting to the age where you expect death at any time, looking back over your life and asking, ” What was the purpose?”

Every humans life was initially created to bring glory to God! If we do not make this, our one aim, then we will, I am afraid get to the point sooner or later of complete and utter hopelessness!

The book of John was written that we may believe the Christ is Who He said/ says He is and that through this we may believe and have eternal life! If you are struggling with this, please just dig into the Gospel of John and ask God to open your heart to believe! My prayer is that everyone who reads this blog has a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

A New Set Of Clothes

Colossians 3:10-15

            and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

 

 

What woman doesn’t like a new set of clothes? Recently I went through my closet and got rid of bags and bags and BAGS of clothes! There were so many  that I felt very foolish and extravagant! The crazy thing was that I had not worn some in years and others I had worn for TOOOOO many years, if you know what I mean.

I had gone right before this and bought some basic things for a new wardrobe. This feels good doesn’t it?

But at the same time, every now and then I find myself  looking for a piece that I have thrown away. This morning was one of those times. On Saturdays the kids and I clean house, the whole thing! So, I went looking for something that I could get gross in and laughed when I realized what I had in mind was a piece which I had thrown in the trash and had needed to go there for a long time before I finally complied!

As I was cleaning my bathroom with this thought fresh on my mind, I began to think of the above passage. When we accept Christ we are to take the old clothes of “flesh” and throw it out; We then put on the new clothes of the “Spirit” daily choosing the fruit thereof. But, Deanna every now and then will go and start searching for the old gross clothes of flesh to put on because they are so much more comfortable … hmmm…. ouch! 

I do not want this to be true of me, I instead want to make the choice to wear the new set of clothes which God has provided me through Christ.

When I wake up each morning, I must choose these new and leave the trash where it belongs!!!!

A Mother Like Rizpah

2 Samuel 21:1-14

21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. 3 And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, 6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab [1] the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.

Mother’s Day is upon us. This day always makes me and I am sure you as well, reflect on your own mother and the relationship that you have or have desired with her. Unfortunately we live in a world where people don’t always have the best memories of their parents or the most ideal childhood. This started long ago with the fall of man. According to the Word, our families were the first affected by sin and they continue to be bombarded daily, and I would say, it seems at times, hourly.

 

This week we have had revival services at our church. The guest speaker, Paul Carter, preached an excellent sermon on the family Monday night. The passage he used though was one, however that I was unfamiliar with. As I read along, the courage and just plain gustiness of this mother spoke out so very loudly to my spirit!

 

Rizpah as you can read above was an extraordinary woman! She was willing to put herself in harms way, morning and night to make sure the beasts of the field and the nasty meat eating birds, did not devour the bodies of her sons…and not just for a short amount of time, but I learned that this lasted most likely, May through September!

 

I started considering the fact that I have a mother who has fought for all of her seven children in a similar way. No, not in the physical sense although I have no doubt had she needed to or had been given the opportunity at certain times, she would have fought just as Rizpah did!

 

My mother has seen each of her children go through hardships as children and as adults that have caused her to fight the “beasts” down on her knees! And BOY HAS SHE! I have heard her broken in prayer, angry in prayer, and then joyful when she knew God had granted her heartfelt prayer.

 

I am so very thankful to have Sherlyn Hutto as not only my mother, but as my example on how to be a mother that fights for her children’s souls, and loves with a fierce love!

 

 

Thank you Mama.