Memorizing Scripture, Barbed wire, Persecution, and Jesus

Memorizing a chapter of the Bible a month might have been a little optimistic for a New Year's goal. Four days into the year, I'm already a little behind.

I know how to memorize. The problem isn't my understanding of the technique nor my ability. It's my reliability. 

Every morning, I've reviewed my verses and made a stab at memorizing them. I've quoted them a few times throughout the day. 

What I haven't done is soak in their truth, and that's the reason they haven't "stuck."

This morning, I reviewed the first twelve verses of John 1, because that's how much I planned to have memorized by today. The second time I read them through, the third verse came alive.

"All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:3) nasb

All things. 

The image of barbed wire instantly popped into my head. Yes. I know it was odd. Barbed wire? Does Jesus even care about barbed wire??? 

I pondered that a moment and read the verse again. If all things came into being by Him, and Scripture says it did, does that mean barbed wire came into being by Jesus? I guess it does. (He made the person who invented it, of course, as well as the mind out of which the invention came.) 

Barbed wire is on my mind these days because I haven't finished building my fence yet. Does Jesus care about the fencing wire so prevalent in the Southern US? Yes, in multiple ways. He cares about the people who build the fences and stretch the wire. Those sharp barbs provide security and protection for animals, and their owners, about whom our Lord cares. 

Did Jesus die for barbed wire? No, but He knows about it. 

The second thing that came into mind is a part of the world that's dear to me. Recent governmental decisions there have broken my heart. I've prayed at length about the situation and begged everyone who will listen to join me in intercession. Occasionally, my prayers have sounded a little accusatory, as if I thought God had overlooked the events that give me such pause. 

"What about there, Lord? It's a mess right now," I asked. (Okay. I kinda demanded.) 

All things.

Those two simple words resonated in my heart. Governments are established by God and have their authority with the permission of God. (Romans 13:1) He moves the heart of the king like channels of water. (Prov 21:1) 

He knows.

He knows about the corruption in the government, the crack-down on religious freedom, and the persecution of believers. He knows about my friends who have to flee for their lives. 

Nothing has escaped his notice. Nothing will be wasted. 

It wasn't the answer I wanted. My desire was for God to roll up His sleeves and wade into the battle. I wanted God to do things MY way, instead of His own. It's a problem as old as creation. We want our way instead of His. 

This morning, the barbed wire pondering led, in a round about way, to "nevertheless" about a few things. "Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." (Luke 22:42)

That simple act of surrender brought me to the place I needed to be with Scripture memory, and the verses came alive. "The light shined in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it" made perfect sense. The efforts of believers hadn't been wasted in that beautiful place of persecution. Light had shined, but the darkness didn't comprehend, exactly as John 1 said.

The importance of Scripture memory is not in the act of repeating words until we can say them by rote. The value comes when we allow the Word of God to invade our hearts, reveal truth to us, and change us. That's what happened for me this morning. 

Today, let's choose one verse and allow it to invade us until the truth becomes such a part of us that we see things God's way and surrender to His will. Let it marinate our hearts and saturate us with Him. 

"Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." Luke 22:42

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." 2 Timothy 3:16 nlt

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Maggie and the Relentless Search

Guest Blogger: Choosing Garbage Over Gourmet

We have a very smart chocolate lab named Jake. Jake can do several tricks and we think he can sometimes talk. However, Jake has a problem with not only getting into our garbage, but also our neighbors’.  

Jake’s morning meal is a special  mix of “Heavenly Harvest Holistic” dry dog food, a can of sliced chicken & gravy with added Omega 3, & his daily vitamins.  These special ingredients help him with a skin problem he tends to have and gives him much needed relief from rashes & itching.   

One morning, I looked across to our neighbors' house and caught Jake in their trash. Jake’s breakfast stood untouched as I marched him to the pen to stay for several hours.   

How silly it was for Jake to dig in garbage when he had a great meal waiting for him---a meal meant to nourish him and help keep him healthy.   How many times, though, have I “dug in the garbage”? How many times I had looked for solutions on my own, when God has already provided what I needed?

Jesus is the living water and He has already provided Himself so we will never have to thirst again.  Yet, when we try to find our own solutions, instead of seeking Him through His Word & in prayer, we are guilty of digging cisterns that leak.  

Jeremiah 2:13 – “For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And have dug their own cisterns, which leak and will not hold water.”

  

Prayer -- Help each of us to drink deeply of the Fountain of Living Water and that we will “splash over” into the lives of others.

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*photo above is of my son Ryan's dog, Bento. I didn't have a photo of Jake :).
Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Caregiver Chronicles: When Short Becomes Long

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If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Lessons from Sam: Abominations, the Bible, and Praying for Our Nation

Sam Wiley is probably the nicest man you'll ever meet. Children and animals love him, and that's always a good sign. At 86 years old, he's not just nice, though. He's also wise. 

We were talking a few days ago about our culture and how crazy this world has gotten. Sam had an opinion that I thought was pretty good. I've spent a lot time pondering whether or not to write this, and I didn't want to, because I expect some flak. 

This morning, I've decided to proceed because Sam's opinion resonates with me. We don't have all the answers, but we know Who does. We can't solve all the problems of this world, but we know Who can. 

We can't fix the immorality so rampant in our nation, but we know that God promises to heal our land IF His people (not the lost people) humble themselves, seek His face, turn from their sin, and pray. That's what Sam and I try to do. We want to repent of our own sins and pray for our nation.

As a woman who came to Jesus with more sin than most of the people in the Bible, I'm convinced that Jesus can wash anyone white as snow, no matter what their favorite type of sin. I'm living proof of that. Jesus changed everything about me.

Sam feels the same about himself. He'd pretty much made a mess of things, just like me, before he met Jesus. That meeting changed everything, and Sam has never been the same again.

Maybe it's because we are both so familiar with our own sin, but Sam and I aren't interested in casting stones at fellow sinners. People could've thrown stones at us once, and we're glad they didn't. 

Someone asked me recently if I knew a particular behavior was an abomination before God. "What do you think about all this, Sam?"

"Well," he said in his slow Mississippi drawl, "I think a lot of things are an abomination to God. He's good and we're not. You know, I don't think folks read their Bibles any more. They just pick a verse here and a verse there and put them together. But it don't make it right. You've gotta take the whole Bible to get it right.

"My Bible says Jesus didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us. And He didn't stand up for His rights. He just laid them down and took the cross. Even though He didn't have to. Because He loved us. And He loved us while we were still sinning. People might want to think about that.

"God don't like no kind of sin. It don't matter what kind it is, he's agin it. Even mine. I try to remember that when I get to worrying about other people's sins."

It turns out that Sam was right. The Hebrew word translated as "abomination" occurs 117 times in the 39 books of the Old Testament. As it turns out, there are quite a few things that are an abomination to God.

Deuteronomy 22: 5 says it's an abomination for women to wear clothing that pertains to a man. Does that mean women shouldn't wear pants? I don't know. I wore a dress yesterday, but today, I'm wearing pants. It doesn't feel like an abomination, but maybe I need to reconsider.

Proverbs 6:16-19  tells us that seven things are an abomination to the Lord.  

"There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven things which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." Proverbs 6:16-19 nasb

Proverbs 16:5 says, "Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord..."

Lest you think I'm justifying sin, I'm not. Take a look at Proverbs 17:15:

"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord."

There's a lot of sin in this world, and I wish I had less of it than I do. I'm not in favor of sin at all. 

God created this beautiful world we live in, He sustains it, and He gets to make the rules. 

If God says something is sin, it is.

It's important to remember that there are many kinds of sin, but it's all unrighteousness. 

We're all sinners. Some of us have been redeemed by the merciful, grace-filled blood of Jesus and some of us haven't, but that blood is available to all.

I know people say that some sinners won't change, but that's what some people said about me. Until three women decided to pray for the worst person they knew. And that worst person was me. And God answered their prayers. Even when a lot of people didn't think He would. 

Neither Sam nor I have the answers to all the problems of the world. 

We don't know what's right in every situation. 

We don't know the best thing to do about every law or every decision.

We're not issuing an opinion on standing up or laying down. 

All we know is that Jesus gave up heaven for us, and, though He didn't enjoy doing it even one little bit, He took the cross for us because we couldn't stop sinning on our own. 

We try to think about that when we get tempted to start tossing stones.

In the meantime, we're trying to do what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says. Humble ourselves. Confess our own sin. Seek His face. Pray. 

That's what God says it'll take to turn this nation around, so we're hoping everyone in the body of Christ will do it. It'll make a difference. Try it and see. 

"...Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7 nasb

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 nasb
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In case you missed one of the Sam stories, here are the links:

Hunger and the Importance of Having Enough

Education and Reading the Bible

The Importance of I Love You
Just Plain Sam

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Sign up for the Hosea study is still open. Message me or leave a comment.
#abomination #prayer #sin #Jesus #scripture

The Next Level

One of the trending topics on Twitter today is "The Next Level", and it made me think about all the ways we try to reach the next level. 

My peonies, pictured above, are a lush mass of flowers and heavenly fragrance. This fall, I'll take my peonies to the next level by dividing them and having two masses of flowers next spring.

When I ordered green coffee beans and a coffee roaster and learned to roast my own coffee beans, I took my coffee-drinking experience to the next level. There's no better coffee than that made with beans that have just been roasted and freshly ground. 

When I surrendered my life to follow Jesus, it took my fledgling faith to the next level, as well. Not instantly, of course, but over time, with one surrender after another, I've relinquished the ways of my old (and horridly sinful) life and placed myself in His loving hands. (Matthew 16:24)

That may sound like quite a sacrifice, but in exchange, I lost the regret and fear of my old life and gained the peace, love, joy, gentleness, patience, self-control that come as fruits of the Spirit. Although I am not yet the woman of God I'd like to be, I praise God I'm not the woman of the world I used to be. (Galatians 5:22 and 23)

How do we take our faith to the next level? We meet God where we are and begin to follow Him. We read the Bible to learn more about this God we serve, to understand what He requires of His people. We study the Bible as a text so that we can be the kind of follower that pleases God. (2 Timothy 2:15)

When we learn that He teaches us to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we attempt to do it. When we learn that He requires us to love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves, we try to do it. (Matthew 22:34-40)

When we see in Scripture that we are to live a life of peace with all men, we make an effort to live in harmony. (Romans 12:18)

Of course, all those noble aspirations are more than one merely-human person can accomplish, so we must allow the Holy Spirit to change our heart, our desires, to more nearly match that of God. (John 14:16)

Moving to the next level in our faith presumes that we are willing to change, to get the sin out of our lives. We cannot maintain our judgmental spirit, anger, unforgiveness, pride, or sense of entitlement (or any of the other sins we enjoy) and enjoy the closeness to God we desire. (1 John 3:9)

Intimacy with God depends on our willingness to be changed in His image, and the understanding that it is only the blood of Jesus that can truly make us clean. (Hebrews 10:22)

Do you long to take faith to the next level? Begin by opening your Bible and reading. If you've never read the Bible before, the gospel of John is a good starting place. 

Read. Study. Follow. Obey. 

There's a song I learned as a child, "Trust and Obey", that sums up the way to the next level. "Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

It's as true now as when the songwriter penned those words. Trust and obey. There's no other way to reach the next level but to trust and obey.

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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Delay Does Not Always Mean Denial

#thenextlevel #Scripture #linesfromleanna #JesusChrist

The Mezuzah Box

The study in Deuteronomy had progressed to chapter 6. As I studied, I read this verse:  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:9 NASB)

In the preceding verses, Moses had explained to the people that God expected obedience. In fact, He was so serious about it that they could prolong their lives through obedience to His Word, as well as shorten their lives through disobedience. To help them remember, they were to review Scripture daily, teach their children carefully, bind copies of Scripture to their hands and foreheads, and put Scripture on their door posts. The practice of placing mezuzahs on the door posts is based on this passage. The mezuzah is actually the Scripture written on a piece of paper or parchment. What you see is the box that holds the Scripture (or mezuzah) inside. The idea is that, as you enter your home, seeing the mezuzah box should serve as a reminder of the truth and promises of God's Word, as well as your commitment to it.  

The idea of strapping a little box with verses inside to my forehead didn't seem  like something I wanted to do, and I am in and out of exam gloves too often for strapping something to my hand. Neither of those were practical for me at all. 

The idea of the mezuzah, however, captured my attention. Bear in mind that I had never seen a mezuzah or a mezuzah box, and had no idea what I was doing. As the mother of any good Georgia Tech computer science student would do, I Googled it. Most of the boxes I found were small and tasteful. They all came with an optional piece of Parchment containing Scripture (the mezuzah) handwritten in Hebrew by a scribe, but they were such small boxes that I could not imagine trying to squeeze a piece of paper inside. There were so many options and traditions/rules for the mezuzah box that I was quickly overwhelmed. Not to be outdone, I decided to buy the prettiest one. I guess I actually ordered the biggest and gaudiest one, but I'm pleading ignorance. The ones I saw in Israel are nothing at all like mine. 

After my mezuzah box arrived, I was shocked by the size and ornate decorations, so I put it in a drawer and left it for years. Not long ago, I found it again and decided to attach it to the doorpost. Once more, I had to Google the protocol. It turns out that the box goes at shoulder height and is tilted slightly in toward the room the door enters, as a sign that God and the Torah are entering. When you pass through the door with the mezuzah, you are to touch the box, then kiss the fingers that touch it as a sign of reverence and respect for God and His Word. 

I'm not going to pretend that I touch my box every time I walk in the door, but I have gradually begun to touch it more often. There is something mysteriously wonderful about the symbolism involved. That big, gaudy box is a symbol that God inhabits my home and His Word is the guiding principle here. As I touch the box and put my fingers to my lips, I am reminded of the truth of the Scripture I have tucked inside, as well as my committment to it. 

In English the mezuzah reads:

"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 NASB) Since I'm not Jewish, and didn't know what I was doing anyway, I decided to include my favorite verse.  It's Jeremiah 29:11 and says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." 

Here's what my mezuzah Scripture looks like (I Googled the Hebrew). It's not at all kosher, but it blesses me, and I hope it blesses you, as well.  

שְׁמַ֖ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖י/נוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽ וְ/אָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑י/ךָ בְּ/כָל־ לְבָבְ/ךָ֥ וּ/בְ/כָל־ נַפְשְׁ/ךָ֖ וּ/בְ/כָל־ מְאֹדֶֽ/ךָ׃ וְ/הָי֞וּ הַ/דְּבָרִ֣ים הָ/אֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּ/ךָ֛ הַ/יּ֖וֹם עַל־ לְבָבֶֽ/ךָ׃ וְ/שִׁנַּנְתָּ֣/ם לְ/בָנֶ֔י/ךָ וְ/דִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑/ם בְּ/שִׁבְתְּ/ךָ֤ בְּ/בֵיתֶ֙/ךָ֙ וּ/בְ/לֶכְתְּ/ךָ֣ בַ/דֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽ/בְ/שָׁכְבְּ/ךָ֖ וּ/בְ/קוּמֶֽ/ךָ׃ וּ/קְשַׁרְתָּ֥/ם לְ/א֖וֹת עַל־ יָדֶ֑/ךָ וְ/הָי֥וּ לְ/טֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽי/ךָ׃ וּ/כְתַבְתָּ֛/ם עַל־ מְזוּזֹ֥ת בֵּיתֶ֖/ךָ וּ/בִ/שְׁעָרֶֽי/ךָ׃ ס (דברים 

וְ/הָיָ֗ה אִם־ שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־ מִצְוֺתַ֔/י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְ/כֶ֖ם הַ/יּ֑וֹם לְ/אַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵי/כֶם֙ וּ/לְ/עָבְד֔/וֹ בְּ/כָל־ לְבַבְ/כֶ֖ם וּ/בְ/כָל־ נַפְשְׁ/כֶֽם׃ (דברים 

Resting on The Word

One of Maggie the Wonder Dog's favorite things to do in the morning is sit on my lap while I read my Bible. Her other favorite thing is to snuggle in my place when I get up to get ready for work. Here she is in her favorite morning snuggle-spot. Resting her head on my open Bible.

Resting on the Word.

That's a great place to be.

We would have a very different world if more of us started the day with the Good News and rested in it all day long.

The Power of Words (Luke 3:18)

So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. (Luke 3:18 NASB)

There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! (Luke 3:18 MSG)

An exhortation is a little speech (or a few sentences) strongly urging people to do something. John didn't just tell them to repent. He gave specific examples of how repentance would look in their lives. He helped them find their way through the early days of this remarkably personal faith they had embraced. 

I love how the Message describes it. "Words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them". John spoke with words that they could remember, that they could hold to and use during the difficult days. Remember, they lived in an occupied nation with enemy soldiers who were often harsh and cruel, and who served under a ruler who was cruel, if not insane. A word of encouragement that strengthened their heart was exactly what they needed. 

The psalmist described the Word (God's Word) this way:  "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." (Psalms 119:105 NASB) That is exactly what the word of God is supposed to be for us. It's like a little palm-sized lamp that gives us just enough light to see the next step. It strengthens and encourages us if we will allow it. 

Spend some time today pondering those verses that you know as God brings them to your mind, and allow them to strengthen and direct you. Maybe you need some time in Scripture to learn new verses. Let those words from God infuse your being and allow them to make you stronger in your faith and more diligent in your obedience.

Pray too that God will bring Scripture memorized as a child to our loved ones and that He will use it to guide, direct, and draw them back to Himself.