The Sparkly Top and the Muddy Dog Adventure

I know my sparkly top had nothing to do with the events of the morning, but the truth is that something crazy happens every time I wear it. Yesterday, I chanced wearing it because it's my favorite item in the closet. 

It might not have been a good idea.

Since I was ready for work early, I decided to enjoy a cup of coffee on the patio. The wonder dogs and I went outside and took our places, I in my favorite chair, the dogs beside me. I breathed in the aroma of the coffee, took a sip, and surveyed the scene before me. The sky was the bluest of blues, not a cloud in evidence. A faint breeze barely stirred the crisp, cool air. Surrounding trees were reflected in the lake's mirror-like stillness. Drops of dew still glistened on the grass.

Without warning, the dogs alerted for a moment, then sped away. Before I could finish a second sip of coffee, they were across the levee and out of sight, barking like hounds. 

I drank my coffee and waited, as time ticked away. 

They didn't come back.

Departure time was imminent, but the dogs were nowhere in sight. I began to pray, "Lord, please send these silly dogs back. I need to leave for the office." 

Still no sign of them. 

I had just pulled on my rubber boots in anticipation of hiking through the tall, still-wet grass, when Mamie came running. She was soaked with dew. I locked her in the kitchen and went in search of Maggie.

Whistling and calling her name, I headed down the slope to the levee. I was nearly there when Maggie came running. She was just as wet as Mamie. She stopped at a dusty spot a few feet ahead of me and, before I could stop her, started rolling in the dirt.

As you might imagine, the combination of dew-soaked fur and dusty ground resulted in a very muddy dog. 

Maggie loves to roll in the dirt, so I wasn't surprised, but I was terribly disappointed.  

"Stop," I told Maggie in my firmest voice. She stopped, stretched out flat on her belly, and looked up at me. She knew she was in trouble. There would be no snuggles with that much dirt. 

There wasn't time to bathe her, so I grabbed her up and held her at arm's length  to keep the mud off my sparkly top. I marched her to the kitchen and locked her in with Mamie.

"Girls, I don't have time to deal with this dirt right now. We'll take care of it when I get back." 

As I switched into my flip flops, I thought about how Maggie had given me such a clear picture of repentance. She'd done exactly what she wanted, then, when she realized her actions hadn't given her the result she wanted (peace with her mama), she's surrendered to my authority and stretched out before me. 

I'd gathered her up, put her in a safe place with all she needed for the moment, and given her time to dry and rest from her antics. Later, we dealt with the dirt. 

It's a little like how God deals with us. When we repent, He gathers us up just as we are. There's usually time for a little rest, but, before long, He begins to deal with the dirt of our sin. The more we're cleansed, the closer our intimacy with Him can be. 

Last night, clean dogs snuggled in my lap and took their place at the foot of my bed. Muddy dogs don't get to do that.

Which is better? Muddy and locked in the kitchen or clean and snuggled at the feet of the master... 

We have a choice every day: the stain or sin or the intimacy that only repentance can bring. Which will we choose?

"Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." Acts 3:19 nasb 

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Fire that Set the World Aflame

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The Sweetness of Snuggling

I'm working my way through the Psalms in my morning devotions and found a verse this morning that was too precious not to share. 

"Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; 

Like a weaned child rests against his mother, 

My soul is like a weaned child within me." 

Psalm 131:2 nasb

David wrote a precious word-picture of his relationship with the Lord. He was writing about the hope he had in the Lord. In the previous verse, he said he didn't involve himself in "great matters or things too difficult for me". 

Although David was a warrior-king who united the nation and took it to its finest hour, he still considered himself a simple man with a simple faith. He described his relationship with the Lord in simple terms, too.

When a child is tired, upset, or afraid, he quiets himself by snuggling against his mother's chest. She wraps her arms around him, holds him tight, and croons to him with the sweet language of mother-love. The child burrows into her embrace and is calmed. Composed. Quieted.

In that same way, when David needed comfort and quiet, he spent time in the presence of his Lord. For him, the time was like a child snuggling against his mother. He found comfort and peace there.

We, too, can find that same snuggling-comfort with our Lord when we approach Him with humility, thanksgiving, and praise. When we abandon our wish-list and are still in His presence, we can find the calm, composed, quiet that David found.

For a moment let's remember the times we snuggled against our own mother, the times we snuggled our own children.

Now, consider having that same sweet comfort with our Lord. 

Ah, how precious.

It can be ours, if we will but be approach Him with our longing and be still long enough to let Him draw us close and love us.

Today, be still. Be quiet. Listen to the sound of our Lord all around us. Snuggle in to His love and embrace the deep intimacy of Jehovah-shalom, The God Who Is Our Peace.
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The photo above is of a fountain in Nazareth, Jesus' earthly home town.
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Lesson three of the Hosea study is now live and here's the link: http://lessonsindiscipleship.blogspot.com/2016/05/hosea-3-complete-chapter.html

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Not-so-secret Password (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-not-so-secret-password.html) 

#knowingGod #peace #intimacywithGod #snuggle

Sharing Secrets With God

You, like me, probably have lots of acquaintances, in addition to a few very close friends. My closest friends and I can pick up where we left off weeks ago without a hitch because we have years of history between us. Years of proven trust.

Because we have shared so much over the years, we know we can trust each other with the secrets of our heart, without fear of betrayal. That's one of the important differences between an acquaintance and a friend. Proven trust and intimacy.

King David had that kind of relationship with the Lord. He spent time in His presence and found that, over the years, a deep intimacy developed between them. In Psalm 25, he wrote about sharing secrets with God.

"The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, 

And He will make them known His covenant. 

Psalm 25:14 nasb 

The word translated as "secret" is cowd and can mean "secret" in the traditional sense of the word but, in this verse, also means the close, intimate conversation of long-time best friends. 

The word translated as "fear" is yare' and it indicates a reverential fear, awe, respect of God, rather than the abject terror we might expect.

Putting it all together, we learn that those who enter His presence with a deep and awe-filled respect for God can develop such intimacy with Him that their relationship becomes that of best friends. They can share the kind of close conversation that Moses had with God. Friend with friend. 

That kind of relationship was not reserved only for Enoch, Moses, or David. That kind of relationship is available to us, as well, but only if we are willing to spend time in God's Word, listening to what He has to say, and in His presence, worshipping at His feet.

What we can't do is live like the world and have that secret-sharing kind of intimacy with the Most High God. If we want it, we'll have to relinquish the way of the world and choose to be like Him.

I can't imagine choosing the way of the world over such intimacy with God. Over knowing His heart and His mind. Over having hints about what He plans, what He will do.

I'm reminded of the song we learned as children. "My best friend is Jesus. Love Him, love Him. My best friend is Jesus. I love Him."

There's no better friend than Jesus, so let us live in such a way that we, too, can share secrets with God.

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If you're participating in the Hosea study, the second lesson is posted on the website. and the link is below. It's a lot of work, but it'll be worth it in the end. God bless your efforts.

Here's the link to Chapter 2 of the Hosea Bible study  (http://lessonsindiscipleship.blogspot.com/2016/05/hosea-chapter-2-entire-chapter.html)

Here's the link to Friday Night with Friends by Jon Ginn. Golden, Medicinal Words (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/golden-medicinal-words.html)

Here's the link to yesterday's post: 
What Does God Want? (http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-does-god-want.html)
#secrets #intimacywithGod 

Teach us to pray, part 1: Why?

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1 NASB)

We move today to Luke 11, to begin a section on prayer.  

John the Baptizer had previously taught his disciples about prayer and, according to this passage, had taught them "how to pray". One of Jesus' disciples asked Him to do the same for them. Every Jewish boy is taught the Shema, which is a vital part of their daily prayers. Every Jewish girl is taught the Psalms, which includes many of David's prayers. The disciples knew how to recite the prayers of others. What they wanted was to know was how to talk to God personally, as Jesus did, and how to pray the kind of prayers that "get results". 

When Jesus prayed, He was talking to someone He knew intimately, because He was talking to His Father. The disciples certainly wanted to know how to have that kind of intimacy with God, but there was likely something else that they wanted, as well. They may have also wanted the power that Jesus seemed to derive from time spent in prayer. 

Jesus had wonder-working power, and there was no doubt about it. Throughout his ministry, He spent a considerable amount of time in prayer. He went to the mountain or the wilderness to pray, and would spend hours alone with His Father. He considered this time vital and certainly conveyed the importance, the priority, of His prayer time to the disciples. 

Jesus didn't have to tell them there was something different about His prayers, because they could see it for themselves. When Jesus  prayed over a few loaves and fishes, he was able to take a meal meant for a child and feed thousands. When the disciples failed to heal a child, Jesus told them that some things could only come out by prayer and fasting. The disciples likely wanted to be able to pray prayers that resulted in answers they could see, as well. 

As we begin this study on prayer, let us begin by asking one important question. "Why do I want to learn to pray?" If what we want is simply power, we may be in for a surprise. The power of Jesus' prayers did not come as a result of a good choice of words, a large number of words, or the amount of time spent on His knees. The power of His prayers was a result of His intimacy with His Father and His complete submission to His Father's will. 

I have prayed many prayers and seen many incredible answers to my prayers. I've seen God do incredible wonders. All those answers have been exciting and have taught me that the first place I should take my need, my hurt, my fear is to my Heavenly Father. The best part of learning to pray, however, is not the tangible answers that come from that time in prayer. The best part of prayer is the intimacy with our loving Heavenly Father that I find in His presence. It is the place of greatest joy, greatest comfort, greatest peace and is, most often, the reason I go to God in prayer. 

Do we desire that kind of intimacy with God? Are we willing for that kind of submission to the Father's will? Let us ask ourselves these questions before we turn to Christ and ask Him to teach us to pray. There are exciting days ahead, so let's draw close to our Lord. When we do, we will find that He will draw near to us, as well, and what a glorious time that will be!

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... (James 4:8 NASB)

The Recognition, part 25: intimacy

And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. (Luke 9:36 NASB)

The cloud descended, the disciples were engulfed, the Lord spoke aloud, and then Moses and Elijah were gone. "And they kept silent." The disciples did not speak about what they had seen and heard. They didn't tell anyone about their experience. They simply kept quiet. 

Because Scripture reports the story, we know that they did eventually tell of their experience, but Luke is clear. At the time, the experience was for them to treasure alone. It sounds like a secret between them and Jesus, doesn't it? 

Imagine that! They saw Moses and Elijah standing and talking with Jesus. All three were in glory, clothed in robes so white that they appeared to have flashes of lightning coming from them. The cloud of God's presence descended and they were engulfed in the presence of God. They heard His voice. It was an incredibly intimate heavenly experience, and the three disciples understood instinctively that it was meant for them alone. What they had just experienced was, perhaps, because they were Jesus' closest disciples, His "best friends", and this treat was not for everyone. 

We may not realize it, but this passage speaks of the intimacy of God with those who love Him. These men were engulfed by God and the experience was not for telling, but for savoring. They would ponder it and treasure it, but years would pass before they actually told what they had experienced. 

Have you been engulfed by God? Have you had one of those life-altering intimate times with our Lord that leaves you in awe of His presence and pondering it for years to come? How precious those times can be, but they only come out of a  relationship with Christ and in a time of utter stillness before Him. He loves us "with an everlasting love". He longs for intimacy with us, but we are the reason that the intimacy is lacking. It is we who are too busy, too distracted, too focused on the world and ourselves. It is we who will have to change if we are to have this divine engulfing, this intimacy beyond all others. It is we ourselves who must be still and silent before our Most High God and allow His presence to descend and engulf us. Though it sounds difficult, and it is, when we are quiet in words and spirit, we will find that the intimacy that results will leave us astounded by His grace, treasuring His presence, and hungering for more. 

Be still, dear ones, and allow the presence of God to engulf and surround you. You will treasure it for years to come.