He Holds It All Together!

Day 104 & 105 of my Bible Recap was SO great to experience after Day 101 last week that melted me. So, I wanted to share a little of it if that's okay. Basically last week we realized that even in Saul's hastiness and taking control - God was working out His plan. And then God was grieved over making Saul king. In Day 104 we read 1 Samuel 21-24 where David is still a fugitive and stops in Nob because he needs food & supplies. He lies to protect himself as Ahimelech seems suspicious of him. Then he breaks another law by eating holy bread... anyway, I don't need to give you all the details. Grab your Bible and read those four chapters + Psalm 7, 27, 31, 34, 52 which David wrote during OR in response to his time as a fugitive! You'll witness firsthand David trusting God wholeheartedly, lamenting, lying and trying to take control of situations. It was once again like reading a bestselling book - the twists and turns of emotions and situations. Forget Netflix - read the Word! Here's an excerpt from The Bible Recap:

"David's trust in God enables him to wait well. David cuts off part of Saul's robe, which lets him prove his intentions to Saul (1 Sam 15:27-28). David has no faith in the king, but he shows respect for the king and faith in God all at once. He trusts God's sovereignty over even the length of this wicked ruler's reign. He knows it will come to an end in God's perfect timing.

God has incredible timing. From a surprise attack by the Philistines that pulls Saul away at the last minute to Saul's need to relieve himself just as he approaches the very cave where David is hiding, everything we saw today was so perfectly timed that it almost read like choreography. God invites us into this dance with Him in which He guides His kids, always making a way to fulfill His plans no matter what attacks the enemy has in mind. He leads us so well, and He's where the joy is!"  

So, last week I saw myself in Saul and this week I've been seeing glimpses of myself in David... in the doubts... in the scheming... in the waiting... in the shadows... in the trusting... as a fugitive... David wasn't perfect and neither am I. Far from it. If you've been on this journey through 2022 with me -  I went back to the basics and the Lord helped me to begin to lay a new foundation of trust. 

This weekend was another one where we experienced three services: a funeral, a Saturday evening worship and then our typical Sunday morning worship. On Saturday evening we heard a song that was the icing on the cake as I looked back at what the Lord was teaching me this last week and now it's on repeat... "You Hold It All Together" by Maverick City Music which brought to life all I've been reading. Now, it may not mean as much to you as it did to me because I've been deep in fugitive life with David... but, check out the song that brought it all together for me:

"You come at the right time, when I least expect it, never behind.

So, why would I be surprised when You deliver - every time?!

On mountain tops, You stay the same. In valleys low, You never change!  

And I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord! I'm confident as seasons change Your faithfulness remains.

You go, you go before me: to prepare a blessing, You make a way.

It's more than I could imagine, more than I can fathom or comprehend."

*Taken from LIFT weekly email. 

Saul, I Am

It’s day 101 of The Bible Recap and I’m still on track without missing a day. But, I did get off track somewhere lately with what I was looking for in my readings. On day one the host challenged us to look and listen for glimpses of God in our readings because He is where the joy is. It’s easy to find ourselves reading a devotional or portion of scripture for the shear purpose of applying it to our current situation or question we’re asking God. And she challenged us to avoid this practice. I found myself again looking for how I can use scripture as a weapon. I’m not proud of this, but I’m sharing with you in an effort to practice vulnerability.

So, yesterday & today our Bible readings were from 1 Samuel chapters 9-14 and it didn’t take my mind long to start equating the face of King Saul with a person in my life who is difficult for me to love because they reject me and seem to operate out of fear & hastiness. I consistently find myself not wanting to treat them as I want to be treated, but treat them as I feel they are treating me. Lord, please help me. As I studied through 1 Samuel 13 & 14 today I was amazed to see what happened when the prophet Samuel gave specific instructions, “Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” (1 Samuel 10:8).  

 

And then in chapter 13 it was time to wait. Here’s what happened: “And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him…” 1 Samuel 13:5-10

I am ashamed to say I was literally raising my fist, comparing Saul with my acquaintance… literally found my heart screaming, “You coward! Look how your actions are hurting others - especially me! There are people who are hiding in caves, holes, rocks, tombs and cisterns AND they’re trembling. What a fool you are! You can’t even follow simple instructions to wait 7 days until Samuel comes to show you what to do! Take that!” And I picked up my drink to take a sip and saw myself in Saul. No longer my acquaintances’ face, but mine. 

“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”  1 Samuel 13:13-14

I pointed one giant index finger toward my acquaintance (in my mind) assigning guilt and all the while 3 were pointing right back at me. I was wrong. My sin is no less or greater than theirs. But, it’s sin just the same. I woke up this morning with Psalm 51 on my heart and so it was natural to turn to it as I repented. I soaked in His Word, His forgiveness, His mercy, His grace and His promises as my heart was broken before Him.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment… Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me… Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Parts of Psalm 51)

“Take comfort - nothing can ruin God’s plan; He’s active in every tick of the clock.” Tara-Leigh Cobble, The Bible Recap

*Taken from weekly LIFT email.

Short Circuited, Soft Reboot and Holy Lake Time!

I had been working diligently through my “to-do list” on a Monday afternoon at 3:15 when I was hit with the realization it was long past time for lunch, and my body was screaming for nourishment. The circuits in my brain were sputtering and steaming. It found it increasingly more difficult for me as I was adding two or three more items to my list each time I checked one off. That’s no fun. Part of me felt like I was accomplishing much, yet the other part saw my list multiplying which was daunting.

So, I stopped and fixed my sandwich, sat down in “my chair”, turned on the audio reading of the Bible Recap, grabbed the video game controller and started conquering Rayman’s Legend game. It was then that I heard a verse I wanted to highlight in my Bible while simultaneously looking at my sandwich willing and wishing it to my mouth (unsuccessfully) AS I accidentally fell off the cliff on the video game AS I realized that I hadn’t picked up the pen to make note of the verse in my Bible. Because… how could I possibly do all these things at once!? I was trying to cram in relaxing while video gaming, being in God’s Word and eating lunch, but I literally didn’t have enough hands much less capacity in my brain! It was around 3:30 that I realized I had blown a fuse!

It was then that sweet conviction flowed effortlessly out my eyes and leaked down my cheeks AS I found only one option: surrender. I had short circuited. I tripped the switch. It was likely a slow fade, but I knew something needed to be reset. 

In His sweetness and Sovereignty we experienced the beautiful collision of a week off from LIFT, a text from a friend asking when we could come visit their lake house, the one year anniversary of the death of Chris’ dad that we wanted to honor, and following a couple weeks of heavy ministry load. When I replied to the text I simply said - “would NEXT week be at all possible for y’all?” And they said, YES! They used their points to get us flights and picked us up from the airport weary and worn. They spoiled us by cooking all our favorite foods, playing games till midnight, letting us sleep in, riding for hours together either in silence on the water admiring the 500 shades of greens and blues as Lauren Daigle blared or in the car en route recalling all the Lord had been teaching us. They moved away 5 years ago, but we just picked right back up where we left off. 

“The thing about healing is that it’s less like flipping a switch and more like untangling a knot. Let it take the time that it takes. You are Beloved the whole way through.” Aundi Kobler

So, as we soaked up every single moment near Augusta resting in him we found our “soft reset” button. We were able to read, commune, relax, unplug, fish, walk, dream and begin to thrive again. It’s Holy Week. Resurrection Sunday is coming! 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46 

*Above Taken from the LIFT weekly email.

P.S. Our friend, Carrie, called three days before we were to fly to ATL and said their college kid couldn't come home for the weekend, but if we were up for another few hours drive - we could go to her. Yes we replied ecstatically! We can't imagine visiting without seeing her. She attends Samford in Birmingham...Alabama! 

So, then my other friend, Lisa who I Marco Polo with was planning to go visit our mutual good friend, Linda in... Alabama the same weekend!! So, I called Lisa and asked her as I was driving to Sugar Land to look up & see how far Linda's home and Birmingham were apart and if she had any plans on Saturday for lunch. Could we meet? So, we did!! Lisa drove 45 minutes and we drove 45 minutes and we pulled off a big surprise! We surprised Linda & Bethany at a sweet little Urban Cookhouse in Cullman (where years ago we had done a tornado relief mission trip). The lady in charge at the restaurant came out and asked if we needed anything else and welcomed us to stay as long as we wanted. She came out later and offered coffee and cookies. So hospitable! So sweet to have a space to catchup and share laughter and tears. We sat outside for awhile and then came inside. So thankful we took pictures to mark our time together. 

Me & Linda and Lisa

Me and Linda - close friends since 1997!

Mexican with Jeff & Carrie & Julia before we left her on Saturday!

GF Chicken & Waffles @YoMommas for bkfast w/Julia!