Eeyore….

 Eeyore….

Eeyore is a fictional character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh.

I know several “Eeyores” and have known more  over my lifetime…they are the “cups-half-empty” ones who when given good news find a negative side to it…the victims even when life is going great….the naysayers…

I thought of this when  reading the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations…

Jeremiah ,when called by God to be his spokesman, said “ I am too young”…, but God replied….

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” 

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. 

And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” 

They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Jeremiah 1:4-10,19

To be honest, God  can say he knew each of us…Eeyores or not…He formed us…with a particular path and message…planned…

But, I digress, back to Jeremiah…God gave him words to speak to the people…and they were words of judgment, no wonder he is likened to Eeyore…those were hard words, harsh judgements to people who really don’t want to hear them…

 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’ “But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

Jeremiah 18:11-12 

But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’

Jeremiah 5:23-24 

But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. 

And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 

But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 

“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 

And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.

Jeremiah 7:23-24,27-28

Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.”

Jeremiah 11:8

But, amongst the judgements, are shining verses that show God’s everlasting love…

“I am merciful…”

“I will heal your faithlessness “

“Delights in steadfast love, justice, and righteousness “

There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? 

For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. 

But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Jeremiah 10:6-7,10

 “Can do all things”…

“Your words  became to me a joy and delight  of my heart…”

“My strength, stronghold, refuge”

Healer, savior, praiseworthy…

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

We need the Eeyores in life as well as the encouragers….we need those who speak truth, those who challenge us…even when it may be hard…we need each other….and most of all we need God, who loves us with an everlasting love…who has plans for us…who strengthens us…who disciplines us…builds us up…Jesus, a Saviour, …the Holy Spirit, truth bearer, counselor….

Thank YOU…..

Reading Jeremiah….

 Reading Jeremiah….

Reading through Jeremiah is like reading through the morning paper, one bad thing after another…proclamations, decisions, bad news, deaths, destruction….

The if’s, the then’s…

The causes and effects….

The unrepentant, the broken….

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord , all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord . 

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 

Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord , the temple of the Lord .’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. 

“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? 

Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. 

Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 

And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 

And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim. 

But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. 

And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 

But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 

Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. 

And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. 

And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste. I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; 

no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle. 

We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

Jeremiah 7:1-15,23-24,26,28,34,8:6,15 

I realize that Jeremiah was speaking to Jerusalem, but the words echo down through the ages, ringing true for today…

We have the saving grace of Jesus, if we will but yield, hearing Him speak our to hearts, not turning away as the ancient people did…and have done down through time…Jesus is there waiting….He still saves…He still fixes brokenness…

Why become a wasteland, when we can become fruitful for Him?

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord , and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 

God spoke the Solomon…

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 

These words still ring true today as they did thousands of years ago…

Thank YOU….

Daily Devotion: Broken Walls, Broken Lives

Daily Devotion: Broken Walls, Broken Lives

https://mvotd.com/zach-williams-dolly-parton-there-was-jesus-video_12bb32bb2.html?mc_cid=d5d913aaee&mc_eid=9b75957afc

Waiting…not my cup of tea…

 Waiting…not my cup of tea….

In the ESV version of the Bible, there are 133 instances of the use of the word, “wait”….plus several more that are coupled with the word, “patient or patience “….none  of which was I born with too much of…”let’s get it done”….move, forward…

We use the phrase, “pray for patience” glibly…yuck…when we pray for patience it seems as though we get more trials to learn more patience…the circle continues….round and round…

But, patience is listed as part of the fruit of the Spirit…

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:22-24

So waiting seems to be a discipline that is part of our lives…a learned one for some…not something that comes automatically….we wait in lines, we wait for permission, we wait for others, we wait for an answer….we wait…wait…wait…and as we wait we can choose to be totally frustrated, annoyed, angry, or chalk it up for another “waiting experience “…or be at peace with the wait…I want the latter, but probably exhibit the former more…

As Paul,says in Romans….

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:15

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

2 Peter 3:13-14

I was reading still in Isaiah when the word “wait” jumped out…so hence the thoughts on waiting…so I got bogged down in the waiting game yet again…

 A few encouraging verses…

Noah waited…

He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

Genesis 8:10-12

Jacob waited…

I wait for your salvation, O Lord.

Genesis 49:18

Moses waited…

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”

Exodus 24:12 

Ruth waited….

She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Ruth 3:18

Hannah waited…

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

1 Samuel 1:23 

David waited….

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 

May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

Psalm 25:5,21

Thank YOU, yet again on lessons on waiting….help me to be still and wait to see how You will work…not moving ahead on my own…. 

…on what do you rest this trust of yours?……Isaiah 36

…..On what do you rest this trust of yours? ….Isaiah 36

The king of Assyria sent his chief cupbearer to Jerusalem to give a message to King Hezekiah…taunting him with boasting of the Assyrian conquests…

This passage in Isaiah so brought to mind the taunting, the temptations of Satan toward Jesus…

Or Jesus in the garden praying the night he was betrayed…

He knew all of what was to happen before He came, but yet He came for our sakes…walking an earthly path for us to follow, to trust, to show the way…he was with all of these men, women through the ages, through time…teaching trust…

The Philistines did the same with David…boasting In their arrogance and stature…

Satan does the same to us, now…in this age…taunting doubt, unrest, deception, lies…

We all have to decide…where do we rest our trust…

Queen Esther…

Joshua…

Abraham…

Noah…

Moses…

Daniel and his friends…

Elijah…

Paul….

The disciples…

Etc…..

Down through the ages, men and women have been asked that same question…..

In scripture, we are told it is vain to trust in “ chariots”…giants… fortified walls, ourselves, riches,multitudes of horses…etc…as all this passes away…

Where do we lay our trust?   In a world that will pass away…in a world that really isn’t getting any better…

Or in Jesus…

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 

Thank YOU that You alone are worthy of our trust….

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:5,8 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20:7

I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Psalm 31:6,14-15

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, 

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! 

And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

Isaiah 31:1-2

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 9:20 

Wheat and harvest….

Wheat and harvest…

Yesterday, I drove out through fields ripe for harvest…lines of trucks waiting the thrashed grains, lines of harvesters working their way through the huge grain fields…the crackle, crunch of stocks being cut, thrashed and blown in the waiting trucks…the dust, the chaff fluttering in the wind on a dry, hot day…

Came home to my mail to find another harvest…A picture of Bibles being delivered to a remote village in Papua, Indonesia…

I was reading about this as I was attempting to do a painting of a wrapped gift….

I thought how ironic that these science would all fit together for the day…

The work, the layers, the preparation going into each…the dream, years of translation, the hundreds of hours of listening, writing, redoing, reviewing, the printing, the field prep, the seeds sown, the equipment care, the workers, the teamwork, the directions, the steps going into each….and finally the delivery, the harvest…the finished product….

 a harvest, a changed life, a picture…diligence, prayer, work

God, You are so good to be involved with it all…thank YOU…

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29 

35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

John 4:35-38

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: 

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:10-12 

 

Conspiracy….

 Conspiracy …

Definition of conspire

transitive verb

: PLOT, CONTRIVE

: to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement

: SCHEME

: to act in harmony toward a common end…

The first time I really remember hearing about conspiracies was after President Kennedy was killed in the early 1960’s.  That word was really not on my radar.   And now we still see the tabloids promoting various conspiracy theories near the checkout stand at the grocery stores…President Kennedy’s assassination is still being speculated almost 50 years ago…

With our instant information life, more and more conspiracy theories abound….some true and others not so true…it behoves each of us to search for truth…not to be driven by speculation, fear, panic, lies on any subject…

The Word even addresses conspiracies…several times it is mentioned…

But, it really jumped off the page as I was reading this passage in Isaiah…

For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Isaiah 8:11-13 

It was a gentle reminder that I want truth to be prevalent in my life, not be driven by this or that, the shifts in the winds of time…not to live in fear of the next speculation…living  at peace with those around me…exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit…

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Romans 12:17-18 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law. 

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 5:22-23,25-26,6:9

Some would say, I have my head in the sand, not really aware of this world’s troubles.  But I am aware…I just don’t want the fears to rule my life…

Thank YOU that you are my peace…

Go….send me….

 

Go….send me…

Am up to Isaiah in my Old Testament reading for this year…

Reading this passage about Isaiah declaring/asking God to send him to the people…not an easy task…

It made me recall to mind the missionaries/mission organizations our family has been involved with over the years…

My grandparents supported missionaries, my parents supported missionaries and we, as a family, supported missionaries and now my children and grandchildren support missionaries…

Our first was a family going to South America with New Tribes…another to Papua, then Africa…not any of were these easy assignments..the list goes on to people on all continents, many organizations, many ministries reaching a variety of people in a  variety of ways from Bible translation to pilots to day to day helps, water wells,  building churches/hospitals, working with children, veterinary services, sports teams, counseling, sharing the Jesus Film, helping rebuild villages, medical, offering a shoebox of children’s gifts….living life…sharing Jesus….or simply talking to the people next door…

Their lives have not necessarily been easy….lives lost on the field, wars, relocations for safety, mental stresses, cultural shifts, weather emergencies, medical emergencies….the list goes on…

But the Word goes on….in miraculous ways…

This is what our family has been called to do…God provided the resources to do His bidding…we all have a calling and we need to follow it, not comparing ours with others….even within our family, there are different manifestations of that calling…different responsibilities…giftings….

When I  think of the awesomeness of seeing God, the song of “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory”….I, too, cry, I am so Unworthy…that He would choose me to do any of His bidding….it is such a gift to be used in places He has chosen beforehand…we all get to partake of this, if we, like Isaiah say,”send me”…

Thank YOU…

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 

Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 

With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. ” 

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ” 

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:1-8

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 

38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:37-38

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6 

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

2 Timothy 4:2,5

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:6-8l.