How do I have any room to complain or be discontent? I mean, we have some troubles in our lives and home right now...money issues, computer problems, cars in need of repair, work & relational stress, etc...BUT my boys are healthy. They aren't heading into a "last ditch effort" surgery to remove a second piece of their skull so that hopefully their brain will stop swelling. I have a 15 year old & I can't even imagine...and then I read the mom post, "I will praise Him in this storm." And the dad posts, "Please pray that I will be strong for my family and that all of my children will know how much I love them." I don't know if I have this kind of faith. I want it - but I surely don't want it tested. Not like this. I am overwhelmed with emotions and all I can do is pray for God's will to be done in Alex & his family. I trust Him. I don't always understand His ways (many times I don't), but I do know that He is good and He loves Alex more than anyone. Ever.
This is "Furnace Walking Faith" and I know that God is walking through this fire with the Pearson family.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
Mary Probably Did Know...
So Christmas has come & gone, trees & stockings have come down, and the all so familiar Christmas tunes have run their course. This season, with the ever increasing popularity of the a-capella vocal sensation, Pentatonix, "Mary Did You Know?" has become many people's new favorite Carol - mine included.
As I have listened and sung along, over & over, I have begun to think about Mary, the mother of the Christ child. Did she really know that Jesus would walk on water, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, heal the lame? Did she know that the baby she held and kissed and rocked to sleep at night was God in flesh? The Great I AM?
I propose that she probably did know.
First of all, In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel brings Mary the word of the LORD and says, "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1.31-35) This was a mouthful from the angel. But it gives us some background to see that Mary did know who it was that she would carry, where the baby she would birth came from, & where He was going. She had some history and information about baby Jesus - she was not in the dark.
My second reasoning for Mary's potential "knowledge" is that she was Jesus' mom. I have 2 boys and although I didn't have a visit from the Arch Angel to declare their births or tell me about their futures, I did spend almost every minute with them once they took their first breath of air. I rocked them and fed them. I kissed their boo-boos and gave them baths. I helped them get dressed and taught them how to count and say their ABC's. We played "Peek-A-Boo" and colored and sang many a song together. And in this process of being their mom, I know them. Maybe I don't know the exact job they will hold, but I know where their skills, talents, and passions lie. I might not know who they will marry, but I know the character qualities that they will most likely be attracted to. I know my boys because I am their mom.
I believe that although Mary may not have known specifically that Jesus would walk on water or heal the deaf, she did know who He was. She knew His potential - not only from Gabriel's words, but because she was His mom. In Jesus' first recorded miracle, Mary was there. They were at a wedding in Cana. Mary comes to Jesus and tells him that the wine supply is low. Jesus explains to her that this is not their problem for "My time has not yet come." However, Mary knows who Jesus is. I don't think she "foresaw" anything. I don't think she even knew exactly what He could or would do. But based on what happens next, she had faith in who He was. She looks at the servants, after Jesus said it wasn't His time, and says, "Do whatever He tells you." At this, in obedience to His mom, Jesus gives instructions for the water jugs to be filled with water and dipped out for the master and this "water" is now the best wine of the celebration. (John 2.1-11)
I am not saying that Mary is divine. I'm not saying she should be honored or worshiped. I'm just saying that she was a mom. I'm realizing that, as a mom, she probably did have at least a glimpse of what Jesus was capable of. She probably caught sight of his divinity seeping through His humanity. I think that we may wonder about her knowledge because the Bible doesn't really give us a lot of detailed information about Mary - she isn't quoted much or even mentioned much, past the birth & early life of Jesus. However, when she saw and felt and experienced Her Son and the things surrounding Him, she "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2.19)
God looked down through all eternity and picked Mary to be Jesus' mom. She was the one who would know and love him best. He did the same with you and your young'ns. He knows that you are the best mom for those hearts and lives he's placed in your home. Love them well. Know them well. Encourage their dreams. And always treasure up all these things and ponder them in your heart.
As I have listened and sung along, over & over, I have begun to think about Mary, the mother of the Christ child. Did she really know that Jesus would walk on water, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, heal the lame? Did she know that the baby she held and kissed and rocked to sleep at night was God in flesh? The Great I AM?
I propose that she probably did know.
First of all, In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel brings Mary the word of the LORD and says, "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever...The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1.31-35) This was a mouthful from the angel. But it gives us some background to see that Mary did know who it was that she would carry, where the baby she would birth came from, & where He was going. She had some history and information about baby Jesus - she was not in the dark.
My second reasoning for Mary's potential "knowledge" is that she was Jesus' mom. I have 2 boys and although I didn't have a visit from the Arch Angel to declare their births or tell me about their futures, I did spend almost every minute with them once they took their first breath of air. I rocked them and fed them. I kissed their boo-boos and gave them baths. I helped them get dressed and taught them how to count and say their ABC's. We played "Peek-A-Boo" and colored and sang many a song together. And in this process of being their mom, I know them. Maybe I don't know the exact job they will hold, but I know where their skills, talents, and passions lie. I might not know who they will marry, but I know the character qualities that they will most likely be attracted to. I know my boys because I am their mom.
I believe that although Mary may not have known specifically that Jesus would walk on water or heal the deaf, she did know who He was. She knew His potential - not only from Gabriel's words, but because she was His mom. In Jesus' first recorded miracle, Mary was there. They were at a wedding in Cana. Mary comes to Jesus and tells him that the wine supply is low. Jesus explains to her that this is not their problem for "My time has not yet come." However, Mary knows who Jesus is. I don't think she "foresaw" anything. I don't think she even knew exactly what He could or would do. But based on what happens next, she had faith in who He was. She looks at the servants, after Jesus said it wasn't His time, and says, "Do whatever He tells you." At this, in obedience to His mom, Jesus gives instructions for the water jugs to be filled with water and dipped out for the master and this "water" is now the best wine of the celebration. (John 2.1-11)
I am not saying that Mary is divine. I'm not saying she should be honored or worshiped. I'm just saying that she was a mom. I'm realizing that, as a mom, she probably did have at least a glimpse of what Jesus was capable of. She probably caught sight of his divinity seeping through His humanity. I think that we may wonder about her knowledge because the Bible doesn't really give us a lot of detailed information about Mary - she isn't quoted much or even mentioned much, past the birth & early life of Jesus. However, when she saw and felt and experienced Her Son and the things surrounding Him, she "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2.19)
God looked down through all eternity and picked Mary to be Jesus' mom. She was the one who would know and love him best. He did the same with you and your young'ns. He knows that you are the best mom for those hearts and lives he's placed in your home. Love them well. Know them well. Encourage their dreams. And always treasure up all these things and ponder them in your heart.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Fire Walking Faith
Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego were some pretty awesome guys in the Old Testament. I have always been drawn into their account since the early flannel board Sunday School lessons, but in the last several years, I have become overwhelmed at how very strong their faith in God was.
I'm always in awe when reading scripture and think it very odd that so many people just read past something like, "The fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." (Daniel 3.27) That's crazy stuff there! That's miraculous! I mean, have you ever stood outside next to the bar-b-q grill? You can't help but smell like fire. Yet, these men were thrown into a blazing furnace - heated 7 times hotter than hot - and didn't even smell like smoke! So why were they in the fire?
Well, you see, the King (Nebuchadnezzar) had built a golden image and was requiring all to bow down to this statue any time the music played. If one did not bow, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Enter Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego. They did not bow. These young men had been brought to Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. He took all the best things - gold, riches, sacred objects, and strong men. These 3 were among his captives. Having found favor with the King and his leaders, these 3 were promoted and made leaders themselves. Finding themselves living, working, socializing, etc. in a very lost, pagan world, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego did not let that diminish their walk with YHWH. How do I know this? Because they did not bow!
When the order and its consequences were heralded loudly and the musicians began to play, these 3 men stood tall. They stood out. They were different. They were noticed. This "rebellion" infuriated the other Babylonian leaders so they tattled on them to the King. And the Bible says that the King was "furious with rage" and had the men brought before him. [Listen, when you walk with God, you will look different. You will stand out. And some people will be mad.]
King Nebuchadnezzar gives them another chance. He says, "I'll have the band play again and when you hear it, you go ahead and bow down and we'll be good. But if you don't bow, you'll be thrown into the furnace and then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" (Daniel 3.15) He's not playin'!
But here's what I feel is one of the greatest examples of real, solid faith in the Bible. These young Hebrews stand in front of the all powerful King of Babylon and say, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not bow!" (Daniel 3.16-18)
So history tells us that this only infuriated the King more and in his rage he commanded that the furnace be heated 7 times hotter than normal. He had them bound up - fully dressed, turbans and all - and thrown into the furnace. In such haste and with the extreme heat, the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego into the furnace died instantly! But the King jumps to his feet in stunned question..."Didn't we just tie up 3 men and throw them into the furnace?" This really seems like a silly question...you know you did. It just happened like five seconds ago. But he continues, "I see 4 men, walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the forth looks like a son of the gods." (Daniel 3.24-25)
The King calls the men out and this is where they see that the fire has not only not consumed them, but it hasn't even left a mark...not even a hint of smoke. Then King Nebuchadnezzar says, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego!" He then issues a decree that anyone who says anything against their God will be "cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble..." (You can't make this stuff up!) "for no other god can save in this way!" (Daniel 3.28-29)
These 3 men walked with God - wherever He led them. They stood for Him when everyone else bowed to idols. They risked their jobs, reputations, and lives for the One they knew was able. But don't miss this, friends, they didn't know that God would rescue their lives. Oh, they knew He could. "Our God is able to deliver us..." But their faith in God was so real that they continued with, "BUT, even if He doesn't, we will NOT bow!"
They walked in relationship with God everyday and they knew Him; they trusted Him. They had faith that His ways were higher and better than their own and if that meant death by flames, so be it. They would not compromise. They walked with God in the everyday - and He walked with them in the furnace.
I'm learning that in order to stand boldly for God at the mouth of the fiery furnace and proclaim that I will not bow, I've got to know Him. I've got to walk with Him everyday, every moment. I've got to know that I know that I know that He is ABLE...but, to also have the faith that even if He does not show up the way I would like, He is still God...He is still good. The fires we face do not change who He is. Malachi 3.6 says, "I am the LORD, and I do not change." So if He walked with Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, He will walk with me.
I'm so glad that I serve a God who walks with His children...even in the furnace.
I'm always in awe when reading scripture and think it very odd that so many people just read past something like, "The fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." (Daniel 3.27) That's crazy stuff there! That's miraculous! I mean, have you ever stood outside next to the bar-b-q grill? You can't help but smell like fire. Yet, these men were thrown into a blazing furnace - heated 7 times hotter than hot - and didn't even smell like smoke! So why were they in the fire?
Well, you see, the King (Nebuchadnezzar) had built a golden image and was requiring all to bow down to this statue any time the music played. If one did not bow, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. Enter Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego. They did not bow. These young men had been brought to Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. He took all the best things - gold, riches, sacred objects, and strong men. These 3 were among his captives. Having found favor with the King and his leaders, these 3 were promoted and made leaders themselves. Finding themselves living, working, socializing, etc. in a very lost, pagan world, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego did not let that diminish their walk with YHWH. How do I know this? Because they did not bow!
When the order and its consequences were heralded loudly and the musicians began to play, these 3 men stood tall. They stood out. They were different. They were noticed. This "rebellion" infuriated the other Babylonian leaders so they tattled on them to the King. And the Bible says that the King was "furious with rage" and had the men brought before him. [Listen, when you walk with God, you will look different. You will stand out. And some people will be mad.]
King Nebuchadnezzar gives them another chance. He says, "I'll have the band play again and when you hear it, you go ahead and bow down and we'll be good. But if you don't bow, you'll be thrown into the furnace and then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" (Daniel 3.15) He's not playin'!
But here's what I feel is one of the greatest examples of real, solid faith in the Bible. These young Hebrews stand in front of the all powerful King of Babylon and say, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not bow!" (Daniel 3.16-18)
So history tells us that this only infuriated the King more and in his rage he commanded that the furnace be heated 7 times hotter than normal. He had them bound up - fully dressed, turbans and all - and thrown into the furnace. In such haste and with the extreme heat, the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego into the furnace died instantly! But the King jumps to his feet in stunned question..."Didn't we just tie up 3 men and throw them into the furnace?" This really seems like a silly question...you know you did. It just happened like five seconds ago. But he continues, "I see 4 men, walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the forth looks like a son of the gods." (Daniel 3.24-25)
The King calls the men out and this is where they see that the fire has not only not consumed them, but it hasn't even left a mark...not even a hint of smoke. Then King Nebuchadnezzar says, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego!" He then issues a decree that anyone who says anything against their God will be "cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble..." (You can't make this stuff up!) "for no other god can save in this way!" (Daniel 3.28-29)
These 3 men walked with God - wherever He led them. They stood for Him when everyone else bowed to idols. They risked their jobs, reputations, and lives for the One they knew was able. But don't miss this, friends, they didn't know that God would rescue their lives. Oh, they knew He could. "Our God is able to deliver us..." But their faith in God was so real that they continued with, "BUT, even if He doesn't, we will NOT bow!"
They walked in relationship with God everyday and they knew Him; they trusted Him. They had faith that His ways were higher and better than their own and if that meant death by flames, so be it. They would not compromise. They walked with God in the everyday - and He walked with them in the furnace.
I'm learning that in order to stand boldly for God at the mouth of the fiery furnace and proclaim that I will not bow, I've got to know Him. I've got to walk with Him everyday, every moment. I've got to know that I know that I know that He is ABLE...but, to also have the faith that even if He does not show up the way I would like, He is still God...He is still good. The fires we face do not change who He is. Malachi 3.6 says, "I am the LORD, and I do not change." So if He walked with Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego, He will walk with me.
I'm so glad that I serve a God who walks with His children...even in the furnace.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Blogging My Words
So I've been feeling this strong desire to blog again. I feel that as I study the scripture & maybe learn some things or gain insight through life, I would like an outlet to express all that is going on in my head & my heart. Thus the blog. And, the name of this blog - "furnacewalking" - came from some of my most recent ponderings over an Old Testement account which I will share in my next post.
Thanks for stopping by & reading my words.
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