Mary - Part Two

After Mary had been visited by Gabriel and told of her pregnancy as well as Elizabeth's, she went and stayed with Elizabeth for quite some time. In every way it was a visit that had a joyous and earthly meaning, with a heavenly stamp of protection, nurturing, and care on its form. The reunion of these two women was one full of joy and silent understanding. But also one of rejoicing. Mary was not a mangled mess of emotions, but instead, she was praising God and magnifying His name and wondrous works. Mary was carrying the Savior of the World in her womb and Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist, His forerunner, in her womb. Both a miracle performed by Jehovah Himself.

The visit to Elizabeth was one that was used twofold in the life of Mary. Elizabeth's understanding, comfort, friendship, and rejoicing were much needed for Mary who had been shunned and ousted due to dishonor and ridicule that surrounded her. Scripture doesn't say, but Mary could very well have been rejected and abandoned by her family – the ones who should have loved, protected, and supported her. This could have been a very alone time and discouraging time for her, but God never leaves us alone. He is always with us and He was with Mary. Elizabeth was one who understood what was taking place and was a true source of comfort and nourishment for Mary during this time.

Elizabeth's home also served as a safe haven for Mary. In that day and time, the dishonor of one's actions or sins was not just on an individual basis, but affected the entire group - the family. It was cataclysmic and had a ripple affect. Because of this dishonor, especially having a child out of wedlock, it was not uncommon for one to be stoned or harm brought upon them for the act. But, God had each turn and fold in the fabric of Mary’s life worked out, thus He had her nestled safely under His wing of protection for three months in the house of Elizabeth. 

Even under that protection and the covering of His wing and the comfort and companionship of Elizabeth, I'm sure Mary was aware of what was out there - the rejection, the possibly hatred towards her, the harm and danger, and the dishonor falling on her name. I’m sure her days with Elizabeth were filled with joy, but in the quietness and aloneness of the night, I’m sure that unwanted tears escaped down her cheeks as tried to assure herself that God was in control and that the He would work it all out in the end. That her silent and alone battle was one that would bring glory to His name, and would not fall flat.

Mary could have questioned God as to why He was doing this, why she was being dishonored. Why bad things were coming of His will for her life. But, from what we see, she didn’t. She served God, she was faithful … she trusted in Him and His plan. She kept her gaze upward and had faith that God would show His glory through it all.

May we be like Mary in that when the times get hard we don’t walk away, instead we look to God and keep pressing forward. Knowing that He never leaves us alone and He is ever watching over us and nurturing us. He has a plan and purpose for each and everything in our life. Through Mary’s abandonment she was given the opportunity to lean solely on God. He was her main man through it all. Even when she had Elizabeth and later Joseph, she still had to keep her focus on God. May we remember that our gaze is to remain upward – through good and bad – trusting only Him to get us through while we rest safely under the cover and protection of His wings. He holds it all in our hands…including our hand. We are never alone. Trust Him. Have faith. The good, bad, and ugly are all primary colors on the color wheel called “All Things”. Through the use of that color wheel we find a beautiful picture that came to be because “…all things work together for good to them that love God…”

To have the faith and trust of Mary – that each thing was part of God’s plan. Strive for that kind of faith and trust…strive to be a Mary.

Mary - Part One

So often I forget that she was real. She was human. She had emotions. She had feelings. She was a living being that walked this earth just like you and me. She had a mom and dad. She was once a little girl, and probably was still quite young when her life was changed forever. She grew weary, she got tired, she would get sick, and she would feel fear, pain, hurt, heartache, and joy. She wept. She carried the burdens of life. She knelt on her knees and prayed to God, having faith in Him that His promise would come to pass. She hid His word in her heart. She battled sin; she battled life. Yet, the character that is depicted within the pages of the New Testament shines light on a woman who, despite being every bit human, facing all the temptations and struggles that you and I face, she was one full of faith, obedience, love, joy, assertiveness, humbleness, and was devoted. She was noted as the one who "...found favour with God." (Luke 1:30) and was given the amazing responsibility and blessing from God - to birth Jesus Christ. This could be written without ever mentioning her name because of the legacy and the story that she is cast a key role in. Her mother wrapped her in a blanket and her father named her Mary all those years ago, not knowing that their little girl would grow up to be the one God chose to bring His promise to pass.

I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to be visited by an angel, but that was exactly what happened to Mary. And in that moment’s happenings, her life was changed forever. Was Gabriel’s presence enough to catch her attention? Did he gently nudge her? Did he call her name?  However he may have captured her attention, she was not afraid of him, but more so amused by his presence. I wonder if in the midst of their conversing if she realized that it was the beginning of the fulfilling of the promise that the world had been waiting for - the promise that she had clung to since she understood its capacity and meaning? There must have been a silence that swept over heaven and earth as the glory realm held their breath in that life-changing moment as Gabriel finally began to unfold the task God had appointed to her. The task that He knew she would accept. She was faithful. He chose her for that reason. She had found favor in His sight.

The world must have screeched to a dead halt for Mary. She probably fought to stabilize herself as he told her that she had been chosen by God to carry His Son - the Chosen One, the Redeemer, the Salvation of the World - in HER WOMB. She had found favor in God's eyes, the Lord was with her, and she was blessed among women. With trembling hands and confusion building its stronghold in her airway, I’m sure she tried to steady her breathing as she listened to the details the Gabriel relayed to her - the name of the child, the Father of the child, the purpose of the child. I’m sure it took all the strength in her to keep her feet planted firmly on the ground. Maybe Gabriel held her in place. I can’t imagine how I would have accepted such an assignment. It was impossible. There was no way it could happen. How could it be so? I’m sure Mary’s confusion and lack of understanding was not contained to her heart, but showed on her expression as Gabriel continued with his message that had been ordained from above. Mary being human, being a sinner in need of a savior, being every bit vulnerable to temptation and failure, could have refused and said there was no way she was going to do this. She knew the dishonor that would befall not just her, but her entire family. She would be rejected, despised, and ousted. She was espoused to Joseph - she could very well lose him because of this. But she was faithful, she was obedient, and she wanted to serve God and follow Him. As Gabriel was finishing his message he slipped in a piece of information - Elizabeth’s God ordained pregnancy. One might find that insignificant and unneeded, but God used that piece in a vital way later on.

I wonder if Mary and Gabriel walked along as they were talking, or if all took place in the quietness of a room, or maybe it was in the shadow and covering of the night? It doesn’t say, but as their conversation came to a close, Gabriel must’ve seen the confusion, the fear, the grasping for understanding that was pulsing through Mary, because he offers these parting words of comfort before leaving her, “With God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) It brought no understanding, but pointed her faith and trust to God. I am sure with a voice trembling due to lack of understanding, but a voice made audible and possible because of faith and trust in her God, she was able to murmur her words of obedience and acceptance of the task appointed to her, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38).

Oh to be like Mary! To be one that God has watched so tenderly and sees the character, the devotion, the faithfulness, the trust, and the willingness that no matter what He asks of us, we simply say “…be it unto me according to thy word.” One that God knows He can assign a task to and it will be accepted and done for His glory and our good.

The Leap of Faith

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Growing up, I was always afraid of heights. After much convincing, I would sometimes try different things like rollercoaster’s or climbing a tree but there was one thing I could never talk myself into doing… jumping off the highest diving board at our local water park. Several times I would climb the huge ladder all the way to the top and slowly make my way to the edge of the board but as soon as I looked down and saw how far away the water was, I would freeze. Every bone in my body would hold me back from jumping off. It was a fear of the unknown. It was something I had to do alone; no one could help me and I simply wasn’t brave enough to face that fear and take the leap of faith.

In the same way, as Christians, we often have a similar experience in our walk with Christ to the one of facing the high diving board. We have no problem “climbing the ladder” in our relationship with Christ – growing closer to Him and reaping His blessings.  But when the comfort of the handles on the ladder are gone and we get to the edge of the diving board and see what it is God is really asking of us, every bone in our body – our human nature - holds us back from jumping off. We have complete and utter fear of the unknown when we realize we really have no idea what will happen if we take the leap of faith to get to the place God wants us to be in our lives.

 Jumping off and taking the leap of faith seems impossible at first. We may think we are alone and can’t possibly be brave enough to do it. We remember how much more comfortable we were on the ground and may be tempted to turn back. But we can’t because we’ve already climbed the ladder - we’ve already grown closer to the Lord and received blessings from Him. We have to take the leap. Unlike a real diving board experience though, we will not be jumping off from the safety of the board alone. There is someone who will be jumping off with us and will also be there when we land in the water below… the Lord Himself. But how do we possibly take the leap of faith?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” To take the leap of faith, all we have to do is trust in the Lord with all our hearts. It sounds easy, but it really is one of the hardest tasks a Christian will ever have. To trust God with all our hearts means that we don’t have even one little doubt come into our minds about what He can do for us in an impossible situation. That is faith – to be sure of what you hope for and what you cannot see. Oswald Chambers once stated “Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.” We can’t doubt God’s power and plan if we want to truly trust Him.

This passage not only says to trust in the Lord with all your heart but it also says to lean not unto your own understanding. The word “trust” here is often used with the word “dwell” meaning safety and security. By trusting we learn to dwell in the Lord completely. Safety and security is not something we can get from our own strength. We have to let go of our desires to be in control and our want to understand everything that is happening to us and just focus on dwelling in the One who does. We may not understand why God is doing something, yet we cannot base a situation on what we think, we have to base it on what God thinks. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Just because we can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean that He doesn’t have a plan. A farmer sows and tends to his crop, then leaves the harvest to God. The farmer can’t bring sunshine and rain; only God can do that. In the same way, we have to leave the results of a situation to God’s control. We can sow the seeds and tend to the crop, but we have to leave the outcome up to the Lord. If we desire what He wills and wants for our lives and don’t look to our own way or plans, then we will learn to trust Him.

Verse 6 in Proverbs 3 goes on to say “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.” The word “acknowledge” means to admit existence, to recognize, or to express thanks and gratitude. Whatever situation you are in or circumstance you're going through acknowledge Him. Recognize how He has used it to strengthen you and thank Him for it. Don’t just thank Him for letting you climb the ladder – for growing more in Him and all His blessings – but also thank Him for taking you to the edge of the diving board - for helping you to realize you cannot walk the Christian life alone. When you do all of this God will direct your path, He will help you as you take the leap of faith. He promises that He will. The verse says “He shall direct thy paths.”  1 Corinthians 16:10 says “He worketh.” It’s present tense – happening now. As soon as we trust Him, let Him control our lives, and fully acknowledge Him, He begins working.

Knowing that God will be there with us no matter what happens, guiding us and leading us to where He wants us to be, will give us the peace and comfort we need to let go of the things we hold onto in life for safety and to take the jump. When we let go of our “safety blankets”, it allows our hands to be free to completely hold onto God. If you are close enough to Him, He won’t let a second go by without your hand being empty. He is there to take it, hold onto it tightly, and never let it go as He leads you in the path for your life. That’s what this passage is talking about – God wants to direct our paths but we have to let Him. The word “direct” means to manage, move toward a goal, and to guide or instruct. That’s what we should strive for as Christians – for God to guide and instruct us as He moves us towards His goal and purpose for our lives.

We may still not know what the outcome will be when we take the leap of faith. But by trusting in God with all your heart, leaning not on your own understanding, and acknowledging Him in all your ways, it will help you to be prepared to go wherever He is taking you. It may not seem like the path of least resistance at the time. It may not be the easy or popular way to go. But when we do take the leap and see where God takes us – how He used our willing, faithful, trusting hearts - we will see that it was worth it to let go of our plans and dreams for His Will and desire for us as He leads us In the Light of His Glory. His way is always best. His plan and timing is forever perfect. All we have to do is take the leap of faith.   

The Master Weaver

The Master Weaver

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

When we look back on events in our lives, so often we have to admit that we are guilty of trying to justify each one, trying to make each one make sense, and often times we find ourselves standing before God with that event in hand, questioning Him as to why it’s there. It is human nature I suppose, but human nature needs to be buried and a life full of joy and understanding in the Lord needs to be unearthed. It’s what is best for each one of us, and most of all it's what our heavenly Father wants for each of us. He will never force us to turn to Him, to look to Him for understanding, to seek His comfort, His love, and to find rest in His outstretched arms, to become pliable, weaveable under His touch.

In Romans, we begin to find understanding for each area of our life. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). The first thing that catches my attention in the verse is the word “together.” It doesn’t mean separately, apart from, individually, solely, exclusively or aside from; it means in correlation to, in unison, as one, hand-in-hand. It’s not individual events or things in our life acting apart from one another, but instead it is each event or thing acting in conjunction with each other and affecting each other in some way – losing their individuality so that they may blend together as one.

It is often hard for us to see how something or some event will ever be of any good or use to us for that matter. It appears to be a lost hope. God took His hands off of us and allowed the devil to bring a beating down upon us...Why would a loving God allow such a horrible, tainted, and ugly things to take place?...Isn’t He the God of love? Going back to the verse mentioned above, if we take the words “all things” and realize what it is saying, we will look at each area in our life that we want to question and realize it didn’t happen because of a glitch or lifting of God’s hand. “All things” means every event, circumstance, happening, and thing that has been penned in our life’s story was all part of God’s plan. It may only serve as a means of preparing our heart, or maybe preparing us mentally and sometimes even physically. No matter what it’s purpose may be, it has a purpose indeed. It is part of the “all things.” Not some things, not a few things, not the things that we see as good or bad, but ALL things. Each one jointly working together for one purpose – God’s purpose.

Most often the pressure and fire we feel is indeed the Saviour Himself unraveling His all-encompassing love around us. We, in our mortal, fleshly state, fail to see it as love though. His hands blanketed over us in protection are viewed as smothering, His pressing fingers on our clay being are sometimes misunderstood as God causing pain and bad in our life, and His purifying of things that separate us from Him is seen through eyes of resentment and anger. When in reality that isn’t the case at all, but just our fleshly reasoning. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8) In fact, each of those areas are a huge outpouring of God’s love and care in our life. He loved us and accepted us the way we were when we came to Him, but His love is beyond understanding. He takes the unconditional love and strives continually to see us made better. He loves us so much that He will not leave us in our debilitating state that we were found in. He blankets His hands over us to shelter us in His love that nothing can harm us  - “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4).

He puts our clay being on the Potter’s wheel and with each spin of the wheel, He presses His fingers to begin molding us into the beautiful image that only He can create - “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord, Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:1). He begins the process of purifying us by fire so that we may emerge pure and more precious with each rise in temperature, with each trial, with each valley  - “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10). It is indeed as Paul said, “all things work together for good.” Each area in our life is tied to another  - blended and weaved - for a purpose that only God knows and can reveal when the timing is right.

If we think of our lives as a basket, we can begin to see how the weaving process takes place, how each event is crucial, how it all weaves together. How “all things work together for good.”  If we want to create a sturdy basket, one that will withstand the wears and tears of life, one that will suffice to carry us through this life, we must create a sturdy base. The base is the first thing that is weaved together. When we come to God for salvation (“…to them that love God…” Romans 8:28), we come torn, tattered, crooked, and out of place. In order to create a sturdy base though, each piece needs to be straightened out, trimmed of tattered edges, and put into its proper place. “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Philippians 3:21) Sometimes these pieces are dried out and have become hard and it requires the Weaver to soak them in water (the Word of God, the Holy Spirit working in our lives, the use of others in our lives) in order to become pliable in His hands. “Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about…” (Job 10:8) As the base is established and made sturdy, then the weaving can begin to take place.

Each piece has to be bent up to begin creating the walls – the technical term is literally called “upsetting the spokes.” God brings hard times in our lives – the “upsetting of the spokes” – to bend us upward towards His working hands. “Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:5,6,10) The “upsetting of the spokes” can be thought of as the hard times in our life. The things that bend us out of our normal, fleshly ways. The unexpected happening, the unexpected loss, the unexpected diagnosis – each are bending us, upsetting us. So long as we are pliable under the Weavers touch, we will bend upward and not splinter and break under His weaving. A piece may split under the pressure. It will hurt like nothing has hurt before, but the Weaver applies “ointment” to prevent the split from hurting us any further or from spreading. He heals the wound, but leaves the scar as a reminder.

Imagine the hurt it must cause the Weaver though when a spoke or reed splinters and breaks under His loving touch because it was fighting the bending that means only good. As the splinters – the nails – drive into His hands and fingers, He must grimace in pain and disappointment – feel the hurt that we are going through – feel our body jolt and writhe in pain as we are broken. His hands soothe and calm our being as His heart aches by our unwillingness to be bent. But He doesn’t give up and walk away from the broken one. He begins mending. As the Weaver pulls out the broken, useless spoke, it causes pain once again. The other spokes are moved and rubbed the wrong way, but the Weaver just keeps pulling it until it is loosened from the basket. The pain seems unbearable; the space left is noticeable and unpleasant to look at. But, the Weaver pulls out a new spoke – a second chance - and begins gently weaving it back in the place of the broken piece that was removed. He then goes back and straightens out each piece that was “upset” in the process of removing the broken spoke – the unusable piece – so that it’s purpose may be attained and the weaving can continue. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” (Job  13:15) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared every good work.” (Philippians 2:21).

As the weaving continues, the Weaver must constantly tug at each piece so that it forms a tight and unmovable weave – one that won’t fall apart under the strain and the weight of the load it will carry. Thus, the tugging is crucial. No, tugging isn’t pleasant for the one being tugged, but without it, it is left loose and vulnerable to falling apart and separating when under pressure. The tugs – the burdens that tug our heart and pain us – are what strengthen us and allows us to be weaved tighter and sturdier. The tugging insures a sturdy base and creates the arch in it. These arches serve as “feet” to the basket. We need feet to stand. The Weaver tugs to strengthen the base, to create the arch, to give “feet” for which to stand on.

It is only after we have been through the weaving of the base, the “upsetting of the spokes” upward, and the tugging that the Weaver begins to weave each strand in place to create the sides – the walls – of the basket. The walls to hold all that He has for us – the tools for us to use throughout life, the blessings He wishes to shower upon us, and the ability to carry others when they are lacking the strength to stand on their own. The weaving of the sides is where the shape comes into vision. Each piece – event, circumstance, happening, heartache, and joy-filled time – are weaved together. They create the shape of the basket – unique to the Weaver's purpose. No piece can be left out because it would leave a gap or a weak spot in the basket. Each piece, in the words of our verse, “work together for good.” Some of the pieces are bigger than others and are sturdier (the trials in life strengthen) “The Lord will give strength unto his people...” (Psalm 29:11) and some are smaller and more pliable and are easily weaved (the joys, blessings, and laughter in life), but no matter what its size or strength, each one is vital and helps the other.

They work hand-in-hand in the hands of the Weaver. He picks each piece out by hand, choosing each one carefully and lovingly.  He knows the purpose of the basket and He knows which pieces to weave into it so it can fulfill its purpose – “to them who are called according to his purpose.” Each piece – each event, trial, and time in our life – was lovingly and carefully weaved in place by the Weaver Himself. He knew they would be there and He knew that they would weave together perfectly for His purpose. “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17) He knew exactly where to place each one – the timing of the event – so that it would be used to strengthen and prepare for the next piece to be weaved in. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Each one was carefully and meticulously thought out. Each has a purpose. Each works together for good in the hands of the Weaver. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

No piece – no event, no heartache, no happy time, no hard time – can be left out of the weave. It would be incomplete in form and void of stability. Our life basket is being weaved by the Master Weaver daily. He weaves beauty and color in our lives by adding those pieces – friends, mentors, loved ones – that brighten our being. He leaves no detail void. He has an ultimate goal for our life basket. Sometimes it may seem full and like it isn’t going to hold, but we can have faith in our Weaver that He has weaved each piece in place and it will hold. Our previous happenings have weaved the strength needed for the load that has been placed in our basket. And without each piece in that weave – it wouldn’t be a weave at all. It would be a pile of useless pieces. But in the hands of the Weaver, no piece goes unused.

Trusting Him as our Weaver – our Creator – we are accepting that we can’t carry anything without Him. “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.” (Psalm 71:1) He weaved us and has enabled us to withstand everything He brings into our life - everything laid in our basket. Without Him – without His weaving – we couldn’t hold the burdens of this life. And, when we have given up all hope, believing that we cannot hold the weight, that we are going to fall apart under the weight of the burden, under the fire of the trail, under the pressures of the world, remember this: the basket of life – our life – is in the hands of the Weaver. He is holding it and is the one bearing the weight. Don’t for a minute think that He expects us to carry it on our own. Our basket can only hold but so much. We are to give over to Him those things which He never intended to be put in our basket (things we untrustingly threw it in there thinking we knew best or could do it on our own). He holds it all in His hands. Trust Him. Trust His weaving. His timing. His willing. His love. Paul said it best, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) May we not question the pieces, but let the Weaver weave each one for His purpose that we may live In the Light of His Glory. “I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 130:14)

The Faithful Creator

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

All of us at one time or another has made something. Whether it was something small or large, we had a purpose for creating it. When going to create something, we do all in our power to make it right the first time because if we knew our creation was going to have errors, we wouldn’t create it in the first place. Often when what we have made doesn’t come out exactly how we originally envisioned it, we become frustrated and impatient and shortly give up. But there is one Creator who sees all the errors and all the flaws His creation is going to have before He even makes it, yet He still sees it as worth creating and never gets impatient with how long the process might take. Before the Creator, our God, even formed us in the womb, He knew us, His creation.

It really is impossible for me to comprehend the fact that God knew me before He even created me. Because of this, He knew all the flaws and errors I was going to have. He saw that He was going to have to keep going back over and over and over again to fix me before I was ready for the purpose He created me for. He saw how many times I was going to have to learn lessons from His word and how many trials He would have to put me through to understand it. But He looked passed all my flaws and errors and still had a purpose for me and saw me as worth creating.

In Jeremiah 1:5 it not only says that God knew us before He created us, but also that He ordained and sanctified us before we were born. “Sanctify” means to be set apart. For every single person born on this earth, God has a special plan and purpose “set apart” for them. This can be an overwhelming reality to think about finding God’s true purpose for your life. But the wonderful thing is that God already knows what that purpose is. He knew before you were born. God knew every word you would speak and every decision you would make. He knew every trial you would face. He knew every person you would meet and He knew exactly where the path of your life would lead - all to get you exactly where He wants you to be.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” John 17:17-19. Just as Jesus had a purpose in coming to the world, so does every Christian. Sanctification is “a state of separation unto God.” We enter into this state after salvation. It’s a once and forever separation from the world eternally unto God. In John 17, it is talking about setting apart believers for the purpose for which they were sent into this world. Just as Jesus set Himself apart for the purpose that He was sent for, so should we as Christians set ourselves apart from the ways of the world for the purpose we are sent for.

 This passage reminds me that God truly does have a purpose for each and every one of His children. But not even Jesus fulfilled His purpose on earth right away. He had to grow and mature before He could bare the load of the cross. In the same way, we as Christians have to grow and mature spiritually before we can completely fulfill God’s purpose for us on earth. But how do we find that purpose? We let God control our ship.

If God is the captain of our ship of life; He will help us sail through the storm-tossed seas. His Word is the lighthouse guiding us from crashing in the darkness. If we ignore the lighthouse or attempt to grab the wheel from our captain’s hand, it will only lead us to destruction. It is easy for us to look out on the dark sea and become afraid because we have no idea where we are going. But God knows exactly where to lead us; we just have to trust Him.  John 14:1 says, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (Jesus’ own words) If we let God steer our ship, He will lead us only through the storms that are necessary for us to go through to reach our destination – our purpose. At times, we may feel like we have gone through too many storms and that our ship is too damaged for Him to even be able to steer us. But with God, all things are possible and He can steer any boat – even the broken ones – to His purpose. II Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” God is able to use everything we have battled in our lives and use it for His glory. Only He could do that.

Because He will be the one at the helm when we are facing the crashing waves and the intense winds of the storm, He will keep our ship from crashing until we get to the other side. We will be tempted to reach for control ourselves when the storm seems to be lasting longer than anticipated or is more intense then we think we can handle. During these times God will test our faith in Him and teach us to completely rely on Him to bring us through the trials – the storm. Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Be still, and know that I am God. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

God is our strength. He won’t let us sink or crash. He will never make the storm more intense than what we can truly handle. And when we come out on the other side of the storm, we will see how it was worth it to trust Him – it was worth it to let Him lead the way. Because when we make it through the storm, we see His promise, the rainbow – the beautiful thing that makes us realize it was worth it to endure the pain and suffering, all for His glory. Just like I Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

 Trials will come, but it is all part of getting to God’s purpose for us on this earth. Each and every storm is God’s way of helping us grow more in Him, learn more about Him, and become closer to His vision for us. We may fail Him at times and seem to be insufficient for His purpose for us. But if we trust Him and His power, He will bring us exactly where He wants us in His timing. 1 Peter 4:19 says, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” We may have to suffer to find God’s will. But if we commit our souls – our ship – to God, He will guide us. From before we were even born and until the day we die, He will always be our faithful Creator.

Who's Driving

In this life - this journey - we are constantly traveling along, there are choices we make. You can think of the whole thing - the journey - as if you were driving. If I choose to drive, to be in control I am taking on quite the obstacle. It would be one thing if I KNEW exactly where I was going. If it was a place that I had been to over and over, but you and I both know that we have no clue where this journey is taking us. I can sit in the drivers seat, driving along all while trying to drive, read directions, and keep my eyes on the road. Even if I have my handy dandy GPS, it is still something I have to figure out, have to listen to, have to pay attention to, and even something to distract me. I will take my eyes off the road; my eyes off the directions. I will make wrong turns, I will get distracted and there will come a time or two or three, when I lose my way completely. After all, I have no clue where I am going. I may be one of those people that has a pretty good sense of direction. Great! But, I would have to know where I am going to "sense" the direction, yes? I think you are beginning to see that I am setting out to fail. There is no way I can get where I am supposed to be going and get there when I am supposed to, all while making the right turns along the way.

I can't drive. I can't do it all on my own. But, there is someone who can - God. When I step out of the drivers seat, He steps in and takes the wheel. Giving Him the freedom to take the wheel and drive. He is the only one who knows the way. When He is in the drivers seat I am able to keep my eyes fixed on the journey. Not to mention that I get to enjoy the ride. I can see all the things I would have never seen if I was in the drivers seat. I get to take in the beauty of the journey. All the "scenic routes" - the blessings - along the way. All things that I would have never seen or even noticed for that matter, had I been driving. Or maybe I would have noticed them, but because I was driving I would have veered off the journey.

There will be times along the journey when it requires me to go through a storm - the trials - but with God in the drivers seat there is nothing to worry about. He knows the way and He can calm the storm. Sometimes He will take me through them just so I can see that He is with me. He knows the way and I have nothing to fear. He takes me through to show and prove His love.

Sometimes the journey will grow dark and weary, the road almost seems to disappear and there are times when I can see the road ending. Yet, He knows the way and just when I was about to give up hope, there was a road of escape that I never saw and would have never seen had He not been driving. I would have stopped when I saw the road was getting rough, yet because He was driving we went to the end and there was the way of escape - the way that only He could provide and take me to.

When I let Him drive, I get to enjoy my time with Him. Getting to know Him, talking to Him, spending that sweet one-on-one time with Him. Yet, sometimes in the midst of all the good times - the easy roads, the ones that seem to span out flat and easy - I think I can do it on my own. I push, I shove, and I work my way back into the drivers seat. After all, He lets me drive when I really insist on it. Why not try it out?

There is something that only He would do though. He lets me in the drivers seat and allows me to take the wheel, but He never leaves me. He takes His place in the passengers seat and with a broken heart, watches as I try to navigate my way. A tear slips down His face as I take a wrong turn, He reaches for my hand when I fall asleep at the wheel, and His heart breaks over every storm I try to make it through on my own. But all along the way He is sitting there right beside me waiting and wanting me to let Him take the wheel - to let Him in the drivers seat. He never begs, never pushes, nor does He ever try to force His way back behind the wheel. He waits and He watches with a broken heart, hoping and praying I will let Him drive before it is too late.

When I have driven into the deepest, darkest place; I'm lost beyond all hope, it's a dead-end road. I get out of the car. I walk to edge and see it's a cliff. I've no where to go. I drop my head in shame. I stand there as tears begin to slip down my face. But then I feel a hand on my shoulder. He looks at me through tear filled eyes, and asks in a loving caring voice, "May I drive?". I burst into tears and hand Him the keys. I thought I could drive, I thought I would be okay. He hugs me, He picks me up and carries me to the passengers seat. Through eyes filled with tears I gaze up and say, "I'm sorry." He looks at me in love and says, "Rest now my child, I know the way."

The Book of Esther

The book of Esther picks up with the telling of the event leading up to Esther being brought to the palace. Queen Vashti disobeyed and was removed by King Ahasuerus because she refused to come before him when he called for her. She disobeyed ('twas not a pleasant time for anyone in the kingdom, I'm sure), but it was only through that happening that the word was sent out for the young women of the land to be sought for King Ahasuerus. Queen Vashti's disobedience had a ripple effect on everyone. However, it was through this that Esther was brought to the palace.

Hit rewind, though, and go all the way back to Esther's childhood. Esther was orphaned as a child. Her parents died. What a horrible thing to go through as a child. It doesn't say how old she was, if she remembered it, if she dealt with the heart-wrenching grief that would overtake someone - a child - in such a situation. Even if she didn't remember it, I'm sure there were many times throughout her childhood when she would see the "perfect family" and she wished she had a mommy to hug her, to hold her, to wipe away her tears, to talk to her, to just be there. I'm sure she wished for her daddy to pick her up, to protect her, to cuddle her, to do all the things daddies do. But, she didn't have that. God had a different plan for her. He had a purpose in her loss - her heartache, her tears, her grief, and all that must have accompanied her childhood. He was there through it all and protected her and raised her up in spite of what took place around her. It doesn't record all those emotions and the happenings of her childhood in the Bible, but she was human and I'm sure she felt all those things.

In her loss and being left orphaned, she was left in the care of her uncle, Mordecai. Under his watchful eye and upbringing, she was raised in a Godly way and was a devout Jew. She possessed a willing, faithful, and serving heart because of her upbringing and her life with Mordecai - it's not mentioned, but is very evident in her attitude and spirit towards Mordecai and King Ahasuerus. And, to be chosen by God for such a huge purpose, she had to have possessed a heart filled by Him.

Now, rewind one more time.... Mordecai could have chosen not to take Esther in. He didn't have to. He was a single guy and could have chosen to find someone else to take care of her. Perhaps a family or even a couple that would allow her to have a mom and a dad. I'm sure it crossed his mind a time or two. But, he followed God's plan and raised Esther himself. He didn't exactly have an easy life himself. He had been carried away captive. Not exactly pleasant, I'm sure. I wonder if Esther went through that with him. Either way, each piece was so crucial - Esther losing her parents, Mordecai taking her in, and his captivity that brought him to the palace of King Ahasuerus.

In the eyes of a human, Esther was nowhere near qualified or sprouting up from a background fit for a queen. She was disqualified by human standards, but in God's eyes she was everything needed for the position and purpose she was to fulfill - to save His people, the Jews. You know the story...she was chosen and found considerable favor in the King's eyes. Because Mordecai, in disobedience and a bitter heart, refused to bow to the king, all of his people (the Jews) were put in danger. They were to be killed. Haman saw to it that the decree was sent out for all Jews to be destroyed. God placed her (Esther) in the position - favorable sight in the eyes of the King - so that whatever she wished, it was granted. It defied all odds, all standards, and rules of the "royal" realm. Don't go before the King unless called for; she went and was accepted.

Esther, in some ways is a picture - a shadow - of the coming of Jesus, just as Adam (one man) sinned and caused the entire human race to be sentenced to death. Thus, Jesus came to save His people and give them life. Mordecai was one man and was disobedient toward the king which resulted in all of the Jews being sentenced to death. Esther was raised up and put in the place to save the Jews - to give them life, just as Jesus (so to speak) came before God and had the scepter reached out to him when He entered in to that Holy of Holiest....that scepter of righteousness. He was accepted and made righteous...acceptable for the covering of our ugly sin-marred lives. Esther entering into the inner chamber, the King's court, and having the scepter reached out to her so that she did not have to die is a beautiful and stunning picture of Jesus entering into the presence of God as our high priest. Esther was accepted and pleaded for the life of the Jews. Jesus gave His life - His blood - so that our life could be spared through faith in that shed blood. Beautiful! 

I love thinking about the prayer that she was bathed in by so many as she went before the king that day. It just goes to prove the power of prayer, and that through prayer, the hedge of protection was built around her as she stepped on those forbidden floors that were laid in the king's court. Her heart was trembling. I'm sure, but she was bold and stood before him to represent (and in the end) save the Jews. The creed was recanted and she was chosen to re-write it. Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai. And King Ahasuerus set Mordecai up in high favor - even after he had disobeyed him. He gave him the ring and he took the place of Haman. How amazing is that!? And, what a beautiful picture of all the pieces - of all things working together for good - for God's ultimate and hidden purpose until revealed. No one would have guessed what lay ahead for the humble, simple, orphaned girl that Esther was. God took her willing heart and set her in the forefront of His plan to deliver His people from the decree that had been declared against them. 

No matter what may have taken place in your childhood, or even adulthood, be assured that God has a beautiful purpose and plan for each twist and turn that lies in the fabric of your life.