Jesus provided for His mother (John 19:25-30)

Today's widow's story is all about the gift of provision. Again, notice it is all about generosity.

I had to ask myself, "Who would you trust to care for your mom?"

Hmmm. I am as protective over my mom as I am my kids. 

What blows my mind is that Jesus was suffering the most excruciating pain and every breath hurt much less talking. 

Yet, He made a plan for His mom. "John, here is your mother. Mother here is your son." 

Jesus trusted John. 

I also love the gift of presence in suffering. In this case Jesus' deathbed was a vertical beam of wood covered with His nail stained blood. The women and John were there because of love. Love is present no matter how bad the pain. 

Yeah, there are some very deep lessons in the widow stories. 

Who might you need to give the gift of presence in their pain? 

Have you pondered the care of your mom? Who might you trust? What might that look like?

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed.

Shalom! Shalom!

The Generous Widow: The motive of giving (Luke 21:1-4)

I love that generosity is not based on the amount given, but on the heart behind the one giving it. Jesus never criticized the rich givers in this story, but He praised the poor widow. But we often imply that Jesus criticizes the rich because of Matthew 6:2, "Do not sound the trumpets like the hypocrits do so they have the glory of man."

See, the money boxes in the temple were in the women's court because they couldn't go any further in to the temple. It had to be there so all could give.

Most believe this story is about the freewill offering. This is when we give from the heart not what was commanded. It is for the glory of God. He first gave to us so we give to Him. 

According to the Mishna the treasurey boxes had a metal trumpet funnel on top so that when your money dropped, it could be heard by the noise it made. It would trumpet the clink of the coins hitting and then rolling in until they dropped. 

Have you ever used a coin funnel at a museum? It is so much fun to watch the coins roll their way down. They move faster as the funnel gets smaller and smaller until it drops. If made of metal they are very loud.

I had no idea this was a thing in the temple until today. 

Who made such a device and why? Oh my!

Literally, no one could give a free will offering that was not seen or heard! 

Yet, in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "do not sound the trumpet like the hypocrits do." I wonder if this is the point behind this parable?

Jesus challenges us further by saying to not let your right hand know what the left hand does. 

Hmmm. Yeah, well, I am not very good at keeping secrets from myself. How do I have right motives? Or when do I have right motives? Sometimes, I can talk myself out of giving because I worry about the motive. Eeck. Ugh. Now, that is bad, too.

God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). I guess when I just focus on the joy of blessing, my motives get straight. It is no longer my motive. It is simply about blessing because I am blessed. This means my heart must be full of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Isn't it amazing how many life lessons God is teaching us through the widow's stories in the Bible!

Of course Jesus would use one of the least of these to humble us and help us grow. The amount she gave would have only been able to buy a few pieces of bread. 

Father, will You please teach us how to give with the right motives and yes to be willing to give out of our poverty and not just our wealth. 

I do wonder how this might change from person to person, LORD. I recognize our poverty can be so different as well as our wealth. These can come in time, talent, or treasure. Forgive us for wrong motives. Let us give out of the overflow of Jesus in us in whatever ways You may ask for Your glory and not our own. Thank you for all You have given us. In Jesus' name, amen

Will Jesus find faithfulness when He returns?

"When the Son of Man returns will He find people on earth who have faith? (LUKE 18:8)

Who needs to tap into faith more that a desperate widow?

Widows were and still are in many cultures forgotten or ignored simply because their need is great. In some cultures, women are treated as property. The culture is set up to honor the men and when the man is gone, the one whom the woman depended upon is no longer there to care for her. In some cultures, even today the property and even the children could be taken by the husband's family leaving the widow even in greater destitution. 

I love how Jesus used the persistent widow as an illustration of persistent prayer.

He wanted the disciples and yes, us, too, to understand that if an evil judge in his frustration would answer a widow in her persistent petitions how much more so for the loving Father who sees, knows, and hears. 

He is present.

He will answer.

This question caused me to ask, "So, what does faithfulness look like based on this story alone?" Oh my! If we could just honor this one parable.

Faithfulness is always in a conversation with God.

It is relentless. 

It is enduring.

It is honest.

Faithfulness trusts that God sees.

Faithfulness knows God hears.

Faithfulness knows God answers.

Faithfulness serves out of peace, love, and hope.

Faithfulness is confident assurance your need will be met.

Faithfulness is persistent to the point that it knows no season. It just IS!

The contrast to faithfulness is showing no respect to God. 

It is evil. 

The contrast to faithfulness is showing no respect to others and their needs.

What you do to the least of these, so you also do to me (Matthew 25:40).

The contrast to faithfulness is serving others out of frustration.

Not a want to, but a I have to so I can get what I want.

The contrast to faithfulness is serving others out of fear.

It asks, "How might they harm me if I don't give them what they want?" Rather than asking, "how can I bless to be a blessing?"

Have you ever been frustrated with a persistent request? Have you ever answered and given in because of fear or frustration?  

Yeah, me, too. Ugh. 

God wants us to live in holy expectation through a holy conversation while serving out of peace, love, and hope. 

It sounds so noble. I know you might be thinking, "Yeah, well, you may think you are so perfect and get it."  

Actually, not at all. None of us do. That is the whole point. God does not expect perfection from us, but a persistent pursuit of Him so that He can work in us and through us. Not to perfection, but into a relationship that is full of peace, love, and hope so we can know Him and trust Him as He is in the process of growing us.

He wants us to understand He has not forgotten us or our needs. He desires to be with us through them. 

So, let's talk to Him. 

Always praying. 

Always trusting Him.

Knowing He sees.

He hears.

He answers.

Father, please help us to be faithful! We love You! We seek You today! We give You praise for always being present, always seeing, always hearing, and always answering. Make is persistent in seeking You in all things for Your glory in us and through us! 

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed! 

Shalom! Shalom!

A Lesson Learned from Tabitha's Generosity (Acts 9:36-43)

I struggle with today's widow story because I know that it will bring up questions I feel ill equipped enough to answer. The story of Peter raising Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) from the dead can be quite interesting to discuss cross-culturally (Acts 9:36-43).

As I honestly paused to let her story dig deep into me today, God has allowed me to see something. 

I simply thought, "God, what is the purpose of Tabitha's story?"  So often when it is taught the focus is on the miracle. Don't get me wrong. I love the miracle and I believe in God doing miracles today. But, God's stories are always more. 

Then I saw it. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED. 

Tabitha's life story demonstrated her focus was on kingdom mindedness. She worked hard to bless the poor and needy. She sewed coats and clothes to give away. She used her talents to bless others. The widows grieved her presence. Why? I imagine it was because they saw good in her and knew the reality of it based on how they were showing Peter the clothes she made. She built up her community.

But, I needed to go to the original language to see if I was on the right track. Oh my!  God does so bless me.

In Bible Hub, the Topical Lexico states that this story reveals the kingdom priorities unfolding the mission of the church. There are 13 other occurrences for alms or giving to the poor in scripture. This word never occurs without prayer, worship, or the gospel attached to its story.

Let's consider this for a moment. Generosity found in giving to the poor always has these three attached to it.

Prayer... talking to God and seeking His wise counsel in our giving.

Worship... giving God praise and thanksgiving for who He is. We give because He first gave to us.

Gospel... the good news that God sent Jesus to all people. Generosity is a character trait of God so it opens doors for God's story to be seen and heard. 

Since, this story brings focus on the miraculous that Peter raised the dead. It astounds us, but the reality is this is not my daily norm. It isn't the norm and that is part of its beauty. Miracles should not be normal.  So, I need to focus on what principles in this story will affect my daily norm to build the kingdom? I will always watch for God's miraculous blessings, but I need to focus on my daily living.

Even with the miraculous this should be our question. How does it build the kingdom of God?

What if we should look at this passage as if it encourages us to focus on the motive of our heart? Whether we look at Tabitha or Peter's actions, we observe the motive of their hearts build the kingdom of God. Both of them lived out of kingdom building.

So, if someone wants to focus on raising someone from the dead, we can ask, "What is your motive?"  

I once sat in a funeral service when my children were young and a pastor declared he was going to raise my kid's friend from the dead. The mom next to me grabbed my leg and asked, "What do we do?"  I said, "Pray!" It wasn't that either of us didn't believe that God can do anything. But, we could discern the motives were wrong. It could hurt the body of Christ. And it did. I personally had to call one of my pastors to process what happened.

Sometimes, when I ask God in my serving, "Was my motive pure?"  I honestly cannot say it has always been pure. Ugh. This is wrong. I guess this is why David prayed, "LORD search me and know me. Renew a steadfast spirit within me." 

It is so easy to work through wrong motives. I guess this is why alms giving always includes talking to God, worshipping God, and telling His story. It takes the focus off of us or I better just say it. It takes the focus off of me.

The motive of the heart is so important. Whether in grief as a widow serving or as a ministry leader serving, we need to ask, "What is the motive of my heart?  Am I kingdom focused?  How will this build the kingdom of God?  How will this give God glory? Will this cause those involved to draw closer to God?""

I love the miraculous and I love the mystery of how God moves, but it is not my role to try to manufacture it. I am to be simple and sincere in what I say and do. 

My role is to remain faithful and to have heart motive that seeks to build the kingdom of God. True transformation will reveal a heart of compassion that releases easily and moves about in rightness that is born of righteousness. Rightousness is all about being full of grace, mercy, giving, and it will have the automatic outflow of worship that cause the body of Christ to know, to grow, and worship our God.

LORD, please let our giving and serving draw others to know, to grow and to worship You. Amen.

Shalom, shalom!

Reflections on my commissioning

Today's widow story has me thinking deeply about my own story. It is a different kind of grief though. I told Greg last night that my heart just hurts with what is happening with women in ministry these days. I am not talking about debating whether a woman can be a pastor. I am simply talking about our calling to ministry. I am always caught with surprise that we must get our shackles up over such things. A tree is always known by its fruit. 

In 1995 when I graduated with my Masters degree from SWBTS, I was commissioned by a SBC Church alongside my ministry partner in starting a church plant. He was ordained. I was commissioned. It was the same service, same message, same prayers, and same people laying on hands. I say people because it was both men and women. 

I accepted the rhetoric at the time. Honestly, I didnt know enough to ask questions or I didn't have the maturity to say anything. And it really didn't matter. This SBC regional team recognized God's calling on my life. They were willing to lay hands on me because they saw the movement of God's call upon my life. They affirmed the Holy Spirit in me and set me apart for ministry.

I now know more than ever that there is great weight in laying hands on someone for the call to ministry. This means you bear the weight of both their success and failures. I have had both. 

But, there is also something so powerful about a group saying, "We believe in you. We see the Holy Spirit at work in you. We acknowledge your kingdom value as set apart. We touch you with the intent to pass blessing upon you. We endorse what God is doing and give you the authority to do it. May the Holy Spirit pour out in you and through you to bring unity and build up the fellowship of the saints."

When this happens there is a gift of remembrance that brings about a desire to honor and to fulfill all that has been prayed.

I have never taken lightly my call or commissioning. I work hard to live it simply and sincerely. Through the years God has convicted me over and over to not bury my talents. He has given me many and grown some that have been so unexpected. Again, I have done this well and I have done this poorly. But in it all I seek to move in the Holy Spirit's fruit.

Yet, I shall remain faithful with the talents I have been given. God did not say to me, "Tara, this talent was a gift to only be shared with half of the population." He gave me my talent to use it for His glory. I am to remain faithful to His message that He loves us so much that He sent His Son to live, die, and rise that we might have life. I am called to bear good fruit and not focus on the talent, gender, race, socio-economic status, educational status or even age.

So, I study. I teach what I learn. I open my home. I love on the one who comes. I draw and paint hoping I can tell a story well. I train so others are equipped and able to do likewise. I listen and give counsel usually based on lessons from my own stupidity, suffering, and pain. Begging all the while that I bear good fruit. I want to be an oak of righteousness and I want to grow countless forests wherever I drop seeds of faith. 

In it all, I seek to honor those I serve and partner with. I do everything I can to listen and obey if it gives God glory. I repent often. More than you want to know. But in it all I try to love fully and see each person the way God sees them. I beg for love for those I don't like. Yeah, we all struggle with humans.

I seek to live and bear fruit that can only be born by the Holy Spirit. I pray for His work in me and through me. I beg for His path because I know it will lead me straight to Jesus and set me straight. 

Most of the time I feel awkward because I am so stinking deep in my thoughts. I am more apt to make you cry than laugh. Don't believe me? Ask all the people who come to see me and they dont know why, but they start crying. Lol. It's not me really. It is God's work. He likes to break up those broken places so healing can take place. 

So, yeah, today's widow story has brought out so much in me. Here is the deal. I AM A FEMALE. I AM CALLED BY GOD TO GO MAKE DISCIPLES like the Samaritan woman who led her village to Jesus or like Phoebe who traveled around carrying Romans while reading and explaining it wherever she went. Or like Priscilla as she and her husband, Aquila, discipled Apollos.  

I seek to focus on bearing good fruit. If God should teach someone in the other half of the population through me then all I can say is "If God can use a donkey to save a man's life, He can even use me." 

I am so thankful for the church and regional group that decided to commission me as a ministry leader. And for every church and ministry since that has allowed me to partner shoulder-to-shoulder in the faith. Thank you for believing in me. 

At the moment, I am surprised by how God used the complaining Greek widow's story in Acts 6:1-7 to help me process my grief for how women in ministry are being treated. 

It is my heart cry that it awakens hope for those who might read this. If God can use me, He can use you. 

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed, y'all! 

Shalom. Shalom.

The Wait and Worship of Widowhood (Luke 2:21-40)

Do you struggle with waiting? I know I do. If waiting is for something good, it builds excitement and hope. Well, even longing. But when our waiting takes a long time and it is happening during a time of pain or suffering it can be hard. Real hard.

I was caught this morning by something quite beautiful in the Greek word for "waiting." It is prosechomenos (4327) and if I may take the liberty to give you my summary of its many words used to describe it.

Waiting is a hospitality. Yes hospitality. A spirit of welcome while living in acceptance and endurance. 

I have really come to love the words welcome and hospitality because they truly describe God's heart for all people.

So, this morning as I studied my next story in the widow series (Luke 2:221-40), I was so excited to catch this principle as a life principle.

Most will quickly passover the story of Simeon and Anna in the temple because it is about old people and might think, "What can I learn from them?"

Before I say anything about widows, we need to know that we do not know if Simeon is a widower, but most assume he is because of the narrative cues in being paired with Anna and the similarities of their context. Either way, I would like to propose their life model is good for all of us not just widows. So look and listen.

Simeon was waiting for the promised Messiah. He had a spirit of welcome with a hospitality of acceptance and endurance that included listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying His holy nudges when it came to seeing and even holding onto the Messiah, Jesus. His willingness "to wait" gave him opportunity to "be" with the Savior of the world, our Comforter, our Prince of Peace and to know the delight of cuddling Him to his chest as he declared scripture over Him. 

Simeon's listening to the Holy Spirit and obedience to His nudging moved him into the presence of the Light of the world.

While Anna's spirit of hospitality in waiting with acceptance and endurance allowed her to see Jesus and know what it is like to be in His precious presence. She was so profoundly impacted by this moment of presence with the Prince of Peace that SHE BECAME A WITNESS TO ALL who were waiting with a spirit of welcome and endurance. 

I do hope that you catch the truth that SHE is a FEMALE WITNESSING to ALL who wait. 

We must remember that our waiting should be bathed in a spirit of welcome and hospitality. This is filled with acceptance and endurance for His presence. There are no rules here for male or female. Just wait with a spirit of welcome that is full of hospitality that lives in acceptance and endurance. Then be a faithful witness declaring what you have been in His presence and seen Him for yourself. 

I am learning so much as I study the widow stories. The principles are universal. If I abide in listening and obeying the Holy Spirit, He will guide me to Jesus and I will know peace. This I must share so all can wait with acceptance and endurance for His return.

Both Simeon and Anna were waiting and looking for the Presence of our Salvation in our Great Comforter. That is a principle I need to live by and testify about every single day. 

As for my widow(er) friends, how does this story give you hope? 

What does it show you to do as you process your grief?  

What in it makes your struggle?

How might this story help you with your struggle?

Psalm 79: Praying during a national disaster

Why would I choose a national prayer in time of disaster for a Widow Story set? 

National disasters leave behind widows and orphans. 

We need to know how to pray in the horror of an overwhelming community pain. 

I am learning more and more the older I get that it is never "us versus them", but "good versus evil."

God cares about innocent blood shed. It is safe and good to pray for God to avenge innocent blood.

Calling upon the Glory of His Name brings breakthrough.

Glory is God's weight... strength... power... authority. 

God's Name is God's identity as the One True God... His reputation... His uniqueness from all other little gods. 

He can handle the real, the raw, and honest talk of pain. Go ahead and release it. 

He loves to move for the ones seeking to honor His Glory and Name!

Psalm 13: Prayer Turns Depression to Delight

When Greg and I were in a season that lasted four and half years of loss and grief because of numerous circumstances surrounding us like floods, mom's cancer, several family members dying, company collapse to name a few. I felt like I had forgotten how to praise God.  

So, I set about to study the praise songs of the Bible. I realized that the Psalmists were so real with God. They stated their pain and then they moved to praise and thanksgiving. At the time, I did not know I was learning how to lament. It wasn't a thing back then or if it was no one showed me.

I will use this strategy or process in the Widow's series. We will have a few select Psalms and look at how the Psalmist processed pain and suffering. We will observe their pattern from pain/grief to praise and Thanksgiving.

This simple process is what helped me move from despair to joy. It also radically changed my prayer life. 

This is what I learned from Psalm 13 (TPT). 

David was real, raw, and used honest talk with God. 

He wasn't afraid to ask God questions that could not be answered. 

He told God what He wanted Him to do like "look at me" and "answer me". 

He asked for deliverance and shared His fears.

THEN...

He ends with trust, joy in dance, songs of praise and thanksgiving.

 

Why?  

He knows God sees. 

God hears.

God answers. 

God is His Savior. 

So, David chose not to listen to his enemies! 

Our enemies can be mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual.

Using this process with a specific pain through prayer heals us. It settles us and lifts our countenance. 

If you are a widow and are willing to take Psalm 13 and write it out as a prayer, I know it will comfort you. If you are at a place where you are willing to share it so I can use it please message me privately at tara.rye@audioscripture.org.

You are chosen to be "a word"

My dear friend Hensel and I are studying the book of Ephesians together. We were blown away by this old truth, but a new truth to us as of yesterday. 

"He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4/NIV).

"And in love He chose us before He laid the foundation of the universe!" (Ephesians 1:4/TPT).

Hensel said, "Tara, my Bible has a foot note that says "chose is the Greek word "eklegomai" which is a form of "word" (lego in Greek which means speak).

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I got.

Immediately, I thought of "logos" which is Greek for "the Word" and we know Jesus is called the Word in John 1.  

I then thought of the Hebrew word "davar" or "debar" which implies we must speak, write, illustrate and experience the Word when we engage the Word. 

Then I remembered that Hensel said, "I love that Ephesians has so many "in Christ" moments." So, we decided we will mark all of them. 

The TPT footnote says, "He chose us to be a "word" before the fall of the world." (TPT, pg. 515).

We are called in Christ to be "a word". Not just any word, but a spoken, written, illustrated word that is experienced so that the world will know Him. As we are in Him, we are the living Word of God being made known. The fall broke this. But in Christ we are restored.

We both sat in awe, as we were in the Word. In our hour, we were only able to cover 6 verses of the chapter we were looking at.

We toggled between the TPT and NIV so we could catch the poetry insight along with opportunity for study. Look at how many insights we gathered about God and Jesus in only six verses. The more we saw Him the more we fell in love with Him. It is what enables us to be "in Christ" and become one of His living "words" speaking, writing, illustrating, and experiencing His truth. 

So, I had to go look this up to see if I was on the right track. I was blown away by the connections. Go read more details through this article on this word. I was blown away by their emphasis as well on "togetherness". I think it was their way of showing how "in Christ" is revealed through this word being active in us. 

Seriously, I am blown away "in Christ" by His Word. 

I am also thankful for my ministry partner and friend that is like minded and loves dig as deep as I do and gets as she lives it. I just wish she didnt live over 6,000 miles away. 

https://www.abarim-publications.com/DictionaryG/l/l-e-g-om.html

How to pray for my enemies based on Psalm 83

On Sunday we were studying Psalm 83 in church. I know I was supposed to be listening. I was! I promise! But I also saw a clear prayer pattern for praying for my enemy so I created a list. 

How little did I know that God would have my heart broken for situations around the world and I would need to pray this multiple times yesterday.

As my friend in South Sudan shared about political genocide.

As my friend in Greater South Asia shared of a family member being brutally murdered.

As a friend shared of a friend's dad being killed in the Ukraine. 

Aa my friend in America said, "I need that list."

This what God showed me based on Psalm 83.

1. Ask God to speak.

2. Ask God see your weakness.

3. Ask God to roar.

4. Tell God about your enemy and the circumstance.

5. Ask God to deal with those that conspire.

6. Ask God to stop their leaders as He did before in history.

7. Ask God to let them know their shame so they can know His Name.

8. Ask God to move so they know He is the Most High God.

9. Ask God for His goodness and righteousness to prevail.

Y'all, I often do not feel smart enough to know how to respond or pray when such things are shared with me, but I do know what the Bible shares about God and history during its time frame. The patterns I find in their pain, suffering, and circumstances are universal responses to God. These are truths I can sit on and dwell to find peace and a way to fight in a healthy and holy way.

It is so important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, so we can be transformed y'all.

Shalom! Shalom y'all!

Caring for widows based on 1 Timothy 5:1-16

As I am studying what Scripture says about caring for widows, some key words are jumping out at me...

Respect

honor

take responsibility

Provide for your own family

Kindness begins at home. 

Paul truly holds us accountable for how we care for our widow's. Especially, those in our own family. Notice how we are to be the guver and not the taker when we serve a widow.

But Paul also gives widows a few things to think about as well.

Widows must be known for...

Putting hope in God

Praying/talking to God all the time

Having taken care of husband 

Raising her children

Hospitality

Encouraging others

Comforting troubled people 

Serving in kindness

It is okay to marry again. This is important to know especially for younger widows.

In both the serving of a widow or a widow in her grief, we are called to a steadfast, reliable, trustworthy, loyal, faithful walk that reveals Christlike integrity. 

Honestly, these lists can feel daunting. Especially, if you are the one in grief or the caretaker of someone in grief. I know from our experience with Papa passing, we had to give each other permission to be real and raw in our pain. This list is not a call to perfection as much as it is a reminder to not forget who we are or who we belong to. 

If we remember, we are children of God, called to die to self, and serve one another, it gives us a purpose in our grief. 

When I love on my mom in her grief, I am loving on Jesus as well. When my mom makes crochet gifts for others or grabs the hand of someone to cause them to stop so she can pray for them it is her way of loving on Jesus. It gives her hope and healing. 

If we take the heart of the message then it makes a way for the widow to move forward in hope, purpose, and healing. 

I would love to hear from any widows

About what you have learned in this season. Please contact me to help me so I am better equipped to love on those I will get to serve.

The magnitude of His glory.

I am on my third page of listing out what I learn about God from Romans 8. This is my fourth day on this passage. I have one more section to go. The list is long y'all. 

I have always loved Romans 8, but I never took the time to truly dive into it. But, the Passion translation's poetry caught me and caused me to sit in the wonder and awe of God. 

The phrase "His glory has magnitude" blesses me.

In astronomy, magnitude references brightness compared to lesser lights.

In Math, magnitude references the distance a number is from zero.

In science, magnitude references it is the energy released.

In physics, magnitude references the power or force that can be measured going forth.

What a word choice! 

God's glory is so bright all others dim. There is no other so bright like Him.

God's glory was in time at zero and moved forward at the beginning of creation. He is beyond time. He was, is and will be.

God's glory has been releasing its power ever since with a force that is immeasurable or scalable. It is a mystery. We catch hints of it, but never fully see it. 

Selah! 

It is fun to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, to be transformed. 

Shalom y'all!

Co-glorified comes through co-suffering

Do you ever watch older couples holding hands and think, "Look, they are still in love! They are so cute! I want that!"

The seasoned state of still holding hands and walking as one can only come through the identity of shared suffering. Shared suffering creates a shared identity! 

Little old couples that walk as one holding hands had to push through the suffering to get to the identity of oneness that experiences the glory of making it through.

This morning as I read, "We will experience being co-glorified with Him provided that we accept his sufferings as our own" (Romans 8:17c/TPT). 

Glory identity only comes through accepting the co-suffering.

In our relationship with God, glory only comes when we are willing to co-suffer and identify with Jesus' suffering and accept them as our own. It takes time. It takes perseverance. It is a process of growing and maturing. 

If this is true in our holiest relationship then it is true for our most base relationship. We must ask ourselves, "Am I willing to suffer so I can identify with the other?" "Am I willing to suffer with them or because of them?" "Am I willing to take the time to mature and grow together?"

Once, we do, we discover we have built history and history builds identity of oneness. Just as we experience being co-glorified with Christ through co-suffering, it is true in our relationships, too.

A simple process to follow when someone spirals

Have you ever allowed fear to drive how you react? Or have you ever allowed bad theology to drive a thought process?  

I sure have! Ugh! I think this is why these stood out to me in in today's widow story.

The widow of Zarephath has the man of God living with her in the upper room. She has experienced the miracle of the flour and oil not running out. Yet, when her son took ill and started breathing in her crisis she fell prey to her emotion and bad theology rather than remember the present truth she has learned about God.

Ugh. It is so real. Our past formation is so hard to shed and some of it doesn't shed quickly. Yeah, I know some does instantly. But we all have something that is still in the process of being transformed. 

So, what do we do when we are confronted with someone in a spiral?

Elijah nailed it. He didn't defend himself, debate it, or negate it. He took action. He picked up the boy, removed himself and the boy, and prayed.

He left and prayed. He went to God. Make sure you catch that repeat. It was intentional. 

When he prayed, he said three things. 

1. He acknowledged the circumstance.

2. He asked God if He was in it.

3. He asked for the need.

God heard.

God answered. 

They both lived in the blessing.

Truly, a simple process. Don't ya think?

Why would you teach that?

I once was asked, "Why would you teach the widow's oil story?" I understood the why behind the question. I am not a widow Let me apply my why to another Widow's story.

In 1 Kings 17:7-16, there is a man of God (Elijah, the prophet) and a widow in Zarephath.  

Now, I am neither a "man of God" or a widow. I am not living in a land suffering famine or drought. 

But, I am a "woman of God", a teacher of the Word of God, a person who has known loss of people through death, and the loss of my home due to floods.

So, when I read a story... honestly any story whether in the Bible, news, or fiction, I will ask myself, "What principles can I learn?"

Both the man of God and the widow teach me the importance of listening, trusting, and obeying God. These core three principles are why they both enjoyed God's provision.

But, I noticed the prophet, aka teacher of God, provided comfort, used simple questions, simple directives, and took time to bless by reminding that God will provide. He helped her focus on the truth of God. He gave time in the journey and his presence.

While the widow willingly shared. She gave sacrificially in time while preparing food and giving portions of her last meal to the man of God. She was simpke and honest.

I do not need to be a "man of God" or a widow to know the blessing of these character traits.

So, yes, I can learn from stories in the Bible that might not directly be related to my life circumstances. In fact, I know the fruit of studying this way. It has brought about great conviction and transformation in my life. 

Right now, I am praying for the ability to simply communicate God's Word so all can hear. I am also praying that I grow in my sacrificial service of others. 

Which principles from the widow of Zarephath's story do you need to focus on?

"I only have..."

I am sitting in the story of Elijah with the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16). 

The need was great. The man of God needed sustenance and the widow only had meager supplies as the drought brought about a catastrophic famine in the land. 

Yet, God granted a miracle to feed three when the resources were scarce and the provision did not make sense. 

God could have continued using the ravens in a ravine way down south in the Judean desert to feed the man of God, but His eye was upon a widow in the north by the Mediterranean Sea. 

While the widow thought she was preparing her last meal for her and her son, God was preparing a way as only the Way Maker can do. He was sending a hungry prophet to be fed with her meager supplies. His journey would take three to four days walking at faithful pace. We might assume he had no food or water for his journey since the ravens had stopped feeding him and there was a famine in the land. 

His request for water might have been desperately spoken through dry parched lips and a throat so dry it burned to speak. 

She only need share what was her last resource to the man of God to receive the miraculous gift of an always full jar of oil and flour.

Desperation born from different reasons.

God could have fed the widow in the north with ravens or even turtles for that matter and the prophet in the south like wise. But, God likes to make human connections. He loves to build community and relationships. He uses these moments to build character and hope. He knows full well what will build our trust and test our faith. 

Will we go? Will we share? Do we dare? Do we listen? Do we obey? 

Sometimes, we find our provision in meeting someone else's need with our, "I only have..."

What miracle might we be missing by thinking, "I only have...?"

Prayer's dramatic transformation

I have found myself going back and meditating on some oldies, but goodies. I say oldies because these are passages that began a good work in me in my twenties. I have known their work for thirty something years in my life. Like old friends, God will bring them to mind when I need the sword of the spirit to cut through a situation better described as emotion. 

I turned 59 this year. This stage brings on a whole new level of surprise awakened through the physical and emotional changes in womanhood. I keep getting surprised by how intensely my body and emotion can respond to a circumstance. Wozer! I am learning so much more about grace for women in this season. 

The other day Greg and I had a moment only as couples can have a moment. Lol. Well, honestly there was nothing funny about it. He said something. I said something. He said something and then swoosh... there it was. A level of intensity only fit for the front lines. 

As I am losing all reference to sanity or even modeling Christianity, God gave me these two verses. 

I stopped. I inhaled. I exhaled. I prayed. I prayed for him. I prayed for me. I repented for him. I repented for me. I gave God everything right down to calling out of us generational sin that effects communication and all of humanity. My prayer was as intense as the fire in me. 

When I was done my joy returned. My love overflowed. My heart towards Greg was restored. Y'all all of this happened in a span of maybe 3 to 5 minutes. Okay, maybe as much as 8 or 10 based on the distance Greg drove the car.

Why do I share this? It may seem so shameful to some, but here is the deal. I saw God radically change me when I was out of control because I had spent significant time through the years layering the Word of God in my heart. I have seen the power of calling on God in my time of need. I know the joy of His salvation helping me to do hard things. He has helped me before and He will help me again. None of us are perfect. We all fall short of His glory and grace. It is why Jesus came for goodness sake! 

I am not proud of the beginning of those 3 to 5 minutes, but I sure am thankful for the ending of the 8 to 10 minutes. I was transformed by the renewing of my mind. I chose to stop. I chose to pray. I chose to believe there can be a better way. I had faith God can do a good work in me and that He is faithful to complete it.

I am thankful I have a man that loves me despite of me and loves me because I am me. And I do the sane for him.

Maybe, just maybe you might identify with this type of moment. Maybe, just maybe you might need to remember who you are and what you are supposed to do as a child of God just like me. 

Pause. Pray. Give your urgent requests to God in the moment. You might be surprised by joy as He shows you, you can do hard things! 

It is important to be in the Word, to be with Jesus, so we can be trasnformed! 

Shalom, shalom, y'all!

God is "gospeling" me

"This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God's righteousness--a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living faith" ( Romans 1:17/TPT).

Oh boy!  Wow!  That verse made me chuckle this morning. In an instant, my mind covered three different moments.  

"Gospel"... most dont know what that means, yet in two different situations this week I heard it used over and over in settings where the simpler phrase of "good news" of Jesus is a better choice. I realized this is something God has revealed to me over time and experience. At first, I needed to hear the word "gospel" so I could learn what it means then I had to learn to share it simply so others could understand. Understanding provides stability. 

Then God flashed through my mind how just this week He was "gospeling" me. You know one of those moments when you are processing something and you need to be reminded of the "good news" of Jesus. In the moment, I had a choice to make. Do I allow the revelation of the truth that Jesus is "good news" even in this?  Or do do I allow unbelief, fear, frustrations, or anger to get in the way of the greater revelation?  Well, I could list a thousand things that could get in the way.

So, I paused and prayed seeking the greater revelation of God's righteousness. Greater revelation of truth provides stability.

I admit this was so much harder when I was younger. The older I get the more I celebrate that the "gospel" unveils continous revelation of God's righteousness.  I simply need to ask to join Him. It doesn't matter what is brought before in story, request, or even my own inadequacies. I can and will rest in His continual revelation of righteousness through the "good news" of Jesus. Recognizing the "good news" of Jesus is embracing truth. Truth sets us free. It provides stability that brings peace. 

So, I am okay when God is "gospeling" me. 

Father, help us to live by the power of faith. We welcome You "gospeling" us with reminders of the good news of Jesus so greater revelation of righteousness can be made known in us and through us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Art calms my heart

Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

When I served as the Dean of Women at Grace University, God used art to help calm my nervous system from all the stress. I learned the power of using art that has no goal except "to be" to bring a calm to my mind. 

I realize you will not see it, but each of these are actually prayers where I used the process to pray through circumstances, feelings, frustrations, and emotions. Once I have spoken them out, I will begin praying characters traits of God and principles of truth from the Word of God over the circumstances, feelings, frustrations, and emotions. 

It has never ceased to amaze me how this prayer process calms me. The cool part is that science is starting to show the truth of this artistic practice through imaging. This process will bypass the critical mind and move into discovery and creativity. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Go ahead and try it. 

You might find you like it.

Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”

How lovely is His dwelling place

How lovely is Your dwelling place...

Such a famous line. Full of wonder and awe. 

It makes me ask, "Is this attainable?" "Can I know the beauty of Your dwelling place?"

But then I sat in my comfy chair, opened my Bible, and dwelled for a bit on Psalm 84. All I wanted was to know HIM. Yes, the big H.I.M.... HIM. The Almighty One so lovingly talked about in this hymn. 

It is only 12 verses. Yet, I came up with a long list of truths I discovered about HIM. 

HE IS...

Presence

Present

Strength

Dwelling

Blessing

Generous

History

Covering 

Favor

Grace

Glory

Shield

Protector 

Anointed

Strength upon Strength

Sun & Shield

Listener

Answerer

No wonder the Psalmist said his soul yearns for the presence of the LORD and his flesh cries out for the living God.

As I sat and pondered, I felt His beauty. I was encouraged by His presence. I understood joy and delight basking in His goodness. I celebrated His Strength upon Strength that pours in His grace so that His glory may pour out. His input becoming output. 

I inhale His grace and breathe out His glory.

Hmmmm. Yes, better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere.

May we dwell in His presence today!

Shalom Shalom y'all!