Here I Am

My husband just called, my father-in-law just died. What do I say, what do I do? I have never been good with death. All I know is that my father-in-law is with God. I know that to be true. Death is just a transition, going from one form of existence to the other.  Jesus died on the cross so that we may be together with him in heaven. There is a beautiful description of physical death in the book of Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things will pass away”. In the book of John when Jesus’ friend Lazarus dies, Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live”. (John 11:25) Jesus tells her about the resurrection of the dead and that she will see Lazarus again. Thus it will be with us, our earthly bodies will die but our spiritual bodies will be born. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, “for all die in Adam, so all will be ma...

In the book of Joshua, God commissions him to lead the Israelites into the promised land after Moses’ death. In chapter one, and throughout the book of Joshua, God repeatedly tells him to be “strong and courageous”. In fact, “be strong and courageous” is repeated many times in the Bible, not only to Joshua but to others.  When God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites he repeats “be strong and courageous” three times in chapter one. Why does God repeat these words so many times? Does he feel Joshua may not be up to what God is asking? Does he think Joshua will back out on him? Does he feel Joshua is weak in spirit?  Joshua had big shoes to fill, that was certain. What if he could not live up to being the kind of leader that Moses was? Can you imagine working with someone your whole life and then being asked to be in charge after he left his position? The amount of pressure would be intense; it could bring fear and uncertainty.    In Joshua’s calling, does God cal...

Have you ever participated in a trust fall? We did this one Sunday at church and it was interesting to see just how difficult this was for some people.  In a trust fall you stand in front of someone and cross your arms in front of you. You hold your legs straight, careful not to bend them and, when your partner is ready, you fall straight back. Your partner is in charge of catching you and not letting you fall. You must have a very strong level of trust in your partner to achieve this. Some found this terribly difficult, some would not do it at all and some fell back with little hesitation. How does this compare to our level of trust in God? If he were standing behind you would you “trust fall with God”? The Bible is full of examples of spiritual trust falls. One of my favorites is in the book of Esther. Esther is told by her Uncle Mordecai that the king has declared that all Jewish people shall be put to death. Mordecai tells Esther she must ask the king not to do this but she is ...

I have a favorite Bible story, it is found in three of the New Testament gospels, the story of the woman who bled for twelve years (Luke 8:42-48, Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34).  In this story Jesus has become so popular that a crowd of people surround him, pressing in on him, begging for his healing powers. I liken this today to a popular music star who is trying to get from a building to a car. The people press in on him and the bouncers try to keep the people back. This is much like the disciples in this story, they were trying to protect Jesus by keeping the people from getting too close.  Back to the woman, she is bleeding and has been for twelve years. She does not know what she will do because no doctor can help her or heal her. She has spent much of her time and money on doctors. She is alone, being a social outcast because of her illness. I can imagine her in her home, hearing a commotion outside. She has heard of Jesus and heard about what he can do and she thinks, “...

My daughter is a pet sitter. For a fee she will come to your home and take care of your pet while you are away. When most people think about a pet sitter they think about a cat or dog but my daughter will sit for any animal, this week she is sitting for a bearded dragon.  Bearded dragons are not my favorite animal in the world and I have to be honest in saying that I probably wouldn’t take care of it. Like any other pet they need to be fed daily and taken out of their cage for exercise. They need love and affection and a light to keep them warm. They also need a hiding spot in their cage so they can feel secure when stressed.  Bearded dragons may be disgusting creatures to me but they really have some of the same needs that we have. God cares for us much the same way my daughter cares for the bearded dragon. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.  Bearded dragons of course need to be fed. Unli...

I was reading chapter one in the book of Jeremiah and read about his call to ministry. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him he wanted him to be one of his prophets. Jeremiah was reluctant and made an excuse as to why he couldn’t fulfill this role. “..truly I do not know how to speak for I am only a boy”. Jeremiah was telling God, thanks but no thanks. He didn’t think people would listen to him because he was too young but God told him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you…” In the book of Exodus, God called Moses. God told Moses that he wanted him to deliver his people out of Egypt, but Moses, like Jeremiah, told God he could not do it. Moses was being stubborn. God told Moses that his brother Aaron would speak for him and Moses obeyed. God repeatedly pursued Moses until he no longer found an excuse not to lead his people.  Both Moses and Jeremiah had their doubts about being able to pursue God’s wishes for them. God however gave his promise that he would be with them and he ...