When I read more of the Exodus wanderings I find myself in sympathy with the poor Israelites crossing the vast expanse of desert…with only the word of this man Moses, that they  soon will come to the land that their forefathers had left 400 years before.  Of course they had seen God working for them.  Food, water, parting the sea and the tablets of stone with His own commandments written on them.
Now here they were…….just about to enter this land of Promise.  There was bounty to be hand, fields of grain, grapes for wine, a land flowing with “milk and honey.” But wait….not so fast!  Other people had moved in.  There were huge cities with high walls…well fortified and strong armies of men with the latest in fighting equipment.  Their ancestors were afraid to take the land and were punished for lack of faith.  Now that generation was dead……and here is the new generation, but once more, facing the same problems.  But no returning to Egypt.  This time it was different.  Yes, they were afraid, but God had provided for them.  Now they knew this was it. They must take this land……a land they could claim for themselves and their families.  Plus there was a forceful leader……Joshua  son of Nun.

 This generation had the courage that their ancestors had lacked.  Joshua had courage and it was contagious.  Courage determines which will dominate.  The same trials that wear down the fainthearted motivates the courageous and  gives them new strength and dedication.

Yes, courage is contagious and so its it opposite, discouragement.  How do we respond to our trials?

  1. We lose courage and try to second guess what will happen.  Will we return to “Egypt” or prepare for a future that God is leading us?

2. We lose courage when we allow our selves to complain trying to blame others, instead of taking responsibility for our problems and seeking a solution.

3. We lose courage when we have negative feelings, instead of remembering what God has done for us in the past and that He will bring about the best for us in His own way and in His own time!

We can be courageous and we can pass our courage on to others through our words of encouragement and prayer. Yes courage is contagious.  It’s not enough just to survive our trials and difficulties, for if we view them courageously they become a blessing not only to us but others!   Look what God is doing!! How can you and I encourage not only ourselves but be a source of encouragement to others?

Think about that……..

I have been writing more on the Old Testament lately.  Of course it isn’t really “old” at all.  That is a designation added when Bible translators decided that perhaps there was time line involved between the writings of the Hebrew writers and the time of Jesus coming on the scene.  There was an Inter-Testament time also….so much happened then but that’s  for another writing.

As I was reading through Exodus I found myself relating to those thousands of Jewish immigrants who left their old life (terrible though it was) and entering a new phase of living.  They knew about the God of Abraham but not much else.  Some of the traditions had been passed down but now this same God was taking them to a new land.  They were in the desert……..the wilderness.  No food, except for their few animals which they needed for their  new life: no water except for this leader, Moses, who said God would provide; and what would they find when reaching this so-called Promised Land?

Now you and I are sometimes wandering in a wilderness.  Where are we going?  What’s lies ahead?  I only see dry, hot desert in front and an enemy behind.  Yet we have the promise of God.  He will provide.  We see the bread from Heaven coming to us just as he provided for them;  Water flows from the Rock;  Birds to roast on the fire. We have an abundant life but yet we face the dangers of the “wilderness.” Where is our Moses?

  Jesus didn’t say that our life as Christians would be easy.  In fact it is usually the opposite.  If God is there for us then why do we have these struggles in life? We expect the wilderness will vanish into the Promised Land without too many unnecessary problems.  Wish it was true.  God didn’t make it easy for those Jewish pilgrims and he doesn’t make it easy for us.  But then there is something else.  Its our faith and hope.  Just as for them.

  We as believers know there really is a Promised Land to those who believe in God’s Messiah.  We call him Jesus (Jeshua in Hebrew).  He becomes our Moses.  He is leading the way.  Its dark and we can’t see ahead but He knows.  He will provide.  Not always in the way we expect.  But look back.  See where He has taken you? Now look ahead.  Did he fail you before?

  As I write this and review my own life, I know that God was always there. He really was in control.  He was there all along.  He is there now, and will be there tomorrow.  The wilderness wanderings will indeed lead to the Promised Land.  Expect it!

Remember the story of Jacob and the night he wrestled with God….or his angel. ( Gen 32) All we know from the story is that Jacob said……”I have seen the face of God”.  Yet he was using that phrase  to mean that he knew God wanted something from him and interacted with him personally.  Jacob won the fight but was given a bad hip . However, Jacob ( the Deceiver)…now was given the new name of Israel (one in  whom God rules).

God asks Jacob, “What is your name” (Gen. 32:27) .  How would we answer that question? What is our name? Doesn’t He know that I am Barbara?  I think that God doesn’t need my given name.  He already knows (plus the hairs on my head). What He really wants from me and you is our true identity.  What does that mean?

I do believe that means we must confess who we really are.  Inside.  Not the person we appear to be.  This involves some introspection on our part.  Are we the dedicated Christian that we pretend?  How do we feel knowing that we are not really in control our of life? Do we still struggle with our old “man”… the real me?  Are we kidding ourselves that we are so strong in faith that nothing can move us?

As I have written before….sometimes we can’t find God or even know Him.  He is distant and aloof and doesn’t seem to care about my life or my problems.

Yet, I know that God is there for me and you.  He’s ready to forgive us.  He wants to give us a “new name” if only we are willing to confess that we are weak and sinful and need His unconditional love.  He gave that to us at the cross.

When we walk by the Spirit, we no longer need to justify ourselves. We confess our own lack of faith and our willingness to rely in God’s power to transform us and be a person after God’s own heart!

If you’re like me, one of the first places I go in the Bible is the Book of Psalms.  Not only do they give comfort but express to God the praises for His love and faithfulness.  We read the psalms in our happy times, but more importantly in times of our distress.  After all, all people in all times suffered with anxieties, distress, depression and worldly conflicts just as we today.

We all share a common story.  We hunger for the “good life”. We want security, well-being, and purpose.  We want a life that works…..for us!  We don’t expect to live forever, but while we are here we want to be healthy, our marriages strong, our kids obedient,  and the stocks don’t fall too low!

But what if? What if our great and good God lets bad things happen to us, to our families, to friends to those around us? What do we do then?  Yet,  people say, it will work out… or have more faith…. or it’s God’s plan for you.  Little comfort indeed.  We’ve tried living faithfully, we haven’t purposely done anything evil and yet here we are…..trapped in a world that seems to throw our lives into turmoil.  Nothing or no one seems to help.  Where is God in all of this?

We aren’t alone.  The book of Psalms not only has songs of praise and worship but even more are songs of lament.  These people are complaining to God.  Life is terrible. They are sick, they have lost friends or family.  They are surrounded with enemies.  The enemies in our life take on a different meaning.  Perhaps a diagnosis of cancer; a unfaithful spouse, kids on drugs.  All of these are enemies that give rise to fear and anxiety.  We pray for things to change.  We seek counsel from others,  we implore God’s forgiveness for our lack of faith.  Yet, the problems remain.

                      Will you forget me forever?
                            How long will you hide your face from me?
                     How long must I bear pain in my soul,
                            and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
                            How long shall my enemy be exalted over me”
                                                          (Ps. 13: 1b-20

People who aren’t believers say this is part of the world scene.  They don’t believe in God so it really doesn’t matter what or who caused the tragedies in our world.  Of course we as believers attribute sin as the primary root of the problems. Still where does that leave us?

We come to God, expecting Him to act in our behalf……..yet nothing happens.  According to many of the psalms……the writers complain to God.  As we read in the above verse (which is one of many) God seems to have left the scene.  The problems facing the poet are still with him.

We as a believing community must come to terms with these tragedies.  We must share in the lament of our fellow believers, not ignore the problems or offer pious Christian theology or verses from scripture with good intentions to offer relief. But the problem is still there.  People aren’t healed, the marriage folds, and the mortgage payments aren’t met.

We are and must be willing to share in the lament of others.  Listen, pray and care.  Be there for help. offering prayers for them and ourselves.

Lament we will.  Sooner or later we too will suffer from “the thorns of life…..or flesh” as the apostle Paul stated.  As one author stated……. “Lament is the backbone of Thanksgiving.” We only know thanksgiving when we experience lament.

So what is a Happiness Engineer?  Well, he is the guy that contacted me about renewing this blog site.  I guess he is called by that title.  Personally, I can’t think of a better addition to my  name or anyone’s name………Barbara Hyland,  “Happiness Engineer!”  Don’t I wish I had the power to grant wishes, make dreams come true, take away sickness and help everyone win the Publisher’s Clearing House prize!  Sorry.  I’m not that person.  Nor are you.

  God did give us a job to do.  We each can be Happiness Engineers.  Not in the aforementioned ways but perhaps in our very own way of bringing a bit of happiness into someone’s life.  How about a smile;  a truly heartfelt response to those who ask for prayer;  a note of cheer on a dreary day; an unannounced phone call just to say hello, “I was thinking of you.” 

God expects his children to be Happiness Engineers.  Life isn’t always happy.  In fact, there is sickness, sadness and grief.  Did you know that 40% of the Psalms are laments.  The writer is complaining to God.

  Psalm 69….”Save  me, O God, for the waters have come up to my  neck,  I sink in deep mire. there is no foothold“…….I have been studying these Psalms of Lament.  The writers are complaining to the “Happiness Engineer.”  Not all is well with them.  they are drowning in a sea of trouble.  Don’t you often feel that way?  In my next blog I will write more fully on some of these Psalms.

  But for now, let us ourselves be the instrument that God uses to help cheer others.  Isn’t that the least we can do in our troubled world?  If not us…..then who?

I haven’t posted anything to my blog for two years!  So much has happened in my life since then.  You probably know what I mean.  Nothing is as constant as change.  That is the way of the world.
One thing never changes…..God’s love for us.  That is a constant. No change there!!
I suspect that many of you have experienced some tragedy in your life. The loss of someone dear; a dreadful health report; frustrations; the list goes on. I’m here to report that I too have had my share of frustrations, anxiety and fears.  Change!  Not everything that I wanted but change came.
Sometimes we wonder where is God in all of this.
OK…..so you and I are on a journey in life.  But for whatever its worth here’s my take on how to cope.
1.  Have a good cry.  When we’ve been hurt by life, by people, or by events there is nothing more cleansing than a good cry.
2. Prayer.  Some things are just not meant to be handled alone.  And even all the support you have may not provide the comfort you really need to understand why this happened.  Taking your problems to God is the most reassuring way to lighten the burden that makes your heart heavy.
3. Surround yourself with real friends and family. They will provide the moral support you need. Some will provide sincere sympathy.  Some will feel  your pain. Some will just provide encouragement.  Oh, how we need them!
4.  Be thankful.  Value those things that are constant in your life. Be thankful for the things that bring you security in the midst of your insecure moments.
5. Have faith.  God ix there…….He is always there. He knows.  You will look back at this time and realize He was there all along.  You and I will be taught how to fly!

                              The Blue Rose

This is not original with me, but I loved the title.  The message concerned a special needs child and the compassion of the person who gave him attention and treated him with great respect.  The mother of the child was so grateful for the special love shown to her son.

The man who befriended the little boy told the mother a story of God’s garden. He said… “There are many beautiful roses in God’s garden but most are red, yellow or white.  But finding a beautiful blue rose is such a rare exception.  Your special son is a blue rose…..a rare and precious gift from God.”

We see blue roses all about us.  Sometimes dressed in shabby clothing, they ask for handouts at red lights; they are dirty and perhaps not tooth in their heads. But all are created in the image of God.  ­­­They might want a hand-out but they also need love and respect.  They need to be told of God’s love for them because they are all special to Him.

Perhaps you have a blue rose in your garden.  An elderly parent, a special needs child, or someone who just needs your love.

Aren’t we fortunate that God gives us blue roses?  They make our garden very special and give us blessings that we might not have otherwise.

So enjoy your “blue rose”.  Thanking God for each and every special gift he sends to us.

“People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

                 What is a Wise Man……..Lesson 7

Ecclesiastes.  5: 1-5

 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

² Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
³ For a dream comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—
⁵ Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

I might entitle this blog……..sincerity in worship and knowing when to keep quiet!

Our good friend, Solomon, who built one of the most beautiful temples in the world, calls this temple “the house of God.”  In Solomon’s day…..worship was more private than corporate. .  Each worshipper was involved with God on a more individual basis.   Solomon understood the human heart so well that he warned his readers of vain worship.  Worship belongs to God…….not man.  Man’s life was designed for worship.

 God really doesn’t owe us anything….so, don’t make vows. Don’t bargain with God.  Don’t make a vow in order to receive something in return.

If, indeed, there is a vow to God and He honors that vow…..then the person should repay with a heart of gratitude….not delaying in his promise.  “Pay with you have vowed……..he has no pleasure in fools.”  In other words, don’t try to fool God.  God knows the heart.

But how should we living in the 21^st century prepare for our worship?

 Our minds and hearts belong to God before we arrive at our place of worship as a body.  Worship is an individual thing however; we come together as church to praise God, to offer prayers for each other and to encourage one another.

Here are a few suggestions of mine but of course you have more.

First ..Anticipate the day….plan ahead.  Read scriptures and prayerfully come before the Lord asking his blessings on the coming day. This day should be the high point of our week.

Second……Pray for the hour of worship to be a blessing for all who come and that the Lord will be honored in all the activities of the church.

Third…concentrate on the words of the songs, join with the person leading prayers, pray for the minister that hearts might be touched.

Fourth…No more long faces in the worship.  Hey, God is on our side and He loves us.  What more do you want?

Fifth……follow up all prayer requests.  This is done in your private prayer time as well as in the church body.

Solomon also says that while God is in heaven we are on earth.  Therefore, we have a job to do.  We live in a world of vice, corruption, greed and hate.  So what else is new?

Now get busy and make this a better place.

What is a Wise Man………Lesson #6

After Solomon has written of his frustrations with wisdom, pleasures, wealth, “wine, women and song”…he is just as unhappy with his life as if he had none of these things.  It was all like “chasing after the wind”.

Something in each of us that says there has to be more than what we see and experience here and now.  So much of what we do is meaningless in the long run.  Solomon felt this also.  But he is going to change his tactic somewhat.

In Ecclesiastes 3 he declares that God’s plan for us actually encompasses everything that we do or happens to us. He doesn’t say that mowing lawns, mopping dirty floors and working the late shift…all have meaning. But he is reassuring us in knowing that “there is a right time for everything.”

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

What’s all this?  Then we aren’t in control of anything! Sure we make bad choices but then again I’m not as free as I thought.  Seems as though I have very little control over the circumstances that cause me to weep or laugh.

   a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
             a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
             a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
             a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
             a time to love and a time to hate,
a times for war and a time for peace.

There is a key which unlocks these verses…here it is!

Solomon is telling us that God is in charge.  The one who fears God and honors Him and keeps his commandments can be secure in His gracious love.  Why? Because He loves us and He is the very one who created us.  What’s the old saying about lemons?  When life becomes like a sour lemon then make lemonade.  That’s when God comes  in to help.

When I pray for others………most of those prayers are prayers for healing and strength for physical problems.  But these are included in God’s plans for us.  How can we be happy despite sorrows…despite failing health…despite death?

 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

God’s plan includes times for sorrow and times for joy; times for mourning and for celebration.

We only want the good times…..please, Lord….. spare me the sorrow and the mourning.  But God gives us both.

In my next blog I will continue to explore more of Solomon and the wisdom of his writing. In the meantime……remember this.

God makes everything work together with all life’s experiences for good.
(Romans 8:28-29)

                                    What is a Wise Man? …….Lesson #5

In my last blog, I touched on Solomon and wisdom. He was reputed to be the wisest man who ever lived.  Yet, he found that his wisdom did not bring him happiness.  No joy and no feeling of satisfaction. So what’s left?

How about pleasure?  Why not?  We can relate to pleasure!  We live in a time when there are more pleasures available…….good and bad…..than we could ever experience.  Our society is saturated with the pursuit of pleasure.

The Vanity of Pleasure: “I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity.  I said of laughter—“Madness!” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”  I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3}

Who could test pleasure more thoroughly than a king?  Solomon was one of the wealthiest men of his day.  So if wisdom didn’t give him happiness then perhaps indulging in pleasure would bring the happiness he is seeking.

 That’s not to say that enjoyment isn’t of value.  Of course it is……life’s pleasures are a gift from God.  Laughter can be therapeutic.  We need it. What is more fun than a good movie with lots of laughs; a night out with friends; a lovely dinner with family…….these are the great joys of my life.  How about you?

Here again…….if we leave God out of the equation then all pleasure seems meaningless.

                                    What about our achievements?

I can relate this.  I know you can also.  Don’t you feel good at the end of the day when that dreaded task is completed?  When something really turned out right?  “Hey, I actually did something wonderful today… I got a big promotion at work; people congratulated me on how good I am at my job; I did something amazing!”   (Hugs here)

               “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.
                     Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
               There was no profit under the sun. No profit under the sun.” (Ecc. 2:10-11)

So, poor Solomon found no joy in his achievements.  Whatever he did really didn’t seem to matter.  Everything was still the same…….there was no “profit’ in what he had accomplished.

 He reflected on all his achievements…making Israel a respected nation; providing a temple for God; his many enormous building projects.  Yet was all this “vanity and grasping for wind?”

So what about us?  How do we fit in this picture?

I believe that what we accomplish in life should reflect our desire to please God.  We use His gifts to us as an extension of what he has done for us.  Yes, we have sense of accomplishment in a job well done…however, we also remember that most of our accomplishments will be forgotten after we are gone.

I’m all for giving lasting memories to our families.  Perhaps a few words of wisdom here and there; acts of kindness; a small gift with meaning attached.  But mainly, it’s how we live our lives that will be remembered most.

Satisfaction is a gift from God.  When we can take our knowledge, our pleasure and our work as gifts from God, then our search has found its goal.

If the righteous have their treasure in heaven (Matt 6:21), then their hearts will be there also.