God had spoken through the prophet Elijah and used him in amazing ways to bring people to God.  But there came a time when trouble arrived and Elijah ran for his life into the wilderness.  He felt defeated and worthless.  An angel came to be with him and care for him.  He then had the strength to make it to Horeb, the mountain of God. He found a cave and stayed there, waiting for God’s voice.

“How long do we have to wait?”   It has been suggested by a few dear persons that the “p” word (patience), might not even be in my vocabulary.  Yet, sometimes waiting is part of God’s plan.  One thing I have learned in my ministry is that it is all about God’s timing.  God has the bigger picture which we do not know and cannot fully see.  We have to trust God.  Sometimes the circumstances are not all in place yet.  Sometimes it is all about our own readiness.  Whatever the reason, God is in charge.

Intentional waiting can be a very important time for us.  It can be a season of renewal and refreshment, a time of transformation.  God says, “Be still and know that I am God.”( Psalm 46:10)

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As Elijah waited for God, he discovered that God did not come in the ways he anticipated ….like a strong wind, or the earthquake, or the fire.  God came in the still small voice of a whisper.  It was then that God’s direction for his life became clear.

This picture and quote illustrate Elijah’s experience…

 

Pondering….

Is there a place that is like a “cave” for you to be still and know God?

When have you felt God saying , “Wait.”?

nk

Jonah heard the word of the Lord telling him to go to Nineveh.  His response was, “WHO ME?  Go WHERE?”

Jonah sneered at God’s plan.  You can almost see the word “NINEVEH” echoing off his lips!  He immediately packed up his bags and ran in the opposite direction from Nineveh.  He had a mind of his own.  His strong will and independent streak sent him bolting away from God.  His flagrant revolt catapulted him into a violent storm at sea.  As he was thrown overboard, he became enveloped by the very waters that wake God’s grace.

(Illustration by Robert Florczak from “The Bible for Children” )

Jonah was swallowed up, captured by God through the mouth of a whale.  Inside that belly of a place, Jonah prayed to God while God held him.

I love the title of this ink drawing by Maureen Carey…”Awake in the Presence of God”.  It is found in “The Artful Journal” which Maureen authored along with Raymond Fox and Jacqueline Penney. In their words the book is dedicated “To all seekers…those daring to take the journey to the very core of self and spirit.”  Maureen gives us another image along with her writing entitled “Saturday Morning”…

What seemed to be the pit was the very place that became God’s holy temple.             (Jonah 2:5-7).  It was an epiphany which allowed Jonah to let go of his own way and embrace the way of God.  Jonah went to Nineveh and spoke God’s word.  The people believed God, all of them…”from the greatest of them to the least of them”.

Wow!  God had something very important for Jonah to do!

Pondering…

When have you felt your life was in the “pit”?

How has God redeemed something in your life and turned it into something good?

nk

One of my favorite scenes in the Bible takes place in Exodus, Chapter 15.  By the miraculous hand of God, the people of Israel have crossed the Red Sea and they are now set free from slavery. Can you even imagine the joy of that day?  Unbounded exuberance!

(Illustration by Bob Dacey from “Miriam’s Cup” by Fran Manushkin).

Miriam, who was a prophetess and sister of Moses and Aaron, led all the women in dancing with tambourines as she sang, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously!” (Exodus 15:20).  The dancing burst forth out of gratitude and praise for who God is and what God has done.  They were unchained.  Their whole bodies were filled with worship.

On a mission trip to Africa, I experienced people in villages of poverty whose hearts overflowed with the riches of knowing freedom in God’s grace.  Worship was filled with joy, and joy was filled with worship.

Our first time of coming together as one in Christ was in a large open area surrounded by tents.  We all danced in long lines through the fields of glory.  Music filled the skies.

Traveling by bus we arrived in one of the villages and looked out our windows…

Crowds were dancing to meet us and welcome us.  They surrounded the bus and our hearts with their hospitality.  Our bodies began to stir as we stepped off the bus and stepped into the dance. (By the way, I have one of those “Methodist outfits” with the cross and flame pattern in the fabric which the people of Africa made for me).

In our last morning of worship together, our offering was a dance.

It mattered not what we had in our pockets to give.  We all danced down the aisle giving OURSELVES as an offering to God.  It was an offering I will never forget!  And every offering since has contained a bit of that dance.  It now lives in my soul.

When it comes to dancing in worship, count me in!  My toes are tapping the minute the dancing music begins…I can’t resist.  If you are looking for me in Heaven, I’ll be dancing in glory with Miriam and the band!

 

Pondering…

Remember a time when your body just had to dance with joy.

Remember a time of worship that stirred your soul, whatever the style of worship happened to be.

nk

 

“Jeremiah was a bullfrog.  He was a good friend of mine!”

(painting from “Miriam’s Cup” by Fran Manushkin, artist Bob Dacey)

NO, WAIT…that’s a song!  I’m talking about the prophet Jeremiah, not the bullfrog!  He was, however, a good friend of yours and mine.  Even though we have not met him personally, he was sent to speak some of the most important words we need to hear from God.

Jeremiah was sort of a wild and crazy guy, and was quite young when God called him.  So Jeremiah’s immediate reply was, “WHO ME?  I am too young!”  (He didn’t say , “I’m too wild and crazy”, but God already knew that).  God explained that he had always had a certain purpose for Jeremiah and that was to be a prophet to the nations. Prophets were persons who listened to God and then spoke God’s exact words to the people as God directed.  That took courage and strength.

There are questions still asked today.  “Will every person know God?  What about the people who have never been taught, or exposed at all to any instruction about God?” Jeremiah is the one who spoke for God saying, “This is my new covenant I will make with my people.  I will put my law within them.  I will write it on their hearts.  I will be their God and they shall be my people.  They shall ALL KNOW ME.  I will forgive.  I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

(painting from “The Wing”, written and illustrated by Ray Buckley).

God has reached out his hand to touch the heart of every single person in every corner of the world for all time.  Everyone can know God.  Everyone can be set free to fully love and be loved by God.  Thank you, Jeremiah, for saying “Yes” to be God’s voice with such a very important message.  What a huge moment for all of us!

Pondering…

What does it mean for you to know God in your heart?

Do you think you have ever been led to speak a word for God?  When and where?

nk

Jacob was running away, just like all of us do at one time or another, in one way or another.  We run away because we are afraid, or lonely, or frustrated, or bored, or overwhelmed, or for whatever reason things just aren’t good right here, right now.  We physically run away, or we do it in our minds or hearts.  We are not fully present.

Jacob ran until he was tired of running.  The next escape was to lie down and sleep.  His pillow was a rock. (Yikes!).  Yet he dreamed a wonderful dream.  There was a ladder, a stairway from earth to Heaven, and Heaven to earth.

(Fresco by Raphael painted 1517-1518, located in the Vatican in Rome)

Angels were present, traveling along the stairway.  God came to talk with Jacob and listen.  In the midst of that conversation God assured Jacob, “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”  Then Jacob woke up!  (God is all about waking us up!) Jacob must have thought, “WHO ME?  Did this really just happen to ME?”  In that moment of grace, he knew God was there.  He must have either shouted to the whole world, or whispered silently deep within his own heart….”Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.  How awesome!” (Genesis 28:16)

Life is full of “God moments”, epiphanies.  We wake up unexpectedly to the presence of God.  It happens by God’s grace, God’s initiative, but we wake up to realize it is God.  Even the “waking up” is a gift of grace.  Every day, in every place, the world is full of these moments in which we suddenly realize God is in this place and we did not know it!

The following is from a poem by Charles Livingston Snell in the book entitled “This Is My Wish for You”…

Pondering…

Have you ever run away or wanted to?

When have you suddenly realized God was present?  How did you know?

nk

Sarah was 90 years old, long past any hope of new birth by physical standards of the world.  In her mind it was impossible and would never happen.  In her heart the longing never left her.  Then one day an unexpected stranger appeared and announced that she would give birth.  She laughed inside.  Why did she laugh?  Was it fear?  Disbelief?  What sort of laugh was it?  Did God bring this stranger into her life? If so, why now?

Then it happened!  God gave her a joy beyond what she could have ever thought possible.  She thought it would never happen.  She thought it was too late.  Now she LAUGHED….a deep belly laugh!  (Genesis 21:6)

 

 

 

(Art and story from “Women of the Word” by Mary Lou Sleevi)

Pondering….

Has there been a seemingly impossible gift in your life that brought deep laughter?

How is God “Surprise” for you?

nk

Moses experienced the presence of God in the burning bush (Exodus 3).

God called Moses to lead his people out of slavery.  He would have to deal with the big guy, Pharaoh!  Moses’ immediate response was, “WHO ME?”.  God says, “I will be with you”…. Moses says, “Who are YOU?”!  A very important question I would say since Moses had no clue!  God responded with a simple yet profound statement, “I AM”.  There is one verb tense here in Hebrew which encompasses the entirety of God’s everlasting, ever present nature…”I am what I am and I will be what I will be.” Wow!  I guess you can’t beat that!

Moses proceeds then, trusting God through many trials along the way and grumblings from the people.  The moment I would like to focus on takes place in Exodus 34:29.  Moses comes down from the mountain top having spent 40 days and 40 nights with God.  As he descended the mountain the people stood in awe for they could see that the face of Moses was shining with the GLORY of God because he had been talking with God!

(Both above pictures by artist Ted Rand taken from book “Knots on a Counting Rope” written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault)

The people knew Moses had been with God.  They could see the light of God shining through him.

The light of Christ shines in us as we spend time in the presence of God.  What a beautiful and powerful proclamation of the transformational essence of prayer!

A poem entitled “My Heart” by Kara Lassen Oliver from “Alive Now” July/August 2014

 

 

 

Pondering…

In whose face have you seen the light of God?

How might your life express the light God has put inside of you?

nk

I am beginning a series entitled “WHO ME?”.  Each weekday for the next 30 days I will write about a certain person in the Bible.  In my portrayal of each one, the main focus will not be a historical view of who they were or a full account of what they did, but rather a “moment” in their life which gives us a sense of their character.  This vignette might help us know that even a glimpse could tell us something important about someone, or perhaps about ourselves.

God steps into the lives of some of the most unlikely persons in the most unexpected ways.  It is my hope that we will see something of them in a new light.  And it is my deeper hope that by God’s grace something of ourselves might be awakened and affirmed through their “moment”with God.  God is in the business of waking us up and our natural response, feeling both disturbed and delighted, is quite often “WHO ME?”

I can hardly believe it has been 30 years since I went on my first mission trip.  Our group traveling to Haiti called ourselves “Mission Team Impossible”…

None of us had ever been on a mission trip before.  Haiti was about as distant as any place on earth could have been for us in every way. Our eyes were opened and our hearts changed forever.  We slept on the roof top each night and reflected on our day’s encounters and experiences. We wondered about home.  We wondered about what “home” really meant.

We looked up at that big full moon and somehow knew that the same moon was shining down on the people we loved, and the same God was present…a God of Love reaching far beyond our imagining!

Then the next day, this Great God Almighty, stooped deep into my small heart until it felt so big I thought it would pop…..and called me into ministry.  All I could say at that moment was, “WHO ME?”

Pondering…

Have you ever had a “WHO ME?” moment?

Please join me here on the blog for the next 30 days, Monday through Friday.  Invite any friends to experience this journey of faith as well by clicking on the blog each day. We will enjoy getting to know some Bible “characters”!

nk

 

I just returned from a week in Colorado with children and grandchildren and wanted to share a few photos with you. The “moments” were full of immeasurable joy!

View off the back deck of the house we rented…

Playing golf….(sort of)…

 

Horseback Riding…

Painted ponies…and faces

Fun boating on the lake…seeing first moose and playing “Titanic”

Grant teaching how to make waffles…

Oldest and youngest playing “hide and seek”

Hands and feet….faces

Goodnight hugs ….and kisses

Enjoy the full moon tonight!

And come back tomorrow…I’ll be starting a new blog series on people of the Bible.

nk