How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding for her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Proverbs 3: 13-15

It isn’t easy to impart wisdom and pass on our values to others. We find a story of a tribe of people in the Old Testament who did a phenomenal job of it. They were the Rechabites. Some of you may be thinking, “who are the Rechabites?” We find their story in Jeremiah 35. It is an interesting story, one I think we can all learn from. Read this excerpt from the Message Bible.

The Message that Jeremiah received from God ten years earlier, during the time of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Israel: Go visit the Rechabite community. Invite them to meet with you in one of the rooms in God’s Temple. And serve them wine. So I went and got Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with all his brothers and sons–the whole community of the Rechabites as it turned out–and brought them to God’s Temple and house of the Lord, to the meeting room of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the room of the Temple officials, and just over the apartment of Maaseiah, son of Shalium, who was in charge of Temple affairs. Then I set out chalices and pitches of wine for the Rechabites and said, “A toast! Drink up!” But they wouldn’t do it. “We don’t drink wine.” they said. Our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab commanded us: “You are not to drink wine, you or your children. Neither shall you build houses or settle down, planting fields and gardens and vineyards. Don’t own property. Live in tents as nomads so that you will live well and prosper in a wandering life. And we have done it, done everything Jonadab some of Recab commanded. The Message Bible Jeremiah 35: 1-9.

Jonadab left some very strict guidelines for his family and descendants. We are not sure how he delivered them; but he did it in such a way that they became known as Rechabites and these guidelines became their values and culture. I wonder how did he communicate them to his family that made them not only keep them for the first generation, but for the next and the next? My research said that by Jeremiah’s time, it had been 250 years since they had been living under these rules. These vows were not part of the Mosaic law, but were instituted by this father hoping to keep his descendants free from falling into the ways of the Canaanites. That is quite a legacy. How clear and set are your values? Would they withstand an invitation to the White House or the King of England? These people were not intimidated by the Temple surroundings or by Jeremiah’s personality. They kept true to their own beliefs, no matter what. By setting wine in front of them, as the Lord led, Jeremiah discovered how devout they really were. Life often tempts us to compromise our character, beliefs, or values. How do we not only keep them ourselves, but pass them on to the next generation?

As we skip down to verse 12, we discover the Lord’s purpose in Jeremiah’s invitation to the Rechabites. Then Jeremiah received this Message form God” “God of the Angel Armies, the God of Israel, wants you to go tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem that I say, “Why won’t you learn you lesson and do what I tell you?” God’s Decree. The commands of Jonadab son of Recab to his sons have been carried out to the letter. He told them not to drink wine, and they haven’t touched a drop to this very day. They honored and obeyed their ancestor’s command. But look at you! I have gone to a lot of trouble to get your attention, and you’ve ignored me. I sent prophet after prophet to you, all of them my servants to tell you from early morning to late at night to change your life, make a clean break with your evil past do do what is right, to not take up with every Tom, Dick and Harry of a god that comes down the pike, but settle down and be faithful in this country I gave your ancestors. And what do I get from you? Deaf ears. The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab carried out to the letter what their ancestor commanded them, but this people ignores me. The Message Jeremiah 35:12-16. Wow, you can tell the Lord is upset with His people.

If we want to influence our children and others, we must decide what we want to pass on. By God’s grace, we modeled for our kids the importance of personal devotions and Bible study. We prayed with them as different issues came up–both big and small. It was important to us to show them that God is available and interested in every aspect of their lives . We modeled forgiveness and apology. It is a joy to watch them passing on these values to their own children. Could we have done better? Of course!

When I was pregnant with my first child, I read a fiction book about a pastor and their family, but it was based on a true story. The “church” criticized their children mercilessly. They expected 100% perfection all the time. After reading this book, I made a vow to never expect more of my children than God would. That I would help them learn His ways with grace and forgiveness. As pastor’s kids, they had their share of unrealistic expectations from our congregations, but we never disciplined them for other’s expectations. I did not want my children to think following Jesus was a bunch of rules, but a life-giving relationship. What are the values and expectations you want to pass on to those you influence? Jonadab the Rechabite made it very clear to his family his expectations. I don’t think we were as clear with our words, but more with actions. No matter what, I am so grateful my children are doing their best to pass them on. Often, more is caught than taught, right?

I don’t know why Jonadab made the particular list he did for his family, but there is still a legacy from their tribe. The Victorian Rechabite Tent is still functioning in Australia. The members sign a pledge to abstain from alcohol, and for a time lived in tents. It is a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

None of us knows how or what God is going to do with our obedience to God and His ways. It is in His hands. The good news is if we sow good fruit, we can trust Him with it. Clarify your values. I think the best ones are those that line up with His values. They are the ones who have the most potency. It is worth it.

Father, I thank you for helping us sort out good values and teach us how to pass them on. Jonadab made set some obvious lines for his family. Help us do the same, in love with grace and mercy. Thank you for helping us influence generations to come by our actions. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 NLT

As I was pumping gas the other day, I felt the Lord ask me a question. “Why do you think you are “the exception?” I was continuing to ponder the connection between wisdom and discipline (last week’s blog post: Faith and Wisdom). I must admit, it stopped me in my tracks. I mumbled, “I guess it’s pride”. It made me think about areas in my life (and others) where I can/could fool myself into thinking I am the exception.

Areas like diet. I can eat what I want, when I want to and I won’t get overweight, get diabetes or other health issues because “I am the exception”. Even when these things occur, people don’t really believe it could really be “that” bad and then they discover it can be. I can be a couch potato and not exercise, because “I am the exception”. I hurt my knee area (lateral collateral ligament). The doctor told me to use the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. I tried a few days, bought a brace and decided doing 1/4 of the prescription would be good enough. When I went back again, he yelled at me. I told you to use the RICE. With hanging head, I apologized and said, I guess I don’t hear the word “rest” very well. Who was to blame? Me. Who suffered because of it. Me, and those I could have spent time with! It made me realize, I am not the exception. Maybe I think, I can ignore my financial situation because “I am the exception”, but that too, comes home to roost. As I’ve gotten older, and my body is starting to show signs of how I have treated it over the years, I am finding out I am not the exception. Then there is the area of spirituality.

The biggest area of “I am the exception” is probably in believing what the Word of God says. Don’t be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:7 NLT Do we really believe we will reap what we sow? So many live their life ignoring any tugs by the Holy Spirit to surrender to the Lord, because they do not want to consider this truth: and it was appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:17. People don’t really want to believe that we will die and then face God’s judgment.

I think the sooner we swallow our pride and understand that we are not the exception to the Laws of Nature or the Laws of the Spirit we will be better off. I started physical therapy for my knee this week. I chose to leave certain items at the grocery store so I wouldn’t be tempted to consume the entire container of miniature cinnamon rolls. I’ve started paying more attention to my Fitbit, too. But the biggest thing, I have been journaling God’s instruction from His Word. As I read the seven things God hates in Proverbs, I took better note. I prayed for His wisdom and grace to actively listen and avoid the things He hates. We are encouraged to avoid gossip, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, to cast our cares upon Him. There are no exceptions to these guidelines. If we submit to these and others like them, our lives will prosper much more than if we don’t. I know it is hard to admit we are not the exception….but God already knows it! Just agree with Him.

Father, I thank you that you don’t make exceptions to your mercy, your love and your gracious actions toward your people. I thank you for helping us all learn to submit to your will and your ways. If we do you promise we will prosper, and for that I am very grateful. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Proverbs 1:1-2 NLT.

Wisdom, something we all want (and if we are honest) something we all think we possess! The good news is, if we are humble and teachable, we can be taught wisdom. However, if we look carefully at this verse it declares the purpose is to teach people wisdom along with the challenging word “discipline”. Do you consider yourself a wise person? How about a person with discipline? They both come together. We may receive information or revelation about what we should do, but it is discipline that helps us carry that through. It appears we can’t have one without the other.

We find it stated again in verse 4. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair. So if we seek wisdom we will learn how to not only be disciplined but also learn to do things the right way, the just way and the fair way. Often we think wisdom is useful in difficult decision making, but apparently there is much more to it than that. Young children often complain that life isn’t fair to them. Maybe they can’t see the bigger picture, but only look at life as it relates to them and their needs.? Oops, it isn’t only children that face that dilemma is it?

These proverbs will give insight to to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. Proverbs 1: 4. As parents, grandparents and teachers we need to share these proverbs with the young ones in our lives. I have two grandchildren heading off to college this year, plus another one who is enrolling in a program called Running Start. Each of these young people have been home schooled. Their parents have done their best to prepare them for life. It is a joy, as their grandmother, to hear wisdom coming from them. It wasn’t by accident, but by deliberate exposure to God’s Word and ways. Aaron, my oldest grandson, is heading to his junior year at Pacific Lutheran University. He plans to be an elementary teacher. I already know he will need to draw not only on God’s wisdom, but learn about applying that wisdom with discipline.

One day, as I was reading Proverbs 1:8-9: My child listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck, I realized that helping our children gain wisdom actually gives them an advantage. They will have accessories that will help them stand out. A crown of grace and a chain of honor around their neck are quite the gift. As they learn to fear the Lord and walk in His ways, Proverbs 1: 5 will come to them. Let those with understanding receive guidance.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Proverbs 1:5. Learning to apply this wisdom is more than just reading them. It takes deliberate focus and decision making to listen to them and then apply them. The challenges of life seem to becoming harder and harder, but if we are established in God’s wisdom and character the path gets clearer and more obvious. If you are like me, there is “listening” and then there is “listening”. When we appreciate and respect the speaker, we pay much more attention to what they are saying and become even wiser

None of us want to appear foolish, much less be called a fool. Proverbs 1:7 is the bedrock of walking with the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. I have grown in discipline in some very practical ways, however, in others, it is still a struggle. Exercise and diet are two of the areas where I have wisdom to do the right thing, but not always the discipline to do it. So am I wise? God is helping me in these areas, and I am grateful. I encourage you to take a look at the book of Proverbs with listening ears. Look for those areas where you can apply the wisdom that is so abundantly there.

Father, thank you for helping us grow in the area of wisdom and discipline. It is the living out of your wisdom and discipline that helps us becomes more useful to You and Your Kingdom. Teach me to really listen to Your Words and apply them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. Psalm 145: 1 NLT.

My life has been busy and a bit overwhelming these past few weeks. These past few weeks, I have found myself out of focus a bit with the Lord. Instead of walking in condemnation and struggle to get it “better”…I chose to simply tell Him about it and ask Him to help me. What a joy to discover that He loves to answer those kinds of prayers! He really does restore the joy of our salvation when we humble ourselves and go to Him.

Reading through Psalm 145, which is entitled “a psalm of praise of David” brings me back to clarity of really how great our God really is! Here are some of my thoughts as we go through this Psalm. What do you think?

Verse 2: I will praise you every day, yes, I will praise you forever. Adding daily praise to our life is always a good thing. It causes us to look up and away from our small lives, and reminds us of our big powerful God.

Verse 4: Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. If we don’t experience our own “mighty acts” or answered prayers, how can we pass them on to the next generation?

Verse 7: Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. Oh my friends, do not forget the goodness of our God. Life will often raise its ugly head and say “no, if my life isn’t “good”, then your God isn’t good”. Not true. Sin brought massive problems with it, and we all have to deal with it.

Verse 8: The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. This is who our God truly is. He wants to manifest His nature to us, as His children. Look around your world and look for His mercy, compassion and love. Think about where you might have deserved His anger and didn’t!

Verse 9-13: The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; They will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises: he is gracious in all he does. Are you telling others about His mighty deeds? It is comforting to know that His kingdom is everlasting, not just temporary, and that we can depend on Him to govern, love and care for every generation.

Verse 14: The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bend beneath their loads. That is what He did for me this week. I was emotionally and spiritually bent from carrying loads that were really for Him to carry. Such a blessing. On top of my emotionally “bent back” my physical back was also hurting and I have been walking “bent”! After prayer last night with my small group, I am able to walk much taller! When we cast our cares on Him, He truly helps us walk lighter and taller spiritually and emotionally as well.

Verse 15-16: The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. As I read this verse, I thought about more than physical food. If we turn to Him, He also gives us spiritual food, emotional food along with the physical things we need.

Verse 17: The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. He is righteous; therefore everything He does is righteous. When faced with difficult issues, I often pray for the Righteous Judge to come into the situation. I have watched Him move so many times, in only ways that He can do.

Verse 18-19 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes to all who call upon him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. When we call upon Him in truth and honesty He comes near, and intervenes for and with us.

Verse 21: I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever. What a prayer. There will come a time when everyone on earth will bless his holy name and that will indicate the end of all trouble and sorrow.

Father, I thank you that You listen to simple heart felt prayers. You are such an amazing Righteous, Kind, Loving and Merciful God who delights in showing up for us. Help us to show up to You and for You, my dear Savior. It is the least we can do. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13 NLT

As I read the 16th chapter of John, I came across this wonderful promise Jesus gave us. At this point, the end of life as the disciples new it was coming to an end. Jesus was trying to prepare them for life without his physical presence. I have always pondered how they received these truths. I probably would listen in denial–no that can’t happen! But Jesus tells them–no this is a good thing!

One of the thoughts I had as I read through this chapter was that the Holy Spirit loves us. I don’t think I have ever put that thought together. He loves us as much as God the Father, and Jesus, His Son does. So when He promised to send this Comforter, Advocate, Guide, Teacher it not only came from a place of love, but He sent some one who loves us as well. The Holy Spirit is an amazing gift, I don’t think we as believers have to learned to appreciate Him to His fullest extent.

So what is a guide? A guide comes along side us in the journey. He is there to help teach us along the way. To give us better insight and comprehension no matter how well we already think we “know it”. The guide keeps us from getting lost. He may take us on what we perceive to be a “longer” journey, and we may get frustrated because we want to get there faster or easier. This is why we need to understand that the Holy Spirit loves us. He will not lead or guide us to somewhere false or ultimately damaging. We do know that Paul was led by the Holy Spirit into some very difficult trials, but it was all good for the Kingdom’s sake.

One purpose of a guide is to help us get from one place to another, usually some place new. If we don’t trust, rely on or turn to Him during changes we may not get to the new place as efficiently. If we think we know the truth, already, about our situation, then we won’t even ask for His help. We will make decisions based on our own thoughts and wisdom. This makes us vulnerable for deception and detours.

A guide helps us feel safe. We can relax and enjoy the journey much more, if we know that someone has planned the trip. He knows the starting and stopping places. The children of Israel had the advantage of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to lead and guide them. We can have the promptings of the Holy Spirit, if we let Him.

Learning to lean on Him, isn’t always easy. Our independent spirit can show up and cause us to resist or even reject His guidance. He is a gentleman and won’t push Himself in where He isn’t wanted. When we repent and turn to Him, He is quick to respond. However, we may have to suffer the consequences of our independence. Even, then He is quick to comfort us. The enemy of our soul attempts to discredit His guidance through lies and fears. We must not let those things deter us from following His guidance.

Learning to follow this wonderful guide is a process. It begins with submission and asking. Staying in the Word tunes our ears to the tone of His voice and character. Understanding that He will never lead us to do things counter to God’s character. He will never guide us to hurt or injure someone else. As we listen to Him, we don’t have to fear being deceived.

Father, I thank you that you love us enough to give us a guide. Teach us to respect, honor and listen to this wonderful gift you have given. Train us to listen and then obey, knowing His way is always best. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? Isaiah 43: 18-19

As I was working in my office, I came across this word, written by my husband, Darryl Rodman in 2007. I thought it was a great reminder for us all. I believe it has some great insights we can apply to our lives today.

He entitled it: A New Day, a New Way.

Some of us have been waiting for a new day for along time. What if I told you that the new day is here already. In truth, it is a new day when we begin to believe what the Lord has said about it. This is the day the Lord has made, each day a new day. All that waits for a new day in our lives begins with believing it. Dont’ wait for things around you to change before you say it is a new day. Let the new day start in your heart through faith. Faith is the substance of a new day, and the evidence of all the changes that will take place in the midst of a new day. You see, a new day must start from a new perspective with in you, not from your circumstances around you. We are called to believe, then receive. The new day you are waiting for is waiting for you to embrace it by faith in all the promises the Lord gives you.

This is a day of new beginning. Old things are passing away. We have to learn that we cannot live like it is still the old day and expect that we will have the fullness of the new day. We have to change. For example, when seasons change we change the clothes we wear. We change our expectations of the weather and what we can do or not do. We change our goals to match the season. We enjoy the blessings of the season.

If you are tired of walking the same old ways of the continual old days, here are some other thoughts that can help you walk in a new day.

Believe it is a new day!

Begin by forgetting what has been and focusing on what will be.

Start over like this is the first day of your life.

Put off the old things on purpose–get rid of them! Then put on the new. Ephesians 4:22.

Do not let your memory of yesterday tell you what today looks like.fiish

Stop rehearsing the old stories of the old day. Confess what the new day looks like.

Give God all your history of struggle, failure, hurt or debt.

Believe what the Lord says and live like you believe it.

Know that everyday is a new day full of opportunities to see God’s love in action.

All these things take fighting the good fight. Depend on the Lord who has begin a good work and will finish it. Expect to see what you hope for fulfilled. These are the new ways that help establish the new days we are looking for. Start today, let God help you change your ways, and you will change your days. Darryl Rodman

Father, I thank you that we can have new days by trusting you to change us. What a blessing it is that we can trust you to teach us how to have those new days. What a good God you are. Help us to see every area that You see we need to believe for the new day–whether it is in our personal life, our relationships, or In our faith in your abilities. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Having the eyes of your hearts being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe Ephesians 1: 18-19 ESV.

A few weeks ago I woke to hearing the Holy Spirit saying that the eyes of your understanding be open. I had been praying and asking for wisdom and insight in several aspects of my life and the lives of my family, so I was excited to ponder that phrase. Then the other day I was talking with my six-year-old grandson, and out of the blue he said, “I wish I was blind”. Wow, did that catch me off guard? I should have asked him what made him think that or why? But I was so flabbergasted, I simply said “Oh no, you wouldn’t”. We had arrived at our destination and out he went.

As I pondered the two situations, it made me pause. Are there times or aspects of our lives where we would all rather be blind? Maybe I don’t want to see that homeless man. Would it be “easier” not to see the pain on that woman’s face? Or the confusion in a teenager? If I live in my own darkness, would that make it easier to ignore the darkness in our culture? Perhaps it would be easier to hide from my own sinful ways if I were to try to “hide” and not “see” my own truth? Do we trust that no matter what He shows us is always for our good? Do we trust our God’s characte?

In reality, I think we all have areas of blindness. Some of those areas are from just needing to grow and learn. After I heard those words “the eyes of your understanding be open” I had to admit then that there must be areas of my life in which I was blind! Humbling those it was, I felt excitement to know that I was going to “see” new things! Paul’s prayer and expectation is that when the eyes of our understanding are opened, we will know the hope to which he has called us. It doesn’t matter what our current situations are.

We have an enemy that would not only like to keep us blind but also take away the vision we have. He does this through lies, distractions, and appealing to the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh. Our fleshly senses are so bombarded that we forget the freedom we have in Christ and end back in bondage. He attempts to blind us to the goodness of our Savior and tries to get us to rely on ourselves. He desires to keep us blinded from the hope we have in our own Lord! It is our choice. Will we let him? Or not?

God’s word is opening up in new ways. I am finding myself pondering and studying it in deeper measures. It always surprises me just when I think I already know what I am about to read, and something new pops up! Ephesians 1:18-19 contains amazing promises. Let’s read it in the New Living Translation. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given those he has called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. Flooded with light means there are no dark areas. Everything is open, both the good and the bad. That takes courage! My friends, let us pray. Psalm 119:18 open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. ESV.

Choosing to walk in the light versus the darkness is really our choice. The Word warns us that in the last days, many will fall away. I believe that is because they will choose blindness over sight—granted it is the sight that walks by faith. The trials of our faith are many, but so are the victories as we keep on walking in Him.

Father, I thank you. We can come to you no matter the state of our eyesight. I ask that you open our eyes to any area where the enemy has blinded us or is trying to blind us. Help us to see you clearly and the hope you have given to us. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV. Take the time to read through Hebrews 11. Yu will find so many examples of men and women who walked by faith and did exploits. Every hero recorded in Hebrews 11 is an example for us. Each of them began by believing in God. So it is the same with each of us. We decide to believe that He is. It is a decision. I think our greatest step of faith was taking Him at His Word for our salvation. The longer I walk with the Lord the more I understand the importance of “releasing” my faith as I pray and believe. Many years ago our church had the policy of “bringing” our tithes and offerings to the front. Darryl and I have been tithers and givers since we first married. As I placed our check in the offering plate that Sunday, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me–are you doing this as a result of habit? Is there any faith involved? I had to admit, not much. I knew God would bless our giving, but when I began to release my faith as I gave, it changed my expectation. It turned from passive faith to a more active faith. A greater trust that our needs would be met began to grow in a new measure. We became even easier to be generous in helping others, because we trusted that as we obeyed Him, He would keep His promises. I began to realize that I could use active faith as I prayed and believed for many things–not just finances. There is a rest that has come when this active faith combines with trust. When I focus on whom it is (God Himself) I am praying to along with releasing my faith I find peace settling in where there was turmoil. The peace that passes all situations and understanding begins to flow and what seemed impossible becomes possible. I still may not know how things are going to work out, I just have confidence that they will. My position shifts from being under the situation to being above it; after all we are the head not the tail. Courageous confidence begins to grow. Hopelessness is replaced by hope and we begin to walk the victorious walk God has promised. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17: 7-8. NLT. I encourage you to take one area of your life that you have been struggling to trust Him. Find some scriptures that tell you the truth about those situations and begin to release active faith into those challenges. Maybe your challenge is your children. Keep on praying, “Father, they are in Your Hands, I trust You to work in their lives.” When you read those words, did you say, Yes, Lord, I trust You. Or did you find yourselves unsure? If so, keep on asking Him to help you grow in your trust. Active faith definitely means growing in your trust in who Your God is. One of my favorite prayers is “Father, I trust You.”. Have you ever declared your trust in Him? My attitudes and perspectives (especially when things don’t go according to my natural thoughts think they should I simply say, “Father, I don’t understand, but I trust You. Please work this situation out for Your glory.” I don’t try to figure it out; I just leave it in His hands. Father, I thank you for helping us learn to release our faith and trust. I ask you to teach us how to walk in more active faith in those areas that challenges us. I thank you that you are broadening our faith into all areas of our life, In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NKJV.

Come! The Greek word Jesus used in this wonderful scripture is deute. It’s very connotation contains the idea of coming, with a joyful exclamation! Jesus is waiting for us to come to Him. I need this scripture today. Life has been quite heavy lately but amid hard diagnosis for family members, a difficult birth story and challenging decisions, how refreshing it is to know He bids me to come! There is no hesitation, no requirements, just simply “come”.

Who is He calling? Those who labor. Kapiao is the Greek word used here. It means to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil, burdens or grief). The picture is of a person who has been working hard and long at their task. They have been diligent to the point of exhaustion. This is the person God is calling to come to Him. He also singled out those who are heavy laden (phortidzo). This is a military term for the pack every soldier is required to carry with them on their assignments. The weight depends on how long they would be gone.

As I write this article, I am aware of my exhaustion. It is not simply a physical exhaustion, but it is mental as well. The burden God is showing me I am carrying…the backpack, if you will, is my concern for others. A friend who’s son has schizophrenia and is having a difficult time right now. My daughter-in-law, who is recovering from birth complications for my eleventh grandchild. My sister and niece, who are beginning cancer treatments this coming week. As I come to Him, He is showing me I need to lay them at His feet. How about you? Have you been working hard at your assignment for Him? Have you taken on the concerns of others?

As I waited upon Him today, I realize it was not wrong to be carrying these concerns. The problem comes when we do not yoke up with Him. He does not mean for us to carry these by ourselves. The entire purpose of a yoke is to re-distribute the weight, so it is easier to bear. But if we don’t take the time to come to Him and receive His rest, we will end up trying to carry the whole thing by ourselves. Yesterday I as I hugged and prayed for my exhausted son. I felt a shift. We came to our Lord together. There is a blessing and release that comes from praying together, isn’t there? I am not the refresher, but we know the One who is!

What is His promise? I will give you rest (anapauo). This Greek word comes from ana which means up and pauo to make to cease. It means not only a cessation from toil, but refreshment, to rejuvenate, to reinvigorate or revitalize—all good things! Someone asked me yesterday how I was, and I simply admitted, “I am exhausted”. I think they wanted me to say, “I’m great!”…but he took the time to listen and pray for my burdens. I began to feel my own shift beginning to take place. As he prayed, it was hard not to sit in my weariness, but to engage with my faith. But as I did, I felt stronger.

When we “come” to Jesus in our weariness and exhaustion, we must “come” in faith, or we will leave in the state we came in! When we take up His yoke, we set ourselves as learners. He wants to teach us something. To reveal some part of Himself or His Father we have not experienced or understand as yet. Since He is gentle and lowly in heart, we must come to Him in the same way: humble and meek. Not as know it alls, but teachable. He knows all of our to-do lists. Are we willing to let Him adjust it?Do you trust Him enough for Him to set your agenda? I know as I sit in His Presence, acknowledging His Lordship, things shift in my soul. My perspective gets exchanged for His perspective and somehow the weights fall off. Freedom from fear happens. I know He who holds my life, also holds those precious others. It may take a few times of coming to do the great yoke and burden exchange, but if I keep coming, it happens. I recommend you coming to Him sooner than later!

Father, I ask you to help us take to heart your invitation to Come! Just as we are, knowing the blessing that comes from spending time with You. Let us come with faith, humility and a teachable spirit. We choose to trust you with every heavy burden we are trying to carry. Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. I pray for strength for my friends today, In Jesus’ Name, amen.

I commend our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church at Cenchrea. Romans 16:1 NLT

This week our brothers and sisters who belong to the Southern Baptist Convention find themselves in a big dilemma. They voted to uphold their position to expel any church who has installed a woman as pastor. Apparently, the leadership felt so strongly about this position that they will separate from their long-term brethren. I, personally, don’t think this is a hill to die on, but they did. My heart hurts for the broken relationships that have ensued. Then, I came across this woman named Phoebe, a leader recognized by the Apostle Paul. I am sure this woman was brought up in the Southern Baptist Convention discussions.

Although I have read this chapter many times, I never took the time to do any research about our sister Phoebe. Reading Paul’s commendations of this remarkable woman makes me want to not only get to know her, but become like her! This is the only place that she is mentioned, but we can learn a lot about her. Cenchrea is a seaport a few miles east of Corinth. We know she was a leader in some capacity. Paul gives her the position diakonos–which can be translated as deacon, servant or minister. She is the only woman named in the Bible as deacon. By this, we can infer, that she had a place of responsibility and leadership.

She was given the privilege and responsibility to carry this important letter from Paul to the church at Rome. What a surprise! A woman was entrusted with this special task. She not only saw to it that it arrived, safe intact to the elders at the church in Rome, but her job was to read the letter aloud to the church. Paul entrusted her to accurately interpret his writings with the correct expressions and emphasis. This was a very important task.

Paul strongly encouraged them to welcome her, to receive her in a manner worthy of the saints. As I read this part of the verse, it made me wonder, “do I know how to receive God’s people in a manner worthy of the saints?” Do we as a church even think along those lines? I believer our Black brethren churches could teach some of us a thing or two in this area. They take the time to honor their people. It was important that the church at Rome received Phoebe as worthy among God’s people.

There is another interesting phrase in verse two that describes our sister. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Romans 16:2. NIV The word “benefactor” in the NIV or “patron” in the ESV (protrastis: Greek) infers someone who was well off financially, but used that wealth for others. Phoebe seems like an amazing well-rounded woman. We know she was a leader who led well. Paul, who discerned character well, admired and trusted her.

My question to myself, and I guess the reader….are we using our influence well? Can we be trusted by the Holy Spirit to use our gifts for His glory? Do we walk a commendable walk with our Lord? I know many, many believers who I would say a resounding “yes”! We can always grow in these areas, but, please know others are watching the good job you are doing. Keep it up. Do not grow weary in well-doing. You may be someone’s Phoebe, and that would be a good thing!

The body of Christ needs good leaders, no matter the gender. Brothers and sisters, please allow the Holy Spirit to use you as He sees fit. If you are called into leadership, do it circumspectly. Remember these scriptures as you relate to each other: For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28. NLT.

Father, I thank you for helping us grow in wisdom with one another. I thank you for Phoebe’s example and how she was a helper to many. Teach us to honor each other, like Paul honored his friends in Romans 16. I ask you help us rightly develop disciples into good leaders, firstly by walking as good examples ourselves. We pray for our Southern Baptist brethren, that you would let the spirit of reconciliation work in all hearts. In Jesus’ Name, amen.