But They Feared God...

A God-Fearing woman is called to fear God alone and not fear anyone or anything else.  

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell. Matthew 10:28

It is the Lord God you shall fear.  Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.  You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples around you-for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God-  Deuteronomy 6:13-15

Do not fear anything frightening 1 Peter 3:6

Women in the bible, Shiprah, Puah, and Moses' mother feared God rather than man or what man could do to them.

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born, you are to throw into the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.”  Exodus 1:15-22

(Speaking of Moses' mother) ...she hid him for three months.  But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch.  Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.  His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him." see Exodus 2:1-4

• Two midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them but let the boys live.  
• Disobeying the king's decree, Moses' mother placed him in a wicker basket beside the Nile where he would be kept alive.  In the book to the Hebrews, we learn that it was by faith that Moses was hidden by his parents and that they were not afraid of the King's edict.  (Hebrews 11:23)  Like his parents, by faith Moses did not fear the wrath of the king, instead enduring because He "saw Him who was unseen". Hebrews 11:27

As I read these accounts this morning, motherhood came to mind. Abortion came to mind.  Countless children being sexually abused came to mind. Children being used in the industry of pornography and sexual exploitation came to mind.  Children being brought up to hate God, or at least ignore Him, came to mind.  

Last evening, on a text with two God-fearing mothers, one said, "The enemy is so crafty, and I get so angry that he is after our kids."  The other responded, "And it just keeps getting worse and worse for children in this world.  

The enemy hates the image of God in our children.  He hates the image of God in us.  He hates the image of Christ and His Church in a relationship between husband and wife.  He hates God-Fearers.  He always has.

I took so much courage this morning from God's Word as I read about the faith of Shiphrah and Puah, Moses' mother and father, and Peter and John. 

What am I to do with this knowledge as I sit here at my kitchen table, in the midst of a culture who is trying to destroy our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, men and women?  I'm not certain about the answer to this, but I do know as a God-fearing woman, wife, and mother:

1.  I am to fear the Lord alone.  

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell. Matthew 10:28

2.  I am to love my husband.

So that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands... Titus 2:4

3.  I am to love my children and teach my children about the Lord, His Word, and His Ways.

...to love their husbands, to love their children. Titus 2:4

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7

But Jesus said, "Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

4.  I am to despise fearing man-a trap of the enemy.

The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be delivered. Proverbs 29:25

5.  The Lord alone is my only keeper and protector.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day, 

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil; 

He will keep your soul. 

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever. Psalm 121:5-8

6.  The will of God is that I rejoice always, pray unceasingly, and give thanks in all circumstances.

 Rejoice always, praying without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

Is Being A Mom Enough?

Is Being a Mom Enough?  

I've heard this question from many young moms throughout the years, and many years ago, I was the one asking it.  

I worked full-time as an elementary school teacher, and as any teacher knows, it's hard work.  But what I didn't know then is that I had children at home to love, cherish, nurture, teach, and bring up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord.  I learned the hard way that forsaking my home to build a life is not the way of the Lord.  

Just a few months after having my firstborn, the night before I was to return to work, as my husband and I lay in bed, tears streamed down the side of my temples as I stared at the ceiling.  I told my husband how I didn't want to go back, but I saw no other way, and neither did he.  We would have had to sell our already 1200 sq foot tiny home to live in something more affordable, or so we thought.  The next day, I took my baby to a sitter and went to work, caring and teaching a classroom full of little children.  Two years later, after having our second born, I was becoming increasingly confused and unhappy with dropping my children at the sitter and teaching someone else's child. Day after day, I would drop my children and Jim would pick them up.  He would go home after a long day of work and start supper, the laundry, and play with our children.  There were few around us championing me to go home.  

But the Lord kept pressing into my heart that things were upside down, and I needed to be home. But self-made idols die hard and long and teaching was my identity.  I was a TEACHER.  It was not only what I did, it's WHO I was.  To me, teaching stood for everything I wanted:  purpose, meaning, activity, creativity, love, and recognition.  I was good at teaching, and the parents approved.   A perfect fit for a girl like me who was searching for the glory of God on this earth.  

Fast forward to bringing our two youngest children home. They were babies and we saw no other way for me to be home than for a miracle to happen or to sell our home.   We decided that selling our home was the only way for me to be home, and we did.  Again, it was not easy.  It was the home built on the 10 acres we desired to raise our children on.  But selling the home meant I could be home with all four children.  It was a hard change for our family, but it was worth it.  A million trillion times worth it.  

When my oldest son was in 9th grade, he asked to homeschool, and then a year later, our oldest daughter asked to do the same.  It was the Lord's redemption in many ways for the years lost.  Our relationships grew, and those years are some of the best gifts the Lord has ever given me.  Today we homeschool our two youngest children.  Most days are hard days.  But they're "worth it" days.  

I know without a doubt that loving my husband and loving and teaching our children is a work worth doing and yes, it is enough.  It is not my identity.  It is not WHO I am.  I belong to the Lord.  God is my Father and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.  I believe that God makes families to build up the church.  If you are a mom, you are doing an important work.  In Ephesians, Paul writes and says that God has saved us and prepared good works for us to walk in.  Motherhood is full of these works.  May we walk in them.  Christ is enough.  Being in Christ is enough.  Doing all things for God's glory is what He asks. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Proverbs 14:1  A wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tear it down with her own hands.

Proverbs 31:10 An excellent wife who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels.

Proverbs 31:29-30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  

Titus 2:4 ...so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and love their children.

To the New Girl in the Back of the Church

Dear New Girl in the Back of the Church...

in the very last seat.  To you, the one who doesn't even know why she's here. Maybe someone dragged you in.  Maybe you're weirded out by church.  Maybe you've come a few times, and every week you think, "Why am I here again?!" Let me guess, before the service you probably stand on the wall in the foyer wishing you could become part of the wall, come at the very last second and after you head for Dodge.

I get it.  I was you.  

19 years ago, I sat in the back of the first church I had attended as an adult thinking I had totally lost my mind.  I wasn't a Christian, and I was the terrified girl, sitting in the back.  

The stage was an odd mixture of what I assumed all churches to be-a pulpit, stained glass windows, an organ, and lots of brass fixtures. And there were band instruments. I didn't have a compartment in my brain to process such things.  I felt like I had landed on a different planet.  On the way into the church, people hugged-a lot.  They seemed genuinely happy to be together.  I felt like an intruder or a party crasher.  I wanted to introduce myself like, "Um, hey, yea, I'm new here...not even sure why I'm here."  
     
The very first church service I can remember began with a tall, lanky guy in jeans playing guitar.  I wish I could say I thought it was awesome.  Oh no.  I seriously thought it was the weirdest thing I had ever experienced.  

Somewhere about song three, he raised one hand in the air.  I couldn't figure out for the life of me what he was doing. I didn't know if he needed something and this was a Christian way to signal from the front. Then I thought maybe he was a "free-spirit" like I heard about from the 70s.  I didn't know what he was doing but he sure seemed happy doing it; I had to give him that.  But I was so embarrassed for him.  I remember thinking, "Dude, put your hand down." However, he surely didn't seem to care if he was making a spectacle of himself.  And then, a few other people raised their hands, and I thought, "Oh, this is what they do here." Hmmm.  I don't even remember the sermon, but those first few minutes will forever be etched on my brain.

And that was my first adult church experience.  

Fast forward 20 years.  

I still occasionally sit in the back of the church, but now I'm the one singing and raising that hand in the air, and my heart still goes out to every single petrified person back there. Because Oh man, I remember those feelings so well.  

I had no idea that God was the one who got me into that church.  Week after week, I'd go back sometimes I'd be kicking and screaming, mind you, but I went. 

So, if you're petrified and maybe just a bit weirded out, know you're not the only one who has ever felt this way.  Just relax.  You are welcome because God brought you here.  Just like everyone else. You're not an outsider, intruder, or party crasher. No one is going to call you front or embarrass you. And nobody wants anything from you. 

God welcomes you.  Into this place we call "church" to worship him.  Just come.  


PS.  And the hands in the air, it's a way to worship God, just one way.  If you're not feelin' it or don't understand it yet, it's okay. Just come. Even if you're weirded out by all these weird people.

A Father's Heart for His Lost Child

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?" Luke 15:4

In the early hours of the morning, as others slept, time stood still for us.   Seconds ticking more like hours, we sat side-by-side on our sofa, staring at the white walls of our living room, our souls in deep anguish.  The lights of our home burned brightly in case, just in case he came home.

Our boy was lost.

Hours before, our 14 year old boy went missing.

A lost son is an agonizing weight to bear.

When he first went missing, his father, went into a warrior-like mode with deep intensity and determined focus.  He was on a mission:  he was going to find his boy.

Other people searched diligently, but the heart of the boy's father was set on finding him, as though nothing else mattered.

While others slept in the early hours of the morning, he was out again, combing the streets, looking for his boy.

23 hours after the search had begun, he got a call.  His boy had been found.   His heart flooded with relief and joy.  He stood on the front porch waiting.  Waiting for his boy.

As the vehicle with his boy drove up, I asked, "What do we do now?"

The boy's father's words trailed behind him as he sprinted toward the vehicle, "What do you mean, what do we do...?"

As his boy stepped out of the vehicle, he fell at his feet, sobbing and hugging his boy. His boy had come home.

He was lost and now he was found.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

____________________________
This is a true story of events that happened in our family four years ago.  With gratitude, we see this as part of the Lord's redemption plan in us as individuals and a family.  We could never express our gratitude for the countless people who searched diligently alongside us and those who ministered to us through presence and prayer.  We are so grateful for one man's obedience when called by the Lord to go search, he went.  He was the one who found our son.

For Jim and I, the image of a father's heart for his lost child, has been etched on the tablet of our hearts.  We have a clearer picture today for the Father's love for us because of this.

To have just a glimpse of God's heart for his lost child is a true gift.

Are you lost?  Could your Father be pursuing you?  Unlike us, He knows where you are.    
To read about a story similar to this in God's Word, read this:  Luke 15:11-24.  Find yourself in the story.  See the Father's heart for his lost child.  He's not pursuing you to hurt or condemn you.  He's pursuing you to get you home, to Him, where you belong.