Jesus

I’m no Jabez

Posted on by Grace Day

Twenty some years ago, a book entitled, “The Prayer of Jabez” became very popular with people everywhere, no matter their particular religious affiliation. This book made the name of Jabez a household name, even though prior to the book being published, I have to wonder how many people were familiar with the name of Jabez or knew anything about him? I can’t say that I did. I certainly didn’t remember Jabez from any childhood Bible stories.

As it turns out, there was probably a good reason for my lack of knowledge about Jabez. He is only mentioned in three Bible verses total, those being 1 Chronicles 2:55 and 1 Chronicles 4:9&10. So why the modern day obsession with Jabez and his prayer? I turned to 1 Chronicles to read his prayer for myself in an effort to belatedly discover what all the fuss has been about in recent years. I read this –

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

That’s it. That’s all we know. Jabez is never mentioned again in the Bible. So I assume since “God granted his request” that Jabez did indeed enjoy an enlarged territory and that he was protected by God’s hand and lived pain free. Doesn’t sound like my life or the life of anyone else I currently know. I feel like these words of Jesus to His disciples more accurately describe life today for me and for those around me.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So why don’t I just pray the prayer of Jabez? It certainly worked for him. Well, I just can’t bring myself to do it – especially the “enlarge my territory!” part. Maybe it’s because I’m mindful of these words in Luke –

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10)

So I have to ask myself, am I currently faithfully using all that God has already given me, be it my money, my talents and abilities or my time in God’s service? And if not, meaning if my money, abilities and time are not fully surrendered to God now for His purposes and for His glory, why would I ask for more? In other words, if I’m not being a good steward of what God has already given me, why would I ask Him for more of anything?

Now it did say that “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.” Perhaps this description tells us that Jabez had indeed fully surrendered all of his territory to God and therefore he was ready for and desiring of more territory, which he would also dedicate to God, to be used for God’s purposes, not his own. God must have trusted Jabez to be faithful with more as Jabez had shown himself faithful with what God had already given him, because we are told – “God granted his (Jabez’s) request.”

Why don’t I pray Jabez’s prayer? Because I’m no Jabez. If I am honest, I would admit God has given me much, certainly more than I deserve, because of His great mercy. But I don’t think “my territory” – and all that is within it, my time, abilities, finances, my heart, mind, soul and strength are fully surrendered to God twenty-four/seven. Until I learn to fully and completely surrender all that I already have, there is no reason for me to ask God for more.

I can stop looking around at what other people have and thinking that I should have that, too. I don’t want to waste time petitioning God for something more or for something other than, something different than He’s already given me. When I’m focused on what I don’t have or on what I think I should have, I ignore or I forget what God has already given me. I neglect to use, to steward and to be grateful for all that God has already placed within my territory. I fail to do what God has put right in front of me to do for Him today. I don’t need a larger territory. I need to take better care of the territory God has already given me to steward for Him. I’m no Jabez.

Then there’s Jabez’s other request – that he would be kept from harm and live “free from pain.” Even Jesus didn’t get a pass from pain while He was living here on Earth. And Jesus did ask God for that pass, so I guess it’s okay for you and I to ask also. Jesus asked this of God when He prayed in Gethsemane saying –

“Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36)

Jesus was asking God to take the pain of His upcoming crucifixion away from Him. Yet even as He did this, Jesus simultaneously surrendered His will to God’s will for Him. I think I would do better to pray as Jesus prayed in this regard, rather than Jabez. Although who wouldn’t want to live life pain free? However, Peter does say this about pain –

“But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13)

And James says this –

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-3)

Then I read in Corinthians this –

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Peter also says this about the pain you and I experience in this life –

“though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

So my pain will actually result in “praise, glory and honor” to Jesus when He is revealed! And in Romans I find another positive outcome of the pain I endure now –

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (Romans 8:17)

The privilege of sharing in Christ’s glory – that requires sharing first in His suffering. There are things that a pain free life cannot teach me. A pain free life will not conform me to the image of Christ, nor strengthen my faith, nor give me empathy, perseverance, courage or trust. The apostle, Paul, did not get a pain free life, but had his “thorn” which God did not take away from him, even when Paul asked God to remove this painful thorn. Paul understood pain and wrote these words in his letter to the church at Philippi –

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him,” (Philippians 1:29) and –

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

Sharing in Christ’s sufferings will not be a pain free life BUT – quite the opposite. After all, Jesus told His disciples –

“If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20)

I will pray with King David –

“grand me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” rather than pray with Jabez that I might be exempt from all pain.

After all, I’m no Jabez. I will experience life’s pain along with its God given joys.

I’m no Jabez. I don’t need and I would be foolish to ask for, a larger territory. I still need to learn how to faithfully steward the territory God has already entrusted to me, lest that, too, be taken from me. My prayer?

Lord, shrink my territory and bring on the pain. After all, I’m no Jabez.

Lord, help me to faithfully care for the territory You have given me. Thank You for Your abiding Presence with me always. May I know Your comfort in my pain, Your peace in uncertain circumstances, Your light in this world’s darkness, Your mercy in my mistakes, Your hope in my despair, Your strength in my weakness, Your wisdom in my foolishness, Your truth in a world of deception, Your provision in my want, Your protection when evil and enemies surround me, Your voice in the stillness and in the clamor – may I know – You.

sincerely, Grace Day

has God forgotten me?

Posted on by Grace Day

Do you ever wonder what God’s up to? I mean, He said He’s coming back for us and that He will set all things right – but that was centuries ago when Jesus made those promises. The days are certainly evil. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are floods and famines. But that’s been true of life here on earth ever since Eve made her choice in the garden. It was the same condition of life Jesus found us living in when He came here two thousand years ago. And since the time Jesus ascended into heaven, things have continued in their sorry state. So it’s understandable if we humans are growing weary in the wait these days, even as we long for Jesus’s return. To us it may seem as if Jesus is being unnecessarily slow in returning to rescue us from the mess we’ve made of things. But Peter reminds us –

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

So what I perceive as God’s slowness or even indifference to our current human suffering, is actually God’s mercy and compassion, giving each one of us more time to come to faith in Jesus and receive His gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

During this extended period of proffered grace, God is not dilly-dallying while we are enduring the hardships of this life. No He is busy on my behalf and on your behalf, dear readers. We know this because Jesus told His disciples –

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

So Jesus is busy preparing a place for me. BUT – He’s also doing something even more important simultaneously. Jesus is preparing me, in order that I might be made ready to inhabit the place that He is getting ready for me. Somehow, I think the former task is infinitely easier than the latter one. It is a really hard, painstaking process getting me prepared to take my place in heaven. No wonder Jesus is taking so long – I need a lot of work done in order to be ready for His return! Is that the case for you, too? Jesus does that work for us, described this way in Ephesians –

“. . . just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

That’s the preparing work Christ is doing in you and in me now so that we can be “holy and blameless”, when He comes, ready to take our pre-prepared places in heaven. But getting all my stains, wrinkles and blemishes out is quite a painful process – it is the process called “life on planet Earth.” When I am feeling overwhelmed by life’s hardships, hurts, and heartaches, I remember these words –

“For our (my) light and momentary troubles are achieving for us (me) an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

My preparation though painful, has a greater purpose and a good outcome. It’s like Job said when he was in the midst of a painful life trial, having lost everything, with no end in sight and no hope on the horizon –

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Job felt like God surely must have forgotten about him because his circumstances were so dire and they continued on, even getting worse, for so long. But even so, Job trusted God to bring him through the painful preparation he was experiencing. Job believed that he would “come forth as gold” – having been cleaned from all stains and blemishes and dewrinkled – Job was now prepared to receive what God was preparing for him all along. Peter had the same kind of faith, saying this about the preparation we experience –

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Here again I see that my suffering “grief in all kinds of trials” is part of the process, preparing me for what God has in store for me. God is refining my faith. It’s not pleasant, but it is necessary. And I have this promise from my Heavenly Father –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

Interesting that both verses refer to “suffering for a little while” because it seems much longer to me as I wait for His work to be completed in me. Does it seem that way to you, too? Still, I have this assurance –

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

You and I are being transformed into Christ’s likeness! (after all, we were created in His image) That’s hard work. Transformation takes time. God is continually at work in our lives, preparing you and I for the place He has already prepared for us. He does this work in order that you and I might be transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ.

In the middle of my dark nights and painful trials, I can know that my Heavenly Father hasn’t forgotten about me at all. On the contrary, He is right here with me and I can know that –

“it is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

Has God forgotten me? Never! I have this promise, this assurance from His word.

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

God is working on me. Actually, God is working in me and I have His promise that He will complete the work! God will not abandon me, nor will He give up on me. I need to remember that truth when things get hard, so that I will not give up on myself and I will not give up on other people. If God doesn’t give up on us, we have no reason to give up on ourselves or on each other. After all,

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)

God hasn’t forgotten me. And He hasn’t forgotten you either. He’s working on me even in the worst of my circumstances – refining my faith, building something beautiful out of the ashes of my life, washing away the stains, ironing out the wrinkles – then He will clothe me in His righteous robes when I am finally ready for the room He is preparing for me even now. God’s doing the same for you, too, dear readers.

“For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10)

sincerely, Grace Day

the battle rages

Posted on by Grace Day

“In this world you will have trouble; but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Jesus spoke those words to His disciples shortly before He was falsely accused, arrested, tried, found guilty and put to death on a cross. I wonder if His disciples recalled those words as they mourned His death following His crucifixion? At that moment in time, it certainly wouldn’t have appeared to His disciples as if Jesus had indeed overcome the world. His body lay in a tomb. It looked as though the world had won the battle.

However, only three days later, the disciples’ situation looked very different. The tomb was empty! Jesus was spending time with them! The disciples had been grieving Jesus’s death. Now they were celebrating His return, His presence with them! In seemingly an instant, everything changed. The tomb was (and is) empty. Death had been and is defeated. The disciples went from despair to hope, from doubt to faith, from disillusionment to fulfillment, from grief to joy, from fear to courage, from being abandoned and adrift to becoming bearers of the Good News. They were now Christ’s ambassadors, entrusted with carrying out His Great Commission to “go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.” The disciples were to let the world know the battle was won! Jesus had defeated death!

It is true, Jesus has defeated death, BUT – the battle is still raging today. My battle is still raging today and I’m guessing maybe yours is too? I see it and I feel it all around me. I am fighting it. I see those around me fighting it too. It is a battle fought on all fronts – physical, mental and spiritual. After all, we are triune beings, created in the image of a triune God, our Heavenly Father. So of course the enemy of our souls attacks our bodies, our minds and our spirits. I read in 1 Peter –

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

And that is definitely true today. Many around the globe live in countries where they are being persecuted for their faith even as I write these words. There are famines and wars and rumors of wars all around us. The battle rages around us and within us. I might as well get used to it because this will continue until the day of Christ’s return, when He will set all things right. Jesus said the outcome of the battle is secure – He has overcome. But until He comes again – the battle continues to rage on all fronts.

The apostle Paul was familiar with doing battle – both external and internal. He described His internal battle in this way.

“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. . . . When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:18-25)

No wonder I am weary! I am fighting a daily battle within myself (basically I am fighting with myself) and I am fighting many battles without, simultaneously. I would wager you are too, dear readers. While good and evil face off within me, I must also face physical illnesses and challenges, (as do so many I know), face interpersonal challenges (being called to love your enemies is hard work, as is just getting along with friends, family, coworkers and strangers alike) and battle the lies of this world (which enslave) with God’s sword of truth. My Heavenly Father knows the battle is raging. That’s why He provides armor for me to wear and a weapon for me to use.

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

As I watch those I know and love battle illness, loss, loneliness, lies, hurt, fear, depression, anxiety, persecution etc., I watch our world battle with hatred, cruelty, violence, lies, poverty, fear and persecution simultaneously. There seems to be no peace from the battle at present anywhere I look. BUT – it makes a difference where I look. When I look to Jesus while I am in the midst of the many battles I seem to be fighting today and every day, I can “take heart” from these words of Jesus, spoken to His disciples before He sent them out into the world where He knew they would face many battles – trouble, hardship, persecution, rejection, unbelief –

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Yes, the battle is raging all around me BUT – Jesus tells me not to be troubled or afraid. My Heavenly Father doesn’t call me to live my life in fear, but rather to live my life with courage, as I face and fight the battles that surround me. After all, He has given me His sword of the Spirit with which to fight each lie, each loss, each assault and accusation. I can know –

“For our (my) light and momentary troubles are achieving for us (me) an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

I have His instructions for battle from centuries ago, still applicable for today –

“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ” (Exodus 14:13-14)

A good battle plan for me and for you, too – don’t be afraid, stand firm, wait on God, trust God, be still, let Him fight for me, let it be His strength, His way and His will that wins all the battles in my life. Let the victory be His alone!

I have His promise –

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)

I remember that –

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

yes, the battle rages – BUT – I will put on the full armor of God, stand firm, be still, trust God, wait on God – the battle is His –

“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

As I fight my many battles, I need to remember these words from Chronicles. I don’t have to be discouraged or afraid even though the challenges and obstacles are many. (they seem like a vast army for sure) God simply asks me to show up – to take my position, to stand firm, and then I will have a front row seat to witness God’s deliverance. God calls me to face the enemy, (be it illness, lies, hatred, injustice, cruelty, division, betrayal, persecution) while assuring me that He will be with me when I do.

After all, my Heavenly Father is a God who does the unimaginable, the impossible – even when the battle rages. King David knew this, which may be why he said this about God-

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

King David knew a thing or two about fighting battles. He fought the giant Goliath as well as many physical battles with horses, chariots and armies of men. He fought interpersonal battles with members of his own household and he fought spiritual battles within himself, eventually crying out to God –

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

As for me, when all my battles have ceased, I want to be able to say –

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

today, while the battle rages, I will stand firm, I will take up the sword of the Spirit with confidence, knowing Jesus has said – “but take heart! I have overcome the world.”

sincerely, Grace Day

the gift of an unexpected encounter

Posted on by Grace Day

That’s what I had this morning on my solitary prayer walk – an unexpected encounter of the best kind. I say this because there are “unexpected encounters” that do not make our day better, but instead make our day more difficult or more painful than it otherwise would have been without the encounter. However, this was not one of those encounters that brings one down, leaving you discouraged or even distraught. No, this encounter was pure joy, just the encouragement I needed on this ordinary day, this mundane morning, to lift my soul in thanks to God for His unexpected gift of this encounter.

You see, I was walking weary – not weary of body but weary of spirit. I was weary in prayer because the needs are so numerous and the burdens so heavy – alone it is easy to feel overwhelmed. This in spite of the fact that I know “nothing is too hard for God.” I was feeling weak until our paths crossed (literally) and everything changed. Now full disclosure, our paths had crossed once before just recently, where I had acknowledged to her that I wasn’t talking to myself as I walked, but to God. I guess I felt the need to explain my odd behavior to a stranger so I wouldn’t be thought weird.

To my surprise, I received complete understanding instead of a bewildered or a judgmental response. Turns out, she’s a prayer walker too! So, no explanation needed. Which brings me to this morning, when our paths crossed again and she remembered my name! We talked briefly. She shared a prayer request which gave me the courage to share a prayer burden of mine, so close to my heart that it is too painful to share with others, so I don’t. But I shared it with her this morning. My load was lightened. My burden wasn’t gone, but it was borne by another besides myself. Reminded me of this instruction from Galatians –

“Bear one another’s burdens; and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

I walked on feeling lighter, while thanking God for this good gift, this unexpected encounter. As I continued walking and talking (which is to say praying) I was reminded of something that happened to Moses that seems relevant to me today. The story is told in Exodus about Joshua and the Israelites fighting the Amalekites. It happened like this –

“The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” (Exodus 17:8-13)

Moses was weak, he grew tired from having to keep his hands raised while the battle went on below him. But Moses wasn’t alone. Aaron and Hur were with him. They lifted him up. They fought the battle with him. That’s how it is with prayer. We lift each other up to God in prayer. When the enemy seems to be winning and I feel too defeated, too tired, too weak to pray, I am sustained by the knowledge that others are praying for me until I can again take my place on the wall and cry out to God.

This I do gladly for others, praying for those weak and wounded souls who are too weary to pray for themselves, feeling far from God until they come to know just how near He really is. This morning, I felt my faith strengthened, knowing someone else was praying with me for a specific, impossible mountain to be moved. I think this is something the enemy of our souls fears – us bearing each other’s burdens in prayer. Probably because he knows our faith, even if only a mustard seed amount, moves mountains and he knows –

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

We all have mountains in our lives that need moving. It is prayer that will move them. What a privilege to pray with others for their mountains to move even as they pray with me for the moving of my mountains. When I pray with and for others, I am essentially holding up their hands to God, when like Moses, they have become too weary to raise their hands themselves. And I am grateful for all the times others come alongside me in prayer, holding up my hands when I am too tired to continue holding them up to God myself. I am told to –

“pray continually” and “always keep on praying for all the saints.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 & Ephesians 6:18)

I thank God for my unexpected encounter today, encouraging me in my prayer walk to keep on praying, never giving up, knowing that someone else is praying too. Together we are calling down the kingdom as we pray individually and collectively –

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Today, I encountered a stranger and found a sister! (we even share a favorite movie, “War Room”) Thank You, Heavenly Father!

sincerely, Grace Day

believing God for the unbelievable

Posted on by Grace Day

Abraham did. I want to do that too. But it’s hard – really hard sometimes. My problem is (well, ok I have lots of them, “them” being problems) but pertaining to this issue my problem is that I am walking/living by sight even though God’s word is clear – I am to walk by faith. And my sight isn’t all that great anymore anyhow, so walking by faith makes more sense than it ever has. BUT – walking by faith takes guts. Walking by faith takes unwavering courage when everything around you demands that you doubt what God has told you in His living Word to believe.

Such was the situation for Abraham. God called Abraham and made him a fantastical (is that a word?) promise. God asked Abraham to believe the unbelievable.

the call? –

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’ ” (Genesis 12:1)

the promise? –

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

the problem? –

“But Abram said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, what can You give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ ” (Genesis 15:2-3)

You see the problem now, don’t you, dear readers? Abraham didn’t have any children. He had only one wife, Sarah, (in those days men often had multiple wives) and she was barren, which is to say, infertile. So they had no children and now they were both old, way beyond the childbearing years. And yet God had the audacity to tell Abraham this –

the promise repeated –

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’ He (God) took him (Abraham) outside and said, ‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ ” (Genesis 15:4-5)

Just imagine it – a childless old man, Abraham, with an old and barren wife, being told that he was going to have a biological child with his wife and not only that (as if one child wouldn’t be miracle enough) BUT – also, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, which are too numerous to count! Unlikely? Unrealistic? Unbelievable? And yet Abraham believed God! Abraham believed despite the reality of his current circumstances. Abraham believed God for the unbelievable. How do I know this? I read Abraham’s response to God in Genesis 15:6 –

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham believed God for the unbelievable! And time went by. Still no children. Abraham was now ninety-nine years old. Things don’t seem to be moving in the right direction if his descendants are to be as numerous as the stars. BUT – God is faithful to fulfill His promises!

God’s covenant confirmed –

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.’ ” (Genesis 17:1-6)

What must Abraham have thought about God’s promise to make him “very fruitful” even though he and Sarah continued to remain childless? It just didn’t seem possible. And yet –

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ ” (Genesis 17:15-16)

Abraham doubts –

“Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ ” (Genesis 17:17)

God reassures –

“Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’ ” (Genesis 17:19)

And so it happened just as God had promised –

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.” (Genesis 21:1-3)

So, mission accomplished, right? Well, their son was a miraculous gift from God. However, one child seems like a long way off from the promise of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Still, Abraham believed God even when his faith was put to another test only a few years later. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God was testing Abraham’s trust and obedience. God’s request made no sense, given that Abraham’s descendants were supposed to be “as numerous as the stars” and Isaac was Abraham’s one and only descendant at this time.

But Abraham obeyed God and headed up the mountain with Isaac and wood for the fire. Abraham believed God in spite of his current situation and obeyed God’s instructions for the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. It was then that an angel of the Lord intervened saying –

” ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.’ ” (Genesis 22:12)

then God repeats His promise to Abraham –

” ‘I swear by Myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.’ ” (Genesis 22:

Abraham had God’s promise. He believed God for the unbelievable – descendants as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand even though he had only one child with Sarah, Isaac. One would think having many children would predict a better fulfillment of God’s promise, but Abraham trusted God to do the impossible. Fast forward several generations later – Isaac had twin sons, Essau and Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and they all had families – Abraham’s descendants are increasing. They all ended up in Egypt because of a famine and we read this about them in Exodus –

“The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all;” – that’s when they arrived in Egypt. Next we read – “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.” (Genesis 1:5,7)

The increasing numbers of Abraham’s descendants caused the current king of Egypt to fear them and so he enslaved them, oppressing them with forced labor. But Exodus 1:12-13 tells us what happened to the Israelites during the time they were slaves in Egypt.

“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.”

It looks like God’s promise to Abraham is coming true. Abraham’s descendants are becoming more numerous, even when conditions are less than good for them under Egyptian rule. The Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, would eventually leave Egypt, only to wander in the desert for forty years, before settling in their homeland. The number of Abraham’s descendants continued to increase through wars, through exile to Babylon, to the time of Christ’s birth and continues to grow to this day. God is still fulfilling His original promise to Abraham today.

Remember that God told Abraham – “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”? Well, that part of the promise was realized when Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world was born. Jesus was born through Abraham’s line of descendants. That’s what God meant when He told Abraham that all people would be blessed through him. Through Abraham’s descendants, God’s blessing of a Redeemer for all mankind came.

I’m glad a childless old man, with an old and barren wife, believed God for the unbelievable – that his descendants would be too numerous to count and that all nations would be blessed because of him. Abraham not only believed BUT – “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him;” – he left his country, his people, his father’s household and followed God.

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I want to believe God for the unbelievable things in my life that will happen when I, like Abraham, believe God for the unbelievable and take the action that God calls me to take. God’s call to Abraham was clear.

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

God’s call to me is no less clear today. I just need to turn the volume down on everything else, listen and respond. The number of Abraham’s descendants is continuing to grow larger day by day in fulfillment of God’s original promise to him. You and I have the opportunity to be part of that promise as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand on the beach, because we know –

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

You and I are God’s heirs! We can believe God for the unbelievable! Like Abraham, I will not believe in my circumstances determining the outcome. I will believe instead in God’s promises, which are always true!

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

sincerely, Grace Day

controversial conversations

Posted on by Grace Day

A friend posed a question today that made me think. Those are the best kind of questions after all, the ones that don’t have an easy answer, the ones that require some thought on my part. So, this question was a “how do you know?” question. More specifically, it was “how do I know if I’ll go to or get into heaven?” My friend was saying that we can’t know until we face God on the judgement day what our eternal fate will be because we don’t know what God is going to say or to decide at that time. However, I found myself disagreeing with this premise. I do know my outcome. I do know how the conversation will go down for me on judgement day.

Which is an odd thing for me to say, because as I write this, I couldn’t tell you what I’m having for dinner tonight or anything else about how things will go for me for the rest of this day. I can’t predict what the weather will be, let alone any of the myriad things that could happen between now and say tomorrow. It’s not that I don’t have plans. It’s just that my plans constantly get interrupted or changed. People cancel on me or someone calls unexpectedly with an invitation. I feel fine, then I suddenly feel ill. My car breaks down. (I never plan for this to happen, my car does this all on its own, never giving me the courtesy of a heads up before it happens, so I can plan around the breakdown, the malfunction or whatever it is that leaves me without transportation)

So, if I can’t see even twenty-four hours into my earthly future, how can I be so sure about my eternal future? Maybe it’s because with my earthly future I see “through a glass darkly” but with my heavenly future, I am told “then I will see face to face.” But I think it’s more than that. I can be certain about my heavenly, eternal future because I am certain about the One to whom I have entrusted that future. I just admitted that I don’t know what’s going to happen in my life from one minute to the next, from one day to the next, let alone from year to year. I just don’t have that power of prediction. BUT – I have entrusted my life to Someone who does know these things, actually to Someone who knows ALL things, to Someone who is sovereign over ALL things. I have committed my life, both currently and in the future, to Someone I can trust – my Heavenly Father, God. These words from Isaiah affirm for me the wisdom of my decision –

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.’ ” (Isaiah 46:9-11)

Nothing takes God by surprise. He alone knows “the end from the beginning.” I can trust God because, as I read in Numbers –

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)

God doesn’t lie, which is good to know since I have some very specific promises from Him that I am counting on Him to keep. I am told –

“If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

These words give me hope as does this truth about God –

“if we are faithless, He (God) will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am really glad to know that no matter how many times I let God down, how many times I am faithless, God will remain faithful and true to all His promises. God will not let me down! I find great comfort, encouragement and hope in knowing I can count on my Heavenly Father’s faithfulness to me. He does not give up on me. I have this promise from His word which is true –

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

The reason I could say with confidence to my friend, “Yes, I do know what God will decide about my eternal future when I die.” is because I am not depending on myself for the outcome. I am depending on God. And God can be trusted! He keeps His promises. His promises are true!

If my eternal future depended on me, it would be most uncertain. BUT – because I have chosen to trust God with my future, it is certain. I can know the outcome! Paul too, had the assurance of his eternal outcome and shared the reason why in his letter to Timothy, where Paul stated –

“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Interesting statement, right? Paul said nothing about himself or about his abilities to bring about a preferred outcome. Paul said it was “whom he had believed” aka Jesus Christ, who was holding his eternal future safe and secure, and that he, Paul, was convinced that Jesus alone “is able to guard what he had entrusted” – (what Paul had entrusted to God was himself, his very life) “for that day” – meaning his final judgement day.

This statement is even more surprising given that Paul was persecuted for his faith in Jesus, endured many hardships and was often put in prison for preaching the gospel. Paul’s earthly future was always uncertain. He would make plans to visit a church somewhere such as Corinth or Ephesus or even Rome, but before Paul had the chance to carry out his plans, he would be arrested and put in prison, leaving him unable to do what he had originally planned.

Paul didn’t have any confidence in his own ability to guarantee a certain outcome, BUT – Paul had every confidence in God’s ability to guarantee a certain outcome. Today the answer to my friend’s question is that I do know my eternal destiny. I don’t have to wait to find out what will happen to me. God’s word has already made it clear. I can say along with the apostle Paul –

“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

I may not be prepared, but my Heavenly Father is preparing me and will complete His good work in me in His perfect timing. He will even provide my wardrobe!

“For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, . . . I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.” (Isaiah 61:10)

I have confidence in my destiny because it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on God and God is dependable! God is faithful. I can trust Him today with my life. I can trust Him tomorrow. I can trust Him forever with my eternity.

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 4:18)

sincerely, Grace Day

what do I pray for?

Posted on by Grace Day

I’m sitting in an unfamiliar classroom today. Actually, for the last few days now if truth be told. Why is this noteworthy? Because I’ve worked as a substitute teacher in this large high school every day of this school year and pretty much every day for the past couple of school years – ever since reopening after covid, actually. So I’ve been in just about every classroom there is, including orchestra, gym, life skills, science, math, English, Spanish, art, history – if it’s a class, I’ve probably subbed for it at one time or another.

So why would this classroom be the exception? Well, I’m currently subbing for an exceptional teacher who has been here for years and almost never misses a day of school. (hence no need for a sub in this room until now) This math teacher has faithfully fulfilled his duties year after year and is currently the longest serving teacher in this building. That’s remarkable in and of itself, because inner city public high schools have a high rate of teacher burn out, leading to a high turn over rate for teachers.

By now you must have realized that something unforeseen, unplanned and unwelcome has happened in the life of this faithful teacher to cause his absence in the first place, let alone during the final weeks of the school year, which are so critical for the students who are taking exams and hoping to pass their classes, so they don’t have to repeat them next year. And you would be right. Something unexpected has come into this teacher’s life – the diagnosis of an aggressive cancer.

At present, he is in a fight for his very life. He is undergoing chemo treatments in hopes that the cancer can be eradicated, allowing him to return to his normal life. Maybe “normal” isn’t an adequate description of his life before cancer, or of anyone’s life for that matter. “Normal” is different for each one of us. Suffice it to say that the goal, the hope, the desire, is for him to be able to return to his “pre-cancer life.” That’s why cancer patients endure the hardship inflicted on their bodies by chemotherapy. They believe and hope that after their body is nearly destroyed in the process of killing the cancer, they will survive, their health will be restored, and they will take up again the life they were living before the appearance of this deadly disease.

To this end, many of us are praying for this teacher. We are praying for his recovery from this disease. We are praying for restoration of his health and for his life to continue for many years to come. We don’t know how to pray any differently. I admit, I don’t know what else to pray or how else to pray. BUT – these words of the apostle Paul give me pause and point me to a very different perspective. Paul says this –

“now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

now that’s a different perspective! Paul continues –

“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!”

He doesn’t know? Are you kidding me? Isn’t it obvious? But Paul’s not done. He continues –

“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” (Philippians 1:20-26)

So there you have it. I guess I don’t have the apostle Paul’s perspective yet. Maybe one day I will. Paul says to die is gain and he says he “desires to depart and be with Christ.” Why? Because Paul says that’s “better by far.” Why don’t I feel that way? I’m pretty attached to life here on earth at the moment, even with all its sorrows, pains, losses, uncertainties, strife, hardships, illnesses, famines, wars, crime, all kinds of suffering – WOW! and that’s only a partial list! Yet I want to stay here for as long as possible? And not only myself, but when I am asked to pray for others who are ill, their request and my request on their behalf, is always to heal them and to prolong their life here on earth.

Why? Maybe it’s like what C.S. Lewis said about us – “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”

That’s me, I’m sure, with earth as my mud puddle and heaven the holiday at the sea that I am doing everything I can to avoid. I guess that’s because I truly can’t imagine what heaven will be like. It is the unknown. Earth is the known, the comfortable, even with all its troubles and trials. I read in 1 Corinthians this about what awaits me –

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)

You and I have God’s promise of something better, but still we hang on to what we have here now. Actually, when God created all this, it was good, very good. It was a perfect paradise, that is until Eve made her ill advised choice and everything went south. Still, there are echos of the eternal here on earth to this day. It’s like Thorton Wilder said in his play “Our Town” –

“We all know that something is eternal. . . . There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

But our attachment to the temporal is strong. Emily voices this in “Our Town” when she says –

“Good-bye world. Good-bye Grover’s Corners . . . Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking . . . and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths. And sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

And so it is, wonderful, that is. Even this fallen version of the original garden given to Adam and Eve is filled with the beauty of God’s creation everywhere we look. From sunrise to sunset, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” There are many God given joys here in this life, so it’s hard to fully understand that God is preparing something infinitely superior for us when we leave this earth. Our minds just can’t conceive of such a thing. So we pray to remain here at all costs.

What do I pray for? I find myself pleading with God for the physical healing of loved ones, family and friends who are ill, so that I and others that love them might have more time with them. Loss is painful. I don’t want to experience that pain. I don’t want to lose those I love to death. But as I pray for the temporal physical healings of those that ask me to pray for them, I am convicted to pray for more than just the physical. I am convinced I am to pray for their eternal spiritual healings with equal, if not more urgency.

Still, I find myself often conflicted as to how I should pray. It is then the story of the paralytic comes to mind, reminding me that “God is able to do more than I could ever ask for or imagine.” The paralytic simply wanted the physical healing that would allow him to walk again. But Jesus said to him, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees took issue with Jesus’s statement to the paralytic. Jesus responded by saying –

” ‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home” (Matthew 9:2, 5-7)

That day the paralytic received both a physical and a spiritual healing from Jesus. He had sought out Jesus desiring only to be set free from his paralysis. But Jesus wanted to give him so much more. Jesus set him free from his sin. It wasn’t either/or, it was both!

Today I know too many who are fighting cancer or other physical ailments that make their lives hard, painful and a challenge just to get through the day. How do I pray for those I love? What do I pray for? I naturally pray for their physical healing, assuming that we all prefer more time in our mud puddle to departing for our holiday at the sea.

As I pray for what I humanly desire, my Heavenly Father reassures me that in His perfect will, all outcomes are good for those “who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.” The apostle Paul was on to something when he said that whether he remained here on earth or he died and went to be with God – either way was a win for him!

It’s just not a win for those of us who are left behind when our loved one dies. But knowing it is a win for them brings me comfort and gives me peace, joy and hope when I need it most – when I am mourning their loss. Or more aptly put, my loss of them, as they are not lost in the least but are found, now home in the place prepared just for them. Jesus confirmed this when He told His disciples –

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

Today, surrounded by so many people I know desiring a miracle healing, wanting prayer – what do I pray for? I will pray God’s will (not mine) because His will is “good, perfect and pleasing” always.

I will pray – asking my Heavenly Father – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” And like Paul, I will know that either outcome is a good one. Because God is good.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. . . . The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9 & 17)

sincerely, Grace Day

HOA related PTSD – part two

Posted on by Grace Day

In my previous post I mentioned that I occasionally suffer from HOA inspired PTSD, usually triggered when I receive one of their “love letters” in the mail, which are always very formal and truly foreboding. My most recently received letter concerning an overgrowth of weeds in my turf, triggered memories of letters past, such as the one I received in the not so distant past (at least not distant enough to no longer be remembered) about my mailbox. Now my mailbox was and is regulation, meaning it meets HOA requirements, and was in good condition. The problem? The numbers and letters of my address on one side of the mailbox were somewhat faded by the sun and I guess this was unacceptable to my HOA.

This was a violation that needed to be corrected, hence the letter I received. I considered my options carefully. I could paint over the numbers and letters on the questionable side of the mailbox BUT what if the color didn’t match exactly the color on the other side? Would I receive another letter for noncompliance with mailbox rules? Ok, I could paint the letters and numbers on the other side of my mailbox at the same time, with the same color, so they would match, BUT what if this color didn’t match exactly the color on the mailboxes of my neighbors? Would I then get another foreboding love letter from my friendly HOA?

What to do? We are all required to purchase our mailboxes and the posts that hold them from the same vendor or company to ensure uniformity. There are no choices we have to make regarding color, shape, height of post, style of lettering and numbers, materials used, etc. There are no deviations allowed. Uniformity is key. My HOA obviously does not have a DEI officer on the board. I deduce this from the fact that there is no diversity, only uniformity when it comes to mailboxes and other rules such as no grass over four inches high, (see previous post) no dandelions etc.

Although, I must admit they are getting the equity part down pretty well. We purchase our mailboxes from the same place, getting the same thing. No upgrades or additions are allowed. All our mailboxes are the same and therefore they are all equal. No mailbox is fancier, prettier, or more interesting by virtue of being a different color or design or decorated differently so as to stand out from the other mailboxes. This effectively eliminates “mailbox envy syndrome” which, if left untreated, can lead to discord, unrest and potentially worse in the neighborhood.

So, my HOA is just looking out for me and my neighbors by eliminating sources of competition and envy among us before they can occur. I will have to find other ways of expressing my individuality, since I can’t do it through my mailbox choices. HOAs tend to favor compliance over creativity. No ostentatious yard displays of any kind permitted. Tasteful landscaping is preferred for all and HOA rules apply equally to everyone. (well, except in the case of my neighbor’s plentiful dandelions, as it appears they were not included in the “excessive weeds in turf” letters) I’m sure it was just an oversight because my HOA is nothing if not inclusive. I’m certain they did not mean to exclude my neighbors from the mailing of the “weed” letters. It was just an unfortunate oversight.

Sometimes my HOA related PTSD is worse than at other times. Usually triggered by the receipt of one of their “corrective” letters, it can then linger as I anticipate with dread when the next letter might come. It’s not good to live one’s life “waiting for the other shoe to drop” or for the next HOA letter to arrive. There’s got to be a better way or a better place. Well, maybe not in this life, but there is hope for a future free from PTSD of any kind. I read about this in Revelation where it is described in these words –

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

This sounds like a place where I want to live! No HOA needed. Nothing to cause me or anyone else “mailbox envy syndrome” or any form of PTSD. The grass probably just maintains itself at the proper, approved height. No warning letters need ever be sent out to the residents who dwell with God. And I don’t have to wonder if they’ll be a place for me when I get there. I have Jesus’s promise on this. He told His disciples –

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

This is great news! There is a place waiting for me in eternity. I will not be alone either. Jesus said specifically, “that you may be where I am.” And you know what I think? I bet my Heavenly Father will let me decorate my place that He is preparing just for me, any way I want. It won’t have to look like my neighbors’ places. There will be no HOA in heaven! No more vaguely threatening legal letters striking fear into my heart. There will be diversity of design and of decor!

Just by looking around at the infinite varieties of flowers or of trees or of birds or of animals in general, I can know that our Creator loves diversity and creativity and individuality. And since we are created in His image, we too naturally crave creativity, individuality and the diversity that naturally results from our individual, creative pursuits. And it’s an all inclusive place that’s being prepared for you and me, dear readers. No HOA rules or regulations to exclude us from our eternal residence in our eternal neighborhood. God’s invitation is open to all!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The place that is being prepared for me sounds like a really great place – a place where I am included, a place where I can be myself, the person God created me to be. Actually, I’ll be the best version of myself since God’s corrective and creative work in me will be completed when I move into my new place. Paul reminded the Philippians of this in his letter when he said –

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

So my HOA related PTSD will no longer exist when I at last inherit and inhabit the place my Heavenly Father is preparing for me even now. I bet they don’t even have mailboxes there – no need for them. And I won’t have to worry about what will happen to me in fifteen days if my compliance with the current HOA letter’s concern is not complete. Beyond that, I truly can’t imagine just how good is the place my Heavenly Father is preparing for me, although I am given this heads up –

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

I can’t wait! BUT – in the meantime, you will be relieved to know that I did purchase a new mailbox, rather than attempt painting over the address on my current, perfectly good mailbox. Hopefully, I am now in good standing with my HOA, and I pray this continues. But one never knows when the next foreboding letter informing one of gross dereliction and of the resulting dire consequences will arrive in my now HOA compliant mailbox. Soon, just going to the mailbox will trigger my PTSD. BUT I have hope. I am looking forward to the fulfillment of this promise from God –

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)

looking forward to my new address,

sincerely, Grace Day

HOAs – necessary foe or unwanted friend?

Posted on by Grace Day

The current sermon series at my church these past five weeks has been – “Weeds in my garden.” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the subject matter from this title. So is it simply coincidence or is it God’s sense of humor that during this time of weekly sermons about “weeds” I received a very official letter from my HOA about “weeds in my garden.” (well, more accurately, weeds in my yard)

Actually, all their letters are quite formal and official, always very grave and intimidating. There are no friendly or casual letters from my HOA, they don’t exist. HOAs don’t write to you just to let you know that they like what you’ve done with the place, or that they’ve noticed your new trim or bushes or whatever and just wanted to let you know how much they like it. They don’t write to tell you they’re glad you moved in, or to ask what they can do for you.

No, they only write when the circumstances are dire because you are in violation of some aspect of the covenant that you as a homeowner have with the HOA. There are many areas covered in this covenant, creating the possibility of receiving numerous foreboding letters detailing one’s dereliction in detail and outlining the required course of action one must now embark upon in a timely manner in order to avoid further such delightful correspondence from the HOA.

Just exactly what and how dire was my most recent dereliction? (yes, there have been other letters in the past) Well, in the words of the aforementioned thoroughly formal and foreboding correspondence – “Your turf contains excessive weed growth and is in need of treatment. . . . Compliance issue should be resolved within 15 days from the date of this letter.” Now they did sign my letter “Warm regards,” so I suppose that counts for something, right? They could have signed it “cool regards” or “cold regards” or “hostile regards” or even “no regards” – the last being the worst insult of all by virtue of the fact they extend to me no regards at all.

So this letter alerted me to my dire situation and impending doom – I had “turf containing excessive weed growth.” Translation – there are (actually were) a few dandelions in my yard. Apparently, dandelions on the premises is a dealbreaker, a violation of the sacred HOA covenant. My last lawn treatment must not have killed them all, hence the very formal and foreboding correspondence which I received.

You will be relieved to know, dear readers, that I called my lawn treatment provider in a very timely manner and scheduled an unscheduled additional treatment aimed at correcting this breach of my covenant with the HOA. I must confess, the letter did cause me a moment or two of PTSD, though. You see, last year about this time I received a similar letter from my HOA, also sent with the same “warm regards”, informing me that my grass was over four inches high and therefore in violation of HOA guidelines, or more accurately, HOA regulations.

This caused me to picture some anonymous, masked, hooded individual down on hands and knees in the dark of night, measuring my grass with a ruler. Or was this just an estimate of grass growth from a drive by observation? It seemed awfully precise, hence my visual of a ruler being used in the determination of whether or not an infraction or a breach of covenant had indeed occurred. So you can understand how this current letter caused me to experience a flashback to last year’s letter.

It does give one the feeling of being watched and not only of being watched but of being judged. In addition, this letter also caused me confusion because my neighbors, who had substantially more dandelions adorning their yard at the time I received said letter, did not receive such a letter. This could lead me to feelings of paranoia and anxiety as I anticipate future letters and feel unduly singled out. But perspective is everything. Perhaps the HOA is really my friend. After all, they are doing this for my own good and for the good of the community. I will be glad they “encouraged” me to keep up my property when I wish to sell my home and property values are good because they have held all of us accountable to the covenant we agreed to in the first place.

If I think of them as my foe, then they are a necessary foe, forcing me to be better, to hold myself to a higher standard. If I think of them as my friend, what they have to say may at times be unwanted input, something I don’t want to hear (a letter I don’t want to receive) but it is for my ultimate good and benefit. I can think of them as a friend who has my best interests at heart. They are looking out for me and when they see me going wrong or doing wrong (or in violation of our friend agreement in any way) they let me know via vaguely threatening legal letters. And in the end, I will be the better for it.

Parents discipline their children (though I doubt they send them formal and foreboding letters – they do it face to face). Likewise, I read in Hebrews –

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son. . . . For what son is not disciplined by his father? . . . Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

and in Proverbs I read this –

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

Could it be my HOA loves me? Does my HOA delight in me? Were those very legal letters I’ve been getting actually love letters from my HOA? Who knew? Perhaps their regards really were “warm” after all, now that I realize they just have my best interests at heart. My HOA just wants my home property to be all that it can be.

From now on I will think of my HOA as benevolently watching over me, just like my Heavenly Father. And I know my Heavenly Father’s intentions towards me are always good because He is good and because He says so. I have His word on the matter.

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

hopefully my HOA feels the same way about me!?

sincerely, Grace Day

out of the ashes

Posted on by Grace Day

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been burned. I’ve been burned more often than I would want to acknowledge and I have the scars to prove it. I’ve flirted with fire, I’ve played with fire, I’ve been in the fire, surrounded by flames and consumed by the fire. I have walked through fire and by God’s grace come through the flames, but not unscathed. It is no wonder that at this point I feel I am more ash than flesh. I am a hot mess for sure!

What hope is there for those of us who have been reduced to ashes by life’s unavoidable fiery trials? Can we ever be whole and productive again? I have nothing to give to God but my scars and my ashes. What can He possibly make of my life from this worthless offering of my scars and my ashes? It is nothing. It is not enough. Ashes are an end result, not raw material for a new beginning. Or are they?

Job knew something about fiery trials, ashes and being covered with unsightly scars. (well in his case they were sores or boils, like that’s any better than burn scars) Job had lost everything. He was literally sitting among the ashes. He had nothing to offer God but his ashy self and his sores. What could God possibly do with such a pitiful offering? Well, Job believed that God could do something very good with his life. In the midst of his suffering, with no end in sight, Job said this about God –

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Can gold come from ashes and sores? That would be a miracle. And a miracle is the only answer for a situation such as Job’s. Fortunately for me, my Heavenly Father is in the miracle business. He is a God of miracles. Nothing is too hard for Him.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Matthew 19:26)

In the hands of my Heavenly Father, maybe my ashes can be resurrected into something useful and beautiful. If I give Him my ashes, will He give me something better in return? I think Isaiah has something to say about this. In Isaiah 61, I read about what God is able to do, what He wants to do and indeed what He will do for me. (and for you, too, dear readers) God desires –

“to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:2-3)

That seems like a really good trade-in to me. I give God all I have to give, which at this point is mostly just scars and ashes, that’s what’s left after life’s many fires, and in return, He gives me a crown of beauty. Why wouldn’t I take God up on this offer? Do I think it too good to be true? Certainly ashes and scars are not sufficient raw material out of which to fashion something beautiful. And yet I am promised a “crown of beauty.” If I think that what I offer up to God is not enough for Him to be able to do His work, I would be right and I would be wrong simultaneously. My offering is not enough (it never is) BUT that fact does not stop God from doing the impossible and making something beautiful out of my ashes. He alone can do such a miraculous thing!

Reminds me of someone else who didn’t have much to offer, not nearly enough to meet the current need, but he offered up what little he had to Jesus anyway. He trusted Jesus and let go of what he thought would sustain just himself, only to see his offering become enough to feed five thousand plus people, with plenty left over. This shows me that God –

“is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

And that is just what Jesus did that day on the mountainside when He fed a multitude of hungry people. They didn’t just receive enough food to tide them over until they could return home, they ate until they were full and there was still food left over – twelve basketfuls to be exact. The people hoped only for a little food to assuage their hunger. But Jesus wanted to fill them up and He did exactly that. It’s like what the Psalmist said about God as our Provider –

“The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

God always exceeds my meager human expectations. I’m like the paralytic who desired only a physical healing, but received from Jesus forgiveness of his sins and eternal life – much more than he initially asked for or ever thought to ask of Jesus! I think God exceeded Job’s expectations too. Job had nothing left of all his former wealth to offer to God, but look how Job’s story ended. Job said to God –

” ‘My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’ . . . After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. . . . The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. . . . After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years.” (Job 42:5, 10, 12 & 16-17)

Jesus certainly exceeded expectations that day on the mountainside when He fed a multitude of hungry people with just five small loaves and two small fish. That story had a better than expected, miraculous ending as well.

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ . . . the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:8-13)

Out of five small loaves and two small fish Jesus provided a feast for five thousand men (and who knows how many women and children) and had twelve basketfuls of excess food left over. If I will just offer to Him my scars and my ashes, I’m pretty sure He can make something beautiful out of what I bring to Him, even though it’s not much to work with. In Isaiah He says –

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

Yes, that’s the miracle transformation I am looking for, the miracle that I desire. And my Heavenly Father is the only one that can perform such a miracle. He is in the transformation business. In Isaiah I read these words –

“This is what the Lord says – He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, . . . ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.’ ” (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19)

My Heavenly Father is the only One who can do a new thing in me, with me, for me – He alone can perform the miracle that is needed to turn my ashes into beauty. I can’t do anything with my ashes, but my Creator can and He will if I give every last scar and ash to Him. I am going to take Him up on His offer.

I can trade my scarlet garments for those white as wool. All my righteousness is as filthy rags BUT –

“He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10)

My Heavenly Father will certainly replace the ashes of my life with His crown of beauty and I will say with Job –

“when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

out of the ashes – gold! something to look forward to with certain hope because God keeps His promises . . .

sincerely, Grace Day