“Z” is for Zacchaeus

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The final letter in this book is not for a single verse, but for the story of the notably short man named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector who was generally disliked among just about everyone of his day. Because of his diminutive stature, he is remembered for the fact that he climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus as he passed by. Jesus knew he was up there in that tree, however, and called to him to come down because he was intending to visit Zacchaeus at his house.

Jesus’ visit to his house that day changed Zacchaeus’ life forever. He renounced his selfishness and thievery, and he vowed to pay back fourfold what he had taken from others illegally. In addition, he chose to give half of everything he had to help the poor. God was able to use him to work out His plan, just as He used David in Old Testament times, despite his colossal failures. 

We’ve all made mistakes; we can take heart from so many stories of redemption in the Bible. It doesn’t matter how much we feel we fall short of the mark; in Christ, we are enough. He takes our flaws and our mistakes with everything that we are, and weaves together each of our lives and stories in such intricate ways that we can’t fathom, and yet occasionally, we get to catch glimpses of the beauty He is creating. We don’t have to climb a tree to meet Jesus as Zacchaeus did; He meets us wherever we are.

“Y” is for “You are the light of the world”

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”You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When my brother and I were young, we used to enjoy skipping rocks on the water. The farm where we grew up was bordered by a river, and we also spent much of our summers at a nearby lake, so we skipped more than our fair share of rocks. Sometimes when the rock didn’t skip the way we intended, it would just sink and send out ripples in all directions. 

At some point when I was growing up, I heard someone use the common metaphor of influence spreading like ripples on the water. The image of impacting ripples reminds me of this Bible verse. Even a tiny flame can cut through the blackest of surroundings, changing not just the view or the visibility, but the possible outcome of a situation in much the same way that a single pebble can impact a massive surface of water. 

Too many times, we discount the little aspects of life as if they hold no intrinsic value. Merely seeing how much something we consider irrelevant can affect something much larger should change our perspective on such “small” details. God values and uses those seemingly unimportant things just as much as what we might consider the larger, obvious ones. 

It is beyond our cognition to see the world as God sees it with all of the intricacies that He has created and incorporated to work out for His purposes. He even knows the very hairs of each of our heads, so we can trust that even the smallest incidents or details of our lives are not there by accident. He has a plan, and He is always working, so don’t hesitate to throw that pebble and light that match when you are led to do it.

“X” is for “eXalt the Lord our God”

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”Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.“–‭‭Psalm ‭99‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I think of how I can exalt the Lord, I immediately think of the obvious synonym for exalt: praise. Since I was young, I have written poetry and song lyrics, many of which focus on praising the Lord. I’ve always felt like it was in my nature and in my blood, so to speak. 

Recently, while I was visiting my childhood home, my father showed me a journal that was written by my grandmother’s grandmother. The writing began in the year 1840 when she was 16 years old, and her penmanship is a beautiful art form. Throughout her journal, she writes about how grateful she is to the Lord her God for her salvation and for having mercy on her soul. In several places, she quotes from hymns that she sang in church and poems that she read during her lifetime throughout several decades of the 19th century. She chose to exalt the Lord her God through her writing, and with her actual handwriting being as beautiful and appealing as she could possibly create. 

Each of us can find ways to praise God through what we do, whether it’s physical labor, academic work, or artistic creation. My grandmother’s grandmother, Julia, led an impressive life of 81 years; she endured many hardships, including losing two of her children within nine days of each other, and then she lost her first husband three months later. In all, she lost four of her nine children during their childhood, and she outlived both of her husbands. Yet, she continued to praise and glorify God in her words throughout her journal even during those difficult times. She looked forward to joining her loved ones again in the beautiful future promised to those who believe. Her words encourage and inspire me, and I’m proud to embrace the heritage she established of exalting the Lord through her writing—something I endeavor to do as well.

“W” is for “We love Him because…”

by BetsyFaith, ParentingPosted on No Comments

“We love him, because he first loved us.”–1 John 4:19

I don’t think I really had any idea about God’s love for me until I had a child of my own–not that I have ever or will ever fully grasp the depth of His love, but I can understand just enough through having a child. As a parent, there’s an element of unconditional acceptance of one’s children. Under most circumstances, children reciprocate the love they receive from their parents; it’s nearly a preordained concept. This relationship translates to us as children of our Father, God.

A few days ago, I was texting my son who had recently become a father; he alluded to the love he has for his newborn baby in this way: “I love her so much, it hurts.” I responded, “Like I love you.” My son, who is fatherless, has such an innate desire for fatherhood. He loves his baby girl with an intensity and tenacity that surpasses any selfish desire he may face. Isn’t it just like God to wire us in such ways that allow us to grow in the capacity we require? My son hasn’t known the love of a father, but he can now find some semblance of understanding how God loves us. 

In a recent conversation with my sister, she alluded to her relief that her son has bypassed a particularly difficult phase that caused her perpetual uneasiness for some time. In turn, I reflected on how so many times through the years I had been unable to focus on anything in my own life when my son was experiencing any type of turmoil in his. As parents, the focus of our lives revolves around our children and their wellbeing. When that focus is disrupted by daily struggles or even trauma or tragedy, everything else takes a back burner, so to speak. Progress in any direction is put on hold until the problem is resolved, or at least is brought to some form of closure. 

I have tried to imagine how God looks at us, His children, knowing of our weaknesses and propensity for sin. His answer was to provide His perfect Son, Jesus, to pay the price for all of us. Again, parenting has allowed me to just catch a mere glimpse of how God loves us and to provide the impetus for my loving Him in return.

“V” is for “eVening, morning, and noon…”

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“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”–Psalm 55:17

When a tree falls in the forest, and there isn’t anyone around to hear it, does it actually make a noise? This rhetorical question prompts us to ponder some deeper thoughts than we might typically consider. It reminds me of this verse in Psalm 55; when I pray and yet I don’t see any movement in a situation, should I ask if God is listening? Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, I start to live like God doesn’t hear my prayers or care about my situation when in reality, I know He does. I have to constantly revisit this truth: It doesn’t matter what time of day or night I cry out; He hears me.

In this chapter, David refers to the fact that he has suffered a betrayal, and not from a known enemy, which would not be surprising, but from someone to whom he was close–a dear friend, perhaps. This fact changes the entire dynamic of the betrayal. David is calling out to God for justice; he asks that those who have perpetrated wickedness against him be punished. In this verse, he is acknowledging that God hears him whenever and wherever he prays. It is a declaration that despite the pain of this betrayal, God is always present and available and so incredibly much more than any earthly relationship can ever provide.

Speaking truth not only to those around us, but also to ourselves is one of the most powerful ways to break the hold of destructive thoughts. It is easy to fall into the traps of doubt, denial, and self-pity when we disregard the truths that we should be standing on. I am writing to myself here. I can’t even number the times I have detoured down a road of living under an assumption that just because I don’t see God moving, He isn’t concerned with what is happening. Matthew 10:30 states that He knows the number of hairs on our heads; what a poetic way of saying that God cares about even the smallest of details in our lives! Speak the truth to yourself and pray with the confidence that this line from the song “Waymaker” so simply states: “even when I don’t see it, You’re working.”

“U” is for “Unto you who believe…”

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“Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious.” –1 Peter 2:7a

It would be difficult to expound on this short verse without looking at its context. This chapter in 1 Peter talks about how dearly loved, how precious we are to God. Peter refers to Christ as “the living Stone,” and then compares us whom He has chosen to living stones that “are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” In verse 6, he alludes to Isaiah 28:16: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” This verse sets the stage for verse 7 that demonstrates the significance of Christ to believers: He is like a cornerstone to a building. He is integral to the foundation and is, therefore, precious to all who have built on that foundation.

Not only does Peter include this metaphor of the building, but he continues with the symbolism of the stone. For believers, Christ is the irreplaceable foundation upon which our faith is built. On the other hand, for those who don’t believe, He represents a stumbling block. Peter writes in verse 7b-8, “But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become…a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.” The last part of verse 8 explains the metaphor of the stumbling block–people “stumble” due to their rejection of Him and the message of the gospel, the good news. 

The concept of Christ as the Stone demonstrates a paradoxical relationship. For believers, He is foundational; for unbelievers, He is an obstacle. Why? Reread the end of verse 8 where Peter alludes to the plight of unbelievers:  “…which is also what they were destined for.” God doesn’t want any of us to perish. He gave His Son to save every single person, past, present, and future; everyone has the free will to choose to believe, so all are “destined,” so to speak, but unfortunately, not all choose to believe. Peter continues into verse 9 by addressing believers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Here, he states our purpose as believers, to praise God Who has blessed us and enlightened us, and is, therefore, precious to us.

“T” is for “Trust in the LORD…”

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”–Proverbs 3:5a

This verse is so commonly spoken and memorized that I think we often overlook the importance of what it says. It’s easy for people to say that they’re trusting the Lord or advise others to trust the Lord in what they’re facing, but what does that phrase really mean? How does one practically put this phrase into effect? 

I have meditated on this verse much more over the last five years since I’ve moved halfway across the country from where I had lived most of my life. I wrestled with what it means to trust although I’ve considered myself fairly accustomed to trusting the Lord throughout my life. The funny thing is that just when I think I’m well aware of what a concept like trust means, I begin to learn that there are significant facets of which I haven’t even scratched the surface. This can be disheartening on some levels, but also incredibly enticing. 

I recently read a devotional on this subject of trust. The author referenced the fact that we cannot simultaneously think negatively about a situation and trust God; we cannot fear the worst and look to Him with a sense of anticipation at the same time. Trusting requires us to conscientiously put aside the troublesome thoughts and intentionally grab ahold of God’s promises in His Word, which leads me to another verse I’ve been meditating upon: 2 Corinthians 10:5. We can decide to make our thoughts obedient to what we believe; that’s part of the beauty of how we are made. He endowed us with free will to make good choices.

As much as I can ponder and process the first part of Proverbs 3:5, the second clause has held my attention more than ever over the last five years: “lean not on your own understanding.” So many times I have tried to make the wisest choice in a situation, only to find that there were details that I hadn’t considered to be even remotely related. God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9); I’ve alluded to this before, and I am deferring to this verse again because there will always be pieces of this life that won’t make sense to us in the realm of our own understanding. That is why we shouldn’t “lean on” it when we should be consciously putting things in God’s hands–sometimes I’ve had to put situations in His hands every few minutes, over and over, because I take it back and try to figure it out or resolve it myself. Yes, we should use the resources, knowledge, and wisdom that God grants us, but we must remember that our expected results may look nothing like what God has ordained for us. 

“S” is for “Sing unto the LORD…”

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“Sing unto the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”–Psalm 96:2

When I was young, I had some Kid’s Praise cassette tapes that included music and stories, some of which I remember to this day. The main character was Psalty the singing songbook, who could, or course, sing. In one of the stories, Psalty encountered another character who loved to praise the Lord but wasn’t able to sing on key. The moral of the story involved the idea that not everyone is given the same gifts, but we can all praise the Lord, and He enjoys our praise regardless of what it may sound like to our earthly ears…just like there is much that we observe in the physical world that is nothing like how God sees it–His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Whether we are gifted musically or not, this verse tells us to sing, praise, and proclaim God’s salvation. How we go about doing these things varies by the myriad number of people living on earth and who have gone before and who have yet to be born–evidence that God truly loves variety! This idea also confirms that we should not be caught up with comparing ourselves to others, whether it be their gifts, circumstances, relationships, or anything else we may be tempted to covet. 

Believe me, I am preaching to myself here; it’s difficult for anyone to observe someone else easily achieve something that we strive to accomplish ourselves and yet we seemingly meet with insurmountable odds. We never know, however, with what other people are contending behind the scenes, and we must always endeavor to keep that in mind. Every one of our lives forms an intricate tapestry of circumstances, incidents, trials, victories, and challenges, but God is the designer of it all. He weaves together the perfect combination of threads that only He knows to bring each one of us to the place of trust and reliance on Him.

Music is powerful. It is a precious gift for us that we can also turn around and give back to God in praise. When my son was an infant, I sang to him when I rocked him to sleep, and there were some songs that made him smile, while others brought him to sadness. His bottom lip would push out and tremble whenever I’d sing “Hush, Little Baby,” and it wasn’t because of my lack of quality singing–it had to be from the mournful tone of that particular song because it was only that song that brought about this sorrowful response. Once I realized the cause and effect of that song, I chose not to sing it to him and only sang ones I knew would bring him joy. In the same way, we can sing, praise, and proclaim with how we live our lives–striving to love others with our words and actions, which in turn brings glory and praise to God.

“R” is for “Remember…”

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“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…” –Ecclesiastes 12:1

When I look back at my earliest memories connected with my faith, one of the most prominent involves Bible memorization. I remember these verses about which I have been writing to this day, even though I learned them over 45 years ago. Memorizing scripture continued to be part of my education from kindergarten through 12th grade. I believe this not only served to develop my mind for learning, but also established my faith in ways I could not even have imagined in my youth.

In addition to memorizing the verses in this A-Z book, another early memory for me involved attending church. My mother sang in the choir, and I have one specific memory of her returning to our pew where I sat with my father and brother, and I climbed into her lap and leaned against her shoulder. The choir robe she wore was cool to the touch and felt calming against my cheek. My parents brought my brother and me to church every Sunday as far back as I can remember.

Memorizing scripture and attending church doesn’t save a person, but both are expected and natural desires once someone accepts Christ as Savior. Both practices are for our benefit. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In Hebrews 10:25, we are admonished to make a habit of meeting together not only to worship, but also to encourage each other: “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” 

In order to remember something, we must revisit it in our minds; otherwise, we are likely to forget it. It is impossible to keep everything on our minds at all times, so we must prioritize what is important to dwell upon in our thoughts and recollections. This verse speaks wisdom in simplicity to put our Creator in that position, beginning in our earliest days. 

“Q” is for “Quench not…”

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“Quench not the Spirit.”–1 Thessalonians 5:19

Sometimes there are so many possible directions before us, and we have no idea which road to choose. That’s how I felt about this verse initially; then, I prayed for wisdom and clarity for the message I was to relay. As I wandered out to my backyard, I picked up the leaf blower to clear off my deck, and I pondered this verse and prayed. My natural tendency is to focus on all of the minor tasks I could be doing when I should really be prioritizing something else. And just like that, I knew what the writing focus should be for this verse: procrastination.

I recently attended a conference where the messages were bold and concise, and one of the speakers briefly elaborated on four primary types of procrastinators. The first type is focused on performance; everything has to be in order before he can begin a task. The second undermines himself–puts himself down; he speaks self-deprecation and even believes himself incapable of the task. The third type keeps himself so busy that there is no time for the postponed task. The fourth type of procrastinator focuses too much on novelty and may start tasks, but typically stops and is infatuated with new ideas more than the enticement of finishing one he has already started. I am personally guilty of all of these types, and because I tend to enjoy variety, I change up my mode of procrastination, sometimes hourly. I am not proud of this.

Now, back to the verse at hand: quench not the Spirit. When we hear the word quench in modern conversation, we usually think of quenching thirst–satisfying a longing for a drink particularly on a hot day. The second and less-commonly used definition refers to putting out a fire. The Holy Spirit resides within each of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, and He is a fiery being, in the most symbolic sense of the word. When we are moved by God to take action, set on fire so to speak, and we choose to procrastinate instead, then we are quenching the Spirit–precisely what this verse commands us not to do. 

Besides my own struggles with procrastination, I also think of Jonah and his very demonstrative choice to literally disobey God when God told him to go speak to the people of Nineveh. I have avoided my own personal Ninevehs all too often in my life. I remember hearing older folks in the Church when I was growing up say, “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” Back then, I thought it was just a saying with a nice alliterative ring to it designed to get kids moving in the right direction; now, I understand it all too well. Procrastination is disobedience, and I am convicted to keep moving even as I write this! 

“P” is for “Put on the whole armor of God.”

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“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” –Ephesians 6:11

When I was a little girl, I was definitely enthralled with the “knight in shining armor” concept. From Cinderella and Snow White to The Karate Kid and The Man From Snowy River, my mindset had been heavily influenced by movies in particular, and I grew up “Holding Out For a Hero.” Then life happened. I made some poor choices, others around me made some poor choices, and voila–the hero image disintegrated into a pile of unidentifiable, crumbled pieces. What does this have to do with Ephesians 6:11? I’m glad you asked…

God endowed us with five physical senses, and many of us rely on our vision in particular to make informed decisions; however, we must not discount our other gifts of sense, and specifically the non-physical, often-ignored common sense. When a “hero” looks like we’d expect him to, maybe even sounds like the part, we may be inclined to accept him at face value. Ephesians 6:11 admonishes us to put on God’s armor as a way of life; the entire chapter overflows with godly wisdom. The pieces of armor as defined in this chapter include wearing truth, righteousness, and peace while also protecting ourselves with a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation, and a sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.

Someone who wears the armor of God is a true “knight in shining armor.” This world will paint many appealing pictures of ideals for us, but we must refer to the Word of God for truth and wisdom. We must focus on putting on the armor ourselves, so that we don’t fall prey to the tactics and schemes of the devil. Verse 12 in this chapter informs us about where the conflicts and attacks come from in this world–dark powers are real. We need not be afraid, however, because we haven’t been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), but one that consists of power and a sound mind among other positive aspects. In addition, we will be attracted to others who wear this shining armor, knowing that they, too, have embraced the truth of God’s Word. 

“O” is for “O, give thanks unto the Lord.”

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“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endures for ever.” –Psalm 118:1

Why do we thank God? This verse tells us simply, “for He is good.” The Bible doesn’t tell us to thank Him when things are going well or the way we expect. There are several verses that direct us to thank Him regardless of the circumstances. There are also many verses and songs about the goodness of God. The difficulties arise when the awful circumstances arrive in our lives. Clinging to the fact that God is good when everything seems to be falling apart is no simple undertaking. People often ask questions like, “How can a good God allow this?” or “Why would this happen if God is truly good?” 

There’s never a hard and fast response in such situations; the many intricacies of life are all working together in ways that we typically will never see, let alone comprehend. Isaiah 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Even when it seems that God is doing nothing in these circumstances, we know that He isn’t a God who stands by doing nothing; He is always at work, even when we can’t see it. No one likes to be caught up in the folds of discouragement or grief or loss; these aspects of life are merely a matter of when, not if. Eventually, we all face these hard scenarios, and then we learn about faith. We are driven into the arms of our Savior. 

Often in the midst of betrayal or tragedy or other life-altering events, the only safe place is in a refuge–a place where we can express all of our pain and disappointment and hopelessness. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” What is a refuge? It is a place that provides shelter or protection from danger or distress. We have to choose to enter a refuge, to seek shelter, and God will do what He says–even when the storms of life roll in relentlessly. The following verses in Psalm 46 say, “So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.” 

Life will throw us into challenges we don’t want to face–crumbling mountains, roaring oceans, quaking ground. Like the man who built his house on the rock, we defer to our foundation, our refuge who is always with us and for us and working behind the scenes for our good, even when life doesn’t look good. Because He is always good.