“Z” is for Zacchaeus

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

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.

“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. 

“N” is for “Now is Christ risen from the dead…”

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It’s been about eight months since I last wrote–much has taken place in this time. When I look back at the last post I’d written in June of last year, I am particularly smitten by the remarks regarding the potter and the clay–how sometimes the potter has to crush the clay because of some flaw and rework it from scratch. Little did I know of the crushing that was about to take place.

I struggle to secure the right words to adequately express what I need to say–I typically resort to analogies and the like, but I’m at a significant loss this time. The unexpected loss of my sweet infant granddaughter has left an indelible mark on me, and I’m still wending my way along life’s path. As a parent, and specifically a mother, I have always strived to fix things in my child’s life. When fixing is not an option, I spiral into places that have no visible exit sign, and all I can do is fall down in expectant silence before God. 

It’s been about eight months since I last wrote–much has taken place in this time. When I look back at the last post I’d written in June of last year, I am particularly smitten by the remarks regarding the potter and the clay–how sometimes the potter has to crush the clay because of some flaw and rework it from scratch. Little did I know of the crushing that was about to take place.

When I look back over these last eight months, I see God’s transforming power revealed in my son’s life. I’ve prayed, somewhat hesitantly, over the years that He will do whatever He must to draw my child closer to Him. I think every parent who has prayed this prayer does so with reservation because we know that it may require circumstances that we don’t want to see in our children’s lives, but nevertheless are necessary to the revelation of God’s will. 

I’ve seen a miraculous alteration in my son since this ordeal last summer. He has chosen to embrace his faith rather than bitterness at the loss of his infant daughter. I can’t even type these words without choking back the tears. God has taken ahold of my son’s life in ways I couldn’t even have imagined. My heart has broken for his pain and his wife’s pain and all of the hopes and desires tied into the entrance of a newborn life into this world only to have it wrenched abruptly away. 

I held my sweet baby granddaughter only once, the night before she went into the arms of Jesus at just two weeks old. When I think about those precious moments, I can’t articulate the emotions that flood over my soul. I still keenly feel the pain, and I know my children must deal with it daily, and likely every moment of every day. There’s a powerlessness that overwhelms me, leaving no option but to continue to fall down at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to continue to carry them (and me) forward. 

They are now expecting another baby girl. I long to feel the exhilaration of expectancy and anticipation of last year at this time, but it’s tainted, of course. I can’t articulate an analogy to what I feel because there’s nothing parallel to which to compare these mixed emotions. I am resolved to embrace the excitement of a new life joining us once again, however, consciously choosing to be elated rather than wallowing in worry. I must accept that God’s love is constant regardless of the circumstances of this life, and observing how my son has so dramatically changed through this time fuels my faith to keep moving forward. So I’m continuing to write to my expected granddaughter; she will need to know about her family’s faith amidst the most devastating events in life. 

I’d left off at “N” in the children’s book of Bible verses. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, “(Now) Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” This verse expresses the basics of our faith–all of it depends on the fact that Christ rose from the dead. The second half of this verse refers to those who have already “fallen asleep.” Because God raised Jesus from the dead, He has paved the way for us to join Him in Heaven forever. I know I will see my precious Ariella again when I step over Heaven’s threshold one day, and I look forward with the greatest anticipation of meeting my next grandbaby in a few months.

“L” is for “Look to Me…”

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” –Isaiah 45:22

I have just come through yet another time of transition in my life–for nearly three months I have been “homeless” as I’ve had to rely on the generosity of friends and family for the roof over my head. After conceding to the fact that my renovated home was not ready when my apartment lease ran out, I initially approached this time with energy and optimism thinking that I’d be in my house in a couple of weeks…but as the weeks wore on, my momentum wore out. If I’d known in the beginning that I still wouldn’t be settled three months later, I don’t know how I would have survived. Sometimes it’s better not to know what lies ahead.

Isaiah 45:22–This verse reminds me of when Moses erected the bronze snake on the pole in Numbers 21. The Israelites had been murmuring against the Lord, and consequently had been smitten with a plague of poisonous serpents. They eventually confessed their sin and begged Moses to intercede with the Lord on their behalf. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. If anyone who was bitten looked at the bronze snake, he would live” (Numbers 21:8-9). The Lord is righteous; He demands justice for sin. He also is merciful; He provides a way through the consequences of sin–but we first have to repent.

This Old Testament event must have been momentous to say the least. Imagine a plague of snakes overtaking society as we know it, with no reprieve, and knowing that we had brought it on ourselves…hmmm–could that happen in modern times? Maybe not snakes, but contemplate the metaphor. Back to the point I’m trying to make: we often do not see a problem transformed instantaneously like this moment when God provided a means of remedy for the horrible situation; it is enough to know that He can. Most of the time, we are plagued by problems that drag on for days, weeks, months, or even years. If there is no bronze snake to look to, how do we cope? How do we wake up every morning and press on?

This question brings me to the principle upon which I have been meditating over the past three months. “Give us this day our daily bread” has been on the lips of my mind nearly every day. I am reminded of how God provided manna for His people in the wilderness–just enough for the day at hand (Exodus 16:11-21). This concept has been difficult for me to accept as I’m sure it is for many others. I want to be prepared for the future; I want to know what to expect and not to be surprised by unanticipated problems. Yet, for 40 years the Lord provided for His people on a daily basis, and they came to expect His provision. I would hope that I wouldn’t take 40 years to learn to trust, but as I’m approaching 50, I realize that there are plenty of lessons with which I’m still wrestling. I’m still persevering to “Look to [the Lord]” as the verse states, and how not only to survive on His daily “manna,” but also how to hunger for it and thrive on it.

“K” is for “Keep your tongue…”

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“Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” –Psalm 34:13

Words are powerful. When people wield these weapons, they can use words to tear others apart or build them up to do great things. When I was a child, I remember hearing others say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This is probably one of the most blatant misconceptions in existence. Words can leave some of the deepest scars known to mankind.

Predictably, it is the people we love the most who wield the most power when it comes to words. If someone we don’t know says something hateful to us, it’s much easier to ignore or overlook the comment rather than take it to heart. What do they know anyway? People who spew toxicity from their mouths obviously have much deeper wounds themselves that they are evading. On the other hand, when someone we care about deeply berates us or otherwise tears us down verbally, they inflict intense pain that can’t be easily remedied, and the receiver’s heart becomes an open wound. Conversely, a kind word or sincere encouragement can propel a person to a place of stability, peace, or even confidence to achieve the most in life.

Withstanding verbal abuse, particularly for children, is not easy; it is often coupled with emotional and mental abuse, and in very toxic situations, various levels of physical abuse. Speaking evil is connected to what is in our hearts. Matthew 15:18 states, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.” Another saying is, “Hurt people hurt people.” In other words, those who have been hurt tend to inflict hurt on others. This corresponds with the sentiment that “Misery loves company.” People often lash out verbally as a defense mechanism to protect themselves or to hurt someone else before someone else can hurt them. Sin begets sin; the hurt lives on and multiplies. 

In order to “Keep your tongue from evil,” whether generated from someone else’s words or your own thoughts, you may have to address a deep-rooted problem in your life. Maybe you have been able to suppress those hateful words from escaping your lips, but you are inundated with the corresponding thoughts. I tend to reflect on the origin of such thoughts, like “Why is this making me so upset?” or “Why does this person’s comment have such power over me?” Focusing on the truth of the Word of God is the only foundation for finding not necessarily answers, but peace. 

Please don’t mistake my meaning; I am not saying I’m exempt from this vice. I have wielded my own broken, hurtful shards at others on occasion throughout my life. In the process, however, I’ve learned I don’t ever want others to feel that pain if I can help it, and definitely not at my hand. I can’t protect all the people I care about from ever experiencing hateful words, but I endeavor to do all I can in adhering to this verse.

“J”–”Jesus Christ the same…”

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“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” –Hebrews 13:8

An ancient Greek philosopher named Heraclitus is credited with saying, “The only constant in life is change,” and no one who has ever lived on earth and is of sound mind would disagree. Change can be a good thing; for example, we have the option to change how we approach anything in life, like focusing on blessings rather than problems. More often than not, however, changes (particularly major ones) in our lives are the impetus behind most of the stress we face. Because change is inevitable, it’s especially comforting to know that Jesus does not change.

When I was young, I listened to several tapes with stories and songs that helped shape my childlike faith. One song I remember with clarity included this line: “Change your thoughts, and you can change your world.” The capacity to change is an aspect of our God-given free will. We don’t have to live as victims or wallow in self-pity or blame others for our terrible situations; we can choose to live victoriously and face our problems and love from a place of strength in Christ.

Life isn’t kind to anyone, and we all have our crosses to bear. I’m preaching to the choir here; part of the reason I have continued to revisit that song in my head over the decades is to point myself back to the truth of the Bible when I feel helpless or hopeless or overwhelmed. I find wisdom and direction in verses like Romans 12:2:  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Also, James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” 

Our heavenly Father has always been the same; everything and everyone else changes. People often struggle with accepting this aspect of His character because we are so accustomed to this changeable world. The Lord may work in a variety of ways to bring about His will, but all of what He does and allows is ultimately for our good (Romans 8:28), and that does not change. 

“E” is for “Even a child…”

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“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” –Proverbs 20:11

I remember learning this verse when I was very little; I particularly recall thinking the term “doings” was a funny word. Again, I didn’t have any problem accepting the truth of these verses in the ABC book when I was young. I understood that I was supposed to behave, and people would know I knew Jesus because of how I acted–this was another truth that I believe helped shape my childlike faith and establish its foundation in the Word of God.

This verse reminds me of other verses that allude to our bearing fruit if we are abiding in Christ. John 15:4 states, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” In other words, adults, too, are known by their “doings.” I have struggled at times with what “remaining” in Him looks like, but in reality, when I revisit the simple origins of my faith, it is clear that I just have to take Him at His word. He says to read His Word and pray–sounds simple enough. Of course, life presents a thousand ways of distracting from this all-important focus.

Just prior to this verse in John, Jesus said, “Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” Pruning has never been a desirable experience for me; He allows this often painful ordeal in order to bring about an ultimately valuable result. None of us like painful experiences, but they are a fact of life. I cling to the credence that there is a purpose for it all, regardless of whether I get to see the outcome or not.

I have gardened most of my adult life, and therefore, have pruned many types of plants, shrubs, and trees. Sometimes I didn’t know what on earth I was doing, but I typically learned from my mistakes, though sometimes the plants didn’t survive my ignorance. Thankfully, I know I can trust that when God does His pruning, He knows what He is doing and has a plan for my good (Jeremiah 29:11). He doesn’t waste any of the pain He’s allowed in my life, and though I’ve struggled through so many times of pruning and may not get to see the ultimate results, I still believe He is good. Life would be a dismal prospect indeed without the foundation of His goodness.

Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” I love this verse; it reminds me that not only is He with me through the hard times, but He will also restore me when the time is right. This is a lifelong learning curve; sometimes in the midst of the “weeping,” I’ve had to give the pain back to Him as often as every five minutes. From the physical pain of an abscessed tooth to the emotional pain of losing someone I thought I couldn’t live without and every type of “pruning” in between, God is faithful. I take comfort in 1 Corinthians 10:13 as well: “But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” I pray, little one, that you, too, will know God’s goodness from a young age and unwaveringly trust in Him.

“B” is for “But God…”

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“But he was wounded for our transgressions…” Isaiah 53:5

“B” could stand for many things; I opted to go with “But God” because regardless of the BURDEN I carry, the BITTERNESS with which I struggle, or the BROKENNESS that afflicts me daily, the BATTLE is the Lord’s. He is sovereign over all of the circumstances in my life; the greatest burden is that of sin. The picture next to the verse in the “ABC” book shows the child kneeling at the cross and his burden falling from his back. One of the first things I need to remember is that He loves me with an unfathomable love that led Him to pay the price for all of my burdens, my transgressions–my sins. This verse actually comes before the “A” verse that stated we all have gone astray–we all have sinned. 

Sin manifests a wide variety of consequences, bitterness being one of them. I have temporarily lost battles with bitterness, but God has always provided victory overall. Without going into detail, I would say my most difficult struggles with bitterness involve the failure of my life to go the way I’d always imagined. I’d tried being “good” when I was young, naively believing that my expectations for life would work out how I’d planned because I “did the right thing.” Some people preach that you can obtain whatever you go after if you just apply yourself–that may work out in some cases when it aligns with God’s purpose, but our goals sometimes don’t, and we may seek after selfish pursuits. Sometimes, it’s the actions of others that result in bitter effects for ourselves as well. In any case, Ephesians 4:31 admonishes us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger.” This is a task that requires more than our own strength; even in gaining victory over bitterness, there’s usually unavoidable brokenness left in its wake.

Proverbs 17:22 states, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Brokenness is an unavoidable result of sin. Again, even if we attempt to walk the straight and narrow, we all fall down, and the sins of others will also inevitably affect us. Unfortunately, the people who are closest to us are the ones with the power to inflict the deepest wounds that can cause us to be broken and even succumb to bitterness. But God Who works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28)–not just good things–uses the broken pieces of our lives for a much greater purpose. The pain and the sorrow of this world drains us, as the verse says, but it also begins with the beneficial advantage of a cheerful heart. What is the key to a cheerful heart? I’d have to say gratefulness–shifting the focus from what is wrong or missing to what is good and in place. This is a conscious act, a choice I must make. Proverbs 15:15 provides this encouragement: “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”

The bottom line is this: yes, there will always be struggles in this world, but God knows what He’s doing. He’s never surprised by the circumstances in our lives; His plan is more vast than anything we can comprehend. We can trust Him. One of my favorite verses is John 16:33 when Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I still wrestle with putting the trials of this life in their proper perspective, and probably will for all my days. It’s human nature to try to handle it ourselves, but God has already made a way. Even when the people we love hurt us or fail us or let us down in some way, God is the only One to fill that void and mend that broken place. He loved us so much that He took our burdens, our bitterness, our brokenness, and our battles upon Himself. We have only to choose to accept Him.

“A” is for All

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“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Isaiah 53:6

We have all wandered like sheep; I understand this clause better today than as a youngster because as an adult I have raised sheep for nearly a decade and witnessed how downright stupid these animals can be. I have been frustrated by some–having spent hours chasing escapees all over the mountainside only to find them eventually back at the fence waiting to enter the pasture. I have been heartbroken by others–-holding a sickly newborn in my arms as it took its last breath. And so much in between…I can understand why we are compared to these animals–the frustration we must cause our Creator, but He still gently holds us in His arms with the tender love of the good Father that He is.

I remember reading the second clause of this verse as “We have turned every one to his own way,” as opposed to, “We have each turned to his own way.” I thought that we were responsible for turning others away from the desired path, which was still a wrong thing to do, but I later realized that the phrasing was intended to emphasize the initial word “all” at the beginning of the verse. 

All of us are in the same sinking boat; each one of us has tried to follow his own destructive path. Of course, the message would be a sad one if it ended there. The surrounding verses expound on Christ’s sacrifice to save us all from our own destructive ends. This verse establishes the basic concept of understanding that we are all lost without Him–the foundation of my faith and appropriately the first in the ABC Memory Book.

Nothing new under the sun…

by BetsyFaith, LifePosted on No Comments

“Thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee.” Augustine (c.354-430)

It’s intriguing to read that people have been struggling with the meaning of life for millenia. Solomon, the wisest man to have ever lived, reflected on the vanity of life in the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. He chronicled the endeavors he pursued in search of fulfillment in life and purposefully applied his mind and wisdom to exploring the many avenues that people have resorted to for centuries in pursuit of peace, including building houses, planting vineyards and gardens, and accumulating all manner of wealth. He equated all of it to chasing after the wind.

People still attempt to fill the emptiness inside with all manner of work and pleasure, yet with the same futility that Solomon found thousands of years ago. 

After exploring all of the pursuits in life available at that point in time, Solomon decided to “test” the impact of pursuing pleasure. His conclusions were the same; he likened laughter to madness and “the pull of wine” to foolishness. All of it resulted in futility in Solomon’s eyes. Life still deals us monotony and hopelessness today, just as he observed and experienced then. People still attempt to fill the emptiness inside with all manner of work and pleasure, yet with the same futility that Solomon found thousands of years ago. 

Establishing and maintaining the connection to our Creator fills the emptiness and allows us to enjoy what we have here on earth as well as anticipate the rewards of Heaven.

So where does that leave humanity? Are we to settle with lives of meaninglessness and empty pleasure? Solomon goes on in chapter three to reassure the reader that God makes everything beautiful in His time and that He has set eternity in the human heart (v. 11). He points out that people can find enjoyment in life and satisfaction in their work–these are some of God’s gifts to us (v. 12). In the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon admonishes us to fear God and keep His commandments. Establishing and maintaining the connection to our Creator fills the emptiness and allows us to enjoy what we have here on earth as well as anticipate the rewards of Heaven. Only He can provide the meaning we long for in this life.