Give Us a King

It’s interesting to note that in every circle of influence across the world, there are leaders and there are followers.

I don’t think the circles of influence with which we are associated offer much distinction in our desire to either lead or to be led. The choice to fix and keep our eyes on God is difficult as we watch our culture fix its eyes on people who have been placed in esteemed positions of power and/or authority

Without our full awareness, we are prone to find ourselves looking for a person to lead us and to fight our battles for us.

The good news is, as we bury ourselves in the Word of God, He gives us perspective as we learn from those who have gone before us facing the same struggles.

One of many examples is Samuel. 

Samuel was a man with a very unique background.  His mother, Hannah, was barren and pleaded with the Lord for a son.   Hannah promised the Lord that if he would honor her desire that she in turn would give her son back to him for all the days of his life.  God honored Hannah’s desire and Hannah honored the Lord, taking her son Samuel to Eli, the priest of God, to be raised in the temple.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.  However, his sons did not walk in his ways.  All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel saying, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” (I Sam.8:5)

Samuel prayed to the Lord and the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected as their king, but me. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.” (I Sam. 8:7-9)

In an unforgiving culture, it can be difficult to follow the True King.  When we take our eyes off of God for a moment to look around at what everyone else is doing, we may stumble into idolatry. 

In what becomes a crisis of belief, each person is left to decide for himself or herself whether or not they will serve God or an idol.  An idol, as defined by Merriam Webster, is a “greatly loved or admired person; a picture or object that is worshipped as a god; a false god; pretender or impostor.”

Samuel was deeply displeased when the Israelites demanded: “Give us a king to lead us.” (I Sam.8:6) God’s words to Samuel convict my soul in my own struggle not to worship false idols: “It is not you they have rejected as their king, but me.” 

When the lines of black and white become muddied shades of grey, we must determine to honor the Lord our God with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds and all of our strength. 

Christ died on a cross to atone for our sins and to point us to the one true King. Therefore, let us enter the Throne Room and determine to worship Him alone.

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Turning of The Tide

I felt myself exhale this afternoon.  It was a deep sigh that I have been inadvertently holding for a long time.

Yesterday I listened as my husband described our life in one sentence to a friend we had lost touch with for many years. Leave it to my husband to use as few words as possible to express something profoundly impacting!  He said that if you were  to look at a beautifully decorated table, meticulously set for a special occasion, and then suddenly grabbed ahold of the tablecloth and  yanked it as hard as you could, causing the arrangement to become unidentifiable—that would sum up the past several plus years of our lives.

I do not share this information for sympathy; because there is nothing to be sorry about.  

Somewhere in the midst of our heart’s cry to be used for God’s glory, somewhere in the middle of telling God that we would do anything He wanted with our lives, regardless the cost…God took us at our word, and the table cloth got yanked.

Many days ended without solutions to problems bigger than we were capable of fixing.  Nighttime found our heavy hearts lying in bed as we held hands, staring speechless at the ceiling, praying that courage might find us somewhere in the night to face the light of a new day.  

We found the core of our beliefs tested and tried in ways we could have never guessed as the tide of God’s favor and blessing, by all appearances, was going out with no sign of a hasty return.

The loss which almost took us out in the mighty undertow was not only the loss of “things” but also the loss of people who we had believed would stand beside us regardless life’s circumstances.  

At times I was certain we would not survive; our strength ebbing away against the mighty grasp of Despair.

I struggle to find adequate words to express the beauty of how God is willing to work in the lives of broken people, such as ourselves, never letting go of us even when all felt hopeless.  In the middle of chaos, He changed the very templates of our hearts.  

Today, the tide is turning once again, swallowing us in the joy of the Lord.  We have done nothing to merit favor in the turning of the tide.

Just as I cannot explain how or why the tide went out so long ago; neither can I explain why the tide has now turned again.  The turning of the tide does not represent an easy life, simply a good life where one can exhale.  

I know that some of you have faced or are currently facing your own unimaginable losses. 

Sometimes loss or change is a gift from God, though in the moment, through the lens of our finite perspective, the gift does not feel pleasant.  Paul reminds us in Romans: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

I share this turning of the tide moment with you today with the hopes that your hearts will be encouraged.  If you are stuck up to your knees in sand, looking off toward the direction of the ocean wondering if the tide will ever turn back again, do not lose hope.

God’s promises are written on your heart, never to be erased or forgotten.

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it again and again: “You are deeply loved by your heavenly Father.” 

Stay the Course…

Sheila

Today’s Prayer: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:1-8

One Thing I Ask of The Lord

Psalm 27:4(NIV) “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

In looking through scripture, there is a common thread between some of the men and the women who desired to live their lives to please God.  Regardless the sins that tripped them up; they strived to place their trust and confidence in the One who would remain faithful and never forsake them.

As we take a look at God's servant, David, the comparison of David's humanity can serve as a reflection in the mirror of our own struggles.  

David was a man after God's own heart.(I Sam.13:14) He was divinely chosen and anointed by God, becoming one of the greatest kings of Israel.  (I Sam.16:13)

David’s life was filled with great accomplishments and stained with terrible sins.  It would be fair to say that he had some high highs and some low lows.  Before he became one of the greatest kings, he was known as a fine musician, so reputable that he played before the king.(ISam.16:14-23)  He was also a poet who wrote much of the Psalms, including the 23^rd Psalm.  

David went from being the youngest of eight boys, a courageous shepherd boy, to being a prominent king possessing more power than anyone of his day.  In spite of the power and privileges accompanied with being the king, there was only one thing that David’s soul craved.  It was something that no amount of power and no person could satisfy.  David says it well when he says, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” (Ps.27:4)

Although David’s heart was led astray by sin, the darkness of his sin and the realization of his depravity led him back to the heart of God, “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.  Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.” (Ps. 27:8&9)

Just like David, we are God’s servants.  Just like David, we are tempted and sometimes led astray by sin.  We are truly a messed up mixture of glory and grime!

There is nothing and no one that can satisfy the true cravings of our soul except our Lord.

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Today’s Prayer: “Father, I know that only You can satisfy the cravings of my soul.  Nothing else and no one else can be to me what only You can be, my God and King.  I desire to seek You and know You as I am known by You.  I desire to love You and accept the love You have for me.  Please forgive me for the many times I push You away. I cannot fathom a love as great as Yours.  Please stay close to me and do not hide your face from me or turn me away in anger.  I am desperate for You.  My soul will not be satisfied with anything less than all of You.  I will seek You and worship You as I gaze upon Your beauty.  There is nothing else my souls craves, only Your presence.  I love You.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.”