In The Beginning

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find myself going through a time of wrestling with God over issues I thought were resolved years ago about life, myself, and my beliefs.   

This week, after many weeks of feeling distance between myself and God, something finally broke within me.  This breaking point caught me off guard.

Here’s what happened.

After a long sabbatical from my first love, running, I decided it was time to see if I could still run.  I ached for the familiarity and comfort running has given me over the years.

Stay with me.

In the beginning, when I was a youth, running was the venue with which I was most able to clearly hear my Father’s voice.  I don’t know why, other than after the natural rhythm of breathing ensued, my thoughts and attention would turn to God; He in turn met me time and again on those pavement-pounding runs.  Pain found the exit door from my soul, joy was felt, tears were shed, and sometimes I would come to a dead halt from the sheer intensity of God’s presence.

This week as I slipped through the front doors of my new fitness club, I found my way upstairs to the indoor track.  Anonymity never felt as wonderful as I turned on my iPod and did what I have done thousands of times before: I ran.

Breathing found its rhythm, I found peace, and my Father was ever present as He has been since the day I took my first run.  Suddenly questions I had been wrestling with for weeks found answers; my heart could all but contain the joy of the moment.

In the beginning, God was a friend to Adam and Eve.  He longs for friendship with us too.  In the beginning, David’s heart was undivided toward God as a simple shepherd boy.  In the beginning, Saul chose to obey God but once he rejected God’s word, God rejected him as king.  As time passed and different opportunities presented themselves to either serve God or serve self; decisions had to be made.  As life became more complex, David and Saul often forgot the God they had known in the beginning. Saul chose a path of self-sufficiency but David’s heart returned to God.

In the beginning of a friendship, we are able to see the beauty of another's life.  In the beginning of marriage, we believe in a happily ever after. In the beginning of being a parent we believe in all the best for our children.  In the beginning of our relationship with God, we trust Him with childlike faith.  Then time passes, different opportunities present themselves, and we must make a decision.  

In the middle of life’s storms, it’s easy to forget our starting points.

If you, like myself, have been struggling to find answers to questions and don’t know where to turn—go back to the beginning.  Whatever you do that brings your heart back to its first love, ushering you into the presence of your Maker; do that thing.  Hiking a mountain, lying by a river, sitting in a deer stand, flying a plane, planting a garden; do that which you did in the beginning and watch what happens.

Relationships will rekindle, love will remember its point of commitment, dreams will refocus from blurry to clear, and hopes long forgotten will be given new life.

In the beginning things made sense and life was simple.

Because in the beginning there was God.

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Strength Through Suffering

 (I wrote this quite some time ago and stumbled upon it today.  Sometimes I need to be reminded of the truths of the Gospel when life doesn't make sense.  Maybe I am not alone in this need for truth when lies echo off the dark walls of the valley.)

For many years, when I thought about the sufferings of Jesus, my thinking would rest on the obedience of Jesus when He suffered and died on the cross.  I did not consider that Jesus endured incredible suffering leading up to the death He died on the cross for the redemption of our sins. 

Jesus was fully God and fully man.  Because He was a man with flesh and blood, he had to share in our humanity so that “by His death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil.” (Heb.2:14) 

Jesus was made perfect through His suffering.  We are to share in His suffering in order that we may also share in His glory.  

There is no other way to learn obedience than through suffering.  Jesus went first, making a way for us to spend eternity with him through His own obedience to His Father.  We learn in Hebrew 5:7-8, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.  Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”

Because we know that we will suffer for Christ, it is clear that prayer to our Father is the source of strength that will keep us through our suffering.  If Jesus offered up prayers with loud cries and tears, so should we. God will hear our cries and answer our prayers; we are not hidden from His sight.

We have been given full access to the throne of God.  Jesus understands our weaknesses, “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb.4:15&16)

So, instead of being shocked when we suffer, we get to come to our Father with confidence.  We are encouraged to not throw away our confidence and to persevere, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Heb.10:36)

We are being made pure, holy, righteous and blameless as we go to God in our weaknesses in our times of suffering – there is no other way to become like Jesus.  Though painful, it is for our good.  Instead of running from what God is calling us into and taking the easy road, we are told that if we shrink back, He will not be pleased with us. 

Our weaknesses will turn to strength as we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Instead of complaining when we suffer, let’s follow the example Jesus set as we follow His steps, “Let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb.12:28&29)

Today’s Prayer:  “Father, it is so easy to read Your Word and see that suffering is part of what I am called to; but in the middle of suffering, I am weak.  Just as Your Son learned obedience through His suffering, I know You desire the same for me.  Please strengthen me and help me to not shrink back when the road becomes narrow and bumpy.  As I lay down pride, please cloak me with the cloak of humility.  I come to You in my weaknesses and cry out to You.  I am so thankful that Jesus’ suffering and obedience has given me full access to Your throne of grace and mercy.  Holy Spirit, I give You permission to do whatever is necessary in my Inner World so that I can become pure and holy and blameless in my Father’s sight.  Thank You for not forsaking me in my weaknesses.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.”

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Come Near So That I Can Touch You

I think it’s fair to suggest that most of us are able to recognize a person we are close to by the sound of his or her voice.  Although a voice is undoubtedly important; a touch is able to translate in every language and every culture across the globe.  

Touch is the first sense we acquire and is our first language.

With our hands we are able to speak a thousand words with one touch.

In the book of Genesis we read about Isaac as an old man.  His eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, so he called his oldest son Esau in to give him his blessing before he died.  Isaac’s wife Rebekah favored Jacob, the second born son, and had put a plan in place to deceive Isaac.  Rebekah covered Jacob’s hands with goatskins since his older brother Esau was a hairy man and Jacob was a man with smooth skin.

As Jacob entered his father’s room to receive the blessing that was to be given to Esau, Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so that I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.” Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” So he blessed him.

Although the power of life and death are in the tongue, it is with the touch of another’s hand that blessing is bestowed.  Many times the Word of God portrays the significance of the laying on of hands in blessing, when praying for the sick to be healed, or in ordination.  And let’s not forget the touch of a hug or a warm embrace.  

Has anyone ever asked if they could give you a hug? It’s what we do when we greet a person, when we are saying goodbye, when we are happy, when we are sad, to show that we care, and sometimes for no reason at all.  We are able to see clearly another’s heart through the power of touch.  

Touch is like salve on the heart with the power to heal.

As I prayed this morning, I stared at my hands.   Hands can build or destroy, compliment or insult, heal or even hurt.   We pray to be God’s hands, we put our life in God’s hands, we are engraved on the palms of His hands, and Jesus’ final words spoken were, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Lk. 23:46)  

Jesus, our Savior, entered the world as a baby and left the world by stretching out His perfect hands to die on a cross for our sins so that we might one day be with Him in eternity.  His hands changed the lives of everyone He touched; by the power of His Spirit in us, we can do the same.

One day soon, our Savior’s perfect nail scarred hands will once again be stretched out, but this time they won’t be nailed to a cross.  Instead, as He beholds His bride, His arms will wrap around each one of us for an eternal embrace.

Stay the Course...

Sheila

Be More

With a new year just weeks away, I have been thinking about what living life outside of the safe box of familiar could look like--wondering how different life would be if we simply decided to trust God fully...

Many years ago I met a lady who shared a story with me that I have never forgotten.  She told of a time when she and some friends climbed to the top of a challenging mountain.  Once they reached the top, the feeling of accomplishment was exhilarating; the view breathtaking.  As she walked around exploring, feeling as if she were on top of the world, she came upon a wooden sign that had been staked into the ground by an earlier explorer.  The sign simply stated: “Be More.”

I think of those words a lot, especially when I know I am settling for less than what God has for me.  

Hidden desires and dreams are never hidden from the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb.  However, persistence and fortitude are always required in our pursuit to “Be More.” 

Just like the training required for any competitive sporting event – the real preparation; the hard work and discipline, take place long before game day arrives.  Hidden from the world, the behind the scenes work is a necessary part of the process of becoming who we were created to become.   Change must first begin within ourselves.  

Climbing to the top of Mount Unbelievable wouldn’t mean so much if it didn’t require digging deep and hanging on even when the strong winds of change and defeat try to knock us down.  

Sometimes, what once felt exhilarating and full of life no longer fulfills not because we’re doing something wrong; but because yesterday’s breathtaking view was meant for yesterday.  Just as we prepare to make camp at the top of Mount Unbelievable, God whispers, “There’s more.”

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18NIV) 

God desires to lead us into a “new thing.”

It’s easy to look back and remember what we perceive to have been the “good ole days.”  God is saying, “Stop that.  The new thing I am doing is so much better than you could ever dream or imagine.”

I’ve been reconsidering the way I’ve been doing things.  To “Be More” is to trust God fully, to let go of control, to risk everything—to walk in total obedience and total surrender to the King. 

God has instilled within each one of us desires and dreams.  It’s time to forget the former things, it’s time to leave the safety of what is familiar; it’s time to “Be More.”

Stay the Course...

Sheila Cote

Hope of the Nations

There is a common theme with each story we read in the Word of God—they are all wrapped around one word: faith.  Some are stories of great faith; others are stories that lack faith.  Faith is not a mystical word, used flippantly when referring to one’s belief; it’s a word with power that can change the lens through which we view life.

If someone would have told Abraham that his life would be used to bless the entire world, I wonder if he would have believed it.

Abram (later given the name Abraham) was going about his business as a wealthy rancher, when one day God spoke to him saying, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Gen.12:1)  God promised to bless Abram and to make his descendents into a great nation; but there was one condition.  

Abram had to make a choice.  At the age of seventy-five, he had to decide:  would he obey God, or would he continue doing what he had been doing successfully for many years.  

Unbeknownst to Abram, the hope of the nations rested on his decision of whether or not to obey God.

One decision: worldwide ramifications.

Would walking away from the comforts of home, familiar surroundings, family and friends be rancher’s suicide?  Could he have faith enough to believe God’s promise of greater blessings in the future?  He could not have known that through his family tree, Jesus would be born to save humanity.

Enter faith.

Webster’s dictionary defines faith as, “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”  I believe Mr. Webster might have borrowed the definition for faith from the Bible, where we are told, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb.11:1)

Abraham chose to be faithful to God, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country.” (Heb.11:8&9)

Sometimes God calls us away from what is familiar geographically; other times He may call us away from something in our lives that has worked well for a season, as He reveals that His plan and purpose no longer match what has become familiar.

Like Abraham, we must make a choice.

One decision:  possible worldwide ramifications.

Enter faith.

Today’s Prayer:

“Father, I am no longer willing to live my life in a manner that settles for less than what You desire for me.  Sometimes I want what I want, unwilling to let go of what is familiar.  Today I ask that You would give me eyes of faith to believe in what I cannot see.  Please train my ears to hear Your voice above all the other voices clamoring for an audience with me.  I choose Your plans for me as I lay down my own plans for my life.  As I read Your Word, I know that Your promises are for me, Your child.  Just as Abraham, against all hope, obeyed You time and again, knowing that You had power to do what You had promised; so will I obey You.  Please help me to not waver through unbelief, but instead, strengthen my faith so that my life may bring glory and honor to You.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.”

Stay The Course...

Sheila Cote