Chapter 8 Good News, A Good Word

Jesus shows the power of His words in Mark 4:39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 

Jesus “called out in a loud voice” for Lazerus to come out of the grave.  It was by Jesus’ voice and command that Lazerus was raised from the dead.  Many people witnessed it and it is found in John 11:43-44. Jesus states that He knew what God would do and could do it in a quiet way, but He chose to do it this way so that they too, might believe. 

These examples show Jesus conquering storms and death by His words.  Take this to heart and mind.  His words also helped others to believe as they heard him speak and saw the results of what happened by what he said.

We see peace and we see life and freedom.  In His presence are such things.  When we come to Him in prayer or reading His Word, this is what pours from His breath into our lives.  In our times of praise He comes with the joy of His Spirit. 

Numbers 20:1-12 is a powerful illustration of God’s instruction to Moses about speaking and the power of words and God’s intention to show its power.  The people were thirsty and needed water.  They complained to Moses and Aaron and they were mad at the LORD and said to Moses, “You brought us out here to die?!”

Moses went to the LORD and the LORD told him to take the stick and to speak to the rock and water would come out from it.  Moses returned to the angry people who had just spoken to him in complaining and aggression.  He responded in like anger and said in self-righteous frustration, “Listen you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?!”  Moses’ words took ownership of the providing.  He said, “Must we.” Moses then struck the rock not once, but twice with his staff instead of speaking to it as God had said and still the water gushed out of the rock.  This was the act that Moses did that kept Moses from seeing the Promised Land. 

12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” 13These were the waters of Meribah,^a where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he showed himself holy among them.

God, His will and way were shown Holy by Him in His keeping Moses and Aaron, who had done so much that was great, was not of them but of Him and so they no longer received the rest of what God was giving, the Promised Land.

Greater yet, beyond the knowledge of the Israelites and Moses is the representation of the Spiritual in the event.  God was showing the strength and power of words and not might. He also shows His mercy and His provision even in our failures.  God was showing that as Christ is the rock, His living water pours out from Him to us through His Spirit and gives us life in the Spiritual and eternal.

1 Corinthians 10:4  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

 

 Even as Jesus hung on the cross and had been beaten and pierced, He still poured out forgiveness and everlasting life as blood and water poured out from His side when He was pierced.

Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

John 1:1-5  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood^a it.

I have to admit that all of this was dark to me.  Until His Spirit showed me the dove-like breath and captured my thoughts and consumed my curiosity, I would not have found this incredible foundation that is both physical and spiritual and relational with God and with one another in our breath and His.  I can’t take a single word of credit for it except that I sat down with all of the puzzle pieces that He was handing me and put together the puzzle of the picture He had already created from the beginning. 

Here’s another piece.  John 8:20-21 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” ²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.  Here we see the pieces fitting together.  We see the relationships in Christ. We become part of the intimate family where words are life.  We see that it is through God’s word and putting it into practice.  

John 3:3 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit/Ruah  without limit.

These are more scriptures to take to heart as you move forward in the knowledge and wisdom of what God has given you.

Colossians 4:6  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Proverbs 16:23-24  A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.  24Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Matthew 12:35-36   The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The power of words are life.  Words can live for all time.  When we think of great people, we think of the things that they said.  We often quote them.  Their words are as alive today as they were then.  When the homes of these famous people decay or the clothes they wore rot away, their words live on vibrant and strong.  It is the writings that continue; the words published or spoken and remembered.  We repeat words said by family members long since passed away and they continue on. 

When I was growing up, our elementary school did an experiment each year for the 12 -year olds.  We grew bean plants by seed.  We watered our plants and kept them by the sunlight.  But, what we did was separate the plants and placed half on one side of the room and the other half on the other side of the room.  On one side we were told that we could “talk” in kind voices and positive words to the plants.  On the other side of the room we could talk in mean voices and use ridiculing and criticizing words. 

We got to witness the effect of words on plants.  The ones that received good words grew taller, stronger and fuller.  The plants that got the negative talk grew small, straggly and weak.  I remember this vividly.  Of course, as kids do, some figured out a way to try and sabotage the process and would speak meanly to the plants that were to receive the good.  I don’t think the experiment continued much longer.

A friend of mine is an organic gardener and began selling her plants through Featherly Farms.  Her plants are truly the largest, strongest and healthiest plants I have ever seen or transplanted.  Her garden beds are well tended to and watered, but the only difference that I see her do is that she has speakers up on the outside of her home that play music as she gardens all day.  The station she listens to is Christian music.  Her plants are drenched in this music.

You may think this sounds far-fetched, but I witnessed it.  I am an avid gardener myself and have spent many years around nurseries and her plants are not like any I have ever seen.  In fact, I had some of her tomato plants in a pot by our front door.  We received a large bouquet of flowers from a high-end florist and garden center and the delivery driver raved about the tomato plants being the most remarkable she had ever seen.  Years ago we used to see little old ladies with amazing house plants and we would hear about how they “talk to their plants.” 

  I don’t know how much is here, but I have seen results of purposeful kind words on plants.  I have also seen purposeful, kind words spoken to people and the strength and encouragement and growth that they have on people.  Even as infants, the kind words soothe and calm.  Pets recognize a kind word and are drawn near verses angry words where they may run and cower. 

The LORD is inviting us to talk to Him as He speaks to us in love.  He is gentle and has given you the essence of Himself in being created in His image.  Your prayers, your words and your thoughts matter to Him and in them, He wants them to matter to you, too.

He also desires you to know His Words to you.  Knowing them helps you know Him.  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 

 

There are times when I long to know God so much more, that I can hardly stand it.  Reading the Bible helps so much!  I have also learned to be quiet enough to recognize His voice.  It is a matter of opening up ourselves to believe it, receive it and really listen.  Sometimes it is in voice.  Sometimes He speaks in situations or things happening that could only have been done by Him.  Like we have learned, communication isn’t always words. 

There are times when the desire I have to be near God in relationship or communion is so strong and I feel like I need it for the very life of me!  There is a verse that expresses this well in Psalm 42:1 “For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”

I saw this in real life last Fall.  We were on our way to visit my mother-in-law at a facility where she was recovering from knee replacement surgery.  The campus of the facility was deep in the woods on a tall hillside high above the Minnesota River.  There was a deer with antlers standing near the drive that we were on.  He stood with his mouth open and panting.  I had never seen a deer do this before.  The verse came to mind as my own soul recognized that current desire I was experiencing.  The deer didn’t have much further to go for its streams of water.  Neither did I, as that evening I had a powerful time of being in God’s presence. 

I had been writing this book and had stopped and felt so empty and “dry.”  When I went to my computer that night after having seen the deer and identifying with the scripture verse of my own soul panting for the water brook, there was an e-mail from another writer and Bible teacher that I greatly admire.  She had blogged to “authors.”  I had never known her to address so narrowly an audience.  She encouraged and uplifted in the importance of continuing on to write, to go to God in times of dryness and to spend time with Him.  This was a way of God communicating to me.  He knew my longing and showed me that He knew.  I wept my own streams as I drew near to Him knowing how intimately He knew me and provided for me.  From there I was able to go on.

Not all of my words and conversations with the LORD have been serious or weighty in neediness.  There are times when I just plain have fun with Jesus.  I will laugh when He boldly shows me something to the point where He’s showing off.    Sometimes I’m just living out my day.

I was starting out my morning after having been in the bath and was getting ready in front of the mirror.  I had spent time praising and singing while in the bath tub and thanking Him over and over again that He is letting me live in a time when I can turn a handle and warm, clean, water pours out of the faucet.   Looking in the mirror, I saw another hair on my chin that I was going to have to tweeze.  I said out loud to Him, “So, what are we going to do about this?” referring to my beard.  I was halfway hoping He’d give me a miraculous removal of the offenders.  Instead, He said, “I had one, too.”  I got to laughing so hard.  Yes, by all accounts, I believe Jesus had a beard.  Jesus is funny!  We are created in His image.  We have a sense of humor. Where did you think it came from?

 

 

A prayer:  Lord, may our words grow more frequently towards You during our days. Lord, let us talk with You from the place of intimacy with You.  Fully remove any words that are not of You that we think of ourselves and replace them with who You are in us.  When we talk to others, let them be words that encourage, strengthen, comfort and love.  Let them be words of life.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Chapter 7 Life and Death

From the beginning of life, God started with naming us.  Names are an identity and they build a relationship in the knowing of one’s name.  The importance and power of a name is in Acts 2:21 “And anyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved.”

 The angel appeared and told Mary and Joseph before He was born, that they were to call Him Jesus.  Jesus, in Hebrew is Yeshua which means YHVH saves/delivers. 

 We often don’t see ourselves as God sees us.  He knows us and calls us by name.  Sometimes our view of ourselves has been ruined by Satan’s lies and influence or we just don’t believe the way God sees us. 

God changed Abram’s name to Abraham in Genesis 17 as He told Abraham he was blessed and would be the father of many nations.  In that encounter Abraham fell down.  Sometimes an encounter that is so strong with the LORD and His Spirit can make us fall down, or you stop where you are and have to worship like Jacob did when God told him he was now blessed and would no longer be Jacob, but Israel in Genesis 35. God saw them differently than they saw themselves; so much so that He changed their names to help them fit how He was seeing them and blessing them.

 

Gideon had been threshing and was in the bottom of a winepress hiding grain because the Midianites had been taking all that belonged to the Israelites.  In Judges 6, an angel of the LORD came and appeared to Gideon and said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”  Gideon wasn’t seeing himself at all like a mighty hero.  But, God did.  The LORD told him that he would rescue Israel.  Gideon tried to argue this by saying he was from the weakest clan of his entire tribe and that he was the weakest one in his entire family!  In Gideon’s disbelief he asked for some specific miracles to happen before he could believe what the LORD was saying about him was true. Gideon struggled with the words and the way the LORD looked at him.  The LORD called him a mighty hero!

God continued on with Gideon to help him to believe in who he was in God.  Gideon asked for proof of the things God was telling him.  He asked God to make wet a fleece of sheepskin.  He laid it down and in the morning it was wet and everything around it was dry.  This helped Gideon, but he still wasn’t convinced so he asked God to keep the fleece dry and make everything else around it wet.  Again, God did it. 

As the Spirit of God came on Gideon, Gideon got up in the night and broke the idols of his father’s.  This was a wild and rebellious act, but it built him up in the way of courage in front of the people that had heard about what he had done. 

Later, God whittled down the army of people that were to fight with Gideon to a ridiculously low and dangerous number.  Being armed with few would prove God’s strength.  Gideon was nervous about attacking so God said if Gideon needed more confidence he should go and sneak into the camp of the enemy before the attack and learn for himself. 

As Gideon and another man that went with him went in, they heard a conversation in the tent of their enemy.  They were discussing a dream that one had as the other one interpreted it.  It was about the army of Gideon defeating them.  Here God provided prophecy and interpretation out of the lips of his enemy proving that God was going to do this great thing.

God then had Gideon and his small army carry jars with them and hide their torches inside of them as they approached the camp of the enemy.  At God’s command, they were to throw down their clay jars breaking them to the ground and blow their horns.

This was a large step of faith on their part, but God had provided His proof.  They were obedient and God defeated the Midianites as they fled and turned on themselves.  We see God’s grace to Gideon to help him to see who he was and how God saw him to the point where God was able to use him in great ways.

Sometimes it is us that doesn’t see others the way that God sees them. In 1Samuel 16, the Lord tells Samuel to go and find Jesse and anoint one of his sons with oil to be His new king.  Samuel goes and asks Jesse to bring out his sons.  As Jesse does so he brings out the first one that he thought would be the one God wanted as King.  Even Samuel took one look at him he thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed.”  But, it wasn’t.  They went through the seven sons that were there and not one of them was the one God said to anoint.  So Samuel asked if that was all the sons that Jesse has.  There is still the youngest, Jesse tells him, but that he’s out watching the sheep.  Samuel tells him to get him and little David comes in and Samuel sees him as ruddy, handsome and with pleasant eyes.  The LORD tells Samuel that this is the one: “anoint him.”  So, little David stood there among all of his big brothers and was anointed.  The Spirit of the LORD came on him from that day forward.

During the time of assuming a different son would be the one to be anointed, the LORD spoke to Samuel. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do!  People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”

Even Mary was not seeing herself as God saw her. When the angel appeared to Mary the angel called her “favored woman.”  Luke 1:28 “Greetings, favored woman!  The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you!”  Mary was confused and disturbed and couldn’t figure out what the angel could mean. She was probably wondering how she was favored, what could there possibly be about her that made her favored?  Maybe she didn’t feel that the Lord was with her and wondered how He was, but she knew who God was and she believed and asked the angel how it would happen.

We know a lot about ourselves.  We often see our weaknesses or our faults and let those define us.  We put ourselves down and often feel unworthy or unable to be used by God or loved by God or even able to approach God.  These are the things that Satan likes to use to keep us from God, but this isn’t the way God sees us.

Satan is known as the accuser.  The negative thoughts you may have about yourself are the accusations of the enemy.  Romans 8:1 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”  The Lord isn’t condemning as an accuser does, but He sees you in love and the good He has given you through Jesus.  He created you to be able to be with Him and He made an always open way through Jesus’ own sacrifice.

Ephesians 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”  Think of the freedom given to the live dove after the one dove was sacrificed.  Look at the word confidence.  Confidence is not present when we look at our faults and our weakness.  Confidence comes in seeing ourselves the way God sees us through the perfection of Jesus; knowing that He loves us so much that He sent His only son to be the way to perfect us.  Our confidence is in Him and Him in us.  He desires our presence and our relationship with Him and wants us to see ourselves the way He sees us so that we can come to Him in confidence.  

 

Mary’s confidence was in God.

As God spoke positive things for these examples of people in the Bible of the way He saw them, they began to walk and live in it and their lives changed.  Some of us have had harsh things said about us or to us.  If you have negative words in your mind about yourself, write down the opposite of that word.  The bad is not of God, because God is good.  The opposite word, which is good, would be of God.  Start seeing yourself in the way God sees you and be confident that He loves you and wants you to come to Him freely and confidently. 

We have seen by the examples of these people and the words spoken over and to them, that there is great power in words. Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  This is sobering.  Good things said can give life and the harsh and cruel things can cause death.

 I know when I speak well to someone there is an improvement in them.  Also, they in turn begin to speak well in return.  Likewise, if I am negative or harsh or aggressive with my words, the other person often reacts back to me in the same way.  We do eat the fruit of what we put out. 

I saw this in the physical recently.  My father-in-law was nearing death.  He was from England and for the last nine years he was living in America.  The hospice nurse asked if there was family that could come and we said that they all lived in England.  She recommended that we call them and have them call him and talk to him if they are able to one more time.  My father-in-law was unable to speak anymore, but he could hear.  He was no longer opening his eyes.

One after the other his brothers, sister and children called.  I knelt at his bedside holding the phone to his ear.  As the calls came he began to move slightly to nod his head and eventually even smile at some of the words being said to him.  He had some relationships that had been distant and one of his family members hadn’t spoken with him in 17 years.  He got a phone call from her and heard her voice. His eyes had been closed, but he opened them and I could see the light in his eyes.  He was tired after all of it, but so peaceful and content.

I went to see him the following morning.  I was unsure how much further he would have deteriorated as the nurses had called us to try and connect with him one last time.

 I came in the next morning and he was awake.  Not only was he awake, but he was sitting in a chair! He was talking and wanting food and I was stunned! 

 

There was a note left from the hospice nurse that said my father in law was up with her and she had given him breakfast, that he was watching the re-run of the Royal Wedding and that he said The Lord’s Prayer with them when they said it on the television.

This was such powerful evidence of the power of words!  They brought life!  He wasn’t able to see these people, but he listened to them over the phone as they told him that they loved him.  This event added over another month to his life.  The doctors and hospice had previously said he would be gone in 48 hours. 

When we speak well of people and encourage them, it is a good fruit for them.  Likewise, it makes it easy for the other person to respond back in a kind manner.  After my father-in-law’s come-back he started to tell all of us that he loved us and that we were never to forget it.  He said that he loved all of the people that weren’t able to be there, too.  He had never outwardly spoken like that to us before.

 

This left us with so much to hold onto now that he’s gone.  It was a kind of fruit that does not go away.  By what he received, he had to give to others.  The power of the words came from the people he had relationships with that were intimate.  The nurses’ kind words hadn’t done it.  It was of greatest value and life-giving from those he had deep relationships with.

When we are mean or say hurtful things, the response is often the same types of things back to us.  It cuts and hurts and handicaps a person from growing into the good way God created them and both walk away wounded and hurt.

Even the tones and the way we say things can hurt and harm people. 

 

I used to be a master of using sarcasm.  It was a way to say what I wanted that was mean without really saying the exact words.  I saw this phrase and it says it so well, “Sarcasm… because beating the crap out of people is illegal.”  Sarcasm is like that!  Those words and attitude beat a person down.  The power of our words that come from our breath are so powerful in nature as God breathed life in us.  We need to truly comprehend the way God made us and that His plan for us was to be life-giving and a help!  The purpose for us in this is huge!

The spewed, negative words, the division that occurs over attitudes, disdain, and unforgiveness without considering another and the death spoken in perversion, self-centered and self-seeking ways is destroying homes, hearts of children, and people all over.  Hearing the words, “I’m sorry” is like a medicine on a wound. “I forgive you” is the restoration to the relationship.   Saying, “I love you” gives so much value and strengthens relationships. 

 

Saying for the first time, “I love you,” is often the beginning of a new life between a man and woman.  Hearing it from a parent is as foundationally comforting as having been held safely and close on their lap.

These words reach us deep. 

 

There is reason for it and it is all part of the way you are created.  Your purpose at this time on earth is great.  There is only one you and only you know the people that you know, go to the places that you go and can give life from your lips as you speak well into and to others.  No one else has your voice.  Your voice comes on the breath of the life within you.

 

One of our perfect examples of living in love is shown in Psalm 145:8  The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

If we are living in love then our words are and they are life-giving.  Words of mercy, compassion, patience and unfailing love.  We need to wrap our words in these.

 

Love, in the form when expressed in the intimate, physical way between a man and woman is the very place of where a physical life is created.  Think about that!  God shows us examples in the physical and spiritual ways of His true heart; love and life and intimacy and the power of that.  He has said that our words can be life or death.  Our words are personal and intimate and reach us in spiritual and emotional ways that can  help or hurt, give life or death.

Think of the way you talk to people in your life.  What are your words doing?  Are they out of love?  A good check-up can be found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

How do you talk to yourself?  Are you running yourself down?  There have been some motivational speakers that teach positive affirmations which is telling yourself good things about yourself. We know that these words do things for us and help us to do better.  When you understand the way you are created, the power of breath and spirit from God Himself and that you are the very essence of Him and heaven, you can see why there is so much power to it. And why you should see yourself the way God sees you.  “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth!”  1 Corinthians 13:6

The power of God’s words are living and active and precise.  God does not exaggerate or underestimate.  His words are so powerful that it transforms lives.  It creates a new life and spirit inside.   Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 Revelation 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

 

As Satan is called a liar and father of all lies; it is of words.  There is no truth in him.  No good word.  Someone once said that in a way… negative words are the worship language of hell.  They destroy and kill and there is no good fruit.  As Jesus cursed the fig tree for having no fruit He stopped the life as it shriveled and dried up.  The tree had not been fulfilling its life’s purpose.    This is not meant to be a place of condemnation for you, but a place of becoming aware and persevering.  It is a light on the darkness of the Enemy. 

Pray against the words of the Enemy and pray in the power of God’s truth of love, purpose and His vision of you and those you know. This week, notice any thoughts that come against you in your impression of yourself that are negative in that moment, write the opposite of that thought which is the positive!  The negative is condemnation, insecurity and inferiority driven thoughts.  Jesus wants you to know His love, His power and Him in you to be what He has made you to be through Him.  Keep your list of positives and praise Him for seeing you in those ways and giving you those things.  The positives are pluses and a plus is an addition and that addition is the provision and giving of God to you.  Receive what He is giving you.

Look at some of the different Names of God and know that from Him you receive.

 

Jehovah Jireh = The LORD Provides

 

Jeohovah Rophe= I am the God that Heals you

 

Jehovah Nissi= God my banner, victory

 

Jehovah M’kaddesh= I am the God who makes you holy

 

Jehovah Shalom= God of peace

 

Jehovah Tsidkenu=The LORD our righteousness]

 

Jehovah- Rohi= The LORD our Shepherd

 

 

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The Blessing of Bathsheba



She was bathing. She was doing what was required by the Law.  It was a ritual cleansing that women did that was required following menstruation.  When David’s men inquired of her on behalf of David’s lusty heart, she acknowledged she was the wife of Uriah.  She then went with them and she would sleep with David.

How often have we done what we are supposed to do, go through the motions of communion, or sprinkle a little holy water, a baptism, confessions… only to get up and go do what is unholy.  Sometimes it is not even thought of, other times it is so woefully shameful one may believe there is no hope of restoration with God.

When God is in pursuit of you, He will reveal how you stepped out.  And, He offers restoration.

Bathsheba became pregnant.  There was no hiding what she did.  David tried to sweep it under the rug by trying to get Bathsheba’s husband to have sex with her so that the possibility of the child could be Uriah’s and he wouldn't think differently.  Uriah’s nobility, commitment and honor to whom he was serving, the fighting men, would not allow himself pleasure over his army colleagues.

The thing he was denying himself was what David did not deny himself.  David chose to hang back instead of join the men in battle as a King was to be in battle with them in this particular time. He chose his own comfort and from there the desire of his pleasure increased all the more to the point of desiring Bathsheba.

Uriah would not step into the cover-up David attempted.  So, David set Uriah up to have him killed by placing him on the front lines and then have the soldiers fall back, leaving Uriah unprotected. Uriah was killed.  This kept David’s secret.  He was free to take Bathsheba as his wife, legitimizing the child and Bathsheba.

Here is where we start to see God make His move.  David was clueless to the truth of what he did.  The LORD once spoke to me saying, “Sin is deceptive until it’s reflected.” God told Nathan, the prophet, to go to David. 

 Nathan began telling a story about a rich man that had many sheep and a poor man that had only one.  The "ewe" (female sheep)  that the poor man had, he loved dearly and cared for and held to himself.  Nathan goes on to say a traveler came and needed to eat so the rich man took the one lamb of the poor man and killed it instead of one of his own.  David was outraged and said that the rich man “deserves to die!”  David saw death was deserving of such a crime.  Nathan said to him, “That rich man is you.”

David finally saw what he had done in taking Uriah’s wife and having Uriah killed.  When I read the story that Nathan told, I interpret the “traveler” that he prepared a meal for as a spirit of lust.  David satisfied it by taking another man’s wife instead of his own.  In the recognition of knowing now what he had done and where he was and the words that Nathan shared that were God’s upcoming punishment. In 2 Samuel 12:13-14 David cries out that he has sinned against The LORD. Nathan responds and says, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.”  David knew in his heart that the act deserved death, but God in His mercy to David and in keeping with His promise that Christ would come from the house of David, God forgave him and would not have him die.  But, in verse 14, in God’s Holy and sovereign place against sin and prior to the full redemption of sin through Christ’s death for us, Nathan goes on in the message. “But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.”  It goes on to say that, “The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

Bathsheba was not referenced in her name in this scripture.  She was referenced as Uriah’s wife with the child of David’s.  This reference was the part that had been the place of sin, but the child was innocent.  There was to come a day when God’s own innocent son would be the one to die for the sins of others.

As David prayed, humbled in the position before God lying on the floor and fasting and refusing drink for the seven days of the child’s illness in hopes that God may spare the child, God did not.  The child died and David knew that God did as He was going to do.  David had come back to the heart of God in humility and knowing that God is Holy.  David then went into the House of the LORD and worshiped.  He had come back to the place of God’s Holy presence and released himself into God’s will.

We don’t hear about what was happening in Bathsheba’s heart except that she was mourning.  Knowing all she knew, she would have mourned for the unholy place she had gone to and the suffering of her child.  She had known the LORD’s will because she had been following the Law in the way of cleansing, but she had not followed Him in fullness of heart.  Now she was stricken with the greatest grief; the death of her child.

2 Samuel 12:24  “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her.  She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.  The LORD loved him,” See God’s blessing here. David comforted her.  The Word now calls her by name again and calls her, “David’s wife.”

The grace and forgiveness that God did with full redemption of now being David’s wife is here.  Beyond it is the fullness of this blessing of grace.

She conceives that night, a new life, and bears a son. 

This son, Solomon, is the son that continues the line of David where Jesus comes from. 

 It is a conception of grace. 

 A blessing on a woman that who on her own, was unholy, but in God, she is made holy again.  God didn’t choose any other of David’s wives, he chose the one with the most baggage, the one that received and needed His graces.

Are Bathsheba and David instantly perfected? No. Here is how we know as it goes on to speak of the baby, “and because the LORD loved him (the baby), he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.”  Jedidiah means, beloved by God.  David and Bathsheba did not name him Jedidiah, but Solomon.  But, God’s grace and blessing continued and His love continued in the name He Himself held for Solomon.

Jedidiah. 

Beloved of God.

The blessing of Bathsheba is grace, love, and in the holiness of God, she was a mother in the line of Jesus.

On our own we are unholy, but in God we are made holy.  Be in Him and know that He redeems through His forgiveness, love and grace.  Conviction is His desire to draw us back to Him.  No one is too far gone and what He can make of us is miraculous in love and life.

Psalm 86:15 ESV But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Ephesians 2:4-7 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 

A Well of Grace

 

 

“You don’t have anything to draw with.” This is what the Bible said about Jesus.  I was caught up in that thought of how Jesus didn’t have something; something He needed.

 

Jesus was tired and seated at Jacob’s well when the Samaritan woman came to draw water.  He depended on someone else to give him a drink. Or did He? He told her to give him a drink.  She answered him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” A remarkable conversation started and part way through came her remark, “Sir, you don’t have anything to draw with.”

I invite you to listen to my message on this portion of John 4:1-38 and let’s go deeper into this well.

Click here for the message.

 ~ If He who in Himself can lack nothing, chooses to need us, it is because we need to be needed. ~ C.S. Lewis

 

 

 

 

 



The Big of Little

 

 

 

 

 

A while back, I heard Christine Caine teach about the loaves and fishes.  She taught how the ordinary and the little can be multiplied and made big.  When the child shared his lunch she thought back to the mother that prepared it for him.  The mother would have baked bread each day and place the loaves into her son’s lunch. But that day, by the sharing, the thanks giving of Jesus and the blessing, they were multiplied to serve thousands.  This lesson stayed with me and it has grown.

Sometimes, the little we do makes a big impact through Jesus.

Thousands had gathered to listen to Jesus and in time they needed food. The child had some food.  He was undaunted by the excess of need.  He just gave what he had in order to help.

John 6:9 ISV  “There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many people?"

Jesus, in thankfulness for what was given and not belittling the shortfall of enough, received the little, gave thanks to the Father for it, and blessed it.  In the simple giving from the little child, to the accepting and receiving it of even a little bit, Jesus was thankful and blessing it; He multiplied it.

I have taken this to heart. 

There is much in every little bit of little to be thankful for and to pray blessing on it.

Friends. Ministry. Food. Finances. Family. Kindnesses. Work. Creativity. Health. Home. I’m listing some things, but it is endless.  Whatever you have received no matter what its quantity is, can be a word of thanks to God for and a blessing said upon it.

Taking our eyes off of what isn’t to what is with gratitude and God’s blessing changes the heart, the mind and the soul to a place of contentment, joy and appreciation.  When that happens, it seems everything becomes enough and more than enough.  It is a place of faith for what is and Who provides.

I had finished doing some prayer ministry at the end of a church service.  It had been emptying out and I saw a frail looking elderly woman sitting in the back by herself.  I sat down beside her and introduced myself.  I asked her if she had anything she’d like prayer for.  She answered, “Oh no, I am so grateful.  I have so much to be thankful for!”  She told me how she had broken her leg and it is taking a bit of time to heal, but she is able to come to church with her cane and she is so thankful for it and touched her cane.  She continued saying she is grateful for her husband.  “He likes to sit in front and I like to sit in back.  He’s still up there.  I go to a different church, but I came here with him today.  He takes such good care of me.  He does everything for me at home.  He cooks and cleans.  We love our home.  God is so good to me and to us.”

I asked if I could pray continued blessings for her and she said, “Oh, yes!”  We prayed and gave thanks for all Jesus had given her and her husband and we prayed for His hand of blessing and grace to continue to shine on her and him.  Soon her husband was standing beside her and I told him I had the pleasure of meeting his Bride and got to pray a blessing.  He was elderly, too and had obvious physical things hampering him.  His first words to me were, “We are so thankful for all God does for us.  I’m thankful for her.” 

They saw what they had; each other.  They didn’t focus on difficulties and lack, but what was good and that those things were because of God and they were grateful.  I believe they will always see His blessings in their lives.  There will be more and more as their eyes always look to Him with thankful hearts.

In ministry, praying for one person, serving them in whatever way you have that you are able to and praying blessing for them has been multiplied so many times.  I’ve learned it isn’t the size of a congregation or church, but the serving of who you have and a blessing that Jesus takes and multiplies it through them.  One person or a few.  One should never be disappointed with a small church, a small Bible study or only one friend that comes to Jesus, but thank God for who is there and bless them. 

I’ve watched one person later begin a vast outreach as Jesus multiplies through her.  I’ve watched projects of just a few pieces be used by many and become more.  Those prayers for individuals can bear much more than you can imagine.

It is the nature of God.  Every seed yields a plant that will bear many more seeds from it.  The question of, “What do you see when you see an acorn?”  An easy answer is an oak tree, but thinking more fully to its potential, it is a forest.  That is the multiplicity of God. By one couples’ sharing of their thankfulness with me, one person, I am able to share their hearts with you.  Their lives and God's testimony in them reach out further.

Know that even if you don’t have enough to take care of everything, be thankful to Jesus for every bit of little and speak His blessing over it.  He will make more of it than you can imagine.  It is His nature.  Sometimes you find yourself doing nothing more after that, than just watching it grow.

Thank You, Jesus.