The Promotion of a Lifetime

     He had worked for the same man for 40 years or more.  His boss was a good guy, honest and fair.  He was a young man when he started working for him and had always been treated kindly.  He had learned so much... seen so many things working for this man.  In short, the two of them had been through a lot together. 

      His boss had been under fire often.  Although he was as much a servant to the people as he was their leader, many of them were jealous of the leader's power and tried to undermine his authority.  They rebelled against his orders and complained about everything he did. Moreover, they also complained about the owner of the company.  This hurt the manager because he and the owner were good friends. 

        Through the years he came to understand just how much his boss cared about all the people under his authority.  His manager was often “caught” between the owner and the people within the company. When they grumbled and complained or tried to rebel in any way, the owner would become angry.  Every time the owner became angry his boss interceded for the people. 

        Now the boss was about to die.  And the owner had appointed him (the once young man) to be the leader.  It was the promotion of a lifetime.  He was overwhelmed not only with grief at the thought of losing a dear friend, but also the prospect of becoming the leader of such a great company of people. 

I’m sure this weighed heavily on Joshua’s mind.  I’m sure he loved Moses and mourned the thought of his passing.  Yet Moses assured him he had nothing to fear.  God would be with him every step of the way.  Yes, Moses is the “leader” in my little story.  Joshua is the “young man” and God is the “owner” of the company. 

Can you imagine how Joshua felt when he was told that God was going to “gather Moses to his people?”  I’m sure all kinds of thoughts ran through his mind.  To become the leader of an entire nation was truly the promotion of a lifetime!  Perhaps he had been preparing for this moment for years; but what a daunting task he was about to undertake!! 

        I may be projecting my feelings onto Joshua.  He may not have been as apprehensive as I think I would be in the same situation.  Regardless, Joshua received ample reassurance.   In his address to Israel naming Joshua as his successor, Moses tells him to “Be strong and courageous,” and not to “fear or be dismayed.”  Moses further promises Joshua that the Lord “will never leave him or forsake him.”  (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)   

Our Lord God Himself further encourages the future leader in Joshua Chapter 1.  If anyone ever needs reassurance of God’s care for those who follow Him, I would encourage them to read this chapter.  God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous at least three times.  The Lord promises to be with him as He was with Moses.  God says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”   (Verse 5)

        However, there are conditions to the Lord’s promises.  In verses 7-8, God commands Joshua to obey the law Moses gave him; “do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

        It is wonderful to know that God will take care of those who follow Him.  These verses offer that comfort.  However, they also confirm the fact that God still expects us to obey Him.  If Joshua had failed God in any way, God would not have blessed him as he did.  This is still true today and for our soul’s sake we need to understand this very basic principle.  As forgiven Christians, our lives should belong to God.  It’s just that simple.

        God continues in verse 9:  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  It is interesting to note God reminds Joshua this is a command.  It wasn’t just a pep talk to help Joshua’s feelings.  This was a commandment from God.  It was important to the Father for Joshua to obey Him.  The Lord had many things for Joshua to do as leader of Israel.

         Moses encouraged Joshua to be strong.  God commanded him to be strong.  Finally, at the end of Joshua Chapter One, we see the Israelites – the people he has been called to lead – also encourage him.  They give their loyalty to Joshua promising to obey him as they obeyed Moses.  “Only may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses…….

Only be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:17b-18)

        Joshua always had a tremendous faith in God.  He and Caleb were the only two out of twelve spies with enough faith to take the land of Canaan.  Forty years later they were the only two over twenty years old whom God allowed into the Promised Land.  Armed with his great faith, Moses’ reassurances, God’s command and promises, and the people behind him, Joshua became a great leader.  

        Joshua remained faithful to the Lord just as Moses had done.  God blessed Joshua and the Israelites.  They gained the land they were promised.  At the end of his life, he challenged the people to continue to serve the one true God.  It is a tribute to his leadership and influence that Israel remained faithful to God “all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua.” (Joshua 24:31)

        Now, we may never be called on to lead a nation of people into a new land; but we are called to be faithful to Christ.  As we live for Him we must also be strong and courageous.  Remember these verses?

        “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (I Corinthians 16:13 NIV)

        “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”  (Ephesians 6:10 ESV)

        “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  (John 14:27 ESV)

        If we choose to serve the Lord, as Joshua did so long ago, God will reward us mightily.  Consider the inspired words of Paul in Colossians 1:11-14 (ESV):

 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”   

        That sounds to me like the promotion of a lifetime!  How about you?

Christ above all things,

Robin

Sweet Savors and Rainbows

       As I stepped off my front porch Monday morning, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  I’m sure I looked rather comical.  I had on a bright royal blue sweater.  The coat I wore has a black and white herringbone pattern and my purse was red.  It was cold and raining so I had two other accessories with me.  My gloves were a vibrant purple and the umbrella I opened was a bright hot pink. 

        It was when I opened the umbrella that I began to laugh.  Purple, pink, red, blue, black and white, I realized I might be wearing a few too many colors at one time!  Images of Pippi Longstocking came immediately to mind.  Now there is a colorful character! 

“Oh well,” I thought to myself, “I guess I’m trying to add a little color to this dark and dreary day.  I’m wearing several colors of the rainbow all at one time.”   Of course that thought led me to thinking about rainbows.  I think everyone loves to see a rainbow in the sky.  Their beauty is undeniable.

The sight of the first rainbow must have been breathtaking!  I can’t begin to imagine how Noah and his family must have felt as they stepped off that ark.  I’m sure they were thankful for being saved from the disastrous flood, but seeing the world so empty and knowing they were the only ones who survived may have given them a great sense of loss as well.  They were probably overcome with many mixed emotions. 

Regardless of Noah’s personal feelings, he still put God first.  He made an altar and gave sacrifices to Him.  These sacrifices made a sweet savor to God.  (Genesis 8:20-21)  Noah was rewarded for his faithfulness and his sacrifice.  The Heavenly Father blessed Noah and his sons.  He promised never to destroy the earth with water again.  As a sign of His promise, God set the rainbow in the clouds.  (Genesis 9:11-17) 

Do we think of God’s promise every time we see a rainbow in the sky?  I think most Christians probably do.  I know God remembers because He told Noah that he would. 

 “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” (Genesis 9:16)

What lingered in my mind Monday morning was Noah’s faithfulness in offering that sacrifice even after all he and his family had been through.  Stop and think about it.  There was a reason God closed the door to the ark instead of Noah.  The Father loved him enough not to make him responsible for that.

Isn’t it wonderful that even in our darkest times, God can bring such beautiful moments into our lives?  He gave Noah something of great beauty to show His love for him.   Have you ever seen that happen in the lives of Christians today?  I have - several times. 

Recently one of the ladies in our congregation was diagnosed with cancer.  Her surgery was successful.  The doctors were able to remove all the cancer from her body. She said God had shown Himself to her in one way or another almost every day since her diagnosis.  She smiled and said, “I just know He is with me.” 

It is amazing what God can do for us and with us if we hold His hand.  All we have to do is hold on.  Lean on Him.  Noah sought and found grace in the eyes of God and so was chosen to build the ark.  After the sacrifice he gave upon leaving the ark, God rewarded Noah again. 

He made a covenant with him and gave him a beautiful rainbow as a token of that covenant.  God blessed Noah and his sons.  He gave them dominion over the animals and the land.  And he told Noah he would always remember His covenant. 

My point is Noah didn’t mourn and pity his plight to the point that he left off his faithfulness to God.  And because of that God took care of him.   The Bible tells us Noah’s sacrifice was a sweet savor to the Lord.  What do you think was so sweet about it?  Was it the actual odor of the burning sacrifice or was it the act of love and obedience from a heart close to Him?  Don’t you think it was because Noah put God first?  I certainly do!

The time may come when we face our own share of heart wrenching sorrows.  As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “time and chance happens to us all.”  (Ecclesiastes 9:11) People may bitterly disappoint, rumors may fly around. Illness and loss will occur. Financial woes may strike, and persecution will be faced.  It’s like the saying I once heard, “God never promised us smooth sailing, but He did promise us a safe landing.” 

God has promised to be with us through every storm.  We are His children and He wants us to come to Him with our troubles.  I tend to be a worry wart.  Often in prayer, I will lay my problems at the Father's  feet.  But before I know it I find myself picking them up again.  It is one of my biggest weaknesses, but I keep working on it.  

We cannot let our faith be shaken.  If we seek Him, God will always show Himself to us.  When we hold on to Him even through our darkest moments, He has the most amazing ways of making His presence known.  We have to have “eyes that see” and “ears that hear.” 

May our life be a sweet savor to Him.  If we put Christ first in our life, we will be known by the Father and the Son.  In doing so, God will send us a few of our own rainbows, don’t you think?  We know Christ has promised to take care of His own. 

“Cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for you (us).” (I Peter 5:7) 

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry;” (Psalm 34:15).

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

                                                        (Psalm 55:22)

The devil would love to see you question your faith. He would have you doubt these verses.  Don’t!

Christ above all things,

Robin

The Clothes Hanger Incident

      It was November, the season of Thanksgiving.  In keeping with the season I challenged myself to be thankful for something different every day.  It was also during the month of November that our ladies class decided we would collect non-perishable food items so we could help families in need.  Our plan was to give a boxes of food to these families sometime before the Christmas holiday.  We were excited to involve ourselves in this good work and ended up taking boxes to three different homes.
      Somewhere during all this, I discovered (or perhaps re-discovered) one of the wonderful ways God works.  The more thankful a person is the stronger the desire to share blessings with others.  The more sharing we do, the more blessings God gives us.  Then this wonderful cycle starts again.  The more blessings we have, the more we want to bless others.  This being blessed to bless others cycle keeps us in tune with our Creator.
         The more giving and loving we do for others, the more like our Savior we become.  It is no wonder Paul reminds us Jesus Himself said "it more blessed to give than receive." (Acts 20:35) And indeed it is.  If you don't believe it, just try it and you'll see.
         So what does all this have to do with clothes hangers?  Well, I'm getting to that.  I just wanted to lay a little ground work first.  On the way to work one morning between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I began to think about how fortunate I'd been over the past few weeks.  Then I started praying.  
         My prayers that morning were pretty specific.  I asked God to help me more wisely use what I'd been given.  I also asked that the Father would give me opportunities to serve Him.  I think this is one prayer God never fails to answer!  If we go to God with a sincere desire to serve ... to work for Him in some way, if we ask Him for something to do ... we can most certainly know He is going to give us something to do!
         This particular prayer was answered very quickly.  When I arrived at my office, I found a note on my desk.  Our company had "adopted" a family for Christmas.  The plan was to deliver non-perishable food items for the family and clothes and gifts for the two children on December 22nd.  The two children were boys and their sizes were listed.  Well, there was my answer!  Here was a way to serve Him offered to me almost instantly.  I couldn't help but say "thank you, Father."  
         On my lunch break, I bought some items for the little boys and brought them back to work.  This wasn't the end of it.  Less than 30 minutes after I found the note, I heard of another opportunity to help someone.  This time it hit closer to home because it involved people I actually knew.  Without going into detail, I was also able to help to this family.  
         Being able to serve others, especially when it is so needed is such a rewarding experience!  Now, we are about to get to the clothes hangers.  One weekend, I spent a good deal of time in our "extra room."  We were cleaning, re-organizing and getting rid of items we no longer needed.   We threw some things away; but I had some items boxed and ready to a take to a thrift shop whose funds went to support a home for hospice patients.  
       One of the boxes in my car was a box of ... yes, clothes hangers.  They were still there when I went to Bible study that Wednesday night.  One of our congregation's families lost their home in a fire.  A list of needed items was posted on the bulletin board.  
       Guess what was on the very top of that list?  Yes, clothes hangers.  Another opportunity to help!  And it turned out Mom and Dad were going to visit the family that night.  Of course they took the clothes hangers with them.  I honestly felt like God had just laid that right in my lap!  It was a faith affirming moment for me.  
        Now some folks would say this was all merely coincidental. Some might say it was only "by chance" the hangers were in my car that night; but you will never convince me of that.  Instead, I choose to believe it was another "chance" God gave me to help someone else.  I truly believe the Lord will show us many ways to serve - to help others.  All we have to do is keep our eyes and hearts open to the opportunities He provides for us to do good in this world.
        I know it's only been a few weeks, but every time I hang clothes in my closet now I think about that list on the bulletin board.  I think about our Heavenly Father.  See, this story isn't about me.  It's about Him.  God's timing is perfect.  His goodness is everlasting.  He never fails us and when we are ready to serve Him, He will always present the "chances" for us to do so.  That is pretty cool, don't you think?  

     "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."  
                                                                      (Galatians 6:10 ESV)

Christ above all things, 
Robin
  
       
           

The Father of Lights

      Sometimes in my Bible studies, I come across a verse that just sticks with me for a while.  It’s almost like a song that gets stuck in my head, only this is much better because it keeps my focus on the beauty of God's word.   James 1:17 is the verse in my thoughts lately.
        "Everything good comes from God.  These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky.  But God never changes like the shadows from those lights.  He is always the same."  (ERV)

      The English Standard Version reads: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."   

This verse is so profound in meaning.  I've heard it used many times in reference to all our blessings coming from the Heavenly Father above.  While this is true, what is said in the passage goes so much deeper than that (at least in my opinion).  

The verses leading up to 17 explain that no temptation comes from God.  Verse 16 is a warning, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”  We cannot allow ourselves to be fooled about this, evil does not come from God.  He may test us through trials and tribulations (James 1:2-3).  If we need help to face these trials, we should pray for wisdom and trials (v. 5); but God will never tempt us to sin.

In verse 17 James proceeds to tell us what does come from God - namely good.  Every GOOD -- every PERFECT gift comes from our Father.  We must never doubt where our blessings come from nor can we fail to be thankful for those gifts.  We mustn’t take what we have for granted. 

     Take a minute to digest this ... do we have anything good in our life?  Maybe our home, our clothing or the food in our refrigerator, would we say those things are good?  What about the TV or computer that we use for entertainment?  Consider things more intrinsic in value like our family and friends.  Do these people count for good in our life?  Then please remember it came from God.  

      We aren't nearly thankful enough.  Think about this really long and hard for just a few minutes ....everything good in your life comes from one source... our Heavenly Father.  It is just that marvelously simple!  Everything you enjoy, every person that causes you to smile, every good memory you have and every bite of food you've ever eaten, every hug you enjoyed and every bright blue sky you've ever seen all comes from God.    

     God is our Father.  He is a perfect parent who loves us immensely.  Jesus reminds us if we give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Father in heaven give good gifts to us.  (Matthew 7:11)  Through His great love that is what our Father longs to do.  Just as we love to make our children happy, God loves to make us happy. 

James calls Him the Father of lights and aptly so.  God created the light.  Genesis 1:2-3: "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  And God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light’."  

        Light is the one of greatest blessings God has ever given us for we cannot live without it.  Physically our Earth cannot survive without the light of the sun.  Spiritually speaking, we cannot live without the Light of the Son of God.  So however we may look at this verse God is the Father of Lights for Jesus is His Son and "the Light of the world." (John 8:12)     

            One of the best things about our living God is that He never changes.   The Father of lights will always be the same.  He will always be the giver of good and perfect gifts.  He will give us the strength and wisdom we need to make it in this world.  And he will never tempt us to sin.

 In fact, God’s immutability should be of great comfort to the faithful Christian.  It is a great blessing in and of itself.  We can depend on His unchanging grace and unfailing promise to give us eternal life.  Consider Psalm 102:25-28:

“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same and your years have no end.  The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.”

God will always bless His children.  We are part of a kingdom that will never pass away.  When Jesus promised to build His church, He said that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  Peter tells us our salvation through the resurrection of Jesus is for an inheritance that is “imperishable, undefiled and unfading.”  (I Peter 1: 4) 

He also reminds us that our souls were purified by obedience to the truth and we are born again of imperishable seed ‘through the living and abiding word of God, … because the word of the Lord remains forever.’ (verses 22-25)

          Other verses declare the immutability of God.  As Christians we can take great comfort in knowing that HE is our one true and living God.  He does not change.  He loves us and is the giver of all good gifts we receive.  He loves to bless His children – those who choose to follow Him and His precious Son. 
         His love and mercy is constant and true.  His word will abide forever.  His church will survive throughout the ages.  He is the Father of Lights and He will never tempt us with evil.  For the Spirit promises in James 1:12 if we stay strong and endure when we are tempted, then we will get the best gift of all. 
       “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.” 

Christ above all things,

Robin