A Sun and Shield

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory—no good thing will He withhold to those who walk uprightly.

He is My Sun

I mentioned before that I received this verse at the Calvary Chapel Women's Retreat this year.  I loved getting this verse!  The Lord is my sun…without Him, I’d be in darkness!  I want to walk in the Light He gives me.  1 John 1:8 says that if I walk in the light, as He is in the light, I will have fellowship with other believers, and the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin.  

More scriptures about the light God gives us:

2 Cor 4:6

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Eph 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

1 Thessalonians 5:5

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

According to science, the sun provides energy.  All living things need the sun’s light to produce food.  The sun drives the creation in the production of energy.  Vitamin D comes from the sun.  Scientists are finding that without enough sun, people are prone to cancers and many other diseases.  My very life comes from God, who is my sun.  I think it's so great that God used the sun He created to show Himself to us.  The Lord God is my sun!

He is My Shield

Isaiah invites: come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.  It’s important to spend time with each other.  The world is a cruel, hard place.  Jesus told us that if they received Him, they would receive us…but they didn’t receive Him, so they don’t receive us either.  We need each other.

An illustration of this is when a pastor visited a man who had stopped attending church.  The man invited him in and they sat by the fire together.  As they chatted, the pastor reached down and pulled a live coal from the fire.  He lay it down at the edge of the grate, and the two continued talking.  After a while, the pastor told him that like that coal, the fire goes out when we don’t get together often enough and encourage each other.

Not only this, but the Lord gives me a home!  Psalm 68:6 says that the Lord sets the solitary (the lonely, the single, those who are alone) in families.  In this He is my Shield.  Precious!  I love that God cares enough about me to set me in a place where I am cared for by others.  He is my Shield!

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Psalm 34:7

He gives me His Protection.  I am safe in His arms.  Many scriptures show this to be true.  Psalm 91 is a great example of the safety of God.

HE who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.   I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."  He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 

There is also a sense of His authority.  As I walk in Him, by faith I believe His word, and He allows me to speak the truth of scripture to others.  I have through Jesus the authority of His word.  Because of this, I can pray for others and God will through me encourage, build up, strengthen them, or even heal!

God is my sun and shield!  He provides me a home, safety, and His comfort.  He lets me work for His Kingdom!  What more could I need?   

Dear Lord,

Thank you for who You are—my Sun and Shield.  You are so good to care for me and love me in spite of my failings.  Abba, please help me to appropriate the tools of Your Word to do the jobs you give me to do.  I love how You provide for me.  Help me to live contentedly with all You give me, for I am truly blessed.

Your Child,

Donna

Thirst No More

John 4: 1-14

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John  (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.  But He needed to go through Samaria.  So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

 

The city of Sychar (means drunken) is at the base of mount Eber.  See the map at this link:

http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/samaria.html

Jacob gave a well to Joseph; the text is Joshua 24.  See the whole story at this link:

http://www.biblicalsamaria.org/sychar.html

There are differing opinions concerning who the Samaritans were.  From 1 Kings, we can see that Shalmanezer, King of Assyria, populated the area with a mix of peoples from various parts of the Middle East.  This was a common way of ensuring there would be no rebellion—the people were not united and had no national identity from which to draw. 

They worshipped various gods, but a plague in the land caused them to reach out to the “God of the land.”  They combined worship of their gods with the worship found in the Mosaic law, by which they perverted the Jewish form of religion and succeeded in alienating themselves from the Jews. 

This resulted in the racial hatred which Jesus used to answer the question “who is my neighbor” in further in John, the story we know as “the Good Samaritan.”  They built a temple on Mount Gerazim, which the Samaritan woman references in her discussion with Jesus.

Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 

Jesus came into town about 11-12 p.m.  Usually women would come to the well to draw water between the 1^st and 2^nd hours of the day while it was still cool (6-8 a.m.)

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."  For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 

Not only do Jews not have dealings with Samaritans, but rabbis don’t talk to women in public at all—not even their own wives!  You can understand her shock!

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 

Jesus here offered her the gift of God—eternal life (Romans 6:23.)  But she doesn’t get what He’s offering her. 

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?  "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"  

David Guzik comments:

Living water: In ancient times, they called spring water living water because it seemed "alive" as it bubbled up from the ground. At first glance, it might seem that Jesus tells this woman about a nearby active spring. But Jesus makes a play on words with the phrase "living water," because He means the spiritual water that quenches our spiritual thirst and gives life.

Jesus is greater than Jacob, than Abraham, Isaac and all the patriarchs, but He didn’t belabor that point.  Instead He said:

"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 

You have to admit this offer is pretty exciting.  Never thirst!  Yet even those of us who know Him still thirst.  We are not immersing ourselves in the Water of Life!

Chuck Smith says “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,” is a “profound statement.”  He notes:

This statement should be written over every ambition you have.  What is it that you are hoping to attain in life?  What is it that you think will bring you satisfaction and fulfillment?  Whatever it is, write over the top of it, “Drink of this water, but you will thirst again.”  There is nothing in the material realm that will satisfy our spiritual thirst.

Have you come to the thirst-quenching waters of Christ?  Only He can truly satisfy.  What is keeping you from Him?  Would you be completely fulfilled?  He is the answer.

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are my Thirst-Quenching Savior.  In You I am completely satisfied.  Drench me with your Water of Life.  Help me to become a “spring of living water” from which others might draw water from the wells of salvation.

Your thirsty child,

Donna

Heavenly Purpose Fulfilled

John 3:22-36

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 

The Lord took His disciples out into the wilderness of Judea, where they were baptizing those who would repent and believe in the Messiah.  This had been John’s ministry before, but now that Jesus was there, John’s job was coming to a close.  Jesus didn’t do any of the baptizing (see John 4:2.) 

Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

Aenon is near the Jordan, centered between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.  See the Bible Map here: 

http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/aenon.html.

 Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you  have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" 

The word “purification” refers to ritual cleansing through baptism.  John’s disciples were jealous over him (it’s kind of sweet!)  “They’re taking your job, John.  You want we should do somethin’ about it?”  They didn’t say it but it’s kind of funny to think about it. 

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”

I wonder why the disciples thought John was there.  John tells them plainly he was there because God sent him to do a job.

“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."

David Brown comments as John the Baptist-

“I do my heaven-prescribed work, and that is enough for me. Would you have me mount into my Master's place? Said I not unto you, I am not the Christ? The Bride is not mine, why should the people stay with me?”

There is no jealousy in this reply.  John knew why he was there, and he knew why Jesus was there.  He was clear on the job description and his mission. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease. 

I want this for myself as well.  More of Jesus, less of me.  Make it so, Lord!  Jesus must gain ground in my life.  A rolling stone gathers no moss, but rocks that just sit there get covered in it—especially here in the Great Northwest!  No slime on me!  I must stop thinking of my own needs and make the Kingdom of God my focus. 

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.  He that has received the testimony has certified that God is true."

John is the one who is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He tells what he understands of the Kingdom of God, even though it’s not that much.  We should talk about what we know, even if we don’t think it’s much. 

He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, He testifies.  Jesus said “I am the bread of heaven” in 6:33.  God has placed His name above all.  What Jesus has seen and heard, He testifies of.  He told His disciples “In my Father’s house are many rooms.  I go to prepare a place for you.”  He said “there is rejoicing in heaven over one who was lost but is found.”  He knows what he’s talking about because that’s where He came from!  He knows the Father, and tells us of Him.  He tells the crowd, “if God so clothes the grass of the field, how much more” will He take care of you?  He shows us who God is.  He’s been there, He knows what He’s talking about.

John recognizes that the Jews were not receptive to Jesus as the Messiah.  They saw the works of God but attributed them to Beelzebub.  They accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard.  They would not receive His testimony, even though He only told them the truth!  “No one receives His testimony.”

Verse 33 says, “He who received His testimony has certified that God is true.”  It’s interesting because people who come to Christ can’t really explain exactly how it happened, or even why they know God lives in them.  We just say we know it.  It’s experienced by us.  We can say we know it’s true. 

1 John 5:10

“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar.”

Verse 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 

God gives each of us the Holy Spirit.  I think this is so neat!  We don’t just get a little piece.  We get all of God!  All of God lives in you when you believe.  We receive the fullness of the Spirit.  That’s why we can tell people about God—His Spirit puts authority behind our words. 

Hebrews 2:8 says that God has put all things under His feet.  The Father has given all things into the hand of Jesus.  Although we don’t see it fulfilled yet, we know that none of God’s words will be left unfulfilled.

Isaiah 55:11:

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he that does not believe the Son does not have life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

If you want to go to hell, God’s not going to stop you.  Keep pushing past the roadblocks God has thrown up in your life and you’ll get there.  But God doesn’t want that for you.  He is not willing that any should perish, Peter tells us.  However, if you persist, the wrath of God eventually comes to abide on you.  The Bible says that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.  He keeps drawing you with cords of love, trying to get your attention so He can get you to heaven.  But eventually that wears down until you have the wrath of God abiding on you. 

Where are you in these verses?  Do you see yourself with the testimony that God is true?  Or are you in there pushing past God’s love?  Do you have the fullness of the Spirit—Jesus living in you, teaching you about God and His great love for you?  Or do you have a voice in your ear telling you to stop listening to these words, to stay in your lifestyle; you don’t want to miss out on the “fun” of life? 

It’s not going to be very long before this life is over, and the next one will begin.  Are you ready for it?

Dear Abba,

Please work the work of faith in me.  Help me to believe You are who You say You are!  I want more of You in my life and less of my selfish self-focus.

Help me to be able to agree with the testimony that You are true.

Love,

Donna

Humble Yourself

 “Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due time.”                         -- James 4:10 

Today during my quiet time with the Lord I heard Him tell me, “Humble yourself under my hand, be willing to do my will, and receive what I give you.”

So I thought about humility, what it is, how to achieve it.  The best way to view humility is to look at Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-8

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  

Though He was God in the flesh, He didn’t grasp at His Godhood.  Rather, He made Himself “nothing.”  It is translated in the in some versions, “of no reputation.”  He didn’t care what people said about Him because He had a purpose to fulfill and He was intent on that.  I need to focus on the purpose God has for me and leave all else behind. 

The Strong’s Concordance translates this word “nothing” (actually, ‘emptied Himself’ in the NASB) from the Greek kenoo, meaning “make void.”  It can mean to deprive of force, to make of no effect. 

In other words, nothing else mattered to Him but doing the business of the Kingdom.  What does that mean for us?  We want to live seeking His Kingdom first.  We want to live so that our lives agree with God’s Kingdom.  

I think that I tend to spend too much time thinking of myself and My needs (capital letter intentional) and not enough time thinking about what God wants me to do. 

A wise man once said "humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."  

Another more realistic man said 

“We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?” --John Ortberg.

Is it pride that keeps me from doing the work of my Master?

This poem, written in a forgotten age, speaks to selfish living and remarks on the self who abandons all to Christ.

I had walked life's path with an easy tread,

Had followed where comfort and pleasure led,

And then, by chance in a quiet place—

I met my Master face to face.

With station and rank and wealth for goal, 

Much thought for body but none for soul,

I had entered to win this life's mad race--

When I met my Master face to face.

I had built my castles, reared them high,

Till their towers had pierced the blue of the sky;

I had sworn to rule with an iron mace--

When I met my Master face to face.

I met Him and knew Him, and blushed to see

His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me.

And I faltered, and fell at His feet that day

While my castles vanished and melted away.

Melted and vanished, and in their place

I saw naught else but my Master's face,

And I cried aloud: "Oh, make me meet

To follow the marks of Thy wounded feet."

My thought is now for the souls of men; 

I had lost my life to find it again

Ever since alone in that holy place

My Master and I stood face to face.

Dear Abba,

I pray that I might have the faith and courage to look into Your face, Lord Jesus, and abandon all for You.  Help me to humble myself and be Yours in all the ways that matter.

Your Child,

Donna