Blessings In The Battles

I love to read a good book. I can really get wrapped up in a well written fictional crime story but I've never been one of those people who reads the last page first because they want to know how the story ends.  When it comes to life on the other hand, I am so thankful to know that God has already foretold the ending.  I am okay with this spoiler alert : He's never lost a battle and He never will. Today’s battle is recorded in Judges Chapter 7-Chapter 8:8 where the Israelites were promised victory when they attempted to defeat the Midianites in the Moreh Valley.  In these 2 chapters God didn’t just promise them the blessing of a victory once or twice.  He promised it 7 times in these 2 chapters (7:7,9,14,15; 8:3,7,8). This promise of victory from God doesn’t mean that the Israelites, or we, will win every competition or be successful at every turn. Sometimes to our flesh that becomes frustrating. We don’t understand if we’re promised victory, why haven’...

For all my life, I have misunderstood what true humility looks like.  Humility is almost universally taught as the being self-effacing and making yourself lower than others.   True humility is about finding the proper balance between arrogance and self-effacement. The goal of Humility practice is to find the proper balance between your needs and the needs of others. Too Little Humility:  Arrogance Too Much Humility:  Self effacement/doormat-like behavior Spectrum of Humility Mantra No more than my space, no less than my place.” –  Alan Morinis,   Everyday Holiness  Action If you tend towards too little Humility,  speak out less and focus on listening. If you tend towards too much Humility,  speak out more and let your voice be heard . You don’t need to do anything dramatic – just take a small step outside of your comfort zone.

In the battles of life when there doesn't seem like there is an end or a way out, God can defy all logic and all the laws of nature.  He can do something differently that what normally happens in this world naturally.  He can do something supernatural to bring victory.  Are you facing a seemingly impossible situation? Does what you’re asking God for seem unlikely to come to pass?  Perhaps, you feel completely trapped, hedged in and overwhelmed, with no solution in sight.  Or maybe, your heart is heavy with doubt as you can’t figure out what to do next, for there appears to be nothing you can do about what you now face. These seemingly , impossible situations aren’t the end if you believe in the God of the Bible.  They are the platforms upon which God steps up and does a something supernatural!    In the battle of Gibeon five countries combined forces to attack the people of Israel, a seemingly impossible battle for the Israelite...

When times become difficult or chaotic, it’s easy to lose focus.  Life's battles can consume us, distracting us from the state of our hearts, the focus of our souls, and the actions we should be taking. Before we know it, we are likely in serious need of a spiritual "purifying" — a cleansing, or re-calibrating. The Bible uses the metaphoric picturing of pure refined gold to describe the heart, soul and actions of God’s people. In ancient Israel, God wanted everything in the tabernacle (and later the temple) to be purified so it could be used for His purposes. The ark of the covenant was overlaid with pure gold. The staffs to carry it were covered in gold, as were the mercy seat and the cherubim that covered it. The table for the shew bread was covered in gold. The dishes, spoons and bowls used in the temple service were pure gold. The candlesticks, the tongs, the lamp cups—all made of gold. If something was to be in God’s presence, it was going to have be made...

An effective battle plan is not about fighting all the time, day and night, until the war is won.  An effective battle plan is about strategy and waiting for the right time to attack, but  sometimes it is difficult to be patient.  We just can’t understand why we have to wait for things in a spiritual battle like a family member coming to faith, or a loved one being healed.  We can quickly feel our bank of patience depleting as we seem to be walking in circles. In Joshua Chapter 6 the army of Israel was in a battle for the town of Jericho but instead of attacking the city and crashing the walls the Lord instructed the Israelites to have patients for 6 days and to do nothing except walk silently in circles around the city walls.  Israel was ready to attack, but God told them to wait.   Blessing in this Battle:  God Blesses us with Patience Seeking patience is in many senses a battle in and of itself.   The promise we can lean o...

None of us are exempt from the battles of life. Nothing has made that more clear than this fight for our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.  On top of that, I know many people are facing other very real battles on top of this one.  Battles of lost jobs, lost loved ones, wayward children, health and relationship issues; battles that you don’t fully understand.  I don't know why these battles occur, but with this series of blogs I want to share the good news; that you don't have to wait until the battle is over to have a better day.  The divinely given gifts and benefits of an ever present Father don't cease to exist during the most difficult times in life.  No matter the battles we face, there are always blessings hidden somewhere in the battle.  We just need a new vantage point to see them. Exodus 17:8-15-The Amalekites came and attacked  the Israelites at Rephidim.  Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amale...

As I write this blog, I think about our oldest daughter who recently started middle school and finished her "Human Growth Unit" last year. Although they have covered the physical mechanics of sexual reproduction in school her mom and I, as her parents, want to provide the moral context for the practice of the physical act of sex.  I know many people are passionate about removing "sex ed" from schools  BUT... the answer is not removing educational classes from school or simply saying to your kids "wait until you are married to have sex."  Although great advice, it isn't really going to satify the always questioning ever curious mind of a middle school student charged up on hormones.  Show your kids why sexual relationships should be kept in the context of a giving, sacrificial and binding marriage relationship like we see on the wedding day of Solomon and his bride in the 4th chapter of the book of Song of Solomon in the Bible. The message we get ...

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” -- Frances Hodgson Burnett , The Secret Garden This description of "the secret garden" from Burnett's book could also describe the detailed account of the sexual relationship between Solomon and his wife that began to bloom on their honeymoon.    Solomon shared this account in detail in Song of Solomon Chapter 4 of the Bible.   In fact Solomon tells his bride in vs. 12, " You are my private garden, my treasure, my bride, a secluded spring, a hidden fountain.   And in vs. 15 she invites her new husband to, "Come into (his) garden, (and) taste its finest fruits." Before we move on, I want to point out the difference in the adjective used by Solomon to describe this "marriage garden" and the one used by Burnett to describe the actual physical garden:   "private" verse "secret."   A good sexual relationship between a husband and w...

Recently I have become a "FedEx Father!"  Being a "FedEx Father" doesn't have anything to do with using FedEx exclusively to ship packages, in fact most of the time I ship things USPS because I'm "thrifty" aka "cheap."  Being a "FedEx Father" is all about the FedEx logo.  The FedEx logo has won over 40 design awards and was ranked as one of the eight best logos in the last 35 years in the 35th Anniversary American Icon issue of  Rolling Stone  magazine.  My kids point out the logo on a FedEx truck every time they see one. They have done this without fail ever since I showed them a little secret about the logo you may, or may not know about. What’s the secret you ask? Take a look for yourself, don't cheat and scroll down to see the answer until you have looked! Did you see the "secret" arrow between the  E  and the  x pointing to the RIGHT!   After you see the arrow, it will be the fi...

We live in a society where we are so conditioned to do whatever we want, no matter what other people think, that sometimes we fail to seek the advice of those closest to us.  There are many times in life when we need the insight and approval of those around us before making a rash decision.  In regards to treating women right, one of the biggest times we need the approval of some very important people in our lives is before we decide to get married.  We should not rashly meet a prospective mate, set a date, write up a guest list for the big day and go get married without getting approval first. The most important person to approve of your marriage is you!  I know this sounds ridiculous, who would get marred if they didn't approve of the marriage themselves? It happens more than you think.  I did not approve of my first marriage, but I got married anyway. Her family, my family and all of our friends approved of the marriage so I though...

Most little girls dream of their wedding day from a young age.   They begin to think about and plan that special day.   They think about marrying their Prince Charming in an elegant wedding venue full of guests in a beautiful white gown, walking on rose petals down the aisle to bliss way before they find the "man of their dreams." According to researchers the average age a girl starts planning and dreaming of their wedding is 13 but some start as early as age 6.   And, 6 out of 10 single women have already planned their entire wedding day. (1) In Chapter 3 of Song of Solomon, Solomon's bride to be is laying in her bed dreaming of her wedding day and night.   ("One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover." Song of Solomon 3:1 NLT) She roamed "the city searching for (her dream man) in all the streets and squares." (Song of Solomon 3:2 NLT)   Does this remind you of the modern dating scene?   Women, and men are spending eve...

In the late 1990's there were a series of books titled:   “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”   They had, “Don’t sweat the small stuff at work”   “Don’t sweat the small stuff with your family” “Don’t sweat the small stuff for women” and several others.   With over 25 million copies in print, the Don’t Sweat philosophy has touched multiple generations of parents & grandparents, teenagers & kids.   Many of you may have a copy of one of these books on your bookshelf or nightstand right now. The problem with that philosophy is that the little things that we leave unresolved will continue to fester and can eventually ruin our relationships.   Solomon writes in Song of Solomon 2:15  "Quick!   Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love..."-NLT If it is the little things that can easily ruin our relationships, why don't we catch them?  Why do we let them continue to run around in our relationships and ruin our ...

One of my favorite things to do with Alana is "people watching."  One of the great things about people watching is that you can do it almost anywhere.  We will sit in the restaurant or the park and and we will pick a couple or a family and ask, "What's their story?'  As we continue to watch them interact with others we will formulate "their story" in our own minds.  By the time we leave the restaurant or the park we know all about these people without ever talking to them, at least we think we know them from what we see on the outside.   As I " people watch" Solomon and his finance interact I see two things in their relationship that convince me they are truly in love.  They desperately want to spend time together and they speak lovingly to one another.  Our eyes only allow us to look on the outside so we will never know for sure, but I believe there are two outward observations that are good ...