Weekend Getaway #19

The Remnant: God's Perfect Number

2Ki 19:30-34 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.  For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.  By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.  For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

According to WEBSTER’S 1828 dictionary:  REM'NANT, n. contracted from remanent.

1. Residue; that which is left after the separation, removal or destruction of a part. The remnant that are left of the captivity. Neh. 1.
2. That which remains after a part is done, performed, told or passed.

Trusting God and being faithful to His way, goes a long, long way to Him and He doesn’t need a huge army to prove His people can defeat the enemy. As you get to know God more while reading the scriptures you will see that He actually delights in smaller numbers than the whole. If you want to delight in Him, do a study on the word “remnant” and you’ll get a kick out of our Mighty God! He is awesome. I’m glad He loves the remnant, aren’t you? These verses are so packed with the ever loving character of our God.

The cutest young lad sat across from me with his mom and dad staring at me, waiting for my response to their question, “Should we retain our son or should we allow him to move on to the next grade?”

All kinds of thoughts flow through our minds when deciding such a major next step in a young person’s life and without the Word of God, I just couldn’t do it, and WOULDN’T do it. Too much depends on such a decision. With experience comes wisdom but only with the eyes of God and leading of His Holy Spirit. I knew it would be best for the child to repeat, but I had to make sure the parents were on board.  I placed a pencil on the table between the child and me and explained that most children in their minds will travel from point A to point B, but every now and then, a child may choose to go from A, swing to the right and back over to the path taking longer to get to point B, and we needed time to figure out why that was happening. I smiled at the young man and he smiled back. Such a creation of God! We should never forget that we are created by God for His purpose. This young man had a DISability but through some extra time we would help him find HIS ability to overcome as much as God would allow.

I’m not saying that we who are of the remnant have a disability, but I am saying that at times, it appears to us that we are disabled. God is in control even when everyone else seems to flow from point A to point B but here we are struggling with a swing to the right! Don’t be quick to judge what God is doing. He needs, desires for the glory to be His. HIS WAY is perfect! Only the remnant will be used to the potential and in the end will say, “To God be the Glory, for great things HE hath done.”
May I ask you, are you part of this remnant staying true to the fundamentals of the faith or have you drifted off in a turn that has taken you to self-sufficiency and to “I can do all things without Christ” mentality?  I fear that too many good Christians have detoured in the opposite direction and joined the world’s way to prosperity.

It is time for a change. As women, we need to look at what we do and why we do it and then, measure it against the Word of God. If you are trapped in a situation, talk to God and be honest with Him. Allow Him to take you from point A to point B. It may take a detour and much time before you get to point B, but you must try.  Go back and read II Kings 19. Don’t get hung up on too much information but grab the remnant!

God’s people in II Kings 19 were His remnant.  Their prosperity is described as “taking root downward and bearing fruit upward”…..and isn’t that what we fight for? That security in Christ to feel rooted, grounded in His Word can be ours, today. Just like the small lad who smiled at me, he already knew before his mom and dad that I was there to help him overcome and so does our God look at us waiting for us to look back at Him, smiling, totally trusting Him!

Lord, help us to desire your way and become part of your remnant.

Until next time, Lord willing…

Sharon

Validation

Hebrews 4:12-16 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

One of the most important things that can happen during times of trial in our lives is when someone validates how we feel.  No one wants to be going through something difficult and hear someone else rattle off things like, "Just trust the Lord" or "When you get to the bottom of your rope, just tie a knot and hang on."  Do you agree with me?  Have you ever had someone spout off stupid sayings to you instead of actually listening to you?  I have and it never helped me.

Once I was facing a miserable, awful time of testing of my faith.  I truly didn't know if I could lift my head again or if I even wanted to.  My folks listened to me explain how I was feeling and to be honest, I was waiting for them to say, "Sheri, that is just life, you get over it and move on."  But they didn't.  They listened and then my dad said, "I know it is hard, I have been there, but we are going to pray and you have got to trust that God is in control."  I remember feeling like a load was taken off my shoulders and carried by someone else.  Mom and Dad validated my pain.  They didn't brush me off like a cow swipes her tail at flies. 

You know Who else validates our sufferings?  Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  In Hebrews 4 we are shown that He unequivocally knows what it is like to live in this world and face everything we have ever, or ever will face in life!  He will never brush us off when we come to Him with our problems.  He will never tell us to "just get over it".  No.  He leads us to the Scripture we need.  He supplies that balm of Gilead to our wounds and He listens.  Isn't He wonderful?  What a Saviour!

Are you facing a trial today?  Everyone else seems to have the answer but no time for your pain.  Why not go talk to the One Who does understand?  Why not wait for GOD to answer you and tell you what you need to do?  Don't get discouraged by those around you who are carrying their own heavy loads, just turn to your Saviour, who knows what it is like to walk in your shoes.  He has the help you need. 

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri

Deleted or Resurrected?

To create a file today has a completely new meaning, doesn’t it? I still use filing cabinets; three large ones in my inner office and three large ones in my conference room. Some would call me old fashion, I guess, but I just can’t get rid of them right now. Every now and then I have to go on a hunt to find that one particular file. My computer files are supposed to be easier to locate.  I don’t have to pull out a drawer, or get on my knees or knock my brains out on a file drawer left open. I suppose the computer should save me time, right? Wrong! At least I can enter one word and that connection will pop up and I get there……eventually. The files in our brain are similar, aren’t they? We read a word in the scriptures and our minds make the connection to a memory which is supposed to be filed away, tucked away and not resurrected.We may even ask ourselves, "Why is it I always remember the bad and not the good?" 

As I read Zephaniah 1-3, my mind floods with memories from the past that are not pleasant but God in His infinite mercy reminds me that His blessings far outweigh any hurt this ole’ mind encountered as a child. 

Ps 1:1-3 ¶ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Have you been bombarded by the sins of the past, not necessarily your sins, but someone in your family which did such a number on you, that you wanted to die? Later in life you were doing fine, thank you, and then someone says something or asks a question or you read a passage of scripture and wham, there it is AGAIN!  You thought you had grown beyond it, filed it away but your mind will not destroy that file and it cannot be deleted no matter how hard you try.

Someone just recently told me that in dealing with a past sin and the horrible fear that comes with it, she goes back to the Word of God and reminds herself of the following:

“My sins have been thrown as far as the east is from the west. I am forgiven! God doesn’t remember it and why should I? Am I bigger than God? NO! He made me, saved me and forgave me!”

Then, this lady brings to her remembrance a prayer prayed years ago. She rehearses it in her mind to help release the same peace which was experienced the first time she prayed. You and I don’t need to know her personal prayer, but we do need to be reminded that just because something is filed away doesn’t mean that ole’ slew foot won’t try to resurrect it. In God’s eyes and according to His Word, that sin has been deleted!

Be careful as you receive counsel for anything that you are dealing with in your life especially of a past sin that has already been forgiven by the Great I Am. “Talking” or “rehearsing” a sin to get it all out in the open, can be very dangerous, friend. If someone has wronged you, forgive them and move on. It may be difficult and the memory file may keep popping up on your screen, but by God’s power of His Holy Word, you will be able to move on and be productive in Christ.  God’s Word gives us example after example. Read them, study them, and walk in them. Rehearse His Word, not your memory!

Ps 130:4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

1Jo 1:8-9 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Our delight should be in the law of the Lord and we are to meditate (rehearse it, think on it) day and night, according to Psalm 1: 2.  If we are to prosper and help others prosper, we MUST practice what the Word of God says and not just read it! I want to be that planted tree by the water, growing and producing fruit. Don’t you?

Lord, I release my fear and accept your forgiveness.

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sharon

The Cull Pile

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.


This past week I was riding into town with my dad and we were talking about the amount of food that America wastes on a daily basis.  Dad told me about a peach farmer he met one time who said that the grocery stores only want the pretty peaches because they can't sell the scarred up bruised ones.  So the farmer had to sort through his fruit and select what was pretty to the eye but everything else, that was still good, edible fruit was thrown into the cull pile and plowed back into the ground.   And it is that way with a lot of produce here in the states.  I told my dad it is because we are not hungry as a people and we eat what we want, we don't eat to survive. 

Later I looked up the definition of the word cull because it isn't one you hear too often, at least I haven't.  Webster defines it as:

Cull: something rejected especially as being inferior or worthless.

I wonder if we sometimes create a spiritual cull pile in our lives?  We perform, look the part and behave all pretty so that we are "seen" by man.  When in fact, we are bruised, scarred and oft times, rejected.  Are we wasting our lives trying to be "selected" when we ought to just give God our hearts so that He can use our lives, even with all our fleshly flaws?

So what!  You may not be the most manicured, well spoken lady in your church.  God doesn't look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart.  God isn't looking to see who "looks" the best, He is looking at what is on the inside.  So instead of looking if every hair is in place and your make up isn't smudged, take a look at your relationship with the Lord.

Ask yourself:

1.  Am I surrendered to the Lord?  I think the biggest lie we sing in church on any given Sunday is the hymn, "I Surrender All".   We don't freely give Him our hearts and lives...we keep the pretty part to show off to the public and the rest goes in the cull pile. 

2.  Am I allowing God to control my decisions and thoughts?  How can we let God have His perfect will in our lives if we are constantly telling Him we know better?

Take time this week to ask God to create a clean heart in you.  It doesn't matter what life has done to you, or how bruised and broken you have been in the past.  God knows you are HIS child and you serve a purpose in this world.  He wants to hear your voice.  He wants to fellowship with you!  You matter!

Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri

Pull the Plug!

Ps 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.............Wake up with a clean ear and look up to Him who hears 24/7.

I slammed my hand on top of my desk and moved slowly in my chair toward the little mischievous one and proclaimed for the millionth time, “I may be old, but I am not stupid! I can read between the lines that you cannot see. I can hear words that you think you know the meaning of, and above all else, God sees and hears more than I do!”

By now, I’m standing and the little one wishes he was running……back to his classmates!

It’s a terrible thing to fall into judgment. I use that word “fall” loosely and carefully because we all make our own beds eventually. The choices we make can have such devastating consequences for evil unless we hear the right voice.

What keeps little ones from hearing? What keeps the teen from hearing? What keeps the unsaved from hearing? Lastly, what keeps the Christian from hearing? Ear plugs come in all shapes and sizes but once they go in the ear, they conform to the shape of the ear canal so less can be heard. You can listen, but you may not hear what is right outside the ear.  Pull the plug and live!

Looking back at the young one in front of my desk I said, “There are three weeks left in this school year. What have you been doing for eight months? TELL ME!” Staring at me trying to figure out what I want to hear, he says, “I don’t know, Mrs. Loyd.”

It’s about this time of the confrontation that I can pretty much figure out if the little person is going to turn and make a change long enough to NOT be sent back to me…….well, at least for a couple of weeks, hopefully for the remainder of the school year.   IF THE TEACHER KICKS IN AND DOES HER/HIS JOB then the child has a better chance of making it, simply because that teacher follows her/his own rules of class behavior with consistency. Without consistency, the child with a plugged up ear, gets worse and pulls everyone else with him.

The ear plug is a monster! Children are easily influenced to do good but to do badly as well, depending on the voice they hear and the influence around them.  A teacher who wings it suffers the most because all her munchkins can become her walking dead before a quarter ends and by the beginning of the last nine week period, total destruction crawls from the floors and the walls rattle with a devastating fall. If that teacher doesn’t have a set procedure with detailed lesson plans flowered with spoken consequences and then the character enough to see it done properly every day, her class will become her worst nightmare!

Start out right, end right.  How many times have we heard the white heads tell us “how” to do something, and yet here we go, off to do our own thing just because we are younger and know more than those who have lived longer than we have! I have been a fool at times but God is patient with us all, wouldn’t you agree? God ain’t old and He for sure is NOT stupid!

He has been, is, and will be forever!! How many times do we have to be sent to His office! We confess once trouble comes or a good sermon knocks the ear plug out, don’t we? Praise the Lord for the Word of God to convict our hearts and praise the Lord for those God places in our path to guide us to truth.

While studying on “hearing” I came up with the following tidbits. Maybe some of them will help you today. There were too many to print all of them.Happy Hearing!

2Ch 9:7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

We all want to be happy, then hear what God says as you read it! A smile will follow your day.

Ne 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

Confession must be immediate to keep the ear open.

 Ps 66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul

It’s hard to hear God or authority if there is no reverence for that authority. That is another reason we teach young people to obey authority for thus obeying authority, they learn to hear God when He speaks about their lost soul. In our homes if we constantly undermine our own authority, how do we expect our children to obey?

Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Hey, you know it is there! Confess that sin; get it out so you can HEAR!

Ho 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land

Truth must be taught to be heard. The knowledge of God must come from the One who holds the knowledge.

Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Turn toward what you hear from God. Don’t be a fool and think you know better or your ear plug may go deeper!

Until next time, Lord willing!

 Sharon

Weekend Getaway # 18