Take Cover

How many times have you felt like a tidal wave is about to swallow you?  Or you feel so overwhelmed by everything around you that you think you will break into a thousand pieces? What should you do at moments like this?  Well… if there is a storm coming and it is raining hard you try to find shelter to keep dry and if it is cold you look for a coat to keep warm, right?  God is our shelter, our shield and our protection, we run to Him always.  The problem is that many times instead of living our daily life with Him, following His guidance, enjoying life and avoiding unnecessary pain, we wait until we are buried deep in our problems to call out for help.

When it comes to our relationship with God He wants us to be active; His protection is available, we just need to claim it “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil… Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.”  (Ephesians 6:11; 13)

We often read that God is our tower of refuge and our shield but have you stopped to think what does this mean? These are more than just poetic words, they describe the security we find in God, and it is good for our everyday circumstances and spiritual attacks.  “My God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.  I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:3-4

If we really understood what it means to be covered by God then we would not act the way we do sometimes.  I must be honest; once in a while we act like wimps.  I am not being rude, this may not apply to you, but occasionally it applies to me. According to the Free Dictionary.com a wimp is a timid or unadventurous person.  To be timid or cowardly. Sometimes that describes perfectly our attitude. How can we allow fear, guilt, sadness or regret define our actions? Sometimes it seems that we allow things to rock us back and forward like the waves in the sea.  Who is in charge of our life? The situations around us?  God is telling us “Get up and get dressed” (Jeremiah 1:17) I feel it is like a loving scolding from God, reminding us that we need to stop complaining and leave to the side the “poor me” attitude and to cover ourselves with His righteousness, His strength and His love, which are powerful and readily available; we just have to accept them.  God also says “Today I have made you immune to their attacks.  You are strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall.  None of the kings, officials, priests or people of Judah will be able to stand against you.  They will try, but they will fail.  For I am with you, and I will take care of you, I, the Lord have spoken!”  (Jeremiah 1:18-19) 

Take cover, take every step with the certainty that God is by your side, “As for God, his way is perfect.  All the Lord’s promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” (Psalm 18:30)

Live each day witnessing His peace and enjoying His grace.  Put on His protection and live bravely for Him.

Be good to yourself!

Whether it is in an electronic device, in an agenda or in our mind, we all have a long list of things to do, the interesting thing is that most of the time our  needs are in the bottom of this list or maybe not even in it.  Do you take time to do the things you enjoy or are you so busy taking care of everyone else that there is no time left for you.  If we are not taking care of ourselves, sooner or later we may not be able to take care of anyone else, or we may do it, but with the wrong attitude and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my life to become a long list of chores; I want to be able to enjoy every single thing I do.

We have been called to be witnesses, to be full of joy and to be a reflection of God’s light, but how can we do any of these if we are tired and overwhelmed.  We have not been made to barely make it day by day; “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

If we are not good to ourselves, how can we be good to anyone else?  I am sure you understand what I am talking about… I am not saying that we need to forget about people’s needs and just focus on us; I am just trying to remind you that there is a balance.  

Have you read Proverbs 31?  I am sure you have heard about this woman who may be a little annoying because she just seems too perfect. I have always wondered where does she get the time to do all the things she does. To be honest, If I read the passage quickly I get a little stressed because I am not doing half the things she is doing,  but if we read carefully we can see that  “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future.  When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions.”  (Proverbs 31:25-26)  Maybe we are wasting too much time worrying about things we can’t control. Maybe we are not laughing enough because we are too busy to have fun or too proud to be a little silly.  Maybe we are spending too much time talking about what we shouldn’t or maybe we want to control everything and we don’t accept the help of the people around us.   It is not about what we are not doing, it is about enjoying everything we are doing. Life goes by too quickly to be wasting precious moments.

So how can we enjoy our life more? I believe it is all common sense, and I am sure you already know the answer, but may not realize it because you have been… too busy!

·         Time with God - I think the most important thing is our time with God.  We need God to renew our strenght daily; When we feed on God’s Word, when we believe His promises and know He is in control there is no reason to worry or fear “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)

·         Proper rest and good eating habits - How many nights have you spent worrying or thinking about all you had to do the next day? “I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.” (Psalm3:5)  And how many meals have you skipped because you simply had no time to eat? “Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat some more, for there is a long journey ahead of you.” (1 Kings 19:7)

·         Have fun – Often take the time to do what makes you happy: dance, sing, take a nap, go out with friends, and enjoy life. “David danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14); “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.” (Psalm 5:11)

 In the Book of Esther we read how this young woman ended up saving the Jewish people, but before she could do it she had to take time only for her and prepare “Hagai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly.  He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments” (Esther 2:9)

Let’s make sure each day we devote some time to us, so we can enjoy the time we dedicate to others as we carry out our mission in life. 

Our pointing finger

Have you noticed how much we like it when people think like us, act like us and agree with us?  We enjoy being in our comfort zone, a safe place where we are accepted and where it is easy to be a believer. 

Sometimes we try so hard to be good and do all we can to show God our love, that we forget the people around us; we ignore those who disagree with us and quickly label them and put them aside. We forget what God commanded us: “love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”  (John 13:34) We are so busy trying to make everyone think like us that we don’t realize that “your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  (John 13:35)  There has to be less of us, less of our great ideas and long sermons trying to convince people that God is real and there has to be more love… more of Him.

In the Bible we often see how Jesus shared a lot of time with people who didn’t think or acted like Him.  He lived according to His beliefs and didn’t feel He needed to defend His principles; instead He let His actions speak.  His life was His testimony.  How nice would it be if we could go past our desire to constantly defend our opinion to the point of doing the complete opposite of what we stand for, just to prove we are right.  How nice would it be if we could learn to love like Jesus loves.

God clearly tells us not to judge others because it brings heavy consequences “stop judging others, and you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1) but it is so tempting to judge those who do not agree with our views; the song “Jesus friend of sinners” by Casting Crowns beautifully describes this problem: “Jesus friend of sinners we have strayed so far away, we cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing… open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing finger, let our hearts be led by mercy, help us reach with open hearts and open doors.” 

“Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong…God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong.”(Rom. 14:1;3-4) 

I love this verse! I like it when God puts me in my place and reminds me to be humble; I feel He is saying… “my dear child… who are you to think this or say that, focus on Me” It brings me back to my job description which is to be a servant of God, a believer and to glorify Him.   

So frequently we want to know where someone “stands” in certain issues before we decide how are we going to treat them, like Michael Kimpan said “too often we demand conformity prior to connection.”  As Christians our whole life needs to be submerged in love.  We need to surrender to God so He can shine through us, so He can be the one doing all the loving because alone, no matter how hard we try, we just can’t.

It should not be so hard to get this right… no, I am not being sarcastic, I really mean it. We should always remember how often God has forgiven us and how He loves us now where we are and He loved us then and He will always love us no matter what.   When we remember the grace we receive daily we hear God telling us “Give as freely as you have received!” (Matthew 10:8)  We should know that God loves everyone the same, that includes well… EVERYONE!

“No body knows what we’re for only what we are against when we judge the wounded.”  (Jesus Friend of Sinners) We are God’s witnesses; I pray that our daily actions show all the people around us who He really is.

Sharing a good meal

Do you have special memories created around a meal with friends and family?  Some of the most beautiful moments I have shared with people I love have been over a good meal.  It may have been a regular dinner at home, which was everything except regular, meals prepared with so much love by very special people or a simple bowl of lentils, shared with a friend over a wonderful conversation. 

There is something about a good meal; it is not only the food, but the complete experience that it is involved… the smells, the sounds, the colors, the lively conversation and the memories that are being created.   In the Bible we read many references to banquets and celebrations.  Eating is good fun! It is meant to be shared and enjoyed. “So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.” (Nehemiah 8:12)

Sometimes with all the rush we live in we overlook the simple joy of eating. We forget that it is nice to spend time together, not because we have to, but because we want to; it is good to share the big accomplishments in life and the little day to day achievements.  Life should be celebrated each day. “And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” (Ecclesiastes 3: 13) 

A good meal is an opportunity to thank God for His goodness. It is not a moment to go to extremes counting calories or over eating; on the contrary, it is a moment to unwind and remember God’s blessings.  For a good reason when Jesus was about to feed the 5,000 people, He said “Just tell them to sit down on the ground in groups of about fifty each… Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God’s blessing on the food.  Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people.  They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!”  (Luke 9:14-17)  Jesus wanted for the people to relax so they could fully enjoy the perfect provision that comes from heaven; the abundance of God.

In Genesis 18 we read how during a meal God gives Abraham a specific time when the son he had been promised years before will be born. And in Exodus 12 we read about the instructions for the Passover meal.  We also read many verses in which Jesus shared a meal, like the celebration of the wedding at Cana which Jesus attended with His mother, Mary and the disciples and where He turned the water into wine. Many times He would eat with the least popular people such as tax collectors and prostitutes without caring what people would say “The Pharisees were indignant why does your teacher eat with such scum? They asked his disciples” (Matthew 9:11).  He even invited Himself to dinner when He saw Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector up in a tree. “Zacchaeus! He said. Quick, come down!  For I must be a guest in your home today.” (Luke 19:5)

And it was during a meal, the Last Supper, where Jesus validated the new covenant “He took a loaf of bread; and when he had thanked God for it, he broke it in pieces and gave it to his disciples, saying ‘This is my body, given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’ After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you - an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20)

Even after Jesus’ resurrection He shared a meal with His disciples “when they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. ‘Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,’ Jesus said…’Now come and have some breakfast!” (John 21:10-12)   

  

God has promised us an amazing celebration over a meal “In Jerusalem, the Lord Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world.  It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-age wine and choice beef.  In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.  He will swallow up death forever!  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears…  The Lord has spoken!” (Isaiah 25:6-8) Now this is a meal I can’t wait to be part of!

Going back to memories related to food, when we had our clothing business in Colombia, we would go and visit the ladies who worked with us from their humble homes, very often, as soon as we arrived, they would offer us a cup of coffee. I still remember this as the best coffee I have had because it was offered with love from the very little they had. 

I wonder what will we remember from our now, what type of memories are being built by the meals we are sharing today.   

Believing the promises of God

I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually promise my children that I will do something or get something for them because I may or may not be able to comply and a promise has to be fulfilled.  When we read in the Bible all the amazing things God says He will do, we understand that He takes promises very seriously, and we can be certain that He will fulfill them because “every word of God proves true.”  (Proverbs 30:5) 

But sometimes it is hard to believe that all those wonderful promises are for real and they are for us.  We believe in God, we believe His Word, but for some reason we don’t take a hold of His promises and accept them as ours. It is as if we had something blocking us and it doesn’t allow us to see all the good things that God has so carefully and lovingly prepared for each of us. 

Let’s think about this… why is it so hard for us to believe that God will do all those amazing things in our life?  Do we doubt that He can? Do we feel we are not that important so why should He?  Do we think He is too busy to pay attention to us? 

Maybe our view is being blocked by our present circumstances; we may be having a rough time which makes anything positive seem impossible.  For a good reason God tells us that faith is “The confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.  It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.”  (Hebrews 11:1)   and we are reminded that we “live by believing and not by seeing” (2 Corinthians 5:7), but isn’t it hard to believe what we can’t see?

As always we have a choice.  We can dwell in our problems and let them overwhelm us, or we can focus on the good things that God has said that He will do; the things we can’t see, but we know are coming.  When we concentrate on the good God can and will do we face our present with a different attitude; He strengthens us so we can enjoy the now, even if it is not everything it can be yet.  

We need to begin by knowing that “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16),  if we keep this in mind, every time we read the Bible it will be easier for us to receive God’s comfort, guidance and love.  Once we quiet ourselves, then we can start reading, receiving and declaring God’s promises in our life.  The enemy wants to steal our peace, he wants us to be busy with our feelings because we waste time and energy when we are focusing on our pain and confusion; instead when we receive God’s peace we see everything with a new light.

You may say…“But it is so hard!” and you are right!  But what would you prefer?  Repeating over and over in your mind how angry, hurt, confused or fed up you are or know that you can “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” (Psalm 55:22) and believe that “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1) I think the decision is easy because nothing can compare to God’s promises.

How can we continue feeling down when we read Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you.  I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”  And like this, there are many verses that remind us that God is by our side every second of our lives. 

As we talk about promises, there is one thing we need to keep in mind; God wants to give us many wonderful things, but above everything, more important than anything is Him.  “Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (Psalm 37:3-4) our relationship with God is the most precious gift we can receive. If we delight in Him, if we share our life with Him then He “will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:19)

Read carefully the promises of God and expect amazing things in your life. Our God is powerful and He is ready to act. “He has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises.  He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.  So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.  (2 Peter1:4-5)