"Awake, O sleeper, rise up . . ." Ephesians 5:14

The world stands shaken. News of a highly-contagious virus invades our minds, our hearts, and our sleep. More contagious than the virus itself is the fear of catching it, or of running out of food or cleaning supplies, or of having our schedules changed. I have fears too. Fear is a natural response to an unknown or intimidating situation. But the virus isn't the problem, and it isn't the media either. Our fears simply reveal opportunities for us to transfer our trust, our hope, our worship from an object or desire that may fail to One who will never fail (Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT).

"Everything the Lord does is good." (Psalm 145:17, ERV) I don't understand everything the Lord does. Everything does not seem good to me. "Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!" (Romans 11:33, see also Proverbs 20:24, 25:2, Ecclesiastes 3:11b) My hope doesn't come from my ability to understand everything the Lord does. My hope lies in what I know about the character of God. If I don't know the character of God, I have little hope.

The character of God is too complex to explain in one blog post. The whole world cannot contain the goodness of God (1 Kings 8:27). But we can start with a glimpse.

Throughout the Old Testament, God allowed trouble and hardship to come upon His people, not solely as punishment, but in the form of discipline; to remind His people, to make them aware, to help His people wake up, to realize their need for Him.

Everything God does is good. God does not punish His children (Psalm 103:10, Isaiah 54:9). Jesus absorbed, or took on, the punishment for believers--those who believed in the past and those who would ever believe in the future--when He died on the cross. But God does test His children--even those yet to be His children. He does discipline His children, train His children, remind His children so that they will know their (our) need for Him (Hebrews 12:10).

Skeptics say God sounds narcissistic. Narcissism is "having an excessive interest in one's self" (dictionary.com). "Shall what is formed say to the One who formed it, 'You did not make me'? Can the pot say to the Potter, 'You know nothing'?" (Isaiah 29:16) When a human demands worship, it is narcissism. When a perfect God creates a perfect man who then chooses to turn away from his Creator, and the Creator makes a way for man to return to Him, and the Creator then reminds man of his need for Him . . . it is called love.

Louder than the news of the virus or of runs on toilet paper, the Lord is saying, "Return to Me." Do you hear Him? He has promised to be right there for us when we do. (Malachi 3:7)

God, we need You. We need to know You. We need to know that You will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). We need to know that You have decided every day of our lives, and every day of the lives of those we love, before even one of them came to pass (Psalm 139:14). We need to know that You have power over viruses, and over supply and demand (Psalm 24:1).  We need to know that while You may not do what we want You to do, You always do what is best (Psalm 145:17). Remind us, teach us of who You are, and all You promise and are able to do. 

"Encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children . . ." Titus 2:4


On "school-work." Because we homeschool, I have all of our schoolwork at my finger tips. Until/unless schools send work home with students, consider other brain-engaging work. The Critical Thinking Co. offers MANY fun brain-teaser workbooks for young and old. We've also used Paragraph Editing workbooks for Grades 2-8 during summer breaks.

Obedience brings God joy. (1 Samuel 15:22) Obedience in believing Him and all He says in His Word about our condition and about His love and forgiveness and provision. Obedience in wherever He has placed you and your children during this season. Let His joy be your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

"When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear." Exodus 20:18

Ever read much of the Old Testament portion of the Bible? Readers of the Old Testament sometimes (oftentimes?) comment that God seemed meaner in the Old Testament than He does in the New Testament. The Old Testament documents the history of Israel as a nation. The Old Testament describes wars and God's judgement and even punishment on both enemy nations, as well as the chosen nation of Israel. But the Bible tells us that God never changes (James 1:17). God demonstrates just as much love and compassion for His people in the Old Testament as He does for His people in the New Testament. But similar to today, God's people--those He has chosen to know Him, those He is in the process of calling to Himself--often fail to recognize all God has already done for them. Rather than drawing near to God to learn more about Him, they stand at a distance from God, trembling with fear.

The book of Exodus tells us that God's people lived in Egypt for approximately 400 years, living the majority of that time as slaves to the Egyptians. But Exodus 7-12 describe the mighty power God unleashed on the Egyptians in order to free His people from slavery. "God caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for" as they departed Egypt (Exodus 12:36). God led His people in a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21). God did not lead His people down the main road, because He knew His people were unprepared to face enemy territory (Exodus 13:17). Instead, God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness (Exodus 13:18), providing for their EVERY need along the way. When they wanted meat, He gave them meat (Exodus 16:12). When they needed water, He gave them water (Exodus 17:6). God led His people in this way to a mountain called Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai God intended to give His people further instruction on how to live. But it is at this place that instead of standing in awe of all God had done for them, God's people stood at a distance, too afraid of Him to draw near. All of God's people stood at a distance, that is, except Moses.


Where do you stand?

"When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped." Exodus 4:31b

In the Bible, the book of Exodus describes a difficult time in history for the nation of Israel. God's people lived as foreigners in Egypt. Upon arrival to Egypt, the ruler of Egypt treated God's people well. But the longer God's people resided (and multiplied) in Egypt, the more Egypt despised them. The Egyptians forced God's people into harsh labor for generations. But God remembered His promise to care for His people. God selects a man named Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. When Moses tells the nation of Israel that the LORD is concerned about them and that He has seen their misery, their hearts fill with hope, and they bow down and worship Him. (Exodus 4:31b)

Life can sometimes make us feel hopeless. Like God's people in Egypt, we feel as if we live as slaves to an overbearing taskmaster, whether the taskmaster seems to be our circumstances or sometimes even God Himself. Exodus 6:9 tells us that God's people had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery to believe in God's goodness or to listen to His promises. But God was with them, and He was at work among them the entire time. God cared about them. He was concerned about them. He had seen them. And He sent Moses and Aaron to tell them of His care and concern.

Who do you need to tell? Who do you know that needs to be reminded, or perhaps told for the first time, of God's care and concern for them? Maybe it's you who needs to hear.

God sees you. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that, "nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Proverbs 15:3 tells us that, "the eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Psalm 139:3 reads, "You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do." God sees you. He is aware of your circumstances.

God cares about you. Difficult circumstances, unfair circumstances, unthinkable, unimaginable circumstances cause us to question God's care. But the Bible is full of stories of "good" people who endured suffering (the Bible is full of stories of "bad" people who suffered too). We do not understand why God allows "bad" things to happen to "good" people but in EVERY story of the Bible, God uses "bad" for "good."

The Scriptures show us that God doesn't come along AFTER the bad and somehow twist it for good. The Scriptures show us that God planned all along, from the beginning of time, to all the time work through the bad for good. Genesis 50:20 reads, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Proverbs 21:12 tells us that, "The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; He will bring disaster on them." God will bring about His perfect plan for the redemption of the world, which includes redemption for you and whatever circumstances He allowed you to endure. Never relate difficult circumstances with God's failure or inability to love you. He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

God is coming for you. Indeed, God has already come for you. In the Old Testament God sent Moses to tell His people of His care and concern and of His plans to lead them out of slavery. In the New Testament God sent His Son, Jesus, so that we might know of His care and concern for us. Jesus made a way for us to escape slavery to sin, that we might be led in Christ in triumphal procession (2 Corinthians 2:14). God has come for you.

The disciples were bewildered after witnessing Jesus' crucifixion--an extremely difficult circumstance. But in Luke 24 Jesus "takes the disciples through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Jesus tells them all they need to know about Him in light of their difficult circumstances.

In Acts 8 we see the Ethiopian Eunuch struggling to comprehend the Scriptures. So, using the Scriptures, Philip tells the eunuch the Good News about Jesus.

Romans 10:14 reads, "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?"

The Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Now that you have heard, who do you need to tell? Because when they hear of God's care and concern for them, maybe they, like the Israelites, will bow down in awe and worship of Him too.

"Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go,' whether to the right or to the left." Isaiah 30:21

Today is the last day of my husband's current career. On Monday, my foodie-husband will begin selling salt for a living. Yep, salt. (Anyone see a little godly humor in this? God tells us we are the salt of the earth!?!) So many questions arise when making major decisions in life. How do I know if this is the right thing to do? What if I make the wrong choice? The Bible tells us that God has a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:16, and countless other Scriptures). Once we are reconciled to God through our faith in Christ, God places His Spirit in us and promises to guide us along the best path for our lives (Psalm 32:8). With my husband's permission, I'd like to share how we came to the conclusion that this new job was indeed the way we should go.

The decision to leave his current position was not an easy decision for my husband to make.
My husband was happy with his current job, and his company has been faithful and generous to our family over the past many years. After informing his boss of his decision to leave, my husband's company made a counter-offer in attempt to get him to stay. In several ways the counter-offer appeared more beneficial for our family. But because the new job seems to better align with some of our family's desires and because the new job came about in such a strange, unique way, like the Jacob of Genesis, my husband concluded, "surely God is in this place" (Genesis 28:16).

I hesitate to give what sounds like a step-by-step process for determining God's will. However, I do believe there are certain steps we can take, certain qualities and attributes we can look for when trying to decide which way to go in life.

God is a God who wants to be known by us. God has revealed Himself--and His will for our lives--in His Word. The Scriptures may not speak to specific circumstances such as choosing one job over another, but God created us with the capacity to know and experience Him and to thereby determine to the best of our ability His will for us.

Psalm 34:8 reads, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Isaiah tells us in chapter 30 verse 21 of his book, "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go.'" Isaiah later tells us in 41:13 that God holds us by the hand. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Paul explains that God uses believers to spread the "fragrance of Christ." The Scriptures tell us we can know and experience God through all five of our senses!

We do not actually "eat" God, nor have I personally ever "heard" the voice of God with my ears (in Isaiah 30:21 the Hebrew word for "hear" can also mean "understand"), nor have I "seen" God or the incarnate or risen Christ, nor have I physically "touched" the hand of God. These verses don't necessarily describe literal interaction with God, but they indicate that we can know and experience God in many ways. Because we have the capacity to know God and to experience His leading in our lives, we should trust and respond when we believe God is leading us in a particular direction.

Following God's plan starts with recognizing that God has a plan. Matthew 7:7 tells us if we seek Him, we will find Him. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me and I will answer you." Psalm 138:8 says, "The Lord will work out His plans for my life." My husband knew to look for God and when he looked, he found Him.

Isaiah tells us that God's ways are not our ways. While we know God will never lead us to walk in a way that is contrary to His Word, the path He lays before us may not always make sense. With a background in engineering, God's ways can sometimes prove especially challenging for me to follow because I like things to make sense. With God, we can not always base our decisions on human logic. If we are unsure of God's ways, that is when we should seek godly counsel because with many counselors, plans succeed (Proverbs 15:22).

When the seemingly-better-counter-offer came through, my husband observed that the new job would require more faith on our part--another clue that God was at work! We know God has a plan, my husband and I have asked repeatedly for God to lead us in that plan, yet we also know God wants to continually grow our faith in Him.

I say again, God will never call us to go against His Word. We should not act in stupidity. We should not test God to see if He will truly show up. The only time God tells us to "test" Him is when giving. "Give generously," the Scriptures say, "and see if I don't bless you more than you can stand." (Malachi 3:10) When Satan encouraged Jesus to test the Father circumstantially, Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'" (Matthew 4:7) We should not throw ourselves in front of a moving car just to see if God will save us. BUT. If you sense God leading you in a particular direction that aligns with His Word and the desires He has placed in your heart (Psalm 37:4 tells us that IFFF we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us--meaning not necessarily fulfill our personal desires, but He will place in us--the desires of our heart), then go! Walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Though God's ways may seem strange to us, if He is truly leading us down a particular path we will experience a peace only He can give (Philippians 4:7). Though the counter-offer seemed better on paper, my husband and I both felt more peace with the change in career.

Fear of making the wrong decision often times paralyzes us from making any decision at all. If we are trying to make a godly decision, God will not let us fall beyond what He can redeem. "Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:24) Are you facing a major (or even a minor) life decision? Seek Him. He will show you which way to go.