Setting Captives Free

I had a great morning in the Word; God is so faithful to meet me with me in these sweet quiet times.
Two years ago in June I made a dedication to read through the whole bible. I started in the Old Testament in the morning and the New Testament in the afternoons or evenings. My pattern hasn't been completely consistent; as the Lord has taken me through trials and through different books that would teach me how to act and live, to exhort me, warn me... but nonetheless, I am almost finished. God's word is so complete and precious.
This morning I read through Zephaniah. Oh, how I encourage you today, take five minutes or more to read through this book! God uses Zephaniah to proclaim the judgement of the Lord and and the blessing of Jesus the Messiah. Chapter one, verses four through six say, "I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests- Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, but who also swear by Milcom; Those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor inquire of Him." Then verse 18 says, "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for he will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land."
God didn't want His children worshiping other idols or giving themselves to sin. God displays such jealousy for the ones He loves. I would question God's love if He didn't chasten His children; I would question His authenticity and reason for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Through His chastening, through His destroying of sin, false gods, and sinful people who have countlessly rejected Him, God proves His love and fervor for the one's He formed with His hands, His children.
Our precious God is so gracious though! He never ever leaves us without chance of hope, opportunity for repentance or a pardoning of everything we've ever done wrong if we turn and call out to Him. Chapter two verse three says, "Seek the LORD all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger." Verse seven says, "The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them and return their captives." He will intervene, how assuring, how amazing! Then in verse 11, "The LORD will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, each one from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations." Being out in California right now, this verse so touches my heart because the I am surrounded by the ocean shores.
How incredible that our God's desire is to destroy all that hurts His children and inhibits His glory and honor and worship. His heart is so pure toward us.
The last three verses of chapter three say this: " 'I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes,' says the Lord."
I encourage you, if you are seeking to know God's heart, read through the book of Zephaniah. He saves us, and that savior is Jesus Christ Himself. God sent Jesus to pay the price for all your sins. We all are sinners, not one of us is better than another; some of us sin outwardly while others confine their sins in secret, but for each and every one of us, "we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).
This is why Jesus came: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD" (Luke 4:18-19). This is the culmination of what Zephania was speaking of- the Messiah delivering the captives.
If you are being held captive and everything around you seems like it is being destroyed, know that God loves you and wants to set you free.

In The Whirlwind and In The Storm

As I'm treading through the Old Testament, in Nahum now, I read these word:

God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious.  The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for his enemies; The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.  The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.  

Nahum 1:2 & 3

The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm. 

My Pastor asked me about a month ago if God purposely brings storms.  It is a good question to be asking yourself.  Yes, He does bring the storms.  But why?  Sometimes, the answer is left unknown to us or maybe it is revealed much after the storm has calmed.  But this thing I know: The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.  Each time a storm arises, know that the LORD your God, your Protector, your Comforter, is having His way, testing your faith, because He loves you that much and is jealous for you beyond what you can imagine. 

What truth we have to hold onto, in this world that is darkened by lies. 

What hope we have to cling to, that His glory will be revealed to our eyes.

What peace we have to open, our gift from our Father's heart. 

What love we have to walk in, in the storms His love does not depart. 

Just Wrapping Up The Night

Today seemed to drag on unusually long. Church service this morning seems like it happened two days ago... everything just seems to have taken so long.
As I'm lying here in bed, thinking and talking to the Lord on all the upcoming events and things He's doing in my life, I am reminded of faithful He is. He never clothes the lilies of the field with less than stunning beauty nor does He ever neglect to give the sparrows good nutritious food. He never worries about how He'll provide for what is necessary. How much more will He take care of His children? "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." -Matthew 6:33-34
There is still so much on my mind in these last minutes of this day. I will not worry...

One Thing That Is Needed

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
-Luke 11:38-42
I am writing from bed. I love the versatility of laptops; thank you Lord. My hurt back is getting worse in pain, especially the days that I get straightened out from the chiropractor, today being one of those days. I am to do nothing, which as my mom explained to me, really means NOTHING. No long walks with my dog Mater, no folding clothes, cleaning dishes, picking up the house. Nothing. Though this concept of nothing is hard for me, it is the Lord's will. By not doing anything, I am being humbled and my faith in God to raise up my siblings as helpers in our house is being increased. There is such a purpose that God has for this time of doing nothing.
As I read this section of scripture one early morning last week, God was speaking, "Melissa, Melissa, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and that is to just sit at my feet."
For me God, You chose to break? For me God, You are choosing to still? For me God, You are choosing to prove Your provision? For me God, You are choosing to speak Your words of love and acceptance and delight? For me God? You choose to do this for Me? Oh Precious Father, for You, I choose to be still.
Dear ones, chosen and beloved by our God, you may not understand why the Lord is doing what He is doing in your life right now. Remember, if you are wondering what you are needing to do, there is one thing that is needed and that is for you to spend time with Jesus at His feet. That will not be taken away from you.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Supplying Our Needs

Do you ever just get in a horrid emotional rut? I'm sure this is often more experienced in the females than males, but it is nasty nonetheless.

Most of the time when I get in these nasty, depressed, all-I-want-to-do-is-drink-hot-cocoa ruts, it is because I haven't opened up God's word, I have forgotten His promises and I have neglected spilling out my requests to Him. So many places in the Gospels I read of Jesus saying, "Ask me!". "Ask, and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened... you have not because you have asked not... ask, that your joy may be full".

So today, as I was at the end of me, a bit flustered from my fleshly thinking... ok, ok, I'll back track the whole day so I give a full and complete story, instead of half finished and abstract one.

I'm not able to move much right now. I have a nerve that is pinched in my left hip as well as a bulging disc and it's super painful at times. I am not able to house clean, my former job, and I'm prescribed to do as little as possible. For me, doing nothing is asking a huge request! I like to be a doer... I like to clean, and as I told my mom the other day, I would be perfectly fine and content if the Lord just had me clean dirty toilets for the rest of my life. So this morning, I put my jogging shoes on, and took my dog on a walk, because I was determined to do SOMETHING! I was feeling good. God's creation was amazing me; the vibrant cherry blossoms and the fragrant lilac trees. 

My back was a bit sore, but nothing above what is normal. I went to the doctor and he even said that my condition is doing really well and that my back is healing quite fast! What great news. I know I heard that news because of the power of prayer and God's healing hand. Then I grocery shopped, but I shouldn't have, because as I was shopping, I was hungry. Please note this: It is never a good thing to shop when one is super hungry. I was also super indecisive, as usual, so I just ended up super crabby and frustrated. I threw a bag of corn tortilla's in the cart, along with celery, pie crust, strawberries, cereal, butter and went home. Because I'm not active right now, I feel as though I have no freedom to enjoy any form of yummy food whatsoever (which added to my frustration at the grocery store), so I munched on celery and carrots trying to not feel too much like a rabbit and convincing myself that I was satisfied. Then my grandma and I headed out on a little excursion to the mall. 

OH BOY, the mall! Vanity of vanities, all of life is vanity, and I seem to get so easily sucked into all that vanity at the mall. But here was the real downer... I no longer fit so great into the size of jeans I use to. I can squeeze into them, sure, but who really likes having sausage legs? I knew I would have to come to this point sooner or later in life, I just suppose I thought it was going to be later, much later. Then the over analyzing of my body flooded my thoughts. The over emphasis of the "problem" areas were plaguing what could have been a great day. Sure, the jeans I could have bought were a great deal, but I wasn't willing to buy a step up in size. What is with me? My mood had been down since that point on. Then, when I got home, the worries about eating dinner and that horrible mental calorie counter were on the forefronts of my brain. Why am I so easily defeated?

Well, what did I do about all of this? I ate a little dinner, not enough to fill what was a gaping hunger (I always get more hungry when I'm trying not to eat) and I made almond poppy seed muffins. Great fix, right? NO! What a foolish woman I am! 

As the muffins were baking, listen to what my gracious Heavenly Father spoke to me as I finally opened up His word:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. the Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things.

-Philippians 4:4-8

Again, my sweet Jesus was just saying, "Ask me about all these things that are going on in your heart Melissa. And be thankful! I have given you my peace; you don't ever have to worry. Stop thinking about this flesh, the way it looks, the size of your thighs. Think on lovely things, on pure things, on noble things, on Me."

Then listen to what else He said to me in verse 19:

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

All my need? "Yes, my dear Melissa, all your need."

So tonight, feeling still a bit not-so-chipper about my changing body, I know that if I am to exercise more, my God shall supply that need. I know that if I am to eat more, my God shall supply that need, if I am to practice self-control and not eat out of emotion, my God shall supply that need, if I am to buy a pair of great priced jeans that are a size up from what I would like to wear, my God shall supply that need, and most of all, if I need to hear His sweet promises and assurance of His love toward me no matter what I look like physically, my God shall supply that need.

God will supply your need, my dear one. He sees all that concerns you, and He will perfect it. What are you in need of? Will you ask Him for it? What are you anxious about? Will you surrender it with thanksgiving tonight? For I am confidant in this: My God shall supply all your need.

Jonah 1:1-5 Fleeing God's Presence

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.' But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. but Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of he ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep."

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai"

Jonah was God's chosen prophet; His chosen instrument. I picture Jonah in this opening seen cleaning up his small hut, humming a little tune and waiting to hear the word from the God who had spoken in past times to his fathers. Then the word of the Lord came: "Arise, go". These first two words must have excited Jonah to such a point where he dropped what ever was in his hands, fell to his knees, and widened his eyes with expectation for further instruction. The next words he heard were "to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me". Not exactly the instruction Jonah was expecting. I imagine Jonah now, head shaking side to side in disbelief, as he slowly picks up the mess around him and gets to his feet. Why did God want Jonah to go to that great and fearfully violent city? Nineveh just wasn't ideal, it wasn't safe, it wasn't what he had imagine as his great calling in life, or so he thought.

God had a great plan for the Ninevites. He saw all their wickedness and sin, how they were destroying themselves. He wanted to bless Jonah with the privileged of being the mouthpiece His mercy and love.

What does Jonah do next? He flees from the presence of the Lord. Jonah found a ship in Joppa going down to Tarshish, the exact opposite direction of Nineveh. Jonah had to pay to get on the ship, but that wasn't going to be the biggest cost.

"But the LORD sent a great wind on he sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea"...

God was stirring up everything around Jonah to get his attention. The mariners were praying to their false god's, throwing cargo overboard, and no doubt thinking they were surely going to die. As the men frantically freak out, Jonah again descends, now into the ship, shuts off his mind and sleeps.

What a great lesson we can learn from these five verses. You are the chosen of God. In John 15:16, Jesus says to us, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

Maybe God has spoken a word to you-maybe you have heard His voice clearly, just as Jonah did. Maybe you are running from His voice, as Jonah did as well. How do you know if you are running from His presence and His command? Are you going down, are you leaving fellowship? Are you finding ways to flee? Are you depressed, descending into a dark way of pessimistic thinking? Do you just want to sleep and forget about the issue you are running from? Do the waves on the sea of your life seem to be in a tempest?

My dear and precious friend, there is hope and there is joy. God is stirring something within you- He is fulfilling the amazing calling on your life. No, it may not look like your flowery dreams. Your initial thoughts may be, "But Lord, not that- I'm scared, it's a violent situation, and I don't want to go". But I want to let you know, dear ones, God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and of great mercy (psalm 103: 8) and desires that not one of His children should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Don't flee from His presence- you will be so down and so depressed. Rather, in faith, step out and obey the word He has given you today.