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Respite For the Weary
During the holiday season, Madelaine Singleton and I presented a wreath that bore spiritual significance with each of its elements. (See my post: Christmas Wreath of Hope). Now, we would like to share our Winter Wreath of Peace. Our hope is that you can easily construct one for yourself and be reminded every day of God's life-giving truths even in the midst of the cold and barren winter months.
After assembling your wreath, hang it on your front door or over your mantle so you can be reminded of God's promises even when times seem both bleak and barren. Allow His gentle and kind Spirit to enter in both your heart and your home and be willing to share His good news with all those who admire your Winter Wreath of Peace. It is your very own memorial to the Lord. Savor the sight, and embrace its truths.
For some reason, I have had a picture on my mind, one that I drew years ago for my kids when they were all "in the nest". I dug it up from a journal and want to share it today in hopes that it is a blessing to you. The verse that goes with this picture is Matthew 23:37:
Jesus said, "How often I wanted to gather you children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...".
Other verses to visualize concerning "His wings" are these:
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4
For You are my help; I will sing of joy in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 63:7
After thinking about these verses, can I just rest in the fact that I am a "little chick in a big barn yard" who has the sweet opportunity to be pulled inside and protected underneath the warm wings of a mighty "mother hen"? There I will find both peace and joy; there the clamor stops and the security starts. Why do I sometimes choose to go chirping about in blind forgetfulness, turning this way and that, anxious for nothing? What else "out there" could be more inviting than the blessings found underneath His wonderful wings?
We get pulled out by so many distractions and temptations. Let us refocus out gaze on our Provider, the One that loves us most, even more than we love ourselves. He knows us best, and gives us what we need, when we need it. His best is there for the taking...underneath His wings. The movement with Him is the movement that brings us most life, not the self-scampering we tend to do alone out in the far corner of the barnyard.
With this image in mind, little chicks, let's choose to chirp out loud a prayer in unison today:
Dear Lord, Thank you for your loving care that is found underneath Your merciful and mighty wings. Cause our hearts to long for You above all else. You move us about with Your loving guidance and sweet freedom. There are so many lures that want to pull us outside of Your protective love, but give us the foreknowledge that these are mere temptations with no end benefits. Pull us inside of Your wings, and become our refuge from this culture, our protection from ourselves, and our shield from the enemy. Give us what we truly long for, which is "Your love that is better than life" (Psalm 63:3). Yes, hide us, sweet Savior, in the shadow of Your wings. Amen
While I was walking the country roads the other day with my friend, I spotted a stagnant pool of water. It had just rained heavily the day before so a flowing stream was actively moving right alongside of this mirky pool.
Because I am a visual learner, I love to picture Scripture. Jesus tells us: He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' (John 7:37) Ahh, did you catch the words "flow" and "living"? When we claim Christ as our Savior through faith, His very-much-alive Spirit enters in! He takes up residence within us; in Him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:28).
The question I posed to myself (and now to you) as I looked at the active stream flowing next to the stagnant pool was, "Which one am I?" and, "How do I keep living and moving and existing in Him?". The answer is not a complex one. As a matter of fact, it makes perfect sense: His living word is our living water. Just as we literally drink water for our physical bodies to operate efficiently on a day to day basis, our souls, too, need daily spiritual doses of His living and active word (Hebrews 4:12). Let us choose to drink and drink and drink!
We drink by reading His word. Then we meditate on it, believe it, and obey it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Reading it only, and not applying the other basic principals is like taking a sip of water and not swallowing it. After a while, it becomes a stagnant pool resting in one's mouth, supplying no benefit to the body whatsoever. His word and His Spirit are meant to move us in ways and measures beyond what we ourselves can imagine. My friends, drink (read) ...and swallow (meditate, believe, obey), because if you do, your life will resemble a flowing stream, powerfully living, peacefully moving, and beautifully existing.
When thinking of the age-old Christmas story, one of the most familiar portions of Scripture is when the angel greets the shepherds in the darkness of the night. This passage is read so repeatedly each year that the event becomes a common scene in our minds. But goodness, how uncommon this real-life event must have been! First, one angel, then, a host of angels suddenly appeared, proclaiming the promise that had been held behind a divinely closed curtain for thousands of years. Yes, the wait of the great reveal had been put on sovereign hold since Adam and Eve's exit from the garden.
God's people suffered much, but they held onto the hope of their future Messiah. Here is only one of the many promises:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them...For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest of His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2,6)
This particular promise came 700 years before the fulfillment of it. Here is a challenge for you and for me: at some time in the busyness of this celebratory holiday, let's take 7 uninterrupted minutes to sit quietly and...wait. Might I suggest to wait in the darkness of a silent night? While waiting, add faith, add hope, add love. His promise is for you too.
And now...join the shepherds. Put yourself there on the hillside with them:
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them...and said, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:9-14)
The long awaited suddenly happened. Jesus, the anticipated Promise, appeared.
He is the only valid answer to this sometimes weary, sometimes confusing, sometimes sorrowful life. In Christ, you never have to wait without hope.
Good news, He is the answer to eternal life as well. One more time, there will be another long awaited suddenly. In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…we will be changed (1 Cor. 15:52).
Until then and while waiting, take time to see His glory in the quietness of your Silent Night.
My friend and interior decorator Madelaine Singleton and I just got back from Mississippi and Florida where we presented the Christmas Wreath of Hope to a few local groups. Through Scripture, I told the purposeful meaning behind each decorative element that Madelaine used in her wreath demonstration. It was a pleasure to share this symbolic message. As we journeyed along together, we jokingly called ourselves the “Tell and Show” show.
My talk was packed with God’s word, and Madelaine’s teaching was detailed, but below are the 5 basic wreath instructions along with their truths. After reading, who knows, you might be inspired to hang a Wreath of Hope on your own front door!
1. Start with a GRAPEVINE WREATH. These barren branches represents our life without Christ. Jesus says, I am the vine you are the branches…apart from Me, you can do nothing. John 15:5
2. Add RED RIBBON. This ribbon represents the blood of Christ that He shed on our behalf, His life for ours. When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he cried out, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
3. Insert GREENERY (from your yard or from Michael’s). The green branches represent the new life that Christ brings. He cares for us, and He grows us. Jesus said, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10
4. Add RED BERRIES. These colorful berries represent the fruit that Christ followers bear from knowing and walking with Him each day. Jesus says, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. John 15:5
5. Add TWINKLING LIGHTS. These small lights represent the hope of Christ that lives inside of us through His Spirit. Scripture says, Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
The Wreath of Hope is now complete! However, let me mention that the circular shape even has meaning. The life we are living now is only half of the story; it is our “wilderness wandering” that Jesus graciously enters into to be with us. But the story is not over. Someday we will be WITH HIM, forever. Rest in this familiar promise, For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
This Christmas, make a wreath with your friends or with your children and share its meaning. We now have really good reason to decorate!
My sister Peggy Lively and I just completed our 16th marathon in our 16th state. We have high hopes of completing one in all 50 states. We are often asked, "Why in the world are y'all doing this crazy thing?". Honestly, we just fell into it. Maybe I shouldn't use the word "fall" when talking about marathons. But truly, we've sorta gone into this adventure blindly (hmmm, another poor word for safely accomplishing 26.2 miles). Before my first marathon, I had never run in ANY race. Well, I do remember the three-legged race on field day in elementary school, and that wasn't very pretty, at all. Peggy and I can't explain it; something came over the both of us at the same time and within only minutes, we both decided to "just do it". And so, the 50 marathons in 50 states began.
With this being number "sweet sixteen", I took a moment to think about the marathons to date, and these are the things we have gained in this journey:
Togetherness. Our marathon weekends, believe it or not, are therapeutic for the both of us. We cover a lot of ground even sitting in our hotel room as we listen to each other's triumphs and trials of life. We laugh a lot, and we cry too. Also, throughout the weekend and the race, we pray for the particular state we are in. We pray for ministries, schools, communities, government, marriages, and families. The 26.2 miles cover not only the roads within the cities we walk, but our words reach heaven's throne with fervent faith. These extra long treks have helped me understand the meaning of "persevering in prayer" (from Eph. 6:18), and it helps me stay the course when I get back home.
Outreach. "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). Both Peggy and I have come to realize that the marathon weekends are about much more than the 5 1/2 hour-ish trek on marathon day. It's about the people we meet (airplane passengers, hotel managers, marathon participants) and the friends and family we visit (old neighbors, nieces and nephews, ministry partners). I will not be able to express in a small paragraph the giant things God has done in and through our travels. Our hopeful goal each time we go to these cities is to spread the love of Christ and encourage others in their own personal journey. Just like a marathon, life is not a feel-good-all-the-time-experience, and if Peggy and I can help encourage someone even a little bit, we call it a successful weekend. In our different travels, we've met complete strangers and they are now dear friends. We've reconnected with people from years past. As a result, the blessings of these relationships have been immense. I'm excited for what's in store.
Adventure. I must add here that our dear mother sends Peggy and me off with some spending money each and every trip. Bless her for making these trips doable. She supports "our mission", which is real simple: live full, love well, and pray much. With that being said, who knew we would go to a World Series game in St.Louis, or see the Grand Canyon in AZ, or peer out into the Atlantic ocean in Maine, or go to the Dairy Queen in North Dakota? That's pretty awesome for this introvert who loves her comfy chair in the confines of her own four walls! I'm thankful for each of these trips and eager for more. God knew I needed to GET UP and GO FORWARD...to His people and to His world. I'm thankful for the privilege.
I finish these memorable moments with an encouraging word for your very own marathon of life. Hear the Forerunner say:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. Job 12:13
Dear Lord,
There is no one wiser than you, no one stronger than you, no one more knowledgable than you, and no one with more understanding. Why then, would we turn elsewhere for help? Give us hearts that seek you first, O God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.