Achsah. Springs of water in the desert.

As the book of Judges begins, I began to highlight pink a challenge that Caleb gave. Caleb proclaims that whoever attacks and captures the city of Debir and it's inhabitants will win the prize of marriage to his daughter Achsah. Othniel, Caleb's younger brother accepts the challenge and wins. Caleb then gives Achsah to Othniel as his wife. 

But the story doesn't end there. Knowing she was going to be living in the Negev (the desert region), she urges her new husband to ask her father, Caleb, for a field. She then decides to do it herself and asks her father for a blessing...a particular blessing. She asks for springs of water! So, Caleb gives his daughter two springs of water. 

This simple little story jumped out at me. Here was a beloved daughter. She knew the days ahead would be tough as she would be living in the desert. She had initiative! She goes right to her father and simply asks for the one thing that anyone would want if they knew they were going to be spending time in the desert. Water! She simply asks for water. And her father grants her request. 

How can we apply this little story to our own lives? What can we learn from this story? Achsah obviously had a healthy relationship with her father. She obviously must have been close to him to ask such a big request. She probably talked with her father daily and her father knew her heart and she knew his. Achsah had foresight. She could see the hard times coming her way. She knew what she would need and prepared accordingly by asking for the one thing that would sustain her life and her families life during their time in the desert. She also knew who she could ask who could supply her need. 

As Christians, we go through times in our lives that very much feel like we are in the desert. Times are tough. We don't seem to be able to keep up with the demands placed on our shoulders. We are weary. We need to do as Achsah and go to our heavenly father and ask Him for water! Ask Him to give us what we need to get through. That water can be anything....strength, humility, endurance, or even something more tangible like a need supplied or a friend who brightens our day! But we need to go to the One who we know has the power to supply our need! When we know we are entering a time in the desert let's have the initiative to ask for the water that we need before hand to help us thrive even in the midst of a desert! 

So, if you are in the desert or you know you will soon be entering the desert, ask your Father now to supply that "water" that you need to thrive! 

This is such a simple story and one that I easily could have missed....but one that my heart needed to grasp today! 

God Keeps His Promises!

I have just finished up the book of Deuteronomy and have begun the book of Joshua. God promises to not forsake those who keep His commandments and who follow Him! He also promises to go before the children of Israel as they cross over the Jordan and enter the promised land. 

In chapter 2 of Joshua, we meet a woman by the name of Rahab. She is described as a prostitute. Obviously, she has a not so moral choice of work. But she has heard of these people and their God who goes before them and leads them and fights their battles for them and who comes out victorious! She can see that these people are special and that there is something different about them. So, she hides two spies in her home that Joshua has sent into her city of Jericho. The king of Jericho gets word that the two spies entered her house and demands she bring them out. She tells the king that they are not there, but have left and so the king leaves to pursue after them.....but Rahab had hid the two spies on her roof! She goes up to the roof and speaks with the two spies. She knows their God is the God of heaven and earth and simply asks that when the land of Jericho is overtaken that she and her family be delivered from death. The two spies promise to honor her wishes as long as she does not tell the king of their whereabouts. They tell her to tie a scarlet cord in her window and she and her family will be saved when the city is conquered so long as they stay inside the house. Then the two spies depart and report back to Joshua. 

Rahab is a brave woman! It is amazing to see how God again keeps His promise in providing for the children of Israel and continually goes before them to provide a way and work everything out according to God's plan. And God uses a woman that most would consider not worthy to even be used by God! A harlot, a prostitute, a woman who had chosen a wrong path for her life. Yet, God used her in a mighty way and consequently preserved her life and the life of her family.  

Do we ever feel unworthy of being used by God? Do we ever feel like our sin is so great that we are useless before our mighty King of Kings? Our sin ought to make us feel that way when we stand before God, but there is forgiveness at the cross! Rahab proclaims that God is ruler of heaven and earth! She believes! Therefore, her life was saved! Jesus Christ had not yet come to die on the cross, but I do find it amazing that she was to hang a scarlet cord out of her window in order to be saved from certain death. The symbolism cannot be overlooked! Just as Jesus Christ had to die in our place, hanging on a wooden cross and shedding his precious blood, this scarlet cord had to hang from this window in order to save the life of this sinners family. Have you proclaimed the Name of the only One who can save your life from certain death? I am not talking of physical death, but rather spiritual, never ending, eternal death. This death is like no other, for it means an eternity apart from your creator and a death of eternal darkness and horror like nothing you will ever experience. If you have not accepted the gift that God gave to you when his precious Son, Jesus Christ, died in your place on the cross, you can do it today! Admit that your sin is too great, ask for forgiveness, realize who God is and follow him all the days of your life! 

If you are a believer and feel you have sinned so greatly that you cannot be used by God, take heart! God used this prostitute! Ask for forgiveness and follow God! He can still use you too! I do not believe Rahab continued her former ways after her life was saved. I do believe she followed God for the rest of her life. 

Our goal as Mommies, and Trusting God!

As I was reading along in Deuteronomy 5-7 today, I was reminded of my duty as a mother. Yesterday was mothers day, and a very influential mother in my life shared how she committed these verses to her life as a mother: 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

She filled in her children's names in place of "O Israel." I thought this was amazing! And challenging! How am I doing at teaching Gods Word to my children? Yes, they are still little and may not understand, but they see my walk, they hear my talk, and they learn from what I do. Yesterday morning my husband preached a message on what makes a mother. He used many examples from the Bible of godly mothers and how their children were an example of her testimony. Her goal was not that she be exalted through her children, but rather that through her example and her children's lives God was exalted! Oh what a challenge to my heart! So, how are you doing? Are you teaching your children Gods Word today? 

Also, as I was reading along in this passage I felt like God was speaking directly to my heart. The children of Israel were about to go into the promised land and God was going before them preparing the way for them and asking them to simply trust Him and follow his leading. I felt God was encouraging my heart to trust Him for what lies ahead in life, and empowering me to go on knowing that He would go before me to tackle whatever obstacles might lie ahead on this path. 

As women, I think it is hard for us to fully trust God when we cannot see the path before us and when things may not be all secure and settled. I know for my heart this is true. May I trust God even in the midst of change and uncertainty of the road ahead!  

The Lord your God fights for YOU!

Just a quick blurb as I go along in the beginning of Deuteronomy.....I find it interesting that no matter how tall the walls of the cities or how large or great the people and armies, when God was with them fighting their battles, they conquered and were victorious. God specifically said He would not be with them if they tried to conquer certain cities. Just a comforting thought that when we are following God ( and not going our own way apart from God ) and obstacles come our way, no matter how large, or scary, or daunting they might be God will go and be with us and will fight for us! And will conquer those obstacles that seem impossible! The key....we need to follow His way and His leading and direction only! 

"You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you." Deuteronomy 3:22

A visual glimpse of some of the places mentioned in Numbers.

As I was reading today in Numbers 19-21, I couldn't help but think of my own journey through this same land 2 years ago! So, I thought I would post some pictures so you can also get a glimpse of this area and have a better idea in your mind of what it looks like!

These are pictures of the Wilderness of Zin. It probably hasn't changed all that much since Bible times. This is where Miriam died and was buried. (Numbers 20:1-2)

In Numbers 20:17 you hear reference to the King's Highway. I have been on this road. I did not take any pictures because we were up high on a mountain and it was incredibly foggy and the road was rather windy and I was turning wonderful shades of green! But I have been there! 

These 2 pictures above are of the mountains near Petra. The exact location of Mount Hor is not known, but it is possible one of these could be what was known as Mt. Hor. This is where Aaron died and was buried. (Numbers 20:22-29) The bottom picture was actually taken from our hotel room window! The top picture was taken from the balcony off the main lobby of the same hotel. 

Discontentment

While reading in Numbers chapter 11 this morning I had to stop and just think about what I was reading and search my own heart. This is going to be a very transparent post, because this struck home for me big time. Here were the children of Israel. No longer in bondage in Egypt, God providing for their needs, yet complaining. They were putting themselves in "bondage" to themselves through discontentment. Their complaining so angered God that he actually brought fire down from heaven and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. God had made a way of escape for these people, provided for their needs in miraculous ways, and they were not grateful at all! They began to crave the foods that they had while they were in bondage in Egypt. So much so that they wept and Moses cried out to God asking why God dealt so poorly with him as God's servant!

So many times in my life I look at the small discomforts and the small problems and those small problems cloud my thoughts and make me cry out to God asking why he placed this burden on me! When really, I need to keep my focus on the big picture and see how God has provided miraculously in so many ways and so many times! And thank Him for how he has provided and ask him to continually provide what I do need! The children of Israel did receive their "meat" that they so craved, but it came with a price. While the meat was still between their teeth, the Lord brought a plague and struck down all those who had the craving for the meat.

Obviously, God does not judge us the same way today. We are not struck down for being dissatisfied with what God does provide for us, but what if he did? How many times is God angry with me when I allow discontentment to creep into my life? Oh what a thought! No, I may not have everything I would want or crave, and maybe there are days when it seems I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel because of the burdens that I carry....but that is my fault! My focus is off! I need to keep my focus fixed on all that God has done and is doing in my life. I need to trust that He knows best! Because for the children of Israel, the manna was best for them. They craved the meat, but it was not what they were supposed to have. Oh what a lesson to be learned! May I crave, not what I don't have or even used to have, but may I crave that which God would want me to have trusting that He will provide what is best for my life! Lord, help me keep my focus on you!

Where I am at......

Today I am finishing up the book of Leviticus. So much detail on the laws and the sacrifices! So thankful we no longer live that way and instead can kneel before our heavenly Father any time we want!