Miriam

Friends,
New things are coming to the blog next week! We are so excited to announce tons of fun, new changes.  Stay tuned!  Enjoy this devotional on Miriam.

His,
Leeanne

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Women of the Bible

Miriam
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Her name means: "Bitterness"

Her character: Even as a young girl, she showed fortitude and wisdom. A leader
of God's people at a crucial moment in history, she led the celebration after
crossing the Red Sea and spoke God's word to his people, sharing their
forty-year journey through the wilderness. / Her sorrow: That she was struck
with leprosy for her pride and insubordination and was denied entry into the
Promised Land. / Her joy: To have played an instrumental role in the
deliverance of God's people, a nation she loved. / Key Scriptures: Exodus
2:1-10; 15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-15

Her Story
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Seven days, I must stay outside the camp of my people, an old woman, fenced in
by memories of what has been.

How could I forget our years in Egypt, the cries of the mothers whose children
were murdered or the moans of our brothers as they worked themselves to death?
I have only to shut my eyes and see—the wall of water, the soldiers chasing us
through the sea, the sounds of their noisy drowning, and, finally, the silence
and the peace. How I miss the singing of the women I led that day, dancing at
the sea's edge, praising God for hurling our enemies into the deep waters,
certain we would never see them again.

But we did see them again—our enemies, though not the Egyptians. We let
ingratitude stalk and rob us of our blessings. We preferred the garlic and
leeks of Egypt, the food of our slavery, to the manna the good God gave us.
Enslaved to fear, we refused to enter the land of promise.

Time and again Moses and Aaron and I exhorted the people to stand firm, to
have faith, to obey God. But there came a day when Aaron and I could stand
with our brother no longer. Instead we spoke against him and his Cushite wife.
What part did she, a foreigner to our suffering, have in the promise? So we
challenged Moses. Had the Lord spoken only through him? All Israel knew
better. We deserved an equal share in his authority, an equal say in how to
lead the people.

But the Lord who speaks also heard our complaint and summoned the three of us
to stand before him at the Tent of Meeting. He addressed Aaron and me with
terrible words.

When the cloud of his presence finally lifted, I was a leper. I could see the
horror on every face turned toward me. Aaron begged Moses to forgive us both.
And Moses cried out to the Lord to heal me.

The Lord replied, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been
in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after
that she can be brought back." Then at least I knew my banishment was
temporary; my disease would be healed.

Now I see that my enemies were not merely buried in the sea but in my own
heart as well. Still, God has let me live, and I believe he will heal me.
Though he brings grief, he will yet show compassion. One thing I know, he has
hurled my pride into the sea and for that I will also sing his praises.

...Though Scripture doesn't reveal Miriam's thoughts or the attitude of her
heart after she was chastened for complaining about Moses, it is not
unreasonable to think she repented during the seven days of her banishment.

After all, it's not easy for a person of faith, however flawed, to hear God
speaking as though he were spitting on her and still to hold fast to her
error.

Perhaps Miriam, and the nation itself, needed a shocking rebuke in order to
recognize the seriousness of a sin that threatened the unity of God's people.

Why, you might ask, wasn't Aaron similarly afflicted for his sin? Perhaps
because Miriam seemed to be the ringleader. Perhaps, also, because God didn't
want the worship of the tabernacle to be disrupted by Aaron's absence as high
priest.

The last we hear of Miriam is that she died and was buried in Kadesh Barnea,
not all that far from where Hagar, another slave woman, had encountered an
angel in the wilderness so many years earlier. Like her brothers Moses and
Aaron, Miriam died shortly before the Israelites ended their forty-year
sojourn in the desert. She, too, was prevented from entering the Promised
Land.

Still, like them, Miriam is one of the great heroes of our faith. As a young
girl, she helped save the infant Moses, Israel's future deliverer. Herself a
prophetess, she exhorted and encouraged God's people and led the singing of
the first psalm ever recorded in Scripture. Yet, strong though she was, she,
like all of us, sinned against God and suffered a punishment designed to bring
her to repentance.

Her Promise
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Miriam's story offers an extraordinary example of God's willingness to forgive
those who sin. Though she had to pay the consequences for her actions—seven
days of exclusion from the camp and from all those who loved her—she reentered
the camp a forgiven woman. Hundreds of years later, she is remembered by the
prophet Micah as a leader of Israel with Moses and Aaron (Micah 6:4).

Such liberating forgiveness is available to us as well as to Miriam. God looks
with judgment at our sin, waits patiently for our repentance, and then eagerly
offers his forgiveness and acceptance. We reenter fellowship with him renewed
and clean and forgiven. Our repentance turns a legacy of judgment and
punishment into a legacy of forgiveness and worthiness before God.

Today's reading taken from" Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in Scripture" by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Print copies are available at the Bible Gateway store: http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/ctt?kn=5&ms=NDUzMDkwNjYS1&r=Mjc0NTIzMzM4MjUS1&b=2&j=NDAxMTcyMTEyS0&mt=1&rt=0 

Our Boy

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 When I found out I was pregnant with my third child and it was a boy, I was a little nervous.  I was used to girls and not really sure how I would handle raising a boy.  Many of my friends warned me that boys are wide open, full of energy and untamable at times.  Then came along Titus.

He was nothing like I had prepared myself for.  He was sweet, tender, well-behaved and wanted to do what his big sisters were doing.  At first, this was cute...especially when they would put dresses on him.  It quickly became obvious to my husband and I that he was choosing to play with "girl" things more than "boy" things.  The world would say, let him be who he is.  Give into his desires to play with girl things.  My husband, being a guy's guy, was having a fit when he would want to play with barbies or other girlie things.  We made a conscious decision to train him to be a boy, point out the differences between boys and girls (besides the obvious), encourage boy activities, have regular wrestle time with daddy and we started cultivating boy friendships and having boy play dates.

My boy, Titus, is still sweet, tender, and (mostly) well-behaved.  The difference now, he desires to play boy things including creative play, toys, wrestling, etc. more than girl things. The other day one of the girls was aggravating him and he turned and burped and blew it in her face.  She was, of course, appalled.  I, secretly, cheered and pulled my closed fist to my hip in victory- only a boy would do that to his sister, right?

God says to not conform to the patterns of this world.  He says he made us in his image and the likeness of man, not the likeness of a woman.  It is my job as his mama to steer him in the right direction to being a godly man.

Warmly,

Jill

Jesus, Our Friend

Abraham Lincoln wrote to a friend during his presidency and said, “"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships”. If you think about friendship there are so many emotions that can come to your mind. Hopefully, most are wonderful feelings, but sometimes they can bring emotions of sadness, heartache, desire for more, and loneliness. Friendships drive so much of our life and God’s word has so much to say on this topic.

We have the great example of David and Jonathan and how in I Samuel 23:16 it says, “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. Many years of David’s life was spent hiding in a cave, terrified, lonely, and anxious and Jonathan went and ministered to him". It is a beautiful example of how a friend can hold you up when you need help and encourage you when you are down. I love how this scripture focuses on “strength in the Lord”.  Jonathan knew the only way David’s soul would rest from the anxiousness of his circumstances was in speaking the truth of who God is over him. I am certain Jonathan reminded him of the attributes and promises of God.

Sadly, there are other examples in scripture of friends that had significant conflict and had to dissolve their relationship. Paul and Barnabas were close friends and they had a quarrel (Acts 15:36-42). The disagreement was so intense that they parted ways and we don’t have any biblical knowledge that they ever saw each other again.

While these are two contrasts in friendship in scripture, ultimately, we look to Jesus Christ as our model of a loyal and loving friend. John 11:5 shows He had a close relationship with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. It says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus”. When Mary and Martha were grieving over the death of Lazarus it says that Jesus was moved with compassion and he wept.

Beyond the earthly example of His friendship, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross shows us the ultimate display of love for our eternal security.  Romans 5:7-9 states, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him”.

Jesus Christ is the greatest friend we can have. He was a friend to all - prostitutes, tax collectors, liars, adulterers, murderers, and ALL sinners. Do you know Him?  Do you know the depth of His love?  If you do, praise Him today and worship Him for His sacrifice on the cross so that we may live!

In His great love,

Leeanne

Relationships and the Son of God

My Friday night was a much needed "catch up" night with a girlfriend.  After a long winter, some cabin fever, and desire to catch up, we went to our favorite restaurant (Bella Monica) and to see the new movie, Son of God.  Hence, killing two birds with one stone.  

It's so easy to let weeks and months pass without being intentional with your friendships.  I'll be the first to admit that it's hard.  After each child my circle of intimate friendships got smaller.   And then I went back to work.  I didn't think my social life could shrink anymore, but it did.  What I have realized is that it comes down to prioritizing what's most important.  These are my life priorities:  God, husband, children, work, friends and family, house and hobbies.  As I type this, I am quickly reminded at all the ways I fail and mix things up on a regular basis.  I am also reminded of God's grace in all of this. 

The movie, Son of God, is the latest depiction of Jesus and His life.  This one is more broad and tells his story from conception, birth, teachings, torture, death and resurrection.  What I enjoyed most was how accurate it was.  Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's History Channel mini-series, The Bible, was put together to make this movie.  There is less room for controversy than other Jesus films, in my opinion.  For a full movie review, go to http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/son-of-god.aspxutm_source=nl_focusenews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=200605&refcd=200605.

The movie was a great reminder of the sacrifice Jesus endured for me and you.  The gospel is real.  As my pastor said at church yesterday, "I'm a bigger sinner than I thought, but He gives me more grace than I could have ever hoped for."  

Warmly,

Jill

The Name

 One of my spiritual heroes is Amy Carmichael. Amy was a missionary in India in the early 1900’s and she rescued very young girls from being dedicated to the Hindu temples as temple prostitutes. These girls were born in the lowliest of caste systems in India and at the time and there was a horrible tradition that if you dedicated your daughter to the “temple Gods” that you would find favor with them and when you were reincarnated the Gods would elevate you to a higher caste.

In a biography about Amy written by Lois Dick, Let the Little Children Come, she tells a story about a small Hindu girl who came down from one of the small villages to the town Amy lived. Amy was holding a church service and this young girl listened. The Hindu girl said as Amy said the name of Jesus she stopped and said, “that must be the one who is above all other God’s”. See, this girl would later tell that when she would go in the temple each day to worship she always thought to herself – "THERE HAS TO BE ONE GOD ABOVE ALL THE OTHERS”. She said when she heard the name Jesus – she believed. She knew instantly He was the one. The power of His name was evident to her.  She went back to her village and was forced into a Hindu marriage. For 24 years she never heard another bible story, was never discipled, never read a bible, never saw a bible, never met another believer until she left her village and came and found Amy. She told Amy that hearing the name of Jesus that night sustained her for 24 years.  THE NAME. Hearing The NAME one time sustained a Hindu girl who believed in the 1900s.

So the question becomes – what does the name mean to you today? 

The incredible thing about Jesus is that He met and meets every person exactly where they are. In the book of John alone Jesus says “I am… 23 times. To the SAMARITAN woman who was walking to the well to get water – Jesus said," I am the living water. Anyone who drinks of ME will never be thirsty".

To the 5000 he fed, He said, "I am the bread of LIFE".

To Mary and Martha when they were weeping over Lazarus He said “I am the RESSURECTION and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live”

When Thomas asked Jesus, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way"? Jesus, said, "I am the way the truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through me".

The NAME.. 

Acts 2:21:  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the NAME of the Lord will be saved

 John 20:31 – but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his NAME.

 Matthew 6:9  shows the reverence to His name in how we pray – “our Father who are in Heaven, hallowed be your NAME.

Acts 4:12- there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

 Philippians 2:9 – Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Resting in Him,

Leeanne

 

Substitution

Friends,
I pray today is full of God's sweet grace. I've been saving this post for Easter but couldn't wait any longer. It isn't meant for Easter but every single day-The substitution of Jesus for our sin. I pray it never gets dull or old or redundant. I pray that the cross never bores us but brings us to our knees in utter awe that He truly loves us so much He made a way that we can be deem "not guilty".  Only Jesus can do this. Only Jesus did.

Resting in the riches of His grace,
Leeanne

I'm sure I will repost around Easter but I pray it brings you a great hope today.

Spiritual Liberty

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17
Suggested Further Reading: Isaiah 53:1-6

Do you understand how it is that the very guilt of the sinner is taken away? Here I stand today a guilty and condemned traitor; Christ comes for my salvation, he bids me leave my cell. “I will stand where you are; I will be your substitute; I will be the sinner; all your guilt is to be imputed to me; I will die for it, I will suffer for it; I will have your sins.” Then stripping himself of his robes, he says, “There, put them on; you shall be considered as if you were Christ; you shall be the righteous one. I will take your place, you take mine.” Then he casts around me a glorious robe of perfect righteousness; and when I behold it, I exclaim, “Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed”, with my elder brother’s garments on. Jesus Christ’s crown is on my head, his spotless robes are round my loins, and his golden sandals are the shoes of my feet. And now is there any sin? The sin is on Christ; the righteousness is on me. Ask for the sinner, Justice! Let the voice of Justice cry, “Bring forth the sinner!” The sinner is brought. Who does the executioner lead forth? It is the incarnate Son of God. True, he did not commit the sin; he was without fault; but it is imputed to him: he stands in the sinner’s place. Now justice cries, “Bring forth the righteous, the perfectly righteous.” Whom do I see? Lo, the Church is brought; each believer is brought. Justice says, “Are these perfectly righteous?” “Yes they are. What Christ did is theirs; what they did is laid on Christ; his righteousness is theirs; their sins are his.”

For meditation: The substitutionary atonement of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). Are you a beneficiary?

Charles Spurgeon Sermon no. 9
18 February (1855)

Your Refuge

Do you have a place of refuge you go to when you have trials?  Perhaps not even a trial but a place that quiets you and causes you to be still, listen, and think. Jesus had a place like this. In Matthew 26:36 it says, "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  

I have a place that I go to whenever I feel I need solitude. Sometimes there are heavy things on my heart. Other times, I just long for the scenery and a quiet drive. I am fortunate that even though I live in a big city, I am 5 minutes from a very rural area. When I take my children to preschool, many days I will go on my "refuge drive" as I have come to call it. It isn't too far from their school and it is in the heart of farmland, gardens, a large lake, and tons and tons of pastures and greenery. Perhaps being raised in the country, I relate to it. The second I turn down the route, I feel myself become peaceful. I cannot tell you how many decisions I have made on that drive. Other times, especially spring, I open the sunroof and crank out some country music and just enjoy God's creation. To say this place and drive is good for me is an understatement. I think Psalm 23 reflects it best:  He restores my soul. My soul is at rest when I go. Not because of the location but because HE calms me.

Some days I find myself longing to get out there and once I do, I breathe deep and get quiet. Jesus  most always speaks in a whisper but I get so busy with life I forget to get quiet so I can hear. Many, many decisions have been made on that drive because there was silence and I listened for my answers. 

Quiet yourself today. As I type this it is calm in my home. The kids are napping and the snow is falling. I am always amazed at the magnificence of God when it snows. Job 37:6 says, "He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth...".  At His breath the snow falls. May His stillness be your refuge today. 

In His Joy,
Leeanne