To trust or not to trust...that is the question

To trust...

Recently I was given the opportunity to share about trust at a Kenya planning retreat. I wanted to share my thoughts on my blog also in hopes someone who struggles with the issue of trust like myself may find it encouraging. 

Let me just say I like to talk more than I like to type but here goes trying to put my words on this keyboard.... :)

Trust...
What does it truly mean to trust?
What is trust?
How do we trust? How do we truly trust our God?

Trust="To believe that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective; To have confidence in; To believe something is true or correct; To hope or expect that something is true or will happen."

So, if trust has to with belief then how do we believe:

Things that I think affect the way we believe:

-Perception-the way we see things, our perspective from where we are in our own journey of faith, our view...I never get on a plane when I'm not reminded of our great God and His perspective on our lives and this world we live in! The thought that He sees it all, knows it all yet takes time and wants to know and be with me blows me away...so think about that for a few moments the next time you hit those friendly skies, let Him come close and listen for His voice to speak tenderly to you along the way...

-Experiences-past experiences alter our perspective, perception and view...Whether good or bad they play a huge part in choosing to trust

-Knowledge- of God's Word, the Bible; Of who He is, our creator, the great craftman He is and His character

-Foundation- Is it secure and solid or shifting like the sand on the seashore, that washes away with every wave?

-The fear vs faith factor- we will find ourselves on one side or the other

So in order to illustrate what I feel God showing me about trust I will use a chair... picture a chair, possibly a chair you may be sitting in now...or will sit in...you just sat down didn't you? You didn't question it's ability to hold you or to remain stable and secure...you just sat down. Possibly because you've sat down in it before, it has held you in the past, you may have bought the chair and thought it to be of good craftsmanship and fully capable to do what it was made to do....hold you...

Now, picture a chair that looks somewhat like a small hammock with a wooden bar at the top, a big silver ring and cloth tied to it and to top it all off, I'm standing here holding it with my own two hands... Will you come sit in it??? Come on, sit down, I got it, I got this.....Ok probably not and for several reasons...One being, you probably doubt I can hold you up; two, you may not have ever seen a chair like it before; three, you have no idea who made the chair nor their experience or worthiness of craftsmanship.

So when it comes to trusting our good God, I just want to encourage each of us, myself especially, to think of several things so that we can make the choice to trust...He has held me in the past, He's a strong enough God, His Word is true and His promises will be fulfilled, I know the Creator is good at what He does, and there is a solid foundation on which He stands.

Now, back to the hammock chair... if it were bolted to a sturdy wooden plank and you new it was crafted with precision and made to hold you...wouldn't you give it a try? wouldn't you even think, man this is pretty cool and have a little fun sitting in it? Something new, something different and something even a bit exciting...

God is able to hold us! He is anchored and not gonna let us down. He is made to hold everything, every weight we carry around weighing us down and wearing us out. We just have to choose to sit down, sit in His lap and choose to trust in Him. In His Word, God says that to each He has given a level of faith. We take that level of faith, choose to believe His promises, Get in His Word to know Him more so that we know who our Creator is and we begin to believe it...As we begin to believe, we are able to make the choice to trust. 

I keep saying we make the choice to trust, because from my experience there are many times when trust is not a feeling or a thing that just comes natural to me. I have come to think the number one thing the enemy of our souls is out to accomplish is to destroy our ability or desire to trust-others, ourselves and our God...I hate to say he is good at it too. That's why it's so important that we make the choice and not rely on our feelings, past hurts or bad experiences we've suffered in this life and know that we serve a God who is good! Real good! This world is bad and we go through bad stuff, stuff I'll never understand, but our God is good. His sovereignty can be trusted. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes for them." He can and will hold us, tight!

Proverbs 3:5&6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart (mind,will and emotions); do not depend on your own understanding (past experiences in this world, perceptions, knowledge). Seek his will (not my own) in all you do (the light stuff and the heavy stuff), and he will direct your paths (he will even go before us, behind us and stay right beside us along that path)".

Choose to trust Him like never before. Know that He is strong enough, He is loving enough, He is worthy enough to take us along this path we call life...

Going with Jesus wherever he leads,

Lenee

In the Desert He Becomes 'My Husband' instead of 'My Master'

"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. 
"In that coming day," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.'  Hosea 2:14-16 NLT

It just got real for me all over again...

I just have to be real when I pour myself over these words that follow. I'll become vulnerable in hopes that His Words will be light to someone else's darkness. The Light always, always takes over the darkness.

You see, I sit here with tears streaming down my face because for over a week now, the words you just read from Hosea have been turning in my mind and spirit and have felt they would be what I would blog about next. I now know why the enemy has distracted me and tried to put this off yet another day. As I sat down to begin typing the verses, not fully knowing how to convey this passage I glanced to see when God first showed me these words in Hosea. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now because one of the dates, the earliest,  I had noted by this passage was the day my divorce became final almost ten years ago. And yes, after ten years I need to be reminded of these words. My God has been amazingly faithful over the past ten years and my story didn't begin there, nor does it end there... in the desert...

As I ran this morning, I began to ask myself and ponder yet again, 'what is it about the desert?...what is it that makes the change from 'master' to 'husband'?... why do we ever need the desert experiences of life? ... what's so life changing? what makes the difference?...'

As I asked those questions, I decided I could best try to figure it out by looking at the desert...what makes a desert a desert?  What did my desert look like?

Dry, dusty, windy, hot, scorching hot, uncomfortable, barren, lonely, not much food, even less water, prickly things, painful things....

But not alone, there was someone with me...I still don't understand this part, but the word says, 'He leads us out into the desert', so that must mean He's there with me too.

I believe sometimes, or should I say for me, it was then that I was able to give Him my attention. Yes, there were still times in my desert that I went looking for companionship, food, and rest in places my God never intended... It's called "the flesh" and yet I still am sitting here covered in it today, but today I realized this flesh also has a second covering over it called "grace" and that's why I am able to sit here and say how faithful my good God is because I am in Christ Jesus and what he has done for me.

When we are lead to the desert places, it somehow gets our attention. I don't know if it's because we finally get thirsty for God or because we finally are able to remove all the distractions. But what I do know is in the desert we do get thirsty, we do get hot and tired, we do get hungry and there's one person who's there no matter what and that's our God and His Word. For that, I am forever grateful.

But what else is it about the desert that changes us? I love the next thing the one who leads us into the desert does... He speaks tenderly to us there. He begins to say, 'I got you, we got this. I really am enough, just trust me. I have brought enough food and I have enough water to sustain you through this desert. Just trust me, I am your Source.' He speaks tenderly because everything else in the world is shouting to get our attention and get us sidetracked and distracted. He speaks tenderly as if in an intimate voice of unconditional love. He speaks tenderly because that's his heart for his beloved. He loves us so much that he tenderly whispers instead of barking out orders demanding things of us.

He then returns our vineyards. That's good to me... See as he lead us out into the desert we sometimes have to leave a lot of stuff behind... stuff... relationships, our old identity, jobs, material things...our vineyards, the things we thought brought us sustanance and provision...Vineyards back then were a source of life, provision and blessings. When we arrive in our deserts we may think all that has been taken away, but I love that God's word says he RETURNS our vineyards! He gives back and I believe since it is from Him it's even better than before. The vineyards he returns are our source of life, provision and blessing greater than anything we could've previously experienced. Is the desert sometimes still painful? Yes. Is it sometimes hard work? Yes. Anyone who owns a vineyard will tell you it's hardwork, oh but it's so worth it!! It's so worth the pruning, the picking, the crushing and the time spent in the lonely barrel fermenting. It's so worth allowing God to produce the New Wine in us.

Then there's a transformation that takes place. The Valley of Trouble is transformed into a gateway of hope. A door of hope in the middle of a desert!!! That's so good to me. So when I find myself in a "valley of trouble" I now begin to look for the door of hope!! He promises it is there somewhere. The transformation process makes something totally different out of what there was before. Begin looking for the door of hope instead of wandering aimlessly in those valleys of trouble we find ourselves in sometimes.

Then, eventhough we may still be in the desert, we finally give ourselves to him, our LORD. We give ourselves to him once again like we did in the beginning, when we were young, maybe when our marriage first begun, when we knew we had been rescued from Egypt. Sometimes in the desert we have to still remind ourselves of what God has done already. Remind ourselves of the times he came through and provided time and time again, remind ourselves of his promises and how he will not leave us nor forsake us. Remind ourselves of the love and passion we had for our God when we first came into relationship with him. If you don't have that relationship, you can, right now, just say 'I want it, God, I want you, I want you and me. I'm tired of this desert and trying to fend for myself and find food and water on my own. I want what you have. I want my vineyards returned, the ones you have for me, I want to see and walk through my door of hope.'  Oh, my friend, he will meet you there. You will feel his loving arms around you and hear him speaking tenderly to you there. He loves you and me more than we can ever imagine.

That's when it happens, we throw ourselves on our God in such a way that we feel his loving embrace, we let go of what we've been so desperately holding onto and we allow him to give us new vineyards, new passion and new hope. We see him and hear him speaking tenderly like never before, and that's when we know it, that's when we realize his love is greater than anything. We choose to trust him. We choose to believe in Him...We choose Jesus and realize he has chosen us to be his very own. We realize we are in relationship based on love, pure love and not demands and laws. We realize Jesus fulfilled the law and has given us love, so much love... and that's when it happens, that's we call him 'my husband' instead of 'my master'.

Be blessed today in the grace of our Savior, our Redeemer who lives, I call him my Husband.

There are Hidden Treasures to be Found

There was this vase. It was tucked away in a box and stored away in a dark attic for quite a while. Then one day someone decided to go through all the stuff that had been long ago hidden away, left undisturbed, in that dark place. When the vase was uncovered they took a long look at, rubbed the dust off and thought, 'hmmm, this may be of some worth'....

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness----secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of  Israel, the one who calls you by name. 
Isaiah 45:3

What if we began to see the darkness of this world in a new "light"? What if we, who carry the greatest Light ever to be known, begin to see the darkness in a new way? What if, instead of being afraid of the dark, we begin to realize that we have the light and that the light always takes over the darkness. What if we begin to realize that the darker the place the brighter the light shines? What if we begin to look for the hidden treasures that are all around? What if we begin to uncover the secret riches that have been forgotten about and stored away?

I simply sit here this morning and write this to challenge myself and anyone who reads this. We gotta begin the greatest treasure hunt ever. Greater and more exciting than any treasure Nicholas Cage could ever think of. This is a treasure hunt that will challenge each of us to begin to look for the hidden treasures and the secret riches in any darkness we encounter instead of shaking our heads and walking away. I want to be able to see those things that God has placed inside every precious heart of every important person I encounter. God has placed it inside of me, you and every person we encounter whether we or they have found it yet or not.

I pray this day that we will begin to uncover the hidden treasure, the secret riches that lie forgotten about and stored away in the attics of hearts and lives that we encounter every day. Begin to see with the light God has given and shine it on the darkness. Speak life. Shine the light.

The vase ended up on the Antiques Road Show...the vase was discovered to be made of pure jade...the vase, when observed from the point of view of a person who knew the artist, its creator, and its content, the vase was given great value. The vase had been long hidden, forgotten about, but now it would be on display, it would be insured, it would be valued, it would be kept safe and sound....

When we know the Artist and Creator of every person we encounter, we too will assign great value and worth to every precious soul. We will begin to see the treasures hidden away, purposes that haven't been known before, potential stored up for a great plan that was devised before this world was created. When we realize who we are in Christ Jesus, we begin to realize we are of worth and value. We begin to know that God has created us with His own hands. We are His masterpieces. We are insured by the blood of Jesus when we simply choose to believe in His redeeming grace. We are kept safe in the palm of His hands...

No doubt, there is darkness all around. We encounter it every day. Whether it be a life circumstance, relationships, places or people, my prayer today is that we will begin to look at the darkness with this new thought and determination: Since there's darknesss, there's got to be a hidden treasure, there's got to be secret riches... then begin the treasure hunt to find it, to allow God to reveal it, to shine the Light on it...to become rich from the secret treasures that are ours in Christ Jesus.

I Pledge Allegiance

"I pledge allegiance to God the Father who is faithful and sovereign, to Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price redeeming my life and to Holy Spirit who speaks to me and through me, who is my Constant Companion."

These are words I jotted down after worship at Hope Chapel on Sunday morning June 14. I, at the time, had no idea why the word "allegiance" and what it truly means kept coming to my mind during worship. I got into my own little world with my God and began to pledge my "allegiance" to him. The word has been on my mind for almost two weeks now and I'm beginning to see why. I will share with an open heart and a love and desire for God to be glorified.

I knew that Sunday morning God had put that word into my spirit and I would eventually sit down and google what the word "allegiance" means. That was just a few minutes ago and I love, love, love my God and the way he speaks.

Allegiance: An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens of their state or sovereign. -Wikipedia

He is the Sovereign One I pledge my allegiance to. His heaven is my state of which I am a citizen. My fidelity (fidelity: quality of being faithful or loyal-wikipedia) is owed and freely committed to being in Christ Jesus, in whom I am made whole and complete.

In the midst of the tragedy in Charleston, my heart broke this morning as I finally sat down to read about what happened to those beautiful people in that beautiful church worshipping and learning about our beautiful sovereign God on that beautiful Wednesday night. I pray for healing that only our God can bring. My heart breaks to think also that our nation can be so torn apart. I pray for healing that only our God can bring. The fact is that I am an American and thankful to be one. I am a white southerner and that will never change. The fact is that I also had nothing to do with either of those things. I didn't choose to be born to Ben and Linda Rice in a small town in Georgia in the United States of America. I had NOTHING to do with it. God sovereignly chose all of those things. He decided. He decided where all of us would be born and what color skin all of us would wear and he said, "It is good!" In the midst of tragedy of this magnitude the enemy of this world would love to cause us to hurt even more. That's why I choose to trust that God knows what he is doing today and knew what he was doing in the beginning. I hate the things that have happened in our past and I also know they cannot be changed. I also know and believe that all things can work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.

So today, I encourage myself once again and anyone reading to think about what or whom we really choose to pledge our allegiance to. Is it really a flag we pledge to? Eventhough I get chills and place my hand over my heart every single time I hear the national anthem of our country, it is not my hope. It is not where I put my faith and trust. I pledge to something greater, someone greater. I pledge my life of service, faithfulness and loyalty to the One True God who is beautifully sovereign, who is my hope, who is my redeemer, who is my Constant Companion. I pray you would choose the same.

I believe when we do this, our nation will come together and be healed. God will be glorified again and Jesus will become known and we will be in him, not ourselves. Our God is greater. The light we have is greater than the darkness we face. We're not alone in this Nation under God, Nothing is too hard for our God.

"We're Not Alone" by Elevation Worship

The Second Wind

The second wind... The beautiful sought after second wind...

As I was running this morning, I experienced the second wind. My first wind was totally spent in the first half mile, but I had to keep going. Then it happened...It was great, and because of it I was able to keep running a little faster, a little easier. I finally felt like I wasn't gonna die! I began to think as I ran about the beauty of the second wind and how we desire that second wind in every aspect of our lives. 

While we run this race we call life, there are many times we long for that second wind. It can be an emotional, spiritual or physical second wind we desire and receive from our great God.

The thing about the second wind is that in order to get it we gotta keep running. We can't give up. Eventhough the run is hard and we are desperately gasping for air, we just gotta keep up the pace, keep putting one foot in front of the other. We gotta just keep going as my running path reminds me of so often. Someone took a can of spray paint and wrote that on part of the path. While I don't necessarily condone spray paint in public paths and places it does serve as a great reminder along my way! Just keep going! If we just keep going we will get the second wind. Our bodies have been created for it. 

We run along then comes the hills...the hills of life! The places where we can't see what's on the other side and all we know is it's all we can do to keep up the pace. The second wind is given so we can make it up the hills. When our strength is all but spent on the last step and there are many more ahead before we reach the top of the hill. Some people like to walk up the hills and that's okay. They still reach the top. But, not me. I like, well I don't like, I just choose to run the hills. I choose to run because if I run the hills they'll be over sooner. Just my choice, but whatever you prefer, just keep treking the hill. Soon we will reach the top and on the way up we will gain strength and endurance we didn't think possible. When I'm running the hills whether it be in a physical sense or spiritual sense, I like to remind myself of the previous hills I've climbed with my God as my strength and companion. He is the best running mate I've found yet. I tell myself, there's no hill me and him can't run up and sometimes I can even say in confidence, we got this, this is nothing compared to the hills before.    Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the kills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken. Isaiah 40:3-5

And then there are the hills that seem so much higher and longer. Those are the ones where I have to remind myself, there is someone stronger, there is someone greater who will take me up the hill. In my weakness, Jesus becomes my strength. He becomes my second wind. He gives me the ability to just breathe deep and continue putting one foot in front of the other.    He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:29-31

As we go up unfamiliar hills and unknown paths, we choose to trust that Jesus is our running mate. Not only is he our running mate, but he has already gone ahead on the path and cleared the way. He's good like that.     I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will make the darkness bright before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will do these things; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

So, as we keep running this race we call life, just keep going, keep expecting and keep receiving the strength of the second wind. Breathe deep, keep up the pace, and remember we're not running alone.   Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was 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

If Trees Could Talk...

This tree...If this tree could talk...

This tree stands in the yard I grew up in...It's seen a lot....it could say a whole lot...
I'm "home" today and as I stepped outside this morning looked to see where the sun would be rising, I saw the rising of this tree and I thought, boy, if this tree could talk....I think this is what it would say...

"Well, good morning, Lenee, it's been a couple months hasn't it? Good to have you back home again. Hang on a few, the sun is right there it will be peaking pretty soon, see my leaves up top have already seen it...I've got proof already that it's on its way up. And yep, you're so right, boy have I seen alot. a whole lot! Remember when Bryan hooked your sled up to the back of the motorcycle and slung dirt all over you right in front of me? Remember when I was third base? I've seen many a hands quickly tap me on their way to home plate. I used to love to watch y'all play ball! I especially loved it when one of the boys would get a really good crack of the bat and off the ball would go flying right through the window of old man Hoke's house that use to be right there.  I wasn't so big back then, but look at me now. I just kept growing, fighting off disease, storms and whatever comes my way...see, a few around me have been taken down... but not me...I'm still here. I'm still standing. Remember all those laps you took around me on that Dingo Dunebuggy? Those days were pretty scary for me...I just knew in one wrong turn I'd take a hit, but I didn't you kept in on the path, surprisingly so...Oh Chrio wasn't so lucky that day he ran it into one of my buddies in the lower lot though, right? I slightly remember you being pretty upset with him that day...He's in heaven now having the ride of his life...Then came the dirt bike! Oh my goodness, your guardian angels have really been busy all these years! And who would've thought as much of a tomboy as you were you would've actually grown up and got married and had a couple beautiful girls as you did. I remember those hard days too when you came home that first Easter without the hubby... things had gotten messed up a bit and you were here with just the girls. Easter. It was Easter. Your favorite time of the yeard no doubt, but this one was a bit difficult....We had a good Easter even though you were sick with a stomach bug of some sort...I remember Meemaw and Lori coming back from Elberton with some surprises for the girls' Easter baskets. You were pretty taken by their goodness. What would you do without family, girl?! Thank God for the support of a good family! Abby actually potty trained herself that weekend too, remember? She is so independent, a lot like somebody else I've watched over these many years. She had a great example in her big sissy no doubt and I'm sure God knew you didn't need that added potty training stress along with everything else. He certainly knows what we can and can't handle doesn't he. He's been so faithful, hasn't he. He's been so good to you and those girls. He's been good around this homestead too. That day when your daddy started driving those two gigantic bolts in my trunk, I'm thinking, Oh my gosh! What in the world is he doing to me? Doesn't he know I'm one of the few originals! I've been here too long to suffer like this? But now I see, now I understand. It was so worth the pain. The wounds have healed now and I've got a pretty cool zipline attached and oh the laughs and squeals that thing has brought! I've so enjoyed every moment eventhough the pain was great in the making of it. I have to admit I've laughed pretty hard at those who have taken a beating on the tree below! Thank goodness your daddy is a pretty smart man and has covered it with some sort of cushion now. And oh, I just love it when your mama plans these so called "get togethers". I heard her saying the other day, that the Rice's are coming over when you come back through next weekend. I just love it when there are little ones running all around me swinging on these swings that I'm so faithfully holding up with my branches and ziplining as fast as they can. When the Maxwell's were here Easter, it was a great time too. I absolutely love, love, love to watch yall do the "money hunt"...one day I just know I'm gonna see a pure knock down, drag out fight over a single dollar bill!!! Hahaha... That'll be good for sure! Oh, Lenee, life just keeps going on doesn't it? People come and go. People laugh and cry. People live and die. But, one things for sure, that sun always tops those trees over there. The God who set this amazing world in motion is so, so faithful! Even when we doubt wether it will ever rise again, it does. Even when the storms, the bad Northeast Ga storms come, my branches might sway and I may even loose a few along the way, but I'm still standing. I'm still enjoying these beautiful sunrises in this absolutely gorgeous place I was planted in so many years ago, even before you totally shocked your mama and daddy by your appearance. Your mama has done so well with making everything around me a sanctuary. I think it's her sanctuary to. Wow, if you only knew the prayers I've seen go up as she has planted, watered, weeded and whatever else it is she's always doing. She's a true work of art herself. And that daddy of yours...bless his heart. He always just keeps bringing the pinestraw, he keeps cutting this grass, he keeps fixing all the stuff around here and helping with all her little projects she comes up with. I just know every squirrel in Bowman knows about him too...I hear them talking when he's away...'whatever you do, you better not show your little tail around here when that white van is in the driveway...that man's got a 22gauge shotgun that can take you down to the ground!' It's been such an amazing time I've had here in this yard. I've seen many, many things. I've seen many, many fun times. I've seen many, many hard times too. What I'm telling you is true, Lenee, life goes on and that sun has been faithful to rise every morning I've been here. Of course, there have been days when the clouds covered my view, but the sun was always there just on the other side of them. I totally have a hallelujah dance with my brances when the silver lining shows up! I love it when the beams of the sunlight pierce through the dark clouds. The light always eventually wins! The night always gives way to the day! I just keep growing, I just keep my eyes open, I just keep hoping and believing it will shine, it will shine bright even when the sky above me is covered with dark clouds. But today, look around there are no dark clouds, not even a cloud in the sky. And enjoy this day. Enjoy the goodness of God all around you. Bask in the presence of the sun and enjoy the faithfullness of the One who planted you. Who set you in the place he choose specifically for you to grow, to survive. The soil is perfectly fertilized and contains all you need to thrive. Just keep growing, just endure the pruning, just keep looking forward to every new day you see that sun rise. And give Him all the glory, give him the praise for the proof of his goodness, majesty and mighty hand at work all around you. He is good, Lenee, He is so good. Enjoy the mercies that are new every day and his grace that is so sufficient. His love for you is higher than anything I have yet to see even from my perspective. Just keep growing, keep relying on him for your strength, for your light, for your nutrients and for your much needed refreshing water. He is good. He is faithful. He can be trusted. He really can."

"...For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory."  Isaiah 61:3

Mourning to Praise

I'm not sure why this word is on my heart to share, but I'm gonna be obedient and ask the Holy Spirit to help me convey what I feel Him speaking today. May God be glorified and someone be encouraged.


Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, with a great crowd following him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The boy who had died was the only son of a widow, and many mourners from the village were with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. "Young man," he said, "get up." Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 
Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and "We have seen the hand of God at work today." The report of what Jesus had done that day spread all over Judea and even out across it borders.
Luke 7:11-17 NLT

Can we just stop a moment and think about what just happened in those few verses? A mother has lost her son. I can't imagine. She had lost her husband previously making her a widow. She was about to bury the son who was supposed to take care of her, give her grandchildren one day, carry on their family name. There were mourners, many mourners. Some probably there out of love and respect. Some there possibly being paid to mourn. There were professional mourners back then believe it or not. Nonetheless there were many mourners and she was one of them. As the procession proceeded out of the village gate heading to the chosen place of burial, Jesus meets them where they are. In the midst of all the noise of the mourners and the shuffeling steps of the bearers carrying the coffin, Jesus notices. He sees the mother of this young boy. He sees the fear in her eyes, he takes notice of the heart broken beneath the surface. And he stops, he pauses. He interrupts his current thoughts, he looks at her. He looks her full in the face. His heart begins to overflow with compassion. Their eyes meet and he sees the tears coming down her cheeks, her red swollen eyes meet his and she now pauses...

I can't imagine what she saw that day. Can you? The God of the universe who has come down from heaven to walk among us is looking her full in the face and sees beyond her tears. He knows this is it for her. No husband, now no son and as his eyes begin to fill with tears, he speaks to her. She is looking at Jesus! He is looking at her and he begins to speak with more love and tenderness than she has ever known or heard before.

"Don't cry!"

That's it. That's all he said to her. Two words. Two words that changed everything for her that day for the rest of her life. I'm sure she wanted to explain her circumstances, how dire they really were. Surely she must have thought even in that moment, but you don't understand. Or did she? Did she see the understanding in his eyes? Did she know in that moment that those words were about to change her life forever?

Jesus doesn't hesitate for a moment. His heart overflowing with compassion couldn't be stopped from doing the miraculous. He walks over to the coffin and touched it. That in itself was huge. You weren't supposed to touch a coffin. Especially if you were to ever serve in the temple. So Jesus, touching the coffin says, this is not about religion and your rules, this is about my heart being moved with compassion for this mother, this widow, and I gotta do something about it.

Of course, those carrying the coffin stopped. The bearers were probably still thinking, 'Woe! who is this man walking up in here and having the nerve to touch a coffin,' Or did they see it too? Did they see the compassion in his eyes? Did they know something huge was about to go down? They stop and Jesus looks up into the coffin and begins to speak to the dead boy.

"Young man, get up".

Four words. Four words that brought life back into his body. Four words that changed his life forever. Four words that showed that mother and everyone there that day, including the mourners, that this was not just a man who just happened to be walking through the village gate at that particular moment that day.

The dead boy sat up and began to talk to those around him! So, like what do you think the boy began to say? I mean here he just came back to life and immediately he is just talking away to the ones carrying him in the coffin! And evidently he eventually climbs down out of the coffin probably still talking because then the Bible reads, "And Jesus gave him back to his mother."

Can we imagine for a moment the look in her eyes now and the smile Jesus had on his face as he brought the boy to his mother. Man! what a moment! What an awesome moment! Not just for her but for the many mourners with her!!! This was a moment for the entire village. They got it. They had been there in that moment and their lives too were changed forever!

Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God saying, "A mighty prophet has risen among us," and "We have seen the hand of God at work today."  The crowd was made up of mouners! Mourning turned into praise! Just like that mourners became praisers! They recognized that they had seen the HAND OF GOD AT WORK that day and it changed EVERYTHING!

What made the difference? What was the hand of God at work that day? What was the life changer?

What was once dead, became alive again. By the heart of Jesus overflowing with compassion, he spoke new life into the lifeless boy. The once dead boy sat up! He sat up! And began to talk and hugged his now forever changed mother!

New life changes everything!

I don't know who this is for today, but Jesus wants you to see his face of love and heart of compassion today through your red, bloodshot, tearfilled eyes. I believe he wants you to know he was moved with compassion and his heart bled for you, yes you, on the cross that day and still today in this moment. Mourning stinks. It really does. But it is so necessary at times too.

One of the most important things I learned over the past ten years is to mourn. To allow myself to feel the pain of loss and to allow my heart to break before my loving and moved with compassion heart of Jesus. I believe we are wired to mourn when we have lost something or someone precious. A child. A mother. A father. A brother. A sister. A spouse. A marriage. A job. A friend. A dream.... I'm thankful that Jesus in the story above showed up in the midst of the mourning and not before. In my experience, we have to allow ourselves the time to mourn. We have to let our hearts go there. He doesn't tell us not to mourn, he always says he will turn our mourning into something else for the better. In Ecclesiastes, we are told there is a time to mourn. We have to take our pain and our losses to him or else we will continue to carry a weight we were never meant to carry. It will begin to hinder the amazing race he has set before each of us.

I can't imagine the pain of the losses some of my friends and family have experienced. I may not have experienced the level of loss and pain you have faced in the past or may be experiencing now. All I know is Jesus wants you to see his face in the midst of it. He wants you to know he can bring new life from it. He can take it. He can take the anger that comes along with it, he can take the brokenheart that it causes and he can say, get up, I've got more life ahead of you. It's not over. We mourn, but then we get up. We get up to see the face of Jesus still looking at us with a heart overflowing with compassion.

The mourners there that day saw the hand of God at work. His hand is at work in my life and in your life today. He is bringing new life.

It's okay to mourn. Take time to mourn. Bring things to the heart of Jesus and leave them at his feet. I believe that's when his feet become beautiful because they are able to stand upon and cover everything we bring to them. It's okay to cry. That's how he created us. We just have to be ready to hear his voice when he says, "Don't cry" and then we gotta listen for him to tell the dead to get up. Get up and see the hand of God at work in us and through us. May you be strengthened and encouraged by the power of His mighty hand at work today.

The report of what Jesus had done that day spread all over Judea and even our across its borders.

To my Lord, whose heart always overflows with compassion.