Studying the Names of God

Do you know the story behind your name, why your parents chose the name they did? I love knowing I was named after my great-grandmother. My youngest is named after my grandfather. My husband, after his father. Sometimes we choose names for their meanings or because they remind us of someone special.

Names in the Bible are of particular significance. When God gave someone a name, it defined who they were, who they would become, what they would do, or even described what would happen to the nation of Israel. Abram's name was changed to Abraham which means "father of many." Simon's name was changed to Peter which means "rock."

When it comes to the name of God, the meanings for His name have extraordinary significance for us. God is so amazing, so complex, so vast and awesome, one name just can't describe Him. In fact, there are hundreds of names in the Bible that describe who God is...

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The Idol of Routine

From the moment we are born, our lives center around our daily routines. We rise with the sun and sleep when it sets. We work during the week and rest on the weekend. Our bellies are quick to tell us when we miss one of our thrice daily meals. We attend school during the fall, winter, and spring, and play all summer. We celebrate the same holidays year after year.

God created routines when he set the sun and moon in space. He organized our week by giving us a day of rest. He even provided the Israelites with yearly festivals, celebrations, and remembrances.

Pediatricians tell us that children thrive and feel safe when they have routines and structure to their day. Routines are good for us as adults as well. They keep us on track and organized. They give shape to our day and keep us from getting distracted. Indeed, routines are good. But routines can sometimes turn from a good thing to a not so good thing: when they become an idol of our heart...

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A Prayer for the Weeping Heart

A couple of weeks ago I traveled out of state to speak to a group of ladies on the topic of my forthcoming book. My talk was titled, The Lost Art of Lament. I spoke about the difficult and hard emotions of life such as fear, sorrow, worry, and abandonment. I shared how God's word shows us how to give voice to those emotions, how to cry out to him for help, and how his word reshapes our emotions for his glory as we go through the process of lament. It was a fruitful time of ministry and serving the ladies of that church. 

The night I returned home from my trip, my grandfather had a massive stroke, fell, and broke his hip. After receiving the news, we drove three hours away to visit him in the hospital. I wept when I saw him lying on the hospital bed, weak, frail, and helpless. Our family cried and prayed together. I spent that week saying my goodbyes. My grandfather ended up going into hospice care and passing away within the week.

All too often, the things I write about are things I am working through in my own life. And learning to lament is no different. The irony did not escape me that I had just taught a group of women the art of lament and now I would have to apply the very same things in my own life. 

Loss hurts more than any physical pain ever could. I knew one day I would face this loss and I also knew it would hurt. It hurt more than I imagined. But through studying and writing about the laments, I also know that there is hope in the midst of my heartache and loss. For the believer, joy is often intermingled with deep sorrow. Like the writers of the laments in Scripture, I know that God is my fortress, my deliverer, and my salvation. I know that he listens to my cries and catches all my tears. I also know that through Christ, though weeping will remain for the night, joy comes in the morning. 

If your heart also weeps, this prayer of lament is for you:

"I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow..." Psalm 6:6-7

Dear Father,

I come before you today with a heavy heart. Sadness overwhelms me. I feel surrounded by a dense fog that I fear will never lift. Like David, "my tears have been my food day and night" (Psalm 42:3).

But I know that I must come before you. I know the only cure for this despair and sorrow I feel is to be in your presence. The psalmist wrote that in your presence there is great joy. I am clinging to that promise with a white knuckled grip. Just as the psalmist cried out to you from the pit of despair, I too pour out all these thoughts and feelings at your feet.  

My heart hurts. My eyes sting from the steady flow of tears. My mind is filled with memories of times past, making my heart ache all the more. I need you, Lord. I need your help. I need your strength to get through even the very next moment. 

Forgive me for the ways I have not glorified you in my grief. I know that this sorrow I feel is not wrong, for Christ shed tears of grief at his friend Lazarus' tomb. But I also know that in my sorrow I have had sinful thoughts and feelings that I need to confess. Create in me a clean heart, O Lord. 

In the midst of this darkness, help me to see your light. I know that you are familiar with grief. I know that Jesus was a "man of sorrows" who "for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). He did that for me so that I could become your child. Thank you, Jesus for suffering and bearing my griefs. Thank you for taking on my sin. Thank you for making a way for me to come into the Father's presence. And thank you that one day, you will return and bring an end to all sorrow and weeping. Oh, how I long for that day! Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

For however long this season of sorrow lasts, I pray that you would show me more of your love and grace. Help me not to run from whatever you want to do in my heart. Help me to trust that you are at work and to rest in your faithfulness. I want to say along with David, "I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul" (Psalm 31:7).

Father, grant me gospel joy; help me to rejoice in Christ even as I grieve. Envelope me with the peace and comfort only you can provide. As the days move into months, may this burden lessen. As the months move to years, use me to encourage and bless someone else who must walk a similar path. Help me to point them to you as the God of all comfort.

I know that you are always with me and that your love never ceases. Help me to find refuge in you and no where else.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

4 Things to Tell Your Worries

Consider your response to these unexpected life events:

*Your spouse loses their job and there’s a baby on the way.

*Your child has been diagnosed with a chronic illness, requiring expensive medication, and vigilant awareness of symptoms.

*The ministry you have worked for years trying to build has yet to get off its feet.

*You need to move because of a job change but you can’t sell your home.

If you are at all like me, if any of these circumstances entered your lives, you would feel worried. Your mind would be consumed with "What if's?" You would lie awake at night thinking of all the things that you need to do and all that could possibly go wrong. Your stomach would twist itself in knots and your head would throb. You would feel helpless and overwhelmed.

Such worry seems to come naturally to us. It's something we do without even trying. Almost like breathing. For many of us, it's a way of life and we can't imagine not going through the day without worrying about something. 

Worry is a kind of "acceptable" sin. An acceptable sin is something we consider normal because everyone does it. Kind of like gossip or binging on a pint of ice cream at the end of a stressful day.  In many ways, worry is made "acceptable" because it is something we do with others. Sometimes, we seem to try to out-worry our friends, comparing with each another the stresses of our day, how much responsibility we have at work, and how packed our calendars are.

As believers, we know that Jesus said "Do not worry" (Matthew 6:25-34). But, how? How do we face job loss, illness, uncertainty, and the unknown future without worrying? 

Forgetting and Remembering

I find that the older I get, the more forgetful I am. I walk into a room, stop, and mumble to myself, "Why did I come in here?" And the more busy I am, the more forgetful I become. I've forgotten doctor appointments, relative's birthdays, and items off my grocery list. To help prompt my memory, I've found myself jotting down notes and placing them in prominent places. I've even assigned my boys the task of reminding me of places we need to go so I don't forget to take them.

When it comes to worry, it's essentially an issue of forgetfulness. We get wrapped up in what's going on around us and forget who rules and reigns over all the cares of our life. We forget that we are not our own but belong to Another. We forget God's steadfast grace for us. 

When we are worried about the cares of this life, we need to prompt our memories. We need to remind ourselves of what is true. We need to turn our heart toward our Sovereign God, remembering who he is and what he has done.

4 Things to Tell Your Worries:

1.     God is not surprised: God is sovereign over all things. He knew before time began that you would be his child, saved by the blood of his Son. He who flung the stars in the skies and uses the clouds as a footstool for his feet knows the number of hairs that are on your head. He knows the number of your days. Before you speak a word, he already knows it (Psalm 139:4). And as Matthew 6 tells us, God knows all our needs. So this situation that keeps you up at night is not a surprise to your Father in Heaven. He is not shocked by it. He is not confused or biting his nails, wondering what to do. Even this situation is under his sovereign control. He knows exactly how he will use it for his glory and your good. "God is not surprised by this" is one of the frequent refrains I tell myself during worrisome circumstances. 

2.       God is good and faithful: One of the defining characteristics of God is his goodness and faithfulness. "For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5). God is holy and righteous. He can only do that which is good. 

He is also faithful; he keeps his word. God's very words make things happen. "For I am the LORD; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed" (Ezekiel 12:25). "The LORD of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand" (Isaiah 14:24). We have seen his faithfulness in keeping his covenant promises, culminating in the sacrifice and death of his Son on our behalf. As Paul encourages us in Romans, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (8:32). In the midst of our worries, we need to remind ourselves that God is good and faithful. 

3.       God provides for his children: Scripture tells us that we are adopted children of the Father. "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (Ephesians 1:4-5). When we worry and fret over things, we have forgotten who our Father is. We have forgotten who we are as his children. We are living as though we are still orphans without a home and without a Father who cares for us. 

When we forget this truth, we are living like the Israelite's whom God called to himself. He delivered and rescued them from slavery. But over and over they forgot. When they were hungry they immediately thought God would let them die in the desert. When Moses was gone too long, they worshiped idols. When their enemies seemed too strong, they assumed they would be defeated.  

We are no different. We too forget that God is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. We forget how he provided our salvation. We forget that he provides everything we need to complete whatever task he has called us to.  When we are consumed with worry, we need to remember that God is our provider.

4.   God's grace is sufficient: Everything in our lives comes to us by God's grace. Our life, our breath, our salvation, our growth, our endurance in faith--everything. And his grace is sufficient. It is a well that never runs dry. We can depend and rely upon his grace for he has promised to never leave or forsake us. He has promised to complete the work he began in us. We can trust and believe that he will give us the grace we need to make it through whatever circumstances that cause us to worry. 

In this fallen and broken world, we will have plenty of opportunity and reason to worry. And because we are prone to forgetfulness, we will find ourselves tempted to worry. But God, through his Spirit, will give us grace upon grace. He will help us to remember what he has done.  

Are You Listening?

"Mom. Mom. Mom!"

"What?" I responded.

"Were you even listening to me?" my son asked.

He touched my arm and I looked up from my phone.

No. I wasn't listening.

We all know what it is like to speak to someone and then realize they haven't heard a word we said. We can tell by their body language that they are thinking about something else or simply don't even care to listen. We also know what it is like to share our thoughts with someone only to have them interrupt us so they can speak their own mind.

James tells us, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). Proverbs 29:20 says, "Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." Jesus quoted Isaiah when he spoke of those who could not hear what he came to proclaim, "For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them" (Matthew 13:15).

Listening doesn't come naturally to any of us...to read the rest of this post, visit For the Family, my writing home today.  

Book Review: Crowned

The demographics of our society are always changing. Though we've been a melting pot from the very beginning, we are more so now than ever before. Depending on where you live, you may know many people of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. In addition, our culture continues to secularize. Many of the Biblical principles that were woven into our cultural norms have been removed. This means that when we invite a friend or neighbor or co-worker to church, there is a greater likelihood that they have never walked into a church before. We can't assume that they are familiar with the stories of the Bible and know the basic facts about Jesus. 

My real life friend, Melissa, has worked with many unchurched women. In the Pittsburgh church plant she and her husband were involved in, nearly all the women in attendance came to the church without any previous knowledge of who Jesus is. As she worked with these women in the context of ministry and discipleship, she found that she had to start at the very beginning. There was no presupposing that they understood basic facts about Christianity. Out of that ministry work her discipleship book, Crowned: Created for Glory, Called by His Name, was born.

Crowned: Created For Glory, Called By His Name

Crowned is the first in a series of discipleship studies. This book walks a new believing woman through the foundational truths of who God is and who we are in Christ. It begins at the very beginning, with creation and explains how God created us in his image and what it means to be image bearers. It then takes the reader through the story of the Fall of mankind and the impact of sin in us and in the world around us. The remaining chapters explain the plan of redemption, justification, adoption, and sanctification. 

"We were created to walk in God’s glory and after we are justified in Christ, we are given the privilege of sharing in Christ’s glory. These are the exceeding riches of God’s grace in his kindness toward us: instead of squashing a rebellious regent he chooses to crown us, to robe us in the finest regalia, and give us a share in the kingdom destiny of his own heir." (p.30)

Each chapter unpacks theology in a way that is understandable for a new believer. Melissa doesn't hesitate to use theological terms but she defines them. At the end of each chapter is a Bible study section where the reader digs into God's word and learns more about the topic discussed in the chapter. In addition, Melissa encourages the reader to memorize Ephesians 2:1-10 while doing the study. 

This book is ideal for those whose ministry is in a church context where there are many who are unchurched. It would be a useful tool for a spiritual mentor to use in a discipleship relationship with a new believer. The writing is clear, practical, and Biblical. Reading through Crowned, you feel as though Melissa is a friend, teaching you about who God is, what he has done through Christ, and who you are as a result. "My goal for this book is to help women uncover foundational truths about their personal identity as one crowned and commissioned by the King of the world" (p.45). In Crowned, she does just that.  

I have one copy of Crowned to give away. Enter below. US residents only, please. Update: Angela is the winner. Congrats!

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.