This morning I almost got tossed into the trash. You see, my gardener’s wife was on a journey to clean the house, and once she starts the journey, there’s no stopping her. I thought it was bad enough yesterday. She sprayed my leaves with Endust, as I relaxed on the dining room table. I coughed and choked, thinking I was dying. She didn’t notice, but kept right on spraying anything with a trace of dust. I hoped my gardener would notice, but he was asleep on the sofa. She finally tired and collapsed on the sofa next to him. Whew! What a close call!

Today she started her cleaning frenzy again. In fact, she picked me up, gave a quick assessment of my shape and asked my gardener a frightening question. “Is it okay if I toss this plant? I don’t see any flowers.”

He sat up and reminded her that I still had leaves. You should have seen her face when she took another look. See for yourself. I’m still an orchid, not just any old flower. Just because I have no blossoms now doesn’t mean I’m dead. In a matter of time, with the proper care, I’ll be stronger and more beautiful. If she’d only leave me alone and let my master take care of me, in time, I’d bloom again.

What if plants really talked? I’m sure they’d have me on the “plant watch list.” I wonder how many people we’ve discounted or cast out for having no blossoms.  The good news is God’s not through with any of us yet. The Bible says “In His time, He makes all things beautiful.” Let’s patiently wait on Him and ask Him to help us see from His perspective.  

What’s your first thought after spending the afternoon with two of your most energetic grandsons? If you’re like me, you want to find your most comfortable couch and curl up for the rest of the evening. Who am I kidding?  The whole thing went down like a classic horror picture.

     My husband and I dragged behind two rambunctious boys who elbowed each other toward the mudroom door. You know the routine. We imagined a long nap for everybody. Nicholas, the seven year old, pictured a much anticipated drumming session, while Christian, the older,  jibber-jabbered about his next You Tube dramatization.

     “Where’s my iPad?” was the question I didn’t want to hear. For the next 30 minutes, everybody went on the hunt for the precious instrument. Before long, blood, sweat, and tears intensified our search.

     Finally, I had the most profound revelation. PRAY! Yep, hadn’t given it any thought, until I couldn’t stand the frustration anymore. Christian and I held hands and whispered a short prayer, thanking God for His help.

     After ten minutes, the iPad mysteriously appeared under a stack of mail on the kitchen table. Bravo! I rehearsed with Christian the words he would say to briefly explain his problem and give God credit. I called for Nicholas. Here would be Christian’s opportunity to “testify of God’s goodness.” I was so excited; Christian was not. In fact, he completely forgot every word I’d coached him for his platform. I sighed as I put every single word in his mouth. My dear husband left me with these words of wisdom: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he gets old he will not depart.” Alas, the teachable moment was for me…and you. Let’s always give God the glory! He deserves it!

“Ouch! My tummy hurts!” My friend’s son was not his usual energetic self. His eyes drooped and he lay on her sofa for most of the weekend. The problem? He’s a picky eater and his diet had finally caught up with him. You see, he had packed in what he wanted to eat, but nothing was coming out (Get my drift?). His little tummy was round and tight. Nothing she tried worked, so off they went to a local hospital. Two hours later Timmy bounced out of the building, surely two pounds lighter, and giggled as he and his mom headed back home. A warm bag of water did the trick and he was as good as new. Water! How powerful is that? He needed the cleansing power of water to get rid of energy-sapping toxins. What about us?

We’ve come to the last chapter in the book of Nehemiah, and we find God’s people still dealing with an assortment of toxins, which were clearly forbidden by the Book of the Law. Here’s a brief summary:

1. Marriage to foreigners and worshipping their gods

2. Dishonoring the temple of God

3. Failure to provide for those ministering in the temple

4. Failure to respect the Sabbath

5. Having leaders under the influence of their enemies.

So what did Nehemiah when he saw the build-up of so many toxic behaviors?

1. Confronted the people, reminding them of God’s expectations.

2. Drove a wicked leader away.

3. Called for purification and a return to holiness.

4. Reminded them to take care of those laboring for the Lord.

5. Asked God to remember him with favor.

As believers, we are no longer under the law. Hallelujah! Jesus paid the price for our salvation and we are brand new creatures, washed by His blood. Now we must wash in the water of His Word daily. We must read God’s Word and let Him rid us of toxins we pick up in our daily walk. That may include things like fear, disappointment, anger, apathy, hopelessness, bitterness, or the like.

1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (NIV).”

1 John 4:16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

Hebrews 10:22, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

We have GOOD NEWS! As we trust in God’s Word, let us freely allow the Father to use us to draw others into this great family of believers! Father, enlarge our territory! Thy kingdom come! Through me (and you)!

Be encouraged!

As always,

Patricia

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling like I wanted to pull the covers over my head. I’m usually excited about going to church but I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep and every part of my body shouted, “Stay in bed! You’re tired! You deserve to rest.” You see, I had wrestled with some thoughts and my energy was sapped. “Ugh!” So what did I do? I got my butt out of bed and made up my mind that I needed to go, just as I was. Isn’t that how God desires us to come to Him? In a conversation with a friend and mentor today, I got further insight. I was thinking I needed to praise God to make myself feel better, but she reminded me that we as believers have kingdom work to do and that starts with PRAISE!!!!

In Nehemiah 12, we see just how important praise and worship was in temple worship. After returning from Babylonian captivity, certain men in Jerusalem were put in charge of songs of thanksgiving and praise. Others were brought in from neighboring villages to joyfully celebrate the dedication of the rebuilt wall around the city. Other people were assigned various duties in the temple to support the priests. Much to my surprise, choirs existed back then, giving thanks with musical instruments. The word “choir” literally means “thanks.” Above all, everybody–men, women and children–rejoiced! They were so loud they could be heard far away! In addition, everyone brought tithes and offerings into the storehouses for temple support.

Wow! Praise and worship is absolutely essential to create an atmosphere where God shows up and reveals Himself. The Psalms reminds of our call to worship the One True and Living God:

Psalm 100:4 reads “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter His courts with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice for He has made me glad!”

Psalm 27:4 reads “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my lie, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

Passionate pursuit of God creates an atmosphere for God to show up! Teach us, Father, to chase after You–to hunger and thirst for you. When Jesus was on the cross and said, “I thirst,” He was crying out for Your Presence. Let passion be born out of our praise and thanksgiving and let the Spirit of God fall on us today! Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done! LET US GET TO WORK!

Next week is our last lesson in Nehemiah. Read chapter 13 and discover the man of God’s final actions. You’ll be surprised!

As always,

Patricia

“Mommo, Nicholas won’t stay in the tent with me!” My seven-year-old grandson Christian was at his wit’s end. He had found a place to build a tent and had invited his younger brother Nicholas to spend some time with him. The problem was that Nicholas, only five, got distracted and was soon headed to play with his race car. Sound familiar?

In Nehemiah 11, the people of God returned to Jerusalem, the holy city, and rebuilt its walls, under the direction of Nehemiah, a great leader. However, many people settled in the “suburbs,” not in the holy city, similar to people living outside Atlanta, such as Norcross, Lawrenceville, or Dacula.

Very few chose to live in Jerusalem. Many were fearful of living in a hated city, even though its walls had been secured again. They understood that Jerusalem was likely to be attacked by enemies and preferred the comforts of the “suburbs.” They chose to take their chances and dwell in unprotected areas to pursue their own desires. Others did not want to sacrifice their own agendas. Nehemiah knew that if more people made the holy city their dwelling place, others would be encouraged to follow.

Scripture reassures us of the benefits of making the Most High God our dwelling place today. Here are three examples:

Psalm 27:5-6 “For in the day of trouble he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.”

Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 91:9 “If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the Lord, who is my refuge–then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

You might ask, “How do I make God my dwelling place?” Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the beginning. After that, you must spend time in his Word and practice his presence throughout the day. Talk to him, sing, meditate, clap, dance, listen, etc. The more you do this, the more real he becomes to you. Our circumstances may not change but our praise and worship will affect our perspective!

Continue reading Nehemiah 12 and find out how the Jews celebrated in the city.

As always,

Patricia

One of my favorite songs by Donnie McClurkin, Stand, begins like this:

What do you do when you’ve done all you can

And it seems like it’s never enough?

And what do you say when your friends turn away

And you’re all alone, alone?

Tell me, what do you give when you’ve given your all

And it seems like you can’t make it through?

Well you just stand when there’s nothing left to do

You just stand, watch the Lord see you through

Yes, after you’ve done all you can, you just stand.

As I began to think about the 9th chapter of Nehemiah, I heard Stand so clearly. The Jews who had lived in a foreign land had returned to Jerusalem, their homeland, and had worked hard to rebuild the wall of the city. They read the Book of the Law of Moses and mourned when they realized how far they had come from keeping God’s commandments. Nehemiah encouraged them by saying, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

After a time of rejoicing, the people gathered together for a time of prayer and fasting, confessing their sins and the sins of their fathers. They spent a quarter of the day reading the Book of the Law of the Lord and another quarter in confession and worship.

Then several dedicated men encouraged the people to STAND UP!  As I read verses 5 – 6, I saw THREE STEPS IN STANDING:

1. Humble yourself and make His name great- “Bless the name of the Lord your God forever and 

         ever!” 

2. Remember and Celebrate God’s past deeds- “You have performed Your words, for You are

righteous.” Most of Chapter 9 covers God’s mighty acts in the history of His people.

3. Remind God of His promises- “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and awesome

God who keeps covenant (promise) and mercy: Do not let all the trouble seems small before

You.”

God is great and greatly to be praised. He delights in helping us. Like a mother hen gathering her chicks, He desires that we come to Him, realizing our need and draw strength from him. He is our peace, our comfort, our everlasting Father. Let us boldly acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the same God who is there for us at every turn.

All the promises are “Yes and Amen in Christ!” He has called us to rest in Him. Do you find yourself struggling, distracted, frustrated in your circumstances? If you do, STAND!

Next week, read Chapter 10 and meet me at the “Water Gate.” Let’s continue to drink deeply!

As always,

Patricia