Entry #19 -- Who Will Listen?

It always amazes me when thoughts for a new blog are not so much what others need to hear, but what I need to hear myself!  I have not been well this week; quite ill in fact. How appropriate to be reading about King Hezekiah’s illness in Isaiah chapter 38 (NRSV).  It seems King Hezekiah was so ill he was near death.  The prophet Isaiah brought the word of the Lord to Hezekiah that God would “add fifteen years” (v. 5) to Hezekiah’s life.  The more I thought about this, the more I realized that Isaiah writes a great deal about the frailty of human life—a striking contrast to the attributes of God.  Isaiah tells us that we are mere “grasshoppers” (Isaiah 40:22, NIV).  Again with reference to humans, Isaiah says, “…you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless,” (Isaiah 41:24, NIV).  Although I realize Isaiah’s message was spoken directly to the Israelites, I still see value for us today.  Perhaps this sounds a little bleak at first, but I think until we come to realize just how frail we are as humans, we never fully understand to what extent we need a saving God.

Not all of Isaiah’s messages were bleak.  Many references bring hope to the people of Isaiah’s day, and hope to us as well. 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”  Isaiah 43:18 (NIV)

Isn’t that just like us? Always dwelling on past mistakes; allowing guilt to keep us from moving forward?  Isaiah relates God’s promise of help;

“For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

Surely if we serve a God willing to hold us up with His mighty hand, we have no reason for fear.  Most amazingly of all, humans may sit on the frail end of the spectrum—but our Great God sits on the other end of the spectrum!  Isaiah provides a glance at some of the amazing attributes of God.

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.”  Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)

With reference to generations:  “I, the LORD—with the first of them and with the last—I am he,”  Isaiah 41:4 (NIV)

“Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.  I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.”  Isaiah 43:10b-11 (NIV)

What an amazing God we serve.  He always was, He is, and He always will be.  He never gets tired.  He is the One who provides our salvation because our works are worthless and insufficient.

Isaiah had a poignant question for the people to whom he prophesied.  He asked, “Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?”  (42:23, NIV)  I would submit this is the very question we should be asking today!

The Great and Wonderful God who created all heavens and earth is willing to save us and strengthen us with His own hand. 

Who will listen?  Who will pay attention?

Respectfully written and submitted by:

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian

Entry #18 -- Everyone Does It

Most of my writing takes place during the summer months.  I sometimes find it difficult to maintain a train of thought for writing while working full time.  However, I also recognize the occasional need to slow down, process my thoughts, and write while those thoughts are still “fresh” in my mind. This is one of those times.

Not too long ago, I was surprised to learn about the rise in suicides of people jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.  Apparently even news media had been asked to stop coverage of these events in the hopes of discouraging copy-cat events.  Now let me say, this is all supposition, because I cannot recall the original source, nor have I since been able to locate it.  However, the reason it sticks in my mind is this:  As a child, sometimes I used the excuse for my actions, “But, everyone does it!”  Then I would hear the question, “But if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do that, too?”

Please understand, I am in no way belittling the tragedy of others.  I am merely pointing out how quick we are to excuse our way through life because of the choices of other people.  We reason, “If they can do it and it’s okay, then why isn’t it okay for me?”

One of the verses that keeps me “on track” as a Christian is this:

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”  James 4:17  (NIV)

I would submit that the reverse is also true:

[my paraphrase] “Anyone, then who knows the wrong he should NOT do, but does it anyway, sins.”

Somehow this seems okay as long as we are talking about big, huge sins.  Murder is wrong, we should not do it. Okay, I can agree with that!  Stealing is wrong, we should not do it. Okay, I can agree with that one, too!  Well, I’m sure you get the general idea.

Now comes the rub, as they say.  I teach middle school students, and recently there has been an overwhelming increase in certain dance moves and gestures in the hallways, classrooms, courtyard, seemingly everywhere.  This particular move has a history.  The original song artist supposedly used it in association with smoking a particular substance illegal in most states (but not all). The general explanation is, “It’s just a dance move, and everyone does it.”  I would call upon all those who consider themselves Christians to give this some thought.  Whether it is just a harmless “dance move” or not really isn’t the question.  Does it honor God?—IS the question.

I am reminded of the Bible passages after the days of Moses, and after Joshua had successfully led the Israelites into the land God had promised to them.  Joshua charged the people to:

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness.”  Joshua 24:14 (NIV)

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:15 cont’d. (NIV)

These verses remind me that I do not have to follow the crowd.  Just because “everyone is doing it” does not have to be my response to world views.  I can serve the LORD by declining to participate in those things I know do not bring honor to His Name, even if it’s supposedly just a harmless dance move.

Oh, listen folks, I am not perfect and do not claim to be.  I have many areas of my heart that need constant, daily attention.  I am daily encouraged by the words of Paul to the Philippians:

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”     Philippians 1:9-11 (NLT)

Now wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could say, “Everyone is doing THAT!”

Respectfully written and submitted by:

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian

Entry #17--The Baby Dipper

My Dad died suddenly when I was only 12 years old. I treasure the memory of spending nights with Dad just gazing into the sky at the clusters of stars.  We would have fun together pointing out The Big Dipper and The Little Dipper.  Did you know that these are actually star patterns called an asterism? They really aren’t constellations at all, but rather, they are part of the constellations called Ursa Major—The Great Bear, and Ursa Minor—The Little Bear.  Well, I remember that I could always spot Dippers, but for the life of me, I just couldn’t picture a big bear, or a little bear, or any kind of bear!

My favorite star cluster was the baby dipper.  No, this wasn’t the actual name. The actual name was Pleiades—The Seven Sisters.  But to me, it looked just like a tiny, baby dipper. So in our family, The Baby Dipper was always its name.

It seems like so long ago. Those childhood memories must be nearly 45 to 50 years old now.  I still love the night sky.  In fact, this blog entry is being written during the annual August event of the Perseid Meteor Shower. This year is particularly spectacular with an estimated 200 shooting stars per hour. Oh yes, I was outside for a while last night.  Amazing skies.  This is what triggered my childhood memories. 

But there was something else my Dad and I would do.  We sang. That’s right.  We would stand under the dark sky peppered with twinkling lights, and we would sing my Dad’s favorite hymn so often sung by George Berverly Shea’s rich deep voice.

My father is omnipotent, and that you can’t deny.

A God of might and miracles, ‘tis written in the sky.

It took a miracle to put the stars in place. 

It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole,

It took a miracle of love and grace.

When the LORD spoke to Job, he asked:

“Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion?  Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?  Do you know the laws of the universe?  Can you use them to regulate the earth?”    Job 38:31-33 (NLT)

Job’s response can be found at the end of the book of Job, and I think I understand it.

“I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.”        Job 42:5 (NLT)

When I gaze into the night skies and view God’s wondrous creation, I catch a glimpse of a God who is real, and a God who remains firmly in control—and I am at peace.

Entry #16--The Creator of All

Generally speaking when I begin a blog entry, I start with prayer, a thought, then the scriptures come to mind to support the thought, and finally a catchy title arrives.  Today was a bit different. After prayer, it was the scripture that came first, next the title, and now the thoughts are blooming. 

 “God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out.  He created the earth and everything in it.  He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth.  And it is he who says, ‘I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.’”  

Isaiah 42:5-6a (NLT)

Using basic scientific observation skills…VERY basic…let’s look at this scripture.  What do you see?  I see words.  I see four complete thoughts, or sentences.  I notice that each time the word LORD is used, it is written in all capital letters.  Let’s start there.

When God revealed himself to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 3), the Hebrew name for God consisted of four consonants Y H V H (or Y H W H).  The Jews considered God’s name to be too sacred to be spoken, so it was usually translated Jehovah or Yahweh.  The group of four letters used is known as “tetragrammaton,” sometimes shortened to “tetragram.” If you check the Introduction in the beginning pages of your Bible, you will probably see a notation that any time the tetragram Y H V H is used in Old Testament text, it will be translated as LORD (all caps).  The New Testament scriptures were Greek texts. In Greek, the name for God is generally Adonai, and is generally translated and written as Lord (first letter capital).

Revisiting our verse, we now understand that it was the One and Only, True, Holy LORD God who created the heavens and earth.  It was no secondary, imaginary, or human-generated god… it was the LORD, Holy God, who created all things.  Man (including the ideas and theories of man) had nothing to do with it, because in fact, man was one of the creations that never existed until The LORD, Holy God, created him.  On the other hand, Holy God ALWAYS existed, He still exists TODAY, and He always WILL exist.  This is part of His Name Y H V H… 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”  [and]  “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Revelation 4:8b and 11 (NLT)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1 (NLT)

(Referring to scoffers…) “They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.” 

2 Peter 3:5 (NLT)

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it.”  Acts 17:24 (NLT)

“But the LORD is the only true God.  He is the living God and the everlasting King!”  [and]  “But God made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom.  With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.”  Jeremiah 10:10 and 12 (NLT)

The leading scientific or worldly explanation of how the world began is generally built upon mathematical theories and models—obviously because man has not yet created anything that can measure the universe’s birth.  The leading theory is generally referred to as “The Big Bang Theory” which began with a small singularity and evolved over the next several billion years into the cosmos as we know it today.  So for the world…it’s guesswork at best.  The world acknowledges a starting point, but they just can’t seem to figure out what the starting point was.

For the Christian, there is no guesswork.  The starting point was God—the Only True God, who always existed, exists now, and always will exist.  Was there ever a “Big Bang”?  I say, absolutely! The Bible proves it.

 “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  Genesis 1:3 (NLT)

Folks, that had to be one spectacular Bang! Human brains cannot fathom just what that first instant of creation must have been like—the best we can do is create some mathematical theories and models in our feeble attempts at explanations. What humbles me is the fact that this same LORD who was able to create all we know to now exist, is in fact, the same LORD who knows each and every detail of my life!

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”  Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

“The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.  From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.  He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.” Psalm 33:13-15 (NLT)

“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.  You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” 

Psalm 139:1-6 (NLT)

When I think of the LORD, the Creator of All, I have only one humble response:

“You made me; you created me.  Now give me the sense to follow your commands.”

Psalm 119:73 (NLT)

Respectfully written and submitted by:

Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian