Hidden Beside the Brook

Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. 

You shall drink by the brook, 

and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 

So he did according to the Word of the Lord; 

he went and dwelt by the brook Cheirth, east of the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:3-5

The amazing Elijah enters the scene. This is our first look at him in the pages of scripture. And what we see is a man who hears from God and does what He says. I believe this is the secret of his "success," why God could use him in such mighty ways.

In these verses, God directs him to hide himself by the brook. This is where he is to find water to sustain him during a time of drought (which God told him was coming in verse 1). Drought, which always leads to famine, was coming but the man of God was directed where to go, in order to survive. He was in survival mode. He had a life line.

Elijah's story unfolds from here with incredible highs and devastating lows, but this is where we see the bedrock foundation of Elijah's life. He hid himself by the brook.  

We too can hide ourselves by the brook, the brook of God's Living Water.  Jesus says in Matthew 4 :4 "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God." We have opportunity to greet each day, knowing that it is Him Who sustains us, Him who directs us with His tender care. We can go to the scriptures. We can listen and hear what God has to say to us day by day. 

We see the reality of God's provision lived out in the Elijah's life as he listened to God. His circumstances weren't always easy but he lived day to day, with his ear inclined towards the Lord, listening and then doing as God asks him to do. As we live by the brook, listening to God, we find He reveals Himself to us too. In His mysterious way, He speaks deeply to our hearts, guiding us through the challenges of life.

Thank you Lord, that you are here. Drawing me close to You, where I can be refreshed, guided and strengthened by You. I don't always do life perfectly, but You are there regardless. Endlessly, eternally flowing as a river, sustaining life along your banks.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

They feast on the abundance of Your house;

You give them drink from Your river of delights.

For with You is the fountain of life;

in Your light we see light.

Psalms 36:7-9

But Even Now...

John 11. Back to the story of the three siblings Jesus loved. Lazarus is dead. In the tomb for a few days now. Jesus finally shows up. Mary is too distraught to move. We've all been there.

But Martha. She sees Him and runs out to meet Him. She approaches Him with, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." I imagine she is saying this with frustration. Confusion. Deep sorrow. That is how it is when things seem to be falling apart all around us. Our hearts ask, "Where were You Lord? How could this happen?" I love her honesty with Him. She knew she could take her questions, her frustrations, her grief to Jesus.

But she goes on. But even now... "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." Such faith. So Jesus answers. But with a bigger answer. He revealed truth about Himself that transcended the here and now of the situation. Yes. He could raise the dead. But He IS the resurrection. He IS the life. Those who believe, though they die, will live again. Eternal life through Jesus. This is why He came. To reveal this. And He did to this women who came to Him.

Jesus so often answered questions with the bigger answer. Martha went to Him and she learned more than she asked for. And so it is when we stay with Him, when we don't hang back in utter despair like Mary did. Martha wanted something from Jesus and in classic Jesus style He gave her so much more than she even knew to ask for.

He wants us to teach us too, even in the difficult, painful times in our lives. He wants us to learn to grasp and keep in mind, the bigger picture. He wants us to operate out of a Kingdom perspective that goes beyond the trivial and mundane issues of our right here, right now lives, no matter how earth shatteringly important they seem to us now.

It is the but even now that I love. Martha went to Jesus knowing He could do more. She knew that with Jesus the impossible was possible. 

Jesus spent His time on earth working at getting the message across that we need to believe. We need to trust. We need to have faith. We need to come to Him with all that concerns us. 

He seemed so frustrated at times over  His follower's lack of faith. Martha was the one who came out and nailed it. She acted out of her understanding that, even now Jesus was the One to look to, the One Who could change everything. Jesus knew Lazarus would be walking around again, real soon. Martha was the one who dared to believe.

I want to dare to believe too. I want to live in that audacious belief that not only trusts but finds peace of mind knowing that Jesus takes what is dead, all that is messy and ugly, and bring His life to it. He is the God of resurrection. He is the One Who makes all things new. I want to walk closely with Him so I don't miss what He has to say to me as I live in this lost and broken world.

Thank You Lord, that I can run to meet You. That you are here, right now. You are the One I can trust to bring life to all that is broken and bereaved in me and all around me. Life is messy. We are messy. That is why you came. Thank You that I can trust that it will all work out and that my life is safe in Your Hands. Thank You that you are the God of even now....You have in mind better things than I can ask or imagine. Thank You for being the God of resurrection, of life.

In the Meantime

Then Jesus came from Galilee

to be baptized by John.

But John tried to deter Him, saying, 

"I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

Jesus replied, "Let it be so now;

it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."

Then John consented.

Matthew 3:13-14

Jesus came. He was present with John and with the people being baptized. John knew He was the One. 

But Jesus wanted to be baptized. What? John thought that was pretty much wrong and told Jesus so. Seriously, why would the Messiah need to be baptized? The Holy One of God? And then John, knew he was just a man, and not a perfect one at that; he didn't feel qualified to baptize Jesus. Not at all. This seemed like a bad idea.

Jesus didn't argue with what John was seeing as improper. Instead He answered, "Let it be so now." This seemingly improper thing was proper for the now of that time and that place. Proper for the big picture plan God had in mind for Jesus' mission to rescue the world. It was the right thing to do even though it didn't seem right. And John got to be part of that plan. 

There is comfort in the words, let it be now. This assures me that in the messy, uncomfortable, even painful places of my life, things can seem wrong. Terribly wrong. Yet He is with me. There is a "let it be for now" in my life. In all of our lives. My job is to lean in and trust God knows what's going on. He has things well in hand, even in the now of my life, just as He did back then.

So the big question is, am I willing to trust Him without fully understanding? Do I consent to doing things His way (as best I can) even when it's hard? I know He hears me when I come to Him and ask about these things but often the how and the why are so shrouded. The future is concealed. I only see the way through, day by day. How it all comes together is foggy. Those are the places to hone my faith. Places where the rubber hits the road.

There is comfort in the words, "Then Jesus came...." He was there. And He is here too. He is with me in the now of my life. And for that I am so grateful. And I am learning that that is enough. His Presence with me.

Help me Lord, to have a heart like John's. Willing. Trusting. He was able to identify things that weren't right. They weren't as he imagined them to be when Jesus showed up. It is the imagining of how I think things should be that gets in my way. John did what God asked of him. He got to be part of the plan. That is what I too want.

Help me to walk in faith, trusting that You are at work and there will come a day when we will see the ultimate fulfillment of righteousness. In the meantime, thank You that You are with me in the now. Day by day. I am so thankful!

The Broken Pieces

When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments  (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted. So accordingly they gathered them up, and they filled twelve [small hand] baskets with fragments left over by those who had eaten from the five barley loaves.       John 6:13

More lessons from lingering on the hillside with Jesus.  
From their "not enough", they were instructed to gather the leftovers so they would not be wasted. Leftovers! 5 loaves, 2 fish and 5,000 hungry people. Jesus' life in and through us is so amazing that from our "not enough" He gives us more than what we started with. This is only possible through the Hands that created something from nothing. Creator. Life giver. Life sustainer. 

Where do I go with this? I can only marvel that I come to Him hungry and needy. I clamor for His attention. Desperate at times. I lay everything down, at His feet. My little loaves. My few fishes. As best I can anyway. This is what I have. That's it. Not much. It never seems enough. 

Yet He has things in mind. Always. Good things. It may not feel like that in the crucible of the challenges of life. But looking back I can always see how He multiplied nothing and got something. I always have pieces to pick up from my brokenness. A basketful.

Today as I read in the Psalms, I came upon a verse that used to be a prayer. A heartfelt prayer for someone I deeply love who was in trouble. Someone who was lost in a world of hurt. Reading that verse I realized that this verse is now a memorial. It is a remembrance of God doing something incredible. It was a miracle. The miracle of His intervention. The miracle of new direction,  new life and hope. Not an overnight thing but something of great substance. Something that has born fruit over time. Overflow. A basketful of leftovers, broken pieces being used for the glory of God.

That is what God does. He takes our lives, our broken pieces and makes them more. When we take the time to recount what we learned, how we grew through our trials and most of all how He was with us always, we can see that we end up with so much more. Our souls are enlarged. More of His life is formed in us as we have learned little by little to live His way. 

Our pain is not squandered. Only in His Hands, is this possible. He can create abundance out of our losses, our heartache, our trials. The pain is never wasted if we surrender it to Him.

Lord help me see what You have done in my life. To see the basket FULL of Your grace in my life. The big things yes but more, help me see the little things. The daily miracles, the moments of grace tucked in to the corners of my day. I thank You, that with You, all things are possible. With You there is  overflow. More than enough. Abundance.

He Knows What He is Doing

John 6:4-6 The story continues. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do."

He already had in mind what He was going to do. If I could only really wrap my mind around this, and know deep within me, that God knows what He is doing and that He is working for my good. My heart would rest in peace. Yet I struggle and strain in the not knowing.

Our journey as Christians is a walk of faith. It is the crux of the matter when it comes to our relationship with God. We must believe things we can't see. We must trust Him enough to follow Him in all we do. Therein lies the challenge. Yet this walk of faith can be so freeing as we know with God all things are possible.

This morning I read in the Psalms, Psalm 115:9 amp O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield.

Refuge: a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. Originating from a French word meaning "to flee" and it is a place to flee to in order to get away from people or places that are unsafe.

When I don't feel safe or protected, when I face an uncertain future or am suffering in any way I can have peace knowing God is my Help and my Shield. Jesus in this case, had in mind to feed 5,000 hungry people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. I can trust Him with the outcomes of my life too, regardless of the limitations I see and feel about my self, my life.

Philip  only saw the problem. His reply was, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" His was a reply of not enough. 

Jesus was trying to teach him that He could be trusted. He could take what they had on hand, their not enough and make it more than enough. The point here is Jesus, the Bread of Life, is enough. 

Lord, You are enough. You are my Help and You protect me. You know what You are doing. Help me to move past just seeing the problem and move toward living in the anticipation of how You are going to work things out. Help me let go and trust that Your ways are so much better than mine. You have the perspective of seeing beginning to end. Forgive me for my impatience, my worry. You know what You are doing. Help me know, really know deep within me, that knowing You is enough. You are my Refuge, my safe place where my heart can rest secure, as You are about the business of accomplishing Your good purposes for me and even through me. 

Even to your old age and gray hairs

I am He, 

I am He Who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

The Bread of Life

The Jewish Passover Feast was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do." John 6:4-6 niv

It amazes me how this story of Jesus feeding the multitudes is so rich with lessons. Every time I read it there seems to be more tucked away in it. It is obviously a significant narrative as all four gospel writers tell a version of it, each with their own lovely and unique insights.

Jesus had taken His disciples away to be alone with Him for a bit of time. This alone time with Him was part of the rhythm of life He was developing with them. He desires this rhythm of "life with Him" for us as well. 

Passover is mentioned in this passage. So easy to miss this fleeting reference but this time I asked myself, "Why mention  Passover?"  I was also drawn to the word bread. He asked them where they could find bread. Enough bread for the hungry crowd. 

They had no idea that Jesus, the One sitting on the grassy hillside with them, was Himself, the Bread of Life. He would soon be the One Who would fulfill all that the Passover feast meant to them. 

Isaiah 55 then came to mind and I was reminded of the greatest invitation of all time. And a free invitation at that. Once again I read these amazing words.

1Wait and listen, everyone who is thirsty! 

Come to the waters; and he who has no money, 

come, buy and eat! 

Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine 

and milk without money 

and without price 

[simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing].

2Why do you spend your money 

for that which is not bread, 

and your earnings for what does not satisfy? 

Hearken diligently to Me, 

and eat what is good, 

and let your soul delight itself in fatness 

[the profuseness of spiritual joy].

3Incline your ear 

[submit and consent to the divine will] 

and come to Me; 
hear, and your soul will revive; 

and I will make 

and everlasting covenant or league with you, 

even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David. 

Isaiah 55:1-3 amp

This passage, written hundreds of years before Jesus was even born mentions bread. "Why spend money on that which is not bread?" We do that. We spin our wheels in pursuit of all kinds of crazy things trying to find satisfaction.

This is an invitation to come to the LORD! The invitation is ongoing. Satisfaction, delight for our souls. All we have to do is come. Slow down and linger with Him. Lean in to listen. Ah! This is how our souls are revived. 

I have been thinking about hearing/listening. God seems to ask His people often, to listen to Him. Might it be because we want to do all the talking? 

I think there are levels of hearing. We hear with our ears and sometimes it stops there. In one ear and out the other. And then there is hearing and processing with our minds only. This gives us much information which is satisfying to our intellect, our egos even. And that can be okay.

But then there is listening with our hearts. That is how God wants us to listen to Him. He wants to penetrate our lives and pour into us, all He desires us to know about love and life in Him. His way. His truth. His life. And from this place we are able to pour out. It is the Kingdom way.

Back to John 6, later on in the chapter, Jesus declares, "I am the the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty." 

Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 55. He is God Who came. The Bread of Life, Who lived, died and rose again. We remember this every time we take communion. Yes, there maybe heartache, trouble and toil in this life but He is the One Who sustains us through it all as we come to Him. 

There is much more from these few verses. Tomorrow is another day. In the meantime, Lord, help me to turn to You. To come but also to listen. Thank you that You are the Bread of Life. Bread which represents Your precious body, broken for me. Thank You for Your willingness to come to me, that I may come to You.

The Way of Letting Go

So David went to Saul and served him.

1 Samuel 16:21 nlt

David had just been anointed King by the great priest, prophet, and judge Samuel. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. So what is King David's first assignment? He was to serve Saul, the self-absorbed, disobedient, impetuous outgoing king. Not really what you would expect when one is crowned king.

We so want instant perfection, happiness and wholeness in our lives. We so don't want to follow the path of Jesus, the downward path of surrender, servanthood, and suffering.

David spent his youth as a shepherd. David was a type, a hint as to the nature of our True King, Jesus. David's job was to protect and provide safe pasture for the sheep he tended. His heart was shaped and formed in the silence and solitude of the pastureland where his sheep grazed. He was also a musician and as we see in the Psalms, a great poet. I can't help but think his heart for God was forged in those meadows where he had only God as his companion. It was there he learned to sing his songs to His King.

But his training was not over. His new job was to serve this departing king by playing his beautiful songs for him. Anointed king, yes, yet he was placed in a new position of service. There was more learning to come through the crucible of surrender and service in David's life.

This reminds me that I need to hold loosely to my own expectations for my life. I need to surrender to the path God has for me. The path I want to be on is His path. How easy is it for me to be bent on fulfilling my own dreams. 

I want to learn to shift my focus and follow the way the Lord has for me, no matter the twists and turns. Often life presses in on me and seems dark on every side but as I seek God, He helps me see the light ahead. I see it beckoning me onward. It gives me hope and I realize as I let go of my expectations and know He is ahead of me, leading the way, I am okay. This is the way of the cross. Yes, there is suffering in life, but we can let go and see resurrection ahead. It is then we find hope, the anchor of our souls to cling to and the strength to courageously go on. 

Help me Lord, to exchange my dreams for my life for Yours. Help me to serve You well, wherever You have assigned me. Thank You for the light ahead of me and for Your Presence with me on the path.