She Did What?! (Part 1)

Ladies, for our time together today let’s take it back to what my kiddos refer to as “Bible Times”. Yes, we are digging into the Old Testament!  Now don’t click away from me just yet! I know sometimes when we hear that we will be focusing in on the Old Testament we inwardly groan and wonder if this is going to be a dry, boring story filled with a long list of people’s names we can’t pronounce. Well, this, is NOT that kind of post my friend!  Stick with me because I’m telling you, you are going to get to the very end of this story and say to yourself, “She did what?!”

We are going to dive into Judges 4 but first allow me to set the scene... The Israelites were in a period of time where they experienced highs and lows in their relationship with God.  They would closely follow the Lord, trusting in Him, and walking obediently with Him.  But then...  well, then they would fall away.  They would start worshipping false gods and drift away from the Lord for whatever was new and shiny.  They would become disobedient and ultimately fall into sin.  And since sin has consequences, God allowed the enemies of the Israelites to overtake them. When the Israelites cried out to God for help, God answered by raising up a judge to lead the people and help guide them back to Him.  Deborah is one of those such people – a judge!

From the very beginning of Deborah’s story, the amazing thing about her is that she was ready and willing to be used by God.  She led a life that placed her in a position to be used for God’s kingdom.  That makes me want to take a look at my own life for a second.  Am I in a position to be used by God? Am I living a life pleasing to Him? Goodness, I sure hope so!  I want to be living a righteous life, listening for God’s voice and walking obediently with Him.  And if there’s an area where I am not, I want to be sure to bring it to Him.  If there is sin in my life, I need to come to God for forgiveness.

But back to our gal, Deborah... So one day, Deborah is out there, performing her “judge duties” and she gets a word from the Lord.  In Judges 4, she passes it along to Barak (and no, not Barak Obama, lol!) who was a captain in the Israelite army...

“She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor.  I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”  Judges 4:6-7 (NIV)

Basically, Deborah is telling Barak what needs to be done to defeat their enemies.  Now, let’s just take a step back and look at this.  First, Deborah was in a position to hear clearly from the Lord. Which, don’t we all want that?! I love when the still, small Voice of God whispers straight to my heart! Second, she didn’t hesitate to deliver the word she as given. Listen, I know sometimes as women, we second guess, well... everything! We wonder, “Did I hear correctly? What will this person think?” And so on.  But I want to encourage you, if you believe that you earnestly received a word from the Lord for another person, share it with them!  If it lines up with the truth of scripture, if it will encourage and/or build that person up, please share what God has given you. 

Returning to the story... What does Barak do with this information? Basically he tells Deborah, “I’ll do it but only if you come with me.” (verse 8) Deborah agrees, once again showing wisdom, patience, and trust in the Lord.  I mean, listen, girlfriend is going into a battle that God told her they would win. She’s trusting God to keep her, Barak, and their army from getting crushed.  That’s showing some major trust in the Lord!

So, Deborah, Barak, and the army march off to battle King Jabin’s army, headed by Sisera. Side note, Sisera and his warriors were not a group of wimpy dudes either.  Sisera had 900 iron chariots at his disposal plus a ton of troops ready to fight.  Those iron chariots were no joke.  They were one of the most feared weapons of battle back then.  Kinda similar to what an armored tank is like to us today. Yikes!

What happened next??  I’m so glad you asked!  Deborah got word that Sisera had positioned his army and was ready to get the battle going.  She told Barak NOW was the time to head Sisera’s way.  She also reminded him of two very important things:

“Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him.” Judges 4:14 (NIV)

First, she reminded Barak that God had promised them victory.  Then she encouraged him with the promise that God had gone ahead of him. And you know what? Those are promises we can hold on to too!  God has promised us victory as well and it is found in our Savior.  Jesus died and rose again three days later.  That, is a stunning victory!  Also, God goes before you, yes, you!  Even in 2017!  That’s not one of those things that happened in “Bible Times” – it is a promise we can cling to TODAY! 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut. 31:8 (NIV)

Now, before the war could even begin, God threw Sisera, his chariot drivers, and warriors all into a straight up PANIC. They were SCARED.  In fact, ole Sisera was so frightened – he hopped right out of his chariot and FLED! Like on foot.  This guy full on RAN AWAY! Barak and the Israelite army pursued Sisera’s men and the whole army was defeated. 

God kept His promises!  He went before the Israelite army and scared the bad guys right outta their sandals.  Then He enabled, equipped, and positioned Barak and his men for victory.  Friends, that is the God we serve to this day – a faithful, promise-keeping GOD!

But wait!! There’s more to this story!! What happened to Sisera, our scaredy-cat bad guy who ran away crying for his mommy?! (Ok, I added that crying part - lol!) You will just have to pop back to the blog on MONDAY (8/28/17) to find out!  And maybe you will be asking yourself... "She did what?!"  

See you right back here on Monday friends!! Have an awesome weekend : )

Post by: Marcy Gates

Overcoming Our Fears

I am not a fan of air travel.  Or waiting in long lines.  Or large crowds of people.  So, of course it would make sense that for our first real family vacation we would travel to... 

DISNEY WORLD. 

At this stage of their lives, two of my three daughters are past the Disney Princess thing.  They are more into Star Wars.  Actually, my husband and I are into Star Wars too.  My youngest, though, she still will dress up in a Belle dress or play with her Minnie Mouse puzzles here and there.  So while none of us are die-hard fans of a certain mouse, Disney World still sounded like a great idea.   With all the new Star Wars attractions and a few princesses thrown in for good measure, we decided we needed to start planning our trip!

The next decision was whether to drive or fly to Florida.  Y’all, I’m not going to sugar coat this at all.  I don’t like to fly.  The thought of being stuck in a big tin can 30,000 feet in the sky, where everything is out of my control, is terrifying to me.  In fact, the last time I flew anywhere was over ten years ago.  And I started to freak out and full on ugly-cry as we took off.  I know, I am a peach to travel with.  Just ask my husband. But I digress...

We estimated that we would lose a day and half of vacation time just driving from Pennsylvania to Florida.  And that was one way.  It almost seemed like we would be driving for the same amount of time we’d actually be at Disney.  So, we opted to fly.

Gulp.

As the morning of our flight to Florida drew near, I felt butterflies of anxiety flare up in my stomach.  I did my best to hide it though.  The last thing I wanted to do was let my kiddos know I was scared to fly.  I didn’t want to transfer that fear on to them nor did I want three terrified kids and one jittery wife for my husband to care for on a two hour flight. 

I prayed an awful lot before our vacation.  I prayed for our safety, good health, and for peace.  I didn’t want my family’s adventure to be clouded over with my fear and worry.  I wanted to have fun and enjoy this precious time when we could all be together.  I kept telling the Lord, “If You can just get me past this whole flying thing...”

And that’s when He whispered to my heart, “I am faithful.”  Then I remembered what I know about God.  He IS faithful.  He can be trusted.  He is for me.  He will protect me.  He loves me! As the day of our departure drew near, God kept leading me to Scriptures during my quiet time that reinforced what He spoke to my heart...

“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV)

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

When we boarded our plane for Orlando, I kept repeating God’s Word over and over in my head: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

I purposefully did not seat myself next to the window, but in between my youngest and a stranger sitting in the aisle seat.  My husband sat across from us with our other daughters.  What I thought I had planned as a strategic parenting move was really God’s Hand at work.  My little one kept me occupied almost the entire flight!  She talked my ear off during take-off so I couldn’t focus on the plane leaving the runway.  She had me play games like “I Spy” and “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. We colored and did word searches.  She kept the shade down on the window because she felt it was too bright so I couldn’t really ever see how high up we truly were.  And when this little one had run out of things to occupy her mother with, that’s precisely when my neighbor to left of me decided it was a great time to chat about Pittsburgh, his trip to Yellow Stone, and his life in Orlando.  And then just like that... We landed.  Two hours blew by and I was fine.

Our vacation? It was wonderful!  We had a great time and left with so many memories!  Our flight back home to Pittsburgh?  Well, I had my special seat mate again and boy, she kept me busy.  Lots of coloring and games to play.  While I was still repeating 2 Timothy over silently in my head, it was less out of trying to squelch fear from trying to take hold and more because I was resting in God’s faithfulness displayed.  A declaration that I did NOT have a spirit of fear but a SOUND MIND.

I love this quote from “Jesus Always” by Sarah Young about when we are afraid, “Cling tightly to My hand and walk resolutely past those dark presences of fearfulness and despair.  Keep looking toward My radiant Presence that beams out rays of unfailing Love and endless encouragement.”

Is there something you really want to do but fear is holding you back?   Have you let anxiety take hold and keep you from trusting God?  I want to encourage you today to take it to the Lord. Lay it all out before Him and ask for His help.  God wants you to have a sound mind.  Fear is not from Him and He doesn’t want it to rule your life.  Worry can keep us from experiencing all that God has in store for us!

Let’s focus on trusting God with our fears.  Keep our eyes fixed on the One who has amazing plans for us.  When fear tries to knock us down, lean into His presence and rest in His unfailing love.  God will melt those fears away in His magnificent light.  And when you find yourself with a sound mind, you will realize just how faithful He is!

Post by: Marcy Gates

Keep Going!

So, this past August I ran a 5K…it was my very first 5K in 10 years, and not just normal years…years of either being pregnant or breastfeeding.  No joke.  In my pre-kid era, I loved to run and actually went to the gym…yikes, it’s been even longer since I’ve been in a real gym!!!  I digress…lol.

The day of the race came and I started feeling a bit unprepared.  I mean, I had trained…as much as one that has 4 young kids and a part time job can.  I had a goal set.  I wanted to run the whole thing, without walking and under a certain time.  

It was pretty crazy what happened during the race. There were 4 pretty specific things that I remember the Lord depositing in my spirit during the race, and I thought I would share with all of you :) 

1.  Do it, even if you’re alone or scared.

You see, I was going to be running this race with a dear friend of mine…someone to encourage me, run next to me when I was tired, to laugh together with when we both got passed up by people much older than us…lol.  But, unfortunately, she got sick and wasn’t able to run that night.  

2.  There will be people along the way to encourage you!

 And there were.  There were people cheering me on from the sidelines, my family along with others I had never met before.  Conversations were had that I may have never had before with other runners.  

3.  You can encourage others, even if you’re just a beginner.

Toward the end of the race, when things got hard. It was super-hot and at one point there was a STRONG sewer smell. I realized that I could still encourage others.  Even though I was struggling and needed some encouragement myself…I could choose to focus my attention on others and encourage them.  Even though I was a beginner.

4.   It may be hard to keep going full speed ahead when you don’t know what’s coming next…but keep going!

To run full speed, not knowing the course.  Not knowing if a steep hill is coming or some terrible smell that will make you hold your breath for a time.  (Have I mentioned the smell?!?!)  Not knowing where the finish line is or exactly how much further you have to go.

All of the above speaks volumes to me about our spiritual walk.  We’re all on this journey, this walk of faith…and some of us, we’re having to do it alone.  We thought we had someone to walk with us through this life, but turns out…for one reason or another…we’re alone.  If that’s you, be encouraged…and keep walking this faith journey!  Do it, even if you’re alone and even if you’re scared.  It’s so, so worth it.  And really, you’re not alone…God is right there with you every step of the way.  His Holy Spirit is in you…yes, IN you…to guide and direct and comfort.  There truly is no greater gift.

For this very reason, God gave us the church.  If you’re plugged into a life giving church, there will be people along the way to support, love, and encourage you.  And if you’re not…find one!!!  If you don’t know where to start, email us and tell us where you live.  We may be able to hook you up with the name of a church in your area to check out!  

Even though you are going through a hard season in life, or maybe you’re new to this whole faith journey…you can still encourage others!  You can breathe life into other people despite your circumstances, and in turn it will breathe more of Christ into you.  

In life, the hills get steep and the valley’s, they can be LOW.  The pits we may find ourselves in…may feel like they don’t have enough air to breathe.  From this 5K I learned, even though we don’t know exactly what is coming next…what lies ahead or exactly when the season is going to be over…God knows.  And…let me let you in on a little secret…He already has the victory.  Did you see that?  VICTORY.  Yes, that’s right…He already has the VICTORY, so that means YOU already have the victory!!!!  When you know the God of the entire universe goes ahead of you and fights your battles for you, there is no need to fear what’s next.  

So, KEEP GOING!!!  FULL SPEED AHEAD…knowing, you already have the victory, in Jesus!

Now, go on…run your race…with full confidence in the One who has full confidence in you.

 "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)

Post by: Jennifer Goebbel

To read more from Jennifer, visit her blog at: Striving No More