The Healing Process

The Healing Process

When my son Charlie was 8 years old he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer. And the three and a half years of chemotherapy, hospital visits, and all that accompanies the healing process has absolutely reshaped us as a family and as individuals. From the day we heard the word cancer in the ER at Children’s Hospital to our most recent anniversary post-chemotherapy, God has been teaching us, shaping us and making us stronger. Most importantly, He has been with us every step of the way. 

 

Because Charlie’s cancer wasn’t a specifically located tumor (leukemia is cancer of white blood cells, which I learned in the crash course of experience), there was no surgery to remove it, and his entire circulatory system (and beyond) had to be treated. Other cancers can be removed by surgery or concentrated radiation. So we waited over the months for the results of Charlie’s medication to take effect. It did and we are praising God to be cancer-free!

Just like the physical healing when cancer presents itself, spiritual and emotional healing can be a process, too. In the gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, we often see Him laying hands on people and then the immediate results of changed circumstances. The dead raised to life, bleeding stopped, evil spirits cast out. But one account in the gospel of Mark sticks out to me as unique among these. Take a look:

 

            ²² They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

            ²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

            ²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”

 

This healing is the only one recorded in the gospels that happens in stages. What does that mean? I can tell you what it most certainly does not mean. This two-part healing does not mean that Jesus’ power wasn’t sufficient to heal the blind man. I wish to be crystal clear in stating that Jesus was God in His very essence and His power was and is complete and able to heal all our diseases.  

 

As for implications for us, this situation is chock full of them.  The fact that there is only one instance where Jesus healed in stages is significant. As we look at the miracles in the gospel accounts it is difficult to find a pattern for them. Some are personal, some are public. Some are with mud, some with spit. For certain healings, Jesus was right there with the person He healed, and for others He said the word and they were healed from a distance. But all of them, except this one, were completed instantaneously. Why the delay? We can only assume from the scriptural precedent set that Jesus was consistently perfect in His purposefulness. There were no truly unplanned encounters with Jesus as He took each and every individual into account when they experienced Him. This blind man is no different.

Here are some implications I see in this passage:

1.     The process and the timing are personal. This man, like us, had his encounter with Jesus exactly when it was meant to be and in the way it was meant to be. When we find ourselves in the aftermath of a painful life situation, God is fully aware of our circumstances. He is sovereign and intimate so His timing and His knowledge are perfect. That can be a source of comfort when it feels as if we are alone and shocked in our pain. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

2.     We learn things about God and ourselves during the healing process that we might miss if the change was spontaneous. The blind man began his encounter seeing nothing. Then he saw partially. Finally his sight was restored completely. The same is true for us as we work through difficult circumstances in our lives. When there are deep relational or personal wounds to heal, the process of growing is every bit as important as the end result. Conversations may need to happen over and over. Forgiveness may need to be offered again and again.  And when we find ourselves saying, “but I’ve already dealt with this!” it may be that God wants to ask us something new and reveal something else to us in the healing process. We should be different when it’s all over. 

3.     The most important part of being healed is being touched by Jesus. Whether your pain has been because of cancer, divorce, broken friendships, or betrayal, you can lift your head off the pillow each morning with hope if you allow yourself to be touched by Jesus in the process. This should be an encouragement, sisters. He loves us tenderly, completely, and with strength. Even in darkness, He is with us and is our comfort. 

4.     After we allow ourselves to heal completely, we will have more of God’s perspective to see clearly. When Jesus touched the blind man a second time “his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (verse 25) We understand God’s purposes better in hindsight. There are some life lessons we simply must experience to internalize. And God’s perspective makes us wise.

As I have walked through both physical and emotional healing in the past few years, I see great value and encouragement in this gospel story. When I wipe my tears and press into God for comfort, I sense His healing touch guiding me toward clear sight and deep breathing. The process isn’t neat. It isn’t easy. And sometimes it takes a really long time to move on. That’s okay. God’s not going anywhere until you’re completely healed. And even then, He wants to stay with us for the next challenge, loving us and shaping us more and more into His image. Thanks be to God!

• If you feel stuck emotionally or relationally, how can you lean into God, allowing Him to ask you, “do you see anything”? Sometimes just pausing to look at a situation from God’s perspective can open our eyes to how we’ve already grown and changed.

• This blind man was brought to Jesus by friends. Pray about who God may want you to bring to Him for healing in a difficult time. Look for opportunities to speak truth to them and love them toward God. Go to God in prayer, like these friends, begging Jesus to touch the one you love. 

Preparation and Anticipation

As I write this I am sitting at my friend's dining room table, looking out over her busy suburban neighborhood. Pedestrians with umbrellas and backpacks are making their way to the bus stop or the grocery store. Cars and bikes are taking residents to their morning destinations. Birds are singing and I see some spring blue sky poking through the rain-laden clouds from last night. The funny thing is I traveled from Seattle to Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany to witness this peaceful scene! My friend and I had been planning and anticipating this visit for two or three weeks and here I am!

 

Before I came I checked the weather forecast to choose an appropriate wardrobe. I did laundry to be sure my good jeans were clean. And I did some research online about Frankfurt and the surrounding area to get some ideas about what to see while I'm here. My friend and I emailed, facebooked and talked on the phone, getting more and more excited to spend time together. She always says that all you need to get on the plane is a passport and a credit card because you can buy what you need when you arrive, but both of us enjoy the preparation and anticipation that a new travel experience brings.

 

So you may be wondering if there is a spiritual implication to all this or if I'm just indulging my desire to have my own travel blog. I do have a point. Just before I left home I read the following passage from Leviticus about preparing and anticipating something big:

 

 

                On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. ²  He said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the LORD. ³ Then say to the Israelites: 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb - both a year old and without defect - for a burnt offering, ⁴ and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the LORD, together with a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.'" 

                ⁵ They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the LORD. ⁶ Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you."

                ⁷ Moses said to Aaron, "come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded."  (Leviticus 9:1-7)

 

Here's what jumped out to me: the second half of verses 4 and 6. Why are Aaron and the other leaders doing all this? Why are they finding the right animals and slaughtering them in just the right way? For today the Lord will appear to you in all His glory. And for Aaron and the others to be in the right place spiritually they needed to prepare. In this case, they needed to prepare the animals for sacrifice. In our case, Paul tells us (via the Romans a couple thousand years ago) to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1). We are the sacrifice we bring to God. Lives that reflect and respect Him.

 

There is no definite pattern or prediction to how God will choose to reveal Himself to us in all His glory. There are precedents, both scriptural and experiential, for God's glory to appear to individuals and to groups of people. For a specific purpose and for teaching people about Himself. He may overwhelm us or reveal Himself in small doses as His perfect plan dictates. That being said, I think there is something to the idea of anticipating and preparing for being in God's Presence and seeing how He will move among us. This may include preparing our hearts and minds for the day by reading a short devotional or settting aside time on Saturday night to prepare ourselves for the corporate worship experience of church on Sunday morning. The priests of the Old Testament went through elaborate rituals before they could come into the Holy Place to be in God's Presence. With our casual church services and somewhat lackadaisical approach to authority and tradition today, there can be a tendency to apply those same standards to God. We shouldn't. Our Father in Heaven is not "The Big Guy Upstairs" or "god" with a little g. He is I AM. The Alpha and Omega. Judge and Creator of all mankind and the universe. When we approach the throne of grace with confidence, we are not approaching without reverence and awe. He is our Father, but He is also the One who can pierce our souls with the conviction of His Word. He knit us together in our mother's womb, but He also causes earthquakes, hurricanes and the Northern Lights.

 

When we rush into God's Presence or fail to adequately prepare our hearts to hear or see Him move in our lives, we run the risk of missing the very specific and unique thing He may want to do in us. And we fool ourselves to think that whatever we have going on is more urgent or more important than slowing down to meet with our Savior. And how great it is to have the experience with God and share it in the community of believers. Look at the effect Aaron's preparation had on the rest of the Israelite community later in this chapter:

 

 

                    ²² Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.

                    ²³ Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the  people. ²⁴ Fire came down from the presence fo the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

 

What!? How awesome does that sound?! Aaron and Moses obediently prepared to come into God's Presence, in anticipation of experiencing His glory. In response, God appeared to the whole community and sent fire to consume the sacrificial offerings they had made. And the people fell down and shouted. What else could they do?! I want that kind of experience with God, don't you? I want to be in His presence and see His glory and be completely consumed by Him in all areas of my life. Because whether we have the encounter with God individually or corporately, the community of believers benefits from each of us being connected to God. I see it in you and you see it in me. We are connected in Christ. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ...if one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:12, 26) 

 

Let us prepare our hearts in anticipation of God's glory being among us. And let us encourage one another with our God stories as we grow closer to Him and see more and more of His glory among us. Amen?

 

• How do you prepare to come into God's Presence? Quiet times? Sunday morning? What can you do to remind yourself to prepare differently?


• Share a God eperience with someone this week and ask to hear someone else's God experience. You may even want to share your experience on the Cuppa Joe page!


• Pray for eyes to see God's glory around you this week. And encourage those around you in the community of believers to do the same.

Learning From the Best

Learning From the Best

I have a friend I like to learn with. She will be smiling as she reads this, and laughing out loud by the end of the paragraph. Years ago, we were looking at pictures and were both convinced that my head looked bigger than everyone else’s. But how to be sure? Out came the tape measure and I was happy to learn that our heads are exactly the same size! Since that evening there have been years of measurements, looking up words in the dictionary, finding answers in atlases, and various other kinds of research to enhance our knowledge. We are so characterized by our love of acquiring facts that our motto for years has been, “when we learn, everybody wins!”

Love of learning is the root of teaching. Many teachers I know like certain aisles at the bookstore or the smell of a library. I fall into both categories. Shocking, I know. But who better to appreciate good music than a musician? Who better to appreciate good food than a chef? So I submit that a teacher appreciates learning as much as any of her students – probably more. But can appreciation turn into criticism? I think we see examples of that among the Pharisees of Jesus’ time. And then there is a refreshing exception. Look at the following passage:

          28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

          29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

          32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

          34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28 -34)

A teacher debating a teacher. How much would you pay for tickets to see that? I guess the answer depends on how much you like the smell of a library. Being a teacher myself, I’d love ringside seats. But this conversation has more to it than simply an intellectual tête-à-tête between religious scholars. I get the sense, based on Jesus’ response to the man, that the distance between his head and his heart was closing and that he recognized the real authority with which Jesus taught as coming from God Himself. Why do I believe this? Consider:

1)   In verses 32 and 33, the teacher of the law doesn’t simply parrot back to Jesus what He just said. He paraphrases, in what appears to be an attempt at understanding. When the teacher said, “you are right in saying….” I don’t believe he was telling Jesus, “good job!” In fact, what he seems to be saying is, “what you just said confirms what I’ve suspected. Not only are these the most important commandments, but I’m seeing that you are the person critical to my full understanding of God.” That’s huge! This teacher of the law is beginning to emerge from the bonds of slavery to the law!

2)   In verse 34, Jesus responds to the teacher’s comment by saying, “you are not far from the kingdom of God”. This implies that comprehension and assimilation of the values of God is a process. Learning the depths of anything, especially the truths of our Creator, takes time and effort. And this teacher is making progress.

3)   Finally, Jesus saw that the teacher of the law had answered wisely. Wisdom and revelation only come from God. And there are several examples in the gospels of Jesus calling out some Pharisee for what was going on in his head or his heart – sometimes without that person even realizing himself what his motivation may have been. But here we see only affirmation in Jesus’ interaction with this learned man. No rebuke, no exclamation marks, just patient listening and teaching. Jesus saw the light of comprehension in the man and shut down all future discussion by the end of the conversation. “And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. Bam!

So what’s the difference between this man’s encounter with Jesus and the others we read about in the gospels? (See Matthew 15:1-20, Luke 10:25-37, and Luke 11:37-54 for a few examples.) The difference is found in Paul’s wise adage written to the Corinthian Christians: Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). What was the motivation of the Pharisees and others who asked Jesus theological questions? They were to feel or look better before others by trying to trap Jesus and prove to the people that they were still the ones with power and authority. Their motivation was self-centered.

The teacher in the passage in Mark, on the other hand, comes from a different place. The passage begins by saying that he had seen how Jesus answered some other people who were debating Him and so he decided to engage, too. He sensed wisdom and authority in Jesus that was lacking among his peers – the other teachers and religious leaders. And he wanted to learn from the best. 

That’s the question for us. Do we want to have knowledge about God that puffs us up and makes us look important and smart to the people around us? Or are we truly seeking to have an encounter with Jesus? Are we trying to puff up or build up with what we learn? 

 

• Read Luke 11:37-54. Compare Jesus’ response to this Pharisee to the teacher of the law in Mark 12. How is Jesus’ heart different toward each of them? Why? What do you think motivated each of the men to engage Jesus?

• Do you consider yourself teachable? Take note of your attitude and thoughts as you approach Scripture or sermons or any learning opportunity this week. Do you ever think you’ve already learned this and it’s boring or a waste of time? What can you do to move your heart closer to the place of the teacher who sought a real encounter with God in learning?

Desperate Prayers of The Poor and Needy

Do you ever find that you want to listen to different kinds of music depending on your mood? I am simply mad over the song by the Foo Fighters, Pretender. Mad, I tell you. And I’ve got that thing cranked so loud on my ipod when I’m on the elliptical machine at the gym that I’m surprised my ears aren’t bleeding when I’m done.

But when I’m chopping veggies for dinner or sitting by the fireplace on a winter evening, a little Bach goes a long way. And in my reflective moments, when I’m seeking God in a deeper way, connecting to my longings for Him and His ways, there are some great tunes that say exactly what I’m feeling and they release the tension in my soul a little.

Scripture is like that for me, too. Especially the psalms. The writers of those poems and songs had experiences just like me – well, I was never chased in the desert by someone who wanted to kill me, but other than that, pretty similar. King David sinned and felt remorse. So have I. He felt betrayed and angry. So have I. Occasionally he would bust out in spontaneous song or exclamation because he was so grateful or excited or joyful over what God had done in his life. So have I. That gives me comfort that I’m not alone in my emotional wanderings. I’m not a freak. Not because of that stuff, anyway.

Have you ever felt like this?

⁸ I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

⁹ All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

¹⁰ My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.

²¹ O LORD, do not forsake me;

be not far from me, O my God.

²² Come quickly to help me,

O Lord my Savior. (Psalm 38: 8-10; 21-22)

In a position of weakness, pain and desolation, with no hope but the Savior of your soul, who seems far away and silent. You’ve laid out your complaints, your heartache, and your deepest desire. You are just done. And nothing changes. You know that God knows your situation, but that doesn’t change it.

What does David pray for and what should we pray for in those times? Look at the second half of verse 21 – be not far from me, O God. The nearness of God’s Presence. The woman in the gospel account who had been bleeding for 12 years and thought, if I could only touch his cloak, I would be healed. She sensed it. The four men who lowered their crippled friend through the roof of a house just to hear Jesus and be near Him. They sensed it. And we know that the bleeding woman was healed and so was the paralyzed man. How did David’s multiple crises affect him? Psalm 40 gives some insight.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

³ He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the LORD.

(Psalm 40:1-3)

All but the last line are past tense, indicating that all the good things David is describing here have happened to him. And yet, verse 17 tells us that not everything is hunky dory:

¹⁷ Yet I am poor and needy;

may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

O my God, do not delay.

Can two such seemingly contradictory truths coexist? Can I remember past positive experiences with God and still be in anguish? If David’s life is any indication, yes. If my own life experience is any indication, yes. What’s more, remembering the times God has come through for me, touched my heart with His Presence and transformed me in the process, allows me – no, compels me to have hope for the future.

This is one reason I find journaling to be so important. Like the beginning of Psalm 40, my journal entries of God’s activity in my life remind me that those experiences were, in fact, real. I did sense His Presence. I did hear His voice. The last time I groaned in anguish and laid out my longings before God, He met me. He answered my prayer and He moved me from one reality to another. It really happened. So, here I am again, in that place of emotional poverty and desperation, and I can trust that He hears me and will be not far from me.

In addition to knowing God more deeply because of the emotional turmoil He’s taken me through, these painful experiences show those around us what it looks like to trust in God. Psalm 40:3 says, “many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD”. God can use my distress to reveal Himself to others.

---------------
• Read all of Psalm 38 and Psalm 40. Underline or write in a journal key verses that resonate with you. It may be past or present circumstances, but make a note of that which seems to figuratively jump off the page at you. Turn those into prayers to God: prayers of thanksgiving or sighing or whatever….

• This week spend some time reflecting on a time when you were in a position like David describes in Psalm 38. What was the outcome? How are you different because of it? If you are in the middle of it, be honest with God like David was and ask Him to be near you.

Bible Minute Lesson 8

Chasing After Wind

What is the wind? According to several sources I found, including my 7^th grade son and his science book, wind is air moving from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Wind is caused when the earth’s surface is unevenly heated by the sun. Since warm air rises and cool air descends, and because the earth is constantly moving, the air becomes wind. Why would anyone chase the wind? It seems that chasing after wind is the epitome of a meaningless pursuit, don’t you think? And King Solomon would agree. In one of his more reflective seasons of life, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. And I have been spending some time there as well, trying to figure out things like the meaning of life, my personal purpose, and how to find satisfaction for my heart. Just little things to keep a girl busy in the rainy winter months… 

In the twelve chapters of Ecclesiastes Solomon uses the expression “a chasing after wind” at least 8 times. And he describes all the things in life he has found to be “meaningless” as such thirty times. With this mood to the book, one might rename it “The Why Bother Chapters” unless we decide to dig in, ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, and open our minds to something greater. I feel pretty confident that we’ll find something.

As I was reading through Ecclesiastes this section really resonated with me:

¹¹ He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is a gift from God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. (Ecclesiastes 3:11-14)

This isn’t one of the sections describing man’s pursuits as meaningless or chasing after wind, but I see a description of a tension here that I relate to. It’s the tension of having eternity in our hearts, placed there by God Himself, and yet a limited capacity to understand or enjoy eternal things. This creates a certain amount of anxiety in our lives as we bump against our limitations in this life to comprehend realities in eternity. God is eternal and His own glory is His highest priority. And in revealing His glory, He gives us a gift – the gift to enjoy Him and the lives He gave us. He has given us the ability to work, to enjoy food and drink, to engage in relationships, and to find Him in all of it. So why do we chase wind and sometimes miss God entirely?

Wind has power and we see its effects – both productively and destructively. I see a windmill produce energy, and I see the devastation of a tornado. I would submit that we chase after things in our lives that look like they would create some energy, but end up destroying us or leaving us empty. And I think most of what we chase falls into one of four categories: pleasure, possession, power, or projects. 

Pleasure: Is it easier to be still and hear from God in an unpleasant season of life or anesthetize myself with food or drink or television or shopping, etc. to dull the pain? Best case scenario, my pain pops up again when the drug of choice wears off and I am left with the inner gnawing of the guilt of my weakness combined with the original unease that I still have not dealt with. Worst case scenario, I’ve got a full-blown addiction on my hands. 

Possession: There are plenty of references in the Bible discouraging us from putting our faith in what money can buy. And anyone who has bought a brand new car knows the chagrin of the first ding or scratch. It feels for just a moment like the car owns me and not the other way around, doesn’t it? And a woman’s manner of letting materialism move in and take root in our hearts can be insidious and divisive. Who has a bigger diamond? Prettier house? Nicer clothes? More expensive car? We chase after it, even when we know it won’t last.

Power: Would that the male gender had a corner on the market of this vice. Alas, it is not so. Am I alone in wanting to control some situation or some person in my life? Chasing after influence or placing our reputation above the quality of relationships is meaningless and a chasing after wind. 

Projects: If I am defined by what I accomplish in my job or in my home or in athletics, etc. then it is likely that I will not experience the satisfaction Solomon talks about in Ecclesiastes. Instead, I will forever be focused on the next achievement or completed task, thereby missing the joy that comes in the beauty of life that surrounds me. 

(As a side note, I believe that women can use beauty in any of these categories: the pleasure of a pedicure, possessing expensive accessories, influencing others by virtue of appearance, and constant attention to outward improvement. I’m just sayin’…)

So if God has put eternity in our hearts and has given us the gift to enjoy the pleasures of this life, why do we often feel empty? One reason may be that we were not meant to be too comfortable here. Look at these verses from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians:

¹ Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,  ³ ... For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1-6)

We were created for eternity; that’s why God put it in our hearts. That tension we feel should drive us toward God and cause us to long for eternity. When we give in to the meaningless chasing after pleasure, possessions, power or projects, we let ourselves be lulled into a false sense of satisfaction that’s just a distraction. We may also legitimately feel dissatisfaction in life because God wants the unrest to produce something in our souls. Either way, the process of running to Him for solace, guidance and deep satisfaction is the means and the ends to our issues. 

• This week ask yourself why you’re going after your goals in life. Do the things that take the bulk of your time and energy give you satisfaction? Do you see God in them? Or are they effective distractions – meaningless chasing after wind? I look forward to hearing what you discover. 

Be Still and Move On! (Part 2)

Has anybody besides me heard a parent say to a crying child, “I’ll give you something to cry about!”? And did the irony strike you then or not until later? Clearly that child already has something to cry about and an overabundance of cause won’t improve his disposition! The situation in Exodus 14 reminds me of this because when we left the Hebrews last week, they were crying out to God with the Egyptians on their tails and the Red Sea looming ahead of them. But God’s ways are not our ways, and He does not react the way an angry parent would when a child is crying. This week we will see the powerful and amazing way God responds to His children to bring them closer to His ultimate plan for them.

Last week’s lesson looked at the meaning behind the words “be still”. Here are the key verses we looked at:

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

In this chapter of Exodus, Moses reassures the frightened Hebrews that God will do something; they just need to stop complaining. Moses knows that he isn’t the one who’s going to provide an answer to their dilemma, and I have no doubt that he was uttering a few prayers to God in his head, too. And now that we know that “be still” really refers to a lack of verbiage more than a lack of motion, verse 15 makes more sense. God can tell the Hebrews to move on because He knows that He is about to do an amazing work before them by parting the Red Sea so they can move on! But then we are faced with another dilemma: if Moses tells the people to be still and let God fight for them, why does God seem so irritated that they are crying out in the first place? This word is used several times in the Old Testament to describe people appealing to God for help, summoning Him to rescue them. Doesn’t God want us to do that? The Psalms and other places seem to encourage us to be real and honest with God about our emotions. So why is God rebuking the Hebrews for doing just that here?

I believe that what God is really saying to the Hebrews is, “Why are you still crying out to me when I’ve provided the answer to your prayer?” Here is deliverance. And it is not to the left or to the right, but straight ahead. Is it what the Hebrews expected? Maybe. But probably not.

There is a time to pour out our hearts to God and there is a time for us to take action. This is the pattern here and it’s a pattern in the New Testament, too. In John 11, Jesus comes to raise Lazarus from the dead. He arrives in Bethany to weeping women who are mourning the loss of their brother. They are crying out to God – for comfort, for peace. God wants to show them His love and His power over death so Jesus, feeling compassion for these women he loves, moves in God’s power and timing to raise Lazarus from the grave. But the stone is not miraculously removed. Jesus asks those present to move the stone (verse 39). That done, all that remained was for God to do what only God could do – “Lazarus, come out!” God will raise the dead; you just move the stone.

After Jesus’ resurrection, he appears to some of the disciples as they are fishing (John 21). They’ve been out all night with no luck. Had they been crying out to God in that time? If not audibly, I’m guessing in other ways. Their rabbi and leader had just been killed and resurrected, but their idea of His Kingdom still seemed far from materializing. And here they were, back to fishing like they’d always done, except this time there are no fish. What had it all meant? What were they supposed to do now? And Jesus appears, telling them to let down the nets on the right side of the boat to find some fish. Was there a moment when Peter and his companions were thinking, “Oh, the right side! Why didn’t we think of that? Thanks a lot, mister!” (They didn’t recognize Jesus at this point, or I’m sure they wouldn’t have called Him “mister”.) And what happens? There are so many fish the disciples can hardly bring them in. God will bring the fish; you just cast the net.

The expression to move on in this chapter of Exodus is found other places in Scripture as well. It means to go elsewhere, do something else, progress, get going to the next thing, uproot, advance. God says in Exodus 14:15, “Tell the Israelites to move on.” This is not the end of the plan I have for you; it’s only the beginning. God’s glory is about to move from leading them in front of the group to protecting them from behind (Exodus 14:19-20). He has done the communicating; Moses has his instructions. He has done the leading; there is no direction to move except forward. He has covered their rears; there’s a huge pillar of fire protecting them from the enemy Egyptians. What’s left to do? Move on! God will part the sea; you just take the first step.

How about a 21^st century example? You are reading this study because God has been teaching me this very lesson. I started Cuppa Joe Bible Minute because I sensed God saying, “I’ve given you unique life experiences and a passion for making the Bible clear to women. I’ve freed up your schedule and given you friends and family to encourage you and give you feedback. Why are you crying out to me? Move on.” And I wrote the first lesson. Scary first step? You bet. Was there a risk that I hadn’t heard God right and this was just me making things up? Yep. But how would I know unless I moved? That’s how God can build our faith. He’ll bring the fish (finances, job, mate) if I cast the net. He’ll raise the dead (dreams, relationships) if I move the stone. He’ll part the sea (circumstances, obstacles, temptations) if I take a step.

What’s God asking you to do in response to what only He can do? He may be saying, “I’ll repair the marriage; you work on being kind, compassionate, and forgiving.” Or maybe, “I’ll take care of your financial future; you keep doing your best at work for My Glory.” It might sound like this, “I will change this person’s heart; you speak the truth in love.” Sometimes it just comes down to this: I have to shut up, look up, then get up!

• What area of life are you asking God to change? Finances? Job? Relationships? Temptation?

• How can you incorporate the process – shut up, look up, and get up – into your prayers and life?

“And now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Be Still and Move On!

When I was a little girl my slightly eccentric grandmother used to sing me a song with some crazy opposites in it. It went like this: ‘Twas midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight. The sun was shining brightly for it rained all day that night. A barefoot boy with shoes on stood sitting in the grass… come to think of it, the rest of it wasn’t really the kind of thing you repeat on a Bible Study website, but you get the idea.

This week’s passage gave me a similar feeling. Read it and see if you know the part I’m talking about. (Hint: it’s in the title of the lesson.)

-------------

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." (Exodus 14:5-18)

-----------------------------------

What’s The Story? God has just brought a million Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and into the wild desert to form for Himself a new nation and Moses is leading them toward the Promised Land by God’s instructions. Pharaoh is not happy about it and God allows him to chase after the Hebrews to bring Himself more glory and establish Himself as their God. In verse 14 Moses says, “be still” and in verse 15 God tells the Israelites to move on. Well, which is it? Does the Bible contradict itself? Was Moses not speaking for God here? Or do I just not understand the bigger perspective? I’ll put my money on option #3. Let’s see if we can get a handle on it.

It’s All About Context. When one part of Scripture is hard to understand it’s good to do two things: First, look at the verses before and after the confusing ones. Secondly, look at some other places in the Bible where that same word or concept is used to see if the combination of contexts unlocks some meaning. Strangely, this exact Hebrew phrase, “be still”, does not occur any other place in the Old Testament. There is a similar expression used in Psalm 46:10 that you may be familiar with. The English translation is the same, but the original Hebrew is different. I will give you the verses immediately preceding the one we’re looking at, as well.

“Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolation he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:8 - 10)

Both passages carry with them the connotation of submitting one’s will to a greater power. However, the Hebrew term in Psalm 46 means to hang limp, lose courage, or withdraw. There is a military connection here as the preceding verses in this psalm describe God’s power to make wars and conquer enemies. The very specific and unique term used in Exodus, on the other hand, means to become silent or deaf. To hold one’s tongue. In both places the message is clear: God is God and we are not.

Moses is telling the Hebrews to be quiet and watch for God’s movement because God has been speaking to him and he’s beginning to believe that great things are about to happen. But talking is sometimes noise that can get in the way of experiencing God’s activity. It was true for the Hebrews and it’s true for us. And just like there is a difference in a truly satisfying conversation with a friend and chit chat, there is a difference between genuinely voicing what’s in our hearts to God and simply complaining and making noise because life isn’t turning out the way we want it to.

We see examples of both kinds of communication here. Look at the kind of talking that’s going on in verse 10: They [the Hebrews] were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They were afraid and turned to God for help. Is that the kind of talking God likes to hear? I believe Scripture points to an affirmative response. He wants to be our refuge in times of trouble and He wants to hear our hurts and deepest emotions. Verse 10 is not noise; it is a genuine outpouring of emotion to the God who is their only hope of being saved.

Verses 11 and 12, however, are different. Look at the object and tone of these Hebrews’ communication: They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” First of all, these Hebrews are not crying out to God for help; they are crying out to Moses in anger. Big difference. Secondly, there’s not much in their appeal that calls for a response; they are just complaining. That’s why Moses’ response in verse 14 makes sense. He says, in essence, to the Hebrews who are truly afraid, “the LORD will fight for you”. Reassurance. To the Hebrews who are complaining about him, he tells them that if they would be quiet and look for God, they would see Him because He is their only chance out of the situation they’re in.

What about you? In your relationship with God, do you tend to go to Him first with your deepest emotions? Or do you tend to go to other people to voice your complaints? I feel the conviction immediately as I write these words that I am guilty too many times of the latter. Is it a lack of faith? Is it just easier? Am I too busy or too lazy to do the work of being still and silent before the God who made me and loves me madly? This week’s assignment may help us get to some of the root issues. If we dare. Here’s the challenge:

1. Choose a part of a day in the coming week to be still before God. Don’t talk; don’t read the Bible; don’t answer the phone. Be alone and purpose to silence yourself before God. If you hear Him speak to you, write it down or respond another way that seems appropriate to you. But you may also just want to enjoy the time in quiet. You may want to ask Him to speak to you about something specific, or let Him guide the time you spend together.

2. Spend time another day in quiet with God, but this time begin by acknowledging His power, His sovereignty, and His holiness. You may want to begin with a worship song or hymn to kick off your time. Or read some of the Psalms that extol God’s character. Be still in response to His greatness and ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a new way.

3. When you have completed both experiences, spend some time reflecting on them. What did you hear? How did it feel to connect with God in this way? How were the times different? How were they similar? How will you incorporate what you’ve experienced/learned into your future times with God? Explore and share with someone the various aspects of your experience.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is as you take the challenge to spend time alone with God, listening to His voice in your deepest place – the place where only you and He can go together. I look forward to hearing about your experiences.