Month: January 2020

Please Send Someone Else

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

It’s true.

I’m reading Exodus and Moses – one of the major ancient Patriarchs of Faith – asks God to “Please send someone else.”

What?

God has heard the cries of his people and he chose Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and Moses replies, “Send someone else?”  Moses went through the whole burning bush experience and he still says “Send someone else?”

Do I ever do this?

Do you?

I think one of the areas that many of us will ask God “Please send someone else” is when God gives us an opportunity to share our faith and share our story.  “Oh, I’m not sure what to say.”  “We might get into a complicated conversation and I won’t have the answers.”

“There is someone else who would be better at this than me.”

Any of those excuses come into your head when people around you start asking questions about God or church or religion or spirituality?

By the way, I love it when someone tells me they are into ‘organized religion’ because I tell them I’m not, either.  But I’m totally into having a personal relationship with God.  And God is very clear in his Word that part of having a relationship with him is also having relationships with other Christians – a spiritual family.  Many of those of those families meet in church buildings.

I love it when people around me start asking spiritual questions because that means God is moving in their lives.  He is opening their eyes and softening their heart – making them think about him.  Even if the person expresses their searching aggressively like, “How could you possibly believe this stuff?”, God is moving in their brain, stirring things up.

So when people around you or I show any type of interest in God or ask any kind of question, that is God inviting us to show his love to this person, be a witness to what God has done in our life and plant a seed.  We can be authentic when we don’t know all the answers and admit we’re on the journey of faith ourselves – seeking God and growing in our knowledge and love for him.  That’s where faith comes in – believing and trusting even when we don’t understand it all.

So the next time someone around one of us starts talking about ‘spirituality’ or God, let’s share a short, recent story about an experience we have had with God, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give us the right words and help us to be quiet and listen at the right times.

Let’s not say, “Please send someone else.”

Please help us be faithful witnesses to your power and grace and love, Abba Father.

The Pieces……

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

are falling into place.

He’s creating one piece, changing the shape of another and he is moving all in the pieces in the direction they need to go.  Gradually – piece by piece – they will fall into place.

God is the Master Conductor of the Orchestra of Life for those of us who have accepted salvation through Jesus Christ.  God has promised that he is working all things out for the good of those who love him.

His children.

Me.  Piece by piece.

God has been doing this since the beginning of time.  It’s interesting to read how he orchestrates his purpose all through the story of Moses.  When Moses was born, Pharoah had ordered that all Hebrew baby boys must be killed.  Pharoah thought there were too many Hebrew men already and was concerned they could rise up and overpower the Egyptians.

Moses’ parents were able to hide their infant son for 3 months.  When his mother could no longer hide him, she made a water-proof basket for him and placed him in the Nile River.

Very soon, Pharoah’s daughter came down to bathe in the Nile and she saw the basket.

Of course, she did.  God made sure of it.

When she opened the basket, she saw the baby and realized he was a Hebrew child who was very hungry.  Moses’ sister had been watching the basket so she came up to Pharoah’s daughter and asked her if she wanted her to “get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you.”  Pharoah’s daughter agreed and she said she would pay the girl for taking care of the baby.

Of course, she did.  God had this puzzle all figured out.  Only he could arrange a situation where Moses’ mother could publically take care of her son until he was older – and she got paid for it.

This was just the first puzzle piece for Moses.  As we read Exodus, we see God’s hand moving in every step of his life from them on.

This same God wants to be a part of everything that happens to us, too.

Looking back, I can see God orchestrating my life – moving mountains, parting rivers, putting the pieces of my life together in a unique way which only he can do.

As I start a new year, he has told me some of the things he has planned for me but I’m just going to need to trust him for the rest.  I know he loves me and wants the best for me so I am prepared to watch….

and see the puzzle pieces fall right into place.

Thank you, Abba Father.

A Long, Precious History

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Since I was born –

from then to now –

God has been my Shepherd.

So Israel’s (formerly known as Isaac) words echo through my mind as I read in Genesis about how he describes God during his last days on earth, ” God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day.”

Israel and I share the experience of having a long family legacy of faith.

In Genesis 48, Israel is blessing his grandsons – Joseph’s sons – before he breathes his last breath.  This was very serious business and Joseph isn’t happy when Israel switches hands and gives the younger son the greater blessing.

But I know that one of the biggest blessings these grandsons and all of Israel’s grandsons are receiving is the long family history of belief and faith they have been nurtured in since their birth.  It started with their Great, Great Grandfather Abraham and it is being passed down to them.

They have had years and years of role models in their lives of people who followed God and obeyed.  This is a precious blessing that will change their lives forever if they choose to follow in the steps of those who have gone before them.

I have received this blessing as I pursue a life of following God and being faithful to him….

as my mother did….

and my grandmothers…..

and my great grandmothers – on back through history.

If this isn’t true of your family, you have the awesome opportunity to get it started.

Thank you for giving me the blessing of having a long family history of faith, Abba Father.

He is With Me

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

All the time.

Blessing me.

Guiding me.

Loving me.

As I read the story of Joseph in Genesis, I notice that one phrase keeps repeating itself – over and over.

“The Lord was with Joseph.”

Joseph lived in Old Testament times so the Holy Spirit had not yet come to live inside of every believer.  God’s relationship with his people in the Old Testament was very different from now because sin was in the way.  It explains why the Old Testament is full of violence, bloody animal sacrifices and killing.  Our Righteous Father had to keep his distance.   Jesus had not yet given up his life on the cross to pay for all of the sins of the world.

Even so, as we read through the Old Testament, God’s Spirit did come to earth at special times to be  ‘with’ chosen people.

Joseph was one of them.  And Joseph prospered even when his circumstances were not good.

I am so thankful to be living on earth after Jesus came because now the Holy Spirit is ‘with’ everyone who has accepts the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus and puts their faith in him.  Everything good on earth comes from God – even when he doesn’t get the credit.

I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit is ‘with’ me every day – caring for me, counseling me and walking beside me.

And I prosper despite my circumstances….

because God is good, all the time.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

I Am One of Them

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Tonight, let’s all go outside and look up at the stars.

Most of the stars we will see are the same stars Abram (God changes his name to Abraham later) saw when God took him outside and told him to ‘count the stars’.

Then God said to Abram, “So shall your offspring be.”

As we read the Old Testament, it appears like these stars represent the Israelites who became the Jewish nation.  In Galatians, Paul clarifies for us the identity of Abraham’s children.  “Understand, then, that those who have faith are Children of Abraham.”

I am a child of Abraham!

I am represented by one of those stars in the sky on that night over 2,000 years ago when Abram looked up…..

and believed.

Are you?

Thank you, Abba Father, for your faithfulness to Abraham and your faithfulness to me.

 

The Unknown

On By Judy GlasserIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s hard to make decisions about next steps when I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.  There are times when it feels like the unknown is just waiting out there – ready to blow up in my face.

So reading about Abram’s (soon to be Abraham) decision-making in Genesis intrigues me.  First, God tells Abram to leave his homeland to go to “the land I will show you.”

Wow!  Not even a forwarding address on that one!  Just go.  I’ll tell you when to stop.

And the Bible tells us, “So Abram went.”

Abram was role-modeling for me a level of trusting in God that challenges me and make me want to grow my faith.

Then Abram takes a couple of steps back when he deceives the Egyptians by telling them his wife was his sister, creating a significant issue when Pharoah plans to make her his wife.  Abram didn’t trust God to keep him safe in this situation.  The good news is that God intervened and stopped the mess.

Thank you, Father, for stopping some of the messes I was creating before they blew up.

The next time we read about Abram, he is travelling to Canaan with his nephew, Lot.  Their herdsmen are quarreling because together they had too many herds and flocks for the amount of water and food that was available.

They decided to split up and Abram lets Lot pick the best land while he claimed the less fertile hill country.  In this situation, Abram is clearly deciding that his relationship with his nephew was more important than ‘stuff’ like the best piece of land.  Abram knew God well enough to know that God made people a priority over ‘things’ so he knew God would bless his decision.

And God did.

This is such a great lesson for me!  When I don’t know how something is going to work out, I need to use God’s values and follow his heart to determine my next step.  Then I know God will bless my decision.

Please help me love the things that you love, Abba Father.

In the Beginning

On By Judy GlasserIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

So I begin again.  Genesis 1:1.

This is my 9th consecutive year of reading through the Bible.  I’m anticipating great mornings of hearing God’s voice as he speaks to me through his Word.

One of my favorite things about reading the entire Bible is I get a good understanding of God’s overall message on important topics.  Like God’s love – reading the Old Testament and then the New Testament gives me a knowledge of God’s love that I’m not going to get reading a verse here or a chapter there.

I am also hooked on reading the Chronological Bible for several reasons – here are a few:

  • The Old Testament prophets are placed in the story with the king they talked to and in the correct time in history.
  • One of my favorite reasons – the psalms David wrote are placed in his story when he wrote them.  So I read the psalms David wrote while he was hiding from Saul in the cave when David is actually hiding in the cave.
  • The several different and extremely detailed accounts concerning the tabernacle and the temple are combined so I only read them once and they make more sense.
  • The New Testament gospels are combined so it doesn’t feel like I’m reading the same story 4 times.  It’s also interesting to see the differences in perspectives.

The Chronological Bible is not good for in-depth Bible study but it’s a great 2d Bible for reading and comprehension.

So I start again…..

knowing God will open my eyes to more truth this year and he will focus my eyes on truth I already know but need to be reminded of.

In the Beginning.

Thank you for the Bible, Abba Father.