When we read about these things in the Old Testament, we can easily think “What does any of this have to do with me? How can God speak to me through these parts of the Bible?”
The fact is that God speaks to us through all parts of the Bible. The Holy Spirit can make it all relevant to our lives today ….. if we open our minds and listen.
I am reading 2 Chronicles about all the religious reforms King Hezekiah made when he became king. He purified the temple. He consecrated the articles of the temple and he led the people in all types of sacrifices and offerings. When they were done, he told them, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD.” 2 Chronicles 29:31.
As I read, God talks to me about consecrating my life since Jesus’ death and resurrection has made me a temple of God’s Spirit. This means cleansing my life – taking anything out that is not helping me grow my relationship with God. This is one of my favorite phrases – ‘what we feed, grows.” This might mean changing channels on the TV or changing sites that we check out on our computers. It could mean stopping magazine subscriptions or avoiding the types of the books we used to read. Maybe we need to change the kind of music we listen to? There might be people in our lives that we should give less time and less influence.
Consecrating and dedicating my life to God also means to stop focusing on my own desires and and keep my eyes open to what God is doing and what he wants me to do.
I want to live my life your way from now on, Abba Father.
Every time I look at the faces of my grandchildren who start smiling when they are still super teeny, I am reminded,
God is good.
My husband, Dave, and I are celebrating 43 years of marriage in two weeks and I am reminded,
God is good.
My calendar is filled with good times and special moments with people I love and I am reminded,
God is good.
I am completely confident in this truth –
My God is good.
During the dedication of the Lord’s Temple in 1 Kings, we read that “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
“He is good; his love endures forever.” 2 Chron. 5:13.
I smile when I think about how my voice saying “God is good” joins with an enormous crowd of people who have praised and loved God down through the ages. When I say these words, I am joining with all believers through all of history. I hear the angels praising God with us, filling the heavens with gratitude through all eternity.
These words were true back when King Solomon built the temple and they remain true today. When I became absolutely convinced that God is good, peace filled my soul The truth is, no matter how bad or crazy or painful things in my life or in your life look or feel, God is good. Our circumstances do not change this fact.
When I became faithful in seeking you, God, you lifted me out of the slimy pit of my rebellion and sin. You rescued me from the deep mud of my bad choices. You pulled me out of the mire I created by trying to do things ‘my way’.
I am now solidly planted on you, my Rock. I have a new song of love and praise to sing to you.
I pray that many others will also decide to put their trust in you, God.
Father, you bless those who trust in you. We are wise when we put you first in our lives and don’t follow the example of others who are only focused on themselves.
You have great things planned for us, the faithful. You have done many awesome things – there is nothing and no one to compare you to.
You don’t want me to just read the Bible and go to church. You want my eyes to be open to your truth. You want my obedience.
You don’t want me to just give my money to the church – you want me to passionately care about the things you care about.
You don’t want me to close my eyes to pray and start down my list of requests. You want a relationship with me. You want a conversation. Most of all, you desire listening ears and a softened heart.
Hear me, LORD, and answer me, I need you. I am a faithful servant who trusts you – save me.
You are my God, have mercy on me as I call out to you all day long. I trust you, God. Please give me joy.
You are so good. When I walk close with you, your love and forgiveness overwhelm me. There is no other god like you. Everything you have created joins together to worship you. You are great and marvelous. You alone are God.
I want to learn all about you, LORD, so I can build my life on your truth. Give me an undivided heart which is focused on loving and honoring you.
I will praise you, God, with all my heart forever.
Each day I feel your great love for me. Keep me safe.
I am surrounded by arrogant and confused people who don’t believe in you, God. But I know you are a compassionate and gracious God, overflowing with love and faithfulness.
Open my eyes to what you doing, God. Have mercy on me and save me just like you have done for those who have gone before me. Show me your goodness, LORD, so that others around me will see what a great God you are.
The LORD takes care of me each day. He provides everything I need.
My Father guides me on the right path – he knows what is best for me. He gives me exactly what my soul longs for as I walk closely beside him.
I can always trust my Father’s guidance.
Even when I’m going through the darkest, most painful times of my life, Father, I have no fear. You are with me. You comfort me.
You pour out blessings on my life. Even those around me who don’t want the best for me can see how well you take care of me.
You fill my mind with your truth as I continue to study your Word and grow in my knowledge of you.
I am overwhelmed by your love for me. Your goodness and grace fill all the days of my life here on earth. And I am 100% certain of what happens to me when my time here on earth is done – I will go to live with my Abba Father forever.
It’s time to tell you something that is a really big deal to me…..
but I couldn’t talk about it.
If you have been following my blogs, you know that I’m not sentimental about very many things but I am sentimentally attached to my wedding ring. My husband and I are in our 43rd year of marriage and I think right around year 15 we switched out my teeny, tiny, cheap wedding ring that was all we could afford since we got married when we were still going to college. We bought a nice ring – I described it as exchanging my ‘chip’ for a ‘carrot”. Then we started a tradition of every 5 years growing the ‘carrots’ or adding additional small rings. My ring became a symbol to me of all the blessings and hard work involved when you stay married over many decades.
Our 35th wedding anniversary was 4 days after my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty. Obviously, there was barely a mention of our anniversary. After the dust settled and we could take a breath, we went and added a bunch of small blue sapphires to my ring – a way to always remember Davey. That was when my ring became the only jewelry I regularly wear other than my blue memorial bracelet with Davey’s name on it.
It was also when my ring took on a higher level of importance to me.
If you’ve been following me, you also know I regularly take my ring to a major jewelry store to be cleaned and checked because they insure the stones if one of them should fall out. Three years ago I took it in and a stone was loose so they sent it in to be fixed.
A couple of days after dropping it off, I received a call telling me the ring – along with a whole box of other’s people’s jewelry – was stolen. I couldn’t believe it! I never take the ring off except at night and there is only one place it goes when I take it off. I never take it off because I don’t want to lose it. The manager of the jewelry store cried with me on the phone and then told me they would replace it. I was surprised what a good job they did of replacing it – it looked like my old one and they actually added some value to it. It didn’t make up for not being ‘my ring’ but there was nothing else to be done.
The new part of this story starts last November when we were in Phoenix mainly to spend time with our grandchildren who live there – Davey’s two children. The last day we were there, I woke up, got dressed and reached for my ring in the ring box I always put it in at night when I travel.
It wasn’t there!
I immediately knew I was in big trouble because I had absolutely no where else I could look. No where I would put it. There is no scenario that makes sense in figuring out why it wasn’t in that box.
We were staying in an Airbnb and I spent several hours that day looking everywhere for my ring. I spent most of that time in the area around the night table next my bed where my ring box was because that is the only place I took it off. I spent a lot of time facedown on the floor with a flashlight hoping to see a sparkle show up somewhere.
Nothing. So we went home. I let the owners of the place know I had lost it in case they found it. They contacted me a day later saying they looked everywhere and couldn’t find it. I continued having the feeling that the ring wasn’t gone so I looked through all of my bags and suitcases – every pocket, every corner – several times. Nothing.
I also discovered that the loss of my ring was not covered under my home owners insurance unless I had a special rider. I’m sharing that information in case you didn’t know it.
So I got out my mother’s wedding ring and just told myself I was fine – I would wear her ring for the rest of my life. It’s a great ring. But I wanted my ring. I found out I couldn’t talk about – it was just too much. The last of my three older brothers had just passed away, leaving me the only one of my immediate family left. I lost my mother and father, all three of my older brothers, and I had lost my son. Losing my ring took me over the edge and I felt I had hit the place where I had lost way too much, I couldn’t talk about.
The only person I talked to about it was God – and I talked to him often. Whenever I was upset about my ring, I would tell God, ” I know you know where my ring is, and I want you to give it back to me.” When I was in a better mood, I would ask him to give it back to me and I would add a ‘please”. I continued to do this for months.
Then, last month in March, we went back to Phoenix to spend time with our grand children and friends. We stayed at the same Airbnb and I felt that my ring was there, it was not gone. So I continued to look for it all over including getting facedown on the floor with a flashlight by my nightstand which was the only place I would have taken it off. Nothing.
We came home to Denver and started unpacking. Right before we left our Airbnb, I saw a pair of socks on the floor in front of my nightstand and I grabbed them. I had used these every day as my ‘travel slippers’. I stuck them in a side pocket of my backpack – a pocket I never usually used.
While unpacking, I grabbed the socks out of the side pocket and threw them in the clothes hamper. I noticed something else was in the pocket so I looked – and there was my ring!!
Unbelievable!
I yelled to my husband who was in the bathroom- “Guess what I just found!” He could tell it was a big deal so he said, “Your ring!” Yep – there it was, in this side pocket of my backpack in one of those open, netted pockets that you put a bottle of water in.
How did it get in there?
I can tell you some of the waysit didn’t get in there –
I know for certain it wasn’t in that pocket when we got home from Phoenix in November. I looked in every corner and pocket of every bag, suitcase, backpack, several times – including that pocket.
I know for certain it wasn’t in those socks. I wore them every day and they were sitting right where I was laying facedown on the floor several times that week with a flashlight looking for my ring.
I have decided I will probably never know how my ring got in that pocket. I will never know where it was for 4 months.
I have no idea how I lost it, but I definitely know Who gave it back to me.
Hear my prayers, Father, and show me your compassion. I will hide myself in your shadow until my fears and worries go away.
I ask that you fulfill your purposes for my life. I know the angels of heaven are fighting my battles and they will give me victory.
Your love and faithfulness never leave me, Father.
I am surrounded by the evil one who is trying to take pieces of me and devour me.
But I still praise you, God. May your glorious light shine over all the earth.
My enemy sets traps for me – especially when I am weary and distressed. The evil one digs deep pits in my path but then he falls into them himself.
I am confident in you, oh God. My heart sings your praises. I awake every morning with a song of praise to you. Thank you for your love and faithfulness which has no end.
I praise you, Father. May your glorious light shine over all the earth.
O God, you are my God. I am searching for you with all my heart.
My soul needs you. My whole being longs to be close to you in this empty, weary and very confused world. I treasure the precious time I get to spend with you.
I have personally witnessed your power and glory. I praise you for your love which makes this life worth living.
I will lift my hands and heart up to you in praise for as long as I live. Only you can fill the emptiness inside of me and make me sing for joy.
In the darkest part of the night, I remember how much you have loved me in the past and how much you have promised to love me in the future. My heart sings for joy as I cling to your promises and feel your arms around me, holding me safe and securely to your side.
The Evil One and his team are all around me, Father, trying to ruin me. But I know you are fighting my battles, God, and you have already won the war.
I rejoice in you, God. All who know the Truth know you. Liars will be silenced.
I will lift my praise to you for the rest of my life, Abba Father.
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