lean on Him... Psalm 62:5-8...

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8 ESV

For God alone...

No other is worthy of our trust...

only God...

He alone... is the one we encourage our souls to wait on... when fear or panic stir...

He only is my rock...

He only... is the Rock Everlasting...

a firm foundation for our lives...

the way of salvation...

and unshakable strength...

Trusting in Him as our only refuge... our only way...

no plan B... or C...

is where we find peace... stability... security...

No one else offers what He offers...

we can pour out our hearts before Him...

no matter what's in it... He can take it...

And not only can He take it...

He has the cure for it...

When we encourage our own souls to wait on Him...

trust in Him... we find Him a trustworthy refuge...

which inspires us... to share it with others...

From our own shaking boots...

to a confident cry...

Trust in Him... at all times... O people...!

God is a refuge for us... calling all... to come... and find unshakable peace...

where is your security found...?

Over lunch today... we talked about the futility of trusting money for security...

There is not enough money... for anyone to feel secure...

This evening... I hear of the terror in Paris... not from the news... but from my sister... her youngest... my niece... currently there doing a semester abroad...

She's safe at the moment...

Listening to the news... people's fears...
borders closed...
a call on military to keep them safe...

But can they...?

Is there any security to be found in the things... or people of the world...

The only peace...
the only security...
the only solid Rock in which to trust...
is God: Father... Son... Holy Spirit...

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its water roar and foam, thought the mountains

tremble at its swelling. Selah

Psalm 46:1-3 ESV

Pause and think calmly of that...

Jesus... the Savior...

our only Refuge...

Where is your security found...?

Praying for my niece... my sister... to find security in Him...

Please join me in praying...

more on... His Word... a solid place to land...

Yet again... this morning... He leads me to another reminder of the solidity... trustworthiness... and power of His Word...

A note... written next to Psalm 33... a reminder that He gave me this psalm to rest in... awaiting another surgery... on a different loved one...

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Psalm 33:1-5

And I wonder... If one rejects the solidity of His Word...? where do they go to find stability...? And how do you know what's true...? if part is in error...? which parts...? who chooses...? And what about testing the spirits...? and teachings of others...? where do you go to check the validity...? if you can't go to the Word...?

By faith... He calls us to believe He created the universe... 

By faith we understand that the universe 

was formed at God's command, 

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

...and by His word no less...

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth...

Psalm 33:6

Considering the expanse... complexity... and enormity... of creation... it's not much of a leap of faith... to believe He wrote a book...

An eternal... timeless book... written from His perspective...

This book... His Book... has been integral to my walk of faith... it's a gracious gift... the one temporal thing He's given us... with which to seek Him out...

By His Spirit... I meet Him in it's pages... 

He speaks... comforts... guides... corrects...

Never have I found it's message lacking...

nor His way... faulty...

Now... I haven't always liked what I found in His Word... there have been some painful wrestling matches along the way... but in the end... I know He's right... and I'm wrong... and there is no other way... no other words of life...

The more I pursue Him... through His Word... obedience... prayer... the more healing I find... more peace... more joy... in living His Way... not mine...

He says...

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

I've tasted... by eating His Word...

And Yes... He is good...

Won't you taste too...?

Note: A new Quote du Jour published today... check it out on Jeremiah's Menu...

His Word... a solid place to land...

I'm reminded today... of the sheer magnitude of His Word... to steady a life spinning out of control...

Feeling off kilter... like a top just before it drops... brought to mind a much more intense reeling I experienced over fifteen years ago...

My father underwent surgery to improve his health... a heart valve replacement...

Things did not go as planned... to call it a complete disaster... would be more accurate...

The news sent me reeling... spiritually and emotionally... no where to land securely... as I gathered my three young children... and waited for my husband... so we could go the 200 miles... to be with family and wait...

This was early in my walk with Christ... my mom not even five years gone... still finding my way... with this Savior who captured my heart through her illness and death...

After seeing and receiving... all the horrific news... facing decisions... which would have to be made concerning my dad's health... life... I remember being in the shower at my brother's house... literally feeling like the world was spinning out of control...

Crying out to Him... He said... Go to my Word...

Out of the shower... dried... dressed... I took my Bible... and opened it... as He had commanded...

It opened to Psalm 103... I began to read...

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits...

As I read the Word... my world started to settle... emotions stilled... the spinning stopped... peace returned...

Nothing had changed when it came to the circumstances... but here... in this place... in this moment... He taught me the power... truth... and beauty of His Word... as a firm foundation... a solid place to land...

So you may ask... What has you off kilter now...?

Those in His church... who discount the accuracy of His Word... reject its inerrancy... teach others... to translate it in the light of current social norms... and with cultural sensitivity... 

In this moment... today... He brings back to mind the power of His Word... to calm... still... and bring peace...

The world may reject His Way... denominations may alter its meaning... but not me...

I will allow His Word... to transform me... but I will not alter His Word...

I know... it is a solid place to land... the only place to find firm footing... and truth...

As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children's children---

with those who keep his covenant 

and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103:15-18

Reminded anew... afresh... of the power... of His Word...

disturbing the peace...

The war continues... peace vs security...

The spirit is willing... but the flesh is weak...

I woke this morning... anticipating a meeting... to share a ministry inspiration...

Fighting to keep focused on peace... not security...
It does not matter how any of this is received... 
I do not have to protect myself... 
I do not have to defend anything... 
tenuously trusting Him...

This is my state... as I stepped to the stove to begin making breakfast... then I see it... less than an inch from the toe of my flip-flop... a scorpion... in my kitchen...!

Do you know how many scorpions I've seen in my house...? ever...?

NONE... ZERO... Never...

Remembering it is but a member of the arachnid family... just a weird spider... I remove my flop... and... smack... not once... but twice... then I put my shoe back on and step... for good measure...

But default mode... it kicked in... thoughts of how to protect my home from further invaders... Who do you call to fend off scorpions...? 

Security... I need security... from scorpions...!

Any shred of peace... I had... was now gone...

Then I recognized... the battle... the test... the lie... Peace is found in security....

So as I scooped squashed scorpion up with a paper towel... and stuffed him into an empty chip bag... to keep him secure... and unable to poke his stinger through the garbage bag... causing pain even in death... I remembered... the Scripture from Wednesday afternoon... the one I taught the sixth graders yesterday...

For everything created by God is good,

and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

1Timothy 4:4-5

(emphasis added)

Everything... created by God... is good... if it is received with thanksgiving...

My mind... it went to the prayer exercise... the one we did at the end of class... a breath prayer...

(Breathe in...) Lord, I receive _______________.

(Breathe out...) Lord, I give thanks for _________________.

You fill in the blank... with whatever... God has brought into your life... 

As they prayed... they filled the blanks with things that were good... life... love... ice cream... accessories... 

One... he hesitated... I suggested... Homework... 

A groan erupted... from the whole room...

I shared... that even hard things... things we don't like... are allowed to enter our lives... by a Sovereign God... who always works for our good... and His glory... so giving thanks for things we see as bad... is good... an act of faith... trust...

A lesson that came back to haunt...!

A challenge... a test... to choose peace... rather than security... 

A test that showed... just how far I have to go... 

So I prayed... by faith... without much fervor...

Lord, I receive... the scorpion in my kitchen...

Lord, I give thanks... for the scorpion in my kitchen...

The episode... it rattled... feeling spiritually shaky... I went about the rest of my day... wrestling for peace... 

And all went well... but even if it hadn't... I hope I would choose peace... and give thanks... for this is God's will... in Christ Jesus...

[Side note... 

I read an article recently that reminded those who study Scripture the importance of taking each verse in context... to not ignore the before and behind... a warning about isolating a verse...

The context of 1Tim 4:4-5... has to do with the prohibition of marriage... and certain foods... by teachers who have been influenced by demons...

So... I'm also grateful... that I didn't have to eat the scorpion... Amen...]

peace vs security

I read it a few days ago...

Peace is the opposite of security.

  

Bonhoeffer wrote it... I've been wrestling with it... as in... 

Is it true...?

It seems to me... that the two... peace and security... go hand-in-hand... 

Can you have one... without the other...?

Isn't it security... that ensures... peace...?

Over the last couple of days... I've tried to test this supposition of Bonhoeffer's...

And I've seen that... when I strive for security... I have no peace...

Not realizing... that for the most part... my focus is on the possibility of all that can go wrong... whether things will get messy... or expectations go unmet... trying to ensure that life goes smoothly... 

So when I focus on achieving security... my heart is constantly stirred... because He said... In this world you will have trouble... there is no security in this broken world...

Seeking security as a source of peace... is a sure-fire failure... as thirst-fulfilling as a mirage in the Sahara...

Maybe what Bonhoeffer says is true...

Peace is the opposite of security. Demanding security means having mistrust, and this mistrust gives birth again to war. Seeking security means wanting to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself totally to the commandment of God, wanting no security.

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You

The war I birth... is one against God... my failure to accept His peace... finds its origin in a heart that mistrusts... the Prince of Peace...

The whole of what Jesus said about trouble in this world was...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!

I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

(emphasis added)

Giving oneself... totally... to the commandment of God... the Word... is to be in Him... where we are granted... peace... not security... but peace...

I think... maybe this is how Esther... said what she said... to her uncle Mordecai... 

"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

Esther 4:16

(emphasis added)

There was no security in approaching the king uninvited... but in this place... of fully resting in the King... she had peace...

Another world-view wall to tackle... dismantle piece by piece... in my faulty thinking...

Lord Jesus... may I only seek peace... and not security... Amen...