Commandments

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Exodus 18 brought these thoughts to mind.

The Israelites had escaped from Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and defeated Amalak so far. There were probably more than 1.5 million people at that point. (The Word tells us there were 600,000 men, not counting women and children.)

Moses was doing all of the judgings himself when his father-in-law came to him and advised him to make some changes. I’m sure Moses talked to God and his advisers (see Genesis 18:12) about it, too. The plan was, there would be men in charge who knew the 10 Commandments well and would judge in hierarchies of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

It was so simple.

But then, would it be perfect again? Probably not! Since the fall men and women have gotten progressively farther and farther away from His Word. I wish I could shout it to the multitudes. God’s Word and God’s Law matter!

Can I get an amen?!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Practice — Haiku

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I wonder how many hours of my life have I sat at the piano? Sometimes making music. Sometimes staring at the keys because the music wasn’t happening. Practicing the same phrase or measure over and over until a measure of perfection was achieved. Always enjoying the good and the bad of it all.

What a blessing, this talent God has bestowed.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

This post is part of a flash mob of writers who write for 5 minutes on a word given each Friday by Kate Moutaung at https://fiveminutefriday.com. Come join us and see what others have written.

Mirror, Mirror

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I am totally fascinated with the Tabernacle of the Exodus. From the structure to its furnishings, God was specific and exacting in His instructions. Moses was given the blueprint that would not only serve as the guidelines for the place of worship during the Israelites travels to the Promised Land but would influence places of worship for generations to come.

One of the pieces of furniture in the Most Holy Place, the area where the priests offered sacrifices and worshipped, was the copper laver. This particular piece was where hands and feet were washed (purified) before preparing and presenting the sacrifices.

So, one might ask, where did they get the copper? see Exodus 38:8 When Pharoah told the Israelites to leave Egypt He also told them to take all they could from the Egyptians. In fact, He caused the Egyptians to practically force their ‘stuff’ on the Hebrews.  This included jewelry, clothing, and other pieces of a personal nature like copper mirrors.

When Moses asked the people to give the necessary materials for the Tabernacle, copper was part of the request. The Israelite women gave their mirrors to the cause. Sacrificially, I might add. I doubt they did it without a bit of complaint. After all, it’s difficult to give up those things we personally value.

The following is a bit of information about mirrors and the Hebrew slaves in a book by Hugh Taylor called 10 Questions – The Essentials for a Spiritually Healthy Life.

The mirrors also have a powerful backstory. During the period of enslavement, many Israelite men did not want to father children who would grow up in slavery. The women knew better. They knew that the future generation would be free, so they used the mirrors to beautify themselves, to encourage their husbands to be intimate with them and ensure an Israelite future. If we are afraid of the future, we should keep in mind these mirrors and the brave women who used them (pp. 57)

What is God asking you to sacrifice for the building up of His Church? Possessions? Time? Relationships? Addictions? Money? Think about it and pray about it. It matters!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Mended — Book Review

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Several weeks ago I received an invitation from Blythe Daniel to review and launch a book she and her mother had written. To be honest I was a bit hesitant because my own mother and I did not have a good relationship. (To be honest, we didn’t have a relationship.) My hesitancy came because I’ve really wanted to understand and forgive her and  I’ve not been able to do so. Plus, she passed away several years ago and it’s hard to rebuild a relationship with someone who isn’t here. But…

Through reading Mended I’ve come to understand a bit more of the person. This book contained some of the most healing words I’ve ever read. Most importantly, we are only responsible for the words we’ve said and the things we’ve done. We cannot and should not let ourselves think we can fix everything. Nor should we make ourselves totally responsible for the healing that must take place. We can only handle what is ours.

Forgiveness is a huge part of mending any relationship. We can always choose to forgive even if they don’t deserve it. Jesus did!

Verbal, emotional, and sometimes physical abuse was part of daily life for me. I was a hostage in a very controlling situation and truly felt I was the person at fault. It wasn’t until I left home for college and had very limited contact that I was able to put the situation into some sort of focus.  Through these words of Helen McIntosh I was able to reach a level of forgiveness that hadn’t been possible before: When we are the victim and need to forgive someone who has hurt and offended us… They may never even apologize or make amends. They may be deceased or in jail or another place you can’t reach them or oblivious to their offense. But we remain their prisoner until we let the offense go. pp.94 Letting the past go and committing to not dredging it up again has given me a kind of peace that has freed me from the pit of my mother’s words and actions and my own self-condemnation.

For me, this book was worth every word. Did I regress into the bad memories? Sometimes? Did I have moments of clarity when I started to understand? Yes! Can I move on and begin to understand the person behind words and actions? Yes! Can I forgive? I have to! There’s really no other choice.

Thank you, Blythe and Helen, for these incredible words! I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to rebuild (or build up) any relationship. It’s truly powerful and worth the time.

Consider these Words that are gems of light scattered throughout the book:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15

Words kill, words give; they’re either poison or fruit–you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (The Message)

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harvest House Books and Blythe Daniel. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

 

 

Choose Love

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How often do we pray, “Father, let (help) me love everyone today,” then walk out of our ‘prayer spot’ and totally forget we’ve even asked?

Then, someone irritates us with their words…

Then, something happens that wasn’t planned…

Then, another person tells us what someone else has said about us…

Then we feel slighted by someone, in some way…

When we are commanded in John 13:34 to love one another like HE loves us there are no ifs, there are no buts, there are no ands.  One almost might say there are no options.  But there are actually two, right choices and wrong choices.  The above ‘thens’ have options.  We can choose to respond as HE would with kindness, love, patience, gentleness and, self-control.  We can choose to be hateful, gossipy, malicious, or controlling.  What choice we make shows others Whose we are.

Let’s make the right choice.  Love one another!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Previously posted on 8/4/11.