Knowing His Voice

Leading...protecting...disciplining...carrying...providing. The job of a German Shepherd.

No, not a 4-legged furry animal, but a real German man whose job is shepherding. I was privileged to meet one this week.

I was at our ministry base (located at the edge of a village nestled in the hills) and about to head home for the afternoon break when I heard the sound of bleating. I rounded the corner and saw not just one “baaa-ing” sheep, but 480 of them walking the path up to a hill! And at the front of the flock, a young, friendly, gentle man, leading them to fresh pasture.

What a sight! Once they made it up the hill they spread out and began grazing. The young lambs loved exploring, and the faithful sheep dogs were ever on watch to keep the flock together. Meanwhile, we visited with the German Shepherd.

This man literally knows all 480 sheep individually and can recognize their faces. And they know his voice! I caught this video clip of him simply saying “Come, come!” and calling them together when it was time to move onto greener pasture:

What if hearing our Good Shepherd’s voice was so simple? In John 10:14, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Notice in the video that the shepherd didn’t have to shout, and only repeated his invitation once. Just after turning my camera off, I noticed two little lambs left behind in the field. They had been too busy with their faces in the grass, eating, and then looked up at each other, as if suddenly realizing, “Oops, I think we missed something!” They skipped off to catch up with the rest of the group, with those of us observing encouraging them, “Come on little guys, follow the voice of your shepherd!”

What amazed me was the sheep’s obedience, despite not knowing where their shepherd was leading them. They simply trusted his voice, and even if they were enjoying eating or drinking or resting, as soon as he called, they came, knowing something better was ahead.

Are we that obedient when our Shepherd calls? It can be hard to obey if we don’t know that our Shepherd is GOOD. But He is.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.”

His goal is to care for us - to lead, provide, protect. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Is. 40:11)

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’” (Rev. 7:17)

Two babies had been born to the flock just that morning, and the German shepherd left them in the previous pasture with their mother since the lambs couldn’t walk yet. So he didn’t venture far with his flock, but he accepted his responsibility to lead, to provide.

And he indeed had a staff in his hands - ready to protect, defend, and discipline if necessary. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).

That is how good our Shepherd is - laying down his very life for us so that we could live in abundance, not lacking anything. He knows where good pasture is; he guides us along the best paths. He anoints us with healing oil, and removes the burrs that get attached to us when we choose to wander off on our own.

And our responsibility? Simply to listen to his voice and obey. You don't have to strain to hear it; you already know it. It's the voice that first called you to Him, inviting you into relationship and offering the gift of salvation.

Praying, friends, that you will receive what you need from your Shepherd today: guidance, refreshment, provision, rest.

Giving Tree

A story about a boy and a tree...

...and about you and me?

  

And about our heavenly Father, who 'did not spare His own Son' and graciously gives us all things.

What is our relationship to the Tree? To the God who became man and died on a tree to show the extent of His love? 

'You can either enjoy God, or simply use Him...'

Dear Friend

Dear Friend in the Philippines,

To brothers, sisters, parents; to teachers, to police officers, to rescue workers.

To Lorraine, a friend I've never met personally but written letters to since I was young; and to Audrey, our precious 9-year old sponsor child.  

I cannot imagine how your life has been turned upside down in the last week.
I'm not sure how to express my sorrow for you and your lost homes, family members, and resources.
I feel guilty sitting here, safely indoors with a blanket and cup of tea, unable to comprehend the depth of pain and chaos that your country is going through right now.

I would like to hug you, invite you into my home, cook you a warm meal, and pray for you.

Image Credit: CNN News

I don't understand how or why such catastrophes happen.

But I want you to know that you're not alone.

I want you to know that though we've never met, I'm praying for you. And though I can't personally comfort you, I know that our Father in heaven has promised the greatest Comforter of all time - the Holy Spirit, to be with you forever. 

And I also know that you need more than prayer. Your country is devastated and your countrymen are in need of basic supplies. That's why I've donated to organizations such as Compassion, who are helping provide urgent aid to affected children and families (click here to donate, too). And there are dozens of other groups, ministries, churches, and people who are stepping up. You aren't alone. 

In the middle of such enormous loss, I am encouraged to hear reports about how God WAS there, and how He IS there still. 

In the picture below, you can see a what looks like a piece of cake (upper left corner) that was spared from the typhoon. 

Image Credit: Five Doves

This is the area of Bacolod, Philippines, where there are numerous prayer houses situated. A personal testimony from a Christian brother in this area reports, "The weatherman explained that a 'miracle' happened because the eye of the storm SKIPPED US, and we were affected only by the tail or sidewinds.  THE FURIOUS WINDS AND RAINS COULD NOT ENTER OUR [AREA]. We literally cried in thanks to God for his answer to prayer..."

The Lord is your Defender, your Healer, your Strong Deliverer. 

He  "upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,

   the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous. 

 The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow..." (Psalm 146:7-9)

 May you know that sustaining love today; that peace, comfort, protection and freedom. 

And may you be well-fed, warm, taken care of, and loved...knowing that you're not alone.  

As Faithful as the Sunrise

No matter what time I wake up each morning, I am never, ever surprised that the sun is shining.

Why is that? Why am I never taken aback when I see light, colors, brightness? The question actually is, why SHOULD I be? Not once in my life has the sun failed to shine. There has been winter, and some days have been short, but the sun was always there.

When it's dark at night and I'm fumbling around in the hallway for the light switch, I'm not even a bit concerned. I am certain about something I cannot see: the sun will shine again.

'Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.'

(Hebrews 11:1)

I spent last week helping counsel people at a 'Basixx' Seminar here. The stories they told were not all easy to hear. The world is a broken, ugly place sometimes. But if there's one thing I was reminded of, it's that God is SO MUCH BIGGER, and so, so faithful.

I had to tell myself that again one evening as I got home and discovered that our car battery had died, the lawn mower was broken, our furnace went out on us, my mom-in-law has to stay in the hospital for longer than expected, and a family aquaintance had passed away.

How in the world can God turn this:

into this:

Photo Credit: Wikipedia 

God is a God who 'calls into existence the things that do not exist' (Romans 4:17). With a word from His mouth, the heavens and earth were created. And with a Word He brings to life things in our circumstances as well.

He is still in the business of healing, restoring, leading, providing, loving, directing, creating and transforming. How do I know? He is 'the Father of Lights' with whom 'there is no variation or shadow due to change' (James 1:17).

The days may be short, and it may seem like winter, but His Light is always, always there.

He Will...

Encouraged simply by the Word of God these past few days...reminded of His character, His kindness and perseverance and faithfulness. His love NEVER fails!

Image Credit: Susanne @ This & That

"A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth."

(Isaiah 42:3-4)

Image Credit: Susanne @ This & That

^"Why do you complain... 

'My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God'? 

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom. 

He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall; 

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint." 

(Isaiah 40:27-31)

Image Credit: lizsarno

Thanks + Giving + [Always?]

Sun shining; house cozy warm from the heat of the oven, which contains a 12-pound turkey; smell of apple cider and cinnamon candles; husband peeling potatoes and me kneading dough; table set and awaiting guests.

It's Thanksgiving. Autumn is here - my favorite time of the year!

 

There's no way to exactly duplicate a tradition, but we took joy in the newness of Thanksgiving and our first time celebrating it in Germany was a success!  I even managed to come up with a maple leaf - Canadian Pride! :)

Funny how memories are triggered. Memories of family members showing up at our house, of board games, of kids, of lots and lots and lots of (great) food, of getting to use the "special" plates and glasses, of the "go-around-the-table-and-everybody-say-one-thing-they're-thankful-for" round.

Giving Thanks. Because so much has been given to us; it's the least we can do in return. 

But Thanksgiving is more than a day; it's a lifestyle. 

If we only choose joy when we have a full plate, a full stomach, and a full house, are we really giving thanks?

This year my husband and I were confronted with the biblical mandate to REJOICE ALWAYS.

Three days before Thanksgiving, his mom took a fall outside, was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that she had a complicated wrist and elbow break, had an emergency operation and likely has to remain in the hospital for 3 weeks now.

That wasn't exactly part of the plan. Or at least our plan.

For awhile, I felt guilty for excitedly anticipating food and fellowship, but then the Holy Spirit reminded me, "It's perfect timing to celebrate Thanksgiving." If not now, then when? 

 

The Lord called us here to help bring restoration. And it looked like restoration was happening - my mom-in-law was overcoming the effects of her stroke and was beginning to ride a bike again, re-learning how to write, and becoming more engaged in activities and conversation. And now? She's laying in a hospital bed with metal plates in her arm and can't remember what happened or why she's there.

What does giving thanks look like in this situation? I read a quote from Ann Voskamp the other day which made me think:

"My lips may have said YES to God's grace of a Messiah - 

but my life has said NO to God's gift of this moment."

How is it that we so easily receive God's GIFT of grace, His GIFT of salvation, His GIFT of a Savior...but so often reject His GIFT of each new day? What makes us think we can pick and choose what we get to give thanks for?

And so, in the middle of hospital visits, short nights, telephone calls to family, and conversations with the doctors and nurses, we choose joy.

• We're thankful that in a matter of minutes after calling emergency, we had 5 medical personnel at our doorstep.
• We're thankful for hospital staff working the night shift, so she could receive immediate care.
• We're thankful for friends and family who have stopped in to visit. 
• We're thankful for a praying community of brothers and sisters in the Lord.
• We're thankful that none of this is a surprise to God. 
• We're thankful that God redeemed the situation - my mom-in-law's "room mate" gave her life to the Lord after my husband had a conversation with her about Jesus!

And although the reality of the situation isn't nice, we're allowed to celebrate.

“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10). Joy is something deeper than circumstances. Receiving each moment with thanksgiving is what allows us to live in joy.

There is another quote that says: "Hope is hearing the music of tomorrow. Faith is dancing to it."

So we "turned up the music" yesterday and enjoyed a feast, knowing God is in control of the end of the story. We're still working on the dancing part, but we believe that God is good and that He's worthy of receiving our thanksgiving. Always.

P.S. Would you pray with us, please? For a quick, miraculous healing, for peace for us as a family, especially my husband's dad, and for the strength to dance? Thank you.

Don't Forget Where You Came From...

1:30am, downtown Toronto City, Canada. August 2013.

We had come in two vehicles, excited to celebrate our friend's upcoming wedding and have fun at a Bachelorette party. And fun it was! A dinner cruise on the harbor, dancing, Starbucks espresso shots, night view from the CN Tower. Good times!

Then it came time to part ways and hop back into the cars to head home. Five of us headed toward the Parkade. We walked the downtown streets in our skirts and high heels, passing pizza shops that were closing down for the night, and construction workers who were just starting their shifts, taking advantage of slower traffic after midnight to finish bridge repairs.

So we walked...and we walked...and we walked...and we walked. Somehow, in the midst of our girly giggling and picture-taking and time together, we could not remember where we parked. I had driven into the city with the other 5 girls, so unfortunately I couldn't be of any help as we tried retracing our steps, even asking a security guard for help at one point after we'd been walking around lost for over an hour and a half.

[Side Note: never get lost in Toronto!]

Not only are there a bunch of parkades in the city, but after awhile, they all start looking the same. Did we drive up, or down? Was the signage black, green, or red? Were we on level 3 or 4? Did we enter from this corner, or a block further down? We passed hundreds and hundreds of cars, but none of them were ours. 

Photo Credit: Led Lighting Toronto

Long story short, we were getting worried (especially since all of our cellphone batteries were slowly dying), tired, and frustrated. We decided to go back one more time to the very first parkade we started in before calling someone for help.

Lo and behold, we walk in and go up a level, clicking the remote for the car alarm, and HALLELUJAH we hear it beeping! Found. Never had we been so relieved, and never had we been so happy to arrive safely back at home and catch a couple hours of sleep before the rehearsal the next day.

We all knew we'd look back on that situation and laugh about it some day. Some day. But you know what the most embarrassing part was? Driving out of the parkade, we noticed BIG signs written in BOLD letters posted all over the beams of the parking garage - "Please make note of where you park!" Oooooops. 

If there's one thing I learned from that adventure, it was this:

Don't forget where you came from.

Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up in a week, and it's a perfect opportunity to REMEMBER where we came from. Like the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 77:11-12 - 

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 

 I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds."

Our past doesn't define us, but it is a part of our story and we need to remember where we came from. Frustrated with your spiritual growth because nothing seems to be changing? Consider where you were a year ago. Under financial pressure? Remind yourself of how the Lord always came through up in the past. Tempted by pride? Consider Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 - "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

Don't forget where you came from. It will help you get to where you need to go.

(Coming next week...pictures from our Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration as some German friends of ours are introduced to this feast for the first time!)

Unless a Seed Falls...

Now tell me...if this isn't a miracle, then what is?

I almost couldn't believe my eyes once I got started harvesting things from our garden last week. How incredibly, richly blessed we are! Food is something I so easily take for granted. It's a normal part(y!) of everyday life, isn't it?

It sincerely amazes me how such a variety of delicious, fresh, nutritious, and colorful fruits, vegetables and flowers can be brought forth from the earth from a single seed.

We all know that a seed needs sun and water in order to grow. But there's another important factor that we often forget...

"Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies..."

(John 12:24)

Without death, there is no fruit. Unless it "falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Paul commented on the same principle in 1 Corinthians 15:36 - "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies."

What if a seed had a mind of its own, and could choose it's own glory instead of bringing forth fruit? What if it could decide to become 'big and rich and successful'? It would, literally, be full of itself! Unless a seed bears fruit, it's useless.

Image from foodmate.com

Big seeds are impressive, but big fruit is what counts. The picture above shows the harvest of American pumpkin grower Ron Wallace's world record pumpkin that weighed 2,009 lbs. 

A British seed company bought an inch-long seed from the pumpkin, paying £170 on an online auction, about 400 times higher than what is normally paid by specialist growers for giant pumpkin seeds.

The only reason such enormous fruit is possible is because a seed died in order to give life. 

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

"Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me..." is the invitation from our Savior. Give up your rights, surrender your dreams, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in your life. By refusing to build our own kingdom, selfish and limited, we participate in the building of the Kingdom of God, which is "RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, and JOY in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Now that is something worth dying for.

Death hurts. But we are called to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1), meaning we always have the choice of crawling off the altar. Taking the easy way out means choosing to live out of our own strength, our own striving, and seeing limited fruit. Surrendering, on the other hand, means participating in God's marvelous, loving plan and fulfilling the "good works He has prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

This spiritual principle of a seed falling to the ground and dying gives us hope, since we can be assured that even the things that appear to be "dying" in our lives can be used of God to bring fruit, and can raise a harvest far bigger than anything we could ever do on our own. 

 

"Now this is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples..." (John 15:8). 

Looking into the Son

From my chair in our living room where I usually sit to read, journal, pray (or blog!) I noticed one of our plants on the bookshelf ledge:

 

In the few weeks that it's been there, it has changed. 

Slowly, the leaves have turned a little bit to the side, the stems getting taller, almost as if reaching for the window. Why is that? Because plants are attracted to the light. And they always grow in the direction of the sun.

Today I'm headed off to a week-long seminar on the theme of intimacy with God. Deepening our friendship with Jesus, learning to walk in the Spirit, developing a life of prayer. We want to grow in the direction of the Son.

Do you realize that Moses, that great but timid, imperfect, and humble leader of God's people the Israelites, was able to speak to God face to face? He regularly encountered the Living, Great "I Am." He was friends with the Creator of the Universe; he walked in glory. What could be better than that?

His encounters with God left him physically changed - so much so that his face brightened, and he had to put a veil over it. I always thought the veil was to protect the Israelites, but actually we read something different in 2 Corinthians 3:13:

"We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away."

Moses had to cover his face so the people couldn't see the magnificent glory departing. As amazing as his encounters were, they were temporary. He heard God's voice and passed on the Lord's commands to the people and walked with Yahweh, but even that glory was fading. 

But there's GOOD news in v. 18 - "And we all, who with UNVEILED faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Because Christ came to earth, died and rose again and sent the Holy Spirit to us, we can now encounter Him, live in relationship with Him, and walk with him with unveiled faces! Why? Because we don't have to be afraid that the glory will fade. Ever-increasing glory! "From strength to strength" we are promised (Psalm 84:7).

Does that mean it will always be easy? No. Is a relationship with God only mountain-top experiences? No. But we can be sure that whatever we walk through will, in the end, give us MORE strength, and we'll encounter MORE of God's glory through it. 

  

Friends, I pray that this week, you will look into the Son. I pray that you will grow in the direction of the Light of the World and encounter Christ's glory in such a tangible way that your face and life would reflect Him. Would you pray the same for me?

"And take up the shield..."

Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, between 100 and 200 A.D., these stone walls were part of the "Limes" - a Roman wall of military defense that ran along parts of their empire. Thirty thousand soldiers were stationed along the Limes, controlling traffic between the Roman provinces and the area inhabited by Germanic tribes. It lasted until the late 3rd century when they surrendered the Limes due to pressures within the empire, and violent raids by Germanic tribes.

 

My husband and I got to visit this heritage site yesterday, which is now a tourist area in southern Germany. The remaining stone walls are enclosed in glass; nothing special in and of themselves, but one could picture the "Kriege" (wars) that took place on those plains, Roman soldiers positioned in 900 watchtowers along the wall to defend their empire. 

And how did they defend themselves? With these Roman pieces of armor, of course!

These weapons are modern, but were created to intentionally resemble the weapons from long ago as closely as possible. We were allowed to take a try at resembling Roman soldiers, too...

 

 

As I did my best to hold up the 8 kg (approx. 16 lbs) shield, I was overwhelmed by its hugeness. No wonder David felt unfit to fight when Saul dressed him up in armor way too big for him! Add a heavy helmet, tight belt, long sword, and a few other necessities to the whole outfit, and you're set to go! 

My thoughts drifted to Ephesians chapter 6, and the 6 words that I have so often read, have underlined in my Bible, and stored in my memory: "in addition to all this, take up the shield of faith...." Why? Because with it, "you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." These thick shields, made from 3 layers of wood, bound with leather, and sealed with metal, can definitely do some serious flaming-arrow-extinguishing. 

As I noticed how it was big enough to duck behind, I thought of how faith should also be big enough to cover our entire selves, our whole life. Faith isn't a small, wimpy bunch of good wishes that we pull out when we realize there's flaming arrows coming our way. No, it's much, much bigger than that. Faith is a state. We dwell in it, behind it, under it...prepared for when the attacks do come (because we know they will), knowing we are protected.

My husband and I have walked through something in the last couple of weeks that reminded us of the power of the shield of faith. When things happen unexpectedly, when circumstances don't turn out like you'd hoped or expected, when dreams appear to be broken and you're left in pain, take up the shield of faith.

 

There's a psalm (and a song) that says "You are my hiding place." The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, and Christ is our security.

Psalm 32:7
"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

The shield of faith is big enough to hide ourselves behind. We don't hide out of fear, but hide in the shadow of His wings, dwelling in Him, our resting place, knowing His grace is enough. Faith knows that God is good and that I am loved. Always. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11).  Faith distinguishes the flying arrows of doubt, insecurity, and hopelessness that the devil would try to aim our way, and shields us from his attacks, at the same time opening the door for miracles to happen. Just like it did for the woman who was healed of bleeding and the once paralyzed man who got up and began dancing in praise to God because he BELIEVED that his circumstances weren't too difficult for Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself warned us, "In this world you will have trouble..." Our posture should be one of faith, prepared for attack because we know this earth is still groaning for full redemption, but confident in our Lord who has "overcome the world." Therefore we can take heart, and take up our shields of faith...