Bless His Holy Name
It is easy to bless the Lord when things are great, and life feels victorious. It is easy to pour our hearts out to Him when we are standing on a mountaintop, but we struggle to praise Him when we are deep in the valley. It’s hard to press through, commanding our souls to bless the Lord when life knocks us down. But Psalm 103 gives us permission to bless Him with all that is swimming deep in our souls…our pains, our weariness, our struggles, and our disappointments.
The Wrestle
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:12-13 ESV
Our wrestle is not against human forces but against spiritual forces led by Satan, God's enemy. His character in every way stands in opposition to God. He is the father of lies (John 8:44). He is a schemer and deceiver (Genesis 3:1). He is NOT your friend but your adversary, prowling around like a lion seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8). He has a host of demons and organized demonic systems that infiltrate every structure in our society.
A Safe Hunger
A few years ago, I chaperoned my youngest child on a field trip to the Aquarium. Before we left for our adventure, his teacher gathered the class on a rug at the front of the classroom. She proceeded to instruct the class on important details for the day. One particular detail about lunch left me pondering. She said, “Children, we will eat lunch at 11:30 today. You’ve already had a snack, but I know some of you will be hungry. Just know that it is a safe hunger. You are not in danger.”
Her statement caught me off guard, inviting me into deeper contemplation.
“Just know that it is a safe hunger. You are not in danger.”
Go Play
My son turned 11 yesterday. I bring a birthday treat to his class each year to celebrate his special day. This year, he requested cookies from our favorite local bakery, Blackout Cookie Company.
When I arrived at the school, a group of kids played on the playground. Two girls rocked back and forth as they chatted on swings. One boy climbed up a pole and yelled out in triumph. Another kid hurled a football across the yard. Several kids rushed to catch it, nearly toppling each other. Girls twirled around a pole while others raced up the stairs of the play structure.
The scene was lively, full of adventure and wonder. I thought about how God intentionally created play. Children don't learn how to play. It is an innate instinct that emerges before they begin to walk. Babies grab any object in curiosity, babbling with laughter as they discover how to play with it.
Christmas Trees After Halloween
This year, my family became those people.
The people I used to talk about each Fall. The people who couldn't let Thanksgiving even get a hint of the spotlight before they rushed to put their Christmas decorations up. I mocked and judged them, irritated that they rushed the seasons and refused to remain in the present.
Or so I thought.
My husband often says pain is one of our greatest teachers. It took pain for me to change my perspective of these people and to join them in their Holly Jolly festivities.
In October, my pastor husband and I faced an avalanche of jaw-dropping ministry crises. Instantly propelling us into the role of spiritual ER doctors. Once we stabilized our patients, we exhaled a long sigh of relief and exhaustion. We are grateful to the Lord for sustaining us. But, we felt overwhelmed with preparing for the upcoming ministry season.
In our roles, we always think a season ahead. We already have the Christmas Eve service mapped out. Not because we want to rush the season. We need to prepare to lead our congregation through the holidays.
We usually put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. But the season has felt rushed the last few years.
This year, we decided to become those people.
