A Weekly Walk in the Word

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

This time of year, I start planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, parties and preparing the house. In years past I was so proud to do it all myself. I wanted everything to be baked, dusted and hung before any of our guests arrived. I have since changed my thinking. When I was making applesauce this fall by myself, I reflected on the days when Mike’s aunt peeled the apples, I cooked the apples and his mom blended the apples into sauce. I learned so much during those days and felt blessed to be invited to be part of their annual sauce making day. A crowded kitchen is a holy place.

This year at our house, guests will bring their favorite side dishes. We will enjoy a Christmas baking day. And I might even talk the kids into helping decorate the tree with all their favorite childhood ornaments. God created us to work together. By sharing the load, we aren’t only dividing tasks, we are multiplying joy.

Luke 10:29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

An expert of the law asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. He answered his own question in verse 27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Then he asked Jesus for clarification to justify himself. “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus continues by telling the well known parable of the Good Samaritan.

We have a Good Samaritan in our neighborhood. I spent many hours this summer painting a barn quilt on two pieces of 4ft x 8ft plywood. After several coats of polyurethane over the painted star, it was time to hang the 8 foot square quilt. Our neighbor showed up, like he always does. He brought his boom truck and carpentry skills. Within an hour, we had the new addition hung on our barn. When I tried to pay him for his time and equipment, his response was “I am old school. This is what neighbors do.” What an example!

And who is your neighbor? How can you help the young couple across the street or the widow next door? Your outreach doesn’t stop in your neighborhood, but reaches to anyone in need throughout the world. How will you care for your neighbor?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:30-37 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going Dow from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver counts and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

When we follow God’s will and not our own, amazing things happen. I never set out to be a writer or a blogger, but God did. He had a plan for me. It took a few years for me to slow down enough to listen and follow. This week I received cover designs for my second book, “Women Walking in the Word”. I can feel God working through my writing as I work on the final edit. I can’t wait to share this book with my girlfriends. God’s will is so much greater than anything I could have ever imagined.

James 5:13-16 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

God is good! Prayer is a powerful thing. Our world was turned upside down a month ago when our son-in-law was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 27, just 2 weeks before their first anniversary. We were devastated by the news to say the least. The day we received the news, my knees hit the floor. The prayer circle for Josiah grew and grew to every corner of the country. Our kids were humbled by the number of people praying for Jo’s healing as they felt a peace that passes all understanding from those prayers. A GoFundMe page was started to cover medical expenses two days ago. Over 100 people have donated, exceeding their expectations. This week during Jo’s second round of chemo his doctor performed a tumor markers test. The numbers came back extremely low. The treatment is working! God hears and God heals. Praise God for the gift of powerful and effective prayer.

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, whe took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

We picked apples at our neighbor’s orchard yesterday morning. Their trees were loaded with plum ripe apples. The orchard made me think of Eve’s temptation in Eden as I picture the one perfect apple on the forbidden tree. Today we are bombarded with temptation that is easy to obtain with just a click of the keypads. And then we are onto our next big yearning. Eve learned, and we need to as well…. that Jesus is the only one to fill the ache in our hearts.

Jan Richardson writes Taking the Fruit in her book “In the Sanctuary of Women”. I hope you enjoy it.

The First Apple – Each desire in my life leads to another desire that lives behind it or beneath it or within it. In the midst of paying attention to them all I sometimes wonder if I’m addicted to longing.

The Second Apple – The Sufi poet Rumi says that our longing is the answer to our longing – that our capacity for desire is the reply to our desire. Some days I find this comforting, but on other days it doesn’t give much satisfaction.

The Third Apple – Desire finds its way into a lot of my writing so I’ve had to stock up on my synonyms. Longing, yearning, and hunger are useful; and hankering is fun. Ache comes in handy if it’s a hard desire, as some of mine are.

The Fourth Apple – Maybe Eve left Eden with a seed tucked under her tongue and rolled it around in her mouth and in her memory when she was in danger of forgetting the wisdom she had nearly left untaken.

The Fifth Apple – Every now and again I try to remember to stop and ask, “Are there any lines I should be crossing?”

The Sixth Apple – Cooper Edens writes, “Longing, far more than it haunts you, reminds you of your true name.” What’s yours?

Acts 6:1-4 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit of wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Pastors were never meant to do all the work of in the church. We are called to come around them, to help where needed in our individual congregations. When our congregations are healthy, we are able to step out into the community to lift up our neighbors. October is Pastor Appreciation Month. How can you care for your pastor? When we all do our part, the church will thrive and many will come to know Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because he cares for you.

What are you worried about today? Give it to God. No, truly and completely cast all of your anxiety on God. We were never meant to carry the weight of the world on our backs. After several sleepless nights, I needed this reminder. Instead of wrestling with my fears and tears, I prayed about my anxiety. God gives a peace that rests my soul. Give it to God because he cares for you. You are loved.

Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

When my soul pants for God, he shows up. God is in the hugs from family and friends. God is in the meals delivered to the house. God is in the voices of children. God is in the trees beginning to show off their fall colors. God is with us. Where will you find God this week?

Psalm 33:1-3 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.

The power of music is an incredible thing. It touches my soul, makes my heart sing and my body sway to the beat. I had the privilege of attending a Jeremy Camp concert last night. The auditorium was filled with people singing along to Jeremy’s song lyrics he wrote over 20 years ago. He also introduced us to songs we haven’t heard yet from his new album as he shared stories of how Jesus is working in his life. Thousands of people were connected through music. We stood shoulder to shoulder with our hands lifted to Jesus. The power of music is an incredible thing as we sing joyfully to the Lord.

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

While on a pick a week ago, the gentleman I was meeting shared prayer point with me. It is a truly spiritual spot in nature where two ravines meet. The perfect spot to listen to God and pray. Our family has had a difficult week. I stand before God without words, but He hears my groans. I plan to revisit prayer point where I will fall on my knees as I give it all to God to carry. Prayer is the path to peace.