As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.  Psalm 17:15

 People have many faces. Meeting a stranger, I can often tell a lot about them from an initial glance. Their face can be inviting, stoic, hard, relaxed, gentle, depending on their state of heart. Whether I’m aware of it or not, I read a total stranger’s face to know how to proceed with a conversation. If I can tell this much about someone I don’t know at all, how much more can I read about a person I know well? I often tell Ron, my husband, that I can tell what kind of day he had by the way he walk up the driveway.  I realize writing this that I have a habit of looking at the faces of all my loved ones as they walk to the back door. Our home is full of windows and I can see past their demeanor before they even touch the door handle.

God has many faces as well. The Hebrew word for ‘face’ is not singular but plural. Interesting, isn’t it? And this word is found in so many places where the English word ‘face’ is absent. In today’s scripture, the word ‘face’ is really ‘faces’. How does that work?  Well, whatever I need, there is a face to accompany it.

When I need a protector, God’s face is fierce. When I flirt with other first loves, His face is jealous. When I’m hurting, his face is tender. When I’ve lost my way, His face is strong. When enemies come against me, His face is angry. When I grieve, His face is streaked with tears.

Sometimes I will say that a certain person is complex. They are deep and have many sides to them. If this is so, how many are the faces of God! He is wild and unpredictable yet always driven by love and holiness. He cannot be second-guessed. Yet at the same time, I can depend on His love and goodness toward me.

Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Translation? “He who has seen my faces has seen the Father.” Beautiful, isn’t it? And as an image bearer of my Father, the same is to be said about me. That is humbling enough to send me to my knees. Will the many faces I wear today, and the moods and thoughts behind them, lead others to experience the various faces of God? May it be by the power of God’s Spirit.

I love Your Word. The beauty of it, hidden in the Hebrew language, is a storehouse of golden nuggets. I crave to know and understand Your many faces.  In Jesus’ name, In Jesus’ name, Amen

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The insolent smear me with lies; their heart is unfeeling like fat.  Psalm 119: 69, 70

I often wonder how people can do what they do.  (That includes me when I sin.)   Here, at least in one instance, the answer is given.  The sin ~ someone concocted a series of lies about another person for personal payoff.   The cause ~ their heart was fattened by pleasure over time and ceased to feel remorse over the pain they caused.

Consider a rebellious child who acts out.  Others can give into him to stop the tantrums.  But without discipline, he will repeat the tantrums until they become a way of life.  The pleasure he feels when he gets what he wants will become his drug of choice and he will cease to regret the acts he commits in favor of feeling good.  Without Jesus, there will be no remorse.

If you’ve suffered at the hands of one who never said “I’m sorry,” you may have asked the question, “How could this person do this to me and not even feel badly that they hurt me?”  This scripture answers the question.  The pleasure they got by sinning against you numbed their conscience. They may have seen your tears, heard your pain expressed, but shrugged their shoulders.  You just couldn’t understand such coldness of heart.

God is our instructor today.  An unfeeling heart develops over time, never overnight.  It belongs to the person who has been fattened by the pleasures of his choices, even choices that have caused pain to someone he claims to love.

Only God can transform the heart of a sinner.  Only God can comfort the victims.  The sinner must love Jesus more than the payoff of self-gratification and the victim must love Jesus more than taking revenge.

Jesus, you knew the hearts of men.  You were not deceived.  Teach me to look beyond their behavior to the spiritual cause.  I need to pray for others’ spiritual disease instead of just asking you to stop their behavior.  Spirit, show me how to pray.  Amen

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This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Sometimes you know by 8:00 a.m. that your day is going to be difficult. Already, things have unraveled and your peace has gone south. Already, your day’s reservoir of patience has been used up.

I thought twice before picking today’s scripture. All too often, it has been used as a rod of correction on anyone who admits they’re struggling. Please, let’s not do that! Scripture is not meant to be a muzzle; an instrument to encourage denial. How many have stopped talking to put on a happy face after someone scolded them with God’s Word?  I’ve done it – just to fit in.

So what in the world can I rejoice over as I assess the mayhem of my morning? Certainly not the events I endured. Certainly not the temper of a family member who lost it at the breakfast table. But most certainly a faithful Father who will excel, once again, at fingering the ragged edges of my soul and mending them together. I rejoice (with a deep joy and comfort) that I didn’t live through it alone. I know that He saw it all and knows what it will take to help me regain my spiritual equilibrium.

I’ve noticed that I can often handle a crisis much better than an annoyance. It’s amazing what can undo me. The other day, I went to the basement to do some cleaning. One of my chores was to empty used cat litter into a garbage bag and bring it upstairs to put in the trash. It was heavy and as I climbed the stairs, the bag caught on a part of the railing bracket.

You guessed it ~ litter started running out the bottom through a large hole but I didn’t hear it because the stairs are carpeted. I reached the landing and the litter continued to drain out onto the hall carpets.  Still unaware, I continued on through the house.  It wasn’t until I reached the hardwood floors in our family room that I heard the sound of rain hitting the floor. I turned around to see a very long, and very deep, trail behind me. I was exclaiming out loud to myself ~ “What have you done, Christine? Oh, what have you done?!”  It got the best of me. I put the bag down, went to the piano and played 30 minutes worth of Mozart Sonatas to calm down.  (A childhood coping mechanism.)  Still not able to deal with the mess, I went on to a few other distracting chores before having the calm to start the clean up effort.

I’m embarrassed to admit, really, that something as mundane as that got to me. But it did.  I don’t know about you but I find that I can’t predict what it will be that will nearly undo me.

In ten years, when I’ve long forgotten the events of my morning, God will still be doing what God does ~ watching His children live their lives, engaging His children as they cope with the events, and soothing His children with just the right words. The only One who could possibly know just what to say is the One who knows the mental and emotional pathways that take me to my place of utter frustration and pain.

No matter how your day started, Your Father knows and has something to say that will make your heart feel resilient again.

So I say, “Lord, I am rejoicing in You. You are Lord of my day. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

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Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.  Psalm 119:115

In David’s courts, there would be men who would flatter him in order to secure their own place in the palace.  There would also be traitors who would try to get David’s ear and steer him in directions that would sabotage his effective leadership.  Discerning those with ulterior motives was as difficult for David as it is for us but the first line of defense is the recognition that such men exist.  Satan makes sure of it and oftentimes, God allows it, so that our spiritual senses can be sharpened and our wisdom increased.

For a seed to grow and develop, it needs good soil.  The toxic soil of bad company fails to give the seeds of faith the nourishment they need to thrive.  The weeds of bad language, bad advice, and a life of compromise lived out in close proximity, threaten growth.  With little refreshing rains, seeds of spiritual life will sprout, then appear sickly.  They will be a muted shade of green, bent over and withered, and fail to ever mature to bear fruit.

Spend enough time in the company of people who choose to walk with the world instead of Christ, and you will find it difficult to choose Christ. You will say to yourself, “Either I have to part company or my ability to follow Christ and fight for His kingdom will be affected.”

• If I spend most of my time with someone who hates Jesus, the spiritual friction will drag me down.  Emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I will see the vibrant edges of my faith wither.
• If I spend most of my time with a ‘technical Christian’, one who says they love Jesus but appears neutral by the way they live, my passion will be compromised.
• If I spend much time with radical, faith-filled, passionate believers, their faith will infect me.  My soil becomes rich as we treasure the Word, share our stories, and cheer each other on to greater ventures for the kingdom.

Whom I allow to have access to my ear, daily, affects me.  It is one thing to love the lost and reach out to the hurting with humility.  It is quite another to make them my confidants.  Many today need to make a critical decision to change their company.  Their spiritual survival depends on it.

Loyalty does not equal perpetuating a destructive affiliation.  Teach your church how to exercise discernment with humility.  Amen

Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Psalm 119:36

To ‘incline my heart’ means I’ve pitched my tent in His direction.

I’ve chosen to pack a few belongings, leave my home country, and go to the perfect camping spot where I can see the kingdom.  Every morning, the dawn of His love and faithfulness is in view.  I’ve detached myself from the world I’ve left behind.  It no longer consumes me.  I’m a sojourner with minimal stuff.  My focal point has become the  joy of His company.

I am in awe that He longs for a relationship with me.  I am surprised that He doesn’t tire of me after so much time together.  His desire for me only grows, not wanes.  I don’t really understand it because I know that if you spend enough time with just one person here on earth, eventually there’s a rub.  You want your freedom.  You crave alone time.  Not so with God.  When He’s my home, there are no quirks and habits to repel me. I want more of Him, not less.  He wants more of me, not less.

What inspirational thoughts but here’s the catch.  I can’t drive down the stakes of my tent in two worlds and expect to live at peace.  My heart can only have one home.  Unlike those who enjoy a winter home and summer home and divide their time between the two, God says that I must choose or risk being unstable. The two kingdoms, and those who rule them, are incompatible.  How can I be intimate with both rulers, live like a traitor, and enjoy well-being?

So I’ve made my choice.  I’ve pitched my tent toward glory and I realize that I’m on a journey to a new address.  My home will be wherever He is and while I make my way there, His Spirit is with me – guiding me through the minefields of battle – comforting me and healing the wounds I’ve sustained in the many skirmishes.  I know the final victory that is to come but in the heat of battle, His company is enough.  I accept that life will be imperfect until I experience the glory of perfection.

 I drive down the stakes of my tent deeper into the soil of You. Amen

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Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. Psalm 123:2

Ok, here goes. I don’t function well in disorder. I thrive on order. I don’t like mental cobwebs. I like clarity and persevere until I have it. I don’t like an array of papers on my desk. My goal is to start my weekend with my work finished. How bad is this condition?

My husband, Ron, got up one morning to get a drink and when he got back to the bed, I had made it. He laughed and said, “Guess I’m getting up.” Numerous times, too numerous to count, he left his coffee cup to go do something and when he returned, it was emptied and in the dishwasher. There have been jokes told (mostly true) that when we move into a new home, I want the pictures up by bedtime. My love for order, and closure, is over the top and I’m sure I’m OCD.

Ron once owned a navy blue plaid bathrobe. He had it many years and I thought it was time for a new one. I suggested ditching it. He protested and said it wasn’t time. A few more years went by and I felt it was surely time by then. Too ratty and faded for even charity, it went in the garbage. On the next garbage pick-up day, the bathrobe was at the curb. Little did I know that this would be a morning Ron would lift the lid on the garbage can for some reason. (Probably to check on what I had thrown out.) There was his bathrobe. I happened to look outside to see him walking up the driveway and, you guessed it, wearing his bathrobe. He rolled his eyes and I was hysterical. Now, when anything is missing, I tell him it’s probably with his bathrobe.

Most people have storage in their basement or garage. We have no storage because we have nothing to store.   I’ve organized and weeded out. If I don’t use something in two years, it’s gone. The only things in our basement are several bins of Christmas decorations.

I think it’s time to look at David’s words. God is not impulsive. God is patient and waits until the perfect time to act in holiness. He is content to let us wait in our messes until we sort them out spiritually. Much of my life has been learning to wait in God’s waiting room. Decades have passed before God has brought salvation to a situation. And I have to say that when it came ~ I knew it was the right time.

P.S. In case you’re wondering, Ron no longer has the bathrobe. He wanted me to tell you.

Lord, Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for teaching me to wait. Help me to feel gratitude in the midst of waiting. For that, I need Your grace. Amen

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Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.   Psalm 60:5

One of the ways God saves us is through the hands of His servants.  We look up and cry out – but should then look to the left or the right for His answer.  That is why fellowship is so important. I’m not talking about idle chatter that too often happens around a pot-luck supper. This is a cheap substitute for what God had in mind.  We call it ‘fellowship’ but I’m certain that every time we think we’re doing it, God winces and draws in His breath.  People often leave a crowd and feel more alone than ever.

I love to watch movies, especially those that portray the best of the human spirit.  Long drawn out sagas are my favorite, even though they are often the target of much teasing by my husband, Ron.  He swears that it’s more fun to watch grass grow.  Nonetheless, I am encouraged to see a few of the main characters work through their challenges and deepen their relationships.  Why?  Because it reminds me that I’m not alone.

That is why the church is so important.  Those who would live isolated are encouraged to live within a community.  In so doing, they rub shoulders with others who face cancer, harassment in the workplace, the pain of wayward children, and even a history of spiritual abuse within the home.  In telling our stories, there is strength.

Solomon described this phenomenon in Ecclesiastes.  He said that “Two are better than one.  If either of them falls, the other will lift him up.  If one is overpowered by an intruder, two can resist.” I will add another example from personal experience.  If one falls into disbelief, the other will restore his trust in God.

Whatever breaks our heart today is not unique to us.  There are others who walk similar paths.  If we are committed to be a part of a thriving church, we will link arms with those who remind us that it is better to walk in pairs.  Better, because it is God’s prescription for a blessed life.

Today, I am an imitator of those who have gone on before.  You sent out your disciples two by two.  I am not a lone ranger and thank you for my Spirit-companions.  Amen

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Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:5

People can suffer from choices they made in their youth over the course of a lifetime.  Only some will review their past sins and connect the dots between wrongdoing and consequences.  Why doesn’t everyone?  Shouldn’t people, with age, grow wiser and own their mistakes?

I’ve talked with more than a few people who decided, after many decades, to confront an abuser from childhood. They possessed magical thinking and believed that someone in their senior years would certainly admit the truth. They counted on the fact that godly guilt had set in but hopes for fairness and justice were smashed when the confrontation went poorly. In despair, they voiced the next inevitable question.  “How could he, at 67 years old, still deny that he did anything wrong?!”  But he did, and we will too if we’ve not bent our heart to the Teacher over the years. Truth can be shunned at any age and only a truth seeker will own his mistakes.

One of the hardest parts of growing up is seeing the adults of our lives; teachers, pastors, lawmakers, etc. with adult eyes.  As childhood vision begins to clear, with it comes the painful realization that people have sinned against us. Thoughts of confrontation soon follow and when anger drives the timing of it instead of the Holy Spirit’s prompting, the results are disastrous.

 Is there a way to tell ahead of time whether someone will be receptive when confronted? While not entirely ironclad, I believe there is. Does that person have a track record of owning truth?  Is the person humble? Have there been smaller things this person has been willing to own and apologize for?

The sad truth about people in general, even the elderly, is that ‘men love darkness rather than light’. And, ‘the way is narrow and few there be that find it’.  In spite of this reality, you and I can pray for the Spirit of God to open blind eyes. God is powerful and prayer can till up the hardened soil of unbelief. One last thing ~ confrontation should always occur on the other side of forgiveness When the heart is hot ~ keep silent.

Older doesn’t always mean wiser. Keep us from cynicism. Amen

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Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Psalm 94:15

Love and trust are the foundations of any relationship.  If either one is destroyed, a deep fracture threatens the future of that bond.

Now, our enemy knows how relationships work.  He knows that if I’m secure in my Father’s love, I am dangerous to his evil enterprise.  He knows that I will burn brightly for the advancement of God’s kingdom. He knows that I will give my life without much thought. How can he win against such undying loyalty?  He devises a smear campaign. He invents schemes that breed distrust and splinter security.  He levels accusations that make perfect sense to me if I rely on logic and circumstantial evidence to determine my perspective.

There have been times in my life when God ‘appeared’ to be guilty. Satan had rallied his troops. Venomous thoughts came at me like arrows and tormented me.  Instead of shunning them, I fed them. They lodged in my heart for a long season and distrust grew from seeds to weeds. They overtook the landscape of my heart and choked out all remnants of my faith.

Without truth, faithlessness was irreparable.  I had to be willing to stand in the truth of God’s character when it didn’t appear to be genuine.  When prayers weren’t answered the way I thought they should be, I had to be willing to stand in the truth that whatever God’s reason, He was still trustworthy.  In a climate of disappointment and against the backdrop of perceived damning evidence, everything human in me protested. But the Spirit in me, the One who fans the winds of faith across the panorama of my faithlessness, rose up to inspire belief instead of doubt. He offered me the grace to believe in God and furnished me with the courage to walk toward Him.

My love for God is in tact and I’ve learned that love is more than feelings.  Love has an iron will that is fueled by faith.  I trust God even though I live in the middle of my story and His glorious resolution is out of my range of vision. Today, I shun the love-killer and rise up to renounce every lie that threatens my security.

Lord, the foundation of my faith rests upon the pillars of Your righteousness. Amen

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