Falling Down So I Can Look Up

 “Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.” II Chronicles 20:18 (NIV)

 

There’s nothing graceful about falling down – especially when you are nine months pregnant. But that’s exactly what I did. It’s one of those moments that will stick with me forever and, on occasion, raise its ugly head and whisper, “remember that time when you fell in the yard . . .” Embarrassing. Humbling.

  I was expecting our second child any day. And as often happens with “pregnancy brain” as it is called, I forgot easy tasks. Everyday routines. Again, and again. Like taking out the trash. “Oh no!” I muttered to myself. “Here comes the trash truck and I haven’t carried out the trash!” I hurriedly (for a woman the size of a baby elephant) raced out the back door with a bag of trash that was almost as big as I was.

 I made it down the steps and halfway across the yard before I suddenly stepped into a hole and began to fall. Picture with me: a bag of trash in my right hand, a baby belly that kept me from seeing where to step next, and a left hand and arm flapping like a wounded bird, trying to grab something – anything – for support but finding nothing but air.

Now, falling to one’s knees is embarrassing but my rotund body just couldn’t stop there. My right arm flung the trash upward as my left one tried to cushion my continued downward movement, belly, and all. I hit the ground on my left side only seconds before the now descending trash bag AND contents landed squarely on my head, dumping it all over me, right in front of the men on the trash truck who were by then staring with mouths wide open. Before they reached my house, I somehow managed to do a side roll, get to my knees and hurry back into my home. Embarrassed. Humiliated. Covered with trash.

  II Chronicles 20:18 addresses falling but it is in an entirely different context: intentionally falling down before the Lord God in reverence and worship. King Jehoshaphat was facing a horrible situation. A huge army was poised to attack Judah and the king knew that his army could not defend successfully against them. He also knew there was only one thing that he could do: go before the Lord and ask Him to provide for Judah and all the people. And that’s exactly what he did.

  When the king admitted that he and his men had no power to face the army, but that God did, the Lord spoke through the Levite Jahaziel and told them to stand firm and see what He, God, would do. And King Jehoshaphat’s response? He “bowed with his face to the ground and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.”

Can I ask you a question? What is your response when there is a “huge army” threatening to attack? Maybe there are more bills than money in the bank, or your prodigal continues to stay a prodigal, or the doctor begins his conversation with “I’m sorry.” Do you try to fix the problem on your own or do you turn to the One who knows what we are going to ask before we even say a word? King Jehoshaphat didn’t know God’s answer; he simply trusted and said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

  I encourage you to take all your fears, your worries, and your what if’s before the Lord today. Lay them at His feet and then fall before Him in worship and praise as you trust Him to fight for you.

Father, worry and fear have kept me from bringing my concerns before you but no more. All that I have is yours. I praise you for your answers. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

•    What is your first response when problems pile up in your life?

•  Do you praise God for His answers or try to work everything out on your own?

 Apply

• Journal all the situations you are facing and how you have handled them so far.

• Bow before the God of the Universe and give Him each of those problems as your worship and praise Him for His answers.

 Power

• II Chronicles 20:18 (NIV) “Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.”

• Leviticus 9:24 (NIV) “Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.”

• Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV) “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. . . “

If You Could Read My Mind

  “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8 (NIV)  

         Glasses that allow you to read minds? Sounds great, doesn’t it, and what a novel idea! Or maybe not. That was the concept for a television show several years ago. An elderly lady found a pair of reading glasses in the back of a dresser drawer in her home. She discovered that when she put them on, she could hear what people were actually thinking while they were speaking to her. She was totally confused at first. 

         For example, when she put the glasses on, she heard her grandson say “Man, I hope the old gal falls down those stairs. Can’t wait to get my inheritance!” She was shocked and quickly pulled the glasses off and asked “What did you say?” Her grandson replied, “I said to please be careful coming down the stairs so you don’t fall.”

          Thinking she had simply misunderstood, she put the glasses back on and glanced at her grandson’s girlfriend, only to hear her say “You old goat! Wish you would die already!”  In shock, she pulled off the glasses and said “Excuse me?” and heard the young lady say “I said that I want you to be careful, too.” 

         The elderly lady suddenly realized the value of the glasses: when she was wearing them, they had the ability to show her what a person was really thinking, no matter what they were saying.

          It isn’t a big leap to apply that scenario to our lives today, is it. We are all guilty of saying one thing while totally thinking the opposite. No? What about telling a friend how much we love her new dress and how we would like to have one just like it  but inside we are thinking “I would n-e-v-e-r buy something that ugly!” Or perhaps we tell someone we will be praying for them concerning a situation but inside we think “You know, you really got what you deserved. You should have made better choices.”

Jesus dealt with people who said one thing but only gave “lip service” to Him. He called them hypocrites. Ouch. In Matthew 15:8 He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  He knew that what we think in our minds comes directly from our hearts.  

Please understand: Allowing critical thoughts and judgmental opinions space in our hearts will give them permission to reside in our minds. In the same way, if kindness and compassion occupy our hearts, they will be a part of our lives. There is nothing wrong with saying “That dress is beautiful on you.” or “You are facing a tough situation.  I will pray for you” But we need to learn NOT to add both a critique and critical thoughts, which may simply be an opinion. 

          I cringe as I consider those times when I said one thing and thought something totally different. What if the person could hear what I was actually thinking? How embarrassed and ashamed I would be! In addition,  I would be dishonoring God with my comments, as well, because He sees my heart and my intentions. We all need to allow the Lord to create pure hearts in each of us (Psalm 51:10) and to make sure that the words we speak AND think will be pleasing to Him. 

          Father, I do not always serve you with my thoughts and my words. Please forgive me and help me to honor you with everything in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• Can you think of a time that you spoke one thing but were thinking something totally different?

• Would you have been embarrassed if the person you were thinking about could actually hear those thoughts?

 

Apply

• Memorize Matthew 15:8. 

• Stop and consider comments before you make them to make sure you are not saying one thing but thinking another. 

 

Power 

• Matthew 15:8 (NIV) “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

• Psalm 51:10 (NIV) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

• Psalm 19:14 (NIV) “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

The Laundry Lesson

 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10 (NIV)

 

It may sound crazy, but I love hanging laundry outside on my clothesline. There’s something about fresh-smelling towels and sheets that take me back to my childhood. Growing up, we didn’t own a dryer for several years, so a clothesline was our only option.

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A few months ago, on one especially windy day, I decided to hang out towels, washcloths, and several pairs of jeans. I knew that they would dry in a hurry and smell fresh! Without giving it a thought, I hung the jeans on the inside line first and then proceeded to hang washcloths on the outside line. But that was a big mistake.

 

 I should have realized that, in the gusty south breeze, the jeans would be jumping back and forth as if they were in a Zumba class with heels on – pointy heels. So, every time I tried to hang a washcloth up, a WHACK hit me either in the face or bare arm as the jeans danced with abandon and delight.

 

What in the world was I thinking? I should have hung the smaller things, like the washcloths, on the inside line first. That way, as the breeze hit them, they would only move in a small area, and I could have finished my work without constant attacks.

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I can also get things backward in life. I think that the Lord should bless me with BIG tasks to do instead of smaller ones. And too often my pride says, “I’m worthy of the BIG . . . not the small.”

 

That may include wanting to speak at a large conference when I need to begin by sharing at a Bible study at my church; perhaps I need to begin running at the school track for a few months before I consider tackling a marathon. I am offended because I didn’t get the promotion at work that I felt I deserved; it could be that I need to work harder at whatever assignment I am doing now.

 

The Lord entrusts us with small tasks for a reason. He wants us to learn to trust Him and to be faithful with whatever we have been given. He is preparing us for more as we prove to Him that we are willing to do our best and work our hardest at whatever He has given us to do.

 

We need to remember that He will cover us with huge blessings as we are faithful in carrying out His smaller projects. My challenge is this: begin small, delight in the job the Lord has entrusted to you and see what He will accomplish for His glory.

 

Lord, Show me your plan. Help me to trust you in the small things, because they will always accomplish something big for you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever felt that you were wasting your time doing something “small” for the Lord when you should be working on bigger projects?

 

• Why was that your reaction? Pride? Frustration? A desire to serve Him in a bigger way?

 

 

Apply

• Each morning, before you get out of bed, offer up your day to the Lord and ask Him to give you His plan for the day – whether big or small.

 

• Be open to every opportunity to serve Him, no matter the size or importance of the project.

 

Power

• Luke 16:10 (NIV) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

 

• Zechariah 4:10 (NIV) “Who despises the day of small things?”  

 

• Matthew 25:23 (NIV) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’”

 

 

The Bidding War

 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

 

My husband and I looked down row after row of items placed on tables at the auction. The elderly owner had moved to a nursing home and her prized possessions were on display for all to see and hopefully buy.

 

I don’t think I have ever witnessed a more complete collection of extremely old dishes and glassware and I am certain that I have never even seen a picture of the stunning porcelain doll reclining on white tissue in its original box. The delicate features were hand-painted and beautiful blonde hair was woven into a bun at the nape of her neck. The empire-style cotton gown she wore had at one time been snowy white but was now yellowed with age. Two faded silky pink ribbons tied the dress together in the back.

 

“Can we bid on it?” I whispered to my husband. He smiled and replied that because of the perfect condition of the extremely old doll, it was a collectible and was completely out of our price range. He was right. The bidding began $100.00 higher than what we could afford.

 

Very quickly a bidding war began for the antique doll and just as quickly it narrowed to two very different people: an older gentleman with a ponytail and black beret and a woman in her 30’s wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans. But they were alike in one important way: their determination to own the doll.

 

At first, the auctioneer jumped the bid in $20.00 increments but he immediately saw the battle ensuing so he increased each bid by $50.00 as he looked from the woman to the man. Neither would back down as each was determined to outbid the other.

 

As I watched in astonishment at the increasing price of the doll, it occurred to me that the gentleman and the woman had not one but two goals in common. First, both obviously wanted the doll. But secondly, each one was determined to win the bidding war no matter the cost.

 

We too are in a bidding war every single day of our lives but unlike the battle between two people for a doll, our fight “is not against flesh and blood” as we are told in Ephesians 6:12. Our fight is against Satan.

 

Let me be very clear. Satan hates us as believers. And he will try everything that he can to “outbid” the Lord for our souls. The cost is irrelevant to him as he tempts, deceives, lies, and accuses. What he fails to understand is that the bidding war is over because the price has already been paid on a Cross.

 

By the way, the winner of the bidding war for the doll? Well, that depends on how you look at it. The woman in the sweatshirt bid the most and got the doll but she paid $550.00 more than its value. She won the bidding war but was it worth it?  I encourage you today to hold fast to the One who paid and won the highest price of the bidding war for our souls with His life.

 

 

 

Father, may I always be on guard against the war raging against me. Thank you for the power of Jesus who has paid the price and won that war. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever bid on an item at an auction and paid more than it was worth?

 

• How does that compare when you think of how much the Lord gave in exchange for your soul?

 

Apply

• Draw a vertical line on a page in your journal and put Jesus in one column and Satan in the other and “war” at the top of the page.

 

•  Look up Scripture that describes our value to Jesus and to Satan in the bidding war for our souls and write it in each column.

 

Power

• Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

• John 16:33 (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

• John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 

 

Agenda of Compassion

 

  “ . . . . I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me.

I was sick and you looked after me . . .”

Matthew 25:35-36 (NIV)

    You think you’ve had a bad day? Remember the poor guy in Luke 10:30-37? The one who was beaten, stripped naked, and left for dead by robbers? Now that would definitely be a bummer of a day. But what happened next was perhaps even worse.

    Three men came by and saw him. Two couldn’t get away fast enough. We are not told why they “passed by on the other side” but are only left to wonder what could have been more important than the needs of this badly beaten man on the ground.

    But the third man? Totally different reaction. Not only did he see the terrible situation but he acted. Out of duty? Not at all . . . out of compassion. He immediately bandaged the man’s wounds, took him to be cared for by an innkeeper, and paid for it out of his own pocket.

     He even went further: he told the innkeeper that when he returned, he would reimburse him for any extra expenses above what he had already given him. In other words, his compassion for this total stranger didn’t stop once the immediate need had been met. It continued on and on.

    He could have said to the beaten man “I see that you have a bit of a problem here. Let me check my iPhone to see what I have scheduled and then I’ll call my secretary to try to pencil you in on my agenda next Tuesday . . . say 10:00? I promise to get back to you . . . oh, and I’ll be praying!” But instead, he saw the need, he felt compassion, and he took care of the need.

     Matthew 25:35-36 is glaring in comparison to my attitude and actions when I see a need at times. And I am ashamed. A car is stopped alongside the road on my way to church. Maybe I don’t hurriedly “pass by on the other side” but I rationalize that I am a female so it might be dangerous for me to stop so I drive on. I don’t even call the authorities. “Someone else will do it,” I rationalize.

     “I was stopped beside the road today and you saw me but you looked the other way and drove on.” - Jesus

     The person ahead of me in the checkout line is digging unsuccessfully for the money she needs for her purchases. Do I step up, without judging, and help? Or do I switch all my items to another line and go on?

     “My bank account was low because of the medical bills for my children and you ignored my need and walked away.” - Jesus

     The thing is, I truly want to be like that Good Samaritan because I long to be like Jesus. But that will never happen until I see others as He sees them: with compassion, mercy, and love, and until I understand that when I take care of people around me, I am honoring Jesus.  

       So, from this moment on, I will do my best to look around me with compassion, mercy, and love as I take care of every need that I can. I repeat: I want to be like the Good Samaritan because I long to be like Jesus. What about you?

     Lord, I want to be like you. I want more than anything to have your heart of compassion. Please show me what is keeping me from looking through your eyes at those around me and taking care of their needs as you did. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever seen a need that required immediate attention?

• Did you stop and meet that need? Why or why not?

 

Apply

• When you see someone with a sign that indicates they need food or money, immediately ask the Lord for wisdom to direct what action you should take to help.

•  Volunteer to work regularly in a shelter for those less fortunate.

 

 Power

• Matthew 25:35-36 (NIV) “…I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. . .”

•  Luke 10:36-37 (NIV) “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.”  

• Colossians 3:12 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”