Threshold

 I don't know about you, but I always feel as though I am on the precipice of something greater than I can imagine. As if one more step, and the unseen world will expose itself, and everything will change.

When my now 25-year-old son was in middle school, he read a book (later made into a movie) called The Giver.  Throughout the story, a young man lived in a black-and-white world, but he's convinced there's more. He'd break rules, find loopholes in everyday tasks, and by the end find a way to escape the current reality and enter a life filled with color and beauty. In his black-and-white reality, there was no conflict, no one raised questions, and everyone was assigned their future at birth, not to be questioned or disputed. Creativity and passion were unnecessary.

Courtesy Google Images

When watching this movie, I couldn't help but think how sad this life would be if we didn't question things. Didn't have ambition or creativity. We would still be reading by candlelight if not for Thomas Edison's light bulb. Books wouldn't be written. Art wouldn't exist. If our world were black-and-white, we wouldn't have any concept of a rainbow's magnificence or a sunset's astounding beauty.

A man I once knew was told he would soon be living in technicolor. To those who heard these words, it sounded like this man would experience color and vibrancy none could imagine. Gold and silver would be so pure and rich that a hint of light would reflect off anything in their space. 

Of course, the speaker--whether knowingly or not--spoke of heaven.

Is this the precipice I imagine on the threshold? A thin veil separates me from the true promised land for all who follow Jesus Christ. It's thin enough to know that there's something amazing on the other side, yet thick enough that I am unable to see even the slightest shadow of what's to come.

There's so much more to this life than we live. We wake every day and go about our to-do lists. We accomplish tasks. We check the boxes and close out the day as we lie down for the night, and we prepare for another day. Some of us rehearse the words, "His mercies are new every morning ..." to encourage ourselves that each new day presents a clean slate and a fresh start.

The sentiment is true. 

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV).

 And we do get to start each day with hope in our God.

But there are days, to be honest, that I lose sight of this. I have heard the words, "hamster wheel," cross my own lips as I describe my day-to-day. This is not declaring the goodness of God. This does not tell anyone of God's new mercies or faithfulness. Nor is this sharing the gospel of Christ or the abundant life He has promised. Truthfully, comparing life to a hamster wheel activity--while borne out of exhaustion--is complaining. And complaining is a gateway for the devil to come in and drag us into depression, anxiety, and faithlessness.

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In David Jeremiah's final lesson on Elisha, the focus is on the last great miracle God performed through the prophet. The king of Israel came to a sick and dying man, complaining that the Syrian army was coming with horses and chariots, and the Israelite army was depleted (2 Kings 13:14-21). Now, Joash was not an honorable king. Scripture tells us that he did evil in the sight of God. He turned to Elisha because he knew God listened to him.

Elisha's instructions were simple, yet not direct. He told the king to shoot an arrow through the window. This would indicate victory over Syria. Then Elisha told the king to strike the ground with the arrows, and this would indicate how completely he would defeat Syria. The king struck the ground three times, which angered the prophet.

One might say, "Elisha didn't specify how many times to strike the ground." And this is true. However, considering the fact that Joash, king of Israel, was not one to place his faith in God, he had more faith in what Elisha could do for him than in what God could do. Scholars will say that Elisha's concern was more about the king's heart, his willingness to trust God, than how many times he struck the ground.

This is where I find myself often, lately. Questioning whether I trust the God who sees, who has promised to provide, who created the universe and everything in it. I have spent time trying to analyze and break down what I can understand and create a plan of action that makes sense. I can't tell you how often I've heard the soft whisper deep in my soul, "Will you trust me?"

The answer to the question is simple, but it isn't easy. It requires surrender.

Surrender of control.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV).

It seems to me that this is where the meaning behind striking the arrows comes into focus. We look to the Lord with our weakness, our doubts, and answer, "I believe, help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Then we can follow up these words with acknowledging the truth of Jesus' words, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26 ESV).

It is impossible to surrender while trying to figure things out. It's like holding to a fistful of Monopoly money and trying to grab hold of gold coins without dropping any of the Monopoly money. You have to let the one go to grasp the other.

The key to this, I believe, is to decide whether we believe the Bible to be wholly true. Wholly for today. Wholly for us.

Courtesy Google Images

And if the answer is yes, then study the Bible as a treasured letter from our loving Father.

Until next time, magnify the Lord in your circumstances 💜 Karlene J 💜

Back on Track: The Restoration of the Lost

Sterling Heights, MI: January 2023

“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

~ Lamentations 3:22-23 ~

We open our next lesson from Elisha with a little testimony time. Gehazi, the man who'd served Elisha, stood before the king, answering one request: to tell all of Elisha's miracles and exploits.

Gehazi was in the middle of his presentation when a woman approached the king with a request. When Gehazi recognized her, he drew from her history with Elisha. "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life." And when the king asked the woman, she told him (2 Kings 8:5b-6a).

This woman had been out of the country for seven years, at the direction of Elisha, who'd told her a famine would fall on the land for a time and she should take her family and live somewhere else until the famine had lifted. When the time came, she returned and went before the king to request that her land and home be restored to her. Her timing was perfect in that Gehazi was discussing how Elisha had raised her son to life after he died in her arms. After she'd confirmed Gehazi's story, the king issued orders for an official to ensure all that was hers be restored:

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now." ~ 2 Kings 8:6 ~

In case you're wondering, this is the Shunammite woman who cared for the prophet Elisha when he came through her town. He'd learned that she and her husband had no children, and her husband was well on in years. To bless the woman, Elisha sought the Lord, and she was granted the one thing that would show her that God was pleased with her. A child. In that culture, to be without children was a cloak of shame on a woman. She'd told Elisha to not toy with her.

She didn't want her hopes to be raised only to be crushed. A year later, her son was born as the man of God had said. A few years later, however, the boy died in her arms. She laid him on Elisha's bed and went to bring him to her home. Before she did so, she reminded him how she didn't ask for this. Elisha sent her from his room and began to seek the Lord. And later, he took the boy and gave him back to his mother--alive.

Through the years, the woman must have continued ministering to Elisha's need for lodging and food. A friendship may have formed. And when Elisha knew food would become scarce, he warned her, saying,

"Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years." So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. ~ 2 Kings 8:1-4 ~ 

Her ability to trust the man of God is evident in her willingness to pick up her entire household and move to a foreign land. This is also indicative of her ability to trust the God of the man. I don't see any mention of her husband making the decision to move. It was her. A woman. And then seven years later, pull up stakes and move again, back to the land from where she came.

There's no mention of what the people thought of her. Only that she confirmed what Gehazi told the king, and the king responded by restoring her property--plus back pay.

This story feels familiar to me.

How many of us can say that?

Every day we're faced with decisions that can impact our friendships, family relationships, or financial situations. Often, we believe we're taking the path laid out by God. Then there are those moments, miles down the road, when we may wonder if our choices were our own path, attempting to "help" God fulfill a promise in our lives.  And we find the relationships we'd begun to cultivate years ago are now distant, but cordial. Friendly, yet missing that element of closeness we were once hoping to gain.

MetroBeach, Harrison Twp, MI 2022

I have, on occasion, reminisced about the time Jeff and I were going to move to West VA so he could attend Bible school. When announcing it to the family, some accused us of trying to cut them out. So we relented and stayed in Michigan. Later, we felt led to move across the state to Grand Rapids, but roadblocks prevented the move. Years passed. Children were born, grew, and are now young adults; and we are still planted in the SE corner of Michigan.

Through all of this, I have found myself questioning whether we'd missed our exit on the path God laid out. But as I read my Bible, including this story in 2 Kings 8, I am reminded of a few things:

• "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). 
• "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21)

And if we do get off track, the Lord is faithful to redeem us as we repent and return to Him in humility and trust. 

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
• The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22)
• He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. (Psalm 107:20)
• And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)
• The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him." (Lamentations 3:22-24)
• I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

Every day we wake.

Every day we have an opportunity to start fresh.

Every day, we have choices. 

The best decision we could possibly make is to surrender and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Until next time, 💜 Karlene J 💜