Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 89

Creation - Day Four - Lights in the Sky

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day.

The last part of the third day and the beginning of the fourth day, God begins to fill His creation. (The first three days basically reveal how He forms various aspects of creation.) On the fourth day God creates lights for the sky, somehow separate from the light He created on day one, or perhaps God is taking the light from day one and giving more order to it. Once more God speaks to make it so, and this part of creation is every bit as good and perfect as everything else He's created up to this point. He inspects His work, declares it perfect, pleasing, and ready for use.



I must confess that this study has produced amazement within me as I consider the order in which God puts creation together. So far in our study, God has created: 1) light, 2) sky/atmosphere, 3) land, bodies of water, and vegetation, 4) the sun, moon, and stars. A divine universal order is unfolding, one part necessary for the next, each part distinct but also connected to the whole.



I also thinks it's important in this study to keep our focus on who. As Creator, God owns His creation. He made it from nothing (Hebrews 11:3), and it belongs to Him (Psalm 74:16-17).



Lights in the Expanse I find it interesting that the Bible doesn't specifically name the greater and lesser lights in the sky. One study tool mentioned that when Genesis was put into written word, the sun and moon had become worshiped in several cultures (forbidden in Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2-7), so that the writer of Genesis was perhaps hesitant to mention their names. We have no way of knowing if this is true or not, but we can tell by the description in the Bible that the greater light is the sun and the lesser light is the moon. 



For some reason, the writer chose not only to give God's words, but then to explain the process again, sometimes using the very same words. As a teacher, I quickly learned that repetition is key to students retaining information, and the result is the same here.



Notice that there are three purposes for these lights listed in the scripture:

To separate  day and night, light and darkness
To serve as signs to mark (and "for" ESV) the seasons, days and years and to govern (rule, preside over, to be in charge of) day and night (Psalm 104:20)
To give light on the earth
Stop and think about the implications of this part of creation. For further study: Psalm 136:7-9 (God's motivation), Jeremiah 31:35a (God's power), Gen. 8:22 (God's promise)

Signs The word "signs" really stood out for me as I read this passage. I understand the reference to seasons, days and years, but "sign" didn't seem to fit in the list. As I studied I found several references to signs in the skies, all of which have to do with the end times and the day of the Lord. Here are a few references for further study if you so choose: Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 6:12-14; Joel 2:30-31; Matthew 24:29-30; Joel 3:15; and Luke 21:25. Jeremiah 10:2 mentions that we're not to conform to the ways of those who are terrified by signs in the sky, which seems to be a reference to astrology.

The Amplified Bible says: "...signs and tokens (of God's provident care), and (to mark) seasons, days and years." Who can look at the sun, moon and stars and not know that God loves us and cares for us? Like David, my heart cries out: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for (bless) him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)

Application/Questions 1. What are the three purposes of the sun and moon as explained in the scripture?

2. How is this part of creation important from a human standpoint?

3. What do you think is God's motivation in creation? (Psalm 136:7-9)

4. How does creation testify to God's power?

5. What promises does God later give Noah in relation to the fourth day of creation? (Genesis 8:22)

Closing Thoughts First, another great quote from Matthew Henry:

"The lights of heaven are made to serve Him; they do it faithfully and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not; our light does not shine before God, as His lights shine before us. We burn our Master's candles, but we do not attend to our Master's work."

Second, a couple of verses for contemplation: Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (Philippians 2:14-16)



Heavenly Father and Creator-Sustainer of the universe,

How blessed and privileged we are to have a place in the wonder of Your creation. And to think that You did it out of love to create a place for mankind is beyond our ability to understand. Then to think that, even now, You are preparing a place for us in heaven that far surpasses what we know of the Earth, leaves us speechless and scratching our heads in wonder. I can only speak for myself, Lord, but I feel so undeserving. From the very beginning of creation, You demonstrate grace. Help us to remember that You created us for a purpose and part of that purpose is to hold out the word of life, and in so doing, to lead many to righteousness--to lead them to You.

In the name of the powerful Word, Amen   

Creation - Day Three - Earth and Seas

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters He called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the third day. ~Genesis 1:9-13

After the process of separating the waters from the waters and the water from the sky, God used the third day of creation to separate the land and the seas. Next He commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation. Again, as with all the other days of creation, God spoke and the elements obeyed. And once again, the result was good and pleasing, worthy of God's divine approval. Let's dig a little deeper; first, by reading about this day of creation from God's perspective.

"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no father; here is where your proud waves halt?'" ~Job 38:8-11

Water Gathered To One Place The image here is of a heaping up of the waters and containing them by creating a boundary (Psalms 33:7; 95:5; 104:7-9; 136:6; Proverbs 8:29; Jeremiah 5:22). I can't help but think of the exodus from Egypt where the waters of the Red Sea stood up on both sides to provide dry ground for the Israelites to cross over (Exodus 14:21-22).



If you've ever been caught in an undertow, you're aware of the power of waves. On a college band trip, we visited the north shore of Oahu. We happened to be there on a day when they weren't allowing surfers out because a storm at sea was causing a dangerous undertow. The water literally stood up at times and then crashed against large lava rocks, which were affectionately named by locals as "the meat-grinder." 



But waves are no match for the voice of the One who spoke them into being. Remember what the disciples said about Jesus calming the storm? "...Even the winds and the waves obey Him..." (Matthew 8:27)



God Names the Earth and Waters God once more names the distinct parts of His creation as He did on day one and two. He names the "land" (or Earth in some translations) and the "seas." As mentioned before, this shows His Lordship and Sovereignty. So far He has named day, night, and sky. After naming the lands and the sea, God doesn't specifically name any of the rest of His creation, but gives that privilege to Adam (Genesis 2:19).



And God Saw That It Was Good As I meditated on this verse, I thought of the closest possible parallel we humans have with the awe and wonder of God's creation--the small part we play in bringing new life into the earth. The first time I looked at my babies after they were born, I felt powerful love, pride, pleasure, satisfaction, and delight well up inside me. I have no doubt that God must have experienced the same thing, and declared His work to be "good"--not only His stamp of approval or inspection sticker, but His joy and delight.



Produce While this isn't earth-shattering, as a writer I love the imagery the New Living Translation uses. Instead of "produce," which sounds rather clinical, the NLT uses "burst forth." If you've viewed fruit trees in the spring, this is exactly what happens (though I'm sure it happened on a much grander scale at creation). One day you have blossoms and seemingly overnight, the fruit appears to have "burst forth."



If you've ever watched a nature show where they speed up a film of plant life, this "bursting forth" is exactly what seems to happen.



According To Their Kinds Again, I'm overwhelmed by the order in God's creation. He created them to produce according to their kinds.



As my family and I celebrated our weekly Sabbath feast and partook of an abundance of foods, I thought about the variety we find in plants available for us to eat--and all we had were mixed vegetables, potatoes, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, oranges, carrots, celery, olives and pickles! That might sound like a lot--and it is--but that's just a thimble-full of the vegetation God has created around the world.



To overlook the importance of seed-bearing plants and fruit trees is to neglect a very crucial part of God's creation. With this one act comes the promise of continuing life and food.



Seed-Bearing Plants and Fruit-Bearing Trees As a gardener (from a long line of farmers and gardeners), I see so many correlations between plant life and our lives--from the merely physical to the spiritual and inner life of mankind. Jesus used plants as the focus of many teachings (mustard seed, wheat that must die to produce, wheat and tares, God clothing the lilies of the field, etc.) On this third day of creation, God distinguishes between the plants (literally, small plants) and the trees, which of course were larger. But both plants and trees produced their own seed, which guaranteed a constant provision of food. The picture is of a loving Creator creating in advance for the remainder of His creation all they would need to be sustained. (See also Psalm 104:14)



Day The Hebrew word for day is "yom," and is the fifth most frequently used word in the Old Testament (according to the Holman Bible Dictionary). There are pretty strong disagreements among Bible scholars about whether these "days" were literal twenty-four hour time periods or simply a set period of time that could have involved hundreds or even thousands of years. 



First of all, I think it's important to remember that God is not constrained by time as we humans are. Instead, He is separate from time and can see all of it at once. Here are a few quotes of various study guides that I used:



"Every time in the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) the word "day" used with a number means an actual solar day or 24 hours." (This came from a note I had written in the margin of my Bible; sorry, I don't have the source of the quote.)



"If the days of creation are regulated by the recurring interchange of light and darkness, they must be regarded not as periods of time of incalculable duration, of years or thousands of years, but as simple earthly days." (Unger Bible Dictionary)



My humble opinion is that it could have happened either way. Our God is all-powerful and more than capable of bringing all of creation together in six literal days. However, there are several places in the Bible where a number is used in a more figurative sense, as in "...with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8) and the "time, times, and half a time" used in Daniel 7:25.



So I see this disagreement as a senseless argument that only brings division to the body of Christ, and therefore a subject to be avoided.



Application/Questions

1. What especially produces a sense of awe and gratitude in you from this passage of study?



2. Have you ever stepped back from something that you had a part it and viewed it with delight and joy? What? How do you think that compares with what God felt at  the end of each day of creation?





3. Have you ever been at a place where you were overwhelmed with the magnitude or variety in God's creation? Please feel free to share the experience and how it affected you in the comments below.



Closing Thoughts

The following quote from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible seemed like an apt way to end today's study:



"The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken, it became full of God's riches, and His they are still. Though the use of them is allowed to man, they are from God, and to His service and honour they must be used. The earth, at His command, brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the produce of the earth."



Dear Father,



Thank You seems so inadequate to express our gratitude for providing for our sustenance before human life ever came to be. And what variety! More than just giving us enough to get by, You provide in abundance. Lord, open our eyes to see Your abundance--Your love--which is demonstrated all around us on a daily basis. And may our response be one of gratitude and praise, of giving back to You the life You created for your pleasure.



Amen   

FWC: "Taking Out Your Emotional Trash" by Georgia Shaffer

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!



You never know when I might play a wild card on you!





Today's Wild Card author is:

Georgia Shaffer

and the book:

Taking Out Your Emotional Trash Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2010)***Special thanks to Karri James of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Georgia Shaffer is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, certified life coach, sought-after speaker, and the award-winning author of several books, including How NOT to Date a Loser. She's also a member of the teaching team for the American Association of Christian Counselors' Life Coaching Training series. Georgia holds degrees in clinical psychology, computer science, and education.



Visit the author's website.



Product Details:



List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0736927263

ISBN-13: 978-0736927260



AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:





Are You in the

Danger Zone?



While discussing this book, a friend suggested I visit a landfill to observe how garbage is handled. That sounded like a good way to pick up some ideas so I followed her advice. As I approached the main gate of the facility, I noticed high netting surrounding the multi-acre landfill. The netting was firmly secured to huge 40-foot poles. In one section the poles were broken and the netting lay sprawled across the ground.



"What happened there?" I asked the landfill manager as I pointed to the problem area.



He replied, "The other day strong winds swept up the lighter paper garbage as it was being unloaded from the trucks. Before we could stop it, the winds plastered the paper trash against the netting. It created such a force that it broke those poles in two."



He didn't look too happy as he continued. "The accumulation of that paper created the effect of wind pushing against the sail of a boat. Instead of the wind blowing through the netting, it blew against the wall of debris and snapped those wooden poles like they were toothpicks." He shook his head. "It made quite a mess. Paper trash was everywhere."



As I looked at the fallen poles I thought, What a great image of the damage that results from the accumulation of negative thoughts and feelings in us. A simple or single emotional reaction may seem as harmless as a single sheet of paper floating around a landfill. But when we allow our annoyances, anger, and frustrations to collect, these feelings become a force so powerful it can cause severe damage.



I knew what that felt like. Recently my self-control snapped much like those fallen poles. Maybe you've had one of these weeks too. First, the red light on my printer kept flashing. No matter how many times I unplugged, replugged, and rebooted the printer and computer, the light kept flashing. On…off…on…off. I tried to ignore it, but my irritation kept building.



Next, my broadband telephone service failed. No dial tone. No incoming calls. After many hours and eight cell phone calls to customer service, I exploded when one of the techies announced, "I'm sure this is a very simple matter."



"Simple!" I blurted. "I have four college degrees, and one of them is in computer science. This problem is not simple or it would have been corrected hours ago." I threatened to drop my service and hung up. But my trials weren't over.





The following morning I headed to an electronics store to have a CD player installed in my car. I'd been told on the phone a few days earlier that they didn't take appointments, but if I arrived before eight o'clock I would have the shortest waiting time. I made sure I got there early. Twenty minutes after eight I discovered the installation service person hadn't yet arrived. An hour later he still hadn't shown up.



I strode up to the counter and said, "You mean I got up early on a Saturday morning just to stand around and wait for an installer to arrive?" I knew my anger wasn't going to change things, but I kept fuming while I waited. It was eleven-thirty before a tech person arrived. With an indignant huff, I marched off to the bookstore next door, bought a cup of tea, sat down in a comfy chair, and took a deep breath. Forced to sit still, I pondered my mini-meltdowns over the last few days. In addition to the printer, phone, and installation hassles, there also had been glitches in some human connections. I recalled my conversation with a good friend the day before. Although we usually chat for at least an hour, after I dumped all my woes on her, she quickly said, "I'm sorry but I need to run."



And then there was the time when my son and I exchanged ugly words. My mother and I also had a bit of a misunderstanding, and I was still seething about an issue at church. As I took in the big picture, it hit me. Each of those seemingly insignificant feelings were like individual pieces of trash paper. When blown around by frustrating circumstances, they had accumulated to the point that they pushed against the limits of my control and finally broke through. As a result, I was spreading emotional and relational litter all over those around me. I realized that if I wanted to avoid reaching that breaking point and expressing my emotions destructively, I needed to be intentional about preventing the pileup.



Years ago I attended a seminar led by Psychologist W. Robert Nay on the topic of anger management. Many of the clients in his private practice were referred to him by the judicial system because their anger had gotten out of control. Dr. Nay said that when he speaks to these offenders about their feelings and what they noticed was going on before they "lost it," they often said, "I was fine until that guy cut me off in traffic. I lost it [they snapped their fingers] just like that."



Dr. Nay discovered that no one loses it "just like that." He says that what we fail to understand is that our level of stress, if unchecked, continues rising. The emotional pressure keeps building. The cumulative force becomes so strong that when we experience one additional thing, even if it's something small such as our children refusing to follow directions or a fast-food worker getting our order wrong, we snap. We've let our emotions pile up to a dangerous level. And we augment our feelings by bringing in a sense of entitlement. For instance, if we believe life is supposed to be stress-free, that we deserve a stress-free life, and people don't meet our expectations, defy us, or displease us, we get enraged.



But we can handle emotions in a productive and healthy manner. It's the awareness of where we are emotionally right now and a commitment to change that can begin to release the pressure.



Where Are You Emotionally?



Even if you don't see yourself as an emotional person, the fact is that "emotions are a gift of God, who created each of us with a capacity to feel and express our emotions." It's not that your emotions are unhealthy or dangerous. It's what you do or don't do with them that can be the problem. Your feelings have the potential to become especially harmful when you stuff them, deny them, or allow them to accumulate. When that happens, you may become controlled by them.



The following graph was adapted from an example shown at the seminar given by Dr. Nay. Zero represents no emotional pressure, no buildup of irritations, resentments, insecurities, bitterness, or negative emotions (a place where we never are). For this example, let's assume 30 is an acceptable level of stress and 80 is the point where we snap because feelings have piled up and we've failed to deal with them constructively. Like the snapped telephone poles at the landfill, we each have a point where we can't handle one more piece of trash. That is when we lose control. We cross a line, so to speak, and move into the danger zone of being controlled by our emotions. We react rather than respond to life. Because emotions have piled up and up and up, we say or do things that are unhealthy for us, hurtful for others, and harmful to our relationships.



Let's hypothetically say the pressure of your negative feelings has built up to a level of 79. You are irritated, your jaw is clenched, and your head is throbbing. But you are handling the circumstances around you without losing control. Your daughter says, "No duh, Mom," when you make a comment, and you take it in without saying or doing anything hurtful. But now you're at 79.9. One more comment, one more roll of her eyes moves you into reaction mode. You make negative comments, you stomp off, and you explode. Your daughter's action didn't cause you to snap. Since you were already at a heightened emotional level, her action put you over the edge.



If we want to maintain control and stay healthy in our emotions, we need to first understand that we don't go from a 30 to a 79 "just like that." According to Dr. Nay, people often assume they start the morning at an emotional level of 0, when in fact they may have awakened at an emotional level of 79. If we don't realize we are already at the I-can't-handle-one-more-thing-without-losing-it point, we won't do anything to relieve the emotional pressure. So when "one more thing" happens, we'll probably do or say something we regret and make our situation worse.



Emotional awareness is realizing "there is an emotional impact from almost every stimulus received and every response you give. You may not feel them all consciously, but all of these tiny subconscious emotional stimuli are adding pressure and intensity to the way you respond all throughout the day." This accumulation of emotional pressure from annoyances, frustrations, and feelings of entitlement are like the papers that piled against the netting at the landfill. The force of the wind plastered the papers against the net and then snapped the poles. In the same way, it usually isn't just one emotion that puts us in an emotional danger zone. Instead it's the sadness + frustration + embarrassment + disappointment + jealousy + anger that we ignore or stuff or allow to accumulate. The cumulative effect can be disastrous.



Looking back at the graph, the shorter bar could represent my emotional buildup at the beginning of that difficult week. The taller bar could symbolize that Saturday morning when I raised my voice at the person behind the electronics counter just before I turned around with a huff and stomped out the door.



For many of us, the daily minor irritations, frustrations, and emotional upsets can accumulate and sneak up on us. We may realize the emotional ramifications of something major, such as a death in the family and the overwhelming sadness and anger that brings. But the tiny upsets sidle by us unnoticed until suddenly, "just like that," we're at the breaking point. And then we pay the price relationally. The cost may be something as simple as everyone thinking we have a lousy attitude and would we please go somewhere else or as permanent as a ruptured relationship.





Kayla ignored her emotions for weeks. Then one day she was late for work because she overslept and couldn't find her keys. Next she got stuck in traffic and realized she'd forgotten her lunch. By the time Kayla got to work, she'd crossed into the danger zone without realizing it. She snapped at the office manager and treated her boss disrespectfully because she hadn't paid attention to the state of her emotions and dealt with the overload.



Garrison, on the other hand, told me he stuffs minor annoyances. "Right now I'm dating someone. She might make a comment unintentionally that hurts me. Instead of saying anything, I think, It's not that big of a deal so why create conflict? But after weeks and weeks of stuffing these little hurts and annoyances, I blow up and say all kinds of nasty things to her. This type of behavior ended my last relationship."



We don't all react like Kayla, who became snappish, or Garrison, who became verbally aggressive, when we're living in the danger zone. Meltdown moments and reactions will be different from person to person. Some of us tend to be forceful verbally or even physically. Others become sarcastic, making cutting comments that hurt others deeply. Some withdraw, become numb, or cry. Perhaps you've recently lost your cool and made a snide remark to that tech person who spoke limited English. Maybe you snapped at that clerk you thought incompetent. Or perhaps you found yourself saying things as a parent you vowed you'd never say, such as, "Won't you ever get it right? How stupid can you get?"



For most of us who cross the line and find ourselves reacting badly, our behaviors are hard to recognize because they're so subtle. Maybe when you are ticked off with your spouse, you walk away and for the next couple of days give him or her the silent treatment. You isolate yourself and refuse to discuss the problem at hand. Or maybe you're the kind of person who remains polite, but you withhold the very thing you know someone wants, such as quality time, affection, or appreciation.



Recognizing when we aren't handling things well and how we react negatively are key factors in managing our emotions.



Commitment to Change



I mentioned earlier that it's the awareness of where we are emotionally and the commitment to change that enables us to reverse our tendency to react rather than respond to our emotions. Perhaps you're reading this book because your relationships are falling apart. Or maybe you're unhappy with your life and are desperate to change it, but you don't know where to start. Do you know you'll be much more likely to make and keep a commitment to handle your feelings differently if you are emotionally invested in the process? Make a change decision from your heart. You can explore where you are by asking:



What will motivate me to pay attention to how my behavior affects others?

What will inspire me to get serious about dealing with my emotional stuff?

The best way to succeed in altering behavior is to find some meaningful, lasting reasons for implementing the changes. Here are some reasons you may identify with. After reading through them, why not checkmark the ones that you can relate to? After you read these, feel free to add more reasons that apply to your situation in the margins so you can refer back to them when you need encouragement.



You want to be a good role model for your children and grandchildren. Maybe you've noticed lately how your children are displaying the same out-of-control behaviors you are. Instead of feeling guilty, choose to learn the skills needed to minimize the time you live in the danger zone.

Growing emotionally and spiritually is extremely important to you. You aren't having serious relationship problems, but you are feeling stuck. You want to do something differently, but you're not sure what to do or how to do it.

Your closest relationships are deteriorating because of your insecurities, jealousies, and anxiety. Your spouse has given you an ultimatum, "You need to do something about this or else."

You've become aware that your anger, frustrations, and resentment are affecting your performance at work. Your supervisor has suggested you get help. You want to control your emotions instead of allowing them to control you.

Your friends are distancing themselves. Instead of having fun with them you've been bogged down trying to clean up the emotional messes you've created in your relationships.

You've procrastinated in dealing with some of your emotional reactions because you figured everything would work out on its own. You now realize that's not going to happen. You don't want to pretend any longer. You know that life will be easier if you deal with your problems now.

You yearn for deep, meaningful relationships but your constant moodiness has fractured friendships at church, work, and socially.

You're eating or drinking too much because you don't know how to deal with the stuff in your heart and life.

You always thought your junk was your junk and nobody else needed to know about it until a close friend helped you realize your "private" stuff was impacting people around you. You want to cultivate desirable qualities that attract people.

Your poor physical health is motivating you to get serious about improving your emotional health. Your habit of not talking about feelings has created all sorts of health-related problems, such as insomnia, high blood pressure, and headaches. You want to change so you're not as easily fatigued, you can think more clearly, and you're healthier overall.

Even when we are inspired to change, change is hard. In the short-term, it seems much easier and more comfortable to just stay the same. But avoiding change creates more pain in the long term. So whether your motivation is to have better health, richer relationships, or to stop contaminating your current ones, take a moment to clarify, write down, and tell at least one person why you are going to change the way you've been handling your emotions.



I'm tired of reacting negatively because…

When I change reacting to responding, I should notice…

This week I'm going to tell [person's name] about my plans to change how I handle my emotions.

Routine Trips to the Dumpster



Did you know that even on the most basic, cellular level of our bodies there is an intricate system for managing waste? According to medical research, our "cells have developed complex systems for recycling, reusing, and disposing of damaged, nonfunctional waste proteins." Inside of us we have little "garbage collectors." When working properly, they remove the trash from each cell and prevent disease. If these collectors fail to operate correctly, proteins can accumulate in the cell, become toxic, and cause disease.



Now that you've made the commitment to become healthier when it comes to your emotions, your first step is to establish the habit of routinely taking your emotional trash to the dumpster. Just as our healthy cells process waste regularly, we want to routinely deal with our emotions to keep us in a safe zone. We need to monitor ourselves, recognize when our emotions are piling up, and take action to prevent hazardous situations.



One way to "check in" with ourselves is to set aside time to reflect and pray on what we're saying and doing. Until that Saturday morning in the bookstore after my meltdown at the electronics store, I hadn't been paying attention to how my trash was accumulating. I hadn't noticed because for weeks I'd been caught up in the busyness of meeting various deadlines. I'd let my normal routines slide and omitted time for spiritual self-examination, prayer, journaling, and addressing my emotions. The result was extra stress and not being gracious to the people around me.



Perhaps if I hadn't been so driven to complete my to-do list I would have noticed the signals that would have alerted me that I was fast approaching overload. I was feeling dissatisfied with everyone and everything. I was focused solely on my problems and not considering the concerns of others. I'd neglected my basic needs, such as eating healthy foods and getting enough rest. The muscles in my shoulders were hard and tight, and I'd been experiencing headaches.



We all have times when we break our routines to deal with the urgent. And that's okay. But unless we're also attentive to how our emotions are building to critical mass, we'll find ourselves in trouble before we know it. But if we make the adjustments necessary to deal with our grudges, hurts, and irritations as we go along, we'll cut down on how often our negative emotions control us.



The list on the next page will help you know what to look for and be sensitive to so you will know if you're approaching the danger zone. Use it as you would a mirror or scale to check out how you're doing. And if you can identify other behaviors that may indicate you're about to be carried away by your emotions, add them to the list. Feel free to make a copy of this list and post it where you'll see it so you can regularly check on your progress.



While everyone has bad days, you'll want to pay attention to anything that is becoming a pattern in your life. The goal is to stop the accumulation of emotional trash before the bin overflows and reduce the amount of emotional garbage generated. When you set aside time for maintenance and remember to take the emotional junk to the dumpster, you'll experience less stress, a healthier body, stronger relationships, and better attitudes.



Taking Out the Trash



Trash that we allow to pile up creates harmful conditions. Dealing with or emptying emotional trash reduces our stress and creates healthier conditions emotionally, physically, and mentally. Do you tend to allow your emotions to pile up? Do you know why?



Do you usually react to situations or respond to them? Explain.



What does that tell you about how you handle your emotions? Do you need to make some changes? What is the next step God is showing you?



Describe how emotions were handled in your home when you were growing up.



Did your parents discuss their feelings? Did your parents discuss and accept your feelings?



Did your family wait for a crisis before they dealt with feelings?



Did you grow up thinking you were the only person who ever felt angry or sad or frustrated?



What do your meltdown moments usually look like?



Do you get snappy with others?



Do you withdraw and give the silent treatment?



Do you yell or curse?



Do you remain polite but watch for an opportunity to get even?



Do you punch things or hit people or animals?



Other (describe):



Other (describe):



How often would those closest to you say you live in the danger zone? How often would they say you get really close to or in the danger zone?



Do people say they have to treat you with kid gloves or feel like they're walking on eggshells around you?



How often do you say or do something you later regret?



How frequently do you fail to say or do something and regret it later?





MY REVIEW:

We all struggle with unwanted emotional garbage. This book takes an in-depth look at the negative emotions that sometimes threaten to pull us under--fear, grief, anger, etc.--and also offers exercises at the end of each chapter. As a licensed psychologist, the author, Georgia Shaffer, gives pointers for identifying and ridding ourselves of our emotional trash.





I found the book to be very helpful and informative, but also a little redundant in places. If you're having trouble with negative emotions, this book gives a scriptural foundation that I would recommend.



* * * * (4 stars out of 5)

Creation - Day Two - Expanse/Sky

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. ~Genesis 1:6-8

Welcome back to our study on Creation and the Creator. In case you missed the first day of our study you can find it HERE.

Expanse Imagine a time when water surrounded the earth. With the creation of the sky (expanse or firmament) on day two, God separated two distinct bodies of water--one above the sky and one below.

The Hebrew word for expanse in this passage is raqia, and is defined by the Unger Bible Dictionary (Moody Press) as "the pure and transparent expanse of ether which envelops the globe....As used in the record of creation, firmament includes not merely the lower heavens, or atmospheric sky, with its clouds and vapors, but the whole visible expanse up to the region of the fixed stars." (See Genesis 1:14-19) In Job 26:4, Job corroborates this part of creation when he says, "He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight."

"Expanse" means to beat or spread out, which definitely connects with other passages in the Bible where the heavens are said to be "stretched out." (Isaiah 40:22; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Ezekiel 1:22-26; Job 37:18; Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 51:15)

Other translations use the word "heaven" instead of expanse. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for heaven is shamayim and is plural in form (heavens); the Hebrew word for water is very similar--mayim. "Heaven could be described as a partition God made to separate the rain-producing heavenly waters from the rivers, seas and oceans below." (Holman Bible Dictionary) Heaven, of course, is also used to describe the place which serves as the home of God and His heavenly creatures.

A note in my Living Bible uses the term "dome" when referring to the division of the waters. Other study helps used the words "canopy" or "vault." Regardless of which word is used, the Bible is clear that there were waters above the sky and below the sky (Psalm 148:4). A note in a Life Application Bible (Tyndale) says the space between the waters was "a separation between the sea and the mists of the sky."

Many Bible scholars believe that prior to the great flood in Noah's day, the atmosphere beyond the sky was water. (See Genesis 6:11 and Malachi 3:10 where it speaks of the floodgates of heaven.) One commentator suggests that this moment in creation was "the separation of the elements to form planets, atmosphere, and space. This is described as separating the celestial waters from the planetary waters to create a firmament of atmosphere between them." (Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Volume 1, Sherrill G. Stevens) This might explain the length of time people lived during that time (several hundred years), but no one knows for sure. 

Speaking and Naming Worth noting again is that God spoke the sky into being, and that by naming his creation He showed His Lordship and Sovereignty.

Closing Thoughts Regardless of the various beliefs about this second day of creation when the sky was made, this much is true:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." ~Psalm 19:1-4

APPLICATION & QUESTIONS

1. How does the sky serve as testimony to God's existence? (Psalm 19:1-4)

2. What should be our response to this part of creation? (See Psalm 136:3-6)

3. What part did Wisdom play in creation? (See Proverbs 8:27-29)

Creation - Day Two

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. ~Genesis 1:6-8

Welcome back to our study on Creation and the Creator. In case you missed the first day of our study you can find it HERE.

Expanse Imagine a time when water surrounded the earth. With the creation of the sky (expanse or firmament) on day two, God separated two distinct bodies of water--one above the sky and one below.

The Hebrew word for expanse in this passage is raqia, and is defined by the Unger Bible Dictionary (Moody Press) as "the pure and transparent expanse of ether which envelops the globe....As used in the record of creation, firmament includes not merely the lower heavens, or atmospheric sky, with its clouds and vapors, but the whole visible expanse up to the region of the fixed stars." (See Genesis 1:14-19) In Job 26:4, Job corroborates this part of creation when he says, "He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight."

"Expanse" means to beat or spread out, which definitely connects with other passages in the Bible where the heavens are said to be "stretched out." (Isaiah 40:22; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Ezekiel 1:22-26; Job 37:18; Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 51:15)

Other translations use the word "heaven" instead of expanse. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for heaven is shamayim and is plural in form (heavens); the Hebrew word for water is very similar--mayim. "Heaven could be described as a partition God made to separate the rain-producing heavenly waters from the rivers, seas and oceans below." (Holman Bible Dictionary) Heaven, of course, is also used to describe the place which serves as the home of God and His heavenly creatures.

A note in my Living Bible uses the term "dome" when referring to the division of the waters. Other study helps used the words "canopy" or "vault." Regardless of which word is used, the Bible is clear that there were waters above the sky and below the sky (Psalm 148:4). A note in a Life Application Bible (Tyndale) says the space between the waters was "a separation between the sea and the mists of the sky." Many Bible scholars believe that prior to the great flood in Noah's day, the atmosphere beyond the sky was water. (See Genesis 6:11 and Malachi 3:10 where it speaks of the floodgates of heaven.) One commentator suggests that this moment in creation was "the separation of the elements to form planets, atmosphere, and space. This is described as separating the celestial waters from the planetary waters to create a firmament of atmosphere between them." (Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Volume 1, Sherrill G. Stevens) This might explain the length of time people lived during that time (several hundred years), but no one knows for sure. 

Speaking and Naming Worth noting again is that God spoke the sky into being, and that by naming his creation He showed His Lordship and Sovereignty.

Closing Thoughts Regardless of the various beliefs about this second day of creation when the sky was made, this much is true:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." ~Psalm 19:1-4

APPLICATION & QUESTIONS

1. How does the sky serve as testimony to God's existence? (Psalm 19:1-4)

2. What should be our response to this part of creation? (See Psalm 136:3-6)

3. What part did Wisdom play in creation? (See Proverbs 8:27-29)    

Let There Be Light!

And God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." ~Genesis 1:3

God's redemptive nature shows itself in the very first act of creation when He said, "Let there be light." With those four simple words, He revealed His plan to overcome darkness with light, and evil with good. He began all of creation by bringing us light! (If you missed the first part of this study, you can find it HERE.)



It's easy to take this gift from creation for granted because we've grown so accustomed to light. But consider the impact of light upon our world. Light is fundamental to all life--plant, animal, human. Without light, the delicate operation of photosynthesis wouldn't take place. Carbon dioxide would clog the air, and oxygen that we need to survive couldn't be produced.



Light is necessary for sight (Ephesians 5:14). Without light, we have no sight. This applies to us both physically and spiritually. Each day on this planet is a struggle between light and dark, day and night, good and evil--both within us and outside us. So let's dig a little deeper into the topic of light as it is used throughout scripture.



A Symbol of Purity and Holiness

For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life. ~Proverbs 6:23

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ~Romans 13:12

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. ~1 John 1:5

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." ~John 3:19-21

Spiritual Illumination

"...light is to reveal and to provide understanding and purity, while the opposite of light, or darkness, is designed to obscure, to deceive, and to harbor impurity." ~W.A. Criswell

For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ~2Corinthians 4:6

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. ~Ephesians 5:11-14a

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. ~1 Peter 2:9

"...the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." ~Matthew 4:16; Isaiah 42:7

God Is Our Light

The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? ~Psalm 27:1

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~John 8:12

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows. ~James 1:17

He wraps Himself in light as with a garment... ~Psalm 104:2a

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. ~John 1:9

Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." ~John 12:35-36a

  A Heavenly State

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow, will end. ~Isaiah 60:19-20

...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. ~Colossians 1:12

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ~ Revelation 21:23

 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. ~Revelation 22:5

We're Called To Be Light

Both the sun and the moon give off light, but the moon's light is different in the fact that it reflects the light of the sun. In like manner, we're to reflect the "light of the world," Jesus.

 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:14-16

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. ~Ephesians 5:8-10

  APPLICATION & QUESTIONS(Feel free to share your thoughts and answers in the comment section if you so desire.)

1. How is the creation of light redemptive?

2. Why is light important--both physically and spiritually?

3. What are the implications of a life without light?

4. Who is our light? 5. What is our calling as followers of Christ? 

6. How can we be light?

...God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen ~1 Timothy 6:15b-16

Blog Tour for "The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50 Something Woman" by Sharon V. King, PhD (& Giveaway)

Book Summary

Christian author and gerontologist Dr. Sharon V. King welcomed her 50th birthday asking these same questions. In the Introduction to her book, The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman, she writes:"The view from my 50th birthday was quite different from what I had anticipated. As a Christian, I was ready to start cataloging everything from the first 50 years of my life for which I wanted to thank God—and all the issues I genuinely needed to discuss with Him in considerable detail. But, as the cataloging progressed, unusual items surfaced—doubt, regret, loss, resentment, disappointment—feelings that were far less rosy than the pink icing on my birthday cake."           Realizing that thousands of other "50-something" women may have the same feelings about their official entry into midlife, Sharon set out to apply her knowledge of aging to her spiritual questions and help other women find their way through the midlife maze and, revive (or discover) the joys that come from a closer walk with God at this unique crossroads of life.

Organizing the book like a visit to the doctor's office for a routine physical, Sharon presents 10 spiritual fitness "checkups" and exercises to help you take your own midlife "Spiritual Pulse Check." You will learn how to:Jettison unwanted spiritual baggage
View your midlife crisis from God's perspective
Focus on forgiveness instead of anger
Conduct a spiritual lab test
Improve your spiritual stamina
Enhance your meditation time
Spiritualize your midlife self-image
These Spiritual Pulse Checks can be used by individuals or for group discussion points. It is Sharon's hope that The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman will help readers adopt the same attitude toward their spiritual health as they do their physical health, and strive to maintain a vibrant relationship with God.My Review:I chose to read this book for review since I just celebrated my 50th birthday. I'm a big believer in stopping periodically to examine my life, especially as it relates to my spiritual health. This small book (58 pages) offered all sorts of thoughts on how to prepare for the second stage of life. Don't be fooled by the number of pages. It is not necessarily a quick read. To gain the full benefit of the book, it is best ingested slowly, taking the time to follow the suggestions at the end of each chapter.

What I Liked:I really liked the way the book was structured. We all go through the dreaded mid-life physical checkups, and the author cleverly drew from popular phrases we hear at the doctor's office for spiritual application (E.g. "Step onto the scale, please.").

The book was well-written and easy to read. I also found much of what the author mentioned to line up with Scripture.

What I Didn't Like:In my humble opinion, there were places where the author's own political and religious beliefs superseded the Bible, especially in regard to Creation and sexuality.



My Recommendation:While the book holds great suggestions for an in-depth examination of one's spiritual health, I would only recommend it to those who are thoroughly steeped in Scripture.  

Giveaway:The author is offering a giveaway of this book along with a reduced price on editing services to those who leave a comment. This drawing will run until January 14, 2011. If you are reading this post from Facebook, Goodreads, or Amazon, you will have to visit http://WordVessel.blogspot.com to comment and enter the drawing.

NOTE: This book was offered to me as part of a blog tour, and I received no compensation for this review. The thoughts expressed in the review are my personal opinion.  

Let's Start At The Very Beginning

I love beginnings, don't you? There's something so appealing and hopeful about a fresh start, a clean slate, a new dawn.



As we enter 2011, one of the changes I plan to incorporate at WordVessel is an online Bible study. I'm by no means a Bible expert, but I believe that great good can come from studying God's Word together. I hope you'll join me, and I pray God's blessings upon this endeavor. I trust that God's Spirit will guide us through His Word.



In the movie, The Sound of Music , when Maria von Trapp teaches her seven young charges about music, she sings, "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..." I can think of no better way to start the new year than at the very beginning of time and space, in the book of Genesis, which means "in beginning."



The creation of the universe by a self-existing and eternal God is the foundation of our faith. No wonder the enemy and prince of darkness wants to confuse the issue by using the theories of the big bang and evolution. The truth of creation is so important that the Holy Scripture begins with it, and it's referenced and reinforced throughout the Bible.

God reveals Himself through His creation, so those who choose to neglect the truth of God's Word, do so to their peril (Romans 1:20).

The first chapter of Genesis is a familiar passage, so my prayer as we study is that we'll do so with fresh eyes and that God's Spirit will enable us to glean fresh insight, which will spill over into praise for our Creator. Let's start at the very beginning . . .





In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. ~Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)



God - Elohim The Hebrew word used for God in this passage is critical to our understanding of the scripture. It is a plural word, not suggesting many gods, but the triune God--God the Father, God the Son (the Word - John 1:1-3), and God the Holy Spirit. Every aspect of God was present at creation. Elohim carries with it the meaning of being uncreated or self-existent, transcendent, and the source of all other existence. It also alludes to His majesty, authority and sovereignty. 



Created  The Hebrew word for create is bara', and it literally means to make something out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6, Acts 14:15, Isaiah 45:18, Jeremiah 10:12). The use of this verb throughout the Old Testament consistently uses God as the subject. Man can make or form, but only God can truly create--or make something from nothing.



Heavens  When the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth, 'heavens' refers to space and the infinite universe.



Formless, Empty, Darkness  God's first work of creation was creating the heavens and the earth, but the earth was dark, shapeless and void. With the creation of light, and the separation of day from night, God began to bring order from chaos--not so much disorder--but a lack of order.



One has only to consider the high level of order and complexity in nature to realize that our God is a God of order. During the first three days of creation, we see God giving this form and order to the earth, and in the last three days of creation He populates the planet with life, with man as the crown and purpose of creation.



Spirit of God hovering over the waters I love the picture this paints. First of all, it portrays God as a mother protecting her infant. The same word (hover) is used in Deuteronomy 32:10-11 and Isaiah 31:5 in much the same way.



As a writer, this phrase also builds a sense of anticipation. We sense that God is about to act.



And God said These same three words are used in each daily account of God's creative work. What power! All He had to was speak--or give the Word (Christ)--and everything that is came to be.



Light Let there be light! The implications of this part of creation (and the relating scripture) was so enormous that rather than mention it all here, I decided to put it in another blog post. Be sure to catch Wednesday's post, Let There Be Light! Suffice it to say for now, that darkness can never overcome light, but light always overcomes the darkness!



The light was good God gave His divine approval to the beginning of Paradise. As we continue our study of the other days of creation, you'll see that He approves every part of His work.



Called day and night The fact that God named the light 'day' and the darkness 'night' indicates His Sovereignty and Lordship. Many times in the Bible we see earthly kings giving new names to their subjects (e.g. 2 Kings 23:34) and God gave new names to many people throughout the Bible, including Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Paul. God owns it all!



Evening, then morning

Further proof that God's Spirit will continue to delight us with fresh insight to His Word when we study it. I've probably read this passage thousands of times, but never noticed that evening is mentioned first. My personal thought is that it's no coincidence that God placed them in this order. I'm eternally grateful that morning follows night (Psalm 30:5)!



APPLICATION & QUESTIONS (Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below if you so desire.)

1. How does the fact that God created all things into being by willing it to exist impact you? When considering God's work at creation, what should be our response to Him? (Revelation 4:11)

2. Christ is referred to as the Word in John, chapter 1. How does the Word play a part in creation? (Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:15-16)

3. Who is the focus of creation?

4. As Sovereign God, He could have chosen not to create the world. Why do you think God chose to create the world, knowing in His complete wisdom that man would fall? (John 3:16)

Father God, we're amazed that You, as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, made us for Your praise and glory. We find the depth of Your love for us hard to fathom, but we're grateful. You continue the process of bringing order out of chaos. We look forward to the day when You will make all things new again in Your kingdom. Amen.

Jubilee

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field....You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God. Therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. ~Leviticus 25:10-12; 17-19 (ESV)



As I land today on fifty years as a pilgrim on this planet, I can't think of a better way to celebrate the year than with this study of the Year of Jubilee. Though it might seem like a random (and potentially dry) topic, I gleaned a few nuggets from my study that will hopefully be helpful and encouraging to you.



1. A year set apart from all the others.

Any time God labels something as holy and consecrated, it is something to be set apart, usually for God's service. It's a unique time. Every seventh year was dedicated as a Sabbath year. After the seventh Sabbath year the Year of Jubilee occurred.



The closest thing we have today that resembles the Sabbath year is the sabbatical, which means "any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc."



I hope to view this mid-century mark of my life as a sabbatical and a time to both rest and explore new avenues, open to possibilities and opportunities, open especially to God and His leadership and guidance.



2. A year of liberty.

The other portions of Leviticus 25 reveal that the Year of Jubilee was not only holy, but also a time of liberty for those who had been enslaved.



What a beautiful picture of the work Christ did for us on the cross. His death and resurrection set us free from slavery to sin.



3. Return to families.

I personally found this part of the scripture to be so touching. Those who had been separated from their families were allowed to return their homeland and their loved ones. Can't you just picture the reunion?



One day, those of us who belong to Christ will be reunited with our loved ones and our true homeland. This world is not our home; we're only passing through. There are brighter days ahead. The best is yet to be. What a jubilee it will be when we arrive home!



4. Rest for the land.

Unless you're a gardener or farmer, this part of the scripture might be hard to fathom. Rest is essential for the land to be able to replenish itself. But imagine how scared these people who depended on farming for their food must have felt at God's command to allow a year of liberty for the land. What would they eat?



The Year of Jubilee was a time of total dependence on God, a time of believing that He would provide.



I hope that my personal Year of Jubilee is the same--not depending on my abilities, skills, jobs, or anything related to self, but doing a free fall into His arms, knowing that as I'm obedient to Him, He will provide.



5. A year of redemption.

Further reading in Leviticus 25 reveals that land previously sold or people sold into slavery could be purchased back by a kinsman-redeemer during Jubilee. 



In a like manner, Christ became our kinsman-redeemer through His work on the cross. His blood ransomed our souls. Liberty and salvation are ours as a result of His sacrifice. This process of Jubilee redemption is a picture of grace in action. The people were redeemed, not because of any merit they possessed, but because of grace.



My prayer is that I'll keep that beautiful picture always at the front of my mind throughout this special year. Thank You, God, for redeeming me.





 

Wishing You All A Blessed and Happy New Year!

As another year begins, I thought I'd share my personal mission statement and prayer with you as a way to remind myself of God's call on my life. I pray that it's meaningful for you as well.



Dear Lord, help me today~

~to enthusiastically seize this day and its opportunities, for tomorrow may be too late...

~to gratefully accept and celebrate this day, and all it brings as a gift and adventure from You, and to live it with discipline, courage, integrity, confidence, balance, determination and purpose...

~to live in the present with contentment, peace and joy, because the past is behind me and the future is in Your hands...

~to treasure my family and friends, realizing they bring so much meaning and joy to my life...

~to be salt and light to all those who cross my path, by passing on to them the gift of grace You have lavished on me...

~to make my home a haven for all who pass this way...

~to keep my mind, body and spirit strong, so I can better serve You...

~to faithfully use and humbly teach to others the treasures, abilities and gifts You have entrusted to me...

~to make a positive impact before this pilgrimage leads me home...

~to live simply, but profoundly...

~to practice Your presence...

~to guard my heart...

~to listen for, hear, and obey only Your voice... ~And most importantly, to know You and make You known.