singin' in the rain!

Ahhhh, Pennsylvania weather! My Dad would’ve said “This is great weather if you’re a duck!”. When we were kids we used to put on swim suits, run outside in the rain and wash our hair under the rain spout with Prell! I've since heard that you can set a perm with Prell shampoo - that's pretty scary!
Anyway, we've had so many rainy days in a row lately and it's been so dreary – the one way I could think of to find joy in the weather was to see what God’s Word said about rain. I found Isaiah 45:8…

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it."

If it’s God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS showering down on my life then let it pour. In fact – I’d like to just sit still – face up – mouth open – in that kind of rain (and maybe in the real, wet stuff too – but on a warmer day!)

Thank you, Lord, for the sunshine today – it’s so beautiful out there! Thanks, too, that we don’t have to wait for a rainy day to let You rain down Your RIGHTEOUSNESS! Would you SPRING UP SALVATION in the lives and families I cross paths with and give me more of those intersections in my life!

time for change

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 21 - "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
In John 11 Martha cries to Jesus "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." and we all know what happens to her deceased brother.
Again, with his closest ones in John 14 Jesus says "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

I've heard and read these passages dozens of times over the course my 40 years and while I believed them every time because it's God's Word - I don't know that ever really believed it to be true for ME.

I can identify a time in my life when I let skepticism win out - bothered by people in my life years ago who entered into what seemed to me a dangerous game called "Name it and Claim it" - bothered because I can't imagine it doesn't seem rude to God when we try direct our lives and those of the people around us according to our own wishes - we do that often enough with out realizing it - but to speak it in words that seem to take the form of commanding God?? I just couldn't stomach it for very long and I left all forms of it pretty far behind me a long time ago.

A few weeks ago, at a women's retreat, my friend Sherilyn made the comment that her son always amazed her because from the time he was little he always prayed in a way that made it evident - he expected God to come through. I had a feeling of both sadness and YUCK that I had forgotten that we are supposed to pray expectantly and a feeling of excitement to revive that part of my prayer life. All of this unfolded as my brother-in-law was in a life-threatening medical condition in the hospital. Things were really bad. I confided in my friend Kim that God had spoken to me about praying expectantly and shared that I wanted to start applying that to my prayers for Randy. The Lord has chosen to blow me away as we've watched miraculous recovery. No more respirator, no more kidney failure, he's awake and alert moving towards health after some very dire reports from doctors.

Answered prayer is an amazing feeling! I mean - prayers bigger than for a convenient parking spot!! This is huge. My faith is bolstered. I know that, ultimately, answered prayer is about bringing glory to the Father - at the same time the process changes me! It's about time for change!
"Oh the Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!" - Psalm 126:3

fashion statement

In a devotional book a good friend gave me for my birthday last year Max Lucado writes about how God's Word refers to us WEARING our character. He speaks of how God clothes us in Righteousness or Peace or other things that help make up who we are.
o The Proverbs 31 woman is "clothed with strength and dignity"
o Isaiah 61 says "For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness"
o In Luke, Jesus speaks of being "clothed with power from on high"
o Paul says in Galatians 3 that if we are baptized in Christ then we have clothed ourselves with Christ!
o Ezekiel speaks of people being clothed in gloom or terror or despair (I'd sure like to avoid that dressing room!)

All this brought to mind the old hymn "The Solid Rock". The last verse of which says "Dressed in His righteousness alone,Faultless to stand before the throne."
I'm not sure it's possible for us - as humans - to imagine what it would be like to stand FAULTLESS? But - HOLY COW - do I ever want HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS to be my greatest fashion statement!

like one being taught

I read this today from Isaiah 50 - verse 4:
"The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."
I want to be that person. The one whose tongue is instructed by the Sovereign LORD! Speaking words that encourage the tired and worn out. To be awakened by HIM both literally and figuratively - everyday.
What does it really mean to listen like one being taught? I always did really well in school from elementary all the way (mostly) through college - without a whole lot of effort. But over the years since formal schooling has ended for me I've discovered that I'm a memorizer. I memorize lists, details, facts, descriptions, music, numbers, whatever - to a large degree only until I pass the test (whatever form that may come in). I have a weird memory. I remember the silliest, most inconsequential details from decades ago - REALLY. But I'm not sure I'm a very good LEARNER.
Lord, show me what it means to listen like one who is being taught. I want to LEARN!