GodandMe2theMax

Discovery #3 - Peter really has a bad rap

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”  Matthew 14:22-33

 

In case you've missed the last several posts, I've been writing about Jesus (and subsequently Peter for a short period of time) walking on the water, found in Matthew 14.  I tend to be a bit garrulous, so I've split my thoughts into three sections.  (Thank you Baptist Christian School for that vocabulary word!  I use it often!)

As I said earlier, I'm no theologian.  These observations are simply what God has shown me after studying this passage, and so when I say "Discovery" - I am definitely using the term quite loosely, not scientifically.  To recap, Discovery #1 (October 22, 2012) was "Jesus sometimes pushes us right into the eye of the storm."  Discovery #2 (October 23, 2012) was "When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him." 

And now I'll try to compact my random thoughts into Discovery #3 - "Peter really has a bad rap." 

I started to look at this whole episode of Peter walking on water.  Remember, this is Peter, the “speak before you think” disciple.  What does he say in verse 28?  He says, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to You on the water.”  I don’t think Peter really thought about what he was saying.  He was impulsive.  He was perhaps a little ADHD.  OK, if you know anyone with ADHD, Peter was more than a little, in my humble opinion.  I imagine Peter was the disciple who was always moving, sitting there, shaking his leg, tapping his fingers, spinning his fountain pen or whatever they wrote with in those days.  I think Peter was always on the move.  So when Jesus said, “Come”, Peter didn’t hesitate.  He heard his Lord’s voice and went without thinking. 

How I would love that quality.  To know God’s voice so much that I deny all reason...to obey.  Let that one sink deep.

Growing up in Sunday School, the one thing my teachers always pointed out in this familiar story was that Peter started to sink because he got afraid and took his eyes off Jesus.  In truth, anyone who is familiar with this story would likely agree they've been taught or heard the same thing.  But look at verse 30.  He may have noticed the wind and gotten afraid, but what else happened?  He said, “Lord, save me!”

Peter not only was the only disciple to recognize Jesus, take a step of faith to come to Him, but even though Peter got scared, he knew his Lord was one armstretch away from delivering him from the depths.  While the other disciples were cowering inside the boat, Peter was walking toward Jesus on the water!  Sure, he got a little scared, but he had enough sense of mind to know Jesus was right there to save Him, to catch Him.  That, my friends is faith, and Peter...well, Peter really has a bad rap. 

As I researched this story in the gospels, I realized something else.  Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6 all tell the story of Jesus walking on the water.  Now, some might argue that each of these events that are told are not the exact same event...that Jesus walked on the water numerous times.  And that may be so, because we all know by now that I'm no theologian.  I'm just a simple girl trying to go to the max with God.

But let's just assume for a moment that the events in these three books were the same event.  Did you know that Matthew 14 is the only passage in the Gospels that talks about Peter stepping out of the boat?  Truth.  Go read it for yourself.  Don't take my word for it!  Compare the stories!

Why?  Why?  Why?  Why does only one book mention Peter stepping out in faith, then nearly sinking?  ...And that is the question of the day...now the question of the week for me. 

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are called the synoptic Gospels.  They often tell the same stories, but each has a different slant, a different purpose, a different audience. The book of Matthew was written primarily to the Jews, and the purpose was to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the eternal King.   I don't really have an answer as to why the other Gospels don't tell the story of Peter.  I do know that the Bible does not contradict itself.  Period - end of subject.  And I take it in faith that it's fitly pieced together, beyond my understanding.

(Sidenote...  Are you familiar with what is referred to as "Peter's Confession", where Jesus asks Peter "Who do you say that I am?"  And Peter replies, "You are the Christ."?  Well, interestingly, the book of Matthew is also the only Gospel that mentions Jesus response to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”   Hmmm...  It gets you thinking.

Maybe Matthew was really was impressed with Peter and felt like he needed to help improve his bad rap, just like I feel today.  OK, probably that's not the answer, especially since the Bible says "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God."  Or, there simply must be a reason why Matthew mentions Peter and the other Gospels do not.  I have some ideas, but they're probably wrong, so I'm not going to even try to explain them.  You see, I don't have to know the answer "why" - I just have to know it all fits neatly together for a purpose.  And I trust God at face value on that one.  End sidenote!)

Finally, I love how the story ends.  Take a look at it.  Of course Jesus chastised the disciples for their lack of faith, but then what happened?  Jesus climbed into the boat with the disciples.  He met them at their point of need.  What a beautiful visual Christ gives us.  The disciples were in the middle of a storm in their life, scared out of their mind, Jesus walked to them, then He climbed in the boat with them!

We are not in our storms of life by ourselves, friends.  If we have a relationship with Jesus - if there's been a time in your life when you've asked Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins, and take control, if you've made that personal decision for yourself, then He is in the boat with you.  And if you have not made that decision for yourself, He is outside on the water, hand outstretched waiting to save you, waiting to pick you up from drowning.  I find that both exciting and encouraging!

So spread the word, Peter's not such a bad guy.  He knew Jesus' voice.  He asked to come to Jesus.  And when Jesus called his bluff, He obeyed immediately.  Sure, he got a little scared, but can you honestly say you would have even take the first step out of the boat?  I dare say most of us would have stayed with the rest of the disciples!  And finally, Peter knew who would rescue him.  All in all, I think Peter had a much better understanding of Jesus than we give him credit.  He just needed a little adderol, that's all.  I'm sure if he had some meds back then, he wouldn't have the "open mouth, insert foot" disciple rap.  And that's a wrap on this passage!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Discovery #2 - When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him...

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him
to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them,
he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  Later that night, he was there alone,
and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves
because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them,
walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.
“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Matthew 14:22-27

 

In case you missed the previous post, I'm writing for a few days on what new discoveries God is teaching me from the old story of Jesus walking on water.  The first Discovery was that "Jesus sometimes pushes us right into the eye of the storm."  (Matthew 14:22)

The next Discovery I have (and again, it's nothing new or profound, but just what God is showing me!) is that "When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him."

Take a look at the passage.  As soon as Jesus bid "Bon Voyage" to the disciples and sent them off into the would-be storm, what did He do?  Jesus took time get alone and pray.  I wonder, what exactly did He pray about?  He knew what was coming; He knew the outcome, and He knows the outcome of every single storm of life that ever took place and ever will.  Yet, He took time to spend with the Father.  To know His voice.  They communed. 

I can only think it was kind of like when you hang out with your best friend.  You know everything about them, but you still want to hang with them more because you love them so much.  You want to talk.  Commune. You want nothing more.  You can talk for hours.  You want to talk for hours.  There's no shortage of things to say.  When they call you on the phone, all they have to do is say "Hey!" and you know it's them, even if you don't have caller ID!   

I'm sure that's how Jesus was with His Father.  And to be honest, this is an area of my spiritual life that needs more muscle.  I need more time alone with my Father to talk. Commune.  To hear His voice.  For Him to hear mine.  Conversation.  Dialogue.  To know His voice and recognize it so clearly that if He calls to me with one word, even a whisper, I'll know it's Him.  Muscling up my prayer life starts with discipline.  It doesn't just happen.  It's a concerted effort, and it starts today.

On Sunday afternoon, I walked into our church bathroom, politely said hello to the person standing at the sink washing her hands, and proceeded to keep walking.  After about 6-7 steps, my brain caught up with my eyes, and I turned around to do a double-take.  Indeed, it was confirmed.  That person at the sink - well, she was my own daughter.  Granted, I hadn’t seen her that day to know what she was wearing, and in my defense, she did have her hair fixed a little differently.  Yet I walked right past my own flesh and blood.  My own family.  Never in a million years would I have thought I would do that, yet it's exactly what I did.   

“I didn’t even recognize you,” I told her.  She gave me one of those teenaged looks like, "Mom, you are bonafide and certifiably crazy!"  (Which I am, because my kids made me that way, you know.  I have an excuse, at least.)  On the way home, she asked me how and why did that even happen?  The only thing I could come up with was “I wasn’t looking for you.” 

And I think that’s exactly why the disciples were so afraid while they were in the boat.  Take a look at verse 26.  They were in the middle of a terrible storm, and instead of looking for Jesus in it, it was easier to think that image in front of them was a ghost.  It’s not that they didn’t want to look for Jesus, it’s more so that they didn’t even think of Jesus. 

How often are we in the middle of a storm and all we can think of is the things that scare us the most?  Or perhaps all we can think of is how we're going to get out alive?  But maybe the real thing we should be doing is looking for Jesus in the middle of the storm.  It's a discipline.  Human nature tells us to look inward, to buckle down, stand tall, and weather the storm.  I can't help but think this story might be different if the disciples were actually aware that Jesus was with them and there was no need for fear.

We all react differently in our storms of life.  Me, well, I tend to buckle down and hold my breath as long as I can, come up for air, then hold it a little longer.  I don't really worry or obsess over the situation.  My human nature is to "be strong and get through it."  Now don't get me wrong, I do rely on God in the storms of life.  But there's something different about this "looking for Him" in the storms.  And I think that discipline is accomplished only through knowing His voice, the way Jesus set the example for us. 

I can't say that "looking for God" in the storm is a normal practice of mine, and I'm thinkin' that my perspective needs some changing.  Once again, I'm thankful for God giving me this little Discovery #2 - When you're looking for Jesus, you'll know Him. 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Perspective Lenses of Praise...

“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”  Psalm 104:33

“Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!  Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!” Psalm 47:1,6

 

On the way to church on Sunday, I heard an old Amy Grant song, “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.”  It’s probably been years since I heard that song, and even longer since I actually focused on the content and meaning of the song. To be honest, the introduction and instrumentals in the song are so cool, that my brain has always been drawn to the music instead of paying attention to the words.  When I heard the intro, I opened the window a little on a cool Texas morning, cranked up the volume, and tried my best to sing with Amy.  With each breath, each attempt to spit out a line of words that I’d not thought of for years, the meaning behind them came to life, perhaps for the first time.

Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya
Just to sing...anew...The song your heart first learned to sing when He
First gave His life...to you...The life goes on and so must the song…

Singing praise to the Lord isn’t just for Sunday, you know.  Our praises should be constant, not a set time to “praise” but a state of being.  Yet, what happens when I begin to focus on my own life’s problems?  Immediately, I stop praising.  The focus is on ‘me” instead of God.  It’s misdirected.

I love the line “life goes on and so must the song…”  How true! Nearly everyone can identify something we are going through right now that is causing pain or emotional anguish.  I sure can, and it doesn’t take even half a second to identify it, either.  That’s how close to the surface it is.  For you, maybe it’s the loss of a job or even being stuck in a job that consumes you.  Maybe you feel like your family is falling apart.  Maybe you’re a student who is overwhelmed with your workload.  It could be financial burdens, health issues, a wayward child…  Yes, we all have something.  But God doesn’t promise us a life without problems; that’s not what being a Christian is all about.  He does promises us that He will be here for us, and He promises abundant life in Him.  IN HIM.  Not in ME.  The only way to have that is to stop the self- focus and direct it toward Him.  “So life goes on, and so must the song.”

You gotta sing...again...The song born in your soul when you
First gave your heart...to Him...Sing His praises, once more
Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya

Think about the joy you had in your heart when you invited Jesus to take control.  As a small child, I remember kneeling down one Sunday afternoon with my mom in my bedroom.  She explained to me what the Bible says about becoming a Christian. As best I knew how, I prayed and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and take control of my life.  Sure, I wasn’t a drug dealer or alcoholic, but I was a sinner just the same.  If you were a child like me when you made that decision, maybe you can’t exactly relate to this song and describe the joy you felt.  But I can sure describe the joy I have today because of that decision so many years ago.  He has spared my life from so many bad decisions because I made the choice at a young age to give Him control.  As I sang these words, I was reminded of the countless blessings God has given to me because I belong to Him.  No matter what, I gotta keep singing; keep praising.  “I can never tell you, just how much good that it’s gonna do ya!”

Just to sing...aloud...The song that someone is dying to hear
Down in the madd'ning crowd...As you once were before your heard the song,
You gotta let them know...The truth is a life to shine upon the way,
So maybe they...can go...Sing His praises, once more
Sing your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya

How many missed opportunities have I had because my focus has been on me and my problems?  I don’t think I want to know the answer to that. Would you?  How many people around us are dying to hear about Jesus?  OK, in today’s western society, it’s not like they are knocking on the door begging us all the time.  But the truth is that people are searching for life’s answers, and it’s up to us to point them to the truth.  A lot of people know about God -- even believe in Him.  But so many have a misconception of Him and what the Bible says about becoming one of His children.  Just because they believe doesn't mean they're a Christian.  The Bible says in James 2:19 "even the demons believe!"  We must be vocal.  We must tell them the truth that it's only by putting your faith in Christ and Christ alone for salvation, repenting of sin, and giving Him control that is TRUTH.  We must sing aloud!  We must let them know “truth is a life to shine upon the way!”

Just to let the name of the Lord...Be praised, both for now, and evermore,
Praise Him all ye servants, Give Your praise to the Lord, Come on everybody,
Stand up and sing...one more Hallelujah,
Give your praise to the Lord, I can never tell you,
Just how much good...that it's Gonna do ya
Just to sing, sing sing...
Come on, sing, sing, sing...
I can hear you now, sing, sing, sing...

I learned a long time ago that when the path of life is blurry and you can’t quite see the way, all I need to do is put on my “Perspective Lenses.” Once I see myself and my problems with God’s perspective lenses, things start to become clear.  I may think my problems are ginormous.  (Yes, that’s a real word by the way, added to the dictionary in 2007!)  But my perspective lenses tell me otherwise.  They bring truth to focus.  They tell me that God has a plan.  It’s my choice to put this song into action each moment of the day.

So are you with me?  Are you going to praise Him in the good and the bad?  Are you going to praise Him “now and evermore?”  Are you going to stand with me and sing “one more hallelujah!”?  “I could never tell ya, how much good that it’s gonna do ya.  Just to sing, sing, sing…Come on sing, sing, sing…I can hear you now, sing, sing, sing!”

 

-- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Propaganda or Living Stones? (Part One)

"...and Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 
He said to the Israelites, in the future, when your descendants ask their fathers,
'What do these stones mean?'  Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 
For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over...
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God." 

Joshua 4:19-24

If you know me, you know I always have something to say.  So as you can imagine, there's not been too many times in my life that I've been completely speechless.  But believe it or not, that's what took place at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC a few years ago. 

I remember walking through the halls of the museum in complete silence, tears randomly flowing down my face at the tragic story that was being told before my eyes.  I'm really not a history buff, and I'll be honest with you -- at most museums, I like to take the "quick tour."  If you're not a museum person, I dare say you know what I'm talking about.  Get the overview, the three main points of the museum, see the featured display, take a picture, visit the gift shop, and move on, all in an hour or less.  Details and me, especially historical details, well, they've never been a perfect match.  But this time was different.  I read each display.  I wanted to read every single word.  As I looked around, I couldn't help but notice the eery silence of others captivated just like I was.  Not to simplify history, but in essence, I stood in awe of how one man could use propaganda to change the course of the entire Jewish race. 

Propaganda.  Dictionary.com defines it as "Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view."  And that's exactly what Hitler did.  He convinced the German people that what they were reading was true.  He convinced them that the Jewish people were sub-humans and should be eliminated.  It was an intentional path to promoting the Nazi regime.  In his own book Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote, "Propaganda tries to force a doctrine on the whole people...Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea."  After visiting the US Holocaust Museum, I can honestly say I finally comprehended the use of propaganda. 

Now look at the passage of Scripture listed above.  God had just done another amazing miracle.  He had parted the Jordan waters so the people could walk through on dry ground.  He had already done it for them to cross the Red Sea, and now He did it again for them to cross the Jordan.  When they crossed, Joshua took twelve stones from the Jordan, and he then set up a memorial.  Why did he do it?  "...so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God!"  

Much like the purpose of the Holocaust Museum, Joshua set up that pile of stones to bring the people to a point of remembrance.  But this pile of stones wasn't propaganda, no, just the opposite.  The stories told weren't biased or misleading.  The stones weren't set there to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.  On the contrary.  They were there to remember the facts. The cold, hard facts of God's provision and how He changed the course of the entire Jewish race.  In a sense, they were Living Stones.  The story of how God provided a way for the Israelites to cross the Jordan would come alive with the twelve stones that Joshua layed, every time the story was told, and every time someone would pass. 

I can't help but think that God wanted Joshua to do this.  God wants us all to do this.  When God shows His power, when God "shows up and shows off" like He always does, He wants us to talk about it.  He wants us to take time to thank Him, praise Him, and give Him glory.  He wants us to remember.  And that's what took place with Joshua and the Israelites.  I believe that memorial could talk for itsef.  Everyone who passed by had heard the stories of God's provision.  Those twelve stones were alive!

The last few weeks I've been consumed with remembering God's faithfulness in my life.  If you've seen a few of my facebook posts, I've been consumed with this concept of Living Stones.  It's been driving my thoughts.  I'll write more about it tomorrow, but for now, just think about God's faithfulness.  Even when I'm faithless, He never fails me.  Yes, sometimes we have to face tough times, but God proves Himself over and over again.  I can look back at all my God has done, and I can know with certainty there's nothing to fear.  He holds my past; He holds my future. 

Were the twelve stones propaganda?  No, they were a living and breathing testament for all to know from that point forward that the God of the Jews was a powerful and mighty God.  They were there to point people to Him.  So today, as I close "Part One" of this blog, I've been asking God to help me grasp this concept of Living Stones.  I've spent a tremendous amount of time contemplating and praying through this whole concept.  I want to do something tangible so , "all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful."  But more so, I want to be a Living Stone that points to Him, just like it says in I Peter 2:5 "And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple..."

Living Stones (part one)

A pile of rocks.  Placed years ago.
A faithful God.  A miracle.
And they were there.  To not forget.
So all who passed.  Knew what they meant.

They were Living Stones.
Breathing God’s faithful past.
They were Living Stones.
Predicting God’s future acts.
What He did back then, He’ll do for me.
Past performance predicts eternity.
I can look back and know the future.

Just look at the Living Stones.

 

To be continued tomorrow...

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Who is my god? The object of my affection...

Yesterday I downloaded a new book on my kindle called "Craving God: A 21 Day Devotional" by Lisa TerKeurst.  It was free, and published by Zondervann, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.  The book is about craving God instead of food.  (At least with the given title and my limited reading so far, that's what I can tell.)

As I read the first chapter, I was quickly allerted to the fact that this "devotional" had only a vague reference to Psalm 139 with us being fearfully and wonderfully made.  Sure, the content has been good so far, but when I finished the first chapter, I definitely didn't feel "fed" spiritually.  You know, just because something says "devotional" on it, doesn't mean it's filled with God's Word.  And to grow spiritually, we have to be cautious to not fill our mind with words from good people...we have to focus on God's inspired Word.  Ironic, yes, coming from a blogger.  But true, nonetheless.

Like I said, the content has been good, and I'm going to finish this book.  Struggle with food has always been a life-long battle for me.  Here's some quotes from the book so far...

"I had to get honest enough to admit that I relied on food more than I relied on God, I craved food more than I craed God."

"Is it possible we love and rely on food more than we love and rely on God?  Now before you delete this, hear me out.  This question is crucial.  We have to see the purpose of our struggle with food as something more than getting to wear smaller sizes and receiving compliments.  Shallow desires produce shallwo efforts...The process of getting healthy has to be about more than just losing weight and focusing on ourselves.  It's not about adjusting our diets and hoping for good physical results.  It's about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change for the right reasons."

But as I contemplated the words from the book, I turned to God's book, and for whatever reason, he led me to Psalm 23.  The Lord is my shepherd.  I shall not be in want.  Interesting that the Lord led me to that.  If I am craving food, maybe I'm not letting the Lord be my shepherd.  Hmmm...  He leads me...He restores me...He guides me...He's with me...He prepares my table...

So as I contemplated the combination of my new little "devotional" book with God's book, He led me to write this poem this morning.  It's a question we each have to ask ourselves, not once, but every single day.  Who or what is our god?  Who or what is the object of our affection?  I'm renewed today with an even greater desire to keep my God with a big - G on the throne.

Who is my god?  The object of my affection.

Wake up super early, phone by my bed.
No time for breakfast, gotta get the kids fed.
Must have my coffee, can’t live without it.
Then find time to work out so I can stay fit.

Making good progress, now it’s my time for me.
Kids are at school, and I’m finally free.
On the docket today, shopping and fun.
And of course some facebook while I’m on the run.

A glance at my watch says it’s time to stop
Kids will be home soon and the floors still need mopped.
Dinner is served.  Homework is done.
Kids are in bed.  Watch out tv, here I come.

The end of the day, it’s quickly in sight.
I got it all done, with all of my might.
Almost asleep.  Whoops, gotta say a quick prayer.
Then God speaks back in the dark night air.

“Who is your god?  You’ve replaced Me, you see.
The day is over, but what about Me?
You have time for shopping, you have time for fun.
You have time for friends, but time for me, there’s none.

Who is your god, the coffee, your phone?
Is it your food, your chocolate, am I still on the throne?
Am I King of Your life, ruling supreme?
Or have I been replaced with more important things?”

“But God, I just had so much to do.
Tomorrow will be better.  I’ll find time for You.”
But the pattern continues.  Night after night.
“I’ll change, God.  Tomorrow will start off right.”

Truth be told, nothing changes until the heart is clean
With motives and sin on the table to be seen.
The object of my affection each day must be You.
My big G-God, my provider, my only love true.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Looking for the Light...

Psalm 18:28  "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."

Have you ever had a time in your life when things just looked dark?  I'm not talking about being depressed, necessarily, but just where there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel?  Life just seems to control you to the point that you aren't enjoying life?  Been there...and very recently, I might add.

As I've been searching for the light at the end of the tunnel, praying, and begging God for answers, He began to reveal some things to me.  Basically, I've been holding on to some things in my life that were keeping me from seeing that light.  I had my little security blanket, preventing me from expanding my faith.  Do you have any security blankets?  Mine wasn't just a little blankie, it was a big, thick one.  One I thought I would never let go of.  One that I thought I couldn't let go of.  I realized I had allowed that blanket to become my identity, essentially replacing Who should be my identity - my God.

If I am to grow spiritually, the decision was inevitable.  I had to drop my security blanket and run into God's blanket of security.  I was scared.  I didn't know if I could do what I need to do, but I knew what God was telling me, so I obeyed.  And you know what, after I obeyed, I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. 

Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  Psalm 18:28  "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."  When we just turn to the Lord, He sustains us.  He keeps our lamp burning.  Not only does He sustain us, but He turns what looks so dark and bleak into a wonderful ray of light!  God has challenged me this last week to look for the light, drop my security blanket, and expand my faith.  What's He teaching you?

Security
© Beth Banfill

I'm dropping my security blanket
I'm following the light at the door
I'm putting all my trust in Your leading
With each step my faith is built even more.
Yes, I'm dropping my security blanket,
And I'm running into Your blanket of security.

We all have things we hold so dear
We think they make us who we are.
But God's telling me to have no fear
To let go.  And let God take me far.

I'm dropping my security blanket
I'm following the light at the door
I'm putting all my trust in Your leading
With each step my faith is built even more.
Yes, I'm dropping my security blanket,
And I'm running into Your blanket of security.

No regrets.  Pure Peace.  His still small voice
Says, "Trust Me.  I've got a plan."
So I resign my will, and I'll trust You still.
My life is secure in Your hands.

I'm dropping my security blanket
I'm following the light at the door
I'm putting all my trust in Your leading
With each step my faith is built even more.
Yes, I'm dropping my security blanket,
And I'm running into Your blanket of security.

My identity is not in my job or my things
It's not in all the things that I know
My identity lies only in Christ my King
The end of the tunnel is all aglow!

I'm dropping my security blanket
I'm following the light at the door
I'm putting all my trust in Your leading
With each step my faith is built even more.
Yes, I'm dropping my security blanket,
And I'm running into Your blanket of security.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Stressed out 'cuz there's No Room in the Inn...

Psalm 94:19   "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."

Busy.  It's the story of my life.  It's the life story of probably most of the people reading this.  I often find myself so busy I can't prioritize things.  I find myself juggling the urgency of the immediate with putting out fires here and there, never with enough hours in the day to do everything I really need to do.  Lack of planning?  Maybe.  Overcommitted?  Probably.  Stressed beyond words?  Definitely.

Somehow over the last few weeks, I made a serious miscalculation of priorities.  I never found the time or energy to make my hotel reservations for Wednesday evening near the airport in Dallas.  You see, my flight was leaving early Thursday morning, and although I don't live that far from the airport, my colleague I was traveling with lives quite a bit further away.  The flight was to leave at 5:45 Thursday morning, so we really needed to have a hotel closer to the airport.

The plan was simple.  Get off work at 5:00 PM.  Pack for the upcoming trip to Baltimore.  Make a quick hotel reservation, eat dinner, and leave by 6:30 Wednesday evening for worship team practice.  My friend was going to meet me at church after practice, and off we'd go to the airport hotel.  Good plan, right?  Sure, in a perfect world, it was.  Unfortunately, I miscalculated quite a few things.  I got off work around 5:30 PM, leaving plenty of things still to do.  I then went to book the hotel.  Anytime I've had to get a hotel near the airport, I've always stayed at the Hyatt, right at DFW airport.  They always have good travel agent rates, and it's the obvious choice. 

"I'm sorry, we're sold out tonight.  Do you want me to transfer you to the Four Seasons?"  Um.  Easy answer on that one.   "No, thanks."  I hung up the phone and expanded my search.  No big deal.  I made another call.  And another.  And another.  And another.  And another.  I thnk you get the idea.  Apparently the storm that rumbled through the area earlier in the day caused quite a few cancelled flights.  There must have been some big meeting in town, too, because an affordable hotel room was no where to be found.  Panic began to sink in.  I still needed to pack, and it was quickly becoming apparent that I was running out of time. 

Frantic, I gave up on finding a hotel and started to throw things in my suitcase.  I may be the travel agent in the family, but my sweet husband Frank came to the rescue to pinch hit for me.  He stayed on the phone for another thirty minutes while I tied up the rest of the loose ends in preparation for the trip.  It was past time for me to leave for practice, and I still didn't have a hotel. 

"Just give up," I told him.  I had already decided to have my colleague just stay at our house for the night.  We'll just have to get up at 2 AM, that's all.  I was so discouraged, and the stress of the week had about taken me over.  The white flag was on the pole, and I was raising it up quickly.  "Just let me try one more," he said.  It took a few minutes, but Frank's persistence paid off.  He found a hotel room for us, granted, it was fifteen minutes south of the airport and about $30 more than I wanted to pay, but it was a room, nonetheless.

You know, I love how God works.  He always comes through, in spite of me.  I'm so glad that He doesn't adopt the phrase "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on My part."  OK, truth be told, sometimes He probably does.  Sometimes we have to learn from our mistakes.  But I'm grateful at least this time, He did not enforce that lack of planning comment.  If He did, I'd be a goner for sure. 

I don't know about you, but when things don't go as I plan, I get discouraged.  Maybe in this case I should say, when I don't plan for things appropriately, I get discouraged.  Either way, the stress of the situation left me downtrodden and exhausted before I even began my trip.  I made it through worship team practice (quite hungry, I might add, since I never even had time to eat that dinner I had planned).  We got to the hotel around 10:30 PM.  As I sat in bed that night with my mind racing, I tried to evaluate how I could have done things differently.  I let my mind wander, and all I could think of us how my God once again saved the day, proving Himself faithful, in spite of my ignorance. 

Look at the verse to memorize for the week.  Psalm 94:19   "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."

If there's one thing I've learned in recent years, it's to look for God in life's situations.  So many times we think God is there for us on Sundays, and that's where He stays.  We forget that when things go wrong through the week, He's right there, ready to console us.  We just need to turn to Him.  And when we do, He turns our anxiety into joy. 

I make a habit each night of praying myself to sleep.  Granted, sometimes it doesn't take long, considering I can usually fall asleep within minutes, but it gives me the opportunity to just talk to God about everything that happened through the day.  It gives me the opportunity to reflect.  And it gives me the opportunity to find the joy that only He can provide.

As you memorize the verse with me this week, let's also try to put it into practice.  Let's allow God to console our spirit and bring joy into our lives, despite anxious circumstances.  Even when there's 'no room in the inn...

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Be Still and Know I am God...

Psalm 46:10  "Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth."

Last week was one of the roughest ones I've had in a while.  My husband has been in Africa for nearly two weeks, and on Thursday, we found out that God had closed a door that until that point seemed wide open.  God didn't just close it, He locked it and seemingly threw away the key.  Honestly, I was pretty devastated.  I found myself desperately crying, even arguing with God.  By the time my tears had run dry, I found myself re-reading my own blog from last week.  I told God He had a real sense of humor, because the sample prayer I wrote needed to be re-iterated in real time as I poured out my heart to my Father.  Emotionally, I was spent before the day began on Thursday.  I had a lot of questions for God, none of which He answered directly, except to say to me, "Be still, and know that I am God.  I have a plan.  Just have faith."

As I have prayed about what verse to memorize this week, Psalm 46:10 is the only verse God has given me peace about.  If you're like me, you may  already have the first part of the verse memorized, but you likely have not memorized the entire verse. 

Let's take a look at it a little more deeply. 

"Be still."  This is a command, and it comes from a root word rapha, which means to be weak, to let go, or to release.  Maybe a better translation might be "cause yourself to let go" or "let yourself become weak."  Ok, God, I get it.  Let go.  Let go of my wishes and desires.  Quit trying to be strong and handle things on your own.  I release it to You.

Notice the second directive in the verse - know.  How still should we be?  We should be so still that we should surrender to the point that we know God is in control.  God is God.  God is God in the good times, and He is God in the rough times.  We need to "give up, become weak, let go, and release" so that we can fully rely on God's strength and power. 

The next two parts of the verse are a promise.  You know we can rest fully in God that He is in control, but the end result is the topping on the cake.  He will be the victor of the things of this world.  His Kingdom will be established on the earth, and He will be exalted.  Did you get that?  HE WILL BE EXALTED!!!  It doesn't matter what things don't go the way we want them to here on earth.  My God is the King Supreme!  In this battle of sin here on earth, He has already won the battle, and He is coming back to reign here on earth.

You know, when you put it in perspective, my "BIG PROBLEMS" are not problems at all to God.  He clearly knows the outcome of every situation.  He has a plan, and although I can't always see it in "real time" it doesn't matter.  My job right now is just to be still, and know that He is God. 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

I've got this...

Psalm 42:8  "By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life."

OK, I don't know about you, but I've had a really rough and emotional week.  I'm not going to lie.  When you have a sick child with a yet undiagnosed illness, choosing joy in the rough times is easier said than done.  I've tried my best to be consistent in my quiet time, and let me tell you, I love how God works.  He always seems to direct my eyes to just what I need to see in His Word. 

The verse I chose to memorize for this week is one that was especially meaningful to me the last few days.  I've been reading through Psalms and Proverbs this month, and I actually read it a few weeks ago.  When I did, I highlighted it in my Bible, and kept on reading.  You see, that's the cool thing about God.  He reveals Himself to us through His written word, and God has a way of directing us to just what we need to read to hear His voice on just the day we need to hear it.  For some reason last week when I sat down to read, I felt God was directing me to go back and review some of the things I had highlighted in earlier days in the month.

Read Psalm 42.  In it, the psalmist talks about thirsting for God, being down in the dumps, choosing joy and trusting God.  It's the famous passage where the author says, "Why are you so sad?  Put your trust in God!"  But I love how God works.  This time, it wasn't that well known verse that stuck out to me; however, He did use another verse in this chapter to really encourage me. 

Take a look at verse eight.  "By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life."  During the day time, when I'm awake, God tells me, "I love you.  Don't worry, I've got this."  And at night, He holds me tightly, sings me a lullaby and rocks me to sleep.  That's the visual image I have with the second part of this verse.  At night, when all is quiet and my mind easily wanders into the different scenarios and plays the "what if" game, God my Father, my daddy, holds me so tightly that His love erases all other emotions.  His love is with me during the day, and His song is with me at night.  He's got this.  When I'm awake.  When I'm asleep.  My God who never slumbers has this under control, and even though I feel so helpless, it doesn't matter.  All I need to do is trust Him.  This verse gives me such peace!

Then I love the end of the verse.  "A prayer to the God of my life."  I've sat here and tried to find words to express how I feel when I read that phrase.  I usually don't have trouble expressing myself (as you well know) but the only thing I can think of is that I feel comforted - the kind of comfort that comes when a needed hug is received.  No, not a little hug, I'm talking about a big bear hug that squeezes away all fear and pain, leaving only tears of joy.  If I can say those words with honesty, that God is the God of my entire life, then I have to believe when He says, "I've got this" that He does.  For me, that's the kind of hug that I needed this week. 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Longing for Presents or Longing for His presence?

Isaiah 30:18  "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you: He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him." (NIV)

"Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore, He waits on high to have compassion on you.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  How blessed are all those that long for Him. (NAS)

Are you longing for Christmas?  Are the kids in your family and those you know longing for that day they can open presents?  How about you?  Have you ever longed for something?  I mean, really wanted something so badly that you could hardly stand it? 

My first baby was supposed to arrive before Mother's Day in 1996, but she was three weeks late, and God had other plans.  This was my miracle baby that I had prayed and prayed for.  She should have been here by Mother's Day, at least that's what I thought.  I longed to have and hold my little baby girl.

I can think most recently to just a few weeks ago.  My husband went to Tanzania for two weeks.  Things were crazy at work for me, and those were perhaps the longest two weeks of my life.  We have two kids in two different schools that start and end at two different times.  Those were two rough weeks for me, and I was counting the minutes for him to land and make it home.  Yes, I longed for his return.

With the Christmas season upon us, what about the characters in the Christmas story?  Think about Mary.  Can you imagine how she longed to hold baby Jesus, this child she carried for nine months, this promised One from God?  As much as I longed to hold my new baby, I can only imagine what Mary felt like!  And what about the shepherds?  I think Luke 2:16 says it all, "They came with haste and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe, lying in the manger."  Yep, I dare say each of them knew what it meant to have a longing in their hearts.

Now that you've conjured up those longing feelings, let's look back to the verse.  The Lord longs to be gracious to you.  Imagine that.  God desperately wants to be gracious...to me!  I read this verse in my quiet time last week and was astounded by it.  I just sat there and read and re-read, pondering every word.  I mean, how amazing is it that God in heaven longs to do good things for me?  And how awesome is it that God blesses us for longing for Him?  It is unfathomable to me, actually!

Now think about one of those times when you've personally longed for something.  Have you ever had just as much energy and emotion directed toward God in that same way?  If not, why?  If so, is it a faint memory, or is it a constant directive in your life?  You know, the best present we can give God this Christmas is our presence.  I don't know about you, but that's what I want to give this Christmas...myself.  It's actually the only thing I can give to my Heavenly Father that matters.  It's the only gift He wants.  He longs for this gift, and I should long to give it, too.  Me.  100% all of me.  What's it going to be this Christmas?  Presents? or Presence?

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com