GodandMe2theMax

The Journey...

"The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on ME because the Lord has anointed ME to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent ME to bind up the broenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." Isaiah 61:1-3

 

We went from our "mountaintop experience" at the tip of Victoria Falls back to the room, finished packing, and then watched as our airport transfer staff comically tried to pack our luggage and the luggage from the other two families into 2 compact-sized cars.  After about 15 minutes, it became very apparent they needed some help from a woman, so one of the other ladies started telling them "what to put where", and eventually, after suitcases were put in the front seat with the driver and bodies were crushed together in the back seat tighter than most American's comfort level, we were on our way...finally going to CAMP LIFE.  We met yet another person at the airport who was also on his way to CAMP LIFE, and after a few minutes of talking, I realized I had actually done his airfare back in November and had chatted with him several times on the phone.  I love it how God does those kind of ordained meetings!

By the grace of God, our PRO FLIGHT was uneventful, but again, I definitely prayed quite a bit for God's mercy in that happening!  Any time I get in one of those small planes, it's a bit unnerving. Amber and I spent the entire hour-long flight looking at all the pictures we had taken...she had taken 711 pictures in the 4 days since we boarded the plane in Dallas!  We laughed a lot, and I'm so thankful we were able to experience this together!

With a successful smooth landing, we were met at the airport by Susan Kendall, and she told us there were some other flights delayed so we'd be waiting around a bit for the others to arrive.  Then we went straight to our orientation meeting at what is known as "The Legacy Center" on the Family Legacy Missions International property.  I remmeber being in a meeting a few years ago when all I saw was artist renditions of this "Legacy Center." To now be in that building and see how God has blessed the ministry brought such joy to my heart!  

What also brought joy to my heart was hearing that CAMP was being held on these grounds, and anytime I had the need to use the restroom, I could just slip inside the Legacy Center and go about my business! (I told you, I didn't really know everything I was getting into, I just knew God said to "GO" so I was obedient!)

If you've been anywhere near me for the last few months, you would have heard me share about how Amber and I will be mentoring and responsible for 10 girls each during this week.  We were participating in "Week 5" of CAMP LIFE, and during week 5, we had 112 participants from the USA.  That equated to 1,120 kids who were able to attend CAMP LIFE!  During our orientation, we had testimony time where some who had never come to CAMP LIFE before could share their journey of how God had brought them there.

One couple shared how they had originally booked their 10-year anniversary celebration to Hawaii when God stopped them in their tracks and told them to cancel those plans and instead, sign up for CAMP LIFE. I believe it was that same couple who was short in their fundraising but felt so called to come that the wife sold her wedding ring to cover the rest of the costs involved.  

Another one shared how her 18 year old son had passed away late last year, and when he did, she asked God to somehow use that for His glory.  I don't remember all the details, but the mom, the dad, and their daughter Jordan were all there at CAMP LIFE, excited to see how God was going to use the pain they experienced to bring honor to Him.

Nearly half of the room was there because of the influence of two or three families.  They believe so strongly in this ministry and these orphans that they keep coming back every year and bringing more and more with them.  For me, it was awesome to put faces to so many of the names that I've done airline tickets for during the last ten years.  I sat in silence as I listened to story after story of God's provision in bringing all these people to CAMP LIFE.

As testimony time came to a close, Greer Kendall (the ministry founder) gave us a challenge for the start of the week.  He asked us to do 4 things.  He asked us to PRAY, RECEIVE, WATCH, and DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF A MIRACLE.

He asked us to PRAY every day this simple prayer: "Dear God, give me Your heart for these kids in Jesus' name, amen!"

He asked us to RECEIVE the word of the Lord.  He used these verses in Isaiah 61:1-3, and he asked that we copy it down.  Then he asked that we write it again, but inserting OUR NAME.  Then he asked that we pray it back to the Lord.  Although I was very familiar with these verses, they sure bring on a new meaning after CAMP LIFE for me.

Then Greer asked us to WATCH.  He said that we are here by God's divine design, and we should tell the Lord that we are here and ready to be used by Him.

Then finally, he said, "DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF A MIRACLE."  I sat there thinking about that.  It really was a miracle that Amber and I were in that room.  OK, God, I said, so far, so good.  Show me why you brought us to Zambia, and help me to have YOUR heart for these children.  Help me to receive whatever you tell me this week, be on the lookout for what You want me to see, and most importantly, God, don't let me get in the way of a miracle.

We went on to the hotel that evening, reunited with our luggage (now pretty much destroyed and unusable, but that's another story), and tried to sleep on the rock-hard bed, fondly given the name of Boulder.  I went to bed praying Isaiah 61:1-3 would be true for my life.

Sunday came, and that meant I was one step closer to meeting "my" girls, but I had to be patient, that wouldn't come until Monday!  They held church for us at the Legacy Center on Sunday morning, and worship was led by the children who live at The Tree of Life Village.  These are the orphaned children who were in such extreme situations of abuse and/or neglect that they now are in the full-time care of the ministry.  All the children were dispersed throughout the room, and the Americans entered the building and dispersed as well.  I sat next to a little boy named Lubinda on my left and a little boy named Cassidy on my right.  I don't know their back-stories, but what I do know is that you could see the joy of the Lord in their smiles.  I loved listening to these sweet African children sing in broken English as well as their native tongue of Nyanja.  

After church and lunch, the "marketplace" came to us.  There on the grounds, many of the top vendors in the area came to sell their wares to all the Americans, and sell they did!  I pride myself on bargains and being a bargain shopper, but I had to use some restraint, knowing that this is their livelihood.  Still, I had a long list of people who Amber and I needed to buy gifts for, and a small amount of cash, but by the grace of God, we were able to get just about everything we needed with what we had.  

Afternoon was upon us, and that meant that I was about to be keenly reminded of how uncoordinated I am.  As a large group, we learned three of the songs (and motions/dance movements) that we would be singing with the kids during the week.  The songs were awesome.  The motions were rigorous and extremely visual.  And me, well I was just plain clumsy.  Regardless of that fact, I did my best, even though the muzungu (white person) in me was very apparent.  

Then it was time to meet the first of our two Zambian partners.  Each of us would be paired up with two people, affectionately known as our "evangelist" and our "apostle."  Our "evangelist" would be designated as our main translator/partner for the week, and when the "evangelist" and I would be working one-on-one with a child, our "apostle" would then lead the rest of the group.  With great anticipation, I was assigned my evangelist - Magdalene Mwale.  

I've worked with a lot of translators over the years, and Magdalene was just as good as the best of them.  She knew when to translate, and she knew when the kids could understand the English that I was using.  Magdalene also had extra insight, because she is a field worker for the ministry, providing regular assessments of children from the compounds.  I was definitely blessed to be partnered with her for my CAMP LIFE experience, and we spent about 20 minutes getting to know each other and praying together.

Magdalene asked, and it seemed to be a recurring question from others, "Why did I come to Zambia?"  or "What made me decide to come?"  And for some of the people who knew I do the airfare for the ministry, I was asked, "What took you so long to come?"  For me, it wasn't a matter of "what" made me come...it was "Who" made me come.  I was so keenly aware of the journey that God had brought both Amber and I on, and although at the time, I didn't know His purpose in sending us to Zambia, I knew He purposed for us to come.  I didn't need to know the "why"; I only was convinced that I was there for a reason, a reason probably to be revealed at a later time.

Looking back now, I do think I understand a little more fully what that reason was, but I'll save that detail for another time, another blog.  Suffice it to say that this journey started a long time before. Back at the hotel after a full day, as Boulder and I laid down to sleep, I reviewed and tried to personalize the words from Isaiah, just like Greer had asked us to do.  

The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on ME because the Lord has anointed ME to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent ME to bind up the broenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." 

Why was I on this journey?  Certainly not because I feel called to minister to children.  In fact, as much as I like working with kids and have a lot of experience doing so, I would much rather minister to adults. Could it be that I was there simply so Amber would be able to experiece CAMP LIFE?  That certainly could be part of it.  But one thing I did know as I laid my head down was that I was sent to tell about the Good News of Jesus to the poor and help girls whose hearts were wounded begin to heal.  I prayed again for my 10 girls.  I didn't even know their names or faces, but I'd been praying for them for a long time.  And I knew if I could just find some way for Boulder and I to agree on a comfort level, the time to meet these 10 precious girls would be here soon.  And the journey would continue.

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

You Wanna Trade?

"You wanna trade?"

How many times do you remember looking at your friend's chips or better yet Swiss Cake Roll over the lunch table compared to the piece of fruit your mom sent you with? How many times did you say those exact words to your friend, knowing what they had was definitely more compatible with your longings? I can remember a lot of times, and if you grew up sitting around the lunch table with friends, you probably can, too. Sometimes we had to be quite covert to get the job done, because I can remember that we had "No Trading" rules, even in elementary school...and that was a very long time ago!

So I've had a rough couple days emotionally. I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say that I felt like some of my dreams came crashing in, never to be restored. I've poured buckets of tears, and I'm not usually a big cry-baby like that. Pretty much, things weren't going like I wanted them to, so I decided to have a big pity party for myself. Of course, in the moment, I didn't realize that's what I was doing, but in reality, it was exactly that.

When I woke up this morning, the Lord reminded me of Nehemiah 8:10. The end of the verse says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Then I started humming the words to the song, I'm Trading My Sorrows. If you don't know it, it goes something like this...

I'm trading my sorrows. I'm trading my shame. I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord.
I'm trading my sickness. I'm trading my pain. I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord.
Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, YES! Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, YES!
Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, YES, AMEN!
I am pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.
I am blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure
And His joy's gonna be my strength.
Though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes with the morning...

I started to think about that song as I hummed it, and I realized, yes, God may give His joy in the morning, but I have to choose to trade what I've got for His joy. I've got to make a conscious effort to glance over at what God has and ask Him to trade with me.

Remember that feeling when you asked your friend if they wanted to trade something in your lunch, and they said, "No way, that's my favorite!" Yeah, I remember it. What a let-down after my salivary glands had already started to water, thinking about how good that swiss cake roll my friend had was gonna taste in comparison to my orange. But the cool thing about God is that He never does that. He will gladly take our bad life's fruit, our tears, sorrows and pain. He will take whatever nasty things we have to offer and replace them with joy. I've just gotta ask and actually make the trade.

So this morning, I can say that joy came in the morning. No, things haven't necessarily changed in my situation, but I have changed. My perspective has changed. I've traded a few things for joy.

When's the last time you asked God "Do You wanna trade?" Think about it. I know He'll selflessly trade joy for all of your life's bad fruit. "Though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning. Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, YES! AMEN!"

 

--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

 

Come and Listen... Psalm 66:16

Psalm 66:16  "Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me."

Do you ever feel like the weight of the world is more than you can bear?  How will I ever make it through?  Why aren't my prayers being answered?  Why am I going through this?  When is this trial going to be over?  If you're honest, you've probably been there.  Maybe you're there now.

But sometimes we need the reminder to look back.  Look back at what God has done in our lives.  Look back at how He's proved Himself faithful over and over again.  Then we need to tell others about His faithfulness, even in spite of what we're going through now. 

Read Psalm 66.  David makes a plea.  "Come and listen, all you who fear God let me tell you what He has done for me."  Then David talks about going through trials, being refined with fire and water.  He likens it to God sending him to prison with burdens on his back.  But in the end, David praises God.  He knows God is in control and has his best interests at heart. 

Yes, as Christians, our mind knows these spiritual facts that David knew, too.  No brainer, right?  God is in control.  He'll carry us through.  Yet, sometimes our emotions and heart hurt and overtake that reasoning side of our brain.  Let's take a lesson from David this week.  Let's follow his example to tell others about God's faithfulness, in spite of rough times in a current situation.  Thank God today for His refining fire!

Psalm 66

Come and listen, everyone
Come and hear all that God has done.
The trials He’s brought, they’ve not been fun.
The process is long.  His job’s never done.

But He’s teaching me that through the fire
Is exactly how to increase my desire
To know Him more. Now that’s my goal.
Refine me Lord, make me whole.

You’re testing me.  Like silver and gold.
Through pressure, the way diamonds are formed.
These burdens - they bring me to my knees
I’m trusting You, God, help me, please.

You let me go through water and fire.
My will to You, Lord, I will retire
You keep me in life, Each day you give
Abundant life.  For you I’ll live.

Abundant peace.  Abundant love. 
Abundant contentment from God above.
Abundant joy.  Your hand I see.
You’ve not withheld Your love from me.

Heart ablaze, burning for You
Water and fire, You carry me through
Come and listen, everyone.
Come and hear all that God has done.

---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

 

Choosing Joy in this Canvas of Life...

An artist, I am not.  Sure, I can sing, and I can create some pretty cool-looking scrapbooks, but I'm talking about the kind of artist who can sit down and draw beautiful masterpieces.  That most definitely does not describe me.  I've tried, really I have.  I have an image in my mind of exactly what I want to make my hands do, but unfortunately there's a disconnect between my brain and the moving of my hand.  In the end, I always just give up.  The talent isn't in me, and I've come to grips with it.

Today, I was drawn to Philippians 1:6.  If you've been a Christian very long, you probably have it memorized.  "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Somewhere along the way in my Christian life, I wrote some notes next to this verse.  If I had written who I heard it from, I would surely give them credit today.  The notes said this:  Salvation is a work of art.  God is the Artist.  I am the masterpiece.  And life is the canvas.  Think about that.  "The good work in me" is salvation.  I made a commitment to the Lord as a child to put my faith and trust in Him.  Once I did that, the Master Artist, God Almighty, started working on His masterpiece, me.  Life may have it's ups and downs, but through it all, God is still in charge of everything I encounter.  The Bible says that "He will carry it on to completion."  He is still creating Me, and He isn't going to stop.

God is the Artist.  I don't have to be the artist, I only have to allow Him to use my life for the canvas.  Maybe you're like me, and you're not much of an artist.  Have you been there?  Have you ever had a blank canvas and found that no matter what you do, you can't make it look the way you want?  Please tell me I'm not the only one!  Apply that to life.  I try, with God's strength, to do and be all that He wants me to be, but there are times when I find that the canvas is just plain ugly.  Usually when this happens for me, I start to lose joy in things I once enjoyed. 

Circumstances can sure do that to you, can't they?  Sometimes other people throw in a big ugly spot into the masterpiece.  I'm reminded this morning that dealing with those kind of people may make the piece of art different than how I thought it should look, but it doesn't necessarily ruin it.  God is in charge of every little thing I encounter.  Sure, it's my decision how I react to things, but there's no splotch of color that is thrown into life's palate without the Master Artist's approval. 

Of course there's those black marks that I throw in on the canvas myself.  You know the ones, the black ones.  Commonly known as sin.  But in this analogy, God has an eraser that never wears thin.  All I have to do is ask Him for forgiveness, and He just removes those ugly black marks out of my life.  God is pretty cool, isn't He?

I have a little mantra about joy that I repeat often.  I've said it as recent as last week, and my kids have heard me say it more times than I can count.  "Joy is a choice.  You can't let circumstances depict your joy, you must choose joy in spite of your circumstances."  Sometimes when the canvas gets a little abstract, especially when you're not expecting it, joy isn't the first reaction.  But I'm so thankful that God gently reminds me of His purpose for me.  I know I am a priceless creation for Him.  No, I am not an artist, and this time, it's really ok.  I know the Master Artist, and I know He's painting me to be His beautiful creation.  ...and that's where I find joy.

Thanks, God.  I needed that reminder today!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse - Psalm 4:7 - Going to the Heights with Greater Joy

Psalm 4:7  "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound."

In Psalm 4:7, David contrasts joy and happiness.  He says God fills his heart with greater joy.  He compares this "greater joy" to the happiness that is felt when the crops are doing well and the vineyard is overflowing with fresh grapes for new wine.

This phrase "greater joy" really caught my attention as I was reading this week.  So as I think about the two, happiness and joy, I decided to list out the differences between the two.  I took a piece of paper and wrote "Joy" on one side and "Happiness" on the other.  Take some time to do your own chart.  God really showed me some things about having a greater joy!

Here's some things from my chart:
Joy is inward and not based on circumstances.  Happiness is completely based on circumstances.  Happiness is temporary and related to the 'here and now' of what is going on in my life.  Joy is something I choose, regardless of if life is serving up lemons.  Joy is steady; happiness is unpredictable.  Joy defeats discouragement.  Happiness covers it up.  Joy is an attitude of the heart; happiness is just an emotion that comes and goes.

What makes me happy? 
Spending time with my family
Crying at a good movie
Watching the Dallas Cowboys or Dallas Mavericks
Seeing my kids succeed
Hearing my children giggle and lovingly interact with each other
Laughing 'til I cry
A juicy medium-rare steak (yes I actually put that in print...I have to be honest, right?)
Chocolate
Spending time with friends
Leaving crazy voicemail messages for people
Making people laugh
Encouraging people

Yes, I could probably write pages of things that make me happy, depending on the circumstances and how far into my memory I wanted to go.  But what about joy?  As I try to make a list of 'what brings me joy', the list is a lot shorter.  As I understand joy, my entire list surrounds God, my relationship with Him, my dependency on Him, and my consistency in interacting with Him.

The Bible mentions the word "joy" 242 times.  There's no doubt that God wants us to have inner joy.  In Habakkuk 3:17-18, Habakkuk describes a farmer whose life outwardly may seem like it's falling apart.  The crops have died.  There are no grapes on the vine.  No food to eat.  No sheep or cattle.  Yet he says, "I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will be joyful in God my Savior."  True joy is the attitude we choose to adopt on the inside.  I won't let circumstances defeat me.  I know who my God is, and in Him I trust, regardless of what is happening around me.

There are so many more verses on joy, but today, as I've tried to understand this "greater joy" that David talks about in Psalm 4:7, I'm reminded that true joy is all based on my relationship with God.  As I seek Him, as I spend time with Him, He gives me greater joy.  He enables me to go to the heights (another great phrase about joy, found in Habakkuk 3:19.)

It's been a really rough few months at work for me, and God has shown me that somewhere along the line, I've let the circumstantial craziness of "work" overshadow my inward joy.  I want to renew that greater joy that David talks about in Psalm 4:7. 

What about you?  Are you going to settle for short-term happiness, or are you going to choose the greater joy?  Let's go to the heights together!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Monday Memory Verse - Romans 15:13 Filled to overflowing

Romans 15:13  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Nearly every day I go to 7-11 and get a large fat-free french vanilla cappuccino.  It's my standard.  The directions on the machine say to hold the button down until the cup is 3/4 full, but I've never been very good at following directions.  I have it down to a science (or at least I think I do.)  I keep depressing that button until the coffee is only about a half inch from the top of the cup.  Then I watch it slow down to a dribble until it just about overflows out of the cup.  If I time it right, it goes to the brim of the cup and stops; however, there are times that I hold the button down a bit too long, and it overflows.  Although I always hope no one ever sees me make the mess, I never mind when the coffee does actually overflow.  That means I am getting the maximum amount of coffee for my money.  Overflowing is good in my book!

In this verse, Paul refers to God as the "God of hope."  When commenting on this verse, Martin Luther said:

"He that depends on the true God has laid all tangible things aside and lives by naked hope. To call God 'the God of hope' is therefore the same as to call him the God of hopers. He certainly is not the God but the enemy of people who despair easily and are unable to trust anyone. In short, he is the “god of hope” because he is the Giver of hope..."

Then the verse gives a pre-requisite.  It says "as we trust Him" we will have joy and peace.  So, if we trust in the God of hope and giver of hope, the natural bi-product is joy and peace.  But the cool thing is that we don't just have a little joy and peace - the more I trust Him, the more I am FILLED with joy and peace.  Then, the more I will overflow with hope myself -- by the power of His Holy Spirit who lives in me.  It's like my desire for the cappuccino at 7-11.  I want more and more, until it overflows.  I want as much of God as I can get, and in that respect, I know God doesn't mind my indulgence!

It's an awesome circle.  Trust in the God of hope, the giver of hope...be filled with joy and peace...overflow with hope, because of the Holy Spirit, who is the God of Hope! 

As I memorize this verse this week, I'm asking God to keep my focus and hope in Him.  As the week gets busy taking care of passengers stuck in Africa by the floating volcanic ash or whatever the urgent need of the day is, I must not go on auto-pilot with God.  As I struggle to juggle, I need to remember I can do nothing, except with His strength and help.  I'm asking God to help me trust Him more--in the big and little things, so I am full of joy and peace.  And finally, I'm asking Him to fill me until I'm dribbling over with hope...so others can see Him in me.  I want God to have the maximum amount of me He can have. 

Don't just fill me to the rim, Lord, make me overflow!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse - Zephaniah 3:17 - Did you know God smiles while He sings us a soothing love song?

Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah?  Yes, Zephaniah, the fourth to last book of the Old Testament.  It's a book I rarely turn to when seeking the Lord.  OK, actually, it's a book I've never turned to, except when reading through the entire Bible in a Bible-reading plan.  Yet through my quiet time this week, God led me to this little-read book. 

Zephaniah was a prophet, and it's a book that was written to the Jews to exhort them to return to God and stop being complacent.  So if the book was written to the Jews, does it still apply to me?  Yes, I believe so.  God has a special plan for all people, and I believe He loves us all equally with endless love.  If the Bible says He does something for a group of people, I believe we can gather that He will do it for all of us.

Let's break the verse down...

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
God is with us.  That's a fact most Christians know, yet those who are without Christ frequently try to deny.  But the Bible says in Psalm 46:1 that "He is an ever-present help in times of trouble."  This verse says He is with us, period.  He is there in the good times and in the bad. 

The word "mighty" is a term of battle.  It implies a powerful warrior or champion.  The word "save" goes along with the same thought.  It means to free, defend, deliver, help, rescue, or get victory. 

Yes, my God is so strong and powerful and such an amazing champion of all things that He can free me from sin that I'm entangled in, He can deliver me, help me, rescue me, and in the ultimate end, He will have the victory over everything.  He is MIGHTY to SAVE!  Those words definitely conjure up new images for me as I sing that song "Mighty to Save!"

He will take great delight in you.
God takes great delight in His creation.  In Genesis, after He created man, God didn't just say it was good...He says it was VERY good.  I know God delights in us, like a Father who loves His children.  But sometimes we as children do things to disappoint our Father.  Does He still love us and delight in us in the truest sense of the word?  Yes, but is that delight even more enhanced when we are living out our lives the way He would expect us to?  I believe so.  If you're a parent, you perhaps can better understand the parent-child relationship of love and delight...when your child does something that makes you so proud you are about to burst, you want everyone to know about it.  But when your child makes a really poor choice, you still love and delight in them, but definitely not to the same degree.  When I think about God delighting in me, I'm humbled to the lowest degree.  I don't deserve it, yet He loves me that much!  It frazzles my mind.

He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing.
These two sentences give me such insight into the tenderness of God.  How many times have you held a screaming baby, tight in your arms, trying to comfort him with song, kisses, and lullabies?  Countless times for me.  Sometimes to get a baby to stop crying, you have to raise your voice and almost yell to get his attention.  Then the baby stops crying long enough to listen to you tenderly sing to him, snuggle him, and love on him. 

That's the imagery I see in this verse.  God will quiet us with His love.  When life is screaming out of control, we just have to listen strong enough for Him to sing over us "Hush little baby, don't you cry, Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby."  Somehow in all my Christian walk, I just never pictured God as a singer.  Maybe I've been taught this verse before and have forgotten, but the thought of this great and mighty warrior combined with the vulnerability of singing is an amazing combination. 

Not only does God sing over us, He does it with a smile on His face.  The verse says he rejoices over us with singing.  Have you ever wondered why most human renditions of Jesus reflect Him with a serious look on His face?  It's rare I see a picture of Jesus smiling.  But I think God smiles a lot more than we realize.  How can those two words--rejoince and singing--go together with the absence of a smile?  I don't think they can. 

I am so excited about committing this verse to memory this week.  I feel like God has shown me a golden nugget of truth that I didn't realize before.  I see in greater depth how God is my Daddy.  Sometimes I am screaming too loud to hear Him next to me, soothing me, singing over me.  My prayer this week is that I will delight in Him so He will delight even more in me.  I am praying that I will be quiet enough to listen to His lullabies and smile back at Him with the same love He has smiling at me.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Take a lesson from Amber...

As I dozed off to sleep last night, I went with guilt.  I was snuggled up in my comfy bed, ready for dreamland while my 13 year old daughter still worked on homework upstairs in her room.  During the week, she has almost no free time.  She's a smart girl, but she has to study her heart out to get the grades she does.  She has a goal...to be the valedictorian of her senior class.  She's disciplined.  She knows the commitment it will take to achieve it, and she's willing to sacrifice to reach her goal.  The reward comes every six weeks on her report card when she looks at the grades and acknowledges that she did her best.

Hebrews 11:6 says that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."  The last part of this verse is what keeps coming back to me over and over the last few days.  Another translation says: "He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  God rewards my efforts to know Him more deeply!  The verse is not past tense.  It doesn't say He rewards them that sought Him at one time, even if it was diligent for a season.  It's another formula found in Scripture, and I love formulas.  They are so easy to understand, and the Bible is full of them.  Seek God diligently and He will reward you.

Amber can probably pass a test today based on knowledge she's gained over the years.  But to "ace" that test, she must have been actively studying the material.  While God definitely wants us to rest on past knowledge that He's taught us over the years, He doesn't want us to rest only in that.  My Master-Teacher wants to teach me new things every morning.  As a student, however, I have to choose to pursue.  I have to be diligent to seek what He's teaching.  I have to be looking for it, and asking God to show me WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO LEARN TODAY!  He has to consume what my heart meditates on, and He needs to occupy the seat of my passion.

Although God may choose to reward me financially, usually that's not the reward God chooses.  More likely, the rewards are in the increased joy I have of knowing him more intimately.   The rewards are in telling other people about His faithfulness...about how God healed me from cancer...about how He provided for our family in times of distress...about how He's working in my life.  Because I have a history with God, I can tell of His marvelous works (I Chronicles 16:9.)  But God seems to be constantly reminding me that I can't just tell others of what He's done for me in the past...I need to continually be studying and pursuing Him with all my efforts, so that like Peter and John in Acts 4:20 "I can not help speaking about what I have seen and heard."  (Thanks, Marta, for pointing out that verse to me!)

So today, I want to take a lesson from Amber and the discipline she portrays in her school work.  I want to study until I know the material, which means I will be a life-long student.  I want to know I've studied exactly what God expects of me to pass the test for the day.  And I want to retain what He's taught me, so that I can tell others.  I want the rewards that come through diligently seeking God, but the real reward is just seeking Him.  He is the prize!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Happiness or Joy?

January 14th, 2010

 

In our ABF class on Sunday, the question was posed – what’s the difference between happiness and joy?  Someone answered, ‘happiness’ is based on our reaction to what is ‘happening’ around us while joy goes much deeper then our circumstances.  Joy is that inner peace and strong confidence because of God’s work in our lives.  It’s something that starts on the inside and is evident to others on the outside.

 

Remember that old Sunday School song:  I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart!  I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!  Where?  Down in my heart to stay!  And I’m so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart.  And I’m so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart!

 

I was reading in Philippians this morning.  It’s pretty clear that there’s a stark difference between happiness and joy.  You have to go no farther than the first chapter to see the first illustration of joy.  The heading in my Bible on Chapter 1 says:  “Joy in suffering.”  That kind of hits you between the eyes.  It’s easy to find joy in the Lord and for others to see it in you when things are going good.  But Paul sets the example for us that it’s still possible to have that joy when things are going bad.  He was in chains and in prison.  Yet, because he chose to have joy, it says in verse 13 of chapter 1 that “it became clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone that he was in chains for Christ.”  Paul showed that joy in his life overflowed when he put Spiritual matters first and set aside the physical matters.  His purpose for living was to advance the Gospel, and he knew God was sovereign in all circumstances. 

 

Verse 18 goes on to say Paul made a choice to rejoice!  “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.”  I don’t think it was something that was automatic.  It was a conscious decision to wake up each morning and put his priorities in order.  He wasn’t on ‘auto pilot’ with God.  How is that possible?  Verse 19 says ‘through your prayers’ and the ‘help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.’  I am so reminded that not only do I need to make this same choice every day to choose joy, but I need to enlist prayer partners and friends who will lift me up before Father.  When I go on mission trips, I get a prayer team together.  When I have a need in my life, I ask friends to pray.  But I’m hit with the fact that I need a team of people praying for me every day so that I “conduct myself in a manner worth of the Gospel of Christ.” ---verse 27. 

 

Right now, I’m plugging along with seemingly not a care in this world, compared to many of my friends who are struggling with grief, finances, broken families, and so much more.  Things are good for me in just about every way.  Joy is a relatively easy choice…right now.  But I know there’s something right around the corner.  My prayer today is that I will remember Paul’s example during the hard times that are to come.  That I need to choose joy and that my focus will be not in the ‘immediate’ but on the ‘eternal.’

 

Will you pray for me and be on my team?  That I remain an example of Christ at work and take advantage of every opportunity to tell people about Him?  That I stay in His word and consistent in growing?  That God change me from the inside out and mold me to be what He wants me to be? 

 

From the Inside Out, by Hillsong

 

A thousand times I’ve failed

still your mercy remains.

And should I stumble again

I’m caught in your grace.

 

In my heart and my soul

Lord I give you control.

Consume me from the inside out.

Lord, let justice and praise
become my embrace

To love you from the inside out.

 

Your will above all else

my purpose remains.

The art of losing myself

in bringing You praise.

 

Everlasting!
Your light will shine when all else fades!

Never ending! 

Your glory goes beyond all fame!

 

And the cry of my heart

Is to bring you praise

From the inside out,

Lord, my soul cries out.

 

From the inside out,

Lord, my soul cries out!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com