Day 6 of the 3:16 Tour...Let the Water's Part!

This might be one of my favorite passages of scripture. God is so faithful to his people and this passage shows his power over all things, AGAIN. You really need to read the whole chapter. God tells Joshua, that just as He was with Moses, He is also with Joshua! I love that, because just as He was with those servants of old, He is with US today. 

In Joshua chapter 3, the Israelites needed to cross the Jordan River, during the time of harvest, which is also the time of flood...they were worried about it. But, God had a plan already. (Funny how they forgot about the miracle He gave them when they crossed the Red Sea.)

So, God tells Joshua to have the priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, step into the waters of the Jordan River, which were overflowing their banks...and verse 3:16 tells us what happened when they obeyed. Sometimes, we just have to step into the water, no matter how much we don't understand what will happen next. 

Joshua 3:16 (NASB) the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.

Read Joshua Chapter 3 in context. 


Share your thoughts about this passage in the comments below. 







NOTE: Okay, this is day 6 and I didn't post day 5. I was just so excited about this one, that I totally forgot to put day 5 first. So, look for Deuteronomy 3:16 Tomorrow. :)

Day 4 of the tour of the 3:16s (LOVE this one)

This one is really fun. Did you know that Moses was a census taker? Yep, he sure was. In Numbers Chapter 3 we find that God separated out the tribe of Levi from among the Israelites and told Moses to count them. So he did. Further in the chapter we see the whole family breakdown of the Levites. How awesome is God that he would care about CREATING families and keeping an accounting of HIS people for HIS plan. 

Numbers 3:16 -  So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.













To read the chapter in context, go to Numbers Chapter 3.

What are your thoughts?

Tour of the 3:16s Day 3

Day 3 of our tour of the 3:16s finds us in Leviticus. I particularly loved the last line of this verse...everything that is excess of what is needed, belongs to the Lord...at least that's the way I applied it as I read this morning. What do you think?

Leviticus 3:16 - The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire for a soothing aroma; all fat is the LORD'S.







Read the passage in context - Leviticus Chapter 3

Tour of the 3:16s - Day 2

Yesterday's 3:16 was God's judgment on Eve for her part in the introduction of sin into the world. On today's tour we see God's message of concern to His people. He is paying attention to their plight, and he is concerned for them. I love that.  

Exodus 3:16"Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt."









Read this passage in context, Exodus Chapter 3


How does this apply to us today?

A Tour Through the 3:16s

From the very beginning of our journey with Christianity, we learn the scripture found in John 3:16. That made me wonder what the rest of the 3:16s had to say, and I began a journey to read through them. What I found was a huge spring board that sparked my interest into a deeper study of God's word. 

This week, I thought I would start the tour for you, my blog readers. Invite your friends to join us, as each day I post the 3:16 of the day. Let's talk about each verse, the context of it, and the importance of it in our lives. 

Of course, the first one is a tough one. It comes right after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden...

Genesis 3:16
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”


To read this passage in context, go to Genesis Chapter 3

Let the discussion begin.

Ahh, quiet time with God. I would love to tell you that I get up every morning, an hour early, just so I can spend 60 blissful minutes in His presence, no distractions, no bunny trails, no thoughts of anything but the goodness of our Lord, and those I am lifting to him in prayer. I would love to tell you that, but I can't. It would be a lie.

In reality, I am a multitasker and mornings are not my favorite time of day. I tend to wake up early, but functioning on all cylinders comes much later in the day. My prayer time in the morning goes more like this...

The alarm on my phone goes off, I have it set on Jesus Loves Me, just so I wake up to that sweet reminder. I roll over and find my phone, usually on the nightstand, but sometimes hidden somewhere in my covers or under my pillow. I'm not sure how that happens, but it does. Once I silence the alarm and convince myself it's time to get out of bed, I greet the day with a whisper, "Good Morning, Lord. Thank you for waking me up this morning, and for the opportunities you are about to put in front of me today. Help me choose your will and your ways, lead me and guide me." 

That is followed by a fast trip downstairs to the restroom, I'm over 40, some things cannot wait. Minutes later, in the shower, hair full of shampoo, I often pray for my husband. It's important to pray for our husbands daily...Why in the shower? Why not? I pray for his safety, God's favor on his life, I pray that God will prosper and bless the work of his hands and that he will guard his mind and heart a world full of things that ensnare the desires of  men.

On my morning drive I love to sing praises or meditate on the Word. I have 30 minutes from my house to work. But, I have to admit, I also love to talk to my mom on speaker phone during my drive. So, often the 30 minutes is split between worship and mom-time.

To some people this admission of multitasking makes me an awful Christian, especially as a Christian speaker. I just can't schedule a, "daily quiet time." I tried for years, only to be filled with guilt when I missed it. That guilt made me avoid conversing with my Savior altogether sometimes, because it only made me feel worse, that I wasn't giving him that hour. 

I searched the scriptures for the place it told me to sit for an hour every morning, or every evening. I couldn't find it. Yes, there are plenty of times when God's word tells us to come into His presence, there are multiple scriptures that talk about being quiet before God and listening for His voice. As believers, we know that God wants a relationship with us. A give and take, speak and listen, hang out with us, relationship.
It was the revelation of freedom to me. I do hang out with him. In fact, my day is filled with speaking to Him, and listening for His voice. It's called being led by the Holy Spirit. I don't have to schedule an hour, I can abide in Him and He in me.
John 15:4 (NLT-2007) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.


I don't need to schedule quiet time, I need to REMAIN there...not stopping the daily responsibilities, but doing them, with HIM. Remaining in constant communication is far more important than a daily appointment.

I don't know if any of you have ever felt guilty because an hour of quiet time doesn't fit your personality, but God created YOU to remain in Him. Sure, there are times of study, and there are times of deeper prayer, supplication, fasting, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts. But where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM, not condemnation.

So, if you are a scheduler, and love that hour, first thing in the morning, or right before bed, DO IT. But be sure you are remaining in Him outside of that time. If you are like me, and your prayer time, and conversations with God, are more scattered throughout your day, DO IT. But be sure you are remaining in Him, constantly, consistently, and not allowing the distractions of the world to take you out of His Word.

Blessings and Freedom come when we are in true and pure relationship with Jesus. And whatever that looks like in your life, God is the only one who knows your heart toward Him. And HE LOVES YOU, just the way HE created you.

Blessings and Joy to all, In Jesus Name. 

Pamela

Free To Be Clean

Sometimes we need to take a break, get alone with God and let Him show us areas of our life He wants to deal with. I was led to take a little hiatus this summer and really sit at the feet of the Lord and LISTEN. Well, some of it I liked a lot, some made me cry tears of repentance and some left me saying, "Wow God."

No matter who we are, or what we do, we all have a primary ministry if we are married or mothers or both. That is a ministry to our family. I have always known that, but knowing and doing is sometimes different. For example, praying for my husband and giving him encouragement from the Word is easy for me. Keeping a very clean, and organized home, is NOT easy for me. In all of my busyness over the past couple of years of conferences, new book releases and helping others start their ministries, I had neglected the thing that makes my husband happy; a clean and organized house. And boy, when you begin to let things go, they snowball pretty fast. Those were the tears of repentance. Personally, my home was a disaster and my family felt neglected.

Thankfully, God always provides what we need when He sends us to a task. He provided a wonderful friend, Tabatha, who is amazing at organization and cleaning, and she, Melissa (my personal assistant) and I went to work. We donated, we threw out, we organized, and we scrubbed. I cannot tell you how much freedom there is in a clean house. There are still a few nooks and crannies to de-clutter and clean, but overall, it is transformed to what it should have been in the first place. My husband is already happier and I am so much happier.  Now, rather than having a huge cloud hanging over my head when I walk in the door, exhausted, and see the mess. I can spend 15 minutes a day keeping things picked up, swept, etc. And when my husband walks in, he can see that I love him, even if I’m not here to tell him.

The summer hiatus for renewal is almost over and I will be back to writing and ministry full swing, with my short cleaning breaks in between.

I write this because I know I’m not alone. As I posted updates on facebook, there was an outcry from women saying how much they admired my energy, or organization. They wanted to get motivated, but they could not; they didn’t know where to start. The responses went on and on, often from women I thought were far better in this area than I am. Most of them were private messages because they were too ashamed to admit their lack of zeal for their homes in public.

It broke my heart for my friends and for women in general. When did we go from June Cleaver to master hoarders? How did we allow the enemy to inflict something into our homes that would burden us with such guilt and feelings of failure?

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

New King James Version (NKJV)

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Does this scripture apply here? I believe it does. When the enemy of our souls uses something to heap guilt and shame upon our minds, it is spiritual warfare. Cleaning my house was not the weapon that freed my mind from the guilt. Time with God, time in His Word, and surrendering this area of my life to the Holy Spirit is what resulted in freedom. I then had the release to ask for help. It was only after the guilt was not holding me in chains that I could do the things in the physical that needed to be done. It all started in the spiritual.

 We, as women, get so busy doing all of the things we are supposed to be doing, that we often forget the most important parts of our life. We forget that everything in the natural is directly affected by things in the spiritual. It’s not a battle over dust-bunnies. It is a battle for our families. There are six things I have to do each day, no matter where I am or what is going on. When I allow God to lead my thoughts and actions toward my family, I defeat the attack of the enemy that says to neglect them before it even comes my way.

• 1.       I must pray for my heart to be right in every situation.
• 2.       I must forgive any offense I have encountered from my family.
• 3.       I must pray for my husband; that God would guard his heart, prosper his work and cover him with protection. (If you have children, pray the same for them.)
• 4.       I must consider first, what the needs of my home are for the day.
• 5.       I must communicate my love for my family in a language they will understand.
• 6.       I must take personal inventory of my heart and allow God to purge anything that would get in the way of what HE wants to do in me that day. 

As women, especially wives and mothers, we are given a responsibility to be the caregivers of those in our homes. It’s not just about a clean house.  It’s about showing them our love through the giving of our time and our commitment to them. It’s about knowing that they are the most important to us because they are so important to God. It is truly the ministry of being a wife, or a mother, or both. We are called and ordained to it, now, let’s do it. 

Blog Study Part 1

This week we are starting a Bible Study just for our blog followers. We are going to choose a passage of scripture each week and begin Monday mornings with an overview and brief study based on that passage. I invite you to comment, ask questions and discuss the scripture through the comments on the blog. I can hardly wait to share with one another through this study. Be sure to invite your friends.

____________________________________

Week 1:
John 4: 1-14

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

   Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John ² (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). ³ So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

 ⁴ He had to go through Samaria on the way. ⁵ Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. ⁷ Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” ⁸ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

 ⁹ The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

 ¹⁰ Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

 ¹¹ “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?¹² And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

 ¹³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. ¹⁴ But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

*******

The prevailing message here is deeper than just meeting a woman at the well. Imagine if you will, what the heart condition of this woman is. She has been with multiple men, in a time and place where that behavior could result in being stoned to death. She knew immediately that Jesus was a Jew, and didn't expect that this man would have any kind thing to say to her. Even without her reputation, she was from a group of people with whom the Jews did not associate. 

So, when Jesus asks her to give him a drink, can you imagine what went through her head? What would go through your head if a strange man, you know only as someone who hates your people, is hanging out at your local water fountain and then asks YOU to give him a drink? Before you answer, realize Jesus had been traveling on foot for several miles, on dusty roads...just because he was Jesus didn't mean his clothes didn't get dirty. So, not only was the man she met a stranger and a Jew, he was also tired, possibly sweaty and dirty. Not only does he want a drink...but he wants a drink from HER cup/ladel whatever container she had. Now what's going through your head as you consider this stranger at the well?


This Samaritan woman probably lived nearby her entire life. She knew the history of the well from which she drew her water. It was Jacob's well. It served generations of her people. In fact, at her age, which we don't know exactly, she did not know a time when this well had not provided all the water they needed. Yet, here was Jesus...telling her that He could give her something that could quench her thirst better than this well. This stranger must have sounded crazy to her. Yet she knew in her heart that He was speaking the truth. 




Isn't that so much like we are. We get in the habit of depending on the same things we have always depended on to satisfy our needs. I can recount many times when I read something in the Bible...believed it was truth, and then said, "yeah, but..." 


At the moment we begin to argue, we open a door for doubt, when truly all we need to do is choose...


At this point in the story, the Samaritan woman has to make a choice. What would you choose in her place. How do you think the Holy Spirit works, even when we have limited knowledge?


Share your thoughts. We will go into the verses that follow next week, but I would love to see your thoughts, questions and ideas about these first 14 verses. There is no wrong question or suggestion, we are just going to study this out together.


Blessings and Joy in Jesus!