One Thing I Know

I've been reading Ps 27 for the last few days. It just so happens that I only now understand this piece of writing. It is when I decided to get actively involved in the spiritual war that is raging all around me anyway, that the psalm became relatable. I have paraphrased it into a more reader-friendly language and want to share it with you, but with a disclaimer that it is merely an interpretation of God's word, much like a sermon or devotional. 

The reason why I find it so incredible is... Well read it first, and I will come back to my point. Feel free to follow the link above to NIV and read publicly approved translation (and correct me if you think I misunderstood).

Here is Psalm 27 (Latest Silvija's Version)

¹ The Lord guides me through life, 
but he saves me even when I mess up. 

There is no need to ever be afraid.

² Who ever tries to harm me, will fail.
³  In fact, I am so confident in God's help,
that even an attacking army doesn't scare me.

⁴ There is just one thought that scares me: 
not being close to God.
I always want to be on good terms with Him.
⁵ As for the rest, He has uncountable ways of saving and protecting me.

⁶ I know I'm safe from haters even when they are still alive and plotting.
I am so sure God will save me, 
that I'm already thanking him for making me the winner.

⁷ God, when I'm in trouble, hear me out.
⁸ When I feel like worshiping you, I do so readily.
⁹ So then be ready to help me, God, when I need your help, 
and hear my praise as well.
¹⁰ You love me more perfectly than my parents do,
so I know I can count on you.
¹¹ Help me understand your ways, Lord;
    guide me, because your way surely leads to safety.
¹² Don't let me waver and fall because of slander and lies, (God of truth).

¹³ One thing I know. 
I will live to tell of your goodness
from the victory stand.
¹⁴ God's timing is worth waiting for.  
Suck it up and be patient. 
He knows what He's doing.

This confidence comes from a man who knows what it means to have one's life in danger on regular basis.

Verse 13 is almost arrogant. It's like saying, 'Fine, we can fight, but you're already defeated.'
or
'No, I won't mention you in my speech when I get the Coolest General Award.'
or even
'Hey, I'm writing my speech to address my armies upon the triumphant return home. Of course, that means you will lose.'

David is not afraid of armies, liars, his own mistakes, or bad parents. He doesn't pray that God would take them away or change things. He faces the facts and is sure of victory. Now, he still goes out to fight, but what a difference it makes to fight with the knowledge of success. He does not worry about the threats.

Here is what he does pray for:
- that he would always be with God and be able to keep Him in sight (v.4)
- that God would hear his cry for help and his praise (v.7)
- that God would not reject him, but accept him (v.9)
- to learn more about walking with God  (v.11)


His only worry is that he would not be pleasing to his God. ...


But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Mt 6:33

David understood this principle some 1000 years before it was written. He wasn't "in it" for the blessings. He was in it for God. 

I believe (I can't talk out of experience) that this kind of pure motivation is a good way to foster faith this strong. When you're really just seeking God in everything you do, then it's natural to say 'You can laugh, Goliath, but you're already dead!'
or
'I may have to run, but I am a king already.' 
or
'You can bring my friend down temporarily, Satan, but Jesus has already defeated you.'

 When I take this attitude into prayer, it changes everything. I feel much stronger resistance, but I also have more determination to fight in my prayers. Satan hates this kind of things, to be sure. And yet, he has already lost. Jesus has beaten him and all Satan has to blind us with are lies. But we have the God of truth, that's one thing I know.

Does the God you believe in love you ...regardless?
What lies has Satan been telling you? What is the truth?
Are you willing to fight for the truth and for other people?
When things get scary, what is the one thing that you know?

Silvija P., Düsseldorf

The Prayer of Hannah

⁹Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. ¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

 check 1 Samuel 1 for all references

 Let's admit it, it's a weird situation. Imagine a dinner party. Just after dessert, when everyone is still drinking coffee, a woman stands up at the table and starts talking to herself... crying. It evokes this reaction from the host:

(vv.14) “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 

It was probably quite well intended. But he couldn't have guessed how deeply troubled Hanna was. Maybe she overheard a conversation at the table about babies. Maybe there was a pregnant lady in the company. Maybe her rival was giving her a hard time with sneaky comments again (v 7). Maybe the atmosphere reminded her of a family that she so desperately wanted. She already had a wonderful marriage (vv 4-8), and it was primal and natural that she also wanted a baby.

What would drive a sensible, mature, content woman to make a fool of herself at a dinner party? 
You can fill in your own answer here. But what would it take for you to do this, to only offer an underbreath prayer to God not even taking into consideration that people will misunderstand. 

I laugh often with a friend of mine, because we notice a lot of people on public transportation talking to themselves. It's funny, but sad at the same time; I think this posh, high-paced city has a big hole in its heart that hungers for quality relationships.  
But in Hannah's case, she was at a dinner party. She didn't have to invent a friend to talk to. Something was so heavy on her heart, that in the second when the glass spilled over, she had to stand up and pray. Regardless. Crying.

I love the conversations with Eli that follows:

¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
¹⁸ She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

She offers a very simple, heart-breaking, honest explanation (doesn't explode in self-defense). Eli seems so moved, that he gives her a blessing for her request, although he doesn't have the slightest clue what it's about. 
And in v.18 comes the punchline moment. She took that blessing so seriously... I can see her widening her eyes open in pleasant surprise, and saying 'Thank you', as if Eli himself had already granted her prayer. She took it so seriously that 'her face was no longer downcast'.

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

I've read and heard many sermons and devotionals on Hannah's faith. But here is the simple beauty of the case that stands out to me: 
She was very much in touch with her inner life, her feelings and desires. Quite honestly, I think she over-did it. But when she received the blessing from Eli, she took it as an answer to her prayer. That's faith. It brought her peace, joy, and a healthy appetite. The peace cleared her heart so that she could focus on worship, and later on her husband, and these two are of utmost importance to God.

I love it! She believed so much it gave her peace like she'd already received the response. She didn't need a "fleece-sign", like some people. She didn't need a rational explanation why God will deliver. Haha, she didn't even need a sermon on Abraham's faith, who was in a similar situation. She heard the priest giving her a blessing, for her prayer out of a deeply troubled soul. 

How much persuasion do we need from God, ladies? 
How many people does it take to convince us of God's faithfulness? 
How seriously do we take God's promises when we read them alone, behind the closed door?

Hannah's fragile trust puts my disbelief to shame. At the same time, she gives me hope. It seems faith is much simpler than I thought. 

Silvija P., Düsseldorf

Remember: God Is Close

I’ve been reminded of this for a while now. That our GOD, our Abba-Father does hear (Heb. 5:7). For me, it is critical (life-saving) to think about it and remember this truth because I am writing. And when I say “writing” I mean it is an essential part of my work and in a way an extension of myself. Unfortunately, it has been almost impossible to write. I am going through yet another frustrating inconvenience with my phone and I am fighting the emotional Armageddon that all those hours trying to set-up the (new) phone so that I can hit-the-ground-running for Tuesday (Sept. 3) morning was, is a total waste. I am trying not to start singing my sad-song about my life being sooo hard and nothing ever seems to go my way. But I won’t deny that I can taste and smell that the temptation is right here, there. I mean the reality, right now, even after another hard-reset (total wipe-out of info) of the phone, is that it still has problems. You should see my face right now (it is weirdly funny, so I will lol). 

But y’all know that tis not just (about) the phone, you know…it is sooo much more…hard-fought-battles that…oooohh, do you know that I just experienced a computer freeze?! Sigh… Amen.


Yes. Amen. What else shall I, we say, that I continue on this trajectory that is only leading me to anger, bitterness and fits of rage (2Cor.12:20; Gal. 5:20; NIV)?! No. I can hear Paul’s voice—or what I think is his voice --reminding me to NOT do give in to sin—stop getting so angry and impatient.


 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not!—Romans 6:1, The Message


‘Peju, stop swearing in your head; ‘Peju, stop punching people in your mind and having violent massacres. Ok, now that you know how dark my mind can get, I shall stop. All I remember is Paul saying that I shouldn’t give myself the argument of grace as an excuse to sin (See Romans 6:1-3, NIV). But you know what is cool, when I reach for the Word and read Paul’s charge to me in context; I also see that he had offered me a way out of this horrible nightmare. He challenges my angry and sinful thoughts with his wisdom:


“…You can readily recall, cant you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about GOD—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? … you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. … But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to GOD telling you, …[you have] A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!” –Romans 6:19b, 20, 22; The Message


There is a lot in there, isn’t there?! Ok, I’ll take it slow.


First, I see it as a mirror to my recent trials. One of my major sins, fits of rage, has been awoken this year and has been plaguing me a lot (!) and often times taking me to lows of depression. So I totally get what Paul is saying. Not caring about others, not caring about GOD, because even as recent as Sunday night I was fully in this state. And as the Holy Spirit fights to be the ruler of my body, soul, mind, I see that I have to constantly remember and choose to listen to the Spirit, to care about GOD and be right with HIM.


I tell you as I write this I don’t feel like my life is whole, healed or even put-together. I mean there is ALWAYS something going wrong—my Flat has a leak, I am failing at my research/work. But Paul tells me that I DO have a good life and that it is put-together. Huh?! Say what?! Who?!


But it is true. Even with all these trials, I DO have a good and blessed life. Over dinner (with disciples) on Sunday night, my brother remarked that I was blessed. He knows that I have many friends and people that like me, but I think now he also knows that I have people that love me. I need to remember that too. We all need to remember that when we are facing our trails.


Sisters, I know it is not easy out there…but be comforted by the truth that we are not all suffering alone (1Peter 5:9). We are called to resist the devil. Resist him. How?

• Well, first start by crying out to our Abba Father, pray like you are about to die, pray like HE is the only one who can save you (Heb. 5:7-9).
  
• And remember HE does hear (v. 7)…HE did it with our savior Jesus Christ (v. 8), why wont HE do it with/for you?!
  

True life is hard, and for some of us out there it is tragically-hard. But we DO have the Holy Spirit, who IS also our comforter (John 16:7). The Amplified English version also calls him a “Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby” who is “to be in closer fellowship with [me].”


No, I cannot go on sinning. No, even though I feel like I can’t control my emotions, I must remember that that feeling comes from satan, because as I shared above, GOD has given me, us the Spirit and this same Spirit is the very embodiment of power that raised Jesus Christ our Savior from the dead.


To conclude, I want to recall what Kimberly shared with us (Sept. 1), that “it is possible.” Things are sincerely tough for you right now? It will be fine, because you will get through it because “you have the strength for all things in Christ who empowers…[…ready for anything and equal to anything through HIM who infuses inner strength into {you}; {you are} self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency” (Phil. 4:13, AMP).


So having a tough day? Take a minute and find your strength in the Strengthener ;) 

 Adepeju S., Zürich

It Is Possible

When I assess myself and my life, my spirit despairs. 

I look at how my walk with God has grown over the last few years and determine that it’s been a limping walk at best.  Professionally, I am barely hanging on at my current position and despite my huge respect for the organization and people there, I have to consider whether I’m cut out for this level of thinking.  I struggle to communicate why Jesus is the lord of my life to the few people who bother to listen.  Moving almost yearly, I really struggle to make friends and maintain friendships, and my hope of ever being in a relationship has almost died.

Whew.  That’s depressing!  Nor is it faithful or moving towards positive change.  The good news is that God has given us a better and more effective way.

Think about some of the challenging/impossible situations in your life.  Where is God in these challenges?  He has not forgotten us and he is not forsaking us.  When I lose sight of who God is, the challenges grow larger and increasingly overwhelming.

But this is who God is:

“They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;
    he made water flow for them from the rock;
he split the rock
    and water gushed out.”

Isaiah 48:21

Our God brought water out of a rock.  That’s not your ordinary chemistry equation there.  Water. from. a. rock.  And not a reluctant trickle of water, but enough to quench the thirst of over 1 million men, women, and children, not to mention their livestock.  WOW!!!!!

God can do anything and He can change any situation.  Even more amazing, He gives us to ability to do all things through His strength!

^“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Phil 4:13

Do you still believe this?  Do I?  Believing this- and truly living out this belief- would change my perspective on all the things that weigh on my spirit.  It would give me a hope that will sustain through the ‘deserts’ of life to see the realization of these dreams.  And for the dreams that God chooses not to grant, I can have peace that God will grant me the strength to thrive despite it.

In a study of the most successful businessmen, athletes, chess players, and musicians, Geoff Colvin finds a simple secret: purposeful practice sustained by self-efficacy.  In ordinary language, Colvin found out that it wasn’t necessarily the most talent who realized their dreams.  It was the people who believed that they would realize their dreams and determinedly and intelligently worked at it.

As a Christian, there are some key takeaways in this message, well-rooted in the Bible.  If I truly believe that God can give me the strength to make changes and I live out that faith with purposeful action, then God puts me on a course to realize those dreams.  The first step is to truly believe it’s possible.

And Jesus gives us some good advice on that. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mat 19:26

• What are some of your hopes and dreams?   
• Do you believe that God can bring about these changes?   
• What can you do to live out your faith?

 Kim B., Geneva