Sage Words

Once For All

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12

Once.

For all the sins.

For all who would believe.

For all time.

Our redemption is utterly complete and thoroughly perfect.

Our sins are not just covered, they are erased.

Our judgment is not just postponed, it is removed.

Because it was not the blood of goats and calves.

Because it was Jesus’s own blood.

Because He delivered the payment.

Once for all.

To Canaan

By Paula

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1

Abram did an amazing thing, leaving his culture, his support network, everything that he was familiar with all for the sake of the call of God. That’s the short version. Let’s take a few moments and look at Abram’s journey a little more closely.

Notice that Genesis 12:1 begins with “the LORD had said.” Had said. God had already told Abram and it wasn’t done yet. You see, chapter 11 ends with:
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. Genesis 11:31

Haran, Not Canaan
If you look at a map, Haran is about halfway between Ur and Canaan. Haran was an important crossroads on the ancient trade routes, and so it was a nice, comfortable, logical place to stop. Except God didn’t say to stop in Haran. Furthermore, God had said for Abram to leave his family, not let his father lead the expedition.

How many times have we stopped at Haran rather than Canaan? Have we ever stopped short of where God wanted us, where God called us, because it was a little more comfortable, a little easier, and little less intimidating? Have we ever been content to let someone else do the work or the ministry when we knew deep down that it was ours?

Abram’s story doesn’t stop in Haran. God renews His call to Abram after his father’s death and Abram resumes his journey.

Canaan
“Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, … Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD…” Genesis 12:6-7

“Abram! Stop! This is exactly where I want you.” As soon as Abram gets to Shechem, God appears and assures him this is the place. Abram, undoubtedly moved by a deep sense of thanksgiving, of wonder, of devotion, worships God.

When have that confident reassurance from God that we are where He has called us, we worship. Then our worship drives us to deeper obedience which results in more worship. It’s a good cycle to be in.

Abram didn’t stay there, though.

Beyond Canaan
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. Genesis 12:10

There is no mention in Scripture that God told Abram to go to Egypt, so we are left to assume it was his idea. If you continue to read chapter 12, you’ll see that Abram got into trouble during his stay in Egypt.

Even from the very center of God’s will for us, heady with blessings, we often decide we know what’s best. God’s timing seems especially slow. We began to rely on our own judgment, on our own assessments and our own plans. We get caught up in numbers, in metrics and optics and pour our energy into making things bigger, and taking things farther, sometimes over things God never asked us to do in the first place.

There is no mention of any worship going on while Abram was in Egypt. Likewise, we find it hard to worship God when we take it on ourselves to do all the work, and bear all the burdens or when we make ourselves responsible for the outcomes.

Egypt was draining, frustrating, unsatisfying and even dangerous. It’s not much better for us when we strike out on our own. The great thing about God in His great grace is that we can’t void His promises or His call, and He won’t void them. Abram returned to Canaan. And so can we.

Back to Canaan
And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD. Genesis 13:1-2

We can always go back. We can always renew, rediscover, and rekindle what we once had, both in our passion for our calling and for the God who counted us worthy of it.

Consider where you are on your journey. Haran? Canaan? Egypt? Or back in Canaan?
Do you need to move? Which direction?
What’s holding you back or what spurs you on?

From Greenland’s Icy Mountains

By Paula Wiseman

From Greenland’s icy mountains,
From India’s coral strand,
Where Africa’s bright fountains
Roll down their golden sand,
From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver
Their land from error’s chain.

What though the fragrant breezes
Blow soft o’er distant isles,
Though ev’ry vista pleases,
Yet sin the land defiles.
In vain with lavish kindness
The gifts of God are strown;
The heathen in their blindness
Bow down to wood and stone.

Can we whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Can we to those benighted
The lamp of life deny?
Salvation! Oh, salvation!
The joyful sound proclaim
Till each remotest nation
Has learned Messiah’s name.

Reginald Heber, 1819
Read Acts 16:8-15

In our world, the need for Jesus is great. We need to be sure we are ready and willing to carry the gospel out. How can we deny the gift of the knowledge of Christ to others when we so clearly have been blessed by it? The only hope for this world is Jesus.

Psalm 62:8

By Paula

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Good times, bad, happy, sorrowful, bewildered or amazed times.
When we’re young and old and in-between.
When we’re alone and trying to find where we fit in. When connected and interconnected.
Whether we’re searching or discovering.

Pour out your heart before Him;
Your concerns, worries, hopes, fears, dreams, questions.
Pour it out.
Don’t just let it trickle or sprinkle.
Don’t hold back.

God is a refuge for us.
It is totally safe in His presence.
All those things you just poured out won’t get you ridiculed or rejected.
In His presence we are sheltered and protected.
He comforts and guards us.

Amen.

Wrestling

By Paula

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

My son wrestled in junior high and high school. After his first meet, we came away with a new appreciation for Ephesians 6:12. In the verse, Paul reminds us who the actual opponents are, but the verb wrestle reminds us the nature of the struggle we are in.

It is intense. Wrestling can’t be accomplished from the sidelines. All of the boys, from the 6-year-olds on up, were locked in mini battles of strength and strategy. Every match was personal and very hands-on. They gritted their teeth, their muscles strained, their faces reddened and they came away sweaty. All after 3 one-minute rounds. If a boy let up, even for a split second, his opponent sensed it immediately and usually seized that opportunity to pin him.

If we decide to root out the sin in our lives, or engage the evils of society, don’t be surprised if things quickly intensify, requiring our full effort. Those battles can’t be waged by proxy, either. We have to engage. In competitive wrestling, points are deducted for failing to engage the opponent. If we don’t step up, we lose more than points.

It is exhausting. Even though the actual matches were just a few minutes out of the day, nobody had to tell my son when it was bedtime. On match days, he had his lights out before 9 p.m. It was more than just the physical exertion. There was mental preparation, there was a tremendous emotional investment and there plenty of nerves to deal with. I saw my share of tears from competitors of all sizes, more often from frustration and disappointment than physical pain.

We see the same thing. Every time we try to do the right thing, it becomes a battle. We mentally prepare for each situation (sometimes, that’s called worry). We pour our hearts out. Sometimes we get thrashed. It’s no wonder we often feel wiped out spiritually, emotionally and mentally. But yet, we rarely take the time to rest and regather. That’s asking for burnout or real damage to our faith.

The boys who listened to their coaches were more successful. Some boys entered their matches convinced they knew what they were doing and didn’t need any help. Other boys soaked in every word the coaches told them before the match and during. Even when they lost, they had a better match and gave their opponents a tougher time.

The Scriptures are full of instructions on how to deal with evil in and around us. We can toss them aside and forge ahead the best way we know how and face quick, humiliating, painful defeat. Or we can take those words to heart, imitate Jesus and follow His ways.

The boys found extra energy when the crowd got behind them. We scanned the mats to see if there were any of Alan’s teammates to cheer for.

We are no different. If we have the prayer and moral support of others, it’s easier to keep battling. We need to commit to supporting each other as well. One of my favorite moments of the day was when one of the 8-year-olds asked Alan how his first match went. Alan said he got pinned. The other boy put a hand on Alan’s shoulder, “Get ’em next time.” You can be sure, there will be a next time. Don’t shy away from offering a word of encouragement, dropping a note or breathing a prayer.

f course, in competitive wrestling, the kids are on their own. The coach has instructed them, practiced with them and prepped them, but once they step on the mat, it’s all on the individual boy’s shoulders. Jesus doesn’t leave us to fight our battles alone. He equips us, and then He promises to wrestle with us, even through us. More than that, the final victory has been secured.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

He’ll Never Forget to Keep Me

By Paula Wiseman

My Father has many dear children;
Will He ever forget to keep me?
He gave His own Son to redeem them,
And He cannot forget to keep me.
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
He gave His own Son to redeem me,
And He’ll never forget to keep me.

Our Father remembers the sparrows,
Their value and fall doth He see;
But dearer to Him are His children,
And He’ll never forget to keep me.
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
But dearer to Him are His children,
And He’ll never forget to keep me.

The words of the Lord are so priceless,
How patient and watchful is He;
Though mother forget her own offspring,
Yet He’ll never forget to keep me.
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
Though mother forget her own offspring,
Yet He’ll never forget to keep me.

I now will abide in His shadow,
Never restless nor fearful will be;
In the secret of His presence He’ll hide me,
And He’ll never forget to keep me.
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
He’ll never forget to keep me (keep me),
In the secret of His presence He’ll hide me,
And He’ll never forget to keep me.

O brother, why don’t you accept Him?
He offers salvation so free;
Repent and believe and obey Him,
And He’ll never forget to keep thee.
He’ll never forget to keep thee (keep thee),
He’ll never forget to keep thee (keep thee),
Repent and believe and obey Him,
And He’ll never forget to keep thee.

Frederick A. Graves, 1899
Read Jude v 20-25

(It is no small thing, the confidence we can have in God. Our salvation is eternal. His love is boundless and never ending. He is our refuge. He promises are sure. We could go on and on. No matter is going on around us, we are never our of His sight or beyond His strong arm. He who has begun a good work in us will complete it. He will see us through.)

Once For All

To Canaan

From Greenland’s Icy Mountains

Psalm 62:8

Wrestling

He’ll Never Forget to Keep Me

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series