Day Fifteen: It’s All About God

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 1 Chron. 29:11, emphasis mine, NLT

When my girls were little, they went to their grandparents’ in Idaho for two weeks every summer. They have wonderful memories from those years and it was a nice break for us. Invariably though, they would come home saying, “Grandma says…” and proceed to tell me what great wisdom Grandma had on every subject. The very things I’d been saying the other fifty weeks of the year suddenly sounded new. Sigh. Two weeks under her tutelage and Grandma got all the credit. However, I’m thankful for the love and discipline they received there.

On the other hand, it’s hard to put up with the guy who tries to take credit for work others have done. In the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Danny Kaye plays the part of an unappreciated idea man. His boss manages to take the credit for his initiative, until he finally stands up for himself.

We all seem to know people who, whether they mean to or not, constantly get the glory for what others have done. Sometimes, we ourselves are guilty. It’s a human tendency to accept accolades that belong to someone else.

playing king of the hill

Last week, Kelly and I read about King Hezekiah, who was a great man in many ways: a conquering war hero, innovative builder, and faithful God worshiper who inspired his people to pursue God. But when sickness threatened to take his life, he despaired. He turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly. God heard his prayer and told him to ask for a sign that he would be healed.

King Hezekiah asked God to move the shadow up the ten steps it had just come down. God made time go backwards, and gave the king an extra fifteen years. That’s when Hezekiah made his big mistake. When the Babylonians heard about the miracle, some men came to see the king and hear more about it. Sadly, instead of giving God the credit, Hezekiah took center stage – he showed off his kingdom and his wealth. Not only did he fail to witness, but a few years later, the Babylonians pounced on Judah to haul off the treasure they had seen there, and take the people captive. (You can read this story is in 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38-39.)

This challenges me. If other people hear about or see God’s healing, answered prayer, success, or wisdom in my life, they might want to know more about Him. When they ask, what will I say? Will I praise God for victory? Or will I show off what I have and what I have done?

Our victories might not include a life threatening illness and miraculous healing. But God’s plan is to use our victories over habits and temptations, healed emotional scars, and everyday acts of bravery to draw others to Him. Will we fluff up our egos or give Him the credit?  

Halloween and Christianity Series Revisited

Hello all,

Since I'm in the middle of a series, I do not plan to post anything new this year on Halloween and how it affects our Christian life and witness. But if you're searching for what the Bible says regarding how and what we celebrate, here is the link to the series I did in 2011. Others have mentioned they'd like a little review and some new ideas on how to make this month one of joy and light in the midst of dark practices disguised as innocent fun.

It's been exciting to hear from many of you about the changes and choices you've made for your family and I am praying that this October/November will be your best year of celebrating ever! We really do have a corner on fun, you know.

You will find the first post at the address below. Then read your way backwards. :0)

http://bethvice.blogspot.com/2011/10/four-part-series-halloween-and.html

Day Fourteen: For God, Victory is Easy!

Have you ever tried to help a child while they tried to help you help them? Not so easy is it?

“Mommy will you button my jacket for me?” my daughter implored, looking sweetly up at me with clear, trusting eyes of love.

“Sure,” I said, and leaned down to start on the top button. But as soon as I did she began to work from the bottom, matching the last button to the second to the last buttonhole, twisting and jerking the coat repeatedly from my grip with her efforts.

“It’s not working, Mom. I need your help!”

To which I responded that I could help her much better if she would take her hands off the coat and let me work. It’s so much easier that way.

And so it goes. Like when we bring our problems to the Lord for help. First, He has to remind us He can handle it, and sometimes even pry our hands loose from the things we bring to Him. Only then can He do His work. What seems impossible to us is easy for God.

God told the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom to go to war against the king of Moab. Their route led them through a wilderness where they were without water for seven days and they panicked. They were ready to admit defeat and go back home, until they asked God’s prophet Elisha to find out what He wanted them to do.

Elisha said, “This is what the Lord says: This dry valley will be filled with pools of water!  You will see neither wind nor rain, says the Lord, but this valley will be filled with water. You will have plenty for yourselves and your cattle and other animals. But this is only a simple thing for the Lord, for he will make you victorious. You will conquer…”(2 Ki. 3:16-19, emphasis mine, NLT)

No water? No problem for God! The Bible, history, and current events prove nothing is too hard for Him: Power over the forces of nature? No problem. Power to heal sickness and cast out demons? Easy. Wisdom for any dilemma? He’s got it. Victory over any circumstance, even death? Simple. So why not lift our cares to Him and let go?

The other day in the car I mentioned (even for this directionally challenged driver) that our route home from there was going to be “Easy Shmeezy.” From the back seat my four year old granddaughter joyfully repeated, “Easy Sneezy!” She liked the sound of it so well that her mom and I heard the singsong phrase over and over for the next few miles. Oh, that we would so joyfully give our problems to God, for whom everything is Easy Shmeezy!

I know I don’t always understand His ways. Sometimes He doesn’t bring victory as quickly as I would like, or the way I think He should. His plan can even look like a bad idea halfway through. Sometimes He pushes us into action when we want Him to do it all for us, and other times He tells us, “I’ve got this, child, take your hands off the buttons.” Whatever route He takes us, even through the wilderness, if we will listen and follow His directions, He will make us victorious.

Day Thirteen: You Can’t Build and Fight at the Same Time

“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies.”

1 Ki. 5:3, NLT

You don’t see much new construction going on in war zones. It would be wasted effort. No sooner would you build a wall than it would be blown to smithereens. Satan wants to keep us from building for the honor of our God – making our lives a battlefield without time for rest. He wants to keep us on the defensive so we’re too depleted and distracted to build anything new for the Lord’s glory.


Building for almost 100 years at La Sagrada de Familia in Barcelona, Spain

That’s what happened to me yesterday. When I was weak – nursing my first nasty cold of the winter, I got hit with an attack to my spirit that left me staggering and wounded. Worse yet, I was assaulted by a soldier from my own side! The arrows were gossip, assumption, anger, and personal bias. Not based on facts or direct communication. And they had been left to simmer.

My first response when I heard about it was to feel sorry for myself; hide out and lick my wounds. Then God revealed what the enemy was trying to do and reminded me who I am in Him. In Christ I am valuable; I know who I am and who I belong to. I do not have to prove myself or seek to please any other. God is my Defender and my security. So today I claim victory over gossip, anger, lies, ingratitude, and envy, and I refuse to let them distract me from building for the honor of our King. 

I know I’m not the only one who gets hit with stuff like this. Are you under attack by people, attitudes, or circumstances that keep you on the defense? The enemy will never stop waging war on us, but we can choose to deflect his ammo with the shield of faith. The Lord will bring us victory through peaceful minds and hearts. Then we can turn our attention and energies to building faith, friendships, family, fellowship with believers, Christlike attitudes, and love for others. Even the ones who choose to war against us.  

Day Twelve: Victory In the Middle of Ordinary

One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils.

The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

2 Sam. 23:11-12, NLT

Have you ever said any of the following?

• * I tend to feel closest to God in times of crisis.
• * It’s the day to day stuff that trips me up.
• * Most of our fights are over ridiculous, petty things.
• * Normal life bores me. 

I think we’ve all said, or thought, most of these things. We tend to prepare for action when we can see the enemy coming to attack our city. However, one of Satan’s favorite tricks is to sneak up on us in the field when we’re not expecting it. In otherwise ordinary moments – when we’re getting ready for church, dropping the kids off at school, on lunch break, going for a walk in the neighborhood, or checking Facebook - suddenly we’re under attack and don’t know how to respond. Others are running for cover. Will you run, or will you stay and fight?

Shammah was willing to fight for a field of lentils. He did his job and God brought the victory. A popular crop today, lentils are hardy, inexpensive, nutritious, high in fiber, and can be served a number of ways. Because they are common, many might view them as ordinary. Not important enough to defend. That’s where they’re wrong.

It’s the basic, ordinary things of life that are most worth defending – things like honesty, faithfulness, truth, rest, giving, serving. These are the things that will last, that nourish and sustain us. They can be served up a variety of delicious ways to bless and strengthen others.       When we take a stand for the ordinary, we build muscle for the bigger battles that threaten to crumble our faith. How do we prepare for these unexpected skirmishes? By filling up daily from the Word of God and meditating on those truths as we go about the day. Then when the enemy sneaks up on us, we can use the weapons we already have at hand. If we do our job, God will bring the victory.

Day Eleven: Fighting Till You Can’t Fight No More

Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines

when the entire Israelite army had fled.

He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword,

and the Lord gave him a great victory that day.

The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!

2 Sam. 23:9-10, NLT

Ever get tired of doing the right thing? Ever feel like you’ve fought against the evil one until you can’t even raise your sword anymore? The enemies of God are plentiful – lies, deceit, hatred, abuse, ignorance, apathy, laziness, greed…they surround us from everywhere to attack our faith and destroy the effectiveness of the Good News of Christ. Some of those enemies even rise up from inside our ranks, and inside our own hearts and minds. It takes stout determination to keep fighting. Battle fatigue is a reality, if you’re really serious about living the Christian life.

Sometimes we feel like we’re the only ones standing for what’s right. Other believers may be distracted, uncommitted, or only interested in showing up to collect the blessings during times of celebration or worship. They are like Eleazar’s fellow soldiers who didn’t show up until it was time to collect the plunder.

The Bible doesn’t say too much about him, but I like Eleazar. He didn’t give up until the job was done. He fought till he couldn’t fight anymore, and God gave him victory. Apparently he didn’t worry too much about what the other guys were doing. There’s no word of him complaining that the rest of the army ran away and left he and David to do all the fighting. He wasn’t even resentful when they came back to collect rewards.

My guess is that Eleazar wasn’t in the battle for the goods, or the fame, or how buff he would get wielding his sword. I think he fought the way he did because he loved his king; he loved his people; and he wasn’t willing to give even one inch of ground to the enemy. No matter what the cost, what the odds - no matter how tired he got.

That’s the kind of soldier I want to be for the Lord. I want to stand with my King, even if all others run from the battle, and fight until I am too weary to even raise my sword, the Word of God. I will fight for love of our King; for love of the worldwide body of believers; refusing the let Satan gain any ground. Through prayer and complete abandonment to my Lord and Savior, I want to be victorious in my personal life, for my family, for my church, and our community.

Day Ten: Defeating the Accusations of the Enemy

You gave me victory over my accusers.
  2 Sam. 22:44 and Psa. 18:43, NLT

I got back to our dorm room tired but happy, after an afternoon of tennis. When I opened the door, my roommate turned to greet me with an icy stare. She was mad! It didn’t take many questions before she released a torrent of angry words. “You think you’re so cute, don’t you? Just because you’re athletic and popular, you get to run around in the sunshine all the time, while all I do is sit around and do homework.” She proceeded to fling the contents of her drawers at me, a handful at a time, while I made useless attempts at discussion. When she hurled the drawers themselves, I made a hasty exit.

What in the world had I done to bring that on? I wondered. It didn’t take long to realize she wasn’t mad at me, but the awkward, itchy cast she’d worn almost since her arrival at college. In a freak accident only a month into school, she had shattered her ankle, which was pinned together and extremely painful. Seeing me bop in and out of our room having fun, while she hobbled around campus week after week had been like a knife in her gut. And that was the day she released her pent up emotion. On me.

Her accusations were unjust. I wasn’t a tennis star by any means – just out having fun. I had friends, but certainly wasn’t in the popular group at school. And I did my share of homework. Even if I had been “guilty” of these things, they were not justifiable reasons for hate.

Accusers come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes their accusations are as ridiculous and unfounded as the scene above. At other times, they pinpoint a sin from the past which we cannot deny. The worst accusations come from within – we convict ourselves. We forget we have a Father who doesn’t take His forgiveness back once we’ve asked for it, even when our minds keep reminding us of our wretchedness. Accusations are distracting, draining, and defeating.

We currently know several people who have been falsely accused of heinous crimes, and it looks like the enemy is winning. Whether the accusations stem from ignorance, a misinterpretation of the evidence, or evil intent, Christians are sometimes punished unjustly. This is hard to reconcile with scriptures like: Psalm 37:32-33, Luke 18:1-8, and today’s verses that promise justice. Yet we know from history as well as our own experiences that sometimes the innocent suffer.

So then, is victory a lie? I believe the answer comes in Paul’s speech to the Athenians: “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

The Day is coming when Jesus will set the record straight. Satan is the ultimate accuser. He rejoices when God’s children are “found guilty” either publicly or in our own hearts. The Good News is, if we are clean before God the Accuser cannot crush us. God will take him out in the end, “The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down” Rev. 12:10.

God will protect us even if the truth is temporarily concealed. God will use it somehow, as only He can, for good. And we can be confident that God will make all things right in the life to come. That will be our complete and final victory!

Day Nine: The Protective Shield of Victory

You have given me your shield of victory;

your help has made me great.

2 Sam. 22:36 and Psa. 18:35, NLT

Shields come in all forms. I love to laugh at Get Smart’s failed attempts to use the Cone of Silence. How many times have I embarrassed myself spouting off things I thought no one could hear?  The planetary and personal deflector shields in Star Wars’ (2 of the 37 different types mentioned in the film series!) didn’t always work. There were glitches and flaws the enemy always managed to discover. And for those of you watching “Under the Dome” about the town of Chester’s Mill, you can imagine how you might feel if your town were suddenly trapped inside an impenetrable shield against your will.

the towel wasn't much protection

Shields are good when you want protection, when they are dependable, and when there are no “chinks in your armor” the enemy can aim his arrows at. We usually think of a shield as a physical thing, yet David thanks God in this verse for His shield of victory. The Merriam Webster definition of victory is: “1. the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist. 2. achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.” So I ask, “How does God use victory to shield us from harm?”

This is my conclusion, based on God’s revealed Word and my own personal desire to understand Him better. I believe God protects us and makes us great through His victory in the past, the present, and those yet to come in the future. Since He’s not limited by time as we are, they are all visible realities to God in this present moment. We, however, have to consciously focus our minds on each in order to reap the benefits.

This requires faith in the character and dependability of God. Ephesians 6:16 says, “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” It seems to me that the shields of faith and victory work as one.

How many times throughout the Bible are we instructed to “remember” all God has done for us. This remembrance of past victories in our personal lives and throughout history shields our  minds, hearts, and spirits from discouragement and despair. If He did it before, He can do it again, we reason.

Focusing on God’s present victories pulls us away (as I mentioned in Day 8) from our tendency to get derailed by the battles being lost, instead of celebrating the battles being won. God is constantly at work. There’s nothing better when we’re feeling defeated than to get together with other Christians and share God-stories. We can’t help but rejoice and be inspired with hope for our own battles that continue to rage. After going to the missionary convention this last spring, I came home high on victory stories from around the world.

Finally, we are protected by the future victories God is going to win through us. Some have been prophesied in the Bible, others, specific to our own lives, have not yet been revealed. However, we have the protection of knowing we are on the winning side; we serve the King of kings and Lord of lords. He’s the One who brings the victory; He’s the One who makes us great. And His shield never malfunctions. The only way it will fail us is if we refuse to come under its protection.

Day Eight: Victory Party Pooper

King David could win the award for the biggest party pooper of all time. When his army defeated the enemy and his men were coming into town ready to celebrate a big victory, he almost blew it completely. They had chased the usurper down and killed him, squelching his plot to take over David’s throne, and saved his kingdom. But instead of a party atmosphere, there was the pall of death. You see, the enemy who had tried to displace David was the king’s own son.

Absalom had plotted against his father, God’s anointed king. For four years he had lied and finagled his way into the people’s hearts. He then built a statue of himself, declared himself king in Hebron, and headed for Dad’s palace to take over. David had to run for his life from his own son! The final insult was when Absalom set up a tent on the palace roof to have sex with his father’s concubines where everyone could see it.

David finally rallied his troops and went to battle against Absalom and his men. David ordered him kept alive, but in the end Absalom’s vanity did him in. His long, thick hair, which he was so proud of, got caught in some tree branches during the chase. His mule kept going, but Absalom hung by his hair until David’s soldiers surrounded him and ended the conflict.

It was a great victory. The troops saved Israel from the control of a murderous,conceited tyrant. David could return to his palace to rule in peace. However, King David was not in the mood to celebrate:

“As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness. They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle. The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!’” (2 Sam. 19:2-4, NLT)

That put a definite damper on the party. The only thing David could see was that his son was dead. And he was probably riddled with guilt for not having disciplined Absalom when the first signs of rebellion emerged. Things might have completely fallen apart if it hadn’t been for David’s chief in command:

“Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, ‘We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves. You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.’ So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate” (2 Sam. 19:5-8, NLT).

That was the wakeup call he needed. It’s not that King David’s grief was not valid. He had just lost a son! No matter what our children do, we still love them. We still hate to see them suffer tragic consequences for their actions. And we certainly don’t want them to die a violent death. But David had lost sight of the big picture. And sometimes, so do we.

Sometimes, in grieving over what is not happening in the lives of those I love, I miss the victories God is winning all around me. I’m so thankful God shakes me up a bit and points out the need to celebrate the victories, even while grieving the momentary losses on other battlefields. The war’s not over yet! I don’t want to be a party pooper when so many victories are being won for the sake of the King.

This verse has reminded me lately, “This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV). May God keep our eyes on Him, our voices lifted in praise, and our hearts devoted to Him above all other loves.

Day Seven: Victory for Oatmeal People

Last Saturday, during my visit to California, my sister and I feasted on crab and avocado Eggs Benedict. She’d been working me up for this treat since my arrival on Wednesday, so I was more than excited. Normally I don’t eat a big breakfast – unsweetened cereal, juice, and coffee. It’s filling, nourishing, and better for my hips. A lot like oatmeal.

zipping the jacket to the inside vest: what an oatmeal!

Most of our days are oatmeal days. We do what we need to do, what’s best for us, things that fill us up and give us satisfaction. It’s not all thrills and mountaintops, but those days contrast with the Eggs Benedict moments so we appreciate them more.

A lot of the time I feel like an oatmeal person. I’m not famous or powerful or sought after. I spend my days caring for my husband and family, writing, working in the yard, doing wash, teaching, and whatever else God calls me to. And yet, in the spiritual realm, I can be a victorious conqueror. That’s what Gideon found out too.

He saw himself as an oatmeal kind of guy – from the smallest clan of the Israelites, at the bottom of the family pecking order. When God called him to lead the Israelites and conquer their enemies, he needed a lot of encouragement. Here’s what happened:

“The Lord said, ‘Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them...Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.’ So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. The armies…had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts…Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, ‘I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!’ His companion answered, ‘Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!’ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, ‘Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!’” (Judg. 7:9-15, NLT)

In Gideon’s day, barley was cheap, plentiful, filling, and nourishing. Like oatmeal in the US. The message from God through this man's dream was clear, “You may be just an average Joe, but I’m going to use you to defeat the enemy. All you have to do is follow my orders.

If you’re feeling like an oatmeal person today with nothing great to offer, I want to encourage you. God can bring victory through you if you’re willing to follow Him. You can have victory over your habits and attitudes, your doubts and fears, and over the enemy who wants to discourage you from making a difference in the world. I’m believing it for me; I am claiming it for you as well. May God give us courage, His oatmeal people, and  the assurance of victory in Him.