Common threads
God filled this September with special surprises. Logan and I celebrated our birthdays, and I celebrated 10 years of writing Choosing Peace. But there was much more. When I think of this month, I think of these two words: Abundant Blessings.
Last week I ordered a grocery delivery for the first time this year. We got more than fruit and cheese. Our delivery person sparkled with the love of Jesus. I’ll call her Hope because that’s what she brings people. Look what I found when I unpacked our box. Thank you, Hope!
As we wrap up these Before and After posts today, I hope the photos from this month will remind you of your own blessings. Get ready to read about a two-for-one, a hand shake and Mom’s cross-stitch.
The takeaway
First, let’s explore the main takeaway from the events we covered out of the book of Exodus:
♦ Manna from heaven—part 9 (the Before Event)
♦ Water from the rock—part 10 (The Main Event)
♦ War with the Amalekites—part 11 (the After Event)
Heart conditions
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness after the Lord rescued them from slavery in Egypt. When the people were hungry, God gave them manna—bread from heaven. When they were thirsty, he gave them water from the rock. When they were viciously attacked by the Amalekites, God gave them a miraculous victory. The Lord’s presence, provision and protection seemed so clear, but the Israelites didn’t love or trust him.
God’s sovereignty
It’s easy for us to shake our heads in dismay about the unbelief of the vast majority of the Israelites, but we must remember this truth.
The Lord—and only the Lord—changes hearts of stone to hearts of flesh.
We can’t do it ourselves.
He calls. He chooses. He saves.
Hearts revealed
People’s spiritual heart conditions are often revealed in the way they do business.
One of this month’s sweetest blessings came when my pal Charlene took me out for my birthday. I asked her to surprise me and take me someplace we’d never been. She chose Little Joe’s Farmstead & Dog Bar in Argyle, Texas. What a peaceful, restful, Christ-filled place. Flowers. Comfort. The Apostles’ Creed on the wall. Soft instrumental music. Excellent service. The Lord’s Prayer on the wall. Wonderful food.
The Lord is truly honored in this place—and we were honored to be there. Glorious.
The covenant
Back to Moses and the Israelites. After the people spent forty long years wandering in the wilderness, God commanded Moses to communicate the words of the Lord’s covenant with the people—again. Here’s a small portion:
Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them:
Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.”
Deuteronomy 29:2-5, World English Bible (emphasis added)
We can easily take things for granted—like food and water. Like sun and rain. Like shoes that last forty years. We can easily be influenced by others. As our pastor says: “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” We can easily be distracted by temporal, here-and-now things and ignore spiritual, eternal things. I think we can all relate to those realities—taking things for granted, being influenced by the people around us, and focusing on today instead of eternity.
Wandering in the wilderness
As I consider our three Exodus Events—manna, water and war—the powerful takeaway pertains to eternity.
Wandering in the wilderness, not knowing where you’re going, sounds like people today who don’t love, trust and follow Jesus. “Fake it ‘til you make it.” “I’ll figure it out.” “Follow your heart.” Those cute little quips come from Satan’s popular playbook: “Strategies to Stymie Salvation: Modern Minion Edition.”
What do we learn from the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness?
The Israelites paint a picture throughout time
of what it’s like to be spiritually lost.
The anger. The frustration. The inability to see God’s goodness. The self-centeredness. The despair. The complaining and blaming. The confusion about life’s purpose.
Prayer time
Has the Lord called you to pray for someone’s salvation? Has he laid someone’s eternity on your heart? If not, ask him to show you who needs your prayers—for eyes that see and ears that hear—for a heart of flesh—for the saving grace of Jesus Christ as Lord and King.
From part 10:
God’s kindness can lead people to repentance and salvation. And God’s sovereign plan can take someone from “the big bang theory” to “intelligent design” to “Jesus is Lord.” Hallelujah!
Before and After
The four groups of Before and After have taken us to events in these four books of the Bible: Daniel, Second Chronicles, Luke and Exodus.
Group 1—Daniel
Part 1: The writing on the wall
Part 2: Daniel and the lions’ den; Daniel’s prayer
Group 2—Second Chronicles
Part 3: The Lord fights for Judah
Part 4: War with Syria
Part 5: King Jehoshaphat’s final report card
Group 3—Luke
Part 6: Jesus heals the ten lepers
Part 7: Unworthy servants
Part 8: The second coming
Group 4—Exodus
Part 9: Manna from heaven
Part 10: Water from the rock
Part 11: War with the Amalekites
Common threads
As I re-read each part and made notes, I found certain recurring words and themes. In three out of the four groups, I found one particular tribe of Israel. Daniel, King Jehoshaphat and Jesus all came from the tribe of Judah. (Moses came from the tribe of Levi.) Also in three out of the four groups, I found references to gold and silver. Very interesting.
What common threads are found in all four groups: Daniel, 2 Chronicles, Luke and Exodus? There are many. Good and evil. Darkness and light. Truth and lies. God’s power, protection, provision, favor and help.
Let’s explore these four common threads found in all four Before and After groups.
1. Miracles and divine encounters
2. Life and death, justice, salvation and eternity
3. Prayer, praise and worship
4. Blessings and thankfulness
I chose one group to be the focus in each of the four Common Threads. In Miracles and Divine Encounters, we’ll focus on the events involving Moses. In Life and Death, Justice, Salvation and Eternity, we’ll focus on Daniel. In Prayer, Praise and Worship—King Jehoshaphat. And in Blessings and Thankfulness—Jesus.
Miracles and divine encounters
Moses—Exodus 17
In part 9 thru 11, we find repeated miracles and divine encounters—both in the life of Moses and for the nation of Israel. From part 9: “God… spoke directly to Moses [and] gave him power to work miracles….”
Manna from heaven
The Israelites complained—with great fervor—about their hunger.
Then said the LORD to Moses, “Look, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.”
Exodus 16:4, New Heart English Bible
Compassionate provision
Manna was tiny, like a seed. The people made it into bread. From part 9:
I love the description of manna’s taste: “like wafers with honey.” That makes me think of graham crackers or vanilla wafers. The Lord could’ve given them something sour like pumpernickel, but he chose to give them something sweet. I love that.
Miracle or not
Some people would argue that manna from heaven was not a miracle. My thought is this. God conceived it, fed many thousands of people with manna for more than 40 years—raining it down from heaven to their specific daily location—and manna has not been seen since. I call that a daily miracle for a special season and a clearly-stated purpose: “that I may test them.”
A repeated miracle is still a miracle.
Water from the rock
In part 10, water from the rock—The Main Event—Moses was facing two serious problems. There was no water available and some of the people wanted to kill him.
The LORD said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. Look, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Exodus 17:5-6, New Heart English Bible
The encounter and the miracle
God stood before Moses and the elders on a rock. What did he look like? How did the elders respond to his obvious presence? Were they shocked and silent? Were they confronted with their own sin? Were they terrified? Did they stare at their sandals or close their eyes? Did they fall down on their faces? Needless to say, that was a powerful divine encounter—brought up-close-and-personal to the big shots in the nation of Israel—some of whom were most-certainly involved in the murder plot against Moses. God Almighty wasn’t unaware of what they were doing. And now they knew it. When Moses struck the rock and water immediately flowed out, the elders saw an epic miracle.
From part 10:
God opened up the heavenly tap and shut down the wicked people’s plot simultaneously. I love that. He made the situation crystal clear: Moses is my man. I have empowered him to work miracles for the good of the nation. Don’t even think about touching him.
That, Peaceful Readers, was a two-for-one straight from the Lord, Most High.
Miracles today
Have you experienced a miracle? If so, who did you tell about it?
Also from part 10:
The Lord protected Moses throughout his life. What a remarkable story. And God has protected us too—often in ways we never comprehended. Frozen on the Freeway describes one of the epic miracles in my life. (For more, see Miracles on the home page or in the index.)
The Lord is our protector.
Amen, amen and amen. Every good gift is from God.
War with the Amalekites
After the Amalekites killed the stragglers of the nation of Israel—the weakest among them—Moses charged Joshua with choosing men for an army to go into battle the next day. God gave their impromptu army a miraculous victory. To read the five verses describing this event, go here.
From part 11:
Special forces
When we think of special forces, we probably think of elite groups like the Green Berets or Navy Seals. In reality, we find the most valuable special forces in places like the verses [in the link] above—when the power of God Almighty is on beautiful display—bestowed as he chooses.
…[In this] battle…, men who’d never held a weapon were victorious against experienced raiders. Would you expect brick makers to conquer Vikings? Not in this lifetime. But this is the power of God.
Men who didn’t know what they were doing
were empowered by God Almighty
to kill vicious enemies and protect their people.
What an epic miracle.
When have you seen the power of God? Was there a time when God empowered you to do more than you ever thought you could? Have you seen this in someone else’s life? If so, give God the glory….
Life and death, justice, salvation and eternity
Daniel—chapter 5, 6 and 9:1-23
The three events in the life of Daniel—the writing on the wall, Daniel and the lions’ den, and Daniel’s prayer—bring our minds to the reality of justice, death and eternity.
The writing on the wall
During a massive party, King Belshazzar of Babylon—known here as King BB—ordered that the gold and silver vessels taken from the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem be brought in so he and his lords, wives and concubines could drink wine from the holy vessels while praising idols. Big mistake.
From part 1: “Immediately, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the king’s palace, while the king looked on, horrified.” Daniel was brought in to decipher the writing, and he spoke the pointed truth—confronting the king’s pride, and his failure to learn from his own father, King Nebuchadnezzar, whose colossal pride brought catastrophic consequences—roaming around like a wild beast, eating grass for seven years of insanity.
The writing on the wall told King BB that his reign was over. King BB was killed that very night, and Darius the Mede became king.
God worked his righteous justice—pronto.
Timing
Have you experienced a situation in your life where it felt like there was no justice? The wicked prevailed, seemingly unscathed? Be encouraged by this promise from God’s holy word.
Do not seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God]. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19, New Heart English Bible
God’s vengeance upon the wicked may occur in this lifetime and/or in eternity. He is the righteous judge. Trust him.
Reflection
The Lord asks us not to seek revenge. He doesn’t ask us to avoid seeking justice. Follow Jesus. Listen to the Holy Spirit, and obey him. Is the Lord calling you to pray about a specific issue or situation?
Daniel and the lions’ den
King Darius made Daniel the top administrator over his vast realm, which included 120 governors.
The evil plot
Daniel’s envious subordinates plotted his execution. Knowing that his conduct was exemplary, they schemed to make his devotion to God illegal. From part 2:
They manipulated the king into signing a new injunction that no one could “ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of you, O king” (Daniel 6:7c, NHEB). If the injunction was broken, the offender would be thrown into the lions’ den—a grizzly and guaranteed execution.
After setting up their spy network, they caught Daniel praying to God three times a day. Since Medo-Persian laws couldn’t be changed, the evil men presented their case to King Darius, who was most distressed. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. The king called out to Daniel: “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you” ~ Daniel 6:16b, NHEB.
Justice
King Darius fasted all night and didn’t sleep. I believe he prayed humbly to God and begged him to save Daniel’s life. The Lord protected Daniel from injury and death, and sent an angel to him in the lions’ den.
At daybreak, the king went immediately to the lions’ den and found Daniel alive. The men who plotted Daniel’s execution were tossed in the lion’s den, along with their wives and children. Their family lines were obliterated.
The LORD has made himself known.
He has executed judgment.
The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands.
Psalm 9:16, New Heart English Bible
Justice for Daniel meant life. Justice for the men who plotted his execution meant death.
Heart change
Then [King Darius] wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”
Daniel 6:25-27, New Heart English Bible
Desperate circumstances can bring people to their knees, calling out to God. These can be life-changing times. It sounds like King Darius experienced a major heart change toward the Lord on the night of Daniel and the Lions’ Den.
I was saved toward the end of my first marriage when I found myself in desperate circumstances. Thanks be to God. See part 1 and part 2 of my salvation story. (If you or someone you know has experienced divorce, read or share Grieving Divorce, part 1 thru 8.)
Daniel’s prayer
When Daniel realized that only four years remained of Israel’s 70-year exile to Babylon, he put on sackcloth and ashes, fasted and prayed earnestly to God, acknowledging the sins of his nation. And God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Daniel—teaching and encouraging him: “…for you are greatly loved” ~ Daniel 9:23c, NHEB. (More details in part 2.)
Daniel’s heart for God and for his people serves as a tremendous example for us.
The justice summary
From The Three Events section in part 2:
Everyone experienced the Lord’s righteous justice.
♦ Justice for the nation of Israel meant 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
♦ Justice for King BB meant a swift death.
♦ Justice for Daniel meant life—a miracle during his intended execution.
♦ Justice for Daniel’s accusers and their families meant a swift death….
God’s justice teaches us that death is coming.
We face eternity—in paradise or fire.
To be one of God’s children, we must humble ourselves and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. (If you don’t know Jesus yet, see Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit in the index.)
Prayer, praise and worship
King Jehoshaphat—2 Chronicles 20
In part 3, we see the power of prayer, praise and worship when Jehoshaphat was king of the southern kingdom of Judah.
The Lord fights for Judah
Three armies, described as “a great multitude,” were coming in battle against the nation of Judah, and they were terrified. King Jehoshaphat declared a fast throughout the nation and called the people to the temple.
The king’s prayer
The king stood in the temple and prayed earnestly for his people. From part 3:
King Jehoshaphat ended his prayer with absolute humility:
“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
2 Chronicles 20:12b, World English Bible
What a beautiful prayer.
Requesting wisdom
Peaceful Reader, have you found yourself needing wisdom? Pray and ask God confidently for wisdom.
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote to his Christian brothers:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault; and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6, New Heart English Bible
Answer and response
Let’s return to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah in the temple. Immediately after the king’s prayer, the Holy Spirit came on a Levite named Jahaziel, who spoke the Lord’s answer.
“Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”
2 Chronicles 20:15, New Heart English Bible
Jahaziel told them exactly where to go the next day, assuring them that the Lord would fight for them. The people fell down in worship while the Levites erupted in praise. What an epic time for the nation of Judah.
From preaching to praise to the battlefield
Early the next morning as they departed for the battlefield, King Jehoshaphat preached the message of faith:
“Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, so you will be established. Believe his prophets, and you will prosper.”
2 Chronicles 20:20b, New Heart English Bible
After conferring with the people, he appointed singers to walk in front of the army, singing: “Give thanks to the LORD; for his loving kindness endures forever” (v. 21d, NHEB). The singers praising the Lord were the front line—not just symbolically, but in reality.
When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushers against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
2 Chronicles 20:22-23, New Heart English Bible
God’s power and provision
When they began to sing and praise the Lord—he began the takedown of his people’s enemies.
Worship can call down the power of God.
Try to envision the scene described in this verse:
When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness,
they looked at the multitude; and look,
they were dead bodies fallen to the earth,
and there were none who escaped.
2 Chronicles 20:24, New Heart English Bible
The Lord Fights for Judah is one of my 12 favorite Bible stories. Can you see why? And the event isn’t over. See the whole post to dig into the profound three-day plundering of the multitude. It will blow your mind. Truly.
From lavish provision to praise
From part 3:
On the fourth day—after three days of taking the spoils from their enemies—the people of Judah assembled in the Valley of Blessing and blessed the Lord. They came together with grateful hearts, praising the Lord, Most High who’d poured out such mighty protection and abundant provision on their nation.
After they returned to Jerusalem, they went to the temple—singing and worshiping with trumpets, harps and more.
The people’s worship reflected
their overflowing, grateful hearts.
Does ours?
The gift of peace
The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest all around.
2 Chronicles 20:29-30, New Heart English Bible
Alleluia! And amen.
Blessings and thankfulness
Jesus—Luke 17:11-19
Now it’s time for our New Testament segment, recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus heals the ten lepers
Ten men with leprosy called out to Jesus from a distance, asking him for mercy. He told them to go show themselves to the priests—an unusual response, from our perspective. But it was the priests who diagnosed leprosy and verified its healing. The men obeyed, and boogied toward the closest synagogue, I’d imagine. When one of the men realized that he’d been healed, he came back to thank Jesus. And it wasn’t just a little “thank-you” and a hand shake.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. Jesus answered, “Weren’t the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?” Then he said to him, “Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you.”
Luke 17:15-19, New Heart English Bible
From part 6:
The Samaritan did many wonderful things. He turned around and came back after he was healed. He glorified God with great enthusiasm. And he fell gratefully at Jesus’ feet. He shows us a wonderful picture of a truly grateful heart devoted to the Lord. And Jesus told us something vital about the Samaritan—the foreigner.
Jesus commended the Samaritan’s faith.
Counting my blessings
Toward the end of part 6, I explored the significance of the number ten in the Bible and in my life. Here’s the last item on my list:
Ten days ago…
Charlene and I took a day trip to my favorite small town, Glen Rose, Texas. What a lovely day. The blessings of Christian shops—American Honey and Front Porch Designs. Lunch at an old-fashioned soda shop. A surprise rain storm. A quiet place to sit for a great conversation. Exploring at the Creation Evidence Museum. Lingering in each place—counting my blessings. The beauty of a cloudy, peaceful day with my Soul Sister.
Speaking of counting my blessings, look at what I brought home this month.
Perfect timing
Time and time again, this truth rings true in my life. Timing matters.
Thursday, September 17
Journal entry
I ate a grilled meatloaf, heirloom tomato and Swiss cheese sandwich for lunch. Deee-licious! Thanks be to God. [Hope brought me the tomato and cheese in that morning’s grocery delivery.] Then I picked up Mom’s Blessings cross-stitch from the frame shop. It is lovely. I told Brandon that Mom made it before we met, and it sat in a drawer all these years. I thanked Mom out loud and told her I love her. What a sweet time.
Considering my thoughts about my mom in The Fog—my poem about her, plus the rest of The Trauma of Disengagement posts, this month’s journal entry is remarkable—a beautiful gift from God.
For 30 years, the gift made by my mom sat in various drawers—unknown and unseen. (I received it eight years ago after her funeral.) And now it hangs in a place of honor in our dining room.
Did it arrive late or right on time?
Blessings of encouragement
After I publish a post, I frequently encounter a word or phrase from that post in something I’m reading, in a sermon at church, or somewhere else—a sweet blessing and word of encouragement from the Holy Spirit. In other words: “Well done. Keep on keeping on.” This month, as Charlene was driving me home from my birthday lunch at Little Joe’s Farmstead, a black Tesla sat right in front of us at a red light. The license plate came from the movie The Dark Knight, mentioned in my last post. Can you believe that?! A license plate right in front of us?
Nothing is too hard for God Almighty.
Your turn
Has the Holy Spirit been communicating with you, but you’ve resisted his still, small voice? Is the Holy Spirit—The Comforter—trying to break through distractions, anger, fear or perhaps a lie you don’t want to lay down? Spend some quiet time asking him to show you what you need to see. Receive what he has for you. Remember—what the Holy Spirit communicates will never contradict God’s word. God can’t contradict himself.
Ask. Seek. Knock.
Do you need some clarity in your Christian walk—or more information about what Christianity means? Watch our pastor’s September 27 sermon about Stewarding Our Suffering (start at 40:15 in the service for the reading, followed by the sermon). This excellent sermon has something for everyone.
Coming next
We’ll begin diving into The Hall of Faith from Hebrews 11. I am pumped about it.
Thanks for reading and for Choosing Peace.
Closing word and song
“Amazing Grace” by Aubrey Logan (Big Band Live Studio Version)
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