The Strongest People I Know

Every so often, one of those exceptional people crosses your path and it's like a lightning strike. Maybe not so much in the initial impact but stop to think about it and --BABAM!! Lightning. The rape victim, just a child herself, but determined to give life to the baby so violently conceived. "It's not her fault," she says of the innocent in her womb. Or the father who launches an all-out assault on school boards and city councils whose progressive policies eliminate safe spaces for his daughters in bathrooms and locker rooms. His rage and vigilance embolden other parents to join the real fight for women's rights. These are the stories that may or may not make the news. These are the people who leave an impression. But there are others who live next door or cashier at the local market or gather to pray once a week. Though their stories are not as unique or may not have gone viral, though their characters may not be as revolutionary --at first blush, anyway --these are exceptional, strong, tenacious people.

I write this today because of a woman I know. She has been praying for her husband for many years. Though I've never met him, he appears to be a man too intelligent, too successful for his own good. He seems to have compulsively married himself to the workplace because he needs to be needed, leaving his wife alone much of the time. But whatever flaws he refuses to acknowledge, this woman loves him and prays for him vigorously. She wants him healed. She wants him to experience eternal life. She wants him saved --from himself, from the lies on which he has built his identity, from hell. And she simply will not give up. She is faithful to him. She is faithful in her prayers for him. And she is a superhero!

I write this today because of another woman who grew up in fear. She experienced extreme violence stemming from bigotry in her rural upbringing. In her heart, grew a spark of hatred for those different from her, those who tormented her days of innocence and barged through her little girl dreams each night. Today she visits with anyone who will open their door to her. She will talk, she will serve, she will be the Light of Christ to those of any and all races, classes, and creeds. Within her petite frame and from the fount of her cheery voice is the strength of a thousand. She is David, small of stature and facing down spiritual giants with her prayers, her kindness, and her refusal to bow to hate. She is Mary calling out while the hearts of others leap because the very Spirit of God is near. (My heart leaps each time I see her! It's always a time of refreshing and worship, even along the busy streets of my neighborhood.)

I write this today because of a young man who is struggling. He's been placed in a home he is told is forever, to parents he is told are his, given a name other than the one he's been called most of his life, and has been officially "severed" from the system that has supported him for years. What would that look like for you? I've often wondered how I would respond to such a lack of autonomy. And still, he's willing. Like any typical boy, he balks at wearing his school uniform, he complains about homework, he tries to get as many snacks as we allow, but he gets up each morning in an effort to have a better day than the one before. And --most nights --he tries to go to bed with a positive attitude. Strength. 

Who are the strongest people you know? I encourage you to look around for them. I encourage you to pray for them. I encourage you to be one! 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

~ Ephesians 6:10

     

Midweek: The Armor of God Bible (for children)

Thomas Nelson has once again given me the opportunity to peruse and review a Bible from their wide selection. This complimentary copy of the Armor of God Bible is recommended for children ages 6-10. It is my opinion, unless your child has been really well-trained in Bible study, age six is a bit young and would require quite a bit of adult guidance. For independent use and study, I suggest it would be suitable for ages 8-13. The copy I received was paperback (though there are other editions available), red-letter, New King James Version, and is printed in Easy-to-read 9-point Comfort Print®. There is a presentation page to make gift-giving personal.

As for the front matter, the Table of Contents provides additional structure by labeling the Books of the Bible according to genre: Law, History, Poetry, Epistles, etc. There is an article providing overview of the Armor of God as found in Ephesians 6:14-17 and an explanation as to how to help your child get the most out of this thematic Bible. Fifty-Two devotions rooted in the Armor of God are found throughout the text, and five hundred notes connect each piece of armor by icon to different verses throughout the Bible. The devotionals are helpful and suitable in length. They explain a passage, give relevance, and add suggestions for further study and application. The notes pull the text together with regard to the armor of God. The devotionals and notes are indexed in the front of the Bible. Also indexed, are the "Be Strong" icons that are found by Scriptures that encourage your child to Be strong in the Lord, and the "Battle" icons that throughout the Scriptures, draw attention to military battles and mentions of spiritual warfare. A list of "Twenty-Five Key Verses to Motivate and Encourage You to Share the Good News" reminds us we need to search the Scriptures for the strength to engage in sharing the Gospel with a world that rejects it. This, too, can be a battle, but it is a battle in which we are all commanded to engage. Additionally, there are articles that present the Gospel succinctly, encourage readers to pray and memorize the Scriptures, and provide a few "Interesting Bible Facts." 

Within the text, each book is preceded by an introduction which includes the place of the book in the Gospel message. The introduction for 2 Chronicles, for instance, reads:

"Second Chronicles focuses on the temple, the place where God lived among His people. Although the temple had been destroyed, it would be rebuilt. Jesus came to be a better temple. He is God who lives with His people. Jesus died on the cross, but He came back to life, proving that all who trust in Him will live forever too."

The aforementioned devotions and helpful icons are scattered throughout as well.

Lastly, there is a one-year Bible reading plan, a sixty-day plan that focuses on some of the main points of Scripture, a thirty-day plan to familiarize your child with who God is, and a thirty-day introduction to Jesus as well. The final pages of the Armor of God Bible include a list of prayers in the Bible, miracles in the Bible, age-appropriate topical Scriptures, a dictionary-concordance, blank pages for notes, and eight colored maps.

I always hesitate to purchase thematic Bibles, even for children. We go through various seasons and, while truth is timeless, building a Bible --something your child will use for years --around a particular facet of truth can be tricky. I think we open the door to misunderstanding or familiarity when we try to fit the message of the Bible and its varied books and authors into one theme. Seeing Scripture in light of a single idea other than Jesus can, in my opinion, force the reader to (subconsciously or otherwise) put biblical concepts in a specific box and neglect understanding and applying the truth as it is presented. Other than my personal opinions on thematic Bibles, I would recommend the Armor of God Bible for the proper age group. It is a solid Bible with some helpful study additions. 

Thoughts Turned Heavenward

Images of cerulean waters and pristine beaches flashed across the screen. Who would ever want to leave this paradise? a talking flip-flop asked.

"Mom, I wouldn't leave. Would you?" asked our youngest as we endured yet another commercial.

Isn't that for which we all long? Paradise. Rest. Unmarred beauty. A final perfect residence. We were made to long for something more than this earth --even with all of its breathtaking places --can offer. We were made to long for heaven, the place inhabited by the God of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A place that is not cursed. A place of matchless beauty. A place prepared for us. A place of light. A place where angels will continue to minister to us. A place of perpetual worship to our God. 

But is heaven, the object of our heart's desire, a location? Years ago, a pastor asked me, "If God was not in heaven, would you want to go?" I'd never considered that. My faith centered largely around the idea of escapism. The "something better" at the end of a difficult life here on earth, like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. 

In Luke 22:41-44, Jesus agonizes in the garden hours before His excruciating death: 

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Angels appeared to Him, strengthening Him for what was to come.

In Matthew 4:5-6, Satan appears to Jesus in the wilderness, tempting Him to recklessly defy gravity in a prideful test of God's Word:  

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

When Jesus rebuffs all of Satan's temptations, angels come and minister to Him (Mt. 4:11). 

Angels sent from heaven to refresh, strengthen, protect, minister. For what purpose? In the case of Jesus' time in the wilderness, to prepare Him for the start of His ministry. In the case of Gethsemane, to prepare Him for the terrible, wonderful hours to come. There is a bigger picture here. Jesus does not just bide His time in obedience, waiting for a time of relief, an end to His labors to come. Jesus is working, suffering, enduring so that He might work, and suffer, and endure even more! The angels do not appear, ready to bestow on the King some climactic reward. They come to refresh Him that He might go further in His obedience. The rest, the reward, the refreshing, the peace is not the end game. Obedience that brings glory to the Father is the endgame for Jesus. And it should be our endgame as well.

Yes, we long for heaven. Yes, we should long for heaven. Yes, we were made to long for heaven. Because heaven is God's presence. Jesus came to earth so that heaven, the presence of God, might be among His people. Therefore, as ambassadors of Christ, our work is to bring eternal things, the Spirit of God and His fruit, into a temporal place --earth. We are to be heavenly-minded but not in the sense we yearn for some perfect retirement village established for worn out saints. That would be settling for less than what God has in store for us. We are to train our thoughts on the things of heaven because they are the things of God, His kingdom come to us, His will done on earth as it is by His messenger angels in His presence. And those things of heaven revealed to us, His servants, commissioned to serve Him and bring Him glory for all eternity.