Song of Songs – October

Remember Sonny and Cher crooning, “I got you Babe?”  It was a song everyone knew and now that iconic song is stuffed into every Valentine plush toy you can find. Then there is the “Stuck Like Glue” song from Sugarland. Catchy and fun. Those songs were like mind worms we  sing over and over. I think the most classic one is “I Will Always Love You” written by Dolly Parton and performed by Whitney Houston in the Bodyguard. These songs evoke something in us that no other song can. My personal favorite has been Ring pop by Jax because of the lyrics but also the melody. These are secular songs about true love. Or at least a YouTube version of true love.

The most supreme song of all songs is contained in the “wisdom literature” and Solomon had something to do with it, but it wasn’t really about him because the words are not all in his voice. This book is meant to be a love story, a collection of poems that are to be read as a whole, not dissected scientifically. Love songs are not robotic mind melodies, they are passionate, timeless and meant to celebrate passion and tender moments.

The poems go in order from the Beloved meeting his true love (the engagement), to marrying her and then life- happily ever after- the wedding. It is a progressive set of love poems. I read these a few times as a young Christian, while blushing. I could never fully see the allegorical side to them and thought I’d better wait to study them until I was married. However, understanding  Gods’ love and that He patiently waits for us to draw near – that message is extremely important. For Singles and married folks and teenagers. Christians and churches spend a lot of energy telling their folks to love and serve God but His message is come near, let me love YOU. If we truly understood this, our activities in ministry would reflect that. When we rest, delight in His presence, He fills up our love tanks and we walk through life squishing out the Gospel everywhere we go. Much easier.

This book gave the early church much stress. It is not for the timid and certainly sounds foreign when read in a church setting. I’ve known a few groups that tried to make it puritanical and allegorical and well it just went off the rails. Side note: No where are kids/babies mentioned so views on marriage for procreation only must be rejected. The book is clear that delight and godly marriage is Gods’ idea. We can glean a few things from it but there is really a caution here because many times this very book became a tool for the wicked to sexually abuse or manipulate others because of the focus on delight. 

So, why? Why would this very steamy book be allowed in the holy Canon of scripture?

I think there are a couple of reasons. The Jewish people used it to instruct engaged and married couples. It is a song about one man and one woman in love. In today’s world, they are a good example of being set apart for one another. In a world where anything goes, we see protection of one’s heart, we hear admonitions not to stir love before its time and there is a call to fidelity, integrity, and a long-term relationship. It is perfect for teenagers to discuss – better in your living room than in their classroom or on the streets.

Contrast that with songs from today. My favorite cringy one says, “Girl, I feel some kinda way.” That one just cracks me up. Shakespeare is probably rolling in his grave! No explanation of what kind of way or beautiful descriptions we typically see in older songs. I checked out the top Billboard list for last year and was shocked at how much things have changed. There are a few worth listening to, but the rest were soft porn at best, and most of the lyrics were just repeated words. Some of these newer record labels are going for “likes” instead of quality. Instead of being dedicated, faithful and true, love is often seen as tawdry or only for one’s personal satisfaction rather than giving sacrificially to one’s beloved spouse. My parents were married for over 50 years and showed me their example of love in so many different seasons. It matured and blossomed over time. This book is an “over time” example.

Over Solomons life, there wasn’t that continuity personally. As the Bible project mentions, Solomon is an odd candidate to be talking about the Song of all songs. Sometimes bad examples teach us more than good ones.  Solomon had multiple wives, concubines and was not the most faithful of guys. Perhaps that is why he has his name included.

Maybe the “wisdom” of this book is that being a “player” is not wise, not honorable and does not produce the kind of love that God blesses. Multiple loves water down love and breaks hearts. “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” is a forewarning in this book. That’s a good word to hear! The consequences of people who are not true to their spouse or “play the field” should make us wise in our relationships but sadly it often doesn’t. Sexual encounters, with no covenant, do not produce happiness in the long run. The people I have met that have experienced these situations share that is a very lonely place and not worth it. The fall out hurts people exponentially. 

 Romance novels share the thrill of a new adventure but forget to include the broken homes and children. Truth in advertising writing would include babies with colic, cars without gas and huge alimony payments. They probably wouldn’t sell, as the “fantasy world” people look for would certainly be dashed by the second chapter. We need to understand Gods’ design for love and marriage. Intimacy Gods’ way is incredible, holy, blessed. Seeking Gods’ design for romance is a wise thing to seek.

Long term success in love starts slow, guards, protects and grows naturally, then matures into love that is not self-seeking but selfless. We are given a picture of what true romance can look like in this book. Imagine pulling apart the petals of a rose. Eventually it will kill it. You can’t force a flower to blossom before its time or it will be destroyed. Wisdom is being faithful, patient, and true. What a wonderful picture of love but also of Gods’ love for us, His Bride.  We begin to see that God’s Banner of love flies over us. He is for us, not against us. We are His and He is ours – we are on the same team. We can identify with being drawn by love and captured by the One who died to show us His love.

This month, we’ve been listening to songs like, “Draw me, Draw me Lord and I will run after You”, and “Draw me close to You, never let me go”. While reading this book, we asked God to come nearer, to stir our hearts. We prayed we would not go after “lesser loves.”

After seeing an engaged couple and a brand new couple this week, I was inspired. They looked at each other and it was like sparklers on the Fourth of July. Their eyes danced and they were so observant of each other’s facial expressions. They gushed with words of affirmation. It was beautiful to behold. They, and this book remind me that our love for Jesus must be current, fresh, selfless, and whole. No wonder the Jews read it annually and with their kids. Those tepid in heart, or lukewarm in spirit, will be convicted when reading Song of Songs. Love  must be renewed, refreshed and continual for it to go on. That’s with our spouses and with God!

We were having devotions on morning while I was studying this book and my husband read these verses from the book of Jude that seemed fitting:

¹⁷ But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly (sensual) desires.” ¹⁹ These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

You may “feel some kinda way” tonight but why not take a few minutes and tell God specifically what way, when and why? Why not describe to Him your love and ask Him to describe His love to you? Sit and soak with songs like” The Steadfast Love of the Lord” or “I love You Lord.” Let Him look deeply into your soul and sing songs of love over you. His desire is to bless you – to love you.  Let Him look for you and find you. The One in the Garden after the Resurrection is the same One that invites you closer right now. Your Beloved is waiting…  earnestly, eagerly search for Him. Not even death could stop His love for you. Let nothing stop your love for Him. He’s waiting….

RenaeRoche2024

When I was in High School, we had a concert choir director that came to us from the United States Navy Military Choir. He was skilled and experienced at what he did. Here we were in a small town and this brilliant conductor who had led choirs all over the world, came to strengthen our vocal cords, whip us into shape and turn us into one singular voice. We did not really know how to handle that first semester but by graduation, we sounded pretty good. He pulled out of us things we never knew we could do. It was a season that produced many good things.

One of the songs our director picked for us to sing for graduation was “Remember now thy Creator.” It was solemn, sacred. What I remember more than the song was the devotion he gave us before he taught us the song. Young people, in the days of your youth, these days, remember now thy Creator (Ecc.12). Remember where you came from, who formed you, who loves you and designed you – before the stress of life overtakes you. Remember before you get married and have to please someone else. Remember before the kids come, and money gets tight. Enjoy God now and get to know Him personally while you have loads and loads of time because as you get older that time will disappear. Plant now seeds of prayer, faithfulness, service… and when that harvest comes in –remember Who brought you there and brought in the fruit of the field.

While you are young, plant these things. He was wise. His words touched my heart. He was a Christian and he used his vocation to tell other people about the God he served. Then on graduation day we all walked up the platform to the risers and stood in formation to sing that song. In a secular environment, we belted out the praise of the Lord and the importance of remembering the God who created us all. The solemn, sacred, glorious feeling of that song in that auditorium on that day marked my life. I wanted my future to include taking time for God, getting to know God, and trusting Him throughout my life. The fear of God was not being afraid of an infinite being somewhere out there but living a life in awe and reverence of Him who loved me first.

After reading Ecclesiastes numerous times, it has become part of my vocabulary. I was talking to my sons the other day about these verses and reminded of the Jewish wedding tradition of breaking glass. The bride and groom get married and then they step on a glass and shatter it. In some circles it represents the destruction of the temple and to others it represents that in every life there will always be joy and sorrow, suffering and rejoicing. That is reality, that is truth. When we live in a fantasy realm or merely think positive wishes instead of fact, we become despondent. Faith is the substance of things not seen and yes, we can trust God for things He is wanting to do through us, but the glorious life even when our prayers are heard, is not all roses. Ecclesiastes reiterates that life does not promise perfect outcomes, no matter who you are or what path you have taken. God allows pain and misery to balance our control, to extinguish our manipulations. We live in the balance of His grace and mercy.

In chapter seven the author tells us:

A good name is better than precious ointment: and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth, it is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men: and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

Why is the day of death better? Because it will be spent with our Creator, the One who made and fashioned us for HIS good pleasure.

Keeping the tension between joy and sorrow is important because it keeps us tethered to a holy God who is sovereign and always in control. When things are meaningless, vanity and do not make sense –we trust that God is still Lord. When we have run away from the rails of holiness into hedonism, folly, nonsense, and unbridled sin, we are no more satisfied than if we had spent our days in deep academic study and theological debate. Joy is not found in extremes or things not given to the Creator. That is beginning wisdom and carries on through every generation. Cars, houses, projects of enormous size and charity of huge proportions, vineyards, and song – it all ends in the same place. Nothing satisfies whether we go full hog into liberal living or laced up in rigid legalism. That is not our end, it is not our jam as the kids would say. Fearing God, living life in Him –freedom to follow and serve Him, that fills that deep void in every heart. We find meaning in His heart alone.

So, what is our meaning? We cannot enjoy people without valuing their Creator and distinct purpose in life. We cannot enjoy food or drink without contentment. We cannot have a good night’s rest without a clean conscience and having earned an honest day’s wage. Our good friend Jean recently gave her testimony in church (a Church of God) about her life in God and quoted from this book. The young teenagers, married couples, and senior citizens all praised God for His providence in their lives. It was a remarkable service that represented the generations and this book well. We need these seasoned saints to teach us, we need to remember the things they knew better than to forget.

Echoes of my grandparents who lived through the depression can be heard in these thin pages. Reminders of youthful wishes, dreams and vigor can be felt in these pages. Hopes of a future and finances saved can also be heard. Somehow towards the end of our lives we begin to get the message, the overall picture. I am very grateful for professors like my music director, for grandparents who understood lack and luxury. I am thankful for times to connect with God and delight in His presence around the table, with friends and with music and when all else fails and is in chaos, that connection gives us strength and contentment. He is enough; therefore, I am enough.

Maybe that is why Ecclesiastes also tells us that God makes everything (Hebrew Kol), ALL things, beautiful / handsome / pleasant in His time.  Time is another word for season. At the end of our lives, we can look back and see the stretching of limits, the outcomes of our rush to satisfy cravings of various kinds and see what mattered and what did not.

Enjoying God, our family, meals and rest – all this is truly a gift from God.

I look back and can be thankful for a wise older man who conducted our lives and voices to work as one for one purpose – to glorify God. It set my season and my heart to seek the only One who can satisfy.

When you are free to die, free to strive after God instead of all other “fixes”, free to focus on one thing – your relationship with the Creator who made you, there is peace. There is meaning in His words and will. It also gives you rest, daily and at night.

Lord, we remember, we posture our hearts to enjoy you and remain in covenant with you. Use us in this season to delight your heart, Creator and Christ.

RenaeRoche2024

Proverbs

Oh, the Adventures of the Roche family! No one ever told me that teaching your son to drive meant that you would one day, put your life in his hands. Or that he would make decisions quickly that you have absolutely no control over at all. He’s actually becoming a good driver but the urge to scream when people get close to my “baby” is intense. When he went to take the driver’s test, I was a nervous wreck. He aced it and then we had to discuss the wisdom of keeping that news quiet –until after he left the building where other teens (and nervous parents) were fretting and awaiting exam scores.  O.K. truthfully, I wanted to jump and shout with glee, but others were crying, so Jackson grabbed my arm and said, “Lets go mom, no one needs to hear this.” 

Rules, guidelines, precepts – this book doesn’t exactly seem like sweet devotional material because it is challenging as it rebukes, exhorts and corrects. “As a dog returns to its vomit” isn’t something you want to read while say, eating breakfast, right?  We had to savor one Proverb at a time some days as the whole book is packed with things that make you go “hmm?”

Jordan Raynor, in his article “How to get constructive and sanctifying feedback from others (The Word before Work series)[1] lays out how to practically apply Proverbs. It came the day I started to write the blog which fascinated me because I was studying Proverbs 27:5-6 at the time which says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” The Proverbs weren’t meant to confuse us but to apply to our real-life situations. Raynor’s practical application of this Proverb is not only spot on but would be amazing if families, the whole nation could read it and apply it during this hot and contentious political season.

We’re teaching our kids to spot traps, snares and problems before they happen. As they turn into teenagers and adults the lessons fade as natural consequences come to bear. I wish I could prevent them from all problems, but I can’t. Truthfully, I can’t even do that for myself. One glance at Facebook or the News will show us that many common people and leaders in our land have not learned from the Proverbs how to navigate the daily or to avoid landmines.

Speaking of Landmines—I was in one once. We missed a sign and got there by mistake. The driver later became very skilled at avoiding landmines maybe because of this near miss with death. It was a very scary night that I will not soon forget. Here is what I learned from that episode. Many were asleep and missed the sign. Those new to the area did not have prior experience there. Wise counsel can really make a difference in moments like those. We don’t know what we don’t know, right?  Proverbs 15:22 states, without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” We’ve been talking about this at our house. I remember hearing stories from Billy Grahams friends when I was in seminary. When he would travel, he would take 2-3 of his friends with him for his safety, for accountability and also to calm the heart of his precious wife Ruth. It cost him personally but not as much as a scandal would have cost. It cost the ministry, but it provided safeguard and trust for future trips. What may have looked like “legalism” to others actually provided great freedom for him. I would add years of successful ministry without scandal as well.

Slowing our hearts, calming our lives down and listening prevents many errors. Taking a beat, unplugging, pausing, unwinding yields sounds and rhythms we would otherwise miss. If the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God that means we not only revere and believe in God but that we consider and seek His voice, His guidance. Continually. 

I want myself and my kids to be wise. Not book wise or streetwise, although those things certainly can help. I want our family to be in Covenant with God, peace with God and obedient to God. The Bible and this book of Proverbs is intended to show us where the “landmines” are and what to avoid in order to stay safe and holy. When we get going at electric speed and busy in our schedules, we not only miss important signs, but we tend to forget Gods precepts. They are designed to protect and guide us.

Who is wise among you? The ones who follow after Gods heart and word.

In Proverbs the father is seen in the first part of the book and the mother is seen in the last part of the book as virtuous examples and loving guides. They bookmark these wise words and give a promise for those who yield to wise advice. More than just listening to homespun riddles, Proverbs teaches us Gods WILL. We also see the fruitfulness and wisdom as displayed in King Solomons early life. The other hero in this book? An ant. A very wise ant who teaches us college level wisdom. I really like that part.

You may be familiar with pithy statements like “,Oh, what a web we weave when first we practice to deceive” or “A clean house is a godly house”. Some of these sayings are helpful but not biblical. They are meant to teach young people to live straight, and they work. It seems kids that have parents that drill these into their training, get the message. The non-biblical ones however can produce frustration and condemnation. For example, God would rather your house be holy than dust free, right? You can drag a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. These are true, but there might be higher priorities in any moment. Doing things “right” or “perfect” or even “safe” may be in opposition to what the Holy Spirit is doing in that moment. Legalism and spiritual practices must be held in the balance of Freedom and the Gods’ wisdom applied may be very different than what we think or believe.  I think it takes a lifetime to learn these things. It surely takes a listening ear and fresh obedience.

My oldest son was sharing one morning that we had told him to “look both ways” when crossing the street. When he left school that afternoon, he was walking with a friend that darted across the road. Instead of looking both ways, he sped off behind his good friend -without looking both ways for himself. He ignored the wisdom of his parents because he was watching his fast friend. He reasoned, if his friend could do it, then he could do it and his parents probably were not fully understanding their youthful agility. Maybe his parents couldn’t run fast so their advice was outdated. So, he ran across the street, sprinting behind his  buddy Duke. They were older now. It was time to go to new places. What he forgot in the equation is that he had a big backpack on and although his friend sprinted across and he made it across, his backpack unfortunately did not and was hit by a cars rear view mirror as he crossed the street.

Such a little, inconsequential lesson had a big consequence. The driver did not stop to check on his injured jay-runner, instead he honked and yelled at him. It could have been worse, it could have been deadly. Although the lesson was clear, when he saw someone else do it without a problem, he went for it and almost got killed. He is wiser for that experience and now sees the value in “life lessons” from  parents and other adults. I remember many things my folks said that I didn’t get until I had teenagers. I’m glad for Gods’ grace, so very glad.

Proverbs guide us. Proverbs protect us. Proverbs instruct us for our bodies, our hearts, our families.

This blog is not political but if you read the last section around 24 to 31 there are so many rich, life-giving lessons that could literally turn our nation around. I fear the public discourse has gotten so putrid and so out of hand that all sense of morality and justice has been lost. Leaders mocking leaders, men mocking women, women disparaging men, it’s a tangled mess. It does not seem like anyone remembers the Biblical precepts or promises from this precious book. Consider Prov.26:27 that says, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.” Guaranteed. 

I’ve decided to not engage in the mudslinging or even well intentioned debates that don’t produce anything but division.  I delete Facebook posts that are demeaning to men and women. I’m not laughing at any party that is not edifying. Memes of violence, hatred and murder – I’m not crossing that street because I know the outcome for me will not end well. Others may run with the story, but I’d rather steer clear of the landmines. I know the consequences for that and I have work to do. I am choosing to use words that aren’t found in bathroom stalls. I want to live in the Fear of God and choose Gods’ wisdom over any political – or religious parties controversies. Herd mentality anywhere takes our eyes off the One we are to follow. I think repentance is the only way out of the pit we have dug for ourselves as a nation.

That’s just my take on Proverbs. Please text, email or share your thoughts. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17

RenaeRoche2024

[1] Raynor, Jordan. Author of multiple books, a podcast and the series The Word Before Work.

Psalms

There is a lot of talk these days about being stressed, sad or overwhelmed. There is another crowd who claims to be “blessed” no matter what is going on in the world around them. It can seem artificial at times when you know they are going through just as many problems as you are going through. So, what is true? The Pixar movie Inside Out (which I love) lets us know that all emotions are necessary throughout our lives and basically if we suppress them, they will pop out in other ways. Your issues become your tissues is the phrase I have heard recently regarding one’s emotions and stifling them. In this book we will see the full range of human emotions. Can we be blessed even if we do not feel happy in the moment? 

Whenever I read the first few Psalms, I am reminded to dig deeper into Gods ways and His heart and if I do, I am promised many things such as being a well- watered tree that brings forth fruit in due season (Ps.1). Then there are the Psalms of going to the House of God – always inspiring. When I am feeling discouraged or lonely I enjoy the songs of Lament. When I have been in a war zone physically or spiritually. I like to read the warfare Psalms. Psalms of restoration, repentance, and renewal – all of them can be applied to our daily lives.

But what about this quest for being blessed or happy? Are there levels of that? I heard a joke recently on the radio that asked, “what is the difference between a pizza  and God?” “You can top a pizza but you can’t top God”.  Did you know that McDonalds Happy meal came out in 1977? The origin of it is “complicated” according to their history but they say the first was in the shape of a circus wagon with toys, a drink, fries, and a hamburger. You could buy happiness – either in the form of food or a toy. Those who bought it were happy and those who did not were, I guess, supposed to be sad. For the first time we equated being happy with buying a product or ingesting food. This is the start of rewarding with calories. I do not know if the buyers were as happy when they checked their cholesterol as adults!

Well, last week my teenagers told me about Wendys coming out with their Biggie Bag. It came with no promise of happiness. This week the $5 meal deal came back to McDonalds. In a tough economic slump, it was a spot of joy – until Wendys TOPPED it. They went above and beyond and added, a drink or a FROSTY!!! That’s like a Happy Meal on steroids. A frosty? Serious, not just an extra French fry or lukewarm pie but actual ice cream. They should call it the Happier Meal. Lol. They somehow tapped into our real desire for a happy lunch! It is not just that we want a cheaper meal, we want something of value that costs something, right? We were now blessed beyond measure. It was bigger than we could have imagined.  We did not deserve it but we were blessed – with a bonus. Extra, above and beyond what was expected. The Psalmist David shares with his readers how “extra,” “above and beyond” God was to him. He describes many wonders in the Heavens and great deeds but also lets us know that God was the one who could clean his filthy heart. David tells us in the Psalms that God not only cleaned his heart but exchanged it for a pure one. We are not sure how He does all this, but we are forever grateful that He does. No wonder David praised Him! Over the top Joy comes from this over the top God.

The Biblical view of happiness is rooted in Gods benevolent care of us. In Psalm 144 we read, “happy is the man whose God is the Lord.
Happy is that people, who is in such a case: yes, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. Blessed and happy are similar concepts in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for happy/blessed is eser. It means to be happy and blessed. The conditions to be happy and blessed come after the author states we are to follow after God and get to know Him. We get to be happy not because we buy a Happy Meal (or Biggie Bag with Frosty) or  get good grades or do remarkable things. We are happy in Jesus because we have surrendered to God the Lord. He cares for us as a Shepherd and provider. We have chosen to be obedient to this good Gods’ ways. It is more than an emotion; it is a state of yielding that yields rewards – Frosty size.

If I renamed the book of Psalms, I would call it the book of Emotions because it literally covers all of them. It is the true pouring out of one’s soul to a God who longs to hear and answer our hearts pleas. It demonstrates that the God we pray to understands our emotions, feelings, anxieties, and joys. Whether we sing, play, or verbally express what is going on, it delights the Lord.

Exercise: If you hum or sing a song in the morning and repeat it in a few different places, by the end of the night you will hear this song back either in your house or the restaurant or the grocery store. How do I know this? I have tested it several times. It is amazing. Please test it out and share the results with me. Pick a basic song like God is good or Sweet Hour of prayer and see how far the song travels. Psalms, hymns, and songs of praise not only impact us in our spirits and souls, but they reach others.

We were getting rid of clutter from our house recently. It was a hot summer day, and I was weary. The dust affected my eyes, the heavy boxes made my back sore, and I was just in a sour mood. One of my sons’ friends came by to help us in our dilemma. He is a great guy and his support encouraged us but then, oh in that moment as we were walking down the stairs to go to our van, he started to hum, then began to sing the Words, “He’s worthy, the Lord is worthy…” I do not remember all the words and I do not know if I have ever heard that specific song but guess what? My eyes were lifted to the King instead of my frustration. My heart was lifted to the One who is worthy rather than my pain. The atmosphere changed, we changed. He pointed us back to where our hearts remember there is a loving God in control of all our situations and life paused and God came near. It was not a whole song; it was just a tiny portion of a song while he was walking down some stairs, that gave glory to Jesus. Ooo, there is a worshipper in the house, someone who knows they can call on God. Someone who remembers He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Someone who remembers they are a child of the King. It was only a few words, just a few bars of music and my spirit stood at attention and my heart leaped with joy when I was brought nearer to my Lord. Psalms refresh us, they remind us, they cause us to remember what the world muffles and distracts us to forget. A two second utterance of praise to God, in a brief moment stirred my spirit and yielded more praise.

We read Psalms this month and studied them in four sections:

Week 1- Psalm 1-35

Week 2: Psalm 36-71

Week 3: Psalm 72- 110

Week Four: Psalm 111-150

You can go systematically through the Psalms until you land on Psalm 150 where David (in a crescendo and on a macro level) encourages everyone to play every type of music with every type of instrument all day long. He uses several imperatives to tell us, “You must praise Him now.” He tells us to praise God in the sanctuary and in the heavens. We are to praise Him for His great acts of power and surpassing greatness. We are to praise Him with dancing, cymbals, and joy. We hear the invitation to come praise God throughout the Psalms but here, with the most intense verbs possible, we are told it is an imperative command to praise Him with every form, every dance, every instrument for ALL that God has done. If we do not see what He has done, we cannot praise Him for it. If we do not pause to remember or acknowledge these great deeds, they will go unnoticed and not proclaimed. It is not just the weak or great that are to praise Him, it is everything and everybody that has breath. Breath is the most foundational and basic element that we can thank God for giving us. If you doubt that hold your breath for a few minutes and see what life is like without it. ALL of Gods’ creation is given orders to praise HIM with everything possible.

You can also study the Psalms at a micro level – pick one word such as Zara (zawraw in Hebrew). It is a tiny little word in Psalm 139:3. It means to winnow, scatter and search. In English it is compass – “Thou compassest my path…” in verse three it means to scatter. It expresses intensive or causative action. Perhaps God is sifting the content of our path or perhaps He scattered good seed that will spring up when we get to that point in our path, but it lets us know that He is actively concerned about our paths. His loving kindness covers us and our paths! That is involvement and care. I praise Him that He knows exactly where we are and where we are headed. Even my path matters to God.

At times we need to move our feet and hands to remind our minds and bodies that God is worthy of praise. At other times the beat, the words of music carry us back to the throne where we remember our God is in control. Whether we “bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within  me” or “praise the Lord in His sanctuary” because it is the time of worship we are standing in covenant with God, proclaiming His goodness to ourselves, our friends and the world that God alone is Lord.

I hope you enjoy this book with your toes, your elbows, your musical sense, your instruments, your dance, all your emotions and every breath you take from here on. May you remind yourself and others of His goodness. May you remember His love and mercy. May you experience His grace.

Singing Hallelujah with you,

RenaeRoche2024

The Book of Esther 

“I cannot defend myself.”  “I have no way to protect myself.” “I’m unarmed and vulnerable.”

These words may sound familiar as we have heard them on the news recently, but they were the cries of Mordecai and Esther and their people when the edict was given to kill all Jews. It wasn’t just a news clip – it was their actual lives at stake. When governments block people or there is a perception that the law of the land is not just, people cower and courage sinks. This week, we have seen pictures splashed over the nightly news of politicians, students and even police officers – helpless, vulnerable, and shaken. That takes a toll on our collective psyche. In the middle of all of this I noticed the similarities to this very story and how many years later the animosity still lives. While I would like to address these issues, that is not the purpose of the blog so I will move on, but I recommend this becomes part of the discussion as you delve into the fascinating book of Esther.

It seems like a very violent and retaliatory book. It seems callous  to our Western world mindset. That is probably because our lives are not daily threatened. It  is hard to relate when we sit in our comfortable, safe homes and our military fights for us. The reality came closer as we watched North Carolina police officers shot in the line of duty this week. We hope and pray that “good guys” win but it does not always work out that way.  Not all of the world is at peace. I read a quote today from Golda Meir that said, “You cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you.” Now more than ever, we are stepping into the realm of possibility for how Esther and Mordecai may have felt. Without divine interruption or a “God-cident” they were destined to die.

While studying for the blog, I paused to pray, and the song Graves into Gardens came on the radio. It is very appropriate for this story! God takes the impossible and creates miracles. He responds to prayer; He answers fasting and intercession. Our heroes risk their lives, our heroines risk their lives. Not just in the movies but daily in our neighborhoods and states. Surely, our just due or part would be at the very least intercessory prayer.

Jewish Mordecai and Jewish Hadassah lived in Susa, the capital of Shushan. They for all accounts were peaceful people, minding their own business. An evil man, remembered for his inflated ego, named Haman decided to try to make them bow to him, to honor him and when they did not (because God was higher), he not only plotted their demise (hanging on the gallows) but made plans to annihilate their entire people group. Not just bad guys, or criminals but moms, dads, teens, and babies. His power grab was so intentional, and he was so thirsty for revenge he was going to wipe out an entire group of people – because they were Jewish. The hatred ran deep, and scholars tell us it was because the feud started years prior. It was an ancient feud between Saul and Agag, the Amalekite King. Samuel 15 displays the disobedience that was the seed for this story. Tribes, gangs, political parties, church or family feuds – there’s good instructions in these verses.

Instead of reconciliation, people took sides. Instead of forgiveness, healing and talking, people slandered, assumed, gathered enemies and the thing grew. We can imagine this large scale because of the Holocaust. What I cannot understand is that many have forgotten that dark part of history. Some have even denied it happened. Annually the Jews celebrate Purim – a remembrance and celebration of the events of Esthers life and yet people across our nation today have forgotten it. Jewish history is Gods’ history and Jesus’ history as well. Throughout Esther, we will hear that the “fear of Mordecai” was on them. What that meant was the people found out that behind Mordecai was a strong and powerful God who defended him. He could not defend himself – but his God, could and did! Seasons change, leaders may change but God does not.

There is no way possible to skirt around the stories then or the stories now. To remember (zakar) in Hebrew is to recollect and repeat something in order to prevent it from happening again.  IF that had been done with the book of Esther, perhaps the first Holocaust would have been prevented. It’s a book about a princess, hardly theology some may argue. IF we read the truths of the Holocaust and understood the stories it would have given insight to the current crisis in the middle east. The Bible is not just a religious book – it is also a history book and war manual. One that has worked through the ages. One that is filled with wisdom.

I’ll leave the current event debates up to the media, but as for the book of Esther – God saw, God heard, and God moved. You cannot read this book without acknowledging the God of unusual circumstances and providence. It was not serendipitous- it was God ordained. Some have even said the name of Yahweh is spelled out in the first letters of the Hebrew text. I am not sure if that was intentional or not, but I do know that you can’t read this intense book without seeing a great and mighty God through its entirety- He is everywhere for anyone truly looking for Him. “GOD – cidences” can be seen on every page.

I studied providence and sovereignty while studying this book and found that there are few mentions of either word, in the entire Bible. Yet, no one can deny that something was taking place in this that is, well, not human. What does that mean for us today, now? It means our times are in His hands. It means we were not left up to some cosmic soup to figure us out. It means He has a purpose and a plan– even when we cannot see it clearly.

Those who cannot defend themselves – should be allowed to, whether that is in regard to their lives or their defense. Innocent and fragile people should be protected from death and those who are aware of it should speak up. There seems to be some common threads in this story with today’s headlines. We can pray for the fear of God to saturate our country. We can fast and ask God to heal our nation and its leaders for three days. We know what to do and why. The only question is, WILL WE? Tomorrow is the day of prayer across the nation, and it is symbolic and powerful but what will move the hand of God like Esther did, is

pure obedience and seeking Gods’ face for its’  salvation. Now is the time.

What will history record of you, of me, our actions? Will we be remembered like Saul, living in partial obedience, or will we be fully committed and ready?

True, we can hide our heads in the sands and pretend we do not hear or understand. We can brush it off and some other person will step up. But surely, God will bring deliverance for His people. But, just maybe we have been born for such a time as this. Maybe speaking up for those who are silent is good. Maybe speaking up for those who are persecuted will also bring us salvation.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14

Instead of keeping this book as a historical book or memory– how does it impact your life? Do you have influence? Do you have a position? Do you have a title, or reach, or wealth? Ask God to use you for His glory and kingdom purpose now. You, along with others, can be greatly used. While God is not specifically mentioned, we all fully understood what is meant when Esther prayed for three days.

That stirring in your heart, that burning in your chest, that heavy hand on your shoulder? That is the Lord prompting you to do what you were born to do in this hour, at this time for HIM. 

Stepping forward with you,

Renae Roche 2024

Nehemiah

I’m not much of a television watcher but I do enjoy watching S.W.A.T. In that particular television show two characters—Hondo and Deacon (and their team) are the good guys, and they work in their area of gifting to get people out of all kinds of messes. They also always win, so there’s that.  They are both leaders but in different roles. This is the first year I’ve read Nehemiah (whose name means the God who comforts) and realized that Nehemiah desperately needed the God of comfort because of all the attacks he faced, within and without. It’s easy to say “God is my comfort” when you sit in an Ivory Tower. It’s a whole other thing when you say it after trial, struggle, death threats and impossible circumstances.

Here are two leaders—Ezra who builds the Temple and Nehemiah who builds the wall. I now think that Nehemiah must also have had some serious bodyguard-like training to do the work he did in protecting the King. Guarding that cup from poison was serious business. We also see him later in the book as more rough guy than sanctified guy. Yet THIS is the guy that GOD chose. God wanted Nehemiahs’ exact skill set to get the job done.  Listen to what Nehemiah does in chapter 13, “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair.” Now we know why Nehemiah was not called as a priest! He was rough around the edges, just like Peter. This guy took vacation days from work, he rallied military leaders and came in the cover of night to assess the wall and its damage. That’s serious reconnaissance work. We know he had courage because he was traveling in a broken-down city with broken-down walls at night. He had backup– but did not know what he was facing.  Ministry guys are very different from military guys and yet God used the combination to get the job done. Hoo-rah! The saying goes, “hire for your weaknesses, not your strengths,” is so true but many are not able to understand why that is so important.

All this work was done to guard the people but also to preserve and revive their word and worship. It was of utmost importance. Why? The Word reminds us of our covenant with God and the worship reminds us who God is and what He can do. It’s of paramount importance. We see Nehemiah and Ezra calling the people to repent, revive, restore and rebuild. It was a team effort.

In the middle of the book, the priest rises up and remembers what he is called to do. This secular builder inspires the man of God and then the men of God start building their houses, their neighbors houses and the work takes off more quickly than anyone would have realized. Seven trials later—we see Nehemiah starting to get battle fatigue. Maybe you understand that today also? You get in the journey and keep keepin’ on and then one day you just don’t see the point or remember the purpose. After all the spiritual warfare, no one would blame Nehemiah for slowing down or stopping. After all, fourteen years of arguing and torment and flat-out gossip would slow anyone down. But instead of quitting, Nehemiah makes room for Ezra to bring forth the Word, to worship. The scripture that shines forth in this book is “The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength.” Not ripped muscles or abs, not placement in the King’s palace, not credentials or family structure—the joy of the Lord is your strength! Everyone does a little something and the thing takes form, and the wall gets built and worship is renewed. Has God been your source of joy this week?

How do we firm up our spiritual wall? Get your house in order. Get your priorities in order—God first, family, knowing your call and the House of God. Repent, rebuild, renew, restore. When Word, Worship, and the House of God gets damaged or forgotten—people are devastated and moral decline is around the corner. Remember God! Remember His works! Remember what is important!

This past week some of my dreams have come back to life, much to my surprise. God has done things I did not think that were possible. I’m looking back in utter shock at some of the things I laid down in days of disappointment and wonder how I could ever have let those dreams or promises lose steam. Stoke the fire, feed the dream, get back the calling, don’t let another day go until you REMEMBER what God told you and what He wants to do in your life. 

While studying Nehemiah I listened to many good sermons and one of them, preached by Dr. Randall Smith said something that caught my attention—“when building listen not to the need, but the nudge.” He said there will be many needs in life but know your calling and what God is asking you to do. Follow the nudge, not the need. If the Holy Spirit is leading the work of rebuilding the people of God, the Spirit knows best. Ephesians 2:22 tells us, “In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”  We are God’s new building project, and He wants to fill us with Word and Worship. 

If you are battle fatigued today, get revived in the Lord. Rest, refill, refuel, renew, repent and then find your nudge, your place of God calling you. He will fill in the where and why and how.

Nehemiah prays twelve times in this book. That was his secret to success. Prayer.

A family or church that does not pray together –will not see souls won or people restored. Spiritual work requires spiritual disciplines. Heavenly transformation does not come from skill or title but from God above. One commentator said it this way: His prayer helped him not to overreact and take revenge on his enemies. “The problem with doing God’s work is that sometimes we get so engrossed in attacking our enemies and defending ourselves that we have very little resource left for actual constructive work.”[1]

When falsely accused, the temptation is to stop or pause the work. The work for these folks ceased for fourteen years. That is a long time. If their enemies had asked questions, verified their assumptions, sought understanding instead of bearing false witness or accusations against their neighbors, the work could have continued. Nehemiah kept building through prayer and hard work. There are many lessons in this book for us today.

It reminds me of a little boy whose dad died when he as just seven years old, leaving him to care for his mom and two little sisters. He tried several jobs and traveled around cooking for various restaurant owners. When this little boy became a man, he was denied 1,009 times before he made his first sale. He kept going because he was not just building for himself but for his family. Well, 600 franchises later, Colonel Sanders sold his company for $2 million dollars and is ranked as one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities. He kept going despite the shut doors and false accusations. We must also. 

You have a purpose—whether others see it or not. You have a call – regardless of the opposition in your path. To follow God means we keep going. Memorize the following scriptures, get them down in your soul and keep on keepin’ on.

These scriptures remind us to keep building (ourselves and the work God has called us to do). Whatever comes your way DO NOT GIVE UP:

Ps. 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

2 Cor. 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Gal. 6:9 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Heb. 6:10 God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.

Why were these reforms so important? They needed to return to God being their joy. God being their strength. God being their focus.  What if the men decided to quit or take a break for a while? They were commanded to rise and build. I believe they rose up spiritually before they rose up physically.  We rise up spiritually through word, worship and delighting in God – not programs, events. Jesus is the cornerstone for ALL building. Wonky wall? Go back and find your cornerstone.  The setup for this holy city will put a theological emphasis in place before Jesus comes on the scene. Judaism will become  redefined not by rituals but by a renewed covenant, by repentance, by rebuilding, by restoring and those changes will welcome the Messiah. They got their spiritual agenda back on track, just in time. What is God setting your work, my work up for in the next decade? We can not see the importance now–but God can. Hondo had a Deacon, Nehemiah had an Ezra – find your co-laborers and then rise and build. The world is waiting, Messiah is returning….

Call someone today—ask them to be on your “wall”-building team for God’s plan for your life. Get prayer support, get resource support, get counseling support, whatever you need but KEEP MOVING FORWARD. No matter what nutty or brilliant person questions your motives or judges your call. GOD SEES. GOD KNOWS and it is GOD who will see you through.

Building with you, praying with you,

RenaeRoche2024

This month we are looking at the book of Ezra. His name means “helper,” “strength” or “Yahweh has helped.” This word is descriptive of God when we say He is the stone of help. In Hebrew its “Eben-Ezer.”  This word is also used for a wife, that she is a “helper” to her husband. Don’t think for a second though that this is just some meek servant. The context in each usage of the word refers to God and His ARMY. Imagine God’s huge army coming to assist, support and help YOU in your struggle. That’s enormous help! They would need it to finish what God had required. What is God requiring of you in this hour? Is that same supply of “help” available today?

Look for the big themes when you study Ezra—return, repent, rebuild, restoration, etc. Those words formed the blueprint for rebuilding the Temple and just happen to also be the exact words we need to rebuild the Church today. It is God’s blueprint.

God told His people that He was going to judge them for bad behavior.  If God speaks a warning, He is not playing. True prophecy is not just all bad news though—then or now. It usually contains some appeal that IF we do something demonstrating a turnaround, that God’s favor will return and even bless us. Zerubbabel is stirred by God and commissioned to go back to Jerusalem and build the wall. He not only obeys that call but takes his buddies with him. I don’t know if he begged them or gave them incentives. I don’t know if they heard from God also or just went along because he was their friend.  What I do know is the list of names of those who returned, because it appears in Ezra 2:2 and Neh.7:7.

These guys were commissioned to return and rebuild the temple back in Jerusalem. Maybe they thought this was their one big chance to return to their former homes, occupations, and Temple. Maybe this was their daily prayer until it was realized. But there was one who perhaps did not realize that this event was more about his daughter than it was about him. You see in the list of those who return there was a man who had adopted a little girl whose parents were either killed or died along the way. It’s possible he even returned and stepped into their lives when he returned. He was a godly man and promised to watch over the little girl. We are not told if she was in exile and returned with him or he returned to find her in need of a guardian but nevertheless Mordecai, perhaps the uncle of Esther is the Mordecai in that list.  On top of God using Mordecai to restore the Temple and return, he is granted to be a fill-in dad. Pure religion is this—to help the widow and orphan. Sometimes our moving into a new season is not for ourselves but for others. Whenever we step in to obey God and fulfill His plans, He tends to bless way more than we could think or imagine.

God answers Ezras prayers in chapter 8 when he requests traveling help and mercy. He has to move a large number of people. People who were traumatized and exiled. See chapter 8:23: “So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.” Not only was Ezra their spiritual guide, but he became their travel guide and mobile priest as well. Ezra demonstrated to the people around him that God was his helper. We got to see from the beginning to the end of his journey that God was beside him, assisting all the way.

There are many detours and distractions in their attempts to rebuild. Some cranky folks come along and impede the progress by saying the work was not authorized. It gained momentum and for FOURTEEN years the legitimate work is stopped. This work was stirred by God and sanctioned by the King. Those who stayed should have been thrilled God’s word was finally coming to pass but because they were not the ones leading the revival, they were jealous and tried to abort what Jeremiah had prophesied long ago. It’s also possible that when they were rebuffed with their help they rose up.  However, this did not stop God’s plan or prevent it from being fulfilled because God keeps His promises.

The original folks living in Jerusalem remind me of the prodigal son’s older brother—“but we’ve been here all along.” On the East Coast they have a category for that, they call it the “from here” or “come here” people. Well, the from here people in Ezra’s day did not want the “come here” people directing traffic! Both sides were Israelites and God’s people. All were needed for the rebuild. However, those who were exiled came back very different. Some had married, some had lost spouses, some had taken on Babylonian ways. They were more than a hot mess. The new leaders were shocked at the changes. Ezra got very disillusioned with the carnality of the people around him. Those who had made the long, hard journey now acted carnal, they talked wicked, they walked wicked. So, Ezra, disappointed, cries out to God and prays:

⁴ Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.  Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God ⁶ and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. ⁷ From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.⁸ “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in His sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. ⁹ Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.¹⁰ “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands ¹¹ you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. . . .

Chapter 10 starts out saying, “While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.” This is a beautiful moment but here is where it takes a wrong turn: Neither God nor Ezra told the people to divorce. Malachi, a contemporary of Ezra, later sets the record straight by preaching that God hates divorce. In this moment someone comes up with an idea and they, in their own strength, are going to make things right. They then followed the suggestion of a man who was in the crowd. Not a revelation or leading from God after wise council, but the mere suggestion of a mere man.

 “Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. ³ Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. ⁴ Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

Their solution was to send away the women. Conversion, teaching is absent here.

In chaos, in spiritual warfare, in reflection of their own sin, that was their big idea. There is no evidence they sought God’s approval, even took a beat to pause and reflect on the implications for the wives and children! Reconciliation to prevent broken homes was not the plan. Shekaniah wanted the leaders to make a covenant. Note the difference between that and God making a covenant with them or them making a covenant with God at His direction. We make many vows, agreements in our lives but without God’s opinion or intervention it is just a human contract. Their “vow” to fix the problem was just as bad as the problem. Good works are different from God works.

We can appreciate that Ezra was a man of prayer. We can appreciate that he mourned over broken covenant and commandments. We can appreciate that rebuilding and restoration and repentance were part of his ministry—all good characteristics of a leader. Where we MUST stop short is that when he moves on to lead or let others lead in the flesh, it is not God’s heart that he was representing. Galatians tells us, “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? In the effort to be holy, it got worse.

Zerubbabel rebuilds the temple, Nehemiah rebuilds the wall and Ezra takes on the spiritual and moral challenges to rebuild the people. All three of these leaders working together came close to the heart of what God was wanting for His people. In spite of the many pauses, misses and mistakes, their goal was eventually reached but it was not perfect by any means. We see the human side of Ezra’s leadership here also.

Ezra set his heart from an early age to seek God and know His word. He prepared His heart to know and understand God. Ezra made sure his heart was postured, set, aligned to God so he would know and serve Him forever. This is this man’s legacy. He served him all the days of his life. He became what his name was—help. Not just being a servant but being the help of the  One who ran the Heavens. Divine help. He sought, He heard and He carried out God’s instructions to build the Temple.

A temple made by human hands with both the “from here” and the “come heres,” did not work so well. The Temple in the future would need to be made with the permission of a King and without human hands. A Temple that would be rebuilt perhaps by God Himself. . . . That leader would need to be sent from above. That builder would be worth the wait!

May we be like Ezra in our day—full of prayer, repentance, revival and restoration. May we know and obey God’s word. God help us to follow Ezra’s example and be holy, listening, in covenant with God, in our generation.

Renae Roche 2024

Gods’ plan and the frequent “changing of the guard” is repeated King after King in this power -packed book. The theme of “rise and fall” can be seen throughout Chronicles. If you watch the leaders in our political landscape today, you may see similarities. People tend to group around the leader that most represents what they want in life. There were great kings and there were wicked kings. Some lead well, then ran on their own strength, and fell. We are like that too, right? We do well, then think we did it by our own power, then fall.[1] It’s human nature. We soar in our strength and then realize all our “soaring” was really Gods’ doing to begin with. Those that sought God– had favor and success. Those who were wicked – morally fell, and their people fell with them in death. Chronicles even lists stories of children who were burned and sacrificed. Gods’ people were doing these things! It was shocking to see these leaders take a turn for the worse within just one generation. God shows us why this took place. We can learn much from these cycles.

One surprising section is in chapter 15. Verse thirteen says,

“That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman and they swore unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets… And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with ALL their heart and sought Him with their whole desire; and He was found of them; and the Lord gave them rest on every side.”

My teenagers Bibles say the people “whole heartedly”  and “eagerly” sought God. It stirred our hearts. Whole–hearted is very different than tepid or lukewarm. My family likes food that is hot and if it is even close to cold, they will let me know it. I used to get grumpy, as it is a fiasco to get everyone to the table on time some nights, but now I capitalize on those moments and remind them that God wants us to be piping hot spiritually as well!

So, what did the leaders who were successful do which set them apart from the wicked leaders? Can we learn from their actions in our generation? In chapter seven we read, “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ² The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it.”  That is some kind of praying! That is not a trite, “thank you for the grub, God” type prayer. Solomons’ prayer so impacts the people, that they erupt in praise: “God is good, and His love endures forever.” Fervent prayer evokes worship. It also produces sacrifice as we gain Gods’ perspective. Solomon “offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So, the king (Solomon) and all the people, dedicated the temple of God. ⁶ The priests took their positions, as did the Levites (collaborative ministry) with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord…  Solomon consecrated the courtyard and offered (offerings)” … So, Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days…he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel. He blessed them (corporate fellowship) and blessed them in their homes. That is good leadership. We will also see similar traits in King Josiah later in the book when he sets (establishes) people in places of service and then abundantly and intentionally encourages them. There is much we can learn from these Kings.

The Lord then appears to Solomon and lets him know that He has heard his prayer: “When I shut up the heavens, so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,  (when life gets really tough),

IF my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, ….(2 Chr.7:14)

Pause here for a minute. Note what God is sovereign over – Sky, Land and People and the trials that go with that. It says WHEN God does this, so we can expect it. The IF starts a conditional clause, meaning if you do what God requests, then the following things will be done in accordance with that action. It is a third person plural – if they (corporately) will humble themselves. That’s good peer pressure –if we realize results will not come unless everyone is  going hard after God! It would change our meetings and their outcomes. We recently watched the movie, “The Boys in the Boat” and watching their transition from a team of eight to work as one was very motivational. [2] I’ve enjoyed over the years being part of teams that work seamlessly. It is thrilling to watch the results.

The word “humble,” in this verse, means to bend low, to be submitted. It is comes from a word that means to contract wings, like an Eagle.[3] The word suggests going low and bending ones’ knee. I wanted to understand this reference, so I studied eagles flying.[4] Eagles do something when they fly and bend their wings low called a “wing tuck.” [5] The winds catch their feathers and can pull them in many different directions. When their wings are tucked –they are secure and stable. When turbulence comes while they are in flight, instead of jostling on the air streams, they simply draw their wings closer to their body. They free fall, for a few seconds, until it passes. It momentarily prevents stress on their wings. Humble yourself – before the King of all Kings, tuck in, bend low and let Him steady you in the fray.

When we are young, we are tempted to fight the winds. We think we are tough and “ninja” as the kids would say. It is in our DNA to fight and struggle and prove we are strong. It is not however, part of Gods’ DNA, for those reborn. His way often comes with trusting and being still. Think of all the trials in your personal life and in the nation and world currently. When turbulence comes – and it will, we need to hear Gods word in Chronicles to His Kings and to His people now: Reposition yourselves low by bending your wings, your knee. Go low. Be submitted to the Sovereign Lord.

When the winds and rain are beating against your face– you need a reprieve. The answer is to  quiet your heart.  If my people would go low – stop flapping, stop fighting, stop squawking and draw in, do that themselves, (collectively and individually), God will move.

Then, in that posture, we pray. Do not just tell God what you want, but listen and hear what He is speaking – a dialogue. Here it is a give and take. Lord, this is what we see, what do YOU see? This is what we hear, Lord what do YOU hear? What is our/my part Lord and how do we/I carry that out today? It is individual and corporate. It reaches into their homes. Those times must be fostered in our places of worship. It must be taught in our homes. The temple of the New Testament was Christs body. Post Pentecost, WE are the Temple. Gathering people -it was Gods heart then and it is Gods’ heart now.

So, what is the difference between praying and seeking Gods face? There must be a difference, or one word would have sufficed. To seek here is not just a casual looking for something but an all-out search party! It means to strive after, to beg for, to go after, in worship or prayer with great desire, to demand an answer. It looks to secure and actively find what one is seeking. “Well sister Margaret, I just don’t like it when that one person prays, it’s almost like they are bossing God.” Our views of God must line up with Gods words, not some sissified version of Sesame Street. Come on now! It was God who said “if my people would SEEK my face…” If you are “His people” you have permission. The verb tense in Hebrew is not a sweet, polite asking but a demanding, radical begging and pleading. God is not scared of our emotions. “God, we need you now, desperately – please heal our hearts, heal our land!!!”

I remember when I first met my husband. We both smelled so good. I cough thinking about all that fragrance. His truck was clean and shiny. He was early for every date and had everything planned to the T. The energy was electric, and I was highly sought after. I enjoyed that season very much. He is still good on all those things, but the “chase” is not as fervent as in those days –because we are married and secure in our love. While we still enjoy dates, the effort looks a bit different than in those days before we said, “I Do.”  Similarly, Jesus wants to be pursued like a Bridegroom coming to marry His bride – because He is! That’s not old news, that’s good news! 2 Timothy 4:8 tells us there is a reward for those who “long for His appearing”.

We want the “hear, forgive, heal” part. We want Gods eyes to be open and His ears attentive to our prayers, but we are often — remiss to prepare. Remiss to fully seek. Sometimes, we also may have misunderstood scripture and seek Gods’ face without passion or purity.

Also in this scripture is the word SHUV (meaning to turn). It means to go the opposite direction. STOP sinning. To go back, repent from all wickedness.  God does not consider our “rights.” We do not get a say or a vote. He makes this promise conditional – we get the benefits, IF and only if, we follow HIS directions.

IF you, do these things…then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.      

God tells them why things are falling apart, “This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by, will be appalled, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why He brought all this disaster on them.’” It is one thing to fight an enemy, it is a fearful thing to fight the living God. Turn, turn now.
February is a good month to give God our WHOLE heart. (See the Rest for individuals page on this website if you need a place to start). It is a good month for us to humble ourselves before the Lord. It is a good month to pray and radically seek His face and turn from all our wicked ways. Start with one prayer, free fall into His loving grace, He awaits you.

I would love to hear your stories of what takes place as you follow these scriptures and God then starts to hear, forgive, and heal. I will post as many as possible.

Happy  month!
Renae Roche 2024

[1] Joe Roche, Morning Devotion Jan.15, 2024

[2] The Boys in the Boat. A movie by George Clooney based on a true story. 2023.

[3] Blueletterbible.org 

[4] The word  is “kana”.

[5]  On Eagle’s Wings, a Revelation About Flight – The New York Times

www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/science/on-eagles-wings-a-revelation-about-flight.html

First Chronicles is placed in our Bibles in the Old Testament after the books of First and Second Kings but in the Jewish Bible it is at the end of the Old Testament and serves as a summary. It lets us know what was most important to God: The People Groups, The Palace, and the Place of God’s presence. If you are looking for detailed information on authorship, date, setting, etc., a good book to read is the Handbook on the Historical Books written by Victor Hamilton. It is helpful to understand the structure and themes.

David’s public and private sins both had consequences. Here we see the contrast in how they were handled. See chapters 20 and 21.  While moral failings and their effects are tough to watch, we would do well to understand them. In seminary, one of my Pastoral Ministry classes was with Dr. Ken Swetland. We studied his book, The Hidden World of the Pastor. It was a case study on pastors who fell in various areas. It seemed very doom and gloom in the moment to a young student, and at the time it did not seem relevant, but over the years it has helped me navigate through some tough ministry appointments and counseling sessions with congregants. It also served as a warning for how people got into some of those traps in the first place. Forewarned is forearmed. Education doesn’t just teach us about God and theology but how to avoid mistakes others have made. Studying Biblical narratives is time well spent. My professor in Bible college, Dr. Don Meyers, used to tell us, “You never waste time sharpening your sickle.” If we understand these passages and apply them to real world situations, we will gain not only victory but spare ourselves much time and wasted pain.

I’ve thought a lot about the life of David this past month. I wonder how things would have been different if CNN or Fox News had covered his life. The public always seems to be blood thirsty to see printed stories of shame and fallen heroes. We forget that David, the predecessor of Jesus as King, the intimate worship leader and strong battle soldier, was still used and useful to God. In fact, much of his ministry happened after his greatest sins. That feels wrong somehow and cuts to the core of our sense of justice. One could argue grace is not cheap and David should have been benched, but Jesus literally died so grace could be effective. If his blood cannot cleanse the vilest sinner then his blood cannot make the likes of you and me clean. Oops, let’s slow the roll of punishment. We must be circumspect when judging others or we will train ourselves to not believe we too are in need of His grace. When we jump on the bandwagon of righteous posturing, “I just sensed something was off” and other such grandstanding in regard to other’s backsliding, we easily forget that without a Savior for our sins, we too would be in the proverbial pit of a sinner’s hell. The fallen one, David would one day make way for the King of Kings. Others may know your past but they do not know Gods decision about your future. Move Forward.  Keep Moving. Move Forward. 

David was contrite and repentant, and God saw his heart. When  others pressed delete or pause, God was getting ready to hit play. He paused to repent (essential) but he kept moving forward. Without that cleansed heart things –would have stopped. God does not throw His investments away.  We wonder, how did David go from intimate prayer warrior and worshipper to adultery and murder? Even the elect can be deceived, Matthew 24 tells us. Even the most trained, can fall into temptation. Maybe a better question, instead of being a voyeur into others lives would be, “Lord, how can I stay pure? ” How can I stay close to You?” or “Lord, Lead us not into temptation.” These very real kings and leaders are not much different than we are today. Reading this narrative can give us insight into what God values and what matters most to Him. A clean, contrite, repentant heart weighs more than a distant religious spirit. God was building David, even in the darkest days. God was building David even when he was not walking in Gods’ ways. God is not random* and God is infinitely postured  to right a life or make a course correction for His kids.  Only those who know grace, have received grace, truly believe that.

There are many “mantras” people have picked up for the New Year. Mine is,

“Jesus, may I know and desire You more in 2024.”

I’m asking for God to make me more thirsty, more hungry, this next year. Physically, I plan to drink more water and eat healthier. It’s a struggle to get that process working for hydration, vegetables, etc. The appetite has to be first stirred.  Spiritually it is similar. We can’t fill an appetite we have not first fostered. If we are satiated with junk food, trivial matters, and other things, we may never desire what is choice, supreme. What if we started crying out for more thirst, more spiritual hunger, more capacity to be filled with the living, the holy God? What if we prayed for our homes, the block we live on, the church, the city?

This month I just want to share a couple highlights that stirred us, from our study of 1 Chronicles:

1 Chronicles 12:32  tells us, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do”. Those who follow hard after God will hear the joyful noise, the alert, alarm, military call, and Psalm 89:15 tells us that those who know it will walk before the face of God. Those of you praying for the Middle East will appreciate this. Intercessors and those who keep their nose in the Bible and ear tuned to the Spirit remind me of this verse. Do we want to be in tune with God’s plans? Will we be able to hear the Lord’s voice and alert or are we saturated with the sounds of the city, the television, or our cell phones? 

1 Chronicles 13

In this chapter David is seen to be very wise. He consults with the leaders, which suggests collaboration, listening to their ideas and sharing his. It was mutual and reciprocal. Consult here means to exchange wisdom, to deliberate and share counsel with one another and the text tells us that he did that with captains and leaders over large groups (thousands) and small groups (hundreds). He listened and he talked. He also gathered people together, he assembled them together. God deposits in each person different gifts and strengths and without hearing the collective group we cannot glean that information. The third wise thing David did was to inquire of the Lord. He wanted Gods’ heart and wisdom. He met with leaders, he gathered the regular people and he inquired of the Lord. That’s smart leadership.

David then shares a psalm (1 Chronicles 16) with the people. I’ve translated it so you can hear what it reads like in the Hebrew. It sounds Southern to my ears because of the plural you:

You all must cause yourselves to
Give thanks

Y’all must
cause yourselves to
Call upon His name

Y’all must
cause yourselves to
Make known His deeds among the people

Y’all must sing
Y’all must really sing loudly–sing the psalms!!!!!
Y’all must talk about all His wonderous works! 

This great leader is admonishing them, encouraging, and exhorting them to stir themselves up to give thanks, call on God’s name and make God’s deeds known. There are some timid folks who get wiggy if someone praises. They are supposed pride busters and arrogance checkers. Ignore them. God’s word and here King David, is teaching us about warfare and living in God’s light. God is sovereign and all things come from Him, but we also have a part and it’s to PRAISE Him, to make known His deeds among the people. We cannot do that by sitting under the stairs silently. David tells us to sing and to sing LOUDLY, to tell of ALL of His wonderous works. This was part of his strength. Get your testimony of how you came to Christ written out. Prepare praise reports and share them with whoever will listen. Sing melodies in the elevator, in the mall and in the streets. Talk about All of Gods wondrous works and then loudly sing praises.

This summary book is filled with wisdom from God in the lives of His people and especially His chosen Shepherd boy and His chosen son, then King who would build the Temple. We can gain wisdom by reading it. I do not believe that these were mere religious words or things to do in church. His admonition to praise was part of his “secret to success” and battle plan. In battle- he kept praising, in tough places, he kept praising, in conflict- he kept praising. After deep, devastating, career blowing sin – he kept praising. Not because he was righteous but because he knew One who is.  Not because he was worthy but he worshipped one worthy of all worship. Whether you have been successful last year or if you have major blown it, keep praising. God sees the long– term trajectory of your life and what HE needs for the Kingdom, season after season. Keep praising, keep following, keep believing.

If you have no pithy saying or mantra for 2024 – you can borrow mine. Jesus, we want to  know and desire YOU more in 2024. More wisdom, more grace, more singing, praising, proclaiming and ALL that you have for us.

Seeking with you,

Rev. Dr. Renae Roche 2024

Jesus, we want to  know and desire YOU more in 2024.

*Thanks to Ruth Hall for her devotion–“God is not random”. Thanks to Editor Virginia Bridges.