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. Honda 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. 

 

 

While reading the commentaries for this book I realized that my hubby Joseph had been teaching the same message over this last year, which is “God is on the throne, and we must surrender to HIS will.” What is God’s agenda and how are we to follow it? We need to do God’s will and work rather than just any ol’ good works, so it glorifies the King. It’s become a mantra at our house.

After weeks of watching the news and the Republicans quest for leadership, we all got to watch this month as a new Speaker of the House was chosen – Congressman Mike Johnson. I was surprised when he told the world that he was a Christian and then asked for God’s wisdom. That takes much bravery and courage, and it was refreshing to see someone give glory to God. His track record suggests that he is a just and fair leader. It reminded me of the book of 1 Kings. Could God bless a nation once again that surrendered to His Lordship? Would that service look like a surrender to God or would it, like in times past, just be an excuse to polarize people and attach God’s name to whatever viewpoint or agenda someone had in that moment? Leaders now, like in 1 Kings, can sometimes get an idea and then demand that God bless, anoint, and put His seal of approval on it with little gratefulness or continued seeking for His will.  

Jesus gives us the best picture when He surrenders to God and then simply states, “Follow me.” That phrase is not meant to say run alongside or surpass but to walk lock-step behind. This is only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Accompany means to go along with the One leading the way. It is rare in our society and sadly, even more rare in the church. Unity comes when hearts are postured to obey Christ and pursue Kingdom goals. When the King is given first place, the rest of the company gets in order quickly.

Huang Sabin in his commentary on 1 Kings, tells us:

Most of us live in countries that are republics. To us, the throne has very little meaning. Some of us live in countries where there is still a king or queen. But they possess very little real power or authority. We have no idea how a real kingdom should be ruled. But God is King of His Kingdom. The Church is not a democracy. It never was, it never has been, and it never will be. Many Christians have relegated God to a symbolic headship. We do what we want. Oh yes, sometimes we get His approval for our plans. But we do not wait for His instructions to carry out His plans. The books of 1 and 2 Kings focus on the throne of Israel. But this throne had a unique feature – God promised that He would preserve that throne ONLY if the one sitting on it realized that there was another higher throne above it. That higher throne belongs to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  [1]

In spite of our numerous opinions and belief systems, God is still KING and still enthroned. He is sovereign and He IS Lord.

I greatly appreciate Bill Bright’s visual on letting Jesus rule from the throne of one’s heart. He (in his writings and leadership) would show a picture of a chair and ask, “who is on the throne of your heart?” Who leads your life most – your family, friends, enemies? The opinions of others? When Jesus is the authority on the throne of our hearts, life can be peaceful. When we cater to others’ ideas and opinions our lives run amuck. First Kings is a good reminder of this. The various Kings allowed wives, friends, and others to dictate how they led. Idolatry and adultery greatly impacted their lives. Are we any different today? Holiness is not just a good idea – it’s essential for carrying out God’s orders. We look at the culture, the government, and even the church and can see that lives led by so many “voices” have left us shipwrecked and stuck in the sand.

The contrast between these Kings and the two wild prophets also mentioned in 1 Kings is great. The King of Heavens two princes, Elijah and Elisha had one mission – follow God and lead His people. They were not self-appointed; they had no crown or palace, but they were appointed by God and in a mirky mix of Kings– they followed THE King.

Two things that caught my attention this month: the Judean Kings were required to say who their mothers were when accepting their title. This intrigues me. Mothers who were not idolatrous or adulterous were important. I also ask champions I meet (athletes, preachers, etc.) what they fed their kid for breakfast and how did they do devotional times. I’ve learned a lot from these answers.

The other thing that caught my attention was the wording “princess Jezebel.” I love princesses and royalty and every little girl grows up at some point wearing a tiara and twirling around. But this was no Disney princess. She was a domineering tyrant. Her character was one to not emulate, not a leader to follow. She was petty, paranoid, and cruel.  I was thrilled to hear recently that pop princess Taylor Swift showed a servant’s heart when she cleaned up the Chief’s viewing box when she visited Kansas City. She was picking up soda cans and serving the Kelce family. We all know real princesses are ambassadors but also servants. We live through them and pretend somehow they are different than us at our core. Jezebel was the opposite of a real princess and negatively impacted an entire nation. Her spirit lives on in women (and men) who covet, envy, gossip, hate, and act wickedly today. The Prince of Peace gave us the best example – a combination of God surrendered leadership and a servants heart.

The prophets were intimidated by Jezebel and Ahab — but they kept going.

The prophets did not get their marching orders from people– but from God. Jezebel (and those like her) do not get their marching orders from God. They do the things that feel good or tickle their fancy. They manufacture things from their own will or spirit. Jezebel did not have the mind of God and her jealousy, hatred, and ambition forced her, compelled her to do things opposite of God’s will and God’s heart. She not only envied Naboth, but her envy turned into murder. These are not small things. Wicked thoughts, words, and actions are not neutral — they grow, they supplant, they take over. Instead of worship, they plotted. Instead of praise, they slandered. They spread their opinions instead of God’s truth. But this is not Jezebel’s problem – it is our problem — if we do not go to God in prayer.

If we do not continue in prayer.

 If we do not repent for harbored thoughts, words, and actions. Throughout the years I’ve studied this book and it’s been interesting to me the numbers of people that apply these characters flaws on others, but rarely themselves. I’ve cried many tears over the women falsely characterized by them for merely trying to step out in ministry. Surely those character assassinations grieve God’s heart. We should be asking, “how am I like or unlike these Biblical examples?”

Personal altars in devotion daily, family altars of devotion weekly, church altars — are not for counting heads or giving bucky beavers badges for stepping forward. It can’t replace real repentance. God’s not looking for a roll call, He’s looking for surrendered hearts. Altars are intended to deeply invoke repentance, calls for renewal, exhortations for change and growth.

RESTORE THE ALTARS – personal, family, church, nation.

We see fiery Elijah and Elisha and they seem like crazy, wooly old men fighting for God in the midst of a royal mess. They are not “normal” church folk. Show me where normal is even a thing in the Bible. Next, we see Jesus, turning over tables, crying out on God’s behalf to restore the temple and prayer. He never was “normal” church folk.  Where are we in this picture? IF God is restored to His proper place, it looks like we have cleared our hearts, adjusted our spiritual posture, and renewed our minds to let the King come and sit upon our lives as Lord. There’s nothing normal about that. If normal means “tepid, lukewarm, apathetic” then we should choose anything but that. We must be prophetic worshippers and pray-ers who know that God is up to a challenge, up to defending His own name and showing Himself to the people that He is a not only powerful but LORD.

              If we want God to be restored to our family, we need to clean out our homes, physically but also spiritually. I have a friend who went to her house, took down the T.V. and smashed it in front of her children, declaring that their house needed to be dedicated to Christ. Radical? Perhaps but her children are honoring God now. Throwing out anything that hinders is an act of contrition and worship. What if we scrubbed every app on our phone that kept us from prayer? What if our church altars were swept clean of decorations, advertising and other things and tissues, pillows, Bibles littered the room for those wanting to return to the Sovereign, holy God? [2]

Let’s not just casually rest, talking about these Kings as if we were any different. We too have listened to our spouses and friends and cultural norms and ignored Biblical wisdom and the Holy Spirit. If that were not true, our churches and government would be different. We disregard truth and allow junk in our hearts and homes. Where are the whips, the prayers, the fiery prophets? I’m not sure how the grace of God and the mercy of Jesus wraps itself around these instructions. I don’t know the exact lessons on how to confront a bad princess or horrible king, but I do understand letting Christ sit on the throne of my heart. I can measure how long it’s been since He was completely LORD in my life. I can measure how long it’s been since altar ministry was common and frequent. I can think of and miss the feel of carpet on my face at the altar and the wetness on my face from flowing tears (repentance, forgiveness, and grace).

Elisha prayed for a double anointing and received it. He got twice the miracles Elijah did. Our nation needs a godly king. The odds of you or me being that person is very slim but the possibility of being a prophetic voice – much higher.

There is no ceiling on the possibility of wanting to be a prayed-up Christian who affects the nation, however. Where did the prophets, pastors, and preachers go when Biden became president? Did their marching orders change? I think not. Should we blame then the president or those who shrunk into the caves? God is not lacking for Ravens or thirsty dogs. He is lacking for people to hear Him, submit to Him and obey.  I don’t see people stepping in line to be the next Elisha either, yet. What if this night is YOUR night of reckoning? What if this night is YOUR night to say yes to God? Would you ask, would you accept the mantle, would you speak forth?

Watch all the news you want, but then please gather some wood, some buckets of water, and remember your God. Three buckets, six buckets, nine buckets…..

 If we want more than that . . .  we first place God back in charge. We surrender to the Lordship of His son, and we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives. It doesn’t matter if you are a day or a year rusty (or more). The way back is the same – Jesus, forgive me for my absence. Forgive me for looking or listening to others instead of you. Forgive me for my sin, pride, xyz (whatever that looks like in your life). Make me whole, cleanse me, forgive me, free me, and make me useful for your Kingdom, YOUR will, Your purposes. I give you my life. Direct my steps, my will, my tongue, and be on the throne of my heart. I’m yours – glorify Yourself through me. I yield to you now. Amen.

1 Peter 2:9 tells us: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

The replacement for prophet, priest, and King is Jesus.  Elijah and Elisha are great examples. Who will be examples for this generation? Who will yield themselves  in this hour? Where are you and where is YOUR God?

Surrendering with you, RenaeRoche2023

 

[1] Huang Sabin. OT Made Simple. P. 69.

[2] Renae Roche.

2^nd Samuel is the “rest of the story”, and it is not preached as often as some other books. The stories of Nathan the prophet, Gad the Seer, and the book of Jasher were all part of the collaboration to make it possible. I’ve been around folks that don’t believe in all that “Spirit stuff” and it strikes me as odd that we see lots of spiritual things in this  Old Testament book. Prophets and seers are in Gods’ word. Back in the day we were asked how long would the Spirit dwell among men and signs and wonders be in effect. Some said spiritual manifestations ended with the apostles, some said it ceased after Pentecost. I was taught from Ephesians 4:13-15 – “until we ALL attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. If you’ve done any ministry in the church lately you will know that all unity has not taken place and all knowledge has not been dispensed, we have a ways to go. We need the Spirit, we need the offices, we need the gifts – some days more than others.  Unity in the church and the city is really important.

When you systematically study a book, you get to see the triumphs and the tragedies. We need to go through the entire book, so we learn all the lessons – not just the super-hero narratives or the victories but the suffering, pressures, etc. This book has a combination of both wins and losses.

This month, I was horrified by some of these stories and for some reason they  seemed so much more violent than I had realized.  I read numerous commentaries that talked about Davids’ dynasty and its place in history. I read about the pressure he was under and how he cracked under that pressure breaking Gods’ heart and the peoples resolve. It is a fine book of leadership. How many sermons have we heard on Davids’ mighty men? I don’t recall  however, ever hearing one about the wise woman in this book. She has challenged me.

There was one phrase that stuck in my heart and pulled me back to the text. I’ll apologize up front because this may seem like a soapbox or perhaps even a political appeal, but I promise you, it’s not– it is more of a passionate plea to step up and to obey God.

Listen to this story in 2 Samuel 22. The context is that David’s’ military leader Joab has a rebel (Sheba) and his men, cornered in the town of Abel-Beth Maacah. They have chased him inside, with his troops, and they are building a way to go in and capture him and possibly all the fortified cities inhabitants.

Then came the desperate cry of a woman in the city, “Hear, hear, say I pray you, unto Joab, come here that I may speak with you”. Wise here does not just mean smart but one who is learned, prudent, crafty, shrewd, and educated. It is also used of sailors who know how to maneuver their ships. She’s been around awhile and understands how things work. She cries out twice HEAR, HEAR. The soldiers let her speak – they made room for her to say what she had to say but first she intreated, beseeched and requested that she be heard. This was her Esther moment.

The word for city in Hebrew is “ir” (pronounced ear). This woman in the city is yelling out Shama, Shama, which is an imperative and means listen, listen or hear, hear! She is imploring them to hear her. She pleads and demands that they come near her so she can speak with them.

Her city is besieged. People will die if this continues. In order for salvation to come to the nation someone must stand up. She asks the question –”Art thou Joab”? He answered, “I am”.  David’s right hand man is on the scene.   

Then she said unto him –HEAR-  the words of thine handmaid and Joab answers, “I do hear”. He’s defensive but still listening. Then she spoke saying, “They were wont to speak in old times, saying they shall surely ask counsel at Abel; and so, they ended the matter. (In contrast) -I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel;

thou seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel;

why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?”

Hold up now- Joab, these are the good guys. He needs to slow his roll because he is about to make a big mistake and she points out to him exactly who they are dealing with. It is a crucial moment in time.

He tells her I AM LISTENING. His response is like that of a child being addressed by his mother which is very interesting. She is thwarting his military advance and does not seem to be what he was expecting.

Joab answers “far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy”.

…”then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the King.”  Note that these relationships would have been fostered and developed before this crucial moment. Talk about courage, boldness and faith! 

Who saved the city? The wise woman and her plan. Salvation came to the city because this woman intervened. Her skills were not known but our hint is that she was a mama, which speaks volumes to me. Her physical muscles may or may not have been large, but her emotional muscles surely were in that moment. Her title was unknown and yet she interceded, negotiated, and won deliverance for the people within the city walls. That’s impressive on many levels.

Yet, she has no name, and we are never told her credentials. We read of David’s men after this story. We are told her attributes- faithful and peaceable.  We are told that she is wise. Gail Wallace from the Junia project tells us about her title, “Wise” in her article on Abel- Beth Maacah:

“Some scholars believe the “Wise Woman” title represented a civic leadership role that existed during the period of the judges and early monarchy. It appears this role was filled by women known for wise judgment, rhetorical skills, and the ability to negotiate difficult situations (see Camp, Frymer-Kensky, and Youngblood). The story of this wise woman’s approach to a critical situation (and Joab’s response) gives some clues about this wise woman tradition. The decision by English translators to change this title to “a woman who was wise” or a “wise woman” (no caps) obscures this possibility.” [1]

No name lady. If you read the entire book she really stands out. She didn’t cause the fight; she didn’t ask for the fight and yet she steps up and brings salvation to her city through her negotiation and position. It seems she is a mighty prayer woman –but the text does not tell us that. I do not know of any woman who would have the guts to step up and prevent a national disaster that is not a praying woman, just saying. Her credentials are peaceful and faithful. Good qualities –and they give her some serious credibility.  

Mighty or wise? She was pro-David, pro-Israel, and savvy in negotiation. Her appeal was not to seek the diviners or other gods but to declare her Gods character and allegiance to Him – I am peaceable and faithful. Respect. She saved her city by speaking up. She saved David’s integrity by preventing the blood guilt that would have landed on his soldiers. To Joab’s credit, he listened. Did he know about the  woman from Tekoa in chapter 14? The Bible includes these stories, and we would be wise to “hear” them as well. This wise womans’  leadership was essential to Israel. I’m not taking a woman stand or a political stand here, this is the word of God – 2 Samuel. I am saying that these stories need to be added to our repertoire and given for encouragement for both men and women.

How do these passages impact our political landscape? How will these examples inspire the way we pray or vote for our city or national leaders? Are there people using their influence, skills and prayer in our churches and cities today?

David in 2 Samuel 22 goes on to tell us that he was compassed with waves of death and that the floods of ungodly men made him afraid. What did he do? He called upon the Lord, he cried to his God and God heard his voice out of His temple and his cry entered the ears of His God. There is no greater power than to say that you have the very ear of the God who created the Universe. Power and strength.

In the next verses we get to see the “underbelly” of this strong leader. We see his secrets for success:

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me; and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also upright before Him and have kept myself from my iniquity.” He speaks on and then says in vs.29, “For thou art my lamp, o Lord and the Lord will lighten my darkness. He speaks eloquently and passionately letting us know that God is his strength and power, and that God makes his way perfect.

This month as an object lesson, we got the boys lights for their heads so they could explore at night and even ride their bikes. They felt more safe since they could see where they were going. They could go more quickly because they could see anything in their path. It makes the darkness bearable to be able to know what is coming up. In a world full of LED’s we miss the message that in that day, they could not travel, fight or do anything without oil or lamps. They were essential. It meant life or death. In earlier chapters we hear the people saying that David was their lamp. He could have rejoiced in that and taken all the credit but in the end of this book he glorifies God and lets us know the source of his strength. God was David’s avenger. God was David’s shield and salvation. God was David’s lamp.

The lamps of that day were shallow bowls filled with oil and a wick to light. They would hold the bowls in their hand and sometimes put them on the wall to see in the night and darkness. David led the people in victory because he was following after God and his ways. He demonstrated Gods ways for them to follow. They called him a lamp because he was a vessel filled with Gods oil being lit up for Gods purposes. There would be no light if there was no oil or no vessel. David led them to victory because David was following God– until he wasn’t and then he had to choose his own consequence. We can’t understand grace unless we understand the consequences of sin in the Old Testament. In spite of all this, David continued to inquire of the Lord and seek His heart. That is a great sign of good leadership.

He finishes this book by telling us the “Spirit of the Lord spoke by him, and the Spirits word was in my tongue”. The God of Israel said, He that ruleth over men MUST BE JUST, ruling in the FEAR of God. Gods’ requirements for leadership are straightforward. Wait a minute Renae this is just a spiritual blog, are you saying Gods interested in politics? He is interested in the salvation of the city, the nation and whether God uses a learned woman who is wise, a military leader who is listening or 30 rough mighty men, God wants to be our shield and salvation. Those who rule over men MUST BE JUST, ruling in the fear of God. You decide and please let these passages impact how you vote.

David’s dynasty will continue and one day the PERFECT ruler will appear, and He will tell His disciples YOU are the light of the world. You are the ones who will bring salvation. You are the ones who will shine in the darkness. You are the ones who will be filled with my Spirit to show others the way.

The wise woman had spiritual authority because she was first peaceable and faithful. Joab had spiritual authority because he was listening and stopped to hear what was being said. David had spiritual authority because he was representing Gods light instead of his own – filled with the spirit and shining Gods power in the midst of a very cruel and evil world.

Is it dark where you live? Is it dark where you go to school? Is it dark where you go to church?

Call upon the Lord. Let Him be your lamp and power and strength.
Who is worthy to be praised? Who needs salvation from their enemies?

Are we hearing, are we listening?

One city, a resourceful, unified city for God. That comes from leaders in unity, women and mothers praying and leading in the gifts and strength and wisdom God has given them. Mighty men standing on their walls in intercession and faith. Walls of division and suspicion broken down. God almighty lifted up. May we be the lamp of our families, churches, cities, and nation to illuminate Jesus.

For further study, read Proverbs 2. Lord, give us your wisdom and light the path you have placed before us. Eph.2:10.

Standing with you,

Renae Roche 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] The Junia project: Gail Wallace March 31, 2014

 

1 Samuel 

Remember when the stores were boarded up, the protests were in full swing, the news was full of riots and such? It seemed like things couldn’t get worse – and then they did. Dark days, violence, crime, etc. have been overshadowed recently by threats of wars and natural disasters. We look back to the darkness of the book of Judges and the chaotic time when “everybody did what was right in their own eyes.” Then, we reflected on a man whose name meant “My God is king – Elimelech” as he moves away from God’s people to obey a calling, we aren’t privy to hear about in the book of Ruth.

Behind the scenes – God was preparing a Messianic line. He was constantly at work. Behind the scenes God was preparing a people for Himself, behind the scenes God was getting ready to reposition the Ark which symbolized His presence but only we, the 2023 people, get to see things full circle. We can trust the God of this story because we have heard it many, many times, right? 

I’m not sure why God allows us to get a glimpse into the life of little Samuel but I’m so very glad we can. Long before the prophet of the hour shows up, we get to see the backdrop. Peninnah (Elkanah’s first wife) has several kids, and she mercilessly persecutes Hannah – Samuel’s mom. It is not just on any day – she ramps things up every time Hannah goes to worship the Lord with her husband. It’s intentional and very painful. Hannah could probably tolerate the jabs but the discouragement right before going to the Lord was just too much. One day, she stood up. Yes, it means rising from a sitting position, but she also stands up and gets some fire in her heart because she cries out to God with such zeal, the priest notices. Have you seen those types of prayers in your church recently?

There are wonderful stories in this book about the prophet who hears God. He pauses to hear, then he obeys. Little Samuel is redirected from the old cleric to the very presence of God to find out what God will say. The God we saw in the previous books is now focused on speaking and the characters in our story are called to hear what God is saying. What is God saying to YOU today? Lift it all up to the Lord, who HEARS you when you pray.

In Psalm 25 we hear David praying to:

“Lead me in Thy truth and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” (verse 5), and “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.” (verse 21)

The rest of 1 Samuel tells us about the tribes uniting as one and God selecting Samuel to be a spiritual leader and then anointing Saul as King to be their national leader. Imagine being an anointed, spiritual leader who does a great job only to be replaced by one that tries to kill you! Samuel must have had some serious questions for God in his prayer life! At one point the god of the Philistines comes into view (Dagon), and we see a hilarious contrast between their god and the living God of Israel. 

I got stuck on the story about Hannah:

10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

Hannah had deep anguish. Her pressures drove her to her prayers. She did not have the ability to change her situation. There was no Facebook, therapy, anti-depressants, support groups, etc. Her plan of action – She wept bitterly. She did not hide her hurt from God so she must have trusted He was a good God. SHE PRAYED and she kept on praying. “See Your servant God, see my misery God, remember me God, give me a son God.”

What Hannah did not do: She did not call her girlfriends to attend her pity party. She did not blame her husband or priest or family. She did not go to a conference. She did not burn her garments, protest, or run through the village telling everyone her opinion. 

She took her heart, her pain, to her Lord. 

She poured out her pain and her requests to her Lord.

This is not a platitude or biblical anecdote or panacea. Hannah received her request – she was blessed with a son. God answered her prayer. It may seem simplistic or even childlike to say it like this but:

We hurt, we pray, we receive our answer, we thank God. 

The world was full of chaos, power struggles, violence, and a huge vacuum of leadership. It was devoid of a prophetic voice. Long before Suzanna Wesley came on the scene, or Ruth Bell Graham or your mama, there was a barren woman who would change the nation with her prayer and spiritual care for her anointed son. That’s huge stuff. Parenting on steroids so to speak. 

But first. . . . She was disgusted with her plot in life, her situation. She had to get tired of the persecution, tired of the opinions and sneers, tired of the carnal thinking and worn-out judgments. When she finally had her fill of the pain and sorrow – Hannah stood UP. Not just physically, she stood up to reach out to God. God saw it. God heard it, Eli witnessed it. God answered.

Where are your tears, modern-day Hannah? Where are your snot-filled Kleenexes by your chair? Where are your dog-eared Bible pages and prayer journal entries? Have you had enough sweet Hannah? Have you had your fill of the way things are yesterday, today, and tomorrow? God’s waiting. . . . Lift it all up to the Lord, who HEARS you when you pray.

“Oh, my people, trust in Him at all times; pour out your hearts to Him; for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8

 Now where does it say in the Bible to turn off the culture, avoid CNN, collect a pile of bricks, join the xyz political party? It does say Pray, beg Him to remember you and your plight. Then receive the answer.

Where are your tears Hannah? Has God heard your anguish, your cries and pain?

Hannah named little Samuel “Heard of God.” She trained him to meet every problem with prayer. Hannah could not see the glory that would fill Samuel in the latter days. She could not see the future where Samuel would prophesy over the nation and leaders. She could not foresee that he would anoint a King named Saul or a ruddy shepherd boy named David who would stand up to Goliath. 

All she had was pain, tears, and anguish. That was enough. 

And she gave them to God. 

Dear Reader, we cannot all be Samuels but we can all be like Hannah. Do not keep bottled up in your heart what belongs to your heavenly father. Those tears are for Him. Those words are stored up for Him. HE’s not shy, or hesitant or afraid to hear. He is listening to every single whisper, whimper or sigh and He loves you. He wants to hear from you – every battle, situation, circumstance that causes you pain.

Samuel would forever be God’s mouthpiece and the answer to prayer for those in the time of trial. He would be the prophet impacting Saul, Jonathon, David, and the Messianic line. But he would not have come, he would not have been birthed or anointed or released if one woman had not made the choice to:

STAND UP, enough, I will not live in the prison of my thoughts and complaints and other’s opinions ANYMORE!  

PRAY – I will not stifle my voice, my heart, my wishes, and dreams or sacrifice them on the altar of convenience or complacency ANYMORE.  Enough is enough.

Lord – we need more Hannahs in our land today! Our families and nations need those prayers and tears.

Space prevents me from writing about all the other wonderful stories, but for you men reading this, the ones who don’t like to blubber like babies or cry in public, there are also male role models in this prophetic book that cover the lifespan of Samuel, the prophet and two Kings. You can be like Hannah, or you can take your cues from the valiant men in the end of the book. The valiant ones who did the right thing even when no one told them to do what was right. These valiant men were distinguished from the rest of the nation because they followed hard after God, they were loyal, and they CRIED OUT to God – with prayer and fasting.

Dear brothers, push that hamburger away. Find yourself wandering around the altar and through the grocery store looking for soup and fruit instead of at home looking through Netflix and ESPN. God waits to HEAR your words. He wants you to HEAR HIS words. Skip some meals and FIND HIM. Your family and nation need you desperately to fast and pray!  Lift it all up to the Lord, who HEARS you when you pray.

Maybe we take a break from crazy news discussions for a while and cry out to a holy God for trans-formation. It’s time for a new identity – one that is like Hannah and these valiant men. Biblically it begins in moments like they had – with great pressure, not pretty, not polite, not PC, but essential and desperately needed in this hour. It starts with fasting and prayer.  God doesn’t need our “read on the culture” as much right now as He wants a “read” on our hearts and for us to hear HIS heartbeat. 

We can leave 1 Samuel and say, “what a nice little book on calling and leadership” or we can stand up and follow Hannah’s and the valiant men’s example and earnestly wait on God to do miracles in our homes, nation, and world. 

Anybody got some pain they want to lift up? He’s listening.

Anybody got some irritation or anguish they want to lift up? That’s the stuff God is looking for.

Anybody want to experience breakthroughs? Fasting prepares us to hear Him.

 

This month’s post is shorter, and I didn’t include any fancy theological arguments. It is child simple but PhD appropriate. These folks in this book were wise – they cried out to the only One who could change things – God. Cry out, fast – prepare your heart to hear from God. We can apply this book right now, the only question is, are we tired of being barren, tired of being persecuted? Sick and tired of being sick and tired as some would say. Lift it all up to the Lord, who HEARS you when you pray.

You’ll like the results. Please do share them.

RenaeRoche2023

                                                                             “The Other Ruth” — Orpah

Along the dusty road of Bethlehem, one ordinary day, Joseph’s parents (Jacob and Rachel) traveled many years ago. God had gifted them with another child, and they more than likely were anticipating this child with great joy. As they traveled along that road, Rachel went into labor and scripture tells us that she succumbed to the pains of labor and on that path, died. Genesis 35 tells the story of the baby first named “son of my sorrow,” then renamed “Benjamin, son of my right hand” by the father, who was left alone to care for this little guy. It was a shocking, jarring story before Joseph’s disappearance.

The road to Bethlehem was traveled by two of the greats—Jacob and Rachel. They and this road were famous. Stories were written, songs were sung that rehearsed their story. The road to Bethlehem was not exactly a place a pregnant woman would want to travel. The story may have even elicited fear. Years later that same path was traversed by another ordinary couple named Elimelech and Naomi—going the opposite direction. Perhaps their hometown thought they were going outside of God’s will or providence. Perhaps they doubted God’s call to Elimelech to go to Moab, creating even more distress as they traveled on. The background to their story is that they were related to a people waiting for Messiah. There was a promise attached to their descendants—but in the darkness of the time of the Judges, a time when a deliverer was needed most, Elimelech went the opposite direction. Naomi had a lot of explaining to do with her women friends. Did this couple somehow miss the prophecies? Did they know of the coming Messiah? When they traveled, they brought their two children named sickly and wasting away. The community was more than likely affected by this change of events. It limited the pool of possibilities. We are not told why their sons were named as they were, but their names were not Messianic type names. Was God worried, upset? Did their departure mean His plan would stop? It all but looked that way to those who did not know God’s  plan. We know on this side of it, that it was providential to seek a young lady whose descendants would bear a future king. An ordinary lady who we will come to learn  was very extraordinary indeed. Only it was not to be in this season of time.

Elimelech’s name means, “My God is King.” This was in the time of the Judges when there was no king and the people continued to rebel against God. It sounded pretentious, his name sounded like his God was higher or better than the ones in Moab. His wife, named pleasant one—Naomi—had accompanied him on this trip with their two sons, but they were only planning to stay for a little while. Days turned into months and soon ten years had gone by. God’s plans are never thwarted.

What greeted them in Moab? A lush, green hill area that provided some food. The culture was led by cultic beliefs and wicked practices. Elimelech and Naomi would have practiced the Jewish festivals and Sabbath. Community Feasts, dancing, fellowship, scripture, worship of the one true God, blessing others with gifts and kindness faded into the sunset as they trudged on to Moab. 

Moabites were known for their wicked deeds and idolatrous worship of the god Chemosh. He was capricious and cruel. His followers practiced human sacrifice, killing of infants, and more. Elimelech’s customs would have been very calm in comparison to the wild parties and celebrations these people engaged in week after week. The two boys grew up and became men. They chose for themselves foreign wives—even though that was forbidden to do so. Considering the prophecies, this may have been heartbreaking for Naomi. Was this part of her life becoming bitter, disillusioned?

We are not told that Naomi continued her worship and festival celebrations, but it would be reasonable to say she did. Somehow the new brides got a flavor for Naomi’s God and His character. We are not told whether Elimelech continued in his faith and traditions or if he became jaded and joined in with the celebrations of Chemosh.

Syncretism quickly kills out what is true, like a cancer.

What we are told, is that two women joined their family system and in a culture that killed infants, God in His sovereignty allowed both women to be barren, thus stopping the blood line of Elimelech’s family while in Moab.

Our family studied each precious word in Ruth and there is more material than would fit into this blog. We hope to share it in a different format in the days ahead. For the blog I wanted to write about something I did not read in any of the commentaries. Many say there are three main characters in this book, but actually there are eight: Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, Chilion, Orpah, Ruth, the other kinsman and Boaz.

Why is Orpah left out of most commentaries? Her life certainly tells a story worth hearing. We have volumes on every other character except her. The verb endings may suggest Aramaic language or feminine authorship.  It no longer is believed to be Samuel. Some say it is possibly his mom or another author. There is great care to look at things any grandma worth her salt would notice. Hmm?

Orpah lived in two cultures—straddling Jewish festivals and cultic pagan practices led by Chemosh followers. Her husband Chilion was named the “wasting away” one so probably not a big win in the trophy department. She is not as impressed with Naomi, at least not to devote herself for her entire life as Ruth had done. Her husband’s character had not made a big “I must convert” impression on her. This young wife lost her father-in-law, who once knew the God of Israel. She may have heard of the Messianic promises and had a glimmer of hope that through their union (Chilion and Orpah), Messiah would come into the world. Naomi left feeling empty but Orpah, her whole life was empty. Her husband died; she was barren. Her new world was shattered.

“Grief is the loudest silence I have ever heard” P. Ryters once wrote. Silence would be Orpah’s world as she did not have a relationship with El Shaddai. She had not known Him to be mighty as Naomi had known. Orpah was still grieving, away from her husband’s family and her family was  wicked to some degree. Any inspiration from the men from Bethlehem in her life died with them, and Naomi, the pleasant one, had now lost hope. Where did her God go? Why isn’t He rescuing her? Just when Orpah may have started to believe, Naomi falls into discouragement and depression on some level.

When we cannot see God, when we cannot feel God, we must speak and stand on what we remember. Those moments are critical for others who are watching. We may be their only lifeline. We cannot let the enemy of our souls use us to do his bidding in times like these. The storm may not be about us; it may be about those watching on the sidelines.

Proverbs 26:11 tells us “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.” Orpah did not have the wisdom of Proverbs as it had not yet been written. She could use that excuse, but we cannot.

Orpah follows alongside Ruth down the road. Was it then, on that familiar road, that perhaps the story of Rachel is shared? Was it then the reality of robbers and criminals hiding in the shadows became a reality to eclipse her high hopes? Did she question if she could really live in the religious world of Bethlehem where they were going? Was she more afraid of that or missing a carnal life back in Moab? She could go either way on that road. Weary, grief-stricken Naomi implores her to go back. Insists even. She addresses her possible false hope that Messiah will come through their family line because Naomi absolutely cannot have children any longer, and remember Rachel? Orpah (name meaning gazelle), kisses her and bolts.

Relieved she no longer has to comfort the two women in their grief, or face a new culture with all its difficulties, Orpah will go home, alone, to deal with her unbearable grief over the loss of her entire family system. She chose isolation and what was familiar rather than fellowship and what was unknown. The road home may have been shorter—but it was not better. Nor was it holy. Her two friends faded in the distant sunset and her moral compass was still set to the cruel, perverse god Chemosh.

I write about her in this short story because not all stories end in a baby being born into a Messianic line with grand reveal parties and celebration. Orpah could be any one of us. Ordinary, but with options. This was a barren woman, overcome by grief not once but three times over. I would suggest five times over as her closest women friends Naomi and Ruth walked away from her and stepped into their new destinies. The Sabbath candle would now be her only representation of the God of Israel in her life—IF she continued to light it.

What are your choices today? Have you come to a fork in the road with who you will serve? Who will you follow? What will you do with your grief or new set of circumstances? We can learn from this woman. She obeyed her mother-in-law, but she did not obey her mother-in-law’s God. She had hope—but it was in what she wanted and willed, rather than in trusting a Sovereign God and HIS will.

In our Sunday school class, we have been talking about conditional clauses. In 1 Kings 3 God tells Solomon, “If you do this, then I will do that.” In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God tells them “If my people, who are called by my name humble themselves (follow my voice), seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will. . . .” If you read on to verse twenty-two the story takes a dark turn. It reflects the period of the Judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Consequences are heavy when one turns from God. IF Orpah had followed Naomi and her God, Orpah’s outcome would have been far better.

We spend much time talking about the beauty of the Ruth story, but there is a strong case for looking at the two women’s lives and the contrast of choices they made on that ordinary road on that ordinary day. At the crossroads, we see two decisions that were vastly different.

Today—you can choose Christ and follow Him, worshipping, seeking fellowship and asking Him to be your God—or—you can go back to serving idols and living in wild, wicked debauchery. I’m going to spell this out, even though that might not make some comfortable. Debauchery means getting drunk, high, living in open fornication, adultery, stealing, lying or any violation of the Ten Commandments. You are either living holy or living a lie.  There’s not a side road or detour. It’s a narrow road. We all choose life or death. Walking away doesn’t end our story, it just determines the finale. Choose better.

Orpah will eventually get remarried and live in a land that is not God fearing. Other writings from that time and possibly a verse in Samuel suggest that she is given four sons who become warriors. One of them you might recognize—Goliath. The reach to exterminate the birth line of the soon-coming King of Israel continued even up to that battlefield. One moves toward victory and the other moves toward defeat.  Our decisions affect our lives, our children, our communities and more. Choose better.

Is there a place in this story about God’s loving kindness for Orpah? Yes, and it was offered. She had free will and a choice. It is understandable that she was disappointed. It is understandable that she had much grief and made a hasty decision in that grief. Who would fault her for wanting to stay where it was safe, familiar? Her parents still lived there; her traditions may have called her back. What must be remembered in this short story, with long impact, is that we are ALL given choices. Hear the call of “whosoever will.” We can follow and go forward despite much fear and anguish, trusting God has a plan we may not see, or we can run back to our idols and our own ways. Choose better.

Ruth converted when she said, “Your God will be my God too.” Ruth dared to trust. Ruth had a glimpse of a loving, sovereign God and left everything to find Him, to seek that God. Naomi did so out of sheer desperation and memory power. How you return is not as important as IF you return. Ruth and Naomi chose to go for God, will you?

“Jesus, I give you my life. I repent for my sins and idols. I turn away from my past. I want to follow you. I want your people to be my people. I want you to be my God for life. I surrender to you and trust in Your sovereign plan. Make me born from above into Your heavenly family today I pray.

Please let me know if you said that prayer. I want to introduce you to something called the Roman Road, which will help as you walk in a new direction. Great things can be ahead. IF you turn to Him and follow, THEN . . . He will lead and bless you. Choose Best.

Walking with you,

Renae Roche ©2023

 

 

Our family loves studying the word of God together, but this month was a bit intense. It made for some odd morning devotions. I am not sure if the nightly news was more heinous or the book of Judges. Violence, treachery, cruelty, and horrendous acts of murder were daily reminders that we need more than a leader, we need a Savior. The beauty of going through the Bible systematically is that you cannot erase the bad parts or pick and choose what you want to read—or obey. It works itself into your body, soul, and mind when it becomes central to your life. After doing this for many years, I was surprised how many new things jumped out in the text. It is possible that we are in new territory in this generation so things make sense now that we could not appreciate in the past. My big takeaway was this:

Instead of looking at the violence, crime, and bloodshed in the text, I looked for God. The gruesome stories when I had read this in the past seemed to overshadow Him. They even caused me to wonder where He was in the midst of them. Then I looked in my own life and saw how trials were eclipsing what He was doing in our lives. Sometimes we want to have great faith, but challenges dim our hope. Many are speaking about the “end of the age.” The prevailing thought is that things are going to continually get worse. Conspiracies, prophecies, opinions may be right to some extent but there seems to be those who are also adding to the script in this fear-mongering culture.

Judges, in the very first chapter, gives us an intro for the rest of the book. Hear it afresh today: “After the death of Joshua, the Israelites (no mediator mentioned) asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” This implied a collective prayer meeting. Good start. . . .

Looking back at Israel’s journeys, we realize that again and again and again, God’s people ignored His voice and word. Here, at the outset there is a people pausing to find God’s wisdom for who is to be their leader and how they are to proceed. That is significant once we realize the answer came before the darkness. Timely? I believe so. Do we need to choose a leader, to ask God who is to go in first? Do we need collectively, as a family, church, or nation to seek God? Do we need His wisdom? Are we wise enough to pause and listen to what He has to say? It does not take a scholar to realize that if we do not do that—a period of time worse than the Judges, will soon be upon us. In this present darkness, that is clear. When I recalled reading this book, this first promise was not even on the list in times past.

Here is my favorite verse in the book: “The Lord answered, ‘Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.’” Remember Judah? They marched and they worshipped but most of all—they obeyed.

We can read that and immediately see a promise. Israel was in the age of the Judges, enduring suffering for over four hundred years. Moses, in comparison, looks like a track star at this point with his forty-year journey! Come on guys, how long are we going to go around this same mountain? Now, it stretched out into four hundred years—murder, mayhem, hopelessness, cruelty, darkness, violence, rape, and just pure evil. Pure evil? In spite of the atrocities, beams of light can still be seen of God’s movement.

The key: the Lord answered. He heard; he heard what they asked. He was listening, He was present, and He ANSWERED! This God is unlike any other God. He is not dumb, deaf, or weary. He showed Himself to be an active listener, active responder. He HEARD their prayers. The next twenty chapters will look like proof after proof that God had forsaken them, left them. Like a parent who gives a command and then sits back to wait and see if it will be followed, God continued to watch. If ONE person would have paused, if ONE person would have looked back, if ONE person would have remembered that at the beginning of this very dark period, God sent them and gave them direction, things might have gone very different. If someone dared to ask God what His opinion was, what HIS will was for them, they could refocus. Where were the people recounting the promise of victory? Where were memorial stones to mark this word of the Lord? Had they forgotten how to remember? God made them a promise—“I have given (past tense) the land into their hands.” They transitioned from one leader Joshua to Judah and his crew. God gave the order, they just had to walk it out.

We think we are way different than these folks but the crime rates and situations in our land say otherwise. So, how do we remember? Psalm 2:1 says, “he delights in the Law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.” Meditate means to study, examine, ponder, and reflect—to speak and mutter. If someone had done that regarding this first prayer and response, it may have served to remind them that God had spoken—that He answered them and gave them the truth they needed to stand on. We pray—He answers. We do what He says, He speaks more. I think that may be the part they (and we) forget. When in doubt, go back to square one and find out what you missed. Can you repeat that please? What did you say? Seeking God should not be a one-time event but an ongoing process.

If you want a double dose of this verse play Elevation’s new song “Trust in God.” I heard it after reflecting on this chapter and it refreshed my heart greatly. The friend who introduced it has lived its words during a season of suffering and her light continues to shine. Amid darkness and trials, it is AMAZING to realize God hears us and answers. I have been soaking in the song line “I sought the Lord and He heard, and He answered.” Maybe the hero leaders, these Judges, held on to God’s original word? Some of them were even blessed with visitations and reminders. God is faithful and hears our prayers.

Instead of rehearsing all the hardships of this book this time around, I wanted to know where God was and His expectations of His people before, during, and after these dark days. I spent some time meditating on these verses: “The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, ‘Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you, into yours.” So, the Simeonites went with them. This reads like a narrative, and I am sure my Bible teachers will appreciate a recommendation to understand it as such, but I am also a parent and a minister. Let me share the practical lesson written here that you may not get from just reading it as history. This battle plan—seek God, listen, for His response is wonderful but when you add—gather the troops and let us do this together—it puts meat on those bones. You succeed when you join with others.  Not with great ideas but with Jesus and His kingdom plan. This means first God and then sold-out folks who have your back and are willing to go into the fray with you. More than just a journal entry, this is their formula for winning. Come with us and we will fight for you also. Teamwork makes the dream work may have started long before John Maxwell! Go team Judah! Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Although this next verse is not considered a main point, at least not in most commentaries, I do believe it was placed in this chapter to show us a different version of “taking the land” and God’s reward system. And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.¹⁴ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”¹⁵ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” What a businessperson and leader. She was not timid in her request. Come on somebody! Faith wells up into bold actions. So, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. In that day and age this was amazing! Consider the livestock that needed water as well as the military crew. What a beautiful inheritance—The father choosing to bless the daughter—directly. She asked for what she needed, and she received it. This is the backdrop for all the other Judges. What is possible, when we go to the Father and ASK!

This is Joshua’s buddy Caleb—the one who spied out the land. A spy certainly knows who is most likely to win his contest, right? I bet Aksah had amazing stories of grapes and wars and winning. They stand as a shining example, amid much despair and heartbreak. It is at the forefront, in the beginning of this desperately ugly and bloody book. What a contrast. It was her father’s good pleasure to give her of his kingdom. She asked, He answered and gave the land. We miss a lot if we doubt God’s character or stare at the enemy wreaking havoc instead of the goodness of the Father.

What are you staring at in your world today? Is it the Delight of God? The eyes of Jesus? The movement of the precious Holy Spirit? What you look for—you see. What you pray for will be answered but you first must turn from the violence and drama and go where real answers are given. See Psalm 16:11—take a minute and put that on a 3×5 card or a mirror. Get it deep down in your soul and share it with others. Actively shine this week. Memorize it, sing it, text it. It comes after a very dark verse.

God set the leaders (Judges) in place to help the people take the land. He set up women and men to lead. Theological Point—God does not change—no matter what denomination you are in. They failed time after time after time because they forgot what He said and did not do exactly what He told them. Leaving out instructions is just as costly as ignoring them. That is serious—then and now. It is risky. It proved tragic. The people in the book of Judges often ignored His warnings. The last verse in this tragedy says, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

While focusing on tragedy and failure in Judges we got caught up in watching the underwater sub tragedy. It was so sad. Some called it an epic failure. They ignored every heart check, scientific warning, and protocol, just to view a past shipwreck. The Titanic was a textbook case of stubborn hearts and self-will. Sound familiar? My Navy husband gave us a play by play as it was taking place. He commented, “the deep ocean is very unforgiving” and in his eyes I realized they would not be returning home. Those in charge stated they did not “need” fifty-plus-year-old white, ex-military guys and planned to do their own thing. It was short-sighted and arrogant to not connect with the Coast Guard or Navy. Innovation does not need to cancel out education. Sound advice was not only refused but mocked. It was more than ironic, it was chilling. We also may have similar stories on lesser scales. Stories of past sins, mistakes, failures. Or maybe refusing support and help? If we learn from our and other’s mistakes, they can teach us, but if we keep going back to view or forcing ahead without caution—it is to our detriment. Judges helps us understand each of these dynamics and their outcomes.

God will never fail. He is constant, merciful, and unlimited.

I also want to point out that one of the people who came alongside them was a source of joy we may not recognize at first glance, but the people of that day certainly would. “The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.”  We may be tempted to gloss over it to get to the deeper stories of Jael, Deborah, and Sampson. If we were visited by a great leader, a hero who encouraged us, we would be strengthened to possess our promised lands as well. Gather around those on the frontlines and stand with them. Oh, the value of praying and fellowshipping saints!

When I was in seminary a solid, godly mentor of mine came to visit me. She heard my heart, visited my house, and prayed with me. I learned things that weekend that still impact me in powerful ways to this day. It made my dark days brighter and helped me to shine on. Yes, I want visits like that, but I also want to mature and be that for other people, especially as the days grow darker. Find someone older and someone younger. Do not wait 403 years to obey—make some calls today.

We are not all that different from the Israelites. The God that listened to them, is waiting to listen, in this dark age with horrific events unfolding—to the weary, heart-heavy likes of you and me. What will He say? Who will listen and obey? His directive then and to us today is that we are to do what He has given us to do, today. Who will partner with His plan to brighten the landscape of His will, as He plays out His Kingdom plan in this generation?

When you go to prayer—remember confident Aksah—who boldly trusted that her good father would give her what she asked of him. She stated her request. Not to another person or through another person but directly to her father. I believe our good Father is more than willing to give us what we request. We must turn away from evil and remind ourselves that God is sovereign and goes with us to accomplish His purposes in the earth. That brings victory. He promises.

Anne Graham Lotz wrote in Worship Makes a Difference:

In the storm, You are our Anchor.
In the face of terrorism, You are our Shield.
In time of war, You are our Peace.
In our weakness, You are our Strength.
In our grief, You are our Comfort.
In our despair, You are our Hope.
In our confusion, You are our Wisdom.

No matter the trial, we look for God to send us and help us possess the land. Keep meditating, worshipping, praying—God is listening, and His track record is that He will answer and respond with instruction. Let us know about your journey, so we can stand with you.

RenaeRoche2023

*Special thanks to editor Virginia Bridges