THE Root

I have been interested in genealogy for a while and the language around family trees can be helpful in explaining family dynamics and relationships. The Bible also talks about who Jesus is in terms of ancestry. And this is where that shoot that grows out of THE root is a very good thing for you and me.

“Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” Isaiah 11:1

This is good news for us! Jesus is here with us and for us.

Let’s let His love for others take root in our lives. Let’s be open to His pruning. Let’s trust Him to provide what we need to grow our faith while also being intentional about learning more about God through His Word. Let’s plants seeds. Let’s water the faith of young or struggling Christians. Let’s think about our faith soil — are we surrounded by life giving nutrients?

Has a lot of manure (difficulty) come your way? As stinky as that can be, it truly can grow you like nothing else can. God can use every last bit of our personal struggles to deepen out faith.

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

Full circle

I trust that God is doing the things He says He will.

I have to admit, I feel like full circle really means “in my lifetime.”‘

But, it doesn’t.

God works in and through generations for resolution and healing. Life isn’t just neatly tied up in a bow while I am living. And, when I am no longer alive, I can trust that God’s work continues on.

Some things do come full circle within my life but I don’t think that is the standard.

Here is a non-spiritual full circle moment that struck me the other day: My dad never visited Hungary even though he spoke Hungarian fluently and was a champion of all things Hungarian. He died when he was 40 and with 4 young children, I am sure it was on his bucket list of things to do some day but you have to feed the kids and pay the bills with a young family.

My mom took my brothers and I to Hungary within 3 years of my dad’s death. Maybe the two of them talked about her doing that when it was evident he was not going to survive. It was an incredibly brave thing to do as a single parent. Our ages at the time were 5, 8, 12, and 16.

Fast forward to 2012 when Don and I took our 4 kids to Hungary. We had hoped to go with my mom but she just wasn’t feeling up to the travel as she was ill. After she passed away, we knew we were in a golden moment before the kids had adult commitments that we wanted them to go to Hungary.

And, as a bonus, we even met some of my dad’s relatives that we didn’t even know existed before 2011!

In 1957 my paternal grandmother apparently wrote a letter to her relatives stating that she was hoping that she would travel to Hungary at some point. “So, we will leave this for the future when travel is allowed to all countries, and then we will also visit you in Tiszakeszi—by the will and grace of the Lord.”

She didn’t get there. My father didn’t get there. But I was able to get there. And, I even met the cousin she was writing in this letter! Incidentally, upon meeting us, that cousin said, “Now I can die.”

Wow! I mean, truly, she waited 55 years from that letter to meet a U.S. relative. And through the many years of correspondence there were probably even earlier references to someday meeting face-to-face so I am quite sure she waited longer than 55 years.

I think that was a full circle kind of thing. And if God can orchestrate something like that, I think I ought to leave Him to do His thing in my life and in the life of my family.

The timing may not be what I have planned and the way may not look the way I think it ought to, but, I need to trust Him in how He pulls it together.

Have you noticed something come to completion in your lifetime that was started a generation or two before you?

God is trustworthy to bring things full circle!

Measuring Progress

Yesterday was about measuring success.

Today let’s talk about Measuring Progress.

Two steps forward and one step back is progress. Over time, you will still get to where you are going. Sometimes it doesn’t happen as quickly as you want.

You might regress a bit, revert to a previous state, or return to spot while still, in the big picture, be making progress.

I read a book a couple of years ago “Start More Than You Can Finish” by Becky Blades https://www.beckyblades.com/

and it really shifted my perception….

of myself!

I sometimes start things and don’t finish them and can beat myself up over it. I can certainly learn something from making a commitment and following through. But, not everything I try is for me.

Maybe that is why I didn’t keep up with baton twirling when I was in elementary school. I took a class at the YWCA. I had fun and learned how to move the baton through my fingers — I still can!!!! But, that was the beginning and the end of my interest.

I thought I wanted to be a lifeguard and so I started working toward that in high school but then I just didn’t love the water that much. I still don’t. I like a jacuzzi. I am happy to hang out in a lake or ocean and go snorkeling but I am not a swimmer for swimming’s sake.

Sometimes a new project reminds me of an old project and I find my way back to it. Sometimes things just need a bit more incubation time before they are ready to be fully explored. Sometimes it is just a season of life.

You didn’t mean to set down that book your started to read or write but something interrupted you and you never got back to it. Life can be like that!

I want to encourage you to take some big steps back when you are measuring progress. Don’t get so focused on the immediate results that you can’t see the bigger picture.

One thing that strikes me about God is that He is the God of generations. He is the Creator. We each have our own bents and inclinations and He works in and through those. I am far harder on myself than He is on me. He knows my flaws so well and, yes, He wants me to leave sin behind. But, He also knows that I am a sinful human operating in a world filled with sin.

He loves me. And, He loves you!

Your progress is imperfect. Your life’s journey might be bungled with mistakes — I am sure that is the case for everyone. But the love God has for you is extensive and true. Rest in His grace. Keep moving forward in love — for yourself and for those around you.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV]

O Morning Star

Promised One.

Since Creation, God had been making and fulfilling promises. But this is the big one.

Jesus is the Promised One.

What I love about how God works is that if I take the time to look back and analyze my life, I can see times of interjection and moments of clarity where I knew in my heart that God was showing me Jesus and His grace. Yes, Jesus came for the world. But He also came for me.

That treasured Promised One was promised for me.

Countless promises have fulfilled in Scripture. Surely someone somewhere has analyzed how many things God promised and fulfilled. God delivers. Even when I don’t have the eyes to see it, I have the words of The Bible to read. I can see promises fulfilled throughout the generations. I love the big picture, I do. But when it comes to a God who knew Moses and those other giants of the faith. The One who created the world and sent a Savior. The God who has been there for me and redeemed my life from the pit. That is where it gets personal.

These promises are for me.

God has the same end goal for each of us but how He is able to bring it about all depends on softened hearts and a willingness to be led by Him. Are my heart and ears are attuned to Him? Am I able to discern His voice from the clamouring of the others? The path of life isn’t always easy. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and fearful and I kick and scream. He holds me anyway and He waits for me.

Thank you for fulfilling Your promises to the generations. And thank you for keeping your promises to me. Thank you for The Promised One. Amen.

O Morning Star, how clear and bright,
your beam shines forth in truth and light!
My Sovereign meek and lowly!
O Root of Jesse, Promised One,
my God and Ruler, you have won
my heart to serve you solely!
You are holy,
great and glorious, all-victorious,
Rich in blessing,
rule and might o’er all possessing.

Come heavenly Brightness, Light divine,
and deep within my heart now shine,
there make yourself an altar!
Fill me with joy and strength to be
your member, joined eternally
in love that cannot falter;
Longing for you
does possess me; turn and bless me;
Here in sadness
eye and heart long for your gladness. *

*Philipp Nicolai (1556 – 1608)

Generations

A new baby means a new generation: and an opportunity to intentionally pass along those things that are important. Some of those things you may have had in your family of origin. But parenting a new generation also means you have a chance to try parenting the way you wish you were parented. It isn’t always easy being parents and deciding what is important to pass along to the next generation. It is worthy of thought and conversation. When two people come together to have a child, they each come with a set of experiences that they would love to share as well as others they do not want repeated, ever.

God works with the long term in mind. “His faithfulness continues through all generations,” Psalm 100:5. I am so thankful for that truth. He always sees the bigger picture. He hears the prayers of His people.

Since the beginning of time parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents have prayed over future generations. I don’t know the prayer life of my grandparents of great-grandparents but I know they were people of faith. They knew God. And here I am. My life has had interesting paths and it feels like I have always known of and been confident in God’s love for me. And that love reached through to me in even my most unlovable moments.

I love praying for others. I have always prayed for my siblings, friends, children and their friends. But I don’t think I have thought too much about praying for the generations beyond them. I think I was too distracted by the immediate to think that far forward. But, here I am, awaiting a couple of precious grand babies to be born and my husband and I have been praying for them and their parents. The next generation is in the works. We are counting on God’s faithfulness!

¹Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations. [Psalm 100:1-5, NIV]

May God give you His insight into generations!

Liz

PrayerPrompt: SHELTER

PrayerPoints ~ March 11th, Friday

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Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Psalm 100

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

May God’s peace and joy infuse your day!

PrayerPoints ~ Wednesday, March 9th

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Today’s PrayerPoint ~ Psalm 90

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world; from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

One thing I am always reminded of when I read Scripture is that it involves generations–time after time….from the beginning of time until the end of time…so many people and time periods….

You might not have generations of believers in your earthly family line, but you can look to the generations of believers and know you are a part of a spiritual family of believers. And, you can be the one God uses to impact your earthly family line with His message of love, mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace.

God has the big picture and uses all generations to share His Good Word. Today I am giving thanks for the many previous generations as well as those to come. May we each share the pieces of His-story to the generations!