Not an Idol, but the Living God

Psalm 115

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”

But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.

May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

This Psalm has been on my mind a lot lately, especially the verses (4-8) describing the futility of idols. This past Sunday, our pastor pointed something out that corresponded with these verses - people who create idols ultimately worship themselves. True, isn’t it?

If an idol has a mouth but can’t speak, who comes up with its rules and morals?

If an idol has eyes but can’t see, who determines right and wrong?

If an idol has ears, but can’t hear, or noses, but can’t smell - who says what’s pleasing and what’s not?

Someone may have a literal figurine or statue that they bow down to, or it may be something abstract. But anything worshiped that isn’t the Lord God is an idol.

Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

This Psalm talks about literal statues, physical idols. And the author says that those who create and trust in these idols are like them. Empty, futile, hopeless.

But those who trust in the Lord? We have substance to our faith!

We have the God who speaks, the God who sees, the God who hears and smells and moves. He’s living and active. He is our help and shield, He is not only aware of our lives but involved in them. We don’t serve an idol, we serve the living God!

The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

-Amy

To Be Known

“Mama, Mama!”

“Moooommmmmmy!”

“Mamaaaa!”

There he is, that little cutie of mine. I saw him emerge from the sea of toddler- and baby faces, wearing a big smile and a nametag on his belly. His brother was not far behind, scooting past the other kids to get to the door.

From that room full of children, I know their voices. Amidst all the cries for mommies, there are two voices that will always make me look and pay attention. The voices of my own precious children, the little ones I know inside and out and would do anything for.

***

“… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Romans 8:15-17

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

1 John 3:1

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 1:12

“For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.”

Psalm 139:13-14

“‘I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. … My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.’”

John 10:14-15, 27

***

I read through these verses, wondering. Does God know my voice like I know the voices of my children? Does He turn His attention to me when I call, when I ask a question or have something to say?

He is my Heavenly Father, the one who adopted me and calls me His own. I’m His child. He formed me; He knows me inside and out. He leads me as a shepherd leads his sheep, teaching me and guiding me gently. He knows me.

When I pray, does He hear me? He does. When I ask questions, does He hear me? Yes - and He provides me with adequate answers. He knows my voice, and He’s ever training me to know His better.

It boggles my mind, how God could have so many children and know each one of us so well. He doesn’t miss a beat, He never overlooks or forgets anything, He is always attentive to each of us. Desiring that we would know Him better, trust Him more, be fulfilled by Him.

Just as I know my own children so well, He knows me - and even better.

Isn’t it humbling? That He has adopted us, that He knows everything about us, and that He always seeks to keep our relationship with Him strong?

We are known by Him and loved by Him.

What a mighty, wonderful God we serve!

-Amy

Intentional Parenting

A few days ago I watched a short video on Facebook, and then saw a nasty, heartless comment from another woman. Social media is a breeding ground for nasty comments, of course; it shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. I was taken aback by how sincerely hateful this woman was - she had pure evil purposed in her heart and made absolutely no apologies.

Raising kids in this world is scary. Sometimes I think, man, how are my kids going to go out into the world, into public places, and deal with these kinds of interactions? How are they going to handle all the evil? Will they know right and wrong and be able to stand their ground when they’re pushed? Will they make it, following Christ??

There’s no guarantee how our kids will turn out. But mamas (and dads!), we certainly have a whole lot of influence on them!

If we as Christian parents think that everything is up to chance, we are so mistaken. If we think that we can sail through parenting and let things happen as they happen, or do damage control later, we are so mistaken.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

God’s design is that we, Dad and Mom, be their primary teachers. We are the ones who establish prayer, reading Scripture, searching for God’s truth when we have questions. It’s not a bubble, keeping them from the world completely - but it is protection from some things as is age-appropriate. We walk them through each phase of their lives, until they are out of our homes and on their own. I sometimes envision that walk starting out with them being carried, then we hold hands, then lessen to holding hands sometimes. Then we walk beside, then stay a couple steps back - until they’re fully on their own.

We won’t parent perfectly, but may we be intentional! May we not just wait to see how they turn out, hoping and praying they’ll be okay.

Your ultimate hope and prayer for them is salvation, is it not? Then let us show them the Savior.

Only God knows who will be saved, but let us do all that we can to point them in that direction!

Pray with them regularly, read Scripture with them daily. Show them how you yourself turn to the Lord when you have questions or need wisdom or comfort. Forgive them, and ask for forgiveness when you mess up. Let them see a flourishing relationship between you and your Savior, a relationship that is alive and growing. If you’re struggling, it’s okay! Keep seeking Him anyways! Our children don’t need perfect parents, they need parents who recognize their shortcomings and turn to Him for every little and big thing.

Our God is a righteous, loving God. He is able to bring us along, and bring our children along, in faith and knowledge of Himself. Be encouraged; He has given you this role as parent of your children, and He equips you to do it well. When you seek Him, you will find Him (Jer. 29:13)! When you ask for wisdom, He will give it (James 1:5)! He won’t leave us alone as we try to lead our children toward Him.

Take up your duties with joy, dear friend. Be intentional in your parenting; teaching and training and gracefully pardoning. May our children see Jesus through us, that they may be drawn closer to Him!

-Amy

Decision Making

Lord, You know the pull I’ve been feeling.

The pull to slow down, to stop even… to let some things go. I’ve tried in the past; I’ve let things go, rearranged my schedule, tried to rest more. But I still wonder, am I doing too much?

And if so, what things do I lessen? What things do I stop? How, Lord, do I go about any of that?

You remind me:

"But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing." 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12

Lead a quiet life.

"the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." Titus 2:3-5

Love and follow Josh. Love Levi and Caleb. Be discreet, chaste, a homemaker.

Lord, is that enough?

Is it enough to serve my husband and my children, to raise the kids, to keep our home and manage schedules?

It sounds so silly, but what if I have free time? Shouldn’t I fill it with things after Your heart? Ministry, things at church, even making some extra money so I can supplement our income and support my missionary friends?

It seems like too much. But I also don’t feel like enough. Lord, guide me and help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. You know how often I compare, and how unsettled I can become. Yet I only want what You want, Lord - so show me.

Lead a quiet life. Love your husband, love your children, keep your home.

Maybe that really is sufficient? Maybe that is what will bring You the most glory?

***

The above is a version of a prayer I prayed for months. An ongoing conversation with God, trying to sort out what He wanted for me and our family in this season. I share because, well, we all wrestle don’t we? We all wonder what God wants for us. Where He wants us. What we should be doing.

Sometimes answers come quickly, and sometimes they don’t. But one thing that will always guide us in the moment (current and future) is Scripture. It’s there immediately. And whatever Scripture says for Christians to do, that’s what we should do. When we’re faithful to His Word, other pieces fall into place.

Over time, I’ve come to realize many things. One of those things being that free time is good time. You might’ve laughed at that part of my prayer, or maybe you’re wondering the same thing. Our time should be used wisely, yes? Yes. And rest is a wise use of time. It equips us to continue going with all the other necessities - the effort into our marriages, the countless meals to prepare and serve and clean up, the disciplining of our kids and the adventures with them, the laundry and mopping and organizing. There’s nothing wrong with sitting down at naptime to read a book or paint a canvas or call a friend.

Love your husband, love your children, keep your home.

One other thing I’ve learned is that life is full of seasons. And this season with children at home is a season focused on nurturing our family. There is absolutely no guilt in that, it’s what God designed. There certainly are other things we can do at the same time, and each one of us is given our own limits and abilities. It will look different for each of us - but there are also seasons coming in which some tasks/hobbies/careers/etc. will fit better. We can do a whole lot of things - just not all at the same time. And that’s good!

May this encourage you, friend. This whole process has certainly led me closer to my Lord and Savior, and I pray the bit that I’ve shared in this post will lead you closer to Him as well.

-Amy