“God also said to Abraham,

‘As for Sarai your wife,

you are no longer to call her Sarai;

her name will be Sarah.”

Genesis 17:15

“Note God chose to announce the name change and blessings concerning Sarai to Abraham rather than directly to her.  God’s revelation to Hagar (Gen. 16) dismisses the idea that He preferred not to speak to women.  (Thank goodness.) 

Likewise, I don’t believe God was avoiding Sarai to punish her for foolish decisions.  Goodness knows Abraham had made plenty.  God may have wanted Abraham himself to view Sarah as blessed, changing how Abraham – as her husband – identified her.

Possibly Abraham thought Sarai was the obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Obviously, Ishmael proved Abraham still had the ability to sire a son in the years immediately following the promises.  Sarai was the holdup. 

Whether or not Abraham consciously deducted such, his attitude suggests that he believed Sarah’s barrenness was more powerful than God’s promises.  That’s why he kept suggesting other ways of helping God fulfill His promise, not the least of which is found in Genesis 17:18, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’ 

In his wildest imagination, Abraham did not think God could use Sarai. 

She was, after all, unfruitful. 

Unable. 

Unusable. 

That very well may be why God spoke Sarai’s blessing into Abraham’s own ears.  Abraham needed to stop seeing his wife as the hang-up and start seeing her as the ‘how.’  We…so often encumber ourselves with similar thinking. 

We think to ourselves ___________________ is the reason why God is not freed up to work in my life.  His or her unbelief, unresponsiveness, unhealthiness, unawareness is the problem….uneducated, unyielding, uncooperative…God can’t fulfill His promises to me because of my pastor’s, my employer’s, my children’s, my parents’, or my spouse’s ‘uns.’ 

Yep, everybody else’s ‘uns’ are my problem. 

Atomic uns. 

So powerful they break God’s promises.

What if I told you that at one time I believed my husband Keith’s ‘uns’ would surely nullify the fulfillment of God’s calling over my life?  Would you like to know how the situation turned out?

God has used virtually nothing as powerfully as Keith’s ‘uns’ to mold and shape me into a more humble, pliable woman.  In a strange sort of way, like Sarai the impossible vessel, Keith the impossible vessel also became God’s miraculous ‘how.’ 

After God conceived His plan in my life, He began the glorious undoing of countless ‘uns.’  Nothing has made me appreciate what God has done any more than the sheer impossibility of such glorious works.

Who or what do you tend to believe holds up God’s full blessing to you?

Beloved, you may very well have just come face-to-face with your Sarai. 

Your holdup may well turn into your how.”

The Patriarchs: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, pgs. 46-47

Yesterday’s verse and the fuller version from Isaiah 61 have been precious to me since 2000.

“Hear” it in its fullness:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim freedom from the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

To comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve in Zion –

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

And a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

A planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;

They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations…

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion,

And instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance…

All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

And arrayed me in a robe of righteousness…

As a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

And a garden causes seeds to grow,

So the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise

Spring up before all nations.”

Who but You, Jesus?  Who but You?

Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.  And he stood up to read. 

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.  Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

And recovery of sight for the blind,

To release the oppressed,

To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. 

The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them,

‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’

Luke 4:16-21

Speaking of the merciless drive to win…

Dan and I are in a season of training very diligently to form new communication habits.

It

is

hard

My sin seethes at pausing instead of counter-attacking.

My deceitful heart wants “freedom” not cooperation.

My laziness wants to schedule my days the way I want, not toward what would bless my husband. 

But that is not the way of love.

It’s just not.

We went to a marriage retreat over the weekend.  Such good time together.  Dr. White talked about love languages.  He mentioned if your number one is your partner’s last one (and vice versa) you will have to make some sort of plan to remind yourself. 

So we’re working towards a plan.

It’s good because quality time is important for both of us, but we’re not in a season where we’re getting lots of that.  So we have to work toward each other’s other top languages to serve one another in love. 

To serve one another in love.

Thank You, Jesus, that it’s Your Spirit empowering our efforts. 

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.  I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Matt 5:25-26

“Today this would probably mean someone is suing us…By truly loving our adversary, we stand within the reality of God’s kingdom and resources, and it is very likely we will draw our adversary into it also.  Things are really different there, and a resolution manifesting the divine presence becomes possible.  See what will happen.  Venture on the kingdom.  That is how we ‘seek’ it.

If we do not approach our ‘adversary’ in this way, we limit ourselves and our adversary to the human system and its laws, and we will endure the bitter fruit of it.

To be of kindly or favorable mind toward an adversary or anyone else does not mean to do what they demand.  It means to be genuinely committed to what is good for them, to seek their well-being.  This may even require that we not give in to them. 

Jesus does not forbid us to go to court.  He here gives us a second illustration of how the kingdom heart will respond.  Do whatever you do without hostility, bitterness, and the merciless drive to win.”

The Divine Conspiracy, pgs. 157-158

I feel the pull again.

To continue on with the Simplicity series.

I wish you knew what a struggle I feel with this pull.

Different words and phrases swirl in my brain.

And, at the same time, I am so painfully aware of my sinful heart.  My hypocrisies.  My selfish pride. 

Plus, I fear being seen as having my act together.  Nothing makes me want to head for the hills more than others thinking I have my act together and expecting me to live up to a certain standard.

And.  It could come across as an attack.  On the status quo.  On my community.  On what I see God doing and stirring in His Bride right now.

And nothing could be further from my heart.

I’ve recently flipped out about something God has called me to do.  One of the things that has brought me peace is what our pastor says regularly:

Be faithful.

If I am faithful to what He’s asked me to do, He will take care of the rest.

Another thing? 

Train yourself to be godly.

No, I don’t have to try really hard.  He’s not asking that of me.  He wants me to train to be more like Him. 

Such foundational truths I’ve learned from some cool people the last several years.

All these thoughts were in my head last night, and my sweet husband recognized that far-off look in my eyes.

After he got out what was troubling me, he wisely said, “If blogging is going to cause you such distress, maybe you shouldn’t do it.”

So, there you go. 

We will see.  I’m going to be begging God for direction on continuing on with lessons.  Or to put it all away.

Either way, would you pray for me? 

“How can I further Your Kingdom

When I’m so wrapped up in mine?”

– Mercy Me

“Where Your treasure is

There Your heart will be also.”

– Jesus

You’re the first face that I see

And the last thing I think about

You’re the reason that I’m alive

You’re what I can’t live without

And You never give up

When I’m falling apart

Your arms are always open wide

And You’re quick to forgive

When I make a mistake

You love me in the blink of an eye

I don’t deserve Your love

But You give it to me anyway

Can’t get enough

You’re everything I need

And when I walk away

You take off running and come right after me

It’s what You do


And I don’t deserve You

You’re the light inside my eyes

Give me a reason to keep trying

Give me more than I could dream

And You bring me to my knees

Bring me to my knees

Your heart is gold and how am I one

That You’ve chosen to love?

I still can’t believe that You’re right next to me

After all that I’ve done

I don’t deserve Your love

But You give it to me anyway

Can’t get enough

You’re everything I need

And when I walk away

You take off running and come right after me

It’s what You do

And I don’t deserve You

No, I don’t deserve You.

Plumb, I Don’t Deserve Your Love