BEING FLEXIBLE FOR OUR LORD

 BEING FLEXIBLE FOR OUR LORD

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about being mentally flexible. My best friend, Jane, used to do my promotional work, and I call her a river. Every time Facebook blocked her from going one way, she believed for the Lord to show her a different way around and He did. Our dance with disappointment was brief. We believe “God will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isa. 43:19). And He always does. That’s why we know we need to be open to the Holy Spirit guiding us in a different direction if necessary.

 

When we feel that we’re on the right track and it’s God’s will, nothing can stop us, but we may have to be a little flexible in our ideas about how it happens. We can’t be making all kinds of our own rules about how we think we should always be doing things, or always be thinking. We need to open our hearts to God and let Him direct our steps.

 

Proverbs 16:9 says: “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” In other words, we can get to know what’s really in our hearts, what we truly want, but only the Lord can help us get there. If we try to direct our ways, without asking for the Lord’s guidance, it’s not going to work out as well. The Lord knows the end from the beginning, and we don’t. Jesus Christ is the leader; we follow. He is very concerned about each individual’s path.

 

When we make too many rules for ourselves, we can become too brittle and we break. When something new comes up, we halt and get mad or scared or both. We get even more determined to defend our firm beliefs instead of being willing to look at something in a new way. Instead of staying tender-hearted toward God, we get hard-hearted and refuse to budge.

 

That’s what happened to the Pharisees. They knew it was God’s will to heal people, but they also knew that the Law of Moses said they weren’t supposed to do any work on the Sabbath. They became overbearingly inflexible about not working on the Sabbath to the point that when Jesus went to heal a man on the Sabbath, they couldn’t take it. They were not going to be flexible about their rules, even when it came to someone who desperately needed help. They wouldn’t even listen to Jesus:

 

“And he [Jesus] entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, ‘Stand forth.’

 

“And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness [blindness] of their hearts, he saith unto the man, ‘Stretch forth thine hand.’ And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.  But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea” (Mark 3:1-7).

 

I know none of us would want to be as rigid and ridiculous as the Pharisees. We don’t want to lose sight of the bigger picture. When obstacles come up against the traditions and rules we’ve set up, we want to let the Holy Spirit take us around some new bends in the stream and teach us some new things. It may be more thrilling and more satisfying than we ever imagined.

 

Let’s keep our hearts tender and flexible, open to Lord’s leading, even if it means going in a slightly different direction or considering something we haven’t taken into account before. Let the Lord open new doors. The Bible tells us there will always be things for us to discover if we’re willing. We never know it all, and that’s a good thing.

 

Life is to be a flow, not a stagnant pool. And God delights in being our father, teaching us new things. He wants us to be thankful to Him for the new things we learn. Just like any father wants his child to look up to him and appreciate what he teaches. God wants the same from us. God will always know more than we do, so we need to be humble and flexible in our thinking.

 

Isaiah speaks God’s message to the people of Israel: “I have shown thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.”

 

Let’s keep moving forward as children of a loving father, God, without fear. He will continue to teach those of us who are willing to be flexible. He’ll guide us, take care of us, and show us new things.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES

1. Have you ever gotten stiff from standing, sitting, or sleeping in one position for a long time? Describe it. What action did you take to alleviate the stiffness?

2. Describe a situation where you had to be more flexible than you maybe wanted to be.

3. Have you been in a situation where you believed something was right and much later found out it wasn’t? Describe it.

4. Recall a circumstance where you or someone you know remained rigid like the Pharisees on some rule that was kind of foolish.

5. How have you been flexible in the past month?

6. Are you exploring anything new in the Bible at the moment? Or anything new in life in general? What are you learning?

7. Have you ever put unreasonably rigid rules on yourself? How did it make you feel? What did you do about it?

 

 

This revised PREACH LETTER is from a sample book with 6 of the 61 chapters from my first book: WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH Volume 1. The chapters are true life stories about the tremendous and varied benefits you can receive from making a commitment to the Lord. There are pertinent questions at the end of each inspiring story to help you see where you can apply what you've learned for a more exciting and satisfying life.

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THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

I was up on the ladder with my camera in my hands, ready to photograph the rocks I painted; I heard a big crack of thunder and then the lights went out.

 

The warehouse had enough natural light for me to see to get off the ladder and go over to check the breakers, but not enough light to get an accurate picture of the rocks to send my boss.

 

It reminded me of how Jesus is the light of the world; without Him we’ll never get an accurate picture of anything that’s going on, just smoke and mirrors. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth [is following] me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’” (John 8:12). Light dispels darkness, “For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness” (2 Sam 22:29). What a great promise. We can repeat this scripture to ourselves until we believe it and expect the Lord to shed light on any dark areas in our lives.

 

The lights in the warehouse came back on slowly. Sometimes it’s that way with things for us too—we want to understand; we need more light from Jesus on the subject; we pray about it and the truth comes to us slowly, a little at a time. At other times Jesus illuminates our circumstances like a flood light and everything becomes clear.

 

Lord, bring on the light in our relationships, our finances, our ability to follow You, our understanding of current events and end time events, our part in politics and community, and our many small or big choices in everyday life.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

VOLUME 2 OF BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE is being proofed now and should be out by Christmas 😊. Get your copy of Volume 1 today at https://www.amazon.com/BIBLE-LESSONS-NATURE-Carolyn-Molica/dp/B0BV4GC859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QACB0S8NH0BF&keywords=bible+lessons+from+nature&qid=1676485121&sprefix=%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1

 

DISAPPOINTMENT OR DECISION

DISAPPOINTMENT OR DECISION

Many of you know that I was very passionate about the midterm election in 2022. Well, it turned out that except in the case of a few judges, I was not with the majority on my voting. And every issue I voted down, the majority voted to pass through. So, what do I do? Pout? Get mad? Give up? Well maybe a little pouting, and some disappointment, but I definitely won’t give up. I truly believe God has this handled. So many times I’ve seen that God’s ultimate plan was, and still is much more far-reaching than my eyes could see. So, I trust and let Him do His job, and I get busy with His next assignment for me.

 

I’m getting better at being able to move ahead past disappointments. I can’t let discouragement get a toe-hold. It’s not healthy for my body or my soul.

 

God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Is. 55:8). Sometimes God lets us know His thoughts and His ways before a thing happens, but sometimes we don’t catch the understanding until a time afterward. It’s necessary to rely totally on faith and trust in Him. And He promises us that He always has our best in mind.

 

I learned a long time ago that the loss of anything or anyone requires a period of grieving, even if it is a very short time, we have to take an honest look at the loss and deal with it.

 

Grieving is a universal phenomenon. There’s plenty of studies on sorrow and grief, but there’s still much to be learned about how it works, how long it takes, and the effects it has. The one thing we do know is that it’s a process and it varies with situations and people.

 

We can see from the Bible different examples of the grieving process. Signs included tearing one’s robe, demonstrative weeping, putting dust and ashes into their hair, and/or shaving their hair or their beard. Other indications of sorrow included wearing black clothing, removing all jewelry, neglecting personal hygiene, and/or wearing sackcloth. Sackcloth was made of goat or camel hair and was coarse and very uncomfortable. The idea was to mourn life itself.

 

These were things that exhibited in ancient times, but the grieving process hasn’t really changed much over the years. Just one example I can think of is female friends who’ve done something to change the style or color of their hair after a divorce. I don’t know if it’s even a conscious decision or just part of the inward, inherent grief reaction. Many get depressed, angry or just want to isolate themselves from everyone, when they’ve lost something or someone.

 

In the Bible, the days of mourning varied. In the case of Jacob, it was 70 days (Gen. 50:3). In Saul’s case, only seven days (1 Sam. 31:13). In Moses’ time, the official period of grief was 30 days.

 

When Moses died, and the allowable 30 days was over, God told Joshua it was time for him to get up and get going. I think that a lot of times we need someone with insight to help us get going too, to wake us up out of our grief and get us to move on before the sorrow destroys us or makes us morose.

 

I know I needed a push when my dog Spike passed away. I was so sad I couldn’t see getting a new dog and had convinced myself that I couldn’t get one because of the cat. My friend Miki kept pestering me with pictures of rescue dogs that needed homes, and I kept pushing the idea away. Then my best friend Jane rescued a dog from the alley. We made two failed attempts at giving him away and finally got the message: “Keep the dog!” My time of grief was supposed to be over, and God was working through insightful people and a little lost dog, forcing me to move on.

 

When God pushed Joshua, it was a new thing for him. Moses was gone, and now he had the responsibility to lead God’s people. I’m sure it was a little intimidating. Any time we’re forced to embrace something new, after losing something or someone we loved, it’s hard. But we don’t have to do it alone. God told Joshua: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

 

When we lose our loved ones, or if we lose our homes, our jobs, or anything else, it’s okay to grieve those things. It’s good to recognize and face the loss head-on, then realize the loss has opened up an opportunity to seek and trust the Lord for what will be next.

 

In Isaiah 48:6 God promises He will show us new things, hidden things that we’ve never known before. “I have shown thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.”

 

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isa. 43:19). God will show us that there’s more good to come, so I’m ready and willing to believe and see.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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OH SO CLOSE

 OH SO CLOSE

The included picture is entitled “Three-feet-from-Gold.” How many times have we seen ourselves or others quit just before achieving the success we were after? Too many times we are tempted to give up on something we really wanted. But isn’t that part of the devil’s plan? John 10:10 tells us specifically: “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows] (John 10:10 AMP}.

 

The devil is a personal enemy who wants to steal, kill, or destroy any benefit God plans to give us. I found that out when I was getting to retire from the painters’ union. I knew I would have to do my part to get what I was owed, and they didn’t make it easy! I was on the phone for over an hour with an agent from the pension plan. I needed some paperwork that was delayed because of the coronavirus. The agent was super helpful, and after several tries, she got the packet sent in an attachment that I could download and print. I thought I was finished, but as I read the paperwork, I couldn’t find anything about the extra amount I was promised from working extra years beyond the normal age for retirement. I was bothered, but since I was exhausted, I wanted to wait until the next day to call back.

 

Jane could see that I wanted to quit, but she also knew I wouldn’t be able to let it go. I would be worried, irritated, and grumpy, and probably wouldn’t sleep well either thinking about it. And besides that, I couldn’t be assured of getting the same agent who had taken the time to help me, so Jane urged me to call them back right away. I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to quit, but I knew she was right, so I called, and in a matter of a few minutes, everything worked out great. What helped me to get to the prize? The words of a friend and bad experiences in the past from giving up too soon.

 

I found an interesting article about how and why people want to quit things right before success. The author talks about how culture has changed over the centuries, but our brains have not.

 

“Why we quit (often right at the tipping point of success)” by Jay Parekh

 

“Success doesn’t suddenly come barreling down on you all at once. Though it does tend to sneak up on you, without you noticing, if you’re putting in the work everyday.

 

That is exactly the hard part, because our brains tend to overestimate immediate rewards and underestimate rewards in the future.

 

Why is this?

 

Imagine the world when man first emerged. In this world dominated by predator and prey dynamics, man’s priority was the present moment. The hunter gatherer lifestyle fared much better when immediate rewards such as shelter, food, and sex were given priority.

 

Fast forward to our modern world, and most of our day to day activities are geared towards long term rewards. For example, we work at our jobs to get a paycheck at the end of the pay period, we exercise today so we can look better in the future, we invest today to prepare for retirement.”

 

Though we live in a world where actions that benefit us long term turn out to be more valuable than those that benefit us immediately (usually), our outdated brains still view the world as it always has.

 

The author goes on to say that because our brains tend to want the instant gratification still, the only way to do something about it is to re-train our brains. That’s what the Bible teaches us too.

 

When Moses died, Joshua had to lead the people of God. In the very first battle, God taught Joshua about the benefits of pushing all the way through to the end.

 

God told him how to take down Jericho and get what God intended for him and his people to have. But the way God told him to take the city was grueling. He and his whole army and all the men, women, and children too, had to march around the city for seven days, around and around, not saying a word, and then on the seventh day they had to march around seven times and then blow the trumpets and shout.

 

Don’t you think those people got tired going around and around for seven straight days? Just think of how their feet felt, for one thing. They had to get up at dawn every day too. The children probably were rowdy, and they were instructed not to say anything, so you can imagine what it must have been like for those poor parents. So many aches and pains. And never mind that it seemed like a pretty silly way to capture a whole city, right?

 

But Joshua led the people in God’s ways, and the people followed. They all pushed themselves to the very end, without quitting.

 

“And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

 

“And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, ‘Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.’

 

“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city” (Josh. 6:15-16,20).

 

When we get to the place where we feel like quitting on something we really want, and we’re pretty sure it’s the Lord’s will, let’s get determined, maybe get a trusted friend to honestly advise, then kick into high gear and make that extra effort to get to the end. God’s rewards are always worth it.

 

Love, Carolyn