The Story Chapter 25 / The Greatest Question of All Time

A BBC magazine answered the “101 greatest questions of all time.”[1]  What did they include?  Well, questions like “What is OK short for?”  Answer? “OK comes from ‘oll korrect’, a deliberately misspelled writing of ‘all correct.’ It was popularized in Boston newspapers around the 1840s when it was fashionable to go around spelling things incorrectly for humorous effect.”

The #1 “greatest question” was “Where is the safest place to stand outside in a thunderstorm?”  And, in case you must know the answer, it is “A car or other enclosed metal structure is the safest place to be in a thunderstorm.”

Jesus asked a question that should have been first on the list.  He and the disciples were in Caesarea Philippi.  Call it the shopping mall of religion.  It was located in a region known as Paneon, or the home of the Greek god Pan.  Once it had been a center of Baal worship.  A temple was located there dedicated to the godhead of Caesar.  And other temples of Syrian gods dotted the landscape.

Plenty of gods to choose from in Caesarea Philippi.  So Jesus asks his disciples this question: "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:29).   Oh, at first he asked them what others were saying about him.  The answers came back in rapid fire:  “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 

But Jesus was more concerned with their answer to his question, so he asked, “Who do you say I am?”  They all looked at this homeless carpenter and thought about that question.  We don’t know how long they thought before Peter replied, “You are the Christ.”

Who do you say he is?  Have you given it much thought?  Some say he was crazy, claiming to be God but just a man.  Some say he was just another liar, that he knew exactly what he was saying but was deviously misleading those around him. 

But there are those who have said, along with Peter, that Jesus is the Christ.  He is “God in the flesh.”  He is the King.  He is the Savior.  You may know where to stand in a thunderstorm.  And you may think your life is OK.  But this week, if you have not answered this question from Jesus, then go to your own Caesarea Philippi, and let him ask you, “Who do you say that I am?” 

Your answer will be the greatest one you will ever give.

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[1] “Greatest 101 questions of all time: 1-20” found at  www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/

4696372/Greatest-101-questions-of-all-time-1-20.html

The Story Chapter 24 / Breaking Free from the Kingdom of Me

Only 14.3 acres in total land mass, it is a small kingdom unto itself.  Located in three separate areas in the United States—part in Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Northern California—you can leave the United States and enter the Republic of Molossia.  It is considered to be a micro-nation . . .  a “nation within” our nation.

Molossia has its own flag, its own signs, and its own boundary markers.  It even has its own tourist attractions.  Kevin Baugh is the president, or Sovereign, over his own little kingdom.  His space program consists of model rockets.  The basic unit of currency in Molossia is the valora. The valora is linked in value to Pillsbury Cookie Dough.  Three valora has equal value to one tube of cookie dough.

There is a railroad—model sized.  The national sport is broom ball.  And although his nation is landlocked, he claims a navy that is merely an inflatable boat. You can visit anytime you like.  But—although it sounds fun—don’t think you can move there.  He says there is not enough room.  Kevin affectionately calls his nation “The Kingdom of Me.”

Don’t laugh too quickly.  We may not have gone to the same extremes as Kevin Baugh, but we mostly live our lives as if we are rulers of our own kingdoms.  What a surprise it is when we discover that we are living in a kingdom but it is not ours.

That’s the message of Jesus.  He came saying, “The time has come.  The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15).  Literally he says the kingdom is “at hand.”  It is that close.  All around us.  Within reach.

His kingdom is not as a nation with armies and weapons but as a farmer who comes with seed and the seed falls on soil (Mark 4:3-9).  Finding his kingdom is like finding a treasure in a field (Matt. 13:44).  And his kingdom is worry-free (Matt. 6:25-34).  Best of all, this kingdom has a king who is in control (Mark 4:35-39).  Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. . .” (28:18). Kings say things like that.  Unlike Molassia, if you want to enter and live in this kingdom, there is room for everyone.  That’s not the problem.  There is plenty of room in this kingdom for everyone. 

But you need to know that there is only room enough on the throne of this kingdom for one King.

The Story Chapter 23 / Your Identity is the Most Beautiful Thing There Is

Imagine living your life with a false identity.  That’s what happened to Francisco Madariaga Quintela.[1] Just over 30 years ago his mother Sylvia was kidnapped by Argentine security forces.  Her husband Abel last saw his pregnant wife being pushed into a Ford Falcon by army officers dressed as civilians as she walked to catch a train on January 17, 1977.

Sylvia was placed in one of the most notorious torture centers near Buenos Aires—Campo del Mayo.  Surviving prisoners later revealed that the baby was taken away after birth and Sylvia disappeared in a short time.  The baby was taken by a military intelligence officer and adopted as Alejandro Ramiro Gallo.  The adoptive father was eventually put in prison for murder.  When he was older, Alejandro’s adoptive mother told him the truth about himself. 

In the meantime his real father Abel had joined a group called The Grandmothers of the Plaza del Mayo—a group formed to help return children who had disappeared during the late ‘70’s to their parents.  One day Alejandro went to the group.  After DNA testing a match was found and a meeting with his father—Abel—was arranged. 

Alejandro, after learning his real name was Francisco Madariaga Quintela, said, “For the first time, I know who I was. Who I am. . . . Never again will I use this name. . . . To have your identity is the most beautiful thing there is.”

Maybe you need to know your identity today.  A strong sense of identity can take you through the toughest tests.  It did for Jesus.  Just after his baptism where his lineage was stamped with these words, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased,” Jesus endured tests in the wilderness.  Satan attacked his identity three times with the phrase, “If you are the Son of God . . .” Jesus knew who he was and he changed the world so that you can know who you are and have your world changed by your faith in him. 

During a news conference where Abel Madariaga told his story, we are told “his chest heaved” as he presented his own son to the world.  Like a proud papa, God has presented his one and only Son to the world.  He wants you to believe in him so that he can, with “chest heaving full of joy,” present you as his child too.  When Satan attacks you can stand firm.  And when you need it most, you will feel his hug in a spectacular way and know that you are home.

“To have your identity is the most beautiful thing there is.”

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[1] Argentine stolen at birth, now 32, learns identity by MICHAEL WARREN, Associated Press Writer Michael Warren, Associated Press Writer – Tue Feb 23, 7:34 pm ET at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_argentina_dirty_war_children

The Story Chapter 22 / When Jesus Comes Knocking

The knock came at the door of the inn.  It was late.  We can imagine the innkeeper had been burning both ends of the candle.  The census crowd had packed Bethlehem and he had finally locked the doors for the night.

Until the knock. 

He shuffled his feet through the dark and made his way to the door.  Opening it with the slightest of cracks he peered out to see a young couple.  Looking more closely he saw a young woman who was about to give birth to a child.  Rooms were full.  It was late.  And they didn’t look very special. 

He had to decide whether he would find room for them or not.

And you will too.  John’s rendition of the birth of Christ comes in a few short words: “The Word  [logos] became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).  Greek hearers understood the word “logos” as the representation of God. The essence of God was found in his Word. 

Hebrew readers perked up to John’s message too.  John writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”  He book ends the first sentence of his book with the phrase “in the beginning.”  They knew it as the words that began the first book of the Old Testament… Genesis. 

John writes about beginnings.  John writes about God’s very representation dwelling among us.  And he writes to tell us that we have the same decision to make as the innkeeper.  Will we find a place for Jesus in our lives or will we send him away? 

Some send him away because he looks too plain.  Nothing special about him.  Don’t make that mistake.  He comes to common places like your home and common places like your heart.

Some send him away because life is crowded.  Many demands and many deadlines.  And you’re not sure if you have room for him.  But he only comes to give you what he has already done.  He desires to give you forgiveness.

And some send him away because they think it’s too late.  They’ve already done too much that can’t be forgiven.  They’ve already gone too far away. 

But it’s never too late.  Not with the one who comes and makes his dwelling among us.  You need only to open the door.

The Story Chapter 18 / There Will Be a Day When You Feel Like You “Fit”

Sometime after Adam and Eve committed their world-changing act of disobedience in Garden of Eden, I can imagine Adam walking with his young sons Cain and Abel.  They happen to pass by the ruins of the Garden of Eden. One of the boys asked their father, “What’s that?” 

Adam replied, “Boys, that’s where your mother ate us out of house and home.”

A lot happens in Scripture following the time Adam and Eve took that bite of fruit that gave mankind perpetual indigestion.  As a result, they attempted the first cover up.  But since their leaf loincloths were not very practical, God sacrificed an animal to clothe them.  The pair was banished from the Garden and began life anew as exiles away from their homeland.

It wasn’t the only time God’s people lived as exiles.  They spent a few summers in Egypt.  Then more wandering in the wilderness of Sinai.  Later, the Babylonians captured the nation of Judah and deported its people to captivity. 

The first group deported included the young, elite men who would be trained as leaders.  In that group were Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Shadrach, and Azariah.  They were given the Babylonian names of Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.  (If you decide to give your child a Babylonian name, you might try “Intobedwego.”)

While in exile these young men lived powerful, purposeful, prayer-filled lives.  They remained on a diet that helped them find more energy than other workers.  They prayed to their God when they were told not to.  They were bold to do what was right regardless of the obstacles placed in their path.  And they made a difference. 

It may be difficult to put yourself in their shoes, but according to 1 Peter 2:11-12 those who follow God today are exiles too.  Peter writes: “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the Gentiles that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 

You may have days when you just don’t seem to “fit” in this world and that’s a good thing. It’s simply because as a child of God you don’t.  You were made to live with him.  Until we are home in heaven, you and I are exiles.  Until then, we have things to do.  We can add some good to this life so that others can get a glimpse of God.  We can make a difference.

According to Peter there will be a day God will “visit” us.  That’s when the exile will end.  And that’s when you and I will “fit.”

The Story Chapter 17 / Be Available for God’s Assignment for You

Sally Edwards is a highly esteemed third grade teacher at Jacksboro Elementary in Texas.[1]  She was preparing her students for the TAKS test and compiled an exam to prepare them for it.  There were twenty questions.  Number eleven on the test was this question: “List in any order the four seasons.”

A whopping 67% of her 3^rd grade students answered: “Dove season, deer season, duck season, and turkey season.” ¹

I don’t know what season of life you are in, but I do know this.  God has something for you to do.  He did for Jeremiah.  He told Jeremiah he had a work for him to do.  His assignment?  Stand in the rubble of Jerusalem and weep.  He was also told the people would not listen to him.

That was it.  And oddly enough, Jeremiah did it.  As the people of Judah were leaving Jerusalem in single file as captives, Jeremiah stood weeping and reminding them that God would bring them back with these words:  “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).

God had something for Jeremiah to do.  And he has something for you to do too.  In the New Testament book of Ephesians the apostle Paul writes to the church, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God created in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).

In God’s employment contract for us today, he does not ask us to be successful by the world’s standards but rather to be faithful to him to do good things.  God is not so much concerned about your ability as he is your availability.

Just like Jeremiah, God is calling you to play a role in his Grand Story.  It may be that this is your time to change the direction of your family. Turning from a focus on you alone to a concerning yourself with the things of God.  It may be that God is calling you to reach out to a neighbor.  Perhaps he is laying on your heart a ministry where there is a need you can’t even see at the moment.

 

Whatever season of life you are in God is calling you to make a difference.  And he is desiring to equip you to make that difference. Right now.  Today.  Are you available for his purposes?

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[1] Story told by Randy Frazee in The Story sermon, Chapter 17.

The Story Chapter 16 / Adopt a Revolutionary Motto for Your Life

In the early formation of our nation George Washington had the opportunity to become king of the burgeoning nation.  But given the young nation’s experience with England and because he had a robust prayer life he knew there was only one King, so he declined the offer. 

The people of the land apparently knew the same.  “In a 1774 report to King George, the Governor of Boston noted: ”If you ask an American, who is his master? He will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ.” The pre-war Colonial Committees of Correspondence soon made this the American motto: "No King but King Jesus."[1]

The story of God’s chosen people might have gone very differently had they chanted the same motto.  Instead, they wanted a king.  Over the period of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah there were thirty-eight kings.  Only five of them were good. Of the others a refrain heard throughout the Old Testament goes like this: “They did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”  

Prophets appeared exhorting the people to turn back to God. God spoke through one prophet—Isaiah—to tell the people of Judah that they would be captured and deported to Babylon but afterward he would bring them back home.  The purpose? “Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.  Then the whole human race will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:23).

In Isaiah 53 the prophet depicts the coming Messiah. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53: 2, 3).  God did not want the people to miss him.  But they did.  And still do.

Our nation would have gone a much different route had Washington agreed to be king.  But he seemed to know what many others didn’t.  When we displace God on the throne of our lives, the outcome will go horribly wrong.  But when we put God on the throne in our lives, we put ourselves in the best possible position for godly success. 

Maybe our American ancestors knew the best way to start a revolution.  Adopt the motto “No King but King Jesus” in your life.  See what changes that ignites in your life.

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[1] Idea from Randy Frazee’s sermon on The Story, Chapter 16. Reference from “Is America a Christian Nation?” CARL PEARLSTON http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/politics/pg0040.html

The Story Chapter 15 / Can You Hear Him Now?

Verizon Wireless created one of the most memorable marketing campaigns ever in 2005.  In their commercials a so-called ”test man,” accompanied by a crowd of network engineers, travels the country asking the simple question, “Can you hear me now?” in an ongoing exercise to determine the reliability of the mobile phone carrier’s network.

The “catch phrase” caught on.  The company’s market share went up and employee turnover went down.  It seemed people could relate to the struggle to connect.  Folks were tired of dropped calls and unreliable communication systems.  And Verizon sent a message that they wanted desperately to connect with its subscribers and wanted its subscribers to be able to connect with each other.

At the risk of selling Him short, God has done the same.  Even when the Kingdom had split in two, He kept sending His message.  He gave the people of the Divided Kingdom some 208 years to decide whether they would “accept” or “reject” His call.  He sent His own “technicians” to get the message out.  We call them “prophets.”

 

The job of the Verizon technician is unique.  But not nearly as unique as the task given Hosea.  Hosea, himself a prophet, appeared in a down time in the nation of Israel.  The reality is that people often hear best when things are at their worst.  So Hosea signed on with God. But God gave him a most unusual assignment.  Hosea’s life would be his message.  He was to marry a prostitute named Gomer and love her.  What an incredible request!  (Just imagine a young man with a seminary degree in hand trying to explain that one to a pastor search committee.) 

The tough assignment was made even more difficult as Gomer left Hosea.  She would conduct her ‘transactions’ with customers and all the time in her mind believing they were the ones supporting her.  In reality, though, it was Hosea who continued to care for her and provide for her necessities even during her times of unfaithfulness.

God tells Hosea to go and demonstrate his love for her, so he does.  Now picture this scene, as ugly as it is: Hosea pays some Hebrew “pimp” for some time with his wife, Gomer.  When she enters the room expecting her next customer, she comes face-to-face with her husband.  It is then that Hosea tells her again he loves her and wants her to come back home.

It’s the lived-out message that Hosea later gives in words.  And it’s the same message God sends today.  He loves us—even in our extreme unfaithfulness. And he wants us to come back home, even though we have abandoned him. But much like a call on your cell phone, you can hit the “accept” button or the “reject” button.  You have the power to send God to voicemail and make him wait.  Or you can answer his call today.  The people of Israel had 208 years to pick up and they never did.  The network is clear.  The message is reliable.  Can you hear him now?

The Story Chapter 14 / Pay Attention to the Ripple Effect

The decisions you make and the actions you take affect those around you.

Rehoboam learned that lesson the hard way.  Rehoboam followed his father Solomon to the throne of Israel.  Solomon had exacted harsh labor on the people.  A delegation, led by Jeroboam, went to the new king and asked him to take away the harshness.

In private, Rehoboam asked his elder council what he should do.  They advised that he become a servant to the people, lighten their load, and the people would always be faithful servants to the king.

His circle of younger friends gave him just the opposite advice.  They told him to work the people harder.  He liked that idea, told the delegation his plans, and wound up with a divided kingdom.

At one time or another all of us are impacted by someone else’s decisions or actions.  When we suffer the negative consequences of another’s wrongheaded decision, God can redeem the situation.  Although Rehoboam wound up ruling only two tribes—Judah and Benjamin (as opposed to Jeroboam’s rule over ten tribes)—it was through Judah that Jesus came to us.  God can work, and often does what seems to us as his best work, in situations that seem the most difficult.

We should always consider how our decisions and actions affect those around us.  In “systems thinking” it is said that “you are the highest leverage point in any system you are in.”  More simply stated, you can make a difference. You are more “powerful” than you think you are––no matter your station in life.

Clint Eastwood’s film Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s use of the South African rugby team to help heal a nation divided by apartheid.  In one scene of the movie he explains to a team member, “Reconciliation starts here.  Forgiveness starts here.”  He knew his actions would have a ripple effect on those around him.  Eventually the blessing of that “ripple” washed across the nation.

Rehoboam made a bad decision, but it was really his father Solomon’s actions that divided the kingdom.  He forsook the one true God and chased after other “gods,” he neglected to serve the people and instead forced them to work harder, and he was focused on himself, as reflected in his accumulation of wives, gold, and horses in direct disobedience to God’s counsel.  His son Rehoboam was merely living out consequence of those decisions and actions.

Learn from Solomon’s mistake.  Love God first.  Love others second.  And serve those that do not yet know God.  You will be surprised to see how far your ripple will travel.

The Story Chapter 13 / Don’t Forget to Wish For the Best

A Minister tells the following story:

Over a recent Thanksgiving holiday I did my version of Black Friday shopping.  I slept in, had breakfast, took a shower, and then met up with my wife and son who had left the house before 6:30 a.m.  I was rested, fresh, and full of energy.  After facing the frantic shoppers all morning they . . . well, they didn’t look so good. 

At one point of the mall madness I was leaving Sears and saw it.  Right there in front of me.  A Sears Wish Book.  I hadn’t seen one in years and it brought back some memories. 

The first Sears Wish Book was printed in 1933.  (I don’t remember that. I looked it up.)  Over time it has diminished in size and was even discontinued at one point.  It was revived in 2007, but the one I saw was nothing in size compared to the books I remember from my youth.  Children today don’t really need one.  They have the Internet and their high tech toys to cruise the information highway to identify their holiday “wants.”  But “back in the day” the Sears Wish Book helped us answer the seasonal question: “If you could have anything for Christmas, what would you ask for?” 

Every year my brother and I would look through the catalogue and either dog-ear a page or circle our choices in pen.  We didn’t want Santa to miss our requests. 

You may not need the Sears Wish Book today, but you have some wishes too, don’t you?  Next Christmas how would you answer the question, “If you could have one thing in the world, what would it be?” 

Solomon had to answer that one.  He asked for wisdom.  And God gave it to him.  But by the end of his life he had accumulated more and more: more gold, more horses, more wives.  He had it all and wanted more.  In the midst of all these gifts he lost sight of the Giver.  He turned away from God and lost it all. 

Another King gave us another path to follow.  He had it all and gave it all . . . for us.  In the Christmas season, or any season for that matter, you can guard yourself from the tyranny of too much stuff by giving.  Simply give so that others can simply live.   That’s what the King born as a baby in the manger did. 

And my wish?  That you visit the manger and find Him.

The Story Chapter 12 / What to Do With Your “Third Week of March”

When Pope John Paul died, a man named Rogers Cadenhead quickly registered the web address www.BenedictXVI.com, thinking this might be the name chosen by the new pope.  When Cardinal Ratzinger was elected Pope, he did choose the name Pope Benedict XVI, causing some to question what the Vatican would do to get the rights to that domain name.

Cadenhead didn’t ask the Vatican for money.  Instead, in a humorous manner on his blog he suggested a few things he would trade for:

1. Three days, two nights at the Vatican hotel.
2. One of those hats (referring to the bishop’s hat).
3. Complete absolution, no questions asked, for the third week of March 1987. [1]

Wonder what Rogers did the third week of March in 1987?  Me too, but does it really matter?! Most of us have at least a week for which we’d love to have total forgiveness. 

We discover in The Story that David did.  One day when the army is at war, David, who is the commander-in-chief of the nation’s military, neglects his duties and stays behind.  He sees Bathsheba, seduces her, gets her pregnant, murders her husband, and tries to cover up his actions by deceiving his general and soldiers.  Then he marries Bathsheba and she bears their child.

It looks as if David will get away with all of this.  But he doesn’t.  God sends his prophet Nathan to confront David by telling him a story about a poor man with one lamb.  David knows something about sheep and shepherds, so he listens.  Nathan says that the poor man has a rich neighbor who needs to slaughter a lamb to feed a guest, but instead of taking one of his many sheep he steals the poor’s man’s one lamb. 

David is incensed and says that man should be put to death.  Nathan then declares, “You are the man!”  At that moment David must have wished he had bought a domain name that he could swap for absolution.  He may have wanted to make excuses.  Explain things away.  Blame it on Bathsheba for taking a bath in broad daylight where he could see.  But instead of making excuses, David confesses. “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). 

And God did with David’s sin what he will do with yours and mine.  He put it away (Psalm 103:12-13).

You can do what David did.  Whatever your “third week of March” might be, sit down with it, yourself and God.  Confess your sin.  And then let another shepherd from Bethlehem forgive it.  That’s better than any domain name you might secure.

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[1] http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/American_who_owns_BenedictXVI.com_wants_%22one_of_those_hats%22

Naomi & Hannah

Romans 15:4 tells us For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 
So on Wednesday nights, I have the great privilege of studying the women of The Story with a great group of girlfriends to gain instruction, encouragement and hope. We have learned from Eve, Sarah, Zipporah, Miriam, Deborah, Naomi and, most recently, Hannah and Michal. We are examining these lower stories that are part of God's upper story and very often finding bits of our own stories.
They have all been rich studies but Naomi and Hannah have really gotten to me. Both are women of faith with great struggles. But they have very different attitudes toward the Lord.
Naomi's story is one of loss. She loses her home to famine, her husband and sons to death and her new home to hopelessness. She is angry, distraught and bitter. So bitter, in fact, that she wears the word as her name...Mara. What is so interesting is that she understands how sovereign the Lord is. She knows He is the giver of good gifts because she prays them over her daughters-in-law when sending them home. In the next breath, she shows she knows everything passes through His hand when she says the Lord's hand has turned against me (Ruth 1:13). She blames the Lord for her loss. She says He has afflicted her. Naomi also knows God's character. In the second chapter of Ruth, she says He has always been kind. This fascinates me because it is the only good thing Naomi has to say about God. I am shocked because something else we see about God in Naomi's story is His faithfulness. The Lord redeems her loss in abundance. He gives her so much, and she remains silent. The people around her praise God for His faithfulness to Naomi...but she never does.
Hannah's story is also full of sorrow. Hannah is barren and has been for years. She is dearly loved and favored by her husband but viciously taunted by her rival. Year after year, she travels to worship God in the tabernacle. Year after year, she prays for a child. Her prayer comes from the depths of her broken heart. When Eli questions her thinking she is drunk she says No, my lord. I am a woman with a broken heart...I've been pouring my heart before the Lord...I've been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment. (1 Sam. 1:15-16) Such honesty. Scripture tells us she is deeply hurt...Mara. After her time of prayer, she feels some relief. Scripture says she was no longer despondent. My favorite part of Hannah's story is that she woke up the next morning and went to worship the Lord again. Hannah worshiped a God who is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who's spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18) Our faithful God answers Hannah's long standing prayer request in a stunningly beautiful way with Samuel. 
What I love about Hannah's story is that BEFORE her prayers are answered she worships. Such a stark contrast to Naomi who we never see worshiping much less in her pain. Hannah offers her broken heart to the Lord worshiping the One who binds up the brokenhearted (Psalm 147, Isaiah 61).

When I am a woman with a broken heart...I've been pouring my heart before the Lord...I've been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment. Do I still rise to worship? When your heart is broken, do you trust it to the Lord? Praising Him before He answers...or when His answer is for your good but not what you wanted? In your Mara, will you let Him heal you?
I pray I am like Hannah.

Kelly Borst

The Story Chapter 11 / Facing Your Giants When You Feel Small

Imagine the scene: a scrawny sixteen year old shepherd boy takes out a 9’9” tall giant with one rock and a sling.

You may not have a gigantic giant taunting you to come out and fight.  But you are probably facing a few giants of your own.  Giants like the stack of past-due bills glaring at you.  Like the divorce papers waiting on your signature.  Or the depression that looms over you like the Hulk.  It could be low self-esteem or insecurity or child abuse in your past.  But you have your giants.  And so do I.  And we would do well to learn from David.

He could face his “giant” because he had spent time in the quiet with God.  When he arrived at the place of the standoff between the Israelites and the Philistines, he talked about God.  He told Saul that “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1Sam.17:37). He did not hesitate to confront Goliath, saying he came “in the name of the Lord of host, the God of the armies of Israel.” 

David was God-focused instead of giant-focused.  He mentions Goliath two times and God nine times.  He knew the giant was there and recognized his presence.  But his thoughts were twice as much on God. 

That focus led him to confront his giant rather than run away.  For forty days Goliath continued to challenge Israel’s army.  And for forty days everyone hoped he would just go away.  But giants don’t typically go away until we face them.  So David stepped into the gap and slung one well-aimed stone at him.

It helps to have someone in your corner that believes in you.  David had his Jonathan.  You need yours.  You need at least one person who believes in you and that also believes in God.  Someone who can encourage your faith—give you courage—when you most need it.

And you will need it.  Because after you slay one giant, there will be more.  You may wonder why David picked up five stones from the river bed.  Was he afraid he might miss?  Not likely.  He was skilled in his use of the sling.

2 Samuel 21:18-22 hints that Goliath may have had four brothers.  David was ready.  He could take on one giant.  You might say knew how to get a head of his giant.  And then he was ready for more.

And you can too.  Just follow the shepherd from Bethlehem.

The Story Chapter 10 / Giving an Undistorted View of God

Ever since Peter Stuyvesant visited the Palace of Versailles the world has had a distorted view of itself.  Peter was the governor of New Amsterdam—later to be renamed New York City—beginning in 1647.  He was visiting France to discuss colonial land agreements.  While at Versailles he was awed by the Hall of Mirrors.  Peter was determined to bring a similarly amazing showcase to his city.  In 1651 he founded the Peter Stuyvesant's House of Mirrors.  He charged one Dutch gulden for admission.  This house of mirrors eventually morphed into what we know as a Fun House of Mirrors seen at many carnivals.  For a few tickets the fun begins by walking into a maze of mirrors, both convex and concave. We amuse ourselves by looking at distorted images of our figure. 

Today you don’t even have to go to the carnival for this experience.  A laptop with a webcam and a silly photo feature will allow you to take a picture of yourself that you can manipulate to look odd.  It’s all fun.  But sometimes distorted pictures can cause trouble. 

It did in Israel during the time of the prophet Samuel.  One of the major distortions was found at the Tabernacle, that portable place of praise for God’s people.  It was parked at Shiloh and was meant to be a clear picture of God’s holiness and grace.  A system of sacrifices had been established that foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of the Messiah.  Yet anything but holiness was found there.

Eli the priest had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who dishonored God in their treatment of the sacrifices and also engaged in immoral sexual activity with women at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:16, 22).  Because the picture of God they were giving was distorted, these two were killed in battle against the Philistines.  When news of their death reached Eli, he fell over in his chair, broke his neck, and also died.

            A dad shared this story: Once when my son Kris was three years old we were reading a bedtime Bible story.  He asked, “Daddy, what does God look like?”  Having no idea how to answer I resorted to a good teaching technique.  I threw the question back at him.

“You tell me.” 

He thought for a moment and then said, “He looks like you Daddy.”

Talk about a sobering moment!

Just like Eli and his sons we are representatives of God.  We represent Jesus to others.  You may have heard it said that you may be the only Bible those around you will ever ‘read.’  The question is, “Are you giving a clear or distorted picture of the One True God?”