Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
I’ve decided to go back through the Psalms again for awhile. Some are challenging, some are exhorting, and then some are peaceful. Psalm 4 is one of those psalms. This verse in particular touches me whenever I read it.
There are times in life when everything seems to be at odds with each other. I am in one of those times right now. My health requires me to maintain a low-stress lifestyle in order to heal, but the realities of bills, rent and groceries mean that I need to be out where daily interaction is mid-to-high stress instead. But there is something to be said for taking time to just “be” in God’s presence. I find that taking that time gives me a measure of peace I won’t find anywhere else.
The singer inside me even has trouble with crashing music now, more than in the past. I spent over half an hour last night building a list of instrumental worship on Grooveshark. Some of the music found is stuff I have on cassette tape and haven’t been able to listen to since losing my last tape player. There are 41 songs on that list now. If you wish to take a listen and a few minutes to spend in God’s presence unhurried by life around you, take a listen here: http://grooveshark.com/playlist/Quiet+Worship/92125645
Today’s note isn’t long, but in a world where healthy stress levels are routinely giving way to unhealthy stress levels, the concept of taking time aside to slow down in God’s presence is more needful than ever before.
Take a moment to just “be”, to just listen, to rest in God’s presence today.
Those who have read my series, will remember me saying that when God speaks once, we should be sure to listen. When He speaks twice, we better sit up and take notice! But when He speaks three times, we better be taking what He says to heart and acting on it! The following verses appeared on my Facebook author page Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday’s verses are shared first in this list, as leaving them in this order revealed a thought I wish to share at this time. Without getting hung up on translation, reference, or provided links if any, I invite my reader to read through the following verses without stopping.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV) http://bg4.me/1byUU1B
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. ~ Isaiah 41:10-13
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8&9
The message I received as I read these verses this morning, was that tough times are coming, but I am not to be afraid of those times, nor afraid of those who might bring the tough times, but my trust is to be in God. My Lord and Saviour is my Protector, my Saviour, the source of my strength. I gain that strength by spending time in His presence, by choosing to draw near to God with a pure heart. However, I am to let go of those things that have stained my hands, I am to come before God seeking His cleansing and washing, because I cannot wash myself. God asks me to be single-minded, to be focussed on Him first and foremost even as the waves of life rise around me.
My life has not been easy the last several months in particular, nor has it been easy the entire time I’ve been a single parent. But these verses are not looking at what has been. They are not looking at the challenges I have come through. They are speaking of the present and of the future. As we look at the world stage, with shaky economics, threatened food sources both by companies and by changing climates; when we look at the touchy nature of various national governments, when we see the spiritual climate growing darker in many regions of the world, it can be tempting to grow fearful, crawl into a hole and not come out. But that isn’t what God has called the Bride of Christ to be doing. He is calling to Her, calling to His Church, calling to His Children to crawl out of their holes, put on the whole Armour of God which is putting on Jesus Christ Himself, and calling Her to go out into the world to make a difference, to stand up for what is right and to shine the Light of the Gospel. Christ said this would result in persecution, offense, and even death. If you’ve ever marvelled at the resolve of the martyrs of old, they took such verses as those shared above, to heart. Their focus was not on their attackers, their captors, or their executioners. Their focus was on the One Who stood waiting for them to come home as He stood to welcome home Stephen in the book of Acts.
But not all of us will die. Not all of us will come against such fatal opposition. Instead, many of us will face a more sinister and less visible form of persecution; that of character assassination, refusal in being hired for jobs, character defamation, smearing of reputations, etc. This is the western style of persecution, and it is particularly effective because we as a Church have given in to “fear of man” and in fact have used the tolerance ruse as a means to justify this fear. It is not politically correct to stand up for what is right and true in a society that is hell-bent on ensuring such a level of relativism that confusion is reigning more and more in the minds of youth and young adults to the point that anarchy is better than going with the establishment. It is into this fray that God calls His Church to raise up the standard of the Scriptures yet again. It is not popular and will raise hackles, but we are not to be afraid of those who can kill the body. Instead we must give answer for our lives to the One who can kill the soul too. When we stand before God, He will want to hear how we used our lives for His glory, how we used our time for His cause, and will we risk the sadness and disappointment on His face by saying we ran and hid as the unwise servant did in Christ’s parables? Or will we instead hear those coveted words, “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy reward!”
But for all these challenges, there is comfort offered too. When we draw near to God, when we become single-minded toward Him, when we allow Him to be our strength and protection, there is a sense of security, safety, warmth and intimacy that no human relationship can touch! There is a peace that doesn’t make sense to those around us, and it comes from that close relationship with the Lover of our soul.
So reach up your hand and let God take it. Let Him envelope you in His protective love, and in that love, lead you out into a world that needs you.
Since choosing to begin working as a freelancer back in mid-August and signing up for the email newsletter from freedomwithwriting.com, I have begun trying out various writing sites online. The results have been interesting to say the least. Some of the sites work on an assignment basis where you get to pick what you write and submit it before the deadline. Others work on an assignment basis where the site assigns writing tasks to you. I have yet to hear from those in almost three months. Then there are those where you earn what is called “residual income”. This is income generated by ad programs you sign up for at the site. You write whatever you wish, be creative with the various ways the site lets you present your writing, then either wait for people to stop by, find you in the search engine, or you tell all your friends to come visit. Of these sites so far, iWrite and Textbroker.co.uk are paying me regularly via their assignment based system where I pick what I write within assigned deadlines. The residual sites I signed up for are a mixed bag.
The most successful so far is Hubpages.com: http://hubpages.com/profile/Marilynn+Dawson While this site won’t pay you till your account reaches $50.00, I am earning anywhere from $.03 to $.25 per day with 32 hubs written so far.
The next one in line is Squidoo.com: http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/songdove. I’ve got six lenses here, and on average tend to earn anywhere from $.30 to $.45 per month. They can let you cash out with as little as a $1 however, so I am getting close to that first deposit.
The last residual income site is Wikinuts.com: http://www.wikinut.com/author~qmqjlo/Marilynn-Dawson/ This one pays in Euros, which, in itself shouldn’t be a bad thing, especially for a Canadian. The exchange rate is decidedly in my favour. But the pay is the lowest of the three sites at maybe $.12 for the month if stats remain constant. They break their pay down into $.000 places, and it takes almost 1000 views just to break a penny.
Realizing this, I’ve placed my research for my next book on Hubpages, introductions to my books on Squidoo, and rejected assignments on Wikinuts whenever possible.
I am unsure why Contently and Skyword have never sent me anything. Scribd’s application process didn’t like me very much, and DemandMedia Studios is taking awhile to confirm my applications there too. oDesk is a challenge to find appropriate jobs for a new user of the site, and DoNanza, while great at scouring the ‘net for writing jobs, has yet to land me a task.
It is my desire however, inspite of this, to become a full-time freelance writer. If you know of sites accepting freelancers, let me know.
Canada’s Thanksgiving celebration comes a full month earlier than the US version. I have to admit that I don’t envy my US friends when they go from one celebration with no time to take a breath before having to prepare for another one. This year it wasn’t me cooking the dinner, it was my Aunt. She treated us to burnt ham which tasted quite good! No cook worth their salt appreciates burning the food, but there we all were, cheerfully nibbling away at burnt edges while she apologized up a storm. Honestly, I think burnt ham tastes better than store-bought beef jerky. . . But the food really isn’t the focus of the meal anyway. Thanksgiving is a time for. . . well. . . thanksgiving. To put it another way, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, to count our blessings, and to give God a very rare gift in today’s society. . . the gift of gratitude. Too many of us go through life without showing much appreciation for what God is so busy doing on our behalf every day. To just stop and show some gratitude totally means the world to God! Scripture says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise is different from worship in that it involves the showering of appreciation over someone for what they have done. Praise is the declaring to others how pleased, amazed, thankful, etc., that we are for someone’s achievement or effort. So when we praise God, we are showing amazement, appreciation, gratitude, and exultation over what He has and continues to do for us. Our praise shouldn’t stop there however. God showed me in very plain language one day, that I was so focused on what He was doing, that I wasn’t looking at His face! The revelation actually hurt! Here I was, thinking I was being thankful and showing God gratitude and appreciation for all His efforts in my family life, when God wanted me to look Him in the face and appreciate Him for who He is! I had to stop and back up a moment. . . While it isn’t wrong to appreciate God’s efforts in our lives, and while it’s true we don’t show God a heart of gratitude often enough, it is terribly wrong if that’s all He ever gets from us. God longs for relationship with His prize creation! Relationship means spending time together, intimate time together getting to know each other and the deepest reaches of how the other person ticks. God longs for that with us, the body of Christ, the Church. It isn’t so that God gets to know us in ever-deepening levels. He knows all there is to know about us, foibles and all. This relational time together is that we can get to know God in ever increasing measure, learn how He ticks, learn how He thinks, learn how He does things and why, etc. Relationship requires being completely open to the other person, a position of vulnerability that can cause previously hurt people to feel threatened and exposed. But as God showed me several years ago, this vulnerability toward God is necessary for God to bring healing, wholeness, and security in His arms. So as I do my weekly post a day late, these are the thoughts coming to mind. As we show God our appreciation, let us not forget to appreciate Him for who He is, not merely for all He’s done. He’s done much, but none of it would have been done if not for who He is, the character He has, and the incredible love and justice that together with wisdom and mercy, keep us on the path we should walk. So here’s a happy Belated Canadian Happy Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for?
It’s Monday again already! Where on earth did that last week go?! I know where part of it went. I spent the entire week fighting a cold that eventually settled into my lungs. I’m still coughing a full week later and the asthma isn’t appreciating it.
Having said that, I made progress on my next book last week. While I haven’t received any new international stories of what modesty looks like in other countries, I have begun proofing and editing. The cover art is getting rave reviews so far, which is awesome! As of last night, I’ve begun editing the graphics that will go into the new book.
October is the month of Thanksgiving here in Canada, and we celebrate next weekend. I am thankful for God’s provision around this home, for supportive friends I have never met face to face, thankful that while this cold has been tough to beat, that it’s the first cold in who-knows-how-long since the last time I had one.
There isn’t alot to share today in this particular rambling. I have a new guide to pray over, to see what I can write that can be marketed to various publications for freelance efforts. God has blessed me with writing opportunities at two sites and now the need is there to expand.
I am in need of low-stress income due to different health issues not discussed here. So pray for this author, that God will provide before medical income sources disappear by the end of the month.
What does a Roman Soldier, a Yemeni headdress, and the Bride of Christ have in common? Do gems, silk and honey have something to say together? What if the message of eternity was found in antiquity?
Introducing, “Dressed for Eternity”, the latest book by Author Marilynn Dawson. Through practical research into down-to-earth materials, history and workmanship, Marilynn draws some interesting parallels to character God longs to see in the Bride of Christ. Join her as she makes forays into Egypt, Yemen, Canaan, Rome and ultimately, the New Jerusalem. Learn how God adorns His Bride, and the practical, everyday applications to life lived before God and the world.
If false teachers are spots, then the false teachings they spread are the wrinkles. Wrinkles occur naturally in two different circumstances:
1) Wrinkles occur in clothing if they have been bunched up and tossed in a corner. They occur naturally in clothing that goes through the dryer coming out wrinkled and needing ironing.
2) Wrinkles can occur on skin along with folds if a person is over-weight. They also occur as a person ages, when the elasticity and firmness of their skin fades and sinks. The skin develops wrinkles as it folds in on itself in this process.
If we apply these naturally-occurring situations to life for the Bride of Christ, we see a couple areas that can be prone to wrinkles. The first is that of adding to Scripture, and the second is removing things from the Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
There have always been people throughout history who have added to the Word of God. Christ got after the Pharisees for how they handled the Law. They had added so many of their own rules and regulations that the concept of maintaining the Law for one’s self was deemed darn near impossible to all but the trained clergy.
Mark 7:6-9 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Adding to Scripture as the Pharisees did, would say that we know better than God. We are saying that He gave us the skeleton but left us to flesh it out. This flies in the face of Scripture when it says:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
We see examples of this kind of behaviour within some denominations to this day, as they add to the commands of Scripture to fit with their liturgical ideas. This concept was rampant during the Dark Ages and earned the Medieval time period that title for that very reason.
The Bride of Christ needs to be wary of people who come claiming a new doctrine, a new Gospel, etc. Such “new ideas” become rolls of fat on her body and wrinkles in her robes.
It’s been an interesting past few days to say the least. Two themes over the past week have kept reverberating: Trees, love shown through obedience, and brokenness. I guess that makes three themes. But they have, in various ways, intertwined with each other as tends to be the case when God is showing me things.
This morning’s devotional reading in the first half of John 15 intertwined them yet again. We as human beings, are unable to show God we love Him unless we choose to show it through our obedience to the precepts and commands of His Word. This is reiterated in Psalm 1. The person that meditates and delights in God’s Word is likened to a tree by a stream, whose leaves never wither and whose fruit is always present. Christ says in John 15, that His Words must remain in us, that apart from Him, we can’t do a single meaningful thing for Eternity, but that if we choose to abide in Him, and His Words in us, that we will bear much fruit.
Contrast this now to a thought that was presented Sunday morning by my pastor. Actually it was first presented by Pastor Rick Warren in a TV interview with Piers Morgan this past week. Now let me say from the beginning that I am not a fan of many things Rick has said over the years. My initial and continued impression of his best seller, “Purpose Driven Life” is one of bothered concern. Yes there are some good teachings in that book, but yes there are also some very narcissistic thoughts in there too. At times the book is far too “me-centered” for me to be comfortable with it. So I’m not a raving fan by any means. But he did say something in an interview about how he and his wife are handling the suicide death of their son, that caught my attention. “I’d like to think that even a broken tree can bear fruit”. This was voiced due to his son having brought people to Christ and helping many others while he himself struggled with mental illness before his death.
God has spoken to me in the past about the fact that He uses broken vessels. The banner I printed out in 2007 is still on my monitor to this day, and it says, “The Water of Life flows through broken vessels”. It is only in our brokenness that the Holy Spirit can have the freedom He needs to live through us to the world around us. A whole person tends to be a prideful person and one who feels they can do anything they put their mind to. While they may indeed be resourceful and capable, they can get in the way of God’s purposes for them simply by thinking they have it all together. A broken person doesn’t make such lofty aspirations and is in a more humble position to allow the Holy Spirit free reign in their life.
Many of us are like the broken trees. We have spent time in God’s Word, we have meditated on His ways, but life has not been kind and branches have been broken. But for this author at least, imagine the surprise when looking back over those difficult times and still seeing fruit for the Kingdom being produced!!! God uses us in the difficult times, in the black times, and in those times when we expect to look back and see nothing but struggle and poor judgement. Such hindsight always fills me with wonder and amazement.
But look at the ancient gnarled tree. Look at it’s trunk and the large thick branches. What do you see? Do you see huge gapping scars where other branches were once attached? Do you see growth angles that seem unnatural because of suffering through too many wind storms? But look again. Look at it’s twisted, mishapen form again. What it is about that old gnarled tree that makes it so beautiful? Is it not precisely those things that happened to it over the years? Does it not speak of perseverance, of strength, of trials and triumphs? That tree has lived through much. It has suffered through storms and those storms have ripped off branches and caused it to seemingly bend out of shape. But here it stands, thick, strong, and still providing shade to children who play at it’s feet in the summertime.
May I grow to be like that tree. Maybe my shape is twisted, a few branches lost leaving gaping scars. But look at the storms God has brought me through. . . and my life isn’t over yet. There is more of life yet to be lived. But no matter what life throws at me, may I always be found with my tap root down deep into God’s Word, sustaining me through the winds and trials of life, that I may stand strong in the face of adversity.
So I’ve started on my next project, and have a fair bit of research done for it now since half way through August. It doesn’t have a title yet, but there are a few contenders.
The concept is: How does God adorn His Bride in Scripture? Based on this premise, the foundations of the New Jerusalem are explored in relation to their counterparts on Aaron’s Breastplate. Brida attire mentioned in Ezekiel is explored, and discussions will look at a passage in Isaiah as well. All of this will wrap up in a final discussion of how Christ wants to present Himself a Bride without spot or wrinkle, and from there to a discussion on modesty.
This is a series of thoughts that have been running around my head ever since I began writing “Becoming the Bride of Christ: A Personal Journey”. At various points along that writing journey, I would come across a verse here or there where God clothed Jerusalem, or clothed Israel, and it would pique my curiousity. It is finally time to delve into the answer to that question.
Research on the 12 Stones of Aaron’s Breastplate and the 12 Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem, led to some interesting perspective challenges that I look forward to exploring more deeply as I get to writing the actual book. Surprises showed up in my research of Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire as well, specifically in a few verses of Song of Solomon.
There are a few more pieces of research to engage in, but now they will be engaged in as I begin the writing process.
I invite my readers to join the initial exploration by visiting me over at hubpages.com where these initial research discussions take place.
The 12 Stones of Aaron’s Breastplate:
Aaron’s Breastplate, The New Jerusalem and the Bride of Christ
Sardis – The First Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Topaz or Peridot – The Second Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Chrysoprase – The Third Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Anthrax(Garnet) or Jacynth – The Fourth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Sapphire – The Fifth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Jasper – The Sixth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Ligure – The Seventh Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Agate or Emerald – The Eighth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Amethyst – The Ninth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Chrysoberyl (Chrysolite) – The Tenth Stone in Aaron’s Breastplate
Beryl (or is it Onyx or Diamond?)- The Eleventh Stone of Aaron’s Breastplate
Onyx – The Twelfth Stone of Aaron’s Breastplate
Last Two Items in the New Jerusalem:
Pearl – The Gates of the New Jerusalem
Gold – The Streets of the New Jerusalem
Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire:
Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire – an Introduction
‘Broidered Work – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Badger Skin – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Linen – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Silk – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Ornaments – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Silver Bracelets – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Chains – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Forehead Jewels or Nose Jewels – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Earrings – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Crown – Ancient Jewish Bridal Attire
Food Fit for the Bride of Christ:
Fine Flour – Food fit for the Bride of Christ
Olive Oil – Food Fit for the Bride of Christ
Honey – Food Fit for the Bride of Christ
If you enjoy this research, then you can look forward to the book. When it comes out, all Scriptures alluded to in the links above will not only be mentioned, but often contain further discussion on the subject. In addition, many of the public domain images may make their way into the book as well, at least that is my hope and desire.
If you enjoy the links above, feel free to leave feedback using the rating system near my copyright line at the end of each discussion. Feel free as well to share these links with others.
Once this book is written, there is a strong possibility of a workbook going along with it, and both will be available on Amazon once completed.
Morning devotions took me to Proverbs Chapter 9 today. Every now and then it’s nice to return to the book that started me on my personal devotional journey as a teenager, the book of Proverbs. It has exactly 31 chapters, which makes it easy to remember where you should be reading next. Just look at the date on the calendar and flip to that chapter. This book is chock full of wise and sage advice for everyday living! So today’s date on the calendar is the 9th, and I was reading chapter 9.
Chapter 9 opens with the writer personifying Wisdom. It closes with the writer contrasting with another kind of woman. Both are crying out to travellers in the gate. Both are making claims that their home is built and their table is ready. But that is the last of their common ground.
Wisdom encourages us to enter, to partake of her food and wine to learn understanding and become wise, gaining the insight we need to make wise choices in our day to day lives. The “other woman” at the end of this chapter, has no other cause than to waylay the passerby and lead them to their deaths. The simple remain simple at her table, and with no guide, teacher, or wisdom, they die. They don’t learn to make wise choices in everyday life.
These two contrasts face us every day of our lives. We have the choice to learn wisdom and act it out, and we have the choice to turn a blind eye and make choices that could damn us to hell in our sin. These two contrasts are very much like the two voices others like to talk about. One voice leads to apparent ease while the other voice leads to apparent hard work. However if those voices are analyzed, the hardworking choices are the choices that will take a person far, while the easy choices will shorten their earthly lives considerably.
We face these choices in our physical health, our spiritual lives, our families, our jobs, and even how we spend our leisure time. Whose voice are you listening to today? The voice of wisdom, or the voice of the simpleton?
