Shadow and Image

Heb 10:1a  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things.

Shadows don't tell you much about the object throwing the shadow.  Depending on distance from and the angle of the light, it can be either small or big.  The shadow blends into the surroundings at dusk and at night.  As for what the object looks like, you can't usually tell its parts.

The Bible says the law is a shadow of heavenly things.  The law tells us right from wrong, but it does not tell what to do in a specific situation where there are many choices.  The law talks about praise offerings, but it doesn't tell us what songs we'll be singing in heaven.

What we do see is like a painting by an artist.  In a landscape, features are left out because the land is just too big to include everything.  The tree in the painting may be just a brush stroke, but it isn't the exact image of leaves.

Just as the picture is not the exact image of the land, the law is not the exact image of what it is like in heaven.  Jesus added some details when he said to love our enemies and the thought of lust is the same as doing it.

We are only getting a glimpse into the plan God has for us.  When we see answered prayer (especially several at one time), we are getting a peek into God's will in heaven.

What To Do With Frustration

1 Tim. 2:8 "without wrath and doubting" (KJV)

Lately it seems like I've been frustrated a lot.  We need a second car and the ones we have looked at were several thousand dollars with over 100,000 miles.  We have a water leak we couldn't find and we couldn't get a plumber to call us back or come out for an estimate.   My daughter's a mechanic and she got frustrated at trying to put on four springs all at once for the brakes.  She had to walk away from it for a time.

Anger easily follows. Are car dealers being greedy? Are plumbers jerks because they won't call back? Was someone overpaid because they couldn't design it better?

We have been praying for these things for a long time and it seems things are not getting better. It is very easy at these times to think of God as being unfaithful.  There are plenty of people in the Bible that were frustrated too.  Abraham "staggered not" in his faith for a child. (Heb 4:20, KJV).  Hannah, Samuel's mother, was frustrated by being barren, which in turn made her husband frustrated. (1 Sam 1:8)  King David expresses his frustrations in the Psalms.

I prayed for Brenda.  She calmed down and got the job done.  Hannah prayed and she gave birth to Samuel. Abraham talked to God and got his promise of a son. Psalms is a mixture of emotions, but always ends up with praise for God.

The only thing I know what to do for frustration is to pray, claim verses about God's faithfulness, and know that it is important to believe the Bible rather than your feelings.

Right Tools for the Job

Have you ever tried to open a can with your teeth?  Of course not.  You need the right tool, namely a can opener. Verses in the Bible cover any situation  that arises.  The catch is Jesus is who needs to be the one to choose  the tool/verse.

The right verse to claim for someone who is tired and overwhelmed by problems might be  Isa. 50:4 "I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary."  (KJV)  The verse that meant a lot to me when I was saved, was John 6:37 "him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out." (KJV) For someone like me who was always chosen last for games, this verse sounded pretty good to me. The man with palsy that was lowered through the roof needed to hear his sins were forgiven, before being healed.  (Mark 2:1-12)
The right verse is like finding the right tool for the job.  It is a temptation to use a verse about not stealing to a man in jail, but that is not necessarily what he needs to hear.  He may actually need to first hear John 3:16 that God loves him before he is able to receive other verses.
Spending time in the Bible daily keeps the verses fresh in your mind where Jesus can use them.  Luke 21:15 says "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."  (KJV) This is a verse that not only covers the verse to say but also the words.  

God's Children

Many people do not like the idea that not all people are the children of God. But that's what the Bible says in Roman 9:8, KJV. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for seed. Jesus said Satan is the father of liars. (John 8:44).

Good news!  We don't have to depend on our works to go to heaven.  Jesus has done it all.  He took our punishment (Heb 10:12) .  He made peace between God and man (Eph. 2:8-9).  If we believe Jesus has died for our sins and rose again from the grave, we become the children of God. (John 1:12-13).

Jesus is the only way.  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12, KJV.

Paul uses the example of grafting a wild olive branch onto a good olive tree (Romans 11:17).  An example I like better is adoption in Gal. 4:5, KJV To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. With forgiveness of sin, comes all the blessings of being a son.  We have a close enough relationship with God the Father to call him Daddy (which is what Abba means).  We are joint heirs with Christ. (Rom 8:17). We are His workmanship.  (Eph 2:10).

Don't take my word for it.  Check it all out in the Bible for yourself.  

Purified Words

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver is tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.   
Ps 12:6, KJV


Does anyone remember who Kirk Douglas and Jimmy Stewart are?  I'm old enough to remember, but how about the 20 something year-olds? Or who remembers who was famous during the silent movie era or their movies' plots?

Movies get old with a little bit of time. Unlike the movies, the Bible is several thousand years old and still going strong.  It has been there for preceding generations and will be there for the future generations.  Jesus promised that his words would not pass away even though heaven and earth will. (Matt 24:35)

You can't even get rid of the Bible.  It's not because people haven't tried.  There was a king who threw the scroll that Jeremiah had written on the fire. (Jer. 36:23)  Modern countries have tried to ban, confiscate, and burn Bibles, but the purified Word of God lives on.  It still tells right from wrong and more importantly about the plan of salvation.  Even though we are but dust, we can claim everlasting life if we confess our sins, ask God for forgiveness, and believe Jesus is our salvation.

Praying Out Loud

Isa. 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (KJV)

  
Staying asleep is a problem for many elderly people.  The lady I was taking care of was no exception.  She needed round the clock care in her home.  I was on the night shift, so I got to see a lot of her sleepless nights.

One night I wanted to pray for her.  The thought came that I should pray out loud for her.  I shrunk from that idea.  I didn't like to pray out loud. I didn't know how she would take it.  I fought doing it.  I just wanted to claim a verse and let God do the rest.  I felt God told me that I was claiming verses to make Him do what I wanted. He would do something just because I asked.  The burden to pray out loud strengthened.  Not only was I going to have to pray out loud, I was going to have to do it without a verse.  I had to choose to obey this command.

I went to her and held her hand.  I prayed out loud that she would be peaceful and get a good night's sleep.  A verse came to mind and I ended with that.  I don't remember any more what verse I used, but Isa. 26:3 would be appropriate. I put her back to bed.  She didn't wake up the rest of the night.

The next day I talked to one of her friends.  My lady told the friend that she had had the best sleep she ever had.

Teaching at VBS

I don't think I am very good with children, but I volunteered to help with Vacation Bible School (VBS).  I thought I'd be on the snack detail.

Instead they put me with kindergarten and first grade. I had fear of what to do with the children, but at least the class was big enough to have two more teachers. All I could do was trust that God had me there for a reason.

In the class, there was a restless boy that was always causing trouble.  The other teacher came up to me and said, "I can't take it with him anymore."  She wanted me to help.  I didn't know what to do, so I decided to sit next to him and listen.  He explained his drawing to me. He ate up my attention like a starving man. Another child came over for help with a memory verse, and my restless boy wouldn't let me help the other child. Later, he rejoined the group who were coloring pictures.

In a little while, a teacher brought a crying 2 1/2 or 3 year old child.  She was crying because she wasn't able to memorize a verse to get a toy.  The other teacher, probably in her late teens, didn't know what to do with her, so she gave me the girl to hold.  I tried to talk to her, but she was too busy crying.  I rocked and rocked and rocked her.  The woman who was in charge of VBS came with a puppet and was able get the little girl to quit crying.

On the last night, there was a program for the parents and grandparents.  The restless boy had to stand still with his class.  I could see how hard it was for him.  Like a cheerleader, I watched him, hoping he'd hold out.
Fortunately the song had actions to it and he did a good job. Afterward, I got on his level and told what a good job he did.

This was one of the first times I felt God was using me.  It was an encouragement to have His approval.