I had lunch with one of my dearest friends today before she heads out west with her husband Tommy to spend the next month with their daughter Fallon, and son-in law Justin,(who I love so much:) and the two grandbabies in Prescott Arizona, where Justin is worship leader at a church there. We all just had the most wonderful reunion and dinner together with Nina's mom and dad about two weeks ago at their beautiful home up on the hill here in Franklin. As I drove up the hill to the house that night I reminised about all the good times...I remembered the big white tents when Justin and Fallon got married, and all the evenings with all the kids and writers and singers sitting around the bonfires and all the good music, when the road was not paved and it was hold on for your life as we would climb the hill with all of us piled up in Tommy and Nina's SUV and all the laughter. I will miss them very much during this season. The holidays can magnify so much when you are alone, without family, or children, and waiting on the Lord for the next step in your life. Nina and I were talking about all the varying vicissitudes in my life....we talked about waiting, and how it always seems we are all waiting on something at different times in our lives, and how God can be silent at times.
Those are the times that he wants us to just wait on him. I thought quietly. Nina looked at me and said "Patricia, we can't be sad in the waiting.." Nina can definately read me. I somehow felt all the lights go on! Nina said "What is the scripture Patricia... "Be strong and of good courage" And I do need to be strong right now and courageous! We talked about the fruits of the Spirit...Peace, Joy, Love,....Don't you want to show up for someone you love like that? It is the desire of my heart to show up for the people that I love like that. Maybe we can all gain some encouragement from these scriptures....while we are waiting.
Mr. Websters dictionary defined the word "wait" for us..."in waiting.... in attendance as upon a royal personage"......To remain or rest in expectation...to remain or be in readiness....serving, or bring in attendance.....
Here are some scripture verses....
Hebrews 6:15 "And so after waiting patiently Abraham recieved what was promised."
Psalm 5:3 "In the morning Oh Lord you hear my voice in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in anticipation."
Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord..be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
Psalm 38:15 "I wait for you Oh Lord...you will answer Oh Lord my God."
Psalm 130:16 "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning."
Habakkuk 2:3 "For the revelation awaits an appointed time it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers...wait for it...it will certainly come and will not delay!"
Friday, November 30, 2007
"Eve Is Essential"
From my Daily Readings... "Ransomed Heart Ministries" John and Stasi Eldredge
I just recieved this and wanted to share the beauty of it. This is so powerful and opens up a whole new view. If you really" get this" it will make your heart sing. I so pray for men and women who will really "get this " together, and experience a taste of heaven on earth. God bless you John and Stasi Eldredge.
When God creates Eve, he calls her an "ezer kenegdo". "It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him a "ezer kenegdo." (Gen. 2:18). This phrase is not notoriously difficult to translate. The various attempts we have in English tend to be "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat...dissapointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Hebrew scholar Robert Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him."
The word ezer is used only 20 other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately.
God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you..you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be"life saver." Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to a counterpart.
You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Esther-any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus, ask Peter, James and John, ask Priscilla and Aquila-any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? You don't need a life saver if your mission is couch potato. You need an ezer when your life is in constant danger.
That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure-that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tag-along. Neither does any woman. God is essential. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play.
I just recieved this and wanted to share the beauty of it. This is so powerful and opens up a whole new view. If you really" get this" it will make your heart sing. I so pray for men and women who will really "get this " together, and experience a taste of heaven on earth. God bless you John and Stasi Eldredge.
When God creates Eve, he calls her an "ezer kenegdo". "It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him a "ezer kenegdo." (Gen. 2:18). This phrase is not notoriously difficult to translate. The various attempts we have in English tend to be "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat...dissapointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Hebrew scholar Robert Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him."
The word ezer is used only 20 other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately.
God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you..you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be"life saver." Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to a counterpart.
You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Esther-any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus, ask Peter, James and John, ask Priscilla and Aquila-any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? You don't need a life saver if your mission is couch potato. You need an ezer when your life is in constant danger.
That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure-that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tag-along. Neither does any woman. God is essential. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play.
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