Jehovah Tsidkenu

Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness.

Does the Lord have an interest in me? Well, He created us for His glory, and there will come a time when we will enjoy the presence of God. 

The revelation of Jehovah Tsidkenu is found in the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was in a difficult situation in a nation moving fast towards judgment. they'd gone beyond the power of prayer. 

Three times God said to Jeremiah that He did not want him to pray for them nor will He listen to their prayers. 

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come,” saith the Lord, “that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. 

Jeremiah 33:15-16 In those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’ 

It's a promised given to Jeremiah that Israel would live in peace when the righteous King comes. 

Romans 10:2-4 For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

Israel was far removed from God. It's what caused the Babylonian captivity. There was nothing left for God to do but to judge righteously. 

Isaiah 46:12-13 Isaiah 45:23-25 “Hearken unto Me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory. I have sworn by Myself; the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, ‘In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Even to Him shall men come, and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.’” 

He is the only One that is righteousness. Righteousness will win. There can be no peace on earth until the righteousness comes. 

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. 

Isaiah 26:9-10, 12 With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early; for when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us; for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 

Man has tried to bring what they call a "utopia." It is a wonderful thing, but man does not have the capacity to do it. Only the righteous can bring peace to earth because peace is the result of righteousness. There will only be world peace when righteousness sits in the throne.

Jesuschrist is our righteousness now. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu. 

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

We can't be righteous before God by our own doing. They are filthy rags. 

God will never recognize anything that men does as righteousness. 

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God. They have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” 

Scriptures have concluded all under sin and unbelief.

Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. 

Unless I am covered with the garments of righteousness, I can't come before God.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God. For He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

How much righteousness do you have? 

Titus 2:6 Titus 3:5 He saved us not by works of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, Likewise exhort the young men to be soberminded, 

Unless you have a righteousness that equals that of God, you cannot stand in His presence. Stop this idea of trusting something that you can do or hope to do. Christ is the only Savior. 

The law was never given to save you or justify you. The law demands things but gives you no strength to do it. Everyone of us was born in sin and shaped in iniquity with no righteousness at all how in the world can we keep a holy law? We have not the strength or capacity. It was given to show us our need of a savior. 

Galatians 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

Christ did not die to secure your righteousness; you didn't have any. He died to vindicate the righteous character of God. He died to put away your sin. He did live to keep the law for you. He kept it to prove He was a fit sacrifice for sinners. The heart of man is primarily legalistic. We think we can add to the work of God. They think they are going to merrit favor with God. There is only One man God looks upon: His o ly begotten Son. You must be in Christ if you will stand before God. 

How can a righteous God pour His love upon sinners? He can't do it at the expense of His righteousness, His character. From your point of view you'd say it is hopeless. But God made the provision in Jesuschrist so we may stand not only forgiven of sins but in righteousness. 

Jesus died to make the righteousness of God available to men. 

Romans 3:24-28 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. 

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 

Romans 4:4-5 Now to him that worketh, his reward is reckoned not according to grace, but according to debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness, 

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 But because of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, 

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 

John Bunyan said;"Our righteousness is at God's right hand, where our good works cannot help it and our failures do not hurt it, and no one else is full of exultation when we say: 'We are accepted in the beloved.'" 

Christ is our righteousness now. For the nation of Israel, Christ will be their righteousness in the Millenium. When He reigns, they are going to call Him Jehovah Tsidkenu. But for us, we can have His righteousness now in Christ Jesus. 

No one will ever enjoy peace without righteousness. What this world needs is not a politician or a man-made king, or an economic genius or military strategist. We need righteousness to come to reign. When Our Savior comes a second time He will rule with a rod of righteousness. That gives us assurance. That is why Paul says He knows Whom he hath believed. 

Today, death reigns because of sin. But in His reign, righteousness will reign and we will experience peace. 

2 Peter 3:13-14 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. 

Where are You, God?

Seriously? Where are You? 

I am feeling in despair, Lord. Everything just seems to go wrong, and I sit here and wonder, where are You? Are You listening to our prayers? Are You listening to my cries? 

I've often found clarity in my thoughts through writing, so here I go in search for You. 

Lord, everything seems to be going wrong. I am angry with you. Why did you take me out of my previous job to a better job, a job I have come to love and cherish, just to have it end the way it did?  Why?

Emmalee has an infected tooth that is going to cost us 375$ to fix if we want to save her four top incissors. If we don't, she risks the infection reching her bones or her brain. If she looses her teeth, we risk a speech impediment. Why?

We took the car today to have a repair done. We were thinking it was only a 50$ repair. Now it turns out it is a 180$ repair! A month after another car repair had cost us 300$. Why?

Rodolfo has been looking for a job since Janaury 1st of this year. We pray every morning for a job for him. We have tried everywhere, every contact, every friend, every work place. Nothing. Why?

Where are You? 

Where are You!

And then I can see it.

You are in my mother, who goes beyond her capabilities to support us and helps us through these hard times. "Where would we be without her?" I always ask, You are in my father, who for the first time in years has a business go right and what does he do with his earnings? He uses them to bless me and my family. You are in my Aunt Juanita, who has been seeking to help me keep my job and who sends us unbidden finantial support. You are in my friends and collegues, who advocate for me before my superiors. You are in my friends who are prayer warriors for us and offer encouragement. You are in my husband, who is loving, hard working, patient, and a good father. You are in my girls, who grow more beautiful, smart, taller, healthier each day with a great love for their mother. 

I had been receiving encouragement from my Bible studies of Your names. I had a lot of free time in school last week and wanted to finish the two lessons of the course. I allowed Satan to win that battle. I didn't want to hear You are Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides when I had been wondering where You've been.

As I said in the beginning of the post, I find clarity in my writing. 

Where is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides? 

He is in the Cross, providing salvation of my soul for me. He is in the Cross providing a way for me to the Father, opening a path in which I can have fellowship with Him and walk with Him. 

Where is Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord is my peace? 

He is there in the Cross, giving me the peace that nothing in this world can separate me from His love and His hand because His sacrifice for me is enough to cover my sins. He is in the promise that I will not want. In the promise that he feeds the birds and clothes the fields and will do so with me. 

Where is Jehovah-Raah, the Lord is my shepherd?

He is in His Word, that guides me and renews my heart to be free from the bondage of sin. 

He is in the promise that even though I walk through the valley of death and sorrow, no evil will come to me because You are with me.

Where is Jehovah- Tsidkenu, the Lord is my righteousness?

Well, I definitely hope He gives me justice for the injustice I experienced, but He never promised an easy life. He promised He would be there. He is in the Cross, dying to pay the righteous debt I had against Him so that I could be justified through faith.

Where is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner?

He is there in the promise that everything that happens to us is for our good. He is in His will for us which is good, agreeable, and perfect. He is in the Cross telling us that if we believe in Him no one will take us from His hand. He will be with us until the end of time. 

Where is El Shadai, the fruitful One?

He is the one Who promised to refined us, but it was to be done through fire. He is the One Who asks us to consider it great joy when facing many trials because this perfects our faith and, in turn, perfects our love for Him. He is the loving God Who will not leave us in the state He found us, but works in us to make us more like Him. It is not an easy road and it hurts. The only meaningful change in our old sinful man hurts. 

El Shadai is also the One Who is sufficient. He is sufficient to meet our needs, even if it is not in the ways we want. 

Where is El Elyon, the possessor of everything and most high God? Or El Elohim, the creator of everything?

I battled with this one. Possessor of everything, can't you provide my husband with the job we need? Yes He can, but He has far greater things in sight than our material needs. He sees our hearts and our need to depend in Him wholeheartedly. 

He is in the Cross. The most High God, possessor and creator of everything, is in the Cross having taken the lowly form of man and shedding His precious untained blood and life for our life. 

To the Cross! To the foot of the Cross I must go and surrender to the will of my Lord. 

Would I be seeking where He is if everything went my way? 

Would I learn to value the Cross as I do today?

Would I learn His greatness even in my lowliness if I weren't lowly?

What then am I left to do?

Psalms 33:20-22

We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!                                                                            Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.                                                             Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.                                                                                                                   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And gratitude, as always, is the way to go:

Thank You Lord that we discovered Emmalee's tooth infection in time to be able to save her teeth. 

Thank You that even though the car's directional and wheels were malfunctioning, you guarded our lives and kept us safe and accident free. 

Thank You because even though Rodolfo still has not found a job, Your faithfulness allowed us to reach his graduation, something we thought could not come soon enough. 

Thank You for wonderful family that looks after us and provide for our needs. 

Thank You because financial problems are fixable. Because You refine us through tough times that don't include terminal illness, untimely deaths, or things that are uncomparable to material needs. 

Thank You for being there for us, for promising to be with us until the end of time, for promising to provide even for our material needs, and for dying for us in that Cross. 

Thank You for a strong and loving family. 

Thank You for beautiful growing daughters.

Thank You for lovely friends and prayer warriors. 

Thank You beforehand because I know You will provide a good job for me. 

Thank You Lord because through Your names I can call you MY: my banner, my peace, my shepherd, my provider, my salvation, my God. 

Diary of loving someone with an unseen disease

It is called a disease. 

A doctor diagnosed it after visiting several different doctors and taking several exams. 

They treat it with medicine, really expensive medicine I must add. 

The doctor needs a specialization to be able to give therapy for this disease. 

Even he knows this disease takes a toil on himself, so he only treats a patient with this disease a day. 

It breaks you apart from the inside. 

You, as a spectator, feel so impotent and useless, unable to help or relieve. 

It breaks up your family. 

But you can't talk about it.

SHHHHH!!! Never mention it. 

Oh no! Don't fool yourself; people won't understand. 

They'll think, and unfortunately say, it is an easy fix. 

"Just grow up and mature already!"

SHHHH! Don't mention it to your employer; you won't get the job, even if you need to make a living like everyone else. 

SHHHHH! Don't tell your friends. 

They can see something has changed.

It will break you even more to hear them say the same remarks others already have: "Why don't you just change how you feel?", "Why don't you just mature already?", "We all learn to control our emotions!"

And that is what they'll say to her face. 

To my face, mine that loves her with all the fibers in my body, to my face they'll dare say what they hold  infront of her. 

Those lightly spoken words: "crazy", "manipulative", "childish."

And you! You puny, weak human! You have thought it too!

God forgive me- you have said it too!

You have delivered judgment with your mouth instead of understanding.

You can't understand! Can you understand that?

The tears are real.

The fears are real; to her they are. 

They are there all day every day. 

They crawl from beneath the covers of her bed and wrap themselves around her neck, sucking joy and life from her.

The tears are so real. They're hot and thick and salty, but they bring no relief, no release. 

You feel lost because you feel impotent. Well, she feels lost because she feels helpless. 

How can she be helped? She can't even talk about it. 

I can't talk about it!

People can only connect disease with physical malady. 

Why is disease looked at differently when accompanied by the word "mental"?

You can show compassion for your friend with cancer as you watch it eat her body away.

Well, I've watch it eat her up.

I've watched the light in her eyes go out in a body that is still breathing. 

I have had a real fear of that body no longer breathing by voluntary choice. 

I have seen the wounds in her heart manifest in her body.

God forgive me, I have asked where is God in all this?

I have reassured myself that He can do something about it. 

Please, Lord, because the medicines definitely haven't. 

I have yet to learn to trust You can do something because I have a harder time asking You to. 

She has seen it too: all the prayers, the imposing of hands, the anointing with oil. 

I see the light momentarily return to her eyes.

She is so beuatiful. 

She loves disinterestedly. 

She gives generously. 

She plays with the innocence of a child. 

And I beg the Heavens it will stick. Make it last. Set her free. 

But darkness returns, sadness is unbearable, and hopelessness reigns. 

But again I tell you, 

SHHHHHHHHH! You mustn't speak of this. 

According to a statistic online, one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. That translates to 57.7 million people in the US alone. Why, then, do we barely hear of anyone suffering from them? I think my sentiments on the post above state why. Funny, I have always thought the U.S. is wrong in trying to be so politically correct, and here I am wishing for more correctness.

Someone made a remark on Sunday which sparked this post. "She is so crazy," he said. And I had considered him a good friend to her. I am not saying he no longer is, but he definitely doesn't understand. How can he? He barely knows. If these are my sentiments, what would hers be?

I write this because someone in your family or you yourself are being silent while you carry this huge burden alone. I see it in one of my sixth graders. Heavens be gracious, a sixth grader! 

"Odd", "loner", "weird"! Words that follow her around while no one knows the depth of the struggle in her heart. I know the signs, so I detect the deep sorrow in her eyes while she feigns another smile. Twelve years old with no joy for life! How did it get there? Who will speak out for her? How will others understand her? Can you understand that that side of her is a huge part of who she is? Will you love her the same? Will you be able to keep your mouth shut of what you think you know, which is nothing, and listen to her? Can you make her day just by sitting next to her without speaking a word? 

Can you join me in praying for those who suffer the unseen marks of an unseen disease that is just as real as the cancer patient that everyone shows compassion to?

Jehovah Raah

By John Mitchell

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 

In Psalm 22 we find Jesus is the good Shepherd Who gave His life for His sheep, which is comparable to John 10. 

Hebrew 13:20-21

Now may the Lord of peace Who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever more, Amen.

1 Peter 5 we hear of the chief Shepherd, or John 21 after the resurrection, the chief Shepherd gives instructions to one of His under shepherds. 

In Psalm 22 He is the good Shepherd Who died for us. In Psalm 23 He is the great Shepherd Who cares for us. In Psalm 24 He is the exalted Shepherd, the chief Shepherd. 

The Lord, Jehovah, is my Shepherd. 

John 10 My sheep hear my voice and I give them eternal life. 

Many Christians are in stress and have a tremendous need of peace. 

In the Psalm 23 we find the wonderful truth, the personal truth, that Jehovah is MY Shepherd, a shepherd that always takes cares of His sheep. He is sufficient for our every need. Can you honestly say the eternal living God is your shepherd? There must be personal trust in Him. When one comes as a sinner and accepts Jesus Christ as your savior, you don't only become a child of God but become a member lf His flock. And He becomes our Shepherd. I belong to Him and He belongs to me. It is very personal, and because of that I shall not want. No room for worry or fretfulness, or down in the dumps. 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Green! Not dried up or brown. He gives rest, peace, and contentment. He leadeth me beside still water, not the troubled waters or the rushing waters. He restoreth my soul. 

How He loves His people even when we fail Him. My failure doesn't affect His love. He restoreth my soul and leadeth me into the path of righteousness for His name sake. He not only forgives and cleanses us, but guides us. John 16 tells us the Spirit of God will direct us into all truth. Thy Word is a light unto my feet. The only thing is that we don't take the time to get into the Word of God and enjoy the pastures and all He has for us. 

To think God takes hell-deserving sinners like you and me and transform us, and restores us when we fail Him, and leads us and guides us, and give us peace, contentment, and hope! We have a Shepherd Who is all sufficient. 

And we have a Shepherd Who is always with us. Yet if I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I will fear no evil. Why? because You are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me. We are in the valley of death today, not when we die. Death reigns today, whether rich or poor, young or old. We are in the shadow of death. You don't know if you are going to live through today. But we fear no evil as we walk this earth. He comforts me! He said He would be with us until the end of our days. He prepares a table for us. 

He anoints my head with oil. Instead of getting bitter, he anoints our head with oil and in abundant supply. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. Let me change that: surely goodness and mercy have chased after me all the days of my life, and 

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What a wonderful hope! 

I feel like telling to people: "What are your plans?" and they say "Well I am going to do these and that." And I asked "And then what?" and they say "I am going to do this and that other." "And then what?" Theres got to be an end to it, doesn't it? No! Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in His house forever. 

Psalm 27:4

One thing have I desired from the Lord that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to abide in His temple. 

John 10 says I am the good Shepherd Who gives His life for His sheep. If He is not your Shepherd, and my friend you need one, then what? 

When we leave this world how wonderful it is that we will go into the presence of the One Who loves us most! Loved us, and died for us, and cared for us. How can one live in this corrupted world, vicious society and live in peace without an all-sufficient God. Revel in this: the Lord, Jehovah, is MY Shepherd. 

John 10 is the Shepherd chapter and we will paraphrase it. We have been going to the Old Testament to find the revelation of Who God is through His names. We go to the New Testament and find those names fullfilled in Jesus Christ. In John chapter 8 we find our Lord being cast out because He said He had come before Abraham, and they picked up stones to kill Him. In chapter 9 we find Jesus healing a blind man. In chapter 10, He is going to have His sheep. Having been spurned by the nation of Israel is not going to hinder Him from finding and having His sheep. In chapter 9, the blind man was His sheep and He came looking for him. We see what God is doing. He is gathering His Sheep and caring for them. It also tells us what the Shepherd has done for them: gave His life. We also find opposition to this work: the false prophets and the wolves. 

5 aspect of the Shepherd work of Christ:

1. He is the true Shepherd, in contrast to the false shepherds. 

He that entereth not by the door is a thief and a robber. He Who entereth through the door is the Shepherd. To Him the porter openeth and the sheep hear His voice. He calleth them by name and leadeth them out and goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. A stranger they sill not follow but will flee from him because they do not know his voice. 

The Shepherd is our Lord Jesus Christ in contrast to the false shepherds, and He separates His real people from those who are not. 

2. He is the good Shepherd. 

Verily, verily I tell you: I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thiefs and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any man should enter will be saved and shall go in and find pasture. The thief comes to steal and destroy. I come so that you might have life. I am the good Shepherd and the good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep. Jesus is the only door. 

John 14:6

I am the way, the truth, and the light. No man comes to the Father but by me.

Acts 4:12

There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be save except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we find safety, liberty, and sustenance. 

3. He is the only Shepherd. 

I know my sheep, and I am known by mine as the Father knoweth, even so I the Father. I lay down my life for my sheep. Other sheep I have that are not of this fold I also must bring. They shall hear my voice and shall be one fold and have one Shepherd. This other sheep are gentiles. They will have ONE Shepherd. The false shepherd don't care about the sheep but care of what they can take out of them. They don't care about them, doesn't love them, doesn't stand with them in their sorrows, trials, tests, and various aspects of life. 

4. He is the obedient Shepherd. 

Therefore my Father loves me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man can take it from me. I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down and power to take it back. This is commandment have I received from my Father.

You can't separate sin and death. The wages of sin are death. He died for your sin and mine. His death was also supernatural. He has power to lay down His life and power to take it again. And thus He ressurected. 

5. He is the faithful Shepherd. 

You believe not because you are not of My Sheep. They shall never perish and no one shall ever take them from My hand. My Father Who gave them to me is greater than all and no one is able to take them from My Father's hand. I and My Father are One. He calls us all BY NAME. He gives us eternal life. His sheep shall in any consideration EVER perish. My Father, Who is greater than all, keeps them. 

John 13 when the Lord is washing the disciples feet Peter said: "Though shall never wash my feet ever" but they were washed. When men uses this terminology, He fails. But not the Lord. 

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that He Who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

John 17:11 says He has kept us til this day and God will keep us from there on. 

We know Whom we have believed and He is capable. 

Ecclesiaste 3:14

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it sahk be forever; nothig can be put to it, nor anything taken from it. God does that men should fear Him. 

Jehovah Shalom

Judges chapter 6
Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is peace.
Before we can talk about the Lord being the Lord of peace, we must talk about our Lord as Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness.

Isaiah 32:17
17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

The people of Israel were really poor when Joshua had died. They were in captivity to other nations for not doing the right thing.

A little background to Israel's story:

Judges 2:11
11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.
13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.
18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Joshua 6
6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help.
10 I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and saveIsrael out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clanis the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

There is no revelation that God is peace until you find an obedient heart before God. There can be no experience of peace without obedience. It is an impossible thing to have peace without obedience.

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

As soon as the judge had died, they went back to their old ways. And here God is still willing to deliver them and give them peace. The reason of the bondage (no peace) is disobedience. God always knows where to find his man. God takes the least expected. He can use anyone. Gideon is hiding the wheat (cowering), yet God calls him "mighty warrior." Why? Because God is with him. When God calls you, He is able to make of you what He has declared. Gideon is not only cowering, he is doubting God. He questions God on why all this has happened to them. He is basically telling God: You have either lost your power or You are not with us. But neither is true. It is the Israelites who have left God. Your unbelief and disobedience has brought you to the place you are today. Yet God still loves men. What a glorious grace, shouting mercy to whoever will com to Him! No matter what you have done, if you turn to Him He has never yet turned a seeking soul away. Have you left Him? Will your unbelief and disobedience keep the gracious God Who has never left you? Why are you not experiencing peace? He is Jehovah Shalom to the obedient heart.

Romans 8
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

2 Corinthians 10
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Is Gideon mighty because of himself? No! Because of God Who is mighty to use us. It is a good thing God is patient and our assurance. We would rather reason and rationalize than believe God. What is this assurance? His presence.

Hebrews 13
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”

Gideon requires a sign. We can't just take God's word. What a patient tender God we have! He understand us and remembers we are dust. We forget that, but He remembers our frailty. God's presence was able to turn Gideon's heart filled with fear to filled with peace. And out of this peace came great courage.

Ephesians 2
14 For He Himself is our peace

John 16
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

And out of this peace came great courage in Gideon's life. That very night he took down the altars of Baal.
There is no defeat of the enemy until your idols are gone. When a person has peace with God and a realization of the presence of the Savior you better worry of what he might do. Out of courage comes hope.

Jehovah-Nissi

Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord my banner

Exodus 17:8-16 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, “Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.” So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi that is, The Lord my banner; for he said, “Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” 

Israel did not seek Amalek. Amalek sought Israel. In verse 7, Israel asks if the Lord is with them. They were unbelieving. God did not call them to the fight, but their unbelief exposed them. God had fought for them and provided for all their needs. They did nothing bu be the recipients of His grace. But this time Moses told Joshua to choose men and fight. 

Christ has finished the work for us alone. Christ has satisfied God for us. I can't fight death, judgment, or the penalty of sin. God does that whole thing for us. He has delivered us and cleanse us from our tresspasses. But the war with the flesh goes on. As long as we live in this body, we rage a war with it.

Galatians 5:16-17 This I say then: Galatians 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Regeneration is not fixing your flesh. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God. When we accept Christ, we receive a new Spirit, a new nature, a new life; but we also receive a new enemy, the flesh. 

It was the Lord who delivered them from Egypt, the Lord Who brought them to the Red Sea, the Lord Who fed them and warded them, Who guided them. But when in unbelief, questioning if the Lord is with them, then came Amalek. 

We have three implacable enemies we don't have before we come to the Lord:

the world, the flesh, the Devil.

How on earth am I going to life for God?

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

This is why in John chapter 17 nineteen times Jesus talks about the world. It is a real enemy. 

We read about our enemy, the flesh, in Galatians 5. 

Galatians 5:16 This I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

Galatians 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

When you and I sin against God it is because we are not trusting the Spirit of God that dwells in us; we are trusting ourselves and, of course, we fail. 

And we have read how the Devil is against us like a hungry lion. 

It is so easy for us to trust the flesh. So many christians fight a good battle against the world and the Devil, but how easy it is to yield to the lust of the flesh. 

How can we have victory then? 

The indwelling Spirit of God guarantees it. We do not need to fight this battle in uncertainty.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds...

Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. 

Colossians 1:28-29 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, for which I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily. 

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 

The unsaved men doesn't want Christ as his saviour; he wants the flesh stand before God. He wants to improve the flesh to be acceptable before God, and God won't accept it. 

Romans 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

What does God require? 

For is to put our trust in Him. It is very hard for us not to put our trust in the flesh. Some people are still putting their trust in their flesh for their salvation. You are no more powerful against the flesh after you re saved then you were after. The flesh hasn't been redeemed or freed from its desires. The lust of the flesh is still there. I do things I don't want to. How easily I say things I didn't want to. 

Regeneration: it is not the flesh made righteous; it is having a new nature. We wait for the redemption of our bodies. 

I am not saved by keeping my body under control. I am saved by what Jesus did for on the Cross, because I belong to the Saviour, because He has taken hold of me, because He has given me His Spirit to dwell in me. But I am still in a body that is unredeemed. 

Look at the method of the victory over Amalek:

Israel was unprepared in war to face the Amalekites. 

The method of the victory was two-fold: first with the intercession of Moses. Prayer. 

We are surrounded by our three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the Devil; but we are not alone here.  

Jesus knew that and prayed for us. 

John 17:9 I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine. 

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

Isn't it wonderful that the Lord's hands never get tired to pray for us?

Romans 8:27, 34 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 

We also have the Holy Spirit in us praying for us.

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

Did you ever stop to think that you have One praying for you in Heaven and One in you praying. The Lord does not take any chances on anything. When you became His property, He is going to take care of you. What is He praying for? That we might be perfected and kept. 

The Lord Jesus is in Heaven taking care of my interests up there, and the Spirit of God is taking care of His interests in us. Can you trust God to take care of His own?

The Spirit of God takes the victory. We only enjoy the delivery. God gets the victory!

The second part of the victory was the sword of Joshua. 

What is this sword?

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God...

Victory is assured through subjection to His Word.  

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed in Him, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

Read the Word of God! Read it and reread it and reread it!

This book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book. 

We serve under His banner, under His command, under His leadership. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

He will give us victory and one day righteousness shall reign, and you and I serve under His banner. 

On feeling lost

I feel lost in space. I have no idea where I am or where I am going, and this feeling is driving me mad. 

I don't know if I will have a job past the month of June. If I don't get a job, I don't know if I will continue being a teacher or go back to being an engineer. My husband is in similar territory, which makes us feel utterly lost. This leaves me with two options: I can worry about it, start trying to take control of the situation by doing something (though I don't know that I can do something that would be helpful), stress and get sick of the stress, and let it bring me down and depressed. Or I can trust the Lord, know that He will provide, know that He has a purpose and might be calling us somewhere, rest in His peace, and find joy in gratefulness of all He has given us. 

It is dumfounding to me that the second option is the less taken, and my brain is telling me it is the harder choice to make. 

I was sharing these feelings with my mom a couple of days ago. She was silent for some minutes while I was impatiently waiting for her words of comforts and of wisdom to help me find clarity. She could not find them. She simply reminded me of the magic of gratefulness I often talk about and advised me to employ some of that. 

We are finally getting to a place of stability we have longed for. And I fear that it will all be taken away if my contract is not renewed. I don't want to lose this job that I have grown to love so much and love my students so much. I don't want the heartache and headache of looking for a new job. I don't want a job I don't love. I feel like if I lose this job, I will lose everything.

Hold the phone! You mean to tell me your security is in your job? Wow! You ARE seriously lost! Having a job you love is a great thing that few are lucky to find, but it is not all there is to life. Jobs come and go. 

Yesterday in the evening news I heard the story of a seven year old girl who lost her life in a motocicle accident. Her father was taking her to school when a car cut them off and they crashed against a parked truck. The girl was not wearing a helmet. I thought: good thing we have a car and my girls all drive in their carseats with their seatbelts on. Yeah? Well, a colleague had a car accident yesterday with her kids on the back seat with their seatbelts on, and her husband and daughter still ended up in the hospital.

I was watching last week's Grey's Anatomy episode (WARNING: spoilers ahead) where the main character Meredith says she was watching her prefect husband play with her perfect kids in her perfect house while she was getting ready to go to her amazing job.  I envied her in that moment. And on this week's episode her perfect husband had a car accident that took his life. 

My husband has the habit of beginning every prayer with the phrase: "Thank you, God, for this day that you gave us and that we woke up alive..."

Do you realize the great blessing in that simple phrase? How powerful that truth is?

Facebook notified us this week that it was my friend Mauro's 32nd birthday. Mauro was killed in a car accident a little less than a year ago. He left behind a wife, a seven year old boy, and an almost two year old girl. His brother posted a video of Mauro's son saying happy birthday to his father and telling him how much he wished he was here with them. Her mom commented on the video saying that only she knows how many tears her son has shed and how he is the strongest of them all. 

I admire this classy lady more than she will ever know. She is constantly on my mind and prayers, even though we have never been close friends.

And to think that our God truly provides for EVERYTHING that we need that even if death's sting would reach us, we can still be grateful because He made provision for the salvation of our souls and has given us the promise of a house He is preparing for us in heaven!

I can be grateful and rejoice that my friend Mauro is already in that home, and his family has the hope of one day seeing him again. And who knows? Maybe Mauro is not turning 32, but staying forever the 31 year-old goof-ball we all loved, never aging.

You see, the second option is harder because we are forgetful humans. I often get mad at the people of Israel when I read my Bible. They were so quick to forget that God had answered their prayers. And here I am feeling lost because of my job! I forget that I have a roof over my head that will still be there even if I lose my job. I forget I have a husband who is true and lovng to me. I forget I have two little, precious girls that will give me the strength and all the laughs I need to overcome job hunting. I forget that I have a wonderful family (in-laws included) that will not forsake me. I forget I have friends that are willing to help and that is how I got this job in the first place. I forget I have a God Who is mighty and all-powerful and Who could already have this job secured for me or a better one waiting around the corner, or better yet, a great job for my husband that would allow me to stay home. 

You can't let yourself forget. You must remember, and when you remember, you must give thanks. 

And you will realize that giving thanks will not get rid of your feelings of uncertainty that are hurtful. You will realize that you might still feel a little lost. But you wil take option number two and see that it is not the end of the world.

And remember:

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deut. 31:6

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:30-39

When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me, for I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore will I remember Thee... Psalms 42:4-6