Pass Over

The Gypsy Mama

 

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog footer}
3. Go leave some comment props for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}

The prompt is: AFRAID

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When being afraid grows into cold, hard fear…

there is one thing in my life that gives me that feeling.

It is not made up, it is very real…and that is why it gnaws at me.

I can’t really talk about it. Not in a blog post.

I’ve learned to not think about it. Not dwell on it. To compartmentalize it.

Because if I don’t do that it will completely overwhelm me.

A mother’s love is a fierce thing.

And yet, fear can be insidious. It is able to worm its way into the heart. Its tentacles strangling.

Oh God, remember me, just as you did the Hebrew mothers during the Passover.

The blood of the lamb over the doorposts to the house…

and now, Your blood, the Lamb, sacrificed for us.

 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Exodus 11:13 NIV

 

The Angel of Death and the First Passover (illustration from the 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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Wars And Rumors Of Wars…

The morning news plays in the background as I complete my daily chores in the kitchen. I’m packing a school lunch as I listen about the turmoil in Israel. Missiles flying, the wounded and dying…. I grab a granola bar as I hear about plans for the secretary of state to sit down with leaders in the Middle East. And my heart is heavy.

There will be wars and rumors of wars….

these verses whisper in my thoughts.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Matthew 24:6 NIV

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Mark 13:7  NIV

As a Christian, I believe that Israel is special. The Jewish people continue to play an important role, both in history and in the days yet to come. God‘s hand is on them….not because the Jewish people are “better” than anyone else, but because they were chosen. God called them to be His people.

Enemies will come against them. They will attempt to destroy this small country, that even under threat, perseveres. This has been true for them, as a people, throughout their history. The future for Israel might look bleak. But they will prevail.

And, I will watch as their story, our story, my story unfolds before my eyes.

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What’s In A Name?

I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of a name.

When my husband and I learned that we were going to have a son, we thought long and hard about what we would name him. It had to be a strong name, a name with meaning. A name that said something about him, or what we hoped he might some day become.

Bold Ruler. King.

At the time, we really had no idea his first name meant “bold ruler” and his middle name, “king”.  We were just playing with the sounds at first. Interesting that the two names we chose should go together. Yes?

I don’t expect that my son will ever rule a nation, and he probably won’t be the boss of a large Fortune 500 company… but, he is the child of a King. So, I guess that makes him royalty by adoption?

If we know Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as Lord, we have been grafted into the family of God.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Names are important. They do say something about a person. Names are like a calling card, they leave an impression.

God has many names that describe His character. Names that tell us about Him.

El Elyon— God most high

El Shaddai–Almighty God

Yahweh–Israel’s Covenantal God

Jehovah Jireh— The Lord Provides

Jehovah Rophe–The Lord Heals

Jehovah Nissi— The Lord is my Banner

Jehovah Shalom— The Lord is Peace

Jehovah Rohi–The Lord is my Shepherd

Jehovah Shammah— The Lord is There

THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

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Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14

 

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Let Me See You!

And God…

Aren’t you here, right now? And can’t I see You, as You move in the every day? Are You not still the powerful Elohim? I look at Genesis and am still in awe of it….right from the beginning.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 NIV

You created… out of nothing. No one else can do that. No one, but You. How mighty are the works of Your hands!

You are God, that created all things and called them good. You are the same God that creates all good things in my life.

On days when my eyes only see the gray of You, the dim image, only the shadowed essence of Your glory…

Father, place me in the cleft of the rock and open my eyes to You!

This life is difficult, full of pain, and all the not-good-enoughs.

Life on many days is ripped wide open. Gaping.

Let me see You!

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On some days my prayer is just like this one that I wrote.

Simple.

To the point.

“Let me see You!”

My prayer comes from the book of Exodus, chapter 33. Moses and God are having a conversation…and Moses tells God he wants to see His glory. God tells him okay, but He didn’t allow Moses to see His face, “for no one may see Me and live.” So God put Moses in the cleft (a crevice or crack) in the side of the mountain and covered Moses with His hand while He passed by. Moses was only allowed to see God’s back as He went by.

Moses was gutsy, wasn’t he? That was a big request… and yet, God said “yes” to his request.

This is one of my favorite stories of the Bible and, quite frankly, it is not one of the more common Bible stories… the ones that most people know. I like to think about Moses. He is told by God that He will lead the people of Israel. It is a big job. Moses goes back and forth with God about whether or not people will know that God is with them. He reminds God that, “this nation is Your people.” God agrees and says that His presence will be with them. Which leads up to Moses’ question about seeing God…and God telling Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Can you imagine how Moses must have felt? In awe? Honored? Excited? Nervous? Terrified?  No one can see God’s face and live. His glory is too much for an individual to fully comprehend. I, of course, wasn’t there and don’t know for sure, but my theory is that seeing God face to face would be so intense that a mere human body could not physically survive it.

His glory.

Who He is.

Overwhelming.

And still, are you like me? Do you want to see His glory? To know that His presence is with you?

God delights to reveal Himself.

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I Still Have A Lot To Learn

Image via Wikipedia

Today, at A Holy Experience, we are spending our second Wednesday talking about forgiveness. To be honest, I have sat at my computer for quite a while this morning, struggling with what to write. I wanted to write something deep and comforting. Something helpful and yet profound. Frankly, it all fell flat.This is not the day for that.

I struggle with forgiving others. I understand about forgiveness. I understand that unforgiveness can cause resentment and bitterness. I get it. I do.

And yet…..

the hurt feelings

the betrayal

the lies

the pain

the harsh words

the moments lost

the feelings forgotten

The human part of me wants for the offender to hurt…as much as he/she hurt me. It is an ugly feeling. One for which I am not proud. It makes me feel less, to even admit it. Would it make me feel better? Would it? Would it be settled in my mind if I felt like the offender had their fair share of hurt?

No, probably not.

And the truth is I am no better. I’m sure in my lifetime I have said a lot and done plenty that has left other people raw and wounded. My words have the ability to cut deeper than any knife.

And I am ashamed.

My eyes skimmed across this scripture…and I didn’t feel quite so alone. We humans have a lot to learn, much to be reminded of…

⁷ “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. ⁸ We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.  Daniel chapter 9  NIV

God is merciful and forgiving…

He who had never sinned, humbled himself to walk among sinners.

His love was so great…

His forgiveness so immense…

And I need to be more like Him.

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How do you forgive?

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