"You have forgotten the Rock who can hide you." Isaiah 17:10
My Take Aways
Something Old:
When I need to hide, to take refuge, run to my Rock not to my friends, the things that bring me pleasure, or any other "rock" substitute.
Something New:
2 Kings 18:7
I will be most successful when the Lord is with me. The Lord will be with me when I remain faithful to Him and carefully obey Him.
Something to Do: Hosea 2:8
She doesn't realize it was I who gave her everything she has- Remember where everything I have came from.
Hosea 2:8b
But she gave all my gifts to Baal. Examine who I give my gifts to. i.e. the gift of time-to television, the computer; the gift of resources-to gluttony of stuff
Congratulations LeAnn-I love you and I am proud of you sweet friend.
She Cooks
22 Comments:
Wendy, enjoy your family vacation! Praying for travel mercies for you and all the kids in your caravan.
Today's reading introduced us to Hosea. It's hard to understand why God would make Hosea marry a known harlot and to name the kids "Not loved" and "Not my people." Ouch.
I was reading the background to Hosea from Jon Courson's commentary. He said "Even as the church is the bride of Christ, Israel is the wife of Jehovah. But Israel had a tragic tendency to prostitute herself by leaving the relationship she had with God in order to pursue other gods. Thus, in Hosea's wife, Israel would see an illustration of herself.
While no one has seen "an illustration of what God looks like physically, through Hosea, we see His heart. Not only would Hosea's marriage be an illustration to the people, but it would provide Hosea himself the unique and rare opportunity to feel what God felt, to experience what Paul calls "the fellowship of suffering."
He did it with Abraham when He gave Abraham a taste of what it feels like to sacrifice his own son.
"Sometimes the Lord allows his friends, those who want to know Him intimately and walk with Him closely, to experience the fellowship of suffering. On an earthly level, there is a unique bonding that takes place when we go through hard times with someone. When we suffer, we relate to the Lord on a deeper level than when times are easy and prosperous. Therefore in His surprising command to Hosea, God was actually saying, "I'm going to allow you the privilege of feeling what I feel." (p. 750 Jon Courson's Application Commentary OT, vol 2)
It is true, isn't it? Our closest friends are those who have gone through the tough times with us. Those who have suffered the same disappointments understand our hearts the best. In Proverbs 18:24b it says "But there is a friend [who] sticks closer than a brother" referring to Jesus. He knows ALL our sufferings. He carried the weight of our sins. As Wendy read those passages, He is our Rock to whom we can hide. Praise and glory to our LORD forever and ever.
Good morning all, Wendy first have a great vacation and enjoy your family and BFF. You deserve it! What a great reading and thoughts today. Without my Rock I do not know where I would be or how I would go through tough times. Yes, friends are great to have but my Rock is awesome! Sometimes I feel like He gets tired of me leaning on His shoulder or saying some of the same things but He loves me and never tires of me coming to Him. How to others get along without Him during times of suffering? We have one couple who have gone through some pretty tough times with us and we in turn have gone through things with them. What a blessing to have Christian friends who just are there for you! Anxious to read Hosea again. I am sure God has some great things to show us! May our Rock forever cover us!
Still can't see Wendy's videos!
I thought a lot about 2 Chron 28:24b. King Ahaz closed the temple and set up pagan altars on the street corners. What about the people of faith, few though they may have been? What did they do? How did they react to having their sacred Temple taken away from them? If a government leader were to close our churches now, how would we react? Would we easily switch to the closest street corner idol or would we resist in some way, even if it came at great personal loss/danger? The freedoms that we enjoy in the USA are changing ... I'm not sure what we can do about that, but we can change how we react to it. What will my reaction be, and how will I hold tight to my Vine when the storms try to cut it down?
Hoping to take the kids to pick blueberries today and then dinner tonight with friends. Summer is here! :-)
Good morning all - It's my last day here in beautiful Nags Head, N.C. Wendy - enjoy VA, I've sure enjoyed your state! G & P - thank you for the Jon Courson commentary on Hosea. I have to confess, though, that I have a great fear of growing too close to God b/c I'm afraid of the possibility of "fellowship of suffering." Many of the strong Christian couples (I'm thinking more of my parents' ages) that I know have suffered many things, and that scares me!! I am looking forward to reading more of Hosea and Isaiah though - I'm having a hard time keeping track of all of these kings!
Lori - Loved your suggestion to pray for our children and I'd be honored if you added my girls to your list - they are Ginnie (7) and Ellie (will be 4 next month).
Off to prepare for our last day at the beach. It's been a trying week. We're in a small place w/ my brother and his wife and 3 kids (whom I love dearly, but they are very loud and rather hyper - have never vacationed in the same house as them before. Whew!). I feel that God is trying to teach me something about patience, but I have not been good at listening this week. Aghhh!
Y'all have a blessed day!
Kate in VA
2 He said:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.
4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
(2 Sam 22:2)
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:1-2)
I don't remember if these were verses you cited Wendy, but they are so vivid to me. God is our Rock. We can hide behind Him, but He also surrounds us like the mountains. He is everlasting, like a Rock. He becomes the Corner Stone of our faith, the foundation of our life, the capstone of the gates to heaven. Moses hid behind a rock when the Lord passed by on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 33:22); Elija stood on a rock (and hid in a cave) when the wind, the earthquake and the fire came, followed by the still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).
He is also the stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall (Isaiah 8:14 from yesterday).
This is such a powerful image of our God; one I visualize often when I pray.
Have a great day all! Blessings on your family trip Wendy! You deserve the break and I hope you have a wonderful retreat with family and friends!
Karen, Basel
Happy Friday als,
It's a relief to have a good king-
welcome Hezekiah. Why was there no one like him? He remained faithful to the Lord in everything,and carefully obeyed all God's commands.
Judah will be joining Israel in their captivity.
Jesus is our Rock! I don't want to turn away from Him. Hide me in the cleft of the Rock. Is. 17:10
We had 2 saved at one camp this week, and hope there were more from the youth camp:-) Praise the Lord for His mercy!
Have a great weekend all.
Linda
Amy, I am having some trouble too with the videos. They are loading really slow for me. I got about half way through today and then it stopped. I did not hear the lesson on the Rock yet, but will try again later.
T, thanks for posting that from Couson, you beat me to it this morning! His commentary was very good concerning Hosea.
Hosea 2:6-7, "For this reason I will fence her in with thornbushes. I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, 'I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.' "
Courson writes:
In Job 3, we see this same hedge of protection when God declared that He would plant a hedge of protection around Job so that the enemy would not be able to harm him more than what the Lord allowed.
There is a hedge of protection around every believer that protects us from the attacks and attempts of the enemy to destroy us. If Satan could, he would strike every one of us with disease or death. But the Lord has a hedge around us and only what God allows for His purposes in strengthening our faith or developing our ministry can touch us. That is why the Bible says to give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Nothing can come into our lives except that which the Lord allows.
In addition to protecting us from that which would harm us from without, the hedge also protects us from within. That is, it prevents us from trying to leave the Lord to go after another lover, to reach out to some other pleasure. The hedge will prevent us from grasping what it is we want apart from God.
In addition to this being a warning, it can also provide comfort because if you have friends, relatives, or family doing what Gomer did, saying,"I'm tired of walking with God. I'm going to pursue the things for the world a while"-they'll find there's a hedge between them and what they're hoping to find. If you know people who are wandering away down the path of vulnerability, plant a hedge of prayer and watch God use it to frustrate their attempts to enjoy carnality.
Courson OT Vol 2 pg. 752
If anyone gathered all the kids name in a document can you post that? I would like to print it off and place in my journal. Thanks :)
One last thing...a big praise to share this morning. My husband fell asleep last night on the couch so when I got up I had to get him up to go get in the bed. Laying beside him was his Bible. He must have been reading again last night before falling asleep! Praise the Lord! G&P, your post yesterday was so good and just what I know many of us always need to remember when we get discouraged. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief and help me not waiver in Your truth and in my faith that what I pray for and hope for will happen.
Off to the last day of bug camp today. Spider day....the teacher has a tarantula he is going to get out and Will is beside himself with excitement! I am going to have to get a picture with him and that big hairy thing. I am going to ask the teacher if he will let me take one. Those are his favorite creature, lol :)
Have a great trip Wendy!
Love and Blessings sisters,
Brandee, TN
I meant G&P, thanks for the commentary, I typed the wrong initial for some reason...typing and talking to Will at the same time, lol :)
Friday, yes indeed another quick week, girls!!!
Wendy, have a wonderful time in Williamsburg, soaking up all the history of our nation. My grandparents took us to this area back in 1976 –the bicential celebration. So much history to soak up! Your family will be kept close, tucked into our prayers. Thank you for serving us. May this week bring your family closer together while making memories that will last a life time
Today, in Isaiah 12:4, it talks about “Thanking the Lord! Praising His name!” Yesterday, G & P relayed to us the 3 steps to keep us focused on God. The last step was rejoicing. This is how we make the devil flea! I, admit - it’s quite easy to do this when everything is going well; however, we know a Christian’s life is not a life of roses. Smile! Our path may have obstacles that get in our way, road blocks, I might add - people placed smack in front of us that cause us to become frustrated, (unsaved family members!) (co-workers) (teen-agers!) …possibly, moments of unhappiness, discouragement over the loss of a job, and times of upset. What if our heart is broken? What about when we feel isolated? What about when we our hopeless over our child’s illness?
Can we still praise the Lord? Can we still thank Him for our situation? The enemy does his absolute best to try and make us think that it is not possible to feel the peace of God, in our difficult circumstance. He will bombard our thoughts. Thanks to Michelle, we are concentrating on Phil. 4:8-which is how the God of peace will be with us.
Lord, Thank you so very much for equipping each one of us with your Word. Yes, with You, it is even possible to look beyond ourselves and know without a doubt that You, are our Sovereign God. Every situation we go through is no surprise at all to you. Every moment of our day is pre-arranged and orchestrated exactly the way you see best. Our bumpy roads are meant to draw us closer to You. Thank you, dear Lord, that it is your desire too, to be intimately connected to each one of us. We trust your ways. We believe You know what is best for us, for it is You only, that can see our tomorrow’s! In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
Will be back to finish up my post...Blessings, Lori
Michelle, I’m so with you – eager (trying to let him out), but afraid at the same time. I’ve been doing it more with my hubby too, mostly, when He’s answered a prayer, and it comes about, I will say something like, “I had been praying about that honey, God is so good to our family,” …Dave looks at me, but does not say anything back which I’m thinking is good, cuz no words are better than disagreeing words! Smile! And, the more I do this (don’t start thinking I’m doing it a lot, because I am just BARELY inching my way into this whole thing…) the more I see how easy it is. Because it is not ‘us’ talking, but God ‘speaking’ thru us! So far, no one has said anything negative! God is just giving me courage bit-by-bit. His Spirit is leading me each day, to ask for situations where I can talk about Him. That is scary enough! I know this is His will for us, so I know it is a prayer that He is going to answer, and frankly it scares me to death.
Amy, one of the things I love about this blog, is that we are all different ages! I love hearing all about Andi (cute!) and Luke…and fire muff, [guess we won’t be hearing much more about him this summer!] I love the Jesus in you, and just wish I knew Him like I do now – intimately, when I was your age! Honestly, I don’t know many young girls on fire for the Lord like you and the other young ones on this blog! It’s very encouraging to me! You, Amber, Stephanie, Jodie, Jennifer Renee, Kate, Kristin (WI), Olivia, Susan, Brandi, -and I’m sure I’m missing some other cutie-pies…but, the Jesus in u-all, coming out just brings smiles to my face, day after day! Jacque, what you wrote a couple of days ago said it better than I could ever think out. But, I feel exactly the same way! God has been so wonderful to allow us this time together. God is greater than anything we could ever dream up! Never-ever, for even a second did I think I would be spending time digging and reading every chance I got, in His Word. I had know idea what I was missing out on. Just look, sweet Wendy, what Jesus in you, is doing to all of us! Thank you!!!
Oh Amy, we never tire of your posts, believe me! You are entertaining! I used to chase my boys’ with the hose too, then I’d pretend to accidentally drop it, and immediately they would pick it up and squirt me! Squealing in delight I might add…yikes when it’s 115, what else is there to do? Smile We used to go ‘peach picking’ and ‘corn picking!’
Great-grandma Teeny vacuuming! My, my, my! When I grow up (smile) I want to be just like you. (For you new Texans, she is 80!)
Karen, keeping Bob in my prayers, it’s harder on men I’m sure to give up their control of thinking they can do it by themselves. I’m going to begin praying that he will break through his tough shell, and give it all up to God. I’m praying that peace surrounds him when he does. This most likely is when a miracle when happen!
Rhonda in MI, sitting next to you on the bleachers would be the bees knees! We just can’t help it, but the more He fills us up, the more peculiar we feel amongst those seeking to build themselves up! Lord, may I anticipate windows opened up for conversations to share my love.
Love you sweet sisters in the Lord, may you all be richly blessed today! Lori
Beautiful children -
Michelle – Lauren (new marriage) (Chuck teaching job)
Amy – Andi (fall, Kdg.) & younger bro Luke
Grace & Peace – Carlo (to attend church while at college) & Paulo
Susan – Austin & Jacob
Rhonda – Dillon & Brady (into sports)
Brandee – Will
Teeny – Sarah, Susan, Seth,(the one who is spoiling her in VA) Steven/ families - 12 grandchildren / three greatgrands
Kate: Ginnie, 7 Ellie, 4
Susie: Ryan, Kate (26) Eric (25) kelly (17)
Lori: Colton & Connor
Help me if I over-looked anyone.
Hugs and prayers coming your way, Lori
PS Wendy, I have one of Le Ann's cook books -you are right on...she is one talented sister! I will have to check out her site soon!
Jacque: Michael (23)
Franny: Dylan
Debbie: Ashley (17)
Allie: Ryan
oops I noticed one already left out, the one first on my list!:
Karen: Samantha and Maija
Lori
Finally, [sisters], whatever is
True
Nobel
Right
Pure
Lovely
Admirable
Excellent
Praiseworthy
Think about such things.
Practice thinking like this!
Benefits? The God of peace will be with us. [Phil. 4:8]
Thank you for sharing this verse with us, Michelle!
Today may my face be filled with gold stars (smile, Michelle) as I seek to please my Father, rather than live in my flesh. Seeking to live a day of victory. It’s not about me today, Lord, help me serve those around me in love. Everywhere I go, may Your light shine out of me and may those around me notice:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Galations 5:22
Bye, sweet ones! Love u dearly, Lori
Girls, y'all are the sweetest bunch of ladies ever!! Mercy! Thank you for your prayers for my boys! Lori, you are amazing to keep up with everyone! Wendy,y'all have a wonderful time! Enjoy yourselves and take lots of pictures to share!Kate, I get exactly what you're saying! Brandee, thank you for sharing about John and the Bible last night..beautiful picture!G&P, Jane, Amy, Karen, Linda,kate, Brandee, and Lori--thank you for your wonderful insights. He is our Rock and on that we can cling at all times.
Y'all, I have to share my nugget. Odd that it is! I love to read Francine Rivers' books....great Christian author--the Mark of the Lion series is my favorite. One of her books, Redeeming Love, is based on the book of Hosea and Gomer. I scanned over the book of Hosea years ago when I first read the book. It sorta made sense...but I didn't really dig deep enough. Well, this morning, it clicked!!! I get it!!! I just love "getting it" moments!! All in context with the kings and what God's people were doing. I understand the names give to their children--but bless their hearts!The faith and love that Hosea had for God blows me away! Hosea was so obedient. Could I ever be that obedient?? Mercy!
Ok...I'll stop now! Y'all have a great weekend. I'll try to catch up either Sat. or Sunday with you all.
Hugs!
Susan
Kate,
Regarding the "fellowship of suffering" I was going to share something from my own life. But God had a more powerful example and better witness in mind: Joni Eareckson Tada.
I heard on Haven Today this morning that she has breast cancer and will undergo surgery on Monday. Normally I do not catch this show but I was running late. When I heard the broadcast, I couldn't stop crying. I am going to post the link to her website. Listen to her as she talks about it in her program. There is such peace in her voice. Right below is the song that Haven Today played before Joni's piece. IT is by Josh Wilson called "Before The Morning"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MniOtRnCO9I&feature=related
Joni's site is this:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/
Haven Today's website is:
http://www.haventoday.org/
Let's pray for our sister, Joni.
I found a better video for the song. This one has the lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JYGhQWgqq4&feature=related
Love you all,
G&P
Wendy, have a wonderful time in Wmsburg. I'm only 40 miles from there.
Thank all of you for the comments today. Yes, He is our Rock, our firm foundation! I stand on Him and am strong.
Wish I had known what I know now when I was younger. So happy you young mothers are growing in the Lord and being examples for your little ones.
Praying for a 4:8 day today and all my tomorrows.
Bessings with thanksgiving for this group.
Amy, lifting you today.
Teeny
I have been keeping up with the reading and got behind a couple of days on reading the comments. So Lori thank you for putting the list together for praying for our children. I have three children, Emily (28), Joshua (26) and Caleb (20). Em and Josh both have spouses and Caleb will be a Junior in college. All have a relationship with Jesus! Would you please add them to your list? Thank you so much for putting this together.
Wendy, enjoy your time away with your family. They grow up so fast!
Kris
Wendy, have a great time in Williamsburg.
I just had to jump in today and add my children to your list Lori, they are Lisa and Howard and I also have 5 grandchildren. It was my grandfather who always reminded us that God blesses us with children and by passing on our love for the Lord we are thanking Him. He went on to say - remember to pray not only for your children but for 3 generations; our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren (even if they have not been born yet).
My nugget for today was Isaiah 12: 1 I will praise you, O Lord...2 The Lord God is my strength and my song. It's my time for praise and thanksgiving, my husband is coming out of a very difficult time on his job and although he is not yet saved, he has been silent when I have given praise to God for each of the blessings he has received. I'm watching and praising as God works in his life.
To update you on Evelyn, my SIL, she was transferred to a rehab facility that is associated with Hospice, and she is doing better than expected. We're all taking it one day at a time and hopeful that she will continue to improve and get stronger. Thank you for all your prayers.
Happy Friday everyone!
Lori - Could you please put my daughter Kristen on your list. She is a teenager and is trying hard to be true to her faith. Last night we went to a SHE event KLOVE sponsored with Rebecca St. James. I highly recommend any mother-daughter to attend her program. After the program it opened opportunites of good conversation between Kristen and me about the struggles today's teenagers are facing.
Even though I have only commented once before, I follow the blog everyday and am learning so much from you all. Thank you Wendy and I will continue to pray for everyone prayer request and praise the Lord as he continues to answer our prayers.
AB in IN
Hi from Rhonda in New York State.
Mom of three children and 2 grandchildren.
Denise(my daughter age 24)and Bryan(age 25):married on 12/15/07
Little Bryan: Born 12/14/08
Little Miss Hannah: Born 12/13/09
(see a pattern there?!)
Danielle (age 26 in July). She is
single and lives at home. She is the most precious angel and has the
heart of a servant. She is going through the "Do you have a boyfriend yet?" stage, mostly from secular relatives and such. Stressful.
My married daughter Denise could use prayer as stay-at-home mom of 2 babies, in a fairly small apartment. They are very frugal and saving for their first home.
They are debt-free - so off to a good start - Praise God.
My daughter Danielle, that she would be filled with peace as a
single young lady.
AND, last, but not least,
My son Jimmy who will be 12 in Sept.
More later....and yes, Hezekiah was such a relief.
Wendy: Prayers for you that your trip will go smoothly. As soon as we sell our big house and downsize - Williamsburg, VA is at the top of our list. (I might be a teeny, tiny jealous and must repent!)
Teeny - how awesome - you are 80! Praise the Lord. And I thought I was the oldest here at 53!
I am so incredible touched and overwhelmed by your encouragement and support of She Cooks. And, your love and prayers mean more to me than I could ever say.
Thank you so much for mentioning She Cooks and thank you to all your sweet sisters who have popped over to share words of congratulations. Ya'll are the best "family!" I love what you have going on here at Experiencing the Real Meaning of Free.
Big hugs and thanks!
Love,
LeAnn
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