Tag Archives: journey

My Wilderness Journey

  In the book of Numbers chapter thirty-four, Moses’ recounted the long journey he and the Israelites had through the wilderness. This passage reminds me of my own journey in the last thirty plus years and how recounting it could help me to see how far the Lord has brought me. At times, I can get down on myself by thinking ‘I should be further in my faith and healing than I am.’ The truth is … I’ve come a long way because of the Holy Spirit’s work in me.

     My personal ‘Egypt’ was full of wrong choices, shame, and living out of the lies I have believed about God, myself, and others since childhood. Lies about who I am and my value. This led to regrettable choices and burdensome shame.

     My two kiddos were preschoolers when I came to the end of myself and cried out for help. Since then I’ve been living in the ‘already and not yet’ wilderness. Already because Jesus has saved me. Not yet because the Holy Spirit is still transforming me into the person God created me to be. Who I will be in the eternal Promised Land (heaven).

     My wilderness trek began in 1997, when I surrendered my life to Jesus. Since then, the many moves my husband and I have made, all had a purpose. Not that we knew that then. No matter the reason for the move, I experienced growth in some area of my being. I can see now that sometimes I was running from my childhood wounds. Avoidance is truly a defense mechanism. In recent years, God has directed our moves and with them been bringing me closer to healing. As with the Israelites in the wilderness, getting ‘Egypt’ out of me is a long process.

     In many biblical examples, I can see parts of my own life. Currently, the story I resonate most with is the Isrealites wandering the desert. Forty years in the wilderness. Who would sign up for that? It doesn’t matter the name of the wilderness, it’s still what it is … unknown future. Unknown obstacles. Unknown dangers. The Israelites left the land of Egypt and its slavery to travel into an unknown ‘Promised Land’ to worship their God. 

     For the Israelites, each stop along their journey meant another area of refining that needed to be done to prepare them for the Promised Land. Laws. Festivals. Punishments. Rescue. All these things and more were a part of their journey. There were several generations of habits, traditions, and misbeliefs that God was working out of them. It took generations for God’s people to get to the mind space they were in; it would take time to replace the wrong way of living with God’s way. The lessons they learned. The Lord hearing their cries. Bringing them out of physical slavery. Then all the years following where God patiently built up Moses as a respected leader, established laws for right living as his people, and freeing them from emotional and spiritual slavery.

     My own road feels very similar to the bumpy one the Israelites traveled. Someday I will reach my Promised Land and spend eternity with God. Until then … I will look for the cloud by day and the fire by night to know where my Lord is leading me. Whether it’s forty years or eighty.

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Thoughts on Exodus: Getting Out of Egypt and Getting Egypt Out.

I have recently been reading through the Book of Exodus with fresh eyes and what I have encountered is another facet of the journey from God calling Moses to lead His people out of Egypt until the establishment of the Tabernacle; basically the whole book of Exodus. I have been contemplating sharing these thoughts for a couple of months now and today feel drawn to put them in type and share.

God is in control at all times! He will defeat all other gods!

God is patient!

The plagues in Egypt were not only for Pharaoh’s sake, but also for the Israelites. The Israelites; God’s people, had been under the reign of Egypt for a long time; long enough for Joseph to be forgotten by Egyptian rulers, maybe even the people of God. The Exodus generation had been fully raised and immersed in the Egyptian culture; even if they were still worshipping God, it is likely that they were also influenced by the Egyptian gods and culture.

God heard the cry of His people and knew what needed to happen for their freedom. I believe that the Israelites (and all people that would hear their story) needed to know God’s heart and character in a more real way; something very visible and memorable.

A hardened heart suffers great consequences that God allows for a purpose. I believe that Pharaoh’s and other Egyptian’s hardened hearts were the result of fear and self-centered thinking. The Egyptian’s didn’t want the Israelites to leave because that would mean a great loss of manual labor because there were so many of them. Because of the number of Israelites, the Egyptians were also fearful of what God’s people could do if they didn’t maintain control over them. The cost of a hardened heart starts small and grows to death of something and/or of someone valuable. Some people look at the verses in Exodus that say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and wonder why God would do that. I wondered the same thing until this time of studying this passage of Scripture. In my NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, there’s a writing about the meaning of ‘God hardening’ Pharaoh’s heart. One thought that goes with Egyptian culture would point to God’s judging of Pharaoh’s heart. Another view that goes along with Egyptian expressions and could be a functional equivalent of the Biblical language could be a caustic satire of Egyptian ideas. The original term used in Scripture could mean a heart that grows hard, heavy, and strong which could be thought of as a positive thing in the Egyptian culture of the time; however, this could be God giving Pharaoh exactly what he wants or Pharaoh himself heaping guilt of wrongdoing upon himself, therefore dooming himself to punishment; along with his people. What it boils down to is that we don’t know positively what is meant by God hardening Pharoah’s heart, but we do know that God did not cause Pharaoh and his actions to come under judgement; he, the Egyptians, and their gods, had already come under judgement. The plagues were just giving them what they had already earned.

We will experience natural consequences to our choices.

God says what He means and means what He says. His yes is yes and His no is no.

God will defend His people against evil.

The plagues show the Israelites the true heart of Pharaoh, making the leaving easier. This may be the first step in getting the Egypt out of God’s people.

The process with Pharoah and the plagues shows what sin does in our own lives.

Pharaoh’s response to Moses/God is similar to that of the Israelites toward God. Let me explain a bit. The times of the plagues is a visual for the Israelites to see how they had been toward God. And in the end, He rescues them as He does all that accept Him through Jesus. It’s a heart issue!

The story with Pharaoh is similar to the Pharisees in the New Testament. (I will let you consider this on your own.)

Israelites. God spares their firstborns and takes the firstborn of the Egyptians; this to save His people. Jesus. God sacrifices His firstborn to save all His people through all eternity.

Each person’s ‘me-ology’ is incomplete and unable to have control over every aspect of one’s life because there are too many variables.

King ‘Me’ will be overthrown by the King of kings.

Getting the Israelites out of Egypt took less time than getting the Egypt out of the Israelites; as it is with Christ-followers getting the sinful patterns out of our lives and wounds healed. Walking out of our old lives takes less time than getting our old lives walked out of us. Putting ourselves in the Hands of God is the first step to His shaping us into the Masterpiece that He has created us to be. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Creating a masterpiece takes time; chipping away at what doesn’t belong (ouch!), and intentionality.

God is patient!

The Israelites gave from what they had for the building of the Tabernacle and it was more than enough. In our time, people look to the church to supply for their needs.

The Israelites were willing to offer their skills and abilities for the building of the Tabernacle and the priestly garments.

The building of the Tabernacle seemed to keep the Israelites busy doing what God had asked of them so they weren’t idol and doing things on their own.

From the beginning of time, God’s people have desired to have a physical representation of Him. Without that, mankind tends to seek their own manmade gods that lead to worshipping gods other than the one True God.

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JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

I have been thinking a lot about what it will take for me; as a Christ-Follower, to get to a point where I have whole-being wellness. As I walk my life journey, I find that I am craving this whole-being wellness and I have a desire to share what I discover with others that have an interest in the same. Whole-being wellness encompasses; first and foremost, spiritual wellness, then mindful (mental & emotional) wellness, and physical wellness. This topic of whole-being wellness is a library’s worth of research, information, and application plans; however, I want to mind dump today on a piece of this that has occurred to me recently.

As a Follower of Christ, I have noticed and experienced that there are different types of battle that I have encountered; all of which I need to suit up with God’s perfect Armor that He has provided for me. In my humanness, I tend to wear my own faulty armor with all of it’s battle holes, dents, weaknesses, and shortcomings; and then wonder why I am struggling so much with life stuff. I have experienced battles in my spiritual life, battles in my mind that impacts my emotions and mental state, and I have experienced battles in my physical body; which, by the way have been related to the spiritual and mindful battles. The best plan of action for all the battles I face is to put on God’s perfect Armor that He has provided for me. This armor includes surrounding myself with God’s Truth and living in His Truth; putting on Christ’s righteousness that He has provided; linking arms in Faith with other Christ Followers (there really is strength in numbers); walking in and sharing Christ’s Peace with others; covering my mind with thoughts of the Salvation; and all that it entails, that Jesus has provided for me; and becoming one with the sacred Word of God so that I can verbalize it in times of battle with the enemy.

In considering other aspects of whole-being wellness, the thought of my body being a ‘temple of the Holy Spirit,’ came to mind so I looked at the passage in Scripture that talks about this.

” “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.  You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.  By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!  Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.  Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 NIV)

This passage; most obviously, is referencing sexuality; however, in considering this passage, I have begun to see that it could potentially be related to other areas of life. While being sexually connected to a person makes ‘two become one flesh,’ I can see that when I connect or accept as Truth something from the world (evil), I am joining in my mental state and my emotions with the world and becoming as one with it. Also, if I accept worldly spiritual things and connect with them, I am becoming one with them which impacts my spiritual life with the Holy Spirit because I would then be trying to worship God and other gods at the same time; which doesn’t work well, as we read in the Ten Commandments. Becoming one with the things of the world; even in thought, can; and probably will, derail my efforts in becoming well in my whole being. As is also true if I become one with the world in a physical sense.

How does all of this come together? I am thinking through this; however, I can see a couple really important aspects that I HAVE to be consistently persistent on if I am going to continue to pursue whole-being wellness. First, every day must begin with putting on the perfect Armor of my God and Creator. And second, I must reject worldly things and become one with only the things of God.

As you consider these thoughts for yourself, I would really like to hear your feedback; in a positive manner, please.

soulcarecoach.amy@gmail.com

#wholebeingwellness

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Destination Or ?

We are always in a hurry to get to our destination; have we ever stopped and wondered why we are always in a hurry? We get annoyed or angry at the obstacles that get in our way; even if it’s people, especially if it’s people. For whatever reason, we believe that we have to be in the shortest line in the grocery store; the fastest moving lane on the highway and we have to take the shortest route to our destination. Why is this? Is it really that urgent to get to our destination that we can’t even see the people or creation along the way? Years ago I was listening to a friend that shared that she wanted to go back to school but her kids commented that she was too old and she probably wouldn’t be able to finish. The Holy Spirit prompted me to share with her that life is not just about getting to the destination, it’s about our experiences along the journey. I believe that this is true about our lives; however, it is important to know that we have ‘nailed it down’ with God and that we will be with Him in Heaven when our journey on earth is through. What’s so wrong with slowing down, stepping into the long line at the store; pulling into the slow lane on the highway and taking the long way to your destination, once in awhile? Isn’t our life a journey and not a destination?

The other day I was reading a devotion that talked about how the Israelite people gathered stones from the river basin to build a memorial so that when their children asked about what the stones were for they could share of how God parted the water to save their lives and His great provision for them. This led me to stop and consider the journey that I have been on to my destination. This thought process led me to consider what memorial stones I would compile of my own journey. Because there were 12 Israelite tribes and they gathered 12 stones, I chose to consider 12 Journey Stones of my own.

1-Marriage. God is always present and working in my marriage; and consequently, me.

2-Perseverance. It has taken God’s strength to persevere through the hills and valleys of life. And perseverance pays off.

3-Fear. I have lived with so much fear in my life; that is until God started loving me out of these fears. As Scripture tells us, “perfect love casts out fear.”

4-Wisdom & Knowledge. God’s word and my life experiences have taught me so much and I am so thankful for the wisdom and knowledge I have gained.

5-Loss. Even though I wish that I could have gone my life without experiencing the loss of my mom and my son, I have been Blessed by God and others through these events. I am grateful for God’s love and compassion through these difficult times.

6-Mountains. God has shown me the depths of His creation and majesty through His mountains. It is overwhelming to comprehend the vastness of the mountains (the oceans as well) just as it is for us to comprehend the vastness and depth of God.

7-Freedom. Jesus is freedom. His love and sacrifice is freedom. Life with Him is freedom.

8-Avoidance. I developed avoidance as a way to cope with the difficult things of life; God has helped me to be free; almost completely, of this dysfunctional way to deal with such things in life.

9-Strength. God has given me strength to walk through even the most difficult things in my life. God is so good!

10-Confidence. With freedom, comes confidence.

11-Peace. I have a peace that can only be explained, ‘God.’

12-Love. I can love because God first loved me. He is love!

I share my own journey stones with you as a way to hopefully get you to slow down and consider your own journey and the ways that you can see God’s Mighty Hand at work in your life. Thank you for sharing this time with me! I pray that you take the time to slow down and enjoy your journey because that is when real peace can reach you.

Blessings!

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