thoughts by Marilyn Ehle Archives - Page 2 of 20

Published November 6, 2023

Slave Thinking

“In freedom Christ has made us free and completely liberated us; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery”. Galatians 5:2 (Amplified Bible)

Frederick Douglass, leader of the abolitionist movement, discusses at great length the difference between the mindsets of slavery and freedom. In one book,* Douglass reveals how his demeanor changed when he began thinking—or visualized—what it would be like to be free. Conversely, he began to understand what it was like when he stopped dreaming about freedom. Adam Abraham writes that Douglass “gained spiritual sustenance and physical strength only when he had an active connection with his soul’s longings.”

We have a vivid biblical picture of this same kind of thinking in the story of the Israelites after they left Egypt. They were finally within stepping-into distance of the land promised by God, but when they heard the discouraging “majority report” of realities within that Promised Land, they balked in fear. They returned to slave thinking. David Stubbs writes, “Israel rejects God not because they want to be more, but rather because they are willing to settle for less.”

We who walk with Christ often experience this tendency toward slave thinking. We grow discouraged in the tough battle of addictions or grief or abuse or self-doubt. We quake with discouragement because it is easier to believe that nothing can ever change than it is to believe that “Christ has made us free.” Instead of “standing fast,” we let our weak legs wander off the path of discipleship. We are “hampered” by voices that shout true freedom is an impossibility. We succumb to the false teaching that freedom is only for the favored few.

God has built soul longings into us. The psalmist likens his own yearnings after God to a thirsty deer panting after water. When Frederick Douglass envisioned freedom and began to live like a freed man, he set out on the road to change society. What even greater miracles can God do when His children stand fast, are not hampered or ensnared and truly live as free people?

*Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave,

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

No Private Rooms

“Search me, God, and know my heart…” Psalm 139:23

Have you ever watched a television situation comedy where the characters never knock on friends’ doors, walking in announced, assuming they are welcome? Most of us in the Western world would find this unacceptable behavior. We expect a knock on the door or ring of the bell.

I love my privacy. Because my desk is in the corner of a much-used room, I bought a folding wooden screen to afford at least a small sense of privacy while I am working. I often pray for missionaries who have similar “privacy passions” yet minister in cultures where being alone is considered socially unacceptable.

While my yearning for privacy is frequently necessary to accomplish my work and even desirable in my practice of solitude for spiritual growth, that very hunger to be alone can feed an immature wish that God Himself knock before entering. Do I really want Him to view every secret desire, especially those best described as self-centered? Do I give Him ready access to every corner of my heart and mind or are there spaces I keep securely locked?

David gave God the key to his heart and life, but his words indicate that this ready access was given because David had a personal bond with God. His close relationship with the Creator of the universe almost springs off the page: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.” (Psalm 139:17 NLT)

Could it be that the rooms of my life closed off to God are locked because I haven’t sufficiently developed that same love and trust with my Heavenly Father? In addition to gaining information about God in our spiritual growth, deeply embedded in the Hebrew and Greek meanings of the word “know” are the ideas of perceiving, experiencing, and responding to Him. When I consistently pursue not just knowing about God, but unceasingly walk in intimacy so that I ever more deeply love and understand Him, fear of opening myself completely to Him will decrease. Little by little, I will unlock the private rooms.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Are We Meant to Be Happy?

“(Jesus said) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…I am coming to you now…so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” (Read John 17)

Friends are about to set off for a cross-country journey and I say, “I’ll be praying that have a good trip.” Our friend responds, “Oh, don’t worry. We always have a good trip. After all, God wants to keep his children happy.”

As the door closes and they leave our presence, his words lay heavy on my heart. Is it true? Does “God want to keep his children happy”? Modern dictionaries define a happy person as one who is fortunate or successful. In the Bible, however, when the word happy is used, it primarily means blessed as in Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” etc. This gives a nuance to the word that we do not usually consider.

Did the Apostle Paul pray for our interpretation of happiness for his friends, many of whom were suffering? “I keep asking God…to give you wisdom…so you may know him better.” And “This is my prayer: that your love may abound…” And “…we have not stopped praying, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will…”

If I am not happy, has God removed his hand of blessing and protection? Carol is slowly recovering from deep grief after her husband’s long and painful battle with cancer and subsequent death. She smiles – but through tears. Happy? No, but at peace.

Terry is making slow but steady progress after long and dangerous surgery. Her pain has been unimaginable. Did God fail his promises? Is he punishing her? Others would not call her situation happy, but she is deeply aware of God’s presence and love.

Simone Weil wrote,

“Joy is the sweetness of contact with the love of God.”

Dear friend, God has far deeper purposes in our lives than happiness. Jesus promised to leave us his peace and joy. Nothing less.

Father, I am so very tempted to look for fleeting happiness as evidence of your presence. But then I look at Jesus’ life and see one sure of your love, your acceptance and your plan for his life. And he was blessed. May I walk in that same kind of blessing.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Welcoming Strangers

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13:2 (New Living Translation)

When we lived in Germany, a call came from a friend living near the then-closed border of Eastern Europe. During the Communist era, our friend, along with others, had developed close bonds with Christians who longed to see their countries free from tyranny.

The request was simple. Our friend knew of a priest who was being allowed to travel from his home in Poland to Holland for a crucial meeting. Could my husband pick him up at the airport, drive him to the meeting only a few hours away, wait until the meeting was over and return him to our home for an overnight stay.

Our house was well suited to hosting guests and hospitality was a major element of our ministry to international men and women in both diplomatic and business circles. Our ready response to our friend’s request was automatic.

We all know that hospitality involves conversation as guests and hosts learn more about each other. In this instance, conversation was limited because this gentle, black-clad priest did not speak English, and we spoke no Polish. As we were still learning German and our guest had only limited use of that language, even that means of conversation was scarce. But to my surprise, I found that our times together over dinner and then breakfast were not only easy, but there was a special sense of God’s presence as we sat together.

Only years later did we discover the identity of our guest: a Catholic priest who was key to opening doors for evangelism and discipleship in all of Communist Poland. Because he was well respected in many circles, he became crucial to the development of religious freedom efforts as well as all other Kingdom activity.

Was our friend an angel as described in the book of Hebrews? He didn’t look particularly angelic, but his presence brought blessing that we recall to this very day. He became a lesson to never turn away the person who might be used of God as an instrument of peace and joy.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

The Real God in the Midst of Real Pain

“…at once the Spirit sent Him (Jesus) out into the wilderness…” Mark 1:12

“(Herod) locked John up in prison.” Luke 3:20

“I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

I recently wrote an article describing how when Christians experience the loss of our dreams, it might be good to sit quietly in the presence of God waiting in trust for what God has prepared for the future.

What has been amazing is the tone of the responses I’ve received. Almost all sound like the popular song, “Don’t worry, be happy.” A kind of “don’t-worry-it’s-not-really-that-bad-everything-will-get-better.” Could this be denial of the pain and reality of life, the stuffing down of emotions?

It was with these responses in mind that my mind wandered to the verses above. John had just experienced the earth-shattering, heaven-opening baptism of Jesus. Now surely the glorious beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the fulfillment of all John the Baptizer’s dreams of the coming Messiah will occur. But then we read that immediately after hearing His Father’s affirmation, Jesus is sent by the very Spirit entwined with His own being into the wilderness of temptation and suffering. And then this cousin of Jesus, blessed to be the herald of the coming Kingdom, is thrown into prison.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus were faithful and learned Jews who knew the writings of the Prophet Isaiah. Was it in prison and in the wilderness—real places of real suffering—that both men recalled, “Do not fear; I will help you”? God did not rescue Jesus from the temptations of the Evil One. He gave Him power to resist. God did not open Herod’s prison doors so John could escape and continue ministry. Instead the Tetrarch Herod ordered John’s head to be presented on a platter for the cruel enjoyment of his guests.

It is in all places, in all times—in the Jordan Rivers, in the wildernesses, in the prisons—that we hear the “Do not fear; I will help you.” As the Apostle Paul described it, it is “in every circumstance and in everything, we are to “make your wants known to God.” Then “God’s peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 Amplified Bible)

The real God comes in the real pain.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Lost Dreams

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Have you ever had a dream die? Something you wanted to accomplish in life but “life” got in the way? A desired friendship dissolved because of distance or misunderstanding? Marriage and family never became a reality? What you thought was the call of God never materialized?

Madeleine L’ Engle writes, “Until I can mourn the loss of a dream I cannot be comforted enough to have vision for a fresh one.” Many North Americans are not comfortable with mourning. We feel it is appropriate to weep at the loss of a loved one, but when the weeping goes on for what we believe is “too long,” we counsel the individual to “get over it,” face reality, or any number of other equally comfortless bromides.

The Bible describes several people who lost their dreams: Naomi turned bitter when her dream of husband and family dissolved; Job’s wealth, health and family evaporated and he had many questions of God; Hannah waited “too long” for a child; after Jesus’ death, two of his friends walked sadly to the town of Emmaus and said, “we had hoped that He was the one.”

Since it is God’s great pleasure to give us new dreams and fresh hopes, perhaps it’s time to sit quietly in His presence, mourn the loss of our dream, then listen to the still, small voice of the Giver of Dreams for the better things He has planned.

Father, weeping isn’t comfortable and often isn’t socially acceptable, but thank you for knowing and understanding my tears and loss. Help me to feel your care, then move on to seek your new dreams for my life.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

More Dreaming Articles:

A Time to Dream

My Dreams Were too Small

Accomplishing your Dream

Don’t Let Fear and Self Doubt Kill Your Dreams

Dream Big

Dreams – Another Perspective

Your Dream Job

thoughts by Marilyn Ehle Thoughts by Women

So Send I You

Published September 8, 2023

So Send I You

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:21

I am not by nature a people person. I grew up in the country as an only child who loved walking alone in the fields surrounding our home, or reading under the overhanging branches of a cedar tree that grew on the one windowless side of our house. (My mother couldn’t see me there!). Even today my favorite times are like the ones experienced as I write these words, “sitting at a small, scarred wooden table in my favorite café”, looking out the paned window at sporadic traffic soundlessly passing by. The cafe owners are generous toward moles like me – their nearby kitchen conversations are muted and they keep my coffee cup filled.

So what am I doing in a life that is normally filled with people “with teaching, organizing, and counseling?” A life far removed from meandering through fields or sequestered under pine boughs?

A night over 50 years ago is burned into my memory. It was the night I felt God saying “so send I you.” The years since that night have been saturated with challenge, joy, sorrow, adventure and fulfillment.

At times I have complained, insisting that I am not only inadequate for His task but I just plain do not like the path He has chosen. But the one who called has gone with me, refreshed, encouraged and taught me.

How tragic it would have been to insist only on walking in fields and sitting under trees.

Thank you for your patience with me, Father, and for choosing me to be your servant.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Buts, Excepts and Howevers

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders…” Hebrews 12:1

It’s a new year and the slate is clean. Although some of our resolutions may already be broken, we truly do want to begin again. We thrill to the grace of God which not only forgives but gives power to live by the Spirit of God. But can it actually happen?

And then comes that whisper of the Spirit: “This is the way; walk in it.” We hear the whisper, we even see the way laid out before us, but past experience with our own weakness and the toughness of life in general makes us hesitate. “I’ll follow, but…” “I’ll obey, however…” “I’ll speak, except…”

The Old Testament—given as an example “to keep us from setting our hearts on evil”—is filled with vivid illustrations of those whose lives were filled with buts, excepts and howevers.

Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high place. (1Kings 3:3)

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord…The high places, however, were not removed… (2 Kings 15:34, 35)

He did what right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.
(2 Chronicles 25:2)

“That is too high a standard,” we exclaim. “No one can attain—and maintain—that kind of life.” And that is exactly what God is waiting to hear. The only One with no buts, excepts or howevers in His life was Jesus and He, living within us, promises to give us the power to present ourselves as living sacrifices, ready and willing to experience all that He is ready to give.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Not What, But How

The WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelet fad has receded from top shelf popularity. The book, In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon has similarly slipped from public view. Our memories are short, our intentions even shorter, but the motivation behind both bracelet and book is honorable and worth our consideration.

In recent months I’ve become painfully aware of acquaintances and close friends facing near-unspeakable tragedy. Their reactions have been as varied as their situations. Anger. Denial. Futility. Calm–even joyful–acceptance. While personality and past experience profoundly influence their reactions, the months-long walk of one friend captured my attention.

Throughout her long battle with cancer, I saw her intelligent mind engaged as she conferred with doctors, accepting many of their solutions, refusing others. She read medical journals to learn of diet and lifestyle influences on her disease. She continued teaching piano to children and adults even as she underwent the scheduled chemotherapy treatments. That’s the “what” of my friend’s battle.

But the “how” How could she continue meeting each Sunday morning with a group of friends, sharing both “it’s been a really hard week” and “isn’t God good?” comments. (Many more of the latter than the former!) Not once throughout the long months did we hear a “why” question.

How did she “do” it? As I observed Sue’s life, several answers to that question became obvious.

(1) She was not surprised by tragedy. She firmly believed that cancer (or any other misfortune) is simply part of living in a fallen—post-Eden—world. This definitely didn’t mean she saw calamity around every corner; she simply accepted that bad-things-happen-to-good/all-people.

(2) She purposefully lived and shared in community. She kept her family informed of her situation but didn’t call every day with medical updates! (To the chagrin—but final acceptance—of some.) She drove through rain, snow, sleet and sunshine to church activities. We worried about her but also applauded her determination. She continued encouraging other cancer patients through a care network.

(3) She chose—crucial word—to believe that is God good, that he loved her, that he had a plan for her life. She cultivated this practice for years, before rising from her bed each morning, thanking God for the new day, for the joy she expected him to give her.

(4) She immersed herself in God’s Word—and words—to her. Reading the Bible wasn’t a mere morning ritual, but a time of contemplating words, phrases, sentences, intentionally digging deep beneath the markings on the page. Not one Sunday passed without Sue’s sharing of some “new” insight, produced and applied by God’s Holy Spirit.

(5) She was intimately acquainted with Jesus. He was not merely God’s provision of salvation. He was definitely not “just” an example or teacher, nor an ultimate judge. When Sue faced thoughtless words from well-meaning friends(?), she searched the Bible to find how Jesus reacted in similar situations. When the burdens of pain seemed overwhelming, she re-read the Gethsemane story and once more wept the words, “Not my will...” When sleep proved elusive, she—like Jesus—”withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” If he did it, then she, as his disciple and friend, would do likewise.

(6) She practiced gratitude. Each morning she thanked God for the new day. She thanked him for sufficient resources to pay for treatment. She thanked him for sunshine, rain, storm, flowers. She thanked him for the FedEx delivery man…whom she invited him in and prayed for! Because she was well acquainted with God’s loving nature and purposes, she couldn’t imagine a life without gratitude.

(7) She willingly placed her family, friends and future into God’s hands. This wasn’t a mere spiritual exercise, but practical action accompanied by holding her hands with open palms and imagining people and plans offered to the God she trusted.

Sue spent little time thinking about the “what” of her situation, but she was immersed in the “how” of living as a Christ follower. She had spent a lifetime “practicing the presence” of Christ so that it became the almost automatic “how” of walking through floods and fires, through the realities that all of us will face at one time or another. She needed neither bracelet or book.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

If you have never surrendered your life to Christ, you can start today. Simply say this prayer and your journey with Christ will begin:

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to trust you from now on. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Thank you for enabling me to trust you in these uncertain times. Amen.

If this prayer expresses what you desire, take this step to respond to God’s invitation. He will forgive your sins, be with you always, guide you each day and give you eternal life. If you do pray this prayer of faith, God will be faithful to his promise and come into your life.

Just as the introduction is the beginning in any relationship, getting to know God is just the beginning. To grow in your relationship with God, talk to him daily through prayer, start reading the Bible beginning with the gospel of John and seek out others who have a personal faith in God. A relationship with God provides an unchanging foundation of hope in a world of unprecedented change. God will give you the strength to face the challenges of each day and to anticipate the future he has a planned for you.

Our God Is an Awesome God?

“For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2

Awesome: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear; breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive; formidable, fearsome, dreaded; excellent, marvelous…

These words from a woman undergoing treatment for an aggressive cancer stopped me in my tracks:

How do we know the God we serve and say we believe in is an awesome God if we are never in a situation where we need an awesome God? How do we know He can do the impossible if we never have to trust Him for the impossible? How do we know He can make a way out of no way if we’re never in a situation where there is no way out? I have a wonderful opportunity before me right now through this illness. I am getting a glimpse of how incredibly awesome my God is! And right now, I feel grateful!

It is certainly possible to declare God as awesome merely by believing what is stated in the Bible. In the same way, it possible to declare the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains or the European Alps by merely seeing pictures in a travel book. But it quite another thing to stand close, look up at snowy peaks and be amazed by their breath-taking beauty. Those who hike these mountains say they quite literally stagger with awe as they climb the slopes, then reach the peaks shrouded in clouds.

My friend is not looking at God through words on a page. She is not hearing about His strength, power and love from a sermon. She lies on a bed unable to perform the simplest tasks of her former life as powerful medicines drip into her body. She is in an impossible, no way out situation. And she declares God to be awesome.

Father God, may we practice looking at you, high and lifted up, even as we call you “Papa.” Thank you that in your royal magnificence you still reach down to touch us in our beds.

How can you practice becoming aware of God as awesome? How have you seen Him as such?

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Squawking or Singing

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” Psalm 147:1 (ESV)

Bushy pine trees tower outside the window where I sit in morning worship. On one particular day, getting my mind and heart into an attitude of reverence and adoration was made more difficult by the raucous squawking of birds sitting on those pine branches. More often I hear melodic songs from the birds but that morning the sounds were raspy and discordant. Then through the trees I saw the reason for all this screeching: a squirrel, bushy tail wagging mischievously, was running back and forth on the fence, taunting the birds. Only when he gave up his heckling for the morning did silence—and eventually singing—return.

What is it that turns my melodies of worship into shrill complaint or depressed moaning? Is it the stress of an overfull calendar? Subconscious self-focus? Remembered slights? Unlike the squirrel who runs off, my calendar can’t be ignored, but I can do something about other worship interruptions. I can with intention fix my eyes on Jesus. I can lay my hurt feelings at the cross, blessing those who have annoyed or infringed on my rights.

Sometimes the “squirrels” of life don’t run off.

People still make hurtful comments. Illness continues to sap strength. Relationships cannot be mended. Then, just like the birds, I must fly away into those quiet places with God. According to the old Negro spiritual, “Some bright morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away, and while that is truth, I can “fly away” in the midst of life’s ever present squirrels by simply sitting quietly with God, asking Him to refresh and renew my song. No more squawking!

Lord, remind me when my singing is off key because my heart isn’t tuned to you. Renew that right spirit within me so my songs honor you.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

When God Shuts the Door

“Then the Lord shut him in.” Genesis 7:16b

Often when I feel that God is shutting the door on me “when it seems as though He’s depriving me of something desperately wanted” it’s only another step to a full-blown Pity Party:

“Why me? Why now? Doesn’t He know how much I want this?”

But when God closed the ark’s door on Noah, it’s evident that God’s action was for protection and safety, not to withhold blessing and joy. Something terrible was about to happen and God was providing security for His faithful servant.

Small children whine and pout when parents say “no”, not recognizing that the candy bar will spoil their appetite, that the plastic toy will readily break, that lack of sleep will harm their health. God knows that instant gratification will spoil me for the best in life, that settling for second best will often cause heartache, that lack of self-discipline will make me soft instead of strong. And so He “shuts the door.”

Lord, help me to see the doors you shut as new openings to Your love. Amen.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

So That

“From the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son…” Romans 8:29
(Living Bible)

I love the fact that God is committed to the goal of making us increasingly like Christ…with our permission and cooperation, of course. While not all mysteries are made clear to us (after all, He asks us to walk by faith, not by sight), God explains much of His plan and purpose.

Our Father’s teacher heart is evident by the way many of His instructions are followed by a “so that” phrase.

He instructs us to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing SO THAT you may become blameless and pure.” This helps me understand why a contentious spirit will quickly lead me into impure thoughts and actions.

“I have told you these things SO THAT in me you may have peace” (John 6:33). Jesus had just explained to His disciples how He would send the Holy Spirit to meet their needs. When my peace is interrupted, I need to review the “these things” of Jesus.

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, SO THAT all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). Whenever I feel inadequate for a task, whenever I need course correction, whenever I need more training for the path ahead, I need to go back to that useful scripture.

“Let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence SO THAT we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God’s mercy and grace are ready to be generously given; He just waits for us to freely, boldly, confidently come before Him.

Search for other SO THAT phrases as you read the Bible. God makes just enough of His will and plan known for us to live abundantly because “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, SO THAT we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

What do you think would happen in your growth as a Christian if you began to more deeply understand all the “so that” statements in the Bible?

Begin making a list of such statements in your journal.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

For Me or For Him?

“How precious are your thoughts concerning me.” Psalm 139:17

It had been anything but a ‘quiet’ time. Although I had closed the door and opened my Bible, my attention skittered between meetings just attended, people needs for which I felt responsible and future events crowding the calendar. Glance at the clock too soon revealed that it was time to leave my private chamber and tend to the day’s responsibilities. ‘So much for spiritual preparation.’ was my somewhat whiny comment to God.as if He had been physically standing before me: “That’s okay, my daughter. I just wanted to sit here with you. I’ve enjoyed our time together.”

We delude ourselves into thinking that our quiet times are primarily for our own benefit. We are intellectually aware that God is always with us, that His eye is not only on the sparrow but on each of us. We claim a personal relationship with Him yet are slow to understand much of what that means.

How different would be our attitudes if we began to learn that we come into His presence to give Him joy.

God, I am so grateful for your personal love for me. To think that you simply desire me to be in your presence is overwhelming. I love you.

by Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Anointed but Waiting

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27

Followers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism all honor the man known in the annals of religious history as King David. He was a simple shepherd; a very unlikely candidate to become a king. Jesse, father of a large family, is asked to introduce his sons so the prophet Samuel can examine them. In that culture, the oldest son would be the first obvious choice but he is passed over, and the rest of the boys—quite fit for military service and thus for leadership—subsequently pass before Samuel. After this parade of the non-chosen, the last of the litter is summoned. Here’s the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases the conversation in The Message: Then he (Samuel) asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?” “Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.” And this seemingly unqualified young man is chosen by God through the anointing hand of Samuel.

So begins the saga of King David, chosen somewhere between the ages of fifteen and twenty. Imagine the thoughts whirling in David’s head after that momentous occasion. Was there ridicule from neighbors and family: “Yeah, right…you’re the new king?” As he bedded down in the green pastures with his sheep, did he think about his older brothers out on the battlefield while he was offering nothing to the ongoing war effort? Even when he obediently carried food to his brothers, he was mocked by the oldest brother: “Why are you here? Who’s with the sheep? You’re just a conceited know-it-all who wants to be the center of attention.”

It would be another fifteen years before the anointed king would take his rightful place as leader, years filled with bloody war, hiding in caves, disappointment and—perhaps the hardest of all—waiting. David’s poetic words ring with truth: Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? Wait on the Lord! Be strong and confident! Wait on the Lord! (Psalm 27)

Have you felt God’s call on your life to do some specific thing but that call—or at least its specifics—have not been realized? Have you prepared for something that you believe God wants you to do but the opportunity to serve has not yet happened? One of the most difficult things God asks of us is to wait. We want to jump at the chance, dive into the task, begin the process and God’s Spirit whispers, “Wait.”

Help me, Lord, to trust you enough to wait. And to be aware whether your Spirit is whispering, “Go, stay or wait.”

Was there a time in your life when God asked you to wait? Describe the process. How did you grow spiritually? What were some of the specific difficulties? And rewards?

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

Category: <span>thoughts by Marilyn Ehle</span>

“In freedom Christ has made us free and completely liberated us; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery”. Galatians 5:2 (Amplified Bible)

Further Reading

“Search me, God, and know my heart…” Psalm 139:23

Further Reading

Further Reading

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13:2 (New Living Translation)

Further Reading

The real God comes in the real pain.

FURTHER READING

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:21

Further Reading

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off EVERYTHING that hinders…” Hebrews 12:1

Further Reading

Further Reading

“For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2

Further Reading

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” Psalm 147:1 (ESV)

Further Reading

“Then the Lord shut him in.” Genesis 7:16b

“Why me? Why now? Doesn’t He know how much I want this?”

Further Reading

Our Father’s teacher heart is evident by the way many of His instructions are followed by a “so that” phrase.

Further Reading

“How precious are your thoughts concerning me.” Psalm 139:17

Further Reading

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27

Further Reading