Strategies and Tactics

Posted on February 28, 2013 by suemariericker

Strategies and Tactics are similar though one involves planning and the other executing military operations.  Most Christians realize that they are in a warfare, and for a long time I thought the enemy’s attacks were random—I have been rethinking that lately…

As I have been reading and praying through the book of Judges, I’ve been tripping up on the ninth chapter.  It is so easy to think that these are interesting, if not difficult stories to read.  Yesterday and today I gained a different perspective.  This is my prayer:

Father, there are some violent, gruesome stories in this chapter!  Anoint my heart and my mind with your Holy Spirit; open my ears to hear the things that you are speaking to me through these verses.

In the New Testament you teach your people that we have an unseen enemy who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.  Remind us, Lord, as we face each day and the battles before us, that we do not war against flesh and blood—instruct us how to arm ourselves and to fight strategically.

You expose some of the enemy’s tactics in this chapter:

  • He appears to belong in our midst, one of our brothers—to be one of us or to use one of us, but he brings division and death.

Expose every divisive spirit that infiltrates your church, O God; give us eager hearts to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3)

  • The enemy is manipulative; he plays on our sense of loyalty to friends and family—he inspires a sense of indebtedness which undermines our first and only priority to the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Father, you have called your people to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10).  I want to be pleasing to you, Lord.  You call me to act and speak in a manner pleasing to you rather than man—you know my heart!  The enemy seems to have a strategy of taking your command, in love serve one another (Gal. 5:13), to spark a false sense of obligation.

So much tension between law and grace! —it is only in you we have freedom.  Give me; give all of your people discernment to recognize the lies and manipulations of the enemy.  Remind us in those tricky moments that satan used scripture in his attempts to derail our Savior from his purpose and destiny—we can expect no less from our adversary!

Just as Jotham spoke prophetically to the people of Shechem, giving clarity and proclaiming the outcome, I ask your Holy Spirit to speak prophetically into my life and the lives of my children and their families.  Give us clarity, I pray; reveal to our hearts the outcomes of our choices.  Give us wisdom and willing hearts to choose no other king, no other lord than you.  Teach us to live in good faith and integrity, O God!

  • The enemy sets up an ambush—when we least expect it, when we may not see it coming, he brings situations into our lives to destroy us.

Give us eyes to see and hearts to perceive the enemy’s approach, Lord.  Give us understanding to recognize his lies—help us to not underestimate his strength; rather, teach us to be watchful for our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

  • Intimidation.

Lord, I recognize that the enemy cannot possibly know what I am thinking; however, he is quite knowledgeable about my weaknesses!  He sees my failures and he challenges my faith in you.  He seeks to undermine my God-given identity—I am completely and intimately loved by you, I am more than conqueror, and I am not condemned!

I am intrigued by verse 23 that records and God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.  There really is no unity in the enemy camp!  Help me to understand this verse, I pray; give me wisdom to see into the realm of the spiritual where your righteousness and goodness dwell hand in hand.  You are sovereign, O God; and all spirits, principalities and powers are subject to your will.  Even when I do not understand what in going on in the natural realm, there are things happening in the invisible that you cause to work out for good to those who love you—for me!

Today I choose to rest in your sovereignty, in your goodness, and in the victory I have through the redemptive work of my Savior.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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R•E•S•P•E•C•T

Posted on February 26, 2013 by suemariericker

I love the freshness God’s Holy Spirit brings to my Bible reading each day!  I love how he highlights verses in new ways, often relating to things going on in my life.  He did that  for me this morning when I read again the story of David and Goliath.  After I managed to get beyond the images firmly planted in my mind from watching the VeggieTales movie Dave and the Giant Pickle multiple times with my grandson, this verse stood out to me:

…”Why have you come down?  And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?  I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”  And David said, “What have I done now?”  (1 Samuel 17:28).

 I’m pretty sure Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was still stinging after Samuel anointed David (the youngest of eight sons) to be king over Israel.  Perhaps he was speaking from jealousy, perhaps he was speaking from anger, but one thing is for sure, he was not speaking from knowledge!  David was on a mission, sent by his father to bring food—strengthening and nourishment—to his brothers and their commander, and it was in the midst of doing the simple that he had an opportunity to do the incredible.

I wonder if Eliab was frustrated by his vulnerability in the face of a giant?  I wonder if he was guilty of the things he was accusing David of?  I wonder if he was seeing things in the natural because that is what he was familiar with?  Just a chapter earlier when Eliab was passed over for king, Samuel was advised,  for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Now I know these are very familiar scriptures and a very familiar sermon topic.  I do not think I have heard it applied in the aspect of ministry– judging, criticizing, “evaluating” a person and the task God has given them to do.  I can relate a bit with David and his plea, “What did I do now?”  He was just following orders, he took care of all of his responsibilities, and he was doing what his father asked him to do, and for that, he was attacked—not by the enemy but by his brother!  …and in the midst of doing the menial chore, he had the opportunity to defeat a big enemy—something his brother let fear keep him from doing.

I am reminded of the verse in Romans (14:4) Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?  It is before his own master that he stands or falls.  And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Here are some things that I’ve been thinking about lately because they have come up in conversation and in different forums—it has to do with age discrimination, young vs. old, old vs. young.  A lot of young people are frustrated with the older generation and figure them to be stuck in their ways and irrelevant to church and Christianity today.  Older people are concerned that younger Christians do not have the stability of scripture and tend to flow with the currents the world rather than the kingdom.

I’m wondering if we could rearrange our thinking a bit?  Perhaps we older folks can see in the youth a vitality and sense of adventure that we once had? Perhaps we could begin to recognize that young people have a Father-given responsibility to perform and they are just doing their jobs?  Perhaps young people could look at older Christians and see people who have fought the fight and maintained the faith through difficulties and many painful situations—we have come through the fire stronger and continue to hold on to our Savior and His Word.  Perhaps we all could bathe again in the truth and grace of Jesus and extend it to others.  …and in those moments when we have concerns about the ministry and the lives of others, let us take those concerns to God in prayer, knowing that He, who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6).

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Psalm 144 – Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Posted on February 24, 2013 by suemariericker

Blessed be the Lord, my rock!

Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and train my heart and my hands for war; train me for the spiritual battles I encounter each day. You are my shield, subdue every evil person, every spirit of wickedness under me—every unsanctioned authority, every person who seeks to intimidate or manipulate me—I take refuge in you, O God!

My life is like a breath quickly drawn, a fleeting shadow in the sun. However, you regard mankind! You bowed the heavens, and Jesus came down to redeem me for his own. I will praise and worship you forever!

Scatter the enemy, Lord; send out your arrows and rout them! Stretch out your hand and deliver me from the people and the situations that could drown me. Deliver me from liars and the lies of the enemy—expose lies and reveal your truth.

I will sing to you a new song, O God! Bless my life with new talents and new abilities to glorify you.

Give victory to leaders who choose to honor you. Rescue your people from cruelty and from those who would hurt them.

Bless my sons and grandsons—and all the sons of your kingdom—may they grow strong in you and in their princely calling! Bless my daughters and granddaughters, as well as all of the daughters of your kingdom; may they be strong in you, reflecting the beauty of our King!

Bless your people, Lord; bless the work of our hands. Give us bountiful provisions and generous hearts to share with others. Keep our livelihoods safe from mishap or failure—and let there be no cry of distress in our streets. Keep us safe and bless every aspect of our lives as we bless you.

How amazing that you desire to bless your people! You are my God and I am one of yours. Hallelujah!

In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Helping God, Part 2

Posted on February 23, 2013 by suemariericker

In a previous blog I commented on the scripture in Judges 5:3 where a people were cursed for not helping God– Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. My point was (and is) that there is a time a place for us to partnership with God in battle and victory.

A friend of mine graciously reminded me of another story found in 2 Samuel 6, telling of David leading a procession of chosen men and merry-makers carrying the ark back to its rightful home in Jerusalem. The ark was placed in a cart, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the physical representation of God’s presence, the ark–and God struck him so that he died right there.

The overwhelming message that comes to me from that story is that God does not need our help! A less obvious message can be found in the fact that they were doing it all wrong! –the ark wasn’t supposed to be on a cart, it was meant to be carried by the Levites (Deut. 10:8).

One thing that absolutely jumps out at me in this story is that God is not to be “managed” on our terms and according to our convenience. I’m reminded of the verse in John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. We do not manage the Spirit; however, we manage our responses to the Holy Spirit, often according to our faith–or lack of it.

Something else that may not be quite so obvious is that if we get things right in the first place, we’ll save ourselves some grief down the line. It the poles were in the ark, if the priests were carrying the ark, there wouldn’t need to be a cart or oxen–and Uzzah wouldn’t feel the need to restore equilibrium and protect the presence of God!

So how is it that in one scripture, God seems to need our help and in another he does not? In the story of Uzzah, I see that there was a job for everyone to do–priests to carry the ark, chosen men for protection and all of the house of Israel sang praises! Everyone has a destiny; everyone has a unique purpose–and every person is involved in worship. Uzzah had a purpose; however, it wasn’t to steady the ark.

I think one of the easiest ways for me (and possibly others) to “steady the ark” is to help steady the presence of God in the lives of others–I can see things that I think need to be changed or attitudes and beliefs that need to be changed, and I want to give God a helping hand in getting the problems fixed. I can go on my experience here to say that God is faithful to make all of the changes needed in people–He is big, He knows His job, and being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

I know that there are other ways that I am not trusting God (because that is what it boils down to); I also know that God has saved me and called me to a holy calling, not because of my works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:9). …and there is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). I can also say with confidence that I am growing in grace, and faith, and the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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What Will I Contend For?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by suemariericker

I read a verse in Judges the other day that has sparked my thinking–actually, it is the question that is posed in Judges 6:31 that has caused me to take a look at my life from a different angle–Will you contend for Baal?

If you are familiar with the Old Testament book of Judges, you will recall that the Israelites had a reoccurring problem with idolatry–as you read through the book you will see a pattern of apostasy, servitude, supplication to God for deliverance, and salvation. It was the god Baal that the children of Israel chose to worship rather than the Creator God–perhaps because the idol could be seen (but couldn’t see or hear or answer prayers). In contrast, the true and living God could not be seen but sees and hears, and He answers prayers. Baal supposedly was a god of fertility, meant to bless crops and livestock. The God of heaven sends the rain to water the crops, He causes the increase, and it is He who is the true source of blessing!

I know of no existing temples of Baal today. However, I know that idols made with hands still exist and the things we trust in, rely on, or make of the highest importance are different for each person. For some it is the obvious–wealth, power, or position. Others it may be our time or our “rights”. For some it may be our religion or doctrine (that is tricky because the grace of God does not preclude the truth of Jesus!). Each person must hear from the Holy Spirit what may be hampering their own honest relationship with our Father or their ability to hear God’s voice–He does speak to us, that’s what makes it a relationship not a religion!

A common aspect of contending is in the legal sense of defending either guilt or innocence–am I attempting to defend an attitude or activity before God, to defend a need I don’t think He is fulfilling? What about claiming that some scriptures don’t apply to me because for some unique reason, I’m a special case (I’ve done that but would have worded it differently to protect my “innocence”). How about standing before Jesus, the one who gave up His life and attempting to defend or contend for my rights?

The Bible gives us some things to contend or strive for:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)–these are not mutually exclusive, which seems to make an interesting conundrum in our culture!

…strive to excel in building up the church (1 Cor. 14:12).

Paul asked the church in Rom to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf (Romans 15:30).

So the question is, What are we contending or striving for? We are given some very specific directions to focus our energies: the faith of our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, peace with others, holiness, the building up of the church, and prayer.

Today I choose to tear down the idols and contend for the faith!

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Quicksand

Posted on February 16, 2013 by suemariericker

I woke up this morning after a rather vivid dream, the kind of dream that I like to think about and explore the depths to discover if there is any meaning or significance I can gather for my life. It was an interesting dream, not a negative one or a particularly “feel good” dream, but definitely one that can be supported by a scripture! This is my dream:

I owned some land–it was mine, I knew that. My property was filled with sand dunes with occasional tufts of grass and grassy areas–there were also some wind-blown trees growing on the land. The land didn’t look fertile or good for much–it wasn’t beautiful–but I knew that a treasure was buried there. In the midst of the land was a fairly deep pit with old pop cans and an abandoned car at the bottom (I’m not sure what significance they held in my dream other than overlooking treasure because it may be hidden in less than obvious places).

I saw someone else there who was seeking the treasure, also. He was not a nice person; rather, he was the type who was self-seeking, who used manipulation to get what he wanted. Somehow, I felt that he was going to win, to find my treasure, and I was left with a sense of helplessness and resignation. He avoided the pit and I saw him jump into a particularly sandy place and begin to sink–for some odd reason, I jumped in too.

I was beginning to wake up at this point and wondered why ever in the world would I jump into a place that I knew could hurt and possibly kill me, especially since I could see it doing the very same thing to someone else? In my dream, I was still close to the edge of the quicksand so that I could grasp onto some grass to pull myself out, but I couldn’t do it–I wasn’t strong enough and the grass I was desperately attempting to grasp onto was not strong enough.

But then a smiling face appeared over the edge; he reached out his hand to me and pulled me up to the place where I could overlook the pit filled with trash and I knew that somewhere in there, he would help me find the treasure.

In my quiet time this morning I read Proverbs 27:12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. My petition today, O Lord, is for safety instead of danger, for wisdom because if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (James 1:5), and for the treasure to be revealed!

Some other verses that come to mind:

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4, 5).

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:3).

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power my be of God and not of us (2 Cor. 4:7).

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Psalm 103 – My Valentine Prayer

Posted on February 14, 2013 by suemariericker

Greeting card companies, florists, chocolate companies, jewelers–they all make such a big deal about Valentines day! …and if we give it any serious thought, it is primarily for their profit, not our benefit. For some, Valentine’s day is rightly represented by a beautiful heart; for many others, however, a piercing arrow is more fitting. One love is sure, it is constant, it is steadfast and will not waver and it is God’s love.

This is my prayer:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Father, it is my desire to engage my soul—my mind, my will, my emotions—in blessing you today, for you are good to me. You forgive my sins through the shed blood of Jesus, you heal the wounds and scars of my sinful nature and you offer healing for all my diseases—no human insurance policy can offer benefits as great as yours! You have redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with steadfast love and mercy—how can I help but bless you and praise your holy name? Teach me to be satisfied with the good you have provided; renew my spirit in your strength, vitality, endurance, and your Holy Spirit, I pray.

Lord, work righteousness, and justice for all those experiencing oppression—whether by government, society, or family members. There are people imprisoned and suffering because they believe in you; pour out your Spirit on them, immerse them in your love and grace. Fill your people with compassion; show us how we can extend your righteousness and mercy to all those who are suffering.

What a precious promise, Lord! I would be so undone if you dealt with me according to my sins! Thank you for not repaying me according to my iniquities, which have been many! You have removed all my transgressions from me, as far as the east is from the west! Father, to be honest, I don’t understand that; I just do not comprehend your steadfast love. There is nothing in my human experience that can relate to your mercy and compassion. Overwhelm my life with your Spirit and your love. Give me grace to extend your love, your compassion, your forgiveness, and your mercy to my family first, and to everyone I encounter on life’s journey.

Lord, you know me intimately; you know how I am formed, that I am but dust. You know my weaknesses and vulnerabilities—yet you love me and you chose to die for me! I really do not get it, but I accept as best I can—I accept you as my God and Savior. I ask that you continue to pour out your love on my children and their families, too. Teach us how to live in your covenant of grace, trusting completely in Jesus, our Lord. Write your laws on our hearts, and teach us how to love you with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strength—enable us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all of creation bless your holy name! In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Helping God

Posted on February 13, 2013 by suemariericker

In my journey reading/praying through the book of Judges I came across a fascinating verse (5:3): Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord, curse its inhabitants thoroughly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

Soooooo, the Creator of all that exists needs help? People are cursed because they didn’t come to the help of the Lord, the One who is mighty to save (Isa. 63:1, Zeph. 3:17), the great King who subdues nations under the feet of his people (Ps 47:2,3), the One mighty in battle (Ps. 24:8)–how can this be?

I think the obvious explanation is that this verse actually means “come to the help of the Lord’s people”, which sounds like a good, logical explanation (and have read that in a commentary). Perhaps others have a different Bible than mine, but that’s not the words I read. …so I am left with questions. Does the statement come to the help of the Lord include coming to the help of God’s people, but also encompass much more?

Does this verse speak of privilege and responsibility–we have the amazing privilege to partnership with God in battle and in victory, and a responsibility to do so? Is there a point where God will not usurp the authority of the god of this world unless we invite Him and partnership with him to do so? Remember, the dominion of this world was handed over to another in Eden and the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers… (2 Cor. 4:4).

I think this little verse holds a big message that I haven’t (and frankly, am not able to) unwrap here. My prayer is Father, don’t let me hold back, don’t let me make excuses, keep fear far from me, and show me where you want me to help you, to walk in the destiny you have for my life. Thinking myself too weak, too insignificant, untalented or ungifted is not humility and it is not faith–and I know that without faith it is impossible to please you (Heb. 11:6), –today I choose to please you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Hypocrites!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by suemariericker

I have read some comments lately (though this is far from a new topic!) soundly criticizing hypocritical attitudes within Christianity. While I am pretty sure it is inherent in all of us to hide our sin and weaknesses to promote our righteousness, I have a sense of unease about the strength of censorship some take towards the church and Christians.

There are several directions I could go with this topic–the obvious one being “judge not!” –It is much easier to examine the lives of others rather than our own motives and attitudes, however, the Holy Spirit has been speaking something else to my heart recently.

I find it very easy to get caught in the tailwind of Jesus’ words of confrontation in Matthew 23 that exposed the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees, without seeing the heart of the Savior.

I believe that Jesus came that they (we) might have life, and have it abundantly. The woman caught in adultery did not have abundant life by staying in adultery and the woman at the well had an unquenchable thirst that only God could satisfy. The crooked tax collector didn’t get more life by using extortion, and the Pharisees did not receive life by staying in ritualistic religion–Jesus did not confront to condemn, he confronted to give life!

It is so easy to associate the scripture in Matthew with Jesus’ relationship to the Pharisees that we overlook the fact that one of the most tender, most powerful, and most often quoted verses in the Bible was addressed to a Pharisee. Nicodemus came under the cover of darkness to seek the master, and Jesus met him there.

I don’t believe Jesus said, are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand? without opening Nicodemus’ understanding to his need and his heart to God’s love. Everything Jesus said leading up to John 3:16–For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life–was said with compassion, so that this man could receive the love of God, for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).

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Psalm 22

Posted on February 8, 2013 by suemariericker

Father, generations later, the words of this psalm are echoed by Jesus on Calvary—the persecution and pain recorded by the psalmist depict the sufferings of my Savior. Remind me, during adverse times and difficult situations, that there is nothing I can go through that you haven’t experienced. I may cry out to you and not hear you respond or see the answers I want, but you are holy and you promise to work all things out for my good—because I am called according to your purposes, for salvation.

You, O God, are enthroned on the praises of your people. Teach me to praise you creatively, not repetitiously. Praise comes easily when I look at who you are and all you have done—and continue to do. Throughout history, you delivered those who put their trust in you—no one who trusts in you, O Lord, will be put to shame. Help me to see eternally and spiritually rather than just the immediate and the physical.

Father, you have cared for me all my life. During the hard times you protected and preserved me. The enemy would destroy but you are my help and my salvation. Deliver me, save me, and rescue me from the destroyer, I pray.

I will praise you for your goodness; I am thankful for your abundant provision. You are trustworthy and I will bow before you forever. Preserve my children and their families for your kingdom and your glory—I pray that they will always trust in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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