Here was Moses, finally getting some peace in his life. God had brought him to a well, a place of refreshing-in so many ways (Exodus 2:15) In Midian, he was no longer living in the deep chasm between two separate and opposing families. He was removed from those who knew him as the King's son and also those who knew him as the son of a slave. No one was trying to kill him. He had taken on a new identity of sorts. He was now in a "normal family", with a wife and sons. Not only this, but he had come to be known as a son to Jethro. He was so much a part of the family he was tending Jethro's sheep (Exodus 3:1). He was thriving, being refreshed, and maybe even resting . . .
Maybe you have been there? Everything seems- ahhh- right. And perhaps you even know its a God given gift? You have faced hard ship and you have persevered through difficult seasons, but now you are in the place you have always dreamed of. And, It seemed to take A LOT to land here. Peace is yours. It might be simple, but its yours.
And then there was this . . .
"There [Mt. Horeb] the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush." Exodus 3:2
Right when Moses is quietly tending his sheep, God speaks.
Its miraculous, awesome, and holy. He is required to shed his shoes, as God declares that where he is standing is Holy Ground. Many dream of such an encounter-to be known, to be seen-as Moses was at the burning bush. But, how does Moses respond to such a sight?
He argues. God announces His heart to rescue Israel. Moses squirms. God calls Moses near. Moses tries to convince the LIVING GOD that His plan is flawed. God allows Moses' hand to activate to more miracles. And Moses' request? "O Lord, please send someone else to do it" (Exodus 4:13). Its quite pathetic really. But we can also relate. Moses was a man, just like us. And yet the LIVING GOD does not draw back or give up. He perseveres with Moses. He knows Moses' heart. He knows what's best.
Maybe you have been here too? You know God is asking something of you and yet you don't want to do it?
The stakes are too high.
The road is too long.
The task is too hard.
It can be like this with Jesus, our Heavenly Bridegroom. We can receive the invitation and even love Him, but love our comfort zone even more. Yet He is merciful. And He is waiting and He is watching for us to arise. And He knows we will. He paid a high price for us to be "with Him where He is and to see His glory." John 17:24
And Just like Moses we will go with God and see His glory, and our heart will be satisfied.
As I started to sketch my way through the book of Exodus, I came to the well known portion in chapter 2 where Moses kills an Egyptian who is beating a Hebrew slave. He hid this Egyptian's body in the sand thinking no one saw him. But, later he realized he had been found out. It would only be a matter of time before Pharoah would have him killed. So he fled.
Can you imagine the grip of fear on Moses as he fled (v.14)? Can you imagine the mix of emotions? Was he experiencing guilt? If he wasn't feeling guilt (because he was defending one being mistreated) was at least second guessing his actions? This was a huge game-changer. In one moment, he was in a position of prominence and then the next, he was just a brother to slaves, and now with a possible bounty on his head. Where would he go? He was leaving all he knew. He left his family, both Egyptian and Hebrew. He left everything. He was all alone with so many unknowns.
We've all been there, and maybe if we haven't we know someone who has. A traumatic event we didn't plan for. Maybe its an accident, sickness or loss of any kind. Maybe it was something we even caused. It can look like the most awful kind of awful. The situation is bleak. The road is dark. The fear is gripping. But then . . .
It hit me. God met him. In this traumatic twist of events that Moses had caused, God met him. God cared for him. God showed him mercy. God brought him to a WELL.
"But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, and sat down BY A WELL." Ex.2:15
It was here at this well everything changed. The game changed again.
He sat. He rested. There was provision. God provided. Jehovah Jireh came through again.
A well is a place of provision, a place of refreshing. In Moses' life at this moment it became a place of redemption.
As my eyes were opened I saw it. God's tender mercies. In Midian, God cared for Moses. He not only gave him water to care for his tired body, but he gave him spiritual water as he encountered God (at the burning bush, Exodus 3). Not only this, but he gave him a new family here. Moses had lost those he loved. He couldn't go back, not until it was safe. It was at this very well, that Moses met his wife Zipporah. In one fell swoop he had not only a new wife, but a whole new family. He gained a father (Jethro), and his sons. Its apparent that no matter the situation, God's mercy tracks us down, hunts after us and overtakes us (Psalm 23:6). He treats us with undeserved kindness (Psalm 103:10) In Psalm 130 its confirmed again, "O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows."
God can take the most life-alternating events and when the road looks the darkest, He shows up. He surrounds us with mercy. He abundantly redeems. He overwhelmingly provides. In our broken down state, He can bring us to a WELL, a place of refreshing, a place of redemption.
In my first post, I mentioned adding "sketching it" to Bible reading. I started doing this really out of desperation. I knew where I was . . . I was about to head into the pages of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, where I had always lost focus and quit. Some had warned about reading the whole bible because it can cause guilt if you don't do it. I get that, but I think there has always been this desire in me to read it from front to back. It feels like I have only gotten snap shots here and there, but when we read it through, we get more of "the big picture". So, I am not putting a time frame on it. When I get done, I get it done. Its not about speed or efficiency, but really knowing and retaining what I am reading. It could take me 5 years, but I think I have stumbled on a way to keep me enjoying it.
I needed something to help keep my focus. So I started sketching the pictures the Scriptures created in my mind as I read. This was not a vision I was having, just to be clear. It was just the pictures the words created as I read. So, at the beginning of Exodus I started sketching. And, they weren't pretty. They were quick. Just so I could make sure I was understanding what I was reading and seeing the details. I surprised how much The Bible began to unfold as I simply sketched! I was gripped and hungry for more. God was using my little scribbles to reveal more in Bible than I had ever seen before.
We do this same thing in our kids' ministry at our church. Below I have attached a photo of my son's sketch of a popular verse, Ephesians 1:7. I am including it because I think its important to see although this is about the visual dynamic, simple works! Its more about the unraveling of key details in Scripture and hiding His Word in our hearts than incredible works of art (though those are nice too). Do not be intimidated. Even kids can do this.
In the end, I did end up "tidying up" a couple sketches and turning them into small, acrylic paintings on paper. I really didn't have the time in that season to create huge, oil paintings on canvas (though sometime soon it would be fun!). Even though they may seem simple to some, what God spoke to me through them personally is so meaningful to me. I wasn't as much focused on the "elements of design" but more what I took from the Holy Spirit as I thought about the Word while creating them. They are very special to me and I will be sharing a few of them in upcoming posts.
Also, I am happy to share a link to one of my favorite artists, Grace Carol Bomer. If you visit her gallery, you will notice how many of her pieces are focused on just one verse, passage or concept. I wonder all that God is disclosing to her as she creates? Enjoy!
Noah Plants a Vineyard by Grace Carol Bomer
In the Beginning (Bereshith) God . . . Creation Series by Grace Carol Bomer
Seed Series by Grace Carol Bomer
Jesus said: "Yet the time is coming and now has come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23
Jesus was speaking to a Samaritan woman at a well when he spoke the above statement. He was letting her know that it wouldn't just be jews worshiping Yahweh in the coming days, but anyone who worshiped God in spirit and truth. These worshipers are what God, the Father is looking for. He is actively searching the earth, looking for these valuable and precious treasures.
What does it mean, spirit and truth?
This phrase, though perhaps puzzling, is packed with meaning.
"Spirit" in this verse in the greek is the word "Pneumati" which literally means "breath" or "wind". So we know that our worship is more than just a soulish unction, but it is supplied first by the Holy Spirit. Its a response of our heart to the revelation of who God is. In other words, it takes God to love God.
"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
Now it also could mean that it is above human emotion. We are made up of body, mind, soul and spirit. When Christ enters our spirit, He takes control of our spirit man. When we choose to follow the spirit, even against our own soulish emotions, the Holy Spirit is leading us. We are no longer slaves to every whim of our emotions. They no longer lead us, but can now be subject to His Spirit. That is why we have power, if we so choose, to "rejoice in every situation." Phil. 4:4-7 Its only by the Spirit that we can enter into such a place. Only God could help us abide in this continual worship, no matter the circumstance.
David lived here. He continued to worship God in his youth, on the hills, tending to his father's sheep as well as through the hardest seasons of his life. His worship was not based soley on emotion, but rather on a revelation of who God was, maybe even cultivated during his youth. Even if circumstances tried to dim this revelation of God's goodness, by the spirit, he continued to worship.
"Truth" in this phrase, when translated from the Greek is "alēthinoi" .
Its the same word found in Revelations 19:9 and Revelations 21:5 which discusses the very words of God saying they are "faithful and true" or "alethinoi". As we know, God's words are true through and through, with no flaw in them. They are full of integrity and therefore powerful. In the same way, his worshippers will also posess this integrity. There will be no deceit found in them. They will shine in every dark night because of their integrity of heart.
I think this can also mean God's worshipers are "real with God". They don't hide the truth of their hurts or disappointments. Like David, they pour out their heart and not withhold even their darkest thoughts from the search light of the Holy Spirit. If we take David as an ancient example of a worshiper with integrity, we see him saying some pretty vulnerable things to God. God doesn't want us to "fake it til we make it". But, He does still want us to praise Him in every situation. So how does this work?
In Psalm 42, David says three times "Why are you so downcast, o my soul? Why are you so disturbed within me?"
We have all had those moments: "What in the world is wrong with me today? Why do I feel so low?"
He didn't just "suppress it". But, he exposed it and was talking to God about it.
He even goes so far as to say, "Why have you forgotten about me [God]? Why must I go about being oppressed by the enemy?" v.9
He was in deep. Way deep. And he wasn't mincing words. No, he wasn't acting as everything was okay. And God is pleased with this? I mean it sounds almost like heresy? Yes, God was pleased because although God had NOT forgotten David, it sure FELT like it to him. David was pouring out the truth OF HIS FEELINGS. And God could work with that.
A friend of mine just told me that her dad used to tell them as kids to tell God exactly how they felt and not to hide anything from Him, because if they could do that, then God could "work with that". I love that. What a true discipleship moment. A father giving their children the permission to express the truth of their emotions to God. A father teaching his children that God was more than just a distant Omnipotent being. He is also a friend who cares immensely for the emotional well-being of His kids. Through this process of sharing our "stuff" with God we draw near. And if we draw near to God, then He promises to draw near to us. (James 4:8)
Its important to realize that David didn't just stop at pouring out his deepest hurt and emotional pain. If he did, he might have been erased from Bible history. No, he went further. He knew, from past encounters that God was good. God was really good. And God was still near and God really hadn't forgotten him (or why else would he be talking to him?). He went further and at the end of the Psalm, David declares his intent to praise Him once again:
"Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him
my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:11
David, by the spirit, had the unction to return to praising God, after pouring out the truth of his feelings.
He was an ancient example of a worshiper who worshiped God in spirit and truth. He worshiped God in every circumstance and in spite of negative emotions. He also developed an intimate relationship with God in which he poured out the truth of his emotions and walked with God in integrity. He was indeed an example of the kind of worshiper that God is now searching for on the earth.
God has me continually thinking about David of the Bible lately. I realized today how much of a "True Worshipper" David was during His life.
Jesus said: "But the time is coming-and now is here-when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him in this way." John 4:23
Jesus said this to the Samaritan woman at the well to say that being a "true worshiper" would mean more than just someone who was a Jew. It would apply to all those who worshipped God, The Father, in spirit and Truth from any culture and nation.
I know David was a true worshiper. This is evidenced by how he worshiped God in EVERY season. He worshiped God when life wasn't as difficult, on the hills, gazing on creation and looking after his father's sheep. But, then, unlike Saul, he worshiped God through the most difficult seasons. He sought God during great success and deep personal failure. For seven years he was hunted like a rodent and still believed what God had said was true-he would one day be King of Israel. His family betrayed him, on more than one occasion. Whether he was despised or praised, he sought God and still worshiped him as God. Worship was more than a feeling for David. It was a means of connecting to the Father. And, even when the temptation to give up believing in God's goodness heightened, he continued to worship.
And it was in those beginning days, as a shepherd, that I believe he learned to worship. He soaked in the beauty of creation and again and again, gave His heart to God. I believe it was here that David "fell in love" with God. And, maybe, possibly, it was this season-his start as a singing shepherd-that he would look back at for years and years to gain strength to reach for God in the hardest seasons.
David's life brings me conviction. David's life brings me comfort. It teaches me to soak in those wonderful, seemingly fruitful seasons and to worship God with as much integrity and force in those difficult seasons. Thank God we can all relate to this man, who wasn't by any means perfect, but in one area-His choice to worship God in every season.
