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Posts Tagged ‘Life with God’

Made to Run

Posted in Poem, tagged , , on October 8, 2023|

My earliest memories are of the cross-country course
nibbling the tender, green grass next to my mother

‘Til one day
I was shipped off
separated from all I knew and loved
to run mindless circuits round a dirt track
on a dry, dusty prairie
my legs stretching, muscles growing
but my mind always drifting to the greener grasses
rolling hills
majestic trees
open skies
a wide open path
space to run

With time, I matured, my muscles filled out
I accepted a daily life of repetition–my training
I ran every race with heart
I won more than I lost
I excelled beyond my own expectations
I outran competitors
I ran because it was in me to run

Before I knew it, I was “ready”
I heard my trainer say, “she’s moving up”

My heart leapt
could it be–the open course?
my thoughts filled with the images of my youth
carpets of endless green
the sweetness of the owner’s touch upon my forelock
carrots and apples from His hand

I had accepted the cruelty of my trainer
I did as he directed
I avoided his crop
but still he expressed shallow kindness
small mercies

The cruelty of his crop
his unyielding weight in the saddle
his careless flick of the reins
his cheap grains and marginal hay
I accepted as my lot
I kept my head down

I’d learned to fear
his hidden kicks
his punitive half measures of grain
He didn’t let anyone see
his cruelty, our secret

I rode in the trailer
blind to the road ahead
I rested, trusted
dreamed of my owner’s touch
lush, tender grass
open sky

More stunning than I remembered
the owner’s barns were a palace
huge stalls, wide corridors
fresh, well-bedded stalls
I was happy

But day after day
my trainer lumbered up onto my back
his body heaving and awkward
he led me to the starting gate
He let me start
I’d sprint from the line
my heart full of joy as I sprinted out
then he pulled back the reins
and turned me to do circles
more training
more blows from his crop
I was losing hope of ever running in the long race
the important race
the owner’s race

One morning, my trainer didn’t come
another brought my hay and an apple
He filled my bucket
with the coolest, sweetest water
He brushed me
and saddled me for a run
but not with my work saddle
with a new light-weight racing saddle
it barely registered on my back

He walked me out to the starting line
where many beautiful and fierce horses waited chomping at the bit
pawing the loose dirt
stamping their hooves impatiently

He positioned me in the far gate and left
I waited
nibbling tender blades of sweet grass at my feet
All the horses got strangely quiet
that’s when I saw Him

I couldn’t believe my eyes
dressed in the finest riding gear
Champion of all champions
My owner–handsome, strong, confident
He approached the line of horses
met with a chorus of whinnies
He knew each one–calling them by their names
names He’d given them

I was entranced
I didn’t register when he stopped beside me
He tightened my cinches and adjusted my saddle
I was so still–holding my breath
I couldn’t imagine Him being so close
touching me
He reached up and scratched my neck–just under the ear

I’ll never forget what He whispered,
“Are you ready to run?
“Are you ready to run for Me?

I lifted my head and whinnied with delight
“O Great Master, I shall run for You as none
has ever run before!”

It was a beautiful day,
a thrilling race
My legs stretched out before me
and all those years
heavy saddle, hefty jockey
served me well–making me strong

My Master is the sweetest rider
caring, considerate, yet firm
clear in His instructions

He had allowed my harsh training
to prepare me for this day
the day I would run for Him
under His command
only His words to instruct me
no crop
no bit
just the precious Words of my master

Run!
Run with endurance!
Run with joy!
Run because I made you to run!

 

Copyright MaryBeth Mullin 2023

 

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Thoughts for the Sabbath

Posted in God, Sabbath, tagged , , on March 10, 2023|

     I think the mistake people often make in thinking about God is to think of Him as linear, boxed in or predictable. No, He is not contained by the ordinary, the clear route, the short cut or the safe choice. The longer I walk with Adonai, the more I see He loves creativity, the path less traveled. He loves the winding country road lined with untrimmed trees guarding the edges of endless corn fields, stalks waving in the gentle summer breeze. He loves the walk by the surf listening to the waves crash against the sand, the wind and the spray. Mostly He treasures a day spent in thought of Him, a time like the Sabbath when He can speak into our rest–speak of His great love, provision and plans for us.
     Abba is never rushed with us. His limits, which he lovingly installs, keep us from harm and evil. Great is His concern for His children. He lovingly disciplines us when we require it.
     Coming to Abba is like eating from a bag of mixed jelly beans, different flavors continue to delight the palate–no way to know what flavor is coming next. I think this is part of His vision for our relationship with Him. Some parts worship, some parts petition, contrition, confession, rejoicing, abiding, adoration, but always open, honest, intimate fellowship.
We see a picture of this varied tapestry of prayer and worship–life with Adonai in the offerings described in the book of Leviticus. Some offerings are for unintentional sins, some for marking a new season of life, a healing from illness. Some mark an ending of a season or moed (appointed time). Some are just to sit with God and enjoy being with Him–to receive His shalom (peace).
The offerings remind us that God intends our relationship with Him to involve all the aspects of our life, e.g. beginnings and endings, successes and failures, as well as regular times of being in relationship with the Lover of our souls. The God who sees us.

It is our desire to help you grow in your knowledge of Adonai and His Word. If you are looking for additional information and/or materials, please visit our website at RootedinHisWord.org and our Facebook page. 

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Forgetting, Straining and keep Pursuing

Posted in Devotional, Philippians, tagged , , , , on March 16, 2022|

Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua. Philippians 3:13-14 CJB

I love that he calls them brothers. Despite having just finished giving his credentials in Judaism to them, he reflects his renewed priorities in Messiah Yeshua. He doesn’t think of them as talmadim (disciples) as a Rabbi would, but rather he calls them (us) brothers–suggesting an equality unheard of in his culture and religious system prior to his meeting Yeshua the Messiah on the road to Damascus.

He gives us three things in this short passage that are worthy of comment and meditation:

Forgetting what is behind me
In making this statement, Paul is telling us that his past is no longer going to be in the center of his thoughts and focus. This is important to think on for a moment. Our past grows in size and importance often as we age. It can loom as a great disappointment–failed relationships, failure in career, failure in faith and pleasing God. It can also loom large a great point of success as it did with Paul. He lists in Philippians 3:5-6, his claims to religious fame–these are things of considerable importance in Jewish culture. We may also have great accomplishments in career, academia or even in religious circles. What Paul is saying is to work on forgetting those things, both good and bad, and move forward with God. It is true that our past forms us, it carves us and imprints on us–but Paul is letting us know that it is not the end of the story in our relationship with God. He is telling us to work to forget what came before and who we were before we met the Messiah and live with God in the now by the power of the Spirit. (Galatians 2:20)

Straining forward toward what lies ahead
The verb “straining” is a strong action verb. It suggests intentionality and going beyond oneself, going beyond one’s current location. We are not to be pew-sitters or Youtube watchers only, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling–get out of our chairs, get out of our houses, get out of our normal routine, seek the kingdom of God. To strain for what lies ahead means to be longing for God’s coming kingdom as well as for opportunities to share the love God, the beauty of His majesty, the comfort of His close presence. Straining implies I am making an effort to see God’s kingdom come. Life with Adonai is not a spectator sport.

Keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize
To keep pursuing requires steadfastness, determination and diligence. We must decide to follow Yeshua as the example of righteous living. We must continue steadfastly and with determination in Adonai’s commands, and we must use diligence to follow the dictates of Torah–the instructions for righteous living.

What is the goal? The goal is to live righteous lives as true witnesses of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob–Adonai. The goal is to keep Torah by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must be the witnesses that God’s word is true and that His ways are pure and holy. This life of righteousness will impact the world around us–it will show us to be different. It will cause us to stand out, which is exactly what it was intended to do. “Be holy as I am holy,” says the Lord God Almighty.

What is the prize? Eternal life with God. To rule and reign with Yeshua. To be forever in the presence of Adonai–never separated from Him. Eternally His.

 

It is our desire to help you grow in your knowledge of Adonai and His Word. If you are looking for additional information and/or materials, please visit our website at RootedinHisWord.org and our Facebook page. 

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Irreparably Broken

Posted in Poem, tagged , , on June 17, 2020|

Irreparably Broken

I swim in the waters of my trial
your promises buoy me
I feel peace descend
A canopy over me
I will be all right

But clear waters turn swiftly to rolling white caps,
crashing on the sandy shore
from underneath, I feel the pull, the undertow of sorrow
pulling me, threatening me, holding me under the surface,
to drown me

I struggle to stay afloat,
reaching in my prayers for the arms of my Father, wanting You to take me from these waters
snatch me out, take me with You.
“Take me!” I cry. I want to be with You–completely with you

My tears are little comfort, my soul is bruised,
my confidence shattered,
I am broken.
I will never be the same.

You don’t correct me.
It is so. Irreparably broken.

Copyright 2016

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God is no liar

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , on August 26, 2019|

It is no wonder that the non-believing world rejects the life-changing message of the gospel–the power of God to change a person, to break a chain of addiction, to break a life pattern of infidelity, to remove fear and anxiety, to heal a broken heart, a broken life . . . they see us, the chosen, the ones testifying of the power of God, but we show ourselves to be powerless.

We run like dogs to our vomit. We return to our addictions. We continue our patterns of infidelity, of anxiety. We seek that which God has taken from us. We pick our idols back up.

The non-believer sees this as a weakness of our God. But nothing could be farther from the truth.

Sometimes by our choices and our conduct, we make God out to be a liar.

But God cannot lie.

▸ If the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. John 8:36 (Amplified)

▸ Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

▸ It is vain for you to rise early, to retire late, to eat the bread of anxious labors—for He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. Psalm 127:2 (Amplified)

Believe God and be a true witness.

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Here

Posted in Poem, Uncategorized, tagged , , on August 23, 2019| 1 Comment »

This is not my home
I find no thrill
no comfort
no future
here.

I long for You
to be with You
I long for life
eternal life
with You.

On days like this
subtle tricks on my mind
it plays
taking all the color
stealing all the joy
leaving me sad
but I can’t pinpoint
why?

My hope is in You
Your Word heals my
shattered heart

days like these will come
but I will cling to You.

My Rock
My Fortress
My Foundation
My Refuge

restore me
renew me
breathe life into me
O God,
My God
as long as I am
here.

Mary Beth 2019

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Breaking vs Crushing

Posted in Devotional, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on August 21, 2019|

It is one thing to be broken. A clean break is not impossible to mend. Align the broken pieces, apply some epoxy, wait and time will heal the fractures.

Crushing is a totally different thing. With a horrible blow or a series of repeated strikes to the fragile porcelain of a human heart, a crushing occurs–thousands of tiny pieces are left with no hope of ever being re-aligned or re-assembled.

Humpty-dumpty all over again.

But God . . .

Indeed, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you. Isaiah 42:9

If anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].  2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

Sometimes with God it is a break, clean and neat. But often with God it is a crushing–to testify to His desire and power and make all things new–to release the fragrance that is within us.

Take heart, beloved, if you are going through a time of crushing right now, He will make all things new for you. Not one of His promises will fall. He will keep each and every one.

 

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Moving Forward

Posted in Knowing God, Romans, tagged , , on January 12, 2019|

Moving Forward

    I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

Paul’s passion for those in the body of Christ is evident in the opening phrase of Romans 12 where he beseeches or urges us to present our bodies as living sacrifices.

If we are to do this presentation of our bodies (our lives) to God, it will have to be by the mercies of God. That is to say that God will be and is the power behind and the heart behind our desiring to dedicate our bodies (lives) to pleasing God.

He calls us to present our bodies–a voluntary action, a volitional choice–I (we) must make to be set apart for (holy) and pleasing to God.

The sacrifice I am to make is my body–and that is really all that I have to give to God.
Under the law, it is understood that in order to cover sin, to be holy and acceptable to God, a death must occur–more specifically, blood must be shed. Leviticus 11:17 instructs us blood makes atonement for the soul.

The sacrifice that I must present under the new covenant, established by Jesus and stamped with His authority as God by His resurrection, is to die to my flesh, to my own desires. This death to self will allow the Spirit of God to reign in my body. My life will then evidence the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, namely love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.

Paul finishes by saying this is my reasonable service. I am a bond servant of God, and in light of what He has done for me, it a small thing for me to give my life–my sacrifice–to Him.

As Paul said in Romans 6:19, [f]or just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

We will be a slave to something. Paul makes it clear who we are to serve and what is required–nothing less than everything.

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YOU

Posted in Poem, Uncategorized, tagged , , on September 14, 2018|

YOU

I breathe in Your Spirit . . . my troubles scatter

I know they lurk in the darkness for another chance to plague me.

I am Yours forever;

how could I forget?

I am precious in your sight.

You have taken me from darkness and judgment

and translated me into the kingdom of Your incredible light.

You

the Light

banish the darkness that threatens me

My enemies are no real threat

You are holding me.

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ISAIAH 58:11

Posted in Devotional, Isaiah, tagged , , on September 9, 2018|

The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NKJV)

This verse is filled with great promises offering hope. The Lord will:

1) guide you continually,
2) satisfy your soul in drought,
3) strengthen your bones,
4) make you a flourishing garden, and
5) make you a never-failing spring of water.

1) The Lord will guide. The road may be uncertain. The road may be bumpy. It may be very dark ahead. You may have no idea where you are going (most of us don’t), but He is with us. He will lead and guide us continually. God is our G.P.S.–He knows exactly where we are at any moment, and He will take us to where we need to be next. See Exodus 13:21-22.

2) The Lord will satisfy your soul in drought. Spiritual drought is inevitable. Just as there are mountain tops and valleys in the spiritual life, there are also deserts to cross. As we pass through the desert seasons, we experience drought. We get all dried up. God brings water of the word to refresh us and hydrate us. Then He brings His Spirit to seal us and protect us from the heat and dryness until the season changes.

3) The Lord will strengthen your bones. In life, we can grow weary. It can be the result of physical illness, aging or simply from trials and tests that sap our strength. God sees this need in our life, and He promises to restore us to strength. See Isaiah 40:31.

4) He promises to make us like watered gardens. In my mind’s eye, I see the watered garden, a beautiful tapestry of diverse shades of green leaves and stems, along with all different colored flowers, The word that comes to mind is life. A well-watered garden brings forth life. Psalm 1promises that the man who delights and meditates in God’s law will “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3. The prophet Jeremiah said, “blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8.

5) He promises we will be springs of water that never fail. In John 7:38, Jesus promised, “he who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. The living water that flows out of us–believers—will bring life to those around us.

For further study on this passage:
1. Recall a time of drought either at the time of your salvation or in your walk with God when He satisfied your soul. Describe in a few sentences or paragraphs that experience.

2. When you imagine a watered garden, what do you see? How do you see (or not see) yourself like a watered garden?

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