Joy, Joy, Joy

Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, I would have to say this is an easy sell. You’ve probably heard about Hannah’s book from many of your Christian friends. I heard about it a few times before I actually had the chance to check it out.

It begins…

“This is the story of how Much-Afraid escaped from her Fearing relatives and went with the Shepherd to the High Places where perfect love casteth out fear.” Much-Afraid, living in the Valley of Humiliation has been in the service of the Chief Shepherd.

While her Fearing relatives begin to make plans for her future, in her daily communication with the Chief Shepherd she voices her desire to go to the High Places to escape them. The Chief Shepherd is happy, and offers an invitation. Much-Afraid’s life will change and through her journey, it is her desire as well as the Chief Shepherd’s that she will develop hinds’ feet to live in the High Places.

The best laid plans of mice of men…

Much-Afraid’s journey in Hinds’ Feet on High Places is not always the straight and narrow path that she would wish for, being much afraid and all. Sound familiar?

It is a long journey representing many a life and an allegory that can easily translate into one’s own personal struggles with life, or lack of it if one were to choose living in the Valley of Humiliation and avoid the journey of a lifetime.

I like the compartmentalized reality in Hinds’ Feet on High Places, of the habits and weaknesses we struggle with translated into the company Much-Afraid keeps. There are the different types of Fear that Much-Afraid walked with, a cousin named Pride, her constant companions Sorrow and Suffering and the Chief Shepherd who was always available no matter how far away he seemed to be.

Much-Afraid is transformed on her journey, and along the way is ever mindful to keep a remembrance of all the blessings she encounters as she struggles to reach the High Places.

There is so much to share from this book, but I can’t ruin it for the rest of you who have yet to have the pleasure of reading Hinds’ Feet on High Places. I can only say that this book is full of beauty and promise, a lesson in life and one’s hoped for relationship with our Lord realized.

Any readers of this Christian classic that would like to share their insite? What was your favorite part of Hinds’ Feet on High Places? Have you read it in a study setting that offered good spiritual feedback from others?

Photo: L. Trevarthen, Assorted pebbles and stones

Forget about Easter and Christmas when you can gift shop for your family. Christians today can spend money any time of the year. Retailers know this and family Christian stores are available in most communities. However some have been hit hard in the last five years or so because competition from bigger retailers looking for the Christian dollar is growing. So instead of finding yourself in what once used to be the cozy little book store with people that knew your name, you may be perusing for family friendly items in a huge retail store.

This shortly after you’ve tithed at church and went home to read the Sunday advertisements while spending time with your family. Christians being a well sought after commodity might be buying into it. Personally I like leaving church on Sunday and then going home to…hmmm what was that word…yes, rest, that was it. I like going home to rest on Sunday. But, honestly I know there is no rest for the weary and these days we fill our weekends up with the tasks we can’t complete in a week because the week is filled with work.

So everybody wants your money after all that work…and most times we just want to spend it anyways. Meanwhile they’ll do anything to get it. Just consider the dilemma retailers were in when deciding whether their employees should say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” in the last few years and you know exactly what I’m talking about. Personally if I make my way into a store and there is a friendly customer service agent smiling and willing to talk to me and if needed assist me, they could smile and say to me “Happy Sweet Potato Day to you madam” and I wouldn’t care. But don’t call me madam.

Point being?

Do we hold onto our dollar for those that cater to our family, Christian families alone?

Or

Do we go out into the world and support those that will treat a family, Christian or otherwise fairly without putting on a Christian face?

The dollar changes more than just the retailer, it changes the purchaser. And while yes we should be weary of where our dollar goes, and hope that it is used appropriately after it has left our purse, isn’t it more important that we remember how we should treat people than how they or we believe they should treat us?

You will see the Lord save you today.
— Exodus 14:13a

If one were to look for something the Lord has done in one’s life everyday, it is amazing how many blessings there are from Him to us. Whether it is the life of a new baby, the kisses and hugs of a three year old who is too young to think more than one kiss and hug is enough, the compassion of a friend when in need, or the direction that all children need from their Father, no life is more blessed than the one who lives for God through Christ.

Many look for the meaning of life. I don’t know that life itself has a meaning to us outside perhaps the meaning we give it. The gift of life is complicated and while we don’t think about it everyday we may have our moments when we reach out and wonder, “Why?”

Someone thought getting a degree would make them happy, another married and had children. They both proclaim happiness but in a sense, it is not what they imagined. It wasn’t true happiness. Have they missed true happiness or did they just misunderstand it? Maybe true happiness is just being happy in whatever we find in our life, whatever hand we’ve been dealt.

We can find something important and find meaning in it. One thing that is important to me is the Bible. His greatest gift after Christ is the Bible. I find a few minutes everyday can bring one the greatest peace of mind. Everyday, you can visit with a good friend, be reminded of grace and mercy. Some days I might not be able to see what God has done in my life, but it is comforting enough to be reminded that He is doing something. While I may not find true happiness in everything, moments reflecting on the word and remembering what Christ has sacrificed for us brings peace of mind that I can be happy in all I am given.

May God continue to bless us all through His word.

Is there such a thing as true happiness? Do we give life meaning? What’s your favorite Bible? What time of day do you set aside to study or just read and reflect?

HOW DO YOU LOVE GOD THIS MORNING?          *By maintaining a worshipful heart          *By faithful church attendance          * Having prayer everyday…*Have you taken down the emotional barriers?    of self protection          *Have you rid yourself of anger and bitterness?          *Are you showing unconditional love to others?          *We have a tendency to show love and care when it is             convenient. As we look at our scriptures we see that one of the components of LOVING GOD IS FORGIVENESS When we have an intimate relationship with JESUS it allows us to love, trust and forgive those human relationships that have been harmful to us in the past.   Forgiveness is an outflow of loving God and involves trust and grace.  Vs. 1-3Our scripture opens with The Apostle Paul, imprisoned writing a letter to Philemon on behalf of a runaway slave named Onesimus.   Paul’s letter although mainly addressed to Philemon includes Philemon’s wife Apphia as she would be a party offended by Onesimus and it was proper to include her in a letter of forgiveness and reconciliation.   He also then includes Archippus who was a minister in the church of colosse, Philemon’s friend and co-pastor.  Paul is wise in including him as possibly he might be able to assist in furthering the good work of peace-making and forgiveness. WHO WAS PHILEMON PHILEMON was a wealthy slave owner, *a beloved friend and a convert of Paul’s.    *A believer. *He was the owner of a large house as the Colossian church   who met  there. * He was probably the pastor of the Colossian church *Paul refers to him as a fellow worker and as Agapetos, meaning beloved.  ONEISMUS   * Was a runaway slave (punishable by death) AND HE         WAS from the household of Philemon  *He was a thief, a criminal – a worthless slave  *He violated the trust of his master Philemon by depriving him of his services. Slaves were not actually considered persons under the law, but the chattel property of their owners.

Q……How do we steal in our relationships – jobs

Being a parent isn’t easy. Do you wonder if being a Christian parent has made it any easier? Although we didn’t go to church while I was growing up in a small rural community, church was too far away and my mom didn’t drive…and oh, my dad wasn’t exactly a church-goer (remember Mr. Walton), I would say we were raised Christian. Read the rest of this entry »

Only 25 verses long the book of Philemon is all about love and forgiveness. They go hand in hand. OUTLINE OF PHILEMON 1-25      Paul writes to his friend Philemon on behalf of       Oneismus (1-3) In these short verses we see the      following nuggets of truth.          I.                   Spiritual character of One who forgives (4-7)II.                Spiritual Action of One who forgives (8-18)III.             Spiritual Motivation of One who forgives (19-25) Forgiveness is best understood through what James wrote – “judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy (James 2:13 Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.” Love is only understood within the context of God’s unconditional love for humanity and how He showed that love by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.  God offers us GRACE….His unmerited favor and with outstretched arms welcomes us as His child. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are adopted as God’s sons and daughters.                                                                      Page 1                            In Romans 8:15 we read “You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father”. In Galatians 4:6, “Because you are sons/daughters, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out “Abba, Father.” ABBA, FATHER – referring to God is a cry of the heart for intimate belonging.  ABBA, DADDY In our relationship with Jesus we are to show one another AGAPE LOVE, *It is spiritual, *It is selfless love.  *It is unconditional.  *It is not feeling based or self centered.   *It focuses on what will benefit the person that is loved.   *Agape says, I love you unconditionally, no matter who you are, no matter what you do.”  It works in difficult situations and difficulties. *It loves even when it receives nothing in return.   

*It is the way God loves us.  He poured out His love for us even while we rejected it.  He sent His Son to give His life for us even while we claimed we did not need a Savior. 

What do you think of when you read this?