Mission Faithwalk

                 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)           Now and again, I hear or read questions about how God could condemn someone to eternity in Hell for telling a little white lie, stealing a pack of gum, eating an apple (or according to one atheist, eating a poisoned apple). Here’s a hint, it wasn’t an apple, and the “poison” wasn’t in it. Everyone makes mistakes. They shouldn’t be punished forever because of them, should they?           The thing is, Adam and Eve didn’t eat the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because they were hungry, or mistakenly. They chose to eat it. In the Mosaic Law, there were procedures for when someone, including the whole nation...

                 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)           The “engraved you on the palms of my hands” idea is strange to us in some ways. Biblehub.com suggests that it refers to slave and soldier tattoos: “Egyptians and later Persians engraved the names of deities or masters on the hands of devotees. Yahweh inverts the custom—He is the Master who bears the marks of His servants.” ( Biblehub.com link )           Somewhere and somewhen, I read that travelers would draw or write on their hands the place they wanted to go back to. I can only share that as a bit of gossip because I don’t find evidence of it now. But, people tattoo...

                      So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear;” I will help you. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaish 41:10-14) One of the warnings that I heard decades ago was that we should never claim for ourselves promises that were made to someone else. So, when I read passages ...

  Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. (Song of Solomon 2:4)           Looking up the use of “banner” in Biblical times, one source describes it as “In the Bible, the term "banner" symbolizes identity, unity, and divine protection. It represents a standard or ensign raised high for all to see, serving as a rallying point for God's people. The Hebrew word for banner, "נֵס" (nes), signifies not just a physical object but also a spiritual concept deeply rooted in the identity and protection offered by God.” ( Bibledictionarytoday.com )           Armies rallied around and marched under a banner that told everyone who they were. Citizens welcomed the victorious with banners much as fans welcome the victorious do today, with banners, flags, and cheering. Their banners make it clear to everyone that they’re with the team.      ...

                 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.   You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.   Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm139:1-6) Today’s passage includes my favorite verse about how God sees me. In my imagination, I see God (indistinctly, of course) sitting on His throne doing His God-thing. Suddenly, He raises a finger and says something like, “Hold on a sec. Karen’s thinking a thought and I want to listen.” I know that’s not Biblical. God doesn’t have to interrupt His “God-thing” to listen. But the point is that He perceives my thoughts. He has searched me. Not searched for me, but searched me. ...

                 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16) This is from my favorite psalm, but I must admit that this has not been my favorite part of the psalm. I’ll share that tomorrow, though I’ve commented on it before. The ridiculous thing is that the only difference in focus is time. Today’s passage deals with the past; tomorrow’s deals with the present. There are lots of ways you can describe me. I was a latchkey kid. I’m now a sort of hermit. I don’t think about how I fit in. I think in terms of how I don’t....