I remembered the woman I hurried by at church. I felt a stirring to track her down through a mutual friend and send a simple email. Just a small note. Which I sent. For no other reason than God saying, “This touch is one of your assignments for today. Don’t miss it.”
That email paved the road for me to have coffee with this woman. During that coffee, God gave me an answer to something I’d been begging Him to speak to me about. I thought I was going to help her and I was the one helped. Obeying God’s instruction led to me being able to discern His direction. I needed that coffee meeting, and it never would have happened had I not stopped the rush of my life and sent the email to the woman God had prompted me to connect with.
That little act of obedience somehow unplugged my spiritual ears. Not that we can’t hear God otherwise. But hearing Him clearly? I think that might require my soul to acknowledge what all my rushing causes me to miss.
Yes, if we want His direction for our decisions, the great longings of our souls must not only be the big moments of assignment. They must also be the seemingly small instructions in the most ordinary of moments when God points His Spirit finger saying, Go there. And in doing that, we are companions of God with eyes and ears more open, more able, more in tune with Him.
Dear Lord, I confess that I do walk right past Your invitations sometimes. Please forgive me for those times I have rushed right on by. Help me to stop and follow You. I’m listening. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
13
A LIFE WITH EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
—JUDGES 3:31
I am a woman who wants to make a difference for Christ in the world. I want my life and legacy to count for something with eternal significance. I want to stand before God one day knowing I fulfilled the purposes He had for me.
But there’s always this nagging sense inside me that the world’s problems are too big, and I’m too small.
Can you relate? That’s why I’m so fascinated with Shamgar.
We learn who Shamgar is in one small verse hiding at the very end of the third chapter of Judges: “After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel” (Judges 3:31).
Tucked into this one verse, we see three things Shamgar did that resulted in his life having extraordinary impact:
1. He offered God his willingness.
2. He used what God had given him.
3. He stayed true to who he was.
And in doing those three things, it was enough. God used him to save the nation of Israel.
Oh, how Shamgar’s story stirs my soul. He was an ordinary person, in an ordinary place, doing an ordinary job. The thing that made him extraordinary wasn’t anything external. It was his internal drive to do the right thing and be obedient to God, right where he was. His job was to be obedient to God. God’s job was everything else.
The same is possible for us. If we are obedient to God in the midst of our ordinary lives, extraordinary impact is always possible.
I doubt Shamgar ever expected to be used by God to save the nation of Israel. When we take a closer look at his life, we see several things that could have left him feeling like the wrong man for a “Deliverer of Israel” job title.
First is the matter of his background. “Shamgar” is a name with Canaanite roots, not Hebrew. This fact has led some scholars to believe it’s entirely possible Shamgar was both Jew and Gentile. And since God had commanded His people not to intermarry with Gentiles, Shamgar’s lack of a pure bloodline from his parents could have easily led him to label himself an unlikely candidate for a mighty work of God.
Then there is the matter of his occupation. Shamgar’s use of an oxgoad (another word for a cattle prod) to kill the Philistines implies he may have been a farmer. Can we just stop and process that for a moment?
He was a farmer. Up against an organized army. Of six hundred men. If I had been Shamgar, I imagine I’d have been raising my hand with a few questions for the Lord. Questions like, “Are You positive You’ve got the right person?”
If we are obedient to God in the midst of our ordinary lives, extraordinary impact is always possible.
And we can’t skim over Shamgar’s choice of weapon. Talk about unlikely and ordinary. An oxgoad was typically used to prod oxen, not wage war. But since the Philistines would not allow the Israelites to have any weapons (1 Samuel 13:19–22), they were forced to use whatever they had on hand. So Shamgar simply sharpened what he had and offered it to the Lord.
I love that God’s hand is never limited by what we have in ours.
Do you long to live a life that has extraordinary impact? I pray you will grab hold of the encouragement found in Shamgar’s story.
Offer God your willingness. Even if you feel small . . . even if you feel unlikely . . . even if everything in you is screaming you’re not someone who can be used by God . . . simply offer Him your willingness.
Use what God has given you. What’s in your hand, sweet friend? What gift, what talent, what ability? Whatever it is, take time to sharpen it. And choose to believe God can use it when you humbly offer it up to Him.
Stay true to who you are. God didn’t ask Shamgar to be anyone other than a farmer. He’s not asking you to be anyone other than who He designed you to be, either. You do you, and then watch with humble amazement as God uses your willing, obedient, ordinary life to accomplish extraordinary things in His name.
Lord, thank You for reminding me that You can use anyone and everyone. I willingly offer You all that I am and all that I have—choosing to believe that who I am is enough to be used by You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
14
YOUR UNIQUE CALLING
We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
—EPHESIANS 2:10
I had wanted a red coat for years. But paying full price for a coat seemed excessive when I had several perfectly fine coats in my closet. So, each year I decided to wait until coats went on clearance and then I’d treat myself.
But every year, by the time the coats went on clearance, the weather flip-flopped. Who wants to spend their clothing budget on a red coat when just the thought of walking outside makes you sweat?
At last, one winter, I happened upon a discount clothing store that was having a clearance sale. In the window was a red coat. On sale! While it was still cold outside!
I wanted to get the coat right then. However, I had a store coupon for an additional 50 percent off that wasn’t good until a week later. That would make the coat a most fabulous deal. So I hung my treasure back on the rack, determined to return and get it the following week.
A few days later, I was out and about again when I got a call that several of my bed comforters were ready for pick up at the local laundromat.
When I arrived to gather them up, I saw a woman with two young children, all wearing threadbare clothing. I made small talk with the kids about what a fun time of year Christmas is; they looked away and didn’t say a word. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw their mom hang her head. I wished them a Merry Christmas and scurried out.
As soon as I started to drive off, God pricked my heart. “You looked at those kids, but chose not to really see them. Go back. Help them. Help her.”
But I didn’t have any cash. How could I help? What would she think of me? Would I offend her by giving her a check? I didn’t even know her name to write on a check.
I put the car in park, pulled out my checkbook, and suddenly I knew the exact amount I was to give her. The full price of that red coat.
You were created to participate in God’s divine activity.
I walked back into the laundromat and handed her the check. “You’ll just need to write your name on this, and I promise my bank will cash it. It’s not much, but I’d love for you to take it and buy your kids something fun
for Christmas.”
Shocked, she thanked me. As I turned to leave, she called out her name, the name God has engraved on the palm of His hand, the one He loves and hears and cares so deeply about.
Funny enough, I went into the red coat store the next day to return some pants. Every one of those red coats I’d wanted so much was gone. So I bought a red scarf on clearance instead and smiled, for in that moment, I knew I’d fulfilled my calling for this page of my life.
Oh, sweet friend, you have a calling, a unique and wondrous calling from God every day of your life. Truth we find spelled out clearly in Ephesians 2:10: “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Today it could be in your local laundromat; tomorrow it could be a phone conversation with a friend. Wherever it is, whatever it is, remember: you were created to participate in God’s divine activity.
Lord, I want to love the ones whose names are engraved upon Your hands. Help me to really see others and their needs as I journey along this path You’ve called me to. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
15
REST AND REASSURANCE
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
—MATTHEW 11:28
We all have those times we wish the voice of God would audibly speak so loudly there’s no way we could miss it: “This is the direction I want you to go.” Then we’d know whether to stay the course or head in a new direction.
Have you ever wished for this kind of certainty?
I have.
Most of us want to know what to do. Without that confidence, sometimes we stay in a place too long. But the greater loss happens in those times we quit too soon. Then, we can live with this nagging sense of “what if?” What if I’d persevered one more year, one more month, one more day?
Knowing when to stop and when to keep on keeping on is a crucial life lesson. One I want to learn well. Often, the more I struggle on my own, the less confident I am with the right next step. It’s exhausting!
I must do all I can do. Then trust God will do what only He can do.
But the truth is, I don’t need to be confused or tired. There is one central place I can go for direction and rest. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus encourages us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
I used to get so frustrated with this verse because I thought, I don’t want rest. I want reassurance! I’m burdened by this decision I have to make. I don’t want to mess up by missing a cue from You, God.
But the rest Jesus offers is not a spiritual sleep aid. The Greek word for this kind of rest is anapauo, which has as one of its definitions, “of calm and patient expectation.”
In other words, Jesus is saying, If you come to Me, I will take your exhaustion and uncertainty and turn it into a calm expectation.
But how?
My friend Jennifer Rothschild does this enlightening exercise at some of her conferences. She tells the audience to imagine her writing two different words on a large chalkboard. She then speaks the letters as she draws the first word into the air . . . R-E-S-T. She does the same for the second word . . . R-E-S-I-S-T. Then she asks what is the difference?
The difference is, of course, “I.”
“I don’t know what to do.” “I can’t figure this out.” “I’m worn out.” “I’ve tried everything I know to do.” “I’ve given all I have to give.”
I’m familiar with these “I” statements because I’ve said them myself.
We can only find anapauo rest—fresh hope—as we stop running ragged and simply take on the next assignment Jesus gives.
In verse 29 of Matthew 11, Jesus gives us the assignment: to take on His yoke and learn from Him. Ask Jesus to show you how to rest in Him. It might mean sitting quietly, asking others to join you in prayer, or clearing your calendar to read the Word. Once you’re still, take the next step. Not ten steps. Not the whole path. Not the Google map with the highlighted route. Just the next step. You’ll know it because it’ll be in line with God’s character and His Word.
Complete that step with excellence and an open, humble heart. Listen and look for all Jesus wants to teach you in this next step.
This is your part of the equation.
But after the assignment comes the reassurance in verse 30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We don’t have to have all the answers. We just have to stay connected to the One who does. Where our strength ends is the exact point where His will begins.
This is God’s part of the equation.
I must do all I can do. Then trust God will do what only He can do.
Should I stay? Should I go? Maybe the better question is, “God, what is the next step I’m to take today? I’m going to do my part. And trust the rest to You.”
Dear Lord, I am tired, and I can’t figure things out. Please help me see Your part in this equation. Where my strength ends is where Your will begins. Help me, Lord, to look to You for my very next step. I will wait in calm expectation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
16
SPACE TO EXHALE
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD.”
—ISAIAH 58:13–14
Rest.
That sounds so good, but it’s really difficult for a girl like me. Even when my physical body is at rest, my mind rarely is.
I feel like I’m always juggling balls in my brain. My family’s needs. Home demands. Work projects. The to-do lists never stop.
Yet the Bible makes it very clear that we are to honor the Sabbath day and pursue rest. Literally we are to hit the pause button on life once a week and guard our need to rest. Guard it fiercely. Guard it intentionally. Guard it even if our schedules beg us to do otherwise.
But why?
There are honest, personal reasons we need to observe the Sabbath that will be unique for each person. There are private conversations we need to have with God. We all need to pause, to sit with God, and ask Him to reveal some things to us.
We read in Isaiah 58:13–14, “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD.”
When I consider these words, something occurs to me—it’s not just a day for me to give to God. It’s a day God established for me. He wants to give me something if only I’ll slow down enough to receive it.
The Sabbath isn’t merely a time to be observed; it’s a time to be preserved. It’s a time to rediscover our joy in the Lord.
I need this. I want to be a preserver of this day—one who is determined to protect this day of personal preservation and rediscover the delight of God.
The observer remembers to rest.
The Sabbath isn’t merely a time to be observed; it’s a time to be preserved.
The preserver rests to remember—to remember that it’s all about God.
The observer remembers to rest and pause on the Sabbath day in order to follow a rule.
The preserver does more than follow a rule. She follows God’s desire and embraces His purpose in the rest. She spends one day a week letting the fresh wind of God’s rest blow through her, cleaning out all she’s been taking in during the week with a purifying soul exhale.
It’s all about pausing and connecting with God without the distracting chaos of our everyday routines. For one day a week, we step out of the fray and let God direct our day according to His rhythm, not ours.
God’s rhythm preserves a space in us to hear His voice, reveals the places we’re off track, and prevents us from being filled with unnecessary clutter.
Quiet rest allows us to see the places where we’re going our own way, the areas where we’re more self-pleasing than God-pleasing, the idle words that need to be reined in. During the downtime, we can deal with the mental clutter and focus on the ways of God.
The Sabbath makes this possible.
Taking one day for rest gives my soul the freedom it so desperately needs. Freedom to breathe. Space to breathe. Inhaling and exhaling in a gentle rhythm set by God.
Dear Lord, space to breathe—this is what I need today. Thank You for showing me how important it is to create a place for freedom and rest. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
17
CHASING DOWN OUR DECISIONS
The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
—PROVERBS 27:12
One of the best things that happened in my early twenties was that the guy I thought I was going to marry broke my heart. That devastation at first sent me to bed wallowing in a fit of despair and depression. Then it sent me looking for new possibilities to ease the ache of his absence in the bars my coworkers would frequent after work.
One weekend I hit such a low, I refused to get out of bed. After I had hidden for several days in that dark apartment bedroom, my roommate came in and announced I needed two things. She yanked the blinds open and said the first was a little light. Then she held up a newspaper ad for a large church in town. Her second suggestion was clear. In her quirky, Southern drawl, she quipped, “Now this is where you need to be meeting people. Not at them bars you’ve been going to.”
I love that girl for teaching me something profound that day. I needed light. Both in the physical sense and in the spiritual sense. But even more than that I needed a new direction. A direction that would take me where I really wanted to go. Since I didn’t understand that quite yet, I only listened half-heartedly and tucked the newspaper ad between my bed and nightstand.
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