A Story of Worship

I had the experience of worshiping alongside many women this past Friday at our church’s first “Women Encountering God” worship night. In all honesty, the night felt overwhelming to me (and maybe not in the way you’re assuming). I was really moved by God on display in the testimonies given. How they pointed to His goodness, greatness, graciousness, and gloriousness. How He mends the broken hearted, sets the captives free, delivers from darkness, comforts those who mourn, and gives beauty, joy and a garment of praise in return. I felt such a sense of joy at hearing the work of the Lord in individual lives.

It felt very emotional to be in a room of women singing praises to God with loud and joyful voices. I saw women worshiping with big, expressive postures of praise, and women worshipping with gentle, reverent postures of praise. I saw women embracing one another and praying with one another. It was all so beautiful.

These were evidences of other people experiencing God, but that wasn’t what overwhelmed me that night. I was overwhelmed by the very intimate and personal presence of the Holy Spirit that I experienced. God impressed on me a sense of His holiness, His majesty, and His worth. I had a sense of the picture that Isaiah paints in Isaiah 6 of a majestic God in His throne room, radiating glory and being worshiped by heavenly beings with a song of “Holy, holy holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”.

I’m including a link to an article that I read about what happens when we worship. CLICK HERE to read this article. I think that they do a good job of explaining what it really is, and why it’s important.

Take the time to read this embedded article and think about what your experience of worship is.

Does it lead you to a greater focus on God?

Does it lead you to more intimacy with God?

Does it ever lead you to a place of brokenness and repentance?

Does it have a lasting impact on you beyond the moment?

What would it look like for you to incorporate worship into the daily rhythms of your life?

I pray that you find quiet moments in the busyness of God to worship and align your heart to an upward focus, especially in this season of life where busyness seems to increase.

—Lindsay Thompson

Hope for the Hurting Mother

In 2005, I was pregnant with my first child. That pregnancy was filled with a lot of emotional uncertainty and some scary medical complications. After my daughter was born and I was finally able to bring my daughter home from the hospital, I hoped that the worst was behind us. Instead, the complications seemed to continue. She had colic for the first eight months of her life. I couldn’t seem to do anything right, and I never seemed to be what she needed at that time. I couldn’t seem to comfort her, I couldn’t nurse her well, I felt hopeless and scared and I dreaded being alone with her. After some time, I remember getting to a point of complete emotional shut off. I would just sit and stare at her as she screamed in her crib, feeling absolutely nothing. When I would start to feel things again, it was mostly intense shame. I was so ashamed of the mother I was turning out to be. I felt a long depression during the first year and a half of her life, then I became pregnant again. This pregnancy went much smoother, and I was hopeful I would have a very different experience, that maybe this time I could do it right. However, when I gave birth to my son, my world seemed to become even darker.  

I found myself again at home with a newborn who I couldn’t comfort or nurse adequately, and a toddler who I had always struggled with. I felt completely alone. The depression felt like someone had pumped lead through my body; I felt like I was walking around in a thick fog all day. I became angry, anxious, and completely hopeless. I didn’t want to be a mother anymore. I said and did things that were completely out of character for me. I didn’t have any idea what was happening to me. My family was scared, “Something’s wrong with Lu…,” but they didn’t know what to do or how to help me. Finally, I admitted to my husband the dark thoughts that I was having more and more frequently. I was convinced that my family would be far better off without me or maybe with a different mom. The scariest thing upon reflection is that the enemy made this lie feel and seem so logical to me in my pain.

I went to my doctor for my son’s three-month checkup, and I began to talk about what I was experiencing. I was eventually diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. The doctor explained that Postpartum Depression can last much longer than people think and that I was likely still suffering with it when I got pregnant and had my second child. I had to stop nursing my son so I could go on medication. I was so ashamed. In my mind I was failing as a mom and wife in every possible way.

Over time, I started getting healing from the symptoms I was having. God brought part of that healing in the form of medication. God helped me to think through things with a little more clarity, to start to let go of unrelenting standards I’d placed on myself and redefine some ideals about motherhood I was holding onto. These are still things God is bringing healing to in my life, and motherhood has never looked for me the way I thought it was supposed to.

As time passed and my children grew, I started to notice the consequences of this experience on their life. (My daughter has allowed me to share her part in this story hoping that God could use it to bring healing to others.) The things I did and said when I was in the throes of Postpartum Depression, and the patterns of behavior that that crisis established in our family, had resulted in intense emotional pain for my daughter. As she grew, I noticed that she couldn’t stand to be touched. She had strong walls around her heart, she fought trusting us with every fiber of her being. Again, I was reminded how much I had failed her, and I felt like the damage was irreparable. In fact, I had convinced myself that I deserved for her to grow up hating me.

These last few weeks as we’ve learned about Joseph and taken a closer look at the providence of God, I’ve revisited this experience over and over again in my mind. I’ve tried to see and be aware of the invisible hand of God, and the ways that His goodness has always been intertwined with my story. I’ve been given opportunity to offer forgiveness to myself and others and ask for forgiveness for my own actions. I can see God’s goodness played out in car rides where my daughter and I are weeping as we talk about how hard that was to live through, and confronting lies we’ve believed as a result of that experience. God has, over time, brought intense emotional healing to our relationship, and there is tenderness and trust where there wasn’t before.

I may never fully understand why God allowed me to walk through that experience. I may only get glimpses of His faithfulness and goodness as He brings continued healing to these relationships and uses my story to impact others. But one day I will see clearly, and I will know the why.

So, to the mother who is struggling with shame. The mother who feels that she has lived through such pain that it has led to irreparable damage. The mother who feels hopeless, or unnecessary in her life…God sees you completely and loves you fully. His invisible hand is weaving a beautiful tapestry through your areas of brokenness and for your ultimate good. And He promises that in your pain He is closer to you than you can imagine.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

“The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”

—Lindsay Thompson

An Invitation to Community and God’s Word

Community can look very different from what it used to look like in our society. Technology and social media have become the go-to means for many individuals. As someone who has lived between 35-45 minutes away from our church since we began attending 10+ years ago, I can appreciate that there are both pros and cons to this. Face-to-face interaction has been difficult because during that time I’ve walked through so many different stages of life, being home full time with my “littles,” going to school, or working (full-time or part-time). I have become beyond grateful for modern means of communication such as social media, internet, podcasts, texting, etc. I know it’s not for everyone, but for those who find it as a refreshing access point to community they would otherwise have to do without, it can be a glorious blessing from God.

This past spring I joined thousands of women around the world in a Bible Reading Challenge of reading through the New Testament from June-September. It was something that was brought to my attention through the social media page of a church’s women’s ministry based in Idaho. I happened to stumble onto that particular page because it was linked to a favorite Christian author of mine.

The focus of this particular reading plan was to develop a habit for the daily consumption of the Word of God. This daily habit of reading larger sections of Scripture (typically 4-6 chapters a day) has resulted in God blessing me with an increased love of and desire for His Word and has similarly affected the other women who are part of this online community.

When I began this reading challenge, I used my own social media account to invite women to join me. This smaller group now has 17 women who have given their yes to “just reading” God’s Word every day! On this journey we have asked questions, made new observations, understood the context of Scripture passages in much more depth, and we have dispensed and received Godly encouragement to one another...all through a Facebook group. It’s not a study of God’s Word, there are many things I know I’ll need to dive into at another time to better understand. Instead, it’s a reading of God’s Word where even in 15-20 minutes of reading through a handful of chapters God pours out abundant blessings.

Earlier this year I wrote some thoughts on what it looks like to “just read” the Bible (to read that post click HERE) and to discuss what I meant by “just reading” the Bible, not necessarily studying the Bible. Now, after a statement like that, I want to be sure I clarify what I mean and so again I refer you to the above link to my earlier blog post where I explain my thoughts more extensively.

This summer my new perspective has given me the freedom to come to the Scriptures each day regardless of what my environment looks like, regardless of what my intellectual capacity feels like, regardless of what my emotions or heart feels like, regardless of what particular version I use, or whether I read it at a table with a highlighter in hand or listen to it on an audio version in a car with bickering children in the backseat. I have a newer, more realistic point of access to the Bible than I had previously constructed in my mind...and it has been life changing for me and for some fellow LFA women who have joined me in this summer reading challenge.

I could fill an entire second blog just about my own experiences in this challenge and the ways it has impacted my mind, my heart, my emotions, and my family. I could talk about how God has guided me into the depths of what it looks like to be more fully obedient, more fully trusting, and more fully submitted to His authority over my life. But I would rather show you some excerpts from the Facebook group where fellow LFA women are working through this reading plan:

“Love this verse from today, God chose me!!!! like seriously. He knows me and chooses me! how cool is this reality and humbling (John 15:16). ALSO love the wording in The Message for John 16:31-35 "unshakable and assured, deeply at peace."

 “I’m a very visual person and I could really paint a picture in my mind of John 15:5 where Jesus is explaining that he is the vine and we the branches. Makes so much sense that we just can not amount to anything as branches alone, without the vine.”

 “In my devotions I do with the First5 app we are reading through the second half of Psalms and today was the middle of Psalm 119. This was the intro, thought it fit with what we were doing here:

"Satan's greatest desire is to separate us from God. And one of his favorite tactics? To make us think we don't have time to read God's Word. Or that we're not smart enough to study and understand God's Word. And it's impossible to live out the truths in God's Word.

Why?

Because the enemy knows how powerful Scripture is. He knows Truth equips us to resist his plans and overcome temptations. And that means he knows if my Bible is collecting dust and my conscience is being hushed, then my heart is in danger of being crushed. "

“I literally say the scripture of Philippians 4:6 to myself every day! It speaks to my heart, especially in a world where there seems to be so many challenges and so many things I just don’t understand.”

“Yes...I love reading scripture and I find I just want to keep reading...I crave the alone time with Him…”

“This group reminded me that it's about coming back to God's word and meditating on what I read more than the amount of chapters I read. I'm slowly winning the battle over not reading because I'm not on track. Like it was said: if you're reading, you're on track.”

Isn’t that encouraging? Isn’t that a hallmark of the faithfulness of God that He is drawing precious women into increased communion with Himself?

I have an invitation for YOU. If you are a woman reading this, then I am speaking to YOU. Would you consider joining me and others in a new reading plan that will kick off on September 9th? This plan is a whole Bible Reading Plan, called “Keep the Feast,” and it will go from September to the end of May. Each day will have a few chapters from both the Old Testament and the New Testament and average about 6 chapters a day (no readings on Sundays and interspersed “catch up days” if you want to go back and read portions that you missed).

Here are a few ways you can join us. There are two Facebook groups that will post the reading schedule when it becomes available. One created specifically for LFA women and their friends and a larger Facebook group for all participants of the reading plan across the world. I’ve added links for both below. Please feel free to join us in the LFA women’s group, the other group has been an added resource and point of community for me so consider joining that one as well.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ccLadiesFellowship/?ref=share a community of over 13,000 women reading the whole Bible reading plan together.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/694201211012238/?ref=share LFA Women Keep the Feast

You can also follow the #keepthefeast on Instagram or #LFAwomenkeepthefeast

Or beginning in September #keepthefeast will be a reading plan offered on the YouVersion Bible app. This has been a helpful resource for me because each day’s readings are pre-loaded and tracked, and there is the option to listen to an audio version of the passages as well.

I can’t wait to see how many of you jump on board with us (and invite others to do the same) and to see how God uses this to build increased community with each other and increased communion with Him.

—Lindsay Thompson

High-Sounding Nonsense

I remember one summer taking a biology class at a local university. I had called my husband (who was my fiancé at the time) crying, and I mean “ugly crying,” because I was so affected by one of my classes. My professor, who was an atheist, was presenting what she believed was scientific evidence that there could not be a God, and why the notion of a created earth was absurd. I said to him, “Dave, you should have heard her...it was so cunning, she appeared so convincing. If I didn’t know the truth for myself, I would feel ridiculous for believing what I do.” My heart broke for the other students, for my professor, and for the hundreds of thousands that would hear similar lectures.” I have been having a similar experience over the last few years related to notions of mental and emotional health. Man! There are some VERY CONVINCING philosophies out there. There are also some VERY CONVINCING half-truths and watered-down versions of these philosophies floating around in every environment including the Christian church. My heart breaks. At times I feel a little helpless seeing how many around me accept these messages as forms of increased health, insight, and enlightenment. They SOUND truthful, they SOUND good...but they are laden with the promotion and glorification of self, and the consequent de-throning of the absolute authority of God over our lives. “YOU are the author of your life,” “Follow YOUR dreams,” “YOU are enough,” self love, self direction, self, self, self… honestly, sometimes it makes me want to scream. You see, not that long ago, I believed these lies. I was so blinded, I led groups of struggling women to these very lies with the promise that they would be healed of emotional distress if they loved themselves more. It’s a slippery slope for sure. It sounds beautiful, it sounds so positive...it is leading us to destruction. There IS such a thing as truth...and this is NOT it. This, my friends, is simply “high-sounding nonsense.” I am personally SO grateful for God’s salvation and consequent sanctification. Paul’s letters are some of my favorite scriptures to read. Paul speaks with conviction as one who had previously “bought into” the laws and false philosophies of the Jewish culture. One who KNOWS how convincing these deceitful philosophies are because he was once the one doing the convincing in his opposition of Jesus Christ and the church. Here are a few passages that help me on my journey to abandoning the deceitful philosophies I’ve bought into:

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” Colossians 2:6-8 NLT

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.)” 2 Timothy 3:1-7 NLT

I know for me the reasons that I bought into these messages is that I was starved for someone to tell me that I was worthwhile, and that I was loved, and accepted. I falsely believed that I had to take control and ownership of that loving and accepting of myself because who else would? The thing I’m most grateful for in my ongoing sanctification process is that I am increasingly getting to know a God who loves and accepts me and sees me as more worthwhile than I could EVER see myself. When we abandon the love of ourselves, we gain more than we could ever imagine...experiencing the love of a Savior.

—Lindsay Thompson

Just Read Your Bible!

It’s funny how some things get seared into your mind, and yet other things are so hard to recall. I remember being at a camp with my youth group one summer. I can’t even recall what we were doing at the time, but I remember watching a boy who had recently begun to follow Jesus reading his Bible. Kids were playing all around him, there was loud conversation happening, and here he was completely immersed in reading his Bible. If I didn’t know what book he was holding in his hands, I would have thought for sure it was some new young adult bestseller by the way he was glued to the pages. I remember NOTHING else about that week of summer camp except thinking, “Man, I want to read my Bible the way Mark is reading his.”

The truth is, I often feel intimidated at the idea of reading my Bible. It feels like a BIG undertaking and one that I need to be on my “A-game” mentally to approach. Over the years, I have tried to analyze why this is, or where this thought came from. I think about my Christian schooling background and wonder if maybe I’ve come to think of the Bible as a textbook that is too difficult for me to decipher outside of a classroom or sermons. I also think about my tendency for all-or-nothing thinking and wonder if maybe I have an unrealistic expectation that reading my Bible should always feel deeply personal and that I should be able to devote 100% of my concentration to it in the moment (In fact, this level of all-or-nothing thinking has led me to create a rule about only reading fiction in bed to fall asleep. I decided this because I told myself it was “wrong” or “irreverent” to be reading my Bible for the purpose of tiring my eyes and not to be fully alert and studying it. I’m actually rolling my eyes thinking about how absurd that logic is as I write it out. I also recognize that it’s a hallmark of my sin nature to not want to dig into the truth of Scripture when other temptations and distractions are available to me. In reality, I know it’s a combination of all of the above.

I was really encouraged this past week when I read a social media post from a Christian author that I enjoy, Rachel Jankovic, and I wanted to pass along her words to you.

“When it comes to the Bible, many Christians have forgotten how to simply read. We read newspapers, online articles, magazines, Instagram posts, blogs, recipes, novels, etc. etc. LIKE NORMAL READERS. And yet we feel that we haven’t “really read” the Bible unless we have journaled, checked commentaries, studied the Greek, listened to a sermon series, etc. That is how we have started to believe that reading the Bible is an undertaking too big to fit into our lives and schedules. We can’t block out several hours. We aren’t feeling smart or focused right now. (We are seldom feeling smart and focused!) We think we aren’t getting any value out of the text if we aren’t bringing ALL of our resources to it. But guess what?! God’s word brings the value to His word, not our brains. We don’t bestow on our reading the importance of it. Simply reading is not the only way to approach Scripture, but it seems to be the most forgotten one, and the most needed one. Nothing shows submission to the word quite like just showing up to let IT work on YOU instead of you coming in full steam to try to work on it…”

She went on to offer a summer Scripture reading challenge, encouraging her readers with the concept of “Just reading. Not going back to try to feel something more. Read it like you read anything. Read it! Read it with the assumption that you will be back later and you will notice more then! Read it like it is just food. Normal food!”

After reading this, I also remembered hearing a reminder in church that many of the books of the Bible were in fact letters written to Christian congregations. They were likely read straight through, and what was gleaned from that first reading was gleaned, and then those letters were read again and again, and new value and wisdom were gained from them. Out of curiosity, for what it would look like or feel like to read straight through one of Paul’s letters, I read through Ephesians (which was the Scripture reading challenge from Rachel Jankovic). It took me about 11 ½ minutes to read through the letter. It’s funny the power of thoughts too, because as I started out reading, I noticed something like the sensation of guilt or anxiety that I was allowing my eyes to glide over sentences without stopping to make sure I REALLY understood every single part of what was being said by Paul. It made me feel like I was cheapening the Scriptures, or not showing the appropriate reverence for God’s Word by not slowing down to do a more in depth study of these words. As I continued reading though, these sensations lessened and I was able to walk away from 11 ½ minutes spent in God’s Word with REAL wisdom and insight. This happened not because my brain processed the information quickly, but because, like Rachel stated in her post, “God’s word brings the value to His word, not our brains.” I know that when I go back and re-read this book, God will impart more wisdom and truth to me, and I will likely hear sermons preached on this book which will continue to open my eyes to the depths of this Scripture...but guess what?! My time wasn’t wasted because I was “just reading” the Scriptures. It is a lie of the enemy to keep me from God’s Word for fear of “not doing it right.” It is the desperate act of one who would love nothing more than to keep me from drawing nearer to my Father’s heart by reading his words as a part of my daily living pattern.

I have heard so many statements about reading the Bible, like “I just can’t understand it on my own, ” “I need to read devotionals/Christian books because they explain it in a way I can understand better,” “I want to study the Bible, but I don’t have time to go to Bible studies,” etc.

I think many of us have bought into this lie. I think many of us can relate to feeling like we’re “not doing it right” when it comes to reading Scripture. What would it look like if we let go of legalistic thinking related to “reading Scripture right” and simply read it? What would it look like if we challenged ourselves to replace that fictional book on our bed stand for our Bible? What could God do if we gave Him access to become a part of our daily living pattern, instead of feeling like we had to press pause on our daily living pattern to have access to Him? My bottom line encouragement to you and to myself is...just read your Bible.

—Lindsay Thompson

Lindsay, Wait on Me

I’m going to give you a glimpse into what is happening in the very moments that I am writing this blog. It is 12:56 pm on Monday afternoon. I am sitting at my kitchen table on my laptop, staring at a blank page and feeling nervous that I don’t have a clear sense of what God wants me to write in this blog post. I’m also aware of competing responsibilities for today, that my children will arrive home at 3:30, that we have gymnastics practice, homework, and dinner… Sometimes I sit down with a very clear sense of where God is leading, and other times, well, it’s like today.

Let me give you a little background to this picture. Over the past week, knowing that I have a blog due this Tuesday, I’ve been seeking God in prayer, worshipping, listening intently as to what He would have me write about. There have been a few thoughts that have been in my mind, areas that God has been impressing on my heart that are clearly significant and meaningful, and things that He would want me to press into and to encourage others in…but as intensely significant as the messages seem, I also feel like He is saying, “Lindsay, wait on Me”.

I’m sure there are many reasons God asks me to wait, but I have noticed that sometimes I hear this from God when I have an incomplete understanding of what He is saying to me. One reason that I may have an incomplete idea of what He is saying to me is because I am often in the thick of my sanctification process on those specific issues, and He knows that my words would be insufficient if not outright harmful to the body of Christ if I did not wait until His timing matched His message.

I will readily admit that there would be some sense of finality that would feel relieving for me to simply write on one of those topics and hope for the best. Kind of like the equivalent of a buzzer beater shot at a basketball game, “Here goes nothing… I guess if God wants it to work out, it’ll work out.” Please hear me - I do believe that God can redeem everything and anything to bring about His kingdom purposes, but I also believe that there is spiritual wisdom and a deeper intimacy with God conveyed by not just asking the question “God, is this the right message?” but also asking “God, is this the right timing?”   

I’m learning to love when I hear God tell me to “wait”. Trust me, it’s not always a default reaction to that command, but it often develops into a precious reminder of God’s love for His people and God’s protection over His flock. It also creates a sense of expectancy within myself related to God’s promise to never forsake me as He helps me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.

I am very aware that the same message given to the same person, at different points in their life, can create VERY different outcomes. I see this all the time in the counseling room. You see, God’s not just sanctifying and refining you in this process, He is also working in the heart of the hearer, preparing them to be able to receive His message. I’m reminded of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. It isn’t the focal point of the parable, but if the sower was sowing seed that was not yet ready or prepared to be sown, it would have never created a crop; it would be incomplete, not useful, because it has not had time to be properly prepared. The seed is still the same, it’s the timing of the process that is off. Likewise, God is at work, according to His will, creating fertile soil so that His message can take root and His name can be glorified above all else.

It’s 2:23 now. God has soothed all worry and thoughts about competing responsibilities and timelines, and given me rest from the familiar question of “what do I write, God?” from this past week. As I re-read and prayed over these words before sending them off, I am struck by God’s faithfulness and His love in the lesson of waiting by not answering my prayers in the way I had hoped at the outset of this blog, and I pray that you are equally as blessed by His faithfulness.

 —Lindsay Thompson

The Weapons We Use

I am grieving. I know that many of you are grieving as well. We look around at our world and see that evil is becoming not just accepted but exalted in our society. We see it destroying our families, creating intense pain and hopelessness for those we love, and for some of us it looks so big…so overwhelming that we feel helpless. I want to share with you what God has been speaking to me over these past few weeks as I struggle with these same thoughts.

I was reminded that about nine or so years ago, I was thinking a lot about spiritual warfare. I don’t remember the exact situation I was dealing with at the time, but based on what I remember about that stage of life, I’m certain it was some variation on the themes of depression, hopelessness, and shame. One day while praying, I got the distinct picture of a child standing on a mound of fire ants, trying furiously to stomp them off of her legs and fight them off while her father was right above her waiting to lift her out of the danger and pain she was experiencing. She was so focused on how big the threat and danger was to her in that moment, that she couldn’t see her father waiting to rescue her from the threat. That picture has been helpful to me in times when I am tempted to see the problems of my life, or of my world, as bigger than the great solution of God’s salvation and redemption. So, how do we focus on God’s salvation and redemption when the evils of this world feel so immediately threatening to us? I think we have a clear outline for how to reorient our hearts and shift our focus to the good and beautiful God in 2 Chronicles 20.

The account in 2 Chronicles is one where God allowed the attack of the enemy against the nation of Israel whose leader at the time was a righteous and God fearing man. Sometimes God protects us from being touched by evil in our lives, and sometimes He allows it so that His mighty salvation can be more revealed to us. In this account, the King (Jehoshaphat) responds to the threat of the enemy with prayer and fasting. V.6-9, 12 is a beautiful picture of reorienting the heart from fear to the exultation of God’s salvation.

                  “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms and nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us’…O our God, will you not judge them. For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.”

Later on, in the same chapter (vs. 21) we see a second way that Jehoshaphat responds to threat of evil. Instead of appointing his mightiest warriors to make up the frontlines of the battle, he appoints singers who are to exult the name of God in the face of the enemy instead. God fought the battle for the nation of Israel because His people sought Him through prayer, fasting, and worship. God became the focus of their hearts, not their fears or worries about the problems they were facing.

There’s a song titled “Surrounded” by Michael W. Smith. There aren’t many lyrics at all in the song. It is a statement made over and over about reorienting the heart to remember we are not surrounded by the enemy (which is often how we feel) but, we are (in reality) surrounded by God, and that the worship and exultation of God is our mightiest weapon in spiritual battle. I want to share with you another song that has been a helpful tool in reorienting my heart. It’s a song that is very dear to me and my brother, and it comes straight from Psalm 145. It helps me to exalt God in the midst of any situation or struggle and it shifts my focus from the problem to God’s great solution of salvation and redemption.

Psalm 145 – The Modern Post

Let prayer, fasting, and worship be the weapons we use. Let our hearts be reoriented to see the might of God as unfathomably greater than the troubles of this world…

John 16:33b “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—Lindsay Thompson

Jehovah Jireh

This fall my family and I have experienced some very unsettling changes in the area of finances. We lost 75% of my income over the span of a weekend due to unexpected and immediate layoffs at one of my jobs. As you can imagine, this set off a frenzied reaction in me where I began searching for anything and everything that I could do to fill this hole in our income. I interviewed for many jobs…even ones that I knew would be unwise choices for our family. I began taking on side jobs that consumed most of my time and ended in frustration for both me and my family with very little monetary gain in the end.

I remember about a month after being laid off I woke up with an old song in my head “Jehovah Jireh, my provider, His grace is sufficient for me…”. I hadn’t heard this song in well over 15 years, and I knew it was a reminder from God that He is Jehovah Jireh (the LORD will provide), and that He would provide my needs and the needs of my family. Oh, how short-sighted I was though. I became so laser-beam focused on my request for God to provide in the area of my finances that I almost missed out on His real provision for me and my family.

While God has sustained our family in the area of finances and has shown provision in specific areas of our finances…our financial state remains more or less the same. I no longer feel desperate though. I’m no longer trying to fit square pegs in round holes. I’m able to rest in knowing God is providing and will provide. However, His provision in answer to my prayer looked NOTHING like what I was focusing on, and I’m so glad for that.

While I was waiting on God to “fix this money conundrum”, He began to give me precious glimpses of what He was really providing for me and my family. He began to greatly increase my desire for Him and my ability to walk in obedience to Him. He began to overwhelm me with His affections for me. He began to answer long standing prayers in my marriage and in my family. I began to see their hearts being turned more fully toward Him. He gave my soul the ability to rest and trust and know the goodness of God in all circumstances.

As we moved into the Advent season, I continued to think about God’s provision in sending Jesus to a broken earth and a presumptuous people. I’ve been thinking about and relating to the Israelites who believed that the Messiah was indeed coming. They knew the prophecies, they believed them! They were certain that He was coming to end their slavery, to end their suffering as a people group. He was coming to redeem them and make right all of the wrongs done at the hands of their oppressors. They believed their Messiah would be born into a position of power, one that would overthrow Roman rule, return them to a nation of their own. They believed they would have a Messiah who ruled from David’s throne! They believed these things would come to pass, but the way in which their Messiah would provide proved to be very different from their presumptions. They wanted a military leader, an earthly king, someone born into authority and influence….they most certainly were not expecting a baby born to a poor, young virgin.

Many who awaited the Messiah were so consumed by their version of what provision would look like that they missed the Messiah completely.

May we recognize God’s provision in the arrival of our Messiah on that first Christmas, in the gift of His manifest presence and in the grace of glimpses into His goodness and sovereignty while we await His return.

Merry Christmas!

—Lindsay Thompson

Risking Emotional Safety for the Kingdom of God

I’ve admittedly had a lot of wrong assumptions about the person and character of God throughout my faith journey to date. For a time, I remember imagining Him as this distant entity completely ruled by logic. Weighing the good and the bad and then decreeing judgment and punishment if the bad outweighed the good. I believed that He wasn’t pleased by emotional expression of any kind, and instead wanted us as believers to dedicate ourselves solely to knowledge, in-depth biblical research and theology. Those things are important of course, but I now feel like I have a healthier, more biblically sound understanding of who God is. An understanding informed by John 4:24 (NLT) “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”  God wants my thoughts AND my emotions. He wants both, because He is both. He made us in His image, so as image bearers of Him, we too are filled with emotion by design. We honor the very essence of God in us as image bearers when we are willing to recognize our emotional selves. We honor the essence of God in others as image bearers when we are willing to engage their emotional self as well. So then why does it feel like so many of our relationships have the tendency to settle on the surface? Why do we become so “picky” about who we engage with on an emotional level?

In my own life, and in my work as a counselor, I find that there are some common themes around why we might avoid connecting with others on an emotional level. Some of these include: fear of rejection and/or abandonment, a desire to avoid feelings of disappointment in others, a persistent mistrust of others, guilt or shame about our emotional process, or a desire to avoid pain and hurt at all cost. The common thread throughout these themes seems to be a desire for self-protection through “emotional safety.”  It makes logical sense why we want to protect ourselves in this way. Vulnerable human interaction has the potential to be messy, unpredictable, and painful. The reality, however, is that when we place our highest value on self-protection in this way, we can fall into patterns of isolation, withdrawal, emotional numbing, intense emotional distress, anxiety, or feelings of loneliness and depression. We weren’t designed for self-protection and isolation; we were designed for intimate community.

I find that scripture is filled with examples of emotional displays of God toward us, and of Jesus toward others when He was on earth. The Bible often speaks about an emotional Jesus who (for the purpose of displaying God’s glory) was moved to respond to others who were experiencing suffering and pain (Matt. 9:36, Luke 7:13, Mark 1:41). I think it’s beautiful that there are also many different depictions in scripture of the emotionally intimate nature of Jesus’ relationship with his disciples (John 13; John 15:12-13; Matthew 26:36-38). These were relationships where they moved toward each other in their emotional process, not away from each other out of the fear of getting hurt. I think it’s both a difficult and beautiful example for us to follow.   

It’s easier to risk emotional vulnerability when we believe that it will be reciprocated. It’s much harder to do that when there is no guarantee of the outcome. Jesus acknowledged this in Matthew 5: 43-47 (The Message Version) “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy’. I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best- the sun to warm and the rain to nourish- to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the loveable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of the-mill sinner does that.”

There’s a concept used in group counseling called a microcosm, “something (such as a place or an event) that is seen as a small version of something much larger.” What this means to me is that the way that we move toward one another within the body of Christ, specifically the confines of our church family, is likely the way we move toward others in the larger context of the world. Community in our church is the ‘practice’ of our call to move toward others in a display of God’s love and compassion. This furthering of the kingdom of God cannot be done apart from the risk of emotional vulnerability. God doesn’t just leave us reeling in the fear of losing our emotional safety though. What He calls us to He promises to help us through. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand”.

If emotional safety is our aim, then what safer place can there be but the Father’s own hand?

Below are a few questions for further exploration, areas that God may be calling you to walk in increased emotional vulnerability both for your spiritual growth and for the furthering of the kingdom of God.

1.     Do I quench the prodding of the Holy Spirit to move toward others in emotionally vulnerable ways out of fear? If so, take some time to read through this list to see if any of these fears fit, if not, try to sit and prayerfully ask God to reveal other areas of fear to you.

       - Rejection (“They will ignore me,” “They will be invalidating toward me,” “They will think I’m being “fake,” “They will think I’m “weak,” “messy” or “dramatic)

       - Inadequacy (“I won’t have the right things to say,” “I’m socially awkward,” “I need to warm up to people,” “I don’t have a relationship with them so it will be weird for both of us”)

       - Uncertainty (“Do I really feel the Holy Spirit prompting me toward this person,” “Will they think I’m being presumptuous in sharing with them what God has placed on my heart,” “Will this person use this information against me in the future,” “Is it really my place to say this”)

2.     Are there patterns in my life where I prioritize self-protection over emotional vulnerability? Do I numb away from my emotions? Do I view emotions as an obstacle to overcome, rather than an opportunity to honor or grow in my design as an image bearer of God?

Ask God to show you practical steps toward practicing increased emotional vulnerability at church, in your marriage, in your family, in your friendships, at work, or in your community.

Ask Him to help navigate you through the potential pain and fear of emotional vulnerability, and to provide healing and restoration that will strengthen you for the ongoing nature of His high calling on your life.

—Lindsay Thompson