Martha's Orbital Buzz

Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Day 29-31
Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner

I mentioned in my Break Day post yesterday, that today’s name presented a bit of a challenge for me. I personally can think of many ways Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, is just that. And, I will share some of them. First, let’s roll with presentation in the book.

The author presents this name as one we can call upon to overcome sins of the flesh. She is definitely correct. She states, “A perpetual warfare is raging in our bodies: ‘For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please’ (Galatians 5:17). We can’t do the things we please; rather, we must constantly be on the alert, ever cognizant of the promise that if we walk by the Spirit we ‘will not carry out the desire of the flesh’ (Galatians 5:16).”

The first example given is that of Esau in Genesis. He was the first born son and rightful heir to Isaac. (Remember Isaac-The son Abraham was willing to sacrifice to God?) Esau’s birthright was forever linked to the Covenant given by God to Abraham (to prosper him among nations and bring forth a king {Christ} from his lineage.) Esau had little respect for his birthright and what it would mean for his future. In a rash decision he sold his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob, for a bowl of pottage (stew). Say what? In other words, he allowed his hunger, a mortal craving of the flesh, to take control of his senses, of his mind and his body. He traded what had eternal value for what could only give him temporal satisfaction.

I find all of the above very easy to understand and connect to the need for Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, in our lives. From there, I find the study book to a bit difficult to follow. I will try to simplify it, even if just for me, lol. By selling his birthright, Esau’s lineage was no longer connected to the Covenant. (Think Black Sheep of the family!) They still multiplied into a nation, as did Jacob’s lineage. Esau’s son, Eliphaz, begot another son, Amalek. The nation of Amalek became the nation of Israel’s (God’s Chosen People) bain of existence, attacking them at every turn as they fled Egypt. Amalek had no fear of, or reverence for, the LORD.

In the Book of Exodus, the LORD declared war against Amalek and his nation. He sent Moses and the Israelites into battle against him. Previously, He had Moses form a fiery serpent and attach it to a staff (pole) to serve as a reminder to the Israelites to always look up to it, if bitten, and they would live (a foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the Cross). As Moses held up the Serpent Staff in battle, so fared the Israelites. If he let it down they floundered. This is the first time that we see Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, mentioned. Under His Banner the Israelites prevailed!

My take on this…
If we give into the flesh we lose our heavenly birthright. Whether it is the literal sins of the flesh such as: lust, pornography, adultery, or the worldly sins of the flesh, such as greed, money, or material gain, we trade our heavenly future in for a self-gratifying temporary present.

A banner in biblical days was not necessarily a flag. It could be a standard (pole) with an object atop, such as a serpent headed staff like that of Moses, or a shield placed in front for protection. The standard bearer is the one we follow into battle. So, when the world is our temptress, when we find it difficult to keep it at bay, we need a standard bearer, a banner to fight under! We need to call upon Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner!

I mentioned earlier that I could think of some additional ways I would call on this particular name. There are times when we know something is wrong, that we, or someone we love, or even just someone we have a connection to, is doing wrong.

—Maybe they are taking advantage of a situation, not in a Christian way, and we are going to be put in a situation where we have to stand up for what is right by pointing out what is wrong.

—Maybe we are being asked to participate in an activity that is wrong or sinful.

—Maybe we know someone who is cheating, on a spouse, or in a sport, or cheating the company they work for.

I could go on and on, but I think you can see where I am headed. When something is wrong it should be made right. However, there is not always a clear path to do so. First of all, we must stop and determine if  the cause is righteous in the eyes of the LORD, if any action at all is truly needed. We must pay attention here and be sure, for some situations have a way of righting themselves through cause and effect. So, if you have a situation and have determined it needs to be made right, then ask the LORD to place you under His Banner as you seek to correct the situation. If your cause is not righteous, neither will be your outcome. Only in the Righteous Name of Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, will righteousness prevail in any situation you decide to intervene in. If unsure, it would  be better to call upon El Roi, The God Who Sees, and leave all in His Hands, than to act without confidence.

Here is one of my favorite ways to call upon this name. When you have conquered a sin, or followed His Will in a circumstance or situation, you will find all the needed support and help to continue doing so by walking in confidence while holding His Banner High above and out in front of you. In terms of Moses battling Amalek… as you hold up His Banner, so shall you fare in battle! When you are righteous and living in His Will for you, your best chance of continued success is to boast in the name of Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner!

We are ‘in’ this world but not to be ‘of’ this world. That is the real crux of life. How can we live a fulfilling life here on earth with our flesh fighting our Spirit at every turn? Only with our Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, out in front of us battling our temptations with us.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Are you in constant battle with the flesh, or the things of this world? You are really only passing through this world to get back home to God. Figure out your trigger points. Find something to keep you from trading your eternal birthright for temporary gratification. Maybe picture your hand as Satan’s hand before you click on that ‘site’, be it a porn site, a shopaholic site, or some other ‘bad for you’ site. Or, maybe put a sticky note on your computer monitor with Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner on it.
🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Choose one bad habit, sinful or otherwise, and ask Jehovah-nissi, The LORD Is My Banner, to help you defeat it, even if just for a day. When you defeat it, hold His Banner high and continue to conquer!
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You”, by Kay Arthur.

Break Day – From Studying
Because Rest Is Also Productive

I heard myself telling a coworker yesterday that writing this Lenten Study was taking hours each day, that in fact, I was growing weary and ready to be done.

Why would I tell you this! Definitely NOT because I want you to stop reading what I’m writing. We all need to be fed (including me), if not just to satisfy our yearning, our desire, to feel a stronger connection and closer relationship with our LORD, but because Knowledge + Faith = Confidence! In these trying times we can all use a confidence boost. We need to know we are not alone, and especially like to feel others feel the same, or have similar issues.

I think reading or participating in studies such as this helps build our ecumenical community. God belongs to all of us regardless of our church affiliation. He didn’t just create me, or you, but every single being or creature in existence. Yes, He belongs to us all! There may be some real and important differences in our beliefs, and it may be a conversation to have sometime. (Some of you know I am Catholic. I love that the word literally means universal, all-encompassing.) However, that is not what this study is about! It IS about the God who belongs to us all; His unceasing Love for us; and some beautiful meaningful ways we can connect with Him in our daily faith journey.

I know I said above that I am ready to be done. Please believe me when I say that I regretted it the moment I said it. I am just tired, and wondering who am I, that I should be writing about God to anyone!! Satan knows me well. He takes my tiredness and self-doubt and stirs them into an elixir to rob me of the Grace of writing.

You see, I love to write, I love to create art in many ways, and I love music, the music of my life. But, God has chosen writing, and has led me, urged me, to write for Him. Actually, to write on His behalf.

Years ago, (2010) when I began my very personal Journey Through The Stillness, I asked Him why me? He told me then, and in no uncertain terms, that “I was His daughter, and what daughter would not speak out on behalf of her Father!”
So, if you asked me just who do I think I am, that’s all I would be able to tell you.

I have not been writing for some time. So why now? I have actually been in a spiritual desert for a long time, but I won’t go into that here. In hopes of rekindling my spirit, I began reading in one of my Journey Through The Stillness journals from 2011.

The first post for this study was February 26th. The corresponding journal entry from 2/26/2011 and read earlier that morning, was all about how the LORD, along with Mary, and all the Angels and Saints in heaven are arrayed to help me in this earthly life. (Think Communion of Saints!) In silence before Him, He said to me, “See child, we are your family. We are here to help in many ways. Learn more of us. Learn our specialties and call upon us in your times of need. We are your support system, your-all powerful , all-merciful, all-loving support. You need never be alone. Whatever the need, it is the specialty of one of us. We await, no we anticipate your every need, but await your plea for help. You are never alone unless you choose to be.”

The book, “LORD, I Want To Know You”, by Kay Arthur came to mind. I decided I would use this wonderful book, which had touched me years before, as my own personal Lenten study this year. And so I began, but with no intention of writing, let alone sharing. As I began reading I knew immediately I was going to be doing both. And so I did the first Day and posted it. And the next. And then self-doubt took over, lol. I was thinking this might be more than I can handle, more advanced, too overwhelming. And then, the corresponding journal entry that morning from 2/28/2011 just happened to be about that very thing. Back then I was publicly sharing my private journal on these very same sites. Here is that entry in its entirety:
“Today I am filled with doubt. I am questioning many things. I wonder again who am I that I should be writing and putting all these things out publicly. There are so many others more fitting, more educated, more worthy.  Knowing the work and words are not mine but His, I cant help but wonder is it reaching anyone, helping anyone, or am I really just writing for me. If it is for me, okay, because I want to write, I need to write. It is just that I approach it seriously, like it is my job. I spend hours a day at it, and at times it is overwhelming. I feel the weight, the great responsibility of my (His) words to others. It truly frightens me, as I would never, ever, want to lead anyone astray! It seems He has chosen to not allow much human feedback, and rightfully so, as I must fight the sin of pride and vainglory with every fiber of my being. And so I continue to follow what I sincerely believe to be His Will for my life. After all, I am His daughter, and what daughter refuses to speak out on behalf of her Father.” (After writing this I sat in silence before Him.)
In The Stillness, He said, “ I see you, child, fighting through your self doubt. I am with you. From the very beginning I have been here. Let it be enough. Continue to do my work. I am in control of it. Let your heart be mine and all will be as it should.”
Even reading this now, I just sit and think, wow. And I am so very humbled, I cry. Everyday, since I began posting the Study, the corresponding daily journal entries from 2011 have reinforced that I am doing His bidding.

Why am I sharing all of this today with you? Remember how I started out with my telling  a coworker yesterday that writing this Lenten Study was taking hours each day, that in fact, I was growing weary and ready to be done? Well… read today’s journal entry from 2011:
”Lately, I have been so pressed for time with appointments that when I come to The Stillness I am a bit resigned, a bit frazzled. He says to me, “Do not come out of obligation or fear. That is wrong and you will not be wholly open to my Spirit. You must come in desire of Me. You must come for love of Me and the knowledge that you need Me. A spirit that comes in love receives love. There is no hindrance to the back and forth flow of spiritual love. Remember, child, I am where you are. Come to me there.”

So today we take a study break. Instead, I’ve shared a bit of my personal faith journey with you. I’ve let you have a glimpse at two of my own demons, self doubt and pride. You wouldn’t think they go hand in hand, but believe me they do. I need to call upon El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, way more than I do!

And, about the spiritual desert I said I’ve been in for a long time. It is not one of lack of faith or prayer. It is one of learning to keep on coming to Him in The Stillness even when I feel nothing, receive no consolations, or tangible discernment; for in the beginning there was all of it. Now, it’s about learning to be there only because I love Him and He loves me. In other words, to just be me IN Him, and let Him just be IN me. Not always easy for me.

And, a bit of clarification about the Study. I am using the book to follow the order of His names used, and giving you the ‘gist’ of the author’s content in the meanings and background of each. However, much of the content is my sharing what I believe He wants said about His name. Sometimes I give ‘My Take’ on it, but it too is what I feel led to write. In fact, I have greatly surprised myself at the depth to which it goes. I read it afterward, and think, ‘Whoa, where did that come from?!’ Then I realize it wasn’t from me at all. So, I am learning too, right along with you.

Anyway, if you want to give this a ‘Like’ or share some of your own thoughts (and they are always welcome!), I’d love it. I ask that you don’t give me any accolades, for none of the content is truly mine. It’s only my hand writing His words. You don’t have to go so far in believing that as I do. I just hope the content of the Study brings you to a closer and stronger relationship with Our God.

Have a blessed day everyone. Tomorrow we move on to our next name. I’ve already read it and the content is somewhat of a challenge. I’m curious to see where it leads!
🙏🏻🙃😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Day 26-28
A Short Review Thus Far

From the study book:
— In 1 Corinthians, the resurrection chapter, verse 46 reads, “However, the spiritual is not first, bu the natural; then the spiritual.” The primary subject in 1 Corinthians 15 is the first and last Adam: our body through the first Adam is a natural body, and through the last Adam, Christ, it’s a spiritual body. Within this statement is a principle—even in our reactions the natural will precede the spiritual. In other words, because we live in a natural body we can expect the natural impulse of the flesh to be first in our reactions!—

We often react to circumstances rather than respond to them through knowledge of our Lord. When we know our LORD (His names), when we walk in His Ways (call upon His name), we become filled with His Spirit. Filled with His Spirit, we respond rather than react. We respond through the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So far we have studied 8 beautiful names of the LORD. Here they are, each with its full meaning:
Elohim, The Creator
El Elyon, The God Most High
El Roi, The God Who Sees
El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One
Adonai, Your LORD and Master
Jehovah, The Self-Existent One
Jehovah-jireh, The LORD Will Provide
Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals

Because we live in a natural body, our natural instincts will always try to override, overrule, our spiritual inclinations.

Our goal in learning these beautiful names of the LORD, is to cultivate within ourselves a spiritual response mechanism, one that causes us to immediately turn to Him; to first call upon His name in whatever our need may be, rather than act impulsively on our own.
Remember “the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righty runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

In the study book days 27 and 28 provide information on a certain method of study. I am skipping over them and will continue on to our next name in the study tomorrow.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Use your hand to cover the meanings of the names listed above. Read each name aloud. Can you say it’s meaning from memory? If not… try to memorize each. It’s much easier to call on El Roi, when you know His attribute of seeing all.
🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Think back over the past few days. Can you recall any instances where you had a gut reaction to something and responded accordingly?  If you would have first called upon a name of the LORD, and responded from His Spirit within, would the outcome have been different?
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Days 20-25
Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals

Everyone of us will need to be healed at some point in our life. It may be from the hurt and pain dealt to us by the words and/or actions of someone else; a friend, a lover, a spouse, or even someone we don’t know. We may also be hurt spiritually; lost in doubt, lost in hate, lost in sin.

By definition to be healed is to be restored to health. If we are physically ill we can turn to doctors for healing, but to whom can we turn when the healing needed is not physical?
There is only one answer, Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals.

Psalm 22:16-18(NIV)
“Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”

Psalm 22 above foretells the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus was surrounded by evildoers who ignored His Truth. They viewed Him as a threat to their corrupt and evil self-centered way of life. So they plotted against Him, arrange for His very public and horrendous death, and used it to prosper their own fortunes and power over an ill-informed public.
Besides your Salvation History, why do I mention it here with the name of Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals?
First, let’s look at His situation. He is surrounded by evil doers, plotting against Him, lying about Him, and using Him for their own personal gain.
Then, let’s look at some ways in which many of us may need to be healed.? All of the above situations might apply to your own situation in life if you:
-Are unhappy or unfulfilled in your work or workplace environment.
-Are in a loveless marriage or relationship.
-You suffer from self doubt, anxiety, or depression as a result of something said or done to you in the past or present.
-You suffer from some form of substance abuse, are in debt because of it, or have no money to pay and are wrongdoing to do so.
-Are being abused by someone and have no escape route, financially or family wise.
-Are sick with overwhelming grief after losing a loved one in death, divorce, or abandonment.
-Are in an abyss spiritually with no desire to go on.
-Are so drained mentally and physically that your life has no meaning.

That’s quite a list! And it is only a very few of the ways in which one may be in desperate need of healing. Everyone’s need is different, unique to their own personal set of experiences and circumstances. Things such as those listed above cannot be completely cured or fixed by a human physician or healer. They are too deeply rooted. The problem is not just physical, it is soul deep. It requires a God Physician, it needs Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals.

Remember, the definition of ‘to be healed’ is ‘to be restored to good health’. In Exodus 15:26 we hear that health and healing share a direct relationship with obedience:
“If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

This is yet another of those hard to hear statements from our LORD. He admits that He intentionally sent plagues, famines, etc.! He admits He brought terrible suffering to His people. He brought them to their knees. We know He works all to the good of all who believe in Him, so why would He deliberately make us suffer?

The opposite of obedience is disobedience, aka, SIN. We see over and over again in the Bible that disobedience, sin, leads to great pain and suffering, whether it be an entire nation or people, or a sole individual.
We might very well determine that all sickness is caused directly by sin.

In the study book we read that if man had not sinned in the very beginning (think Adam & Eve) there would be no sickness at all. They were created to live happily forever in health and obedience, but they chose to disobey God’s only ‘NO’. They were banished and told that during their  lifetime, they would now labor hard, suffer greatly, and die; all as a result of their disobedience.  In that sense one could say that all sickness results from sin, from man’s original sin. That is Truth, but painted with a broad paintbrush. The suffering we see in so many lives, caused by Cancer(or some other illness), is not necessarily a direct result of, or connection to, a sin they or their ancestors committed.

My take on it?
Think death. We are born to die. We will all leave this earthly life at some point. And, It will be in His timing, for He calls each of us to Him according to His Will. Sometimes there may be a warning, such as a long term illness; sometimes it may be quite abruptly, through a heart attack or an auto accident. Why then does a disease such as cancer cause such suffering? Why is there suffering not related to sin? Why must anyone ever suffer?

For our answer to these hard questions we must look to Jesus Christ. He suffered, died, and was buried, before He was Resurrected. Now, I could just leave it all right here, saying ‘nuff said’. I won’t though, because, the point I really want you to understand is that before there can be total healing, there must first be suffering. Healing comes after suffering.

It is there over and over throughout The Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  First there is pain and suffering, then healing and rejoicing. Yes, some Bible stories show a direct correlation to the sins of an entire people (think Egypt with plagues and famine), while some seem to have no direct connection to sin (think the death of Lazareth, who became ill and died, only to be risen from death by Jesus, that the LORD be glorified (John 11:4).) These are two very different examples, indeed, yet both show how suffering comes before healing.

We can definitely see when we choose sin, we choose suffering in some form or another. We can also understand how even in obedience there may be suffering connected with our death, as we must die. And, we now know there is the way of suffering that comes to us for no other reason than to bring glory to the LORD.
Each of these different situations with very different types of suffering, are to place us in need of healing; a way to bring us each to our knees in need of our LORD.

So, where do you run to when you are desperate to be healed? To Whom? If it isn’t Jehovah-rapha, you will find no healing balm, no relief from the dogs and villains of this earthly life encircling you. There is only One who has the real power to heal you. Run to Him, call upon Him in your day of distress. He is tender and merciful. His name is Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Do you have suffering in your life? Do you wonder why you? Or, why your particular type of suffering?  Try examining it. Ask yourself if you think it’s because of sin you are living in, or is it suffering to be used to bring Him glory? Either way, what is your next step?
🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
There is a song by Paul McCartney entitled, ‘I Don’t Know’.  It’s about a man feeling the pressures of this life, but reassuring his love that he will keep the world and its troubles away from her.

The first time I heard the song I liked it because it’s beat end words were very different from what I’m used to listening to. The next time I heard something more. I heard a man calling upon his God in his day of distress, and (in the chorus) I heard his God answer him. I heard Jehovah-rapha, The God Who Heals.

The lyrics are below. After reading them through, if interested, find the song on You Tube or wherever you stream music from. Close your eyes and listen. I’d LOVE to know your thoughts!
🙏🏻😇

I Don’t Know
By Paul McCartney
(From the Album – Egypt Station)

I got crows at my window, dogs at my door
I don’t think I can take any more
What am I doing wrong? I don’t know
My brother told me, “life’s not a pain”
That was right when it started to rain
Where am I going wrong? I don’t know

But it’s alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
You’re fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain

Well, I see trouble at every turn
I’ve got so many lessons to learn
What am I doing wrong? I don’t know
Now what’s the matter with me?
AnI right? Am I wrong?
Now I started to see
I must try to be strong
I try to love you best as I can
But you know that I’m only a man
Why am I going wrong? I don’t know.

But it’s alright, sleep tight
I will take the strain
You’re fine, love of mine
You will feel no pain

I got crows at my window and dogs at my door
But I don’t think I can take anymore
What am I doing wrong? I don’t know
Now what’s the matter with me? I don’t know, I don’t know
What’s the matter with me? I don’t know, I don’t know
What’s the matter with me? I don’t know, I don’t know

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A Daily Pandemic Prayer of Protection:

Grant, O LORD, to the faithful and sinner alike,
a shield of armor against this virus
now threatening us worldwide.
Cast an extra net of safety around the weak, the infirm, the elderly;
around all who are vulnerable.
Then, O LORD, send your mighty Archangels, wielding swords of virus destruction,
to surround all in an impenetrable fortress,
keeping us free from peril.
We ask you this, O LORD,
through the Name of Our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
May His Name ever reign throughout the earth.
To His Name be all the Glory and Honor Forever.
AMEN

By MMW

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Days 16, 17, 18, & 19
Jehovah-jireh, The Lord Will Provide

Not only does Jehovah love with an unfathomable unchangeable Love, but He also desires to sufficiently satisfy any and all needs of those He has created in His own image. He wants to be our provider, our healer, our shepherd, etc.

Going forward, we will be learning new names that include Jehovah combined with other words. Together they show us the essence of His Being with an added dimension of a characteristic or attribute.

Our first one is Jehovah-jireh, The Lord Will Provide. Jireh is the Hebrew word for provide, yet in the Old Testament, it literally means ‘to see’, and the word see denotes provision. With God, to see is to foresee. He knows the end from the beginning, and in His omniscience, He provides. (You might want to read that last sentence again, and as I like to say… write it on your heart.)

Here, I am going to paraphrase Genesis 22:1-19, but I urge you to read it in it’s entirety, as I will not be able to truly do it justice in brevity.
—God had fulfilled His promise to Abraham in giving him a son (Isaac) through his barren wife, Sarah. In time, God tested Abraham by telling him to go into the mountains and offer Isaac as a burnt offering (a voluntary offering of love). Abraham set out to obey his God. He gathered the wood for the fire, along with a donkey and two of his men for the journey. When Abraham recognized the place God had chosen for the sacrifice, he told his men to wait while He and Isaac went off to worship the LORD.  On the way, Isaac, carrying the cut wood on his back, asks his father why they have the firewood but not the lamb needed for the burnt offering? Abraham tells his son that the LORD will provide the lamb Himself.

At the place God had chosen Abraham built a sacrificial altar, bound Isaac, and placed him on top of the wood on the altar. He had pulled out his knife and was about to slay his only beloved son in the name of the LORD when he heard the Angel of the LORD call to him from heaven.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12)
Abraham looked around and, behold, behind him there was a ram caught by his horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and offered it up in place of his son, Isaac, and he called the place The LORD Will Provide. The Angel of the LORD again called to Abraham and delivered this message from heaven, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:16-18)

There are twenty-one chapters written in God’s Word prior to this, yet, this is the first time these three words: love, obey, and worship, are mentioned. Abraham’s story greatly parallels that of God’s sacrifice of His own, only begotten, beloved son, Jesus Christ. For Abraham, the LORD provided a substitute sacrificial lamb at the last minute. With His own Son, He did not. He gave Him life, both Divine and human combined in one being, Jesus Christ. Then, He gave Jesus up to be crucified, to suffer death on the Cross. In doing so, the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future, were also crucified and forgiven. From that same Crucifixion, after descending to the dead for three days, Divine Life was resurrected into Eternal Life. Forever more Jesus Christ shall sit at the right hand of God, His Father, in heaven, to judge the living and the dead.

So, did the LORD not provide for His own son as He did for Abraham’s? Why was there no last minute rescue?
If  you look closely you will see there was indeed a last minute rescue. It is all of us, humankind! Through the sacrifice of His own Son, we are saved from death in sin to new and eternal life.
And, it is also Divinity, for the LORD did rescue His Beloved Son through His Resurrection and His Ascension into heaven!  Divinity was protected and restored to its rightful throne.

In other words, Jehovah-jireh, The Lord Will Provide, worked all out for the good of all.  Like Abraham before him, who had to fight his enemies and offer his own beloved son in sacrifice, Jesus had to defeat sin, the greatest enemy of mankind, by allowing Himself to become a living sacrifice. Both Abraham and Jesus loved the LORD, obeyed His commands, and through their willingness to sacrifice all on His behalf, worshipped Him in the highest way possible.

My take away…
No matter how deeply you love (someone or something), God may ask you to sacrifice that love on the altar of obedience in order that His name be glorified, in order that He be worshiped as Jehovah forevermore.
The big question is… Am I willing?

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey: Abraham was willing to sacrifice his most precious possession because he trusted in the name of Jehovah-jireh, The Lord Will Provide. He called upon His name in His worst moment of life, was heard, and was answered. Search you heart. Is there something in your own life you feel the LORD is asking you to forfeit, or to discontinue? Are you willing? Trust in Him, knowing He will provide in a way that is better for you, and all involved. If you don’t have the willpower, or don’t have that kind of trust in Him, start by calling upon His name asking for both. He truly wants to give you everything good. Remember… He knows the end from the beginning, and in His omniscience, He provides.  🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Read in its entirety Genesis 22:1-19
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Day 15
Jehovah, The Self-Existent One

According to the study book, of all the names of God, Jehovah is the name most frequently used in the Old Testament. It’s root word, havah, means “to be, to become.”  Thus, the name Jehovah speaks to God’s being, or essence.

Nathan Stone, another Christian author who has written about the names of God, says, “…we must think of Jehovah as the Being who is absolutely self existent, the One who in Himself possesses essential life, permanent existence.”

In Exodus 3:14-15, as the Lord is speaking with Moses, we we learn who God Himself says He is.
I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.”

I personally love the following paragraph from the study book… The underline emphasis is mine. “Jehovah is the self-existent One — ‘I Am WHO I AM.’ He is the eternal I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the same yesterday, today, and forever. All of life is contained in Him. Why do we look elsewhere? Why do we not rest in His unchangeableness? He has never failed. Would He begin with me or you? He cannot; He is Jehovah, the self-existent, covenant-keeping God.”

Jehovah was used to denote God very early on in Genesis, however, it’s full meaning remained veiled to His people. They didn’t come to understand Jehovah was the name that went with His covenant promise until the Lord revealed all to Moses, in Exodus 6:2-4. “I am the LORD {Jehovah} I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as God Almighty {El Shaddai}, but by My name LORD {Jehovah}, I did not make Myself known to them. And I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned.” (Note… whenever we see LORD in all capital letters in the Old Testament it is translated as Jehovah.)

So, we now know Jehovah, The Self-Existent One to be the beginning and the end (the Alpha and the Omega). We now know He is unchanging. We now know He is faithful to His promises from generation to generation. Jehovah, The Self-Existent One, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What exactly does this mean for us?
It means we are NEVER without a name of God to call upon in our need!

Here are some of important examples of when you should run directly to Jehovah, The Self-Existent One, calling upon His name:

A)  Do you have doubts? At times do you doubt God’s very existence? If you can’t see Him or feel Him at work in your life, then He must not be real, right? Remember this Truth, even though you may have doubts, your doubts don’t change the fact that He IS. And He IS forever. Standing on that Truth run straight into His Hightower asking Him to show you He IS.

B)  Have you broken your promises to Him? Have you been living with or in sin? Remember this Truth, even though you may have broken your promise to Him, He can’t break His to you. He remains unchanged forever. His promises stand forever. Holding tightly onto that Truth run to Him in repentance, with a firm purpose of amendment, asking for both His mercy and His forgiveness.

C)  Have you fallen away from Church? Did you listen to the false teachings and promises of errant believers, only later to watch as jobs, relationships, or good health were taken away from you or your loved ones? Have you been told that these situations exist because you sinned, lacked faith, or didn’t believe hard enough, and therefore God is punishing you? Take heart and remember, in Exodus 34:5-7, the Lord proclaims Himself to be “…a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin.” Believing now in this Righteous Truth, run straight into His wide open loving arms, asking Him to bring you Home.

His existence is Eternal. He is Jehovah, The Self-Existent One, Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is the name you can call upon forever.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Read the following slowly and with intent:

God, the great I AM, created me in His image and likeness, entering into a Covenant with me; a Covenant of Compassion, Forgiveness, and Unwavering Everlasting Love.
Now close your eyes for a moment and picture Him signing, with His finger, His Covenant with you and then handing it over to you for safe-keeping. Now file it in your heart.
🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Lent is a season in which we should reflect on His passion and Crucifixion.
Close your eyes once again. Now imagine that same scene, this time with Christ signing the Covenant with His own blood.

In order for God to keep His Covenant with His people He sacrificed His only begotten beloved Son to die on the Cross. He did this in atonement for all the sins of mankind, mine and yours. In doing so, He gave us the Way to Life in Eternity with Jehovah, The Self-Existent One.

Why?  Why me? Why you?
Because He loves us each with an unfathomable unchangeable Love.
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Day 14
Adonai, Your Lord and Master, Part 2

Day 13 was a whole lot of Truth to take in; even if you are a believer who considers him or herself to be Saved and on the ‘right path’. Throughout our life, our faith journey, we must continually evaluate our situations and assess our relationships with others, and most importantly for our salvation, with our God.

Do you call Him ‘Lord, Lord’ and then walk out the door into your day ignoring His nudges? Do you lean in at all to hear His voice, His commands to you?  Maybe, in your very busy day and life, you just forget to look  and listen for Him. Maybe, you blatantly ignore any nudges or stirrings in your heart, because it is too difficult to do what He asks of you. Maybe, your life is a mess and you are lost. Maybe you truly don’t believe in His promises; that they are for you. Maybe you call Him ‘Lord, Lord’ in lip service because it’s what is expected of you. Maybe you don’t believe He actually exists.

Maybe none of the above examples exactly fit your life or faith situation, only you and God know the real truth of you. No matter what your personal life story is, He wants you. He wants to pour forth abundant blessings in your life. To do so, He needs you to accept Him. Not just as Adonai, Your Lord and Master, but as your loving Creator.

In excerpts from the Old Testament Book of Exodus, we hear Moses pleading with God not to send him as His representative.
“Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
If any being should know this, it is God, who created him! God listens and responds to Moses in a way that should quell all his inner anxiety and fear. “Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what your are to say.” Yet, Moses is so lost in his fear he can’t hear what God is actually saying. He continues to ask God to send someone else in his place. “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever Thou wilt.” The next line in Exodus reads, “Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses.”

My first reaction to reading that last line was OUCH! I was right in there with Moses, thinking he wasn’t up to the task at hand, and in humility, asking God to let him off this time. I mean, right? Wrong! Moses was actually slapping God in the face! Please hear me out on this.

Can we not question God? Can we not tell Him we don’t like a situation (for whatever reason) that He is asking to us to go into? Can we not be mad that He would ask such a thing of us? Of course we can, and God welcomes the dialogue to bring us around to His way of thinking. However, after God gives you an explanation and the go ahead command, He expects your trusting obedience. He knows you inside and out. He is Adonai, Your Lord and Master. Making a deliberate choice to disobey Him is to risk His wrath, to risk your very salvation.

This is not to say we can’t and don’t make mistakes through our sinful nature. It is truly hard to relinquish total control. Like Moses, self is often our own worst enemy, which Satan continually feeds. Even so, Adonai, Your Lord and Master, provides a path to our redemption, through our sincere repentance and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Moses, did end up following the Lord’s command to go and speak His message to the Egyptian Pharoh. Anxious and fearful? Probably so, but God gave Him the words to say and prepared the way by opening the ears and heart of the Pharoh. 

I have a personal example to share when, much like Moses, I did not want to go where God was wanting me to.  In His Grace, He literally dragged me kicking and screaming to my own good. I had been teaching art for ten years in a Catholic school.  I loved it.  How could teaching, and sharing Him with His flock, in a school of my faith not be where He wanted me to be?  I was sure I would be there for a long time to come.  However, He had other plans for me.  And, He knew I would not just walk away; something would have to happen.  Knowing that I was not going to be fired, He would somehow have to make me want to leave.  It wasn’t easy for Him, and it wasn’t easy on me.  He decided to make me good and angry so I would want to leave.  It was a process that had to develop over time.  Did I mention He dragged me kicking and screaming to a better place in my life?  Everything changed for me.  I quit and I was very unhappy about it.  I dwelt in the pain and confusion of it for quite some time.  After awhile I began to see, in my new situation, that I now had the ability to be there for my family, for my children, in ways I would not have been able to, except by the Grace of God!

So yes, we challenge and fight our path at times. However, in the very end, even if we are dragged or shoved down the path, when we succumb to His Will for us, we are acknowledging His ultimate dominion and rule over our lives. We come to know Him as Adonai, Your Lord and Master and we find our El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, waiting there for us.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Looking back over your life and faith journey, can you see a time(s) when you possibly tried the Lord’s patience with you? Or even angered Him? Afterward, were you able to see Adonai’s hand at work. Were you able to call Him ‘Lord, Lord’ and praise and thank Him? If not, you still can.
🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Do you harbor anger toward God for a situation in your life? Do you know how important it is to bow down before Him and ask what He wants or expects from you in that particular situation? Try to if you can. Question Him, scream in anger at Him, cry the tears of pain. Give it all to Him. He can handle it; He welcomes the interaction with you. He will hear and answer you. He promises; even if answers are not immediately heard, even if you have to repeat the above process more than once. He has been patient with you for a long time. Try to be patient with Him while He works all out for the good of all those involved.
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

Day 13
Adonai, Your Lord and Master

Even though we’ve already learned other names, you can never really ‘know’ them until you have bowed down before Adonai, Your Lord and Master. To feel refuge in His loving arms you must first acknowledge His right to rule over you, over every part of your life.
If this is so, then why would we study some of His other names first? The answer is simple. For example, it is much easier to call Him El Shaddai than it is Adonai, Your Lord and Master. Some of us must first be nursed along, must be made to feel it is safe to trust in His promises. Still, complete and total sufficiency cannot be found apart from knowing Him as your Adonai, Your Lord and Master.

Abraham understood what it meant to have a master-servant relationship, for slavery existed in the days of Abraham. A bondservant was a type of slave who was bound in service to a master without being paid wages. Such a slave was actually far better off than a hired servant. This was because the master provided for his every need. It was the master’s responsibility to feed, clothe, shelter, protect, and to give direction (counsel) in his day by day living. Servants for hire had to fend for themselves, meet most of their own needs, when away from the master. It was only a bondservant/ slave, therefore, who could be totally dependent upon a master to meet all of his needs.

So it is with Adonai, Your Lord and Master.
However, be forewarned, to be Adonai’s good and faithful servant/slave comes with great responsibility. Abraham also knew this to be true. Having won a great victory over his enemies, he understood and acknowledged that it was God who brought about the victory; he acknowledged God’s Lordship over him. Did the victory come easy? Not by any means! Abraham had to trust in God’s sovereignty in order to obey His command. Abraham had to fight the battle!

In the book we read, “But does it matter what I do as long as I acknowledge Him as Lord and tell Him I want His free gift of eternal life? Yes, it does, for Lord, is more than a word; it indicates a relationship. The lordship of God means His total possession of me and my total submission to Him as Lord and Master.”

Whether or not you can honestly call Him Adonai, Your Lord and Master, allowing Him complete possession of you and totally  submitting to His Will, well… that is the bottom line, is it not? Putting it bluntly, it is the difference between Heaven and Hell in Eternity.

So many today are unhappy in their Christianity. They claim they are not being fed. In attempt to ‘feed’ their flock many churches are turning to special effects and big media Hollywood-like productions. They send their flock out happy, humming, and thinking they are ready to take on the world. They are definitely turning out an enthusiastic, inspired flock. And that’s a good thing… a good place to start. There is nothing wrong with what they are doing, yet, in the most important way, they are not truly ‘feeding’ the flock.
Why not? Yes, they get the flock to give of themselves and foster many opportunities to do good works. However, it has become more important in today’s culture to feel happy all the time rather than introspectively assess one’s personal relationship with Adonai, Your Lord and Master. There is no accountability. We each need to know and own whether or not we are fulfilling our personal responsibilities to the Lord in a way that we can truly call upon His name and not have Him answer us, “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”(Luke 6:46) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (Mathew 7:21-23)
Being good and giving will not gain you entry through that very last door into heaven. Neither will declaring His name and calling Him your Lord. Only the faithful servant who accepts His sovereignty and does whatever the Lord asks of him, no matter the cost, will be welcomed through to live with our Lord in Eternity.
Not easy at all! So, when I am asked if I am saved, my answer is: Through the Body and Blood of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I am saved over and over again every single day of my life. Simply put… I AM Saved, but I must choose it each moment of my life.

If you have stuck with me this far and not run away, the biggest take away for each of us is that He is with us every step of our earthly life’s journey, from birth back to Him. When we acknowledge, bow down before, give free reign to Adonai, Your Lord and Master, we find our El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, waiting with arms wide open to shelter us. Our God is a great God and we can trust Him to fulfill all of His promises to us!

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Answer these questions honestly in your heart not your head. Who do you bow down before? Who has power over you?
If it isn’t Adonai, Your Lord and Master, call upon His name and ask Him to lead you to Him. He is waiting to bring you home.🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
Do you know what it means to be truly fed?
Reflect on Jesus’ words in John 6:53-58, NKJV:
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
Now ask yourself what does this truly mean? Are you being fed in this way?
🙏🏻😇

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Continuing my 2020 Lenten Journey- with personal thoughts and commentary by Martha McDuff Wiggins on the book “Lord I Want To Know You” by Kay Arthur.

El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One
Day 12

This is the other name I mentioned at the beginning as being one of my favorites. Why? The first name, El Roi, The God Who Sees, was a favorite because my parenting heart could always lean on Him. He was my ‘second pair’ of parent eyes. In Him my parent heart could find rest and refuge. This second name, El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, is a favorite for me on a personal level.  He knows the real me; He ‘gets’ me. He responds to all of my needs and enwraps me in His Loving Arms. He is always there for me, even when I don’t know or feel it.

We learned previously that the prefix El, carries the meaning mighty, powerful, and is used to reference gods. The study book, referencing Genesis 31:29, states that El is one of the oldest and most widely used terms for Deity (God/Divinity) known to the human race. Whenever you see God Almighty in the Old Testament it is El Shaddai!

The word Shaddai can also be described as mighty and powerful. But, rather than a power of force and violence, it is thought to mean more of a power of provision, all-bountifulness, or as here, all-sufficient.

We see El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, in the Old Testament clearly at work in Abraham’s life. A childless couple, Abram (99 yrs old) and Sarah (89 yrs old) had given up hope. God seeks him out and changes his name to Abraham, promising (establishing a covenant with) to make him the father of a multitude of nations, from whom Kings shall arise! Abraham, in the waning days of his life, accepts His promise/covenant with great faith in the God he has served an known all his life, both in good times and in bad, his Elohim. It is here, however, he recognizes Him as El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One (God Almighty), falling on his face in complete humility before Him. Oh how his Lord provided going forward! And though not immediately, Abraham continued on if faith and trust, and was eventually given a son, Isaac. Through Abraham’s willingness to trust in all things, even to the point of sacrificing his own son, we can draw a straight lineage line to God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And we are his descendants, his heirs.

Through Abraham we too are children of God, El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One! He is the ‘Pourer-forth’ of blessings, who says, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” (NASB John 7:37)

The same God who spoke to Abraham thousands of years ago is the same God who  speaks in your heart today. Just as Abraham did, we must renounce our own will. As scary as that may be, we do have a beautiful name  which we can call upon to help us! And when we do call upon our very personal El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, we unleash His almighty, yet loving, power in our own lives. We receive His All-bountiful care; He meets all our needs.

We also see El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One’s, presence in the New Testament when we read Paul’s comments in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Imagine! When you are weak your El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, is made strong! In our weakness, we see once again that His power, all sufficient to meet our every need, will be unleashed. When you call upon His name in your weakness you give Him free reins to make everything right; you give Him free Reign in your life to work all for your good.

Mental action to facilitate your Lenten Journey:
Do you feel a lack in some part of your life? Do you lack the willpower or strength to carry on? Or, do you just need to know someone cares about you and truly wants to meet all your needs, wants you to be happy? Please pause for a moment and think what the name of El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, could actually mean in your life, your faith journey.
Please call upon His name and greet Him with a desire to trust in His loving power and bountifulness for your own personal life situation. The desire alone will pull Him right to you. Rest assured. 🙏🏻💖

Further action if so inclined:
If you haven’t read in the Bible in awhile, maybe read the full story of Abraham, Chapters 12-25. See how many times can you recognize El Shaddai, The All-Sufficient One, at work in his life. Try to internalize that the same El Shaddai is waiting to do the same in your life. Write it on your heart. 🙏🏻😇

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