Little Did They Know

I’ve been reading a biography on Oswald Chambers entitled, Abandoned to God. It is such an inspiring book. If Oswald could be used of God, so can I. Anyway, Oswald went through some tough times before he got married later in life. His wife, Gertrude (Biddy) Hobbs had left school early in life to help her mom, and also so her older brother and sister could keep their education going. But did Biddy fall into despair over her lot in life? No. She studied shorthand, and when she was able to work full-time she could take 250 words a minute. Most people can’t even talk that fast. But there was a purpose for this. Oswald and Biddy married in 1910. They had one daughter, Kathleen. Together, Chambers and his wife opened a Bible school, and Biddy took notes of Oswald’s lectures. You see, Oswald didn't write his sermons out - he only had outlines. Later, when they went to Egypt, since Chambers became a chaplain to the British troops, Biddy continued her “job” of taking notes of her husband’s lectures. In 1917, at the age of 43 and after only 7 years of marriage, Oswald Chambers died from complications after an emergency surgery for appendicitis. He left behind a wife and four year old daughter.

What did Biddy do at this time? Did she wallow in grief and self-pity? No. She got out her notes on her husband’s lectures that she had taken by short-hand, and wrote them out. My Utmost for His Highest was published in 1927, ten years after Oswald’s death.
It seems Oswald needed someone who would take notes of his lectures, who would be able to get them published after he died. Little did he know what God’s plans were.

That reminded me of my song Little Did They Know…After going through a confusing and trying time in my life, I turned to the Bible for answers. I found “answers” in three specific stories in the Bible. Of course, my understanding of these accounts wasn’t as elaborate as it is now, so I’ll give you the updated version :-) First, the account of the Israelites at the Red Sea came to mind. The Lord had just delivered them from bondage in Egypt, and now they were on their way to the Promised Land. Their deliverance had been so great! Such miracles, such mighty showing of the Almighty’s power. But now, where were they? They were stuck; and they had a huge problem. The Red Sea was in their way. They couldn’t get through it. What had God done? Why did He lead them here? On top of that, the Egyptians were coming after them. The Israelites were trapped. Had God done all those great things to get them out of Egypt only to destroy them a few days out, to give them back into the hand of their enemy? It didn’t make sense! Why did the Lord Who delivered them lead them to such a problem – the Red Sea? Didn’t He know it was absolutely impossible for them to overcome this obstacle? But little did they know that their great problem – the Red Sea – would become their greatest gift.
First, the Lord blocked the Egyptians. Then, through the night, when the Israelites couldn’t see what was going on, when they were supposed to be resting, the Lord was parting the waters of the great Sea. In the morning, there was a pathway of dry land reaching to the other side. And now, the impossible orders were given – go through the waters. What? Are you serious? I would have been scared to death. Go through the Sea? What if the water comes crashing down on me? What if the walls of water don’t stay up? I’ll drown for sure! But no, the command was clear. Go through the Red Sea. So the Israelites did. They walked through on dry ground. And they all made it to the other side. But then they looked behind them. The Egyptians were coming through too! But this pathway through the obstacle wasn’t for them. It wasn’t their pathway of faith. They should never have gone through it. But they did. And as they went, the Lord caused the wheels to fall off their chariots. They were stuck. Then, the unthinkable happened: the waters came crashing down. The Egyptians army was drowned, destroyed. The Jews’ oppressors would never be seen by the Israelites again. They were truly free. God had turned what had seemed to be their greatest problem, the Red Sea, into their greatest gift. After they had gone through those waters by faith, the Lord used those waters to deliver them.

Second, the story of Hannah and Samuel came to mind. Hannah wanted a son. She had a husband, and he loved her greatly, more than his other wife (ok, that was a problem). But she wasn’t satisfied. She saw her husband’s other wife having kids, and everyone knew that the reason Hannah didn’t have children was “her fault.” For years this went on, with her enemy provoking her and Hannah getting upset. Finally, in bitterness (yes, bitterness) of soul, she prayed to the Lord. She promised Him that if He gave her a son, she would give him back to the Lord. This was exactly what God had been waiting for. He was looking for a final judge for Israel, and this judge had to be raised in the ways of the Lord, in Shiloh. But priest Eli had forfeited this privilege by not restraining his sons, and instead of producing godly offspring, had produced two sons who turned out to be such wicked men. So God had to “import” someone. But this would have to be done willingly by someone else, a mother who would give her son to the Lord by giving him to this failure of a father and priest. The eyes of the Lord must have run to and fro throughout Israel to find someone on who’s behalf He could prove Himself strong. Hannah was chosen, and all those years of provocation and bitterness were bringing her to the point where she would ask God for a son, and in doing so, would promise to give him back to the Lord all his days. Therefore, as soon as Hannah surrendered her desire to the Lord, God heard her prayer. Hannah believed; the proof is that her countenance was no longer sad. And then she conceived, and bore a son. His name was Samuel, which means “God heard” or “asked of God.” Now, Hannah could have changed her mind after Samuel was born, and kept her son. She could have said, “You know, I’m having second thoughts. Eli didn’t do a very good job of raising his kids, so I think I’ll keep Samuel here. He’ll get better spiritual training with me.” But no, that’s not what Hannah did. She kept her promise, and gave him to the Lord, entrusting him to the Lord in the hands of Eli. Her trust was ultimately in God, not man. And on top of that, after she dropped off Samuel, she praised God! How in the world did she do that? But you know what? God honored her. He gave her 5 more kids! Little did Hannah know that her greatest problem – not having a son – would turn out to be her greatest gift. She would forever become the mother of Samuel, and would have a place in the never-ending Word of God. Oh, and she also got five more kids :-)

Finally, there was Jesus Christ. His disciples thought He was going to redeem Israel, that the time of restoration had come. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, but they misunderstood how He was going to deliver them. God’s view and plan of Christ’s life was completely different from theirs. They thought Christ had come to conquer; but He had come to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. When they saw Him die, all their hopes and dreams were dashed, thrown to the ground and trampled on. This was completely against their plans. Christ wasn’t supposed to die! Had they been so blind? Had they so misunderstood? Wasn’t He the One they had been waiting for? For three days they were in despair. They ended up hiding in an upper room somewhere. But then Jesus appeared! He was alive! He had risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit came. They understood now the purpose of Christ. Their lives were transformed. They became completely different people. What they had thought was their greatest problem – Christ dying on the cross – became God’s greatest gift to the world: the chance of salvation to all who believe.

Every Christian will face something in their lives that will be similar to these great saints of old. Maybe it’s a “Red Sea,” or the lack of something you really want, or maybe your hopes and dreams have died. Look up – think like Joseph in Genesis, who knew amidst all his troubles, that God meant it all for good. In God is to be my trust and hope. I’ll find His promises in the Bible, and there are more stories that go along with this subject: Joseph (OT), Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Mary, Joseph (NT), Paul, Peter, John. I recently heard a preacher say, when bad circumstances come into your life, they will make you bitter or better, and the choice is yours. Ask God to make you better, not bitter, and remember: You have no idea what He has planned on the “other side.” BTW, you can hear a clip of it here

God led Israel out of Egypt’s bondage, right out to the Red Sea
But the Sea became a problem when they saw the enemy.
What had God done? Why did He leave them there? They faced such an obstacle.With the enemy behind and the water in front, escape seemed impossible.
But God had a plan and He parted the Sea; they walked through on dry land.God used the waters to then drown their enemies and wash their bodies up on the sand.

A woman named Hannah had a problem, no child she could bear.
No one seemed to understand or seem to care.
So she took her problem and went to God, and asked Him for a son,
She promised she’d give him back to Him and the battle then was won.
For this was what God had been waiting for, and Samuel soon was born.
Five children more did follow him, but Hannah’s firstborn was the Lord’s.

On a cross, Jesus died, bleeding for our sins.
His disciples didn’t realize He was delivering them.
Their hopes where gone, their dreams had died, their spirits sank so low.
Where was God in this injustice, as Messiah’s blood did flow?
But three days later they saw God’s purpose in an upper room.
After Christ arose triumphantly, leaving behind an empty tomb!

Christian in your life today are you facing your own Red Sea?Or like Hannah you’ve been praying in bitter agony?Like Christ’s disciples your hopes have died and your dreams lie on the ground?
Make the choice to lift your eyes to God, for in Him your hope is found.
You’ll find God’s promises in Your Bible if you search it far and wide.
You have no idea what God has planned on the other side!

How little do you know, that your greatest problems won’t bring your greatest gifts?
Only God can take your tragedies, and turn them out like this.
How little do you know, that when the path you travel
doesn’t go where you think it should;
God is waiting to take your circumstance, and turn it out for good.
How little do you know!

Vacation View

We're having a good time in Williamsburg. So many interesting things...yesterday we learned the history of how Williamsburg became a national historic spot through the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. He was raised in a Baptist church, but later turned to the inter-denominational side of things. He gave to religious causes, but it seems most of his money went towards philanthropic endeavors...not that there's anything inherently wrong with that - he really did a lot of good for the world - but I wonder how much real treasure he laid up in heaven, or what he could have done for missions and such. Anyway, I'm not him, and God gave him the responsibility of all that money, so I'll leave that between him and God :-) He seemed like a generous guy, with a good family life - loved his wife, had good kids.

We also learned about apprenticeship, and what was required of young men and women (usually by the age of 14) who became apprentices. Here's a sample of some rules they were required to follow:

What the Apprentice must do for the master:

- To serve faithfully

- To obey his lawful commands

- Not to haunt ordinaries, taverns, alehouses, or playhouses

- Not to allow damage to be done to his Master, nor see it done by others without giving notice to his Mastaer

- Not to waste his said Master's goods, nor lend them unlawfully to any

- Not to play at cards, dice, or any other unlawful game whereby his Master might have damage

After reading these rules, it made me think of how they could apply to Christians serving Christ...I think life would be a whole lot different if people were this faithful to the Lord as the apprentices were to their masters. It also reminds me of something I heard Sunday morning from the visiting preacher. He told the true story of a man he knows who was a soldier in WW2. During an intense battle, when so many were dying around him, this man decided he was as good as dead, and so instinct took over and he did what he was trained to do, not thinking that he would survive. But he did survive. Later, after becoming a Christian, and then a preacher, he applied this to the Christian life. So I got to thinking: As long as we are alive unto ourselves, we'll not do much good for Christ. Isn't there a saying about how a man isn't ready to live until he's ready to die? We must count ourselves - and everything about ourselves, our desires, affections, dreams - as dead, as not having a part in our thinking. Our only reason for life is Christ Who lives in us. After all, Jesus said, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." (Mark 8:35). That's a very true verse, and takes a real step of faith to lose your life for Christ's sake. After all, it sure doesn't make any earthly sense. But in heaven's reckoning, it makes perfect sense. One must believe, like Moses (Heb.11:26), that Christ will reward him in heaven someday for what he gives up in trust to Him here on earth, and that the reward will be worth it.

"Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Rom.6:11

I Do Have A Living God

To go along with my last post, I would just like to say – I truly have a living God, and He has made Himself very real this week. Within one week’s time He answered four specific prayers when I went to Him completely empty of myself, telling Him there was no way I was ever going to accomplish what I needed to do that day if He didn’t step in. And you know what? He came through! God is real, and His power is evident, even to those in the world. There is no natural explanation for the four answers to prayer I saw this week, except for this – I have a living God!
By the way, for family or friends reading this, we’re on vacation in VA. We’ll be heading over to the colonial town of Williamsburg tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to it. We were also able to attend Grace Baptist Church of Petersburg this morning, and I was able to meet up with Mr. Byron Foxx, a Christian music publisher from Bible Truth Music. I don’t know why this opportunity came up, but I’m looking forward to what the living God may have in store for the music He has given me…in His time, of course :-)
Although I’ve been learning things all week from the scriptures, here are some good verses to think on:
Ps. 27:14 – “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Pr.3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I Have A Living God

Since one of the intentions of this blog was to post about my songs, I figured I’d get back to that purpose, starting with the song, I Have A Living God. (You can listen to a clip of it here).

The basis of this song goes back several years. One Sunday night, one of my six brothers gave a testimony to our church about what God was doing in his life. After graduating with his master's degree, he was offered a nice job with the government. After much prayer, seeking and fasting, he turned it down in order to pursue the Lord's leading in His life, which he believed was to forsake his nets and follow Christ (Mk.1:19). God's blessing on his life soon became evident as he was provided with a house and a wife :-) He was living proof that a man can forsake all for the gospel's sake, and God will take care of him. As he expounded on everything that had happened, he gave the reason for it all, saying, "I have a living God." That thought was embedded in my mind. Years later, as I was teaching in a public high school, I observed many things going on in the lives of my students - tragedies, distress, broken hearts. One day, as I was thinking of all the situations that unsaved teenagers go through, I realized that basically the same situations happen to all people, lost or saved. So as a Christian, what made the difference for me in my response to circumstances compared to the response of a person who doesn't know Christ? It is this: I have a living God, a God who is alive and works on my behalf for my good. I am not like the world. I have Someone who I can turn to when life throws its darts at me. And He is not just any God - He is, like Judah's King Hezekiah said, the living God (II Kings 19:4,16). And that makes all the difference.

"As I look around the world, and I see the people near,

And I face the same things they do, from just living on down here;

Will I respond the same way they do? Will I worry, stress, despair?

Have I forgotten that I'm different, that I can cast away my care?

I have a living God, I'm not like the world

I have Someone to turn to when life's darts at me are hurled.

I have a living God; He is not dead.

He is real and He's alive. I will trust in Him instead.

As I look back can I remember how He led me through each day.

Do I think He won't continue to guide me His way?

Will I wallow in despair, or will I claim the victory?

For King Jesus already won, and He gives that right to me!

I have a living God, I'm not like the world

I have Someone to turn to when life's darts at me are hurled.

I have a living God; He is not dead.

He is real and He's alive. I will trust in Him instead."

(This is my brother, his wife, and their first son at an international bazaar last year. The traditional Chinese dress was given to them by friends :-)

Anyone Want to Vote?

Hello blogworld! Can you do me a favor? My sister has entered one of her photos in a Reader's Digest photo contest. If you go on over to her blog, you can find the link to the voting site, and you can cast your vote for "Grandpop Love." It's anonymous, and you can give the photo whatever rating you want. So, go ahead and try it. Thanks!

My Buddy

Recently, my family and I have gone through some troubled waters. Although it's been rather difficult, there has been one little ray of physical sunshine through all of this (besides comfort from God): my nephew, Caleb. Recently I was thinking about this little guy, and all the joy he’s brought to our lives, and how he’s lightened up my own personal life just by his existence. I know his aunts, uncles and grandparents on the other side of the world could say the same thing about him :-) Without his presence, I think my own troubled waters would have been deeper. I know he’s only my nephew, but I really do love that little man. And then I got to thinking. Why do I love him? What has he ever done for me? He’s cost me money, he’s cost me time, and he’s cost me gas in my car (long story). He’s vomited on me, hit me in anger, kicked me, been mad at me, misunderstood me, thrown a toy on my head with all his might, and cried in my arms. He’s brought me no material profit, no worldly gain, and has never done anything substantial for me. And yet, I love him. I have sheltered him from cold, placed his needs above my own, fed him, changed him, and cuddled him, and yet my love for him continues to grow. When he looks at me with his beautiful blue eyes, it melts my heart. When he smiles at me, when he recognizes me, when he clings to me for protection (those uncles teasing him again ), it makes it all worth it. I have never hated him, never been mad at him, and never wished I didn’t know him. Why do I love him? I love him because he is my nephew (and he’s the cutest toddler in the world!). His acceptance is based on who his parents are (my brother and sister-in-law). He did nothing to earn my love – I had it for him before he was even born. It was given the moment I found out he existed inside of his mother. Nothing will ever change that.

Now, here’s where the spiritual part comes in. God is not my aunt or uncle – He’s my Father, and He told me to call Him that. He loved me before I was born, before I was even saved. Why? I did nothing for Him. I’ve rejected Him, ignored Him, slandered Him, hated Him, misunderstood Him, and spit in His face. I’ve gone my own way, done my own thing, and ruined His plans. And yet, He loves me. Why? I’ve cost Him His time, life, and resources. Yet He has sheltered me and put my needs above His own. I bring Him no profit, and I never could do anything that would repay Him for what He’s done for me. Yet He loved me before I was born, and continues to love me still. His love was there ready to be given to me because of Who Jesus is. My acceptance in God’s eyes is based on Jesus Christ. It’s not because of me. I’m only accepted in the Beloved. And perhaps, when I love God with that innocent child-like love that Caleb loves me with (and all his aunts and uncles and grandparents, even in Africa!), when I trust Him that what He does and allows in my life is allowed by a good God Who is love, it must bring my heavenly Father joy. When I rest in Him, perhaps that makes being a “Father” worth it all. As for Caleb and I, I don’t know what the future holds. But I know that little guy will always have a special place in my heart. I love him with all the love an aunt can have. And I think, in his little way, he loves me too. And I know that God’s love for me is so much greater than my love for my nephew. I’m thankful for my brother and sister-in-law for allowing me to be a part of my nephew's life, and for God’s little ray of sunshine to me – my buddy, Caleb :-)

If We Could See...

I recently came across this poem, and put it to music. You can listen to it here. I later found that it was written by a man named Norman J. Clayton, and that it was already a song. However, I've never heard the original tune, so if anyone happens to find it, and could let me know, I'd appreciate it.

If we could see beyond today as God can see;

If all the clouds should roll away, The shadows flee,

O'er present griefs we would not fret,

Each sorrow we would soon forget,

For many joys are waiting yet

For you and me.

If we could know beyond today, As God doth know,

Why dearest treasures pass away, And tears must flow;

And why the darkness leads to light,

Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;

Some day life's wrongs will be made right -

Faith tells me so.

"If we could see, if we could know," We often say,

But God in love a veil doth throw, Across our way,

We cannot see what lies before,

And so we cling to Him the more,

He leads us till this life is o'er;

Trust and obey.

A First Post

What does one write for their first post? The reason for the blog? That's a good place to start. First, I suppose I'm on a quest to not waste my life, and it seems that can only happen if a person makes much of God. Perhaps, to some degree, I can fulfil part of that purpose here. Second, I used to be nervous about having a public place on the internet. But then my sister got a blog, and I figured since I already have a website, it seems as though my personal information is already available. (BTW, that's the next thing I need to do - link to my website, at http://www.psalmstriss.com/). That is where I'll be uploading all my songs, both audio and sheet music. I've also applied to place my music on iTunes, but it doesn't seem to be going as smoothly as I hoped. It's seems like I've done everything I'm supposed to, but when I search for my music, it doesn't show up! :-) Anyway, to go along with my first reason for this blog, I would also like to use this space to tell the stories of my songs. I like to call them my songs of deliverance - "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah." Ps.32:7.

And for those who want to know more about me, or are wondering where the term psalmstriss came from, you can check out my "profile" here. Well, that's about all for now. Oh, I almost forgot. I am an aunt to the four most adorable children in the world! Maybe I can figure out how to upload pictures of them soon :-)