Nov 15, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : When God Locks You In
I’m a bit behind in reading my Bible on the One-Year plan. Okay, to be honest, I’m about 331 days behind. What can I say? It’s been that type of year. Well, now that I have a in-and-out-of-office career, I figure I can listen to the Bible through the app on my phone while driving. Less road rage. That’s all I’m sayin’.
I love Genesis. The stories of Creation, the beginning of Man. But I also don’t like it. The beginning of Man being, well, man and all that. You know the drill: Eve ate the fruit, Adam blamed her, she blamed the snake, God held them all accountable and now we have things like pain during childbirth (tell me about it!), fields that need tending, and bloodshed.
But then we get back to a story I like. The story of Noah and the Ark. Yup, childhood songs. Epic movies. This is the stuff, I’m tellin’ ya. And you would think, having read at least this part of my Bible multiple times throughout the year that I’d be immune to it. Just familiar words. You would think.
Think again.
So, here’s what I learned today in my umpteenth listening to Genesis Chapter 7. It starts with Verse 13:
“That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons- Shem, Ham, and Japheth- and their wives. With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal- domestic and wild, large and small- along with birds of every kind. Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes. A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.”
~Genesis 7:13-16 NLT
The world has fallen, fallen, fallen into chaos and disorder. And the world is laughing at Noah as he and his sons build the Ark. And the world drowns as Noah and his family float on safety.
Here’s what got me today: “Then the LORD closed the door behind them.”
Do you get that? God said, “Hey, Noah. Build an Ark.” And Noah did. God said, “Make sure you have male and female of every living creature.” And Noah did. And God said, “Get your peeps in there, ’cause it’s about to go down out here.” And Noah did.
And God locked them in.
Bam. Just like that. No one coming in. No one going out. Trapped. Isolated. Alone.
But not alone.
And God was the one who secured the door.
What does that even mean?
Well, I can tell you when I heard that today I paused. I listened to it a few times. I read it. I thought about it. Because it got to me. God locked them in! Why would He even do that?
Because He wanted to secure them, the parents of the future. He wanted to seal the Ark so completely that they could not be harmed by the outside world, the world tormented by the actions of those left behind. He wanted to make sure no evil entered the Ark, and He wanted to make sure no good would get out and fall prey.
Doesn’t life feel like that sometimes? Like we’re trapped, like God has isolated us from the world, like we can’t move around or get out of a situation? Like we can’t get anywhere, there’s nowhere to go? There’s Noah and his family trapped inside for months with those animals. I can imagine after a while, it would get pretty stinky. I mean, I only have four cats and what they do to that litter box . . . *shaking my head, here, folks.
God wanted to protect Noah so fiercely, so completely, that He sealed the door. He locked them in. Noah didn’t have the key. Until God gave it to him. Until the coast was clear, if you’ll pardon the pun. God wasn’t about to bring Noah this far in his salvation journey to let him sabotage it. It’s that old adage, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.”
Well, God brought Noah to the Flood, and He certainly brought him through it to the other side.
I can also imagine during their time on the Ark, there might have been some grumbling. Some, “Wouldn’t a roast beef sandwich taste good right now?” “Yeah, but we can’t light up a barbecue in here.” Or, “I miss my friends. Even the irresponsible ones.” Or, “I just want to see dry land.” Yup. I grumble a lot when God puts me in my spiritual Ark and tells me to stay put. And then I feel guilty. Because He’s God, right? He’s got my best interest at heart.
It’s hard being in a place you don’t know when or how to get out of. It’s hard to trust God when all around you is darkness and solitude. But . . . Keep floating. Because the next chapter is God taking care of you. And the chapter after that is His promise to protect you forever, and not do it again.
Next time you feel alone, trapped, unheard, pushed in on all sides, dark, abandoned . . . Remember that God is with you. And what you’re praying for, He may have sealed the door against it for reasons you’ll never know. If you’re in a stinky part of life right now, hang in there. The rainbow’s coming.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Dot’s Rainbow
TWEET THIS: It’s hard to #trust #God when all around you is darkness and solitude. But keep floating. The #rainbow’s coming. @MollyJoRealy
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 12, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
God doesn’t lie. He doesn’t manipulate, coerce, or push us into doing things.
Sure, there are times on this earth when life goes sideways or worse, upside down. That’s not God’s design. That’s the result of free will and sin.
You know what God’s design for us here on earth is? Joy. Peace. Community. Love. Beauty. Understanding. Freedom. Rest.
There’s at least one reference to resting in God in each book of the Bible. I’d say that means it’s a pretty significant message, wouldn’t you?
Then Jesus said, “Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NLT
The thing is, we’re taught to carry our own loads. That it’s not “cool” to ask for help or slow down the busy pace of life. We especially don’t want to inconvenience someone else. Am I right?
But what if that part of our teaching is wrong? What if we could simply stop, take a breath, and ask God to help us? Do you think He would?
Frankly, On Faith: God Will Give You Rest
Resting is our body’s way of healing itself. Whether it’s just a day’s work, or a significant illness, during sleep our bodies are working to recover and get back to God’s design for our humanity. So is it really out of the question to think He should be our first Go-To Guy when we need rest of any kind?
Whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, God’s got this. We just need to let Him.
TWEET THIS: Will you give God the opportunity to give you rest? @MollyJoRealy #franklyonfaith #restinHim
And Franky, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 5, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
I screw up regularly. In case y’all thought my claim to Christianity is perfectionism, it isn’t. It’s forgiveness and being loved through the parts I need forgiveness for. [Can I get a sigh-of-relief-AMEN for that one?]
I am a perfectionist because I try to do everything right. But I’m about as far from perfect as Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. I don’t eat right, sleep enough, love enough. I’m just not that good at taking care of myself.
I do know one thing: God loves me through it all. No matter what. Which is kind of a foreign idea to me. I mean, when I mess up here on earth, people are quick to call me on it. And vice versa. I admit my anger. My judgments. My negative, sinful actions and thinking. How I feel inside is often manifested on the outside. And it ain’t always pretty.
I also admit I need Him. The parts of me that don’t want to work right. The parts I don’t want to fix, but know they should be. And I’m able to turn to Him and ask for help.
“Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.”
~Proverb 2:11 NLT
It’s easier, now. Getting to Him instead of pushing Him away.
It’s easier to just say, “Hey, God?” and let Him walk through the door. Even if I don’t think the door is open. Or that He’s listening. Because it is. And He is.
Frankly, On Faith: Earnestly Seeking God
So even if I’m too stupid to see what’s happening or how to handle it, I’m smart enough to step back, let go, and let Him lead.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, On Faith: Earnestly Seeking God @MollyJoRealy #franklyonfaith #faith
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Oct 29, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
What does it mean to pray without ceasing?
Well, for starts, it doesn’t mean to not do anything else. I mean, we still have jobs to go to, houses to clean, people to take care of. But we can do all those things with a prayer on our lips or in our hearts. Praying without ceasing is to acknowledge that God is never ceasing.
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
Now, I know not every moment is a happy-cake-and-party moment. Some are sad, frustrating, hurtful and hurting moments.
You know what? God knows. And He is loving you through every millisecond of it.
Even if you don’t think so. Even if you’d rather He not.
He’s still here. Being God. Doing God things that no one else can see, and may never see. But that’s why He’s Abba-Daddy-God. Because even if we never recognize or acknowledge all the good He does, he’s still going to do it, anyway.
Because He loves us that much.
And this week’s Bible verse is Him imploring us to see that He’s still here with us. When we know we are His, how much of what this earth throws at us really matters?
TWEET THIS: What does it mean to #pray without ceasing? @MollyJoRealy #faith
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Frankly, On Faith: Pray Without Ceasing
Oct 8, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
We’re a busy culture. We are go-go-go with not just a lot on one plate, but many plates. The Bible warns us the sloth will perish in poverty, but we can take the opposite to extreme which is just as ignorant.
Scripture has many verses about the need for rest. It refreshes our spirits, gives us time to connect with God, allows our bodies to recoup and recharge.
Health experts have always praised the benefits of rest.
This doesn’t mean sleep, which we do every day. It means to limit your activity so you can refresh, to give yourself a moment of tranquility, a period of solitude and/or quiet.
It can also be a way of celebrating a job well done.
“And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy,
because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”
~Genesis 2:3 NLT
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Rest Easy.
Resting is a conscious choice to relax and enjoy the world around you. What does that look like to you?
TWEET THIS: What does resting look like to you? @RealMojo68 #resteasy #franklyonfaith
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
