Are You teaching? Or is He giving?

I looked up a verse in Exodus 35:34 and read a tid bit about the Lord giving a couple of guys the ability to teach their skills to others. I pondered this in my heart – for myself as a parent – to teach the skills I know – but then I went back through the chapter – and found that there was So Much More to the topic than this one little statement.

Read through Exodus 35 for the whole passage – but I’ll give you the highlights that spoke to me -

He was speaking about the “people who had their hearts stirred and their spirits moved” v21

Of those – he was speaking about “all whose hearts were willing”. v 22

Has your heart been stirred? Are you willing?

Then – They brought their best – what they had – together for the Lord – They brought their skills to use in the project V25. They were eager to help in the work. v 29.

The Leaders brought items of the most value – however, that simple fact was not stated, and their offering were stated after all of the other people – they brought Stones, Gemstones, Spices, Incense and Oil for Light. v 27.

It made me think of the Leaders of the Crew, Awana, CoOps, Online McLinky’s.  They bring the Oil for the Light – so we can see where we are going, offering incense – sharing their spice and goods.  Without them, we’d not have the light. Without us, they’d not have the willing workers willing to share all we have and can do. We’re a team.

It starts to get good in Vs 30 -

That these boys were chosen specifically by God – filled with the Spirit of God – then given

• Great wisdom
• Ability
• Expertise in all kinds of crafts
• Master Craftsmen
• Experts in working
• Skills and,
• They were given the ability to teach their skills to others
• and, they excelled in these special skills that they were given.

It was the type of passage that I remember from when we started homeschooling. To remind me of who is actually going to teach my children.  I am here – willing – heart stirred- bringing all that I have – sharing all I know – but I’m not really the one that needs to impart a skill. The Lord chooses, He grants. It takes the pressure off for sure!

But they’re talking about the old testament. The building of the tabernacle. Of rebuilding in a new land. Doesn’t apply to me. Or does it?

How about 1 John 4:13 – Where it tells me that God has Given ME the Spirit as proof that I live in Him and He in Me?

And what about I Peter 2:9 – Where we are told that we are Chosen? A Royal Priesthood? A Holy Nation? God’s own Possession – to show others the Goodness of God – Called out of the Darkness and into the Light. For we are a chosen people.

So if God chose those boys in Exodus – how much more should we feel honored to be chosen?

If God gave those boys His Spirit to give them wisdom and skills to excel in what they needed to do – how much more will He give me – and my boys  - to excel in what we need to do?

And – lets not neglect to take a shout out of the earlier text in 1 Peter 2:4 – Where Peter (petros – pebble) talks about Christ –

A chief cornerstone, (PETRA) elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.

that we are Coming to Him as to a living stone, (PETRA) rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,  you also, as living stones,(PETROS) are being built up a spiritual house – Hmmm Petra School and Pebble Keeping. . . . .

We don’t want to be of those who stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

But  you are a chosen generation.

Chosen. Given. Trusting. Faith. Take that one to the Word Bank.

Seeking His Face

During my morning reading on June 17th I came across this story entitled “All is Well.”

Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."

Robert Louis Stevenson.

She begins the story with this verse from Psalm 2:8

You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord , do I seek.”

I think what struck me so much – was that the night before – I watched a video – and there was a part when the speaker said -

“You can’t hire a witness”

Which really struck a cord with me. Like a word from the Lord. I wrote the phrase on a scrap of paper – and then kept writing words that came to me –

To Speak.

     To Write to Share.

                     To Broadcast.

                              To Stay Simple.

                                        To Speak Truth.

                                                      To Give the Word. 

                                                                To be Loud. 

                                                                          To show our Faith.

With all of The Crew changes that will happen to my blog – all of the new readers – all of the blogs I’ve read – it makes it hard for me to stay on track. To what the purpose is that the Lord has spoken into my family’s life.

I felt convicted to re-look up the verses that led us into this parenting lifestyle of faith – in their character – education – health. I’d like to have the verses readily available on my tongue to always have an answer to the question of why we do what we do.

I looked up Parents in the Strong’s Concordance and found that the word Parents was only in the New Testament. Interesting. . . .

I looked up  Raise, Teach, Rain (bunny trail), and Mother.

Each morning  - I’ve looked up a few more verses, writing them in my journal and pondering - - - -

Which led me here. I’d like to spend the next few pondering posts going through some of the verses that the Lord has brought to my attention. :)

Care to share some of the verses that led you to the parenting style you have chosen?  I’d love to have a guest ponder-er. :) Or guest comments. :)

HoldFast

I have a new obsession in the marine life – Holdfast. 

The Holdfast is the root system of many plants like Ivy, where the root is attached to another structure – the plant which leads my pondering today is the holdfast of the seaweed.

From childhood these long ropes found washed ashore were fascinating. We could jump on the bulb at the end and squirt unsuspecting friends, joyful with the sound of the pop. Use the parts for whips, ropes, climbing tools.  At one time we even brought them home, sliced them open flat and made sea baskets out of them.  Beautiful by the way.

My pondering today isn’t so much as a walk down memory lane, but an urgency of how to go forward into the future.  

The HoldFast’s job is to latch on to a rock or structure, and hold on to that rock for all its worth. As tides ebb and flow, through storm systems and changing currents, the holdfast stays firm.  Attached.  Bound.  If you have ever tried to pull the rock off of a clump of seaweed, or pull the seaweed from a tide pool – you know that you’ll sooner rip the seaweed apart than get it unlatched.

Which follows the trail to commitment.  What are you heldfast to? What sort of storms would come our way that would rip us apart?  Even in the holdfast that we saw on the beach this morning – we could see the top part came free, severed straight across, but ripping the roots from the rock, but never a loosening, a letting go.

This morning I read a passage in Exodus 14:13-15 -

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The LORD will fight for you and you have only to be silent.”

Even in that Standing Firm – Holding Fast -  they were not told to ignore the enemy – They were told to Obey God -

v 15 The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to Go Forward!”

One thing we noticed this morning – is that the more tangled the seaweed ropes were, the greater amounts of roots detached from the structure.  I question – what am I getting tangled up in?  Who am I going to for advice? Of whom am I listening?  As the tides ebb and flow – am I obedient? Do I move? Do I Stand Firm – and yet remain obedient – able to move when the Rock moves?

I started re-reading Hebrews this morning as well – and came across this wonderful section once more -

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16

Wow. Read that again. Let us all hold fast our confession!

Here is a little Mercy Me video for ya.

<<Here is WiseGeek’s definition of Hold Fast >>

<<HoldFast, by Kathleen Deen Moore>> – Where I read the term last evening.