Author: judyinthesky91

Uncategorized

Something New

judyinthesky91

My first bible was a children’s King James, and I barely read it. The language was a challenge, and I didn’t have anyone in my life back then who knew Jesus enough to help/ encourage me. 

When I really fell in love with Jesus, my best friend said I should get an NIV study Bible, easier language, and notes to explain things as I went.   That Bible is amazing!   It is stuffed with notes,  prayers, questions, coffee stains, a little sand, and even some blood!  (I was in an especially difficult season and got a bloody nose all over the page…. I think Jesus was trying to distract me from my sorrow because it was so ridiculous that I found myself laughing instead of crying,  but that’s a whole different story).

As I matured in my faith,  I heard a guest speaker, Sheri Rose Shepherd,  she loved Jesus so beautifully.   Her gift was (she died May 2023) writing love letters the way God might speak to us.   Her letters were infused into the Thrive Bible, NLT, which is the one I just retired. It has big margins, and my goal was to have notes on every page so my children and theirs could know I was there… sometimes, we can feel alone in our reading, but I pray this legacy gift unites our hearts through the generations. Plus, Sheri’s love letters are breathtaking.

Nearly every page does have notes at this point and the cover is about ready to self-compost, so it seemed like a good time to start fresh.

I went with ESV because that is what my church uses.   It is considered the most “essentially literal” translation to the original language.   I know margins are important for the way I process, and I do like the study notes on occasion. God will have brand new things to show me on these pages.

This Bible is a blank canvas.  I’m not the little girl who didn’t understand.   I’m not the new believer or the one who needed constant reassurance of Jesus’s love.  I’m something brand new, like His promises,  every morning. And I can’t wait to see who Jesus shapes me into on these pages!

“And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to do. ”  Jeremiah 18:4

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? ”  Isaiah 43:18a

Daily Word, Journal Journey's, Uncategorized

Life with Jesus

judyinthesky91

Life with Jesus

     July 29th, 2023 and ahhh, my friends, I have missed you during this season of grief and restoration.  

     I am just returning from my second retreat in Montana.  My first was last August.  Timmy, my brother, was hospitalized at the time with a broken femur.  It was a catalyst for his death in November.  My Aunt Katherine was surrendering to life in a care facility and would precede my brother in death by a few days at the beautiful age of 102 ½…. more than twice as much as Timmy.  My message from that retreat was “cease striving”.  Jesus knew hard things were coming.

     It has been a weird season, this cease striving season, where I had very little to say.  I have always loved writing.  It’s my prayer language.  It’s my super-power to express words that ignite the senses.   I wondered where the desire went.  I wondered if it would ever come back.  

     On retreat this year, Jesus brought me into joy… simple joy.  He showed me how to walk in nature and see him at work all around me.  He gave me things to delight in for no other reason than to confirm his love and that I am cherished.  And he woke me up, he gave me words to say, and a calling to share them.  

     You may have heard it said that being a Christian is not about religion, but relationship, a real and amazing relationship with Jesus.  It is my desire to share my relationship with him in the most transparent way I can.   I pray you are curious and that Jesus uses your curiosity in a personal and intimate way.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus: Judy, it’s like your wedding ring. You are married whether Kevin is with you or apart. The ring is a symbol of that. Would you like a token of some sort to remind you that I am always with you? Another ring? A tattoo? Your bracelet? Is there something you can wear to draw you back to the truth when the world blurs me out?

Me: Jesus, I’m so sorry. It’s true though.

Jesus: Judy, stop, shhhh, this is not about condemnation. It’s about helping you know I am always with you.

Me: Would you really be okay with a tattoo, Jesus? I don’t like them.

Jesus: (laughs) Then maybe you should get one, like Paul’s thorn. How about if we just start with what you already have? The bracelet you are wearing is beautiful.

Me: Thank you, Jesus, yes.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

I have been given a new word for 2023, CHERISHED. I have been keeping my life simple. I have ceased striving for validity through other people, positions and even posts. But, I was not ready for “cherished”. Yet Jesus, in his gentleness, has slowly persisted in teaching me that I am worthy to be cherished.

Song of Songs 2:16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.

We had some free time one morning, so I took a walk past the gate. I was feeling grateful for my physical being, able to walk and breathe. I thanked God for my eyes, which were able to take in the beauty all around. He gave me an experience so wonderful that I tried to capture it with words:

I am a bride. His path is adorned with flowers.

I am invited to dream. He grew a wishing flower to ignite my imagination and remind me that my asks can be as infinite as all the wishing flowers in all the world.

He goes before me. The fragrance of the forest envelops me, reminding me He is always with me.

He asks me to dance. I don’t even know why, but it sure feels good to move, skip, and twirl on the path. My smile grows. It is a wonderful thing to be loved by Jesus.

I am returning. It is uphill, and I am breathless. I stop at the edge of the shade, then will myself to press on.

The music stops. He says stop. He reminds me that he invited me here just to play. There’s nothing to hurry off to.

Psalm 68:19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.

     Later that day I was again tasked with going on a lunch date with Jesus.  When I did this last year, I spent much of the time in fear of bears, wolves, murderers, snakes, ticks, poison oak or ivy or whatever they have in Montana.  I worried I might get lost on the 2000 acres I was given license to wander about.  Jesus kept assuring me he was not that kind of date, but it did take some time for me to be at ease.  

     One of my prayer requests for Trinity 2.0 was that I would not be afraid in the forest, and I wasn’t.  Jesus is real and he really cares about me.

 John 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

     You left instructions for me to come find you, bringing only my curiosity, the sack lunch and comfortable shoes.

     I went in a direction I had never considered, down where the two hills come together and the tall grass grows.

     I discovered grass laying down for a span in one area and it made me curious.  A few steps out of the resting grass I discovered animal droppings… This is how you let me know it was a place of rest for others within the vast realm of your creation.

     The walk was messy with uneven terrain, more droppings, different than the last, and fallen trees in various stages of decay.  I stopped to look up and marvel at the beauty.  When I walked, I could only look down for my careful next step.  It seemed like a metaphor for walking with Jesus.  When I am trying to control things, I have to be very careful and I miss most of the beauty.  

     A path appears.  Jesus is such a gentleman.

Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

     My steps made a different sound on the pine needle covered dirt road.  I felt stickers poking within my shoes and tried to balance on one foot to pluck them out.  I was a clumsy sight to no one but the Lord.  He pointed to a nearby tree, where I hopped and finished clearing my socks from the intruding thorns.

     I want to go on that pilgrimage, Camino De Santiago. It is a walking trip with many starting points, ending at the shrine of the apostle James in Spain. An authentic Camino will encompass 100km (the bare minimum) to 600km. The rhythm of my steps made me think of it.  This is like a taste of it.  A question formed in my mind, “Am I capable?  What am I capable of?”

     Like I said, last year I was afraid, and this year I am not.  I am capable of being in the forest without fear.

     I think I hear running water and stop to find where it is coming from.  I discover it is not running water, but the song of the leaves dancing in the breeze.  I am grateful for their song and the breeze and the clouds that pass by offering me moments of shade on this 90* day.

     Purple wildflowers enter my view on the border of the pasture.  Thank you, Jesus, for dropping beauty here and there…. I’ve seen yellow ones and white ones that reminded me of pompoms.  Our walk is peppered with butterflies in whimsical flight.  Their lives are so short, but they seem to dance and discover the whole way through.  Jesus has a lot to teach me from them.

     There is a tree stump with new life sprouting from its core.  This is perseverance, Jesus impresses on my mind.

 Psalm 71:20  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.

     At last I arrived at the Bitterroot River.  The temperature is cooler near it.  The sound is full and rich, much like the place I released my mothers ashes last spring.  It is a place of release.  My toes are resting on a muddy rock while the cool waters soothe me.  The sound of rushing water lulls me to silence.

     The ranch is encompassed with a barbed wire fence and signs that read PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING, but I am their guest.  I am permitted in.

Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.  Matthew 7:13-14

     Heaven will be like that.  I will enter through the narrow gate that few will find.  

     In many ways, I am walking as a citizen of heaven here and now.  Like in heaven, Jesus is with me wherever I go, but I know the best is yet to come!  One day I will take off this world of corruption and my body, full of aches and demands, as I enter into the full glory of His presence.  That is indeed cause for celebration…. ultimate celebration.

We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.  2 Corinthians 6:2

Daily Word

Daniel 5

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 5 – Mene, mene, tekel, parsin – Here we have Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, ruling Babylon and hosting a debaucherous banquet. It must have felt so rebellious when he had the holy goblets brought in with utter disdain, praising his gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone with them.

Verses :5-6, wow~! Only God, right? A hand wrote words the king did not understand, but he went pale and collapsed at the sight of them all the same. Have you ever known to fear, without understanding why?

Daniel is summoned and the king promises him royal gifts if he can interpret the dream. “Daniel answered the king, ‘Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means…’ “ :17 Daniel gives a quick history of where pride got the last king. He tells King Belshazzar his lack of humility earned him the writing on the wall:

Mene – God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel – you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin – your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (:26-28)

The king gives Daniel the royal gifts… was this a shallow attempt at good behavior? Scripture does not say, but even so, God was not fooled. “That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king was killed. And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.” :30-31

Rest assured, a life lived in rebellion is never satisfying for long because sin is never satisfied. The LORD is not swayed by fame, fortune, title or charm. One day every knee will bow before the LORD God Almighty.

Daily Word

Daniel 4

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 4 – Another dream – It seems as if King Neb is sharing this in hindsight. In verses :2-3 he is praising God and thanking him for all the Lord performed in him… He said he told the dream to his wise men and they could not explain it; then he told Daniel… :4-8

King Neb called him Daniel, his Hebrew name and not Belteshazzar, his Babylonian name in verse :8. This seems to indicate he was no longer trying to convert Daniel to his Babylonian gods, Nebu and Marduk.

Anyway, he tells Daniel a crazy dream and Daniel’s interpretation is alarming. Daniel advises the king to stop sinning, break from his wicked past and be merciful to the poor… but that does not happen, and the dream is fulfilled. King Neb lives like an animal for seven periods. Did you know this is an actual psychological condition called “boanthropy”, when one believes themselves to be a cow or an ox?

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.” :34

May this comfort each of us. No matter the slip or fall, God can restore the one who humbly seeks Him. Note King Neb’s praises through the end of the chapter, by the grace of God Most High, he was restored in full, giving all glory and honor to God.

Hallelujah! Our Heavenly Father can do great things with a surrendered heart. He can restore; He can redeem. He can turn one’s worst years into one’s greatest testimony! Hallelujah and amen.

Daily Word

Daniel 3

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 3 – Forced religion meets true faith and courage – Chapter 3 is a picture of forced religion. The king determined he was to be worshipped by everyone; he determined how he was to be worshipped and set his demands against the threat of death. Our God is nothing like that – Hallelujah!

The true and living Lord Jesus Christ takes the risk of freewill with every soul. That is love. Jesus died for all, but only those who say yes to Salvation and invite him in as Lord and Savior are saved.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are called out for refusing to bow down. Verses 13-15 fascinate me. The supreme ruler of Babylon himself, King Neb (can we call him that moving forward? Nebuchadnezzar is kind of a mouthful in our generation), is furious, yet calls the three before him and offers a second chance. They respond with a level of valor that must have shocked him, “We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it…” :17

I pray you did not read the next part casually as one is apt to do in the face of miracles. Scripture records that King Neb’s face was changed… fury had taken over. The king ordered the fire so hot that even the guards that walked the bound threesome up to the furnace burned up! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not burn up though… verses 24-27 record that they were unscathed, even their garmets were untouched by smoke or flame, and that there was a fourth man in the fire with them.

WHO WAS THE FOURTH MAN? My heart screams JESUS!!! King Neb said he saw four men loosed… so the fire burnt only the ropes that bound them.

Beloved, consider that one day there will be an anti-christ who requires the worship of all people. We all know and even love people who will not fall under the protection of Jesus in the wicked days to come. Even after the church is raptured, there will be second chances for a short time. Tell them about Daniel and his friends and pray they remember and are counted among the faithful.

Daily Word

Daniel 2 – Part 2

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 2:29-49 – But because God wants you to understand… That’s from :30 “And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.” This was a unique situation of course, but God is always reaching out in unique and personal ways to reach those who don’t know him, and he often uses simple folks like you and me – all glory to God!

God gives Daniel perfect knowledge of the king’s dream, as well as its interpretation. He dreamt of a statue that was a frightening sight, with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet a combination of iron and clay. Picture it. And as the king watched a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands…. reread :31-35 and try to imagine what this could be.

Daniel explained that the different metals and clay represented different kingdoms. Commentators explain this to be Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, with each kingdom progressively inferior to King Nebuchadnezzar’s in terms of the centralized power he held, yet each is progressively larger and longer lasting. (I used the David Guzik commentary from the Blueletterbible app)

But the dream included details not yet fulfilled, namely the ten kingdoms of clay and iron, represented by the toes, and the rock that causes the entire statue to crumble and becomes a great mountain that covers the whole earth… pointing to Jesus, our cornerstone, and the new heaven and new earth spoken of in Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, Matthew 13:52, Revelations 3:12, 21:1-2… Who’s ready for extra credit???

The king’s reaction indicates he was overwhelmed by the reality of Daniel’s God. He changed his entire kingdom and appointed Daniel to a high position, his friends too.

Beloved, here you have history and future. Could we be the generation that sees this ultimate fulfillment? I pray you take comfort as the world seems more and more out of control that there is a God in Heaven who loves you and has every detail worked out. He knows the beginning to the end; He is the Alpha and Omega. The best (for believers in Jesus Christ) is yet to come!

Daily Word

Daniel 2, part 1

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 2:1-28 – God is in control. We find suspense, certain death, a vision and rescue all in Chapter 2. So, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream he wants interpreted by his panel of experts, yet he refuses to tell them what the dream was. When no one can do it he orders the death of all wise men, which includes Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego.

“When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.” :14 When everyone else is focused on the problem, Daniel remains focused on the LORD, and the truth that nothing is impossible for God.

Arioch told him and Daniel went directly to the king to ask for an opportunity to interpret the dream. It was granted. Daniel did not handle the situation alone, but solicited the prayers of his friends… “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them.” Matthew 18:20

Beloved, this was an impossible situation, but for God. You will face impossible things in life too. I pray you also handle them with wisdom and discretion, get the facts, and summon a few friends to pray with you.

In verses :19-23, we see the LORD does give Daniel the vision and Daniel gives God all the glory! Then he returns to Arioch who quickly takes Daniel to the king (:24-25). The fact that he did it quickly indicates he knew the king’s order was wrong. If Daniel would have failed, it most likely would have meant his life as well, yet he risked it for the hope of a solution. Hope can make you brave.

Daniel is clear with the king, telling him he asked for something no man could reveal, but there is a God in heaven who could and did. Daniel tells the king what he dreamt and what it means, again giving all glory to God.

This dream was so huge, we will talk about it tomorrow. God bless you.

Daily Word

Daniel 1

judyinthesky91

Read Daniel 1 – The Lord gave, now God, God gave, and God gave… The Lord’s hand over Daniel’s circumstances is shown throughout this chapter (:2,9,17).

Daniel begins with a time stamp to show us when and where in history these things occurred, commentaries show this to be 605 b.c. and this is substantiated by many secular writings as well (:1). Now, the Babylonians are bad guys, yet because of the way the God’s chosen people were straying from Him, God gave them victory and they besieged Judah. The Babylonians took the people and sacred objects from the Temple of God back to Babylon. Hang on to that detail…. it comes up later.

The king specifically ordered his chief of staff to bring some of the young, strong, healthy, educated and good-looking men from Judah’s royal family and other noble families back as captives. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were four of the chosen young men. They were assigned rations of the king’s food and given new Babylonian names as part of their indoctrination into Babylonian service.

Now while all these things are happening and stripping these young men of control, Daniel resolved not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them, and instead asks for only vegetables and water. And even though vs :9 tells us God had given the chief of staff favor for Daniel, he could not grant Daniel’s request because it would cost him his life if they became pale and weaker than the others. Daniel negotiated a ten-day trial, and they were notably healthier and better nourished at the end than the other men, so they were allowed their dietary request.

“God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.” :17

Do you see how God met these men in their obedience? The obstacles were enormous, yet God remained with them. Do you ever feel like everything around you is overwhelming with corruption and sin? May Daniel’s incorruptible faith be a shining example for you, as you determine your life to be fit for the royal service to the King above all kings, Jesus.

Daily Word

Daniel

judyinthesky91

Daniel – History and future unfold. Daniel is the 27th of 39 books in the Old Testament, between Ezekiel and Hosea. You probably want to use the table of contents in your bible to find it. Go ahead and read any introduction your bible includes to get a feel for it.

We just finished Zephaniah, which was the last recorded prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem along with the parallel prophecy for end times that is to come. Daniel begins when the Babylonian siege has just occurred. People must have felt hopeless, realizing that all the warnings they received and dismissed had come to pass. That is my opinion, but Daniel stands out as one who never even hints at anything like that.

The last chapter has a verse I hope you’ll cling to as you read, and as you walk through your own trials in this life.

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3

In Ephesians 6:24, we read about incorruptible faith. (Sept 29, 2022 post) Daniel has it. Get ready for an adventure! Go ahead and read chapter 1 now and we will talk about it tomorrow.