Healing Rays of Righteousness

God Dignifies All Persons with Worth and Respect

It seems that respect for others has become a disposable commodity in our present American culture of selfish individualism and gratification.  When it comes to affirming and protecting the dignity of others, it seems our society has lost its heart and soul.  I am appalled that so many of my neighbors, friends, and even family, are finding it easy and acceptable to cruelly “trash-talk” those they do not like or who disagree with them.

The biblical story records a similar social breakdown among God’s people.  They were drawn away from God and into a culture that had lost all reverence for human life, and soon were corrupting themselves with the most flagrant disregard for human dignity. 

It was at such a time and to such a people that God called and sent Jeremiah.  To encourage a reluctant Jeremiah toward being a prophet, God spoke these amazing commissioning words, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  (Jeremiah 1:5) 

Listen carefully to what God said to Jeremiah. I think I clearly hear God saying to Jeremiah and to all of us, that our conception and birth are not our real beginning of existence.  Before the day and moment of our conception, God knew us.  And God dignified us by calling each of us into existence.  Wow!  What a wondrous thought to ponder.  

It is so awesome to think that before my mother lovingly cradled me in her arms, God wrapped his greater arms around me and held me close, instilling in me a purpose uniquely designed for me.  To ponder this wondrous thought infuses me with glorious love and eternal dignity.

The psalmist, David, knew this to be true and praises God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14).

Psalm 139 is a prayer in which David expresses joyous amazement that the Lord so thoroughly and intimately knows him.  God’s presence with him in every moment and circumstance gives him a grand sense of self-worth, inner security and comfort.  In this prayer, David declares the following dignity-filled truths about God’s relationship with all of us.

God knows me (v.1-4).  Yes, God is like a doctor giving us a physical exam; a psychiatrist exploring our inner selves; an intimate friend who probes us until we reveal everything.  As a result, God knows us thoroughly and completely, even our deepest and most secret thoughts and desires, both the good and bad.

God surrounds me (v.5-6).  God not only knows our whereabouts and our most personal thoughts; He is also very  present and surrounding us with protection, and providing for our needs.  Like a human father, God goes before us preparing our way and behind us guiding and encouraging us onward in our life journey with fatherly care and concern.

To think that God would know me as He does and that He would be as involved in the specifics of my daily living as He is, overwhelms me and I say with David, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.” (v.6). 

God created me (v.13-16).  David acknowledges that the God who knows him so intimately is also the God who wonderfully created and fashioned him in his mother’s womb and even now lovingly cares for him.  He knows us the way a painter knows his picture, or a sculptor knows his statue.  He remembers each little detail of his work in shaping us into the special person we are, a unique image of himself. 

God thinks about me (v.17-18).  Not only does God think about us as he is forming us in our mother’s womb, he also is thinking about us as we are being shaped and fashioned beyond the womb. Moment by moment, day after day, we are in his thoughts as he watches over us.  David says that his thoughts of us outnumber the sand itself, impossible to count. 

In her book of meditations on the Psalms, “I’m Lonely, Lord – HOW LONG?” Marva J. Dawn concludes her meditation on this psalm with these words.  “Truly this picture of ourselves, marvelously designed, made with his tender care, should fill us with dignity and self-worth.  We don’t have to win God’s approval; we had it even before we were born.  We don’t have to prove our worth; he wove it together.  We don’t have to impress him with our goodness; he just wants to show us his.”

I agree and give you this question to ponder – What do you think God was thinking on the day you were given life?  What beautiful and attractive things, what grand and perfect things, was God thinking and planning for you while He was putting you together in your mother’s womb.  And, most importantly, what is he thinking about you, even now, as he continues to shape you by the experiences of the past week and year?  It is good to read Psalm 139 often.

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 27, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Face to Face with God

The book of Exodus describes an amazing significant event that happened in the life of Moses.  “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (33:11). 

Such an encounter with God seems so unreal.  The Lord God, almighty and sovereign creator of all that exists, talking to a human man, face to face, friend to friend.  I wonder how you and I would respond to such an intimate “face-to-face” encounter with our Lord God. 

But Moses was not the first person to experience this kind of relational encounter.  Many years earlier, Abraham had a similar experience.  You can read the story in Genesis 18:1-8.

The Lord had already appeared twice to Abraham.  In Genesis 15, God established the covenant with him concerning Canaan, the land of promise.  In Genesis 17, the Lord appeared to establish the covenant concerning the birth of Isaac.  Now, in Genesis 18, the Lord comes simply to be with Abraham.  Ninety-nine-year-old Abraham had walked with God for too many years not to recognize Him.  He leaped to his feet and ran to Him and bowed in worship.

We can read of God making intimate encounters, coming face to face, with his people throughout the Old Testament stories.  He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden in the cool of the day in Genesis 3.  He wrestled all night with Jacob at the ford of the Jabbok in Genesis 32.

He appeared to Manoah and his wife before the birth of Samson in Judges 13.  He appeared to Joshua before the battle of Jericho as “Commander of the army of the Lord” in Joshua 5.  This story also underlines the fact that Joshua “fell on his face to the earth and worshiped” Him.

Biblical scholars tell us that these physical appearances of God are the preincarnate, physical manifestation of the Lord God of Israel, sometimes referred to as “the Angel of the Lord” whose name is Jesus.

I believe that this same Lord Jesus who visited with Abraham, Moses, and Joshua also wants a personal companionship with you and me?  Could it be that in those moments of emptiness and loneliness in your soul, the living Jesus is seeking to walk and talk with you?  “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will  come in and eat with him, and he with me.”  (Revelation 3:20).

Yes, I may be taught, cared for, and nourished by the help and counsel of pastors, spiritual leaders, and Christian friends.  But the Lord Himself, who saved me and called me into Kingdom work, also desires for me to welcome His more intimate “face to face” relationship with Himself.  He is the One who knows when I sit and when I rise. 

He is the One who knows the thoughts and intents of my heart, who knows each word before it is spoken from my lips, and who numbers the hairs on my head.  He is the One who desires to be intimately close to us, to disclose Himself, and yes, to speak face-to-face with us.

There is something powerful about the living Lord coming for a “face to face” visit with us, whether it is in your heart, in your home and family, or in an assembly with other believers.  Yes, in one sense He is always with us.  He everywhere present and never absent.  But that was true in Abraham’s day also and yet, this kind of visitation by the Lord holds a superior quality.

Yes, His Holy Spirit indwells us and fills us.  But there are wonderful moments or times in our walk of faith when, for whatever reason, His presence becomes very tangible and very precious.  Suddenly you look up and you know that He is there.  You sense His presence in the room.  What do you do in those moments?  If we are not careful, we could miss them altogether. 

It happened on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, while two of Jesus’ followers were walking on the road to Emmaus, troubled in spirit by all that had taken place.  A third person joined them as they walked.  It was the risen Lord, but they did not recognize Him. 

All along that road they poured out their hearts to Him, telling Him the tragedy of their Lord’s death on the cross and the perplexing news that Jesus might be alive again.  As they approached the village that was their home, we read that “Jesus acted as if he were going farther.  But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us.”  (Lk. 24:28-29).

The Lord is always looking for people, like Abraham and these two distraught disciples, who will invite His presence.  He is looking for people who will say, “Lord, don’t walk on by.  Please stay.”

There was a little song we used to sing around a summer campfire.  It most likely originated among Christian believers somewhere in the Caribbean.  “Kum by yah, my Lord, kum by yah.”  It means, “Lord, come by here.”  Is that the cry of your heart? 

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 13, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley

Godly Leadership on Display

The story of Deborah begins with the words, “After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.  So, the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king.  The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim.”  (Judges 4:1, NLT).

Soon the situation of the Israelites became desperate.  “Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.  Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.” (4:3).

Deborah is God’s answer to the desperate repentant cry of the Israelites for deliverance from Jabin’s cruel oppression.  Deborah is God’s appointed woman judge and prophet, a Godly woman of great and effective leadership strength.

She not only delivered justice for the people of God and called them back to God, but also takes leadership responsibility in a time of crisis when no one else is stepping up to the plate of leadership responsibility.  She had to go beyond the cultural roles of women in her day to help the people see who God was and what He had planned for them.

In her story we discover five life directives that energized her exceptionally strong leadership.  These same five directives remain vital as guidance for  anyone, man or woman, who seeks to be an effective Christian leader in today’s arrogant and selfish world of deception and division.  Indeed, everyone of us is given a particular leadership role in our world and so the directives are for all of us. 

1)  Deborah was driven by a genuine desire to please God.  She considered herself a team partner with God.  For Deborah, leadership was not about “being in charge,” but rather about “pleasing God.”  She communed with God often and did not let her busy life disconnect her from her relationship with Him.

This committed desire is certainly counter-cultural in our present “I’ll do it my way” kind of world.  And when this kind of devotion to God’s will is evident in someone’s life, we tend to think of them as a “religious freak.”

2)  Deborah found her life’s place and purpose in God’s space.  The search for meaning and purpose in life is one of our strongest human impulses.  Deborah had no problem with this.  She moved easily among the religious and political leadership.  She was confident that God had placed her in this leadership role and was not afraid of straight talk. 

According to verse five, “She would sit under the Palm of Deborah” where ”the Israelites would go to her for judgment.”  They recognized her as a wise and discerning person who had it together.

3)  Deborah stayed connected with her people and interacted with them on a regular basis.  She considered herself a team partner both with God and with her people.  She did not allow her busy life to disconnect her from relationship with them.  She knew that those connections kept her on track with God’s working in her world. 

In chapter five, verse two, she sings this line from her song of praise, “Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed.  Praise the Lord!”   Her song begins with the idea that “we are in this together and I am not the boss, God is.”

It is often easy to place events over people and programs over relationships.  But, when we do this, we disconnect from relationship.  And whenever we disconnect from relationship, for whatever reason, we are walking away from what God desires from us, that is, a full team effort in doing His Kingdom work.

4)  Deborah believed that God is always on patrol, looking for and selecting persons whom He can appoint to responsible leadership position, or a challenging task, or risky assignment.  The Scriptures are filled with the stories of such God-selected, God-appointed persons, both male and female.

Through Deborah’s leadership, God was moving, working, acting and reacting, listening, judging and confirming.  Deborah knew that God was on patrol and in control.  She just needed to show up for work.

5)  Most importantly, Deborah walked her talk.  She acted and lived by what she believed and counseled others to do.  Deborah had total confidence in God.  She considered worry as wasted energy, useless and non-productive.  Whether it was in giving advice, providing support, leading an army, or praising God, worry was not a part of her leadership strategy. 

Deborah trusted God so fully, that she was willing to place her life on the line when needed, without question, doubt, or fear.  The result of her leadership, according to the Scripture in 5:31, is that “Then there was peace in the land for forty years.”

This is Deborah’s treasured legacy to both religious and national leadership persons in all generations since her time.  Furthermore, when we are available to God and others, when we are a doer and not a worrier, when all of this comes together as it did for Deborah, our nation will be a “land” at peace.

<><><><><> 

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – October 6, 2021

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Ray M. Geigley