When I was fifteen, our youth group went on a twenty-one-mile backpacking trip. At one point, we found ourselves standing at the top of a 2,000-foot sheer cliff. My pastor was hamming it up for the camera and stood on one foot waving his arms around as though he were about to fall to his death.
Hilarious, right?
Well, it did make for a humorous photo. But even as a teenager and the one taking the picture, I remember thinking about his pregnant wife at home and wondering what she and their baby would do if he slipped and died while goofing off with us.
Now, the story ends well. Our pastor had several feet of room before the rock fell away to that wicked drop, and he didn’t actually stumble. His son grew up with a dad’s love and care and is now a dad himself.
But that moment reminds me of the theme verse I chose when writing Spider Gap. Which incidentally, takes place on that very same hiking trail.
“The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Psalm 147:11
The fear of the Lord can be a baffling concept. Doesn’t God say that He loves us deeply, enough to chase after us as if we were the only lost sheep in the whole flock? Enough to die for us? Yes, yes it does! God’s incredible love for us is such a vital thing to remember. Don’t forget it!
Besides remembering, resting in, and reciprocating God’s love for us, we are also instructed to “Fear the Lord.”
Huh?
Not sure about you, but I generally don’t show a whole lot of love for people or even animals that I fear. I fear spiders. I don’t really love them, though. The people that I fear … loving them is an even more weighty thought to consider and a topic for another blog post.
Fear and love, two things that I normally don’t pair.
But the mountains, the vast majesty of the mountains help me to understand the value of “The Fear of the Lord.”
The wilderness is dangerous. Did you know that? Not cruel or evil, but dangerous. Mountains especially are dangerous places. Now, they are not trying to be deadly. But if they were safer and more like meadows and ponds … they wouldn’t be mountains anymore.
If you stumble while walking the narrow trails through the mountains, you can literally trip right off a 2,000-foot cliff and die a moment later. If you don’t pack the right clothes, food, or shelter; you can die of exposure in a single night. If you act in a foolish way around wildlife, you can meet your end swiftly. If you simply read your map wrong and head in the opposite direction, you can be walking so long and so far that no one ever finds you.
The mountains are dangerous. A smart person fears them even if they deeply love the mountains and trekking through their glorious beauty.
I love the mountains all the more because of their sharp, dangerous heights. I love the remote stretches of untouched forest. I love that rare wildlife lurk within them. I love the blast of alpine wind as you finally make it to the top of a vigorous climb and survey the land rolling away to the horizon.
If the mountains were not dangerous, they would not be mountains.
It is the same with God.
If He were not powerful, unknowable, vast in His understanding and strength … He would not be God. When I fear Him, I respect that He is God and I am not. I step back and am amazed by His strength. Like standing outside in the middle of a mighty storm, I relish the unknowable nature of God. It fills me with wonder that One so mighty loves me so very deeply.
Do not be satisfied with a God of meadows, ponds, and cleanly manicured lawns.
God is also a God of mountains. A God of howling wolves and shaggy bears. A God of thunderstorms and a God of twisty trails that lead to the top of 2,000-foot cliffs.
Spider Gap–Lilly, a first-year school teacher is roped into chaperoning a backpacking trip over the Spider Gap glacier. Unfortunately, she cannot find a sitter for her purse-dog and must smuggle him along on the trip. All her friskiest 6th-grade students are participating as well as a handsome ski instructor who resists her efforts to organize their trip in a mathematically pleasing manner. Can Lilly evoke a thirst for learning within her skeptical students, when she herself can barely survive the rigors of the trail?
Kristen Joy Wilks is an author, camp photographer, and the mom of three rowdy boys. When Kristen is not shooing pet chickens out of the house, she loves to write about the humor and grace that can be found hidden amidst the detritus of life. Much like the shiny quarter one member of their household swallowed and then found in the pot four days later. If God is good enough to grant us these gems, she figures that someone should be putting them to the page.
Lots of things bring me joy. Seeing my children thrive, personal success, and the realization of long-held dreams bring joy. A sunny day, the perfect cup of tea, and milk chocolate delight. But if I only pursue the kind of joy found in circumstances and preference, I will miss out on a greater joy produced by the Spirit.
Calm Delight
The particular joy mentioned in Galatians 5 is “joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.” It’s the same joy the wise men felt as they saw the star that led them to Jesus (Matt 2:10). It’s the joy of the person who hears the Word and receives it (Matt 13:20). It’s the joy of the man purchasing the field with the hidden treasure (Matt 13:44). It is the joy of the Master over the servant faithful with little (Matt 25:21). It’s the joy the woman felt in hearing Christ is risen (Matt 28:8). It’s the joy in heaven when a sinner repents (Luke 15:7). It is the joy of the disciples when they saw the risen Jesus (Luke 24:41) and the overflow of their hearts after Christ’s ascension (Luke 24:52). It’s the joy found in the Holy Spirit in the Kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). It’s a filling from God that produces hope (Rom 15:13).
The Source of Joy
The type of joy the Spirit produces in the heart of a believer has little to do with favourable circumstances or pleasure. It overflows from a regenerated heart no matter the conditions because Christ is the source of this joy. That means my joy is not tied to what the future holds, how my kids do or don’t behave, or whether I reach my personal goals. My joy is secure if my heart is fixed on God. If the churches in Macedonia can be filled with an abundance of joy despite extreme poverty and severe affliction, if the Thessalonians received the word in much affliction with joy (2 Cor 8:2, 1 Thess 1:6), so can I.
This is the joy James calls me to count during trials (James 1:2). It makes me pray that although I have not seen Christ, I will love Him. Though I do not now see Him, I believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of my faith, the salvation of my soul (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Earlier this month, a family member asked my opinion on dreams. Namely, if it was better to pursue your big dreams, or focus on your daily needs and just having a good job that would meet those needs, etc. My opinion fell somewhere in the middle. I pursued some of my dreams, and the effort paid off. My novels were published, and I became a mom; my two big dreams as a youth. But I know very well that doesn’t happen for everyone, and even I have let some of my dreams fall by the wayside. Sometimes choices need to be made.
While having this discussion, it suddenly struck me, “I wrote that book!” And it just released this month. A story about a woman who sought to realize her dream of being an applauded singer, but the pursuit was taking her away from God. After “coming to herself” similar to the Prodigal Son in the Bible story, Lenora leaves that life and her “dream”. It is not an easy journey, but she begins to see her life differently, and her dreams begin to change—to align with what God wants for her.
Therein lies peace, confidence, and joy—when we seek God’s direction in our lives and seek after the “dreams” that He puts into our hearts. And sometimes He will ask us to pass us through hard things, trials that break our hearts. Because God’s fondest dream is for us to be—in Christ—a little more holy, a little more pure, and eventually return to His embrace.
When Lenora Perry’s dream of becoming an acclaimed singer dies a painful death, she attempts to escape her mistakes by fleeing north–directly into the path of an all-too-dashing Mountie. Though the man in scarlet appears eager to be rid of her, his home provides security, and his sister offers friendship–two things Lenora is desperate for after discovering her pregnancy. With the past dogging her footsteps and her future uncertain, dare she consider new dreams? Upholding the law makes up the fabric of Constable Edmond Bryce’s existence. As his five years of service draw to an end, he must decide whether or not to continue in his father’s footsteps–an increasingly difficult decision now that Miss Perry has infiltrated his life. Though she’s the daughter of a parson and a close friend to his sister, Edmond can’t push aside the feeling that Lenora hides more than she tells. But duty calls, leaving little time for matters of the heart.
To keep from freezing in the Great White North, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and being a finalist in the International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in there, as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and warm) by chasing after five munchkins.
You can find Angela online where she enjoys “Making history and fiction fall in love.” Website Facebook Twitter Amazon
I remember getting my haircut at a little salon in Waterford a few years back. It was a much-needed break from the daily crazy that homeschooling can bring. As I was leaving the salon and walking through the parking lot, I spotted a sunflower growing right up out of the crack in the concrete. It was a curious wonder right before my eyes. It made me marvel at our Creator, who can cause beautiful things to grow in hard concrete. It also made me think about how beautiful things can grow from a small divide in a crack between the driveway and foundation. I wondered how deep the roots needed to stretch to get water for this flower to bloom right there in the concrete. After all, I am a homeschool mom, and we always think about object lessons and science. <Insert smile>
We live in uncertain days, and the way that little sunflower made me take notice reminds me that even in the hard times, the divisions, the cracks and the uncertainties, God is still King and is creating beauty in it all. As a mom, I often ask the Lord, how am I supposed to encourage my kids when their world is constantly changing? They face disappointment from not being able to play sports or go to art class, lockdowns, differences in options regarding handling all of the most current protocols, questions about our Canadian democracy, and the war in Ukraine. Some of these things may seem minor, and others quite major. Still, in it all, if we are honest, we have all had to sort through these changing times in the small concerns and big ones too, and so do our kids.
The Lord has been so gracious to allow us to come boldly to His throne of grace in our time of need. He is our firm foundation. Colossians 1:15-20 has been a source of encouragement:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Colossians 1:15-20
We learn a few things about who Jesus is in these verses:
He is the firstborn of creation, which means He was at the beginning of time
He created all things, visible and invisible, all the thrones and rulers and kings
All things were created for Him
He holds it all together!
He is not only the head of creation, the kings and rulers but also of the church
He is our Saviour through the blood of his death on the cross.
What a comfort it is to know that Jesus is ruler over all, that He holds all things together, and He has saved us! This means that this world we live in is not our home. Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven. In light of these verses, how should we live in Canada as home school moms in uncertain times? I think that we are called to action.
First, we are called to keep our eyes on the Lord, and we are to seek Him through His word and in prayer. We need to remind ourselves of Col. 1:17, He is before all things, and IN HIM, all things hold together.
We need to remind ourselves that God is King. Rev. 4:9 says that he is seated on His throne. He is not pacing back and forth in heaven wondering and worrying about what is going on in the world; no, He is sitting on His throne, perfectly in control of all things, holding it all together in His sovereign will. So we need to keep looking up.
Second, we have to be faithful in what God has called us to do. For those of us embarking on the adventure of home education, this calling includes homeschooling, among other things. Each day we can faithfully serve our families and homeschool our children diligently. We have an opportunity to disciple our kids. As parents, we model to our kids what following Jesus looks likes. They will see that we are imperfect people who sin and make mistakes every day, but they will also see how we handle our imperfections. Either our children will see us as parents who pretend to be something that we are not, or they will see us as parents who walk in the grace and mercy of the Lord. Through our imperfections, we can point them to the cross. We can show them how to turn away from sin and how to turn to the Lord. It’s good to let our kids see our walk with the Lord. We also need to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ. We are redeemed, and we are children of the Most High King.
We can also encourage our kids to memorize scripture, pray for other nations, study history, and learn about Canadian politics. The list goes on and on. When they are struggling, we can point them to verses like Phil 4:4-7, by everything in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We have daily opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with our kids. Homeschooling is a privilege that we can’t take for granted. There are countries around the world that have banned homeschooling, and so even though the days can be long and the times are uncertain, we need to thank the Lord for the opportunity we have to teach our children.
God is making all things beautiful in His time. If we look, we see his beauty all around us. We take time to wonder and marvel at sunflowers that grow in divided concrete. We see God at work in our homeschools. We see how God shapes our kids’ hearts and minds, and we see God as ruler and King. He is our hope and strength in unsettling times. So, let’s keep our eyes up, pray continually, praise Him for flowers that grow in concrete and thank the Lord for His sovereign reign.
Susanne is a child of God, wife, mother, mother in law and entrepreneur. She started Cabin7 under the encouragement of her sister-in-law and it provided support in the ever-growing financial needs of her large family. God has grown her business and she is so thankful to God for allowing her the opportunity to work from home and the opportunity to home educate her children. Along the way she has been reminded that babies, children and life are truly a gift from the Lord. You can follow Cabin7 on Facebook and Instagram.
Today is a day of high stress for the people of God. Normal has evaporated, and there is no telling when it will return or even if it will ever return. The entire world might be gearing up for a new normal that looks radically different from the past.
The children of God have a choice to make. We can press into God and his Word and fight against fear with the truth that never changes, or we can succumb to dread and anxiety. I am choosing to fill my mind with the Word of God.
The children of #God have a choice to make. We can press into God and his #Word and fight against #fear with the #truth that never changes, or we can succumb to dread and anxiety. ##Free short #study on Ps 77. #Faith
If you join me in Psalm 77, you’ll find some striking similarities between the psalmist and us. The people of God are in distress, and the psalmist cries out to God. He is in a moment like ours, and he decides to turn his attention and energy into prayer and meditation. If you follow along with the psalmist, you’ll find that God leads his people through by the hand. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better place to be right now than hand-in-hand with God.
In verses 3, 6, and 11-12, the psalmist repeats his decision to do two things. What has the psalmist decided to do?
Consider the progression of his decision preceded by the words when (v3), let me (v6), and I will (v11-12). What do these words convey about biblical thinking?
In verses 1-9, the focus in on the psalmist. If you mark every reference to the psalmist and then every reference to the Lord, you will notice a 20:12 ratio. The psalmist is very focused on himself. In verses 10-15, this begins to shift—the ratio changes to 7:15 in favour of the Lord. Finally, in verses 16-20, the entire focus is the Lord. Ten times the Lord is referenced, ending with a declaration in verse 19-20. What does the psalmist declare?
In verse 19, the word through shows the relationship between “way” and “sea,” and the same word through shows the relationship between “path” and “water.” What is the significance of the word through? How might this apply to the COVID-19 pandemic?
It is frightening to consider what going through COVID-19 might mean for us. What comfort can you find in the last half of verse 19? What is the significance of the word unseen, and how does it comfort you today?
In what two ways does God lead his people in verse 20? Explain what those phrases meant for the psalmist and what they mean for you today.
If you’d like to hear more from this passage, check out this short video devotional my husband has put together for our church. It is social-distancing friendly, and it is a great way to address the question: Where is God when I need Him?
Looking for something even deeper? Check out what people are saying about Chasing Holiness. Now is the time to fix your mind and heart on Christ. Each chapter concludes with an in-depth study on a passage of Scripture or theme from Scripture. The e-book is only $4 and is social-distancing friendly! ($2.85 in the USA.) I’ve just learned that my publisher is lowering the price on all their e-books to make them more accessible, so check those prices for steep discounts.
