In Whom do you Trust?

Good morning and happy Monday, friends!

I have slowly been making my way through the Old Testament. I started the year with a plan to read through the Bible in three months, then six months, now I'll be lucky to make it through in the year. And here's why - I get so wrapped up in a story, it takes me days to finish one chapter! For example, I spent three days in 2 Kings 18 and 19, reading, re-reading, checking commentaries, taking notes - just really trying to understand this story of Hezekiah and his conflict with the king of Assyria. 

Hezekiah became king of Judah when he was 25 years old. He was the son of Ahaz, one of the most wicked kings of Judah. Yet, Hezekiah "trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was non like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses." (2 Kings 18:5,6)

There was much unrest in both the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah at that time. When Hezekiah had been king for three years, the king of Assyria attacked Israel and after a three-year siege, took over Israel and dispersed its people. Several years later, the new king of Assyria, likely emboldened by the successful conquest of the previous king, attacked the kingdom of Judah and took control of its outlying towns, outposts, and garrisons. Hezekiah, fearing for his kingdom (rather than courageously trusting in God), offered to pay King Sennacherib a ransom to withdraw his troops from Judah and to ensure peace. King Sennacherib agreed and King Hezekiah paid him a vast sum of money. To raise the money, Hezekiah had to empty his treasury and strip the gold plates from the doors of the temple to give to King Sennacherib. Unfortunately for the kingdom of Judah, King Sennacherib soon went back on his word and instead sent three of his top generals to the city of Jerusalem to call for King Hezekiah's surrender of the city. 

"Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fuller's Field. And when they had called to the king. Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. Then the Rabshakeh said to them, 'Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this in which you trust? You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh kinng of Egypt to all who trust in him."

The Rabshakeh addressed Hezekiah's generals, and then all of the Jewish people with a speech meant to discourage them. He magnifies the might of the Assyrian king and army, he tries to make them believe that it would be in their advantage to surrender rather than face war and famine, and that they cannot trust in Egypt to save them. Hezekiah had put his trust in an alliance with Egypt, hoping that Egypt would come to their aid in a battle against Assyria. The Rabshakeh tried to completely demoralize Judah and drive them to despair. 

Can't you just picture this tense situation?! The Jewish people watching and listening, preparing for war, despairing due to the words of the Rabshakeh - certain they will be wiped out. The Rabshekah's end goal, and certainly his orders from King Sennacherib, was to discourage and demoralize the Jewish people so they would surrender the city without a fight. 

Satan often attacks us in this same way. Often, even when he tells the truth ("You are such a rotten sinner!"), he never does it to lead us to a firm trust in the Lord our God ("Jesus died for sinners, so if I am a rotten sinner, Jesus died to forgive and free me!"). Instead, Satan's strategy - even if he tells us the truth - is always to demoralize us and drive us to despair. (Guzik)

The Rabshakeh's plan was to destroy their trust in God, and talk them into giving up before one spear was thrown. 

"The enemy of our souls uses the exact same approach. Many of us picture Satan as always 'itching for a fight,' but really, Satan doesn't want to do battle with you. First of all, there is a strong change you will win. Second of all, win or lose the battle can draw you closer to the Lord. Thirdly, what the Lord does in your life through the battle can be a great blessing to other people. No, Satan would much rather talk you into giving up!" (Henry)

 His plan seemed to be working until he directly attacked the sovereignty of the Lord God. 

"But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, 'The Lord will deliver us. Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'" (2 Kings 18:35)

For anyone who had the spiritual understanding to see it, Judah could have started planning the victory party right then. It is one thing to speak against Judah, its people and leaders. It was another thing all together to mock the Lord God of Israel this way, and count Him as "just another god." (Guzik)

In response to the Rabshakeh's speech, Hezekiah immediately went to the house of the Lord and sought the word of the Lord through His prophet. He didn't allow his mourning and grief spin him into a rejection of the Lord's power and help. He knew this was more necessary time than ever to seek the Lord.

"Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: 'O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands - wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone." (2 Kings 19:15-19)

I hate to spoil the ending, but I can tell you that God hears the prayer of Hezekiah and rescues Judah from certain defeat. Go read 2 Kings 18 and 19 for yourself and see!!

Page Details

I was inspired to create this page after watching some process videos from my friend, Deeds @mercies_journaled. She has a fantastic YouTube channel where she shares truth from God's Word as well as creative techniques. 

I first tried this page with gelatos, but really didn't like the looks, so went back over it with Distress Oxides. I am not good with gelatos, it's definitely something I need to practice! I did put two layers of Art Basics gesso down first. Once I had the gelatos/distress oxides down, I sprayed the page with water, then splattered with watered down white acrylic paint. I then stamped using a few different stamps sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, colored with Tombow dual brush markers, and finally added my white highlights using a uni-ball Signo white gel pen. I like how the page turned out in the end, but it was not one of my easiest pages! I had to just keep working through it (while I was listening to a Mike Winger podcast on the theology of the Holy Spirit 😉). 

    

In Whom do you trust? Do you trust in your job, your retirement, your health, your determination, your friends, your spouse? Or do you trust in the Lord God? Is the enemy trying to discourage you into giving up without a fight? Is he whispering in your ear lies to make you doubt the authority of God?

Take a page from Hezekiah's book and go to the Lord in prayer. You can trust Him. 💜

Much love in Christ, 

Janelle

@journalingjoy

All-Present God

Hey guys, tis I, Deeds!

I'm very blessed to be writing on this platform today, and the stamp sets for this month have been so perfect for my study time!

So.

I started Esther.  I have always had a special place in my heart for this book of the Bible.  Even as a child, not very aware of its importance and significance in the Holy Inspired Word of God, I loved the idea of "pauper turned princess!"  Always, always, always I love royalties and stories of banquets!

I loved hearing how someone of no consequence whatsoever was brought into the house of a King.  She was clothed in riches. Her hair would have been smelly with all sorts of flowery scents, and her gowns?  Oh, her gowns.  Flowing.  Slow-motion effect dresses that match the movement of her soft long curls in her hair.  Yup.  THAT Esther. 
So.

I started Esther, as I said.  I love it now as I ever did, but now I see something very different in this book.  Something NOT of fairy tales.  Something NOT of gowns and flowing, magical hair.  I don't very much see Esther as the main focal point, nor do I see her as the featured character.  She's not the heroine, though I would certainly love for her to be.  Her place in this book is consequential, but it's NOT the most important. 
In fact, the real and true Hero goes unmentioned, un-adored, and unsung. 
He's the main Focus, though He does not speak.
He's the Centerpiece, though He seems absent and on the outskirts of all activity.

God. 
God is the focus.
God is the main.
God is ALWAYS the Hero.

Organizing, orchestrating, and manipulating events in real time, while working His glorious, timeless will.  He's pretty incredible, y'all, no doubt about it.

So, as I begin Esther, I'm reminded of a couple of things. 
Firstly, that Esther is what we would call a "means to an end."  She's definitely a person with real emotions and intellect, and I am not dismissing her; she has a place and purpose in the story of the Almighty.  When it is her time to come through for her people the Jews, she acts in bravery and security in her God.  I truly admire this young girl, precariously placed.  But, though the book bears her name, it's the loving and gracious action of God which placed her in a "royal position for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). 

Secondly, GOD IS FAITHFUL.  All the time, He is "El Emunah."  From the very beginning of the book called, "Esther," we read detail after detail of a setup which landed all characters within a part in His plan; a plan that, hands down, could be among the top 3 of redemptive historical accounts!  It was not the first, and it certainly would not be the last event circling the salvation of the Jewish people.  And throughout scripture we are reminded of the power of God's covenant with His people; with the Jews, and also with Christians today.  He is ever-mindful of His purpose and plan for all things - good and evil - to work His good pleasure and bring glory to Himself. 

It definitely puts a different spin on any films about our friend, Esther, doesn't it? Precious girl, I'd like to meet her one day. 


With this in mind, I find the study of Esther even more beautiful than gorgeous gowns and silver goblets.  It's alluring simply because though God seems absent, He is completely and perfectly present.  From the dawn of this new queen that assumes her throne, to the shakedown of the villain (Haman), Yahweh, the covenant Lord of the Israelites is moving…working…acting.  What He has promised, He will do. 

Here's to the Lover and Keeper of our souls!
Everywhere present.
Always present.
El Emunah.

And on that note, happy studying! Much love,

Deeds

ALL knowing, ALL present, ALL powerful...

Hi friends,

I love how the psalmist meditates on the awesome knowledge, presence and power of God in Psalm 139.

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

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.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

No matter how far we may have wandered, or how dark our circumstances might be, or how insignificant or alone we feel, God is always with us and he knows and rules over all things. May these truths bring our hearts joy and peace.

I had fun in my Journaling Psalter creating this mixed media spread in Psalm 139. I created a background using acrylic paint, then added stenciling and some sponged ink around the edges. The text comes from the fab new All in All set, and the leaves I stamped along the edges are from the March Stamp of the Month: Doodle Florals.

I pray that we would all grow in our knowledge and confidence in our all-knowing, all-present and all-powerful God, who loves and cares for his children so faithfully.

x Amy x

The Sweetest Privilege

The privilege of praying for others is one of the sweetest gifts. When someone you know is struggling, carrying their needs to the Lord is a blessing. Not only is it a blessing for them, it blesses the person praying as well.

Paul, the apostle, with Timothy at his side is writing a letter to their brothers and sisters in Colosse. In the greeting of the book of Colossians, starting with verse 2, Paul asks for God to give them grace and peace. Then the next words from Paul’s hands are words of precious encouragement. He tells them “we always pray for you and we give thanks to God.” 

I had to stop right there. Do I ALWAYS pray for my brothers and sisters? Do I always give thanks to God for them?

He goes on to talk about the hope they have of heaven. He tells he has heard such good things about them and the love they have for others. He then says again “we have not stopped praying for you.” He goes on to say he asks God “for complete knowledge of his will and spiritual understanding.” 

Do I pray like that? Do I ask God to grow my brothers and sisters? 

In verse 11, Paul prays they will be “strengthened, and have all the endurance and patience they need.” Lastly he prays that they will be “filled with joy always thanking the Father.” 

Recently a sweet sister of mine was going through a tough spot. The Lord drew me to these verses. I had been praying for her for a couple of years...since right after I met her. 

Now I had the sweet privilege of praying for her to be strengthened, and have patience. I got to pray for her to have wisdom in some decisions she needed to make. Most of all I prayed that she would be filled with joy and that she would always be thanking the Father. 

Who has the Lord put on your heart today that you needs your prayers? It’s a sweet privilege. Don’t miss your opportunity! Remember the example of Paul.

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father..”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:9, 11-12a‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Art behind the story:

For the background, I used distress inks and the smooshing tecnique. The flowers are the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set of the month called Doodle Florals.  Like I often do, I stamped them on card stock, colored them with a water brush and distress ink, then fussy cut them. The word "remember" is from the set called Note This. 

If you're interested in this technique, be sure to join the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps VIP Facebook group.  I'll be doing a LIVE there at the end of March to show how to do this.  Would love for you to join us!

Until next time,

Gayle 

Patio Ponderings

Correction and Instruction...

Hi friends,

One of the truths that I have grown to really believe and value is the importance of instruction in my life. Now, to be fair, I love to learn - I love reading and studying and finding out new things, whether that be about the Bible or about learning to paint. I am someone who loves knowledge. Sometimes I forget that this applies to other areas of my life as well, for example relationships and health. It's all too easy to go on auto-pilot in these areas and forget that learning is still required in order to grow.

One particular aspect of learning that I am not so quick to love is correction. Maybe it's the perfectionist in me, the desire to be right (pride!!), but I have been overly sensitive to correction in the past. I am slowly learning that correction is absolutely vital to life and growth, because as humans we never get it right all the time! We need to be shown when we have missed the mark, or could do better in some area, no matter how painful that might be. Instead of viewing correction and criticism as a personal attack or statement about our intrinsic worth, we need to embrace it as a God-given gift to help us grow.

Proverbs 6:23 speaks of the commandment being a lamp and teaching being a light. It goes on to say that correction and instruction are the way to life. Just like beautiful flowers need tending and pruning to become the best they can be, we require correction and instruction to live the life God has created us to live, as followers of Christ and ambassadors of his kingdom. Let's not avoid correction and instruction, or react in an overly sensitive way when it comes our way. Instead, let's embrace God's gracious gifts to help us grow!

I had fun playing with this month's Stamp of the Month, Doodle Florals, on this page, watercolouring the stamped images with Prima's Classics palette. I stamped the verse using a combination of Bitty Minnie Alpha, Typewriter Blocks Alpha and Life in Jesus.

Thank you Lord for your gracious instruction and correction in our lives in all its forms!

x Amy x