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

Work Boots | Bible Journaling with Julie

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord."  (Colossians 3:23-34).  

Growing up, my daddy worked on construction sites. He always wore his work books (and his helmet) on these sites. Those work boots sat waiting for him behind the door every morning.  They reminded me of firefighter boots sitting next to the fire truck, at the ready for the next emergency call.  

We put on work boots when we are ready to go all in:  to the dirtiest, or most hazardous of construction sites, to the muckiest of barns, to the deadliest of fire emergencies--or to the largest of laundry piles.  

Ok, not many of us don work boots to do our laundry (although with my three boys, I've had some pretty toxic laundry piles!). However, according to Colossians 3:23-24, we should put on a positive, can-do attitude. Work heartily at WHATEVER you do, as for the Lord.  If we're doing laundry, do it with all your heart.  If it's the dishes, work heartily.  If it's the weeding the garden, work heartily.  If it's completing paperwork, work heartily.  If it's writing that report, work heartily.  No matter how mundane a task may seem, when we work heartily, we are working for the Lord, and His character of love, joy, and excellence shines through. 

 

I created the background of this page in my Interleaved Bible with Distress Oxides in various shades of brown and beige.  I stamped the pair of boots using The Lord's Battle stamp set, and colored the boots with some watercolor pencils. I used several alphabet sets for the title (although the words "for Jesus" also were from The Lord's Battle):  School Days, Typewriter Block, and Lollipop Alphabet sets.  I added some washi from my stash, the verse that I had typed on my typewriter and blocked, and some grunge elements with Texture Tiles 3.  I added a border around the page with my precision journaling pen, and wrote my journaling on the opposite page next to the verse.  I finished with a date stamp, a tab, and a fabric bow.  

I've linked the various sets below.  Right now, through the end of the March, Sweet'n Sassy Stamps is holding a Moving Sale with 15% off.  It's a great time to stock up on those sets or products that have been sitting on your wishlist for a while!  

Thanks for visiting today.  You can click the images below to go shopping with my affiliate link (I appreciate your support!).  

God bless--Julie 

@julesk.jewels (IG)

Jules Jewels YouTube

The Lord's Battle

School Days Alpha

Typewriter Blocks Alpha

Lollipop Alpha

 

The Vine and the Gardener...

Hi friends,

In John 15, in the middle of Jesus' farewell discourse at his last meal with his disciples before his death, he describes his relationship with his Heavenly Father and with his disciples using several images. One of them is that of a vine and branches. This extended metaphor shows how we are a part of Christ and how we draw our source of life from him. When Jesus says 'I am the true vine' he is claiming to fulfil what Israel was meant to have been. Israel is referred to as a vine in the Old Testament, but it failed in its purpose as it grew wild and sick, and was eventually destroyed by other nations. Jesus reframes this image around himself (as with so many other images he uses as he teaches).

If Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches bearing leaves and fruit, then the Father is the gardener. As the gardener, he cuts away branches that don't bear fruit, and prunes those that do so that they will produce even more. This is both an encouraging and sobering truth. Our Heavenly Father will remove branches of his true vine that show they are no longer drawing life from the vine - they have become unfruitful and therefore unnecessary. When Jesus spoke these words they could have applied to those Pharisees and Sadducees who refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, the source of life, and therefore were not bearing fruit. Today, this could apply to those who claim to be part of the vine but who are not bearing fruit because their connection to the source has dried up. It is the Father's right to tend and care for the vine, and he does so with infinite wisdom. He doesn't just lop off branches carelessly - he knows which branches need careful tending and which ones just need to go.

What I find interesting is that along with cutting off branches that don't bear fruit, the Father prunes the ones that do - which means cutting bits from them. So either way, cutting is involved! Sometimes God cuts things from our lives or ministries which feel painful, and we feel empty or bare as a result. But in these seasons we need to know that God the Father does this for the good of the vine. We are still connected, so we are still drawing life from Jesus, and the cutting away he does in our lives will actually lead to more fruit in the future. So if you feel the painful snip of God's pruning in your life, be encouraged.... there is greater fruit coming. 

On this page in my Illustrating Bible, I painted a background with acrylic paints, then stamped the leaves from Give Thanks over the top with Stazon brown ink, colouring with coloured pencils (if you are colouring over darker backgrounds, you can add a layer of white pencil first, then add colour over the top). The verse was stamped with a combination of I Am, School Days Alpha, Rebecca Script Alpha and Mini Grunge Type Alpha. I added a couple of butterfly stickers and some washi tape down the side to finish. Here are the sets I used:

Let's be encouraged as we see our Heavenly Father at work as the gardener and choose to keep drawing our life from the vine, Jesus Christ.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

Seek the One that is Seeking You

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.

Isaiah 55:6

In these turbulent and uncertain times, does the Lord feel closer or further away to you?  It seems like I hear Him more than ever before.  I feel like He is pleading for lost souls to turn to Him.  Like He's asking for His flock to tell the world about Him and the redeeming power found in the blood of Christ.  

We need to seek Him while He's crying out to us.  He is near.  He wants to be found.  

Page details:

I created the background for this page using Distress paints, then stamping with Texture Tiles 1 and Psalm 23 Background and stenciling with Distress Oxide inks.  I stamped my title with several alphabets from Sweet 'n Sassy, including  Bold & Outline Caps Alpha, Typewriter Block Alpha and School Days Alpha.  I added some art marks and paint splatters.  Then I couldn't resist adding these peonies from the Peony Cluster set.  

Sets I used:

Until next time, catch up with me on Instagram & Facebook @simplyjilljourney.

XOXO,

Jill 

Recorded Words...

Hi friends,

In the middle of Job's time of intense suffering and questioning, he cried out "oh that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved on rock forever!" (Job 19:23-24) He then goes on to utter one of the most well-known and loved phrases in the book of Job: "I know that my Redeemer lives..."

I was thinking about these verses and the fact that God was faithful to answer Job's plea for his words to be recorded. In fact, not only were they recorded, but they have been preserved through many centuries of time and have brought wisdom and encouragements to many millions of people throughout the world and throughout history. What an awesome answer to prayer!

When I was creating this page I was challenged again by the opportunity I have to write things down, specifically to journal about my experiences, thoughts, prayers and learning. While I do make regular time for art journaling (painting and stamping in my Bible), I have always struggled to maintain the discipline of writing in a journal, despite knowing its many benefits and even reading books on the subject!!

But when reflecting on Job's desperate plea for his words to be recorded, and the difficulty with which words would have been recorded in these ancient times, I was convicted once again of how easy it is for me to journal, but how undisciplined I am when it comes to writing things down regularly. One of the habits I want to get into going into the new year is to journal more frequently. And when I struggle with finding either the time or motivation, I now can remember Job and how much he valued having his words recorded. I also know that if I pray and ask God to help me develop this habit, he will be faithful to answer me, just as he was faithful to answer Job.

I had lots of fun creating a background with acrylic paints and stencils on this page, using various shades of green and blue. The typewriter, flowers and paper from Vintage Love were stamped on separate card, cut out and coloured with coloured pencils before gluing onto the page. The verse was stamped with a combination of School Days Alpha and Art Deco Alpha.

How do you feel about journaling? Is it a habit you already have established, one you would like to establish in your life? Maybe it's not something you think you need, but I would encourage you to think about how you are recording and reflecting upon the things in your life.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

1-800-JESUS

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Psalm 55:16

Hi dear friends,

Today, I'm focusing on Psalm 55. David began this psalm with a lament about being in the midst of adversity. One of his friends had even betrayed him. Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? That feeling of betrayal can hurt so deep. Unfortunately, people are going to hurt us- even those that love us. And we may hurt those we love. But there's One who will never betray us. And David knew Him well. In verse 16, his lament turned into a statement of faith and trust that God would save and keep him. David was so confident in God; and we can be too.

That God of David is our God, Jesus, one and the same. Jesus is with us through every betrayal. Call on Him and He will be there. He doesn't hide from us. He wants a relationship with us. Isn't that amazing?? The Creator of the universe wants a relationship with us. Mind blown!! And, He doesn't want just a casual relationship, He wants a close, personal, whole body and mind relationship. Call on Him. He'll never fail you. 1-800-JESUS, the line's always open!

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Vintage Love, School Days Alpha, and Classy Script Alpha. The new Vintage Love set is great and has a lot of neat "hidden" gems. In the center of the phone dial are the numbers "53787." That would spell out "JESUS" if you dialed it on a phone! Neat, huh? The other images have phrases on them as well. I think it's just a sweet touch to the stamps. The set was designed by Confetti Creativo by Suzanne Corson. She has a coordinating printable at her etsy shop. Find it here. I colored the page with watercolor crayons.

Have a blessed week, dear ones! Andrea