Just Listen

"Ok, but seriously, can you not just LISTEN?!"

That's what I felt like saying to the Israelites when I was reading through Jeremiah this past week. They repeatedly sought Jeremiah's advice and counsel, and repeatedly ignored it - with devastating consequences. 

Jeremiah 44:5

Jeremiah chapters 42 through 44 paint the scene for us:

After the downfall of Jerusalem and inner turmoil, assassinations, and infighting, the remaining people of Judah gathered together and approached Jeremiah and said to him, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant - because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us - that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do." Jeremiah agreed to pray to the Lord for His guidance and report back whatever the Lord said. The people then promised to do whatever the Lord commanded, whether it was good or bad, they would obey the voice of the Lord. 

At the end of 10 days, Jeremiah relayed the message from the Lord back to the people. God told them to stay in their land and He would protect them and bless them. But, He said, if they leave the land and settle in Egypt, famine, disaster, and destruction would follow them and they would all perish. 

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them."

Jeremiah 42:9-17

The people heard all Jeremiah had to say and when he had stopped speaking, the arrogant leaders exploded with anger. "Liar!! Liar!! God didn't tell you to say, 'don't go to Egypt'. You are just trying to set us up so we can be killed or captured and exiled to Babylon!!" 

(Wait, what? You asked Jeremiah to give you advice and promised him you would listen and obey no matter what, and then you call him a liar when he gives you the direct word from the Lord, which just so happens to be something you didn't want to hear? I read this passage in complete astonishment.)

The people ignore Jeremiah's warning and move to Egypt, and Jeremiah 44 tells of God's judgement. Perhaps the saddest passage is Jeremiah 44 when God says, "Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!' But they did not listen or incline their ear..."

Of course, we know what happens after that -- Egypt falls to Babylon and the Jewish people living in Egypt were destroyed. In fact, Matthew Henry says this about the Israelites living in Egypt at that time: 

The sacred history records not the accomplishment of this prophecy, but its silence is sufficient; we hear no more of these Jews in Egypt, and therefore conclude them, according to this prediction, lost there; for no word of God shall fall to the ground.

What a sad, sad end to a people who would just not listen. 

It's easy to judge the Israelites and their poor decision making. I mean, they had the direct word of the Lord and they did the complete opposite time and time again! Oh, but my friend, aren't we so often like the Israelites? We have the entire word of God (the Bible), we have direct access to God's heavenly throne room through our Lord Jesus Christ, and yet we do the complete opposite of what we know we should do time and time and time again! I was so convicted reading this passage. It's not enough to read and know God's word, you have to also listen and obey. This is an area I know I need to work on and, with the Lord's help, will strive to be a better listener to His Word in my life. Will you pray with me to be a better listener this week?

Much love in Christ, 

Janelle
@journalingjoy

This page is what I call a "beautiful mess". 😍 I followed my friend Colleen's instruction video on creating a page using stamps, Distress Oxides, acyrlic paint, stencils and texture paste. If you haven't see it yet, you can find it on YouTube here. What a blast!! I used the new Art Deco Alpha stamp set along with the Mini Grunge Alpha, Faith Wordfetti, Texture Tiles 1, and Typewriter Text Background stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. They are celebrating their 12th birthday through the month of November and you can receive 12% off your entire order!! 📣🙌

  

 

How did you do that?

Hey friends today I am sharing a process video with you all. The first half is a walk through using  Distress Oxides, I explain how to use them. Why I use gesso with them. Then I use my pallet knife for adding paint and layers. I finish the page in fast speed  and at the end talk through the finishing process. I hope this helps you see a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes. . If you have any questions let me know!


https://youtu.be/Vyz0ub1Zd7c


Enjoy!
Colleen

Love & Truth

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more 

in real knowledge and all discernment. Philippians 1:9

Hi Friends!

In honor of Veteran's Day, to all those who have served, and to those who continue to serve...thank you! Even more than the gratitude we owe you, we owe you our freedom.

Today, I want to talk about love and truth. In today's world, love is equated with acceptance of all behaviors, whether those behaviors are appropriate or sinful. The world often tells us if we don't agree with a certain behavior or lifestyle, then we are haters. But that simply isn't true.

What does the Bible tell us? My pastor has been teaching on Revelation. Here's my take away from his message on Sunday. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:9 that he prayed the church's love would be abundant in knowledge and discernment. Jesus commended the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 for holding fast to His truth but reprimanded them for losing their first love. He also commended the church of Thyatira in the same chapter for their strong love but reprimanded them for not adhering to His truth. So, to be effective for God, the church can't be all truth and no love. But, it also can't be all love and no truth. It has to be both. The church is called to love, and it is also called to speak truth. And for some reason, humans seem to have difficulty in merging those two things. We do one of two things:

1. We embrace the truth but judge others when they don't follow God's truth. We get so wrapped up in what people should be doing or not doing and whether this lifestyle is right or wrong, that we forget to love them. People we are trying to draw to Jesus are not going to hear His message if we put them on the defensive. First, we need to have a relationship with them. We need to love them. When they feel loved and genuinely cared for, then and only then will they be open to hear about Jesus and the way He wants us to live.
2. We love others and compromise God's truth because of that love. When this happens, we begin to accept things that the Bible tells us are sinful. We compromise. We lose sight of how Jesus wants us to live. Without God's truth, love gets warped into something God never intended. Eventually, everything gets warped. And isn't our world looking pretty warped now?

So, we must love. But we also must stay rooted in God's truth. And we must speak that truth in love. May we love abundantly, and may that love be full of knowledge and discernment, just as Paul prayed.

Page Details: I used the following Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps sets: Art Deco Alpha and Fall in Love with Jesus. I also used watercolor crayons, a Micron pen, and a pencil. Yes, a pencil! Rebecca Rios shared that she uses a pencil to shadow. And I think this is an awesome tip! So, the letters are shadowed with a pencil. Whenever I try to use a gray pen, it ends up leaving a dark dot where I lift the pen up. I hate that. With the pencil- no dots! And, you can erase if you mess up. Win, win!! This month is Sweet 'n Sassy's 12th birthday! Celebrate with us by getting a 12% discount all month long!

 Have a blessed week! Andrea

Fear + Delight = Happiness..?

Hi friends,

There is a lot of focus on happiness in our world today. Many, many products and programmes are offered as sources of happiness (in fact, much of the advertising industry is driven by the desire for happiness). Often, we associate happiness with having our desires fulfilled and our dreams coming true. But what does the Bible say about happiness?

The word 'happiness' in some of our English translations is translated 'blessed' in others - they come from the same Hebrew word. I highly recommend doing a word study of happy/blessed in Scripture to see what the whole counsel of God's Word says about this topic. In Psalm 112 the psalmist writes 'Happy is the person who fears the Lord, taking great delight in his commands.'

The concept of fearing the Lord is such a foreign one in today's world. It is even more foreign to associate fear of the Lord with happiness, but that is exactly what this Psalm does. Fear in this case, when directed toward the Lord, is not terror but reverence and awe. When we stand in awe of God and take delight in his commands to us (which is a natural response when we reverence the source of those commands) we are blessed. This may not result in instant and continuous happiness (as we imagine happiness to be), but there is a state of contentment, peace and joy that we can live in when we fix our eyes on the Lord in reverence and delight.

I love the beautiful poinsettia image from the November Stamp of the Month called Poinsettia Greetings. I stamped the image on watercolour card and embossed with white embossing powder then watercoloured. I cut the image out, then cut it in half so that I could use each half in a different place on the page. This page in my Illustrating Bible had lots of space to play with, so I created a honeycomb background using acrylic paints and a stencil, then stamped the verse over the top using Classy Script Alpha, Bitty Minnie Alpha and Chunky Alpha.

Next time we feel like we are lacking happiness in our lives, it might be a good idea to examine our fear of the Lord and our delight in his commands. This isn't a formula, but it is a guide to show us what true happiness looks like. I don't know about you, but I need to grow in experiencing this kind of happiness.

Be blessed...

x Amy x

White as Snow...

Isaiah 1:18

"Come let us settle this,"

Says the Lord.

"Though your sins are scarlet,

they will be as white as snow;

though they are crimson red,

they will be like wool."

In these verses of the chapter of Isaiah, the Lord is talking to the people of Jerusalem. They are the holy city, his holy people but they were turning from their once righteous ways. In Isaiah 1:21 it says, "The faithful town, what an adulterous she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her, but now murders!"

The Lord is telling the people of Jerusalem that he can bring them back from that sin. He can forgive the things they have done, the mistakes they have made. He has the power to wash away their blood stained, scarlet colored sins and forgive them. They will be washed clean, white as snow.

Some of us.... well... all of us are guilty of sin. Every... single... day we sin in one for or another. We are not perfect, and God didn't create us to be perfect. No one can be perfect. But, he is telling us that though we may fall short of perfection, we will sin, he will forgive us of it all. That doesn't mean go do what you want to do and all will be forgiven. If we live our best lives, doing our best to live our lives according to God's word, he will forgive us when we fall short. 

We all have our pasts. Some more soaked in crimson red stains than others. But, we are all guilty in one form or another. The Lord is the only one who can fully forgive us of our sins, our mistakes, the things we may hold deep inside and that maybe no one else even knows. What a wonderful heavenly father we have that can forgive us of those mistakes!! Thank you Lord! Thank you for forgiving us of our worst mistakes and washing us white as snow! Praise God! 

xoxo,

Stephanie Gammon

@faith.and.creativity 

Folk Art Snowflakes

Script Outline Alpha 

Selah

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

2 

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 

though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah    (Psalm 46:1-3)

I always wanted to know what this word meant... Selah. 
I've heard it said that it's some type of pause; some form of meditative hesitation.  When someone says the word, I often wonder why they didn't translate this seemingly mystical word into one for our English language as a help for those of us who want to better understand this beautifully-written interjection.

I still have yet to figure that out.  All I know, is that it was placed as another piece of praise/prayer to the Lord which prompted the singers/hearers to take a breather...and just listen.  To what?  Instrumental music, mostly.  They were to take a break and just enjoy the sounds of plunking, clashing, banging, and whatever other interesting musicality they had in their day.  

There are times during a worship service where our music leader will guide the band in playing 3 to 4 wordless measures between verses of a song in order that the congregation can hold still, think on what we just sang, and prepare to pick up the next verse and choruses with stronger engagement.  Songs that have a soul-deafening sadness to them are meant to cause us to lament our sin, repent of unjust deeds, turn to the Lord, and appeal to His mercy.  Other songs are gauged to stir you to dancing, rejoicing, and praising the God above for what He has done and continues to do.  Lyrics are powerful; pauses in the middle of corporate worship are amazing and can have heart-filling effects. 

My goal is not necessarily to talk about music though.  Oh, I love music; one of my favorite things, and part of my God-given ministry at our local church house is singing.  But I'm also curious as to what may happen should we use this term, "Selah," - a pause or a break - in our every day studying. 
What if we took time to read God's Word, pausing to meditate on a particular section of scripture, thinking on His character, thinking on His heart, treasuring those things in our hearts, preparing ourselves to read a bit more, repeating said steps above?
What if, in the middle of our seeking truth and knowledge of the Bible, we intermittently took a step back to listen to the "interlude" of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him space in our time to etch the Word a bit deeper? 
Maybe we read a passage one more time.
Maybe we read a passage many times.
Maybe we slow down; stop rushing; start feasting.

There are many ways to glorify our God, but more than anything He wants us to be completely aware of Him, enjoying Him, and finding our daily satisfaction in Him.  But like anything else, a hurried job is a sloppy job.  By taking, making room for, implementing "Selah" in study, our daily Bible reading could take on a whole new form; it could become more worshipful, more meaningful, more fruitful, more beautiful! Our spiritual eyes may behold something more amazing, breath-taking, awe-inspiring.
It's just a thought.  Whenever I see "Selah" in the Psalms, though it was originally given for pause in prayer and worship, I wonder what it is that I just read that needs to be taken a bit more into consideration. 
In the verses above, for example, reading how God is our refuge, our strength, our help, our present protection is awesome!  Reading about His power, might, sovereignty and kingship is inspiring... Selah. 
Sit still.
Wait.
Think about it.
Lean in to it.
Pause.
Pray.
Praise!

Giving the Holy Spirit a bit of additional time to impress our souls with this description of God, may just make a world of difference as we navigate our day.  It may just bring a closer assurance and a more solidified worship of an Almighty Fortress!  The Rock of all ages, and the King above all kings!
It may.  It's just a thought. 
So, I'm going to try it.  I'm going to make a conscious effort to "Selah" or have "Selah" or practice "Selah" when in my devotions.  During a reading, I've challenged myself to hang out, read again, study deeper, and listen more closely to God's whispers to my heart.  My goal: to be more satisfied in the Lord via the help of a "Selah." 
Let me know if you try it; I'd love to know what your thoughts are, and you're welcome to comment here if you'd like! 
Much love, friends!


Deeds

Perfect Peace

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 26:3

As we prepare to head into another crazy busy holiday season, I wanted to chat for a minute about peace. We all want peace - peace in our heart, peace with our family, peace with our friends and neighbors - but peace can be hard to find during the craziness of the holidays. Isaiah 26 talks about finding peace, and not just any peace, but perfect peace. David Guzik's commentary on Isaiah 26 tells us that the Hebrew term for perfect peace is actually shalom shalom. This shows how in Hebrew, repetition communicates intensity. It isn't just shalom; it is shalom shalom, perfect peace.

Thankfully, the verse doesn't just tell us about perfect peace, it shows us how we can acquire perfect peace - by keeping our mind fixed on the Lord. He is the source of our peace, and when we keep our mind settled and established on the Lord Himself, we can be kept in His perfect peace. 

The Bible talks an awful lot about the importance of our mind. We are to love the Lord our God with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). We can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 3:19), but to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). The Christian life is not an unthinking life of just doing, or experiencing, but it is also about thinking, and where we set our mind is essential in our walk before the Lord. (David Guzik)

To be kept in this perfect peace, our mind must be stayed. The Hebrew word sawmak comes from the rot "to prop," and has the idea "to lean upon or take hold of ... bear up, establish, uphold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay, sustain" (Strong's Dictionary).

So what props you up? What does your mind lean on? What sustains your mind throughout your day? If the answer is anything other than Christ Himself, you'll find yourself lacking the peace you so desire. To have perfect peace, you mind can't just occasionally come to the Lord; it has to be stayed on Him. 

I created this page to illustrate the perfect peace that can be found in Jesus this holiday season. I used acrylic paints, blank ink, clear iridescent embossing powder, and the Chunky Alpha and Cheerful Snowmen stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps to create this page.  

Wishing you a holiday season full of peace in Jesus Christ!

Janelle

@journalingjoy

P.S. Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is turning 12 this month!! 💖 They are celebrating with a sale all month long: 12% off your entire order (no code needed). Click on the stamp sets below to shop. 😍