Walking on Water

Puzzling Pronouns

Posted on June 20, 2015 by wamplerp

The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand ; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high. – Psalm 110:1-7

This passage begins with a somewhat confusing statement that has always intrigued me…”The Lord says to my lord”. How can God talk to Himself? Clearly this seems to be a reference to Jesus and a “reflection of Him” in the psalms. His mighty scepter will extend from Zion.

Then comes an interesting water reference, “your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb”. It is not immediately clear to me which young men God is referring to here. Perhaps it is referring to the early disciples of Jesus? Certainly young men like Peter and John came to Jesus in a very organic way. How were the early followers of Jesus like “dew from the morning’s womb”. Dew 1) comes from a condensate of water from the air; 2) it covers everything; and 3) it comes as a result of the changing temperature brought on by the rising sun (son).

In previous posts I have explored how Jesus is in some ways like a Godly Condensate. Jesus became man out of the spiritual realm that God normally inhabits just like dew condensates from the air. The impact of Jesus’ arrival on earth was universal and blind to economic and social differences

The condensate of God, Jesus, covers everything. It does not make a difference if we are black, white, red, purple, or some other color. We are one in Christ as I was reminded when I attended church last sunday. The “dew” covers everything. It does not choose to fall on certain people because of their wealth or power. It falls on all those who are willing to faithfully follow the savior.

Dew also comes as a result of a change in air temperature. The air cools as the sun goes down. Cold air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air so when it cools dew occurs. The opposite happens when air warms when the sun comes up….the dew returns to the air from which it came. The spiritual equivalent of dew is in some ways the Holy Spirit. While Jesus was on earth He was the “dew”…the godly condensate. After he rose from the dead the “dew” changed form and was manifest as the Holy spirit

Prayer: God You are present in many forms but you are one God. Help us to experience you in all the forms present here on earth.

Posted in Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, God's Love for Us, Psalms, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, dew, water | 1 Comment

Murky Water – Clothed in Cursing

Posted on June 19, 2015 by wamplerp

“murky water”

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord ; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. May their sins always remain before the Lord , that he may blot out their name from the earth. For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. May this be the Lord ’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. But you, Sovereign Lord , help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. – Psalm 109:6-25

This is a strange and confusing passage to be sure…funny water. I have prayed over it several times and the true meaning of what is going on in the passage remains a bit murky.

Both the enemy of the author (this is listed as a psalm of David) and the evil person in this passage are described as pretty destitute of redeeming qualities. The evil accuser who stands at the right hand of the author’s enemy sounds a bit like the deceiver incarnate, or one of his minions.

I am not sure if the author here is King David or not but it certainly sounds like it could be him in the midst of the many battles with enemies recounted back in 2 Samuel 22:1-7 when David feels torn by rip currents and raging torrents. David was drawn from these deep waters just as God is prepared to rescue us if we are willing and ready to be rescued.

Interestingly, the author then proceeds to invoke many statements of ill will toward the ” enemy”. I am not sure what the exact definition of a “curse” is but these statements sound a lot like cursing to me. The first definition provided on freedictionary.com is “An appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall someone or something.” That would seem to fit the long list of “may…” statements like “May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.”

It seems like the accusing finger of the author is pointing squarely at himself in many ways. “He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him.” This seems a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. Maybe David is in fact accusing himself of doing the very things he is claiming that his enemies should be cursed for doing. It is really not clear…murky to be sure.

Water comes into this passage with the statement “He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.” This would seem to describe the author as well as the “enemy” that he is cursing. It seems that cursing is a bit like a slow acting poison that becomes infused into our souls like water. If we are not careful to harness the cursing it threatens to define who we are…”into our bones like oil.”

It is almost as if this is a thinly disguised self-rebuke by David for all the ways he missed the mark as a flawed follower of God. The take home message seems to be that we all “fade away like an evening shadows” so don’t waste your time here on earth giving cursings rather than blessings.

Prayer: God help us to focus our time and energy on blessing rather than cursing.

SDG

Posted in Christian Community, Christianity, Conflict, Death and Dying, Discernment, Following God, Forgiveness, God's Love for Us, Obedience, Psalms, reconciliation, religion, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, blessings, Christianity, cursing, Daily devotional, faith, water | Leave a comment

Eddying Out – A “Secret Garden” in Aburi

Posted on June 18, 2015 by wamplerp

“My days are swifter than a runner….They skim past like boats of papyrus…”(Job 9:25). Yesterday was our sixth day in Ghana, west Africa. It was a whirlpool of activity and adventure…so much so that I am taking a day to “Eddy out” from my Walk on Water.

The students and I took a break from the classroom for an “African adventure” to Aburi Botanical Garden and a nongovernmental organization called ABAN (A Ban Against Neglect) in Aburi. Aburi is a beautiful little town located in the mountains northeast of Accra with several well-known schools and beautiful churches. Aburi faces some economic and social challenges that ABAN is attempting to solve at the grassroots level…more about them in a moment.

Aburi Botanical Garden reminds of the book “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In the book a garden is found overgrown and neglected because of a great loss suffered by the father of one of the book’s main characters, Colin. In fact two of the main characters feel neglected and alone. Mary Lennox, whose parents died in India; and Colin whose mother died when he was a baby. With the help of an amazing young “gardener” with a gentle spirit named Dickon, Dickon and Mary set about to renovate the “secret garden” hidden and neglected since the tragic loss of Colin’s mother. In the process of renovating the secret garden Mary, Colin, and Colin’s father are renovated.

I am not sure why resources are not available to maintain the Aburi gardens but they have become overgrown and neglected in some locations and many of the buildings and pathways look like they could use some refurbishing and renovating. Just like in the book, beauty and bounty are present but they are sometimes hidden by neglect. The gardens remain very beautiful for those who have the time, and a knowledgeable guide, to help them see the wonder that is all around. We saw trees that bear many of the spices we use for cooking like allspice, nutmeg, cocoa, and cinnamon. The trees were interspersed with flowers and a few interesting critters like a large millipede crossed our path.

After our Ghanaian lunch and visiting the garden we drove through the town of Aburi to ABAN. ABAN was started by students attending the University of Ghana in 2008 (Ghanaians and GVSU exchange students). The idea came out of a class project inspired by their professor Dr. Justice Bawole. The idea was to train young mothers who were being neglected by their communities and address an environmental issue (plastic discarded from the water sachets used to sell water) at the same time. ABAN provides jobs, a safe place, and training so that these young mothers have choices.

Each of these women is in many ways a “secret garden” that ABAN is helping to reveal and “refurbish”. Young mothers are often stigmatized and neglected and ABAN provides the space and time to clear away some of the “weeds” and “thorns” that have grown up in their lives. Through this process they reveal the amazing talents and spirits within these women. I have great admiration for these women, the work the people of ABAN are doing, and the impact they are making in the lives of those they are serving and their community. ABAN is funded by donations and the sales of the products made by the young women. You can support their efforts to “ban neglect” by donating or purchasing their products.

Prayer: God thank You for revealing “secret gardens” in all of us through your love and the love of those who are serving as your hands and feet.

Posted in Discernment, Eddying Out, Following God, Forgiveness, Ghana, God's Love for Us, Healing, Love for the Lost, Obedience, reconciliation, Redemption, The Nature of God, Trusting God | Tagged eddying out, faith, pregnancy, Redemption | Leave a comment

Ponder the Loving Deeds of the Lord

Posted on June 16, 2015 by wamplerp

He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord. – Psalm 107:33-43

The first part of this passage sounds like a headline from California during the recent droughts. I am not sure if California is more wicked than any other state, but many powerful and prestigious people there do not publicly acknowledge or glorify God. Does God allow droughts to get our attention? I do not know.

The same God who can bring drought – to wake us from our slumber – has said that He wants to carry us like a son or daughter. Two very different sides of the same God…a God who can convert “fruitful land into a salt waste” and a God who can do just the opposite by turning “parched ground into flowing springs“. What determines God’s trajectory and choices when it comes to interacting with us humans? Why does He bring both drought and rain, and does what we are doing affect God’s choices?

Metaphorically droughts and rain are often used to refer to the spiritual state of our souls. Most followers of God experience differences in how close they feel to the God. During “Dry” periods we feel far from God and, depending on the timing and nature of God’s rain, we can feel refreshed or oppressed during “wet” periods. Either way God’s prefers that we drink rain from heaven to satisfy our thirst.

Some people wonder why a God who loves us would send calamity or conflict (rain or drought) into our lives. Is it ever a “loving deed” for God to send “drought” spirituality or physically? I think the short answer to this important question is “yes”. The poster child for this would have to be Job. God loved Him greatly, yet he experienced some of the worst earthly calamities imaginable.

God loves us and believes in us even when we do not believe in Him. He wants us to place Him at a the center of our souls. Perhaps water has to become scarce sometimes before we seek it out. Followers of Christ, and all spiritually curious God seekers, go through spiritually dry times. God wants our souls to want Him like a deer pants for water during dry spiritual times. He wants us to satisfy our spiritual thirst by remaining connected to the spring.

The passage ends with an interesting command “Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord”. What does this mean? The things to be heeded are essentially the history of God and the Israelites. I think this command applies to us more broadly too. We are called to remember the things God has done for us to put the rains and droughts in perspective.

We are also to “ponder the loving deeds of the Lord”. I really like this wording. God knows that we will be confused by the spiritual dynamic here on earth at times. He wants us to ponder and think about these things, but He also wants us to remember that He loves us.

Prayer: God thank You for loving us enough to get our attention at times.

SDG

Posted in Christianity, Discernment, Following God, Free Will, God's Love for Us, Obedience, Psalms, The Earthly Realm, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, faith, labyrinth, rain, water | 2 Comments

Merchants on the Mighty Waters

Posted on June 16, 2015 by wamplerp

Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord , his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. – Psalm 107:23-32

I have been out on the sea a few times in my life. Probably the most memorable experience was a deep sea fishing trip I went on with my dad and father-in-law. We went fishing out of Newport, Oregon. It was intended to be a bonding experience, Unfortunately I spent more time bonding with the side of the boat than those who I intended to bond with on the trip.

We left Newport and all seemed well as we made our way out through the jetty into the Pacific Ocean. I knew something was not quite right as we left the protected channel and the swells seemed to take the boat 10’s of feet up then drop it 10’s of feet when the next trough arrived. The ocean did not look rough but these swells of “mighty water” turned my fishing trip into a stomach evacuation exercise. At one point I can distinctly remember being curled up in the fetal position in the cabin thinking that I would rather die than endure being seasick any longer. Fortunately I did not die and we did eventually make it back to the dock. I was never so glad to step off a boat in my life.

I can totally relate to the “merchants on mighty waters” that this passage is talking about when it says “They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end”. I thought I was at my life’s end! Being seasick was such a helpless feeling, and all because my physical body had lost its equilibrium due to the waves of the “mighty sea”. The Lord brought me out of my physical distress when we arrived back at the dock and I am confident He can do the same when we encounter “soul swells”.

I think many people sometimes feel “soul seasick”. They can lose their equilibrium as the waves and breakers of life rock their soul. I am not sure what the equivalent of vomiting is for our souls, but perhaps it is behaviors and actions that we feel unable to stop or control that are actually harming our souls. Things like addictions to alcohol, pornography, work, social media, or drugs. If we do as this passage recommends and cry out to God I am confident He can “still the storm to a whisper” and hush the pounding waves.

Prayer: God thank You for being there when we experience soul sickness that feels like it may never end.

Posted in Christianity, Death and Dying, Faith, Following God, God's Love for Us, Healing, Life Together, Love for the Lost, Nature, Psalms, reconciliation, Redemption, The Earthly Realm, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm, Trusting God | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, faith, Sea, sea sickness, water, waves | Leave a comment

Rabbit Trail #11 – God is Bigger on the Inside

Posted on June 15, 2015 by wamplerp

I was blessed to gather with fellow followers of the way of Jesus yesterday morning at a church on the campus of the University of Ghana called Legon Interdenominational Church (LIC). The experience was so moving on so many levels that I do not know where to begin, but I felt moved to reflect on it in a “Rabbit Trail”…so off we go.

The day started with hard drenching rain so myself and two colleagues caught a taxi to the hostel where the study abroad students we are leading from GVSU are staying. I thought perhaps the early hour and the hard rain would dampen the student’s enthusiasm. It did not. All 12 students showed up “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” as my dad used to say. 3 headed off to a Catholic mass with my two colleagues and 9 of them went with me to the LIC.

We took taxis to escape the rain and via three taxis we made it to LIC in time for the 9:15 am service. We found seats and began to sing songs in African language (Ashanti I believe). The song that caught my attention, and brought tears to my eyes, included the phrase “God is bigger than people say He is”.

As I attempted to sing I was experiencing just how big God is at that very moment. We were praising God in a common language of love – people of all nationalities, ages, genders, colors, denominations, and races. God is bigger than all these things.

I am a Doctor Who fan. Those familiar with Doctor Who know that he travels through time and space in something called a TARDIS which stands for time and relative dimensions in space. Dr. Who, a “time lord” travels through time and space with earthly sidekicks having all sorts of adventures.

The interesting thing about the TARDIS is that from the outside it looks like an ordinary blue British police telephone box, but on the inside it is a magical place with many rooms and wonders. On the outside of the TARDIS is a sign that reads “Free for use of the public – advice and assistance obtainable immediately”. The church we were in could have had a sign that read “Free and open to all those who follow Jesus – advice, assistance, and acceptance available immediately”.

The LIC and experience worshiping God with my Ghanaian brothers and sisters was very much like a spiritual TARDIS for me yesterday…it “the church” (“where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name”) was bigger on the inside than the outside (the church building).

The Lord of time and space Himself, God, was present in an almost tangible way. to show us the way. People sang and danced for, and it seemed with, God. At one point we were treated to a choir of children from a group called “Press on Kids” that was truly amazing. We also shared prayers and gifts for those impacted by the recent flooding and fire in Accra, Ghana.

God transcended time and dimensions to join us in that building that was clearly not big enough on the outside to hold Him. It was an experience that I will cherish and remember as long as I have a memory to do so.

Prayer: God thank You so much for promising to join us when we gather in Your name, and providing a common language of love we can share.

SDG

Posted in Christian Community, Christian Leadership, Christianity, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Ghana, God's Love for Us, Life Together, Obedience, Rabbit Trails, religion, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Christianity, Church, Community, Daily devotional, Ghana, Legon, LIC, religion | 11 Comments

Meribah Remembered

Posted on June 14, 2015 by wamplerp

http://thesaltcollective.org/

They yoke themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they aroused the Lord ’s anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord , and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips. – Psalm 106:28-33

This passage starts off with an interesting concept…that of “yoking” oneself to something. Now I am no oxen but I am pretty sure that most oxen would not choose to be yoked to a plow or a cart if given the choice. What does it say about the people this passage that they “yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor”? What does it say about us when we yoke ourselves things?

What sort of things do we voluntarily attach to ourselves that make our toil here on earth all the more difficult? What comes to my mind is things like guilt that we hang around our neck; the small voice of perfectionism that can convince us that we must carry more than we ought; comfortable philosophies that promise much but deliver little in the way of truth and clear direction; and perhaps the most insidious of all – an unmoving “cart” of apathy that prevents us from examining our lives and radically following a God who loves us and wants to carry us like a son or daughter.

The people of this passage also “ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods”. This statement is both perplexing and profound. The perplexing part to me is the significance of “eating sacrifices” — consuming something intended for some other purpose. In a sense that is what we are doing when we “yoke” ourselves to things other than those that God intends for us. We are consuming the spiritual “food” that God provides to pull the wrong cart. The profound part of this statement is that the God the people of this passage are to follow is not lifeless — He is alive — or “God is not dead” to quote a recent movie of the same name.

Water comes up in this passage with a reference to the Meribah incident described back in Numbers 20:6-13, where Moses and Aaron were given a clear choice of whether to lead by following or lead from behind…Moses and Aaron chose poorly and forfeited the opportunity to enter the long awaited promised land.

Although buried in a seemingly obscure reference in the book of Numbers the “Meribah test” was clearly an important turning point for Israel. Unfortunately it was a turning away, rather than toward, God and Moses and Aaron had the steering wheel. Moses had yoked himself to something other than God and it cost him dearly.

Prayer: God help us to identify those things in our lives that are consuming spiritual resources intended for another purpose.

Posted in Christianity, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, God's Love for Us, Obedience, Psalms, The Nature of God, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged "God is not dead", bible, bible study, Christianity, Daily devotional, faith, Meribah, Meribah Test, water | Leave a comment

Red Sea Rebuke Revisited

Posted on June 13, 2015 by wamplerp

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/22/article-1313946-0B4A70CC000005DC-965_634x337.jpg

We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them. In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord . The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram. Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked. At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. – Psalm 106:6-23

Well I have successfully translocated across the Atlantic to Ghana, west Africa. Our travels were long but mostly uneventful…I am returning to the water to see where it takes us.

There is a lot going on in today’s passage on multiple levels. It is a circling back passage to remember how God showed up for the Israelites as they to were fleeing the Egyptians. It is easy to gloss over the profound rebellion and rebuke that occurred on the shores of the Red Sea, but that rebellion has many things in common with our current rebellion and estrangement from God.

Many of the Israelites were ready to return to slavery in Egypt – choose slavery over a sovereign God. I think many of us still struggle with this choice, even after we have committed to following God. We have second thoughts about our decision when things get confusing or hard just as the Israelites did on the banks of the Red Sea.

This dynamic tension between radical surrender to God and return to the slavery of old habits and patterns is as difficult now as it was then. Our slavery may look different than the bondage, bricks, and rafted babies along the Nile, but the fundamental spiritual dynamic may not be so different. The battle for our souls is primarily a spiritual one that takes place within the context of the secular snares that can enslave us.

The root problem for the Israelites, and us, is that they “forgot the God who saved them” and they did not “did not wait for his plan to unfold”. We tend to forget the God who saved us, Jesus, and we are often unwilling or unable to wait for His plan to unfold in our lives. It is hard to wait sometimes when we feel like the “Egyptians are on our heels” pursuing us and trying to pull us back into old patterns and behaviors that enslave us.

Toward the end of the passage is an interesting prophetic “reflection of Him“. Moses “his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.” This is precisely what Jesus did and does for us as well. He stands in the breach that separates us from God…we hold His hand and He holds God’s hand.

Prayer: God thank You for safe travels and for sending a savior to stand in the breach for us and show us the Way.

Posted in Covenant, Discernment, Discipleship, Faith, Following God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Psalms, The Spiritual Realm | Tagged bible, bible study, Daily devotional, faith, water | Leave a comment

Eddying Out – Transatlantic Translocation

Posted on June 11, 2015 by wamplerp

I am headed to Ghana west Africa today to serve as the director of a study abroad program for the university where I teach, Grand Valley State University. I will be learning alongside 15 eager young students as we explore human trafficking, health issues, and sustainable safe water in Ghana.

I will probably be “off the water” for several days while I translocate across the Atlantic. I expect my experiences and adventures for the next several weeks will find their way into my walking on water posts as God shows me how to rely on Him daily.

I am looking forward to learning more about Ghana, the Ghanaian people and traditions, myself, and the amazing young people I will be travelling with for the next several weeks.

Prayer: God grant me and the group I am travelling with wisdom, patience, and safety while we are in Africa.

Posted in Eddying Out, Following God, Ghana, Nature | Tagged faith, Ghana, Science, water | 1 Comment

Like a River in the Desert

Posted on June 10, 2015 by wamplerp

He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for— that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the Lord . – Psalm 105:29-45

This passage covers a lot of familiar water. It is a circling back passage to recount and remember the time under slavery in Egypt through the many events to get Pharaoh’s attention, and finally to the crossing over of the Jordan into the promised land. As I am writing this short summary of events it occurs to me that the journey that Israel made has many things in common with my journey from being an agnostic to someone “all in” for Jesus the Christ.

My “Egypt” was personal rather than geographical. I was enslaved by egotism and self-focus. Which I guess one could argue was the driving force for the Egyptians to enslave the Israelites. They wanted to erect monuments to their egos in the form of pyramids. My monuments are less impressive, although perhaps no less self-focused. God finally got my attention through a series of events and people that made it difficult to ignore the messiah from Nazareth.

God led me, and continues to lead me, through His spirit which speaks to my soul. The leading sometimes feels as nebulous as a cloud and other times as bright as a burning light in the pitch darkness of the night. God provides me with everything I need, although not always what I want. Just like the Israelites I am sometimes confused by God’s provision and ask as the Israelites did — “what is it?” when God provides me with much needed manna.

God has opened a virtual and literal rock for me so that His living water can flow into my life. It is this water that sustains me as I walk and toil in this spiritual desert we call earth.

Prayer: God thank You for providing us with living water amidst the spiritual desert in which we live.