Written weeks ago, shared today.
"For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6

"for darkness is as light with You...wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." - Psalm 139:12b,14b.
 

I’ve been waiting on these to arrive! I ordered two sets over a month ago. They are Shabbat candle holders from Israel. There is no significance in the holders themselves. I honestly had no idea my ETSY purchase would be coming from Israel until after purchasing. My confirmation email gave a delivery date that wouldn't be until a month later. The added detail of "shipped from Israel" made me smile. I simply wanted something with Hebrew words (personal preference) and a visual reminder to "remember" and "observe" a day of rest. I am a follower of Jesus, but studying a few of the Old Testament practices has been eye opening. There is definitely value in the attention to detail and intentional setting aside a time of rest. Visual reminders also help set the tone for the desires in our hearts. I had no idea after making my purchase, just how much I would need to remind myself to rest, observe, and remember the incredible faithfulness of my God. 

More than Minutes
 

The commandment of "Sabbath" included a full day of rest. Much like the tithe in which we honor the Lord with our material earnings, trusting He will bless and allow us to survive on the remainder, the Sabbath also requires trusting the Lord to accomplish His will in our 6 days of work leaving one day set aside for rest and worshipping God. In addition to a full day of rest for Sabbath, so many festivals and practices of the Israelites lasted days, sometimes longer. The journeys of worship, grief, celebration, purification, remembrance...He is in it all and none of those things are expected to be experienced in the passing minutes we seem to give our emotions and to our God in the world today.

Our Father gently leads and guides. It is a process. There are promises all throughout the Bible and sometimes I see those like a child who has been told they are going somewhere exciting. Disney World for instance. Those of you who have had kids KNOW you don’t tell a 5 year old they are going somewhere like Disney days and days before the adventure. They have ZERO concept of time and will constantly ask and ask and ask “When are we leaving?” “Are we leaving today?” “You said we are going to Disney!! I want to go now!!!" "Are we there yet??" I am most definitely that “child” with the Lord when it comes to some of the promises found in His word. The Lord however, has a perfect plan for fulfilled promises in my life. His timing and intentions are perfect and for the best interest of everyone involved. He holds the whole world in His hands. He also loves to reveal Himself in the journey as we seek and hang on to Him.

The Lord in His providence knew what was ahead in my life when He stirred my heart to purchase these visual reminders to rest, remember, and worship. He also knew they wouldn't arrive until weeks after experiencing personal disappointment. Visual reminders aren't required to draw near to Him. He is always with us. He would remind me that grief is a process and to bring the heartache and confusion to Him. To take the time to sit with and validate the emotions felt. I've been encouraged to ask Him “what do you want to show me?” And then to "be still and know (Ps 46)." Twice in the last two months I’ve done just that. Both times, He has blown me away with His presence. The first, I can’t write about. The second however, I can share and will hopefully offer encouragement to anyone walking through a season of darkness. I fully believe He offers the opportunity to bring Him our hearts and invites us to intentionally include Him in whatever our heart is experiencing. 

In His Hands

My boys were both playing soccer out of town shortly after life took a painful and unexpected turn. I was prompted to reach out to someone who lives in the same city they were playing in. We both have a love and concern for the same individual. She was so incredibly gracious and offered beautiful wisdom through a series of texts. “Praise Him.” “Praise Him for pain." “Thank Him for the opportunity to be a vessel.” “God is at work doing what HE does.” "Hard fought Hallelujah" was also a video she shared which had been released days before. I knew her words were instructions for next steps. I did exactly that. Later that evening, I spent time outside praising and worshipping the Lord. While praising and praying that night, He gave an image of a heart on a potters wheel. I knew it was Jesus who was the potter but I couldn't see His face. He lovingly and tenderly caressed His muddy hands over and over the heart on the wheel mending the fractured places. It was beautiful. There was peace. A reminder that our hearts are in His hands. I reflected on that image all week and also during that week reminders of His “enduring love” were everywhere. He surrounded me with so many reminders and my heart could genuinely praise and worship Him. He answered a prayer I had asked of Him: "let my heart be able to genuinely praise and worship in the pain." The message at church that Sunday was on wounds and the healing of hearts. I was again in awe of His persistent message. I knew He valued all of the hearts involved. The next day at work there was this hand written note on my desk. A coworker had found it and thought I would appreciate it. She had no idea what image my mind was holding onto the week before or even the life shift that had taken place. The words were from Jeremiah 17. "The heart is deceitful."  "Heal me Lord and I will be healed."  "Let the word of the Lord be fulfilled." Jeremiah didn't "run away" from being a "shepherd" either, a detail I would later notice. I continued to read. The end of the chapter talks about the Sabbath and then chapter 18 was the potters wheel. I had no idea where the “potter’s wheel” was written in the Bible but there it was in black and white in front of me that day. He also affirmed my desire to set aside more than just a few minutes seeking and worshipping Him. I found so much peace and freedom reading the pot was ruined in His hands but He shaped it into something new. A reminder that the enemy does seek to destroy (John 10:10). He may wound and shatter our hearts to pieces, but that isn’t the end of the story. When we remain in Jesus, our Father will continue to create and make something useful from what is in His hands. The heart in the hands of the potter message didn’t stop. The next day after receiving the note, a devotional I read daily by Chambers mentioned Isaiah 45:22 - it reminds us to turn to the Lord. But also in that same chapter of Isaiah was the mention of the potter. Awe again. In a book on Faith I read days later, the word “vessel” was used. Vessel is the title of Chapter 11. The chapter begins with seeking the Lord first (Matt 6:33), then Jeremiah 18 and the potters wheel, and then the wilderness will rejoice and blossom (Isaiah 35) which is my verse for 2024 (see my writing at the beginning of the year). Awe again!! The blueprint of what I was already in the process of doing was being affirmed. A daily prayer I just started listening to in the mornings included Jeremiah 18 again as well as 2 Corinthians 4 and jars of clay. On the morning I intended to put these thoughts into words, before even receiving the candle holders, AND during my dedicated morning rest with the Lord, the morning devotional was on 2 Corinthians 4 - Jars of clay and Him shining through in our weakness. When He is in us, He is what shines through us. These weren't just random occurrences, but scriptures knit together by the alive and active presence of the Holy Spirit that continues to surround, comfort, and encourage. If you are a follower of Jesus, He offers the very same for you. Seek Him. Ask Him. He will show you He is with you. He loves His children. He will not abandon you. 

His presence. His whispers. His blessed assurance. I am in the hands of Jesus. You are in His hands too. His covered in mud but all-powerful hands that traded heaven for earth to save our hearts from the enemy has your heart in His hands. When you surrender that heart to Him, it cannot be taken from His hands (John 10:28).  In taking the time to feel and experience the depth of grief, hurt, and confusion, He continues to show Himself ever so present and steady. He is just as present in the moments of celebration and expressions of love as He is in the heartbreaks. When we seek Him, when we are authentic with Him, we will find Him. A simple google search gives 100 verses on seeking and finding. He invites us to experience the depth of emotions (He created our emotions) in His presence with Him. He is what truly holds us together (Col 1:17). He was just as present in the shaping of the original "vessel" as He is in the creating of something new. Our heavenly Father who we may want to push away in hurt, feeling abandoned, is actually the one who who has held our hearts so tenderly and lovingly the entire time. He doesn’t promise immunity from trials. He promises that what we have holding onto Him can never be put to shame. Hope found in Him and that beautiful love of His will NEVER be put to shame (Romans 5:1-5). It will shine through every time if we continue to remain in Him. He is the light shining through the darkness (John 1:5).

I smiled when I finally received my package from Israel in my mail box. The bittersweet but beautiful reminder to seek His presence. To spend quality time, not just minutes, resting in His presence. It is so worth the investment. The message this past Sunday (STILL waiting on candles holders) talked about letting the light in. I love His continued reminders. He is so worthy of praise. Come to Him. Involve your senses in the process. Light a candle, speak scripture out loud, listen to worship music, go for a walk in nature, watch a sunrise, look up, be still and know. The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19). When Jesus lives in you, there is freedom. The confidence of His presence in ALL circumstances is truly the gift He will give. He is in the celebrations and the grieving. Experience the miracle of His presence in the here and now. It will stir a refreshing otherwordly joy deep in your soul. In the wait...in the journey with Him, the gifts He gives will acquire more beauty than you could ever imagine. Things are multiplied when in His hands (Mark 6). Everything He makes is good (1 Tim 4:4). "Shalom" is one of the Hebrew words written on one of the candle holders. It means "peace". He promises to keep in perfect peace those who remain steadfast in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Remain in His hands. Let Him continue to create. Let God do what He does. "We were made to be vessels of His glory and vehicles of His light." - K. Vallotton. He can rebuild the ruins (Isaiah 61:4). Let His light in. His light will shine in the darkness. He will show the way. Trust Him. Emmanuel - "God with us."