The Soul Felt its Worth...

For the last month or so, we have all been singing Christmas Carols; some fun and lively, some quiet and inspirational, as we worship the One who came to save us. But after thirty days of singing the same songs, I get a little tired of them and begin to "tune out" when I hear them.

This morning, Christmas morning, as I awoke, my cell phone "chirped" and I leaned over and picked it up to see who was messaging me. It was a Facebook notification and a friend of mine had posted a phrase from a familiar Christmas Carol: 

Til He appeared

And the soul felt its worth

My heart was pricked, and I lay there a while and thought about that statement.

The soul felt its worth.

Sometime during our lifetime, we have all struggled with our "self-worth"; whether it was as a child growing up or a young, insecure teen. Maybe as we became adults and didn't quite feel as though we measured up to our co-workers - weren't as successful as the neighbors. I doubt there is anyone who has never felt that "I'm just not good enough" syndrome at some time in their life.

Our soul felt worthless.

But God doesn't see us that way. He created us for relationship...relationship with Him. Our sin has created a chasm between Him and us, but He bridged that chasm,

with a Baby

The prophet, Isaiah, had foretold it hundreds of years before, the coming of this Child.

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, 

and they will call Him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')."

Isaiah 7:14

"God with us"... to once again be a part of our every day lives, as He once was with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Sin had separated us from Him, but now...this Child has given us Hope, Redemption, and a new sense of "worth". You see, God wouldn't leave His heavenly throne, set aside His deity, walk the earth as a man, and lay His life down in death for someone with no worth or value. Even in our imperfections, He sees our worth.

After four hundred years of silence, the angel appeared to Mary and to Joseph. And then to the shepherds with the news so many had waited for:

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

 he is the Messiah, 

the Lord."

Luke 2:8-11 

As the song says:

"A thrill of hope, 

a weary world rejoices.

For yonder breaks

a new and glorious morn." 

(O Holy Night)

Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Christ the Lord. He came as a Baby, lived as a man, died to save us and rose again to bring us victory and eternal life...all because of His great love for us.

Does your soul feels its worth?

 

Merry Christmas!

'Lena Ehlert

©Whispers in Worship

Faith and Authority...

It seems like the past few weeks God has really been challenging me on my faith and the authority that He has given me. Am I really standing in faith believing? Am I really using that authority against the enemy?

Or am I just “hoping” God will do what He said He would do? Am I giving the enemy permission to do what he wants because I don’t stand in authority?

I have seen the Hand of God move lately in ways that amaze me! And then I ask myself why I am amazed!? Didn’t I ask Him to move? Didn’t I tell the enemy I was stronger than he?

Matthew 10:1 says, “And Jesus summoned to Him His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of weakness and infirmity." (Amplified)

Jesus told His disciples, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Perhaps you don’t feel quite able to move the mountain. Jesus said in Luke 17:6, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you."

I think what God is speaking to me is that it really all comes down to my heart, my attitude, my faith. I know He can … but there’s always that question,  “Will He?” That small seed of doubt is planted and then I become “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

So here’s my challenge…. will you join me in asking and believing God for the impossible? I don’t even know what that may look like to you; but I’m ready to stand firm in my faith, face the enemy with the authority God has given to me, and watch miracles happen!

‘Lena

©Whispers in Worship

Humbled by Love . . .

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

I have just completed a Life of Christ in the Gospels class and had to submit a final paper covering the physical death of Jesus. The article I had to read was written by physicians and theologians describing the physiological affects the flogging and the crucifixion itself had on Jesus, both mentally and physically. It was a graphic and emotionally charged document.

I am normally a visual person and so, for me, the movie Passion of the Christ was a very realistic picture of what Jesus endured. But reading the description from a medical point of view had a much greater impact on me.

I am humbled by His love . . .

This was one of the most difficult papers I have ever had to write. I tried to keep myself to the clinical aspects of the physical death of Jesus; but I cannot keep from weeping when I realize He went through all of this for me. I am afraid that often we, as Christians, have become jaded and complacent in our thinking; far too often we have “sanitized” the death of Jesus to make it more palatable. It is just too hard to think of the details of His death, so let’s just be content with the fact that He died  in our place. But when one stops to take the time to reflect on the details, the actuality of the deed itself, it becomes overwhelming. And yet, Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself over to pain, anguish and suffering.

One of the requirements of the paper was to look at the offensiveness of the cross. But, when I look at the cross I don’t see it as offensive; I see beauty. The beauty of a love I cannot begin to understand or return. Instead of the offensiveness of sin, I see the beauty of Redemption, the Love of a Father to a child . . . the Mercy and Grace of an awesome God.

And I am humbled by His love . . .

 'Lena Ehlert

©Whispers in Worship

Blind Faith...

This may seem like a silly story, but God often uses the simple things in life to get my attention. 
 

It had been an exceptionally tight month financially for the Ehlert family. This particular morning found us two days away from payday with no gas in the car and even less money in the bank… just being totally transparent here. But, my daughter was getting paid that and would be giving us money for her car insurance and phone bill, so I knew I would then be able to put gas in the car. 

My plan for the morning was to take my son to Edmonds Community College, then take Rebecca to work, go back and pick up Mackenzie and take him to school and then head back home; then later in the afternoon, I would pick up Rebecca from work, take her to the bank and then go get gas. (One of my job descriptions was chauffeur.) 

By the time I picked Mackenzie up from the college and headed home, it was obvious I wasn’t going to have enough gas to do the second part of my plan, so I came up with plan B. I knew I could get to the gas station at Fred Meyer and write a check for gas and then put Rebecca’s check in the bank to cover it in the afternoon. So I headed back out; only to get to Fred Meyer and look in my purse and realize I didn’t have the checkbook! I know… I should have looked before I left the house. 

So, back home I went, but by then the gas needle wasn’t even registering. I wasn’t sure if I should continue on with Plan B but I really didn’t have a choice. So, I got back in the car and headed back to Freddie’s. As I was driving, I began praying. “Thank You, God, for always providing for us even when it seemed impossible. Thank you for always guarding and protecting us. I trust You to do that again; I am driving with blind faith that You will multiply the gas in this car. “

Suddenly, as I said the words “blind faith” I had a picture of the widow woman pouring oil into her jars. She was almost out of oil and completely out of money; Elisha had told her to gather jars, not just a few, and pour the oil into the jars (2 Kings 4). This woman knew she had a “little” oil, but she did not know as she poured it into the jars how much “more” oil she had. As she poured out the oil, she was pouring out her faith. And she did not run out of oil until she ran out of jars. 

"They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring."

2 Kings 4:5b NIV

That day I found myself almost out of gas, and completely out of money. I was driving with “blind faith” not able to see with my eyes how much gas was in my car, but trusting God to multiply it until it was enough. I just kept my foot on the peddle and headed for my destination.

From that moment on, I began to thank God for His provision, even though I couldn’t see it. I wanted the gas needle to move to prove to me He had done it, but it stubbornly stayed beneath the “E”. The widow didn’t have a gauge to tell her how much oil was left in her jar; she just kept on pouring. So I just kept driving.

How many times do we want God to “show” us that He is moving, even when we can’t see it with our eyes? What are you trusting God to do in your life? Are you discouraged because you don’t “see” the miracle happening? Keep doing what He has told you to do and begin thanking Him now for the answer.

Oh, and yes...I made it to the gas station!

Blind faith …

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;

it gives us assurance about things we  cannot see."

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Finish the Work!

So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it 

may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV

I had the television on this morning as I was doing stuff around the house and heard a segment of a teaching by Beth Moore. She grabbed my attention when she said,

“If Satan cannot threaten the person, he threatens the process 

making it impossible to finish what you have been called to do…

If you have put your calling on hold, it’s time to get off pause and back on it! 

If you’ve lost interest, get it back… keep going. Press on! 

Believe God to bring it back! 

Or you’ll never finish anything.”

That stopped me because I have been called to do something that hasn’t come completely to fruition and it’s been twelve years. Many times I do get discouraged and question whether I truly heard from the Lord. Perhaps I don’t really have what it takes; someone else can do it better. I’m just not ready!

All kinds of excuses arise for not doing or completing what God has called us to do. And the enemy would love to stop the work of the Lord and what better way than to convince us we aren’t able to do the work of the Lord.

But Romans 11:29 says, 

“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. 

[He never withdraws them when once they are given, 

and He does not change His mind 

about those to whom He gives His grace 

or to whom He sends His call]" (Amplified).

God does not change His mind…

often we change ours.

If God has called you to do something, a ministry, a vocation, an act of service, whatever it is… do not doubt His call. I’ve returned to the calling He gave me twelve years ago. Together, let’s finish the work, and finish it well.

‘Lena Ehlert

©Whispers in Worship

A Piece of Jesus

“She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”

(Mark 5:27-29)

My sister was watching a movie a couple of nights ago called Stolen Summer and posted a comment on her Facebook page about one of the scenes in the movie in which a little boy was caught stealing the communion elements. When asked by the priest why he wanted them, the little boy explained: “I have a friend who needs a piece of Jesus.” I told her it sounded like the basis for a blog post and if she didn't write it, I would. Well, she beat me to it, (http://purposeandjoy.blogspot.com/2013/09/come-to-table.html), but I haven't been able to get it out of my mind....

I’ve never heard of the movie before, let alone seen it. But as I thought about the little boy’s explanation I was reminded of a story in the book of Mark about the woman who had been sick for twelve years. She had spent all she had on physicians but instead of getting better, she only became worse. She was at the end of her rope and “needed a piece of Jesus.” In her desperation, she pushed through the crowd…

 "If I touch even His garments, I will be made well."

This desperate woman knew that all she needed was just one touch, just one “piece” of Jesus to receive her healing and change her life! The power that flowed through Jesus extended into the garment He wore; and the faith of this woman was such that she just needed to touch the hem of His robe to receive her healing.

While I understand the statement of the little boy whose friend needed “a piece of Jesus” I want all of Him! I want all of His power, all of His majesty, all of His love and all of His mercy. But I know that even if I only get a piece of Him…it will still be more than enough!

‘Lena

©Whispers in Worship