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Our Motives, Intentions and Attitudes [Toward Others]—Part 2

I’ll never forget it. My first thought was, “What was his motive or motives for such a horrendous act?”

In 2009, the New York Times reported that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a military psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others at the Fort Hood Army base in Central Texas. ¹

Last week, I wondered about the motives of whoever was sending package bombs to media and political figures around the country.

Fortunately, the police and FBI arrested Cesar Sayoc, 56, of South Florida as the prime suspect in the bomb mailings. Based on evidence collected so far, his motive appears to be extreme hatred of left-learning politicians and public figures.

Being a sociology major, I am extremely interested in what makes people tick. Crime shows fascinate me. In these shows, the question of motives always comes up either in the show or within my own mind.

Why Do We Want to Know a Person’s Motive?

  • To indulge our curiosity;
  • To know how to prevent future civil or moral disobedience;
  • To judge others;
  • To know how we can help solve others’ problems through acts of kindness; or
  • To pray for them.

In my blog titled Our Motives, Intentions, and Attitudes – Part 1, we discussed how to analyze our own motives. In Part 2, we will be looking into how we judge other people’s motives and whether it is right or wrong to do so from a Biblical perspective.

As we approach this topic, let’s remember that as we look upon the motives of others, they are looking back at us with the same inquiring mind, wondering, in turn, what our motives might be. Sometimes it is obvious; other times it is not.

When we judge (or try to analyze) the motives of others, our own belief system, personal experiences, desires, and other peripheral factors always come into play—affecting our perception of others.

Are We Judging Others When We Look at Their Motives?

It depends!

Motives can be good or bad, so we must balance how we view motives very carefully: we can’t always determine the motives of a person just by their behavior, deeds, or talk.

I must admit, when I was in my early twenties, I went to Sunday School to learn about God, but I had a double-motive. I wanted to find some dating possibilities. My motivation was what most Christ-followers can accept—the desire to find and date someone with like spiritual beliefs. While not 100% pure motives were involved, most accept and understand my dual motives.

Scrutinizing others’ motives should entail looking at our fellow human beings with the goal of glorifying God. Our words and thoughts should be gentle and humble—always seeking the best outcome for the other person. In this scenario, we would be looking at others in a righteous manner.

When we look at motives in an unrighteous way, our judgments are usually inconsistent with the way Jesus looks at us. Rudeness, roughness, humiliation and deviating from looking at others through the eyes of our Lord is prevalent today. Just look at many of our current political debates where intolerance and a lack of respect exist.

In 1 Chronicles 19, David was fleeing from King Saul and he received help from the Ammonite King Nahash. Nahash and David teamed up and together took on Saul and his army. Nahash eventually died and David, who succeeded Saul as King of Israel, tried to reach out to Nahash’s son King Hanun, but Hanun and his advisors became leery of David’s motives.

David’s men tried to express sorrow for Nahash’s death. Instead of accepting David’s offer of peace and alliance, Hanun humiliated the envoys by shaving their beards and cutting off their garments in the middle.

If Nahash would have taken the time to confirm David’s intentions, things would have turned out differently. Instead of harmonious relations, war broke out between them, and Israel defeated Nahash’s kingdom in Aram.

It didn’t take long for Hanun to decide that King David was insincere in reaching out to give consolation regarding his father’s death. But, he was dead wrong in his analysis.

King Hanun was easily influenced by his princes. Just like Hanun, we allow our friends, spouses, employees and previous experiences to color our attitudes, knowing full-well that adhering to God’s Word should be the primary motive in guiding our actions. Hanun’s princes should have given him time to think through and evaluate David’s kindness.

Instead they asked:

  • Do you think that David’s servants came to Hanum in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him?
  • Did you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you?
  • Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?

In these questions, we see an unreliable group of people who probably had their own motives and agenda in mind to influence the King.

When we look at others, our mind, soul and spirit should be in alignment with the mind of Christ. Seeking God’s perspective on our psyche, spiritual life, and experiences guides us to a true discernment of a person’s motives; this helps us assist them in becoming in tune with God’s ultimate will for their lives.

Through prayer, the Holy Spirit’s guidance and a deep desire to live in the spiritual realm, we can gain an understanding of the intentions of others—most of the time!

The Bible says,

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” (Luke 6:37)

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

What Does the Bible Mean When It Says, “We Are Not to Judge Others”?

In an article titled, What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others? by GotQuestions.org, it says:

  • The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean there should be no mechanism for dealing with sin. Christians are often accused of judging or intolerance when they speak out against sin. But opposing sin is not wrong.
  • The Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean we cannot show discernment. Jesus is giving us permission to tell right from wrong. In Matthew 7:15-16, Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them”—the false prophets.
  • Jesus gives a direct command to judge: Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. (John 7:24)
  • We are always to be gentle toward everyone. Harsh, unforgiving judgment is wrong. (Titus 3:2)
  • Self-righteous judgment is wrong. We are called to humility, and God opposes the proud. (James 4:6)
  • Untrue judgment is wrong. The Bible says to slander no one. (Titus 3:2)
  • Believers are warned against judging others unfairly or unrighteously, but Jesus commends right judgment. (John 7:24) ²

When sin is involved, discerning the motives of others might be the difference between leading a person back to the Lord or letting him continue in sin, thus having him miss out on God’s best for his life.

One time, a prominent member on the school board of the Christian school where I was employed either didn’t like me or misunderstood my motives. Unfortunately, it resulted in me losing my job. Being unjustly criticized (without recourse) by another purported Christ-follower was an extremely painful experience. In a situation like this, a discussion of the situation would have been very helpful in my understanding the member’s motives and, eventually, my forgiving this action. Instead, long years of speculation have occurred.

Another time, one of my best friends misunderstood why I did not congratulate her and her daughter when they “walked down the aisle” upon her daughter’s acceptance of Christ. I was oblivious to the hurt feelings my friend experienced and how upset she was with me. Providentially, my friend called me up and brought my attention to her hurt feelings; thus, reconciliation occurred immediately.

In the first situation, there was no room for discussion, and years and years have passed where I am still haunted about what happened regarding “being let go” because there was no resolution.

In the second scenario, motives were discussed, handled, forgiven, and we were able to move on to a life-long friendship which is deeper than ever because we learned the correct way to handle it.

Discerning the Motives of Others

Reading others’ motives is a skill.

It’s important to remember that not all people’s motives are bad. Many motives are downright positive, e.g. wanting to help someone be all the Lord wants them to be.

In How to Read People’s Motives by Western Mastery, this article discusses why we might want to discern the motives of others.

Their reasoning is because when we know the motives of others, it helps us to know their intentions, helps us to gain insight, how to respond, and how to address their behaviors; ³

When we want to help others to yield their lives to Christ and to His character, discerning their motives might be just the catalyst the Lord wants to use to change their lives.

Misreading the Intentions of Others

On the other hand, it is extremely easy to make a snap judgment about someone or their behavior. Misreading others’ intentions is quite probable. We can misconstrue why people are jealous, fearful, and/or lazy.

We must be extremely careful not to undermine a person or their behavior without cause.

For instance, jealousy can cause a person to question a comrade’s motives because they might feel that their comrade is taking a rightly-earned place or position which the person believes should have instead been his own. Tragically, misreading motives could lead to future scheming, avoidance or even feeling unduly threatened or resentful in the comrade’s presence. In the workplace, this could culminate in a co-worker believing they deserve the promotion or the higher-paying position when, in fact, they do not deserve either one.

What Should We Do When We Question the Motives of Others?

Let’s face it—we are human beings and we sometimes wonder about the motives of others. It may be a cursory glance or a scrutinizing in-depth evaluation.

Some tips are:

  • Don’t rely on a preconceived notion about others. People change. God DOES change people;
  • Don’t depend exclusively on first impressions or our intuition;
  • Find out all the facts before judging a person’s motives (and especially before addressing them);
  • Put yourself in someone else’s shoes; and
  • If you have misjudged someone, apologize and reconcile as soon as possible.

A person’s background, personality, and life experiences may clash with yours, but that doesn’t make you right all the time and them wrong.

Being raised for most of my formative years in London, England or in the northeastern part of the United States, I may not think like some of my friends who were raised in the deep South. My life experiences and spiritual experiences are different than others, but I hope and pray that my friends and acquaintances will look at me through the eyes of God—instead of through my idiosyncrasies.

And especially not in a judgmental way.

When we depend on the Lord, our thinking about others and their motives will be guided by His light and in His wisdom. When we pursue God, He will show us any behaviors or actions He wants us address. Christian love and compassion should rule in our hearts—not negativity or criticism.

In his blog entry about motives, Joshua Kennon warns: “A final word of caution: I would urge you to consider keeping your thoughts on another person’s motivation to yourself.” ⁴ Until Jesus gives you the spiritual wisdom to discern where a person is coming from, keep your ears and eyes open for when, how or even whether you should speak.

When God gives us His wisdom, He will also give us guidance to know how to spur a person to hear God’s voice and experience a deep passion to follow Christ’s will.

Now, that is not being “judgmental”. Far from it!

It’s being a servant of God.

Bible Verses:

All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives. (Proverbs 16:2)

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. (John 7:24)

A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word! (Proverbs 15:23)

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. (Jeremiah 17:10)

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

I am prone at times to wonder what the thoughts or motives are of others are. I also understand that people, even those I consider friends, question my motives every now and then. I occasionally need my motives questioned and confronted in love. God, please give me Your mind. Give me Your discernment. Give me Your patience. Give me Your ability to speak only when You have led me to do so. Let my life be a replica of You. Lord, I want to represent You in all I do. I really do.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God Bless

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

All Bible verses use the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Edited by E. Johnson

Works Cited

¹ McFadden, Robert D. “Army Doctor Held in Ft. Hood Rampage.” The New York Times, 5 Nov 2009. www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/us/06forthood.html.

² “What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?” Accessed 8 Oct 2018. https://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-judge.html.

³ “How to Read People’s Motives.” Western Mastery. December 28, 2016. Accessed 2018.8 Oct 2018. http://www.westernmastery.com/2016/12/28/understanding-the-motivation-behind-peoples-actions/

⁴ Kennon, Joshua. “To Have a More Successful Life, Understand the Motivations and Motives of Yourself and the People Around You.” Accessed 20 Oct 2018. http://JoshuaKeenan.com/motives-and-motivations-matter.

In addition, I would love for you to join either my blog or newsletter. Just go to GreenePastures.org and look on the upper right-hand side of the blog to join!

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Our Motives, Intentions and Attitudes—Part 1

Most people have encountered motives in varying degrees. In this blog, we will look at OUR MOTIVES, INTENTIONS and ATTITUDES. These terms will be used interchangeably throughout this post.

In a subsequent blog titled Our Motives, Intentions, and Attitudes [Toward Others]—Part 2, we will discuss how individuals judge and react to the real or perceived motives of others.

Introduction:

Five years ago, when my husband was entertaining the idea of taking a job in Lagos, Nigeria, he asked me if I wanted to go there. I answered immediately with a resounding, “YES!” How did I know to respond so quickly without researching and analyzing the situation in depth? It was because I know my husband, and I knew he always wanted to live overseas. Therefore, I didn’t have to question my motivation for the positive response because my motive was that I wanted to please him. My motive was clear!

Many times, it is the same way with God. By knowing Christ in an intimate way through our Bible reading, prayer and meditation, we can know His motives — as well as what ours should be — rather quickly.

However, at other times and in other situations, our motives may not be so easily discerned.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines motive as, “something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.”

Our actions can be beneficial or destructive. A descriptive illustration is that “revenge was the murderer’s motive.” Here we see that because of the motive “revenge”, the action of “murder” occurred.

Motives create a lot of different scenarios. There are . . .

Personal Motives:

  • We wonder if our motives are right or wrong.
  • We know our motives are right.
  • We know our motives are wrong.

Other-Centered Motives:

  • Another person wonders if our motives are right or wrong.
  • Another person knows our motives are right.
  • Another person thinks our motives are wrong.
  • We wonder if another persons’ motives are right or wrong.
  • We know another persons’ motives are right.
  • We think another persons’ motives are wrong.

Hopefully, we can come to a consensus that searching for our true motives will create a deeper understanding of ourselves, others and God. Aligning our will with God’s will increases our spiritual growth, our maturity and our actions. Finding ourselves using more of the fruit of the Spirit is a beneficial outcome of getting deeper into the center of the Lord’s will for our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) GreenePastures.org
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Absalom’s Motives

In 2 Samuel 15, Absalom, King David’s son, decided to overthrow his father’s throne. Being a personable and popular man, Absalom persuaded many people to agree that he should reign as king in Hebron. Absalom recruited Ahithophel, one of King David’s loyal advisors, to pledge allegiance to himself instead. Absalom caused King David to flee Jerusalem to escape from Absalom—his own son! Remember, motives cause actions.

In this case, Absalom had two motives driving him:

  1. A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT to become king, and
  2. A DESIRE to achieve power

These motives caused him to disrespect his father’s authority and kingship. This is an example of bad motives leading to bad actions.

I wonder what would have happened if Absalom would have turned to God and asked the Lord to show him His motives. It could have changed history!

Bad Motives Lead to Bad Actions

Somewhere along the line Absalom consciously made the decision to end his relationships with his family and plot to backstab David so he could become king. Oh, how it must have hurt David to see his own flesh and blood turn against him!

It happens today as well.

  • Pride may ruin one’s relationship with God.
  • The desire for approval may cause one to lie.
  • A sense of entitlement may be the catalyst for unhappiness, ungodly behavior and stress.
  • Jealousy may be the basis for revenge.
  • Criticism may be the mainspring of hurt feelings and more.

We Can Use Our Personalities to Influence People for Evil

Absalom used his outgoing personality to get people to like him.

Let’s face it, making a first impression is important. When searching for a job, we dress well; we present an impressive resume; we learn how to shake hands the correct way, and we do everything to make a positive impression of ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with that, but in the case of Absalom, his ulterior motive in using his “kind and helpful persona” was to get people to like him so he could overthrow his father’s kingdom and take it for himself.

We see this same behavior in politics, churches, or movements. But, if we are truthful, we see it in ourselves also.

ASK YOURSELF:
  • Do you act differently at home than at church?
  • Do you volunteer for non-profit organizations to prove you are a good person?
  • Do you help people only to get a reward or recognition?
  • Do you attend church only to make business contacts?
  • Do you pay for others’ meals to show how well off you are?
  • Do you brag about your spiritual gift(s)?
  • Do you desire the limelight at home, church or at the office?
  • Do you spend money you don’t have to impress others?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions (and others not mentioned), our motives are something less than pure.

Acting differently at home than at church, for example, reveals that we are interested in pleasing people in church by adopting a false countenance, yet we “let our hair down” at home where we revert to our less-guarded “normal” behavior. Volunteering to show how “good” we are is a far less noble motive than imitating (and illustrating!) Jesus Christ’s example of servanthood.

In all the cases listed above, our motive is to influence what others think of us. Rather than reflect who we are as Christians, as these acts should, we instead appropriate these actions to manipulate man’s thoughts and take the glory God should receive for ourselves.

We may do these things without realizing that we are doing them, or why. Being unaware or unrepentant of our thoughts or intentions is common.

Reading or listening to God’s Word and spending time in prayer becomes imperative to turn your heart to the Lord. Knowing why we do things and what our motives are is important.

Absalom ruined all family relationships when he decided to spite his father.

DID ABSALOM ASK OR CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS?
  • How many cousin relationships would be destroyed?
  • How many marriages would break up over his actions?
  • What would his life be like estranged from his father?

We may not know the specific answers to these questions regarding Absalom, but be assured, evil decisions have consequences.

Godly Motives Lead to Godly Actions

First Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

God wants us to live our lives with a godly attitude. He wants us to release our thoughts to Him regardless of what they are. If they are ungodly, He wants to help us get our motives, thoughts and intentions under His wing and protection. If our motives are already in line with His intentions, we are blessed as we move forward. Praise God!

When we share the gospel and Christ’s salvation to others with the right motive, God is pleased. Honoring our Lord and Savior by participating in the Great Commission is one, if not the most, godly actions one can undertake. If we give a large amount of money to the church with the sole purpose of giving out of our love for Christ and His church, our motives prove higher in the eyes of the Lord than someone who gives to impress the preacher or to influence the direction of the church.

Being in the presence of God allows us to trust our own motives more quickly and accurately. But, there will still be times when we question our motives. This is because we are humans. We are not God. We have the privilege of asking our heavenly Father for direction and clarification. When we pray in the name of Jesus, being led by the Holy Spirit, God will give us peace and direction—in His time and in His way.

How to Analyze Our Motives

Many times, in our lives, we want to know if our motives are allied with what the Lord desires for us. We wonder because we don’t want our actions to stem from ill-conceived motives. Another way to say that is that we don’t want to make fools of ourselves before God and people. When we question our own motives through prayer and inquiring of the Lord, a special union between ourselves and our heavenly Father is created because we are searching for God’s thoughts. We crave the very presence of God, so He can lead us on the right track in our thoughts, prayers, and actions.

How do we know what our motives are and what we should do?

  • Ask God to show you if your motives are pure (or not).
  • Ask God to show you your real motive.
  • Ask God if your thoughts are from you or Him.
  • Ask God if it is time to stop praying about whatever is your concern.
  • Ask God for wisdom, character, sincerity and humility.
  • Ask God for you to have the strength to give up your motives, intents, and desires and replace them with His will for you.
  • Ask God to continually remind you that He knows what’s best for you because He sees the big picture of your life—NOT YOU.

Seek God’s Input

Seeking God’s input as to our motives is a fantastic place to start—but it is usually extremely difficult. We live in our dreams and desires; they are hard to replace.

Before anything, God wants us to put Him above all else. When we reach the place of total surrender to the Lord, we must move on in pleasing Him in our lives. We don’t know sometimes whether God is going to say YES, NO, or NOT NOW when we pray, but no matter what, know that He is working to perfect us, and He knows what is best.

We may feel that no one else can understand the extent of what we are undergoing. We may wonder if our thoughts are from our intellectual brain or from God. We may wonder if we are operating according to our fleshy desires. We may agonize over our motivational reasons, causes, purposes, intentions and even our spiritual aptitude to discern. Discovering our true intentions can be hard. We may be dealing with strongholds in our life, i.e. idolatry.

Motive Tip: If you are wondering if your motives are in line with God’s will, study the Ten Commandments. If your motives conflict with any commandment, it is not within the will of God. GreenePastures.org
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Even Strong Spiritually-Minded Believers Pray About Their Motives, because . . .

  • They want their time spent in the presence of God to be productive.
  • They don’t want to be praying about something if their motives are not in tune with God.
  • They can’t move on until they know if their motives are acceptable to God.
  • They want to grasp what God wants to say to them.
  • They want to submit to God’s plan for their lives.

Occasionally, a believer’s heart becomes so impressed with a passage of Scripture that he feels God is declaring His plan or words just to him. If that is your case, take that verse, meditate upon it, look at the context, talk to the Lord about whether it is really meant for you and this situation.

“Dear God” Letter

I write “Dear God” letters when I really have something I want to articulate to the Lord. I’ve been doing this since 6th grade. One deep-rooted and totally honest prayer stated,

Dear God,

Why am I praying this prayer over and over? What are my motives and what are Your motives? Lord, it sounds crazy to pray that this could come true, but I hope for it. I am waiting patiently. If it isn’t Your will, I ask You to take away the desire and correct my prayer. I am at wit’s end trying everything to know Your will. I don’t know if it is a sin, a glimpse into the future or a thought from Satan. Lord, I don’t understand my own motives. Correct me, Lord. I don’t understand. I need relief. Is it time for me to stop praying about this? Lord Jesus, my spirit is heavy. Search me, O Lord. I want to be in Your absolute will but how can I be until You answer this prayer?

I love you.

Patti

I share this letter with you because many times there comes a point where we need to just stop saying the general prayers that we so often pray and start praying in total honesty to God. Tell Him you don’t understand. Tell Him you don’t know why you are experiencing this conundrum. Tell Him you need His wisdom and discernment. Tell Him you need His power to know His motives. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Always remember—He knows the plans He has for us. Plans for welfare and not for calamity give us a future and a hope. (See Jeremiah 29:11)

Conclusion

Our motives matter!

The next time you question your motives, get honest with God. I mean totally honest with God! Talk to Him like no other. Be specific. Be bold. Inquire. Then commit to seek Him daily for direction and understanding; tell Him you don’t want to misinterpret your motives. He will show you how He wants you to proceed—or how not to proceed.

As with all requests we make to the Lord, our obedience to His already-established commands is imperative. When we follow God in obedience, He will answer our questions, concerns, and intentions. Our Lord does not want His people to proceed with an unsettled or perplexed mind, but with confidence and clarity of spirit.

It is hard to imagine what life would have been like if Absalom developed a godly camaraderie and alliance with King David.

But I daresay that if Absalom’s intentions were completely surrendered to God, which is always the preferred method, our World History books would be different.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:35) GreenePastures.org
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Bible Verses:

The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil. (Proverbs 16:1-4)

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37:4-5)

Prayer:

Jesus, I love you. I want to know Your will for my life. Please search my heart. I want all my motives, intentions and attitudes to be shaped by Your hand. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me to Your plan and agenda for my life. Again, search my heart. Show me my sins, so I can repent. Teach me Your ways. Let me learn more about You every day. Let me adjust to Your timetable and accept each and every step along the way. You are my triune God. Lord, thank you for loving me so much. I really do love You. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson

All Bible verses use the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

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Pray and Speak Like Moses

As I write this blog, I am dealing with some annoyances—frustrating dental and ophthalmological annoyances! To ensure you that we can still speak for God amid provocations, like Moses, read on!

Dealing with a toothache the day before you go out-of-town is no fun. Then, when I called my dentist to try to remedy the situation, I was told she is on vacation until next week! Okay, I can deal with that. I might just need to see a dentist at my “respite” location!

Furthermore, I am dealing with a floater in my eye. To be specific, I feel like a mosquito or gnat is flying around my right eye all the time. I have even found myself slapping the right side of my face only to find it isn’t a bug flying around, but my floater. Fortunately, I was able to see an ophthalmologist and he said I have a vitreous detachment.

The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines a vitreous detachment as, the “separation of the posterior part of the vitreous body from the retina due to contraction of the vitreous body that occurs as part of the process of aging and may occur sooner in serious cases of myopia, that is usually accompanied by the presence of floaters often seen as spots or structures resembling cobwebs, and that may result in a torn retina or in retinal detachment.”

The good news—it isn’t a retinal detachment, which may cause a permanent loss of vision. All I have is the separation of the posterior part of the vitreous from the retina.

“It’s caused by AGE”, the ophthalmologist said. GREAT, just another age-related thing to add to my list! He said, “Sometimes these floaters never go away; might go away, might become dull or you just get used to them.”

I found none of those scenarios acceptable! I wanted to hear, “take these drops and the floater will dissolve and disappear in a day or two.”

My eyes are totally important to me. I am a reader. I read all the time! I really mean it—I totally read all the time. I read church bulletins, I read the Bible, I read sermons, I read music lyrics, I read blogs, I read newspapers, I read Facebook, I read Twitter, I read books, I read tombstones, I read obituaries, I read pamphlets, and sometimes I even read instructions. Now when I try to read, I can’t concentrate because this “big black mosquito-like” floater is roaming around my right eye.

Now, on to the main topic—I wanted direction on how to pray for some upcoming speaking opportunities, so I went to my Bible, picked up where I left off, and the good Lord gave me directions on how to pray in the second and third verse I read—eliminating a vast period of “mosquito reading.” But as happens so often, God shared His wise and sound wisdom with me. I just love it when He shares His Word in such a personal way.

Deuteronomy 32:2-3 said,

Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!

These verses are part of The Song of Moses. Moses worked hard and consistently for the Lord up until his dying moment. In Deuteronomy 31:23-30, Joshua is commissioned and was told that he should bring the sons of Israel into the land which God swore to them. Then in the assembly of Israel, Moses shared a song—some say a prayer—appealing to the heaven and earth concerning the important things he was about to say as he was closing his life and earthly ministry for the Lord. Moses did not want his final words to be his words. He wanted them to be God’s words—from the Holy Spirit of God. For that, he prayed.

Quite in contrast to previous speaking engagements, Moses’ brother Aaron was his spokesperson. This time around, Moses prepared this final talk fully aware that he will be speaking directly from his own mouth and not from Aaron’s. Moses’ sister Miriam and his brother Aaron had already passed away when this prayer was formalized and spoken by Moses.

Just as we speak for our Lord, let us pray that our words will be words from God. As we witness for Him, as we teach our Sunday School classes, as we preach our sermons, as we uplift our neighbors, and in whatever unique situation the Lord puts us, we must proclaim God’s greatness in all we speak.

Did I mention previously that I read commentaries too? I do!

From Deuteronomy 32:2-3

Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew.

Benson’s Commentary says, may “his words which were sent from heaven to them, sink into their hearts and soften them, as the rain doth the earth, and so make them fruitful in obedience.”

Moses wanted his “speech”; some versions call it “doctrine” to refresh like the rain. For that same reason, God wants our words to refresh others, so let’s pray for that.

As the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states, that the tender herb and grass, “may denote the multitude of persons to whom the Gospel would come, and be made useful . . .”

For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!

Moses wants the people to know that all the important things he wants to share with them before his death are spoken in order to give complete honor, glory, and prominence to the LORD.

From here Moses proceeds to speak God’s words by the power of the Holy Spirit. Moses absolutely wanted the people to know that the song/prayer he was about to say were God’s words spoken through Him.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if every time we spoke and/or represented Jesus Christ, we knew our words come from God’s spirit?

Main thoughts from John McGill’s Commentary: Deuteronomy 32:2-3

To whom was Moses speaking?

  1. Those needing salvation
  2. Sensible sinners
  3. Tender consciences / Newborn babes . . . little children; who are just springing up in the grass
  4. Righteous people
  5. Perverse and crooked people

When we speak to others about the Lord, let us remember to whom we are speaking to and guide our words to meet their needs.

Why did Moses compare his last speaking engagement to rain/dew?

Because . . .

  1. Rain comes from Heaven
  2. Rain is a gift from God
  3. Rain falls by divine direction
  4. Rain represents the Lord’s will and pleasure with a fulness of spiritual blessings and promises
  5. Rain moistens and softens a hard heart
  6. Rain refreshes and revives the drooping spirit, and
  7. Rain makes the barren souls fruitful

How humbling would it be, if when we are called to speak for the Lord, that our words would provoke peoples’ hearts to be refreshed, revived, and softened as if by rain or dew?

What attributes did Moses have when speaking to the people?

  1. He proclaimed the name of the Lord
  2. He ascribed greatness to God
  3. He shared openly and publicly
  4. He shared faithfully
  5. He wanted people to know that the words he was about to speak were coming from God, not himself

Let us claim boldness and confidence when we share God’s word with others. Cleanse yourself, commit yourself to the Lord, and ask Him to speak through you.

Conclusion

In this “speaking engagement,” Moses knew he was close to the end of his life as he spoke words of truth to the people. He knew only God’s words would do.

Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun. When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word, you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:44-52)

The next time you are called on to speak for our Lord, pretend it is the last time you may have the opportunity for God to use you and pray to be filled to the brim with His Holy Spirit. Pray that your words will fall upon the congregation, class, friends, and family in such a powerful way that idle words will not proceed out of your mouth—only words that will lead the listeners to God’s truth, holiness, grace, mercy, and salvation.

I am praying this for my next speaking engagement. I want to renew my mind, use my spiritual gifts according to the grace given to me, love who I am speaking to, and as my pastor recently said, “Serve with excellence and passion.” (Read Romans 12)

Unfortunately, I will probably still have that annoying floater in my eye the next time I speak. My prayer for that is that if my annoying mosquito-like flash shows up, it will block out the person who might have fallen asleep during my talk!

Oh yes, that is quite probable. Have I mentioned I speak from 2:45-3:45 p.m. after a big lunch? Yikes!

Bible Verses:

And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8)

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me. (John 15:26)

Prayer:

Lord, I dedicate my life to You. Allow me to speak Your words and only Your words as I have opportunities to speak for You. Take away all pride and self-centeredness from my heart. Give me humility and sincerity. Thank you for providing each and every opportunity to speak and let me recognize them as privileges from You. Thank you, Lord. In Your precious name, I pray. Amen.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

____________________

Works Cited

Biblegateway. Benson Commentary and Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible. Biblegateway.com. Accessed 17 July 2018.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Vitreous Detachment. m-w.com. Accessed 17 July 2018.

NASB unless otherwise noted.

Edited by E Johnson

Please share, forward, retweet, and/or comment if you liked this article or find it might help someone you know. Thanks.

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Anthony Bourdain and Suicide

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Last night I watched “Remembering Anthony Bourdain”—CNN’s television show honoring Anthony Bourdain. Known as a good-looking talented man, author of many books, a culinary genius, and a travel documentarian, Bourdain was discovered unresponsive in his Kaysersberg, France hotel room having hung himself by suicide. Recently, his “claim to fame” included his trips around the world documenting the cuisine, politics, people, and cultures in his show titled “Parts Unknown” for CNN.

As I watched the show, I was drawn to our similarities.

  • We both enjoy/enjoyed writing. I’m a novice, and he was a professional journalist.
  • We both enjoy/enjoyed social issues. One of my college majors was Sociology while Bourdain enjoyed all things sociological like culture, customs, countries.
  • We both love/loved the beautiful North Atlantic coastline.
  • We both stretch/stretched ourselves by asking people questions because we are interested in their lives and we like/liked to know what makes people tick.
  • We were both born in New York City.
  • We both came from a Catholic/Jewish background.
  • We both attended good colleges. Baylor for me; Vassar for him although he left after two years to continue his education at The Culinary Institute of America.
  • He loved to learn and so do I. In educational terms, we could both call ourselves lifelong learners.

On Bourdain’s arm is a tattoo inscribed with the sentence, “I am certain of nothing.”   As I ponder his life, his achievements and his personality, I believe he could have been used greatly by God. I’m not one to judge people as to whether God’s grace is a part of one’s life or not, but his fruit was probably evident that he rarely thought of God or God’s provision in his life. He battled demons on and off his entire life: drinking, drugs, profanity, brashness, and more.

I say all this to say, it is very sad that Bourdain committed suicide. It’s a hard pill to swallow when we realize that just a word, a touch, or an encouragement may have swayed his decision.

What would Bourdain’s life have been if he had believed that God was the source of his strength, the guidance of his career, the love of his life? Only God knows the answer to that question. But, I bet he could have been an outstanding Christ-follower. I even ask myself, “What would my life have been if I had not believed in Christ?” Not good, that is for sure.

Because there have been so many suicides recently in the news, republishing my article titled, “Suicide: 7 Reasons People Committed Suicide in the Bible” seems like the right thing to do. May it give my readers some thoughts to mull around and hopefully gain a renewed interest in God and what He can do in your life or in the life of a beloved friend or family member.

If you are contemplating suicide, “DON’T!” Call a friend, family member, or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK.

____________________

Suicide: 7 Reasons People Committed Suicide in the Bible [Reprint]

I  once went to the viewing of a young adult who committed suicide. When greeting the parents, I experienced something I will never forget—the big, long hug from a desperate mom—the deep cry of a distraught wife—and the complete agony of a father.

It is the father’s furrowed face I want to keep etched in my mind—for no other reason, but to recall how awful suicide affects those involved. As I looked into the face of the father, his eyes penetrated mine. I’ve never seen such despondency, hopelessness, and despair before in my entire life. Although his eyes were empty, his countenance was reaching out for me to tell him the reason he was sitting in that funeral home pew was a bad dream and that what had just happened really didn’t happen. But, I couldn’t and neither could anyone else.

Suicide affects the family, friends, and acquaintances. It even affects those who have no connection to the suicide through reading about it or hearing about it. It is a tragedy that brings sadness to so many. The “why” question dwells in the minds of all. Thoughts swirl in the mind of those who knew the victim.

“I wish I would have kept in close contact.”

“What could I have done to prevent this senseless act?”

“Why didn’t I see it coming?”

“Why, why, why?”

In questioning this tragedy, I decided to research suicides in the Bible. I found seven people who committed suicide. This list may not be exhaustive, but it gives a glimpse into the workings of the human mind and maybe, just maybe, it will help others.

____________________

  1. Regret

    Judas Iscariot hanged himself.

Judas was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was the treasurer for the disciples. He was responsible for their funds and distributing them as needed. He betrayed Jesus by leading Jewish officials to him in order to receive 30 silver coins. Once he discovered that the Jews were going to kill Jesus, he brought the money back to the Jewish officials and threw it on the temple floor. Many say Judas’ motivation was greed. No matter what his true motivation was, it was obvious he regretted his action. Not knowing how to handle that regret and remorse resulted in him hanging himself.

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:5

Examples of Present Day Regret: Not having enough confidence in oneself; regret in chosen occupation; breakups; loved one passes away.

  1. Humiliation

    Abimelech, Son of Gideon ordered his armor-bearer to kill him.

Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. Some say that he should not be counted as a king because he was not anointed by God. During his reign, he destroyed the city of Shechem. After that, he attacked the city of Thebez. During that siege, a woman dropped a millstone on his head, wounding him. He was embarrassed that he would be known as being killed by a woman, so he asked his armor-bearer to kill him. And, the armor-bearer did.

Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. Judges 9:54

Examples of Present Day Humiliation: Embarrassed by friends or family members; depression; lack of self-confidence; embarrassed by abuse; bullying; mental illness; feeling of hopelessness; shame.

  1. Bullying

    Samson caused a disaster and killed himself along with others.

Samson was a Judge of the tribe of Dan. He was chosen by Jewish leaders before Israel chose to have Kings. Due to being a Nazarite, his life was dedicated to God. He was known for his Herculean strength. He is most famous for his Philistine wife Delilah who continually betrayed and humiliated him. She eventually shaved Samson’s hair off and the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. He was put in prison. He was called out of prison to be made fun of again. He was tied to pillars and he pulled down the entire temple. The temple collapsed destroying both his life and the lives of many others.

And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. Judges 16:30

Examples of Present Day Bullying: Friends making fun of each other; being laughed at; being bullied for one’s weaknesses (appearances, intelligence); being made fun of behind one’s back; being nagged.

  1. Fear

    King Saul fell on his own sword.

King Saul was Israel’s first king. He tried to overtake the city of Bethsham. He wanted complete control over the trade routes. But, the armies of the Philistines fought against the men of Saul. They killed Saul’s three sons: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. Saul was wounded in the battle. He asked his armor-bearer to slay him, but he wouldn’t, so he fell on his sword.

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.  And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore, Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 1 Samuel 31:1-4

Examples of Present Day Fear: Desire to be free of pain; terminal illnesses; fear of being mocked, fear of possible abuse, actual verbal abuse; actual physical abuse; sexual ridicule; mocked for being poor, handicapped, judged; fear of mistreatment.

  1. Witnessing Violence or Death

    Saul’s armor-bearer fell on his own sword.

The purpose of an armor bearer in the Bible was to be by their king’s side during dangerous times. Armor bearers were chosen by kings because they were supposed to be known as very brave people. Possibly, Saul’s armor-bearer could not deal with the guilt of disobeying King Saul’s command to kill him or maybe he couldn’t accept that he just witnessed the violent death of someone else – King Saul.

And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 1 Samuel 31:5

Examples of Present Day Witnessing Violence or Death: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; witnessing abuse (domestic or otherwise); being traumatized by witnessing natural disasters; being traumatized by witnessing another suicide; guilt they could have made a difference in someone’s decision to take their own life; terrorism.

  1. Powerlessness

    Ahithopel planned his suicide, put his house in order, and hanged himself.

Ahithopel was King David’s counselor. But, at one point, he deserted King David and went to serve King David’s son Absolom. Hushai was known to be Absalom’s friend and trusted counselor.  Absalom valued Hushai’s counseling skills more than Ahithophel’s skills. That disturbed Ahithophel, so he went home to Giloh, put his house in order, then hanged himself.

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. 2 Samuel 17:23

Examples of Present Day Powerlessness: Being insulted; not being viewed as worthy or important;  jealous of other people (co-workers, family members, peers); elder abuse; being talked about behind your back; inability to break a drug habit; not being respected.

  1. Distress

    Zimri killed himself and others by fire.

Zimri was a chariot commander. He murdered King Elah and all his family in Tirzah. He succeeded King Elah as king, but only for seven days. The army elected Omri as king instead of him. He wanted power and was distressed that the army was going to besiege Tirzah. He was unable to cope regarding the besiege of Tirzah and the loss of position so he set the palace on fire killing himself along with many others.

And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire and died. 1 Kings 16:18

Examples of Present Day Distress: Loss of job; unemployment; grades; death of a family member or someone close; divorce; injury; being abused; being neglected; trouble with the law; alcoholism; not getting into the college of choice; pressure to be someone you aren’t; moral distress; comparing your situation to others.

To all who are reading this article, remember that all problems can be fixed. The only problem that can’t be fixed is suicide.

Every problem we face or that we see others facing can be fixed. The only problem that can’t be fixed is suicide.
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If you recognize any of these examples in your life or in the faces of those you come in contact with, please get help. Don’t wait. It may be too late, and we don’t want that. And, if for some reason, you do encounter a suicide and are having a hard time dealing with it (which happens to a lot of people), please get some counseling. Talk to a friend, spouse, parent, mentor, minister, or professional counselor. Let’s try as much as we can to help others so we don’t have to experience the despondency, hopelessness, and despair in the faces of those left behind.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-2000x655

Bible Verses: Above

Prayer: O LORD, suicide is tough. It’s so final. Lord, help me to always realize that there are always ways out of my problems and impress upon me that Your Holy Spirit and love can be my source of hope. Let me never be on the receiving end of a loved one’s suicide, but if I am please give me Your strength to deal with the situation. I pray for those in the midst of this suffering. I lift their heart and soul to you. Give them your comfort and love as no one or anything can. Keep my soul healthy in you. Let me call out for help when I need it and let me recognize those who need my help before it is too late. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Losch, Richard. All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008.

Miller, Stephen. Who’s Who & Where’s Where in the Bible? Uhrichsville: Barbour, 2012.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version containing the Old and New Testament. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. [All verses come from the English Standard Bible unless noted otherwise]

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It’s the Inconveniences that Get to Me!

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What Is An Inconvenience?

All human beings experience inconveniences every now and then. The word “inconvenience” and its derivatives come under different terms such as disruption, aggravation, hassle, trouble, stress, difficulty, and more.

This past week (Thursday, to be exact), I had my day scheduled—Bible study, writing my blog, cleaning closets, working in the yard, but in the afternoon, my mother became very ill: the kind of “ill” that required a trip to the Emergency Room.

After evaluation, my mother was admitted to the hospital. Being the only daughter, I am the designated sibling to stay at the hospital with my mother each evening—not that I minded in the least. During the four-day hospital stay, my schedule was disrupted and I didn’t accomplish anything on my “to-do” list.

This is NOT the kind of inconvenience I am talking about.

The kind of inconvenience I am talking about is the annoying inconveniences that cause one’s stress level to heighten, one’s blood pressure to elevate, and one’s heart rate to become erratic. These usually happen because our mind is set on what we want to do, but then something gets in our way and produces a different schedule other than our anticipated one.

To Illustrate

On Tuesday, I went to the drug store. I arrived home only to realize that I forgot to pick up a medicine I really needed. I sighed and berated myself because I had to drive back to the store during Houston’s horrendous rush hour traffic. It was inconvenient!

On Wednesday, my computer wasn’t cooperating. My husband wasn’t home to fix it. I moaned and groaned. Why? Because I wanted to do what I wanted to do right then and there without having to wait—because waiting is inconvenient!

It sounds foolish that I stress out over trivial and insignificant things. I am a Christ-follower who is supposed to be patient, kind, and self-controlled, but just a small inconvenience can upset my spiritual life, my thought processes, and my physical health dramatically.

I know God sees my inconsequential aggravations and stress. I wonder, though, what He thinks about my petty annoyances while He is handling big problems like wars, death, floods, earthquakes, false prophets, shootings, child abuse, drug abuse, and evil.

What does God think about my triviality?

“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is.” C.S. Lewis-www.GreenePastures.org
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Biblical Characters Who Were Inconvenienced

The Bible is full of people who were inconvenienced. Some are only inconvenienced for a short period of time—others for years.

  • Saul was inconvenienced when he was charged to look for his father’s lost donkeys. When Saul decided to return to his father without locating his donkeys, Saul’s servant suggested they look for “a seer” in a different town to inquire about the journey they had set out upon. In those days, seers were also known as prophets. Saul had been inconvenienced again by having to go to a different city than he had planned. However, while there, God arranged for the prophet Samuel and Saul to meet and Saul was anointed to be the King of Israel. Here we see that disruptions and inconveniences of are often part of the Lord’s plans for our life. (1 Samuel 9-10)
  • Jesus was inconvenienced when the people kept following him wanting His attention, but He welcomed and ministered to them in love. (Luke 23:27-29)
  • The disciples were tired and wanted to rest, but Jesus inconvenienced them by asking them to feed the 5,000. (Matthew 14:15-21)
  • Paul was inconvenienced by being arrested and put in prison time after time when all he wanted to do was spread the gospel. (Acts 21:31-37)

In each of these situations, the Bible reveals that great things occurred out of inconveniences. A king was crowned. Ministry took place. People were miraculously fed. And the gospel was spread through Paul’s writings in prison.

Have you ever thought about how we should respond when we experience difficulties?

How to Respond to Inconveniences, Disruptions, Aggravations, Hassles, Inopportunity, Troubles, and Difficulties

  • Recognize that the inconveniences we encounter are there to grow us closer to the Lord and to prepare us for what else might come in our future.
  • Pray immediately by giving the situation to the Lord and seek His purpose for it.
  • Understand and meditate on the Word of God with thanksgiving.
  • Look at inconveniences as divine opportunities.
  • Control anger.

A Look-Back

Referring to my earlier illustrations . . .

When I returned to the drug store, I found a lonely soul who needed my smile.

When my computer didn’t work, I was able to find something more constructive to do.

If only I wouldn’t have allowed those inconveniences to get the best of me before I saw the benefits.

Well, maybe next time I will!

Bible Verses:

“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians  12:10)

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Please let me look at my inconveniences and disruptions through Your eyes. Let me understand that everything I experience is meant to draw me closer to the destiny You have for me. Thank you for the plans You have for me. Grant me the ability to accept what comes into my life. Let me follow where You lead and let me become closer and closer to You.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Bless,

GreenePastures.org

Member Inspirational Writers Alive; Bible Gateway Blogger Grid Member #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses are taken from the NASB if not noted otherwise.

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Bibliography

“The 100 Best C.S. Lewis Quotes.” Anchored in Christ, 30 April 2014, http://www.kevinhalloran.net/best-c-s-lewis-quotes. Accessed 22 Oct 2017.

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Ezekiel: When God Says, “Enough is Enough!”

Ezekiel was called to do a job that required him to speak only when God told him to speak. God had conveyed that He was finished with their disobedience and hard hearts. Enough was enough, and He was ready to judge and punish His people for their rebellious spirit and actions.

Ezekiel, The Son of Man

In many respects, I relate to Ezekiel, an Old Testament priest, and prophet. Every time I write, I want to write only what God wants me to share with you. I try to write when He speaks to me, just as Ezekiel did when he spoke.

When Ezekiel spoke, he was to proclaim God’s message which was disregarded by the people and caused his peers to laugh and disrespect him. Ezekiel’s task was to foretell the future of Jerusalem and Judah to the people. He was to prophesy about the siege of Jerusalem, the desolation of Jerusalem, the idolatrous worship, the punishment for their wicked behavior, and their blasphemous disrespect for the temple.

In Chapters 4-7, where these issues were the major topics of interest, Ezekiel is called the “son of man” at the beginning of each chapter. In fact, Ezekiel is the only prophet regularly called the “son of man” by God. Some say that Ezekiel was called the “son of man” to show his humanness and to differentiate himself from the supernatural and bizarre visions he had—some of which occur in these chapters.

As we travel this journey together with Ezekiel, let’s remember that he is like us and human in many respects. He was brought up by religious parents and married in his 20s. He differed because he was exiled to Babylonia and he was receptive to God’s call on his life. Ezekiel had been filled with the Holy Spirit to do a BIG job. He is a believer in following God’s call on his life.

For 20 years, God called Ezekiel where people criticized him, made fun of him. He even continued his call through the untimely death of his beloved wife. He was called to proclaim the fall, turmoil, and restoration of Judah and especially Jerusalem.

Ezekiel knew that he was to be obedient. God shared this doom through action sermons. Action sermons consisted of Ezekiel acting out vivid physical depictions of God’s impending judgment in front of the people.

Are we willing to be obedient and endure being made fun of to be obedient to God? Some of us would if we had God’s continual assurance we were operating in His strength for His purposes.

Let’s look closer . . . Let’s see how Ezekiel did it by first looking at some prominent verses in Ezekiel 4-7.

I. An Action Sermon Ezekiel 4:1-3

Now you son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps and place battering rams against it all around. Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel.

II. An Action Sermon Ezekiel 5:1-2 

As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barbers’ razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. One-third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one-third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one-third you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

III. An Action Sermon Ezekiel 6:1-3; Ezekiel 6:13

And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God!’ Thus, says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their slain is among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols.

IV. Prophecy Ezekiel 7:1-4

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the Lord!’

Let’s Consider the Atmosphere

At the time, there was a spiritual battle going on between God and His people. The people were involved in deliberate and continual rebellion and they were about to reap the consequences. According to The Broadman Bible Commentary, they were worshiping pagan cults. They were morally corrupt. Their leaders were not guiding the people. Their priests gave no wise counsel. Even their court officials led with despair.

God was not going to tolerate their sinful behavior anymore.

At this point, God has called Ezekiel. He told him to prophesy to the people by using signs, action sermons, and visions. He was asked to do strange things to describe the desolation that was going to happen in Jerusalem. God gave him three specific prophecies regarding how the people will be punished—one-third will die by plagues or famine; one-third will fall by the sword; one-third will be scatted to every wind.

Ezekiel was told to denounce idolatry and tell the people of upcoming famines and diseases. He was obedient although up against calloused people who had no interest in hearing the word of God or prophecies of disaster even though he reminded them that God will leave a remnant of His people.

Let’s Consider the People

The people were enjoying their sinful lives. They took pride in their gorgeous jewels. They worshiped their vile idols and enjoyed their wealth to the fullest. The people continued to enrich themselves with material possessions, but their possessions were used for evil.

But, the Bible talks about disaster upon disaster about to be released upon them.

The people could not believe God would punish or hurt them. We hear this today, too, when people say, “God is good, and would never do anything to hurt us.”

It is rather devastating when a Trojan Horse “pop-up” warning appears on your computer screen while you are looking at a website. When it happened to me today, I immediately went to an authoritative source who could fix the problem—my husband.

But, that is not what happens in the book of Ezekiel. The people of Judah were so involved in their own pursuits they ignored the prophecies which instructed them to repent and turn to their own “authoritative source who could fix the problem”—God. They were not prepared to hear God through His servant Ezekiel. Today, Godly ministers experience many people who sit and listen to this same message, but it goes in one ear and out the other.

Let’s Consider the Leaders

The leaders themselves were not accountable to God. But regardless, God was making the people individually responsible for their actions even as their leaders were failing them.

Let’s Consider God

God’s patience was all used up and the penalty for their disobedience was coming NO MATTER WHAT. He was ready to unleash his anger and judge them for their conduct. Basically, God was sick and tired of the people’s shameless sinning. He tells Ezekiel that he is about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem and only give the people rationed water. He tells Ezekiel the people will waste away because of their sin. In Ezekiel 5:10, we are told that parents will eat their children and children were going to eat their parents. They were to be scattered to the wind. Nations would hate them. The wild beasts will be against them. And plagues and bloodshed were coming. Bones were going to be scattered, towns laid waste, and the high places of idolatry were going to be demolished. God was not going to spare the people or look at them with pity. God was going to withdraw from them. He was not going to have any more pity on them. A crisis was lurking around the corner!

Nevertheless, in His graciousness, God tells why He is going to cripple the people. In Ezekiel 6:14b, God states that His desired result is that, “They will know that I am the LORD.”

In Ezekiel 5:11b, God says, “I myself will shave you. I will not look on you with pity or spare you.” Shaving in the Bible is associated with drastic measures. And drastic measures were coming. Remember ten years ago when pop singer Britney Spears shaved her head amid a personal meltdown? It was during a desperate time in her life. And God’s people were about to become desperate.

What Happens When God Has Had Enough of Our Sins?

  1. He warns us by confronting us with our sin. Sometimes He speaks through our conscience, other times by other people, sometimes through the Word of God. This gives us a chance to confront our sin and change. Sometimes He warns us multiple times over an extended period.
  2. We have a choice whether to turn from our ways, or not. Choosing to disobey is never a good idea.
  3. If we do not turn away from our sins, He warns us judgment is coming. It comes in God’s timing, but it always comes—in this life or in the afterlife.
  4. God decides on the judgment. It is always God’s prerogative in how He will judge you for a defiant and/or stubborn spirit.
  5. God punishes us. It is also God’s choice in how He chooses to punish us.
We have a choice whether to turn from our sins, or not. Choosing to disobey is never a good idea. www.GreenePastures.org
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Pastor Tony Evans has a quotation in one of his books that states, “Sinners have a jar. Once the jar is full, it’s over. Every time a sinner rebels against God, they fill up the jar. When the jar is full, God judges them.” ¹ When God’s jar is full and He says enough is enough, it’s never a good sign. Punishment will come. It may come in the form of suffering, misfortune, heartbreak, disease, or any kind of catastrophe of His choosing.

Ezekiel’s call was to warn the Jews of the upcoming judgment in Jerusalem and Judah. He was obedient; he obeyed God in the task. Many people of the land chose to continue in their sin. No matter what side of the spectrum you are on—following the LORD or rebelling against the LORD, we are all called to be obedient.

In a rebellious state, repentance is the only suitable option. We may be the remnant that will be restored. We are reestablished by looking at the source, Jesus Christ. If we are already living a holy and acceptable life, let’s encourage others to be restored before something ruinous happens to them. In the case of the Jews in Judah, it was, unfortunately, death!

On January 24, 1994, in his State of the State Address, New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo, said, “In baseball, it’s three strikes and you’re out. Here [in the law], it’s three strikes and you’re in for life. ²

Let’s not “strike out” in life. Let’s not get to the point where God says, “Enough is enough!” Let’s look at the source before it is too late because when all is said and done, God’s purpose is that we will know that He is the LORD.” (Ezekiel 6:14b)

Bible Verses:

[Blessings of Obedience] You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 26:1)

“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. (Isaiah 1:11)

Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries.’” (Ezekiel 23:35)

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father. Help me in my life to always desire to follow You. If I am led to a life that is dishonorable to You, please show me my wicked ways. Give me the courage to turn back to You. I need You every day Lord. I need Your protection, guidance, and wisdom to be all You have called me to be. Lord, I ask for Your forgiveness in the ways I have been living. I toss all sins and undesirable associations out of my life to follow You. I’ve had enough of my sin and I desire to live the life You have called me to live. Thank you, Jesus. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

God Bless,

GreenePastures.org

Member Inspirational Writers Alive; Bible Gateway Blogger Grid Member

Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses are taken from the NASB if not noted otherwise.

Works Cited

¹ Evans, Tony. Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from more than 30 years

               of preaching and public speaking. Chicago: Moody, 2009.

² Spinrad, Leonard and Thelma Spinrad. Speaker’s Lifetime Library. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1997.

Bibliography

Losch, Richard. All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren. Be Reverent: Bowing Before Our Awesome God. Colorado Springs: David Cook, 2000.

Allen, Clifton, ed. The Broadman Bible Commentary: Jeremiah-Daniel. Nashville: Broadman, 1971.

If you found this post helpful, please like/share it so others can get the benefit. Thanks. If you would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe.

Books by Patti Greene

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer by Patti Greene
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Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer
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Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer
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The Life of Ezekiel: His Call and Commission

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Over the years, I have been fascinated by the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel. His colorful character, his crazy antics, his visions, his ability to withstand criticism, his capacity to move on after his wife’s death, and more has created my unparalleled interest in his life. I have always wanted to delve deeper into the man who wailed, ate a scroll, dug a hole in the wall, slapped his thighs, experienced visions, and more—all to get God’s message to the people God called him to reach. So, I did.

I spent a dedicated portion of my Bible study time every Monday through Friday studying the Book of Ezekiel. What I learned is what I want to share with you in this series on Ezekiel.

The main theme of the Book of Ezekiel although not the only one is the restoration of Israel—a nation that had turned to rebellion and sin. Ezekiel was called to warn the people that Jerusalem would be turned to rubble and terror. And it was coming soon.

For the Record: Nebuchadnezzar II

Ezekiel lived during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar II is not to be confused with Nebuchadnezzar I, who are unrelated and both go by the name of just Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar I lived from 1125–1104 BC. He was the fourth king of the Second Dynasty of Isin and Fourth Dynasty of Babylon. He ruled for two decades and was the most important ruler of this dynasty.

Nebuchadnezzar II ruled from approximately 605 BC-652 BC. As a founder of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Judah in 598 BC. He exiled many people including scholars, religious leaders, and government officials to Mesopotamia. “Babylonia was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in central-southern Mesopotamia.” ¹ It was during the second exile/deportation in 597 BC Ezekiel was uprooted along with 8,000 others to live in Mesopotamia for five years before experiencing the vision that changed his life.

Ezekiel

At the age of 30, after living five years in this exiled land, Ezekiel, a Zadokite priest, experienced the vision in which he received a call and underwent a commission to serve the Lord in a mighty way. Zadokite priests were known to remain faithful to God while other priests were known to go astray and they were to be respected as an authority figure in the community. However, during the time of rebellion, these true priests were mocked and not taken seriously.

After Ezekiel’s vision, the next 20 years of Ezekiel’s ministry involved saying and doing many bizarre things to get the attention of the people. He was to prophesy about the fall of Jerusalem, the judgment on Israel, and its glorious future. At the same time, Nebuchadnezzar II was expanding the Babylonian Empire, Jerusalem remained rather peaceful for a few years and it was during that time Ezekiel warned the Jews of the impending crisis and the upcoming fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

The first three chapters in the book of Ezekiel are filled with extraordinary verses about Ezekiel’s preparation, call, and commission. Let’s move on.

Ezekiel 1: A Chapter Summary

1:1b “The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

1:3a “The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi.”

1:4-5 “And as I looked, beyond a storm wind was coming from the north . . . And within it, there were figures resembling four living beings . . .”

1:15 “Now as I looked at the living beings, beyond, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.”

1:20a “Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction.”

1:28 “. . . Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.”

Ezekiel’s Vision

It is easy to get bogged down in minute details of Ezekiel’s vision. But, let’s look at the overall meaning of what is going on in this vision.

In this vision, Ezekiel saw four bizarre creatures braced on wheels. This would frighten anyone. But God showed Ezekiel that he had a purpose in this vision—Ezekiel was being shown that he was going to see things that other people would not be able to see.

Before starting his ministry, God was showing Ezekiel that God and His spirit was still in control of the world he was living in. The chapter ends with Ezekiel experiencing God’s glory. Ezekiel needed this reassurance before proceeding to receive his call and commission. God was preparing, strengthening, and encouraging him to face the things to come . . . just as He does with us!

How Did God Prepare Ezekiel for His Upcoming Call and Commission?

  • God confirmed the vision was from Him; Ezekiel 1:1
  • God convinced Ezekiel that He knows what He is doing; Ezekiel 1:20
  • God revealed His glory to Ezekiel; Ezekiel 1:28

In our lives, God wants us to be so close to Him that we recognize His presence when we see it. God is in control of everything and when we look for His glorious presence, it will be shown to us.

In our lives, God wants us to be so close to Him that we recognize His presence when we see it. GreenePastures.org
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Moving On . . .

Ezekiel 2: A Chapter Summary

2:1-2 “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you! And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet and I heard Him speaking to me.

2:7-10 “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious . . . Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you. Then I looked, behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back; and written on it were lamentations, mourning, and woe.”

Ezekiel: The Prophet’s Call

In a nutshell, God tells Ezekiel to stand, listen, speak, be courageous, and obey the Word of God. Many times, in the Bible, when God says to stand, it is because He has something very significant to tell us.

I was called to write my books while standing up. God impressed upon me to get up off the couch, stand up, and go into my closet. It was there that God impressed me to look up and see the 42 years of prayer journals I had kept. It was then that God’s Spirit revealed it was time to start writing my devotional books because He had already been preparing me.

While Ezekiel was standing, God’s spirit entered him and he heard God speaking to him. God proceeded to tell him who He is sending him to (a rebellious people), how he should respond to these rebellious people (speak and do not be dismayed), and what to do (be obedient and eat the scroll provided.)

How to Know Your Calling

Many Bible believers recognize that to have an effective ministry for God they must be called into ministry. Many stories abound regarding famous people being called by God in the Bible. These include Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, Elijah, Esther, and Jesus’ mother Mary. But, I am not talking here about being called into full-time ministry here. I am talking about regular people being called into service for God.

I know in my life when I feel called to do something, like teach a class or work in a ministry, I am more confident in the abilities God has given me to use in whatever the capacity is. People are called by different methods. Ezekiel was called through a vision. You might be called through a whisper, a mighty voice from God, or a quiet communication from the Holy Spirit.

People might be called through a whisper, a voice, or a quiet communication from God. www.GreenePastures.org
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What Does God Want Us to Know?

God wants our lives to be committed to Him before He can show us His plans.

God does have a plan for our lives.

God can (and most likely will) change or modify our plans so we will go in the direction of His will for us.

God calls all believers to make disciples.

God will provide open doors, but we must actively look for them.

God wants us to ask Him for direction, guidance, and wisdom.

Ezekiel 2 talks about Ezekiel’s Call while Ezekiel 3 speaks about Ezekiel’s commission. Missionary evangelist Daniel Kolenda describes it in the best way I could find using an example from the New Testament. He says,

“When Jesus called His disciples, He didn’t call them to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers. He simply called them to follow Him. And as they followed Him, Jesus promised that He would make them into “fishers of men.” Now the disciples left their nets immediately to follow Jesus, but they were not made into fishers of men immediately. There was a season of training between when Jesus called them to follow Him and when He commissioned them to preach the gospel.” ²

Moving On . . .

Ezekiel 3: A Chapter Summary

3:1 “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

3:2 “So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.

3:4-5, 7a “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel … yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you since they are not willing to listen to Me.

3:22-24 “And the hand of the LORD was on me there, and He said to me, ‘Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you. So, I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, ‘Go shut yourself up in your house.

3:26 “Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be dumb, and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house.

3:27 “But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refused, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel’s Commission into Service

Ezekiel’s mission was multifaceted. He was called and commissioned to:

  • Warn the exiles of the impending disasters which were to come on them
  • Show the people of Israel the consequences of their rebellion and sin
  • Prophesy about Babylon’s victory over them
  • Prophesy about the restoration of Israel, and
  • Give specifics about the new temple of Israel

All this was to be shared with people who would not listen to him and his prophecies from the LORD.

In Ezekiel 3, we see God muting Ezekiel’s mouth so He will speak only when he is absolutely led to. This was most likely his preparation time. After we are called into service, there is usually a time of preparation. I call it my PREP TIME!

We live in a fast-paced world. We have trouble waiting and being patient. But, we must.

It is through reading our Bible, listening to spiritually mature people, and waiting on God in prayer we will know what to do, where to go, how to get there, and how to act. We must patiently watch for open doors of ministry.

When God is calling us to do something for Him, He will do what is needed to get His purpose accomplished.

He will:

  • Confirm His will
  • Get us into position,
  • Change our plans if necessary, and
  • Get us going in the right direction

I wish I could say it is always a pleasant experience. Sometimes it is, but in Ezekiel’s case, obeying his call to service wasn’t an easy ride for him, but being obedient to God was more important to him than his personal comfort—as it should be for us too!

Conclusion

A story has been told about an uneducated miner in Scotland who preached among his fellow workmen with great power. “Soon his witness took him far beyond the confines of the mining towns. Someone asked him how he had received his call to preach. He replied, ‘Oh, I had such a burden on my soul for those who did not know the gospel, I argued with the Lord that I had no education and no gift. But He said, to me, ‘Jamie, you know what the sickness is, don’t you?’ I answered, ‘Yes, Lord, the sickness is sin.’ ‘And you know what the remedy is, don’t you, Jamie?’ I answered, ‘Yes, Lord, the remedy is the Lord Jesus Christ.’ And He said to me. ‘Jamie, just take the remedy to those who are sick.’ The uneducated miner said, “That [was] my call to preach.’ ²

God calls every believer to be a servant. What is your calling? Are you willing for Him to show you? Why not ask the Lord to show you now? God may not speak to through a vision like He did to Ezekiel, but He will speak. He always does!

Bible Verses: See above.

Prayer:

O heavenly Father, I so want to do Your will. I want to do anything You ask me to do, but it is scary. I need You to confirm Your presence, show me Your will, and give me the strength and power to follow heed the call You have on my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Coming Soon:

Ezekiel: When God SAYS “Enough is Enough” at www.GreenePastures.org.

Works Cited

¹ Wikipedia. Babylonia. https://en.wikipedia.org. Accessed 7 June 2017.

² Kolenda, Daniel. The Call vs. the Commission. Charisma Magazine. 14 Oct 2015. http://www.charismamag.com. Accessed 8 June 2017.

³ Barnhouse, Donald. Let Me Illustrate. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1969.

Bibliography

Losch, Richard. All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.

Wiersbe, Warren. Be Reverent: Bowing Before Our Awesome God. Colorado Springs: David Cook, 2000.

Allen, Clifton, ed. The Broadman Bible Commentary: Jeremiah-Daniel. Nashville: Broadman, 1971.

Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses are taken from the NASB if not noted otherwise.

If you found this post helpful, please like/share it so others can get the benefit. Thanks. If you would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe.

Books by Patti Greene

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

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God, I Fell into My Kitchen Sink: My Story

God, I Fell into My Kichen Sink by Patti Greene, Greene Pastures by Patti

There is a big difference between doing crazy things ourselves and Biblical prophets doing crazy things. The former is just a part of life we live as human beings. Sometimes our antics make us laugh. Sometimes we get in trouble. But, the latter is usually to convey God’s message to human beings.

My Story

I had never fallen into my kitchen sink. And, I wasn’t planning to fall in today, but it happened! All the training I have had in this life did not prepare me for this moment.

I just finished cleaning my house in preparation for a party I was having over the weekend. That was the only thing on my agenda today. The house was dusted; the floors mopped; the carpets vacuumed; the tables set up; and the cute decorative plates and cups from the Dollar Store were placed around the centerpieces in an orderly fashion. While it is a totally different situation, I felt like Jael in the Old Testament when she said, “Out of the window [I] looked and lamented,” (Judg. 5:28). My house was looking extremely good, but then I spotted pesky water marks and food splotches behind the open blinds above my kitchen sink, and I lamented!

I had no intention of cleaning my windows the professional way, with a squeegee and dry cleaning cloths. I just grabbed my window cleaner and some paper towels and I was ready to do the quickest clean-up job possible.

Being my age, I already knew that I was not capable of using my arms to help me jump up on the kitchen counter, as I had been able to do in the past.

I had already placed all my chairs around the tables that the guests were going to use and I didn’t want to disturb my décor, so I made the decision to stand at the counter with my front facing the opposite counter; I pushed my feet on the counter, and somehow scrunched myself up onto the kitchen counter. It wasn’t easy!

From there, I sat on the counter and started my window washing feat. I have a divided sink—a 70-30 split double sink. I sprayed the windows above the smaller sink and did the minimum required so no one at my party would think I am a bad housekeeper.

The dilemma came next. Should I jump down off the counter and do the same process of getting back up on the counter so I could clean the other side of the window? That seemed like a lot of work, so I decided to just squiggle my back end across the front part of the sink with my legs hanging down to get to the other side.

It worked great past the smaller sink, but as I tried to pass the larger sink, I plopped right into the second [and larger] sink. My back end knocked down my water-filled college coffee cup; pushed back the faucet; and I landed right onto a drenched soak-filled kitchen dishcloth.

As I sat in the sink with my legs dangling over the sink, I had three thoughts.

  • I wasn’t planning on falling into my kitchen sink today;
  • My granddaughter takes her baths in a kitchen sink; and
  • How hard is it going to be to get myself out of the sink?

I wasn’t alone. My friend was sitting outside on my back porch. Honestly, I didn’t want to call out for her and then have her come in and see me plopped in the kitchen sink like a real weirdo. So, I sat in the sink for a while and finally figured out how I could get out. Did I mention these sinks are the deep kind—the kind you pay more for to have them installed? I did get out of the sink by wiggling around and pushing up and down on the counter. It was not a pretty picture. Finally, I jumped and landed on the kitchen floor feet-first with my pants soaking wet. I momentarily felt my back hurt when I hit the ground.

After the ordeal was over, I stumbled outside and told my friend what happened. At first, she seemed concerned, but as I told her the story, we just could not stop laughing. She then asked me for a reenactment, so I graciously accommodated her as I followed the exact steps over again. All the while she snapped photos.

The Moral

So, what’s the moral of this story?

  1. We all do crazy things sometime. (I fell into my kitchen sink.)
  2. Bad decisions and risky behaviors usually result in consequences. (I was soaked.)
  3. Doing crazy things can be dangerous. (I could have fallen off the counter and really hurt myself.)
  4. Thank God for friends who love you even though you do crazy things. (Friends are valuable.)
  5. Vow not to do them again. (I made the decision to be more careful in the future—after my reenactment.)
  6. See the humor in your actions and laugh if you can. (I laughed about my crazy feat.)

Conveying God’s Message

We all have done crazy things, whether it was making a prank phone call as a child or a misguided judgment call as an adult. But, do we ever think of people in the Bible doing things that appear crazy to others? They did.

We can convey God’s message through our everyday living!
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  1. Ezekiel took a brick and started drawing artwork on it and playing with it (See Ezek. 4).

“Now you son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise up a ramp, pitch camps and place battering rams against it all around. Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it.”

It sounds like Ezekiel was playing with plastic construction toys that children use for play, but he was really drawing and playing as a prediction of the upcoming siege of Jerusalem.

But, it looked crazy to others.

  1. Daniel chose not to eat the king’s food (See Dan. 1-2).

“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so, he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.”

It sounds crazy to give up the delicious food offered by the king, but Daniel told the overseer to test Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and himself for ten days and give them only vegetables to eat and water to drink. They turned out to be more intelligent and healthy than the others who ate the king’s food. God’s purpose was to prove their wisdom to King Nebuchadnezzar. Later the king would call on Daniel (and his friends) to discern a dream. Being available in this way prevented them from being destroyed with the rest of the “wise” men of Babylon.

  1. Hosea named his second and third child crazy names: No Mercy, and Not-My-People (See Hosea 1).
[His wife] conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

“When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

Hosea’s crazy names were not for himself, but to show God would have no more mercy on Israel and that they were not His people and He was not their God anymore.

Using Your Antics for God

The difference between our crazy things and some of the crazy things the people above did was that they did their crazy things to convey God’s message to the people.

But, how about this? Use some of your crazy things to convey a message from God. Put them in a blog; share them with your friends; become a humorous story teller; then add a twist of the Bible to your stories. That is what I tried to do here and it is just plain old fun! Use whatever God allows in your life to be for His glory.

When we allow God to take all our life and all the things that happen to us, He can use and change us. God did change me today. I learned something about danger, irresponsibility, and consequences. I was fortunate that I landed feet-first when I leaped out of the sink. But I still had a consequence—luckily, the only consequence I had was to change my soaking wet pants!

To read another “Crazy Patti” story, click here to read about how I almost sank in a drainage ditch. (Title: Consequences)

Bible Verses:

[There is] a time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance (Eccles. 3:4).

[Paul} said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. (Acts 14:10).

For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality (Col. 3:25).

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17).

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all You put into my path. Let me enjoy life. Let me laugh and have good, clean fun. Let me use all the situations You put in my life to be a means to share the joy of my salvation. I love You Lord. Thanks for the fun and crazy experiences You allow me to have. Keep me from sin and temptation and give me wisdom to make wise decisions. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1

Patti Greene, Member Inspirational Writers Alive

Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses taken from the NASB.

If you liked this article and would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe. It is an easy way not to miss any posts in your feed! Moreover, I would love seeing you as part of the Greene Pastures Community.

Books by Patti Greene

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 90-day devotional prayer journal for all ages; This informative and how-to book on prayer is for seekers, new believers, and mature believers. It encourages a commitment and devotion to the art of prayer. Learn how God reveals himself through Bible study and prayer. ISBN: 978-1512760453 (Paperback) $11.95 on Amazon.

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 365-day devotional prayer journal for in-depth Bible study; Fun words or phrases from the Old and New Testaments! Perfect for mature believers. ISBN: 978-1490893181 (Paperback) $27.95 on Amazon.

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 181-day devotional prayer journal for growing individuals; The Bible and social issues. Perfect for new believers. Comes with a group study guide. ISBN: 978-1490893174 (Paperback) $19.95 on Amazon.

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Bible Study, How to Guides, People in the Bible

Lying Prophets

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Lying Prophets / by Patti Greene, Greene Pastures by Patti

Jeremiah–a man consecrated by the Lord before he was formed in the womb—was appointed to be a prophet to the nations. He was to go and proclaim whatever the LORD commanded him to speak. Being called in his youth, Jeremiah’s low confidence level caused him to ask God how he should speak; the LORD assured him not to be afraid as He would be with him and He would put His words into Jeremiah’s mouth.

His calling was tough. At times Jeremiah wanted to give up. His life was reduced to rejection and anguish by those who would not listen to his warnings of famine, death and sin, as he pleaded for the restoration of Israel and Judah. Jeremiah’s calling was wearisome to him, even to the place of his complaining that his mother bore him to become “a man of strife and contention to the whole land” (Jeremiah 15:10). His life consisted of criticizing evil, leaders, and idolatry existing in the nations.

One of Jeremiah’s most renowned acts was his exposure of the lying prophets of his time (also known as “false prophets”) in Jeremiah 23:9-10.  There were Godly prophets and ungodly prophets. The problem was that the two co-existed side-by-side in the land and the ungodly prophets were outnumbering the Godly prophets. The people were believing the ungodly prophets and it was Jeremiah’s job to convince them otherwise.

At this point, let’s let Scripture speak for itself. While Jeremiah’s heart was broken, he speaks of lying prophets and how to recognize them.

How to Recognize a Lying Prophet

  1. They fill you with vain hopes (Jer. 23:16).
  2. They speak visions of their own minds (Jer. 23:16).
  3. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, “It shall be well with you” (Jer. 23:17).
  4. They say “No disaster shall come upon you” to everyone who follows their own heart (Jer. 23:17).

It is interesting why the people believed the lying prophets and not the true prophets from the LORD. The people did not stand in the counsel of the LORD to see and hear God’s word. If they would have, they themselves would have been proclaiming God’s word. And if they were in the presence of God’s holy word, the people would have turned from their evil ways and deeds.

Jeremiah was charged with telling the people not to listen to what the false prophets were sayings. He told the people that the lying prophets were dealing in heresies and deceiving their hearts. Jeremiah’s own prophecies were not welcome, just as Jesus’ prophecies were not welcome in New Testament times. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15-16a). B.H. Caroll, the late President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, these lying prophets “preached what the people wanted them to preach. They felt the pulse of the people and then shaped their message accordingly.” ¹

Do people and pastors today feel the pulse of the people and shape their message accordingly? Of course, they do! Late Pastor Adrian Rodgers once said,

It [is] good to know how to spot a counterfeit dollar, but far more important to spot a counterfeit prophet or teacher! Counterfeit money is not nearly as bad as a counterfeit faith. ²

How to Recognize a Lying Prophet Today

Basically, it is like how lying prophets were recognized in Jeremiah’s time, but let’s be a little more current and add on to what is already mentioned above.

  1. They do not possess the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
  2. They see false visions and lying divination (Ezek. 13: 6-7).
  3. The world usually speaks very highly of them (Luke 6:26).
  4. They are not led by the Holy Spirit in interpreting the Bible (Rom. 8:14).
  5. They do not teach that salvation is only through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:1-3).
  6. They may lack personal integrity and be led easily into sin (Pro. 20:11).
  7. They speak what the people what the people are craving to hear (Isa. 30:9-11).

In 5 Signs of Ear-Tickling Preachers, author Michael Brown, tells a story about a friend who recently learned the owner of a local strip club was attending the same church that he and his family attended.

“His sister-in-law approached the pastor and asked him about it, and the pastor said, “At least he’s coming to church. That’s better than not coming at all.”

That would be true, except that the pastor never said a word about sin and never said anything that would make the man uncomfortable about his exploitation of young women (and others). And so rather than this man getting convicted of his sins and discovering the life-changing love of God, he went home deceived.” ³

Just as in Jeremiah’s time, we will encounter lying, false prophets who will try to deceive both believers and non-believers. Let us remember that it is Christ who has set us free and we must devote ourselves to the Holy Spirit—praying always that we will not be deceived by one claiming to represent our LORD and Savior, but does not. False prophets can perform acts as easily as true prophets (Jer. 18:10-22); thus, our gaze should remain on Jesus and we must ask for his discernment daily.

Watch out for lying prophets who try to deceive both believers and non-believers.
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Bible Verses:

See Above.

Prayer:

Dear Father, Thank you for loving me. Thank you that you have given me the ability to discern righteous prophets from lying prophets. Let me always depend upon your Spirit to guide me unto all truth. Let your light so shine in my life that distinguishing good from evil becomes part of my nature. As I read my Bible,  teach me to be sensitive to your Holy Spirit as I face choices in this earthly life. I love you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-2000x655

¹ Caroll, B.H. The Prophets of the Chaldean Period. Nashville: Broadman, 1948.

² Rodgers, Adrian. “How to Spot a Counterfeit.” www.oneplace.com. Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

³ Brown, Michael. 5 Signs of Ear-Tickling Preachers. Charisma News. June 9 2014.

Sorensen, David. False Prophets Today. www.godisrealtoday.com. Accessed 9 Oct 2016.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version containing the Old and New Testament. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. [All verses come from the English Standard Bible unless noted otherwise]

If you liked this article and would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe. It is an easy way not to miss any posts in your feed! Moreover, I would love seeing you as part of the Greene Pastures Community.

My Books – Available on Amazon or can be ordered at any retail book store. You may order an autographed copy by clicking on SHOP on this site.

devotional prayer journals
Devotional Prayer Journals by Patti Greene

Awaken Me – 365-day devotional prayer journal for in-depth Bible study; Fun words or phrases from the Old and New Testaments! Perfect for mature believers. ISBN: 978-1490893181 (Paperback)

Anchor Me – 181-day devotional prayer journal for growing individuals; The Bible and social issues. Perfect for new believers. Comes with a group study guide. ISBN: 978-1490893174 (Paperback)

Answer Me – Coming Soon: 90-day devotional prayer journal; All about prayer! Perfect for everyone who wants to deepen their prayer life.

To Order:

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

Comments are always welcome. And, I would love to see you subscribe to my blog. To sign up for Newsletter and/or blog, click here.

On my blog, I want to write about topics that serve your needs and about what matters to you. I strive to help you with your needs and interests. Therefore, I am inviting you to share your interests with me so the content I write about will be more relevant to you. Please comment on this blog or email me at [email protected] for confidentiality.

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Edited by E. Johnson

Patti Greene, Member Inspirational Writers Alive

Bible Study, Death, Life Issues, People in the Bible

Suicide: 7 Reasons People Committed Suicide in the Bible

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Suicide: 7 Reasons People Committed Suicide in the Bible / by Patti Greene, Greene Pastures by Patti [From Email notifications, click the title for best web viewing]

I  once went to the viewing of a young adult who committed suicide. When greeting the parents, I experienced something I will never forget—the big, long hug from a desperate mom—the deep cry of a distraught wife—and the complete agony of a father.

It is the father’s furrowed face I want to keep etched in my mind—for no other reason, but to recall how awful suicide affects those involved. As I looked into the face of the father, his eyes penetrated mine. I’ve never seen such despondency, hopelessness, and despair before in my entire life. Although his eyes were empty, his countenance was reaching out for me to tell him the reason he was sitting in that funeral home pew was a bad dream and that what had just happened really didn’t happen. But, I couldn’t and neither could anyone else.

Suicide affects the family, friends, and acquaintances. It even affects those who have no connection to the suicide through reading about it or hearing about it. It is a tragedy that brings sadness to so many. The “why” question dwells in the minds of all. Thoughts swirl in the mind of those who knew the victim.

“I wish I would have kept in closer contact.”

“What could I have done to prevent this senseless act?”

“Why didn’t I see it coming?”

“Why, why, why?”

In questioning this tragedy, I decided to research suicides in the Bible. I found seven people who committed suicide. This list may not be exhaustive, but it gives a glimpse into the workings of the human mind and maybe, just maybe, it will help others.

7 Reasons People Committed Suicide in the Bible

  1. Regret

    Judas Iscariot hanged himself.

Judas was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was the treasurer for the disciples. He was responsible for their funds and distributing them as needed. He betrayed Jesus by leading Jewish officials to him in order to receive 30 silver coins. Once he discovered that the Jews were going to kill Jesus, he brought the money back to the Jewish officials and threw it on the temple floor. Many say Judas’ motivation was greed. No matter what his true motivation was, it was obvious he regretted his action. Not knowing how to handle that regret and remorse resulted in him hanging himself.

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:5

Examples of Present Day Regret: Not having enough confidence in oneself; regret in chosen occupation; breakups; loved one passes away.

  1. Humiliation

    Abimelech, Son of Gideon ordered his armor-bearer to kill him.

Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. Some say that he should not be counted as a king because he was not anointed by God. During his reign, he destroyed the city of Shechem. After that he attacked the city of Thebez. During that seige, a woman dropped a millstone on his head, wounding him. He was embarrassed that he would be known as being killed by a woman, so he asked his armor-bearer to kill him. And, the armor-bearer did.

Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. Judges 9:54

Examples of Present Day Humiliation: Embarrassed by friends or family members; depression; lack of self-confidence; embarrassed by abuse; bullying; mental illness; feeling of hopelessness; shame.

  1. Bullying

    Samson caused a disaster and killed himself along with others.

Samson was a Judge of the tribe of Dan. He was chosen by Jewish leaders before Israel chose to have Kings. Due to being a Nazarite, his life was dedicated to God. He was known for his Herculean strength. He is most famous for his Philistine wife Delilah who continually betrayed and humiliated him. She eventually shaved Samson’s hair off and the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. He was put in prison. He was called out of prison to be made fun of again. He was tied to pillars and he pulled down the entire temple. The temple collapsed destroying both his life and the lives of many others.

And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. Judges 16:30

Examples of Present Day Bullying: Friends making fun of each other; being laughed at; being bullied for one’s weaknesses (appearances, intelligence); being made fun of behind one’s back; being nagged.

  1. Fear

    King Saul fell on his own sword.

King Saul was Israel’s first king. He tried to overtake the city of Bethsham. He wanted complete control over the trade routes. But, the armies of the Philistines fought against the men of Saul. They killed Saul’s three sons: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. Saul was wounded in the battle. He asked his armor-bearer to slay him, but he wouldn’t, so he fell on his sword.

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.  And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore, Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 1 Samuel 31:1-4

Examples of Present Day Fear: Desire to be free of pain; terminal illnesses; fear of being mocked, fear of possible abuse, actual verbal abuse; actual physical abuse; sexual ridicule; mocked for being poor, handicapped, judged; fear of mistreatment.

  1. Witnessing Violence or Death

    Saul’s armor-bearer fell on his own sword.

The purpose of an armor bearer in the Bible was to be by their king’s side during dangerous times. Armor bearers were chosen by kings because they were supposed to be known as very brave people. Possibly, Saul’s armor bearer could not deal with the guilt of disobeying King Saul’s command to kill him or maybe he couldn’t accept that he just witnessed the violent death of someone else – King Saul.

And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 1 Samuel 31:5

Examples of Present Day Witnessing Violence or Death: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; witnessing abuse (domestic or otherwise); being traumatized by witnessing natural disasters; being traumatized by witnessing another suicide; guilt they could have made a difference in someone’s decision to take their own life; terrorism.

  1. Powerlessness

    Ahithopel planned his suicide, put his house in order, and hanged himself.

Ahithopel was King David’s counselor. But, at one point, he deserted King David and went to serve King David’s son Absolom. Hushai was known to be Absalom’s friend and trusted counselor.  Absalom valued Hushai’s counseling skills more than Ahithophel’s skills. That disturbed Ahithophel, so he went home to Giloh, put his house in order, then hanged himself.

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. 2 Samuel 17:23

Examples of Present Day Powerlessness: Being insulted; not being viewed as worthy or important;  jealous of other people (co-workers, family members, peers); elder abuse; being talked about behind your back; inability to break a drug habit; not being respected.

  1. Distress

    Zimri killed himself and others by fire.

Zimri was a chariot commander. He murdered King Elah and all his family in Tirzah. He succeeded King Elah as king, but only for seven days. The army elected Omri as king instead of him. He wanted power and was distressed that the army was going to besiege Tirzah. He was unable to cope regarding the besiege of Tirzah and the loss of position so he set the palace on fire killing himself along with many others.

And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire and died. 1 Kings 16:18

Examples of Present Day Distress: Loss of job; unemployment; grades; death of a family member or someone close; divorce; injury; being abused; being neglected; trouble with the law; alcoholism; not getting into the college of choice; pressure to be someone you aren’t; moral distress; comparing your situation to others.

To all who are reading this article, remember that all problems can be fixed. The only problem that can’t be fixed is suicide.

Every problem we face or that we see others facing can be fixed. The only problem that can’t be fixed is suicide.
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If you recognize any of these examples in your life or in the faces of those you come in contact with, please get help. Don’t wait. It may be too late, and we don’t want that. And, if for some reason, you do encounter a suicide and are having a hard time dealing with it (which happens to a lot of people), please get some counseling. Talk to a friend, spouse, parent, mentor, minister, or professional counselor. Let’s try as much as we can to help others so we don’t have to experience the despondency, hopelessness, and despair in the faces of those left behind.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-2000x655

Bible Verses: Above

Prayer: O LORD, suicide is tough. It’s so final. Lord, help me to always realize that there are always ways out of my problems and impress upon me that your Holy Spirit and love can be my source of hope. Let me never be on the receiving end of a loved one’s suicide, but if I am give me your strength to deal with the situation. I pray for those in the midst of this suffering. I lift their heart and soul to you. Give them your comfort and love as no one or anything can. Keep my soul healthy in you. Let me call out for help when I need it and let me recognize those who need my help before it is too late. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Losch, Richard. All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008.

Miller, Stephen. Who’s Who & Where’s Where in the Bible. Uhrichsville: Barbour, 2012.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version containing the Old and New Testament. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. [All verses come from the English Standard Bible unless noted otherwise]

If you liked this article and would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe. It is an easy way not to miss any posts in your feed! Moreover, I would love seeing you as part of the Greene Pastures Community.

My Books – Available on Amazon or can be ordered at any retail book store. You may order an autographed copy by clicking on SHOP on this site.

devotional prayer journals
Devotional Prayer Journals by Patti Greene

Awaken Me – 365-day devotional prayer journal for in-depth Bible study; Fun words or phrases from the Old and New Testaments! Perfect for mature believers. ISBN: 978-1490893181 (Paperback)

Anchor Me – 181-day devotional prayer journal for growing individuals; The Bible and social issues. Perfect for new believers. Comes with a group study guide. ISBN: 978-1490893174 (Paperback)

Answer Me – Coming Soon: 90-day devotional prayer journal; All about prayer! Perfect for everyone who wants to deepen their prayer life.

To order Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

To order Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

Comments are always welcome. And, I would love to see you subscribe to my blog. To sign up for Newsletter and/or blog, click here.

On my blog, I want to write about topics that serve your needs and about what matters to you. I strive to help you with your needs and interests. Therefore, I am inviting you to share your interests with me so the content I write about will be more relevant to you. Please comment on this blog or email me at [email protected] for confidentiality.

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