Category: Leadership

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But Now… You didn’t even notice

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chick face

For almost twenty seconds I was proud of myself! When reading the “But Now” Chapter this morning (Isaiah 1) I read in verse nine about the remnant that God had left who serve Him,

9 Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

And I thought… hey! I’m that remnant! And just as I was patting myself on the back the 2nd time I felt the distinct feeling that even from the couch I had been kicked in the pants. Conviction poured into my soul as I read on…

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

Did you catch it? I sure did. To what purpose is what you’re doing helping me out? You do, you write, you sing, you teach, and it’s all good… but that’s the desert of my meal. What about the meat and potatoes. The stuff that sticks to the ribs and will make it through the fire. The things you do are the pretty things, and I’m sick of it… what about the real work?

Isaiah 1: 21-23 ~  

 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:  Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

What a sad indictment to leadership. To “Shari quote it” Thy princes (leadership) are hanging out with lowlife (and not to win them to Christ), but they rather love what they receive for serving (as a matter of fact that’s why they do it, not for Me) and the people who need your help, you don’t even notice.

But now… you didn’t even notice.

For me it’s another day of serving Jesus doing the pretty stuff. And God’s all about it! There’s nothing wrong with it; we need the pretty stuff, but what about the ugly stuff that nobody wants to do? Like visiting the elderly and sick, helping the homeless, picking up the snotty nosed kid for the church, telling someone you don’t even know that Jesus loves them and wants to save their soul. What about those things? God wants the pretty stuff, but not if that’s the only thing we’re about.

God called them a murderer. That’s serious business. That means somebody’s blood is on our hands…And we didn’t even notice.

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But Now… Watch how you EAT (Dieters beware)

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Chick way

Job 4:5

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

I have to wonder how many times in my life I’ve been as indifferent to people as Job’s “friend” Eliphaz was toward Job’s afflictions. Leading into his dissertation of demise he asks Job if its okay if they fellowship together (vs. 1) If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? Followed by, “It really doesn’t matter because I just can’t keep my mouth shut.” (vs 2) but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Lessons from someone else’s stupidity: (it doesn’t always have to be our own)

Eliphaz didn’t even wait to see of Job was up to a visit; in his arrogance he just plodded on believing that his presence and opinion were more important than this friend’s issues. Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” Eliphaz and Shari should be so wise; but he nor I will ever be found guilty of “overthinking” what we say. I do however hope that I have enough sense to glean a lesson from Eliphaz using the acronym E.A.T.

Do ENCOURAGE

Before you go to your friend… take your conversation to God.

I have a feeling if Eliphaz would have gone to God and said, “Lord, I’m just letting you know that I’m gonna go line Job out for You today. I have heard enough of his poor me story,” that God would have lined Elephaz out before he left. It’s not our job to “line anyone out” but we certainly take on that role sometimes. It may be our job to encourage or instruct, which Eliphaz acknowledged Job had done in his life when he said in verses 3 and 4 “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.”

Don’t ASSUME

(Vs. 5) But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Eliphaz assumed that it wasn’t nearly as bad as Job was making it out to be saying “it toucheth thee” as if were a light thing. Those happened to be the very words that Satan used in Job 1:11; 2:5. It was no small thing that Satan had done! He had taken Job’s family, covered his body with boils, destroyed his wealth and left him with a wife that told him to curse God and die, and through it all Job stays faithful. But even if it hadn’t been “that bad.” What if Job just had just lost his job, or lost one family member? Who are we to assume that we understand the issues of that person’s life? Those issues may be far greater than we ever imagined and not evident on the surface.

Nor can we assume that the issues of their life was brought upon them because they’re reaping what they sowed.

Eliphaz asked Job (vss. 6-7) Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?  Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

Our ways are not God’s ways. – Isaiah 55:8 – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

Do TREAT them as if it were You

The reason for the acronym, tomorrow that may be on our plate.

But now… what how you eat!

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Prayer

But Now… Somebody get my fiddle!

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chick fiddler2 Kings 3:15

But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

One thing that will almost assuredly bring joy to my soul is music. And stringed music that much more; it’s the basics that I love. So my “But Now” verse for today was literally music to my ear when I see the Lord setting the stage for victory through a bluegrasser! (Yes I know that’s a stretch, but a girl can dream can’t she?) Although it was harp that was played, it was still the foundation for the fiddle that would come along in the 16th century. And it matters not to me what particular instrument but rather the fact that God used it and my favorite thing in the world (the Word of God) together. And if you prefer playing the cello, visit nt-instruments.com electric cello.

To set the stage for you in this text, it is the story of two Kings, normally at odds with one another. But this day they had formed an allegiance against a common enemy. King Jehoram of Israel met with Jehoshaphat king of Judah and together they met with the king of Edom and made this agreement in 2 Kings 3:7-8

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

But as they traveled, 7 days into the journey they ran out of water and then began to wonder if it was God’s will at all for them to go to this battle, and whether or not He had set them up to get them killed!

10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

Ha! can I relate to that one. Halfway down any road in life I’ve asked myself that question, so you’ll find me throwing no stones at the kings. But here they are at the crossroad of battling Moab or tuckin’ their tales and turning home and they decide to seek the wisdom of God, which would come through, at that time, a man of God named Elisha. They’re not as privileged as we who are saved today and seek God’s wisdom from within.

I love Elisha’s response when they arrive to ask him to seek God for them; he has to get at least one jab in to the king of Israel who at that time worshipped other gods. He promptly tells him if it wasn’t for his buddy he’d not give him the time of day. That’s Shari quoted… read it for yourself…

14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

Elisha preached it like it was, and the king of Israel did not take him to a happy place. But here comes the fiddle! Okay it was a harp. But before Elisha gives them an answer he needs to set the tone for worship and he does that through stringed music. The rest of the story, they find water and they win the battle through the hand of God!

The lesson here? Before any battle, be it of flesh or foe we need to seek the Lord and we need to do so with a heart of worship. The Battle is His alone. Elisha set his mind on the things above by using the tools below. We have them at our disposal… we just fail to use them. One of my favorite fiddle pieces that would cause Squire Parsons to grimace at the least is “Beulah Land.” Oh…. I have but to lay my bow to the string and draw the first note before God enters my presence… I think He likes Squire’s song too.  Are you facing a battle and needing an answer? I suggest you take Elisha’s advice and call the minstrel, and make sure it’s a song God likes…

But now… Somebody get my fiddle.

Posted in Leadership, Life Inspiration, Life's Failures

But Now… get busy

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chick Anointed

2 Samuel 12:19-24

19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him.

I somehow or another missed this verse in the “But Now Series” so we’re back tracking one in the order that this will be a thorough study. And it’s not one to be missed for a few reasons. The story of David and Bathsheba’s affair was certainly not one of David’s stellar moments. I find it more than a little interesting that the greater portion of “But Now” moments have involved David, we’ll see if that plays out until the end; but it won’t surprise me that it does. Who better for Satan to attack than the man after God’s own heart? If he’s going to ruin a testimony he’s going to ruin one of the most talked about individuals in the community. So before we cast a stone at the fallen child of God, do you know what God’s plans were for them? They might have been a great and mighty soldier for the cross, but for being human. Satan doesn’t attack the ne’re-do-well, how would that help his cause? He attacks someone who really wants to do the right thing, but gets distracted by something beautiful and thinks… maybe just once.

But “once” had a tiny little face and David loved it, but the baby died.

And in this “But now” story David has confused his servants. When the child was sick David refused to eat and wept in great sorrow, “but now” that the child had died, David got up, got dressed and went on about the business of the day. It wasn’t that he was heartless or without mourning, for it says he comforted his wife. And I’m sure in the privacy of their home they still shed tears, but this day David knows that nothing can be done to change God’s mind, and it’s time to go on.

Be it in life and death, life and a career, life and a marriage or life and something else we’ve lost, we have to stop the mourning.  The reason it happened may or may not have been any of our own, but we have the answer; it’s done and we can’t undo it. I have had more than a few of those moments in my life, but I’m not nearly so smart as David. I want to wallow in it for a day, a month, a year… What about you?

Is there something that God has said “It’s over,” and you just won’t let it be? How about today we clean ourselves up, anoint ourselves (putting on the Word of God) and get back in the business of serving and worshiping God as He deserves. I can’t believe I almost missed this “But Now” experience. All Satan had to do was get a computer program to un-bold one word and I missed it, but God knew we needed it. So here are… but now… get busy.

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But now… it’s time for you to step aside

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chick ste

2 Samuel 18:3

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

A hard lesson in leadership is to step aside when there is someone better suited for the job. Even harder still is when it’s something that you’re passionate about and you have a goal in mind that you’d like to see accomplished. Such was the case as David and his army prepared to battle Absalom. Their goal as an army was to destroy the enemy whose goal was to take out David; for without David in leadership they knew his army would likely fall apart.  David’s love for Absalom governed his heart and he had ask the troop leaders to “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom” (Vs. 5)

It wasn’t that David didn’t want what God wanted when he made the request for them to spare Absalom, David was a man after God’s own heart. But just like the rest of us, our passions can sometimes cloud our vision and prevent us from seeing what those around us see clearly.

David’s comrades knew that same truth, that without him in leadership they’d be in trouble. It would be much safer for them all if he was not in the battle. David loved Absalom, but that love was not reciprocated and Absalom would have killed his father in a minute.

Matthew Henry once said that “Wisdom teaches us to make the best of the strength we have, and let it reach to the utmost.” Sometimes the strength we have lies in the leadership around us.”

Absalom was killed and David’s heart was broken.

32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

God’s plans don’t always go as we’d like. But David’s clouded leadership didn’t see the vantage point of God that would have likely lead to Absalom being a thorn in David’s side for years to come and undermining God’s design for Israel. His leadership understood it though. Joab finally had to step in again and bring David to his senses.

Chapter 19:5-7

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

I heard it once said that a church rises and falls on leadership. That’s a scary thought, and Like King David we sometimes need a reality check when our decisions are clouded by our passions. God loves passionate people! Just make sure it’s focused passion and that when there is someone better suited to get the job done, let your leaders shine!

FROM THE STUDY “BUT NOW”

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership

But now… those aren’t your shoes!

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chick cute shoes 2

1 Samuel 13:14

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

The handsome man that stood a head taller than the crowd had made it two years and then there came that fateful day, (a fate he set himself) when he decided he could fill Samuel’s shoes. After all, he’d lead men into battle, what was a worship service compared to that? I totally don’t know if that was Saul’s attitude, but it could have been. I feel a sense of arrogance in him in chapter 13.  When Samuel asked Saul in verse 11 “What hast thou done?”  Saul responded “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”

I can tell you one thing, I’m not going to speak in arrogance. I’ve been Saul. I’ve wanted those cute shoes that belonged to some other chick, and yes I thought I could do it myself!  After all, I’d done more complex things. Well let me just tell you; it worked about as well for me as it did for Saul.

Saul said that he “forced” himself to do it. Which meant obviously something, or Someone, (God) was convincing him otherwise. We know when something is not our job, but it’s human nature to think that we can do it better, especially if someone’s not doing it on our timeframe. Hello? Who am I preaching to besides me? Jeepers I’m an impatient person. And I have on more than one occasion, many more times than one, stepped into someone else’s shoes rather than obeying the Spirit of God Who said “wait.”

The end result for Saul was that he got himself kicked out of leadership. Fired by God! How sad is that? God had a plan, and it was great! In verse 13 Samuel says to Saul “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.”

But now… not now. You’ve messed that up Saul. Those cute shoes have gotten me into trouble so many times!  You see, I’m a leadership junky!  I love it. I didn’t realize I loved it, I didn’t even start out desiring it. All of a sudden one day I awoke to the fact that people were watching me and following me; and a part of me was scared to death and the other side of me thought, “Wow… that’s pretty cool.” So when I saw something that needed done, I needed to do it. Because that’s what leadership does…. Uh oh.

No they don’t!

Leadership lets those whom God desires to use get used. And sometimes those who He desires to use take their time getting into place, and its leadership’s job to not get their knickers in a knot or their panties in a bunch and take over. Especially when it’s a God appointed position! Cute shoes or no, they’re not yours to wear.

That lesson took Saul and I both a while to learn… I hope it takes you less. I hope that because of this blog today you realized it before you stepped into the cute little pumps or espadrilles that didn’t belong to you. God’s anointed positions are serious business; and anointed positions are not just preaching and teaching. Take heed friend, lest we mess with the plan.

FROM THE STUDY “BUT NOW”

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But now… He made us, so He’ll keep us

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chick calm

1 Samuel 12:10

And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

Samuel had just done a roll call of sins and doubts of the people of Israel to remind them that although again and again they had failed God, but now and always He had delivered them. At this time they fail God again by asking Samuel to choose a King among them so that they would have a leader as the other nations around them did… as if God wasn’t enough. So God provided a king and another promise to His people; one that we too can cling to today.

12:20-25

And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;  And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

If you read this full chapter you’ll see that Samuel had called upon God for a light show just to remind Israel again Who it was that controlled the world; should they forget and get some vain notion that a man actually did. (Hello America!) So, his point was well proven and he goes on to tell them that even though that wasn’t God’s plan, God’s still going to take care of them. It had pleased God to make them, therefore He thought He’d keep them.

That struck a chord in my heart this morning. Oh! I am ever so glad that that promise is alive and well today through the blood of Jesus Christ for an unworthy sinner such as I. Even though I’ve failed Him, I’ve allowed other things in my life to rule and reign over my decision making, God will still send a lightning bolt from Heaven once in a while to remind me that He loves me still. I doubt, I question and I complain and God waits silently for me to shut up and then speaks peace back to my soul.

And as for Samuel the leader, there is a reminder for those of us who lead those who fail (just like us).  God forbid that we should sin in failing to pray and teach the good right way. As church leaders it’s so easy to get frustrated when the congregation of the Lord treats the sanctuary more like a library. That’s a place of praise and worship, lest we forget.

In the beginning of chapter 12 Samuel asked the congregation a rhetorical question as to whether or not he had defrauded or oppressed them as a leader. They said no. So he began to give them a list of other leaders who God had used to deliver them, yet were not harkened to either until the children got in trouble; then they were willing to listen. Sure enough this congregation would regret having Saul as king. But now…Samuel must still pray and lead. And that’s what we’re called to do. Pray and lead by example.

I cannot make the congregation of the Lord shout! But I can shout. I cannot make them listen, but I can listen. I cannot make anyone else get excited, but I can cause that excitement to bubble up from within their soul when they feel the Holy Spirit blessing me. And He will… if I stay faithful.

But now… He’ll keep us.

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But Now… are you willing?

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chick content

Judges 6:13

And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Far be it from me to be disobedient to God and then wonder why I feel forsaken. (…yeah right) And I have on more than one occasion claimed the latter part of Hebrews 13:5: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” ignoring the prefix of that statement where it says  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have” and then it says “I will never thee, nor forsake thee.” I for certain want God not to forsake me, but I don’t want to have to do without stuff! That was a side bar on the Gideon story, but the truth of the matter is, God had allowed Israel to get into bondage again with the Midianites because they had traded Him for the gods of the world. Tell me that doesn’t ring familiarity to the church today and in our individual lives.

We want God in a crisis, “but now” that’s it’s over we’ll see what we can do about penciling Him in. We don’t have to ask ourselves why the circumstances of America are playing out as they are; it’s because the nation as a whole has turned their back on God. Gideon hadn’t turned his back on God, because God called him a “mighty man of valour.” So why then was Gideon the mighty man of valour hiding in the wine press to thresh wheat? The logical answer for me is, because he was human. Even those of us who desire to stand up and fight against the wickedness of the world find ourselves cowering down somewhere because the enemy seems too much and we seem so insignificant by comparison.

Through God’s counsel Gideon and Israel had victory but there were a few steps in between.

He questioned God’s judgment on using him.

Vs 15 – behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

To country quote it, “I ain’t got any money, and I don’t have the strength to fight that battle Lord.” God doesn’t’ need our money or our muscle! He wants a man willing to use what He’s equipped with. That’s why in Hebrew 13:5 Jesus tells us to be content with what we have, because that’s what God needs. What we have.

Gideon didn’t have much, but what he had he was willing to give to the Lord. In verse 18-19 of Judges 6 Gideon said. “Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.”

 In reading chapter 6 we discover that he sacrificed what he had, sought God’s counsel, and followed His instruction. The very same thing that we too have to offer God.

  • What we’ve been given… a little, or a lot doesn’t matter.
  • Time in His presence (costs nothing)
  • And obedience to His instruction (and He’ll equip us with the rest)

But now… America is here. But with a few Mighty folks of Valour, willing to be content with what we have, and listen to God, we could be a far better nation. Are you willing?

Posted in Christian Service, Grace, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Willingly or Dragged… it’s a choice

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Go Willingly

Genesis 37:28

Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

It is said that Joseph’s journey into Egypt was a 30 day march for which he likely would have been bound by chains. While his brothers in all their “kindness” opted not to kill him, they certainly would have had his blood on their hands if something had happened to him. In their anger about Joseph’s arrogance (in that he bragged about one day being ruler over them) they sold him to be a slave with total disregard for his safety or the brokenness of their father’s heart. Along that thought line this morning I have to wonder how many times have I sold the Father’s Son out for a piece of the world and the privilege of not being governed.

Joseph who is an example of Christ, though far from Christ’s perfectness, must have done a lot of self-examination along that 30 day journey. Perhaps that is why, when he got to Potiphar’s house he was ready to be obedient to the will of God. Perhaps he had seen that his boasting had been his demise.

I can understand Joseph, though I’m not nearly as good a person as he. It’s easy to get into that mode when you’re a child of the living God and you know you’re right; but knowing you’re right doesn’t give you the right to sit in self-righteous judgment of other people. I’ve done some self-examination of my own lately.

Self-righteous of the sinner

I can be. It’s not usually my way but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. I often forget who I was called to minister to in my frustrations with idiot behaviors.

Self-righteous of the self-righteous.

Oh yeah… that’s me. I can’t stand’em. It’s the one thing that will grate on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. Those high horse Christian’s that are above reproach in their mind and will cut to the core a child of God who has fallen. Don’t get me started…

And then I realize that God didn’t make me their keeper either and my self-righteousness of their self-righteousness puts me in their league. And although I don’t play on their team, when we all stand before God and answer for what we’ve done for Him and against Him, that’s going to be one of those things that have people behind me in line wishing they’d packed a lunch, because we’re going to be there a while.

I need to walk away and find me a sinner and tell them about Jesus. That is where my rewards are and that is where my joy is so why am I wasting valuable time in frustration over judgmental saints.

2015 has me desiring to walk:

  • Walk Closer
  • Walk Confident
  • Walk Content
  • Walk Concerned
  • Walk Compassionate

I do not want to be on a 30 day trek of regret before I get to the part where I still must say, “It’s Your will and way Lord.” Because it is. I can go willingly or I can go in chains, but God’s still going to have His way in my life. Yours too. Let’s walk together, Okay? Please join with me by following this blog and sharing me with your friends. Not that I’m anybody, but that I might be used by God to stir souls for the service of God.

Posted in Christian Service, Church Unity, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The Spiritual and Historical Significance of Bed Canopies: A Connection to Jesus Christ

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on The Spiritual and Historical Significance of Bed Canopies: A Connection to Jesus Christ

Bed canopies, with their graceful drapes and ethereal presence, have adorned bedrooms for centuries. While today they are often seen as symbols of luxury or romanticism, their origins and significance are deeply rooted in history, spirituality, and religious symbolism. One intriguing aspect of bed canopies is their association with religious imagery, particularly in Christian traditions, where they have been connected to the figure of Jesus Christ.
The Historical Evolution of Bed Canopies

Bed canopies date back to ancient civilizations, where they were initially used for practical reasons. In the medieval period, they served as a means of privacy and protection from insects, drafts, and the prying eyes of servants. Over time, as society’s structures evolved, so did the function and design of these canopies. They became symbols of status and wealth, often found in the bedrooms of the nobility and the elite.

During the Renaissance, bed canopies took on a more decorative role, reflecting the artistic and cultural developments of the time. The intricate designs, luxurious fabrics, and elaborate drapery reflected the owner’s social standing and taste. But beyond their aesthetic and practical roles, bed canopies also held spiritual significance.
Bed Canopies in Religious Symbolism

In Christian iconography, the bed has often been used as a symbol of rest, peace, and the soul’s journey. The canopy, which hangs over the bed like a protective shroud, can be seen as a metaphor for divine protection and the grace of God. This symbolism is particularly potent when connected to Jesus Christ, who is often depicted as the shepherd and protector of his flock.

The canopy can also be viewed as a representation of the heavens, with its drapes symbolizing the veil between the earthly and the divine. In this context, the bed beneath the canopy becomes an altar of sorts, a sacred space where the believer can connect with the divine. This connection to Jesus Christ is further emphasized in the imagery of the “marriage bed,” which in Christian tradition symbolizes the union between Christ and the Church.
The Canopy as a Symbol of the Holy Tabernacle

The design of bed canopies also draws parallels with the Holy Tabernacle described in the Old Testament. The Tabernacle was a portable sanctuary that housed the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God’s presence among the Israelites. The curtains and coverings of the Tabernacle were designed to create a sacred space, much like how a canopy creates a sanctuary within the bedroom.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is often portrayed as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, including the symbolism of the Tabernacle. The bed canopy, with its protective and encompassing nature, can be seen as a modern-day reflection of this ancient symbol. It represents not just physical protection, but spiritual shelter, akin to the protection offered by Christ.
Modern Interpretations and Spiritual Reflections

Today, the bed canopy remains a popular design element in bedrooms around the world. While many may choose canopies for their aesthetic appeal, the underlying spiritual symbolism continues to resonate, whether consciously or subconsciously. For those who are spiritually inclined, a bed canopy can serve as a daily reminder of the presence of divine protection and grace, much like the protective embrace of Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, bed canopies are more than just decorative elements; they are steeped in history and spiritual significance. Their connection to Jesus Christ and Christian symbolism adds a layer of depth to their presence in the bedroom. As we rest beneath these canopies, we are invited to reflect on the divine protection and grace that surrounds us, much like the protective love of Christ that covers and shelters us in our spiritual journey.