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The Birthing

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John 16:21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world.

Paula reminded us on Wednesday that in the midst of the hardest of times, God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. It reminded me that before our daughter gave birth to our newest grandson – we were told he was breeched. A procedure was performed in an attempt to turn the baby. Many were praying. For a while it seemed to have worked but our daughter’s follow up visit revealed the baby had returned to the breech position. We were all very sad and disappointed that our prayers had not been answered. But when I received the news my thoughts turned to all the people praying. The first thing out of my mouth was, God knows best. When the C-section was performed we discovered our grandson had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. We realized if the procedure, which had been performed earlier, had of been effective there was a very good chance his birth would have been a tragedy rather than a time of celebration. 

When the angel announced, to an unwed teenage girl, that she was pregnant – it couldn’t have been worse news. The event was scandalous. Can you imagine the shock and terror her parents must have experienced? But what does Mary do after being shuffled off out of town to her aunts home? And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

Before the birth of Jesus – Mary gave birth to thanksgiving and praise. What are you giving birth to?

Thanksgiving and Rainy Day Bells

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Isaiah 55:8-9 states For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Recently Paula Harkey sent me the following e-mail. I’ve gotten her permission to share this Thanksgiving story with you: About 4 months or so ago I found a gold chain in an unpacked box.  It was a rope chain 20 inches,  14  K gold. It was heavy and I didn’t wear it much. I must have missed it when I sold my other jewelry. I didn’t miss it, God tucked it away for me to use at another date. When I had to get another phone because mine died it took some of my extra money. But I had an incredible peace. I decided to take my chain to a jewelry store this morning and I ask if this was worth anything.  He took it and came back with a price. I had prayed for just enough to meet my bills. He said I’ll give you 8.65 dollars and I repeated 8.65. He said no, $865.00.  The tears and praise broke out and another lady and I praised our Lord together. I’m still crying with thankfulness.   

Paula reminds us that in the midst of the hardest of times, God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Holidays can be hard on a grieving widow or family. But Scripture reminds us that although our tears are precious to God we are encouraged to give thanks through, and in spite of the circumstances. There’s an old doo top song written by Neil Sedaka, and sung by the Globetrotters in 1970. The lyrics are just as applicable today as they were 54 years ago: Rainy day bells ring in the chapel, telling the people there’s going to be sunshine, Rainy day bells played by the raindrops sing out a message, Don’t be afraid of the storm. Somewhere the sun is shining through a silver lining, wait and see, say the rainy day bells….don’t let the rain make you unhappy, in just a moment we’re going to be walking in the sun, little gray clouds will cheer up, they’re going to smile and clear up, when they hear those rainy day bells.

Hidden Treasures

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There was a very poor man down in West Texas in the 1930s who barely made a living on a very poor sheep farm around Odessa and Midland. His name was E. L. Yates and he was so poor that he was contemplating bankruptcy and allowing the bank to repossess his farm. He was constantly worrying about how he could pay his bills and feed his family. One day a survey crew from an oil company came to him and asked for permission to drill for oil on his property. The contract stated that he was to receive every eighth barrel if any oil was found. At 1,115 feet they hit a gusher. The well produced 80,000 barrels of oil a day! Wells soon followed that could produce twice that capacity. Even thirty years later government surveys showed wells with a capacity for 125,000 barrels a day. It proved to be one of the richest veins of oil ever found on the North American continent. Mr Yates owned it all! When he purchased the land the oil came with it. During all the years of poverty he was rich and didn’t know it. Years passed before Mr Yates possessed what he owned and enjoyed the privileges of ownership.

In Gen. 28:16 Jacob makes a similar discovery: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Acts 17:27 makes a similar observation: So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us. In our time of fasting and praying, seeking to meet Jesus outside of the camp, it is easy to become discouraged, disillusioned, and give up. But faith keeps digging until it strikes the riches of Who God is just beneath the hard surface of silence.

Graham Cooke states that “Hiddenness connects us with God’s Wisdom, and wisdom is the revelation of Who God is and the internal recognition of how He likes to work in our lives. Faith depends upon one thing – your understanding of the Nature of God. Real Wisdom and Understanding are hidden from us. We don’t gain spiritual maturity by accumulating knowledge, but by increasing in godly Wisdom. In Rev. 2:17 Jesus doesn’t aim to take away His Followers oppression in Pergamum. Instead His intention was to provide more revelation. He promised, To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden. In hiddenness we find His Wisdom, Understanding, and Revelation. Our task is to search for it. Colossians 2:3 states: In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and lie hidden. Psalm 51:6 states: Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Remember that in the New Testament Jesus is known as Truth, but in the Old He is known as Wisdom! While seeking Jesus in the hiddenness and darkness of our faith we will discover and unearth Him in His hidden Wisdom, Understanding, and Revelation. Happy digging and remember you are wealthier than you realize!