His Mercy Seat

“And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony. . .”  Exodus 25:22

God instructs for an ark to be made to carry the Testimony.  And a mercy seat to be above the ark.  How telling. God knew from the beginning what we would need above all else . . .mercy.

O Lord, thank You for Your mercy that constantly covers me and holds me to do likewise. Here’s a simple poem . . .

What Mercy’s Made Of

Mercy can’t be
made of anything
too revealing

like my white shirt
that shows exactly what
I’ve done all day

nor anything too hard
like those chair legs
I kick while barefoot

maybe something soft
to sink into, but strong
like memory foam

and able to make dirt
disappear like a
Mr. Clean magic eraser.

Willingly

“Speak to the children of Israel that they bring to Me  an offering.  From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.”  Exodus 25:2

My daughter likes to give things.  It may be something she’s made or found or used.  I always accept whatever she offers for it comes with a piece of her heart.

Thank You, Lord, for knowing my heart and accepting my small offerings today. Here’s a simple poem . . .

Heart Giving

What can I bring My King
that is worthy?
Nothing I have or am
is valuable enough,

but He sees substance
in more than just the offering,
its in the heart attitude
of the one who gives to Him.

A Consuming Fire

“The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.”  Exodus 24:17

Driving along, we’ve come across areas of land that are completely blackened from fire.  As bad as it looks, we’ve learned that these fires were set on purpose, for the betterment of the field.

O Lord, I thank You that You are love and light, bread and water, but also a consuming fire that burns inside me for the good of my soul and for the good of others.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

A Forever Flame

Ordinary fires are hungry
they must feed to keep the flame,
but there is One whose glory
burns forever in His name.

Fleeing

“. . .then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.”  Exodus 21:13

God was giving Moses laws and ordinances concerning violence.  In cases where someone was killed accidentally, He would establish a safe place for the person responsible to go.

Thank You, Jesus, for being my safe place, the One I can always flee to.  I don’t start off my days intending to do wrong.  I need somewhere to go when I do.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

The Best Intentions

I didn’t intend
to hurt anyone today
just got up and got going
in the usual way

then something bad happened
I’m swallowed in dismay
Oh Lord have mercy -
this I pray.

Where Would I Go?

“But if the servant plainly says, “I love my Master . . .I will not go out free . . .” he shall serve him forever.”  Exodus 21:5

When my daughters were very young, we found a baby robin after a bad storm.  The oldest painstakingly cared for this little bird named Stormy.  Long after it could fly, it stayed on the porch waiting for her to feed it and to play with her in the sprinkler.

Jesus, I love You!  There is no where else I’d rather be than with You. And here’s a simple poem. . .

free to stay

thank You
for setting me free
so that i
can stay

and lovingly
serve You
all of these
my days.

To Be With You

“You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.  You shall not make anything to be with Me.”  Exodus 20:22-23

God understands our human-ness oh so well.  He knows our propensity to worship what we can hold and make.

I’m so thankful, Father God, that we can’t get to You through people, places, money and things.  Only through Jesus Christ Your Son can we come to You, because He chose to be our offering.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

The Law of the Altar

Teach me to come
to You
just as I am,
nothing fancy or elaborate
just my heart
in my hands.

Inside Israel

Hi again and welcome to a look inside Israel with J of Jerusalem as she once again gives us a deeper understanding of life there within her nation.  Enjoy!

Oh my…how full of prayers is the book of Lamentations!  If I could pick one to begin this letter with I would, but I can’t…too many!  ‘Lamentations’ in Hebrew is ‘e’kra’ which means something like ‘How is it possible?!?’ or simply ‘How?!?’  It expresses the ‘wonder of the utter horror of the situation’.

This is the book that is read and prayed beginning tonight at sundown through tomorrow night at sundown.

The fast of tisha’b’av has arrived.

Normally, at work, I only receive phone calls around the fast of yom kipper. ‘My health is not good and I would like to know from Dr. R. if it is ok for me to fast’, they ask.  This is the first year that I have received calls like this for tisha’b’av.  In the past I wrote that this fast, which is NOT commanded by Moses, was observed mostly by religious Jews.  This year, however, it seems many many more are concerned.

On the bus this morning, people were subdued.  Many were reading the book of Psalms.  No one was wishing anyone else ‘yom tov’ (good day), for tisha’b’av represents in the collective heart ‘BAD days’ and ‘punishment, banishment, shame’.  The account in Jeremiah of the fall of Jerusalem is our literal history (Jer 39:1) taken much to heart and studied as if it were today.  It was here that, to the horror and shame of the people, those left in the ancient siege of Jerusalem ate their own children as Jeremiah leaves us the words to weep with in Lamentations 2:20 and 4:10.

Many people take the words from Psalm 122:2 and will walk the ‘ramparts’ or along the top of the walls of the Old City.  Many many thousands will walk to the Old City and march silently AROUND the walls and then to the western wall of the ancient temple to pray and read and repent through the night and the day tomorrow.  Others will study scripture together, and others will gather together to pray.

I have been thinking of the words of a worship song that we used to sing: “Hear my cry, O Lord, attend unto my prayer.  From the ends of the earth will I cry out unto Thee.  When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to The Rock that is higher then I…” Since I was singing it, literally, ‘…from the ends of the earth’… it felt so real to me. I love to sing scripture back to Him.  I am so thankful for a foundation laid by faithful men that taught me to embrace the great great gift of repentance!  How wonderful that He gave us a tool to soften our hard hearts with!

Will you pray with us that our hearts, as a people, as a nation, are softened before God?  As the people see the nations surrounding the city of Jerusalem, yet again, and hear the anger and the threats of the world, there is real cause for real concern.  May our hearts be drawn to Him…lead to The Rock that is higher then us.  May He be found of us in time of need and may He grant mercy…mercy that changes hearts.  May Yeshua be revealed as The King that He is!

ani b’derek

Thanks so much for praying for J, Jerusalem and Israel today!

In His Presence

“Now the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near. . .”  Exodus 20:21

As God gave the ten commandments, the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. (Exodus 20:18)  They were more than a little scared.

Thank You, Father, for the salvation You have wrought for us through Jesus Christ Your Son, so that we can all come near to you . . .and live.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

Familiar Fears

I come so easily
so continually to You
asking for Your help
trusting You’ll see me through.

May I not grow so familiar
that I lose my awe and fear
of just how great is the One
who calls me to be near.

The First Commandment

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3

The one thing that needs to be established on the first day of school is who the teacher is.  Their name is on the chalk board.  They are standing in front of us.  They talk, we listen.  They hold the keys to what we need to know.

Thank You, Lord, for making it clear that You and You alone are God, the only one we need to worship. Here’s a simple poem . . .

Lesson #1

I wake each morning in the wilderness
to find my fire has burned low . . .
how do You teach someone like me
what I need to know
not only to survive
but to multiply and grow?
You show me how to worship
You and You alone.

Human Mess Meets Holiness

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.”

“And let them be ready for the third day.  For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mt. Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

“You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying,”Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base.  Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”  Exodus 19:10-12

Moses had been up and down Mt. Sinai several times, taking messages from God to the people and vice versa.  He thought  he had everything all set for when God would come down.  But, God sent him down the mountain again to warn the people lest any would break through to gaze at Him and perish.

Lord, please purify my heart and mind today, for I wish to meet with You.  Here’s a simple poem . . .

Touching

How easily I lose sight
of just how holy You really are
and in my quest to touch You
I forget how far
my ways are from Yours,
my thoughts from Your own,
and how lost I’d be without a Savior
who makes my heart His home.