Category: Lectio Divina

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Time Well Spent

This month of June offers us so
much in spirituality. On the second weekend, we recognize both Shavuot and
Pentecost. Moments in the Torah and the Bible, where God extends his holy
spirit to the world.

According to many scholars, the
Jewish holy day of Shavuot has
a dual importance. It signifies the very important wheat harvest in Israel (Exodus 34:22), and it celebrates the anniversary of the day when
God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel on Mount
Sinai. It occurs 50 days after Passover. The Torah represents God’s Spirit externally
blanketing Israel to allow His words to move internally.

The Christian holy day of Pentecost, is recognized fifty days after Easter Sunday. It honors the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, during the Jerusalem celebration of Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 2:1–31. This time around, God choose to work from the interior of his people, to move His spirit to the external, to touch the lives of all people.

“…the LORD does
not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

Though both celebrations are of equal importance, in the New Covenant, Pentecost is concerned with what is in our hearts. This is why God chose to place His Holy Spirit inside the committed disciples of Jesus Christ. He did this so that they could share the good news to all.

As women, we are up against so much. And, at times the chores, concerns, and circumstances of our days can strip us of the person God created us to be. This is why it is important to take time to simply talk with God. The empowerment we seek whether as boss, employee, business owner, daughter, wife, or friend is already written on our hearts. Let’s allow Jesus to guide us back to our Holy.

May June offer you precious and memorable moments with Our Father! And, may it be a joyous month for you.

Rev. Charlotte

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A Mother’s Sadness Ignites a King

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, I am led to think of the wonderful and strong women of the Bible. The hardship and stress they each faced, seems unbearable. Songs are made of Sarah and Hagar, poems and declarations are made about Mary, the mother of Jesus. But today, I’d like to take a glimpse into the life of Rizpah.

To teach Saul a lesson, David ordered seven of Saul’s descendants to be killed. This stemmed from his evil behavior toward the Gibeonites. Rizpah lost two of her sons in this killing. Their names were Armoni and Mephibosheth. She had these sons with Saul.

Rizpah mourned heavily for her sons. She laid down a sackcloth near the spot where their bodies were placed, and remained there from the first harvest to the first rain storm. She kept a watchful eye to make sure birds and other animals did not vandalize the bodies of her loved ones.

The author continues to tell us that David heard of her mourning and went to where she was, and took the bones of the deceased bodies. God then gave favor to the land once again (2 Samuel 21:8-12).

When someone leaves us whether by a broken relationship or death, we all try to seek closure. We may also question why this happened, as we try to find peace. Rizpah did not have anyone to talk to, she didn’t have a husband or a close friend; therefore, her time of lonely mourning may have been quite difficult, accompanied by many sleepless nights.

The sins of the father, Saul, affected his sons and descendants, but God knew that Rizpah was not to blame. He kept her safe during her 6 months of living in the wilderness. And, it’s through Rizpah’s persistence that the drought finally ended. If she had just decided to leave her place of mourning and simply give up, David would not have known of her diligence. His taking of the bones of her sons, and burying them, quenched the land once again.

No matter what we are going through, remember that our Lord knows and he cares for us. He understands our hearts, and hears our calls. He made us to be mothers, and to be gentle beings. He adores our feminine nature, which is often needed to soften our sometimes harsh world. And, he hurts when we hurt, our pain as well as our happiness, are always significant to him.

May you have a beautiful Mother’s Day and joy-filled May, 2019!

With love,

Charlotte

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February 10th, 2019: Visual Meditation

Meditating on HIS words: Joshua 1:8

February’s Theme: Love is Everywhere

siyach or hagah

הֲגוֹת

John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (KJV)

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Impressing God

Matthew 6: 1-4, 16-17

In the last year I have been exposed to several type of spiritual leaders. My work offers me this advantage. Some are just finding their way, while others are so experienced that preaching the gospel and building a strong organization is just like drinking water; it comes so easy. However, there are two types that I find fascinating. First, the one with a smaller congregation who lives to impress other pastors, and second, the one who lives truly to impress God. This is not to say that the first type of pastor is not in line with what the second type is most concerned with. What I am really discussing here is the notion of impressions.

In life, as women, we are faced with so much stuff. We must look and act a certain way, parent like what some may see as the ideal mom, be the best wife/partner ever…and so on. Yet, when we read the Sermon on the Mount, what Jesus held of the utmost importance were the acts of giving and how to make impressions. He was absolutely against stage shows, but was most concerned with our own intimate relationship with God.

Yes, God wants us to live comfortable lives. He wants us to take advantage of all the good he provides for us. However, not to show off, but instead, to humble ourselves as discussed in Luke 14:11. Attention should be craved only from God. It is not necessary to be carnally admired or always be noticed for what we do, how we give, what we drive, where we live…the only thing of importance to our God is what we have done to serve Him. As servant leaders, we must often remember that we work for the ultimate leader, our God! How wonderful to know that we are members of His staff. Our just reward is to always be applauded by Him! Even in the quietness of our efforts, we are very popular members of His team. No stage shows are ever necessary.

In this month dedicated to love, consider that when we love our Father first, everything else can surely fall into place.

With love,

Charlotte

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New Year…Same Ole’ You or New You?

Every time we are offered a new year, this event provides most the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. The other side of this leaf may be to lose 20 pounds, to find real love, to start a new job, or simply to be better than the year before.

This week for the most special reason (it’s where God wanted me to be), I spent a great time reading through the book of Galatians. In verse 5, the Apostle Paul encourages us to walk by the Spirit. He didn’t just suggest that we do this, he took the time to explain what it means to be in a constant pace with God. To walk upright we must not practice:

immortality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, and carousing.

Wow! That’s a lot to consider, huh?

But I believe, offers us a friendly reminder of things we may have done in 2018 that perhaps we should avoid this year, 2019. Women captivating to God, follow his guidelines. We wait for the God-centered husband, and this husband ‘waits’ for us. So many of us today, do not think twice when it comes to physical sensuality before marriage. This group adhere to the behaviors of the outer world, and not that of the spiritual inner world, which is God’s temple. Consider this…If you had the opportunity to visit His temple for a day, would you do something in this sacred space that is not honorable to Him?

In his letter to the church of Galatia, the Apostle Paul laid out the foundation of how to live a noble life; one that is pleasing to God. Here as follows:

To inherit the kingdom of God we must know and practice the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When we love ourselves, we can be ready to eat healthy foods and exercise more to reach the New Year weight loss goals we set. Impure thoughts and actions can no longer be a part of who we are. We are modest in our dress, and restrain from sensuality with the people we date. We teach each other to love one another through the letting go of strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, envy, and perhaps supporting a friend in his or her quest toward sobriety.  We become joyful, gentle, and peaceful. Through self-control, we have faith that all challenges will pass. We become goodness in all areas of our lives.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh rather, serve one another humbly in love.” – Galatians 5:13

So, as you continue your stride into 2019, reflect on the Apostle Paul’s words and try to incorporate them into every area of your life. I’ll always lift you up in prayer and ask that you do the same for me.

May Christ be with you, always.

Rev. Charlotte