Kerry Beck's Blog

How much of your prep time is spent following the Lord?

As I read this morning, I am struck by the idea of “preparation”.  Here are 3 examples of preparation in the Bible.

Jotham prepares his way before the Lord.
So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.  2 Chronicles 27:6

Uzziah (Jotham’s dad) seeks God through the prophet Zechariah.
He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. 2 Chronicles 26:5

John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord.
Behold I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His path straight.  Mark 1:2-3

Each of these men are making preparations for the future.  John the Baptist is preparing for the Lord to arrive here on earth.  He is preparing Jesus’ way before He arrives.  What a awesome responsibility.

Jotham & Uzziah are preparing for their daily life.  They are seeking God by preparing their ways before the Lord.  Preparation is key to being successful.

As a new school year begins, are you prepared in the Lord?
Have you spent time praying about your homeschool, what & how you will teach?
Are you preparing each day by spending time with the Lord?

Each day I spend time with the Lord, reading His Word & praying for His guidance.  This is a simple way to prepare myself for whatever God has in store.  Although it sounds simple, I know it may not be that simple to do.  When my kids were babies, the earlier I got up to spend time with God, the earlier they arose in their beds.  I tried so hard to be quiet, but they still knew I was up so they started crying in their cribs.  Ever had that problem?

Even when life throws you curve balls, I encourage you to keep at it.  Keep spending a little time with God, preparing for your day.  Two years ago a good friend of mine, Carolyn Gentry, shared  a solution to this problem of kids disturbing your time with God.

Leave your Bible open on your kitchen counter.  As you walk by or work in the kitchen (which we all do), read the next verse and meditate on it.  Daily preparation doesn’t mean spending hours in your closet.  It means spending time with God, even if it’s snatches of time here & there.  Meditating on how God is leading you that day.  As your children get older, you can share with them what you are learning from God’s Word.

As I write this article, I am convicted myself.  I hope this encourages you to prepare yourself in the Lord.  Take time daily with the Lord.  If your daily time isn’t very quiet, then trade babysitting time with a friend each month.  This will allow you a prolonged quiet time to sit before the Lord and prepare your ways for Him.

Remember:
Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.

I was intrigued when I found this common quote, set in the middle of a chapter judging Ephraim & Jerusalem.

Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.
Isaiah 28:9-10

Ephraim & Jerusalem were not following God. They were not obeying His commands.  They were living life the way they wanted to.

But God reprimands them and points them toward His Word.  Isn’t that the picture of what we should be doing.  Regardless of whose life it is that isn’t following God, we should point them to His Word – line upon line!

Maybe you are the one struggling to follow & obey God.  Are you living life the way you want to or the way God wants you to live?

Are you respecting your husband?  (Ephesians 5:33)

Are you following His lead, allowing your husband to make the final decision on matters?  (Ephesians 5:23)

Are you a gossip or a busybody?  (I Thessalonians 4:11)

These are just a few areas wives struggle and God’s Word has something to say about these everyday matters.  Are you obeying God’s Word, precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, there a little?

Maybe you have a child who is not following & obeying God.  Are you pointing them to God’s Word to help them change their behavior?  While my kids were still at home, we used a book called, For Instructions in Righteousness.  I bought it the first year we homeschooled and used it ever since.  When my children were too young to read, I would choose passages for the sin they were committing.  We would read them together, discuss the appropriate action and pray for God to change them.

When my kids were older and committing a sin, I told them to look up 3-5 verses about that sin and write down what they discover.  Then, we would discuss their actions, in light of Scripture.  We would then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to change their behavior.  Now, that I have grown kids who no longer live in our home, I still want to direct them to Scripture.  But, they must take hold of those verses and allow the Holy Spirit to change their action.

God’s Word is living & powerful…a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12) His Word changes lives, line upon line; precept upon precept; here a little, there a little.

I would love to hear feedback, comments, thoughts, ideas about this.

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I’ve heard these words since I was a child.  Actually they were part of a song we used to sing in Sunday School.  As I read them today, they brought encouragement to me since my God forgives my sins and cleanses my heart.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow:

Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

If you are willing & obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse & rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”  For the word of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 1:18-20

Yesterday I heard a stirring message by Kevin Barra, one of our pastors.  I’d like to share some of the lessons I re-discovered.  The message was set during the time of Israel’s captivity by Ahasuerus.  As we look at the events of the first 4 chapters of Esther, we see several principles.

1.  God is aware of world events and they are well within His control

King Ahasuerus bans Queen Vashti from being queen any longer.  She embarrassed the king by not appearing before him & his buddies, so she gets the boot.  This affects women everywhere.  (Esther 1: 10-18)

What does this have to do with you?

We are going through one of the toughest economic times of our generation, yet we can be assured that God is still in control.  He is bigger than any economic crisis that may occur.  As always, our world has places that are not at peace, they are at war with each other.  These places are especially dangerous for Christians.

2.  God is aware of YOUR events, and they are well within His control.

The King decides to look for another queen.  Esther is urged by her guardian Mordecai to “try out” for queen.  Esther’s parents are dead and she is a young Jewish woman trying out for a pagan queen.  To me, that is a very scary situation to be in as  a young woman.  (Esther 2:7-11) Yet, God knows the circumstances of her life and begins to orchestrate His plan.

It is true in your life as well.  If you are having a difficult time paying your bills and making ends meet, God knows what is going on.  If you are in a difficult relationship, God knows.  If you are having a hard time with one of your children, God also knows this.

3.  God is ALWAYS on time and ALWAYS in control

Believe it or not, God is in control.  Ahasuerus chooses Esther as his queen.  Soon after that, Mordecai & Esther discover a plat to kill the Jews.  Mordecai responds to Esther…

Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.  For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you & your father’s house will perish.  Yet who knows whether you have come to this kingdom for such a  time as this?   Esther 4:13-14

Esther has 2 choices to make during this difficult time.  She can say nothing and endure the consequences.  Given this choice, God is still in control and can find deliverance for His people from someone else.  Or, Esther can take a stand, going before the King to save her people.  Esther chooses to go before the King even though she has not been summoned.  This might mean death, but she is willing to endure with the hope that she will save her people.

When you are in the depths of despair, trying to work out relationships, finances, and other trying circumstances, God is in control.  He will work things out for His glory and your best interest.  Too often we are so immersed in the hard times, that we don’t even see a solution.  At that time, we should fall on our knees and rely on God’s timing and sovereignty.  He is definitely in control and may be using the troublesome times to prepare you for something bigger.

Wives have a huge impact on their husbands.

We see this vividly in 2 Chronicles 21.  The past few chapters have told stories of Jehoshaphat and Asa, kings of Israel.  Both of these kings followed God and so did the nation of Judah at that time.  When Jehoshaphat dies, his son, Jehoram, takes the throne and kills all of his brothers.  What happened?  Jehoram was raised by a man of God, one who led Judah in the ways of the Lord.

As I read further, I discover that Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife.  2 Chronicles 21:6

Ahab walked according to the kings of Israel…not following God but living for himself.  Ahab’s daughter influenced Jehoram to turn from his upbringing and live to please himself.

As I read this short story, I see 2 ways it impacts my life (& hopefully yours)

1.  First, as we look to ourselves as wives.

What type of impact do you have on your husband?

Positive or Negative.
Godly or Ungodly.
Patient or Impatient.

The list can go on & on.  You have an impact on your husband, just like I do.  I want to strive to encourage him as he endeavors to follow the Lord, lead our family and impact the world for Jesus Christ.  For me, this means keeping our home in some sort of order so he can enjoy our time together as a family.  I don’t need to put pressure on him to do “my job” as a homeschool mom & housewife when he gets finished with work.

I also need to wholeheartedly support his decisions about our family & ministry, even if I don’t agree.  We usually talk about the direction we are going, but he is ultimately responsible to God.  To be honest, we don’t have many differing opinions about this, but when we do I respectfully submit to his decision.

2.  Next we look to our children as they choose their spouse.

As my children choose spouses, we need to encourage them to go beyond simply being a believer and choose wisely in all areas of life.  We’ve discussed with our older girls the importance of looking at their overall values.  Do they value family and work ethic? What type of character do they have?  How will they raise their children?

You may not agree on every issue of life with your future in-law children.   We don’t.  But, we do see a loving spouse, whose life perspective is similar to ours and wants to follow the Lord as he grows in his marriage.

In conclusion, we learn that God curses Jehoram and his household.  Jehoram’s intestines will coume out by reason of his sickness.  God doesn’t put up with those who “play the harlot”.

And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. . . to no one’s sorrow departed.  However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.  2 Chronicles 21:20

Jehoram acted cruelly and was greatly influenced by his wife.  Jehoram receives what he deserves – no pity from his people and no glory from God.

As a wife & mother, I desire to support and encourage my husband in godly endeavors, both within my family and outside my family.  I also desire my children to marry godly spouses so they may encourage each other as they follow God’s leading.

As a continuation to the story above, I’d like to make a few notes about the next king, Ahaziah.  Ahaziah was Jehoram’s youngest son.  He became king because his older brothers had been killed.  At the beginning of his story, we read:

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly.  2 Chronicles 22:3

Once again we see the influence of women upon men.  This time, it is a mother’s influence on her son.  And it is NOT good.  Ahab only reigns 1 year and is killed after an ambush that the Lord sets up.

Although this story shows the negative impact of moms on their sons, you can have a positive impact on your son.  Guide him to be a strong man of God.  How do you do this?

The first thing that comes to mind is do not baby him.  Actually that’s a joke around our house.  “Hunter gets anything he wants from mom.”  I’ve had to take a step back and see how much truth is in that statement.  I have to admit that I probably give in to my son on occasion.  But through his teenage years, I’ve tried to demand more of him.  I’ve also seen the importance of a young man being under the direction of godly men.  The past 2 years, three of Hunter’s teachers were men who loved the Lord.  Men who desired to teach from a Biblical perspective, but also shape their students into godly men.  He also plays sports and learns to be tough despite difficult circumstances.

What I’m trying to say is there is a time & place that our sons need to fly from mom’s nest and grow up.  Are you allowing your son to become strong, courageous young men who can eventually protect and provide for their family?  Or, are you “babying” them so they never grow up?

Unfortunately in the homeschool arena, there are too many young men who are not growing up.  It may sound rough, but they are wimps.  What kind of young man is your son growing into?

Come and see the works of God:
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
He rules by His power forever;
Psalm 66:5-7

Do you think the Israelites thought they would die when they were running from the Egyptians and ran smack dab into the Red Sea?

I’m sure some of them wondered where Moses was leading them.  But God had a mightier plan.  He let them cross the sea miraculously on dry land.  The people of God faced an awesome problem.  Moses faced an awesome problem as leader.  However, God was right there with them in their problems.  They may have thought he would kill the Egyptians  since there appeared to be no possible way to get thousands of people across the river.

Well, God is creative and he parted the seas and saved the Israelites from the Egyptians.  Not only did He part the sea, He killed all the Egyptian army as they tried to cross the sea to attack the Israelites.

What problems are you facing today?
What trials has God placed right in front of you…with no possible way to get around?

God is awesome!

God is creative!

God is omnipotent!

Trust in Him like Moses did and He will see you through any & every trial.  As moms we have a few problems trusting God.

1.  You think you have a better solution than God. . . and He just doesn’t seem to listen to your way of solving the problem … maybe how your husband should be dealing with your kids (or some other family issue)

2.  You want to be in control.  You don’t want to let go because once again you think you know the best way to take care of your issues … maybe it’s fixing your son or daughter’s problems with friends or showing your in-laws homeschooling is best for your kids.

3.  You are too busy to stop and ask God for his help.  That’s called “tyranny of the urgent”.  You are dealing with what’s right in front of you instead of sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening and waiting for Him.  Remember Mary & Martha.  Mary chose the BEST, sitting at Jesus’ feet.

4.  You don’t believe God can really solve your problem or trial . . . you lack faith.

Take a few minutes today and read Psalm 66.  God is testing & refining you.  He wants the best for you and will creatively & powerfully take you through trials.  Just remember the Israelites standing at the edge of the Red Sea with NO bridge to escape.  God provided a way for them and He will provide a way for you!

To the leader.

A Song.  A Psalm.

1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;

2  Sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise.

3 Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!

Because of your great power,

your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth worships you;

they sing praises to you,

sing praises to your name.’

Selah
5 Come and see what God has done:

he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.

6 He turned the sea into dry land;

they passed through the river on foot.

There we rejoiced in him,

7  who rules by his might for ever,

whose eyes keep watch on the nations—

let the rebellious not exalt themselves.

Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard,

9 who has kept us among the living,

and has not let our feet slip.

10 For you, O God, have tested us;

you have tried us as silver is tried.

11 You brought us into the net;

you laid burdens on our backs;

12 You let people ride over our heads;

we went through fire and through water;

yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.

13 I will come into your house with burnt-offerings;

I will pay you my vows,

14 those that my lips uttered
  and my mouth promised

when I was in trouble.

15 I will offer to you burnt-offerings of fatlings,

with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;

I will make an offering of bulls and goats.

Selah

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,

and I will tell what he has done for me.

17 I cried aloud to him,

and he was extolled with my tongue.

18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

19 But truly God has listened;

he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,

because he has not rejected my prayer

or removed his steadfast love from me.

I was reading my Bible the other morning and was struck by the idea of God’s Word being with us.  Here’s the story:

Israel and Judah want to fight Moab, but they are unsure if it is God’s will.  They decide they can trust the prophet Elisha.  Why?  “The word of the Lord is with him” (2 Kg 3:12)  They believed Elisha would steer them in the right direction because Elisha knew God’s word.  He spoke truth from God.

This made me question how much of God’s word do I  know and use when making decisions.  Each week in my Bible study we are given a verse to memorize.  To make it even easier, we are given cute tags with an appropriate stamped picture on it.  And…we have a ring to keep all our verses together.  How much easier can it be?

But, I have to be honest and say that I have not memorized the verses every week…and I’m the leader.  In my mind I know the importance of God’s word in my life, but in my daily actions I’m not storing it in my heart.

Although I read my Bible every day, memorizing it is also important.  This week I am making a concerted effort to memorize last week and this week’s verses.  I know this will make a difference in my life.  The psalmist says:

Thy word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee. (Psalm 119:11 – sorry…old King James version that I learned as a kid)

• Do you hide God’s word in your heart regularly?
• Do you use God’s word to make decisions?
• Do you claim God’s word to keep from sinning?