God

Time to Go

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“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran” Genesis 12:1-4 

         Sometimes the characters in the Bible irritate me. I love the “bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you” part of this story. Boy, do I wish that for my life. However, where is his hesitation and inner turmoil? God told this 75 year old man to pick up and start over and he didn’t even hesitate? His wife didn’t lose sleep at night thinking about uprooting their lives? It doesn’t even say that the place they were currently living was a bad place. It simply says he went, as the Lord had told him.

Nearly 3 years ago, almost exactly, it started to become abundantly clear in my husband and my life that God was showing us that it was time for us to go. It was time to pick up our own tents and leave the life that we had had for 15 years. One part of me was excited about a change, but another part of me was in turmoil. I wish I could tell you that I reacted like Abram and it was as simple as God asked and I did, but for me it was a lot more difficult than that. I mourned the loss of what had been, I feared for the future, and struggled to come to grips with the loss of many relationships that had once been good, but had turned not so good. I had a hard enough time doing it after 15 years of being in a certain place, I can’t imagine doing it at the age of 75 when you would be leaving everything you ever knew.

         I want to be more like that. I want to be a person who, when God says jump, I say yes sir as my feet are already off the ground. Instead, I find myself questioning His every move. I want to know when, where, how, and especially why. I too often refuse to realize that He’s got this. He knows then end from the beginning Isaiah 46:8-10 says this “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,‘”

I often say this, but I sometimes wish the Bible gave a little more detail on some issues. I want what Paul Harvey used to refer to as “the rest of the story”. I would love to hear the story from his wife’s perspective. Was she as willing to up and move as he was? Did the change cause turmoil in their marriage? That kind of life change had to be challenging for her. I also want to know how long it took from the time Abram heard from God to when the move actually happened. Was it immediate or was it over a span of time. For us, it was about a 6 month process of closing one chapter and starting a new one, and even then it took another 9 months to fully sell our house and completely finish that chapter.

That wasn’t the only mention, however, of Abram trusting and doing as he was told. There was another startling moment of obedience that Abram, who had a name change to be called Abraham, had in Genesis 22. After much waiting, and even a little of a side trail in having a son named Ismael, Abraham finally had his promised son Isaac. In a startling moment, God asked Abraham to give up his long sought after dream. Let’s look at the story starting in verse 1

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

That is a lot to unpack. That boy was his treasure. He longed to have an heir for nearly 100 years. That is a long time. Most of us would have long given up on that dream and probably would be pretty bitter with God at the same time. I think that sometimes these stories are so familiar that we forget to realize that these were real people who dealt with real emotions. 

I have never been asked to give up a child, I can’t imagine that. 

I have, however, on a couple occasions been asked to give up a dream that was precious to me. I struggle with that. Giving up something that you longed and prayed for is a huge hit to your system. Sometimes, we hold on too long to those things because they are precious to us. I don’t know that I would obey the command Abraham was given that quickly. I would put it off, hoping that it was indigestion or that I wasn’t really hearing from God. Procrastination is a huge issue for me, especially when what I am hearing from God is not easy.

God has some strong words throughout scripture about that, some that are honestly hard to hear for someone who doesn’t just like to jump into new situations. James 4:13-17 puts it this way, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Let me repeat that last part: So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

If that isn’t convicting I don’t know what is. If we know what we should do and don’t do it that is not only a negative thing, but for us who are Christ followers, it is sin.

Jesus himself even had some strong words about not procrastinating. Some words that can even seem a little harsh. Luke 9:57-62 “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Those are pretty extreme statements. I think that they are to prove a point. Our priority to follow what God is asking us to do should trump any other obligation we may have. Boy, do I fail at that more often than I should. That last verse says no one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. That is a hard thing to think about, and something I personally struggle with. It’s hard to not look back. But we are in danger of veering off course if we live looking backwards. That statement may have also been a way of Jesus alluding to how Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt when she chose to look back after being told not to (from Genesis 19). 

Our commitment to following God is not just a “when it is convenient” type of commitment. Like Abraham, we should strive to follow when asked. There are always consequences when we are slow to obey or when we only obey in part. Usually those consequences are the loss of blessings we could have experienced. When we are slow to obey we may be missing out on a job opportunity, a house, or a relationship. Those are the small things. What if we are being asked to do something to get us to the next level of where God wants to bless us? I leave you with these word from Psalm 119:57-60 

“You are my portion, Lord;

I have promised to obey your words.

I have sought your face with all my heart;

    be gracious to me according to your promise.

I have considered my ways

    and have turned my steps to your statutes.

I will hasten and not delay

    to obey your commands.“

Book Review: NirV Illustrated Kids Bible

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It isn’t often that a book comes up to review that is something I am excited to see for my kids. So when the opportunity to review a kid’s Bible that isn’t just the typical storybook Bible came up, I had to jump on it. This Bible is designed for kids age 4-8, but as I look through it, I think it is really very appropriate level-wise even for my 11 year old. Their are over 750 full color illustrations and maps that kids can understand.

The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) is written at a third-grade reading level. The text of the NIV is used when possible but sentences are shorter and words that are easier to understand for kids have been used in order to make it possible for kids to read the Bible on their own. As I have read through many of the passages, I can see how they have made it a little more reader-friendly while not watering it down. Although it is at a third grade level, there are definitely passages that you may still have to help your child through simply because, as we all know, there are concepts in the Bible that can be difficult for a kid to understand. I appreciate that about this Bible. My own third grader said that she could read a lot of it without help.

Another good thing about this Bible is that it is written in a single column rather than two columns like a typical adult Bible. That makes it a lot easier for my kids to read. I hope you will look into this Bible for your kids or grandkids. If you would like to see a short clip showing more of this Bible please click here.

If you are interested in purchasing your own copy click here.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this Bible from Zondervan for my honest review.*

Book Review: Amazing Grace

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Over the last year I have taken a hiatus from writing book reviews, mostly because of our move and having too much going on to commit to reading and reviewing a book. We are now much more settled, so when an opportunity came to review a brand new book about the story behind the beloved hymn, Amazing Grace, came about, I had to jump on the opportunity. I thought I already knew quite a bit of the story. However, I really only knew a small percent of the story behind the song and it’s writer, John Newton.

Amazing Grace really is an incredible hymn that has survived 250 years. It it probably one of the most well known hymns in the world. It has been sang by little children, church goers, and even our nation’s president in 2015. It has been recorded by countless singers from practically every genre and even experienced a rebirth in 2006 when Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) was released and has been sung by many churches since.

I did not grow up attending, nor do I currently attend, a church that sings out of a traditional hymnal (although many in my family do). From time to time I do attend churches that do though. Whenever I do, I always see the value in the old hymns. There are so many life stories that were written into the words of those songs. Honestly, I think the songs mean so much more when you know those stories. For Amazing Grace, when you realize the pain that John experienced through out his life and the stark contradiction between a man studying his Bible while being the captain of a ship hauling slaves, you really understand the amazing grace of God in the fact that He really did save a wretch like John Newton.

In the book, you experience moments in John’s life starting around age 7 when he lost his mother clear through his death. It is written as a novel because the authors took the writings of John himself to create dialogue and stories, but it is really a biography. I love how the authors told the story of John, warts and all. They didn’t cover up his shortcomings and sins. They also didn’t hide the pain he experienced in his life. I highly recommend checking out this book. If you would like to purchase your own copy you can do that here. The publisher is giving away two copies of the book and you can enter to win one of those here.

I will be giving away a copy of the book as well you can enter to win that here. I will announce the winner on my Facebook page and will mail the book to the winner.

The One

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I have noticed something lately that seems to be a theme all throughout scripture, but especially in the gospels. That theme is that God is always seeking out the individual. From the beginning, He chose to have a relationship with Adam, and then a little later with Eve. He sought out Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Moses, and David, just to name a few.

Sometimes, if you are anything like me, you might think of yourself as just a face in the crowd. Why would an all powerful, all knowing God, care about little, insignificant me? Oh, how wrong we are when we think of ourselves in that way. Think of some of the most impactful sermons you have heard. Often, those sermons are related to people who would have been thought of as lower class and worthless in the day that they lived in. For example, I have learned so many things from Joseph. He was a very insignificant person in his culture. He was the 11th out of 12 sons. He became a slave and a prisoner, even in our world those two things alone are enough to disqualify him in many of our circles of influence. Yet, God used him for mighty things (See starting in Genesis 37). Another person who was an outcast was the woman with the issue of blood. This woman wanted to remain anonymous, but Jesus wanted her faith to be known. This is a go-to story at women’s retreats everywhere. We all want that kind of faith. Her story is only a couple of verses and happens within the midst of another miracle but it is in 3 of the 4 gospels. (See Matthew 9:20-24, Mark 5:25-34, or Luke 8:43-48). We all know the parable of the lost sheep (See Matthew 18:10-14 or Luke 15:3-7). How many books, songs, and sermons have been penned around this parable? In that parable we are the sheep. It demonstrates how God (the shepherd) is willing to come after the one who has gone astray.

Those are just a couple of examples where God is willing to use people who are less than desirable or who have been lost, for His kingdom. Why are we any different? As an individual, we may not change the entire world, but maybe we can change the world for one person. As a teacher, that thought helps me through the hard days. Those days when I have fought culture in the form of cell phones, earbuds, distractions, defiance, laziness, or any other myriad of things a teenager may throw my way, I try to remember that. Maybe my entire job that day is simply to show that I can be loving when I don’t want to be. Maybe the same is true for you. Perhaps you aren’t called to be Billy Graham or Mother Teresa, but you are called to love your neighbors and pray for your enemies.

 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 NLT

We are not a face in the crowd to God. He has us exactly who we are, where we are, and exactly when we are, for a purpose. Our job is to seek out that purpose. We are not to be victims of our circumstance or waller in self pity from our past mistakes. Instead, we are to step out every single day seeking out what it is God has for us. I love how it is put in Esther 4:14 “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” God will do His work, whether it is with you or without you. However, He has invited us in to be a part of it. Who knows what if you were made ___________________ for such a time as this?

Seasons

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2022 was a pretty wild year in the Koepke household. To say that I am glad to see it come to an end is an understatement! We knew from the beginning of 2022 that there would be some big changes for us, and sure enough there was. Starting in January, it became apparent that the time had come for us to pull the trigger on something we had talked about for a couple years; moving from where we had called home for all but 4 months of our 15 years of marriage. That was not an easy decision at all, however, God seems to open doors at the exact moments when we desperately need them.

As this year comes to a close, I have really been thinking a lot about the temporary nature of the seasons of our lives. For example, the free-spirit phase of being married with no kids led into a lockdown phase of life with 3 toddlers all in the span of 4 years. However, that exhausting phase didn’t last forever and we are now in a much easier elementary and upper elementary kid phase. I know that we are counting the minutes though until we have 3 teenagers and eventually an empty nest.

Seasons aren’t meant to last forever. For someone who is change averse, that is a hard pill to swallow. I want the good things to always stay the same. I want friendships to last forever. I want traditions that are automatic. To be honest, I am extremely jealous of people who seem to have that. They have their group of best friends that they have been best friends with since high school. They loved their hometown so much that they stayed forever. They haven’t felt the sting of disappointment of friends dropping them like a bad habit. They still go to grandmas house for Sunday supper and there is never a question of who will watch the kids for a Friday night date night (I hear those still exist).

Unfortunately, that isn’t the life path of everyone. I have learned that the hard way too many times. This is not meant to be a Debbie Downer blog though, rather it is meant to encourage others who may live in my same realm. Those who have moved a long ways from home, who have lost jobs, lost relationships, or felt disappointment for any number of reasons. If you flip through the pages of scripture, there are more of us than we may realize.

We are just days away from a new year. That has me thinking of the people who probably had to deal with the most change of plans of anyone I can think of: Mary and Joseph (See Matthew 1:18-25). Can you imagine the hopes and dreams of this young couple being ripped out from underneath them by an unplanned pregnancy during a time where you could literally be stoned on the public square for such a scandal? That had to be an incredibly hard season of life. However, just like He often does for us, God took a situation that could have been devastating, and turned it around for good. The same thing happened in the stories of Daniel, Joseph, and Esther. All three were ripped from their homes in ways they didn’t want and had absolutely no control over. Despite that, they didn’t let that shake their faith. They took their situation and did what they could to serve God exactly where they were. God blessed each one of them and used them exactly where they were.

As we enter 2023, I want to be like all of those heroes of scripture. I want to be useful no matter where I am or what my life’s circumstances are. I want to be like Paul when he penned the words “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12. I want to enter into this new year with that outlook no matter what may come. Lord, help all of us to learn true contentment in any and every circumstance.

Happy New Year!!!

A Man After God’s Own Heart

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I just love David. Whether it is the stories of him as a heroic child, ones where he was running for his life, or those of him as King, I just find them incredible and, many of them, so vulnerable and real. I relate so much to David. As a kid he was so often overlooked, undervalued, and even left out (see the story of his anointing starting in 1 Samuel 16). I understand that. When I was a kid, I always felt a little like an outsider. I got along with everyone but, because of my faith, I never could bring myself to do or say so many of the things like the “popular” kids said or did. I was straight laced to the point of being judgmental to those around me when they weren’t. This is especially true when it came to friends who also claimed to be Christians.

David was a little that way. He was appalled that no one was standing up to Goliath and just had to speak up. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26. He spoke up so much that it eventually got back to King Saul and he ended up getting thrown into battle. I get that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have never fought a giant, not even close. I have, however, spoken up for things that I didn’t think agreed with scripture. More often than not, they were not always received well. I have lost friends over issues where I didn’t bend to popular opinion. David wasn’t very popular with his brothers who were too afraid to fight in that moment.

If you fast forward in David’s story, he continues to find himself in battles he didn’t want. His loyalty to King Saul eventually got him in trouble when Saul started to get jealous of the popularity of David. “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.” 1 Samuel 18:6-9. It was that jealousy that drove Saul to eventually try to kill David. So many of the most heartfelt psalms that David penned were actually written during the time that he was running for his life. For example, Psalm 57 and 59, has been something I have clung to so many times throughout the years when I have felt attacked or discouraged.

Finally, David as King is filled with so many good things. He is such a fallen man in so many ways, especially when he gets in the role as king. We all probably know of his adultery/murder saga with Bathsheba, and you likely know he had numerous wives and concubines, however, God still refers to him as a man after His own heart (see Acts 13:22). I love that. I love that God uses deeply fallen and sinful individuals. There is hope for all of us to be used by God. What I also love is that even in his fallen state, we see David repent and seek the face of God. I pray that when God refers to me, He says that I am a woman after His own heart, despite my shortcomings.

Before He Had Finished

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Sometimes I have a hard time waiting on an answer to prayer. I tend to want it to be a magic formula where I say the right things and then instantly have the answers. Sometimes, that’s exactly how it works, other times, more often than not, that isn’t the way it works. That being said though, I don’t think it is because we aren’t heard. Rather, there are reasons beyond our knowledge that we don’t have an immediate answer.

We learned recently in church about the story in Genesis 24 about Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac. A portion of that story hit me and I have been thinking about how I wish my prayers were answered the way the servant’s was. “Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.” Genesis 24:12-15 (NIV, Emphasis added). I want all my prayers to be answered before I finish praying. I want to open my eyes and see my answer walking down the path for my very specific prayers. Unfortunately, that isn’t how it typically happens. More often than not I feel a little more like the persistent widow in Luke 18 who through her persistence finally got an answer. I struggle in that way though too. Sometimes I don’t even have the persistence to see it though. I give up way to easily and let the struggles and the cares of this world discourage me.

Daniel did not see the instant results of his prayer in Daniel 10. He prayed, mourned, and fasted for 21 days before there was a breakthrough. What happens in his story though, should help to encourage all of us. When he finally received his answer, we find out that God heard his prayer from the very beginning. “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” Daniel 10:12-13 (NIV, Emphasis added). In Daniel’s case, there were bigger, spiritual forces at work that prevented the immediate answers. That didn’t mean he wasn’t heard though. What it did mean though, was that he needed to press in and get more serious about praying to see that breakthrough.

Why is that so hard? Why does it seem like no matter how many prayers I have had answered, I still feel like the next time I pray, I am not heard? Or why do I struggle to keep focused in my prayers? In this world, it is so easy to let everything else distract us that we even forget to pray. I live in that world right now. As you may, or may not, know, my husband and I made some major life changes in the last year. We uprooted our family and moved 200 miles from everything we had ever known for nearly our entire married life. We have had to lay so many of the blessings God has given us on the altar, and just trust that God is in the middle of this thing. That isn’t always easy, and hasn’t always been an easy thing for me. Honestly though, I have figured out that so many of those things we have had to lay down, I held onto way too tightly and for too long. I also realized how I put way too much trust in man, rather than God. God has a plan in all of the things we experience. Whether it is a hard time of dealing with loss, a time of blessings, or somewhere in between, He has a plan and knows our needs. “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” Matthew 6:6-8 (NLT, Emphasis added).

So, next time you and I pray, I hope that we will recall that even before we finish, God knows what we need. I also hope that we will learn how to trust that, no matter what we are experiencing, God has a plan.

Beyond Jericho

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If you know me at all (or have read absolutely anything I have written), you probably know that the story of the Israelites has inspired, taught, and corrected me for many years now. If you know me, you will also probably know that change tends to be a difficult thing for me. I am a creature of habit. I like routine and I especially like operating within my comfort zones. However, God doesn’t always allow me to stay in those comfort zones. As a matter of fact, it seems like the more I choose to trust and follow Him, the more He tends to shake up those routines and drag me out of my comfort zones.

We recently relocated our family 200 miles from where we have lived all but 3 months of our married life. Talk about a change!!! Routines have changed, housing has changed, jobs have changed, church has changed, and relationships have changed. Change isn’t bad, it is just different. We have learned so much about the provision of God through this experience. It is incredible to think about all the open doors that God has shown us to get from there to here. It has been a blessing. However, the moments leading up to those open doors are often pretty stressful. Unfortunately, God doesn’t take us from Point A to Point B on the easy road. Man, there are lots of moments that I wish He did. Instead, like He did with the Israelites, He may take the longer route to get us where He wants us to go. Sometimes, He takes us the long way on purpose. “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.'” Exodus 13:17 NIV. God knows not only what we are currently going through, but He also sees what is coming up around the next bend. There are times he leads us through it, and times that He takes us around the long way. What we need to know though, is that He always has the end destination, the promised land, in mind.

A picture I took of our old home before we left with our last load this summer

If that is the case though, why do we have such a hard time trusting each time we face a new challenge? The Israelites entered the promised land as soon as they crossed the Jordan river. However, that didn’t mean the battles were over. First up was Jericho which, as you may know, was a miraculous victory that did not involve a single sword from the Israelites (see Joshua 6). What is funny, is that where moved from, I always thought of as our Jericho. We literally prayed circles around our old home the way Joshua and the Israelites prayed circles around Jericho. We also saw provision much like the Israelites did. What I didn’t consider though, was that Jericho was the entryway to the promised land, not the destination. Had the Israelites stopped at Jericho, they would have technically “arrived” in the promised land. However, God wanted more for them. He wanted them to receive all of what He had for them, not just settle for the first victory.

I think the same is true in our own lives (and I am preaching to myself here). We experience a blessing from God and never move on from there. We settle for the revival that happened 30 years ago and think that we just need to be grateful for that and never ask for more. Or maybe God did something miraculous 10 years ago and so we think it is ungrateful to want another miracle today. I find myself in that boat sometimes. That is not what scripture tells us though. I love the way the amplified version of Matthew 7:7 says it: “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” As far as I can tell that is both present tense and future tense. We are not to stop asking just because we receive the answer one time. We are not to stop seeking and knocking just because we found one door and it opened for us. We are to keep going. What is good and perfect for us today, may be old and stale tomorrow.

The Israelites had to keep going to fully take possession of the promised land. That journey was not always as easy as walking circles around a town either. They often fought very hard, and bloody battles. Unfortunately none of us is promised easy, but we are promised that He will be with us. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV.

I sure wish that was as easy to believe during those times as it is to quote! Lord, help us to remember those words and to be strong and courageous not just when we are in our comfortable, but also when you take us through the unknowns of life.

What’s is that in your hand?

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

The world has gone absolutely mad lately. I have gotten to the point where I don’t even feel like I can have the news on when my girls are in the room because of the mass shootings, riots, gender issues, abortion talk, and everything else that I really don’t feel that they need to be exposed to just yet. It’s heartbreaking to see how much the world has changed just since 2020. Not only is the evil in this world reaching an exponential level, but the amount of depression, anxiety, and general unhappiness of people seems to also be increasing.

Technology has made things so much easier, however, the easier life seems to get, the less fulfilled people seem to be. This is blaringly evident as a public school teacher. I see each year the damage social media does to kids. The comparison mentality, the need to fit in, the absolute desire for something to go “viral”, and the willingness to do just about anything to be a part of the crowd. Now, all of these things (minus the going viral thing) have always existed among humanity, but until recent years, the ability to see other people parade the best parts of their lives 24/7 has not always existed. Sadly, the need to compare ourselves to others tends to keep so many people from fulfilling their God-given calling, in my opinion anyways. If you are chasing a dollar or chasing likes and fame, you may be missing out on the hidden place God may want you to be.

It struck me the other day how often God met with people in the middle of nowhere all throughout scripture. As a matter of fact, I have yet to find the verse stating that we have to be inside a church building to hear from God. Abraham was in his tent when God told him to step outside and look at the stars before promising him descendants (see Genesis 15:5), Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 4:1), Hagar met with an angel of the Lord in the desert (see Genesis16:7), Elijah was in a cave hiding when God sought him out (see 1 Kings 19), and Moses was spoken to out of a burning bush in the middle of nowhere when he was tending sheep. As far as I can tell, God likes to meet with us in the places where there are no distractions. That isn’t to say He can’t speak to us in the middle of a crowd, He definitely can, but there are some really tremendous encounters that we may be missing out on if we always allow ourselves to be distracted.

I love what God does with Moses in Exodus 4. At this point, God has told him that he will go back to Egypt to set free the Israelites. Moses proceeds to argue with God about how he is not the right man for the job and God does something incredible. He says to Moses starting in verse 2, “What is that in your hand?”, referring to his shepherd’s staff. He used the very tools of the trade for Moses to perform a miracle (hint: it turns into a snake). I think that little story is maybe something cute that we have colored a picture of or saw it flannel graphed in children’s church, but maybe we are missing a little something from the story. Moses wasn’t a preacher, he was a shepherd (also a murderous fugitive if you recall). God doesn’t require all of us to go to seminary to do great things for Him. He will use the tools of our trade, just like the staff of Moses, to accomplish His will. As a teacher, I try to keep this in mind. It doesn’t matter if I am not teaching Biblical studies, He can use a math or science lesson or simply a conversation with a student to speak His truths. The same is true of any job. Maybe you feeling alone in your job or position, is exactly the wilderness that God needs to have you in so that he can reveal His truths to you.

So, let me ask you the same question God asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?”

Maybe an even more important follow-up question: What will you use it for?

Back to the Classics

/ bekoepke / Leave a comment

It’s funny, in my life I have gone through many changes. Job changes, life changes, relationship changes, family changes, and most recently, a big and exciting upcoming location change. It seems like anytime I am going through a big change, regardless of the circumstances. I seek the comfort of some of my favorite stories in the Bible and often find myself listening to podcasts that “coincidentally” touch on the same things I am working through.

Several years ago, when I went through the things that drove me to write Finding God in the Wilderness, I found great comfort in the stories of Joseph and Moses. As I enter into this new phase, I find myself back in the same stories again. This time through, I am seeing them from a whole different perspective. The last time I really spent time in these stories, I focused on the plights of the main characters. However, this time, I am starting to see how God used both people and circumstances to guide His will. 

For Joseph, God allowed his brothers to turn against him in the most vicious way, some even desiring to kill him. Fortunately, rather than kill him, they sold him into slavery. As discouraging and depressing as that had to have been, that action of brotherly betrayal, was the very action that got Joseph to where God needed and wanted him to be to save an entire nation. God will even use the evil acts of others to work his perfect plan. Joseph said as much to his brothers when they realized that he could have them killed on the spot for what they did. “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:19-20 NIV. That attitude could not have happened overnight. He had years and years to think and contemplate on what his own flesh and blood had done to him. I am certain that he probably went through so many scenarios in his mind for how he would get back at his brothers when he was locked in a dungeon. However, clarity can often come when you look through a rear view mirror. The instant he was taken from the dungeon to the palace (see Genesis 41), everything had to make sense. God used all of the frustrations, disappointments and discouragements to build something into us, if we will let Him. 

In the story of Moses and the Israelites, we see over and over how God used tough circumstances to guide His people back to Him. He also uses those hard circumstances to continue to show His people that He will provide. I have seen the same thing time and time again in my own life. When I go through hard things, it always drives me to pray and seek the will of God that much more. It’s funny how that works. Regardless how we feel though during whatever we may be going through, scripture makes it clear that God is at work in our lives. One of the most famous verses, Jeremiah 29:11, says it well, but if you keep going it says it even better. “ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 ESV.

May we all seek and find God with all our hearts. May we all take our changes as doors opening rather than doors closing. Let us try to see through the rear view mirror even before we are taken from our dungeon to our palace.