Intentional Kingdom Living

Loving God and Loving People on purpose

Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him

– 1 Samuel 23:14

“We have the blessing of studying several psalms that coincide with David’s experiences.  God inspired David to write Psalm 54 after the Ziphites told Saul his whereabouts.  David began the psalm with the words, ‘Save me, O God, by your name.’

Before David had finished, he called on God with a multitude of names.  David seemed to have as many names for God as he had needs!  Why?  Because God was everything to him!

Psalm 54 concludes with David’s vowing to sacrifice a freewill offering to the Lord.  According to Deuteronomy 16:10, the freewill offering was to be ‘in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.’

Do you remember that well-known hymn ‘Count Your Many Blessings’?  Counting our blessings when we are betrayed, wrongly accused, and hunted by ruthless men is a different kind of worship than counting our blessings in the safety of Sunday worship.  David responded to his helpless estate by giving a freewill offering to God in proportion to His blessings.

He left us a wonderful example.

Lord God, I know that You have told us not only to be thankful in all things (1 Thess 5:18) but to be thankful for all things (Eph 5:20).  Swell my heart with gratitude, Lord, not only for Your blessings that bring a smile to my face but even those works of Your Spirit that occur in the hardest times of my life.”

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/437/

“When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

3 But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

4 Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”

1 Samuel 23:1-6



“First Samuel 23 shows God’s faithfulness shining brightly against the bleak backdrop of David’s life.  David continued to evade the crazed King Saul, but he did more than hide.  He took every possible opportunity to defend his people, even when he was repaid with betrayal.

David faced a dilemma.  The Philistines were attacking the Israelite town of Keilah.  What was David to do?  Should he defend fellow Israelites and thereby put himself and his men at greater risk?  In that difficult situation David did something characteristic of a man after God’s own heart.  He inquired of the Lord.

‘The LORD answered him, ‘Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.’ (v.2).  Not surprisingly, David’s men greeted the news with less than enthusiasm.  They said, ‘Here in Judah we are afraid.  How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!’ (v. 3).

David responded to them in an interesting way.  He returned to ask God once again.  Once again God told him to go attack the Philistines and save Keilah.  So David and his men fought the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

Have you ever moved too quickly in a direction you believed God was sending you and later realized you were hasty and might have misunderstood?  David’s example reminds us that doubting God and doubting we understood God are two different things.

I find it interesting that rather than shame his men for questioning the word he had received from God, David went back to God and reconfirmed His direction.  God rebuked neither David nor his men.  God knew David felt great responsibility to them.  If he misunderstood God, many lives could be lost.

David did not ask God a second time because he doubted God, but because he needed to be certain.  In the same way, you or I might ask God to reconfirm His direction – not because we doubt God’s Word, but because we question our understanding.  To doubt God in the face of clear direction is disobedience, but to double-check our understanding and interpretation of God’s will is prudent.

Jesus, You have told us that if any of us wants to do You will, we will understand what comes from You and what is mere human understanding (John 7:17), that if we keep asking, keep searching, and keep knocking, what we need will be given to us by Your gracious hand.  Teach me to trust You so totally that I can come before You boldly with my questions and struggles.”


https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/438/

Caden started Kindergarten today.

This is a good thing because after 2 years of preschool, he pretty much has a PhD in the alphabet.

But the house is feeling empty this morning. 

So. 

We will do some errands and beg some friends to hang out with us.

I knew I was kidding myself that sending him off wouldn’t affect me.

I will miss him.

Little one packed a lunch for himself, too!

 

With Mama

 



This is his teacher’s first year too!  I hope they all learn well together.

 
 
 
Hopefully I will be a little more regular on here.  I will have nap time to get some things accomplished.  I want to continue on with some lessons God has been teaching me. 
 
But I’m also excited about all the other hats He asked me to wear. 
 
Like spending the majority of my emotional energy on my family this summer, per my husband’s request. 
 
Like getting to know what my almost-3-year-old is like alone. 
 
Like leading an outreach with integrity (the Administrative hat doesn’t fit my head and my Executive pants feel a little like someone else’s…but that doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to put them on and work hard.)
Speaking of the outreach, you could pray for it if you want.  I’ve had two big churches in town contact me in the last week or so interested in what we’re doing.  There seems to be a sub-committee from every group interested in combating human trafficking and I’m not certain of everyone’s angle or philosophy.  All I know is there is a right way and a wrong way to do an outreach, and I don’t want to see His people do more harm than good in the clubs.  These women don’t need pity or money thrown at them.  They don’t need people coming in trying to convert them and they definitely don’t need people trying to pull them out of the business.
They need safe love with no strings attached.  They need to have sincere offers of friendship without pushing or rescuing.  They need to see God’s people living differently, but attractively.  They need to know there is Someone worth living for and a Healer worth their hearts.
Our vision is for the four of us as a community to go deep in one or two places of business – and ask God to raise up communities to engage one or two places of business each, becoming an expert on that club or massage parlor or escort service.  But we’d love the training and vision of every outreach community to be unified.  Not so we can lord it over anyone, but so His Body can work together sharing resources and courage and success.
 
This is not something you can force on others.
So there’s that. 
 
 
Also.  I fell off the menu planning wagon somewhere around mid-summer.  We ate at home and hosted people and all that, but I wasn’t as diligent in making things stretch.  So I need to renew my passion for that again.
 
 
The school year routine will be good for everyone.
 
 
I like school.  I always have. 
 
 
Jesus, please help our oldest like it, too.  Refine the character we’ve spent the first 6 years on through classmates and rules and taking turns.  Use the inevitable conflict to deepen his trust in You.  Begin teaching him now how to love the world without looking exactly like it.  And help him be a blessing to his teacher and classmates.
 
Thank You that You “hold the weight of the world, still we don’t slip through Your hands.”
 
You are Awe-some.
 
 
 
 


https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/439/

Surely children weren’t made for the streets

And fathers were not made to leave

Surely this isn’t how it should be

Let Your kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war

Or the broken meant to be ignored

Surely this just can’t be what You saw

Let Your Kingdom come here in my heart

And I will live to carry Your compassion

To love a world that’s broken

To be Your hands and feet

And I will give with the life that I’ve been given

And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your Name

The power of Your Name

Surely life wasn’t made to regret

And the lost were not made to forget

Surely faith without action is dead

Let Your Kingdom come, Lord, break this heart

Jesus, Your name is a shelter for the hurting

Your Name is a refuge for the weak

Only Your Name can redeem the undeserving

Jesus, Your Name holds everything I need

And I will live to carry Your compassion

To love a world that’s broken

To be Your hands and feet

And I will give with the life that I’ve been given

And go beyond religion to see the world be changed

By the power of Your name

By the power of Your name

The power of Your name

Lincoln Brewster, “Power of Your Name”

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/442/

People often ask us if we’re done having kids.

The honest answer is we don’t know.

Caden regularly asks for a sister.

We’ve talked a lot about domestic adoption.

We don’t know.

But when I feel maxed out, I think I’ll refer to this post over and over again.

Enjoy!

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/444/

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic.  He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’  So he took them off.  Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine…”

1 Samuel 17:38-40

“What pieces of ‘Saul’s armor’ do you still find yourself reaching for, not quite sure that God’s Word and His promises are enough to depend on?

What do you think makes these extras and add-ons so heavy after a while?

David was comfortable enough with himself to say, ‘This just isn’t me.’

You know the rest.  No giant will ever be a match for a big God with a little rock.

We can do anything God calls us to do through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).  We must develop more confidence in God’s Word than in the opinions of others.

I am not suggesting that if we measure our obstacles against God our battles will be effortless.  David still had to face his giant obstacle and use the strength he possessed, but his confidence in God caused a simple pebble to hit like a boulder.

Faith in faith is pointless, but faith in a living, active God moves mountains.

Lord God, I desire no other protection than that which You have promised to give me: truth like a belt around my waist, righteousness like armor on my chest, the gospel of peace like sandals on my feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, Your very Word.  With these, I know that I can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one (Eph 6:14-17).”

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/445/

Well, summer is drawing to a close around our house.

Dan went back to work today.  (Because you know…pesky bills.)

Our family really needed this extended time together.  I didn’t realize how much until we were in the middle of the bliss.  I wasn’t completely conscious of how crappy spring semester was for us.  We all over-committed on some stuff and were run ragged.  Bleh.

But once 4-H and everything settled down, we got lots of quality time together.  Well, after we readjusted to parenting together.  We always have to adjust each school break.  Remember Control Country?  I have to let go of being the one in charge all day, every day and let him take the lead.  He needs to remember – again – that the way you lead a family is different than the way you lead a classroom.  But once we work out the kinks, we parent like a dynamic duo!

The adult responsibility part of parenting weighs on me heavily.  When I get to shoulder that burden with my best friend, the load feels so much lighter.  And we feel like a team again.

So cheers Summer 2013. You were good to us.

Plus. 

Today my firstborn turned six. 

Oh my.  He is such a delightful, spirited one.  He’s totally unique, surprisingly tender-hearted, and full of energy.  I adore him. 

If I could’ve only calculated the ways that crazy boy would turn my life upside down.  His arrival brought out so many things in my heart – good and bad.  He has been refining fire in the Silversmith’s Hands for my life. 

I’m so grateful.

We’re gonna have an Angry Birds party on Saturday with his little friends.  Even his buddy that is usually overseas gets to come!  So special.

Milestones are always a good reason to pause and reflect.  We are not where we want to be in lots of ways as a family.  There’s always something to work on. 

But when we stop and think about how faithful our God has been to us, it – again – takes the focus off performing well.  We’re not so concerned about all our inadequacies because He is so Adequate.  Sometimes I think the closer we walk with Him, the more junk we see in ourselves.  How very kind of Him!  First, because being aware is half the battle; but second, because if we’re getting closer to God and not seeing how we don’t deserve it…seems to me like that would lead to trouble.  No.  I know it would.  I’ve seen it in my own life.

It’s His mercy that keeps our eyes open to our need for Him. 

It’s His kindness that leads us to repentance.

It’s His strong love that overpowers our resistance to His ways.

Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of a restful summer.  As we gear up to watch You be faithful in the coming school year, help us to surrender our plans and agendas.  We want to look back on 2013-2014 and be able to say only You could’ve done the things that happened.  May we love You and love people well.

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/446/

My heart is so full!

We’ve had a great weekend hanging with my sister and different friends.  It’s been great because of the fun and laughs, but also hearing all the things God is doing all over the world, the country and right here in Wichita.

We got to hear great stories from one pastor about he and our other pastor’s investment in some people’s lives who need investment.  We heard about what a group is doing in downtown KC to help redevelop neighborhoods and lives.  We are getting to be witnesses of a new friend discerning God’s call and if Wichita is part of that call.  We got to hear how our church completely and sacrificially gave to support a sister church who needed it (a la 2 Corinthians 8).  I got to see with my own eyes the generosity of God’s people providing school supplies for the families our group is growing to love and wanting to serve.  I got to watch friends gather around a heart friend this morning as she experienced another discouraging episode with an illness. 

I’ve gotten to see God’s Body be His Body.

I’m so, so grateful.

In my study this morning, she asked the following question:

“In what ways has God enabled you to build on the faith and godliness of those generations that have gone before you?”

I could never count them all. 

The community I experience in our church is the direct result of some intentional and heartfelt sowing by the generation before us. 

The learning to die to ourselves and put the success of others above our own is a direct result of watching the generation before us do those very things.

The Truths that have come to mean everything to me come to us fleshed out by those who are ahead of us, doing the thang with integrity and “long obedience in the same direction.”

And the discerning of the winds of the Spirit and how He is moving His people to embrace a New Thing has been so encouraging to see in all generations of His people.

Father, you are our Abba.  You lead us with kindness and love.  Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light, even as we die.  Thank You, Counselor, for guiding us into all truth.  Keep helping us understand the times and know what [we] should do (1 Chron 12:32).  Thank You for faithful men who lead and protect and guide.  Thank You for faithful women who love and invest and serve. 

We will never get over the joy of this life we never deserved.

https://www.intentionalkingdomliving.com/447/

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