The King and the Slave

Can't hardly believe 2018 has come to an end. Some celebrate achievements that took place this year, and some grieve the circumstances that they are in right now. Many will make a resolution of eating better and working out, while some will not even try, because they failed every other year.

This week I sat at our kitchen table and was overcome with the fact that life is kind of passing me by. I stay home and raise my kids, and watch their every move, but they still seem to grow a foot every night. Arrow was helping me clean inside cabinets this morning and Raylea read her two younger siblings a story on her bed last night. Jack prayed as he went to sleep, "I really love you, God. I really love you, Jesus." 

My all time favorite song is "Through it all." We've been singing it a lot this week and the line "if I never had a problem, I wouldn't know God could solve them, wouldn't know what faith in His Word could do," has brought so much peace to my soul.

I look in every direction and see hurting people and down right bad situations. Stuff you couldn't even make up. I have been thinking a lot today about my priorities and what matters in life. 

I am making some changes later today and I'm really excited about them. Cutting out some distractions. Not really something I meant to do on New Years, but it just worked out that way.

This morning I read in Jeremiah a story I hadn't personally read before. It's found in chapter 38 if you have time to read it later.

Princes accused Jeremiah and demanded his death for speaking Truth. The king allowed him to be thrown into a miry dungeon, where there was no water, just mire. It said he sunk into it.

I don't know if it was an hour later or the next day, but the very next verse, verse 7 to be exact, says that one of the king's slaves, an Ethiopian named Ebed-melech, heard what the king had allowed to happen to Jeremiah. He went to the king and told him it was evil! The king commanded the slave to take thirty men with him and get Jeremiah out of the dungeon! So, he did.

I want you to really think about this. This is not a nice story you just heard me tell, but this happened to real people, not too terribly long ago, actually, on the same planet you live on right now.

Now, think about that Ethiopian man. Ebed-melech. He was used greatly by God to stand up to a king and put his own life on the line. He didn't beat around the bush either. He called it evil what had been done to that prophet. That man of God. Jeremiah. He did not rally a bunch of the other slaves to be standing behind him when he approached the king. He didn't even make a big long drawn out statement. You can read exactly what he said in one verse, verse 9. 

Think about the courage it took for that slave to stand up to someone who was his boss. His authority. He challenged the man who could have him killed in an instant. 

CHURCH! CHRISTIANS! GOD'S BRIDE!

When is the last time you stood up for what was right? When is the last time you cared more about God's work being done and His will being completed, rather than saving your own tail. Seriously. Think about it. 

It's not popular to stand up for what's right. It's not popular at all to say someone's deeds are evil, especially if you are the slave doing the talking. But, God doesn't look at the crown on one's head. So, with that being said, I want to talk about the king. 

King Zedekiah. He obviously had some power. He was a king.

He probably had a nice bed and a My Pillow covered with a silk pillowcase. 

He had the title of king and took much pride in it.

He had all the Facebook followers and a great name for himself. 

He had people working under him and didn't have to do the work, but got all the glory.

He probably was being fed grapes and had a giant leaf waved towards him to keep him refreshed.

He had new wheels on his carriage and his horses were fed the best grains.

He was probably sitting their swallowing one of those chilled grapes, as the door opened and was approached by his own slave.

What I love about this story, is that God used the king's very own slave to challenge him! He didn't use an enemy or a best friend. He used someone who was much lower than him and who had no authority over him. Yet, God had favor on Jeremiah and used Ebed-melech to rescue him by standing in the gap that day. 

I wander what would have happened if that slave would have been down and depressed on himself. What if he was at home sulking about how bad stuff was and how there was no way to change the situation. What if he would have just laid out some clean clothes to wear to Jeremiah's funeral. What if he just stayed on his phone, scrolling through social media, looking at everyone's "perfect/happy" lives and thought, I have it so bad. What do I have to live for anyways? What if he would have stayed home and let anger rise up towards the princes and the king and he started texting all his fellow slaves and gossiping about how sinful they were for doing that to Jeremiah. What if he would have just said, "God will take care of it. I will just sit here and pray about it I guess.."

Sometimes we have to put legs on that faith and those prayers. Example. I have prayed for God to remove any relationships, hobbies, and distractions from my life that won't draw me closer to Him. I had no idea what would happen when I prayed that prayer! I had to trust God to bring godly, God-fearing friends in my life who aren't afraid to stand up for me, because Lord knows I have felt like Jeremiah in the past, and needed friends who would sharpen my iron, in other words, make me a stronger Christian, even if their advice wasn't what I wanted to hear. I NEED those people in my life and God has granted me with those God-ties. And I trust Him to bring people in and out of my life as He sees fit.

One distraction I'm getting rid of for the next month or so, is my phone. We are going to Walmart later to get me a tracfone and I plan on spending the next several weeks earnestly seeking God and asking Him to reveal and remove any sin from my life and I plan on a revival taking place in my heart. 

I plan on having meetings with God instead of grabbing my phone every hour or two.

So, I know this post wasn't as well put together as usual, but I just wrote what was on my heart, as it came to me. Maybe instead of starting something this year, you need to stop doing something. Ask God to reveal it. He will.

Be like that slave. Be courageous and stand up for men and women of God and stand up for TRUTH.

We Christians are on the same team, we often forget. So, let's start acting/praying like it.

You can be the king/prince and be evil and against God's people/work.

Or, you can be Jeremiah or Ebed-melech. Faithful and courageous.

I appreciate any person who took time to read this, but just know, I don't do this for any other reason than to hope SOMEBODY out there draws closer to God. Even if you read this in 50 years and I'm dead... I just want you to lean on the Lord, whoever you may be.

Have a GOD filled 2019.

Hannah Jo

For such a time as this

For the past couple of months, my heart has ached for my friend, Aunt Kay. She was one of the closest people in my life and she'll never be replaced. She called me daily, and if I didn't answer she would leave me a voicemail which usually began with, "hi baby..." or "hi pun'kin" and then she would go on to tell me the date and the time she was calling, exactly what she was doing and for me to return the call at my convenience. When Aunt Kay died, I felt like I would never be able to recover totally from that loss. And, although I have been able to laugh, I still find myself every single day wishing I could drive 10 miles down the road to her house and sit and fold laundry with her, or sit on the porch and watch her grandsons play with my kids in the front yard. When she went to Heaven, I truly did lose a true friend. She wasn't one who would ever leave me. She always stayed true to herself and to God. She spoke truth and said it in love. She got that quality from her mom.

Well, in the midst of all the change in my life over the course of the past couple of years, I have realized nothing does truly last forever, expect relationships. Certain relationships that is. And the more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that us, like Esther, was born for a time such as this. For a purpose, a certain purpose. Not an accident.

Mother, you were born for such a time as this to be the lighthouse for those kids of yours. To be the prayer warrior who will get on her knees daily and pray for redemption to come in your child's life. It is you who God wants to set the example of a faithful, godly woman. Love your child and show them the way back home. But, don't let it sting too bad when they refuse to accept God immediately. Their time will come. You keep praying and believing. 

Father, you were born for such a time as this to be the head of the home. Stop playing church. Stop being so consumed with your job, your friends, your desires. Love those kids. Even if they are adults, you can still show them they matter. Call them and check on them. Just ask how there day is. You haven't spoken in years? Well, change that. You were a bad father as they were growing up? Change that now. Show them you care and go above and beyond. Buy them a nice gift. Write them a note. Love their mother. Make more memories instead of more money. 

Child, you were born for such a time as this to honor your parents. Maybe your parents are divorced or never show you the love your heart longs for, but you can be the example and God will honor you. Respect your mom or dad, or aunt or uncle, or grandparent, who ever you live with and pays the bills and puts food on the table for you. Help with chores and don't expect paid. Do it with a smile! When my little girl wakes up in the morning and makes her bed every day before coming out of the bedroom, that makes my heart so happy as a mom. Trust me, just pick up after yourself and ask your guardian if they need any help. Obey, respect and honor! When you're a parent one day, you'll realize exactly what I'm talking about. 

Preacher, keep on preaching, for you were born for such a time as this. You might not be the next Billy Graham, but if you are preaching Jesus and the Bible, you are just as valuable to the Kingdom as Billy! A soul will be changed for eternity thanks to your sacrifice and commitment to the Father.

Minister's wife, keep on supporting, loving and being a godly woman, for you were born for such a time as this. I know the many trials that comes with your position. Keep your head up, and remember that God will always fight for His own. Be a sheep, not a wolf in sheep's clothing. In other words, be the real deal. Love people. Forgive people. Build people up. Mostly, cover your husband with prayer.

Christian, you were born for such a time as this. 

Maybe your life is going in the complete opposite direction than your heart desires to go. Trust God's plan, not your own. Life isn't meant to be simple, easy, a road free of hurts, pain, betrayal and death. No, it is quite the contrary. You'll face things in life that unbelievers won't face. Look at John, he was beheaded. Stephen, stoned. Noah, made fun of for being simply obedient to God. You'll have people come and people go in life. You'll have jobs come and go, you'll have homes come and go. Your health might even come and go. But, the one thing that will remain, is your faith in God and His love for you. He is the same forever. So, whatever your day is like. Whatever your month may bring... just know that God will always go before you, and then as you walk through whatever trial or blessing you face, He too, will walk beside you. 

Aunt Kay sang a song her brother, Danny, wrote for her. It says "everything will be alright, My child, everything will be alright... because your Mine, the sun will shine again for you, I promise everything will be alright."

Aunt Kay is with the Son that will always shine and I encourage you this day, to press on to that same promise of eternal life. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it says in Romans that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Call upon Jesus and He will be faithful to forgive you of your sins. Live for Him and nothing else.

Remember...

You were born for such a time as this.