We Sing Hallelujiah, The Lamb Has Overcome

It's been a really good week!  But, if you had asked me leading up to this week what I was expecting it to look like I would have anticipated it looking something like this...

 

or like this...

 

That's because Andy left early Monday morning before the kids woke up and wasn't come home until today (Friday).  I don't know the last time he has been gone this long at one time, but it has been a while.

 

Initially I was anxious leading into this week, because I was worried about how things would go.  We had several things planned, like our first day of Classical Conversations, football practice, etc.

 

But, I have been spending time in the bible daily and I have been encouraged and filled with peace.  The peace that passes understanding. : )  I knew I wouldn't have had peace if I began to ponder what this week may entail on my own.

 

So Monday morning I told Andy good-bye and Knox got up with me to say good-bye and then told me his tummy hurt.  I was sure it was because he was going to miss daddy so much and he is the one in our family who LOVES all of us being together.  A little before lunch I could tell he wasn't doing too well and so he laid down and eventually got "sick".

 

A few months ago I began the tradition of letting the big boys sleep with me when Andy's out of town.  I know they like it, but honestly it helps me to feel less lonely when I crawl into bed each night.  Even if Knox tends to sleep all over us. :) Since Knox was sick, Drew decided to sleep on the floor next to us.  About midnight I woke up to Knox throwing up in the bed and all the way to the bathroom.  Drew promptly sat up and announced that he would be sleeping in his room that night.  I helped Knox and then began to peel off the bed sheets to wash, and I was suddenly struck with the thought...."I'm not melting down!"  In the past I think I would probably have begun to cry or sulk or allow myself to have a little "woe is me pity party", but instead I just did what needed to be done and tucked Knox back into a pallet on the floor (with a bucket beside him), and laid a blanket on the bed for me to sleep on.  An incident, that in the past could have grown to epic proportion, was nothing more than a middle of the night interruption.  And, I can tell you I praise the Lord for that.  I have no doubt that the filling of His Word lately has affected me.

 

The next day Knox rested up and was completely better by Wednesday to attend our co-op.

 

We had several things planned this week, many of them fun, along with some unplanned things, like a dr.'s appointment I forgot about and a piece of my car dragging from underneath that I had to get fixed, but none of them made me come unglued.  It hasn't been a perfect week as you can see from sweet Ellis' picture and I haven't reacted calmly and lovingly in every instance, but I know the Lord is working on me and filling me with His presence.

 

Last night I went to bed exhausted!  I thought how glad I was that it was the end of this week alone, and how I could hopefully sleep in with the kids, but around 6:15 this morning the Lord stirred my soul and I got up to have some "true" quiet time with Him.  I've been reading Psalms and Proverbs with a few friends and they have been so calming, encouraging, and challenging, but this morning I also spent some time in Acts.

 

Lately I have felt like I'm having my own personal revival and that has gotten me interested in the early church, especially after it was mentioned in our Apologetics class last Monday.

 

This morning I was really struck by a story in Acts chapter 5 where the apostles are being persecuted.  Here's a little synopsis of the story.

 

The Sanhedrin is filled with jealousy over Peter and the apostles performing miraculous signs and wonders, so they put them in jail.  But, an angel of the Lord came, opened the doors and let them out and told them to "Go tell the people the full message of this new life".  So at daybreak they were again teaching the people.  When the Sanhedrin found out they brought the apostles before them and said "we told you not to teach".

 

This is their response that I think is so important to take hold of. 

Verse 29 "We must obey God rather than men!"

How powerful!  Obeying God and what He calls us to do, no matter what the consequence.  Then in verses 30 and 31 they proclaim the gospel message. 

 

That angered these men listening and they wanted them put to death, but a man named Gamaliel who was a Pharisee, teacher of the law, and honored by all people stood up.

 

That made me think...would I stand up?  Do I stand up?  Will I stand up when I see an injustice?

 

In verse 35 he says "Consider carefully what you intend to do to these men."  He then mentions two different men who led groups, but they were killed along with their followers.  He told them to let these men go.  He ends it by saying (vs. 38-39) "For if their purpose is of human origin it will fail, but if it's from God you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

 

It says that his speech persuaded them so they let them go.  BUT, not before they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus.

 

So what would I do?  What would you do?  It's easy to read what the apostles did...

"Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is Christ."

 

But, for just a moment I really want to put myself in their shoes.  If I had been put in jail, beaten, and told more than once not to do something what would I do?  I pray that I would have the boldness and conviction that these men did to continue answering the call that the Lord put on their lives.  I guess we never truly know how we will react in a situation until we are in it, but their example is one I want to live by.  And as verse 41 tell us...

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name."

 

This morning I heard Pastor Courson share that we are more concerned with our present state, but God is more concerned with our eternal state.

 

May God continue to open my spiritual eyes to see what He wants to teach me, and may I continue to put away the distractions of this world.  I want to remember that it's not necessarily about this week, or next, or even 10 years from now.  What God is doing is for eternity!

 

I've had many seasons in my life, valleys and mountaintops, but I must say from where I am now, the more I am in the Word, the more I want of Him and the more I yearn for truth.  May you be encouraged today to dig into the Bible to see how our living God wants to speak personally to your heart today.

Oh, and if you were worried about Ellis, shortly after the tears, things got much better. 

 

 

Here's another worship song that I pray blesses you, and is where the title of my post came from. :)