In the past few weeks we’ve looked at some steps we can use to determine the path our life journey should take. It’s a process called sometimes called discernment. We walked with Hagar and discovered that despite appearances and her mistakes God did not desert her. During Lent we are going to meet some other women from the Bible and see what they can teach us about simplifying our lives and more importantly becoming true to our own heart’s call.
You may have decided to ‘give up’ something for Lent. That is a perfectly valid thing to do, when what we give up helps us remember God more. Just saying, ‘I won’t eat chocolate for Lent’ without also replacing it with a discipline that enriches us is rather empty. The real purpose of Lent is to focus us on God and God’s call on your life and mine.
Can you say that giving up chocolate will help you be more authentically the person you were created to be? Maybe…or maybe not…
Something that is guaranteed to change you is making the decision to spend some time daily with God. One important component is to that is listening. In order to listen, we have to be quiet. That may take the form of an actual time of retreat away from the normal routine or it may just be a few extra minutes a day that isn’t hemmed in by cell phones, i-pods, computers, and chatting.
Rahab of Jericho found that her life was radically changed when God acted. When she first came to the tents of Israel after the fall of Jericho, Rahab was confused about the God of the Hebrews. She spent time pondering the differences between the gods she knew and served and this Diety.
I waited beside the banked fire until every person in the encampment was in their tent. There was much to think about. The God of the Hebrew was powerful, yet the people were not terrified of the deity. The priests of Astarte invoked the wrath of the goddess and intimidated everyone in Jericho with threats. How could this people continue to test their God? I thought of the tales I heard from travelers. They spoke of special food and water springing from stones in the desert. The story of the vipers in the camp chilled me until I remembered Sarai telling of the bronze serpent that healed those who believed.
“What kind of God are you to provide healing even as you punish?” Into the darkness I breathed the question. “Astarte requires endless propitiation. The goddess does not do the wonders I have heard of nor does she answer prayer. It seems that you are a god who offers succor even in the midst of the pain. Truly you must be great, El Elohim Israel.”
The silence was reassuring even though no answer came. I slipped into the tent and under my blankets still pondering the faith of these former slaves and the God who they worshipped.
“El Elohim Israel,” I murmured the name of the god into the night until sleep claimed me.*
It was still not easy for Rahab to find acceptance or to understand the ways of her slowly growing faith. Occasionally, like for me and you, there were moments of insight during her quiet time.
Suddenly I did understand, if only in that moment, that there was indeed only One God. I recognized that throughout my life, I had indeed been upheld by someone beyond what I was taught to believe in.
“I did not know your name but I have known your power and touch.” I fell to my knees in wonder. “My mother told me of the God of Jacob. She wondered if the God her father served was the True One. When Jamal and Salma came to Jericho I recognized that they served you. Truly all my life you have been beside me. Yet how can you love someone like me?”
An often quoted saying sprang to my mind unbidden, “This day have I begotten you.”
In the darkness of my tent the words took on a new meaning. I understood that the God of the Hebrews accepted me as if I was a child. For a long time I knelt in the darkness. The anger and fear drained away. Peace settled over me. I slept deeply, no longer afraid to face the future.*
Eventually, she comes to real faith and is accepted as bride of Salma, one of the spies. Their son was Boaz, grandfather of Jesse and great-grandfather of David, who became King. The ways of God are often amazing. That a follower of Baal and Astarte would become the ancestress of Jesus Christ is not something even a great novelist would dream up. Yet that is what happened.
Rahab learned about the Holy One of Israel from her new friends and by taking time to be with God. She discovered that her true calling was as a faithful woman, wife, and mother. She used her gifts of compassion and healing to encourage the refugees and was honored.
Can you find 15 minutes, half an hour, or even just 5 or 10 minutes to put away the busy-ness of day-to-day life and sit quietly? A friend who is the directress of a girls’ group (Jr. Daughters of the King) introduced them to a concept that we all might benefit from. It’s the P-Q-R-S-T discipline and is perfect for an outline of ways to spend time with God. P is for Prayer
Q is the all important Quiet timeR is a reminder to Read scriptures and devotional books
S is Service to others that comes out of our time with God
T is taking Time to Think about our Walk with God
Come back next week to meet Naomi on our Lenten pilgrimage.
*All quotations are from Rahab’s Redemption by Cynthia Davis. Available online from Amazon.com and the author.
