Between the Garden and the Wilderness

  For the word of the Lord is right and true;     he is faithful in all he does. Pslam 33:4 (NIV)   What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is defined as, “the quality of being loyal and steadfast.” If someone is faithful, it means that they always, without fail, do what they say they will do. They don’t make excuses to explain why they can’t show up. Regardless of how difficult the circumstances are, they do exactly what they promise they will do. What does this mean for me? It’s fun to watch movies or read books about fictional characters that do amazing things. We like stories about people (especially other kids) who overcome big challenges or defeat bad guys. Challenges like not having enough food, not having friends, or a close relative dying can be especially difficult when you’re very young because you feel like you don’t have power to change things or help yourself. So, when we see characters in movies or books face those...

  “If then I am the Father, where  is  My honor?” Malachi 1:6   What is honor? Honor is defined as, “high respect; great esteem.” It’s when we choose to treat someone like they’re very important, often more important, than anyone else in the room. Notice that this says we choose to treat someone that way. Honor isn’t something that you can demand that someone else give you. You can demand that someone be obedient to your rules, but you can’t really force someone to believe that you deserve to be treated like you’re important.     What does this mean for me? If you’ve read the Ten Commandments, you know that God tells you to honor your father and your mother . This means that you treat them with respect. It means that you understand they’re a very important part of your life, and you don’t forget about them when you’re old enough to take care of yourself. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have friends or that you don’t move away from home. Hono...

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38   What is obedience? Obedience is defined as, “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.” It’s a decision that we make to respect God and those He has placed in charge of us, even when it isn’t easy. When we choose to be obedient, we are able to receive all of the promises that God has made to those who follow Him. What does this mean for me? The Bible gives us clear directions on how God wants us to behave. In the Old Testament, He gave Moses a list of Ten Commandments that He wanted the Israelites to follow. The rules came because His people, the Israelites, were not making the right choices on their own. He deeply loved the Israelites (in the same way that He loves us today), but they were making decisions that hurt both Him and each other. Teaching the Israelites to do what was right was a way ...

  Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ( Lamentations3: 22 -23 )     What is mercy? Mercy is defined as,   “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to  punish  or harm.” It’s when we make the decision not to hurt someone just because they hurt us. To be merciful does not mean that you’re admitting someone else is right. It’s simply deciding not to make the situation worse just because you can.   What does this mean for me? There’s a worldly expression that not taking revenge means you’re “being the bigger person,” but this is not what the Bible says. To be the bigger person means that you’re comparing your behavior to someone else’s. You’re saying, “They’re mean, but I’m not!” or “I’m better because I’m not rude.” Yet, the Bible says not to compare ourselves with others ( Galatians 6:4 ). It’s no...