Exodus

My fiancé and I have been reading through the Bible chronologically, and I'm learning how sweet the Father is to reveal Himself in stories I've heard my entire life. As I've read the story of Moses this month, I was struck by the prophecies and promises God made to His people that slipped through the cracks before.

My revelations with Exodus began in Moses' burning bush moment. God tells Moses that He's going to free the Israelites, but promises that the path to freedom will be difficult.

"But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt."

Exodus 7:3

Sometimes, God places difficult situations in our lives so that He will be glorified through them. At first glance, this doesn't make losing a family member or changing jobs or moving across the country any easier; however, if you can shift your perspective from how a situation affects you to how you can glorify God through your situation, then joy and hope will come. As long as you focus on the Father, you'll be infinitely more affected by His heart and the valleys of life won't shake you. In stress and devastation, think about how your grief can glorify God. He reiterates this in a message to Pharaoh halfway through the ten plagues:

"By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose-- to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth."

Exodus 9:15-16

As Christians, our end goal is to glorify the Lord with how we live. God is more than worthy of our worship and praise, and the second you realize that, the second your perspective begins to change from the temporary to the eternal. 

The Spirit brought another revelation when I read about the plague of flies. God tells Moses that for this plague, He will spare the Israelites' region of Egypt. Again, there's a promise that He is the Lord and that He is present in the heart of struggle. 

"But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow."

Exodus 8:22-23

We serve a good, good Father who longs to take care of us. He is present in our less than, imperfect, messy lives. He loves us through our mistakes and disobedience. He longs for the day when we will be brought back to Him. Yahweh, the Great I Am, sees us in the midst of a fallen world and reaches out to wipe our tears. The Israelites had suffered through plagues of blood, frogs, and gnats before God decided to spare them. They suffered, but He didn't forget them. If you feel like you've been forgotten or abandoned by the Lord, think of the Israelites. They suffered, but God never left them, even after their disobedience in the wilderness.

Lastly, I saw a foreshadowing in the Passover that I hadn't noticed before. When God is explaining the purpose of the Passover to Moses, He commands that each year, the firstborn male animals be sacrificed as a memorial to the plague that finally softened Pharaoh's heart.

"Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord-- except that the firstborn sons are always brought back."

Exodus 13:15

"The firstborn sons are always brought back." Before Isaiah ever prophesied about the coming Messiah, God revealed that His son would be brought back. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb, killed at Passover, who was brought back just as the Israelites' firstborns were. Isn't that incredible? Centuries before Christ came, God promised the resurrection. God planned for Christ to come possibly before the world began, and He knew every moment of your life before Creation. There is always a purpose for everything in God's hands. 

I encourage all of you to open the Word today. You may reread a familiar passage and discover something new. You may read a scripture that heals your heart in a way only the Word can. 

Hustle

"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."

Isaiah 60:19

This season of life has been filled with anxiety for the unknown and undone. I'm halfway through college, burdened with debt, working a part-time job, and planning a wedding. There are times when I'm consumed with fear over one of those tasks, and there are times when the pressures of life hit me like a tidal wave. I have an acute strength for worrying. The slightest change of plan can seem to irrevocably shift the course of my life, in a span of five seconds. I'm becoming an adult in an Instagram culture, where every image and post that I see sends the message that everyone else is more successful/happy/wealthy/secure/polished than me. This is the era of the social media model, when a woman with decent photography skills can make thousands of dollars for every like on a painstakingly posed picture. This is the era of the Etsy shop owner, when a mom with Adobe Photoshop can create journals, prints, and accessories from the comfort of her toddler-laden home. This is the era of the #girlboss, when women are encouraged to climb the corporate ladder and shatter the glass ceiling in the pursuit of recognition and respect.

None of these pursuits are inherently bad. None of these women are necessarily wrong or behaving in an unbiblical manner. The problem lies in the pressure to compete, the pressure to prove yourself or establish security for yourself based on your own accolades and skill set.

"But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value."

1 Corinthians 3:13

The word of 2016 seemed to be HUSTLE. Delayed gratification is all but nonexistent as people buzz like bees to meet their goals in the quickest manner possible. Working hard certainly isn't wrong, but Paul poses a counter-cultural perspective in 1 Corinthians 3. The problem with hustling isn't the hustling itself, but the motivation behind it. Oftentimes, I find myself hustling because I'm filled with fear at the double-digit number in my checking account. College students around me lose sleep over assignments that they have two hours to do because their day was filled with class, work, sorority meetings, and Bible studies. The pressure to build your resume as a college student is high. The pressure to make connections that will potentially help you in your career field is high. The pressure to raise children who make the world a better place all while being incredibly photogenic and accomplished is high. Pressure, pressure, pressure, all for fairly temporal goals. The Bible encourages hard work for an entirely different reason:

All for the glory of God.

Too often, the motivation for working yourself to the bone is to build your own security instead of trusting God to secure you. When you begin to believe that your efforts are your safety net and provision, you've launched yourself out of the Father's hands and into your own flimsy butterfly net. We hustle to earn money for a bigger house, more clothes, and less anxiety all while forgetting that the house will crumble, the clothes will be donated, and the anxiety will stay unless we get right with the heart of Jesus. Jesus denied earthly comforts for the sake of heavenly rewards, and his confidence rested in God alone. Jesus was less concerned about the hustle, and more concerned about the eternal. You don't see Jesus worrying about whether people would show up to hear his sermons. Open scripture, and you'll see a man who did what his Father asked of him, each and every day. Jesus didn't work tirelessly to gain followers and establish himself in the community. He worked tirelessly to represent his Father in every move, big or small. He put more thought into his responses than into his next preaching location. Jesus was concerned with the responsibilities directly in front of him, and trusted God to lead him to the next chapter and season of ministry. 

"The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' "

Matthew 25:21

We too, are meant to handle what's directly in front of us before looking five years into the future. If your only task for today is to love your spouse well, then the Lord will give you more opportunities to love them as He does. If your only task for today is to see the people that Jesus sees, then your slightly awkward conversation in the dining hall may plant a Gospel seed in a stranger's life. If your task for today is to write a blog post that gives glory to God above men, then He will bring readers to your page. In the pictures above from my time as a camp counselor this summer, my only tasks were to serve and love. I served my head counselor by blowing up kiddie pools for an hour. I loved babies who most likely don't remember me now, six months after camp. If God can trust us with today's blessings and opportunities, then greater things will come to us. We serve a Father who longs to give his children good gifts, but He can only give to those whose hands are open to Him. God wants us to trust HIS provision more than our own because His perspective is always eternal. He knows what tomorrow holds, and He knows what guides our motives from our past.

"In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall."

2 Samuel 22:30

If we work by the Spirit's strength rather than our own, we can accomplish great things for God's glory. Not for our fame, finances, or security, but for GOD'S GLORY. Working by the Spirit requires total surrender to God's will above your own, total surrender of your own strengths and comfort so God can shine through your weaknesses and humility. When you glorify the Lord, joy is found. When you direct praise back to Christ, your strength will be renewed. When you give your time, energy, and resources to the Father, you're laying bricks in heaven's walls.

As the holidays wind to a close, and your normal schedule resumes, leave with these promises from the Father. Consecrate your hustle to the Lord, and remember where your worth is found: not in your accomplishments, but in your creation.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit."

Ephesians 3:16

"And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely."

Isaiah 32:17-20

Creativity

Marcus Clarke Photography

"The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born."

Psalm 33:6

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He set the sun ablaze in the sky, handcrafted each flower and creature, and blew breath into humanity's lungs. God created all the materials that man uses for final products, whether those products are used for good or evil. God is the CREATOR.

If God is the CREATOR, and we are made in His likeness, shouldn't we be able to create too? If God was able to create masterpieces of cosmic proportions, then shouldn't we be able to create masterpieces of earthly proportions? Imagine the Northern Lights, Niagara Falls, a mountaintop sunrise. Those views are so exquisitely magnificent, so fully creative, one can't help but think of God's omniscience upon first view. 

Sunrises are my favorite component of Creation. I try to recreate them with oil crayons, camera, and colored pencil, but I cannot. However, I can recreate the sunrise with words. 

The world was pitch black with only silhouettes and shadows slightly visible. Dawn's golden fingers stretched themselves over the canvas and threw a spray of watercolors over the horizon- cotton candy pink, periwinkle, and lavender hues filled the once dark canvas of sky. As dawn stretched herself further across the canvas, a muted glow became brighter and brighter, until it's vivacity pierced my eyes. The sunrise had arrived.

My only tool for recreating Creation is through words. I cannot draw to save my life, I always lose Pictionary, and I will never understand how to create shadows and liveliness on a two-dimension surface. But I can describe a painting to you in prose, verse, whatever you prefer. My version of God's breathe-life creativity is words. You have a version of that breathe-life creativity too. In fact, we are all given spiritual gifts to reflect God's magnificence and artistry. 

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another."

1 Peter 4:10

Perhaps you're an engineer, in which case you are the literal representation of breathe-life creativity. You think of an invention, and somehow know every component of its being. I applaud you and am dazzled by your ingenuity. Perhaps you're an artist, one who captures the Creation before you. Kudos to you too. Perhaps you're a fitness coach of some form or fashion. You are creating muscle where there was none, you are creating poses and twists that seem impossible. Perhaps you're a stay-at-home mom. Your children are your creations, both physically and figuratively. Your role as creator is to mold an adorable, egotistical baby into a man or woman with strong morals and selfless tendencies. Perhaps you're in the business field. You are creating a product, advertisement, budget, or team where there once was none. You are filling a need in society.

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

Romans 12:6-8

Loving people well takes immense creativity. Immense thought and effort goes into answering the question, "how can I best love this broken person?" Forgiving people takes immense creativity. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box to see the miscommunication or potential outcome of a situation. Seeing the potential in people takes hindsight that can only come from God, the one who authored that person's story. We all have the ability to be creative, whether your personal spin on creativity fits into the fine arts category or not. Our creativity is meant to point people back to the Master Planner, Divine Guide, Ultimate Creator, and Author. Did you have an ingenious idea at work? Thank God for allowing you to push the limits of thought. Did you find the perfect sentence to describe a feeling or sensation? Thank the One who penned every word to your story. Did you hit a home run, nail a pirouette, or perfect your lay-up? Thank your Creator for giving you the ability to instill awe in spectators as He does. Creativity doesn't always end in a pretty picture. Creativity is finding a way to bring joy, awe, or wonder into a cynical and apathetic world. Whether your creative effort results in a delicious meal or a smile from a stranger, embrace your God-given talents and abilities. You don't have to be the best _______, you just have to give your best effort. Our purpose is to bring glory to God, and the best way to glorify Him is to reflect Him. How do you embrace your creativity? As a wonderfully creative teacher once told me, "do what makes your heart come alive."

"Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them."

Isaiah 43:7

Girls Are Not For Sale

Photos courtesy of Apricity Photography

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
Colossians 3:17

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."
Isaiah 1:17

This post tackles subjects that may ignite anger, fear, or denial. Before we dive in, hear my prayer for you as we walk through this injustice: 

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called- his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Father, just as Ephesians 1:18 says, may we be enlightened on what breaks your heart today. Enlighten us on the injustices that have become mundane, the hidden sins we fall into, and our culture's spiritual fallacies. May we see every person you created the way you see them, with love and hope. Amen.

I first discovered The NET on Jamie Ivey's The Happy Hour podcast, in an episode where Jamie interviewed Melissa Ice, the founder of The NET. Melissa was sweet, genuine, and passionate, and I fell in love with her mission immediately. Melissa started a nonprofit in Fort Worth that connects the local church with the struggling, the privileged with the unprivileged. The NET seeks to partner with a network of businesses, churches, nonprofits, and volunteers to form a safety net for the marginalized. The idea is simple, but the impact is incredible. Connect an average American with an outcast in the name of the Gospel, and with a little bit of training, compassion trumps prejudice. The NET ministry that's wrecked my heart is PURCHASED, which strives to connect the privileged with victims of sex trafficking.

This is the part where many of you are tempted to close this tab and turn a blind eye. That's certainly what's easiest, what's comfortable. But where in scripture does Christ call us to stay in our comfort zone? You may be under the impression that sex trafficking only happens in Vietnam, Thailand, the Congo, and India. The sad truth is, American women and children have the same risk of being exploited as they would have in developing countries. In fact, you'll see a plethora of young women who choose to exploit themselves on Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube if you follow any millennials on social media.

The message that the media has shouted in my ears as a young woman in 21st century America is that my worth and identity are totally shaped by my physical appearance. My body, my complexion, my hair, and my facial features have to fit into a certain category in order to be physically attractive. I'm flooded with tutorials on Pinterest that teach me how to alter my facial structure with makeup, and can't search the internet without coming across an article on this or that celebrity's body. From the moment a girl becomes a woman biologically, the enemy begins convincing her that her body and her outward beauty are the most valuable tools she can offer the world. If he doesn't succeed, he moves on to a man.

From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Eden, men and women have been in a power struggle. God created Adam to lead and love Eve, and created Eve to help and love Adam. Sin distorts love into selfish, short-term, impatient lust. God created men and women to live peacefully with one another, to be fruitful and multiply. God created marriage as a reflection of Christ and the Church. The enemy HATES anything that glorifies the Lord, so he went after the forbidden fruit just as he did in the Garden: sex. Sex was created by God to bond a man and woman to one another, and to fill the earth with Creation. However, sex was made for marriage only, and our adversary loves misleading God's children. Today, we live in a world plagued with advertisements and social media that completely distort the heart of God.

"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27

Women were created in God's image, but are often seen as objects for pleasure and exploitation.

Women were created to be helpmates, but are rarely seen as adequate collaborators.

Women were created to reflect the spotless Bride of Christ, but media constantly uses women to reflect male desire.

Women have become a commodity to be purchased, whether in the flesh or in an image. A culture steeping in female exploitation tries to convince women that they have to show off their bodies, change their God-given features, or sleep around. Teenage girls show as much as skin as possible, totally unaware of the dangerous male lust they're feeding. Young women go to chaotic, substance-filled house parties, unaware or in denial that their risk of sexual assault has increased exponentially just from stepping in the door. Wives and mothers ignore or hide from their husbands because the men in their past rejected or betrayed them in moments of intimacy. Women have become enslaved to the male gaze in one way or another. Personally, I'm afraid to walk alone at night because of the invasive catcalls men throw as they drive past me. As a young woman, I'm a prime target for perverse men. I know that I have to dress a certain way to protect myself from ogling stares, and that a fingertip-length skirt won't always detain the male gaze. I'm scared by a lingering stare from a male stranger because I know that girls my age are kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking every day. In fact, the Human Trafficking Hotline reports that there have been nearly 500 sex trafficking cases in Texas this year. Men and women are imperfect, and lust rules the world that God created for love.

So, how does PURCHASED fit into this injustice?

PURCHASED rescues women from the detrimental mindset that their worth is entirely in their bodies. This nonprofit started after The NET heard countless stories of women who were bought and sold in Fort Worth sex trafficking each day. Sex trafficking is modern-day slavery, and The NET is in business to set captives free. The NET calls people like you and I to come alongside sex trafficking victims and love them as Christ does, in whatever capacity possible. If you live in the DFW area, I urge you to connect with this ministry on PURCHASED's official website. Fortunately, for those of you who live elsewhere, the NET wants their mission to reach as many people as possible. This is where that snazzy shirt I'm wearing comes in. This shirt has a bold message: Girls Are Not For Sale. Women are not commodities to be exploited, and their worth is found within. These unisex tees allow you to fight injustice through awareness.

"But everything exposed by the light becomes visible-- and everything that is illuminated becomes a light."

You have the power to shine light on the darkness that plagues our culture, and all it takes is a comfy tee. Become a light by illuminating the injustice that women face every day and the evil that causes others to exploit them.

As a bonus, PURCHASED is offering my readers 15% off your purchase of a Girls Are Not For Sale tee! Whether you buy the black women's tee or the unisex white tee, use the code THOUGHTS15 for a few dollars off your purchase. Go the extra mile by posting a pic of your shirt with the tag #PurchasedFW, and join the battle against sexual exploitation.