The Ecclesiastic King
Inside a little blue-gray bungalow on Alexander Street in Clay Center, Nebraska, around 1986 or so, Ann read her daughter the story of King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:1-15 when he asked God for wisdom. She read, starting in verse 5, while her daughter sat in her pajamas, holding her favorite stuffed polar bear.
“In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer
6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great faithfulness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great faithfulness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it isthis day. 7
THE SHEPHERD KING: YESHUA
Growing up in Nebraska, it is no surprise that I found myself trailing behind my Dad, Roger, in hundreds of corn fields in my lifetime. My Dad is a retired agronomist and crop scientist who has dedicated his life to wanting to "feed the world." Although that was his passion, he sometimes found himself disheartened when farmers monetized their crops for ethanol or other means. So, at a crucial moment, our family bought a small acreage outside of the small town I'd grown up in, and he began a new hobby: sheep.
Learning to Pray God’s Word When Our Own Words Fail Us
It was late summer in Colorado, and I’d spent the last few months exhausted. But like the “good mom I was trying to be,” I would walk to our community pool with Titus, who was 18 months at the time, at least once a week. Michael, my husband, had been giving me a hard time lately, “Why aren’t you taking him to the pool more?” as I was a stay-at-home mom, and Titus begged me almost every day to walk him to the pool to swim. (He was a pretty cute kid and could puppy-dog-eyes like the best of them!) But I was exceedingly tired until it dawned on me, “I think I’m pregnant!”
I remember how giddy I was and how many pregnancy tests I had taken to share the news with Michael. I’d painted “I’m a Big Brother” on one of Titus’ favorite green onesies and prepared a “pregnancy test bouquet” (thanks, Pinterest; but it's so weird now that I’m typing it) to surprise Michael.
The Goodness of God: In the Psalms
Something I've struggled with since becoming a believer is seeing God's goodness. I find it funny that The Behold Collective is in a series about God's goodness but it's the most blurred in my life. I've texted my mentors about 30 times since moving about how hard college is and how exhausted I am. God knows exactly what he's doing. Through studying for this blog, I have read scriptures that give me deja vu. I have felt these emotions before; I have cried out to God in these ways before, but my good, good God has also always answered in these ways before. I challenge you to view the Psalms the same way. How can this reflect your life and your lament?