tassels

 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.” Numbers 15:37-41

When you see someone wearing a specific item you know a little bit of who they are or what they do:
Superheroes wear tights and capes.
Cops wear badges.
Buddist Monks wear robes.
Scottish Men wear kilts.
Chefs wear aprons.
Muslim Women wear hijabs.
Athletes wear uniforms.
Soccer Moms wear khaki capris, polo shirts and keds.
and in this case: God's chosen people wore tassels.

These tassels not only served as a reminder to the Jews of all that God had done for them but also to distinguish them from the Gentiles. As a Christian today, what sets you apart as God's beloved? As I read this passage tonight, I stopped and wondered, is it noticable that I am a Christian or do I blend in with this world? Do my actions set me apart? Does my speech? How about my spending? Or in the way I relate to food, drinking and bodily intake? Do the clothes I wear bring honor to God?... Does my life shout to the world that I am set apart for God? Does my life reflect holiness?

As I reflected deeper, two scriptures came to mind:

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

If I am abiding with Christ, obeying God's word and truly submitting myself to God's perfect will, soon enough the fruits of the Spirit begin to flow in and through my life. Without a doubt in my mind when we, God's people, live the kind of life that is saturared with the fruits of the Spirit (of pure joy, of peace, longsuffering, goodness to all, faithfulness in all that we do, with self control) the world will know that we are different; a chosen generation, God's special people, a holy nation.

I encourage you to live in such a way that the fruits of the Spirit would grow on us as tassels. My prayer is that others would see these "tassels" flowing in and through our lives and know for sure that we are set apart and that we belong to God. May everything about our being reflect Jesus.

*Click here for Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 15.

my heart cries out

"My heart cries out over Moab..." Isaiah 15:5

Hi my Friend.

As I have shared with you a few post back, I am reading the book of Isaiah. Yesterday as I read this verse, I paused and meditated on them. “My heart cries out for Moab…” The intensity of these words provoked me to search my own heart and question myself. Do I cry out for those whom I despise? When someone I am not particularly fond of is hurting, do I cry out for them? Or even with them? Am I allowing compassion, long suffering and kindness to have its way in me and through me?

In our lives there will be people who will curse the name of the Lord; will you cry out for them? There may be people in your life today who you disagree with their lifestyle; will you cry out for them? Jesus himself said that we will be hated and persecuted; will you cry out for those who hate and persecute you? You may have been hurt in the past (that person will be judged before the throne of God for that) and wounded deeply; will you cry out to God for that person?

This morning I read Romans 12:14-15:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

I love this scripture, especially the part that encourages us to mourn with those who mourn. This weekend God vividly painted a beautiful picture of this verse. Saturday was a day of chaos for my family. As I was at church one of my friends called out my name. I turned around and as a soon as I saw her I began to sob uncontrollably. As I walked towards her, it was as if I was walking into the arms of Jesus. [Here comes the beautiful picture] She held me as I cried and I she was crying with me. I could not understand why she was crying. It wasn’t her family that was going through a storm of trials. This verse came to mind, “mourn with those who mourn.” Jesus may I be a woman who mourns with those who mourn.

“My heart cries out for Moab…”
Is there someone around you that is going through a trial, a loss, a time of confusion or is simply being broken before the Lord… cry with them, pray with them and may the God of comfort speak words of life through you.

I pray that we would be a people who are compassionate, abounding in love and crying out for everyone- enemies included.