Yokemates

What have you lost lately? Your keys, a shoe, some important papers, a credit card or maybe even your cellphone? Any of these items lost at the most inopportune moment can create real chaos in your life and in the life of anyone standing nearby! In fact, when my girls were in high school, I took them back to Kindergarten – at least in one sense. I set up a cubby system to help remedy all the Lost & Found moments that were happening in our house almost every day. They weren't thrilled, and I got a couple 'crazy mom' looks while I was setting up this tall slender shelving unit smack dab in busiest thoroughfare of our house - the kitchen! It wasn't the most stylish addition to my kitchen, but it sure did get rid of a lot of stress and chaos in our household for several years. Once each of the girls were assigned a shelf, the dream was that they would put their purses, keys, mail, or whatever in their personal cubby. That way they wouldn’t be scrambling to find ...

Likely, you are familiar with the Feeding of the 5000 and even the Feeding of the 4000, but have you ever heard of the story of the Feeding of the 100? What’s fascinating about this Old Testament story is how it gives us just one more glimpse into what was in store for this earthly world as it awaited the coming Messiah. The story is short and sweet - a mere four verses. We find it nestled into 2 Kings 4. Verses 42-44 record that a man traveled to see the prophet Elisha, and he came bearing gifts - 20 loaves of barley bread. When Elisha saw the bread, he gave instructions to the man to “Give it to the people to eat.” Now, we have no record of how big those loaves were, but apparently the problem was obvious to the bread man immediately because he asked Elisha, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” Without hesitation, Elisha assured him that there would be plenty to go around. And, just like in the miraculous multiplications in the New Testament, not only was there enough br...

Just like the Apostle Paul, our world is not simple and our faith journey is not easy. Paul had good days, and Paul had bad days. I can’t even imagine all that he went through being imprisoned, shipwrecked and more! But, he says in Philippians 4:11 that he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Often, when we hear those words, we somehow   think, “Well, Paul was basically a saint, right? But, I’m all over the place - totally fine with where God has me one minute, and in the next moment I’m ready to jump ship!”   Paul assures us that it is possible to be content, though. So, how can that be our reality? Our clue is in the next verse (12) where he takes his contentment statement one step further. He says “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every  situation .” How can a man who has lost his freedom and is confined to an extended time of imprisonment say this? Because... He has learned the secret   of being content and it is ...

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 We know God will take care of us, right? Sure we do! We may not have memorized the verse in Matthew 6:26, but we know the principle. God will provide for our needs and often gives us way beyond what we need. God often times simply provides for our needs through our paychecks and at other times He seems to cut it pretty close before He allows a miraculous provision to appear.    So, how do we handle the waiting? Do we trust the God of the universe to come through for us and just wonder how He’s going to do it? Or, do we give into worry?  There’s a great story in the Bible that got me reflecting on these questions recently. In fact, she’s a pastor’s wife. Never heard of it? Well, let me remind you. It all took place in the time of the prophet Elisha and is recorded in 2 Kings 4. This “wi...