Hello Ladies,

As January comes to a close, we urge you to hold onto the newness of 2023 and the promise this fresh start brings!

Now, we welcome words from Lettie Cowie in a three-part series we will release over the next few months. Lettie has a long history of work in ministry, business, education, and non-profit work...among many other things.

Please, enjoy!

The new year is often a time of reflection, setting new goals, and checking in on goals-in-progress. Yay! We all like a do-over now and then. A new year lets us reset and make something of the time before us.

Pastor Jordan kicked off 2023 with a New Year’s Day sermon based on Proverbs 16:3.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (vs. 3).
In our hearts we plan a course, but the Lord determines the steps (vs. 9).

Ok, that sounds good, but how do we do that?  

“Commit” requires an action on our part, and then it says there will be an action on God’s part.  

We have all hoped for things that we really wanted to happen a certain way, and we prayed about them.  But in the end, they didn’t go down the way we wanted.  We were disappointed.  So, this scripture cannot be saying that if we commit something to the Lord in prayer it will inevitably succeed, or that if we plan a course and walk down it, it will happen how we planned it.  If that is what you think this is saying, you may be in for some disappointment.

I have experienced in my life that God does determine our steps.  He is faithful, even when time has passed and we have forgotten our prayer. He continues to work on it (Is. 64:4; Phil. 1:6). I have complete confidence in this scripture and its promise.  

What we need to do is unpack that term: “commit.” Then, we can understand our part in this.  When you look up “commit” in the dictionary, the first definition is: to carry into action deliberately.  The two examples given are to commit a crime or to commit a sin.  I would rather be known for committing a blessing, or an act of kindness, or committing a service to someone in need.  When we commit something, we intentionally cause it to happen.  This scripture encourages us to commit our plans and actions to God.

Having accepted Jesus as my Savior and His forgiveness for my sinfulness, I can now converse with God (Heb. 4:14-16).  My daily dialogue with God, for many years, has begun with the question, “Is there anything in my life that displeases you?”  If I have sinned without acknowledging it or asking for forgiveness, or if I am behaving in a way that displeases God, I want to know (Ps. 139:23-24). I want to bring it to the foot of the cross and leave it there, where I can receive forgiveness and a restored relationship with God (1 John 1:9).  So, I prayerfully ask, and then I wait quietly to see if God brings anything to mind.

If something does come to mind, the first needed commitment is to deal with it!  If you need to ask for forgiveness, do it.  If you need to change your attitude, ask God to help you - to show you.  If you need to go ask forgiveness of someone else, well that’s the hardest, but it needs to be part of the commitment - evidence that you are willing to make things right (Colossians 3:13).  Fortunately, doing this a few times will help inoculate you, as you will pause before you commit to doing things that displease God.

It has been my experience that God does not bombard you with things, especially if you are checking in with Him daily.  He will show you something, and you deal with it.  Another day, He will bring up something else.  Some days, it is even a time of Him saying, “You are good; I have taken care of it.  Be blessed!”

This type of daily commitment allows God to, over time, align your will with His will.  You begin to want the things that He wants for your life, and begin to understand what He wants from you (Romans 12:2). The communion becomes sweeter and sweeter.

Stay tuned! In the next blog, we will discuss Committing to the Lord Whatever We Do.

Don't miss encouragement and reflections on fasting, shared by Eunice Pimentel: Hold Fast!

Happy New Year!

This month, as we've closed out our corporate fast, we bring you insights from Eunice Pimentel. A long-time staff member at Mesa Church, she previously led our Early Childhood team and now wears many hats as our Operations Manager. Fasting is a spiritual rhythm (and an important Mesa Church tradition) that is close to her heart, so we thought of her right away when discussing this topic.

Let’s dig in!

Dictionaries define fasting as abstention from all or some kinds of food or drink. While fasts are not exclusive to eating and drinking, they are very common. According to the Nutrition Journal, there are several positive correlations between your physical health and fasting, such as lower blood pressure, decreased fasting glucose and insulin, and a decrease in body fat percentage. Whereas a plethora of research shows correlations between physical health and fasting, the Bible shows a correlation between spiritual health and fasting. There are several examples of fasting throughout the entire Bible, including Moses traveling up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 9:9), David fasting during his child’s illness (2 Samuel 12:15-17), and Daniel fasting for 21 days as he sought an answer to prayer (Daniel 10:3).  Regardless of their reasons for fasting, every story (including ours) reveals God’s attributes and therefore shapes who we are in Christ, strengthening our faith.  

Fasting is a discipline that requires self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our physical heart is a muscle we can’t see, but it needs to be exercised to be healthy. Just like aerobic exercise is good for heart health, so is fasting for our spiritual health. God knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1-18) and wants to be in a deeper and closer relationship with us. If we do not commit to prioritizing time spent with God - being in His presence and His word - we cannot get to know who He truly is.

At Mesa, fasting has become a practice we engage in corporately twice a year: January and August. We fast because we want more of God in our lives!

Fasting not only helps me to focus more on God and be better in tune with the Holy Spirit, but it deepens my relationship with Him as well. Sometimes, I also fast independently (apart from Mesa). If I feel God’s prompting me to seek Him with fewer distractions, this is a tangible way I can do that.

Through fasting, God has shown up powerfully in my life. We all need more of Him and He has more to give us, but we also need to be willing to dedicate time to discovering more of Him and what He has in store for us.

The thought of fasting may feel challenging but like any lifestyle change, it takes time to adapt and adjust to something different and new.

Here are four things I suggest doing as you consider fasting:

 1. Think of what takes you away from spending time with God more intimately. Is it TV? Social media? Working too late? Food? Define those things that you have prioritized and replace them by spending time with God intentionally. Start with one and as you get more comfortable with fasting, you can add more.

 2. Have a plan! Process how you want to spend time with God 7 days a week. Decide what
you want to do every day, for how long, and where. It’s different for everyone! If you are
new, perhaps it starts with prayer and joining a Bible reading plan. Every year, Mesa
Church offers a plan to corporately read the Bible in a year. For more information and
resources on fasting, check out the “21 Days” tab on Mesa’s website: www.mesa.church.
You can choose to listen to worship music or journal and meditate on a verse or passage.
You don’t have to do the same thing every day; you can switch it up! Our Heavenly Father is just waiting for us to take that first step.

 3. Prepare yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally! I have to admit, in order to prepare
myself before a fast, I start thinking about it a couple of weeks before. Through this process, I give myself pep talks and I commit to the plan.

 4. Be patient and expectant. You will see results! God will show up! Many times, He shows up in the least expected ways.

Absolutely not! Though the scheduled 21-day fast has ended, you can fast anytime. You can do so with others or on your own (with the Lord, that is). What matters is that you take the first step!

Don't miss a 3-part blog series by Lettie Cowie, arriving this January through March.
Read part one HERE!

Hopefully, you are into the routine a new school year brings, or perhaps you can vacation without crowds at your favorite spot. Wherever you find yourself, I would like to take a few minutes with you to explore the concept of hospitality.  
 
Hospitality is mentioned often in the Bible and one of the evangelical world’s most respected Bible teachers, Dr. Warren Wiersbe, states this in his commentary on 1 Peter 4: “Peter exhorts these Christians to open their homes as well as their hearts. Christian hospitality is a forgotten blessing in the modern church, and we need to restore it.”  Let’s see how we can be a part of this restoration.
 
In Scripture, we find that love and hospitality go together. In his letter to the Romans, Paul (while talking about love) exhorts them to “Always be eager to practice hospitality” (Romans 12:13b). You may think, "That's easy for you to say, Paul!  You don’t have a husband, kids, a job, sports, PTA, and church responsibilities all clamoring for your attention! AND I am supposed to entertain guests with all my ‘left-over’ energy!"

This is the Oxford Language Dictionary’s definition of hospitality. It does not say where this takes place, how it is done, or for how long. You may be picturing a lot of work leading to a large meal with a group of people filling your house, then lots of cleaning up after they leave. But, perhaps there are other ways to be hospitable.
 
What about all those games where you sit or stand along the sidelines, cheering your young athletes on?  Have you extended a friendly reception to the other ladies there?  Sometimes, all it requires is one person taking the chance to break the ice and start a conversation. And, the kids provide the entertainment!
 
Then, there are those play dates. Your littles need to be out of the house for your sanity. How about inviting another mom with kids to join you at a playground where the kids can gleefully enjoy yelling and screaming outside while you sip whatever beverage you brought along with another mom who understands this life stage? Or just go to the park and strike up a conversation with whichever mom is there doing the same thing you are. Hospitality - friendly reception, entertaining of a guest or a stranger. 
 
For those of you who work away from the house, how do you use your lunch time? Is there someone in the office, or a different department that you would like to get to know? Can you extend an invitation for lunch and spend a little time getting acquainted? Perhaps, if you do this with the lady who has been a little difficult or just rubs you the wrong way, you might just find out that she isn’t so bad. As a supervisor, I encouraged my staff to have lunch with the person they had been complaining to me about. We found that taking time to be friendly and showing we actually cared about the other person changed both people involved. 
 
With the holidays approaching, hospitality is high on most of our lists - and it usually involves family.  1 Peter 4:8-9 (NIV) tells us...

Nearly every family has situations that make holidays interesting, if not down right hard. But, it is difficult to show the love of Jesus to our family without getting close to them. We have some of those situations in our family and I have found that praying ahead of time, lowering my expectations, and allowing the day to unfold has helped me to continue extending hospitality to those “challenging people” in my life. I learned years ago that I don’t have to like what they have become, or how they treat me, but I need to love them as Christ has loved me.
 
There is another Scripture about hospitality I would like to close with: “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13: 1-2 NLT
 
Friendly reception of guests, visitors, or strangers.

Could that be the sound of angel’s wings?

What in the world do those include? Fake nails, chocolate at midnight, an overnight stay in a hotel without my husband and children, buying a new outfit on credit, or taking a nap when I should be working…all of which I have done?

Life is full of guilt and pleasure, so how do we navigate both – especially at the same time?!
 
I grew up in a culture where jeans were inappropriate on a Sunday morning. Dresses couldn’t be too short or heels too tall, unless you wanted your Christianity questioned. So, I learned the reality of “guilt” at a young age. However, my understanding was skewed a bit by the culture I was living in. After all, are you really “guilty” if you wear jeans on a Sunday morning?

When I was 13, I owned a pair of gauchos (wide pants that stop right below the knee) that I just loved! My favorite look was pairing the gauchos with a pair of toe socks that lined my skinny legs with stripes in every color under the sun. I looked good! One Saturday, a friend invited me to spend the night and the next morning, we went to her church. As I walked out of the house my friend’s mom said, “I am not sure they will let you in the church!” “Why?” I asked. “You are wearing pants!” she exclaimed. “I am not wearing pants. These are gauchos!” My friend’s church also had an unwritten rule that girls could not wear pants to church on Sunday mornings. For the church, it was an issue of respect. Nevertheless, it had become a limitation for entry to those more inclined to wear pants than a dress.

If I felt guilty for wearing a pair of gauchos to church, how can we know what real guilt looks like? Perhaps our feelings are not always reliable.

The Bible tells us, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). In other words, all of us are guilty of sin. No one can stand in the presence of a perfect God because of sin - or in other words, our guilt - UNLESS we have asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins. Then, we are able to be in God’s presence because Jesus takes our place and He is perfect. “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” Romans 3:24.
 
God’s Word is filled with instructions about how to live a righteous life (a right life) before him. He has established the rules that we need to live by and when those rules are broken, we are guilty before God. We need to go before God daily and ask for the forgiveness of our sins. 1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”  Scripture creates the guidelines by which we live. Anything outside that book is optional. Clearly, my gauchos and toe socks fell outside the guidelines of Scripture.

Sometimes, our culture – self, family, church, or even society – can make us feel a type of guilt for standards we (or they) have created outside of Scripture. It is important for us to know and understand God’s Word! We must clearly understand what God actually requires of us and where He gives us freedom in that. There is SO MUCH freedom in Christ! 

When I was 14, I wanted to go to the Homecoming Dance at my High School. A very cute boy asked me to go with him, so I approached my parents to ask for ther permission. My Dad said that he and Mom would think about it and get back to me. Can you guess what one of the standards was in our community of believers? Dancing was associated with non-Christian behavior. Granted, some dancing is certainly sinful, but this was a school dance with a strict dress code in an auditorium lined with chaperones! A few days later, my dad came back to me with their decision. He and Mom had agreed to let me choose whether or not to go. But, I should be aware that he could lose his job if I attended. You see, his employer had forbidden their staff, and their families, from participating in any kind of dancing. But, I had the best parents in the world! They understood what God’s Word said – and what fell outside of it. We lived in a challenging culture where there were many “rules” not found in scripture, and my parents were teaching me to see the difference between man’s traditions and God’s law. 

So…I chose to go! Thankfully, God protected my dad’s job. But, even if he had been fired, my earthly father had lovingly accepted that risk. Knowing he did that for me deepened my love for both him and my Heavenly Father.

...I think about something that makes me feel guilty in a way that isn’t really about God’s Law, but more about the standards that I have set for myself…like eating chocolate at midnight. It’s not the best choice if I want to maintain a healthy diet, but if I am only eating it once a month does it really matter in the end? Has it truly affected my waistline, or it is simply a periodic pleasure that I can enjoy because I am staying up late with my daughters and enjoying some time with them?  Isn’t the value of spending time with my daughters greater than the value of violating my “don’t eat after 8pm” rule that I set for myself? You see, those are decisions that God lets us make for ourselves! If I feel guilty about eating that chocolate, I feel guilty because it is a standard that I have set for myself and not one of God’s laws. After all, God created chocolate to be eaten!
 
That said, if I ate chocolate every night at midnight, it probably would not benefit my body. My guilty pleasure would now have negative consequences for my waistline. We need to be careful, ensuring that our guilty pleasures do not become unhealthy pleasures. After all, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” Again, even our pleasures need to line up with God’s Word and when we create standards for ourselves, let’s ask God to give us the strength to live by them AND the grace not to impose those personal choices on others.
 
I mentioned earlier that my Father worked for a Christian institution with strict rules about what Christian living looked like, and that was always a struggle for my parents. They were healthy Christians who believed that God’s Law was meant to give us freedom rather than restriction. They believed that God’s Word contained clear guidelines for how to live our lives in community with others and adding anything else onto God’s guidelines was dangerous. I appreciate how my parents navigated some tough situations we faced in that culture. Today, it feels like our Southern California culture has created so much freedom we often find ourselves faced with scenarios that fall outside God’s Word. Our temptation is to create a set of “rules” to help us distinguish between those following Christ and those not following Christ. We must be very careful, though. If we try to institutionalize our personal explanations of what God’s law looks like, especially in our churches, we may end up restricting entrance into the church – similar to the congregation I visited with my gauchos. We may prevent people from ever experiencing a healthy church firsthand! Let’s continue to study and know God’s Word so that His way of living will be our way of living. Then, let us seek God’s wisdom, compassion, and grace! “And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved” (2 Peter 3:15).

Father in Heaven,

We want to live righteous lives before you that reflect your son and the salvation He provides for all. Give us wisdom as we diligently try to live according to your Word. Give us compassion as we love people the way you love them. Give us the ability to show grace as you have shown grace to us. May everyone feel welcome as they walk through the Mesa Church doors!  

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

*All Scripture references are from the New Living Translation (NLT)

Join the conversation by answering this short, fun survey about about guilty pleasures!

I really needed encouragement this morning.

After gathering notes for more than a month, then researching and writing daily for a week, I was weary. This blog was just not coming together. My frustration began to show in the writing itself - not at all what I wanted to offer to you, ladies.

Thankfully, God was gracious with me. I had set my alarm to go off early so I could squeeze in more writing before work. Glancing at my email, I saw a weekly devotional waiting. I considered ignoring it, the way I did the week prior, but I opened it instead. From the first two words, I knew God was speaking...

“The Truth”

You see, truth is key to the content God laid on my heart for this month. Intrigued, I read on. Words filled the screen, all about the love of God and our difficulty seeing it when faced with challenges. Here is one gem among many:

 "Do not rely upon your accomplishments, your achievements, your pace in a day to give you what is lasting. These things will not calm your heart and settle your anxious thoughts. You cannot achieve peace. You are given it. It is a gift you accept and receive–or a gift you ignore or reject. And in the choice–to accept or reject peace, you accept or reject me.” - FLAG Messages

While these words were written for many, they spoke to me so specifically I found myself thanking God instead of imploring Him for help...something I had been doing for days. He was calling me to wait on Him! I’m still trying to accept His peace because I want you all to be blessed so much, but His words of truth are now in my head and heart as I take on the devotional’s exhortation to “Relax now. Be gentle with yourself. Be kind. Let [his] love cover all the raw places.”

This month, anxiety is the primary focus for Mesa Women’s blog and podcast.

As I listened to June’s “Setting the Table” podcast, I loved it, but my worries about what to write began there. This month, Renee Dallas and Ava Oleson dive deep into the topic of anxiety. It’s intriguing, informative, and frankly a hard act to follow. But as I mentioned above, God is faithful to inspire us. We just have to let Him!

In a nutshell…

For some, anxiety is always healthy, providing needed motivators and warnings. For others, it’s a steady undercurrent of concern or linked to specific triggers. Then, there are those who find it truly debilitating. Anxiety disorders are very real and they are the most common form of mental illness in the United States. In these cases, those suffering often need outside help - a support group, counseling, therapy, or medication. By no means do I want to ignore or discredit the power of such tools. When they are warranted, God uses them for our healing. If you ever need that support, please feel empowered by it. God is taking care of you!

Personally…

Anxiety has always been in my life. However, I’ve become more aware of its extent in recent years. I have always been detail-oriented and wired to anticipate potential problems. As a harmonizer, I want everyone to be safe and happy. Potential threats cause me to look for solutions before issues even arise.

Eventually, I came across the concept of “High-Functioning Anxiety” (not a medical term, but a popular cultural term). A lightbulb went off for me. My conscientious habits often stemmed from anxious desires to get my work right, to be understood, and to not disappoint myself or others. Ever since this realization, I have been trying to grow in this area.

However, in 2021 anxiety took on a whole new role in my life. My little brother passed away suddenly, in his sleep, just before Easter and his 28th birthday. I experienced devastation unlike any I’ve known before. The all-powerful God I’d always known to be good didn’t prevent the unthinkable. He allowed a tragedy that seemed utterly cruel and senseless.

I now feared for the safety of my remaining loved ones. If my husband was too quiet while sleeping, or he ran late coming home from work, I held my breath until I heard him exhale, or until he walked through the door. I have always been a jumpy passenger, but I became even more anxious on the road. If I heard a siren, I’d immediately pray that it wasn’t anyone in my family…then for those experiencing the emergency.

Over time, and with God’s help, my high-alert feelings have (mostly) waned. But, I have a newfound kinship with those navigating the wilderness of anxiety.

I am going to be really honest with you. I am tired of being told that verses like this are enough:

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).

I have heard verses like this countless times since I met Jesus as a child. I wasn’t at all jaded then. But now, deeply steeped in grief, tried and true verses felt like a slap in the face.

Why should I draw close to the one who could have stopped it all? Why should I trust that He would take care of me and the anxiety I’d cast on Him? Hadn’t I earned the right to worry? I finally admitted to myself, for the very first time, that I felt betrayed by God.

Deep down, though, I knew these verses cut deeper because I still believed in them. Perhaps it would have been easier if I could renounce them. Instead, I had to reconcile them with my suffering.

As Christians, we cling to certain scriptures incessantly - to the point of cliche. By then, they often lose their impact…until our world gets upended.

When I finally pulled myself back to scripture, I found that these familiar verses had lost more than impact. They’d lost context too.

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” was written to elders and young men in the persecuted church, just before Peter urged them to “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” (vs. 8-9)

Peter did not separate anxiety relief from suffering. He affirmed that no matter how deep and personal our pain is, we are not abandoned to it. We have Christ and others who understand these dark depths. We also have an enemy determined to destroy us. He would like nothing more than to see us reject our faith, becoming bitter, neutralized threats instead of warriors empowered by Christ.

As I read this, something shifted. I felt angry, but righteously so, as I hurled a “How dare you?!” at the enemy. I cannot give the devil credit for the death in my family, but I can despise his delight in our suffering. For the first time in a long time, I began to feel held and supported. Communion with God began to feel intimate again - all because I finally got out of scripture’s way, allowing God’s Word to work in me.

I moved on to another verse.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Phil. 4:6)

Easier said than done, right?

Well, this verse directly precedes “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Next, we read “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.”

Paul understood that we cannot fully comprehend God’s peace. It also protects our hearts and minds because frankly, they need protecting! The things He calls us to do may not make sense. We may not feel like approaching God in prayer and thankfulness while weathering painful or anxious storms. But when we do, we invite heavenly healing and perspective to break apart our anguish.

Whatever you are going through, I urge you to join me in embracing the power of scripture - even if you are hurting. Those “cliche” verses are actually powerhouses, so let’s not drain them of their victory.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Heb. 4:12)

Again, I want to be clear. While our relationship with Jesus is paramount, sometimes outside help is needed to combat anxiety. Even Jesus sought restoration daily. He also went willingly into the wilderness, led by the Spirit, in order to be tested by the enemy. Fasting there, he sought the Lord and angels attended to him in his time of need (Matt. 4). God provides us with counselors, tools, and resources on this Earth. Scripture alone is no replacement for them when that support is needed. Rather, it is a vital companion.

For me, studying scripture illuminates the importance of truth. Whether we feel anxious about the past, present, or future, our relationship to the truth is the culprit.

We ask ourselves so many questions…

What is true?
What could be true?
What might become true?

We make statements, too…

The truth hurts.
I’m living my truth.
You can’t handle the truth.

The societal concept of truth has changed over the years. In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year was “Post-Truth”, describing the movement away from absolute truth. “You do you and I’ll do me” became a way of life. In 2021, the Washington Times reported that 54% of 2,000 Americans believed that “all truth is subjective and there are no moral absolutes.”

The widespread trend of manifesting takes this even further. By definition, "manifest" means “to make evident or certain by showing or displaying.” In the original Greek, it’s phaneros: “apparent, clear, visible”. The goal is to present proof. However, the trend of manifesting “is the practice of training your brain to stay in a positive space so that good things can happen.”

Many believe this capability is godlike. Article after article claims that people can manifest a spouse, a pregnancy, even a baby’s gender. I sincerely wonder what happens to people when the pregnancy never happens, or tragedy strikes and all the positive thinking in the world cannot bring a loved one back. Without Christ, what hope do they have? What purpose can they point to?

In a world with no absolute truths, it’s no wonder that anxiety is on the rise.

Healthline released an article in 2020 exploring the concept of “Purpose Anxiety”, defining it as “the anxiety we feel when we don’t have a sense of purpose but are all too aware that it’s missing.” They explore a variety of ways to diagnose yourself with it and reduce it in your life - all of which involve looking inside yourself and your own efforts for the answers.

I am so grateful that as Christians, our absolute truth and purpose are found in God himself. He intentionally inspired the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17)¹, establishing why we should look to Him for answers. He equips us through the Word and despite all my wrestling, I cannot walk away from that.

John 8 is filled with familiar verses, all about who Jesus is.

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness…” - vs. 12

“If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” - vs. 19

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - vs. 32

“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” - vs. 36

“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!” - vs. 58

By contrast, he also establishes who our enemy is:

“He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” - vs. 44

Alḗtheia is the Greek word for “truth” here. “Not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness.”

Jesus is truth – reality. We cannot run away from him, nor should we. Our questions don’t threaten God. He can handle them! He is faithful to heal despite our resistance.

I spent over a year wrestling with absolute truth. I never wanted to fight God and never expected it. But, it happened. I knew the truth yet still clung to my pain, afraid to truly heal. Now, real healing is happening - but only step-by-step. Even now, when grief crashes in and anxiety, anger, or irritability take over, I am tempted to blame God for the impossibility of the miracle I crave.

He didn’t break this world, though. He mends it. He comforts us amidst darkness (2 Cor. 1:3-4). He provides for us, even when we resent Him (Ex. 16:11-12). He sees every tear we cry (Psalm 56:8) and knows exactly what we need, even before we ask (Matt. 6:8).

God is still sovereign, no matter how badly we're hurting. All good things come from Him (James 1:17) and they haven’t stopped, even when our eyes can only see darkness.    

Friends, God wouldn’t entrust the fight to us if He wasn’t going to equip us (2 Cor. 9:8)! He wants to fortify you because this world is indeed broken and continually challenging Him. Please, let Him work in you!  In our greatest joys and darkest days, let us together hold onto truth.

The older I get the more time seems to slip away from each day. I can easily find a hundred things that need my attention and probably deserve it. This is never more true than when preparing to lead worship. The details; the practicality that comes with planning a set, leading a team, and pastoring the people alongside you. Each of these things fight for my focus when I am preparing to lead a group of worshippers into a time of communion with God.

I began crying out to God for a new rhythm of preparation. One that put my heart and attention back to His heart first before every other detail. It changed everything. HE LED ME to still and quiet spaces where I would DO NOTHING BUT REST in His presence. Honoring Him and resting in not knowing all the details. Sometimes it looked like listening to music, other times a long walk alone or reading the word. It became about encountering Him for no other purpose than delighting myself in the Lord.

Out of that place of communion, I would transition to listening to each song I was preparing to lead. Listening several times through and then all together as a set. Allowing His spirit to guide me to how each moment could be ministered and noting scripture He would bring to remembrance to exhort His people. It helped me find a road map for each service. It allowed me to have a plan, but notice where there was space. Giving me freedom to go in whatever direction was needed if something needed to change for each service.

This rhythm has become a sacred practice for me. At the start of it, I entered into hoping for His guidance on how to lead His people. What I walk away with now is a real encounter of love with the Father. Leading people from that place of overflow has allowed me to watch Him minister in power and guide every detail.

That time is harder and harder to come by as life gets busier. That’s when He showed me it was all the more important to fight for that time. That nothing, no detail or schedule, was more important than making that space for Him. I had to lead people from a place of true and honest worship that He had brought me into. I found it by simply turning my heart and attention towards Him.

I believe greatly in planning, preparation, and diligence. However, I strongly believe it must be guided by the Holy Spirit. This must start from a place of prayer and encounter with His love. As you begin to prepare yourself for your next worship service, set aside some time just to rest in the presence of your heavenly Father. Allow Him to minister to your heart first before you ever lead another person. It will be costly. Finding that time is never easy, but it is essential. Nothing is more important than preparing the ground of your own heart and mind. We can never pour out anything of value if our cup is empty.

Let me know some of your thoughts in the comments or share with me some things you do to prepare the ground for what God is doing in & through your life.

Does this sound familiar? What do you remember?
Whose voice carried those words to your ears? How did you respond?
Did you panic and run or did you hold your ground?

Most of us played “Hide and Seek” as children. One player closes their eyes and counts while the others hide. When the counter finishes, they hunt. They seek until they find.

“Ready or not…” was always yelled, to ensure all players heard the warning. Most of the time, I did. At least once, I did not. I remember hiding, holding my breath, wondering if my pursuer was still counting. My relentless little sister was determined to vanquish me, and I was a sitting - albeit hidden - duck.

When was she coming for me?

This time, my hidey hole was an old clothes dryer, disconnected and languishing in the backyard, awaiting disposal. I was in there so long, I wondered if the game had ended. But eventually, I was found…and I was in big trouble! I remember a harsh parental scolding about safety and not climbing into machinery. All I’d wanted was to hide, and win, but instead I'd found danger and correction.

We’re all grown up now, but has much changed? I certainly never expected to be playing a sudden, years-long “game” of Hide and Seek with the entire world! The questions we asked as children ring true even now.

How long have I been waiting here? 
Will I be found?
Is it safe to come out now?

This time, it's much bigger than a childhood game.

Am I hiding or being hidden?
Am I secure or am I scared?
Am I protected or am I abandoned?
Have I won or am I lost?

Valid questions. Thankfully, there are answers.

Thus begins the passage we discussed in our very first Mesa Women Podcast.

It’s amazing, how God knows what He wants to say through us before we even know it. Just after we selected the inaugural themes for our podcast and blog, Mesa Church began its Ezra sermon series. We learned about the Israelites returning to Jerusalem after their 70 years of Babylonian exile and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. In Pastor Pete’s message, “The Flip Side”, he spoke of God’s chosen people rebuilding the altar and celebrating the Festival of Shelters, as God commanded, just before they began reconstructing the temple (Ez. 3:3-6). Despite fear of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, they obeyed (vs. 3).

The Festival of Shelters would not leave my mind, so I dug deeper. This Jewish festival is known as Sukkot. In the Bible and throughout history, it has been known by multiple names: The Feast (or Festival) of Ingathering, Booths, Shelters, or Tabernacles. It both commemorates harvest time and celebrates God’s deliverance of His people. While wandering, they lived in huts or “booths” - shelters - and God commanded them to do the same during the festivities. To this day, the festival is still celebrated annually! Even now, many celebrate by camping in small structures¹.

The word “shelter” in the original Hebrew² actually correlates directly to the word for “refuge” used in Psalm 46  (our podcast passage)³. Intriguingly, the words for tabernacle and booth are also identical⁴ as they appear in Ezra 3:4 and Nehemiah 8:14⁵. There, in Nehemiah 8, the Israelites rediscover the Law of Moses and God’s forgotten command to observe the festival. As before, they immediately abandon their plans and obey.

Could the Israelites have responded differently, though? A command alone does not guarantee obedience. They could have succumbed to fear and withdrawn from the promised land. They could have let resentment fester and weariness prevail, blocking any spirit of celebration. They could have touted victory over humility and ignored God’s commands. But, in this pivotal moment, they chose to obey. They acknowledged and celebrated God as their refuge and strength - their deliverer.

The Israelites aren’t the only ones who have faced exile. We have numerous examples in history where a refuge - a hiding place - was absolutely crucial. During World War II, Corrie Ten Boom bravely sheltered Jewish refugees. Anne Frank, a mere child, chronicled her family's experience hiding from the Nazis. During the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman delivered slaves to freedom. We remember these heroic women for their bravery in the face of evil. They hid and preserved human life, bringing encouragement and awe to unending future generations. They took on devastating rounds of “Hide and Seek” they never asked to play.

Now, in what we pray is the tail end of a pandemic, our hearts and prayers turn toward Ukraine and the war raging there. How many survivors now desperately seek refuge? In the face of disaster, we learn with certainty the value of God’s deliverance and protection. We understand how badly we need to be hidden by Him, like David seeking shelter from his pursuers (Ps. 27:5).

Whether it’s through the war, pandemic, Mesa Church’s transition or personal circumstances, we’re all together learning lots about refuge. But what about when we're weary - when we become restless and anxious? What began as safe and comforting can become stifling, claustrophobic and disorienting. While we know God's word says He's our refuge and strength, do we tire of trusting Him and sheltering with Him?

Psalm 91 is full of truth for us to hold onto when we're tired. I urge you to read all 16 verses, because I've struggled to select only one portion to share with you. This chapter is beautiful, and so needed.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him." (Ps. 91:1-2)

The Israelites were certainly weary. Their waiting must have felt unending. In fact, a whole generation missed out on the Promised Land (Num 14:20-23)! Yet, isn’t it fascinating that after spending decades in temporary homes with a temporary place of worship, the Israelites joyfully followed God’s command to celebrate using the very shelters they were leaving behind? Why not burn those booths and say “Good riddance?! God has delivered us from these huts!”

Instead, they built an altar and offered the commanded sacrifices. They spent days rejoicing in their nomadic state (Ez. 3:4-6) - in their shelters - and this feast is now a fixture of the faith. God commanded the Israelites to remember, not forget, their rescue from captivity and the wilderness. Only then could they truly celebrate their deliverance!

Our God is a God of altars, memorials, covenants and promises. Over and over, we see the command to look back and see His faithfulness. David and his appointed Levites led Israel in worship in the presence of the Ark singing “Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given” (1 Chr. 16:4-12). In Joshua’s final words to Israel, he said “Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!” (Josh. 23:14).    

Whether you are deeply hidden or emerging from your refuge, remember to remember - and rejoice! In the face of joy and in the face of tragedy, rejoice! In clarity or confusion, rejoice (Phil. 4:4). This moment, this season, is not the end of the story. With Christ, our hope is eternal and He is continually building a history for us to cherish and cling to. The past informs our present and future because of Christ's faithfulness alone (1 Pet. 1:3-9).

We have the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-29) and we have the body of Christ, His church (Eph. 4: 2-16). An old Irish saying, translated, reads “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” The band Jars of Clay adapted these words to create The Shelter in 2010. They sing “May this place of rest in the fold of your journey/Bind you to hope/You will never walk alone”.

Long after the pandemic has passed, our present troubles resolve, and we move into our new church building, let us never forget this sheltered season of waiting. It’s a faith-filled season of wear and tear, of generous giving, of patience, determination and trust in God’s faithfulness. It's a time of bonding as we actively await things to come.

Ladies, we are sisters in Christ. You are not alone! At Mesa Church, we are passionate about community and we urge you to reach out to one another. Share each other’s joys and bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). We are Christians - like Christ - extensions and expressions of His love, His covenants, and His promises. We are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), so we reflect the refuge He is for us. Let us honor Him by becoming a shelter - a hiding place - for one another. What a beautiful thing for us to be!

Mesa Women, we love you, and we love this journey we are on together!