The word ordinary isn’t one that we often view as a compliment or a plus.  Ordinary sounds plain, nondescript, almost a non-entity kind of deal.  Where is the worth in anything ordinary?

Don’t we all want to feel exceptional, valued, or special?  Ordinary just doesn’t cut it.

In the movie Money Ball, Pete, the Yale economics graduate is talking with Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s.

Peter Brand: It’s about getting things down to one number. Using the stats the way we read them, we’ll find value in players that no one else can see. People are overlooked for a variety of biased reasons and perceived flaws. Age, appearance, personality. Bill James and mathematics cut straight through that. Billy, of the 20,000 notable players for us to consider, I believe that there is a championship team of twenty-five people that we can afford, because everyone else in baseball undervalues them. Like an island of misfit toys.

Pete describes his idea of a winning team: a group of underappreciated and undervalued individuals.  The world sees them as losers.  Pete sees them as champions.

Jesus looks at ordinary the same way.  Ordinary by the world’s standards means undervalued by God’s standards.  God finds great value in men and women that the world easily overlooks.  Overlooked because of bias or flaws.  Overlooked because of tradition.  Overlooked because of age, appearance, personality, and yes, even gender.

Oh no, not ordinary.  Undervalued in God’s sight…because He knows our hearts.

The disciples–“unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13)–were the rag-tag-team that God would choose and use to show that it’s

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6b)

The disciples then and disciples today?  Yes, we might be overlooked for all kinds of reasons.  But we are anything but ordinary in the eyes of God.

* * *

As a reminder Lenten devotionals, Be Still and Know that I AM God, begin March 5^th.  Won’t you please take a moment to tell someone about SeminaryGal?  I’d appreciate it.  Click the share FB tag or any of the others below and remind your friends to sign up on my Home page. Or click LIKE on Facebook and you can bless others if you’ve found yourself blessed today… in an anything but ordinary way.  Thanks!

As you read through this passage about being gathered into a people, vindicated and saved by God, look at the language of loving-kindness.  Meditate on what it means to be loved like this.

Jeremiah 31:1 “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.” 2 This is what the LORD says: “The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel.” 3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. 4 I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. 5 Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. 6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'” 7 This is what the LORD says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ 8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. 9 They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. 10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’ 11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. 12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD– the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. 13 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Luke 12: 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

These two verses are such an encouragement not to fear.  We do not fear because we matter greatly to God.  He cares what happens to us and watches…not just to be a casual observer, but to act in righteousness and justice toward us.  The timing God chooses might not be what we would choose for ourselves, but His character demands that He will–in the end–have done right by us in every way.

Ironically, these two verses are in a context we sometimes fail to see.  The context explains much:

Luke 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8 I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

We are not forgotten by God and His intent is that we would not forget Him.  We would acknowledge Him and His care for us.  We would share His Good News with others and attribute all goodness, righteousness, and justice to Him.

When He looks down from heaven and His eye is on the sparrow, what does He see in you and me?

When is the last time you were still?

Ceasing the squirming…and the wrestling…and the constant planning in the turmoil of life.

When is the last time you were still? Allowing yourself to be shielded by the mighty and comforting hand of God.

When is the last time you were still? Feeling refreshed and finding healing in the presence of the LORD.

When is the last time you were still? Taking the burden of carrying the world off your shoulders and trusting God to be your fortress.

When is the last time you were still? Confessing the sin that God knows you have (and you know you have) and finding forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

During the forty days of Lent this year, take time.  Be still.  And know that He is God.

Breathe deeply.  Take in all the fullness of life He gives.  Let the Living Water quench your every thirst.  Let the Bread of Life provide all the sustenance you need.

This devotional series is designed to bring you to that place of stillness, to the Cross where you can lay your burdens down, and in the stillness, know that He is God.

Psalm 46:1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

You can receive these devotional studies in your email (Monday through Saturday during Lent) by entering your email address on the SeminaryGal.com home page in the space provided in the sidebar.  Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is March 5, 2014.  Get ready to be still.

===note:  You will find all the Be Still and Know that I AM God items archived beginning in March 2014.

I find myself researching hymns for inspiration in writing sermons and to round out the volunteer worship services that I coordinate each week.  In thinking about the wisdom of God in the cross of Christ, I have been drawn this week to hymns depicting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“Man of Sorrows,” What a Name (otherwise known as Hallelujah, What a Savior!) is one of those hymns. 

The composer, Philip Bliss (1838-1876), was taught to pray and sing by his father, a devout Methodist.  His mother educated him using the Bible.  His musical gift was first recognized at age 18 when he received his first formal voice lessons and wrote his first musical composition.

Bliss and his wife Lucy moved to Chicago and he took a position at Root and Cady Publishing House, a leading music publisher in Chicago.   In addition to being an itinerant music teacher and evangelist, Bliss had concert tours as a singer, while composing a number of hymns including the tune for Horatio Spafford’s  It is Well with My Soul.   He became a full-time evangelist in 1874 after forming an association with Dwight L. Moody.

Two years later, Philip and Lucy were aboard a Pacific Express train traveling through Ashtabula, Ohio. The trestle bridge beneath the train collapsed, sending all the carriages into a ravine, and a fire broke out in the wreckage.  While Philip initially emerged from the burning train, he ran back to find his wife and was never to be seen again.  They were counted among the ninety-two passengers who died in what is known as the Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster.  Their bodies were never found.

His trunk, however, survived both the crash and the fire.  It contained a manuscript with lyrics to the song that became I Will Sing of My Redeemer when James McGranahan set it to music in 1877.

You can listen to Bliss’ Hallelujah, What a Savior! on the cyberhymal  or hear a very nice modernized version of this classic hymn by Ascend the Hill.

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

“Do You also see what has been done to me?” 

I wrote that question in the margin of my daily reading Bible.

• It started on January 13 with Psalm 11:3-4 and the idea that God watches everything closely.
• January 14, it was Genesis 31:12, which is where I wrote the question in the margin after I’d seen it was a repeated theme.
• Also on the 14^th,  there was Psalm 12:5
• On the 15^th, it was Genesis 31:42, Matthew 10:29, Psalm 13:1
• And then on the 16^th, it was Psalm 14:2
• And as I’m writing this on the 17^th, it was Matthew 12:10.

I went back and wrote “Do You also see what has been done to me?”

I’m positive that God sees me if ever I’m sinning, doing something wrong, making a stupid mistake, or finding myself in an embarrassing place of having said something that wasn’t quite right.  I know it’s a completely wrong-headed view of God—to see Him as the “red light camera in the sky,” just waiting to photograph my license plate as I’m going quickly through the intersection on deep red-orange.

Maybe it’s that I have an overactive conscience that can’t let me do bad stuff without being completely convinced I’ll be caught.  I know God sees my wrongdoing and the Bible tells me there is grace for that when one trusts in Christ (and also by His mercy sometimes even when we don’t) because God is love and has a gracious character.

What I really wonder, in my darkest moments I guess, is whether He sees when other people do bad things, particularly when I’m receiving the wrong end of the stick.    Does He see when friends betray, speak critically, or turn their backs?  Does He see when injustice or prejudice or discrimination happen?  Does He see the hungry, the poor, the needy, the infirmed, the dejected, the lonely, or the depressed among us?

The answer is a resounding “Yes!”  Why, then, do I wonder whether He sees?

Maybe our difficulty with knowing that He sees is that oftentimes His actions are not what we want.  We want Him to put a stop to the problems and the injustices.  We want Him to reward the faithful and throw lightning bolts on evildoers.  We want Him to shower His loving care upon people who’ve left everything to follow Him (and maybe to add a little flair, to deprive those who’ve passed Him by…just so they know what a good thing they’re missing).

Then today, I came to Matthew 12:18-21 in my daily Bible readings.  The particular daily reading version I’m using is the New Living Translation because I wanted a hard copy of the NLT for my library even if I use a variety of other translations for study purposes.

Matthew 12:18

“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.

    He is my Beloved, who pleases me.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

19  He will not fight or shout

    or raise his voice in public.

20  He will not crush the weakest reed

    or put out a flickering candle.

    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

21  And his name will be the hope

    of all the world.”

Justice is first proclaimed, then He brings it in His final victory.  For some, like the man with the deformed hand, we’ll have evidence that God sees us and takes action immediately.  For others of us, we may not see justice right now, but “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.  He is my Beloved.”  Looking to Jesus, knowing His faithfulness, we can rest knowing that He is our hope.  We learn to operate by faith, trusting Him when He says, “For I have seen.”

Some of you may have noticed I’ve been less routine in my writings than I had been during Advent.  After times of extensive writing, I find myself exhausted and in need of filling.  So in the midst of a few projects ongoing, I have been spending time in God’s Word, quietly letting the Living Water refresh me.

When is the last time you were thirsting for God? 

Imagine how you are on a hot day when the sun is out and the wind is blowing and the dust is flying.  You get thirsty.  You know you must drink some water before you get dehydrated.

I think there are probably a lot of dehydrated Christians out there.

Plowing ahead with the daily grind.

Thirsty but not wanting to take the time

Away from the many tasks at hand

To let God’s Spirit soothe our souls.

Thirsting for God in a troubled land

Distracted by many trials pressing

Keeping us from the Living flow

That our spirits would find refreshing

If only we took the time to know

The healing power of the Lord

As we take a Sabbath rest and find

In the Word our souls restored.

When you’re standing at the crossroads

unsure which way to go,

ask God for direction and then you will know

which road is the good way that God deems is best

where there is wisdom your soul will find rest.

I’ve been working on a presentation for Thursday on the Book of Ruth.  It’s one of only two books of the Bible named after a woman, the other book bearing the name of Esther.

In preparation, I always read through the passages over and over to enter into the story so I can “become” Ruth, for example, in this presentation.  The introduction in my study Bible says a few things so perfectly that I can’t resist quoting it today.

In speaking about Ruth and Boaz (who will become Ruth’s husband and together are in the ancestry of Jesus), the commentary states,

[The author of Ruth] presents striking examples of lives that embody in their daily affairs the self-giving love that fulfills God’s law (Lev 19:18; cf. Romans 13:10).  Such love also reflects God’s love…[in] God’s benevolence such lives are blessed and are made a blessing.”

Ruth, a Moabitess, was an unusual choice to be displaying the loyal love of God to the Israelite family into which she married.  And yet, there’s something beautifully affirming that participation in the family of God is not a function of birth or blood, family legacy or inheritance passed down the generations like something on Antiques Roadshow.

For us on the other side of the Cross, we see that inheritance of the Kingdom is not by birth but by rebirth and the only blood that matters is the shed blood of Jesus Christ whose loyal love deserves our obedience.

Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestress of this same Savior, Jesus Christ.  Yet, her inclusion in the family of God is a direct result of the life of faith she had, demonstrated in the “obedience that comes from faith” (Romans 1:5).