Talking to God in Three Persons

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
 Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
 Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
 God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Did you know we can ask God questions? He speaks to our spirits—we hear Him in our minds and feel Him in our hearts. He’s designed us to be able to hear Him clearly. Why? Because He WANTS to communicate with us. It’s been that ways since creation. He went on walks, talking with Adam and Eve in the garden. That was His perfect design. The devil tried to take all that away, but because of Jesus our communion with God is restored! And we’re even a part of His family! “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –“ (John 1:12).

So, would you have a thriving relationship with a father without ever having any conversation with him? Of course not! But we don’t get to just relate to the Father. We have Jesus, who is our Lord, Savior, and brother. “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:11). And we have the Holy Spirit, the one who guides us “into all truth” (John 16:13). He is called the Counselor.

The great mystery and majesty of the living God—three distinct personalities and relational functions within one Godhead. Mindblowing! But we don’t have to isolate our communication to one of the three—we can talk to the complete personhood of God. Just as you wouldn’t greet one important member of your family who came to visit and ignore or overlook the others, you needn’t speak just to the Father—for example—and fail to acknowledge the Son, or the Holy Spirit. Though the Father and Son move in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are always keenly present and involved.

So, as I said before, ask Him questions—all three persons—they each represent a different facet of God’s full character AND of His relationship with you. You can ask, “Jesus, what do you think about this?” He may have a slightly different response than the Father or Holy Spirit, but their responses will always coincide along the spectrum of truth. Sometimes the answer requires a “knowing,” not a “doing.” Instead of “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to do?” we may first need to have a revelation of God’s truth and therefore should ask, “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to know?”

Because God uses our minds and hearts as communication tools, when we are talking to and actively listening to Him, we may question whether we are hearing our own thoughts or what God is saying. It is important to remember that when we belong to Christ, we have His nature—His thoughts, and the Holy Spirit has a peaceful, unmistakable way of confirming what is true. God doesn’t mind if we ask for confirmation either—until we learn to recognize His voice. But it’s simpler than it may seem when we are His. His Word says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). We have a divine capacity for communication with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (I John 5:7, KJV). The three are in agreement in everything, making it so there is undeniably “one Lord, one faith, one baptism;…” (Ephesians 4:5). They all bear witness with one another—and with us. Whatever is said to one is said to all three (because they are one), but just like three friends with whom you might share something important—and they all agree—the three persons of the Godhead will each have a different expression or way of articulating variations of the same idea.

But do we know if God hears us or not? “"Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.  I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.  If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His lovingkindness from me" (Psalm 66:16-20). That’s a definite yes! To put it another way, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).

Don’t hesitate to communicate with your God in His three-fold greatness. He is ready to meet with you. And He looks forward to it! Truly, He beckons us, “…show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely” (Song of Solomon 2:14b). Let Him hear your voice today. He will let you hear His also. “For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it” (Job 33:14). Take the time to perceive it. God is always speaking. He always has something to say to us, His children. He speaks through His Word, through others, through situations and circumstances (as He directs our steps)—but don’t forget that He yearns for us to visit with Him directly.

Thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for loving me that much!

The Fireplace, Installment Eight

            Mary had opted to stay behind with Paula. She wasn’t much of a cold weather person—at least, not this cold. The storm promising “the biggest blizzard in ten years” had died down, but it was still supposed to “hit,” probably later that night.

            After watching the others leave and waving from the window, Mary had offered to fix her sister-in-law some mint tea, to calm her stomach. Paula purposefully sat in the recliner closest to the bathroom—just in case. “Thank you,” she sheepishly uttered as Mary handed her the tea.

            Mary sat down with her own tea, an expression of genuine concern on her face. “What’s the matter?”

            “Oh, I just hate to be a party pooper is all. But I do hope Jon, Parker, and Daisy have fun. Of course, Daisy is two years shy of wine-tasting, but at least she can enjoy the cheeses.”

            “They’ll have a great time, and we can relax a bit.”

            They sipped on their tea for a moment and listened to the wind outside. “So,” Mary began, breaking the momentary silence, “What do you think is wrong? Flu bug or something?”

            “Uh…not really sure, but your mother has a theory.” Paula laughed whimsically.

            “Oh, what is that?” Mary inquired, studying Paula’s face with concentrated anticipation.

            Their eyes met for a moment, as Paula’s tone became solemn. “She thinks I might be pregnant.”

               
§

            Margaret didn’t want her husband making a fuss, and she didn’t want to spill any unnecessary beans to her son—especially if she was wrong—so she made an excuse that she thought would seem likely to Ted. “Honey, please stop at the market. I need to pick up some Crisco.”

            “Crisco? But you never run out of that stuff—you won’t let yourself run out of it,” he laughed—tenderly mocking Margaret’s passion for baking.

            “Well, I didn’t say I was out, but I did do a lot of baking in preparation for Christmas, and I will need some this week for sure.”

            That was reason enough for Ted, who shrugged and made his way down Bruely Street to Henderson’s Family Market.

            As Margaret unbuckled, Jon offered, “Mom, why don’t you let me go in and get it for you? That way you don’t have to get out in the cold. I don’t mind.”

            “No, no, you stay here. I am quite used to the cold.” And with that, she hopped determinedly out of the Expedition, making haste in case one of them decided to follow her.

            Inside the store, Margaret went straight to the pharmacy aisle, where the pregnancy tests were kept. As she perused the choices, Margaret mumbled to herself. First Response. Sheesh, makes it sound like a calamity. Plus, it included not one but five tests and was geared more toward trying to become pregnant. Margaret was pretty sure Paula already was. “Clear Blue Easy Digital Pregnancy Test,” she read aloud. About that time, an older woman happened to turn around, recognizing her voice from across the aisle—the aspirin side—not the ovulation side.

            “Well, hello, Margaret,” the friendly face greeted her. Margaret made a split-second decision to stay near the pregnancy tests and not scoot to the left where she’d be in the prophylactic section.

            “Well, hi, Karen. So good to see you. How’s Dan?”

            “Oh, feisty as ever.” Both women chuckled.

            As Karen began to take note of where her long-time friend was standing, Margaret only hoped her hearing aids had been turned down enough not to have heard her reading the test box description. “Well, I just came for some aspirin…” Karen paused, implying that she wondered what Margaret had come for.

            “Oh,” Margaret began, just a bit flustered. “I…uh, I’m looking for the cough suppressants. This cold weather, you know.” God forgive me, now I’ll have to actually buy some cough suppressants.

            Karen looked at her with a furrowed brow, her black eyes clearly searching Margaret’s face for some more reasonable explanation. After all, she’d shopped in this store for eighteen years. “They’re just down there,” Karen stated in a tone that said ‘shouldn’t that be obvious?’  

            Not even paying attention to where Karen had pointed—because she already knew—Margaret fluttered to the box of Robitussin she’d decided she’d purchase in order to keep her secret. “Thank you so much, Karen. Sometimes I get turned around.” That part was true where directions were concerned but not in the aisles of Henderson’s.

            “You’re welcome,” Karen offered, her black eyes searching quizzically but finding no further explanation. “Well, heading home to bake a pie. See you again soon, I hope.”

            “Oh, yes,” Margaret smiled, cough medicine in hand, “and give our best to Dan. Karen disappeared around the corner. Whew. Racing back to the other side of the aisle, Margaret decided to go with Clear Blue Easy, plopping it into her hand-held basket and quickly camouflaging it with a few bags of cough drops.

            Hustling to the check-out lane, trying to make up for the lost time from Karen’s inquisitiveness, Margaret nearly forgot the “reason” she’d come in. “Crisco!” She said it with such fervor that a young woman walking by jumped just a bit. Aisle seven. She grabbed it and got to the check-out just in time to see Jon walking in.

            “Everything all right, Mom?” he inquired as he spotted her.

            “Oh, just fine, just fine. Be out in a moment. Realized I needed a couple other items while I was in here. You can head back out.”

            “Well, I’m here now. I might as well carry the bag.” Always the thoughtful boy—but now was not a good time for it.

            “Oh, I nearly forgot…Ranch dressing! Could you go fetch me some, dear? And if you wouldn’t mind purchasing it, I can pay you back later. I’ll meet you at the car” (which was really an Expedition, but to Margaret it was simply the kind of vehicle one drove in rural Madison).

            “Sure.” Jon headed off, reading the aisle signs, as Margaret hadn’t directed him to the appropriate aisle. She gave herself points for the clever stall and proceeded to check out. She knew she’d get a funny look from Flo, the checker who worked the day shift, but it would be worth it in the long run. After all, in that little box was the answer to whether or not she was going to be a grandma. Smiling as she paid, Margaret scooped up the paper grocery bag—folding the top over—and made her triumphal departure.

§

            Nighttime had come with a hearty dinner and a sing-along around the fire. Ted had even broken out his harmonica. Margaret said he was “feeling his cheerios from the wine tasting.” Of course, that wasn’t true, but everyone appreciated the humor in it. Right after dinner, Margaret had asked Paula to help here with the dessert. Once in the kitchen, she reached up behind the Crisco and grabbed the box, which she’d placed inside an old chocolates box. Lifting the lid for just a moment, she revealed its contents. Paula gasped just a bit. “Oh, my.”

            “I know it’s a tad awkward, honey, but I figured you’d want to know. Run along upstairs and hide it somewhere.”

            Shocked at the twist her life was taking, here in her mother-in-law’s home no less, Paula did as she was told. While she was upstairs alone, she decided that perhaps she had the few extra moments needed to actually administer the test. This may be the only window of opportunity she’d have for a while. And at this point, her curiosity was piqued.

            The stick didn’t seem to be doing anything—what did it say? Yes, it would turn blue for a positive result. Paula watched intently, like a kid who was seeing an airplane fly over for the first time. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. Then it happened.

The Accompaniment of Your Life

Have you ever stopped to think about the music of your life? When I was a kid I used to imagine that I was the star—often with a co-star (a friend or cousin)—in a movie. In my head—and sometimes out of my mouth, in impromptu words—a “theme song” would play. Usually it was something to do with the primary action (like the time I was Evel Knievel on my bike—don’t worry, no truly dangerous stunts were attempted) or the hero of the story. The “music” reflected the spirit and momentum of the tale.

But what about real life? Our lives, if we look closely, have themes. The “song” may change with the seasons we experience, but there are definite stand-out themes—a playlist, if you will. And you are the star of this production.

In God’s Word, there are hundreds of references to music—everything from types of instruments (the earliest of which were invented by a man named Jubal) to worship that chronicled pivotal historical events to celebration before the Lord with song and/or dance. Music is powerful—and obviously very important to the Lord. And I believe God always meant for it to coincide with our history.

If we look at just a few Biblical examples, we can see its prominence. Oh, to have been there to hear and to see!  

In Exodus 15, Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord as they crossed the Red Sea. Verses 2-4: ‘The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea.” Wow!

In Judges 5, Deborah (who was a prophetic judge) and Barak sang a song in celebration of their victory against Sisera, by the Lord’s design. In it were mentioned the valor of those who came to fight and the  disappointment that some who had opportunity to join forces on God’s side chose not to. Read what was sung of His terrible greatness in verses 4 and 5: “‘When you, Lord, went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.”

I Chronicles 15:28 gives us a glimpse of the celebratory atmosphere when the ark of God was brought up from the house of Obed-Edom to the place David had prepared for it: “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.”

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, musicians were brought from all over the region “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres” (Nehemiah 12: 27b).

These examples show times of great joy, victory—celebration of victory and of God’s name being raised up. In these times, He was truly exalted.

But much of the Bible’s music also reflects sorrow. David wrote some songs out of deep sadness and turmoil. But…even these songs always gave glory to God and proclaimed His goodness, mercy, faithfulness—and His ability to ultimately prevail in any circumstance, even within David’s own soul. Psalm 51:7-12: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Where do these songs come from? What is their inspiration? Their source? I would venture to say that they are birthed by the Holy Spirit. And they are a testament to God’s work in our lives. The common thread is God’s majesty—His power, splendor, goodness, and care for all of His creation. And it isn’t something that ends here—the gift of music is eternal—in Revelation 5, the four creatures in heaven were seen bowing before the Lamb, each with a harp, and singing: “‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign^[b] on the earth.’” In Revelation 15, those who had been victorious over the beast sang, “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’^[b]” (verse 4).

Even in our times of deepest sorrow, we must remember that God himself is our Protector and the one who works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), that “…you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:3, ESV).

I look at it this way. Sometimes the music of our lives is upbeat and triumphant. Sometimes it is somber, as we endure a trial or mourn a loss. But always, if our hearts are committed to Him, the music will point to God as the one who is sovereign, the one who is worthy of all praise. I remember when the most fitting song for my family’s life was “Blessed be Your Name,” by Matt Redman, the gist of which is found in the verse, “You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, “Lord, blessed be Your name.”” My mom had been hospitalized for some recurring health issues, my father-in-law had passed away suddenly, and my husband had lost his job (also suddenly)—preventing us from buying a house, a move for which we had boxes already packed. We had a choice—to either praise God or allow our “song” to be written by our circumstances. We chose to praise Him. And through it, He brought great blessing.

What will the accompaniment of your life be? If you submit your way to the Lord, then He is the one really writing the song—and we get to accompany Him as we cooperate with His purposes. “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27, ESV).

Truly, the abundant life cannot be lived without seeking first “his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). He knows what we need, He knows the journey, and He knows the most beautiful music to create as the curtain is raised on each scene.

Your stardom comes through humility—through honoring God and knowing deep within that He is the greatest—“ You are the Lord, the famous one, famous one. Great is your name in all the earth. The heavens declare, “You're glorious, glorious.” Great is your fame beyond the earth” (from “The Famous One,” by Chris Tomlin). Will you co-author with Him the accompaniment of your life? A diamond album in the musical library of eternity.

The Princess or the Pea?

Some days you know who you are—God’s chosen, His daughter, His beautiful little girl—His princess. It’s on days like these that you walk in confidence, hear God’s voice clearly, encourage others, and even sing praises or songs of joy. Nothing can stop you or get you down. You are on a faith-filled level, and your enemy is many, many basement floors below. Life is good. You’re the princess.

There are other days, though, when you feel squashed, like if one more heavy thing comes your way it will surely crush you flat. What if right now you are walking through one of the hardest, seemingly unending seasons of your life? What happens in these hard times if you lose sight of who you are? You begin to see only your vulnerabilities and weaknesses—but fail to hear the truth that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. You hear words like hopeless, insignificant, worthless, useless. At times like this, you’re the pea.

But therein lies the great deception—the lie that can turn a princess of the Lord into a pitiful, crushable pea. The lie is this: Circumstances can tell you who you are and how strong you will be, and you don’t have what it takes.

The truth is that if your identity is found in Christ, well…your identity is found in Christ. Only He can tell you who you are. And He says you’re His beloved, His precious one, His princess. And Jesus always echoes the thoughts and intentions of the Father.

Yesterday I awoke—feeling very royal—

Thankful for my subjects, trustworthy and loyal.

And as I climbed (far) down the ladder from my bed,

I couldn’t help but smile and toss my rested head.

I chose the perfect dress for such a perfect day

And went to see my father, to hear what he would say.

He stopped what he was doing and focused just on me.

He said, “My child, you’re beautiful—look at you—don’t you see?

I looked in my father’s mirror, and I could see my beauty—

What’s more, I saw my worth—conceived in love, not duty

I mattered to the king—and he was my own dad!

I couldn’t help but giggle, for such knowledge made me glad.

Today, I woke up grumpy and felt all squished and pressed.

I reasoned that it was because I didn’t get good rest.

But why? What possible reason could explain me feeling blue?

And small, and weak, and burdened—at a loss of what to do?

I squeezed out from my bed (how the blankets felt like lead!),

Then saw at once the struggle—twenty mattresses on my head!

How did I get beneath them, and what had I hoped to do?

Perhaps I’d just forgotten…who had convinced me to?

I went into my dressing room, prepared to dress the part—

But as what? For truly, I didn’t feel like a princess in my heart.

As I stood in front of the mirror, the image I saw wasn’t me.

Instead, I was small, green, and round! Unmistakably, I was a pea!

I ran to my father’s drawing room, knowing he alone could help;

When he calmly asked, “What’s the matter?,” I let out a little yelp.

“Oh, Father, I’m just a disaster! I looked in the mirror…well, see!

I don’t understand my appearance. Just why do I not look like me?”

“My child, what you see is deception; for you’re of a royal bloodline.

What you see in my mirror should confirm that you are undoubtedly mine.

So I can only conclude that the mirror you’re using is flawed—

For the one that your father gave you reveals a daughter of God.”

It all clicked. I’d paid heed to a “servant” who was never a servant to me,

For he’d traded my mirror for a falsehood, knowing full well what I would see.

I’d listened, and I had believed it—the lie of my powerless state;

The profundity of my small value, my future’s bright hopes would negate.

I looked in my father’s kind eyes, and in that mirror saw my reflection.

For dressed in fine robes I stood, regal; my father saw only perfection—

He smiled as he saw me stand straighter--believing in me and so proud;

I’d recognized dupery and malice and burst out from under its shroud

“So what if that fraud should come scheming, perhaps to my mirror (again) fetch?”

“He has no authority, Princess. Pay no mind nor give ear to that wretch.

Instead, you must banish him sternly and put no more stock in his lies,

For you are my beautiful treasure—dignified, strong, and wise.”

I knew what he said was the truth and wondered how I’d failed to see

That I was an heir to the kingdom—a princess!—not a pea.

My father embraced and assured me, “Keep seeking me first with great zeal,

For through you I’ll fulfill my purpose—to proclaim, to set free, and to heal.”

(Isaiah 61; Luke 4)