Doing As God Asks

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife. Matthew 1: 24 NRSV

How many of us could receive a message from God in our sleep and immediately wake to do as God has asked?

I suppose there are two parts to that question: How many of us are paying attention to God's messages in our dreams and how willing are we to act on what God imparts to us?

Joseph - like his namesake in Genesis - is very cognizant of his dreams. Perhaps this is not the first time God has spoken to him. It could be that Joseph was very disciplined in carrying out what God instructed him through dreams. And even though this is a life-altering decision, Joseph does not hesitate to carry out the instruction of the angel of the Lord.

I wonder if the choice of God's parents had as much to do with Joseph as it did with Mary.

God, you speak to us in many ways including our dreams. May we not dismiss our dreams as either neurons firing in our sleep or food for psychological analysis; may we listen for your voice instead.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims

Half Full or Half Empty?

When the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord acscended in the flame of the altar while Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground. The angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. The Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God." But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these." Judges 13: 20-23 NRSV

That woman is pretty smart, isn't she? Her husband thinks that now they have seen the angel of the Lord they will die. But she says that their offering, their conversation and the promises made meant that they would not die. Certainly they have seen something supernatural but that just reinforces the life of the son to be born.

Makes me wonder about when I think the very worst of a situation. I have a real pessimistic streak and have a really hard time overcoming my own negativity. Sometimes it takes someone else (who remains nameless!) to jolt me out of my bleak outlook and help me to see the wonderful possibilities that God has presented in the midst of all the challenges of life.

God, you are always entering into our lives in supernatural, illogical ways. Help us to see your actions in a positive light. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Question of the day: Even if you say the glass is half full, do you really believe it?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims

Too Wonderful

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "Allow us to detain you, and prepare a kid for you." The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "If you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you want to prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord." (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your words come true?" But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my name? It is too wonderful." Judges 13:15-18 NRSV

I must confess that I have an absolute obsession with angels. But not the sweet cherubs on Valentine's. I am really fascinated by the angels of the Bible and whenever a scripture has an angel in it, I am very attentive to what it says about the angel.

I think that the purpose of angels is to point back to God - deliver God's message, carry out God's instructions and be God's instruments of life and/or death.

This angel won't give Manoah his name.

So not only do we not know Manoah's wife's name ("the woman") but we don't know the angel's name either.

According to the angel, his name is "too wonderful."

That is kind of like God to Moses when Moses asks for God's name. Knowing a person's name can be a way of holding power over the other person. God tells Moses that God's name is "I Am Who I Am" (YHWH). This angel of the Lord tells Manoah doesn't give out his name either. Perhaps his name too wonderful to say or to think about. Or maybe too wonderful for a mere human to know.

Yesterday, I asked God if God knew our names.

The answer is yes!

Isn't that just too wonderful?

Thank you, God, for knowing our names. In Jesus name. Amen.

Question of the day: What do you think about angels?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims

Here's Your Sign

Then he said to him, "If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay until you return." Judges 6: 17-18 NRSV

Gideon, Gideon, always looking for a sign and needing confirmation or affirmation that God really is who God says and will do what God says God will do.

I mean, just what does Gideon need for proof?

Gideon is saying, "Well, God, I need you to show me a sign besides sending your own angel to come and speak with me about this. I need further proof that it is really you and that you are really with me and you really see me as a mighty warrior."

For Gideon, being visited by the angel of the Lord is not enough. He needs more.

How often does God have to show up through other people in our lives for us to know how much God really loves us?

Do we need more than these seeming coincidences happening all around us as proof that God has a purpose for us?

What more do we need in order to respond: "Yes, God, I will do as you ask me to do."

God, you have sent your messenger, told us of your love, and give us a task. Please remove from us our stubbornness and unbelief. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Question of the day: What sign from God do I think I need today?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims

If Only We Would Listen

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior." Gideon answered him, "But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." Judges 6: 11-13 NRSV

Gideon can't hear.

The angel of the Lord appears to him and says that God is with Gideon and that Gideon is a fine warrior.

But Gideon turns that around to ask where God is with the people. Here he is beating the wheat in the wine press in order to hide from the enemies who have been terrorizing the Israelites. Now a prophet had recently told the Israelites that they had been abandoned because they had abandoned God. God pointedly says they have worshipped other gods "...but have not given heed to my voice." Judges 6:10b

The angel has said God is with Gideon but Gideon doesn't hear that. He is less focused on God's presence in his life and more focused on the absence of God in the lives of his people.

Hello, Gideon!

An angel of the Lord has appeared to him!

The angel has told him God is with him!

God pronounces that Gideon is a great warrior!

This conversation is beginning to remind me of one in the Gospel of Luke where the angel of the Lord appears to Zechariah in the temple.

How often does the angel of the Lord appear to us and we can't hear what is said? Or we deny what is said? Or we don't believe God's pronouncement?

Instead, we have a major argument with God about a whole bunch of other issues. If we just listened and obeyed, perhaps what God is saying to us will actually impact all those other things.

If only we would listen.

God, give us ears to hear! In Jesus' Holy name. Amen.

Question of the day: What is God saying to you that you are ignoring?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims