by Donya Dunlap | Oct 2, 2015 | Bible Study, The Spiritual Life
Isaiah 30 gives us a vivid picture of exactly what can go wrong when we leave God out of our plans.
As you read the passage, keep in mind that Isaiah was a prophet. He is warning the people of Israel about an upcoming threat of an invading army. Also, he is foretelling what Israel’s response will be and God’s subsequent judgment.
Israel is reproved by God (Verses 1-7)
Israel historically looked to their neighbors for help instead of looking to God. When Israel and Judah are fighting amongst themselves, Israel looks to Syria for help (2 Chronicles 16:2-3). Facing off with Syria, they ask Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:7). When Assyria is the enemy, they go to Egypt for help (2 Kings 18:19-21). According to Matthew Henry, Isaiah chapters 30 and 31 are referring to the invasion of Sennacherib, King of Assyria mentioned in 2 Kings 18.
The children of Israel are declared “stubborn children” because of their determination to leave God out of their plans. When Sennacherib and his armies visit, Israel seeks protection from their neighbor, Pharaoh. God wasn’t impressed.
God rebukes them for going to Egypt for help, which will end up being only a shadow of protection and not a real solution. His help would have cost them nothing and would have brought them a great victory, but Israel refused to seek God’s face.
Isn’t that so like you and me today? We have a decision to make and instead of seeking direction from the Lord, we panic. The hardest thing to do in a crisis is to be still and seek God’s face. But waiting on God is what faith is all about!
Israel’s rebellion is recorded by God (Verses 8-12)
God wanted Israel’s sin recorded forever so others will heed His warning. Israel’s neglect to seek God’s direction wasn’t considered an oversight by the Lord. He considered it a blatant refusal to listen to His Word. By their actions they told the prophets to get out of the way. What boldness! What stupidity! But wait…
God sends us wise parents, pastors, teachers, friends, the Holy Spirit and His very own Word written on the pages of Scripture and still we choose our own way! What’s worse is that we get upset when God doesn’t put His stamp of approval on our plans. Sisters, take heed…if this applies to you as it does to me so often, we’ve been warned!
Israel’s rebellion is judged by God (Verses 13-17)
God’s judgment is described using a word picture. It is as if Israel has built a dam or a wall made of pottery to protect them, but the dam breaks and judgment floods over Israel. The devastation of Israel’s plan is so great that there won’t be a single piece of pottery left big enough to scoop coals from a fire or water out of a well. God says that Israel’s salvation (and ours) would be in:
- Returning – Repenting for looking to others for help and looking to God instead
- Rest – Trusting God to act in His time
- Quietness – Reliance on God and His power to give us strength
- Confidence – Believing that God knows best and will provide for us.
God allowed them to go their own way, but used their plan to draw them back to Him.
- Israel wanted to flee. God sent their enemies after them so they had no choice but to flee.
- They wanted to ride swift horses to escape. God made their enemies swift in their pursuit.
- Israel looked to the great Egyptian army for help. God sent 1,000 running at the rebuke of 1 enemy soldier.
Thankfully, God doesn’t give up on us when we mess up. He is always there to take a bad situation and turn it around for good – both for us and for His glory.
Israel’s repentance is accepted by God (Verses 18-26)
God is always gracious and merciful. Even when we run from Him, He patiently waits for us to listen to the Holy Spirit and turn back.
When we choose His path, He walks with us, opening our eyes to see how He is working through the difficulty. Additionally, He promises to guide us through the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21 is such an encouraging verse.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Fear can cause you to stray from the right path, as can friends, your own determination, emotions and analytical thinking. None of those things are wrong in their place, but when used in the place of God, they become idols. We must remove the idols from our lives in order to receive the blessings God intends for us.
A Symbolic Side Note
The moon and sun are used in Scripture as types of Israel and God. In other words, Israel’s obedience to God reflects the light of God to the nations that are in darkness. So too, can our obedience reflect the light of God to our unsaved friends and relatives.
God can always bring about good in the life of His children. But…It is much easier on us if we do things His way from the very first. Choose to follow Him daily. Reflect His light and watch Him work!
Resources used in this study: Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume, ESV Literary Study Bible, KJV Thompson Chain Study Bible, Handbook of Types and Symbols by Carl C. Harwood, and Halley’s Bible Handbook.
by Donya Dunlap | Sep 11, 2015 | Making a Difference, The Single Life, The Spiritual Life
I have chosen to live in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s where I sleep and work and go to church, but some days my heart is elsewhere. Today, as with many of my fellow Americans, my heart has been in New York City, remembering the fallen, and the brave. Much of the last few days it’s in a hospital room with my dad in Michigan. In a few weeks, it will be with my newborn niece in Georgia. Most of the time it’s on the seashore of a deserted island.
A very wise man once said,
Home is where the heart is.
-Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD)
I believe this is even more true for the Christian than for the average citizen. The Christian’s home is with Christ. As a result, we will have a growing discontent and restlessness that points our mind heavenward. The “growing pains” of loneliness and frustration with the current world system should be clues that we are to run to Christ with our concerns instead of trying to find a solution in politics or even the church. That’s not to say that Christians shouldn’t strive to improve this world or even be better members within the church, but our final satisfaction and fulfillment will ultimately be in Christ.
But even with this understanding, how do you practically make the most of your life when your heart feels like it’s walking around outside your chest? Where is “home” on the days when your heart is in pieces scattered all over the globe? What then?
I have found that there are three actions I can take when my heart is restless or “homesick.”
- Choose thankfulness. Find reasons to love the city or season in which you find yourself. Keep a blessings or a gifts journal. Try to find circumstances within the situations that further your life goals and be grateful for them.
- Voice your love. I am especially burdened with this thought today, the 14th anniversary of 9/11/2001, the day the Twin Towers fell. So many voices that day were silenced. So many unspoken words. So many families forever altered. My heart still grieves for them. But you and I, we must choose to use the voices we still have for love. Send a letter. Make a phone call. Tell those you miss that you are thinking of them and that you appreciate the role they have in your life. You never know when God may choose to sever those ties. Say the words while you have time.
- Make the most of every day. Wishing you were here or there never makes it so—especially when your wishes carry you to the past or future. Live in the present. It’s okay to feel lonely or to miss a loved one, but to remain emotionally stuck is not God’s plan for us. He desires for us to engage with those in our spheres of influence as Joseph did in Egypt and Daniel did in Babylon. If you find yourself struggling with moving forward in your life, I encourage you to seek godly counsel.
As planes fly over my apartment on this date full of meaning and memories, I am reminded that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Time is still fleeting, despite all the safety features we have built in to our lives. So while you still live, and breathe—be thankful, be loving, be engaged…and in so doing you will change your self and your world.
by Donya Dunlap | Aug 13, 2015 | Making a Difference, Modern Day Slavery, The Spiritual Life
I have often joked about being incapable of feeling, and I’ve even been called an ice queen on more than one occasion. But the truth is more complicated than that.
The truth is, I am at the opposite side of the emotional spectrum with those who identify as HSP’s (Highly Sensitive Persons) and empaths. Instead of feeling nothing, our default is to feel everything. We have highly tuned nervous systems which makes us very sensitive to sounds, tastes, lights, colors, and other things that seem normal to the rest of the population. Empaths have a heightened sensitivity to others emotions and physical energies. We not only pick up on others emotional levels, but also subconsciously internalize those emotions. This can be incredibly helpful in counseling situations, but it can also be overwhelming and physically draining, even causing physical ailments at times.
As a defense mechanism, HSP’s and empaths learn to put up walls and shut things out. We don’t watch the news. We don’t listen to stories about broken bones and surgeries. We use earbuds in crowded areas to ward off sensory overload. We ignore our imaginations, we shut down our emotions, and sometimes we flat out refuse to care.
- disease
- crime
- genocide
- puppy mills
- food deserts
- ISIS
- human trafficking
- homelessness
- child labor
- contaminated water
- abusive relationships
It’s too much. The hurt is too great, the world is too big, and we often feel that we are too small to stem the tide. What can one person do? And if we care about one thing, we have to care about EVERYTHING, right? So…into the sand we go, head first.
When I first learned about sex trafficking, I was shocked and appalled, which quickly turned into a wildfire of anger. Maybe because I’m a woman, or an aunt, or afraid of rape, or because I’m an empath—it’s difficult to say. But the truth gripped my heart that day and refused to let go.
You can imagine my confusion when I started sharing what I had learned and people didn’t want to know. I heard things like “I just can’t think about that” and “I have too many other things to worry about.” Several people said, “doesn’t that just happen overseas?” as if an act so evil against one human doesn’t impact us all.
I didn’t understand how people could react in these ways until I saw myself in the same light. I too had become deadened to the pain of others in many areas. I’ve chosen, at times, to look away from the hungry man holding the cardboard sign. I’ve clicked away from the photos of innocents being beheaded, and turned off videos discussing embryos being dissected for their organs.
Hiding is easy. Pretending to not see has its benefits.
But what if we did see? What if we did feel?
What if we had a God who was powerful enough to change things?
What would the world look like if we made the decision to feel again? What if we faced the injustices around us and responded with “God can” instead of “I can’t”? What if we looked at the pictures of people trapped in slavery? What if we read the stories about the displaced refugees fleeing ISIS?
What if we fought the ostriches inside of us and took a stand?
There is a war against humanity raging all around us, and Satan is the captain at the helm. We can numb ourselves in our bunkers with our lattes and Gucci bags, or we can strap on our helmets of salvation and our shields of faith and storm the gates of poverty, slavery, disease, and more.
We who are Christians have been given freedom in Christ. It is a precious gift that came at an unimaginable price. To hoard what we have makes me question whether we really received the genuine article or if we just wanted to join Christianity as a social status choice. To truly be carriers of the gospel, we must accept our responsibility to take it to the streets, the homeless shelters, and the refugee camps.
“By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16
Thank you so much for coming by my blog today and reading these words. It’s an honor I do not take lightly. If you are interested in supporting my ministry or taking part in my writing process, please visit my Patreon page to learn more.
by Donya Dunlap | Mar 3, 2015 | Forgetting the Fairy Tale, The Single Life, The Spiritual Life
When you write a book on singleness, you become an accidental expert on all things relating to love and dating. This is partially terrifying and mostly heartbreaking. I say terrifying because I am absolutely NOT an expert…on anything. It’s heartbreaking because of the kinds of questions people come to me with at times.
In today’s culture, intimacy in relationship is assumed, the why’s and how’s discussed in every medium. Virginity is considered a myth or mocked as a useless bauble. Those that choose to hold tightly to it are ridiculed as childish, foolish, or undesirable. Why treasure a plastic trinket when you can have a different glittering jewel every night of the week?
Even many Christians believe celibacy outside of marriage is an old-fashioned, Old Testament rule that does not apply to today. Some trying to follow God’s plan wonder if doing so will sabotage them out of the happy ending that everyone else appears to be getting. They wonder, if a person withholds their bodies for their mate, what chance do they have in ever getting one? In essence, they are asking…can I trust God with my sexuality?
Oh it doesn’t seem like that on the surface, but all of the what/if’s and if/then’s all boil down to one thing…this God that invented love, and sex, and marriage…this Creator that made my body and my hormones…this Savior that has given guidelines for living that run in complete contrast to the culture…does He really know what is best for me? Does He truly have my happiness in mind? Is my virginity, my sexuality, this mysterious thing that feels at times like such a heavy burden–is it really as precious as He says it is?
The struggle is intricately tied to our innermost desires for intimacy and acceptance. But, despite what all the magazines, books, and movies tell us, great sex is not the answer to the storm that rages in our hearts. To God, it isn’t even the main point of marriage.
Sex is a gift. A precious gift intended to melt two hearts, two bodies, and two souls together in a way that no other thing can. God designed it that way. He created the pheromones and synapses that send us unending messages of promise and desire. God imagined the nerve endings and chemical reactions that make the physical experience so satisfying and enjoyable. And to the woman who struggles with the physical ache of an empty bed and the emotional pain of rejection, the One who keeps this gift from her may seem cruel and careless, as if her happiness and fulfillment are nothing more than a carrot on a string.
But the bottom line is simply that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our fallen reasonings. He can see the big picture. We can’t. It comes down to a matter of trust. Regardless of what we think is best, or even fair, God asks us to trust Him with our bodies and our sexuality.
There are many reasons to argue for the benefits of virginity from scientific, medical, and psychological perspectives…each capable of filling many empty pages of many books. But all the arguments pale in comparison to the purity of Christ, His sacrifice for us, and His simple question…Do you trust me?
Embracing virginity is simply embracing Christ.
It is a surrender of your will to His. The benefits are many and perhaps a more detailed discussion is appropriate for another time. For today, I encourage you to search your heart. Do you believe that God has your best in mind? Are you willing to bow your knee to His wisdom despite your inner yearnings? Do you trust Him?
Photo credit: Glenn Franco Simmons / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
by Donya Dunlap | Oct 8, 2014 | The Spiritual Life
Have you ever wondered what makes some people appear so happy and perfect all the time? Usually you run into these people on a day when absolutely everything is going wrong. Am I right?
Photo credit: cogdogblog / Foter / CC BY-SA
The dog and/or child had an accident. The bill that you don’t have money for came in the mail. You’re out of gas and have two days left before payday. You spilled coffee on your outfit on your way out the door…when you are running too late to change. And in your frazzled state of half panic you run into that person that appears to walk on sunshine and dance with unicorns on a daily basis. They never have a bad day, they never spill coffee on themselves, and their children are angelic creatures of the Gerber variety.
On days like THIS…
when encountering people like THAT…
you want to SLAP them.
Or at least I do. But instead you smile, chat pleasantly for a few moments while hoping they don’t notice that you look like you’ve walked through a car wash, and walk away feeling like the worst possible version of yourself (bonus points if you recognize the movie reference). That coffee stain feels like it is seeping into your very soul. You question your value as an employee, as a mother, as a human being. You wonder if your life will ever amount to anything.
On days like this…
…it is so important to preach truth to yourself. (I wrote more on this subject a while back…as in before I knew blog posts weren’t supposed to be an online equivalent to book chapters. It’s long, but if you are up for the challenge, you can read that post here.)
On days like this…REMEMBER…
Happiness is a fragile commodity.
Perfection is an illusion.
You are beautiful.
You are loved.
You are priceless.
How do I know?
Because Jesus paid the price for you with His life…a cost beyond comprehension.
It’s easy to believe you are worthless, washed up, beyond repair, good for nothing. It’s easy to believe because the Enemy constantly tells you these lies. He repeats them so often that they sound like truth. And with the lies he presents “evidence” of all the places where you don’t measure up. It’s easy to start nodding your heart in agreement with him. It’s hard to stand up on the inside and whisper, “you’re wrong.” But stand we must.
Romans 8:26-39
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword (or coffee stains or blow out diapers)? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Need the highlight reel? Here it is.
The Holy Spirit is our Helper. He navigates us through the messes of our days and nights. The very Spirit of the Almighty God is our strength. Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, God gave His Son for you and it is His job to judge us, not our chipper cheerleader neighbor lady’s job and not our job. Christ does not condemn us. He died and our condemnation died with Him. When we accept Him as our Savior we accept His life as our own. Our worth is wrapped up in His worth, and nothing else. Not our appearance, not our talent, not our personality, not our accomplishments, not anything. Through His power and with His approval smiling down on us, we can courageously raise our weary heads, wipe the coffee stains off our blouses, and step into our days knowing that we might not feel like enough, but we are more than conquerors through Him.
by Donya Dunlap | Jul 1, 2014 | The Spiritual Life
Occasionally I will read a passage and it resonates with me so deeply I rehearse the words over and over again for days. This past week, Psalm 33 has been that passage for me. The psalm is a patchwork of praise and prompting, reminding us of God’s great power and the grace He gives to those who trust Him. The following verses have especially captured my thinking:
The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. – Psalm 33:16-19
During this week of celebration of American independence, I am struck by the paradox these verses present to the American Christian. American’s are known for their stubborn tenacity. We are pioneers. We are taught from a young age to persevere in the midst of difficulty to achieve our goals and dreams. Unfortunately, American Christians tend to bring that same determination into their faith. Instead of a deep dependence on God, we tend to only turn to God when all else fails. Instead of a fluid relationship, we substitute a false religion. We look at our abilities and in comparison trust and reliance seem counter-intuitive. I often wonder if we don’t appear to God as toddling children declaring, “I do it myself.”
What seems so natural to us is the exact opposite of what God desires for His children. The Psalmist reminds us of the futility of relying on our own strength and resources instead of on God’s unlimited supply of both by using battle imagery. In today’s world we might substitute armies for teams, warriors for players, and horses for pigskins. In fact, the underdog stories are the ones we enjoy hearing the most aren’t they? Why is that? Our hearts resonate with the underdog because they have overcome impossible odds to reach victory. They give us hope and excite our imaginations. We all have had our moments of feeling like David facing Goliath and we are encouraged that the mighty warrior can indeed be defeated.
The Psalmist understood that the Christian’s strength comes from a source outside of ourselves. Instead of building a bigger army, trying harder, and trusting in our strengths, our victory is centered in the fear of God. Our humility and hope in God’s love, strength, and help is what will deliver us in our dark hours. Our dependence on God is also what will draw others to Him as we navigate through this life as salt and light to our generation. It’s time to lose our religion and enter into real relationship with Jesus.
My pastor, Brian Norris, has touched on this theme the past two weeks in his sermon series “Losing Your Religion.” I encourage you to take some time to listen as you go about your day and be encouraged in the intimate, personal God that desires real relationship with His children.
Photo credit: mdanys / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
