Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

The Lion and the Lamb: God as Lion

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I (Jennifer) am so very excited for you to meet our guest this week at FACETS of Faith. The team has known Kelli Worrall and her family for some time, and we’ve been eager to introduce her to all of you. We are very sure she is someone you should know. We love her as a dear friend, and we hope you’ll add her to your list of favorite authors.

Kelli Worrall is a Communications professor, writer, and speaker. She is the co-author of 20 Things We’d Tell Our Twentysomething Selves. She also writes at www.thisoddhouse.org. Her second book, Pierced & Embraced: Seven Life-Changing Encounters with the Love of Jesus, will be released in August.

The only lions I have ever met have lived at the zoo. I’ve only respected and admired these creatures from a safe distance, through iron fences and thick glass.

Encountering one up-close-and-personal would be an entirely different matter. Can you imagine?

For one thing, lions are the second largest cats in the world, passed only by tigers. Male lions weigh up to 575 pounds, and females up to 395. They often measure eight feet long—head and body—and stand up to four feet tall.

The lion’s eyes are set laterally on its head to provide a good angle of vision. In other words, it can see you.

Its inner ear has a long mobile pinna able to localize a sound source. Translation: It can hear you.

Its nostrils are large, and it has complex nasal passages. It can smell you.

It can run at 50 mph and leap 35 ft. It can catch you.

Its massive limbs are built for attack. It can easily kill you, if it so wishes.

In Isaiah 31, the prophet likens our God to a lion. He warns God’s people not to turn to the Egyptians for help because something much stronger is available to them. Their terror of the Assyrians is put into perspective when the Israelites realize that their God is a lion.

Isaiah 31 reads:

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the Lord!
2 And yet he is wise and brings disaster;
he does not call back his words,
but will arise against the house of the evildoers
and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.
3 The Egyptians are man, and not God,
and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
and they will all perish together.
4 For thus the Lord said to me,
“As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey,
and when a band of shepherds is called out against him
he is not terrified by their shouting
or daunted at their noise,
so the Lord of hosts will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts
will protect Jerusalem;
he will protect and deliver it;
he will spare and rescue it.”

In Isaiah 31, there is no competition between the horses of Egypt and the all-powerful God-Lion. There is no contest between the material solutions of the latest military technology and the spiritual reality of God. No ally—Egyptian or otherwise—can compare with Him.

Because our God is fierce. He strikes fear into the heart of the enemy and causes them to shrink away. To be on the wrong side of our God the Lion is not only foolish, it is fatal.

Because our God is destructive. He is devastating. He destroys the enemies of Judah, but ultimately He destroys Judah itself as well. “They will all perish together.” How can God do such a thing?  Because holiness and righteousness are a serious business. Isaiah, of all people, knows this well. In chapter 6 he sees a vision of God and cries out, “Woe to me because I am a man of unclean lips.” A holy God is fearsome to behold. A lion, who executes righteous judgment, is entirely appropriate.

Our God is also active. He is a young lion, growling over His prey, and He will come down. He did not wind up the world and then walk away. Rather, He is ever-present. It is in Him that we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

And He is courageous. He is not terrified or daunted by the shepherds and their noise. Nothing can drive Him away. He moves relentlessly towards His goal.

Because our God is also protective. He is a jealous God, who lays claim to what is rightfully His. His people belong to Him, and He will rescue them. To try to get between a lion and its food would be foolish indeed. To try to thwart a loving God who is protecting His people would be similarly silly.

But this Old Testament image of God as lion does not give us the complete picture. In Revelation 5:5-6 the Son is portrayed as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain. This contrast of majesty and meekness is reflected in Jesus’ life on earth. But also, these seemingly contradictory images describe what took place on the cross—the glory, the triumph—and the sacrifice. Jesus the lion devouring His prey, which is sin. Jesus the lamb made ransom on our behalf.

Certainly—as the other women have so aptly expressed this month—our response ought to be to emulate both the fierceness and the gentleness of our God. Too, we can take comfort, knowing that He is fighting on our behalf.

But finally, our response is to fall on our face in worship, as is so beautifully expressed in the following lyrics by Big Daddy Weave:

Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah
He’s roaring with power and fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before You

Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain
For the sin of the world, His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
Oh every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb

How Do You Love Your Friend When It’s Hard?

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This month we welcome guest contributor Juli Chaffee to FACETS of Faith. Juli is a wife, mom, and friend who understands the importance of strong and healthy relationships. She owns Crossroads Counseling Center, where she seeks God’s wisdom as she guides her clients on their healing journey. Sit back and enjoy Juli’s insights on how to love a friend when it’s hard.

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. He began to be sad and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me.”  He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want.”  Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.  “Watch and pray. Then you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, “My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done.”  Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn’t keep their eyes open.  So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing.  Then he returned to the disciples. He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners.”  Matt 26:36-45 NIRV

The story above is a powerful example of the crossroads of hardship, friendship and the choices made at that intersection. Jesus Himself wanted his friends close in hardship. He chose his tribe of twelve to be with him at his darkest hour for support and comfort.  How is it possible that our sister-tribe would be any different?  Who do you want by your side in pain, fear, exhaustion and sorrow? Who do you wish to be when confronted with loving of a friend when her life falls apart?  Here is what I struggle with….

How do I love my friend when she has hardship in her life?

How do I love my friend when I’m in a place of hardship?

How do I love my friend when she is hard to love?

Our existence on this earth is riddled with loss, suffering and trauma.  Jesus even told us “Hey- you know this life will be hard, right? Don’t worry though, I am here. You won’t be alone.” John 16:33 (my very loose interpretation).

Scripture tells story after story, real women’s lives, depicting evidence of this pain. Curl up with  Ruth, Bathsheba or Sarah-  and read their stories of hardship. Take Bathsheba for instance.  She was married and, by all accounts, living her life happily and according to plan.  One night the powerful King David sees her bathing on the roof. He desires to have her and commands her to spend the night with him. This sets off a chain of events that turns her life into a nightmare. She becomes pregnant with his child.  King David murders her husband so no one will find out about the affair. He then brings Bathsheba into his home as his wife. Tragically her infant son dies – all due to King David’s sin. Can you imagine?  Her life turned horribly upside down in less than a year!  She lost her husband, her home, her baby, her family and friends. She must have felt shame, grief, anger and loneliness. Her hardships would be overwhelming for anyone to share, but I assure you she needed a friend to be there with her and for her.

The Bible offers several commentaries on friendship. Most seem to have a similar vibe. A good friend is important.  She will love you and be there for you when you need her.

Proverbs 17:17 says it well: “A friend loves at all times. They are there to help when trouble comes.”  It seems easy, clean cut and “do-able” when you read it, right? But what happens when that friend is too exhausted by her own journey to help you?   Or your friend is too incapacitated by anxiety, depression or addiction for her to love you well… or love you at all?  What if you are feeling overwhelmed by your friend’s pain and have no idea how to love her, let alone know what to say or do to help her? What if YOU are the friend who is overwhelmed?

One of the refrains I hear most from women who are struggling with difficult circumstances is they feel alone.  When they most need a friend at their side, that space is empty and achingly  quiet.  As the friend, I wonder if you feel insecure and incapable to meet your loved one in her pain.  Maybe it’s too hard to sit with her when her situation stirs up fear for your own sense of security and peace.

Let’s re-visit that story about Jesus in the garden. He was depressed, struggling, longing for comfort.  Do you see what he wanted from his friends?  He wanted them to be with him and to be awake.

“Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” I hear his sadness and hurt, probably something you have felt yourself at one point.

Back to our question: How do you love your friend when it’s hard?  It’s simple, but not always easy.  Show up.

Guess what? It’s ok if you don’t have all the answers – your friend isn’t looking to you for magic words to eliminate her situation.  It’s ok if you don’t know exactly what to do – your friend doesn’t expect you to remove her mountain.  It’s ok if you are scared, sad and worried yourself.

Together you and your friend can share the pain. You can remind her she isn’t alone, forgotten or rejected. You can share her journey and be a witness to her story.   When it’s scary and messy; when your friend is hurting;  when you don’t know what to say;  just show up.    It’s enough.

Do I Want A Do Over?

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This month Facets of Faith would like to introduce you to our guest writer Dawn Stewart. Dawn has a passion for Jesus that drives her obedience to following His call. She is one of the founding members of a ministry, Beautifully Broken, whose mission it is to equip and empower women to walk in the freedom of their true identity in Christ and to minister this freedom to their homes, churches, and communities. Join us in welcoming our guest Dawn.

As the Christmas season was underway, I found myself thinking about gifts.  What makes something a gift?  Well, for starters, a gift comes to us from an outside source, is given by the giver freely – something we don’t have to earn.  We do not need to be deserving of or qualified for it.  A gift comes to us because the giver desires to give it.  It comes without our asking for it, at any time, and for any reason.

Our part is to receive, show appreciation, and gratitude for the gift.  As a recipient, we get to make the choice what we will do with it.  Sometimes gifts get used immediately, sometimes they get set aside and forgotten about, and sometimes they get returned or exchanged for something better.  It’s entirely up to us.

Are you aware that one of the most precious gifts you or I will ever be given in this life is the gift of time?  It is more precious than the most rare jewel, worth more than the most priceless artifact.  It is something that we could never earn, don’t deserve, and aren’t qualified for.  It is a gift freely given to us by the ultimate Giver – the Lord Himself.  And only He knows how much of it we have.  Only He knows the plans He has for our lives.  (Jeremiah 29)

Our job as the recipient of the gift of time is to use it well.  To live in a way that gives honor and glory to God.  Our role is to make choices with the time we are given that we won’t regret later.  The way we spend our time means a great deal to our Heavenly Father. We see this throughout His Word. In Ecclesiastes 3 we are told that there is a time for everything.  In Psalm 90 we are reminded to number our days.  In James 4 we are reminded that we do not know how long our time on this earth will be, or what tomorrow will bring.  In Ephesians 5, Paul exhorts us to make the most of our days.  These are just a few of the messages in God’s Word about our time here on earth. The Bible has so much to say on using the gift of our time wisely!

But what happens if we make choices with our time, which feel more like a waste of our gift than a productive use of it?  What if we, like the Israelites, waste precious time wandering and complaining in the wilderness when we could have just gone straight to the Promised Land?  Do we get a do over?  Do we get another chance at this life to make the right choices?  Are we able to start over and create a new path for ourselves?  Do we have the power to turn back time?  No!  Not even a second of our time will be refunded to us.  We can’t exchange it, and we will never get back the moments we have squandered.

So, are we without hope?  Are we doomed to live a life fueled by regret, remorse, and guilt for the way we chose to spend our days?  Is it possible to get back the wasted hours, days, months, or years?

We serve a pretty incredible God.  You see I was one of those people who chose to squander away precious years of my life, living in a constant state of discontentment.  I wasted so much time seeking purpose, pleasure, fulfillment, comfort and happiness – that I missed out on the real deal.  I made so many wrong choices that led me down so many dark paths, that by the time I was 33 years old – I felt hopeless and stuck.  I honestly believed that the sole purpose for my existence was to trudge through my days until I died.  I had no idea of the abundant life that God had created me to live.

I was 35 years old when I surrendered my life to Christ, on the heels of discovering that I was alcoholic. Surrender happened after I recognized the depths of dysfunction that resulted from my choice to have an abortion at the age of 22.  True submission to God came as I walked the road of divorce, and dealt with the shame and stigma of bulimia. Surrender came from a place of true desperation. Submitting myself to the grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus happened as a direct result of coming face to face with my life choices. Facing up to the consequences of my actions hurt – a great deal.  Walking through the pain instead of trying to escape, avoid, or numb it was difficult even on the best days (and still can be).  For a while, I longed for a do over.

But God doesn’t just give us a do over. He does better than that! He actually restores and redeems our life!  He takes the time we wasted and replaces it with new life when we come to Him!  He gives us the gift of becoming a whole new creation as we submit ourselves to Him.  His Word tells us that He actually gives us a new spirit and a new heart (Ezekiel 26:36). He restores the “years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25) and puts us in a spacious place (Psalm 18) where we can learn how to live the abundant life He has called us to live.

So, do I need a do over?  Do I even want a do over anymore? Not for a second.  In the words of Paul, I focus on what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13) and not on what has already happened.  God, in His great mercy, continues to restore the painful moments of my life by working them all out for good (Romans 8).  He has used every one of my wrong decisions to minister to others and to bring Him glory in the process.  It seems impossible when you look at it from a human perspective – that a woman like me could be loved and used by a God like Him.  That is one of the things that makes our God so ridiculously amazing – He died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).  He didn’t wait for me to clean my act up before forgiving me.  He actually died to forgive me before I even graced this earth – it was just up to me to receive that beautiful gift of forgiveness and choose to live the rest of my days on this earth for His glory rather than the pursuit of my own happiness.

Nope.  No do over for this girl.  If I had the chance to go back to the moments when I made all those poor choices, I wouldn’t try to change them.  Because every one of those choices was a piece of the puzzle that landed me exactly where I am today.  And there is not one single part of my life today that I would exchange – not for all the riches in the world!  Praise be to the Lord!