Myron Speaks

When I was going through a season of drought 3 years ago and feeling exiled from all that my identity was falsely dependent upon, I prayed and prayed and prayed, read my Bible continuously and sought answers and ‘noise’ from friends, spiritual mentors, the Holy Spirit…it was quiet.

While I was going through this season, I continually wondered why was Paul, a Roman citizen and the new Christian Church’s most fierce advocate, allowed to be wrongly imprisoned and in chains, seemingly forgotten by those who so desperately depended upon him. Seemingly sidelined by the God who had been so effectively using him.

Then one night at my usual Holy Spirit wake-up time of 2:00 am, I was awakened and went out into our living room. The Holy Spirit said to me, “do you want to know why I placed Paul in chains for all that time?” To which I quickly replied, ‘yes’ because this had troubled and perplexed me for several years. Before I go further, the epiphany that God had placed Paul in chains was a real smack in the face. Of course, my limited mind not recognizing that God allows all things to happen, well because He is the God of all things. I digress. Then the Spirit explained something to me that has changed the trajectory of my life. The answer why Paul was placed in chains was: “because Paul was such a man of action, I placed him in chains so that he would write the letters to my churches that would become 2/3rds of the New Testament, be read by billions of people and cause untold millions/billions to come into relationship with Me, God.”

When the Savior knew that my wandering exile had brought me to a place of desperation, submission and needing, He knew that I would hear His small voice directing me in the plans He had for me and the people He had coming into my path. He asked me: “Do you think Paul felt it was worth being in chains when I had him there? He didn’t.” “Myron, do you recognize the value of the time you have been exiled and removed from the things in which you falsely placed value and gained your identity?” I didn’t. But slowly, systematically, methodically things began to be revealed to me as the plans of the Savior, my purpose through the Savior, my identity in the Savior, the love of my Heavenly Daddy. His desires for my life that deliver joy and fulfillment unlike anything life had ever brought me before. I was home in Him.

Now, I am not going to argue theology and frankly if this revelation from the Father to me about Paul doesn’t align with your theological understanding, that’s okay. If you know me, then you know the limitations of the author of this post.

I write this to that one friend out there, struggling with their identity and purpose. I write this as encouragement to you that the season(s) of silence that God allows and even places us in are for us, not Him. I write this to encourage you that God is doing marvelous things in and through you, even as you feel alone and unheard, You are heard and loved by the Almighty God of all things. Trust in Him during this season of drought. He is watering and growing deep, deep roots within you that will not be swayed and whose purpose through you will have impact on so many that he is preparing and aligning in your future path. He has not forgotten you. He has chosen you and He is elevating you to the high honor of the purpose and plan that he has for your life.

God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. That’s enough.

“…I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)

In case you need encouragement today. There may have never been greater words of hope uttered in the history of mankind than these words by Jesus. Recognizing and accepting who God says you are and the unconditional, repeat unconditional love of Jesus on the cross offers hope, assurance, validation and future to each of us who acknowledges and accepts that Jesus died for our sins, Then surrendering our sin-filled lives for the Grace-given, Mercy-extended, immeasurable love of Jesus and the joy that comes every morning.

So the greatest news we have is the unearned love given us by the Father. The pursuit of restoring health begins with identifying and acknowledging the sickness. Our pursuit of righteousness begins with acknowledging the sickness of our sin. Whatever lies that Satan has you mired in, they are lies. They do not define you. Guilt and shame are not of or from Christ. They are the seeds of the devil designed to grow within in us as weeds that will choke out the healthy beauty and purpose that God placed within in us as He formed us so long ago. He created you and me to express Him though our lives during our life on Earth and then to add to the harmony of Heaven in our own unique way.

So be joyful today in the knowledge that Jesus, the greatest physician, came and died for you and me to heal our bodies and minds and release us into the joy-full lives He has always desired for us.

“They took the thirty pieces of silver the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.” Matthew 27:9-10

This scripture was the prophecy of Jeremiah given 600 years before Jesus lived and walked the Earth. An immeasurable blip of time in the realm of the eternity we are promised awaits after our short time in this life is over. Eternity in Heaven or in Hell, our choice.

The words within this scripture that struck me this morning were “…the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel…” These words spoken about God’s chosen people and their treatment of His son. How much do we value the Savior?

I tell our kids often that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat others and how they take care of what they have. In this World of want and pursuit of all things shiny, glittery, impressive, Jones-beating, our appreciation and value of things entrusted to us seem to have a shorter and shorter shelf-life. A new car, new phone, new job, new location is awesome for about 6-months and then it’s something that no longer meets the need for gratification and position and is just lacking. I lived on this hamster wheel for close to 50 years of my life…and somehow never got anywhere but needing more ‘new.’ Who knew?

I am always impressed with people that I meet who have a deep, profound and lasting appreciation for what they have. They seem to live lives of joy that scripture continually points us to. Lives that are grounded in others before self and gratitude in what is present and had, as opposed to what is new, glittering and perpetually growing stale. I drive a 6 year-old pickup truck that I love to the point that I have named her Henrietta (she chose to identify as a lady; don’t blame me if she has gender confusion.), and every year I appreciate her more and truth be told, I care for her more each year. Trying to make sure all things mechanical are dealt with, tires replaced as needed (much to Megan West Mullins dismay) and that I clean and maintain her. I appreciate what a great truck I have and all the hard work she has done for me. I owe her my gratitude, care and maintenance in appreciation for the 120,000+ miles she has taken me and the hundreds of thousands of pounds of materials and hay she has hauled. I have never felt this was about the many cars and vehicles that were way more cool, stylish, trendy and attention grabbing that I owned prior to this truck. Ironically, they all were just vehicles within 6 months of ownership.

Jeremiah’s prophesy 600 years before Jesus came to Earth and then written in Matthew causes me to ask myself, “what value do I place on God, His Son and the Holy Spirit?” Do they invade and permeate every thought and pursuit of my life? Has the new become old or am I perpetually seeking and ravenously ingesting Christ through His word and is the pursuit of righteousness the overwhelming desire of my heart? God tells me that it is okay to answer these questions honestly. That it is okay to have failed, yet again to live a day in this short life with wrong yet seeking perspective. That He loves me despite, not because. That He waits patiently to tell me in person, “I love you and know your heart.”

Our time, energy, focus and actions reflect the value we place on the Father. My prayer today is that I reflect an increase in His value a little more today than I did yesterday and yet again, more tomorrow.

“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” Exodus 34:14 (NLT)

Did you ever have a friend, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a best friend who wanted you solely for themselves and would get upset, jealous, even angry when you turned your attention to someone else? This type of immature, insecure and self-serving jealousy is unhealthy and almost always leads to breakups that leave the relationship in tatters and those in the relationship more guarded about the next relationship. The beginning of building that wall that creates barriers, impenetrable emotions and in many minds, “healthy, aka ‘unhealthy’ distance” in friendships and relationships.

So then, why did God come down to Moses on Mount Sinai and tell him specifically that ‘His very name is Jealous and He is jealous about His relationship with you?’ Let’s clear up any misconception that God is insecure. When You are the Creator of all things, including time, you’re secure in Who You are. So good news, we have THE God who is jealous for us. He surrounds us. He is our protector. He mourns when we suffer through life experiences and relationships that are not of Him. He loves us enough that He gives us free will and choice because he wants a genuine relationship chosen by both of us, Him for us and us for Him.

If you have ever witnesses a momma bear with her cubs, literally and figuratively (a mother with her children), who feels their children are being threatened in any way, the fury that they will unleash is amazing and frankly, frightening. Megan West Mullins will come out of her skin on anyone or anything she senses is threatening her family. We call this “Ohio Megan” and it is fierce, fast and complete. We understand the depth and breadth of her love in these moments. You do not want to be on the receiving end! This is a healthy human jealousy ingrained in her by the Father above and is woven into the fabric of her DNA. Never wavering, never ending, never conceding. Absolute.

How much more our Father in Heaven. God proclaimed His jealousy to Moses to confirm to His son, His leader, His torch bearer, His children’s human protector, His jealousy as affirmation that “I have your back, your front, your side to side, your forever.” Trust Me. Our jealously and zealously loving Father is absolute in His protection and love for us. He desires our one-on-one relationship with Him above all else. He tells us, “have no other gods other than me” because they are fake and they dilute our relationship with Him. Don’t think you have other gods before Him? Take inventory of how and where you spend your time and what invades your thought and energy. Remove anything that stands between you and the Father who always and only desires what is best and least limiting to our relationship with Him and our purpose by Him. The best news you will hear today is that God loves you. The better news is this is a truism every day of our lives in this time-blip of human life on Earth and in the eternity that God has created for His children…us.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

“Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” Matthew 19:27-30 (NLT)

Do you ever wonder if the things we are obtaining in this life, material possessions, education, accolades, acknowledgment, position, the dreaded “respect,” matter to God?

Megan West Mullins passed along to me a great word that God gave to her as He woke her at 3:00 am this morning…about me. I had shared dealing with some hurt and flawed feelings (which are scary and oftentimes misleading things) of not being appreciated and my efforts and actions not being remembered. God’s questions through her to me were:

Me – Look what I did for you?

God – “See how I used you.”

God: “They won’t remember. I do!”

God: “What did you do it all for? Them or Me?”

The hard answer is, Lord, I did this in your name but for my recognition and honor. Painful to write.

So, as I enter another day and season, I write meekly and cautiously, Father please continue to use me even though I am so flawed, so needy, so insecure, so seeking the accolades of those equally broken and equally needing, seeking, striving. Through our brokenness Dad, use us to build and advance your Kingdom. Matthew 6:10.

Peter asked, “what will we get.” Jesus answered, ‘100X as much in return.’ I have received 100 x 100 in return for the ways God has and continues to use me, despite my human limitations. I am grateful that Jesus patiently looks at me, rubs his nail-scarred hands and says “Dad, I would do it all again for him.” Today know that God the Father, the Omnipotent Creator of all things would sacrifice His perfect Son for we, His imperfect children. He would die all over again for you, but thankfully His death was necessary only once for our eternity if we trust and follow Him.

Great story that I borrowed.

“A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, ‘I hope he doesn’t come over here.’ But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

‘Where are you folks from?’ he asked in a friendly voice.

‘ Oklahoma ,’ they answered.

‘Great to have you here in Tennessee ,’ the stranger said.. ‘What do you do for a living?’

‘I teach at a seminary,’ he replied.

‘Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I’ve got a really great story for you.’ And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, ‘Great … Just what I need ….another preacher story!’

The man started, ‘See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, ‘Hey boy, Who’s your daddy?’ Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. ‘When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, ‘Son, who’s your daddy?’

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

‘This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy.. ‘Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.’

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.’

‘With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, ‘Who’s your Daddy?’ he’d just tell them , ‘I’m a Child of God..”

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, ‘Isn’t that a great story?’

The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, ‘You know, if that new preacher hadn’t told me that I was one of God’s children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!’ And he walked away..

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over & asked her, ‘Do you know who that man was — the one who just left that was sitting at our table?’

The waitress grinned and said, ‘Of course. Everybody here knows him. That’s Ben Hooper. He’s governor of Tennessee !’

Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they’re one of God’s children!

‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.’ ~~Isaiah

YOU’RE ONE OF GOD’S CHILDREN!!!”

“…When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” Exodus 4:31 (NLT)

The Israelites worshiped God in their misery because He was concerned about them. Job worshiped God when his children, his livestock and his assets were wiped out in a single afternoon. David worshiped God when his son died. Through misery, loss and death, God calls us to worship Him with the same vigor that we do in times of plenty.

The Israelites were God’s chosen people, even during this time of misery and arguably became one of the greatest nation’s on earth. Job was considered one of the most righteous men on earth and God restored him numerous times over because he was steadfast in the face of what most of us would call unjust suffering. David was called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his sin with Bathsheba and the devious steps he took that caused her husband, Uriah to be killed (who arguably was a good man and great leader by what is written of his actions in the Bible.).

So the question becomes, how, why and when do we worship? I think worship has been defined in recent decades as an event that makes us feel better, releasing dopamine from our brain to create a euphoric feeling for some period of time. And this is a key and needed part of worship.

Worship as a noun is described as “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. “the worship of God” As a verb worship is “show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.”

Over the past few years, the Holy Spirit has awakened me more times than I can count at 2:00 am and directed me to go into our living room and listen, learn and trust. The overriding message in the hundreds of early morning lessons has been; regardless of circumstance, worship God the Father. Our Father in Heaven is our Dad of eternity whose desire for our best is born out through the worship that we give to him.

Think of it this way, as we eat vegetables, fruits and meat and couple with healthy living, our bodies thrive. Very much the same as we seek the face of God through Bible study, through prayer, through relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ (the Church), through belonging and involvement with a local church, through WORSHIP, we thrive because our spirit, our heart and our mind and in harmony with the One who created us. We thrive.

Regardless of circumstance, worship Him. If you are in a season of drought, spiritual, relational, financial, health, any…worship Him. If Dad in Heaven has taught me nothing else, He has taught me that He loves me most in times where I feel the greatest need, because I allow Him closest to me when I am most vulnerable. Worship Him in everything you do today and make this your life habit. He desires more than anything else to love you, to bless you, to walk closely with you and to see you experience the marvelous plans that he has for your life.

There were 28 generations from King David to Jesus. In Acts 13:22 the statement (paraphrased) included ‘…a man after my own heart, he will do everything I want him to do,’ referencing David. As fathers, husbands, leaders in our home and community, a litmus test for our lives is what will the generations after us look like. There are no coincidences with God and there was a plan and purpose that through David, 1000 (+ or -) years later the Son of the King of Kings would be born on this earth to a lowly girl and her carpenter fiancé, whose character, commitment and belief still reflected his ancestor of 28 generations prior. Joseph too did everything that God wanted him to do. Think it doesn’t matter if your taking your kids to church? What will your lineage and legacy say? God says who you are now will be reflected for generations to come.

Ever wonder how Potiphar’s wife felt when she learned that Joseph had been put in charge of all Egypt by Pharaoh?

A couple of takeaways. Regardless of your position, your power or your prestige, be kind and respectful to the person standing in front of you, serving you, working for you, needing you. God has a magnificent plan for their lives that very well might directly impact your life. Jeremiah 29:11-14

Secondly, when you are entrusted by God to do anything in His name, great or small, leave the vengeance and desire to get even to Him. We’re not good at meting out justice because of the log sticking out of our own eye. Romans 12:17-20

Joseph sat in the prison a full 2 years after he told the baker and the wine taster’s dreams. While in prison, the jailer entrusted the oversight of the jail to Joseph, a prisoner. When Jeremiah prophesied verse 29:11 to the Jews, the plans were 70 years out. He told them to build houses and settle in and make a life in Babylon until God’s timing was met.

God is telling us to have impact through the way we live our lives now, in our current situation, regardless of what we dream or desire. His plans are our perfect plans and our pursuit of His plans play out best when we live daily lives committed to seeking righteousness through our actions and our hearts.

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (NLT)

Aren’t you glad that Joseph did not discount the message from God? That his faith was strong enough to push aside his pride, ego, human need for acceptance, pursuit of social prestige and simply, humbly, quietly accept the Holy Spirit’s message and anointing on his life.

As I work with God’s amazing men through Fight Club Men, one of the key things we deal with is setting aside our pride and seeking God’s purpose and plan. Joseph understood the beautiful gift that Mary was to him. His life partner who would make him better in every way. He stepped outside the social norms of the day, shedding his pride, accepting that his job was to be Mary’s partner, supporter, protector, encourager and example of faith for his soon to be wife and their family.

What God has for each of us doesn’t always smack us in the face. Our willingness to accept, trust and obey are the foundations upon which God will build His temple in and through us as He did through Joseph in this seminal moment in human history.