Musings from My Sun Porch

                 Most everyone has heard of Lot’s wife, the unfortunate woman who became a pillar of salt.   She and her family were rescued from the evil, sinful city of Sodom with one final command, “Don’t look back (Genesis 19:17b NIV84).   Apparently, Mrs. Lot’s curiosity got the best of her, and she paid the price for her disobedience.             Notice that the Angel’s command was not, “Don’t remember.”   It was, “Don’t look back.”.   While they may sound very much alike, I think they are distinctly different actions in God’s eyes.             In Scripture, God often tells us to remember.   The Jewish Passover is a remembrance celebration that God instituted so that the Jews would not forget how He had delivered them from Egypt.   He wanted them to remember!   On the night of His betr...

                 In stark contrast to the power and position of Sarah, we find Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant.   We like to think of her as a “servant” but in reality, she was a slave, little more than property with no control over her life or her body.   That became apparent when Sarah decided to help God out and offered Hagar to Abraham to produce an offspring.   The result was the birth of Ishmael, and then the trouble began.             When Hagar became pregnant, for the first time in her life, she realized that she had value.   After all, she was carrying her master’s child.   Unfortunately for her, Sarah still had the power and position and Hagar suffered as a result.   Hagar responded by running away.               Hagar’s first journey in the wilderness was short-lived but it had a prof...

                 When I read the beginning of Abraham and Sarah’s story in Genesis 12, I can’t help but wonder what she was thinking when Abraham told her they were moving to a land God would show them (Genesis 12: 1).   Those who have traveled with me know that I like to know exactly where we are going, how we are getting there, and what to expect when we arrive.   We don’t know what Sarah thought but she went along with Abraham.   Of course, there was the promise of great blessings so maybe that was enough to quiet her curiosity.             While much of God’s conversation was with Abraham, in chapter 17, God included Sarah in the promise.   He announced that “she will be the mother of nations, kings of people will come from her” (Genesis 17: 16b NIV84).   At a time when women were considered little more than property, God elevated Sarah to a position of...

                 After the unfortunate outcome of Eve’s encounter with the snake, the next woman that we find in Scripture is unnamed, yet I don’t think that diminishes her role in the next chapter of mankind’s story.   I will call her “Mrs. Noah”.               Mrs. Noah lived at a time when Satan’s foothold had grown stronger and stronger. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)   Genesis 6 tells us that man’s wickedness had grown so evil that God decided to destroy mankind.   However, there was one man, Noah, who “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6: 8 NIV84).               As Noah’s story unfolds, we find that God chose to save only Noah, his wife, and their three sons and their wives.   We know that Noah was a righteous man who walked with God (Genesis 6: 9).   I think it’s likely th...

                 As the first woman and the person who took the first bite of the forbidden fruit, Eve is generally referred to as the one who caused all our problems.   However, if you examine the Scripture closely you might decide to cut her some slack.   You’ll also learn a lot about our awesome God.             I must admit that I am a little perplexed by why Eve would have a conversation with a snake or any animal for that matter.   Of course, for all we know, maybe animals could talk before the world got turned upside down.   What we do know about that time before sin entered the world is that Adam and Eve had a very special relationship with God.   Genesis 3: 8 tells us that God walked in the Garden.   Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just take a stroll with God?   That always makes me think of the song, “In the Garden”. ...

                   Recently my women’s Bible study group completed a two-year study of the women of the Bible.   Along the way, we learned some valuable lessons by simply reading the Scripture references about the individual women and then considering 6 questions.                         What do you like best?                         What do you like least?                         What do you not understand?                         What do you learn about God or Jesus?   ...

                 For weeks, we have all heard about the solar eclipse.   People traveled miles, clogging highways, and selling out hotel rooms just to view this phenomenon for a few short hours.   Eclipse glasses were also sell-outs, and the news media was all over this event.   Here in Louisville, it was almost as big as Thunder over Louisville.             Yet, I couldn’t help but think about the awesome power of God in presenting this majestic display of His power.   “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night…” (Genesis 1a & 16a NIV84).             For a total solar eclipse to occur, the sun, the moon, and the earth must be in perfect alignment.   That in itself is a miracle but...

                 Recently, I broke my foot.   It wasn’t a painful break but because it was my right foot, I couldn’t drive.   That fact caused more discomfort than the break because it meant that I had to ask for help.   I’m a type A, independent woman with a little (okay, a lot) of my family’s stubborn streak, so asking for help does not come naturally.   I needed people to drive me to the doctor, to pick up groceries, and to get to church.   Fortunately, I have a great family and wonderful friends who often didn’t wait for me to ask, they called me to see if I needed a ride.             Now that I’m back to driving, I’ve had the opportunity to consider what a blessing all these “chauffeurs” have been to me and to think about what it means to allow others to help.   The story of Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath came to mind (I Kings 17: 7 – 16). ...

               Two days ago, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ!   So, what does His resurrection mean for us?             Without the resurrection, we have no hope.  Paul makes that very clear in I Corinthians 15: 14 when he says that without the resurrection our faith is useless.  Sin created the “great divide” between God and man, and the result of sin is death (Romans 6: 23).  To cross that “great divide”, Christ had to pay the price for our sins and conquer death.  He did both!             With the resurrection, we are assured of our eternal destiny, if we are Christ followers.  Just after Jesus ascended back into heaven, the angels told His followers, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven ” (Acts 1:...