Paula Wiseman

Faith and life meet in a story

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Home » Archives for Paula Wiseman

An Invitation to Worship

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

An invitation to worship title graphic

Come.
It’s is an invitation.
An invitation to join the community of believers.
It is an invitation to worship.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! Psalm 95:6

Let us worship.
There is something about corporate worship.
Something about gathering with others
To exalt, to praise, to thank the Lord.

Let us bow down.
Let us recognize His greatness.
Let us reverence His holiness.

Let us kneel.
Let us submit ourselves.
Let us affirm our subservience.

He is the LORD.
Our God, Our Ruler, Our King.

Our Maker.
Our Creator. Our Sustainer. Our Sovereign.

The invitation has been issued.
What on your calendar could be more pressing,
more urgent,
more important?
Will you respond?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Invitation series, Psalms

New Beginnings with Nehemiah: Encouragement

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

New Beginnings with Nehemiah Encouragement title graphic

We’re continuing to learn from Nehemiah about how to manage a new beginning. Remember, Nehemiah was called by God to oversee the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It was a daunting task, no doubt. Perhaps not unlike our own new beginnings. We saw how the seed was planted, and how important resolve is. Nehemiah faced constant opposition. But he had discernment to determine which battles were not worth fighting. But Nehemiah was a source of great encouragement to the people in Jerusalem.

By chapter 8, great things had been accomplished. The wall was finished! The gates and doors were installed. It was a moment of celebration and worship! However, during the worship when the people heard the Scripture read, they clearly saw that it was their sins – corporately and individually- that resulted in their captivity and the destruction of the city, the Temple and the wall in the first place.

We often do the same thing when we face a new beginning, Instead of celebrating our progress and how far God has brought us, we focus on our failures and setbacks. We tend to dissect and overanalyze every decision we made and every step we took. And once our analysis is finished we tend to focus on what we’ve done to hinder things rather than the hand of God moving

Nehemiah responds with this encouragement.

“This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” Nehemiah 8:9

God is the God of new beginnings and second chances. Each one is an invitation to join Him as He works out His plan. It is an opportunity to surrender ourselves once more to the job He has for us. See the new beginning as a day set apart to the Lord like Nehemiah did.

But he encourages his people even more.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Celebrate what God has done and is doing. Show grace and kindness to others. Understand that joy energizes you while grief and regret sap you. Now don’t misunderstand. Repentance for sin is the only proper response when we transgress. We should quickly and humbly own our sins, ask for forgiveness and renounce them. But after that, we must understand that fellowship is restored and we don’t have to live with shame or remorse.

Nehemiah is not so naïve as to think the battle with sin is over and it’s smooth sailing from now on. He knows, and he encourages the people to remember that if they find their joy in the Lord, they will have the strength to live a life that pleases God.

It is no different for us. When we try to find a source of joy outside of God and our relationship with Him, things get difficult to endure.

Nehemiah probably knew this verse. – This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

As we live today and every day, let’s remember that and find strength from the joy that we are His!

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: Nehemiah, New Beginnings with Nehemiah series, Psalms

The Rock That Is Higher Than I

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

O sometimes the shadows are deep,
And rough seems the path to the goal;
And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep
Like tempests down over the soul!

O sometimes how long seems the day,
And sometimes how weary my feet;
But toiling in life’s dusty way,
The Rock’s blessed shadow, how sweet! [Refrain]

O near to the Rock let me keep,
If blessings or sorrow prevail;
Or climbing the mountainway steep,
Or walking the shadowy vale. [Refrain]

Refrain:
O then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I;
O then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I!

Erastus Johnson, 1871
Read Psalm 18:31-34

(In difficult times, when things are uncertain, we have an unchanging God who invites us to shelter under His wings. I am so thankful for the tender love of God who loves us, cares for us and doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves. He is the Rock of our salvation!)

Filed Under: Wednesday Worship Tagged With: hymns

An Invitation to Discipleship

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

invitation to discipleship title graphic

Come.
It’s is an invitation.
An invitation from Jesus Himself.
It is an invitation to discipleship.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

Notice Jesus doesn’t simply say, “Believe in Me.”
Although He says that often, throughout the gospels.
This is something more.

Come.
To come, what do you have to leave behind?
Are you willing to leave it?

Follow Me.
Stay close. Watch. Learn from. Listen to.
Imitate. Obey.

But there’s more.
Fishers of men.
Not fishing, like a vacation.
No. This is a job.
A task. A calling. A holy responsibility.

Discipleship
So what do you say?
Are you in?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Invitation series, Mark

An Invitation to Forgiveness

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

Invitation to Forgiveness title graphic

Come
It’s is an invitation.
An invitation from God Himself.
It is an invitation to find forgiveness.

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

Think of all that forgiveness from God brings.
A restoration of the relationship that we broke.
A reestablishing of communication that we severe.

A covering of our shame.
A cleansing from our filth.
An erasure of our debt.

God takes the initiative.
He sees our predicament.
He offers a solution.

Do you need forgiveness?
For the first time?
For the latest time?
The invitation stands.
Come!

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Invitation series, Isaiah

New Beginnings with Nehemiah: Discernment

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

New Beginnings with Nehemiah Discernment title graphic

We’re continuing to learn from Nehemiah about how to manage a new beginning. Remember, Nehemiah was called by God to oversee the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It was a daunting task, no doubt. Perhaps not unlike our own new beginnings. We saw how the seed was planted, and how important resolve is. Last week we saw how Nehemiah faced opposition. There was constant opposition. Today, we’ll see Nehemiah’s discernment determining how best to fight those battles.

Sanballat, governor of Samaria, and some of his political allies had opposed the Jews’ projects from the beginning. They were relentless in their threats and interference with the wall building. In chapter 6, Sanballat sends out an open letter accusing Nehemiah of fortifying Jerusalem so that he can set himself us as king. He also claimed Nehemiah had gone so far as to arrange for prophets to declare that Nehemiah was the rightful king.

The claims were outrageously baseless and insultingly public, on the order of publishing an op-ed in the New York Times. What should Nehemiah do? How should he react? And what can we learn from Nehemiah when our own fresh starts are met with undeserved drama?

Nehemiah responded simply, quickly, and firmly.
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind” (Nehemiah 6:8). Nehemiah doesn’t go overboard with his response or his denials, but he doesn’t mince words. The accusations are false and Sanballat is the source.

When we take on something new, inevitably some will not jump on board and may even work to undermine our efforts. It may be possible to ignore them for a while, but when they begin to affect others, especially others who look to us for leadership, we have to respond. We can follow Nehemiah’s lead by answering confidently with clarity and using godly discernment to know how and when to proceed.

Nehemiah saw the motives behind the actions.
Nehemiah wisely saw through Sanballat’s actions. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done” (Nehemiah 6:9a). He understood the accusations were more than a personal attack on him. There was a larger purpose and that was derailing the work God had given Nehemiah and his crew.

It is hard not to take attacks personally. Very hard. But if they come, discernment helps us take a step back and look at the big picture. What might be the opposition’s larger goal?

Nehemiah prayed for strength.
But now, O God, strengthen my hands (Nehemiah 6:9b). Nehemiah’s prayer is interesting because it is not for vindication or for the punishment of his adversaries. He prayed for strength, strength to endure, strength to stay focused.

For every new beginning God lays before us, He also equips us and ensures we have the necessary resources to do it (John 15:!6). These resources are not only physical, but emotional, mental, and spiritual. But let’s be honest, we don’t always ask for them. Let’s be like Nehemiah and discern when we need help and humbly ask for it.

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: John, Nehemiah, New Beginnings with Nehemiah series

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Encounters Series

From the opening pages of Scripture, no one who has encountered a holy God has come away unchanged. Adam, Abraham, Hagar, Moses and many, many others realized that God is not distant but a God who … Read More

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Covenant of Trust Series

A covenant is a solemn, binding agreement. God chose to unilaterally enter into a covenant with Abraham. No matter what Abraham said or did, God vowed to uphold the terms and bless Abraham. Marriage … Read More...

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Foundations Series

Jesus told a parable about a wise builder and a foolish one, underscoring how important it is to have a solid foundation. He declared that obedience to His word was the surest foundation of all. In … Read More...

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