Author Archives: cazehner

Unknown's avatar

About cazehner

I'm a woman who loves God's Word, the Bible. And I love sharing what it is God reveals to me through his Word. I pray that everything I write is consistent with Scripture, and that everyone who reads this blog will be drawn closer to the Savior. I am praying for you.

Our Treasure

2 Replies

Isaiah 33: 6b says: The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

Fear? Why doesn’t Isaiah say, “love’, or “grace”, or even “presence”? He talks about God reigning in Jerusalem and “providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge”. Then he says fearing God is our treasure.

I wonder how well we really know God. This Scripture tells me that being saved, receiving wisdom from above, and learning who God is, leads to fear of him. I wonder, if we were polled, how many Christians would say that God scares them.

I loved my dad and was loved by him. But I made certain choices in my life based on the fear of disobeying him. He wore a belt that was a reminder of painful consequences for disobedience.

I don’t see many children fearing their parents. I see some parents fearing their children, afraid to hurt their egos if they say, “No”, or if they swat their bottoms, heaven forbid. I don’t see many Christians fearing God, either.

The Bible teaches that fear and love are not mutually exclusive, and both are necessary for healthy living. We can’t preach God’s love and ignore his holiness, his demand to be obeyed.

We’re foolish if we neglect to remember that the consequences for disobeying him are painful and eternal.

Holy God, you scare me. When I really try to picture your holiness, your power, your anger toward sin, and when I realize how serious you are about being obeyed, I am afraid. I am afraid of the consequences, afraid of disappointing you or angering you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me. Help me to live with a healthy fear, and a realistic look at who you are. Give me your righteousness, and strengthen me to live a life pleasing to you. I love you. I praise you. I worship you in all your holiness.

Barefooting

Leave a reply

I am sure that in all the years I’ve been reading the Bible, I never realized Isaiah ran around naked for three years of his life. I have to confess that I laughed out loud when I read that today in Isaiah 20. God told him to take off his robe and shoes to demonstrate his prophesy concerning Egypt and Ethiopia.

Isaiah 20:2 says Isaiah obeyed, and walked around naked and barefoot. God wanted them to know they would be stripped of everything they thought protected them from God’s judgment. I get that. I understand the lesson Isaiah was teaching. But verse 3 tells us Isaiah taught this lesson for three years, naked and barefoot! God certainly was serious about getting his point across. 

And I get the point.

God wants me to strip myself of everything I might think can shield me from his judgment. Take heart, I am fully clothed and intend on remaining so. However, in my heart I need to strip myself of all good intentions, all excuses, all church attendance and service. I need to strip myself of righteous indignation, self pity, intellect. 

I need to stand naked before God and confess that I am nothing, have nothing without him. I need to let him clothe me with his righteousness because I have none of my own. I may have led a dozen people to the Lord, sung in the choir, taught Sunday School, talked the “talk”. But none of that will protect me from God’s judgment if I don’t personally and intentionally confess my sins and allow him to forgive me. 

Dear God, once again I thank you for allowing your Word to speak to me today. Forgive me for thinking anything I have or have done will somehow cancel out the sins I have committed, for the sins I need to confess. Lord I stand before you naked, stripped bare of good works, good intentions, good excuses. I am a sinner. Forgive me, Lord, in Jesus’ name. Clothe me with your righteousness. Thank you for forgiveness, for life, and for your Word that speaks to those who are open to what you would have us know.

Longing

Leave a reply

I read several psalms this morning, and as I did something in Psalm 130 convicted me. It reminded me how important is my focus, my longings, my purpose. 

I am saved. I accepted Jesus’ work on the cross and when I did, he washed my sins away. I can stand before my Holy God because he has placed his own holiness on me. That, in itself, should cause me to live a life of gratitude.

But things seem to pop up that would take my focus off my Savior. My longing may shift from wanting more of him, to wanting something else: a career, a spouse, health comfort, a bigger house, or a better car. 

As I read the psalms I am reminded to long for that which is eternal. The other things will fall into place if I look to Jesus every minute of every day. I may never have that ocean front condo, or have the privilege of sharing life with a husband. But if my focus is on the Lord, on loving him and being loved by him, on obeying him, and serving him, my longing for other things will morph into what God himself longs for me.

May my prayer always be: More of you, Lord. More of you! Whatever I have on this earth fades in comparison to knowing you, loving you, serving you. 

Counting Hawks

2 Replies

My dad was an observer and a lover of nature. I can’t count the hours he spent looking out into his back yard, watching birds, squirrels, rabbits, and deer. He taught us girls to notice things like sunsets and clouds, like lightning in storms, like new buds on trees in spring, and like the sparkle and beauty of a snowfall. He and Mom always challenged each other to see which of them could spot the most hawks every time they went somewhere in the car. I never see a hawk today without thinking about them.

Dad could have been a psalmist. I read Psalm 104 today and once again am reminded what an incredible thing is creation. Nothing… NOTHING… happened by chance. The beauty and majesty of our world was carefully constructed, from the tiniest seed to the highest mountain.

Is life throwing roadblocks in your way? Are you troubled, lonely, afraid? Take a minute and look outside. Better yet, take a walk. Listen to birds sing, the breeze rustle through trees. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, or allow raindrops to mix with your tears. Count the hawks perched in the trees, and know even they fit in your Creator’s design.

The God who created the fragrant flowers you smell, the oceans and deserts, the God who created you wants to walk with you today. In this whole great big world of ours, there is no one he loves more, no one he thinks of more, no one he longs to call his own more than you! Give him your heart. Rejoice in his grace. Praise him for Jesus. Look around. His love is stamped all over the place.

Storms may come. No, storms WILL come. Take his hand and let him get you through.

Dear Creator, Words fall short of expressing the awe I feel as I observe nature, as I see your hand in all that there is, and as I understand that you love me. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for making me your child when I repented of my sin. Walk with me today, Lord, as you wish. And may I never take for granted what your creation entails.

Underneath His Wings

Leave a reply

I love the picture painted in Psalm 91 of God’s protection. There is something very comforting about nestling in the shelter, in the shadow of my Heavenly Father. He is my refuge when he covers me with his feathers and I rest beneath his wings. Tucked in, protected, I don’t need to fear the night. I don’t need to fear my enemies.

But then the psalm goes on to say if I hide there, in God, nothing bad will happen to me. No evil will conquer me, no plague enter my home. I can step on lions and cobras, and not get hurt. And I’ll live a long, healthy life.

Is that what God is saying? Should I go to the zoo and kick a lion? If that is so, and I am to interpret the psalm materially, then I must believe God has feathers and somewhere on this planet is a giant nest we can all hide in. Are we to interpret these psalms as though God is speaking materially, or is he painting a picture of spiritual truth?

Well, because I am not going to be the one who decides which verses are spiritual truths and which are meant to be taken materially, I’m going to read them all with God’s spiritual kingdom in mind.

I love Psalm 91’s picture of God’s protection over my soul. He assures me that no matter what happens, God is there to protect me from Satan, and to give me strength to face the “lions” in my life. I may face disease, heartache, pain. But my God promises to protect that spirit within me. He promises me a long and healthy life… an eternal life… forever sheltered underneath his wings.

Dearest God, Thank you for the pictures you inspired the psalmists to write so many years ago. Thank you for the times you have answered prayers I’ve prayed for physical healing for myself and others, for traveling mercies, for material requests. But, God, I know this and other psalms speak of something more, something more precious than the flesh and blood body I live in today. You promise to protect my soul, you promise to wrap your arms around me so that Satan’s arrows have no effect on my eternity, because I have asked you to be my Savior. Keep me safe beneath your wings, dear Lord.

It’s On Me

Leave a reply

I read Proverbs 25-29 this morning as part of my daily walk through the chronological Bible. Some of the proverbs make me chuckle. Others hit home and convict. I don’t understand some of them. What I came away with today is: be honest, love and obey God, use good sense, don’t get too full of yourself. I am reminded that God wants to bless me today. The only thing standing in his way, is me.

I went to my weekly Weight Watchers meeting this morning. (that’s a story in itself) The instructor asked us to list those things that cause us to slip up in our attempt to lose weight. People threw out things like: other people, snacks at the workplace, depression, fatigue, holidays, etc. We all could relate!

Then she said: none of those things cause us to fail. It’s us. It’s me. It’s my taking that handful of chips, or worse, the whole bag. It’s me eating that candy and not counting it. She reminded us that no one forces food in our mouths, and that we need to take responsibility for every bite. 

I was reminded of that truth as I read Proverbs today. I am responsible for the choices I make: from my attitude, to how I dress, to the relationships I have, to my response to temptation. I can’t blame you… or God.

If I am not being blessed by God, it’s not his fault. Circumstances aside, he wants to bless me in every and all situations, good and bad. He only asks that I trust and obey him. So if I’m not being blessed by God, it’s on me.

My Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your abundant blessings. Forgive me for those times I miss out on what you have for me because of sin in my life, because I have taken my eyes off of you. Help me to take responsibility for the choices I make every day. And may I choose you.

Planting the Wind

Leave a reply

They plant the wind and reap a whirlwind. Sound the alarm! The enemy is coming! (Hosea 8)

We get so caught up in treating the symptoms of our disease we are going to die of that very disease. We rally against abortion. We lobby for gun control. We write letters to our representatives, boycott businesses, change churches. We give to charities and build houses for the poor. We jail child-molesters and animal-abusers. But those are symptoms of the real problem.

Our world isn’t in trouble because the likes of Obama and Puten are in power, or terrorists are gaining strength, or because women are mistreated, or homosexuality is being normalized. Our nation is not in trouble because of dishonest business practices, or guns, or television. Those are all symptoms of the greater problem.

Sin.

We are reaping a whirlwind because we have planted wind. We’ve preached a watered-down, politically correct version of the Bible, or worse, denied it all together. We don’t talk about Jesus to our neighbors, we don’t read God’s Word, we don’t pray. We don’t call sin sin and we don’t proclaim Jesus as the only way to the Father. And we are getting payback.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be treating the symptoms. It’s important for Christians to use our voices in protest to ungodly legislation, to speak up against injustice, to use our resources to help those in need. But if we do so without addressing the hearts’ condition we might as well plant the wind.

I heard a preacher once say, “You can’t expect non-Christians to act like Christians”. The issue is not so much what a person does but what he believes.

Father, I pray for a mighty pouring out of your Spirit in the hearts of men and women today around the world. I pray for the US, for those who were raised in a nation under God. We’ve gotten so far away from that we don’t even recognize ourselves any more. I pray for pastors of churches where the Truth of Scripture is proclaimed. I pray for Christians in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their workplaces. May we nurture our relationship with you, then boldly proclaim your Truth by our words and our lifestyles. I pray for the salvation of our President, our representatives, pastors, teachers, neighbors, friends, loved-ones. Let there be a mass turning to you in this country. And may we reach out to a world who needs you so desperately. May we plant Seed that will grow and produce fruit for your kingdom.

Nineveh’s Story

4 Replies

Jonah’s story excited me this morning. Usually I look at the man Jonah, and the lessons he learned through his experience recorded in this book. But today I saw the city of Nineveh. It was a city full of sinful people. 120,000 idol worshipers living in spiritual darkness. But God had been working behind the scenes in the hearts and lives of the residents of Nineveh. They were ready to hear the Truth. As soon as Jonah preached God’s words, they repented. They repented! They realized their sin and called on God – and they were saved.

Many of us believe the US is too far gone, that destruction is inevitable, that this is the end. Is it? Or is God preparing hearts to break in the face of sin? Is he waiting for a Jonah (or Jonahs) to speak his words, then step back and watch God at work? Can there be a mass turning to the Savior in the US? There was in Nineveh.

May we pray believing. May we obey God’s call and not waste any time in the belly of a fish. May Satan be defeated in this land in such a miraculous way that all the nations will recognize God is who he says he is. May God pour his Spirit out on the people living in spiritual darkness right here in the United States of America. And may we turn to him like the people of Nineveh turned to God thousands of years ago.

Pray, dear one. Pray!

The Real You

2 Replies

I am so disappointed in King Joash. He became king at the age of seven and did so much good. He even saw to it that the temple was repaired. The nation thrived under his leadership and the people were happy. I guess they should thank Jehoiada the priest for that. From the start, Jehoiada advised King Joash, and the king did what this trusted priest suggested. 

But Joash’s true character was revealed when Jehoiada died. (2 Chronicles 24) He allowed nearly all of Jehoiada’s reforms to be reversed. Idol worship was once again seen in Israel. Then, when Zecharia, the son of Jehoiada, spoke up against what was going on, Joash had him killed. That’s how he paid back Jehoiada for years of honest service and good counsel. The king killed his son.

I wonder how many of us lead double lives. We are one person at church and around our church friends. But our true character is revealed when we step away from them. Would the person who sits next to us in church recognize us in our homes by the way we treat the members of our family, in our workplace, on the softball field or playing golf? Would our neighbors describe us the same way our church family does?

It’s one thing to do good, to talk sweetly, to appear righteous when we are in the presence of godly people. But our true character, like Joash’s, is revealed when we are on our own.

So who is the real you?

Father, I pray for your children today. May we walk with you whether we are walking down the aisle of our churches, or down the aisle of a grocery store. May our tone of voice be the same whether we are talking to the Sunday School teacher, or our teenage son. May our commitment to you be more than a Sunday thing, and may the “real” person inside of each us be pleasing in your sight whether we are with church friends or coworkers, whether inside the walls of our churches or out. I pray that people will recognize Jesus in each of us in all circumstances and in all walks of life.

A Modern-Day Jezebel

Leave a reply

Ahab and Jezebel’s story as recorded in I Kings 20 reminds me of what is happening in the US these days. Evil people want our land, they want control over what was a nation under God. So they’ve invited us to a “feast”. They lie about Christians, villainize us so that the Truth we stand for looks like evil. They say we blaspheme a loving god when we tell them Jesus is the only Truth. They hate us but convince themselves it is we who hate them. And we, like Naboth, don’t recognize the danger we’re in. We’ve joined their party and it’s going to cost us everything.

That’s been Satan’s strategy since the Garden. He’s had a lot of practice and he’s good at getting into our heads. He’s a master at distorting the truth. And he makes sin look normal, pleasing, harmless, our right.

Naboth was killed in the end. Our civilization is dying, too. And we, like Naboth, are just sitting here dining with the enemy and not defending ourselves. Remember, our enemy is not flesh and blood, but Satan, anti-christ philosophy. And if we don’t stand up to the people who are robbing us of our land, we will lose it all.

Father, I pray you will raise up men and women who not only know you and the Truth of Scripture, but who will stand up in Jesus’ name to defend it. I pray that you will lay on the hearts of godly people the desire to get involved in our political system and reclaim the US for a nation built upon you. Help us to recognize Satan’s lies, to be discerning hearers of the news, to speak up in love, and draw all men and women to you. I pray for this once-great nation. May we repent of the sins of ourselves and our leaders and call on you to heal our land.