To Harbor Safe

S.M.

Angels sing of glory,
While earth in labor waits.
Christ's melody of faithful love
Guides ships to harbor safe.

Though the sky is empty
And evil takes its stand,
My eyes hold to the cloudless sky
To see the Son of Man.

I will wait for Glory.
Yes, I will watch for Him.
My heart beholds salvific love
Secured by gracious winds.


(c) 2010 by Kendra Hinkle.

Empty Hands

Beautiful empty hands
in this dark night of my soul.
I've nothing to bring,
I never did.

But the emptiness reminds me
that the day it all began on June eleven
I could barely understand,
but I believed.

The cleansing water was sprinkled.
Jesus washed away the guilt of my sin.
My life exchanged for His
and the Spirit entered in.

No reason for boasting -
I played as a child, but something had changed.
Peace dwelt in my heart
first I'd ever known.

No returning to the land of death
even today in my dark night.
God changed me forever.
I am His.

Still to this day
I proclaim with joy these empty hands.
I've nothing to bring my living King.
Praise God, I never did.

(C) 2009 by Kendra Hinkle.

Sight for the Blind

I recently shared elsewhere about a blindfold I wear for praying through difficult times of faith. The source of that blindfold is the story below. Keep in mind that now I am in Texas, and have been here for many years:

(written Sunday, February 13, 2005 by Kendra Hinkle)

Be Thou my vision,
O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me,
save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
(8th century Irish hymn)

This past summer, I spent some time playing in the Little Painted Dessert in Arizona with a team of college students. We took off running down the thin pathways of colored rubble, and skated down steep embankments of loosenning rock. After a while there were a few of us left, jumping dry stream beds and discovering fossilized trees while we ran. Off in the distance we headed to a 75-foot drop where you could stand and surf down a crumbling rubble embankment. After my first ride down and ending knee deep in loose rock, I headed up for another try. I gazed about a mile over the landscape, and my innate drive to run began to well up within me. Abandoning a second surf down the hill, I grabbed a fellow runner - a girl on our trip who had already been my adventure partner early in the mornings on the Navajo reservation.

We took off running a new trail through the hills and valleys...keeping an eye to the dot (our van) on the ridge above. Running in that place was a moment I will remember forever. No maps...just pure love for what God enabled us to do. We ran long and hard, and eventually slowed to a walk as we ascended the steeper parts of the trail.

Later that week, we were blindfolded and taken into a van. As the van bumped over rough terrain, a song with the lyrics, "I'm desperate for you. I'm lost without you," played in the background. As I sat there, tears began to stream down my face. The song played, and the memory of the previous run through the Little Painted Dessert played through my mind. There was a God-ordained freedom in that moment of running. No fear. No need for a map. But in my memory, there were no longer two runners tracking among the breathtaking landscape...there were three. I became overwhelmed as I realized that God was with me in that moment, in a very personal way.

The van stopped. Our blind, human chain climbed a rugged trail. Finally, we removed our blindfolds in front of two dead limbs fashioned into a cross. I went off by myself and sat on a volcanic rock ledge overlooking the landscape. I began to sense God calling me to place the blindfold over my eyes both spiritually and physically as I prayed over the decisions ahead in my life, and recited Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowlege Him and he will make your paths straight" (NIV). It was the same verse the Lord had given me four years earlier upon entry into my current ministry situation. Then, He was calling me to contentment in Him in all of the newness of Indiana, and now He was calling me back out.

As the impact of those moments has joined with my situation, I have decided to follow with a blindfold on. Everything I own on this earth is packed into a 5 X 10 space. My suitcases, which will be my traveling companions, are almost ready. The destination: first to the family farm where I grew up. Solitude will retune and deepen my ears for the Lord. After some more trips to see various family members, I will begin to apply and search with the Lord for what He is specifically calling me to.

Lord, be my vision and my strength. My legs are weary, but yours are sure. I cannot see ahead of me, but I have your voice to guide my steps. No one is like you, Lord. There is none who compare.

Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Down Home

Just a few days before a blind date, my sister posted a whole slew of pictures from our years growing up on the farm. Facebook faux pas! To her credit, I hadn't mentioned the date - but had a good laugh at the timing.

I would be the one in blue, upper left. I climbed more like an ape than a kid. Obviously, my keen sense of fashion started on the farm, too.

It was a priceless upbringing with my sister and cousins. We fished, played in the creek when it rained, ate apples from the orchard, fed grass to the horses, and washed dishes after meals. I love them. They are more like sisters than cousins. The land belonged mostly to our grandparents, and my dad bought a few acres from them.

In the pic, we're playing in a chicken pen-converted-to-playhouse contraption. Growing up on the farm gave ample room for imagination and priority to family relationships.

Ever Increasing Wonder

Like a fat black “REJECTION” stamp right on my forehead, the letter read:

Adverse Action Notice
Action Taken: Requested Credit Denied

Car shopping isn’t quite as fun as I hoped it might be. I almost had a sexy, stormy grey set of wheels. The nicely quoted price and mediocre financing crumbled upon my head just after I asked to see it all in writing, instead of signing on their dotted line. The day was one fiasco after another in paperwork – an uphill climb that culminated with a cliff instead of greener pastures. I had been bamboozled.

But God had helped me prepare for the day. Not setting my heart on the car, I walked through the dealer’s doors content to wait upon Him - though the purchase seemed like a sure plan. More than helping me to be prepared, each fiasco that arose in the paperwork slowed the process down and gave me courage to speak up amid the frenzy of six people all working my sale.

God has a way of protecting us from what we do not see. In the whirlwind, I gained breath enough to refuse my signature and say, “Wait. Not yet. I want to see this all in writing.”

I walked out the door without a car.

Back at square one, I did more research and planned for another full day of car shopping around the metroplex. Before I took off for the city, I gave into the thought that had been on my mind since I first visited a particular dealership. A salesman there needed to see God at work, and I had a strong feeling that I should return.

I wanted to roll my eyes. “I have been to the lot, Lord. They don’t have what I’m looking for.” But I called the man and asked to look around one more time, fully planning on driving on my way into the city to get the real shopping under way.

Long story short – I bought a car before I even left town.

But in the process God did some amazing work before the salesman’s eyes. I had told him of my experience at the last dealer – how I had prayed and how it had all gone wrong. He later recounted that “something” told me not to go through with it.

I thought, “That ‘something’ is about to begin to show you that it is a Someone who is very real.”

Prospects on my loan were not favorable because of no credit history, and he was honest with what they were expecting to hear back from banks. I suggested we take a break for lunch while waiting on one banker to return a call with my sealed fate.

I began petitioning the Lord for favor from this banker and for its witness to this salesman about the Living God. I smiled so big when he called me back into the office to say, “I’ve NEVER seen this happen before.” My situation and the low interest rate completely broke all the normal trends. (I've not yet found anyone who hasn't been surprised when I tell them.)

When it began unfolding and I saw his response I thought, “Mr. Salesman, let me introduce you to that “something,” who really is a Someone called God.” I didn’t share the gospel, but seeds were planted. What an exciting day!

That big fat rejection letter I mentioned above. . . I got it after I bought my new car. Rejected credit was another thing the other dealership hadn’t told me about. But reading the letter made me smile. That closed door was perfect and good. God had a plan in store so much bigger than my own transportation needs. My heart is ever increasing in wonder of my amazing God.

He cares.
He loves.
He lives.

He is revealing Himself.

Guard Your Heart (Proverbs 4:20-27)

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (v. 23)

I’ve often struggled in what it looks like to love the Lord with all of my heart, soul and mind. Jesus said that doing so was obedience to the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37). What comes out of our hearts when we love God, through our relationship with Christ as Savior, is the second greatest commandment. We are enabled to love our neighbors as ourselves. Those who annoy us, serve us, teach us, hate us, or who desperately need us to act - we can love them all because we as sinners have been loved.

Our heart is the seat of an obedient life, and it impacts our ability to sync with the will of God. Both Christ in the New Testament and Solomon of the Old Testament considered the heart to be a significant factor in our relationship to God. We must protect it so that what comes out of us is the life of the redeemed in Christ, not a life controlled by sinful desire.

Proverbs 4:20-27 offers some practical wisdom on how to guard your heart so that you can live wholly devoted to God in Christ. How do you disallow sin to be your driving force for decisions? How do you practically allow the Spirit of God to minister to you so that you can continually behold new life in Christ?

First, Proverbs commends a wise son (just as applicable to a daughter) to receive instruction. This doesn’t mean you wait around for someone to confront you on sin in your life, or that you idly rest in nominal Christianity. In Proverbs, wisdom must be sought after as a treasure. That means you have to situate yourself in a place to receive instruction and give honor to what is good. You actively humble yourself to faithful Christians who are more wise than yourself. Where have you placed yourself? Under whom are you learning to be a perseverant saint?

Secondly, you choose a straight path. This means that daily choices reflect the same values as when you sit in church. They are based on a redeemed relationship in Christ. Walking a straight path is difficult when your heart is not fully devoted to God. Most of us choose devotion to ourselves, love interests or even food – much more readily than we do Christ. Our choices should reflect our devotion to God in Christ, a place of humility as God’s grace is heaped upon us to do what is right.

It really is that simple. Humble yourself to a place of learning, and seek out a Biblical teacher who will instruct you on a faithful Christian life. And start making choices that keep you on the right path, a protection for your heart in Christ.

(C) by Kendra Hinkle 2008.

Personal Definition of God

God, the Holy Trinity
From eternity past you exist, no breath of life entered. From you has generously come every created thing: angels, matter and man. Sustainer of life you depend on none, but kneel to reveal yourself to fallen mankind. Who can contain the whole thought of you? Without contradiction and undefiled, glory is your garment. Holy, wholly other, the three of you stand apart from your workmanship. Your one magnificent Name and one character unite you as one God, but with three volitional and relational persons who function within your will. Wellspring of light and truth and all knowledge, your persons are unique and still fully reconciled to one another in perfect love and ability. Though things on earth change within your sovereign will, you remain steadfast to yourself.

Father
Head of the three, Father, you remain in heaven. Though immanent and everywhere present, your full form is unseen by human eyes. Loving that which you created, you reveal truth and righteousness - even heralding the coming of your only begotten Son. Though once dwelling equally with you, you received His earthly prayers as a man’s requests. Under your authority the Spirit also subjected Himself to your will, and to Jesus who would gift Him to believers. You gave Jesus all authority that the perfect will of three-in-one would continue to completion. A just judge over men, you are the keeper of a holy standard. Though Satan approaches to destroy, you ordained all of time according to redemptive purpose and glory. Yet you know and hear and weave so well the heart of man into your scheme. You oversee redemption’s story.

Son
Clothed in flesh, my Savior and my Lord, you are robed with humility. Preeminent and fully Divine, you relinquished for a time your deified position to dwell among sinners. You were born of a virgin, and begotten of God. While divine will, power and knowledge were at your command, you grew in favor and stature as any man. To your glory, to my glory, you chose to live a sinless human life and resisted Satan’s temptation. As a teacher of truth and Messiah of God’s Kingdom, you were perfect in obedience to the Father’s will. You suffered and died according to the Prophets and the Law as the only one who could bear God’s holy wrath and fulfill His covenant love. But death could not hold you. You are a redeemer. Resurrection is yours. All things rest under your authority.

The Holy Spirit
My helper, my counselor, a place of holy rebuke - you are present on earth, living in me, a seal of what is the Father’s through Christ Jesus. You are the power of the three-in-one among a fallen world. Fully knowledgeable and everywhere present, you make known to men the will of the Father and the Son. You are a living testimony of truth, goodness and righteousness that Jesus sent upon His departure. You have no human form, but dwell in the temple of the saved. You bring about faith and righteous deeds that the world may see and feel and know the three-in-one who created life. You are a living and close friend equaled only to the Father and Son. You are a purposeful and present minister to my soul.


By Kendra Hinkle 2008. Assignment for Trinitarianism class at Dallas Theological Seminary, SU08. All footnotes have been omitted to save space, but a complete version is available upon request.

Mimicking Maurice Manning

My Sabbath day Boss is
every day the freshness of
it never pales I cannot stop
from coming near to gaze
thru windows of your heart
should heartache or sickness or
temptation strike there stands
the cross to point me home
though many days Boss I am worn
by tempests of my cultures gold
you are rock unchanged and true
to hold me fast ‘til days are thru
may the workings of my hand
reveal the daughter of thy throne
in aching days of creation’s groaning
for thy glory in the world be known


by Kendra Hinkle 2008

The Purpose of a Voice

Welling up from within a voice births sound tween ribbon strands. It runs it flows to over full, along the tongue through lips unclosed. Pulsing waves move unseen till ear so set will kindly heed. Dancing drifting further in it lands upon the soul of man. Through the guard of softness' gate with wounds or gifts in love to take. Man as one cannot live but shall receive the song of voice.




(c) 2008 by Kendra Hinkle.

Covering

Stripped.
Covering removed.
A generation exposed
Howls at the moon.

Cover us, Lord.
Gather us in.
Your robe to shelter,
Foster life therein.

Entitlement.
No boundaries drawn.
A generation distracted
Revels 'til Christ's dawn.

Cover us, Lord.
Draw us near.
Holiest of Holies,
Fill our eyes with tears.

Gathered.
Glory through word and deed.
A generation humbled
Buttresses a revolution of redeemed.


The loss of protective spiritual covering leaves a generation stripped - in family, in community, in culture. Now a shepherd among God's children, I see and once knew about living without God. Limited to humanism as a life philosophy, man is degraded to the whim of his own carnal desires and hopeless existence - like an animal. To weaken them all the more, our world entitles young generations to immediate gratification, but offers them no boundaries as a guide.

May God continue to break our hearts for the lost. They are without HIM. Let us continue to gather them into the protective spiritual covering in Christ, speaking the good news...and welcoming as many as will come into the community of the redeemed!

(c) 2008 by Kendra Hinkle.

Mountains Rise

But mountains yes rise like kings to thrones and when they rise with able voice so clear and crisp like water cool will whisper a message a call a bidding that sails like feathers dancing and flirting on sapphire breezes for glory of Yahweh's majesty and for laud of Yahweh's gift and will betray with lovingkindness idols that cannot speak or see or hear nor smell or feel or walk without men and women who worship stones for minute and hour and four with twenty yet feel not the dread of receiving their wage.


© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle

The Anatomy of a Wave

Dedicated to the Passion movement (www.268generation.com)
"The wave is growing into a global awakening."

They lull the trusting to sleep with an ebbing, reassuring roar. They refresh the playful, inspiring splashes of energy and movement. They humble the watchful by their ability to change the face of the earth. Who has not known the powerful and graceful impact of a wave?

Had I not been enlightened with the anatomy of a wave, I would have accredited the swell its own honor. Yet, diving below the surface of the deep, I have come to realize the necessity of the wind and the individual water molecules in shaping coastlines – the boundaries of nations.

A wave looks like it is moving from one place to another, but it is not. Rather than a team of molecules moving independently over the surface of the still ocean, a wave is the result of shared movement. It begins when the wind disturbs the surface of the water, causing individual molecules to move in vertical circles. The molecule circulates in an up and down motion in its own “neighborhood.” That excited molecule then affects neighboring molecules, who dance in the same vertical pattern. Energy is passed from one molecule to the next, slowly building into a wave that represents the energy of a whole, unified movement being driven by the breath of the wind. Molecules are passing their energy along, instead of traveling along with the wave.

As a wave approaches the shoreline, the energy is not absorbed any longer in the deep. It roars with power and spills over onto the nations’ boundaries, transferring its energy and shaping what seemed immovable. By these faithful movements of waves, mountains bow their knees and become beaches. What seemed impossible to move is actually being transformed by the work of many individual water molecules in motion.

The power of a wave is in the cumulative effect of its individual particles.

Selah.

The wave is growing into a global awakening, driven by the Spirit of God and according to His trustworthy Word. And gaining momentum by the movement of many individuals who are willing to affect those around them. Even powerfully changing the boundaries of the nations and moving mountains to their knees.


Written by Kendra Hinkle, 2007. Wave information accumulated through random findings, discussions, and thoughts over the past year, and through a diagram burned into my memory from who knows where.

One Thing (Psalm 27:4, Mark 10:21, Luke 10: 41-42)

For a little topical study in relation to prayer, I have been looking at some "one thing" verses in Scripture:

Psalm 27:4 David's one thing
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek;
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His Temple.

Mark 10:21 Jesus to the rich young ruler
Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack; go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Luke 10:41-42 Jesus to Martha, Mary's sister
"Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."


"One thing" rules out everything else. It is an expression of importance and devotion. Most of my own life seems to be in competition with devotion to this singleness of heart and mind. "One thing" is intimidating to approach because of my sin. Yet, the more I approach with the simplicity of "One thing" in my sights, the easier it is to realize the grace that is extended to me.

From the busyness of life which competes with devotion to One, I come to my busy mind that fights the simplicity and necessity of One. From there my emotions fight the reality of holiness and grace in comparison to my sinful self. Approaching, each resistant part of my life breaks from my spirit's own desperation for Jesus Christ and God the Father. Then, through the doors of the temple of His presence, I find myself prostrate in His glory - amid the beauty of His holiness.

I received the invitation, and I have come.

© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle

Scripture marked “NAS” is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Personal Doctrinal Statement on the Bible

Inspiration
The Bible is God-breathed. Its source is divine, while its authors are human. Through His supernatural influence in the cognizant and willing lives of chosen men, God insured the accuracy of His revelation.

Inerrancy
The Bible is a wholly true word from God communicated through the hands of men. Therein the original documents are an accurate and purposeful testimony of the person of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Authority
As God’s holy writ, the Bible is an extension of God’s sovereign rule.

Sufficiency
The Bible is purposed for the benefit of human life, able to be understood. By it alone may a human measure his/her life against the holiness of God and be completely sure of God’s purpose in his/her conduct, thought, and values.

Canonicity
Originally authored as separate entities, God oversaw the preservation and collection of His inspired documents for their purpose in the Bible, using the process of maturation in the early church as a preparation and motivation for careful selection and canonization.


The Bible was divinely given with its purpose resting in the lives of men. The humanity and situation of Scripture’s process, from the original documents to the canon – and then onto interpretation, requires humility and holy reverence in the acting human agent. Scripture is purposed for humanity, resulting in the recognition and exaltation of the one true God. His authority, His truth, and His concern for the smallest details of life are evident through the Bible’s unified and unique set of documents. Yet, this Book’s value is not subject to the determining authority of men. It is instead a document of discovery by which God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; may be known with surety and intimacy. Therefore, my mission in reading the Bible is this: to spend my life seeking to know God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, being wonderfully transformed into the image of Christ and exposing His greatness to the world around me and the generations behind me.

© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle

Tuning with the E String (1 Samuel 23:1-14)

For a couple of years in high school, I played around on my mother's guitar and then took a guitar class in college. Musical gifting is not one of my strengths, so the skill did not develop like I had hoped. One useful thing I remembered, though, was that I could tune the E string to a standard, and then tune the rest of the strings according to that one accurate pitch. When the low E string was tuned to the standard, I could descend down the other five strings, tuning each accordingly. Should the reference pitch be off and my E string be out of tune, I won't be able to reproduce good music.

As a reminder, do you remember Saul in one of his first acts as King (1 Samuel 13)? He was to wait for Samuel to offer a sacrifice before God prior to going to war. As stress mounted and the Philistines gathered in mass quantity for battle, Saul's men began desserting him. Saul chose to reject God's instruction to wait, offering the sacrifice himself impatiently. Saul's internal heart strings were not tuned to an accurate E pitch. Without God as the accurate reference pitch, his actions were out of tune and the nation would falter.

In contrast, David was also surrounded by stress in 1 Samuel 23:1-14. He had lost his home, was daily on the run for his life with 600 men depending on his leadership, and had come into knowledge of Keilah's (a city) need for defense from a Philistine attack. David approached God to inquire what to do. In those moments, David was using God as his reference pitch. He was tuning his low E string by which he would be prepared to tune his others decisions as a leader. As tuning goes, you tighten and loosen the string to find the correct pitch. It's not an immediate find. David similarly was tuning his heart to God. It was not a perfect first try, but as the relationship was growing, David was learning life with God.

With a heart accurately tuned, he led his men into battle against their will, trusting that God's sovereigty and power would act on their and His own behalf in victory.

What is your reference pitch? Are you, like David, able to daily tune your heart to the solid truth of Scripture and active, prayerful relationship with God through Christ? Or, like Saul, are you depending on your own actions and flesh to deliver you through the day, thus tuning your heart to an out-of-tune pitch that will affect all other parts of your life?

Tune well, my friends. Find the reference pitch that is accurate, beautiful, and immutable.

© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle

The Beauty of the Lilly

Strong she stands amidst her fellows.
From kindness to kindness,
She is a gift.

To radiate glory
To reveal His praise.
No voice to sing, she is but a flower.

Silently waiting,
Yet ever teaching
Should her beauty begin to fade

Her life well lived,
She gave Him glory.
Scolding the anxious by beauty great.

Solomon will know
His glory was temporal
At best a showing of what will burn.

Then what will I
A simple worker
Set my heart upon at last?

Should clothing fade
And skin so wrinkle,
Will my beauty within endure?

Clothed with splendor
Washed in blood
I have been dressed by heaven's hand.

The lilly's beauty
Sits before me,
Striking my heart and humbling my head.

Truth be told
The Master has spoken
The lilly's beauty began in heaven.


Sometimes I worry about my clothes. I let my simple life and looks be compared to the creative and fun styles that are beyond what my wallet can afford. It is a selfish, though common, worry for women.

As I sat upon my bed in quiet moments talking with the Lord a few days ago, I looked to the boquet of flowers my housemate had given me in thanks. I had seen them so many times, being "wowed" at their beauty. They caught my eyes differently this time, realizing that the big beautiful ones were lillies. My mind remembered the Lord's teaching in Matthew chapter 6. The sweetness of the Lord's timing, with the worry in my heart, was both discipline and love.

The beauty of the lillies in my room, though they will fade quickly, reminds me of a great Provider and Lover of my soul. I can rest in Him.

© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle

Danger Zone (1 Samuel 18)

On my older sister's wedding cruise, I was snorkeling off of Grand Cayman in beautiful blue water. The wedding ceremony had been completed and the rum cake eaten. Thus, many of us changed out of our "formal" beachwear and began to swim along the surface of the water, occasionally diving below to see different kinds of fish and sea decor. You kind of get lost in the beauty and uniqueness of the water world, which unfortunately made it easy to venture far from shore.

Getting tired and realizing that we were too far out, my little sister (high school) and I decided to swim back in. I headed up our little school, soon realizing that the swim to shore was exhausting. We swam for quite a time and were barely making headway to the shore. I kept going, not wanting my little sister to get scared or give up, but inside I was beginning to worry. Three times the effort and only a portion of the distance! What I didn't realize when we went out was that we were near a forbidden swimming area. The water current was flowing in an odd direction as it neared the rip tide and created resistance for us.

We eventually made it to shore, but I learned some lessons along the way. Mostly, I learned to keep an eye out for danger zones. Those red floats had a significance that I did not personally understand, but luckily someone else was wise enough to place them there for protection.

Reading through 1 Samuel 18, I see David's gained favor among the people by God's divine direction. The young anointed one acted in wisdom and humility, while Saul's jealousy festered and spilled out through speech and action. Having lost the favor of God, and in decline as the most popular man, Saul chose to act according to a fleshly and self-centered heart. How I long for him to see the red floats indicating danger!

What do you see as red flags that Saul should be noticing and repenting of as a man of God?
1. Anger at David's success, though they are teammates (v.7)
2. Watching David with suspicion, an undeserved and insecure response (v.9)
3. Internally enraged and loss of inward peace (v.10)
4. Returning evil for good (v.11)
5. Distancing the relationship (v.13)
6. Plotting tactics for revenge (v.17,25)
7. Involving unnecessary parties in the conflict (v.22)
8. Honey words and whiskey deception (v.22)
9. Complete hardheartedness toward a brethren (v.29)

Well! That list brings more conviction that I really wanted this evening! Can we stop now? I relate with most of these danger signs. Moments earlier, I wanted Saul to see the danger signs that could have saved his life from striving against God. Now, I'm concerned for danger signs that pop up in my own relationships. Isn't it so tempting to want to involve others in our conflict by gossip? Isn't it terribly easy to talk sweet to someones face while harboring a grudge in the heart? Distancing people and hardening the heart toward someone alleviates the need for confrontation and honesty, and we set ourselves up for character decay. Maybe God knew that you and I have a lot more similarity to Saul than we recognize! We need to watch out for the danger zones, lest we begin to swim against God's tide.

My course of action tonight is this, that I begin to agree with God in the continued conviction of the Holy Spirit about sin in my life. Then, I need to begin to make things right by actively loving like I am commanded to in 1 Corinthians 13. My place under God's authority is to obey.

Being changed to look like Christ is a life-long process. We need to help one another to see warning signs like these, which takes honesty and a willingness to invest in one another like Christ did for each of us. Let's exhort and encourage one another toward the safe waters.

© 2006 by Kendra Hinkle.

Five Smooth Stones (1 Samuel 17)

Then he took his staff in hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

(1 Sam 17:40, NIV)

Facing a giant has a way of shaking us down to our true selves. No matter if that giant is a large and intimidating person or an overwhelming circumstance like cancer or life transition, the reality of the challenge ahead of us dispells lofty and unrealistic thoughts. As seen in chapter 17 of 1 Samuel, David faced Goliath with a full measure of faith, but how? Can we face our challenges and fears without being dreamy-eyed and wishful, hiding our fear that God might abandon us as we step out to face the giant?

Saul originally presented David with a solution. The king's armor would be the best in the land, and it was offered to David for protection in facing Goliath. Fortunately, David was wise enough to know that armor and a sword would not be his strongest option. David was not trained in fighting with armor. He spent years in the fields with flocks, protecting his sheep from predators. Out in the wilderness, a sword and shield was of no use when a bear or wild cat attempted to feast on the flock. A sling and a staff were David's normal mode of fighting off danger. He was wise to turn down Saul's armor in favor of using the sling. David chose to go to battle with the tool that God had allowed him to be trained in.

To further prepare for the battle, David had to select five appropriate stones. Down to the stream he went, carefully choosing his basic, simple ammunition. Shapely and smooth, David placed the stones into his shepherd's bag. Thus, David was ready to face Goliath.

Are you prepared to face your giant?

What I learn from David is the need to consider wisely the method I use to seek out victory. My current "giant" is the pursuit of a seminary education. It is a very large goal - financially, in terms of time and energy, and in the sacrifices it requires. As I progress through this goal, I may need to be reminded of the sling and the stones that I carry. For future encouragement, I decided to name five smooth stones that God has given me to seek victory in my goal:

1. I belong to Him. I bear His name.

I am no orphan in any challenge that I face. God is with me and has named me with his own glorious name. Together we are facing this giant.

2. God is faithful.

He will continue toward His will through my life. He will continue to love me. He does not change.

3. Words of God

In my grasp I have the Words of God to encourage me, to remind me, to nurture me, and to direct me in knowing Him. They are a lifeline for my soul.

4. A passion to cummunicate the treasure of Him

I am convinced that my life's work will be to communicate to others the treasures found in God through Christ. I am driven toward it, and have not built this passion on my own. It wells up within me and is purposed to come out. Therefore, I will continue to build my skills in knowing Him and revealing the treasure of Him to others.

5. The body of believers

I am surrounded by a great body of believers in this world. Together we face our giants, encouraging, praying for, and supporting one another. We will endure.

I am ready to face my giant. I gain strength from knowing that using these five stones is nothing new. I have been practicing and using them in the wilderness for many years. To me they are familiar and a strength by which to trust God in this new seminary challenge.

Are you ready to face your giant? Have you taken the time to remember what God has already equipped you with as you fight for victory in your current battle? Someone else's armor will do you no good. Get alone and choose with God five smooth stones that will remind and challenge you toward greater faith in Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (R). Copyright (C) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

© 2006 by Kendra Hinkle.

The Most Beautiful Feet

Prostrate I fall
Face to the floor
I reach out to touch the most beautiful feet.

Normally disgusting
Cringing, withdrawing
Somehow these feet welcome me home

Eye level with carpet
I know my place
Is to respond with worship, to feast upon grace

My hands have never touched
such beautiful skin.
So precious, so strong ~ encouraging strength within.

Feet of love
Feet of flesh
My savior has come that I might have rest.

© 2006 by Kendra Hinkle.

Back Stage Pass or Dinner for Two? (1 Samuel 16)

Imagine not being invited to the party, but instead being assigned shepherd duty while your father and seven brothers got back stage passes with Samuel. Samuel was a prophet people trembled before. To be a guest at one of his sacrifices and meals required a special invitiation. To your surprise your dad gets an invite for the whole family, but SOMEONE has to stay behind with the stinkin' sheep. Guess who gets picked? That's right, the youngest. David was the youngest of his seven brothers and held the position of least honor as the youngest male. When Samuel's invitation arrived at Jesse's household, David was left with the responsibility of the flocks while the other males went to meet with Samuel.

At the party, Samuel was eager to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as Israel's new King. Samuel, looking at appearance and height of stature, was quite certain that the oldest son was he. Interrupted by the Lord, Samuel was reminded that the Lord looks inwardly into a man to make his selection, as opposed to relying on outward physical characteristics to enable a man to fulfill the role of King well. Then, one by one, each of the older brothers got passed by. The Lord had not chosen any of them.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch and to David's surprise, he was wisked away from the sheepfold to stand before Samuel. God had chosen him. Smelling of sheep and not of the same physical presentation as his impressive older brother, the last to be presented was indeed God's man who would be annointed as King.

God can look into the heart. He is able to do what man cannot. In our story, He is willing to withhold the judgement of a man as influential as Samuel in order to bring his will about in the life of an individual. God must really want David's leadership in Israel to happen, because He additionally enables David to accomplish the task by giving him the gift of himself, the "Spirit of the LORD"(v.13).

As a Christian and in like manner, God is so sold on my part in His plan to bring the good news to all nations, that he has enabled me fully to do it by giving me the gift of Himself, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Beyond living with Him and loving Him, I have a commission before me. His good news is to reach all nations, and He's been moving toward that goal since the first sin of man. Yet, I am worth more to Him than a hired worker or a concert attendee. I have a special place of intimacy in his heart.

Now, If I were David, I would have had a pity party because I did not get the back stage passes. I have a friend who amazingly wins regularly from contests on the radio. She's always getting the goods! She's got a magic cell phone, I tell you! I really want to go to the concerts, to be included in all the great prizes. But the truth is that God has a dinner for two planned. He's given me the larger gift by looking into my heart, commissioning me in His will, and giving me the gift of Himself.

I guess the question I ask myself today is this:
Is the backstage pass my greatest desire? Or am I trusting and relishing in dinner for two?

© 2006 by Kendra Hinkle.