Finalizing the tenth book

It has been a while since I gave an update on my WIP (work in progress) as far as my book series is concerned.

As most of you know, I have been working on a series of ten books about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. Last year, the ninth book in this series came out: First Love.

Encouragement

Just the other day I received a message from a friend, who lives in the Republic of Georgia, about how much she enjoys reading this book. Such messages are always a huge encouragement; for any writer I guess.

Anyway, the ninth book. Almost there, I thought. Almost done, one more to go. Mind you, work on this series began back in 2004. Yeah, nineteen (!) years ago. Talking about determination, endurance, and also... procrastination (anyone who can relate?).

Editing stages

Never thought it would take me so long 😏 but here we are, in the final editing stages of the tenth book in the series: No other gods.

Yep, that will be the title, and the book is based on the first commandment where God spoke the words 'You shall have no other gods before me.' Uh, excuse me? Other gods? I thought Christianity and Judaism were monotheistic religions... just one God right, the great I Am.

👉Well, if there are no other gods, the first commandment would have no value. That makes sense, right?

Stay tuned

So, yes there are other gods and no, we should not have them before God. In this new book (which proofreaders are busy with, right now) I use our own travel experiences to describe the supremacy of the God of the Bible.

Stay tuned. I will keep you updated!

A committed life (or, how to live in this evil word)

Committed to the cause!

Politicians, athletes, activists, and businesspeople are committed to their cause, whether that is serving people, winning a medal, reaching a goal, or making millions. They are people willing to give their time, energy, and devotion to something. They are often totally focused, loyal, and dedicated. 

What about Christians?

What about us? Are we committed to the cause, to a life that pleases God? Are we focused, loyal, and dedicated or are we standing with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom? I pondered those questions the other day, wondering why so many Christians are being influenced (and sometimes end up being paralyzed) by everything that is happening in our world today.

Our instructions are quite clear

The Bible calls us to live a certain way. 👉 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God (Titus 2:12). It doesn't say we should live in this evil world with fear, worry, and anxiety. Quite the contrary.

Maybe you say, 'Marja, that's not easy.' Well, no one said it would be easy. If we continue to read in that same chapter we will find out how it is possible to live that way. We are called to look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

A committed life

So, we can and should live a life devoted to God while looking forward to what is to come. And then comes verse 14: He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Totally committed to doing good deeds. It is the antidote to being sucked into the dramas of this world if you ask me!

The source of my happiness

Earlier this year we were traveling in Portugal and we came to this small village where we wandered through the sun-scorched streets until we came to a little square with an 18th-century fountain. A great place to fill up our water bottles.

Most towns and villages in Portugal have water fountains, but this one caught our attention because of the cross on top. It reminded us that Jesus is the source of living water. Living water yes, and so much more than that. I think you will appreciate this reminder:

• 
  You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light (Psalm 36:9)
• I will go to your altar, O God; you are the source of my happiness (Psalm 43:4)
• You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope (Psalm 119:114)
• The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength (Isaiah 45:24)
•  And he will be the source of peace (Micha 5:5)
• The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people (John 1:4)
• And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20)
• God, the source of hope (Romans 15:13)
• God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
• Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him (Hebrews 5:9)

Why go somewhere else to find peace, hope, comfort, life, and happiness if we can find it all in Him? Let's be careful not to fill our buckets with muddy waters that will do nothing but harm us in the end. 

👉Jesus wants to give us living water so that we can become fountains! John 7:38, Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’

The value of listening (5)

Father God is calling you and me today to listen, just as much as Salomon called his children to listen thousands of years ago.

Every time I read 'Listen' in the Book of Proverbs, that's what I do. I stop reading and I listen. I wait before reading on, quieting my mind. 

Oh, we have such a tendency (I know I have) to read too fast, almost hurrying through the pages. Well, with the Book of Proverbs, you can't. Let's take a look at Proverbs 8;6-7,

Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception.

Wisdom, Jesus Christ the wisdom of God, is calling us to listen. He wants to share important things with us. How wonderful, how exciting! I whisper a short breath prayer before moving on... Holy Spirit, talk to me.

We could walk through all 31 chapters of Proverbs and find more benefits of listening, of tuning our ears to wisdom. But you get the point. The value of listening is just as big as the value of reading. Let's practice both!

Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful (Proverbs 16:20).

The value of listening (4)

According to the writings in the book of Proverbs, listening to wisdom (listening to Jesus, to His Word, to the Holy Spirit) has great benefits. Proverbs 1:33 says,

But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.

Oh, to be untroubled... don't you love that idea?

Let's move on to chapter 4 in the book of Proverbs. The heading in my NLT Bible says 'A Father's Wise Advice'. I love that chapter. It speaks so much about life 💖. Let's stop at verses 20,21 and 22 and listen:

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

Listen carefully to my words. Father God is calling you and me today to listen, just as much as Salomon called his children to listen thousands of years ago.

God's words bring life to those who find them. We can find words everywhere today; in the newspaper, on television, on the internet, in books, and in magazines. And yes, these words can be encouraging, inspiring, and uplifting. But none have the power to bring life. None have the power to bring healing to our whole body!

I have a deep desire to listen to His words. I hope that is your deepest desire as well. The benefits are eternally good!