In the Promised Land - The End of A Series

I don't think I've ever written much on this blog about my books, although I do have a page--which needs updating-- dedicated to them. For those of you who don't know, God has blessed me with the ability to write stories, and this I do in the hope of bringing Him honor and glory. I know that many of you enjoy reading novels, and so I decided to share this with you.

Coming Out of Egypt

Sixteen years ago, I started my first novel, a story inspired by two sisters who attended a school where I was a teacher. The sisters lived near Egypt Village, Trinidad, and it was rumored that they were being abused by their father. Because of the law, or lack thereof at the time, no action was taken, as far as I knew. Years later, my mind went back to them when I realized that sexual abuse is still prevalent in this modern society. In the Bible, the Israelites eventually came out of bondage in Egypt and so I combined the metaphor of the Exodus with the village where the girls lived and named my novel Coming Out of Egypt. This book is my attempt to rewrite their story, to have them come out of Egypt.

In the Wilderness

Continuing the metaphor of the Exodus, I named the second book in the series, In the Wilderness. As you know, the Israelites didn't make it straight to the land God promised them. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years after leaving Egypt.

Here is a short blurb of the series:

When Marva accidentally kills her father while trying to protect her younger sister June from him, she anticipates a new beginning far from "Egypt" where they once lived. But her new life is not what she envisioned. The strain of trying to elude the detective and cope with her rebellious younger sister while holding down her job in a man’s domain, drives her to drink. When Cicely, her former teacher, intervenes and leads the girls to Christ, Marva finds some measure of peace, but guilt over her crime and the desire to save June from disgrace force her to contemplate suicide. Fortunately, a serious accident derails her plans and both Marva and June discover their true calling – to serve God, and others, with all their heart and with all their strength.

In the Promised Land

Yesterday was the official release day of the last book in the series, In the Promised Land. The girls have come out of Egypt, gone through the wilderness and are now about to enter the promised land. However, their journey is still turbulent. Tragedy accompanies them and they lose sight of their purpose, but with God's help, they get back on track and complete their journey. I don't want to give any spoilers, so that's all I'm going to say, but let me encourage you to get these books which are all 99c until the fourth of July. They will bless your heart, renew your hope and strengthen your faith in a God who alone can bring you out of Egypt, whatever it might be.

Here's a bonus for you: Coming Out of Egypt is part of a clean, contemporary romance giveaway taking place on Instafreebie. Click on this link and claim your free copy and other books that may interest you. And when you claim your books, please sign up for my newsletter where you can get more updates like this one. God bless.

Happy Independence Day!

Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago, America declared its independence from Great Britain.  The move

came as a result of grievances over the Empire's taxation and trade policies. The colonies felt they were being unfairly treated and so they rebelled. America now stands proud as a sovereign nation. Over the years, many countries have followed America's example, and today there are close to 200 independent countries.


As I think about this powerful nation, my thoughts go back to the book of Judges. This book  deals with a period in Israel's history when there was no king. Under Joshua's leadership, the people had finally entered the promised land, and they served the Lord well. But then Joshua and his generation died, and  "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs" (Judges 3 : 7). 

We know the consequences of their actions. Israel went through a terrible time of  defeat and captivity at the hands of its enemies. Eventually, they cried out to God and He took pity on them. He appointed judges over them and they did well, but each time the judge died, they returned to their sinful ways. Then they would cry out to God again, He would appoint another judge, and the process would be repeated.

There's a line in the book of Judges that is repeated over and over:  "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17: 6).

Today in America, we have leaders over us, but we are doing what is right in our own eyes. The will of the people has usurped the will of God. Church attendance hovers around 40% while an average 60% of Americans support same-sex marriage. An overall "anything goes" is the pervading lifestyle in America. Policemen kill unarmed civilians and go free. "Every man does that which is right in his own eyes." 

But God is a good God. He is not like man. He does not punish us as our sins deserve. Isaiah 55: 7 says,     "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Happy Independence!

Here are two of my older posts on Independence:

http://quildonwrites.blogspot.com/2005/07/happy-fourth-of-july.html
http://quildonwrites.blogspot.com/2010/07/happy-fourth.html

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When Others Try To Discourage You

Do you sometimes feel discouraged? Do you feel that no matter what you do it may never be enough? That

your spouse, children, boss, co-workers, friends will never be satisfied? They will always look for ways to belittle you or put you down? As a writer, I often feel discouraged when I query an agent or editor, after putting forward my best effort, and never receive an acknowledgement. Or when I do, it's followed by a "No, thank you." No matter how many times it happens, rejection still stings.

I imagine that must have been the way Moses felt when the people of Israel grumbled at him in the wilderness. They had been under tremendous oppression from Pharaoh for four hundred years and had been crying out to God for deliverance. But when He finally delivered them through the hands of Moses, the Israelites sought every opportunity to complain. It began when they neared the Red Sea and saw Pharaoh and his army pursuing them.

 "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness" (Exodus 14: 11-12).

But God parted the Red Sea so the Israelites were able to cross over on dry land. Then when they had all crossed over, God sent a wind to blow the sea back and cover up the Egyptians. The Bible says, "And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses" (15: 31). 

However, the people soon returned to complaining and disobeying God, and their journey lasted forty years instead of days. http://www.bibleabookoftruth.com/whythelordledtheisraelitesthroughthewilderness.pdf
Moses tried his best to be a good leader, but no matter what he did, the people were never satisfied. On one occasion, he became so angry he struck the rock when the people complained they had no water to drink. But despite his discouragement, Moses continued to do what God had called him to do. He served the people, and God, well.

We can all learn from Moses' example. He did not get to enter the promised land, but God took him up into the mountain and showed it to him. Then Moses died and God buried him there. What an honor! We are told that  "Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated" ( Deuteronomy 34: 7).

Whatever may be causing you discouragement, remember this: your success does not depend on anyone but yourself and God. Keep on serving and honoring God and He will honor you.

Let It Go

4th generation Nissan Maxima (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1973 Nissan Motor Company (Int'l) (Photo credit: IFHP97)

This weekend I finally bit the bullet, to use a cliche, and bought a car. My old Nissan had been showing signs of old age, and was really begging to be laid to rest. But our relationship spanned thirteen years and three states. She'd never let me down, until recently when I had to take her to the doctor more often than I was comfortable with. As soon as I fixed one thing, something else would go bad. Then last week when she had a convulsion and came to a sudden stop in the middle of afternoon traffic, I finally took notice of  what she'd been trying to tell me.

So on Saturday, I said an almost tearful farewell to my faithful friend. I hope she finds a good home. Have you ever had to say goodbye to something or someone? Or maybe you are holding on, afraid to let go, because he, she or it has become so familiar, so comfortable?


Many times we hold on to people or things that are draining us of our energy and resources and are keeping us from being or having what God has in store for us. What are you holding on to? Friends who are taking you on a downward path? Sinful, destructive habits that put a rift between you and God? A relationship that is not right in God's eyes? Or one that has become so toxic that you are afraid of what might happen if you did let go?

Like I did with my old car, you might be saying, it's not that bad, it satisfies my needs, I don't think I can live without it. I'll hold on a little longer. And the more you say this, the more you deprive yourself of the joy that comes from letting go and letting God take control of your life. 

The enemy feeds you those lies to keep you in bondage. Remember the children of Israel? They had been in bondage for four hundred years and had cried out to the Lord, but when He sent Moses to deliver them, they didn't want to leave. Even after they left, they still murmured and wished they were back in Egypt.  They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?" (Exodus 14: 11).

Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3: 13 - 14). 

It's time to let go. From my experience with my old car, I know it's not easy.  But you know what you need to let go of. Why not ask God to help you put those things behind you  and press on to the goal He has for you? He will.

American Negro Spirituals - A Christian Heritage

English: cropped version of Image:Harriet Tubman.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many of us have grown up hearing and singing the old African negro spirituals like Wade In The Water, Steal Away, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and many others. These songs were believed to send secret messages among the slaves to show them means of escape. While Wade In The Water is believed to contain explicit instructions to the slaves to escape by means of water in order to throw pursuing bloodhounds off their scent, the song does have its roots in Christianity. In the Old Testament, God gave Moses the blueprint for leading the Israelites out of captivity by means of the Red Sea. The song also borrows a phrase in the New Testament about an angel troubling the water to bring about healing to anyone who went into the pool in time. 

Swing Low Sweet Chariot is another popular negro spiritual that was believed to contain coded means of escape for the slaves. In fact, it was thought to be a favorite of Harriet Tubman, notable leader of the Underground Railroad. However, unlike Wade In The Water and other negro spirituals whose composers are largely unknown, most historians believe that Swing Low Sweet Chariot was composed by "Uncle Wallis", a slave of a Chocktaw Indian tribe who had been converted to Christianity.

At the time, the Chocktaws  were one of the five "civilized" Indian tribes who practiced a  form of slavery similar to that of the whites. Brit Willis, Uncle Wallis' owner, hired Wallis out to entertain the Chocktaw boys  at Spencer Academy, and the song became popular among them, not among African-American slaves. In fact, the song was not circulated among African-Americans until after the civil war.

As I researched the information for this post, I was reminded of the song, By The Rivers of Babylon, sung by the Israelites after they were taken captive to Babylon. That song is based on these words from Psalm 137: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?

Is it a lot different from African slaves holding their secret church meetings and singing and crying out to their God for spiritual as well as physical deliverance? I don't think so.  
Enjoy this moving video below.

A Month Of Thankfulness - God's Grace

The book of Numbers gets its name from the numbering or counting of the children of Israel during their wandering in the desert.  During this process, God instructed Moses in the counting of the people and assigning them their specific duties.

Numbers is an amazing book, but to my mind, the book of Numbers can also be taken to show the number of times the people of Israel murmured against God. And even though they provoked Him to wrath, yet He saved some of them and continued to give them victory over their enemies. 

When I think of the number of times I murmur and complain over insignificant things: it's too hot, it's too cold, it's raining, it's not raining. I am amazed that God still puts up with me. 

 Why? Because He is a God of love, a God of forgiveness. Each time the people rebelled and God threatened to wipe them out, Moses, their leader, interceded for them and God spared them. Today, I too have an intercessor. His name is Jesus Christ. "And if any man sin , we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2: 1 -2).

So this week my thankfulness is for God's grace. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life" (John 3 : 16).

Does that mean I can murmur and complain as much as I please? No. Rather, when I am thankful for His love and His grace, I will cease to complain because I know that He loves me, and just as He took care of His children in the wilderness, provided for them, guided them and gave them victory over their enemies, He is doing the same for me. 

Accept the gift of His grace today, and be thankful.  

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• January 6: God's grace
• Numbers Chapter 20
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A Month Of Thankfulness

The idea for this post is borrowed from Our Daily Bread devotional of Jan. 1st. According to the article, the month of January is National Thank You month, according to many US calendars. I thought the article a fitting one for the first day of the year since that is the time we usually make New Year's resolutions. And I thought it a fitting one for me since I want to focus on all the things I should be thankful for this year instead of complaining when things go wrong.


Being thankful carries with it many benefits:

1. It shows you how blessed you are.
2. It prevents you from feeling sorry for yourself
3. It helps you appreciate God more

Studies have shown that people who are depressed do not have an attitude of gratitude. They think they have nothing to be thankful for. Other studies have shown that when depressed people are encouraged to talk/write about thankfulness, their depression lifts. You may not be depressed, but the Bible sets great store on giving thanks. Jesus gave thanks every time He prayed and He commended the Samaritan who returned to thank Him after He had healed him of leprosy.

Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger" (Luke 17 : 17).
Psalm 136 : 1 says, "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." The Psalm goes on to recount the many ways God blessed the Israelites and extended His mercy to them.

The Daily Bread devotional suggested that we examine the many reasons we have to be thankful during the month of January and I have begun to do that. I plan to write a "Gratitude" post every day and I would like you to join me. You can write it in your journal or blog and post a comment of it here. 

So here's what I'm thankful for so far:
 Jan 1: I'm thankful to God for bringing me and my loved ones safely into another new year.
Jan 2: I'm thankful to God for giving me the courage to take a new and faster route to work, and for making it stress-free for me.
Jan 3: I'm thankful for the relaxing time I spent today studying God's word and communing with Him. 

What are you thankful for? 

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• 
  
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Stand Still

Have you ever noticed a bird standing still? I have the good fortune to live in a lakefront community where I can watch the birds as they skim over the water, perch on trees or rest on the bank. It is a very calming and restful sight. One of the things I always wonder about birds is why do they stand still at times. As I write this, there's a group of four white ibis standing still on the lawn just outside my apartment. What are they doing? Are they thinking? Contemplating their next move? Or just enjoying the view?

Birds are very intelligent creatures. They know how to forage for food, where to find the perfect living conditions and how to protect themselves and their young from predators. Man is also very intelligent, but sometimes I wonder if that intelligence isn't undermined by our constant busyness. When was the last time you stood (or sat) still without doing anything? And I don't mean while you are sleeping. In Exodus 13: 14 Moses commands the Israelites, "Fear ye not, stand still , and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever."

There are other places in the Bible where people were commanded to stand still so they could hear from God. Elijah had that experience after Jezebel threatened to kill him because he had slain the prophets of  Baal. Elijah became afraid and fled to a cave. Elijah, great man of God who had performed so many miracles, wanted to die because of fear. The Lord appeared to him and told him to stand on the mountain before the Lord. Now see what happens.

"And, behold, the LORD passed by , and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice" (1 Kings 19: 11 -  12). 

There's a lesson here for us. God does not speak to us in all the noise and confusion. We have to escape from the busyness, the hustle and bustle of today's life to a place where we can "be still and see the salvation of the Lord." Many times during His ministry when the crowds pressed upon Him, Jesus would call His disciples aside so they could "be still" and then return refreshed and renewed. 

What about you? Do you make time to be still so you can hear from God? Impossible, you might say. But there may come a time when you have no choice but to be still. What if you were lying in a hospital bed? The world will go on without you. Make time now, if only ten minutes out of your day when you turn off the ringer, close your door and be still. Quiet your mind and let the Holy Spirit infuse your soul, your spirit and even your body with His peace and calmness. Be still. You can do it.  

The Lord Shall Fight For You

The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace …Exodus 14: 14.

 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that seems difficult and insurmountable? Have you been fretting and complaining and telling yourself there is no way out? Such was the position of the children of Israel. They had been toiling under Pharaoh for four hundred and thirty years, and they had become sick and tired of their situation. Have you been in a place for so long it seems it will never end? You may have even become so used to your discomfort that when deliverance comes you hesitate, you look to the right and to the left,  shake your head and say, “No, I think I may be better off where I am. At least I know what to expect under Pharaoh, but I don’t know what may happen if I leave here.”

Such must have been the position of the Israelites as they followed their leader, Moses, out of Egypt and into the wilderness. The Lord Himself went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light, and for a while everything seemed fine. But they were still in the wilderness when the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he decided to go after them. And when the Israelites saw the Egyptians in hot pursuit, they lashed out at Moses. “Are there no graves in Egypt? Didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die out here in the wilderness.” (Read verses 11-12). 

Photo credit: greyerbaby from morguefile.com

How easy it is for us to give in to fear, anxiety and anger when the chips are down. When God’s promises are not immediately fulfilled. When, in spite of the pillar of cloud and fire, we think God has deserted us. But Moses said to the Israelites, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord … The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace” (13 – 14).

 
Photo credit: elvin_jacob from morguefile.com

So, are you in the wilderness? Is the Red Sea before you and the Egyptians after you? Do not be afraid. Do not murmur and complain. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. He is ever present in the time of trouble. He will fight for you and He will deliver you.

 
Photo credit: xenia from morguefile.com

Do You Know The Lord?

I wanted to touch on something from my last post about the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. When Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh to tell them what the Lord had said, Pharaoh replied, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5: 2 KJV).

Those words are significant. I know not the Lord. Do you know the Lord? Here are some ways you can tell if you know the Lord.

1. You listen and obey His voice. You might say you do not hear God's voice. God may not speak to you audibly the way He spoke to Moses, but He may speak to you in so many other ways: through His word, through another person, through a sermon or even through an incident. Moses first saw a burning bush before he heard the voice of the Lord.

2. You fear the Lord. Some say we should not fear God because God is love, and since He loves us we have nothing to fear. Proverbs 1 : 7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" People who know the Lord fear His punishment, His judgement, His wrath. Most of all they fear being separated from Him as a result of sin. Jesus said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10: 28 KJV).

3. You love the Lord. To know the Lord is to love Him with an all-encompassing love. A love that goes beyond anything you can feel for your spouse, parents or even your children. It is a love that makes you almost impatient to be with Him. Paul said, "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ; which is far better" (Philippians 1: 23 KJV).

4. You trust the Lord. Moses and other great men and women of the Bible knew the Lord and trusted in His goodness. He is the God who says, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalms 50: 15 KJV). It is what made Paul say, "Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1 : 10 KJV). And when the children of Israel grumbled against Moses he was able to say with confidence, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD" (Exodus 14: 13).

Pharaoh was right. He did not know the Lord, therefore he did not listen, he did not fear, he did not love and he did not trust the Lord. He didn't know there was a King far greater than he who would defend the Israelites and give them the victory. Do you know the Lord? If you do, fine. If you are not sure, examine yourself in light of the above. If you don't know Him, ask Him to come into your heart today. He will teach you everything you need to know.

God's Perfect Timing

I have been reading the story of Moses and how he tried to get Pharaoh to let the Israelites go by working all the miracles God commanded him to do. It's a story I have loved ever since I was a child, as it conjures up for me memories of The Ten Commandments, one of the greatest movies of all times.

If you read the story, you may recall that God sent ten plagues on the Egyptians before Pharaoh gave in and released the people. Actually, God had hardened Pharaoh's heart so he would not let the people go. And God knew exactly what had to happen and at what time Pharaoh would cave in. But something struck me as I read the chapter this morning. Exodus 12 : 40 - 41 says, "Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD's divisions left Egypt." NIV

God could have made Pharaoh release the people long before then, but He had a perfect timing arranged for the Israelites to leave. 430 years to the very day. Not a day sooner, nor a day later. Is God a God of order? Is He a God of precision? Over and over God uses expressions like "appointed time", "set time", "at that time", "in the fullness of time." God does nothing by chance. Although it may not appear that way to us, He has "an appointed time" for everything. Ecclesiastes 3 : 1 says: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" And verse 11 says, "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

Have you been praying and waiting for God to do something in your life and it seems like nothing is happening? Don't despair. If it is His will, He will do it. He may have hardened Satan's heart against you in order to fulfill His purpose. But at "the set time" Satan will have to release you, your son, your daughter, your finances, your marriage. Whatever he is keeping in bondage, he will have to let it go in God's perfect timing. So, don't cease to pray or to praise. Just wait on the Lord.