Holly-Rae Van Hoof

Family Traditions

This week, during our e-learning adventures, I worked with my first grader on social studies. Cultures, customs, and traditions were in the lesson, and I had to laugh at the family tradition he chose to write about.

Taco Tuesday.

This kid L O V E S tacos. And he REALLY loves taco Tuesday at our house. Have you ever heard the song “It’s raining tacos”? Yeah, it’s a regular over here.

Anyway, his write up on Taco Tuesday was great – except one small detail. Taco Tuesday doesn’t fit into the definition of a tradition: a custom that is passed down through the generations over time.

Now, if my son eventually makes tacos with his kids on Tuesdays, BAM, this custom is now a tradition! And I’d be a proud mama to pass that down.

Although, not quite David/Solomon level of traditions we have recorded in the Bible…

From an early age, David declared not just the power of God, but the power in his NAME! When standing against Goliath he says “you come with sword and spear, and I come in the name of the Lord”.

In Psalms, David says “may the name of the God of Jacob defend you“. He goes on to worship and sing praises to the name of God and call on the name of God.

There IS power in the name of the Lord! This power continues with the name of Jesus. Praying in his name, miracles in his name, POWER in the name of Jesus.

I’m guessing that King David not only wrote down about this power and strength that the name of the Lord carries, but he also shared his testimonies with his family. His real life experiences of God’s protection while battling Goliath, running from Saul, and everything in between. He shared how the Lord was his refuge and strong tower against his enemies, passing down to the generations the protection that the name of the Lord provides. I can picture them worshipping the name of the Lord together as a family. What a legacy!

Proverbs 18 records David’s son, King Solomon, penning this very same thing. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it. His name protects us, shields us, secures us. David believed it, Solomon believed it, and generations later, we believe it. We rely on it. I’m so grateful to be part of the family of God with these truths passed down from generation to generation!

Spring of Living Water

Child-Like Faith. First Love of Christ.

Those terms describe the simplistic and pure faith we have when we first come to know the Lord and put our trust in him. Those early days when we choose His ways over the world’s, and want to spend eternity with Jesus.

And somehow, over time, the distractions of the world creep in and pull us away from our heart’s true desire.

I love how God describes the Israelites in Jeremiah 2:

I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest.

Devoted, Loving, Following, Holy.

So… what happened?

The same thing that happens to all of us. We stray. We lose our path. We choose the temporary in place of the eternal.

As we continue in this chapter, we see how God describes the Israelites and their turning away:

For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. — Jeremiah 2:13

God is our spring of living water, and like the Israelites, we turn away from him. We leave him. And not only do we turn away, we then try to create our own water source. We create imitations of him. We try to fill our hearts with cheap idols, when we have access to the real true and living God!

Can you think of the cisterns in your world that you’re digging, instead of relying on the the living water that’s available to us?

Great Shepard of the Sheep

Last week, on my way home I saw a young girl walking along a busy 4 lane road (locals know it as Towanda Barnes Road). As she was heading south, halfway to Downs, it appeared this was an unplanned journey. I don’t see many people using this road as a nice walk about, and definitely not in dress shoes and a collared button down.

I found a little farm access drive and pulled in and waited for her to catch up and see if she needed help. Sure enough, her phone had died and couldn’t call for her Uber after work, as planned.

To complicate matters, she just started this new job on the far east side of town, and didn’t know her way around. When she left work that day, she knew she was close to the airport, and also knew there was a bus stop at the airport. Her plan was to walk to the airport, catch a bus back to ISU campus where she lived. Even though her phone died and she couldn’t call an Uber to get home, she had a plan to use her cash and catch the bus.

One small problem. When she left work, she mistakenly went the exact opposite way of getting to the airport. When I came upon her – 2.5 miles south of where she started – she had no idea she was heading the wrong way. See the little map/visual:

SWEET. GIRL. DIDN’T. EVEN. KNOW. SHE. WAS. LOST.

All throughout scripture, Jesus is called the Good Shepard. He goes after us. He will leave the ninety-nine to rescue the one. As Jon reminded us yesterday, he knows his sheep and his sheep know his voice. He doesn’t just lead us, guide us, care for us… he protects us. He protects us differently than a hired hand – because we are his very own children.

Hebrews 13 takes it up a notch and calls him the GREAT Shepard. Yes. So, so great. Even when we don’t know we are lost, way off track, or heading the completely wrong way, he pursues us. He rescues us from things we don’t even know we need rescuing from! Every once in awhile we get a glimpse of “what could have been” or what the Lord saved us from. But what about the countless times we don’t?

There’s a song from my youth (hey, 80s!) that reminds me of our Great Shepard and the countless times he has rescued me even when I wasn’t aware.

God only knows the times my life was threatened just today
A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way
Near misses all around me, accidents unknown
Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home
God, I know they’re all around me all day and through the night
When the enemy is closing in I know sometimes they fight
To keep my feet from falling I’ll never turn away
If you’re asking what’s protecting me then you’re gonna hear me say
Angels watching over me

Angels. Written by: Amy Grant, Gary Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Brown Bannister. Performed by: Amy Grant, 1984

Evidence of You

Dialogue. It’s always intrigued me. How conversations play out, who said what next, how did this person respond to that comment, etc. I love studying people through their conversations. I can remember sitting in the backseat of my parents car, maybe around age 2-3, and thinking “Wow, they talk fast. When I get big I want to be able to talk back and forth so fast like they can”.

I love sitting knee to knee and being able to look into someone’s eyes and understand what they’re thinking. What shaped the feelings they have? How did they come to that conclusion? How do they reconcile this concept with that other concept over here?

Learning about people, their “life story”, energizes me. What makes them tick, where they have areas of passion, how they came to know the Lord. What are their gifts, what are they praying about right now, what keeps them up at night.

And I love to share, too! (Who, me?) And I believe we are called to share our testimony. Lately, I’ve found myself sharing my testimony +. Yes, “testimony plus”. And I don’t think that’s in Revelation 12:11! Nope, it doesn’t say “we will overcome by the blood of Lamb and the Word of our testimony PLUS all of our personal opinions on all the current topics. Oh, and all the facts, stats, and “evidence” that supports my “plus”. You know, all the “proof”.

Have you ever heard that phrase, ”God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason”? Zing!!

With the world around us in such a heavy place of unrest, political divide, a global pandemic… I feel God continuing to tug at my heart to listen more and talk less about these individual areas. Find ways to point my thoughts, perspectives, and words back to Jesus.

And to be transparent with you, I admit it’s HARD for me to know when to use my words to “speak for those who can’t speak for themselves” and when to zip it and “live peaceably with all men”. And it’s likely that God calls us to both of these approaches in different moments and seasons.

So, I’m in a place of praying for a ton of wisdom, and the Holy Spirit to lead me when these opportunities pop up. And how great that the Lord brings me back to this scripture:

Jesus is over all the Kings on this Earth. Revelation 1:5

If I truly believe this and put my trust in it, then I don’t need to be consumed with conversations on politics, elections, covid protocols, facts, news updates, and all the other debates and divisive topics around me. I can focus discussions back on Jesus, being over every king, president, ruler, around the world. His perfect will, will be done.

I want to share who Jesus is and what he has done in my life. He is over all the topics, people, places, discussions. Christ living in us is the proof and evidence back to him – as the King over all the Kings!

I definitely have work to do in this area.

My kids learned this song through virtual church this summer and it’s super catchy and I just love the chorus! Link at the bottom if you’d like to listen to it.

EVIDENCE OF YOU

You blow my mind and exceed my expectations
So every day this will be my motivation
When I open my mouth
I want Your love to come out
And Your glory be seen

I want my life to be the evidence of You
I want the way I live to be somebody’s proof
In every word I say
In all I try to do
I want my life to be the evidence
Evidence of You

This world is searching for a hero that can save them
But if they only knew the power that forgave sin
When I open my mouth
I want Your love to come out
And Your glory be seen

I want my life to be the evidence of You
I want the way I live to be somebody’s proof
In every word I say
in all I try to do
I want my life to be the evidence
Evidence of You

Beyond the music, Beyond the noise
In every season I’ll make a choice
I wanna stand tall and be a light that shines
Like a city on a hill, God, use me still

I want my life to be the evidence of You
I want the way I live to be somebody’s proof
I want my life to be the evidence of You
I want the way I live to be somebody’s proof
In every word I say
In all I try to do
I want my life to be the evidence
Evidence of You

Yancy
©2013 Dried Rose Music (ASCAP)

https://www.worshiphousekids.com/kids-worship-song-tracks/36885/evidence-of-you

City of Refuge

God is our refuge and our strength! David, more than anyone else in the Bible, professes this nature of God again and again. God is his provider, hiding place, shelter. He is his R E F U G E.

Before David experienced this, God designed an infrastructure of the Cities of Refuge through Moses and Joshua (Deut 19). These real cities are sprinkled across Israel, and all about a day’s journey from the different areas of God’s people. It’s fascinating to learn all of the purposes and plans for these cities – from the Israelites to the foreigners, to what the city leaders were required to do. Hosting a refugee was no small feat. But the most important component of these Cities of Refuge, is that they highlight God’s heart for true justice. He provides a safe place for those being chased and persecuted unfairly (giving the example of unintentional murderers), until the situation can be evaluated and judged. God makes a way for fairness over quick revenge, for everyone.

A couple of things stand out to me about these cities. First, the responsibility was on the accused to get to the safe place. They had to seek out and travel to the City of Refuge. It wasn’t enough that it existed. It wasn’t enough that there was a law that said they should get a chance to be fairly judged. And the leaders of the location the person committed the crime weren’t required to transport them. They had to seek refuge as an individual. It was up to them to flee and get to safety.

What does my seeking after the Lord look like, in times of distress? Is it active and focused? Am I running to the Lord first, as diligently as I can?

The other thing that stands out to me is the host leaders of the Cities of Refuge. This put a lot on them to be prepared, to host the refugee, protect the wanted man, and provide for him. People would stop what they had going on when a refugee would arrive. It wasn’t always convenient. They may have worried about having enough for their own family, let alone provide for this stranger. They may have been concerned of the character of this person. There had to be a lot of things, perceived or real, that gave them pause when these situations arose.

What’s stopping me from providing for others that are seeking fair treatment? What are excuses I use to turn a blind eye to injustices around me?

I love this example that God outlined for us! He didn’t only rescue his people from Egypt (where they were being unfairly used and abused)… he then used the people to set up rescue centers for others. To whom much has been given, much is required. The Israelites knew too well of being treated unfairly – what better group to provide for others being potentially wrongly punished?

What trials has God delivered me from, that I can in turn support others in?

While we may not be hunted or wrongly accused for intentional murder, we may have:

- - - Made a big mistake at work and had a boss that owned it on our behalf
    - Had a friend growing up whose family took us in and invested in us when we needed it.
    - Had financial help when tight on cash and in a bind.

God is such a faithful refuge!

I’m thankful for this example of the Cities of Refuge. What a beautiful foreshadowing for us and our sin. He is our refuge from ourselves! He gives us time to seek him, work out our salvation and be judged by Him.

Don’t be caught by the enemy – race as fast as you can to our perfect Refuge!

Prince of Peace

Five months ago, I began reflecting on the God of Peace, and shared my heart in a Bible Journal entry. It was the end of March and the world seemed to be looking for peace. The unknowns of the pandemic brought so much fear and anxiety into the world. The timing of that assignment was a blessing for me to pause and focus on the God of Peace.

Four months later and I have the focus of Jesus as our Prince of Peace. Pretty fitting, considering that we are in such a place of unrest and on so many levels, beyond the pandemic. But we have the perfect Son, in the form of a Prince, from the lineage of the King of All Kings, that can provide us perfect peace. Even in the storms.

What corners of your world need more peace? Do you need to be free from the worries and stress of this world? Or do you have relationships that need peace? Jesus, alone, can restore all relationships:

- - - Our relationship with God.
    - Our relationship with man.

Jesus reconciles us to God, makes us righteous so we can dwell with the father for eternity. His saving grace provides this path to wholeness and peace with the father.

Jesus heals the wounds and pain of sin. This healing is what allows reconciliation with man. Without the healing, we can forgive, but it requires Jesus’ healing power for true restoration and reconciliation. Our Prince of Peace, Jesus, can do that!

Many of you know my marriage went through some dark storms. For a long period of time I did not see healing, reconciliation or restoration as part of our story.

The Lord used that time to do a major work in my heart and in my husband’s heart. We had a lot of people praying for healing, restoration, and reconciliation, even when I couldn’t pray that prayer myself. There were many days that I was too exhausted, wounded, and angry to do any more work on the marriage. Thank you, Jesus, for interceding on our behalf!

Just as Jesus heals our physical bodies, he heals us spiritually and emotionally. Have you experienced this? For me, he brought so much healing to my heart, that I couldn’t accomplish on my own. And believe me, I tried to white knuckle my way through, on my own. I realized that my fake version of “getting by” wasn’t true healing, and wasn’t bringing any peace. And while healing and peace looks different for each person, for me it eventually led to healing in my marriage. The path to peace was different than I imagined, but that’s one of the things I love about the Lord: His ways are greater than mine.

I also learned in this season that peace isn’t the absence of conflict or living in some blissful state of harmony. Ultimately, it’s having confidence that I am His, and He is mine. God with us – and living in us! At the end of the day, month, year, and lifetime, I am HIS and made whole through Jesus. He’s got me and will lead me home for eternity, and THAT is complete peace.

If you’re in the middle of a life storm, you can trust Jesus to bring you peace. Whether you need comfort to walk you through, grace and forgiveness of sin, or healing in relationships. You can trust Him to lead you to peace!

What are your personal testimonies of peace, that can only be attributed to Jesus, as our Prince of Peace?

Pasture

Pasture. What a peaceful concept. God calls himself our Pasture, in Jeremiah’s prophesy of Judah being reunited after the fall of Babylon. God’s people were led astray, away from their true Pasture, the Lord, and they had been devoured. Unprotected. Without hope. The Babylonians even gave that as the justification for the plundering and devastation – you were the ones that were led astray by your own leaders and abandoned your Pasture, your true habitation.

But God.

Despite our wandering away from his hope-filled pasture, He comes and rescues us. Again and again.

And his pasture is beautiful. It’s wonderful. It’s sanctifying. He wants to protect us, care for us, give us hope. His pasture is so comforting because he is with us!

And yet, we wander. Like the old hymn depicts, “prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love”.

Where do you wander?

I recently celebrated a birthday, which brought some really sweet well wishes from people that spanned different seasons of life. It was fun (and humbling!) to go back in time and think through how the Lord has been my Deliverer. My Pasture.

In my teens, I wandered right into parties and relationships I had no business being part of. I remember thinking “I will just go for a little bit”. Or, “I will just go and make good choices”. Riiiiiiiight. And the Lord had so much more for me! He had sweet fellowship and integrity for me, when I was choosing the opposite.

In my twenties, when I was so focused on starting my career and saving money, I would wander into coveting the next job. I found myself thinking about the next opportunity, instead of focusing on the one right in front of me. Who did God have for me to love? Who did I not invest in, during the seasons I was looking at the next rung on the ladder, instead of the people around me?

My thirties… oh the decade of spending too much time in the wrong pasture of worry and words. But the Lord is so faithful to call me back. To show me that He’s got a plan. Stay in his pasture of hope, stop wandering over to Worry Hill. And the words… I learned some lessons with words in my thirties, and how to avoid the pastures of gossip, and steer clear of pastures that create fire coming from my mouth. God is my Pasture, full of words that are true, lovely, and pure.

As I spend time in my forties, I know my heart will have moments of wandering, and I know our faithful God will draw me back. I’m focusing on “staying in my own lane” as one of my faith mentors has encouraged. God’s pasture is such a joyful, restful place to be, why would I ever get distracted, lost, or wander? Here’s to letting go of my “fix-it” tendencies and trading them for following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

What about you, where do you wander? Is he calling you back to his Pasture today?

1. Jeremiah 50:7 
2. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Robert Robinson, 1758

In Jesus’ Name We Pray

Have you ever thought of prayers that close with “In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen”? Maybe you close your own prayers that way.

I have to confess that sometimes thoughtful traditions become habits, and there are times that I miss the meaning in the moment of routine. When I stop and really think of these words at the end of my prayer, it’s an awesome reminder that:

- - - - God is in control
      - Jesus has the power, not us
      - To him be the glory
      - We want our heart and will to be aligned to the Father’s
      - Jesus is our intercessor
      - His name is above all names

When we truly believe in the power that Jesus’ name carries, we call on Him and know he is able. He is able to comfort. He is able to heal. He is able to meet us where we are. He is able to forgive. He is able to change us. He is all powerful, and his name is above all other names. Philippians 2:9-10 tells us:

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

So Jesus’ name is above any other name, and there is POWER in his name! The New Testament is filled with examples of disciples praying and doing miracles in Jesus’ name, with faith, and then times when they weren’t. The results were very different. John 14:14, John 16:23-24, 1 John 5:13-15, Acts 19:13-16

This is an awesome encouragement for me to slow down and think about what I’m saying and what’s truly in my heart. What am I really asking for? What are my motives? Do I believe God will answer my prayer? Am I requesting Jesus’ power, by calling on his name?

As we are called to be more Christ-like, studying who he is will help us identify areas of growth. These daily attributes and names of God are amazing!

Jesus was named with the Hebrew origin meaning Jehovah / Yahweh Saves, or God Rescues. This name, chosen by God, is over every other name. And we have access to his power by calling on his name – wow! And when we call on his name, we are declaring that the power is his. The glory is His. None of it is ours!

Do you have a situation that needs the power of Jesus to intervene? Approach God in faith, knowing and believing that Jesus’ name is above all. Say his name out loud!

Majesty on High

The past couple of days we’ve been talking about majesty. BJ described the majestic glory of Jesus and Jon shared the power and majesty of God’s holiness. Today we come to Hebrews 1:3,

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

When I picture Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, as the Majesty on High, I can’t help but think of God as the righteous and perfect judge. Maybe the English words of “your majesty” as a royal title, conjure up thoughts of power and ruling over people. But God is the Majesty on High. The ruler over all the rulers. The most perfect judge. Mind-blowing wisdom.

The past few weeks have been especially heavy for our nation. For our world. What a testimony to our need for the most perfect ruler. The righteous judge with perspective, truth, and love. As we individually play judge and jury to things on this earth, we have a Majesty On High that can judge without bias. God approaches us without fear or prejudice. He doesn’t shy away from deep wounds. He provides a process of repentance and redemption through Jesus.

As I’ve been evaluating and reflecting on my own contributions to the real problem of racism and inequality, I definitely have gaps between my heart and my judgement, compared to the Lord’s perfect ways. I’m praying for more areas of my life to be brought to light that need cleansing, repentance, and healing. Where do I have callouses? What unfounded opinions and beliefs do I hold? What generational sin am I making my own? When have I been silent where words were needed? When I have I spoken out when my silence was needed? Cleanse me, Lord! I need you, the Majesty on High, to rule in every corner of my heart.

Lily of the Valley

Last week, my kiddos picked this bunch of flowers and surprised me. Lily of the valleys have a beautiful smell and their white dainty petals are just so pretty.

About 30 minutes later, the lily of the valley bouquet became a perfect visual. The fun and joy took a turn when they ate some candy they knew they weren’t supposed to and were overcome with guilt. The Holy Spirit prompted them to be honest and confess…oh to be 10 and 7, and have the guilt of snuck candy! Can you remember some of those moments in your youth? My oldest was wrecked, feeling like she led her younger brother into the sin, and she felt awful and couldn’t quite shake it.

The beautiful bunch of flowers was a great reminder of Jesus’ saving grace, and how he cleanses us, white just like the lilies. Song of Solomon 2:1 is a foreshadowing of Jesus, being called the Lily of the Valley, and wow, are there parallels to this beautiful flower and our beautiful savior. Jesus, like the lily, bears much fruit and shows us how to be fruitful. When I was looking into other scriptures that talk about the lily of the valley, I found that historically these flowers were also called the ‘ladder to heaven’. The way the buds are layered on the stem makes them appear to be stacked like a ladder, and how fitting that the flower that Jesus is identified with, is also the way to heaven.

Jesus is white and pure, and he wants nothing more than to save us from our sin and cleanse us. He wants us to be clothed in white and free from the darkness of sin. The bright white color of the lily shows his purity and righteousness.

Your sin might look different than mine, and different than sneaking candy… but in God’s eyes, sin is all the same – separation from him and his ways. We like to categorize sin on earth, based on our morals, based on the consequences they bring… sometimes we measure sin like we do skyscrapers – by assigning a size. But God looks down at skyscrapers and they all look the same from his vantage point.

The lies, the stealing candy, the gossip, the pride… it’s all unrighteousness that he wants to forgive and free us from. He wants us to walk in light and be made white and pure. I’m so glad he made a way for us to do this and to free our hearts and minds of the weight of sin! To have everlasting life through believing in Jesus and confessing him as Lord.

Do you feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to confess sin in your life? Will you allow Jesus to cleanse your heart and make it white like the lily of the valley?