“Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.” Numbers 11:1
As the Israelites broke camp and set on their new journey they were warned that there would be difficulties in taking the promised land. They had just spent an extended time with God, experienced His magnificent presence and were the audio recipients of God’s voice. How much more did they need to trust Him? But there they were once again, grumbling and complaining about the next trek of their journey.
How soon we forget! My sister and I tease about our family aimlessly running around much like the children of God with good intentions but falling into the same traps as our predecessors. We ask, we plead and we petition to the Father only to be followed up with questions, concerns and complaints (many times). We each have a promised land for which we seek. Our promised land is as individual as each child of God. Sometimes it is a prodigal child returning home, a new job, a new marriage or even freedom from something that has enslaved us.
I remember one day when my children were young and the complaints of the day had overtaken me. I had listened to each complaint, responded for the most part with patience and reminded them of the important reasons for my decisions. It didn’t matter how much time I spent with them they were going to complain about something... anything! I finally decided at 3:00 pm that my day with them was done (Bruce was to be home in about an hour), and that I was going to remove my presence from them. Essentially, I told them I was sending myself to my room. I couldn’t take their grumbling anymore so I left them to wallow in their misery. When I returned in about an hour they were much more thankful and wanted time with me.
I believe that God pulls back His fellowship with us when He senses an ungrateful heart, a grumbling spirit and a mind not focused on Him. We know intuitively when we possess a grumbling spirit and so does God. We experience God in a way that is without reserve but yet we still whine and complain about our circumstances. None of us must look very far to find the life of someone else whose circumstances make ours look like a walk in the park.
I had a friend years ago who was in a whining mode about some aspect of her life and the complaints were continual and ongoing. I’ll never forget when her husband sent her roses during this time of discontent. She opened the card only to read his heart-felt message, “Remember the handicap.” The message penetrated straight to the heart and she had to face the fact that she had lost sight of the blessings in her life.
Next time we grumble and complain about our circumstances, let’s “remember the handicap”!
(Incidentally, my friend threw the roses in the lake!)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Surrendering To New Seasons
“The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey, and go…’” Deut.1:6
Freedom from a tough season in our lives can be very intimidating even if that season has been extremely difficult. We adapt to whatever life throws at us and develop a recovery plan for “a new kind of normal”. So when God has determined it is time for us to “turn, set your journey and go” it can be just as scary as the wilderness itself. I am experiencing this type of freedom at this point in my life.
As many of you are aware, three years ago my husband and I relocated his father and mother-in-law after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s for his father. We have spent the last three years setting up their lives 10 minutes from us, establishing the best doctors, along with helping them create a new life for themselves. It has been both rewarding and grueling at the same time and has taken a great deal of sacrifice, patience and endurance but their new life has finally gotten nicely established. They have a place in Boone to which they have always retreated in the summer months. I received a letter a month ago telling us that they have decided to move up there full time and they are putting their home near us on the market immediately.
My initial reaction was shock but very quickly was replaced with peace and felt like God had intervened. Over the next couple weeks bitterness and sadness set in like a dark cloud. I began feeling as if every sacrifice I had made over the past three years was in vain. I had to spiritual work to do….
Over the past week God has spoken consistently and loudly through His word that He is setting me free and giving me a new life. His spirit has touched mine with love, approval and completion. I kept returning to the victim mode feeling like someone had done something to me, thereby blocking His peace and His approval that He wanted me to experience. I finally heard loud and clear from Him once and for all, “No one has done this to you, I have done this for you!”
“In our walks with the LORD we will discover moments when a season of camping out in the foothills of Sinai ends and we are compelled to take what we’ve gathered and move forward. When our souls begin to stir and the Holy Spirit begins gently nudging us to turn, set a new journey, and go, we can know that God is moving us to a new place in our relationship with Him.” Priscilla Shirer, One In A Million, p. 107.
Surrendering to new seasons allow us to leave one experience at the base of His mountain, accept His will to turn and set our journeys on another and to make the steps necessary to walk towards our promised lands.
Freedom from a tough season in our lives can be very intimidating even if that season has been extremely difficult. We adapt to whatever life throws at us and develop a recovery plan for “a new kind of normal”. So when God has determined it is time for us to “turn, set your journey and go” it can be just as scary as the wilderness itself. I am experiencing this type of freedom at this point in my life.
As many of you are aware, three years ago my husband and I relocated his father and mother-in-law after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s for his father. We have spent the last three years setting up their lives 10 minutes from us, establishing the best doctors, along with helping them create a new life for themselves. It has been both rewarding and grueling at the same time and has taken a great deal of sacrifice, patience and endurance but their new life has finally gotten nicely established. They have a place in Boone to which they have always retreated in the summer months. I received a letter a month ago telling us that they have decided to move up there full time and they are putting their home near us on the market immediately.
My initial reaction was shock but very quickly was replaced with peace and felt like God had intervened. Over the next couple weeks bitterness and sadness set in like a dark cloud. I began feeling as if every sacrifice I had made over the past three years was in vain. I had to spiritual work to do….
Over the past week God has spoken consistently and loudly through His word that He is setting me free and giving me a new life. His spirit has touched mine with love, approval and completion. I kept returning to the victim mode feeling like someone had done something to me, thereby blocking His peace and His approval that He wanted me to experience. I finally heard loud and clear from Him once and for all, “No one has done this to you, I have done this for you!”
“In our walks with the LORD we will discover moments when a season of camping out in the foothills of Sinai ends and we are compelled to take what we’ve gathered and move forward. When our souls begin to stir and the Holy Spirit begins gently nudging us to turn, set a new journey, and go, we can know that God is moving us to a new place in our relationship with Him.” Priscilla Shirer, One In A Million, p. 107.
Surrendering to new seasons allow us to leave one experience at the base of His mountain, accept His will to turn and set our journeys on another and to make the steps necessary to walk towards our promised lands.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Oil and Vinegar
“For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial... Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord…I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6:14b-18.
In the Bible, the word Belial personifies evil or worthlessness. These questions are meant to call us to separateness and righteousness in our pursuit of a holier way of living. We cannot live our lives one way and claim to be “in Christ” in another.
I love an oil and vinegar mixture on my salad but this mixture will only mix when continuously shaken and will never reside within each other. They will always remain apart never living up to the fullest potential of their integration unless shaken. Many times our Christian lives are the same as we present ourselves as one mixture on the top but underneath we are really another. Our fullest potential only develops when God shakes and stirs creating a flavor that sets us apart.
Righteousness and wickedness cannot reside side by side in the same heart if we are pursuing Christ in our lives. One will always separate us from the other and we will never have the end result of a seasoned life in Christ. Our actions must exemplify a desire to be set apart, to stand out and to stand for!
Why do we try to so hard to fit in when it is obvious He has created us to stand apart?
In the Bible, the word Belial personifies evil or worthlessness. These questions are meant to call us to separateness and righteousness in our pursuit of a holier way of living. We cannot live our lives one way and claim to be “in Christ” in another.
I love an oil and vinegar mixture on my salad but this mixture will only mix when continuously shaken and will never reside within each other. They will always remain apart never living up to the fullest potential of their integration unless shaken. Many times our Christian lives are the same as we present ourselves as one mixture on the top but underneath we are really another. Our fullest potential only develops when God shakes and stirs creating a flavor that sets us apart.
Righteousness and wickedness cannot reside side by side in the same heart if we are pursuing Christ in our lives. One will always separate us from the other and we will never have the end result of a seasoned life in Christ. Our actions must exemplify a desire to be set apart, to stand out and to stand for!
Why do we try to so hard to fit in when it is obvious He has created us to stand apart?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Relationship By Proxy
“When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled in fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” Exodus 20:18-19.
This morning when I read this verse I lovingly thought of my baby girl, Caroline when she was 11 years old. The event was our family vacation to Disney World and her mood was extreme fear. Everytime we would approach a ride she would begin staring at the beast before her and biting her nails. I can still see her sun bleached blonde hair and large green eyes panicking as she wanted the benefits of the ride but the fear held her back. We would take turns staying back with her throughout the entire days at Disney and watched her struggle with desire vs. fear.
I know some people like this as it relates to their fear of approaching God and getting deeper in fellowship with Him. It is supported throughout the Bible that we will suffer for Christ and to fellowship with Him is to suffer with Him. This has been true in my own life as the closer I have gotten with Christ my adversities have seem to be on the rise. I have to testify though that the benefits of the ride far outweigh my standing on the sideline. I have my own experiences with Christ instead of having to live through the experiences and fellowship with Christ of someone else.
No one can know God for us – we must show up and invest the time to know who He is for our individual lives. People may walk along side of us teaching about Him, encouraging us through His truths and praying for us, but no one can climb those high stairs, embark on that ride and experience the climb and the drops like we can when we get off of the sidelines and accept our destiny.
Cast your fears aside, begin the adventure and hold on tight!
As a side note, Caroline has always regretting not riding any of those rides!
This morning when I read this verse I lovingly thought of my baby girl, Caroline when she was 11 years old. The event was our family vacation to Disney World and her mood was extreme fear. Everytime we would approach a ride she would begin staring at the beast before her and biting her nails. I can still see her sun bleached blonde hair and large green eyes panicking as she wanted the benefits of the ride but the fear held her back. We would take turns staying back with her throughout the entire days at Disney and watched her struggle with desire vs. fear.
I know some people like this as it relates to their fear of approaching God and getting deeper in fellowship with Him. It is supported throughout the Bible that we will suffer for Christ and to fellowship with Him is to suffer with Him. This has been true in my own life as the closer I have gotten with Christ my adversities have seem to be on the rise. I have to testify though that the benefits of the ride far outweigh my standing on the sideline. I have my own experiences with Christ instead of having to live through the experiences and fellowship with Christ of someone else.
No one can know God for us – we must show up and invest the time to know who He is for our individual lives. People may walk along side of us teaching about Him, encouraging us through His truths and praying for us, but no one can climb those high stairs, embark on that ride and experience the climb and the drops like we can when we get off of the sidelines and accept our destiny.
Cast your fears aside, begin the adventure and hold on tight!
As a side note, Caroline has always regretting not riding any of those rides!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Beast of Burdens
“They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. I will provide for them…they will no longer be victims…They will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they…are my people.” Ezekiel 34: 27b-30
Enslavement…can there be anything that depletes our emotional, physical and mental energy more than something in our lives that bind and imprison us? Everyone has some area of enslavement that will resurface throughout our lives with different faces. In the dictionary, enslavement is defined as a dependence, addiction, habit or craving. These are powerful descriptions of areas of our lives for which we give so much attention. Each definition denotes an extreme negative response in certain areas of our lives.
In the Bible God speaks continuously about freedom from captivity and providing a way out through Him. He doesn’t just rescue us but replaces our enslavement with a new life, a new land and a new way. The only requirement on our part is the willingness to trust Him enough to be rescued. We get so comfortable in our enslavement because we have built a comfortable home on that land.
I am reminded of the drowning man who flails his arms as someone is attempting to save him. He creates more dire circumstances for himself through his fear of drowning and lack of trust in the person who has the ability to save him.
If Christ is to break the bars of our yoke, whatever it is that enslaves us, we must be still, trust, float and allow Him to gently and purposefully move us to safe shores. As He lays us on safe land He will not abandon us. He will do the work to breathe life back into us and show us how to live with a newfound appreciation and understanding of life. He will take away our fears from our experiences and replace them with the awesome knowledge of His saving grace in all situations.
When I was a child my sisters and I would carry each other on our shoulders. I remember how it felt when my sister would jump off after I had carried her around. I almost felt like I was going to float upward because the weight of the burden had been lifted. The same is true when we allow Christ to share in our burdens. We assign the amount of power our enslavement has over our lives. We carry those burdens on our shoulders instead of allowing Christ to “break the bars of our yokes.”
What are you carrying around on your shoulders?
Enslavement…can there be anything that depletes our emotional, physical and mental energy more than something in our lives that bind and imprison us? Everyone has some area of enslavement that will resurface throughout our lives with different faces. In the dictionary, enslavement is defined as a dependence, addiction, habit or craving. These are powerful descriptions of areas of our lives for which we give so much attention. Each definition denotes an extreme negative response in certain areas of our lives.
In the Bible God speaks continuously about freedom from captivity and providing a way out through Him. He doesn’t just rescue us but replaces our enslavement with a new life, a new land and a new way. The only requirement on our part is the willingness to trust Him enough to be rescued. We get so comfortable in our enslavement because we have built a comfortable home on that land.
I am reminded of the drowning man who flails his arms as someone is attempting to save him. He creates more dire circumstances for himself through his fear of drowning and lack of trust in the person who has the ability to save him.
If Christ is to break the bars of our yoke, whatever it is that enslaves us, we must be still, trust, float and allow Him to gently and purposefully move us to safe shores. As He lays us on safe land He will not abandon us. He will do the work to breathe life back into us and show us how to live with a newfound appreciation and understanding of life. He will take away our fears from our experiences and replace them with the awesome knowledge of His saving grace in all situations.
When I was a child my sisters and I would carry each other on our shoulders. I remember how it felt when my sister would jump off after I had carried her around. I almost felt like I was going to float upward because the weight of the burden had been lifted. The same is true when we allow Christ to share in our burdens. We assign the amount of power our enslavement has over our lives. We carry those burdens on our shoulders instead of allowing Christ to “break the bars of our yokes.”
What are you carrying around on your shoulders?
Friday, July 24, 2009
A New Paint Job
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
We are in the process of having our house painted which we have put off far too long, partly because we knew the cost would be great and the interruptions would be frustrating. Our house had gotten to the point of peeled paint, rotten wood and overall poor appearance. I didn’t realize the work that went into the prepping of painting a home. The painter’s first day I was anticipating portions of the home being beautifully transformed and was shocked when I came home to find the majority of the wood now exposed. It reminded me of the “slave cabins” in the woods we used to play in as children, cabins that had been neglected and abandoned with no one caring about their existence.
What I didn’t realize was the necessity of scraping off the old paint, roughing the surface to ensure the new paint adheres and anticipating the weather for perfect timing for the new coat to assure its ultimate beauty.
This made me think of my life and how God primes each of us in an effort to bring out our ultimate beauty. Through adversities he “scrapes off the old paint” and removes things from our heart and mind that prevent us from reaching our fullest potential. He sees our complacency of settling for a not-so-lovely dwelling and roughs up the surface making us vulnerable to the elements. He then chooses the right time to apply His work based on His timing and not our own. Through trials He primes us with a protective and lasting coat of grace so that the outward beauty of our new surface is based on the durable work of His craftsmanship.
Now that the work is done on the front of my house and the results are beautiful, I know what went into the prep work. I know how dependent the underneath layer is and the success of the external beauty is dependent upon the work of the underlying layer. Our underlying layer is the Holy Spirit that removes the old, primes for the new and covers with fresh coats of grace daily enhancing our beauty.
Are you ready for a new paint job?
We are in the process of having our house painted which we have put off far too long, partly because we knew the cost would be great and the interruptions would be frustrating. Our house had gotten to the point of peeled paint, rotten wood and overall poor appearance. I didn’t realize the work that went into the prepping of painting a home. The painter’s first day I was anticipating portions of the home being beautifully transformed and was shocked when I came home to find the majority of the wood now exposed. It reminded me of the “slave cabins” in the woods we used to play in as children, cabins that had been neglected and abandoned with no one caring about their existence.
What I didn’t realize was the necessity of scraping off the old paint, roughing the surface to ensure the new paint adheres and anticipating the weather for perfect timing for the new coat to assure its ultimate beauty.
This made me think of my life and how God primes each of us in an effort to bring out our ultimate beauty. Through adversities he “scrapes off the old paint” and removes things from our heart and mind that prevent us from reaching our fullest potential. He sees our complacency of settling for a not-so-lovely dwelling and roughs up the surface making us vulnerable to the elements. He then chooses the right time to apply His work based on His timing and not our own. Through trials He primes us with a protective and lasting coat of grace so that the outward beauty of our new surface is based on the durable work of His craftsmanship.
Now that the work is done on the front of my house and the results are beautiful, I know what went into the prep work. I know how dependent the underneath layer is and the success of the external beauty is dependent upon the work of the underlying layer. Our underlying layer is the Holy Spirit that removes the old, primes for the new and covers with fresh coats of grace daily enhancing our beauty.
Are you ready for a new paint job?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Our Father - the Eagle
“He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, cared for him, and guarded him as the [apple] of His eye. He watches over His nest like an eagle and hovers over His young; He spread His wings, catches him, and lifts him up on His pinions.” Deut. 32-9-11.
A few years ago when I was a registrar for a middle school I had an encounter with a family that breathed life into these verses. A father came to enroll his son for whom he had just been granted custody. He didn’t even know he had a son since the boy’s mother had never contacted the father. The father and his present wife were unable to have children and had been praying for a child. The man was contacted by DSS and informed that he had a son whom had been raised by an alcoholic mother now imprisoned. This was confirmed by a DNA test and the couple was ecstatic.
A few weeks later the boy came to live with his real dad and stepmother. This is where the story takes flight as if the first part wasn’t enough. A few weeks after the boy came to live with the couple he shared some letters with his father that he had written to God during his desolate wilderness. These letters were an intimate exchange between the boy and His heavenly Father crying out that he would be delivered and that someday God would bring him to his earthly father. In the letters, the boy described that God was going to lead him to his father which is exactly what occurred.
This boy had few people on his side, and few people who knew his story or his suffering. But the One who had control knew his story and “hovered” over him for twelve years. To hover is to “flutter in the air without moving very far from the same spot” according to the dictionary. His heavenly Father surrounded him, cared for him and guarded him until he was given over to his earthly father.
Some of our loneliest times in the wilderness is when we are able to witness God soaring on our behalf. He knows our wings are too weak to take us where we need to be. He spreads His wings and shows us how to soar and when to soar. As little nestlings, we have our mighty Eagle to protect each of us as He stirs the nest igniting our passion for flight and teaching us how to fly with new found strength, power and knowledge.
Only God knows when our spiritual wings are strong enough to take us to new found heights but when He incites flight we must believe we can fly!
A few years ago when I was a registrar for a middle school I had an encounter with a family that breathed life into these verses. A father came to enroll his son for whom he had just been granted custody. He didn’t even know he had a son since the boy’s mother had never contacted the father. The father and his present wife were unable to have children and had been praying for a child. The man was contacted by DSS and informed that he had a son whom had been raised by an alcoholic mother now imprisoned. This was confirmed by a DNA test and the couple was ecstatic.
A few weeks later the boy came to live with his real dad and stepmother. This is where the story takes flight as if the first part wasn’t enough. A few weeks after the boy came to live with the couple he shared some letters with his father that he had written to God during his desolate wilderness. These letters were an intimate exchange between the boy and His heavenly Father crying out that he would be delivered and that someday God would bring him to his earthly father. In the letters, the boy described that God was going to lead him to his father which is exactly what occurred.
This boy had few people on his side, and few people who knew his story or his suffering. But the One who had control knew his story and “hovered” over him for twelve years. To hover is to “flutter in the air without moving very far from the same spot” according to the dictionary. His heavenly Father surrounded him, cared for him and guarded him until he was given over to his earthly father.
Some of our loneliest times in the wilderness is when we are able to witness God soaring on our behalf. He knows our wings are too weak to take us where we need to be. He spreads His wings and shows us how to soar and when to soar. As little nestlings, we have our mighty Eagle to protect each of us as He stirs the nest igniting our passion for flight and teaching us how to fly with new found strength, power and knowledge.
Only God knows when our spiritual wings are strong enough to take us to new found heights but when He incites flight we must believe we can fly!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Putting It Into Practice
“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9.
I don’t know about you but one of the most frustrating things I experienced as a mother of younger children was the taunting task of teaching the same concept of right and wrong over and over again. My children would choose something that was not good for them even if they had been taught to refrain. They had learned from me and my husband a certain protocol for living, a set of boundaries that was in place for our family.
When I consider all of life’s lessons as I reflect on my journey in life, I seem to be able to identify a certain “appetite of temptation” that seems to always vie for my attention. God has been so patient in bringing me around to His standard of living as He lovingly and mercifully reminds me of the degree of holiness He commands of me. There are many “things” I have learned and received from Him, but it is the “putting it into practice” that seems to be the hiccup. There must be an intentional and disciplined focus on living life with the set of boundaries and standards for which God desires. Some of the most intense lessons from God have obviously been my times in the wilderness.
There are many things remaining that God must show me in my walk with Him but the things that are already mine, revelations learned and received, must be worked out and practiced daily for me to obtain the peace that He promises. We must depend on God to reveal these things to us as we become spiritually mature enough to receive them. With these revelations of truth we have a responsibility to put them into place and to show others the standard of living for which God requires. God will deliver us from the wilderness, but the wilderness provides the backdrop for God to replace the world’s influence on us with His truths.
In order for God to work His practices into our lives He must work the earthly practices out of our lives.
I don’t know about you but one of the most frustrating things I experienced as a mother of younger children was the taunting task of teaching the same concept of right and wrong over and over again. My children would choose something that was not good for them even if they had been taught to refrain. They had learned from me and my husband a certain protocol for living, a set of boundaries that was in place for our family.
When I consider all of life’s lessons as I reflect on my journey in life, I seem to be able to identify a certain “appetite of temptation” that seems to always vie for my attention. God has been so patient in bringing me around to His standard of living as He lovingly and mercifully reminds me of the degree of holiness He commands of me. There are many “things” I have learned and received from Him, but it is the “putting it into practice” that seems to be the hiccup. There must be an intentional and disciplined focus on living life with the set of boundaries and standards for which God desires. Some of the most intense lessons from God have obviously been my times in the wilderness.
There are many things remaining that God must show me in my walk with Him but the things that are already mine, revelations learned and received, must be worked out and practiced daily for me to obtain the peace that He promises. We must depend on God to reveal these things to us as we become spiritually mature enough to receive them. With these revelations of truth we have a responsibility to put them into place and to show others the standard of living for which God requires. God will deliver us from the wilderness, but the wilderness provides the backdrop for God to replace the world’s influence on us with His truths.
In order for God to work His practices into our lives He must work the earthly practices out of our lives.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Taking Cover!
“They grumbled in their tents, and did not obey the LORD.” Psalm 106:25
My grandson Carson has this reoccurring temptation while over at our house to swipe an antique pocket watch that lays on a table for display. It seems as if each time he is over that temptation swells and grows to such a level that the watch will end up moved and recovered by me later that day. The other day was no different as he came to me and informed me that he had moved the watch again as if he had no control over this repeated action but required some forgiveness and redemption. In my diluted way of fussing at him, I told him that he wasn’t to touch it. He got mad at me at which point he ran and hid under the breakfast room table. I called his name but could only hear his grumblings of how unhappy he was with me. Carson made the mistake of thinking since he couldn’t hear me I couldn’t hear his complaints. After a few minutes of his whining and grumbling I crawled under the table with him much to his surprise. He informed me that his was “his tent” and viewed my presence as an intrusion on his pity party.
How many times do we just want to be like the Israelites and Carson? We want to run and hide under the table so we can complain about our lives and commiserate about our frustration and intrusion of the negatives of life. We feel justified and entitled to our emotions and frustrations forgetting that God is in under the table with us. We walk around and recite to our “circle of impact” our repertoire of infractions made against us.
When Carson started focusing on my presence under the table with him he began remembering how much I loved him and how much fun we have together. His attitude was restored and his joy was displayed as we crawled out together from under the table and resumed our time together.
We must avoid retreating to our tents of grumbling so loudly about our life that we don’t even notice that God has crawled under the table with us. I once read in an email the following which I love!
Don’t tell God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big your God is!
My grandson Carson has this reoccurring temptation while over at our house to swipe an antique pocket watch that lays on a table for display. It seems as if each time he is over that temptation swells and grows to such a level that the watch will end up moved and recovered by me later that day. The other day was no different as he came to me and informed me that he had moved the watch again as if he had no control over this repeated action but required some forgiveness and redemption. In my diluted way of fussing at him, I told him that he wasn’t to touch it. He got mad at me at which point he ran and hid under the breakfast room table. I called his name but could only hear his grumblings of how unhappy he was with me. Carson made the mistake of thinking since he couldn’t hear me I couldn’t hear his complaints. After a few minutes of his whining and grumbling I crawled under the table with him much to his surprise. He informed me that his was “his tent” and viewed my presence as an intrusion on his pity party.
How many times do we just want to be like the Israelites and Carson? We want to run and hide under the table so we can complain about our lives and commiserate about our frustration and intrusion of the negatives of life. We feel justified and entitled to our emotions and frustrations forgetting that God is in under the table with us. We walk around and recite to our “circle of impact” our repertoire of infractions made against us.
When Carson started focusing on my presence under the table with him he began remembering how much I loved him and how much fun we have together. His attitude was restored and his joy was displayed as we crawled out together from under the table and resumed our time together.
We must avoid retreating to our tents of grumbling so loudly about our life that we don’t even notice that God has crawled under the table with us. I once read in an email the following which I love!
Don’t tell God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big your God is!
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Prayer Not For the Faint of Heart
“Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.” Psalm 26:2.
I don’t know about you but David had more guts than I to pray this prayer! Life is a difficult journey based on circumstances we must face on any given day. The Bible tells us not to be surprised when we experience trouble, and to actually expect it. For David to ask for additional testing is mind blowing. That is why David was deemed a man after God’s own heart. He was never satisfied with spiritual mediocrity and wanted to always be feeding his spiritual growth in God.
This reminds me of when my mother used to pray for patience with four little girls. She stated that each time she prayed for patience some sort of trial arose. God knows what we need and the way in which He can develop that aspect of our character.
David’s prayer is a tough prayer to pray but it exposes what our hearts are made of and our desires to be spiritually fed even at the hand of adversity. Testing comes at the end of a season of learning which was the case for me 3 ½ years ago. I felt a rumbling in my spiritual stomach and began digging in the word of God in a pursuit of a deeper relationship with Him. My spiritual walk had turned into a life of Christian “to do’s.” I was to pray, I was to attend church and I was to open the Bible occasionally. Instead of feasting on Christ I snacked on Him a little here and a little there. I had shrunk my stomach to the point to where I was filled up pretty easily but never was I satisfied.
God put a hunger in my soul which prompted the examination of my heart and my mind. My spiritual hunger and pursuit of God revealed many areas I needed to develop so it is no wonder that I was tested and tried after a time of being tutored by God. We should all have the courage to pray this prayer of David if we truly have a heart bent towards Christ.
I praise God that He prepared me in the calm to sustain me in the storm.
I don’t know about you but David had more guts than I to pray this prayer! Life is a difficult journey based on circumstances we must face on any given day. The Bible tells us not to be surprised when we experience trouble, and to actually expect it. For David to ask for additional testing is mind blowing. That is why David was deemed a man after God’s own heart. He was never satisfied with spiritual mediocrity and wanted to always be feeding his spiritual growth in God.
This reminds me of when my mother used to pray for patience with four little girls. She stated that each time she prayed for patience some sort of trial arose. God knows what we need and the way in which He can develop that aspect of our character.
David’s prayer is a tough prayer to pray but it exposes what our hearts are made of and our desires to be spiritually fed even at the hand of adversity. Testing comes at the end of a season of learning which was the case for me 3 ½ years ago. I felt a rumbling in my spiritual stomach and began digging in the word of God in a pursuit of a deeper relationship with Him. My spiritual walk had turned into a life of Christian “to do’s.” I was to pray, I was to attend church and I was to open the Bible occasionally. Instead of feasting on Christ I snacked on Him a little here and a little there. I had shrunk my stomach to the point to where I was filled up pretty easily but never was I satisfied.
God put a hunger in my soul which prompted the examination of my heart and my mind. My spiritual hunger and pursuit of God revealed many areas I needed to develop so it is no wonder that I was tested and tried after a time of being tutored by God. We should all have the courage to pray this prayer of David if we truly have a heart bent towards Christ.
I praise God that He prepared me in the calm to sustain me in the storm.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Bitter Waters
“Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” Exodus 15:25
The Israelites were thirsty…they were tired…they were scared…they were weary from traveling days on end with nothing to quench their parched mouths. Then, in the distance they see a pool of water. They begin frantically running with a new found energy, a new found hope and a new found belief. The water turns out to be bitter!
Our family was sad...we were scared…we were weary from the terminal prognosis. Then, with a new found faith we believed in the earthly healing, we ran towards the comfort of belief in a pending miracle, and an emergence of faith and testimony. Then, in the end she dies.
How many times does life throw a defeat on the edge of victory? How many times are we almost at the finish line and turn the bend realizing another stretch of long dry road? The bitter waters of life prove too much for us as it doesn’t provide anything quenching but fosters disappointment, frustration and more bitterness.
We have to believe that victory will be ours when God reaches down and “throws the wood” into our situation to sweeten the water. Sweetening the water doesn’t always mean we get what we desire but rather provides what it is that God knows will quench our dry thirst. We cannot look at one oasis and decide that all waters will be bitter but rather trust the individual God with our individual circumstances. “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” Hebrews 3:14.
Just because your waters were bitter in one part of your journey don’t allow your confidence in the next oasis to wane and miss out on the sweetness and refreshment of your next trek of the journey.
The Israelites were thirsty…they were tired…they were scared…they were weary from traveling days on end with nothing to quench their parched mouths. Then, in the distance they see a pool of water. They begin frantically running with a new found energy, a new found hope and a new found belief. The water turns out to be bitter!
Our family was sad...we were scared…we were weary from the terminal prognosis. Then, with a new found faith we believed in the earthly healing, we ran towards the comfort of belief in a pending miracle, and an emergence of faith and testimony. Then, in the end she dies.
How many times does life throw a defeat on the edge of victory? How many times are we almost at the finish line and turn the bend realizing another stretch of long dry road? The bitter waters of life prove too much for us as it doesn’t provide anything quenching but fosters disappointment, frustration and more bitterness.
We have to believe that victory will be ours when God reaches down and “throws the wood” into our situation to sweeten the water. Sweetening the water doesn’t always mean we get what we desire but rather provides what it is that God knows will quench our dry thirst. We cannot look at one oasis and decide that all waters will be bitter but rather trust the individual God with our individual circumstances. “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” Hebrews 3:14.
Just because your waters were bitter in one part of your journey don’t allow your confidence in the next oasis to wane and miss out on the sweetness and refreshment of your next trek of the journey.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Expectations
“Was it not You who dried up the sea. The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway for the redeemed to cross over?” Isaiah 51:10
The A, B, C’s of faith are far from the simplicity of the alphabet. My Bible Study posed a question this morning that created uneasiness in my soul because I knew I had been busted. The question was “Do you expect that God can do a miracle in your circumstances?” I found myself saying “I believe” but that was not the question. I know from where this inner turmoil stems…I expected God to heal my sister. Passionate and consistent prayers were lifted and great faith in an earthly healing was displayed. Now that I face this quandary with my dad’s decline I don’t carry that battle flag as high as I did in my previous situation. I certainly know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He has the ability and power to completely heal my dad on earth but the dividing line is do I expect that He will.
I know that above all petitions to God I pray for His will and not my own. I temporarily interrupted my Bible Study and said “God, we need to talk about this.” Through an exchange of spirits I was gently reminded of a portion of the speech I gave at Beth’s funeral as God was carrying me that day and I felt speaking through me. How soon I forgot the very core of that message. Allow me to share that portion with you.
“Miracles were performed every day throughout this journey – some miracles do not have a face but we will know them one day when we all get to our Father’s house. For me, my miracle was how God fed the thousands – the thousands of eyes who read the Caringbridge, the thousands of tears shed, the thousands of fears realized, and the thousands of memories made. Though our hearts may be battered and bruised, because of God’s miracle of comfort we are not broken. I pray that this experience with teach you that though we may not get the miracle as we define it, miracles are still being performed all around us by the Miracle Maker – our Lord and Savior. May God keep you and bless you and may you find your miracle in every situation.”
So…yes, I expect and know that God will perform miracles in my dad’s experience. I march through this journey holding both the flag and my head up high anticipating the miracles that will belong to us.
The A, B, C’s of faith are far from the simplicity of the alphabet. My Bible Study posed a question this morning that created uneasiness in my soul because I knew I had been busted. The question was “Do you expect that God can do a miracle in your circumstances?” I found myself saying “I believe” but that was not the question. I know from where this inner turmoil stems…I expected God to heal my sister. Passionate and consistent prayers were lifted and great faith in an earthly healing was displayed. Now that I face this quandary with my dad’s decline I don’t carry that battle flag as high as I did in my previous situation. I certainly know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He has the ability and power to completely heal my dad on earth but the dividing line is do I expect that He will.
I know that above all petitions to God I pray for His will and not my own. I temporarily interrupted my Bible Study and said “God, we need to talk about this.” Through an exchange of spirits I was gently reminded of a portion of the speech I gave at Beth’s funeral as God was carrying me that day and I felt speaking through me. How soon I forgot the very core of that message. Allow me to share that portion with you.
“Miracles were performed every day throughout this journey – some miracles do not have a face but we will know them one day when we all get to our Father’s house. For me, my miracle was how God fed the thousands – the thousands of eyes who read the Caringbridge, the thousands of tears shed, the thousands of fears realized, and the thousands of memories made. Though our hearts may be battered and bruised, because of God’s miracle of comfort we are not broken. I pray that this experience with teach you that though we may not get the miracle as we define it, miracles are still being performed all around us by the Miracle Maker – our Lord and Savior. May God keep you and bless you and may you find your miracle in every situation.”
So…yes, I expect and know that God will perform miracles in my dad’s experience. I march through this journey holding both the flag and my head up high anticipating the miracles that will belong to us.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Pressing On
“Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.” Exodus 15:27
In completing my Bible Study this morning I learned the difference between a desert and a wilderness. A desert is a barren expanse that supports little life or vegetation, whereas a wilderness is able to support a large variety of life. Elim was the place God provided the Israelites with renewal, restoration and hope for the weary travelers. It was where He “made them lie down in green pastures and led them beside still waters and restored their souls.” (Psalm 23:2-3)
Previously, I equated my adversities with “being in the desert” but now realize that it is the wilderness wherein we are placed. God peppers our paths with knolls of pasture in which to lay, reflect and enjoy the refreshing dew from Heaven. He leads us into seasons of quietness, reverence and an awareness of our need for Him. Through these heightened times of awareness He restores, refreshes and replenishes all that has been depleted through the previous valleys in our wilderness experience.
Being surrendered to the leadings of the Holy Spirit is a key element in receiving this renewal. God wants us to come to Him and receive all that is ours through our choice and not through His forced hand. We must submit everything to Him to free up the flow from the Holy Spirit if we desire to truly wade in the Living Waters, splash its cool liquid on our faces and drench our entire weary body and soul.
“This supply is the Holy Spirit empowering you, comforting you and encouraging you to press on.” Priscilla Shirer, One In A Million, p. 53.
In completing my Bible Study this morning I learned the difference between a desert and a wilderness. A desert is a barren expanse that supports little life or vegetation, whereas a wilderness is able to support a large variety of life. Elim was the place God provided the Israelites with renewal, restoration and hope for the weary travelers. It was where He “made them lie down in green pastures and led them beside still waters and restored their souls.” (Psalm 23:2-3)
Previously, I equated my adversities with “being in the desert” but now realize that it is the wilderness wherein we are placed. God peppers our paths with knolls of pasture in which to lay, reflect and enjoy the refreshing dew from Heaven. He leads us into seasons of quietness, reverence and an awareness of our need for Him. Through these heightened times of awareness He restores, refreshes and replenishes all that has been depleted through the previous valleys in our wilderness experience.
Being surrendered to the leadings of the Holy Spirit is a key element in receiving this renewal. God wants us to come to Him and receive all that is ours through our choice and not through His forced hand. We must submit everything to Him to free up the flow from the Holy Spirit if we desire to truly wade in the Living Waters, splash its cool liquid on our faces and drench our entire weary body and soul.
“This supply is the Holy Spirit empowering you, comforting you and encouraging you to press on.” Priscilla Shirer, One In A Million, p. 53.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Recognizing the Pillars
“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:21-22.
Earlier in the week I was in a situation that left me feeling unappreciated and overall depleted of joy. I found myself feeling the beginnings of resentment and a bit of bitterness. Luckily, I do not experience these feelings very often and when I do I feel distant from God. I had decided to withdraw from the situation and watch television – the ultimate numbing of the brain! I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that in the top corner of the window was the brightest orange sky I have ever seen. It drew me in and beckoned me to see more. I crept down the stairs half way and laid on the steps in complete awe! The entire window was splashed with five different colors in the sky, one fading into the other. No artist could replicate this picture. Each time I left the window to return to the television I found myself peering over the shoulder to see if the color was still there. I kept returning to the same spot on the steps to experience the view.
That beautiful canvas kept calling me for the next hour to enjoy, experience and be a part of. I know that the sky was God’s manifestation of Himself to encourage and lift me up. Other times in my past God has used sunrises and sunsets to show His presence to me and to display His love for me. With God’s majestic presence upon me, around me and displayed for me I was unable to hold on to those “unlovely attitudes.”
God uses different means to reveal Himself to each of us according to what will be most easily recognized by us. His presence calms, soothes and transcends into a realm that makes the earthly emotions seem distant and lifeless. I have forever sketched that canvas in my mind, and any negative feelings that try to take root will be weeded out by that beautiful image of His manifestation – that pillar of fire in the sky.
Look for your pillar of cloud during the day and experience the fire of the pillar of His presence – His manifestation is always there.
Earlier in the week I was in a situation that left me feeling unappreciated and overall depleted of joy. I found myself feeling the beginnings of resentment and a bit of bitterness. Luckily, I do not experience these feelings very often and when I do I feel distant from God. I had decided to withdraw from the situation and watch television – the ultimate numbing of the brain! I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that in the top corner of the window was the brightest orange sky I have ever seen. It drew me in and beckoned me to see more. I crept down the stairs half way and laid on the steps in complete awe! The entire window was splashed with five different colors in the sky, one fading into the other. No artist could replicate this picture. Each time I left the window to return to the television I found myself peering over the shoulder to see if the color was still there. I kept returning to the same spot on the steps to experience the view.
That beautiful canvas kept calling me for the next hour to enjoy, experience and be a part of. I know that the sky was God’s manifestation of Himself to encourage and lift me up. Other times in my past God has used sunrises and sunsets to show His presence to me and to display His love for me. With God’s majestic presence upon me, around me and displayed for me I was unable to hold on to those “unlovely attitudes.”
God uses different means to reveal Himself to each of us according to what will be most easily recognized by us. His presence calms, soothes and transcends into a realm that makes the earthly emotions seem distant and lifeless. I have forever sketched that canvas in my mind, and any negative feelings that try to take root will be weeded out by that beautiful image of His manifestation – that pillar of fire in the sky.
Look for your pillar of cloud during the day and experience the fire of the pillar of His presence – His manifestation is always there.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Choosing Our Wilderness
“Remember how the LORD, your God, led you all the way in the desert these 40 years to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” Deut. 8:2
Along with God using Scripture to encourage and lift us up, He also uses Scripture to gently discipline and teach us. Sometimes the same verse that He covered me with was used at a later date to reveal to me a flawed heart. Anytime He reveals an “unlovely attitude” as my grandmother use to write in journals, He always follows up with love, acceptance and gentleness.
I was recently shown that my heart had some misguided intentions that He needed to “rework, massage and reformat.” I have always had a heart for service, but through the past couple of years the service has been extreme, intense and self-appointed at times. The degree of service I took on with my in-laws was more than God had assigned and as a result I brought more wilderness upon myself than what God had intended. I believe He stepped back and allowed me to experience the full impact of trying to be a self-appointed hero to everyone.
Although I chose pieces of my wilderness He still led with all the way through it in spite of myself. Through the journey I was shown my shortfalls, my weaknesses and my less than selfless intention in an effort to satisfy my earthly desire for love and approval through the eyes of man.
I have come out on the other side of the wilderness and God has shown me amazing things…a few of them pinching me where it hurts. I am both grateful for and humbled by this experience and the growth it has provided.
Exposing our hearts is what Christ does best, but for the purpose of molding and growing us into His image. This transformation of heart will happen with or without our permission.
Open your heart to the experience of growth in Christ even if it hurts…you will never regret it.
Along with God using Scripture to encourage and lift us up, He also uses Scripture to gently discipline and teach us. Sometimes the same verse that He covered me with was used at a later date to reveal to me a flawed heart. Anytime He reveals an “unlovely attitude” as my grandmother use to write in journals, He always follows up with love, acceptance and gentleness.
I was recently shown that my heart had some misguided intentions that He needed to “rework, massage and reformat.” I have always had a heart for service, but through the past couple of years the service has been extreme, intense and self-appointed at times. The degree of service I took on with my in-laws was more than God had assigned and as a result I brought more wilderness upon myself than what God had intended. I believe He stepped back and allowed me to experience the full impact of trying to be a self-appointed hero to everyone.
Although I chose pieces of my wilderness He still led with all the way through it in spite of myself. Through the journey I was shown my shortfalls, my weaknesses and my less than selfless intention in an effort to satisfy my earthly desire for love and approval through the eyes of man.
I have come out on the other side of the wilderness and God has shown me amazing things…a few of them pinching me where it hurts. I am both grateful for and humbled by this experience and the growth it has provided.
Exposing our hearts is what Christ does best, but for the purpose of molding and growing us into His image. This transformation of heart will happen with or without our permission.
Open your heart to the experience of growth in Christ even if it hurts…you will never regret it.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Lord, Is That You?
“Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him…Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.” 1 Samuel 3:7-9.
Samuel was a boy who was under the authority of Eli, an aging priest in the temple. As Samuel was attempting to sleep he thought he was hearing Eli calling for him and went to him each time. Eli assured him that he had not called to Samuel, and realized the third time Samuel came to him that it must be the LORD calling to little Samuel. Eli encouraged Samuel to return to his resting place and listen for the LORD to call out to him again. Through Eli knowing the God and recognizing His voice, the priest was able to prepare Samuel for the revelation.
What are we doing to encourage others to both seek and recognize the word of the LORD? We cannot recognize something we have yet to experience so we should provide the same desire of recognition for those traveling beside us. God wants each and every one of us to experience Him, to hear His call for us, and to enter into fellowship with Him on a personal level. God doesn’t operate with proxies now that we are all indwelled with the Holy Spirit upon accepting Christ through the crucifixion. To hear God in our own lives we must commit to really spending time with the One who has much to say to us, a multitude of plans for us and an amazing love indwelled within us.
Our responsibility as Christians is not only to learn how to recognize Christ in our own lives but to assist in the development of “baby Christians” as they are learning to discern the presence of Christ in their own lives.
Samuel was a boy who was under the authority of Eli, an aging priest in the temple. As Samuel was attempting to sleep he thought he was hearing Eli calling for him and went to him each time. Eli assured him that he had not called to Samuel, and realized the third time Samuel came to him that it must be the LORD calling to little Samuel. Eli encouraged Samuel to return to his resting place and listen for the LORD to call out to him again. Through Eli knowing the God and recognizing His voice, the priest was able to prepare Samuel for the revelation.
What are we doing to encourage others to both seek and recognize the word of the LORD? We cannot recognize something we have yet to experience so we should provide the same desire of recognition for those traveling beside us. God wants each and every one of us to experience Him, to hear His call for us, and to enter into fellowship with Him on a personal level. God doesn’t operate with proxies now that we are all indwelled with the Holy Spirit upon accepting Christ through the crucifixion. To hear God in our own lives we must commit to really spending time with the One who has much to say to us, a multitude of plans for us and an amazing love indwelled within us.
Our responsibility as Christians is not only to learn how to recognize Christ in our own lives but to assist in the development of “baby Christians” as they are learning to discern the presence of Christ in their own lives.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Delighting In Him
“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.
Sounds simple enough but anyone who walks this earth is constantly in search of getting something that their heart desires. On the surface the word “delight” simply means to me “to enjoy”. The Hebrew word for delight used throughout the Bible when speaking of “delighting in the LORD” means an inner fervor – a passionate and hungry pursuit of Him. When I look upon my own life I definitely have an inner fervor towards my husband and children. My desires for them are fueled and anchored in love, passion and a desire for them to receive blessings. Sometimes I may see them wanting something that I know will not result in happiness and contentment.
God is the same way when He looks upon the desires of our heart. He knows us inside and out whether we know Him intimately. He sees the larger picture of where He wants us to be and with whom He wishes our lives to intersect. He sets circumstances in motion to guide His children towards the desires He has for us with the sovereign knowledge from which He operates.
Without that inner passion of pursuing Him the possibility of “knowing” what He desires, and aligning our hearts with His desire become less likely to discern. We all have certain desires for which we petition God without really reveling in His presence for His will in our desires. When we replace our prayer for a certain desire with the prayer of God revealing His will, it allows Him to slowly unfold the splendor of His beauty in our lives putting in place the unparalleled joy of a divine desire realized.
When you are truly savoring God and asking for His desire for your life, he will either give you your heart’s desire or replace your desire with the divine plan He has for your life.
I LOVE when a great plan comes together that has all the markings of God!
Sounds simple enough but anyone who walks this earth is constantly in search of getting something that their heart desires. On the surface the word “delight” simply means to me “to enjoy”. The Hebrew word for delight used throughout the Bible when speaking of “delighting in the LORD” means an inner fervor – a passionate and hungry pursuit of Him. When I look upon my own life I definitely have an inner fervor towards my husband and children. My desires for them are fueled and anchored in love, passion and a desire for them to receive blessings. Sometimes I may see them wanting something that I know will not result in happiness and contentment.
God is the same way when He looks upon the desires of our heart. He knows us inside and out whether we know Him intimately. He sees the larger picture of where He wants us to be and with whom He wishes our lives to intersect. He sets circumstances in motion to guide His children towards the desires He has for us with the sovereign knowledge from which He operates.
Without that inner passion of pursuing Him the possibility of “knowing” what He desires, and aligning our hearts with His desire become less likely to discern. We all have certain desires for which we petition God without really reveling in His presence for His will in our desires. When we replace our prayer for a certain desire with the prayer of God revealing His will, it allows Him to slowly unfold the splendor of His beauty in our lives putting in place the unparalleled joy of a divine desire realized.
When you are truly savoring God and asking for His desire for your life, he will either give you your heart’s desire or replace your desire with the divine plan He has for your life.
I LOVE when a great plan comes together that has all the markings of God!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Rejoice in Suffering???
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13.
A few years ago God assigned me the privilege of finishing my grandmother's book and getting it published. One of her chapters dealt with my grandfather’s death and the grief she experienced, however the writings were much different than what I was expecting. Within four weeks she had completely reconciled his death, experienced God’s sufficient grace daily and accepted where her life journey was to go from that point. She continued to write about the Holy Spirit’s comfort and the lack of devastation she felt as she traveled through this difficult experience. She described God’s grace as such an amazing power that it left me feeling almost spiritually “jealous” (I know this is a strange word to use in this context).
I have always thought the concept of rejoicing in suffering was a little much to ask of us but while reading this verse this morning I better understand its meaning when applying it to Grandmother’s writings. When my sister died I was able to see first hand that of which Grandmother wrote and experienced. I was able to see God’s intervention in my pain and hear His comforting words as my heart was breaking. More importantly, I was able to witness His overwhelming and perfect grace minute by minute and experienced His glory in a way I would never have experienced it without my intense suffering. I can go into my next season of pain armed with the arsenal of comfort, peace, joy and deliverance based on my knowledge of what has been revealed in suffering and what will be revealed in the future.
"We must learn to expect them (trials), submit to them and learn from them. However, we can rest assured that behind every challenge we can find God. The greatest challenge of all might just be getting used to the fact that sometimes His assignments are different than the plans we had for ourselves." Priscilla Shirer, He Speaks To Me, p. 108.
So…I rejoice that I participate in the sufferings of Christ!
A few years ago God assigned me the privilege of finishing my grandmother's book and getting it published. One of her chapters dealt with my grandfather’s death and the grief she experienced, however the writings were much different than what I was expecting. Within four weeks she had completely reconciled his death, experienced God’s sufficient grace daily and accepted where her life journey was to go from that point. She continued to write about the Holy Spirit’s comfort and the lack of devastation she felt as she traveled through this difficult experience. She described God’s grace as such an amazing power that it left me feeling almost spiritually “jealous” (I know this is a strange word to use in this context).
I have always thought the concept of rejoicing in suffering was a little much to ask of us but while reading this verse this morning I better understand its meaning when applying it to Grandmother’s writings. When my sister died I was able to see first hand that of which Grandmother wrote and experienced. I was able to see God’s intervention in my pain and hear His comforting words as my heart was breaking. More importantly, I was able to witness His overwhelming and perfect grace minute by minute and experienced His glory in a way I would never have experienced it without my intense suffering. I can go into my next season of pain armed with the arsenal of comfort, peace, joy and deliverance based on my knowledge of what has been revealed in suffering and what will be revealed in the future.
"We must learn to expect them (trials), submit to them and learn from them. However, we can rest assured that behind every challenge we can find God. The greatest challenge of all might just be getting used to the fact that sometimes His assignments are different than the plans we had for ourselves." Priscilla Shirer, He Speaks To Me, p. 108.
So…I rejoice that I participate in the sufferings of Christ!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Finding Shark's Teeth
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2:10
When our children were young one of their favorite things to do at the beach was to search for shark’s teeth. Many fruitless hours were spent in hopes of finding these teeth. My husband finally decided that he would go and buy lots of teeth and throw them down as we were walking with the children on the beach. He would guide them to the area where he “thought” some teeth may be which worked for our youngest daughter because she would pay attention to his guidance. Our son, however, was running around chasing birds, finding “treasures” in litter and not focusing on the areas in which my husband was pointing.
This reminded me this morning of a Christian finding their purpose in Christ. Just as Bruce threw down teeth for the exploration God prepares the way to show us what His purpose is for our lives. He gently guides us to our purpose and the gifts that He has given to accomplish His purpose. I neither dreamed nor desired to write throughout the course of my life. It was only through His gentle nudging of working on my grandmother’s book to edit and publish her work that I was led to write. God had thrown those “shark teeth” out and pointed the way to finding them.
We each have a God purpose and God gift to accomplish the work that God assigned to us at birth. It is only through spending time with Him that we learn how to see what He sees, and learn how to hear what He hears. Through trusting Him and discerning how to recognize His voice, we are able to quiet the distractions of “chasing birds” and finding the treasures that God has laid out before us.
Keep your eyes on Him to receive what He has prepared for you and don’t go chasing sea gulls!
When our children were young one of their favorite things to do at the beach was to search for shark’s teeth. Many fruitless hours were spent in hopes of finding these teeth. My husband finally decided that he would go and buy lots of teeth and throw them down as we were walking with the children on the beach. He would guide them to the area where he “thought” some teeth may be which worked for our youngest daughter because she would pay attention to his guidance. Our son, however, was running around chasing birds, finding “treasures” in litter and not focusing on the areas in which my husband was pointing.
This reminded me this morning of a Christian finding their purpose in Christ. Just as Bruce threw down teeth for the exploration God prepares the way to show us what His purpose is for our lives. He gently guides us to our purpose and the gifts that He has given to accomplish His purpose. I neither dreamed nor desired to write throughout the course of my life. It was only through His gentle nudging of working on my grandmother’s book to edit and publish her work that I was led to write. God had thrown those “shark teeth” out and pointed the way to finding them.
We each have a God purpose and God gift to accomplish the work that God assigned to us at birth. It is only through spending time with Him that we learn how to see what He sees, and learn how to hear what He hears. Through trusting Him and discerning how to recognize His voice, we are able to quiet the distractions of “chasing birds” and finding the treasures that God has laid out before us.
Keep your eyes on Him to receive what He has prepared for you and don’t go chasing sea gulls!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Full Spiritual Tank
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come…All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16: 13-15
When I was born to my parents I immediately had access to all of their attributes. I had the full measure of their love, joy, patience, kindness and wisdom. Through my growing up they were able to guide me, teach me and impart the wisdom required to be successful. I had their continued encouragement and guidance for whatever situation arose and was able to enjoy the benefit of their character.
The Holy Spirit is the same way as we receive the full access to Christ once we accept Him in our lives. He doesn’t give us the Spirit in portion but rather full access once the Spirit indwells within us. Through the Holy Spirit we are given everything needed for a life of godliness from the instant He takes up residence. Any situation faced comes with the full power of the Spirit’s presence providing us with the armor required to be victorious. With every heightened emotion experienced it is the power of the Holy Spirit that can replace these emotions with its fruit – love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)
Whether we are experiencing the agony of a deep valley or the freedom of a thrilling mountaintop we have everything we need to respond with the heart of Christ through His Spirit. Don't allow the benefits of the Spirit to go untapped - we have a full tank from which to utilize and power our journey.
God would not promise His children something that was not within their reach!
When I was born to my parents I immediately had access to all of their attributes. I had the full measure of their love, joy, patience, kindness and wisdom. Through my growing up they were able to guide me, teach me and impart the wisdom required to be successful. I had their continued encouragement and guidance for whatever situation arose and was able to enjoy the benefit of their character.
The Holy Spirit is the same way as we receive the full access to Christ once we accept Him in our lives. He doesn’t give us the Spirit in portion but rather full access once the Spirit indwells within us. Through the Holy Spirit we are given everything needed for a life of godliness from the instant He takes up residence. Any situation faced comes with the full power of the Spirit’s presence providing us with the armor required to be victorious. With every heightened emotion experienced it is the power of the Holy Spirit that can replace these emotions with its fruit – love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)
Whether we are experiencing the agony of a deep valley or the freedom of a thrilling mountaintop we have everything we need to respond with the heart of Christ through His Spirit. Don't allow the benefits of the Spirit to go untapped - we have a full tank from which to utilize and power our journey.
God would not promise His children something that was not within their reach!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
...And Be Thankful
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Col. 3:15
Peace is the most sought after spiritual commodity on earth and yet so many tunnel their path to peace with destructive tools. Many times the very things we use to obtain peace create more havoc and chaos in our lives. When my daughter was in the midst of her drug addiction I would temporarily satisfy my inner chaos with secret spending creating a “spin off adversity” of debt. I didn’t allow the peace of Christ to be my path but instead dug my own tunnel through my own understanding with how peace could be obtained.
When experiencing a storm in life it is easy to respond in one of several ways. We can choose to be an “adversity runaway” just as Jonah which landed him in the belly of a whale (Jonah 1-4). We can choose to be an “adversity stowaway” wherein we check out and allow the advice of others to command our actions in any given circumstance such as Aaron when Moses went up to the mountain to receive the commandments of Lord. (Ex. 32) The only response that comes with peace is that of an “adversity conqueror” who allows the peace of Christ to rule in their hearts apart from their circumstances. The fulfillment of peace is also realized within the body of Christ as we approach godly people for guidance and encouragement. The end of the verse is another key to obtaining God's peace...being thankful. No matter what storm for which I am being blasted, there are always many things for which I feel thankful, grateful and humbled as recipient. When I am at the brink of inner chaos I begin remembering all that God has given me, provided for me and promised me for the future which immediately places a sense of peace in me.
Remember, peace is not the absence of fear and chaos, it is the result of accessing the peace of Christ apart from our storms.
Peace is the most sought after spiritual commodity on earth and yet so many tunnel their path to peace with destructive tools. Many times the very things we use to obtain peace create more havoc and chaos in our lives. When my daughter was in the midst of her drug addiction I would temporarily satisfy my inner chaos with secret spending creating a “spin off adversity” of debt. I didn’t allow the peace of Christ to be my path but instead dug my own tunnel through my own understanding with how peace could be obtained.
When experiencing a storm in life it is easy to respond in one of several ways. We can choose to be an “adversity runaway” just as Jonah which landed him in the belly of a whale (Jonah 1-4). We can choose to be an “adversity stowaway” wherein we check out and allow the advice of others to command our actions in any given circumstance such as Aaron when Moses went up to the mountain to receive the commandments of Lord. (Ex. 32) The only response that comes with peace is that of an “adversity conqueror” who allows the peace of Christ to rule in their hearts apart from their circumstances. The fulfillment of peace is also realized within the body of Christ as we approach godly people for guidance and encouragement. The end of the verse is another key to obtaining God's peace...being thankful. No matter what storm for which I am being blasted, there are always many things for which I feel thankful, grateful and humbled as recipient. When I am at the brink of inner chaos I begin remembering all that God has given me, provided for me and promised me for the future which immediately places a sense of peace in me.
Remember, peace is not the absence of fear and chaos, it is the result of accessing the peace of Christ apart from our storms.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Take It To The Father
“In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63: 9.
I thought about my own role as mother as I read this tender verse this morning. I look back over the past year and have seen both of my girls in deep distress through different circumstances. In addition to losing their precious aunt, one of my daughters experienced the relapse of her husband which threw her into a two month quandary of terror, fear and uncertainly as she questioned how to proceed with her three children and their future. My other daughter lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle accident which left her in deep grief, confusion and overall sadness. To sit back and experience their pain indirectly knowing there was really nothing I could do, I took comfort in the fact that God, their heavenly Father, would send His presence with both of them. I had total faith that their lives would be redeemed, through His love and mercy but still witnessed their pain and suffering.
Our response to our children in our earthly role as parents is much like God’s as He relates to His children. It doesn’t matter whether circumstances throw us into pain and suffering or we initiate suffering through our choices – the outcome is the same. God grieves with His children and suffers along side with each tear. When we are distressed He is distressed and when we feel sad He takes on our pain.
The difference between us as parents and our Father in Heaven is that He has the ability and the power to lift us on His shoulders and carry us through whatever we must experience. As a mom, I had no power in my girls’ suffering but I did know the One who had the desire to ease their pain and the power to accomplish healing.
When we find ourselves in a situation beyond our control know that our Father suffers with us and knows the way “to work everything to the good for those who love Him.”
I thought about my own role as mother as I read this tender verse this morning. I look back over the past year and have seen both of my girls in deep distress through different circumstances. In addition to losing their precious aunt, one of my daughters experienced the relapse of her husband which threw her into a two month quandary of terror, fear and uncertainly as she questioned how to proceed with her three children and their future. My other daughter lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle accident which left her in deep grief, confusion and overall sadness. To sit back and experience their pain indirectly knowing there was really nothing I could do, I took comfort in the fact that God, their heavenly Father, would send His presence with both of them. I had total faith that their lives would be redeemed, through His love and mercy but still witnessed their pain and suffering.
Our response to our children in our earthly role as parents is much like God’s as He relates to His children. It doesn’t matter whether circumstances throw us into pain and suffering or we initiate suffering through our choices – the outcome is the same. God grieves with His children and suffers along side with each tear. When we are distressed He is distressed and when we feel sad He takes on our pain.
The difference between us as parents and our Father in Heaven is that He has the ability and the power to lift us on His shoulders and carry us through whatever we must experience. As a mom, I had no power in my girls’ suffering but I did know the One who had the desire to ease their pain and the power to accomplish healing.
When we find ourselves in a situation beyond our control know that our Father suffers with us and knows the way “to work everything to the good for those who love Him.”
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Library
"The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him." John 14:21
The secret to knowing God is no different than any other relationship in which we desire to experience. Through spending time with that person, we learn how they think, the level to which we may depend and the capacity of that person’s heart. It is an exchange of time, fellowship and information in an effort to truly know that person.
With God, He reveals Himself and His heart throughout the Bible so we may experience Him on a more deeply level. Through our pursuit to know Him better we crack open the doors of His library, the Bible, and enter into that sacred room. We scan the shelves and decide which book we will open to learn more about our God. Whether we reach for Genesis to learn about the original sin or reach for Revelation to learn about the eternal life that is promised to all who believe we are spending time in that room. Christ will join us in the Library by the crackling fire to warm us, speak to us, listen to us and fellowship with us.
We will discuss our problems with Him and He will move the ladder over the appropriate book that He knows will assist us in guiding, teaching and resolving. He will point us to the place in that book that has taught many in the past and will instruct many in the future. The library is a private room for one on one time with our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are no time limits in the Library, just a quiet place to go to learn about and experience the One who gave us a standard for living. The lighting is perfect as it is cast by the Light Himself and there will always be spiritual food for which He serves.
There isn’t a better room in which to spend time for it shows us how to love, to live and to do more than merely exist in this life. Through loving the Son, the Father loves us.
Crack open those doors, enter and hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
The secret to knowing God is no different than any other relationship in which we desire to experience. Through spending time with that person, we learn how they think, the level to which we may depend and the capacity of that person’s heart. It is an exchange of time, fellowship and information in an effort to truly know that person.
With God, He reveals Himself and His heart throughout the Bible so we may experience Him on a more deeply level. Through our pursuit to know Him better we crack open the doors of His library, the Bible, and enter into that sacred room. We scan the shelves and decide which book we will open to learn more about our God. Whether we reach for Genesis to learn about the original sin or reach for Revelation to learn about the eternal life that is promised to all who believe we are spending time in that room. Christ will join us in the Library by the crackling fire to warm us, speak to us, listen to us and fellowship with us.
We will discuss our problems with Him and He will move the ladder over the appropriate book that He knows will assist us in guiding, teaching and resolving. He will point us to the place in that book that has taught many in the past and will instruct many in the future. The library is a private room for one on one time with our Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are no time limits in the Library, just a quiet place to go to learn about and experience the One who gave us a standard for living. The lighting is perfect as it is cast by the Light Himself and there will always be spiritual food for which He serves.
There isn’t a better room in which to spend time for it shows us how to love, to live and to do more than merely exist in this life. Through loving the Son, the Father loves us.
Crack open those doors, enter and hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
He Maketh No Mistake
As our precious dad continues to decline and our sweet mother continues to march on with her amazing strength, love, nurturing and care I have to know this poem is true today. I have to "be still and know" that every word penned in this poem is mine to receive, mine to accept and mine upon which I can depend. I have to know that as it is given to you this morning it has as much truth and power in your situation as it has in ours. I have to know that our Father sent it to me this morning and has sent it to you. Medicate on each word and each proclamation and "Be still and know."
He Maketh No Mistake
My Father’s way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache.
But in my soul I’m glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.
My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.
Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him.
He maketh no mistake.
There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.
For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.”
He Maketh No Mistake
My Father’s way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache.
But in my soul I’m glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.
My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.
Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him.
He maketh no mistake.
There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.
For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.”
Saturday, July 4, 2009
What Is Your Hotdog?
“The mind of man plans his way. But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
One of the funniest stories in our family is one regarding my son when he was two years old. He threw a hotdog on the floor refusing to pick it up. His plans included winning this power struggle and my plans included directing him in the right way of obeying my wishes and following through with my commands. This power struggle didn’t end pretty as I finally forced his hand onto the hotdog, squeezed his little fist around it and forced his hand over the trash can. There was no sense of satisfaction in that because I knew the results came from me directing his actions, not out of his desire to please me.
I believe God feels the same way about our lives. We plan the way in which we will walk in certain situations not allowing God to direct our steps. We decide we want to do something and follow through with that plan without regard to what God is saying on that matter. We enter into a power struggle with God over what we are willing to release or pick up in any given situation.
Our plans would never include raising a drug addicted teen, living in a loveless marriage, raising our children as a single parent or experiencing the death of a loved one. Our plans would never include financial devastation or the loss of a job. Our way may be enacted by our will but the Lord will always direct our steps whether our plans are ours alone or obedience to the plans He has for us.
When God reveals something I am to do that I really don’t want to do I feel like my son who was made to squeeze that hotdog and pick it up. The closer I align myself to God the more aligned my heart is in pleasing and trusting Him apart from my own plans. Intimacy with Him helps my heart hear what He is requiring of me and powers my obedience to Him.
I love a line out of a Casting Crown song which states, "How close can I get to my surrender without losing all control?" Is that not the million dollar question?
God wants our plans to be the same as His so that when we are asked to do something our hearts will be bent towards pleasing Him and surrendering all of our plans to Him.
One of the funniest stories in our family is one regarding my son when he was two years old. He threw a hotdog on the floor refusing to pick it up. His plans included winning this power struggle and my plans included directing him in the right way of obeying my wishes and following through with my commands. This power struggle didn’t end pretty as I finally forced his hand onto the hotdog, squeezed his little fist around it and forced his hand over the trash can. There was no sense of satisfaction in that because I knew the results came from me directing his actions, not out of his desire to please me.
I believe God feels the same way about our lives. We plan the way in which we will walk in certain situations not allowing God to direct our steps. We decide we want to do something and follow through with that plan without regard to what God is saying on that matter. We enter into a power struggle with God over what we are willing to release or pick up in any given situation.
Our plans would never include raising a drug addicted teen, living in a loveless marriage, raising our children as a single parent or experiencing the death of a loved one. Our plans would never include financial devastation or the loss of a job. Our way may be enacted by our will but the Lord will always direct our steps whether our plans are ours alone or obedience to the plans He has for us.
When God reveals something I am to do that I really don’t want to do I feel like my son who was made to squeeze that hotdog and pick it up. The closer I align myself to God the more aligned my heart is in pleasing and trusting Him apart from my own plans. Intimacy with Him helps my heart hear what He is requiring of me and powers my obedience to Him.
I love a line out of a Casting Crown song which states, "How close can I get to my surrender without losing all control?" Is that not the million dollar question?
God wants our plans to be the same as His so that when we are asked to do something our hearts will be bent towards pleasing Him and surrendering all of our plans to Him.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Measuring Sticks
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2.
How many times have we viewed someone else’s situation through the scope of our own judgment? More times than I care to either remember or admit! This verse was played out in my life during the 8 years of our daughter’s drug addiction.
The judgment began years ago for both me and my husband as I was associated with the family court system through my job and he was a counselor at The Relatives, a home where runaway teens could stay for a temporary amount of time. Through our jobs we had developed a “prejudice” for these kids and their home lives. Many times our judgment was cast upon the parents instead of the teens with little knowledge and regard for what the parents were experiencing.
The measurement of judgment we were under during the “reign of drugs” in our lives for 8 years was unparalleled. God took everything we thought we knew, everything we had judged and everything we had established in our minds as truth and turned them upside down. We were the judged instead of the judge, we were the shunned instead of those who shunned and we were the crumbled instead of the strong.
The importance of having spiritual wisdom free of judgment, while looking into the lives of others, allows us to be more compassionate, more merciful and more like Christ.
The degree of judgment upon us is a direct response from God as we have judged others. We determine the length of our own measuring stick.
How many times have we viewed someone else’s situation through the scope of our own judgment? More times than I care to either remember or admit! This verse was played out in my life during the 8 years of our daughter’s drug addiction.
The judgment began years ago for both me and my husband as I was associated with the family court system through my job and he was a counselor at The Relatives, a home where runaway teens could stay for a temporary amount of time. Through our jobs we had developed a “prejudice” for these kids and their home lives. Many times our judgment was cast upon the parents instead of the teens with little knowledge and regard for what the parents were experiencing.
The measurement of judgment we were under during the “reign of drugs” in our lives for 8 years was unparalleled. God took everything we thought we knew, everything we had judged and everything we had established in our minds as truth and turned them upside down. We were the judged instead of the judge, we were the shunned instead of those who shunned and we were the crumbled instead of the strong.
The importance of having spiritual wisdom free of judgment, while looking into the lives of others, allows us to be more compassionate, more merciful and more like Christ.
The degree of judgment upon us is a direct response from God as we have judged others. We determine the length of our own measuring stick.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Land of Freedom
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Cor. 3:17
The ultimate promised land in all of our lives is the “Land of Freedom”. Each of us possesses property that enslaves us and causes us to live less than what God has prepared for us. Many times our captivity is linked with our emotions. Experiencing emotions are not wrong or sinful, but letting emotions consume and control our actions are wrong. God speaks throughout the Bible of uncontrolled emotions being laid down.
Any word or act that is not anchored in love is not of the Spirit – it is that simple. Love takes more work than any other emotion, but for God it is the essence of who He is and what He requires of us. He wants from us a higher way of living so we may experience an abundant life of freedom from anger, resentment, fear and loneliness. These emotions are natural on the earthly level and require the Spirit to rein them in when they become out of control. Uncontrolled emotions expose the gap between what we say we believe about God and what we truly believe.
We will not truly experience our promised land of freedom until we learn that any uncontrolled emotion, whatever they may be and however justified they seem, must be committed to God for His dealings. Most emotions are centered around the belief that someone has done something to hurt us, giving us the illusion that we have rights in our emotions.
I love what my minister said during a sermon sometime back. Anytime I feel the obstacle of my emotions detouring me from my journey to the promised land, I remember his words.
“It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict, the job of God to judge and my job to love.”
The ultimate promised land in all of our lives is the “Land of Freedom”. Each of us possesses property that enslaves us and causes us to live less than what God has prepared for us. Many times our captivity is linked with our emotions. Experiencing emotions are not wrong or sinful, but letting emotions consume and control our actions are wrong. God speaks throughout the Bible of uncontrolled emotions being laid down.
Any word or act that is not anchored in love is not of the Spirit – it is that simple. Love takes more work than any other emotion, but for God it is the essence of who He is and what He requires of us. He wants from us a higher way of living so we may experience an abundant life of freedom from anger, resentment, fear and loneliness. These emotions are natural on the earthly level and require the Spirit to rein them in when they become out of control. Uncontrolled emotions expose the gap between what we say we believe about God and what we truly believe.
We will not truly experience our promised land of freedom until we learn that any uncontrolled emotion, whatever they may be and however justified they seem, must be committed to God for His dealings. Most emotions are centered around the belief that someone has done something to hurt us, giving us the illusion that we have rights in our emotions.
I love what my minister said during a sermon sometime back. Anytime I feel the obstacle of my emotions detouring me from my journey to the promised land, I remember his words.
“It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict, the job of God to judge and my job to love.”
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
At That Time...
“…do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:11
Nothing like airing my dirty laundry, but the importance of how Christ leads us through problems supersede my pride!
I wrote yesterday of an upcoming engagement that will possibly place me in the middle of a confrontation. Yesterday, God laid on my heart the importance of taking my negative thoughts captive and renewing my mind to focus on the higher things of Christ. I wrote down the verse from yesterday and every thought that is not aligned with Phil 4:8 (“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and whatever is admirable”) is replaced with that verse. Through this process He is renewing my mind and redirecting my thoughts.
This morning my study is on the confidence I can have in the Holy Spirit. I don’t have to think ahead and rehearse what should or would be said but just know that at the appointed time I will be led and taught by the Holy Spirit. It is this confidence that teaches us to lean on Him through our circumstances. We would never go to a doctor in whom we didn’t have confidence. We take our sickness and pain to someone in the medical field in whom our confidence has been built through past circumstances.
In order for Christ to determine our sickness and prescribe our medication for healing, we must pay attention to our spiritual bodies so we may be aware when we are getting sick, admit we need a prescription and approach the Physician for the cure with confidence.
The phrase that stands out in my mind in today’s verse is “at that time”. If we have the complete confidence in the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will not need to fret upon any future situations. Through acknowledging the need for guidance it makes us in a constant state of awareness and consciousness for the Holy Spirit to do the work.
I will allow the work of the Holy Spirit to speak for me – No doubt, He will do a much better job!
Nothing like airing my dirty laundry, but the importance of how Christ leads us through problems supersede my pride!
I wrote yesterday of an upcoming engagement that will possibly place me in the middle of a confrontation. Yesterday, God laid on my heart the importance of taking my negative thoughts captive and renewing my mind to focus on the higher things of Christ. I wrote down the verse from yesterday and every thought that is not aligned with Phil 4:8 (“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and whatever is admirable”) is replaced with that verse. Through this process He is renewing my mind and redirecting my thoughts.
This morning my study is on the confidence I can have in the Holy Spirit. I don’t have to think ahead and rehearse what should or would be said but just know that at the appointed time I will be led and taught by the Holy Spirit. It is this confidence that teaches us to lean on Him through our circumstances. We would never go to a doctor in whom we didn’t have confidence. We take our sickness and pain to someone in the medical field in whom our confidence has been built through past circumstances.
In order for Christ to determine our sickness and prescribe our medication for healing, we must pay attention to our spiritual bodies so we may be aware when we are getting sick, admit we need a prescription and approach the Physician for the cure with confidence.
The phrase that stands out in my mind in today’s verse is “at that time”. If we have the complete confidence in the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will not need to fret upon any future situations. Through acknowledging the need for guidance it makes us in a constant state of awareness and consciousness for the Holy Spirit to do the work.
I will allow the work of the Holy Spirit to speak for me – No doubt, He will do a much better job!
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