“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now hear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth…All that belongs to the Father in mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:12, 15
When our children were young there were essential truths and principles that Bruce and I taught them. The key to these life lessons was directly associated with the age and experience appropriateness of our children. There was no need in sharing the wisdom we attained through our first failed marriages until there was a need for wisdom and understanding for our daughter as she was battling marital issues of her own. The lessons learned from having children will be of little value to my daughter, Caroline who is a 20 year old college student. The wisdom of handling grief would be inappropriate to someone who hasn’t experienced the death of a loved one.
Such is the same with the Holy Spirit as He passes along the mind and knowledge of Christ Jesus. There is an ocean of wisdom regarding the mind of Christ but we ascertain this wisdom much like the waves. One wave of experience swells and rolls exposing itself creating it own personality and character for learning. It swells to its highest point at which it finally starts losing power only to creep out of our lives as quietly as it crept in. In each experience we relate to its drenching powers and salty taste taking from it the characteristics of that experience alone. It is during the ride of that wave that the Holy Spirit lifts truths and principles for our lives from the mind of God. God determines when we are ready to receive more wisdom from Him and the Holy Spirit provides the vessel.
‘There must be a certain progress in learning before advanced truths can be received. The Lord never overwhelmed His disciples with teaching. He gave it to them “line upon line, precept upon precept.” Believer’s Bible Commentary.
…wave by wave.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
ALL THINGS NEW!
“‘There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away!’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me, ‘It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.’” Rev 21:4-7
Our precious grandmother at the beginning of each year would pray that the Holy Spirit would lift a passage from the Bible that would become her year verse. It would be the foundation for all other faith building for that specific year. She would pray upon the passage and the Holy Spirit never let her down. I began doing the same in 2008 and true to form the Holy Spirit each year has placed a common theme passage that guides my prayer life through that year.
This past January I felt the passage above was my 2010 Year Verse and began praying towards that end. At first glance I thought it was about the probability of my dad’s passing and the end of cancer in our family. The newness would be health, restoration to a former life and medical wholeness in the family. While that has occurred, my year verse has marked a much deeper passing. It has marked a new heart, a new freedom and a new surrender in a difficult and unrelenting 20 year relationship that continues to wound, injure and imprison.
As of this day, God has set me free! It is done, it is over! The stone has been rolled away from my dark tomb and life is being resurrected. But my life will have a new spiritual body, a new spiritual sole with a new Spirit. A Spirit more closely aligned with Christ with more capacity to love, to forgive, to endure. There have been many things I have been taught through this experience along with many things I have been shown about myself that I detest. But through it all I have been loved by God, carried by God, taught by God, rebuked by God and released by God – praise Him!
What I have learned this year are a few things:
We cannot forgive if we have never experienced wrongs.
We cannot live for Him if we have never died to ourselves.
We cannot experience life if we have never felt death in our hearts.
There are not beginnings until we experience endings.
We cannot experience true joy until we have felt pain.
ALL THINGS NEW!
Our precious grandmother at the beginning of each year would pray that the Holy Spirit would lift a passage from the Bible that would become her year verse. It would be the foundation for all other faith building for that specific year. She would pray upon the passage and the Holy Spirit never let her down. I began doing the same in 2008 and true to form the Holy Spirit each year has placed a common theme passage that guides my prayer life through that year.
This past January I felt the passage above was my 2010 Year Verse and began praying towards that end. At first glance I thought it was about the probability of my dad’s passing and the end of cancer in our family. The newness would be health, restoration to a former life and medical wholeness in the family. While that has occurred, my year verse has marked a much deeper passing. It has marked a new heart, a new freedom and a new surrender in a difficult and unrelenting 20 year relationship that continues to wound, injure and imprison.
As of this day, God has set me free! It is done, it is over! The stone has been rolled away from my dark tomb and life is being resurrected. But my life will have a new spiritual body, a new spiritual sole with a new Spirit. A Spirit more closely aligned with Christ with more capacity to love, to forgive, to endure. There have been many things I have been taught through this experience along with many things I have been shown about myself that I detest. But through it all I have been loved by God, carried by God, taught by God, rebuked by God and released by God – praise Him!
What I have learned this year are a few things:
We cannot forgive if we have never experienced wrongs.
We cannot live for Him if we have never died to ourselves.
We cannot experience life if we have never felt death in our hearts.
There are not beginnings until we experience endings.
We cannot experience true joy until we have felt pain.
ALL THINGS NEW!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Hoard-Free Zones
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Co. 4:16-17
Don’t ask me why but Bruce and I find ourselves glued to the television show dedicated to Hoarding. It is both unbelievable and unthinkable that anyone can allow their home to get to the condition shown on these documentaries. One of the saddest components of this show is the belief and the innate fear to let go of any one of these items. What we view as trash they view as necessity and an attachment to their emotional health. It requires outside efforts which are beyond their ability to achieve a more healthy view and environment. Their surrender to bring in assistance in an effort to attain something better is quickly reclaimed as soon as they feel threatened. One of the biggest concerns is having the home cleaned out only to collect the clutter again. Change from the inside must be accomplished for the outside to remain healthy. It takes analyzing one item at a time that eventually leads to freedom from the captivity.
If we could see the inside of our hearts we would see the same going on as we see in the homes of these hoarders. We pile up our bitterness, our wounds and our injured hearts and create such spiritual clutter there is no room for forgiveness. We hold on to patterns in our lives that are destructive but comfortable in approaching our trials. We ask God to come in and ‘de-clutter’ our homes but then we quickly snatch back something He has determined needs to be discarded. Worst of all, once He has done the work in our lives to clean up and clear out we begin collecting new emotional clutter instead of filling our home with healthy things such as meditation, service, prayer and focus on God.
If our hearts and minds are to become ‘hoard-free zones’ we must truly surrender the trash, allow God to throw away what He determines and replace the new found space with God focused treasures.
Don’t ask me why but Bruce and I find ourselves glued to the television show dedicated to Hoarding. It is both unbelievable and unthinkable that anyone can allow their home to get to the condition shown on these documentaries. One of the saddest components of this show is the belief and the innate fear to let go of any one of these items. What we view as trash they view as necessity and an attachment to their emotional health. It requires outside efforts which are beyond their ability to achieve a more healthy view and environment. Their surrender to bring in assistance in an effort to attain something better is quickly reclaimed as soon as they feel threatened. One of the biggest concerns is having the home cleaned out only to collect the clutter again. Change from the inside must be accomplished for the outside to remain healthy. It takes analyzing one item at a time that eventually leads to freedom from the captivity.
If we could see the inside of our hearts we would see the same going on as we see in the homes of these hoarders. We pile up our bitterness, our wounds and our injured hearts and create such spiritual clutter there is no room for forgiveness. We hold on to patterns in our lives that are destructive but comfortable in approaching our trials. We ask God to come in and ‘de-clutter’ our homes but then we quickly snatch back something He has determined needs to be discarded. Worst of all, once He has done the work in our lives to clean up and clear out we begin collecting new emotional clutter instead of filling our home with healthy things such as meditation, service, prayer and focus on God.
If our hearts and minds are to become ‘hoard-free zones’ we must truly surrender the trash, allow God to throw away what He determines and replace the new found space with God focused treasures.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Burying Bernie
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:6-7
The movie Weekend at Bernie’s has been one of the most long-running films to be viewed and enjoyed by many. The thought of dragging around death for the sake of obtaining something on the surface is very entertaining in script, but the death we drag around daily is not so funny.
Christ died on the cross so we could choose a better way – a way that frees us from the ball-and-chain of sin. But much like the movie, we choose to be drawn in to our sin in an effort to gain something we feel cannot be obtained otherwise. We display our will instead in God’s although our will sits lifeless like Bernie and displays no expression of faith. We manipulate our circumstances by using sinful habitual patterns of our lives which we default to obtain our own desire.
The good news is that the more we pursue Christ and realize that He is victorious over death of all kind we can finally lay to rest the sin that enslaves us. Teacher and author Anabel Gillham writes: ‘The patterns in your life become so deeply entrenched that you perform them habitually – not even recognizing that you are exhibiting un-Christlike behavior…or that you have a choice to resist.’
Let’s decide that today is the day to ‘bury Bernie.’
The movie Weekend at Bernie’s has been one of the most long-running films to be viewed and enjoyed by many. The thought of dragging around death for the sake of obtaining something on the surface is very entertaining in script, but the death we drag around daily is not so funny.
Christ died on the cross so we could choose a better way – a way that frees us from the ball-and-chain of sin. But much like the movie, we choose to be drawn in to our sin in an effort to gain something we feel cannot be obtained otherwise. We display our will instead in God’s although our will sits lifeless like Bernie and displays no expression of faith. We manipulate our circumstances by using sinful habitual patterns of our lives which we default to obtain our own desire.
The good news is that the more we pursue Christ and realize that He is victorious over death of all kind we can finally lay to rest the sin that enslaves us. Teacher and author Anabel Gillham writes: ‘The patterns in your life become so deeply entrenched that you perform them habitually – not even recognizing that you are exhibiting un-Christlike behavior…or that you have a choice to resist.’
Let’s decide that today is the day to ‘bury Bernie.’
Friday, September 24, 2010
Holding Up Scorecards
“God is love…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…We love because he first loved us. Love is patient, love is kind…it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 John 16-19; 1 Co. 13:4-8
The other day I was speaking with one of my favorite women who had been struggling for many months with a life altering decision. This decision would affect everyone in her family. She had been praying for many months, meditating on God’s word and seeking professional counseling. She finally felt as if she couldn’t prolong the decision anymore. Once the decision was made she confided in me that the biggest reason for her delay was the fear that this decision would be stepping out of God’s will. She had paralysis in analysis! Two weeks ago she felt she heard God say, ‘Daughter, it is time!’
The initial decision created such an emotional reaction she naturally questioned whether she stepped out of His will. She made the comment that she feels like God is sitting up there saying, ‘Satan won.’ We went on to talk about God’s role as Father in our lives and the character of God as He relates to us personally and the decisions we make. Her heart was not broken at the circumstances of her marriage but more by the possibility of stepping out of the will of God.
We do not have a Father who condemns every step we take and holds back His plan in some mysterious manner. Joanna Weaver sums it up as follows: ‘Worst of all, we may persist in viewing God as an aloof and distant judge, holding up a scorecard to rate our every attempt to please Him, rather than seeing Him as He truly is – a loving Father on bended knee with hands outstretched and a smile as big as eternity. Praising our every step. Picking us up when we stumble. Helping us walk while He teaches us to run. Ready with the acceptance and approval we have been killing ourselves to obtain on our own.” p. 67
He wants to reveal the next step and broaden our faith. Each step will normally involve several confirmations along with peace apart from resolution which is what happened by the end of the first day. It seems as if each day brings about another confirmation from God.
Being in the will of the God doesn’t mean it will be easy but it means it will be possible.
The other day I was speaking with one of my favorite women who had been struggling for many months with a life altering decision. This decision would affect everyone in her family. She had been praying for many months, meditating on God’s word and seeking professional counseling. She finally felt as if she couldn’t prolong the decision anymore. Once the decision was made she confided in me that the biggest reason for her delay was the fear that this decision would be stepping out of God’s will. She had paralysis in analysis! Two weeks ago she felt she heard God say, ‘Daughter, it is time!’
The initial decision created such an emotional reaction she naturally questioned whether she stepped out of His will. She made the comment that she feels like God is sitting up there saying, ‘Satan won.’ We went on to talk about God’s role as Father in our lives and the character of God as He relates to us personally and the decisions we make. Her heart was not broken at the circumstances of her marriage but more by the possibility of stepping out of the will of God.
We do not have a Father who condemns every step we take and holds back His plan in some mysterious manner. Joanna Weaver sums it up as follows: ‘Worst of all, we may persist in viewing God as an aloof and distant judge, holding up a scorecard to rate our every attempt to please Him, rather than seeing Him as He truly is – a loving Father on bended knee with hands outstretched and a smile as big as eternity. Praising our every step. Picking us up when we stumble. Helping us walk while He teaches us to run. Ready with the acceptance and approval we have been killing ourselves to obtain on our own.” p. 67
He wants to reveal the next step and broaden our faith. Each step will normally involve several confirmations along with peace apart from resolution which is what happened by the end of the first day. It seems as if each day brings about another confirmation from God.
Being in the will of the God doesn’t mean it will be easy but it means it will be possible.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Weak Levies
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” 1 Co. 1:25
When Hurricane Katrina hit, it was one of the most devastating catastrophe on record. It wasn’t only the impact of the storm but rather the reality of weak levies to protect against the storm. The debate began and was just as tumultuous as Katrina itself. It was reported that memos and reports had been repeatedly forwarded to appropriate personnel that exposed potentially deadly weaknesses in several of the levies that surrounded the region. It was the flood waters that broke through the levies that were determined to be the source of so many deaths. If only the appropriate people would have paid attention to the warnings. If only…
In our lower nature, the flesh, we have compromised and weak spiritual points in which sin can break through and flood our region. We can maintain strong spiritual levies in our walk but if we refuse to look at the weak ones we will have catastrophic results when the storms hit. We will walk with false confidence during the calm though we are one storm away from total disaster.
Through pursuing God and heeding the warnings of our spiritual weaknesses, we allow the Spirit to strengthen them and rebuild them into strong walls of faith. We develop a spiritual awareness of our earthly faults as the Holy Spirit reveals and exposes these weaknesses. We must not ignore the Holy memos sent from the One who sees our faults and recognizes our weaknesses. God desires to bring healing in areas that hinder and weaken our faith.
I love the description of Joanna Weaver’s weakened levies or ‘fault lines’ as she refers to them. ‘…we have a mighty God who is able to redeem…a loving Father who promises to keep watch at our points of vulnerability, to strengthen us where we’re weak, to correct the lies that have led us astray, and to heal the rifts in our souls. But only if we give Him access.’ P. 67
When Hurricane Katrina hit, it was one of the most devastating catastrophe on record. It wasn’t only the impact of the storm but rather the reality of weak levies to protect against the storm. The debate began and was just as tumultuous as Katrina itself. It was reported that memos and reports had been repeatedly forwarded to appropriate personnel that exposed potentially deadly weaknesses in several of the levies that surrounded the region. It was the flood waters that broke through the levies that were determined to be the source of so many deaths. If only the appropriate people would have paid attention to the warnings. If only…
In our lower nature, the flesh, we have compromised and weak spiritual points in which sin can break through and flood our region. We can maintain strong spiritual levies in our walk but if we refuse to look at the weak ones we will have catastrophic results when the storms hit. We will walk with false confidence during the calm though we are one storm away from total disaster.
Through pursuing God and heeding the warnings of our spiritual weaknesses, we allow the Spirit to strengthen them and rebuild them into strong walls of faith. We develop a spiritual awareness of our earthly faults as the Holy Spirit reveals and exposes these weaknesses. We must not ignore the Holy memos sent from the One who sees our faults and recognizes our weaknesses. God desires to bring healing in areas that hinder and weaken our faith.
I love the description of Joanna Weaver’s weakened levies or ‘fault lines’ as she refers to them. ‘…we have a mighty God who is able to redeem…a loving Father who promises to keep watch at our points of vulnerability, to strengthen us where we’re weak, to correct the lies that have led us astray, and to heal the rifts in our souls. But only if we give Him access.’ P. 67
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Minding the Gap
“I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves.” Rom. 6:19‘Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Rom. 8:5
About 7 years ago, Bruce and I went to Brussels as he was invited to speak to a group of people in the nuclear field. We were very excited as this was one of the first clients when he started the new business. (Actually, it was one of the only clients that year!) On our way we decided to stay a few nights in London so we could do a little sightseeing. Whenever we would board the underground transportation system this lady’s voice in a beautiful English accent would caution, ‘Mind the gap.’ This was a warning to watch where you were stepping since there was an open space between the platform of the concrete and the floor of the subway. This gap could be a means to stumble or fall.
Where was my bold warning to ‘mind the gap’ when approaching my own sinful nature? We all have a gap in our hearts being of the flesh, our natural selves. For me, it has always been the hunger for approval which in my belief meant approval equaled love. Feeding the feelings of our natural self will always result in missteps and stumbles. We will fall into the gap separating ourselves from the higher nature only attained and accessed through God.
Joanna Weaver writes in Having a Mary Spirit, ‘For there is nothing like adversity to reveal what we’re made of. In fact, I am convinced that trouble and stress are two of the most common ways God shows us the weakness of our flesh and the futility of our self-efforts. In His mercy, He often allows stress to build up until the weak areas in our lives begin to give way under pressure.’ p. 60
For me, my gap was filled with the hunger to be hero for acceptance and taking credit for my activities for approval. This insatiable thirst for the flesh can never be met by the flesh – man. When Christ hung on the cross only to be victorious in resurrection, He filled this gap and bridged the way from the lower into the higher.
Look for the warnings to ‘mind the gap’ so you will not stumble or fall.
About 7 years ago, Bruce and I went to Brussels as he was invited to speak to a group of people in the nuclear field. We were very excited as this was one of the first clients when he started the new business. (Actually, it was one of the only clients that year!) On our way we decided to stay a few nights in London so we could do a little sightseeing. Whenever we would board the underground transportation system this lady’s voice in a beautiful English accent would caution, ‘Mind the gap.’ This was a warning to watch where you were stepping since there was an open space between the platform of the concrete and the floor of the subway. This gap could be a means to stumble or fall.
Where was my bold warning to ‘mind the gap’ when approaching my own sinful nature? We all have a gap in our hearts being of the flesh, our natural selves. For me, it has always been the hunger for approval which in my belief meant approval equaled love. Feeding the feelings of our natural self will always result in missteps and stumbles. We will fall into the gap separating ourselves from the higher nature only attained and accessed through God.
Joanna Weaver writes in Having a Mary Spirit, ‘For there is nothing like adversity to reveal what we’re made of. In fact, I am convinced that trouble and stress are two of the most common ways God shows us the weakness of our flesh and the futility of our self-efforts. In His mercy, He often allows stress to build up until the weak areas in our lives begin to give way under pressure.’ p. 60
For me, my gap was filled with the hunger to be hero for acceptance and taking credit for my activities for approval. This insatiable thirst for the flesh can never be met by the flesh – man. When Christ hung on the cross only to be victorious in resurrection, He filled this gap and bridged the way from the lower into the higher.
Look for the warnings to ‘mind the gap’ so you will not stumble or fall.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Favorites
“One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved...” John 13:23
“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved…” John 19:26
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved…” John 21:7
“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved…” John 21:20
You can separate any of my three children on any given day and would be told that it is their belief that they are my favorite. They look upon the other two with confidence that my love for them is a little bit greater than my love for their siblings. We even laugh about this as I sit in silence while their banter continues.
John, the author of the Book of John, on four different occasions both describes and defines himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ What a wonderful way to define ourselves when we describe who we are in our life. I remember when Beth was in the Hospice House she had a visitor from the clergy who described Beth as one of God’s favorite's. Now, I was brought up to believe that we are all equal children in the loving eyes of our Father so this claim really rubbed me the wrong way. Could it be that my Heavenly Father had favorites, after all the Jews were His chosen people. Could it be that no matter how much I loved Him, there would always be those whom He loved more?
I decided to see what Scripture said about this claim and was relieved and blessed by the truth. Acts 10:34 states, ‘Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’ Rom. 2:11 states, ‘For God does not show favoritism.’ Eph. 6:9 states, ‘…since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.’ Col. 3:25 states, ‘Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.’ The flip side being ‘and anyone who does right will be repaid for his ‘right’, and there is no favoritism.’
What a powerful God of love that through the Holy Spirit we feel like we just may be His favorite! The more deeply we encounter Him the more love we possess. Instead of our description of ourselves including ‘me, myself and I,’ I am proud and honored to describe the author of this post as ‘the woman who Jesus loves.’
During your conversation today replace the word ‘me’ with ‘the one whom Jesus loves and adores.’
“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved…” John 19:26
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved…” John 21:7
“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved…” John 21:20
You can separate any of my three children on any given day and would be told that it is their belief that they are my favorite. They look upon the other two with confidence that my love for them is a little bit greater than my love for their siblings. We even laugh about this as I sit in silence while their banter continues.
John, the author of the Book of John, on four different occasions both describes and defines himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ What a wonderful way to define ourselves when we describe who we are in our life. I remember when Beth was in the Hospice House she had a visitor from the clergy who described Beth as one of God’s favorite's. Now, I was brought up to believe that we are all equal children in the loving eyes of our Father so this claim really rubbed me the wrong way. Could it be that my Heavenly Father had favorites, after all the Jews were His chosen people. Could it be that no matter how much I loved Him, there would always be those whom He loved more?
I decided to see what Scripture said about this claim and was relieved and blessed by the truth. Acts 10:34 states, ‘Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’ Rom. 2:11 states, ‘For God does not show favoritism.’ Eph. 6:9 states, ‘…since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.’ Col. 3:25 states, ‘Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.’ The flip side being ‘and anyone who does right will be repaid for his ‘right’, and there is no favoritism.’
What a powerful God of love that through the Holy Spirit we feel like we just may be His favorite! The more deeply we encounter Him the more love we possess. Instead of our description of ourselves including ‘me, myself and I,’ I am proud and honored to describe the author of this post as ‘the woman who Jesus loves.’
During your conversation today replace the word ‘me’ with ‘the one whom Jesus loves and adores.’
Monday, September 20, 2010
Fire Breathing Dragons
“…but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. And he said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.’ And he said, ‘for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’” Luke 9:55-56 (NKJV)
When my kids were little Bruce would play a game with them which would get them all worked up. At bedtime I never wanted to hear those words from Bruce that prompted screaming, running and out of control playing, ‘I’m a fire, I’m a fire, I’m a fire-breathing dragon!’ This was the igniter of chaos! It was where father and kids ran about wildly, loudly and excitedly. Looking back now it is one of my fondest memories.
I can’t help to believe that when these disciples made the same claim about producing fire Jesus felt the same sense of dread I did though for different reasons. How many times have we looked at a situation and breathed our own fire of indignation and judgment upon our prey? How many times does Jesus look upon our hearts and whisper those same words, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.’
In my own past I know that I have flung on that hero cape and shot myself like a bullet out of a gun telling Jesus, ‘I will take care of this!’ I was self-appointed savior in my circumstances as the role of fire breathing dragon came way too easily for me. God stepped aside and allowed me to feel the weight of a so-called hero which made me buckle at the knees. My fire became a puff of smoke extinguished with no light. All that was left was the bad breath of a dragon. No matter how hard we try to respond we will default to our lower nature, our flesh.
Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Carnal thinking and carnal responses come naturally to us humans. Pre-programmed into our operating system since the Fall, our lower nature is our default mode. But what seems right to our natural minds rarely aligns with what God would have us do.'
So I pray the prayer of David, Psalm 139:23-24, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me.’
When my kids were little Bruce would play a game with them which would get them all worked up. At bedtime I never wanted to hear those words from Bruce that prompted screaming, running and out of control playing, ‘I’m a fire, I’m a fire, I’m a fire-breathing dragon!’ This was the igniter of chaos! It was where father and kids ran about wildly, loudly and excitedly. Looking back now it is one of my fondest memories.
I can’t help to believe that when these disciples made the same claim about producing fire Jesus felt the same sense of dread I did though for different reasons. How many times have we looked at a situation and breathed our own fire of indignation and judgment upon our prey? How many times does Jesus look upon our hearts and whisper those same words, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.’
In my own past I know that I have flung on that hero cape and shot myself like a bullet out of a gun telling Jesus, ‘I will take care of this!’ I was self-appointed savior in my circumstances as the role of fire breathing dragon came way too easily for me. God stepped aside and allowed me to feel the weight of a so-called hero which made me buckle at the knees. My fire became a puff of smoke extinguished with no light. All that was left was the bad breath of a dragon. No matter how hard we try to respond we will default to our lower nature, our flesh.
Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Carnal thinking and carnal responses come naturally to us humans. Pre-programmed into our operating system since the Fall, our lower nature is our default mode. But what seems right to our natural minds rarely aligns with what God would have us do.'
So I pray the prayer of David, Psalm 139:23-24, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me.’
Friday, September 17, 2010
Barefoot Cinderellas
“Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe…” Luke 8:12
I am coming out of a season of attack from the enemy who convinced me that I had control over my spiritual development and holiness. I was under a veil of self-condemnation for my responses to emotions invoked by an extreme set of circumstances in caregiving. I was continuously measuring myself against the perfection of Christ. In the end, I always fell short emotionally and suffered continuous spiritual failure. My jailbreak was through God showing me that only through His sacrifice are we complete enough to be holy. While we can live a life of transformation we can never live an earthly life of perfection and complete holiness. He confirmed this lesson through two wonderful sets of writings as I prayed for God to release me from this self made prison. You will be blessed like I have been.
‘Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, warns against dangerous preoccupation with our own ‘personal whiteness’ as he calls it, referring to the unhealthy kind of introspection that focuses on our inadequacies rather than on God’s power to redeem and change our lives. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption…The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God.'
Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Spirit, writes: ‘For Satan loves to twist our salvation stories and insist that, while for a moment our pumpkins may have become carriages and our rags glistening gowns, midnight has tolled, and it’s time we face reality. He insists we’re nothing more than barefoot Cinderellas, beggar girls trying to find our way back home, with no happily-ever-after to close our stories and no handsome Prince to call our own. That no matter how much we wish and hope and dream, we will never experience lasting change (in our spiritual growth)…We act like slave girls instead of daughters of the King. p. 18
I don’t know about you but I am going to put on my glass slippers and go dancing with my Prince! The great part is that Satan didn’t get an invitation!
I am coming out of a season of attack from the enemy who convinced me that I had control over my spiritual development and holiness. I was under a veil of self-condemnation for my responses to emotions invoked by an extreme set of circumstances in caregiving. I was continuously measuring myself against the perfection of Christ. In the end, I always fell short emotionally and suffered continuous spiritual failure. My jailbreak was through God showing me that only through His sacrifice are we complete enough to be holy. While we can live a life of transformation we can never live an earthly life of perfection and complete holiness. He confirmed this lesson through two wonderful sets of writings as I prayed for God to release me from this self made prison. You will be blessed like I have been.
‘Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, warns against dangerous preoccupation with our own ‘personal whiteness’ as he calls it, referring to the unhealthy kind of introspection that focuses on our inadequacies rather than on God’s power to redeem and change our lives. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption…The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God.'
Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Spirit, writes: ‘For Satan loves to twist our salvation stories and insist that, while for a moment our pumpkins may have become carriages and our rags glistening gowns, midnight has tolled, and it’s time we face reality. He insists we’re nothing more than barefoot Cinderellas, beggar girls trying to find our way back home, with no happily-ever-after to close our stories and no handsome Prince to call our own. That no matter how much we wish and hope and dream, we will never experience lasting change (in our spiritual growth)…We act like slave girls instead of daughters of the King. p. 18
I don’t know about you but I am going to put on my glass slippers and go dancing with my Prince! The great part is that Satan didn’t get an invitation!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Groans of the Spirit
“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for; but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27
This passage has been a multi-generational reality for my family during deep seasons of suffering. Many decades ago my grandmother wrote of an experience wherein the Holy Spirit took over and groaned on her behalf. She and my grandfather were moving to begin a new pastorate and had to leave her mother. Grandmother was paralyzed with fear and she wrote: “My Mother was with us recovering from the latest hemorrhage of her lungs. Mother decided that she could not accompany us when we moved the following week because she had to stay near her doctors. Mother went back to where she and Daddy lived which was 17 miles in the country. She was without a car or telephone. My brother was in service overseas and there were no other family members. I was in a panic and terribly afraid another hemorrhage would be fatal. That Saturday, as I was trying to cook the noon meal, tears were streaming down my face and splashing wherever there was a “catching place.” After the meal was over and the kitchen cleaned, I went into the back bedroom and got down on my knees - BUT NOT TO PRAY. I WENT TO CRY. I had prayed all the prayers I knew for Mother’s healing over and over again. I had begged God, agonized and claimed all the promises of healing that I knew. The healing had not come. I was kneeling and weeping but there were no words. I now understand that there comes a point in intercession where words are left behind. Where the person himself “becomes” the prayer he is making and “words” as such are unnecessary. After awhile, through my sobbing, I heard, (not with my physical ears, but with the ears of my spirit) a sweet Voice, saying, “You don’t have faith enough for this, but I have, my faith will never fail, and it will encircle your faith, so yours will not fail.” In that moment, I saw the “secret” of faith, His faith quickening mine so that I could believe.”
Fast forward to 2004 as my daughter was in a 30 day rehab center attempting to get clean from heroin addiction. She called and said that she was in despair and needed us to pray. Both Kristen and I went outside in our separate locations and prayed. The Holy Spirit searched my heart and gave voice to my prayers and also gave voice to Kristen’s. She told God that she didn’t even know what to say anymore and that all of the pleas, promises, compromises and deals had already been spoken and broken. She simply sat and allowed the Holy Spirit to groan on her behalf and what she heard was the Father’s divine answer that the Spirit knew she needed to hear, ‘You are my child and I am your Father.’
When your suffering is so intense and the silence from your prayers seems to be deafening, we can be confident in the prayers of the Holy Spirit even when our confidence is gone.
This passage has been a multi-generational reality for my family during deep seasons of suffering. Many decades ago my grandmother wrote of an experience wherein the Holy Spirit took over and groaned on her behalf. She and my grandfather were moving to begin a new pastorate and had to leave her mother. Grandmother was paralyzed with fear and she wrote: “My Mother was with us recovering from the latest hemorrhage of her lungs. Mother decided that she could not accompany us when we moved the following week because she had to stay near her doctors. Mother went back to where she and Daddy lived which was 17 miles in the country. She was without a car or telephone. My brother was in service overseas and there were no other family members. I was in a panic and terribly afraid another hemorrhage would be fatal. That Saturday, as I was trying to cook the noon meal, tears were streaming down my face and splashing wherever there was a “catching place.” After the meal was over and the kitchen cleaned, I went into the back bedroom and got down on my knees - BUT NOT TO PRAY. I WENT TO CRY. I had prayed all the prayers I knew for Mother’s healing over and over again. I had begged God, agonized and claimed all the promises of healing that I knew. The healing had not come. I was kneeling and weeping but there were no words. I now understand that there comes a point in intercession where words are left behind. Where the person himself “becomes” the prayer he is making and “words” as such are unnecessary. After awhile, through my sobbing, I heard, (not with my physical ears, but with the ears of my spirit) a sweet Voice, saying, “You don’t have faith enough for this, but I have, my faith will never fail, and it will encircle your faith, so yours will not fail.” In that moment, I saw the “secret” of faith, His faith quickening mine so that I could believe.”
Fast forward to 2004 as my daughter was in a 30 day rehab center attempting to get clean from heroin addiction. She called and said that she was in despair and needed us to pray. Both Kristen and I went outside in our separate locations and prayed. The Holy Spirit searched my heart and gave voice to my prayers and also gave voice to Kristen’s. She told God that she didn’t even know what to say anymore and that all of the pleas, promises, compromises and deals had already been spoken and broken. She simply sat and allowed the Holy Spirit to groan on her behalf and what she heard was the Father’s divine answer that the Spirit knew she needed to hear, ‘You are my child and I am your Father.’
When your suffering is so intense and the silence from your prayers seems to be deafening, we can be confident in the prayers of the Holy Spirit even when our confidence is gone.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Indispensable Weakness
“…those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it…but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Cor. 12:22-24
A few years ago it was determined that my husband Bruce required a knee replacement. He had suffered with pain in his knee for years and had several procedures to avoid knee replacement. Eventually, the inevitable was necessary and surgery was performed. During the months to come I am sure he doubted his decision as his knee pain was replaced with other issues from the surgery. It would take 6 months before he would truly benefit from the surgery and become free from pain. As he rehabbed, the weakness of the knee which was operated on forced him to depend more heavily on his other leg. While on crutches his arms became stronger to allow him the ability to navigate more efficiently as his arms supported his limited movement. The other body parts benefited from the weakness in his knee.
This is the same concept of our weaknesses in the Body of Christ. God uses the weakness of one to minister and grow the others in the Body. All of the members of Christ, the family, benefit from watching and encouraging others as they go through their pain and adversities. I cannot begin to express the manner in which fellow believers supported our family while going through the cancer of both my dad and my sister. While we were weak they became stronger for us and carried us in our weakness. Through our experience many in the Family became stronger in their own walk with Christ. They hurt when we hurt and they rejoiced with each success in which we experienced. They prayed for healing of our hearts when God called both of my family members home and through their strength of prayers my weakness of heart began healing.
I thank God each day for those Body parts who rose to the occasion to be strong while I was weak.
A few years ago it was determined that my husband Bruce required a knee replacement. He had suffered with pain in his knee for years and had several procedures to avoid knee replacement. Eventually, the inevitable was necessary and surgery was performed. During the months to come I am sure he doubted his decision as his knee pain was replaced with other issues from the surgery. It would take 6 months before he would truly benefit from the surgery and become free from pain. As he rehabbed, the weakness of the knee which was operated on forced him to depend more heavily on his other leg. While on crutches his arms became stronger to allow him the ability to navigate more efficiently as his arms supported his limited movement. The other body parts benefited from the weakness in his knee.
This is the same concept of our weaknesses in the Body of Christ. God uses the weakness of one to minister and grow the others in the Body. All of the members of Christ, the family, benefit from watching and encouraging others as they go through their pain and adversities. I cannot begin to express the manner in which fellow believers supported our family while going through the cancer of both my dad and my sister. While we were weak they became stronger for us and carried us in our weakness. Through our experience many in the Family became stronger in their own walk with Christ. They hurt when we hurt and they rejoiced with each success in which we experienced. They prayed for healing of our hearts when God called both of my family members home and through their strength of prayers my weakness of heart began healing.
I thank God each day for those Body parts who rose to the occasion to be strong while I was weak.
Monday, September 13, 2010
My Eyes Have Seen...
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:3b, 5
There is nothing more absolute than going deeper in fellowship with Christ through our adversities. Growing up in a Christian home God was always at the center of our family. I had heard of Him growing up but only really saw who He could be for my life when deep adversity struck. Much like Job I spent my entire life hearing the testimonies, hearing the sermons and hearing my parents and grandparents speak of His wondrous works in their lives.
It wasn’t until 2006 when I decided there was so much more that God could be in my life than the God of my parents and grandparents. I delved deeply into the Word each morning hoping to see God for myself. Within 3 months it became clear that I would need this first hand vision to see God through the upcoming valleys. That May/June, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, my father-in-law with Alzheimer’s and my daughter with a disease that required treatment.
I heard God would carry me – I saw His arms.
I heard God would never leave me – I saw His faithfulness.
I heard God would give me strength – I saw His power.
I heard God would comfort me – I saw His presence.
Today may the God of your ears become the God of your eyes.
There is nothing more absolute than going deeper in fellowship with Christ through our adversities. Growing up in a Christian home God was always at the center of our family. I had heard of Him growing up but only really saw who He could be for my life when deep adversity struck. Much like Job I spent my entire life hearing the testimonies, hearing the sermons and hearing my parents and grandparents speak of His wondrous works in their lives.
It wasn’t until 2006 when I decided there was so much more that God could be in my life than the God of my parents and grandparents. I delved deeply into the Word each morning hoping to see God for myself. Within 3 months it became clear that I would need this first hand vision to see God through the upcoming valleys. That May/June, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, my father-in-law with Alzheimer’s and my daughter with a disease that required treatment.
I heard God would carry me – I saw His arms.
I heard God would never leave me – I saw His faithfulness.
I heard God would give me strength – I saw His power.
I heard God would comfort me – I saw His presence.
Today may the God of your ears become the God of your eyes.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Even Halloween
“No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:23
My grandson, Carson gives me so much applicable material to work with in my devotions, in addition to lots of laughter. The other day I had picked him up and was taking him for ice cream. His sole focus was a brochure that showed the different prizes he could receive through his school’s fundraiser. He couldn’t understand that he had to earn these and I was unable to go out and buy these for him. He got mad at me and told me that I wasn’t his Emmy anymore. I went on to tell him that while that was not what I wanted I would accept his decision and remove myself as his Emmy. I explained to him that if he denied my ‘Emmyship’ today that it would also be denied at Christmas and his birthday. He thought for a moment and said, ‘Emmy, you can be my Emmy at Christmas, my birthday and EVEN Halloween!’ Carson determined which seasons he would accept me as his Emmy.
Boy, do we do the same with God! We want to find Him at certain times and certain seasons. We want Him to give when we wish to receive. We want the blessings without the pain. We banish Him from certain areas of our lives that we do not wish to surrender and we accept Him in certain areas where we claim to trust Him.
Until we are willing to allow God to be God in every situation, in every season and in every painful circumstance we will miss the blessings He has for us.
PS - I was his Emmy again before the ice cream melted!
My grandson, Carson gives me so much applicable material to work with in my devotions, in addition to lots of laughter. The other day I had picked him up and was taking him for ice cream. His sole focus was a brochure that showed the different prizes he could receive through his school’s fundraiser. He couldn’t understand that he had to earn these and I was unable to go out and buy these for him. He got mad at me and told me that I wasn’t his Emmy anymore. I went on to tell him that while that was not what I wanted I would accept his decision and remove myself as his Emmy. I explained to him that if he denied my ‘Emmyship’ today that it would also be denied at Christmas and his birthday. He thought for a moment and said, ‘Emmy, you can be my Emmy at Christmas, my birthday and EVEN Halloween!’ Carson determined which seasons he would accept me as his Emmy.
Boy, do we do the same with God! We want to find Him at certain times and certain seasons. We want Him to give when we wish to receive. We want the blessings without the pain. We banish Him from certain areas of our lives that we do not wish to surrender and we accept Him in certain areas where we claim to trust Him.
Until we are willing to allow God to be God in every situation, in every season and in every painful circumstance we will miss the blessings He has for us.
PS - I was his Emmy again before the ice cream melted!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Pencil Him In...
“For this is the covenant that I will make…says the LORD: I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Hebrews 8:10.
Many years ago Bill Cosby had an HBO stand up routine that was hilarious. I remember he was describing a time when his wife frustratingly looked at their children and said, ‘I am sick…’ at which point their little four year finished her sentence by saying, ‘…and tired.’ It was the fact that that child had been in a relationship wherein he knew the thoughts and past responses of his parent. It was only through the fellowship between the two that the child knew the mind of his mother. The more my children spent time with me the more they understood my views and beliefs on everything. They could determine ahead of time my inclination towards anything.
Through constant fellowship with our Father we will also know His feelings about everything we will face in life. He will neither remain mysterious in His will nor silent in His leadings. The Bible states, ‘Then he opened their minds, so they could understand the Scriptures.’ Luke 24:45. Through pursing Him, we learn to reason like Him, think like Him and discern like Him.
In my own life, I have used meditation and Bible Studies as the open conduit for God to place His laws in my mind. These are the truths that are intellectually mine during the calm days but only through experience have they been written on my heart. We must know these intellectual truths before we can apply them spiritually in tough times. For me, it has been as if God penciled His truths and principles in my mind but the experiences that forced me to apply His truths were inked on to my heart. Through our pursuit of a deeper relationship with God we are promised to receive His knowledge, His wisdom and His revelations for our lives.
…and who knows? Maybe we will be able to finish God’s sentences as we approach our situations.
Many years ago Bill Cosby had an HBO stand up routine that was hilarious. I remember he was describing a time when his wife frustratingly looked at their children and said, ‘I am sick…’ at which point their little four year finished her sentence by saying, ‘…and tired.’ It was the fact that that child had been in a relationship wherein he knew the thoughts and past responses of his parent. It was only through the fellowship between the two that the child knew the mind of his mother. The more my children spent time with me the more they understood my views and beliefs on everything. They could determine ahead of time my inclination towards anything.
Through constant fellowship with our Father we will also know His feelings about everything we will face in life. He will neither remain mysterious in His will nor silent in His leadings. The Bible states, ‘Then he opened their minds, so they could understand the Scriptures.’ Luke 24:45. Through pursing Him, we learn to reason like Him, think like Him and discern like Him.
In my own life, I have used meditation and Bible Studies as the open conduit for God to place His laws in my mind. These are the truths that are intellectually mine during the calm days but only through experience have they been written on my heart. We must know these intellectual truths before we can apply them spiritually in tough times. For me, it has been as if God penciled His truths and principles in my mind but the experiences that forced me to apply His truths were inked on to my heart. Through our pursuit of a deeper relationship with God we are promised to receive His knowledge, His wisdom and His revelations for our lives.
…and who knows? Maybe we will be able to finish God’s sentences as we approach our situations.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Provisions Of God
"But Jonah ran away from the LORD...Then the LORD sent such a violent storm...But the LORD provided a great fish...Jonah became angry...Jonah went out and made himself a shelter...Then the LORD provided a vine...But at dawn the next day God provided a worm that chewed up the vine...God provided a scorching east wind and the sun blazed...Book of Jonah
As the line of the movie is written, 'What we have here is a failure to communicate!' God went out of His way to make Jonah understand the poor condition of his heart and the effects on his fellowship with God. Jonah went out of his way to avoid knowing what God was trying to reveal to him. Jonah was one of God's chosen and beloved prophets. Notice how many times the passage records God's provisions in response to Jonah's actions or attitude. Some provisions were for deliverence and comfort while other provisions were given to discipline, teach and clarify. Jonah was the determining factor of what he would experience. God sent a storm, a great fish, a withering plant, an east wind and scorching sun. At any point Jonah had the authority and ability to stop these adversities. His pride and stubbornness brought on each degree of his trial. Remember, Jonah obeyed God the second time God commanded him to share the message of God, but the suffering continued. God wanted so much more from Jonah than action -he wanted his reconditioned heart.
God will not stop short in the molding, massaging and transforming of our hearts. He will not relent when He feels it is a question of our growth being thwarted. God's provisions will be in our circumstances regardless if they are a result of our stubbornness, pride or through something outside of our control.
Bottom line is we will never experience anything that God has not allowed and provided for in that season. We must approach our adversitites with total belief in deliverence, faith in God's presence and humility in the journey.
As the line of the movie is written, 'What we have here is a failure to communicate!' God went out of His way to make Jonah understand the poor condition of his heart and the effects on his fellowship with God. Jonah went out of his way to avoid knowing what God was trying to reveal to him. Jonah was one of God's chosen and beloved prophets. Notice how many times the passage records God's provisions in response to Jonah's actions or attitude. Some provisions were for deliverence and comfort while other provisions were given to discipline, teach and clarify. Jonah was the determining factor of what he would experience. God sent a storm, a great fish, a withering plant, an east wind and scorching sun. At any point Jonah had the authority and ability to stop these adversities. His pride and stubbornness brought on each degree of his trial. Remember, Jonah obeyed God the second time God commanded him to share the message of God, but the suffering continued. God wanted so much more from Jonah than action -he wanted his reconditioned heart.
God will not stop short in the molding, massaging and transforming of our hearts. He will not relent when He feels it is a question of our growth being thwarted. God's provisions will be in our circumstances regardless if they are a result of our stubbornness, pride or through something outside of our control.
Bottom line is we will never experience anything that God has not allowed and provided for in that season. We must approach our adversitites with total belief in deliverence, faith in God's presence and humility in the journey.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
God's Shade
“So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.” Jonah 4:6
It has been an extremely challenging month as caregiver to my father-in-law. As many people with Alzheimer’s suffer hallucinations, this has become the case with Bud. Along with these invisible events come anxiety, fear and frustration on the part of everyone. I believe that he fights sleep on some level to avoid dreams and the confusion of what is real and what is not. It has been exhausting, frustrating and heart-breaking to say the least. My husband and I are chronically fatigue but this week God supplied a plant to shade our discomfort.
The necessity for caregivers has certainly reached an all time high, and thanks to my father-in-law’s prudent financial decisions made many years ago we are able to employ these earthly angels. We are recipients of this comfort through no work of our own but the work of Bud’s hands many years ago. As he was growing a nest egg for his future God already knew this would be the plant that He would appoint to bring me and Bruce comfort. It would be the provision that would allow Bud to remain with us a little bit longer instead of going in a facility.
God appoints many comforts in all of our circumstances. He knows before our journey begins the calculated shade trees against which we will lean our weary bodies. We can be sure that God will equip us with everything required to get us through our seasons of suffering. He will not withhold anything from us but will supply us with everything required.
God is the source of our strength and His strength comes through many different paths. I praise God this morning for being the God of yesterday, today and every tomorrow.
It has been an extremely challenging month as caregiver to my father-in-law. As many people with Alzheimer’s suffer hallucinations, this has become the case with Bud. Along with these invisible events come anxiety, fear and frustration on the part of everyone. I believe that he fights sleep on some level to avoid dreams and the confusion of what is real and what is not. It has been exhausting, frustrating and heart-breaking to say the least. My husband and I are chronically fatigue but this week God supplied a plant to shade our discomfort.
The necessity for caregivers has certainly reached an all time high, and thanks to my father-in-law’s prudent financial decisions made many years ago we are able to employ these earthly angels. We are recipients of this comfort through no work of our own but the work of Bud’s hands many years ago. As he was growing a nest egg for his future God already knew this would be the plant that He would appoint to bring me and Bruce comfort. It would be the provision that would allow Bud to remain with us a little bit longer instead of going in a facility.
God appoints many comforts in all of our circumstances. He knows before our journey begins the calculated shade trees against which we will lean our weary bodies. We can be sure that God will equip us with everything required to get us through our seasons of suffering. He will not withhold anything from us but will supply us with everything required.
God is the source of our strength and His strength comes through many different paths. I praise God this morning for being the God of yesterday, today and every tomorrow.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Juggling Eggs
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. If [since] we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Gal. 5:24
We all hear sermons on being crucified in Christ and living by the Spirit. In my Bible Study this morning the question was posed, how would you describe walking by the Spirit? My initial answer was to measure each thought and action against the fruit of the Spirit which is ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.’ In my current situation as caregiver I am remiss to know that I fall short in more than one of these character descriptions.
To begin with if we accept Christ as our personal Savior we have been crucified in Christ. Being crucified in Christ is the one time action of receiving Him as our Savior and recognizing, repenting and turning away from our life of sin. It is after that decision that our flesh becomes nailed to the cross. What Jesus did in reality on the cross we have the privilege to do spiritually. As man, His actual flesh and body was nailed and given up so that we may live spiritually and eternally. He did the work on the cross and we must do the work in our hearts to both live and walk by His Spirit. My Bible Commentary states, ‘When we repented, there was a sense in which we nailed the old, evil, corrupt nature to the cross with all its affections and lusts. We determined that we would no longer live to cater to our fallen nature, that it would no longer dominate it. Of course, this decision has to be renewed continually in our lives. We must constantly keep the flesh in the place of death.’ P. 1895
I look back at my initial spiritual assessment of walking by the Spirit and an analogy comes to mind. My walk is like juggling eggs whereby each morning I begin with practice through meditation and precision in prayer. Then I begin my walk through the day with my focus on the eggs. My focus is no longer my earthly walk rather the walk keeping my eyes on the eggs (fruit of the Spirit). Since I am not perfect in my juggling I can expect an egg or two to find its way to the floor but I keep moving and keep walking. The Holy Spirit promises to always renew, restore and rejuvenate so I will never be void of any of these traits. Each can be mine through the power and indwelling of the Spirit in our lives.
My description of walking in the Spirit is my ability through the Spirit to keep most of the eggs in the air most of the time and accept the work of the Spirit to replenish what I temporarily lost.
We all hear sermons on being crucified in Christ and living by the Spirit. In my Bible Study this morning the question was posed, how would you describe walking by the Spirit? My initial answer was to measure each thought and action against the fruit of the Spirit which is ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.’ In my current situation as caregiver I am remiss to know that I fall short in more than one of these character descriptions.
To begin with if we accept Christ as our personal Savior we have been crucified in Christ. Being crucified in Christ is the one time action of receiving Him as our Savior and recognizing, repenting and turning away from our life of sin. It is after that decision that our flesh becomes nailed to the cross. What Jesus did in reality on the cross we have the privilege to do spiritually. As man, His actual flesh and body was nailed and given up so that we may live spiritually and eternally. He did the work on the cross and we must do the work in our hearts to both live and walk by His Spirit. My Bible Commentary states, ‘When we repented, there was a sense in which we nailed the old, evil, corrupt nature to the cross with all its affections and lusts. We determined that we would no longer live to cater to our fallen nature, that it would no longer dominate it. Of course, this decision has to be renewed continually in our lives. We must constantly keep the flesh in the place of death.’ P. 1895
I look back at my initial spiritual assessment of walking by the Spirit and an analogy comes to mind. My walk is like juggling eggs whereby each morning I begin with practice through meditation and precision in prayer. Then I begin my walk through the day with my focus on the eggs. My focus is no longer my earthly walk rather the walk keeping my eyes on the eggs (fruit of the Spirit). Since I am not perfect in my juggling I can expect an egg or two to find its way to the floor but I keep moving and keep walking. The Holy Spirit promises to always renew, restore and rejuvenate so I will never be void of any of these traits. Each can be mine through the power and indwelling of the Spirit in our lives.
My description of walking in the Spirit is my ability through the Spirit to keep most of the eggs in the air most of the time and accept the work of the Spirit to replenish what I temporarily lost.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Building Shelters
“But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry…There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city.” Jonah 4:1, 5
Here we have one of the first spiritual temper tantrums recorded in the Bible. We have all been in Jonah’s sandals. We have obeyed God in a certain manner that rubs us wrong. We have been told spiritually to forgive someone who in our eyes doesn’t deserve forgiveness. We have been told to continue to minister to someone who we really feel hasn’t worked hard enough to receive mercy. The list goes on and on…
We have all heard our children state that they will do something but they are not going to like it. We can be submissive to God in action and obedience and still not be submissive in the attitude of our heart. An act of obedience without the heart’s submission is not enough for God. Our lack of a submitted heart to God will always come between us and the heart of God. God will always continue to work on the attitude of our heart and not just using us to get the job done.
I believe we have all made shelters for ourselves at some point much like Jonah. We build shelters of bitterness and judgment as we sit in the self appointed shade and judge the actions of others. We watch and see what will happen instead of building shelters of prayer for those people in our lives. The attitudes in our heart are those of condemnation, a passion for judgment and sentencing. Jonah even states God’s character as if he is using it against God. ‘…for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’ Jonah 4:2
We should all be so very thankful for the character description of God. God cannot be of this character for us and not for others. If God acts the way we want Him to act regarding others we should tighten down the hatches in our own lives as He extends the same to us. Remember two essential truths that the Bible supports:
‘…because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!’ James 2:13
‘…since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.’ Eph. 6:9
Next time we throw a spiritual temper tantrum we must remember not to build shelters lest we live under the same one.
Here we have one of the first spiritual temper tantrums recorded in the Bible. We have all been in Jonah’s sandals. We have obeyed God in a certain manner that rubs us wrong. We have been told spiritually to forgive someone who in our eyes doesn’t deserve forgiveness. We have been told to continue to minister to someone who we really feel hasn’t worked hard enough to receive mercy. The list goes on and on…
We have all heard our children state that they will do something but they are not going to like it. We can be submissive to God in action and obedience and still not be submissive in the attitude of our heart. An act of obedience without the heart’s submission is not enough for God. Our lack of a submitted heart to God will always come between us and the heart of God. God will always continue to work on the attitude of our heart and not just using us to get the job done.
I believe we have all made shelters for ourselves at some point much like Jonah. We build shelters of bitterness and judgment as we sit in the self appointed shade and judge the actions of others. We watch and see what will happen instead of building shelters of prayer for those people in our lives. The attitudes in our heart are those of condemnation, a passion for judgment and sentencing. Jonah even states God’s character as if he is using it against God. ‘…for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’ Jonah 4:2
We should all be so very thankful for the character description of God. God cannot be of this character for us and not for others. If God acts the way we want Him to act regarding others we should tighten down the hatches in our own lives as He extends the same to us. Remember two essential truths that the Bible supports:
‘…because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!’ James 2:13
‘…since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.’ Eph. 6:9
Next time we throw a spiritual temper tantrum we must remember not to build shelters lest we live under the same one.
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