Dissatisfied and Disgruntled

“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare” Isaiah 55:2.

Ten years ago this month is when God called me to go more deeply with Him.  Every morning for the past 29 days I have wished God a happy anniversary for us.  Before February of 2006 I had spent the biggest part of my adult life chasing after things that lacked satisfaction.  I can so relate to King Solomon who had everything he could ever want but penned how empty his life really had been.  ‘I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ Eccl. 1:14.  My chase was relentless as I was consumed with being accepted by the ‘A team’ in my community (which never happened).  My pursuit of parental perfection was shattered as I went through a very public prodigal experience.  My race to retail as therapy only satisfied my soul until the guilt of secrecy and deception set in.  2006 changed everything when my appetite for the world was gradually replaced with my appetite for God’s offerings.

When we are walking with the Spirit and experiencing His satisfaction it will be evident to those around us.  Satisfaction in the Spirit is looking beyond our own families and serving those who have nothing to give us in return.  Delighting in the richest of fare is setting aside our own agendas to pick up the will of God.  Contentment in Him means understanding that we were not put in this life to judge others but to allow God to bring justice in our situation.  Lasting satisfaction will never come through our jobs, our spouses, our children or our bank accounts.  True satisfaction will only come when we delve deeply into fellowship with God and feast daily on His word.  ‘The most obvious symptom of a soul in need of God’s satisfaction is a sense of inner emptiness.  The awareness of a hollow place somewhere deep inside – the inability to be satisfied – ought to be a flashing caution light to every believer...The more we’ve been satisfied by God’s love, His Word, and His presence, the more we will yearn for it.’ Living Free, p. 78-79.

Dissatisfaction left unchecked leads to crumbling marriages, ineffective vocations and unrealized destinies.  The only true and lasting satisfaction comes from the Lord.

“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing...He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” Psalm 145:16, 19.

Glowing for Two

“We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” 2 Cor. 3:18.

There is definitely truth that pregnant women have a certain radiance and glow the further along they get in their pregnancy.  I read that as a woman’s body changes and the baby develops, there is an increased volume of blood being distributed that leads to a soft pinkish skin color.

I couldn’t help but to compare this to our increasing faith as we go more deeply with the Lord.  We are born into sinful flesh before we even know what sin looks like.  Not only are we infants in body, but we are spiritual infants.  As we grow into our physical maturity there is a call on our lives to grow into our spiritual maturity.  It is who we were created to be...unified and established in God’s love.  When we commit our lives to pursuing the love of Christ we ask Him to take up residence in our hearts.  It is that decision that allows the blood He shed to cleanse our sins.  As Christ increases in us we reflect His goodness, His love and kindness.  This ever-increasing transformation will not be an unintentional process, but one targeted by our desire to change from the inside out.  This transformation will happen when we give Him full room to expand within us.  ‘A life that glorifies God is not something we suddenly attain.  As we spend time in God’s presence, His glory both transforms us and radiates from us.’ Living Free, p. 65.

How can we ensure that His glory is increasing within us?  When we recognize God’s activity in our lives and allow Him to work things in His own timing and manner.  Also, when others recognize God through us and our lives reflect His character in us.  When we are walking actively with Spirit we take on His reflection and glow with the fruit of the Spirit. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.

My Name is Pride

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

When I look back over the course of my adult life I am sickened by the times when I sought glory for myself. Past days of showcasing Brenda instead of God makes my heart sink as I blocked the way for God’s glory to reveal itself in my life. Those times were times when I allowed pride to rule my heart instead of humility.

Pride is a horrible bedfellow and he wreaks havoc in our relationships, our finances and our ministries. Pride is the reason we cannot easily forgive our spouse...the reason why our children never hear an ‘I’m sorry’ when appropriate. It can be the reason we don’t use our resources to help others; after all we work hard for our money and deserve to enjoy it. Pride is the reason we suffer challenges and can’t even see that God is doing something new. Pride is the reason we feel jealous of others and bitter for their accomplishments. Pride is a partner who protects his territory relentlessly and never misses a chance to remind us of how we were wronged. He tells us we deserve to buy that item even if we must secretly obtain it. He encourages us to take control at work at all costs, and fight for whatever we must. Pride keeps score like none other and constantly shows the subtraction in our lives...what it is we might be losing. Pride is a poser holding up mirrors to reflect our own desires and entitlements. It is the evil that got Satan expelled from Heaven, and Adam and Eve banished from Eden. ‘The most effective means the enemy has to keep believers from being full of the Spirit is to keep us full of ourselves.’ Living Free, p. 58.

God replaces pride with humility and we all know the price. Many times humility comes about through ugly and very public seasons, but it is essential in connecting with God’s heart. God desires to work through us to reveal His glory and share His character. ‘To fulfill our God-given destinies...we must overcome the temptation to seek our own glory by desiring His instead.’ Living Free, p 60.

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” Isaiah 66:2.

Stumbling Blocks

“Peter...said ‘This shall never happen to you!’...Jesus turned and said to Peter... ‘You are a stumbling I block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men’” Matthew 16:22-23.

When I was a teenager I would get so frustrated that my mother would not give me permission to participate in certain things with my friends.  They always went to the river on weekends and I learned very early that the answer would be no.  The frustration was more about me thinking she didn’t trust me but in reality it was that she knew temptation can sometimes be too much to yield.  I love my friends from my childhood and to this day we would do anything for each other.  None of them had any intent on leading me into unsafe or unhealthy things.  We were just a group of committed friends who wanted to be together.  I look back as an adult and understand that my mother had in her mind to protect me... mold me...direct me into being my best self.

Our Father is no different.  He has a plan and purpose in His mind for every one of us.  We can do all of the planning we want, seek the mind of everyone around us and weigh the pros and cons.  But, the One who has the most wisdom for our circumstances and decisions are God.  We cannot base our decisions on what people say, even our family and friends.  We can listen to those around us and if it supports what the Lord is telling us through His word and prayer then it becomes confirmation.  Just like Peter was trying to protect and guide His friend Jesus, we can easily become a stumbling block for our family and friends through our advice. 

When those we care about come to us for advice we must point them to prayer to determine what God has on His mind for their decisions.  I use to be the first to spout off advice in every situation but now I’m led to do more listening so I’ll know how to pray.  We must seek the mind of Christ in everything we do to determine His will, His ways and His thoughts.  By walking out His ‘no’ we walk under a protective covering from God.  By walking out His ‘yes’ we walk in confidence of His will.

“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37.

Alarming Truths

“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands...In my alarm, I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight...’  The LORD preserves the faithful...Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:14, 22-24.

I just love reading the Bible because it exemplifies every facet of our faith...or lack of.  This passage is from a Psalm that David penned, wherein he emotionally swings between faith and fear.  He claims that both his days are numbered and God is orchestrating every detail of his life.  Yet, in that same message to God he accuses Him of turning His back on David.  He then ends His time with the Lord by making an intellectual proclamation that God preserves the faithful.  He encourages His reader to be strong and take heart and hope in God.  So who is he really trying to convince?

There have been so many times in my own prayers that I show this same emotional range.  I begin by thanking God for the times He has delivered me from my challenges.  I recite Psalm 139:16 telling Him that I know all of my days have been ordained.  And then something or someone happens threatening my peace and my panic rises...my flesh alarm sounds.  Suddenly, I’m not feeling God...I’m allowing my fear to engulf my faith...I’m inviting Satan in to disrupt my peace. 

Panic and fear are normal emotions that we must put to rest whenever we feel them on the rise.  Like David, we must be armed with the words of God to remind us of His faithfulness.  We must speak life and truth into our own hearts so the lies will be put to death.  How can we convince others of His faithfulness if we are not first convinced?

When the alarm sounds and the panic swells we can turn to the Word and allow God to comfort us, encourage us and teach us how to trust in Him.  Without His intervention through His words we will fall victim to walking out our circumstances in fear and doubt instead of faith. He is anywhere and He is everywhere if we will just look for Him.

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7-10.

Slow of Heart

“He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” Luke 24:25.

I must admit that I have been blessed with the most amazing set of parents. Even today, I can be assured that whatever my mother tells me I can believe. Even if she tells me something that seems incredible my belief is not grounded in the circumstances but in her trustworthiness. My belief in her words is a result of time spent with her getting to know her thoughts on every issue. The more situations that we have shared the more confidence I have in her. In the spirit of our verse you can say that I am quick of heart to believe all that she has told me.

Our Father has given us 66 books in His word that gives us His thoughts on everything we will ever face. Each chapter is delicately wrapped with different traits of His character to give us clarity on His beliefs, what He promises and who He is. How can we build confidence in Him if we do not dig out the truths in His words? Our flesh is foolish as it always bends towards disbelief and doubt. When we are slow of heart to believe our remedy is to mine the beautiful gems of the Bible. Without these gems our heart will tell us to fear...to doubt...to cast our imaginations on the worst possible scenario. Our unbelieving hearts will convince us that our prodigal will never return. Our unbelieving hearts will paint a picture that we can never live without our loved ones. Our unbelieving hearts will keep us so imprisoned in our self-made boxes that we won’t even recognize when God is trying to do something new.

Sometimes our prayers need to be more about our faith than our desires for a situation to go in a certain direction. I should have been praying for an increased faith to walk it out than for a specific outcome. Some of the scariest and unbelieving times in my life have been when God was trying to do something new. Many times God answers our prayers in ways we don’t recognize. When the Israelites were being delivered from Egypt to the Promised Land God took them the long way around the wilderness. Sometimes our desires and God’s plan do match up but the journey there might wind us through the desert. His guidance in the wilderness comes through His guidance through His Word. We must lay down our slow to believe attitudes and pick up our quick to believe God.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:29.

Seal the Deal!

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” Psalm 118:8.

This is probably one of the most difficult spiritual principles to incorporate into our lives. With the internet a few key punches away we can build a case in our imagination in favor of or in opposition to anything. I received an email last night from a friend whose loved one is experiencing some medical issues. She was immediately tempted to consult others, surf the internet on the topic and research other options. Instead, this woman of great faith chose to go against her flesh and glance to Jesus. She chose to trust where God had led her and to walk in His ‘referral’ instead of mans. She said that a devotional that she read about believing God 'sealed the deal' in her choice to trust Him. How was she able to go against her own judgement and choose the better way? She was able to move in faith because she has walked with God many times before, and He has always been faithful. She has built her confidence in Jesus brick by brick, establishing a firm foundation on Him.

‘A trust relationship grows only by stepping out in faith and making the choice to trust. The ability to believe God develops most often through pure experience: I found Him faithful yesterday. He will not be unfaithful today.” Living Free, p. 41. When God is trusted in our challenging circumstances, He will not let us down. He is not a fickle God but an unchanging God who views our situations through the telescope of love. Everything God does for each of us is part of a long-range plan instead of our temporary comfort. We can trust Him in our finances...we can have confidence in Him for our relationships...we can have faith in His will for our health.

The level of trust that we have in God in every situation will determine the peace we have in our lives. When fear rises from the ashes instead of beauty we can know that our choice was the unhealthy one. The beautiful thing about Jesus is He will always calm our fears and heal our wounds if we will just choose to trust Him. When we place our confidence in anyone other than the Lord we must realize that we are seeking wisdom from opinions wrapped in an individual’s experience. Seeking the wisdom from man should be in support of what God says on the matter...not in place of His wisdom.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful...” 2 Sam. 22:26.
"The word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does" Psalm 33:4)

The Sweetest 'I Told You So'

“Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40.

One of the most dreaded statements that we can hear is ‘I told you so.’  There is something unspoken in those spoken words.  Hidden thoughts like ‘You should have believed me...I know more than you know ...If only you would have listened to me.’  As a Christian there have been many times in my life when my action or non-action echoed that I do not believe God for His promises.  In situations where someone wronged me I took matters in my own hands and didn’t forgive...I did not believe that God would bring justice.  I secretly and deceitfully spent money as an escape when going through a tough time with my daughter...I did not believe God would rescue and heal.  I took credit for things that God had arranged in an attempt to gain others’ approval...I did not believe God was worthy for the credit.  I can go on and on about the things I didn’t believe. 

How is it that we believe God for our salvation but fail to believe God in our challenging circumstances?  How can it be that we believe God raised a human from the dead and still doubt His intervention in redeeming our circumstances?  One of the most well-known verses in the Bible sums up this spiritual dilemma in 8 words. ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief’ Mark 9:24.  I feel like the first part of this verse is the father claiming that He believes God for who He is, but the second shows a lack of faith in whether God will do what He says in the man’s circumstances.  As Christians, we know we believe in God but ‘even the demons believe’ (James 2:19).  Believing in God speaks to our salvation and eternity.  Believing God for everything else speaks to our faith and confidence we have here on earth.  What if we crave those ‘I told you so’ moments from God and are witnesses to His glory and amazing power on earth because we believed?  How wonderful will it be for the believing woman who hears ‘I told you so’ as she witnesses her prodigal child coming home?  How glorious for the believing man who hears those words after a season of sacrifice, benefitting from the awesome blessings?  What music to the ears for those believing hearts that have begun to beat again after losing a loved one?  If we truly believe on earth as we do in Heaven the things that God promises, we will see the glory of God in our circumstances. 

In whatever tough situation you face, be encouraged and confident that we have a Father who wants ‘to tell us so.’ And IF we believe we will see some mind-blowing blessings and witness the powerful glory of God.  I don’t want to wait until Heaven to hear ‘I told you so.’  I want to experience His daily power, strength and wisdom.  I don’t want to be surprised by His intervention but expectant of His movement. 

‘...and his incomparably great power for us who believe’ Eph. 1:19.

The Ultimate Hide and Seek

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” Rev 2:10.

One of the most life-giving principles that I have learned over the years has been that God never intended on sin and death to be part of His plan. God is holy and righteous and cannot be near evil. When Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan over God darkness was ushered in. Sin and death walked hand in hand into God’s perfect plan and became constant bedfellows. In the ultimate power move, God sent forth Life to overcome sin and death once and for all. But Life had to prove His righteousness, and was tempted and tested by evil just as we are tested. Life was named Jesus and He was attacked in the desert for 40 days. Not only did He prove worthy and spotless in sin, but was willing to be faithful unto death. As a result He was given the crown of life just like you and I are offered.

Times in my life have certainly been times in prison where the qualities of my heart were tested. I have certainly had some major faith fails, but God continues to test us so we may be victorious. He doesn’t give Satan a license to attack unless there are spiritual workings moving us more into the character of Christ. We must be faithful in allowing God to use these workings of darkness to break through the Light of His goodness and Spirit. ‘God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power, love and self-discipline’ (2 Tim 1:7). Fear is not a quality of God so it should not be a quality of His children. Very rare does fear seem like a choice but it really is and we must recognize it as a quality of darkness. We can cast down any imagination that casts dark shadows in our minds and replace them with the truth of Life – Jesus. When we put on Life we take off the darkness, and become the crown of Jesus to those who need to see Him.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” Col 3:1-3.

The Good Way

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? … Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 3:14-17.

Okay, we have all been the giver of this and the recipient of this scenario. We are in public having ourselves a nice day when we bump into someone we know and ask them how they are. They proceed to break down naming the burdens for which they face for that day or even that painful season in their lives. We can feel it in our stomach…you know the feeling. We feel bombarded and even a little irritated by their ambush of emotions. Our physical body language changes and our mind races through the possibilities of a quick exit. We consider what acceptable dialogue will tie this conversation up with a quick little bow tied with fractional mercy. We might even tell them, ‘I hope things get better; I will pray for you,’ only to catch a good sale in the corner of our eye. How many times a day do we comment on someone’s facebook, ‘Praying for you’ only to keep reading the news feed and combing through the lives of others? WHAT GOOD IS IT?

When we are the recipient of this treatment we feel betrayed by our audience when they part with an empty ‘Go, hope you have a good day and things get better.’ Our burdens and emotions have just taken another hit on a day that had no more space for pain. We ask ourselves, WHAT GOOD WAS IT to open our suffering to our sister or brother in Christ? 

Mercy and action do not have to cost anything! It is free from the One who already paid the price. Mercy has many ways to manifest itself if we allow ourselves to mentally and emotionally hear our sufferer through the ears of God. Sometimes our action may require our willingness to pray at that moment…with that person…in that public place. Some of the most precious and uplifting times have been when I have heard my name lifted to God from the mouth of someone else right at the time of discouragement. 

We must take one step further than whatever our mind defaults to when dealing with the pain of others. Instead of our brother or sister shaking their heads as they walk away from us saying, ‘What good was that?’ let’s give them the opportunity to say as they depart ‘Now that was good!’

Faith without action is like a car without gas. It goes nowhere and stays stranded on the side of the road missing most of the journey. When Godly action is taken, mercy has conceived, God’s comfort is activated and faith expands…NOW THAT IS GOOD!

Comfort's Blessing

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

The wonderful thing about this beatitude is that the blessing comes before we must face the loss. God places us on the road of preparation before we ever experience the individual grief. Grief comes in many forms as we live our lives. Obviously, the most severe form of grief is the death of a loved one. 

Personally speaking, this beatitude has been put to the test and has proven it's worth in gold! The comfort that God has brought me in the loss of my loved ones has been unparalleled and ‘beyond understanding.’ Don’t get me wrong – I have felt the sting of salty tears in my eyes, more tears than I would ever wish to shed. But the comfort that has been mine has held back the flood of uncontrolled emotions much like the waters being held back for the crossing of the Jordan. God laid on my heart the truth that He called my loved ones home and they found eternal lift free from all pain and suffering. God’s nature is always love which is His motivation for everything. Grief places our focus on our pain - not on our loved one’s gain. We approach our loved one’s death as me-first, then them instead of them-first, then us. It is our humanity crying out. 

Psalm 139:16 states my highest form of comfort. ‘You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.’ “The concept is that God has a departure date for us. He knows the exact time we will enter eternity. God does not see time the way we see time. God measures one’s success not in terms of longevity but rather as fulfillment of one’s God-given purpose in life.” Zig Ziglar

“Success is finishing what God gave you to do. From the world’s viewpoint, these things are great tragedies. But from the divine perspective, this was an incredible triumph, for each of our losses has represented them having finished well the appointed tasks they had been given to do by the Lord before their births.” Rev Harold Cook

My grandmother told of an afternoon when she had visited my grandfather’s grave 4 weeks after his death. She stated that for one moment in time she felt that God allowed her to feel the full extent of her grief at his gravesite. She couldn’t believe the amount of comfort that God had lavished upon her days since Granddaddy’s death. It was at that moment that she realized the full extent of this beatitude. She laid her mourning on the lap of Jesus and came in for the blessing. The other blessing I have realized in my mourning is the fact that my deep grief is a result from being blessed with a deep love. If I grieve it is only because I have loved!

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.