“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13.
At this point God gave Elijah a set of commands for him to carry out. This story holds such a dear place in my heart for God is in the whispers of life – He sustains and guides us during our trials and seasons of testing but is often most visible to us during the calm after the storm to rejuvenate and restore us. When something catastrophic occurs we are tempted to petition God as to why He sent the tragedy. In the story of Elijah we are told three times that the Lord was not in the chaos but was in the whisper after. If Elijah had not been obedient to the Lord but instead stayed in the cave out of fear he would have missed the “passing by of the Lord.” To receive the whisper he had to experience the wind, the earthquake and the fire all the while keeping his eyes focused on finding the Lord. In our pursuit of finding God in our trials, we must stay focused on hearing the whisper of the Lord and not on the circumstances of our earthquakes. We may not know what today will bring but we will always know Who each day will bring!
How can you position yourself "on the mountain" to ensure you will not miss the "passing by of the LORD"?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
True Peace
"My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" John 14:27.
Peace - an interesting word. The word peace in Hebrew, shalom, means the completion, fulfillmemt, unity and harmony that come as a result of God's presence. The word peace in Greek, eirene, means to bind together creating the harmony, security and joy that come from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Both interpretations have one thing in common - permanence as a result from God's presence.
When we decide to navigate our lives with the peace of God instead of the counterfeit peace of the world we live a life apart from chaos and changing circumstances. We have a permanent peace grounded in the Who and not the what! Once we defeat the temptation of placing our trust in what we see, true peace in all circumstances will be experienced.
Peace - an interesting word. The word peace in Hebrew, shalom, means the completion, fulfillmemt, unity and harmony that come as a result of God's presence. The word peace in Greek, eirene, means to bind together creating the harmony, security and joy that come from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Both interpretations have one thing in common - permanence as a result from God's presence.
When we decide to navigate our lives with the peace of God instead of the counterfeit peace of the world we live a life apart from chaos and changing circumstances. We have a permanent peace grounded in the Who and not the what! Once we defeat the temptation of placing our trust in what we see, true peace in all circumstances will be experienced.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Man's Approval
When David fled from Saul for fear of his life, Achish, King of Gath agreed to assign David and his servants a place in the country town called Ziklag. When Achish and the Philistines were getting ready to fight against Israel, David wanted to join them. “So Achish called David and said to him, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you. Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers” 1 Samuel 29:6-7.
David was still allowed to live in his assigned place but was not given the same rights as a citizen. He was a stranger in his assigned town and was subject to the approval of man.
How many times do we feel like a stranger or alien in our assigned seasons? We are living through a season where we can't seem to find our peace, value or satisfaction. We are simply existing without real purpose and our future seems based on the outcome of something or the approval of someone else.
By seeking the approval of God instead of man we are able to gain the satisfaction and approval of God with any season in which we are living. Man comes with his own agenda and rarely matches what God has for us.
Father, help me keep my eyes on your agenda, your favor and your assignment. Don't allow the opinions of others to dissuade me from accomplishing the goals you have for me in this assignment for the Kingdom. Amen.
David was still allowed to live in his assigned place but was not given the same rights as a citizen. He was a stranger in his assigned town and was subject to the approval of man.
How many times do we feel like a stranger or alien in our assigned seasons? We are living through a season where we can't seem to find our peace, value or satisfaction. We are simply existing without real purpose and our future seems based on the outcome of something or the approval of someone else.
By seeking the approval of God instead of man we are able to gain the satisfaction and approval of God with any season in which we are living. Man comes with his own agenda and rarely matches what God has for us.
Father, help me keep my eyes on your agenda, your favor and your assignment. Don't allow the opinions of others to dissuade me from accomplishing the goals you have for me in this assignment for the Kingdom. Amen.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Shattered Dreams
I don't have but a minute because I am taking my dear sister Beth to chemo. It was a rough day yesterday and hopefully better today. I read something this morning I would like to leave as my post. It is a quote from Ken Gire, The North Face of God.
"When suffering shatters the carefully kept vase that is our lives, God stoops to pick up the pieces. But he doesn't put them back together as a restoration project patterned after our former selves. Instead, he sifts through the rubble and selects some of the shards as raw material for another project - a mosaic that tells the story of redemption."
This supports my belief that everything that comes to us passes through God's filter and He will not allow anything that doesn't support His purpose for us. He selects what pieces of our lives need to be removed, reworked and restored. If we allow Him, he will create a new "vase" in us - one of beauty, purpose and one that displays the reflection of Christ in our lives.
"When suffering shatters the carefully kept vase that is our lives, God stoops to pick up the pieces. But he doesn't put them back together as a restoration project patterned after our former selves. Instead, he sifts through the rubble and selects some of the shards as raw material for another project - a mosaic that tells the story of redemption."
This supports my belief that everything that comes to us passes through God's filter and He will not allow anything that doesn't support His purpose for us. He selects what pieces of our lives need to be removed, reworked and restored. If we allow Him, he will create a new "vase" in us - one of beauty, purpose and one that displays the reflection of Christ in our lives.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Recognizing God's Voice
"When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice" John 10:4. (italicized mine)
As a mother of three and grandmother of two, this verse holds such an endearing place in my heart. A parent's voice is recognized by the loving and continual communication of love between parent and child. This is exemplified in a baby when its mother enters the room and begins speaking. From early on in the life of a baby they learn to recognize, depend and respond to its parents' voices. How many times have we held someone else's child only to have them strain to find their mother as she speaks? There is a comfortable and secure awareness on the part of the child that now all is alright since they have heard the soothing and loving voice of the one they recognize as mother or daddy.
Our Father desires for us to have this instant recognition of His voice. It is only through our efforts and pursuit of "knowing His voice" that we may recognize and enjoy the security and awareness that our loving Father desires to protect, nurture and guide us through our lives. Knowing His voice involves reading and meditating on His word, continual communion with Him during the day, both believing and anticipating that He is going to speak to us.
What steps can you take to position yourself daily to "recognize His voice"?
As a mother of three and grandmother of two, this verse holds such an endearing place in my heart. A parent's voice is recognized by the loving and continual communication of love between parent and child. This is exemplified in a baby when its mother enters the room and begins speaking. From early on in the life of a baby they learn to recognize, depend and respond to its parents' voices. How many times have we held someone else's child only to have them strain to find their mother as she speaks? There is a comfortable and secure awareness on the part of the child that now all is alright since they have heard the soothing and loving voice of the one they recognize as mother or daddy.
Our Father desires for us to have this instant recognition of His voice. It is only through our efforts and pursuit of "knowing His voice" that we may recognize and enjoy the security and awareness that our loving Father desires to protect, nurture and guide us through our lives. Knowing His voice involves reading and meditating on His word, continual communion with Him during the day, both believing and anticipating that He is going to speak to us.
What steps can you take to position yourself daily to "recognize His voice"?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Unsearchable Things
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" Jeremiah 33:3.
"Calling on God" to me is an intentional and continous pursuit of God and what His purpose is for our lives. It is not a "call on demand" type of relationship but more of an "always on the line" type of relationship. The answers from God will come once we have decided to commune with Him all during the day much like we do with ourselves. We talk to ourselves consciously and subconsciously throughout the day in an effort to resolve mindful things. How many times have I called upon myself only to be disappointed in the results I have ended up with due to the fact that I didn't have all of the information? The beauty of God is that His answers are grounded in the fact that He knows what the big puzzle should look like in the end. We make decisions based on a corner of the puzzle and we do not see how it fits with the remainder.
God knows all of these great and unsearchable things that will complete the puzzle if we are simply patient with the Gamemaster. When we call on Him prepare to wait for His answer for it is unique to us and He has all of the information needed to complete that beautiful and purposeful puzzle in our lives.
"Calling on God" to me is an intentional and continous pursuit of God and what His purpose is for our lives. It is not a "call on demand" type of relationship but more of an "always on the line" type of relationship. The answers from God will come once we have decided to commune with Him all during the day much like we do with ourselves. We talk to ourselves consciously and subconsciously throughout the day in an effort to resolve mindful things. How many times have I called upon myself only to be disappointed in the results I have ended up with due to the fact that I didn't have all of the information? The beauty of God is that His answers are grounded in the fact that He knows what the big puzzle should look like in the end. We make decisions based on a corner of the puzzle and we do not see how it fits with the remainder.
God knows all of these great and unsearchable things that will complete the puzzle if we are simply patient with the Gamemaster. When we call on Him prepare to wait for His answer for it is unique to us and He has all of the information needed to complete that beautiful and purposeful puzzle in our lives.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Spiritual Recipe
"Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" Phil. 2:6-8.
Jesus, God the Son, set aside all rights He had and came down to "take on" sin and was victorious. Sin was defeated through the cross by His humility and the obedience to do the will of God the Father. The success of walking like Christ is partially found in this "spiritual recipe".
- Set aside what we see as our rights ("...to deny a man his rights before the Most High" Lamentations 3:35) such as our right to be angry, bitter or entitled to something.
- Take on the nature of a servant ("But I am among you as one who serves" Luke 22:27b) and think of something you can do for others.
- Humble ourselves to God ("Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves" - Phil 2:3) such as get face down in prayer.
- Become obedient to death ("Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" Luke 9:23-24) such as letting go of our old ways which have proven unsuccessful.
We can never be perfect on this earth but we can live "blamelessly" (living a life focused on sinlessness). We must intentionally take on the attitudes Christ did while on earth such as those listed above to set us up to be as blameless in our walk as we can.
Jesus, God the Son, set aside all rights He had and came down to "take on" sin and was victorious. Sin was defeated through the cross by His humility and the obedience to do the will of God the Father. The success of walking like Christ is partially found in this "spiritual recipe".
- Set aside what we see as our rights ("...to deny a man his rights before the Most High" Lamentations 3:35) such as our right to be angry, bitter or entitled to something.
- Take on the nature of a servant ("But I am among you as one who serves" Luke 22:27b) and think of something you can do for others.
- Humble ourselves to God ("Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves" - Phil 2:3) such as get face down in prayer.
- Become obedient to death ("Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" Luke 9:23-24) such as letting go of our old ways which have proven unsuccessful.
We can never be perfect on this earth but we can live "blamelessly" (living a life focused on sinlessness). We must intentionally take on the attitudes Christ did while on earth such as those listed above to set us up to be as blameless in our walk as we can.
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