“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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
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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