‘“I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 (NIV)
How was Mary so accepting of her assignment from the Lord? There is no doubt that it was a glorious assignment. To carry the promised Savior and raise Him as His mother was awe-inspiring; however, it came with tremendous personal cost. Jewish law demanded that women who became pregnant out of wedlock were to be stoned to death. Even though Joseph came to her rescue and did not end their relationship, there were surely whispers and innuendos for the rest of her life.
Mary was able to be a willing servant because she knew Truth and was well acquainted with the greatness of the God. Her praise of Him in Luke 1:46-55 displays the in-depth of her knowledge of Him. She praises Him as Savior, for His mindfulness of His children, as the Mighty One, for His mercy, for His power, as the mighty but compassionate King, as Provider and as the compassionate Lord of Israel. The One who gave the assignment was no stranger to Mary. Her heart of praise reveals her deep love and respect for Him.
God has an assignment for each of us, too. He created us with a purpose in mind and with good works for His children to perform. How do we respond to His assignments for us, especially if they involve personal cost? If we have invested our lives in knowing our Savior, it will be much easier to be joyful servants. We’ll remember that He is worthy and that serving Him is its own priceless reward.
There have been times that we have all ignored His voice. Sometimes it was because of busyness. Sometimes we questioned whether it was His voice or our own. Other times it was just outright disobedience. However, I don’t want to miss any more opportunities to say “yes” to His assignment, so I’m fixing my eyes on Jesus. I want to know Jesus so well that I hear His voice and follow Him into any assignment that He gives me. I want to become a maidservant to the Lord, just like Mary. Let's make that our goal in the upcoming year.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Cracked Vases
I remember seeing this vase at someone's house
it was strong, and clean
it held flowers and some branches
and was very beautiful
They told me
"It was broken a long time ago,
but we glued it back together and look at it now."
So finally I know that
I, too, am strong and clean, and very beautiful
that I can hold my life,
that the branches in my water
can take root and grow.
The hammer broke me, once,
but now I am stronger at the broken places. ~ a survivor
I found this anonymous poem on a website while doing some topical research for a friend. One area I am very passionate about (due to my own life experiences thus far, and having testament to how God has brought me through it all) is teaching women how to live fulfilling lives, knowing and believing that they are of worth, no matter what may come at them in life, because they are daughters of the King. I loved the sentiment of strength, perseverance and hope that this poem offered.
As Christian women, we can struggle with our “Mary and Martha” roles in life, trying to juggle those and find our niche. We struggle with taking Proverbs 31 and trying to be the greatest of achievers. We struggle with how God made us; sensitive, nurturing, longing to be taken care of and provided for, multi-taskers to the n’th degree!
We carry around a lot of pain sometimes….at times, we don’t even realize we are carrying it. We tend to cling to our illusion of control. We tend to keep our focus on others, and forgetting to start each day with a long gaze into the mirror.
Yes, it is part of our commission and lot to sow into the lives of others. And, to a woman, “others” seems to have no end….it’s husbands, children, siblings, co-workers, extended family, the kid from down the street who wants to stay the night, the friend who takes, takes, takes. We are giving so much of ourselves EVERY SINGLE DAY. But, what are we giving?
What are you harboring, and pouring out to others? Anger and bitterness over past hurts. Depression. A mutilated self-esteem. Apathy. Insecurity. That ever-infecting “control freak” factor.
Yes, we have the love of God in us, and we hope that we are pouring that out. But, if you were truly honest with yourself right now…what are you pouring out?
I venture to say, there are lots of cracked vases walking around out there, waiting to be glued back together, to feel the strength and stability of that glue. We look at ourselves and see the broken pieces lying all around, visuals of what the hammer has done to our lives. Internally, we are screaming, crying, longing for the healing and restoration of that glue to put us back together, to make that vision, of what we know we can become, a reality!
We can start to feel hopeless, weary and defeated. In Luke 10:38-42, there is the account of the infamous “Mary and Martha” role definitions. Martha is working away, and asks the Lord “shouldn’t my sister be helping me?”. All the while, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening.
Sisters, take time to pause for that gaze into the mirror this week. If you find that what you are full with and are pouring out is not fruitful, stop all the Martha’ing, and put yourself at the feet of Jesus. God is not the God of exhaustion, weakness, discouragement and despair. He is the God of perseverance, strength, encouragement and hope! He longs to meet you right where you are at in life, take you on the journey of restoration and healing , joy and hope. Do not take this sentence lightly: NO MATTER WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE, nothing is to big to be conquered in Christ.
Whether you are a new Christian who is struggling with letting go of an old lifestyle, or a mature Christian who is tired…there is always a time to stop at the feet of Jesus and beg for restoration. If now is your time, don’t hesitate to heed his promptings.
If you are doing okay, ask God to show you to whom, and how, to be an encouragement to someone down this week. You may never know how your smallest acts will brighten and encourage even a complete stranger, or a dear friend. Walk with Him daily, giving Him your thoughts, your words and your actions, imploring to Him that it be His light that you illuminate.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Burnt Meat
How many of us love our Mother’s cooking?! You can think of that special dessert she makes, that entrée that is to die for, the cookie that you crave…Most of us have those memories, and when we think back, our mouths water!
As I sat eating my lunch today, I just began to think about my love for cooking and how my Mom and Grandma both instilled this in me, and gave me much direction. I so appreciate that, but there was an even greater insight into this walk down memory lane. As I sat chewing on a piece of egg roll I had burnt in the cooking process, I began to realize what I’ve been learning as I’ve grown older and more observant.
As soon as the word “Amen” was said at the end of our meal time prayer, it was a free for all for the food. Everyone wanted the biggest piece of chicken, the first mound of mashed potatoes or the hottest rolls. Mom never participated in this dive for the “best” of the serving platter. She always waited, many times served and her plate was continually filled last. Not only was she the last to get her food, but she always had the burnt pieces, the fatty pieces, the smallest pieces. And, never once complained. I didn’t realize it then, but she just took away the undesirable burnt char or cut away the fatty hunk, and enjoyed it as the same as what the rest of us were eating. What we saw as the less desirable, Mom realized was all the same…it just needed a bit of TLC.
That’s exactly how God works!!! Not only does He provide for His children; that’s an awesome truth we can take comfort in. BUT, He never sees any of us as undesirable and too burnt to pay attention to. He can take the most charred heart there is, peel away the layers of ugliness and despair, and make something nourishing and tasteful. He not only can, He longs to!!
If you’re in a place where you don’t fully embrace and believe this, pray for a heart that will and does. If you already walk in this truth about how God has restored you, pray for a heart and vision that sees the charred hearts walking around in this world, that you can have the same love and desire to help them peel away the things that are covering up what God intended for them to be! It’s easy to love the “loveable”. It is my plea this week, dear sisters, that we beg God for hearts that truly love the “unloveable”…the ones that the world discards to the side, has no use for…over and over again, God has proven that these discards are the ones whom He can use most mightily!! May we all be willing to be vessels to share this Light with others!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 2:10
Colossians 1:16
As I sat eating my lunch today, I just began to think about my love for cooking and how my Mom and Grandma both instilled this in me, and gave me much direction. I so appreciate that, but there was an even greater insight into this walk down memory lane. As I sat chewing on a piece of egg roll I had burnt in the cooking process, I began to realize what I’ve been learning as I’ve grown older and more observant.
As soon as the word “Amen” was said at the end of our meal time prayer, it was a free for all for the food. Everyone wanted the biggest piece of chicken, the first mound of mashed potatoes or the hottest rolls. Mom never participated in this dive for the “best” of the serving platter. She always waited, many times served and her plate was continually filled last. Not only was she the last to get her food, but she always had the burnt pieces, the fatty pieces, the smallest pieces. And, never once complained. I didn’t realize it then, but she just took away the undesirable burnt char or cut away the fatty hunk, and enjoyed it as the same as what the rest of us were eating. What we saw as the less desirable, Mom realized was all the same…it just needed a bit of TLC.
That’s exactly how God works!!! Not only does He provide for His children; that’s an awesome truth we can take comfort in. BUT, He never sees any of us as undesirable and too burnt to pay attention to. He can take the most charred heart there is, peel away the layers of ugliness and despair, and make something nourishing and tasteful. He not only can, He longs to!!
If you’re in a place where you don’t fully embrace and believe this, pray for a heart that will and does. If you already walk in this truth about how God has restored you, pray for a heart and vision that sees the charred hearts walking around in this world, that you can have the same love and desire to help them peel away the things that are covering up what God intended for them to be! It’s easy to love the “loveable”. It is my plea this week, dear sisters, that we beg God for hearts that truly love the “unloveable”…the ones that the world discards to the side, has no use for…over and over again, God has proven that these discards are the ones whom He can use most mightily!! May we all be willing to be vessels to share this Light with others!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 2:10
Colossians 1:16
Friday, November 2, 2007
Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart
"The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief." -T.S. Eliot
James 1:22-25
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Dear sisters…this is a challenge to us! We all know a lot of scriptures, we know what we are to be doing, yet…we sit in fear, in comfort zones, in time constraints. Those things are not of God! They are conquerable through God! He is the provider of strength and boldness to overcome fear. He is the provider of courage to step out of your comfort zone. He is the captain who has set out the course for your life, allowing the exact amount of time for each situation you encounter and endure. Our imperfection is what gets in the way.
We aren’t just striving for more treasures in heaven, nor for the blessings promised at the end of verse 25; No, we are striving for far beyond that!! We are striving to serve and GLORIFY the God who has saved us from sin, from ourselves, from darkness.
Make it a personal challenge to yourselves throughout this weekend and next week to memorize an instruction in scripture, and to pray over it, how you can more fully carry out that instruction in life to glorify God and to reach the lost around you! He has promised that if we ask, it will be given to us. If we seek, we shall find. If we knock, that door will be opened. Dare to take Him at His Word, dare to ask for His guidance to be given to you, and to be used in and through you into the lives of others throughout this next week. You will be amazed at what WILL happen with a willing heart and feet that actually walk forward!! And, if that scares you to death…pray for a heart that will not rest until it has this very desire!!
James 1:22-25
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Dear sisters…this is a challenge to us! We all know a lot of scriptures, we know what we are to be doing, yet…we sit in fear, in comfort zones, in time constraints. Those things are not of God! They are conquerable through God! He is the provider of strength and boldness to overcome fear. He is the provider of courage to step out of your comfort zone. He is the captain who has set out the course for your life, allowing the exact amount of time for each situation you encounter and endure. Our imperfection is what gets in the way.
We aren’t just striving for more treasures in heaven, nor for the blessings promised at the end of verse 25; No, we are striving for far beyond that!! We are striving to serve and GLORIFY the God who has saved us from sin, from ourselves, from darkness.
Make it a personal challenge to yourselves throughout this weekend and next week to memorize an instruction in scripture, and to pray over it, how you can more fully carry out that instruction in life to glorify God and to reach the lost around you! He has promised that if we ask, it will be given to us. If we seek, we shall find. If we knock, that door will be opened. Dare to take Him at His Word, dare to ask for His guidance to be given to you, and to be used in and through you into the lives of others throughout this next week. You will be amazed at what WILL happen with a willing heart and feet that actually walk forward!! And, if that scares you to death…pray for a heart that will not rest until it has this very desire!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Implore!
First things first, please forgive me for not getting a weekly encouragement out to you all last week!! I apologize immensely for that.
Now, hold on…b/c God is huge and mighty, and faithful!!
Several times throughout the last couple of weeks, faithfulness and persistence has become a common theme being put right in front of me and piercing my heart. It seems that either I’m getting emails, having conversations or witnessing situations where these are so prevalent. So, I get it! It’s time to discuss this.
I want to share two passages with you….the first, a good friend shared with me, and it fits perfectly!
Luke 18: 1-8
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' “6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Next…
Job 12: 10-16
10 In his Hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
13 "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.
14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16 To Him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are His.
There is SO MUCH in both of these passages, but, I am going to focus on a few key points. First of all, the first passage from Luke, with the parable of the persistent widow, is pretty obvious! But, as obvious as it seems, we so rarely apply this to our lives. Think about the prayer requests you submit to others; how regularly were you lifting those up prior to sharing with your brothers and sisters, and how regularly have you been lifting them up since? How many things in your personal life do you want to change? How many people do you love and care for, and you want to see come to Christ? How many people do you know are sick and hurting? How often are you bringing all of these burdens of your heart before the throne? Depending on which version of the Bible your reading, one common word that comes up is “implore”. I love this word! The literal definition is: “to beg urgently, as for aid or mercy.” Prayer is revrent, yes. But, revrent does not mean quiet and subdued at all times. These are the burdens of our hearts, why we are crying out to Abba, what we desperately desire to see change and be moved within our lives and the lives around us. Not only should we remain persistent, but we should be imploring; begging urgently for His aid and His mercy!
What if you submitted a very “near and dear”, very serious, prayer request one week…it ran in the bulletin for one Sunday. Then, it was taken off…but, your need was still there. But what if you were told “Sorry, we only do this once for each need.” You’d be hurt, I’d imagine. But, where is your accountability with yourself? Do you just have that one intense time of prayer about something, then spend the rest of the time worrying and fretting. Worrying is not the way to go, nor is it what we are to be doing. We are to be taking our burdens, our lives, our hearts, our purpose, before the throne, consistently and earnestly. You have the priviledge, as a child of the Most High and Powerful God, to be able to come to Him with whatever is on your heart. So, why am I emailing or calling my friends to vent 25 times a week, but only praying along with the assembly prayer on a Sunday morning. Relationship! That’s where it’s at. He is your Abba Father. Bring your cares before Him, and remain steadfast. “He will see that you get justice, and quickly.” With all going on right now in our lives, we need to remain persistent in bringing everything before God. Answers come in His time, not ours.
A quick jaunt to the Job passage…There is so much here!!!! I cannot possibly cover it all in one devotional, but please note verses 10 and 16. He has every living creature and the breath of all mankind in His hand. EVERY and ALL! No one is left out! He has our breath in His hand. When our breath stops, our lives stop. For everyone, believers and non-believers. Again, are you remaining persistent in your life, to give glory with every breath that you take?!
Verse 16: Both deceived and deceiver are His. What an awesome promise! Comfort and justice, all in one sentence! The deceived, the ones who are hurt, are His! The deceiver, the ones who are doing the hurting, are His. Not our’s! Take comfort in that sisters. So much in life, so many people, hurt us along the way. We hurt others when our flesh takes over, as well. That is in God’s hands! We will be accountable for everything. As will those who hurt us. This life is not easy, no. But, rest in the fact that you again do have the PRIVILEDGE of bringing your heart before God and begging for His power within your life and the ones around you! And that you have the promise that He hears and will answer, just remain persistent!
As I shared with a dear sister this week, I would rather stand before the Lord beaten and bruised by those who hurt me, knowing I did all I could for His glory…than to stand there shiny and polished, knowing I did nothing to further the cause and only brought others down with me.
Be persistent this week, dear sisters!
Now, hold on…b/c God is huge and mighty, and faithful!!
Several times throughout the last couple of weeks, faithfulness and persistence has become a common theme being put right in front of me and piercing my heart. It seems that either I’m getting emails, having conversations or witnessing situations where these are so prevalent. So, I get it! It’s time to discuss this.
I want to share two passages with you….the first, a good friend shared with me, and it fits perfectly!
Luke 18: 1-8
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' “6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
Next…
Job 12: 10-16
10 In his Hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
13 "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.
14 What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15 If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16 To Him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are His.
There is SO MUCH in both of these passages, but, I am going to focus on a few key points. First of all, the first passage from Luke, with the parable of the persistent widow, is pretty obvious! But, as obvious as it seems, we so rarely apply this to our lives. Think about the prayer requests you submit to others; how regularly were you lifting those up prior to sharing with your brothers and sisters, and how regularly have you been lifting them up since? How many things in your personal life do you want to change? How many people do you love and care for, and you want to see come to Christ? How many people do you know are sick and hurting? How often are you bringing all of these burdens of your heart before the throne? Depending on which version of the Bible your reading, one common word that comes up is “implore”. I love this word! The literal definition is: “to beg urgently, as for aid or mercy.” Prayer is revrent, yes. But, revrent does not mean quiet and subdued at all times. These are the burdens of our hearts, why we are crying out to Abba, what we desperately desire to see change and be moved within our lives and the lives around us. Not only should we remain persistent, but we should be imploring; begging urgently for His aid and His mercy!
What if you submitted a very “near and dear”, very serious, prayer request one week…it ran in the bulletin for one Sunday. Then, it was taken off…but, your need was still there. But what if you were told “Sorry, we only do this once for each need.” You’d be hurt, I’d imagine. But, where is your accountability with yourself? Do you just have that one intense time of prayer about something, then spend the rest of the time worrying and fretting. Worrying is not the way to go, nor is it what we are to be doing. We are to be taking our burdens, our lives, our hearts, our purpose, before the throne, consistently and earnestly. You have the priviledge, as a child of the Most High and Powerful God, to be able to come to Him with whatever is on your heart. So, why am I emailing or calling my friends to vent 25 times a week, but only praying along with the assembly prayer on a Sunday morning. Relationship! That’s where it’s at. He is your Abba Father. Bring your cares before Him, and remain steadfast. “He will see that you get justice, and quickly.” With all going on right now in our lives, we need to remain persistent in bringing everything before God. Answers come in His time, not ours.
A quick jaunt to the Job passage…There is so much here!!!! I cannot possibly cover it all in one devotional, but please note verses 10 and 16. He has every living creature and the breath of all mankind in His hand. EVERY and ALL! No one is left out! He has our breath in His hand. When our breath stops, our lives stop. For everyone, believers and non-believers. Again, are you remaining persistent in your life, to give glory with every breath that you take?!
Verse 16: Both deceived and deceiver are His. What an awesome promise! Comfort and justice, all in one sentence! The deceived, the ones who are hurt, are His! The deceiver, the ones who are doing the hurting, are His. Not our’s! Take comfort in that sisters. So much in life, so many people, hurt us along the way. We hurt others when our flesh takes over, as well. That is in God’s hands! We will be accountable for everything. As will those who hurt us. This life is not easy, no. But, rest in the fact that you again do have the PRIVILEDGE of bringing your heart before God and begging for His power within your life and the ones around you! And that you have the promise that He hears and will answer, just remain persistent!
As I shared with a dear sister this week, I would rather stand before the Lord beaten and bruised by those who hurt me, knowing I did all I could for His glory…than to stand there shiny and polished, knowing I did nothing to further the cause and only brought others down with me.
Be persistent this week, dear sisters!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Unexpected Lessons!
I think everyone was well aware when they walked outside this morning…it’s that time of year again, when you can wear long underwear in the morning, flip flops and shorts in the afternoon and a light sweater in the evening. Because I don’t prepare myself and watch the daily weather report…I walked outside, not dressed for the cool temps at all!
I then decided to run back in real quick and grab my coat, BUT…I forgot, I sold it in a yard sale over the summer! What a morning.
If you knew this coat I had had, you would not only understand why I sold it…but, you most definitely would inquire as to why I had not gotten rid of it sooner. I kept it and wore it faithfully for over 8 years. This may not sound like too much of a feat…but we are talking late teens, college years, and early adulthood years. THAT is wear and tear on an article of clothing that is worn on almost every day that it is cool. It went everywhere with me…to class, to dinner, to the grocery store, on camping trips, on walks, on road trips…I was Linus and it was my blanket. It was the only coat I had, and it served it’s purpose well.
As I was sorting stuff for my yard sale this past summer, I finally gave in. The coat had numerous holes, missing buttons, very thin fabric in spots, deformed in shape never to return to the original tailored look. I thought I’d be lucky to even sell it…I’d probably have to give it away. Wouldn’t you know…I actually got rid of it! And, not to just anyone. No! A couple and their teenage child was going through some stuff…and this kid fell in love with this coat. It was the exact style they had wanted, but was never able to get. Despite the holes, the wear and tear…it was perfection to this kid. I was shocked, but glad it could make someone else happy! But, I never dreamed it would have been that item that would make someone’s day.
As I recalled all of this this morning, while missing having a coat to grab…the spiritual correlation hit me. That coat was a permanent fixture on me, the only one I had to wear for every function, trip or activity I had had for several years; “ol’ reliable”. I didn’t take the time to patch every hole, sew back on every button, press every crease. I knew overall, it would do the job. I would stay warm, despite a missing button! But, then, as I pulled it out of the box this summer…I was shocked at just how far I had let it go. And, even more shocked as to how I never saw all of that before!
That’s how it is with us in our spiritual walks sometimes. As we mature in our faith, we know the steps to take, we know the right actions, we’ve got all the motions down. Our relationship with God makes us who we are, going everywhere that we go. At times, we have a proverbial button fall off…we get a tear in our spiritual seams…some of them we notice right away, and mend immediately. Some are beyond our sewing skills and require an experienced tailor to help us out. And some, we never even see the threads rip…until one day we look down and realize, we have a gaping hole letting in the harsh elements.
We have to take care of our relationship, or it will become tattered. We have to spend time with God, learning how to patch holes correctly, learning how to sew buttons back on, learning how to wash away the stains, learning how to keep it fresh, new and something others long for! And, when we have the opportunity, we need to be available and prepared to give it to someone who has been longing for it, but never had that opportunity!
How is your personal walk with the Lord right now? How are you keeping yourself protected, refreshed, mended and enduring? How many opportunities to share the light and love of Jesus are you missing out on, because your clung to the comfort of an old coat, not wanting to experience anything more?
The fun part is, I now have an excuse to shop in the next few weeks! The exciting part is…maybe I can pray over this next coat, that it will be a spiritual lesson to someone else along the way, or at least, let me be a light while I’m wearing it!
The opportunities are endless, God is not confined to any boxes, there is no circumstance to small to see the significance of the Kingdom Goal in. Look at yourselves this week, and seek the opportunities that surround you!
I then decided to run back in real quick and grab my coat, BUT…I forgot, I sold it in a yard sale over the summer! What a morning.
If you knew this coat I had had, you would not only understand why I sold it…but, you most definitely would inquire as to why I had not gotten rid of it sooner. I kept it and wore it faithfully for over 8 years. This may not sound like too much of a feat…but we are talking late teens, college years, and early adulthood years. THAT is wear and tear on an article of clothing that is worn on almost every day that it is cool. It went everywhere with me…to class, to dinner, to the grocery store, on camping trips, on walks, on road trips…I was Linus and it was my blanket. It was the only coat I had, and it served it’s purpose well.
As I was sorting stuff for my yard sale this past summer, I finally gave in. The coat had numerous holes, missing buttons, very thin fabric in spots, deformed in shape never to return to the original tailored look. I thought I’d be lucky to even sell it…I’d probably have to give it away. Wouldn’t you know…I actually got rid of it! And, not to just anyone. No! A couple and their teenage child was going through some stuff…and this kid fell in love with this coat. It was the exact style they had wanted, but was never able to get. Despite the holes, the wear and tear…it was perfection to this kid. I was shocked, but glad it could make someone else happy! But, I never dreamed it would have been that item that would make someone’s day.
As I recalled all of this this morning, while missing having a coat to grab…the spiritual correlation hit me. That coat was a permanent fixture on me, the only one I had to wear for every function, trip or activity I had had for several years; “ol’ reliable”. I didn’t take the time to patch every hole, sew back on every button, press every crease. I knew overall, it would do the job. I would stay warm, despite a missing button! But, then, as I pulled it out of the box this summer…I was shocked at just how far I had let it go. And, even more shocked as to how I never saw all of that before!
That’s how it is with us in our spiritual walks sometimes. As we mature in our faith, we know the steps to take, we know the right actions, we’ve got all the motions down. Our relationship with God makes us who we are, going everywhere that we go. At times, we have a proverbial button fall off…we get a tear in our spiritual seams…some of them we notice right away, and mend immediately. Some are beyond our sewing skills and require an experienced tailor to help us out. And some, we never even see the threads rip…until one day we look down and realize, we have a gaping hole letting in the harsh elements.
We have to take care of our relationship, or it will become tattered. We have to spend time with God, learning how to patch holes correctly, learning how to sew buttons back on, learning how to wash away the stains, learning how to keep it fresh, new and something others long for! And, when we have the opportunity, we need to be available and prepared to give it to someone who has been longing for it, but never had that opportunity!
How is your personal walk with the Lord right now? How are you keeping yourself protected, refreshed, mended and enduring? How many opportunities to share the light and love of Jesus are you missing out on, because your clung to the comfort of an old coat, not wanting to experience anything more?
The fun part is, I now have an excuse to shop in the next few weeks! The exciting part is…maybe I can pray over this next coat, that it will be a spiritual lesson to someone else along the way, or at least, let me be a light while I’m wearing it!
The opportunities are endless, God is not confined to any boxes, there is no circumstance to small to see the significance of the Kingdom Goal in. Look at yourselves this week, and seek the opportunities that surround you!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Wholeness!
“I lay it down, I lay it down, at your feet dear Lord, I lay it down. At the cross where You gave your life for me, Lord I lay my life at Your feet.”
These are some of the words to one of my favorite praise songs. It’s one of my favorites, because it is a reminder to me that I need to surrender all that I am, so that He might shine more fully through me into the lives of others.
Have you ever felt like the load you were carrying was just too much? Has it weighed you down so much, taken so much of a toll, you don’t know if you’ll be able to stand straight again. You fear the damage may be permanent. Have you ever once stopped to consider asking God to remove it? Have you considered the fact that sometimes He uses others to help us carry it? Have you considered the fact that there is a way to live without the load?
Sometimes, we know exactly what our load is, we know exactly how much it weighs and we are fully aware of the effect it is having. However, often times…we simply throw it over our shoulder, letting it rest on our backs, never knowing the actual weight, never comprehending what it is doing to us. It not only can make you sore, make you feel exhausted and worn out continually….if not relieved, it can cause damage. And, if actually heavy enough, enough damage to merit surgery.
In the figurative sense, what are you carrying around? Have you stopped to consider the effect/s it is having? Have you been bogged down for so long, you forget what it’s like to not be carrying the burdens? Have you become injured, and are in need of healing?
For spiritual and emotional healing, it not only takes an acknowledgement of your state and what you are actually holding onto…it also takes total surrender of it. It takes laying it at the feet of Jesus…FOR GOOD. How many sermons have you heard about how we keep bringing stuff to God, but then when we are done praying, we pick it right back up and continue in that same path? I know I’ve heard a million of them, and twice as many times as that have been that person. But, there is a better way!!! Praise God!!
Burdens can be many things. Guilt and shame from sin, heavy heart for someone we love, sickness, temptations, financial struggles, etc, etc, etc. But, God is bigger than all of those things. God is stronger. God is more powerful. God is the maker and provider of perfect wisdom. He knows our needs, our every thought. He wants to heal us, restore us, bring wholeness to us. If we have carried burdens so long we have injured ourselves, He wants to be that Great Physician and perform surgery upon our hearts and lives. And, what you must remember…surgery hurts!!! Recovery can be long and painful. But in the end, it’s all worth it! In the end is wholeness. Rest. Comfort. Peace. Hope. If anyone asked you if you desired these things for your life, you would say yes. So, why aren’t you saying yes to taking the path that leads to those things?
Take time to consider what you are carrying in your lives. Sometimes, you don’t have to have a huge situation going on to have been carrying “junk”. Seriously take the time to consider your state right now. Where are you at? What do you need to surrender? What is keeping you from true wholeness? …And once you realize it, pray for the strength and courage to give it up and run after wholeness!
Peace to your hearts dear sisters!
These are some of the words to one of my favorite praise songs. It’s one of my favorites, because it is a reminder to me that I need to surrender all that I am, so that He might shine more fully through me into the lives of others.
Have you ever felt like the load you were carrying was just too much? Has it weighed you down so much, taken so much of a toll, you don’t know if you’ll be able to stand straight again. You fear the damage may be permanent. Have you ever once stopped to consider asking God to remove it? Have you considered the fact that sometimes He uses others to help us carry it? Have you considered the fact that there is a way to live without the load?
Sometimes, we know exactly what our load is, we know exactly how much it weighs and we are fully aware of the effect it is having. However, often times…we simply throw it over our shoulder, letting it rest on our backs, never knowing the actual weight, never comprehending what it is doing to us. It not only can make you sore, make you feel exhausted and worn out continually….if not relieved, it can cause damage. And, if actually heavy enough, enough damage to merit surgery.
In the figurative sense, what are you carrying around? Have you stopped to consider the effect/s it is having? Have you been bogged down for so long, you forget what it’s like to not be carrying the burdens? Have you become injured, and are in need of healing?
For spiritual and emotional healing, it not only takes an acknowledgement of your state and what you are actually holding onto…it also takes total surrender of it. It takes laying it at the feet of Jesus…FOR GOOD. How many sermons have you heard about how we keep bringing stuff to God, but then when we are done praying, we pick it right back up and continue in that same path? I know I’ve heard a million of them, and twice as many times as that have been that person. But, there is a better way!!! Praise God!!
Burdens can be many things. Guilt and shame from sin, heavy heart for someone we love, sickness, temptations, financial struggles, etc, etc, etc. But, God is bigger than all of those things. God is stronger. God is more powerful. God is the maker and provider of perfect wisdom. He knows our needs, our every thought. He wants to heal us, restore us, bring wholeness to us. If we have carried burdens so long we have injured ourselves, He wants to be that Great Physician and perform surgery upon our hearts and lives. And, what you must remember…surgery hurts!!! Recovery can be long and painful. But in the end, it’s all worth it! In the end is wholeness. Rest. Comfort. Peace. Hope. If anyone asked you if you desired these things for your life, you would say yes. So, why aren’t you saying yes to taking the path that leads to those things?
Take time to consider what you are carrying in your lives. Sometimes, you don’t have to have a huge situation going on to have been carrying “junk”. Seriously take the time to consider your state right now. Where are you at? What do you need to surrender? What is keeping you from true wholeness? …And once you realize it, pray for the strength and courage to give it up and run after wholeness!
Peace to your hearts dear sisters!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Go!
I’ve recently watched the movie “Freedom Writers”. Excellent bit of cinema! Highly recommend you check it out in the near future. It’s based on a true story about an optimistic, naïve, inexperienced teacher who takes on her first teaching assignment that includes kids who see more devastation in a few weeks than perhaps she has in her entire life. Very much a classic story, but very relevant.
Several obvious things struck me throughout this movie. For one thing, I was blown away by the bravery of the students in their everyday lives. Each of them have such devastating accounts of things they have seen and done. Pain, physical and emotional, inflicted by fellow and opposing gang members, pain inflicted by their own mothers and fathers, by random acts not intended for them. Mind-blowing. Not only were these students having to tap into a necessary element of bravery and strength, but of courage and loss of innocence, loss of hope and faith in an ideal of something better.
This was not intended to be a “spiritual” film. But, I would be remiss to not have gotten the correlations. It is amazing to me the boundaries that the love of God can cross, the depths He can reach, the magnitude of hurt that He can heal. It is amazing to me how I can testify to how hopeless I felt prior to knowing and accepting Him, and the transformation having Him in my life has been. It is amazing to me how my heart cries out in joy over the salvation I have received, and how my mouth is so silent in sharing this road of salvation to another.
We do a lot of things “right”. We do a lot of things wrong. God always speaks to us, and He always speaks the “right”. On average, how many times am I actively listening and proceeding in the direction given? We aren’t all called to go and reach the inner cities, the third world countries, the cults, the “I’m a good person” population. This is true. God plants us specifically.
Have you felt an urge to send a card to someone a bit down? Have you felt the urge to buy a few bags of groceries for a struggling co-worker and their family? Have you felt the urge to ask a cashier in return “I’m well. How are you?” Have you felt the urge keep acting in kindness to the one who keeps ridiculing you? Have you felt the urge to share the gospel? Have you ever audibly proclaimed how God has transformed you? Have you taken the time to stop trying to have it all together, and just focus on the One who puts it all together?
There is a world of hurt, devastation, hopelessness, untruths, addictions and chains out there. We possess the truth that sets all mankind free from those things. We would want this for our friends and family. Why not for our fellow man? …You say “But I do want it for my fellow man!!!” OK. What about your life proves that?
That question has challenged me today.
Matthew 28:19, 20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Go. Make. Baptize. Teach. I am with you ALWAYS.
Several obvious things struck me throughout this movie. For one thing, I was blown away by the bravery of the students in their everyday lives. Each of them have such devastating accounts of things they have seen and done. Pain, physical and emotional, inflicted by fellow and opposing gang members, pain inflicted by their own mothers and fathers, by random acts not intended for them. Mind-blowing. Not only were these students having to tap into a necessary element of bravery and strength, but of courage and loss of innocence, loss of hope and faith in an ideal of something better.
This was not intended to be a “spiritual” film. But, I would be remiss to not have gotten the correlations. It is amazing to me the boundaries that the love of God can cross, the depths He can reach, the magnitude of hurt that He can heal. It is amazing to me how I can testify to how hopeless I felt prior to knowing and accepting Him, and the transformation having Him in my life has been. It is amazing to me how my heart cries out in joy over the salvation I have received, and how my mouth is so silent in sharing this road of salvation to another.
We do a lot of things “right”. We do a lot of things wrong. God always speaks to us, and He always speaks the “right”. On average, how many times am I actively listening and proceeding in the direction given? We aren’t all called to go and reach the inner cities, the third world countries, the cults, the “I’m a good person” population. This is true. God plants us specifically.
Have you felt an urge to send a card to someone a bit down? Have you felt the urge to buy a few bags of groceries for a struggling co-worker and their family? Have you felt the urge to ask a cashier in return “I’m well. How are you?” Have you felt the urge keep acting in kindness to the one who keeps ridiculing you? Have you felt the urge to share the gospel? Have you ever audibly proclaimed how God has transformed you? Have you taken the time to stop trying to have it all together, and just focus on the One who puts it all together?
There is a world of hurt, devastation, hopelessness, untruths, addictions and chains out there. We possess the truth that sets all mankind free from those things. We would want this for our friends and family. Why not for our fellow man? …You say “But I do want it for my fellow man!!!” OK. What about your life proves that?
That question has challenged me today.
Matthew 28:19, 20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Go. Make. Baptize. Teach. I am with you ALWAYS.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Feeling Empty?
Anyone remember that old song…”Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole”…???
Ever go through a time where you felt totally empty? It could be for any number of reasons; maybe you feel spiritually empty….like you have nothing left to give in service to God, to others. Maybe you feel emotionally empty, like there’s nothing left to tap into. Maybe you just feel…empty…so empty your not sure what category you are feeling the void in.
You wake up each day, go through your morning routine, start your day and just exist. The body is moving, jobs are being marked off the checklist. But, you wake up one day and realize…”I’ve grown empty. I’ve let a few days, few weeks, few months, few years…go by, just existing.”
Often times, this can be for various reasons. Sometimes, we just simply get caught up. The busy schedules, the demands of our energy and thoughts, the physical exhaustion. There’s no time to experience, to grow, to stretch. (Or, so we think!) Other times, it can be a spirit of defeat. We grow weary with struggles that seem constant in our lives, burdens that never seem lifted, demands that never seem to end. We take on the “woe is me” armor. Yes…armor. Armor is intended to protect. And, when we get that “woe is me” feeling, we use it as protection. If WE feel sorry for ourselves, somehow that brings a twisted sense of protection, of comfort and shield from further disappointment and emptiness.
It’s quite obvious, God never intended for us to live like that. We were created to love Him, depend on Him, to worship Him, to be cared for by Him! Depend upon and be cared for by…ever notice that these are two of the hardest things for us to accept/do as humans? Think of the terms…control freak, loner, introvert, obsessive compulsive. Often times we apply stories of someone’s life, to determine how they get to living out those descriptions. For a loner…often times it can stem from a life of survival, a lack of emotional giving from key members in their lives, or other various things. For a control freak, it can be continual disappointments, lack of finding others who can help in a way that would be appreciated, etc.
What is your story? If someone had to describe you right now, what do you think they would say? Are you an empty soul merely functioning day to day? Are you a ray of sunshine illuminating the lives around you? In the cause of Christ, are you sold out? Or, dare I say, just accepting it?
God loves us, saved us from sin and freely pours out grace and mercy upon us. He also takes us, and when we get too comfortable, too empty, too fearful…puts situations, people and/or tugging at our hearts into our lives, to help us grow, stretch, depend upon and accept his caring towards us!
Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your righthand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
Ever go through a time where you felt totally empty? It could be for any number of reasons; maybe you feel spiritually empty….like you have nothing left to give in service to God, to others. Maybe you feel emotionally empty, like there’s nothing left to tap into. Maybe you just feel…empty…so empty your not sure what category you are feeling the void in.
You wake up each day, go through your morning routine, start your day and just exist. The body is moving, jobs are being marked off the checklist. But, you wake up one day and realize…”I’ve grown empty. I’ve let a few days, few weeks, few months, few years…go by, just existing.”
Often times, this can be for various reasons. Sometimes, we just simply get caught up. The busy schedules, the demands of our energy and thoughts, the physical exhaustion. There’s no time to experience, to grow, to stretch. (Or, so we think!) Other times, it can be a spirit of defeat. We grow weary with struggles that seem constant in our lives, burdens that never seem lifted, demands that never seem to end. We take on the “woe is me” armor. Yes…armor. Armor is intended to protect. And, when we get that “woe is me” feeling, we use it as protection. If WE feel sorry for ourselves, somehow that brings a twisted sense of protection, of comfort and shield from further disappointment and emptiness.
It’s quite obvious, God never intended for us to live like that. We were created to love Him, depend on Him, to worship Him, to be cared for by Him! Depend upon and be cared for by…ever notice that these are two of the hardest things for us to accept/do as humans? Think of the terms…control freak, loner, introvert, obsessive compulsive. Often times we apply stories of someone’s life, to determine how they get to living out those descriptions. For a loner…often times it can stem from a life of survival, a lack of emotional giving from key members in their lives, or other various things. For a control freak, it can be continual disappointments, lack of finding others who can help in a way that would be appreciated, etc.
What is your story? If someone had to describe you right now, what do you think they would say? Are you an empty soul merely functioning day to day? Are you a ray of sunshine illuminating the lives around you? In the cause of Christ, are you sold out? Or, dare I say, just accepting it?
God loves us, saved us from sin and freely pours out grace and mercy upon us. He also takes us, and when we get too comfortable, too empty, too fearful…puts situations, people and/or tugging at our hearts into our lives, to help us grow, stretch, depend upon and accept his caring towards us!
Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your righthand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."
John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
God as Comforter
I continually try to seek God and ask each week "what do we need to hear from You this week". I have to be very honest with you all and let you know, this past week has been very discouraging in some personal issues. Nothing unconquerable, but, I have spent alot of time seeking God as Comforter, and going back and forth on how much I am leaning and how much I am sulking! It's been an interesting week.
Alot of times, God uses the struggles in others lives, and the way they handle them, to reveal to us lessons on our own relationship with Him. I think back to the month of May. That month I found out that my grandfather had cancer. To put this in perspective, first of all...my grandpa is the single most influential human in my life. He and my grandma are THE examples of how lives should be lived out on this earth. So, to hear that the person in your life who means this to you has something inside their body, attacking it, is very difficult. Let me describe him physically, to you. He's 6 feet tall, almost totally bald, big, round Charlie brown head, HUGE arms and hands, always in overalls or work clothes (unless going to town or to church...he's a farmer). He's a very strong man, in every aspect...emotionally, physically, spiritually. He took over the family farm when he was only 12 years old, when his father died suddenly due to a very serious illness that killed him quickly. He is the rock of our family and everyone within a 100 mile radius respects him and comes to him for advice, fun times, a shoulder. He's just that kind of man!
As a little girl, I very vividly remember what it was like to put my hand in his. It felt like the largest, strongest, most callused hand in the whole world! I knew nothing could/would hurt me, as long as that hand was with me. ...Fast forward to May.
Here I stood, telling my grandfather I am praying for him...and he just hugs me so tight, begins to cry and whispers in my ear, between sobs, "Baby girl, I need it." Role reversal! It was very emotional for him to face this notion of mortality, sickness, lack of strength. BUT, what is so awesome to me...He never lost the faith. About a month into his chemo, I was visiting with him, and I asked him how he was doing internally. He said "I truly believe I am healed, and that God is not done with me yet." Don't you know...he made it through his chemo, never got sick from it, never once did it get him down and hinder his ability to work on the farm, and never once did he declare doubt in the Lord. He is now totally healed.
Now, here I sit in my situation this week. It is painful, hurtful, a struggle...but it is not literally killing me. If my grandfather can keep the faith amidst going through that, how can I not feel the comfort of God and the power of His hand? BECAUSE, I'm not allowing Him.
What is bringing you down? What is keeping you from embracing the comfort that comes from being a child of the King? He says, in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Now, if you have rushed through that verse because it's all too familiar, and you did not prayerfully read it..STOP, and go back and ask God to reveal to you how His yoke is easy in your life, how He has been gentle with your heart, how you can obtain rest for your soul. Often times, for those of us who have been in church for any period of time, these "familiar" verses become almost numb, we hear them so much. Read it again.
Can I say with total confidence, I have opened up my heart and and let God heal it from what this situation is doing? Do I have confidence I am healed, the way my grandfather felt the healing of God in his body? Why do I...why do we...carry around these burdens. We sing the songs of freedom, we pray the prayers for release from our burdens, our struggles...but, we then pick them back up and carry them with us into the next day, the next week. But, God has said He will comfort our hearts, treat them with the gentleness they need so as to get through it and be whole in the end, He has said to lay it down at His feet. Think of that song we sing..."We fall down, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus. The greatness of His mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus. And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy...is the Lamb!"
Run into the comfort of His arms this week with whatever burdens you are bearing. Whether they be your own, or they are a burdened heart for someone you know. Give it over to God, so that He can show you His gentleness, His love and passion for you. We speak often times of our passion for Him, but it is always dim in comparison to the passion and love He holds for YOU.
Dear sisters, embrace Him. Allow Him to comfort you in the hard times. Allow His love to illuminate your heart and then radiate out of you and into a lost world!
Alot of times, God uses the struggles in others lives, and the way they handle them, to reveal to us lessons on our own relationship with Him. I think back to the month of May. That month I found out that my grandfather had cancer. To put this in perspective, first of all...my grandpa is the single most influential human in my life. He and my grandma are THE examples of how lives should be lived out on this earth. So, to hear that the person in your life who means this to you has something inside their body, attacking it, is very difficult. Let me describe him physically, to you. He's 6 feet tall, almost totally bald, big, round Charlie brown head, HUGE arms and hands, always in overalls or work clothes (unless going to town or to church...he's a farmer). He's a very strong man, in every aspect...emotionally, physically, spiritually. He took over the family farm when he was only 12 years old, when his father died suddenly due to a very serious illness that killed him quickly. He is the rock of our family and everyone within a 100 mile radius respects him and comes to him for advice, fun times, a shoulder. He's just that kind of man!
As a little girl, I very vividly remember what it was like to put my hand in his. It felt like the largest, strongest, most callused hand in the whole world! I knew nothing could/would hurt me, as long as that hand was with me. ...Fast forward to May.
Here I stood, telling my grandfather I am praying for him...and he just hugs me so tight, begins to cry and whispers in my ear, between sobs, "Baby girl, I need it." Role reversal! It was very emotional for him to face this notion of mortality, sickness, lack of strength. BUT, what is so awesome to me...He never lost the faith. About a month into his chemo, I was visiting with him, and I asked him how he was doing internally. He said "I truly believe I am healed, and that God is not done with me yet." Don't you know...he made it through his chemo, never got sick from it, never once did it get him down and hinder his ability to work on the farm, and never once did he declare doubt in the Lord. He is now totally healed.
Now, here I sit in my situation this week. It is painful, hurtful, a struggle...but it is not literally killing me. If my grandfather can keep the faith amidst going through that, how can I not feel the comfort of God and the power of His hand? BECAUSE, I'm not allowing Him.
What is bringing you down? What is keeping you from embracing the comfort that comes from being a child of the King? He says, in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Now, if you have rushed through that verse because it's all too familiar, and you did not prayerfully read it..STOP, and go back and ask God to reveal to you how His yoke is easy in your life, how He has been gentle with your heart, how you can obtain rest for your soul. Often times, for those of us who have been in church for any period of time, these "familiar" verses become almost numb, we hear them so much. Read it again.
Can I say with total confidence, I have opened up my heart and and let God heal it from what this situation is doing? Do I have confidence I am healed, the way my grandfather felt the healing of God in his body? Why do I...why do we...carry around these burdens. We sing the songs of freedom, we pray the prayers for release from our burdens, our struggles...but, we then pick them back up and carry them with us into the next day, the next week. But, God has said He will comfort our hearts, treat them with the gentleness they need so as to get through it and be whole in the end, He has said to lay it down at His feet. Think of that song we sing..."We fall down, we lay our crowns, at the feet of Jesus. The greatness of His mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus. And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy...is the Lamb!"
Run into the comfort of His arms this week with whatever burdens you are bearing. Whether they be your own, or they are a burdened heart for someone you know. Give it over to God, so that He can show you His gentleness, His love and passion for you. We speak often times of our passion for Him, but it is always dim in comparison to the passion and love He holds for YOU.
Dear sisters, embrace Him. Allow Him to comfort you in the hard times. Allow His love to illuminate your heart and then radiate out of you and into a lost world!
The Power of the Word
Hello everyone! I have to tell you real quick, just how awesome God is! I wrote this devotional on Friday, preparing for to send it out today (Monday). There is so much here that came up over the weekend, through our service on Sunday and things...it's quite incredible how God brings His point home to us sometimes! How cool is that! Anyhow, be blessed, encouraged, challenged and pressing on!
Here I was, standing at my sink, washing my dishes…wondering why we have to eat and use dishes anyhow! Ha! Oh well…it’s much better than mowing grass (ask me about the lessons I learned during that sometime!)
Anyhow, I was thinking about what this next devotional was to be about…what did God want to reveal through it this week. And it hit me…with all that’s going on right now, with us, with our church, with our world, with the Christian community…I’m finding that I am clinging to His eternal promises in His Word more and more. But, amidst the “junk”…sometimes we forget about those promises, our faith in them becomes a bit weak, our doubt starts to creep in…or, we simply can’t remember them or don’t know them. So, I’ve dedicated this week to reminding us of some awesome promises of God, to us as His children!! Some of them are straightforward, some of them are accounts of what He has done before us that reveal His awesome power, faithfulness and righteousness. Don’t just read them…pray them. And, I encourage you, as you go through the scriptures in your daily lives…don’t just read them. Beg God to reveal Himself to you through them, pray through the words…the words that are divinely inspired, timeless, eternal.
2 Chronicles 20:15-17 “And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshophat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not your’s, but God’s.’ Tomorrow, go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” ….Notice, it says “do not fear or be dismayed twice, within the span of three verses!!!”
Nahum 1: 3, 5 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. …The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Daniel 3 – This is the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…the three men who were thrown into the fiery furnace for not worshipping false gods. In verses 16/17, they tell King Nebuchadnezzar “…we have no need to answer you in this matter, If that is the case (that they would have to be put into the fire), our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” …Then, after the king sees that God did indeed watch over and save these three men, the king declares at the end of verse 29, “…there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
I Peter 2: 19-24 “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth.’ Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by Whose stripes you were healed.”
Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
I feel that there is a common theme presented in each of these accounts/statements…that is: Live in the love, mercy and grace of God…and leave the rest to Him! As I was sharing with a sister this week, there is one major calling for our lives by Him, whereby all other facets of ourselves stem from…that calling is to be His child. As a child, you seek guidance from your parents, provision for necessities…physical and emotional and developmental, you seek protection. While these are things you seek, these are also things that a good parent naturally provides. Your Heavenly Father, He has laid out a journey for each of us. He has divinely appointed relationships, storms, obstacles, rest, the filling of our cups. We are finite, He is infinite. He has promised to judge righteously. He is a consuming fire! While there are many things happening around us right now…things that are attacking the state of our spirits, our strength, our joy…He is faithful to deliver us.
This week, take all that is against you, and ask God for a hedge of protection, a heart of love and patience and an endurance to seek through His plan. He wants you to trust Him enough that He CAN and WILL deliver you, and restore to you your joy!
Peace to your hearts dear sisters. Pray for each other this week, that God would reveal Himself more and more through His word and that our hearts would hunger and thirst for more and more of His word.
Here I was, standing at my sink, washing my dishes…wondering why we have to eat and use dishes anyhow! Ha! Oh well…it’s much better than mowing grass (ask me about the lessons I learned during that sometime!)
Anyhow, I was thinking about what this next devotional was to be about…what did God want to reveal through it this week. And it hit me…with all that’s going on right now, with us, with our church, with our world, with the Christian community…I’m finding that I am clinging to His eternal promises in His Word more and more. But, amidst the “junk”…sometimes we forget about those promises, our faith in them becomes a bit weak, our doubt starts to creep in…or, we simply can’t remember them or don’t know them. So, I’ve dedicated this week to reminding us of some awesome promises of God, to us as His children!! Some of them are straightforward, some of them are accounts of what He has done before us that reveal His awesome power, faithfulness and righteousness. Don’t just read them…pray them. And, I encourage you, as you go through the scriptures in your daily lives…don’t just read them. Beg God to reveal Himself to you through them, pray through the words…the words that are divinely inspired, timeless, eternal.
2 Chronicles 20:15-17 “And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshophat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not your’s, but God’s.’ Tomorrow, go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” ….Notice, it says “do not fear or be dismayed twice, within the span of three verses!!!”
Nahum 1: 3, 5 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. …The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Daniel 3 – This is the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego…the three men who were thrown into the fiery furnace for not worshipping false gods. In verses 16/17, they tell King Nebuchadnezzar “…we have no need to answer you in this matter, If that is the case (that they would have to be put into the fire), our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.” …Then, after the king sees that God did indeed watch over and save these three men, the king declares at the end of verse 29, “…there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
I Peter 2: 19-24 “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth.’ Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by Whose stripes you were healed.”
Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
I feel that there is a common theme presented in each of these accounts/statements…that is: Live in the love, mercy and grace of God…and leave the rest to Him! As I was sharing with a sister this week, there is one major calling for our lives by Him, whereby all other facets of ourselves stem from…that calling is to be His child. As a child, you seek guidance from your parents, provision for necessities…physical and emotional and developmental, you seek protection. While these are things you seek, these are also things that a good parent naturally provides. Your Heavenly Father, He has laid out a journey for each of us. He has divinely appointed relationships, storms, obstacles, rest, the filling of our cups. We are finite, He is infinite. He has promised to judge righteously. He is a consuming fire! While there are many things happening around us right now…things that are attacking the state of our spirits, our strength, our joy…He is faithful to deliver us.
This week, take all that is against you, and ask God for a hedge of protection, a heart of love and patience and an endurance to seek through His plan. He wants you to trust Him enough that He CAN and WILL deliver you, and restore to you your joy!
Peace to your hearts dear sisters. Pray for each other this week, that God would reveal Himself more and more through His word and that our hearts would hunger and thirst for more and more of His word.
August 27,2007
Hello Sisters!
This is your first SIS Devotional. The "plan" will be to try and get them out each Monday. It is my prayer that God will use this to encourage us, challenge us and stretch us. Blessings to each of you this week! Know that you are prayed for!
Last summer, I uprooted and moved back to Terre Haute. I had been gone for eight years. This was going to be an adjustment!
Literally, for a year or so prior to this move, I had known it was time to move on. I was scared…not about a new job, not about finding a place to live…no, I was scared I didn’t have it in me to have that kind of dependence on God. You see, I knew that His prodding me to move on was because He wanted to grow and stretch me, use me in ways He hadn’t done thus far. He had a new venture for me. I wish I could say it was because I had tapped out all of my potential in service to Him, at that area in my life. But truthfully, it was the exact opposite. I had become so comfortable in staying in “safety”…the safety of familiarity, reliable friends and social life, steady job…even what I thought was “comfort” in keeping my distance from service to God and the people around me. It would take nothing short of putting me into my whale’s belly, to get my spiritual feet moving again. I knew I had shut out a part of myself, a part of the child God created me to be, because I was too scared to go to new heights with Him. Refiner…Great Physician…He has these names for a reason; heart surgery, albeit figurative, is no fun!
However, I finally surrendered and moved! Within days I got a new job. Shortly thereafter came a new home. I was so thrilled at finally getting back and doing what God wanted me to do. It’s all on the upswing now, right? Wrong! This was just the beginning. After moving, I became very lonely, very discouraged. I became very confused on whether I knew how to hear God or not. After all, surely feelings of this magnitude wouldn’t happen after I finally quit running! But, they did. And they did because I took the attitude of “I did what You wanted; now where’s my blessing?”
God didn’t shake up my life because He could no longer use me where I was at. He shook it up because it was time to take it to the next level, and I had resisted all other means! I had sensed this, and that is a main reason why it took me over a year to surrender to moving on. What else could He want from me, or have in store for me? And why me? Sure, I had a great “spiritual resume”…but, I had totally distanced myself from Him, because I was too scared to go further. But, when you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good in your life, running is never a path to contentment. It simply is a never-ending journey of unrest.
Through numerous experiences, I’ve finally said “Here I am.” Much pain was on this journey. Much more is sure to come. But, it is conquerable! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!! He truly…eternally…is gracious, full of unmatched power, unconditional in His love and sufficient. Think of the meaning of that last word…sufficient…upon your life. What areas are you yearning for more? What are the thoughts, circumstances or untruths that are not allowing you to embrace the sufficiency of God in your life?
Where are you at right now? What feelings and fears are you battling daily? When is the last time you begged God to show you why you felt that way? And when is the last time you remember your heart overwhelmingly desire to not only rejoice in the love and hope of God, but to want to be whole and to run the race with endurance? …Wholeness, overwhelming desire…passion and zeal for the glory of God…what about your life is evident of these characteristics?
This week, pray for a clear mind and heart, to see your current state as God sees it. What would an evaluation of your heart and spirit reveal right now? What is that “next level” that you know God wants to bring you to? …Don’t miss that ....BRING you to!!! When you bring someone somewhere, you accompany them. God promises to always be with us. Dare to take Him at His word and see what new heights He will lead you to!
Passage for the week: 2 Samuel 22 (the complete chapter) Pray for a heart like David’s, to keep that heart of trust that God will deliver you from your enemies, from all the things that hold you back from Him, from the things that make you afraid (v. 5). Also, to keep that heart of praise! As you read through the chapter, you will see…God does not merely sit and just smile, waving His arms of love to rain down upon us. That is part of Him…but, note verses 7-16. God is definitely in our corner! He not only loves His children, but He fights for His children! You have the power of the most Powerful rooting for you, a God who is not just about “warm and fuzzy love”…but about a love so deep, so high, so wide…that He has THAT kind of reaction that is depicted in those verses, for the cause of His kingdom and His children. Take refuge in that from all that encompasses you this week, and truly rejoice in it!!! Take a few moments to praise Him, and asking Him to fill you up with a passion to realize just how great He loves us and cares for us and praise Him, like David did in this chapter
This is your first SIS Devotional. The "plan" will be to try and get them out each Monday. It is my prayer that God will use this to encourage us, challenge us and stretch us. Blessings to each of you this week! Know that you are prayed for!
Last summer, I uprooted and moved back to Terre Haute. I had been gone for eight years. This was going to be an adjustment!
Literally, for a year or so prior to this move, I had known it was time to move on. I was scared…not about a new job, not about finding a place to live…no, I was scared I didn’t have it in me to have that kind of dependence on God. You see, I knew that His prodding me to move on was because He wanted to grow and stretch me, use me in ways He hadn’t done thus far. He had a new venture for me. I wish I could say it was because I had tapped out all of my potential in service to Him, at that area in my life. But truthfully, it was the exact opposite. I had become so comfortable in staying in “safety”…the safety of familiarity, reliable friends and social life, steady job…even what I thought was “comfort” in keeping my distance from service to God and the people around me. It would take nothing short of putting me into my whale’s belly, to get my spiritual feet moving again. I knew I had shut out a part of myself, a part of the child God created me to be, because I was too scared to go to new heights with Him. Refiner…Great Physician…He has these names for a reason; heart surgery, albeit figurative, is no fun!
However, I finally surrendered and moved! Within days I got a new job. Shortly thereafter came a new home. I was so thrilled at finally getting back and doing what God wanted me to do. It’s all on the upswing now, right? Wrong! This was just the beginning. After moving, I became very lonely, very discouraged. I became very confused on whether I knew how to hear God or not. After all, surely feelings of this magnitude wouldn’t happen after I finally quit running! But, they did. And they did because I took the attitude of “I did what You wanted; now where’s my blessing?”
God didn’t shake up my life because He could no longer use me where I was at. He shook it up because it was time to take it to the next level, and I had resisted all other means! I had sensed this, and that is a main reason why it took me over a year to surrender to moving on. What else could He want from me, or have in store for me? And why me? Sure, I had a great “spiritual resume”…but, I had totally distanced myself from Him, because I was too scared to go further. But, when you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good in your life, running is never a path to contentment. It simply is a never-ending journey of unrest.
Through numerous experiences, I’ve finally said “Here I am.” Much pain was on this journey. Much more is sure to come. But, it is conquerable! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!! He truly…eternally…is gracious, full of unmatched power, unconditional in His love and sufficient. Think of the meaning of that last word…sufficient…upon your life. What areas are you yearning for more? What are the thoughts, circumstances or untruths that are not allowing you to embrace the sufficiency of God in your life?
Where are you at right now? What feelings and fears are you battling daily? When is the last time you begged God to show you why you felt that way? And when is the last time you remember your heart overwhelmingly desire to not only rejoice in the love and hope of God, but to want to be whole and to run the race with endurance? …Wholeness, overwhelming desire…passion and zeal for the glory of God…what about your life is evident of these characteristics?
This week, pray for a clear mind and heart, to see your current state as God sees it. What would an evaluation of your heart and spirit reveal right now? What is that “next level” that you know God wants to bring you to? …Don’t miss that ....BRING you to!!! When you bring someone somewhere, you accompany them. God promises to always be with us. Dare to take Him at His word and see what new heights He will lead you to!
Passage for the week: 2 Samuel 22 (the complete chapter) Pray for a heart like David’s, to keep that heart of trust that God will deliver you from your enemies, from all the things that hold you back from Him, from the things that make you afraid (v. 5). Also, to keep that heart of praise! As you read through the chapter, you will see…God does not merely sit and just smile, waving His arms of love to rain down upon us. That is part of Him…but, note verses 7-16. God is definitely in our corner! He not only loves His children, but He fights for His children! You have the power of the most Powerful rooting for you, a God who is not just about “warm and fuzzy love”…but about a love so deep, so high, so wide…that He has THAT kind of reaction that is depicted in those verses, for the cause of His kingdom and His children. Take refuge in that from all that encompasses you this week, and truly rejoice in it!!! Take a few moments to praise Him, and asking Him to fill you up with a passion to realize just how great He loves us and cares for us and praise Him, like David did in this chapter
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