Thank you to all those men and women who have so faithfully served to give us freedom in the past, present, and future.
Dear Lord, Thank You for those hearts that have honored You by serving their country and their people. Thank You for those that have given their lives for our freedom and protection. Thank You for those that are serving now. We pray that You would protect them from evil and deliver them home to their loved ones at the appropriate time.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Love
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)
Dear Lord, Teach us to follow these words and to remember that no matter what amazing and wonderful gifts that You may have given us, none is more important than the kind of love which You showed us at the cross, and without that love our gifts are worthless. Please Lord, let Your version of love be the great motivator of our hearts...
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)
Dear Lord, Teach us to follow these words and to remember that no matter what amazing and wonderful gifts that You may have given us, none is more important than the kind of love which You showed us at the cross, and without that love our gifts are worthless. Please Lord, let Your version of love be the great motivator of our hearts...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Who am I?
"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" Psalm 8:4 (NIV)
"Just as a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him, for He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." Psalm 103:13-14 (NASB)
"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand..." Psalm139:17-18a (NASB)
Who am I that the Lord of the universe would think of me and yet, in Psalm 139, David proclaims that God's thoughts toward us are vast and would outnumber the sand! Okay! I would ask, "The sand on one shore or all the shores in the world??" And God would laugh and say, "Does it really matter? Can you count the sand on even one shore?" He would also tell me that I ask too many questions!
When I would answer the question, "Who am I?" I would more than likely say, "I'm nobody. Who are you? Are you nobody, too?" (Emily Dickinson)or "A voice crying in the wilderness" (John the Baptist). But mostly I feel like these words from Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction ring true:
"The person of faith is not a person who has been born, luckily, with a good digestion and sunny disposition. The assumption by outsiders that Christians are naive or protected is the opposite of the truth: Christians know more about the deep struggles of life than others, more about the ugliness of sin...
We speak our words of praise in a world that is hellish; we sing our songs of victory in a world where things get messy; we live our joy among people who neither understand nor encourage us. But the content of our lives is God, not humanity. We are not scavenging in the dark alleys of the world, poking in its garbage cans for a bare subsistence. We are traveling in the light, toward God who is rich in mercy and strong to save. It is Christ, not culture, that defines our lives. It is the help we experience, not the hazards we risk, that shapes our days." And I would add, answers the question, "Who am I?"
John says, "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 (NASB) When we begin to understand the love a parent has for a child, then we also begin to scratch the surface of God's love for us. As it says in 1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." God has lavished His love on us! What is our worth to Him? "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Romans 8:31-32 (NASB)
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases to amaze me!
Who am I? I am His...
Dear Lord, I love You and I am so thankful that You love me...Thank you that You gave Your Son that I might know who I am in You.
"Just as a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him, for He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." Psalm 103:13-14 (NASB)
"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand..." Psalm139:17-18a (NASB)
Who am I that the Lord of the universe would think of me and yet, in Psalm 139, David proclaims that God's thoughts toward us are vast and would outnumber the sand! Okay! I would ask, "The sand on one shore or all the shores in the world??" And God would laugh and say, "Does it really matter? Can you count the sand on even one shore?" He would also tell me that I ask too many questions!
When I would answer the question, "Who am I?" I would more than likely say, "I'm nobody. Who are you? Are you nobody, too?" (Emily Dickinson)or "A voice crying in the wilderness" (John the Baptist). But mostly I feel like these words from Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction ring true:
"The person of faith is not a person who has been born, luckily, with a good digestion and sunny disposition. The assumption by outsiders that Christians are naive or protected is the opposite of the truth: Christians know more about the deep struggles of life than others, more about the ugliness of sin...
We speak our words of praise in a world that is hellish; we sing our songs of victory in a world where things get messy; we live our joy among people who neither understand nor encourage us. But the content of our lives is God, not humanity. We are not scavenging in the dark alleys of the world, poking in its garbage cans for a bare subsistence. We are traveling in the light, toward God who is rich in mercy and strong to save. It is Christ, not culture, that defines our lives. It is the help we experience, not the hazards we risk, that shapes our days." And I would add, answers the question, "Who am I?"
John says, "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 (NASB) When we begin to understand the love a parent has for a child, then we also begin to scratch the surface of God's love for us. As it says in 1 John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." God has lavished His love on us! What is our worth to Him? "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Romans 8:31-32 (NASB)
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases to amaze me!
Who am I? I am His...
Dear Lord, I love You and I am so thankful that You love me...Thank you that You gave Your Son that I might know who I am in You.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Serenity
This prayer was given to me when I was a young girl by my paternal grandmother. It is one of the very few things that I ever received from her as she was quite poor and generally sent two dollars in a card for my birthday every year (which I always looked forward to eagerly). For years, I had the plaque propped on my dresser and only recently did I put it away in a box. (I intend to go in search of it very soon!) The Serenity Prayer is as follows:
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference. by Reinhold Niebuhr
The definition of serenity is: the quality or state of being serene; calmness; tranquility. I find that accepting the things I cannot change is freeing, and allows me to move on. But I don't find freedom just because I accepted something, and I don't move on because I accepted it either. I accept it because I have a God who knows more than I do, because I can trust Him with all things and because "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17 (NASB) I can feel God's calmness and tranquility because I know He is in complete control. Now that does not mean that things will be perfect or even wonderful, but it does mean that I can trust that whatever happens, good or bad, it will be okay because He is in control.
One of my favorite verses, Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This does not mean that everything will be "good"! Far from it! The Bible says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV) What it does mean is that God will use all the things that happen in our lives (both good and bad) for our good and the good of those around us, if, we love Him and are called according to His purpose. I try to stay focused on my part of the promise: loving Him and being called according to His purpose. Then I assume that He will be working all things (both good and bad) together for our ultimate good. The thing that sometimes frustrates us is that we can't always see that or figure out what our "good" is. That is where our trust in Him comes into play again. We trust Him that He does know and that that is all we need to know!
So I have accepted the things that I cannot change because God can be trusted and He is in control. The next part of that prayer says that I should change the things I can and ask for the courage to do so. The one thing I can definitely change with God's help and His courage is my own behavior and incorrect attitudes. I have many choices and I can make "good" choices or "bad" ones. The decision is up to me... I can choose to do the "right" thing or my "own" thing. God's word says, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 You see, when His power and strength rest in us, we can discipline ourselves to make good choices and to do the right thing. He also says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV) Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (ESV) God will give us the courage we need and we can be assured that He will be with us along the way, wherever we go. In the Old Testament, God says to be strong and courageous in 13 verses that are fairly close together. He says it 4 times in Joshua chapter 1 alone! I think he wanted Joshua to get the message, don't you? God wanted Joshua to know that this should be his attitude and that the Lord, Himself, would be with him and would give him the strength that he needed to do what the Lord had asked of him. He will also give us the strength that we need to do what He has asked of us.
The last part of this prayer asks for the "wisdom" to know the difference between the things we cannot change and should accept, and the things we can change and should act upon. The important thing to ask for is "wisdom". "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6 (NASB) "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Psalm 51:6 (NASB)
"My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course, for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul..." Proverbs 2:1-10 (NASB)
"How much better to get wisdom than gold!To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." Proverbs 16:16 (ESV) We need to pursue wisdom and understanding and that is found in God's truth. We should invest our time in His word so that we might gain the knowledge of Him so that we might walk as He walked. "The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Grant me Your peace so I can be content even when things don't go the way I think they should. Grant me Your peace when I realize that I can't change something. Give me courage, Lord, to do what You have asked me to do, when You have asked me to do it. Help me to be transformed into Your image by the renewing of my mind through Your Word. And grant me the wisdom and understanding that can only come from You.
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference. by Reinhold Niebuhr
The definition of serenity is: the quality or state of being serene; calmness; tranquility. I find that accepting the things I cannot change is freeing, and allows me to move on. But I don't find freedom just because I accepted something, and I don't move on because I accepted it either. I accept it because I have a God who knows more than I do, because I can trust Him with all things and because "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17 (NASB) I can feel God's calmness and tranquility because I know He is in complete control. Now that does not mean that things will be perfect or even wonderful, but it does mean that I can trust that whatever happens, good or bad, it will be okay because He is in control.
One of my favorite verses, Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This does not mean that everything will be "good"! Far from it! The Bible says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV) What it does mean is that God will use all the things that happen in our lives (both good and bad) for our good and the good of those around us, if, we love Him and are called according to His purpose. I try to stay focused on my part of the promise: loving Him and being called according to His purpose. Then I assume that He will be working all things (both good and bad) together for our ultimate good. The thing that sometimes frustrates us is that we can't always see that or figure out what our "good" is. That is where our trust in Him comes into play again. We trust Him that He does know and that that is all we need to know!
So I have accepted the things that I cannot change because God can be trusted and He is in control. The next part of that prayer says that I should change the things I can and ask for the courage to do so. The one thing I can definitely change with God's help and His courage is my own behavior and incorrect attitudes. I have many choices and I can make "good" choices or "bad" ones. The decision is up to me... I can choose to do the "right" thing or my "own" thing. God's word says, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 You see, when His power and strength rest in us, we can discipline ourselves to make good choices and to do the right thing. He also says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (KJV) Joshua 1:9 says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (ESV) God will give us the courage we need and we can be assured that He will be with us along the way, wherever we go. In the Old Testament, God says to be strong and courageous in 13 verses that are fairly close together. He says it 4 times in Joshua chapter 1 alone! I think he wanted Joshua to get the message, don't you? God wanted Joshua to know that this should be his attitude and that the Lord, Himself, would be with him and would give him the strength that he needed to do what the Lord had asked of him. He will also give us the strength that we need to do what He has asked of us.
The last part of this prayer asks for the "wisdom" to know the difference between the things we cannot change and should accept, and the things we can change and should act upon. The important thing to ask for is "wisdom". "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6 (NASB) "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Psalm 51:6 (NASB)
"My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course, for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul..." Proverbs 2:1-10 (NASB)
"How much better to get wisdom than gold!To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver." Proverbs 16:16 (ESV) We need to pursue wisdom and understanding and that is found in God's truth. We should invest our time in His word so that we might gain the knowledge of Him so that we might walk as He walked. "The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Grant me Your peace so I can be content even when things don't go the way I think they should. Grant me Your peace when I realize that I can't change something. Give me courage, Lord, to do what You have asked me to do, when You have asked me to do it. Help me to be transformed into Your image by the renewing of my mind through Your Word. And grant me the wisdom and understanding that can only come from You.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Change in Perspective
Have you ever had someone misinterpret what you have said? And then you wonder how it could have gotten so misconstrued. Most things are a matter of perspective. You may have thought that you were talking about one thing; they may have thought you were talking about another. Your life experiences, both good and bad, can influence the way you see things, the way you hear things, the way you do things. We need to focus on God's Word and how He does things. If we want to see clearly, we need to see it through His eyes. If we want to hear clearly, we need to hear it through His ears. The only filters that we need are God's Word and the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. Then we won't be so quick to judge or make assumptions from our own point of view. We'll have His perspective.
"He then answered, 'Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.' So they said to him, 'What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?' He answered them, 'I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?'" John 9:25-27 (NASB) The blind man knew one thing, that Jesus was the source of his sight. Consider letting Jesus be the source of your sight...
"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." Psalm 119:18 (ESV)
"You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." Isaiah 42:20 (NIV)
"To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it." Jeremiah 6:10 (NIV)
"Moreover, he said to me, 'Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.'" Ezekiel 3:10 (ESV)
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 7:10-12 (ESV)
"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15 (NIV)
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NIV)
And do not be like those who have ears but do not hear and have eyes but do not see. Neither be like those who only listen to what they want to hear, who line up for themselves teachers and doctrines that do not offend and do not contain the truth. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB), "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these."
Dear Lord, Allow us to hold fast to Your word, listening carefully, and seeing clearly what You want us to do, and how You want us to behave. Help us to not be like those that stop up their ears and close their eyes to the truth of Your word. Let us not desire to hear only what we want to hear. Please Lord, give us Your perspective on all things.
"He then answered, 'Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.' So they said to him, 'What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?' He answered them, 'I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?'" John 9:25-27 (NASB) The blind man knew one thing, that Jesus was the source of his sight. Consider letting Jesus be the source of your sight...
"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." Psalm 119:18 (ESV)
"You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." Isaiah 42:20 (NIV)
"To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it." Jeremiah 6:10 (NIV)
"Moreover, he said to me, 'Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.'" Ezekiel 3:10 (ESV)
"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 7:10-12 (ESV)
"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15 (NIV)
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NIV)
And do not be like those who have ears but do not hear and have eyes but do not see. Neither be like those who only listen to what they want to hear, who line up for themselves teachers and doctrines that do not offend and do not contain the truth. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NASB), "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these."
Dear Lord, Allow us to hold fast to Your word, listening carefully, and seeing clearly what You want us to do, and how You want us to behave. Help us to not be like those that stop up their ears and close their eyes to the truth of Your word. Let us not desire to hear only what we want to hear. Please Lord, give us Your perspective on all things.
Monday, May 24, 2010
No Matter What Happens, I'll Still be Loving You
Dear Lord, No matter what comes my way, whether it be heartbreak, confusion, disease, disappointment, persecution, poverty, pain, suffering, difficulties, injustice, or death, I'll still be loving You. You alone are faithful and true. You alone will never leave me nor forsake me. You alone will always love me, always save me. Even if I cry tears of sorrow and walk through the dark valley of suffering, You will always be there for me, healing me. You will never turn Your back on me. You will teach me to walk as You walk as long as I continue on Your path. Please let nothing distract me from Your truth and Your love. No Matter what happens, I'll still be loving You...
Life is sweet and beautiful not because it is easy, but because I have a Savior who loves me no matter what.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9 (NASB)
Life is sweet and beautiful not because it is easy, but because I have a Savior who loves me no matter what.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9 (NASB)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34 (NASB)
We are always told, "Live one day at a time," or "Live each day to its fullest." Jesus says, "Seek first the kingdom of God..." Making each day count is something most people don't learn until their days are numbered. But all of our days are numbered! The Psalmist says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NASB) And, "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16 (NIV) We should not wait until we can see the end to begin seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. "Seek the LORD while He may be found (or while we can still find Him); Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 We should not just live life and make the most of it. That implies that we are making the most of it for ourselves, grabbing all the gusto we can get! We are told, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NASB) Let's live a life that points to God and if you haven't been doing that up until now, start today.
Dear Lord, Thank You for Your word. Thank you that all we need do is seek You, Your kingdom, and Your righteousness and all these things will be added to us. Help us to seek You not because of what You can give us, but because of who You are...
Have a wonderful weekend!
We are always told, "Live one day at a time," or "Live each day to its fullest." Jesus says, "Seek first the kingdom of God..." Making each day count is something most people don't learn until their days are numbered. But all of our days are numbered! The Psalmist says, "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NASB) And, "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16 (NIV) We should not wait until we can see the end to begin seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. "Seek the LORD while He may be found (or while we can still find Him); Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 We should not just live life and make the most of it. That implies that we are making the most of it for ourselves, grabbing all the gusto we can get! We are told, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NASB) Let's live a life that points to God and if you haven't been doing that up until now, start today.
Dear Lord, Thank You for Your word. Thank you that all we need do is seek You, Your kingdom, and Your righteousness and all these things will be added to us. Help us to seek You not because of what You can give us, but because of who You are...
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Abiding in the Shadow of the Almighty
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 (NASB)
Today, no matter what you are going through, no matter what befalls you, you can decide to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. There is protection there and peace. There is hope there and love. There you will rest in His arms; no need to struggle, no need to fear. Give it all to Him, whatever it is. And when you find that you are again carrying the pain that you have given Him, because we tend to take it back in worry and fear, give it to the Lord again. And again. And again.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 (NASB)
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)
This is when the the "hidden" life of faith in God is especially important. The "hidden" life is the part of a believer's life that only God sees, the part where we have communion with Him and worship Him. When we spend time in His shadow it is like a picture of baby chicks hiding under the mother hen's wings, close to her heart, safe and warm. Jesus said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 To abide in His shadow, we must be willing, we must nurture our "hidden" life of faith, and we must remain there.
As Warren Wiersbe says, "The hidden life of worship and communion makes possible the public life of obedience and service." How many of us only focus on the public life of faith and neglect the "hidden" life of faith. We look to other people to help us, to teach us, to lead us, when what we really need most is to let our Lord help us, teach us, and lead us. This is the cultivating of our "hidden" life. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3 (NASB)
So let us focus on abiding in His shadow, hiding under His wings, nurturing our "hidden" life of faith so that we might be able to be obedient and serve Him.
Dear Lord, Let me not neglect my "hidden" life of faith, the life that only You can see. Help me not to focus on the outward appearance of faith but to set my eyes on You in communion and worship. Teach me to abide in Your shadow, to take Your yoke upon me, and to find rest for my soul.
Today, no matter what you are going through, no matter what befalls you, you can decide to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. There is protection there and peace. There is hope there and love. There you will rest in His arms; no need to struggle, no need to fear. Give it all to Him, whatever it is. And when you find that you are again carrying the pain that you have given Him, because we tend to take it back in worry and fear, give it to the Lord again. And again. And again.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 (NASB)
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)
This is when the the "hidden" life of faith in God is especially important. The "hidden" life is the part of a believer's life that only God sees, the part where we have communion with Him and worship Him. When we spend time in His shadow it is like a picture of baby chicks hiding under the mother hen's wings, close to her heart, safe and warm. Jesus said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 To abide in His shadow, we must be willing, we must nurture our "hidden" life of faith, and we must remain there.
As Warren Wiersbe says, "The hidden life of worship and communion makes possible the public life of obedience and service." How many of us only focus on the public life of faith and neglect the "hidden" life of faith. We look to other people to help us, to teach us, to lead us, when what we really need most is to let our Lord help us, teach us, and lead us. This is the cultivating of our "hidden" life. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3 (NASB)
So let us focus on abiding in His shadow, hiding under His wings, nurturing our "hidden" life of faith so that we might be able to be obedient and serve Him.
Dear Lord, Let me not neglect my "hidden" life of faith, the life that only You can see. Help me not to focus on the outward appearance of faith but to set my eyes on You in communion and worship. Teach me to abide in Your shadow, to take Your yoke upon me, and to find rest for my soul.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Process of Losing Myself...
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 (ESV)
"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:25 (NIV)
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:7-14 (NASB)
The process of losing yourself for Christ's sake can be a long and arduous process. I have been going through the process for more than thirty years and I am not finished yet. I guess we are never really finished until we are at home with the Lord. The point is that we must press on forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. We need to continue in the process of losing ourselves that we may gain Him.
When we come into this world we are extremely egocentric. We are focused on ourselves and our needs. As babies, that is okay because that is how babies get their basic needs met for food, sleep, cleanliness, and comfort. But at some point we are supposed to grow up, we are supposed to become less egocentric. We are supposed to learn how to share, empathize, and care about those around us. We are supposed to regard others as more important than ourselves even. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" Philippians 2:3 (NASB) This is where we fall down, where we get stuck. So many of us have never moved beyond the egocentricities of childhood.
Jim Eliot said, "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." If we give up who we were to become who the Lord wants us to be, we are rich indeed. We gain more than we could ever lose. We gain the knowledge of Christ which means more than to know about Him. We come to the place where we know Him, we have a personal relationship with Him, and we live our lives for Him. We know Him in a personal way and He gives us salvation.
We also gain His righteousness. We go through life trying to be good, trying to be righteous and we always fall short. Many times our attempts at righteousness turn into self-righteousness. Until we admit the truth that we, by ourselves, are spiritually bankrupt, we can never understand that the righteousness we can have in Jesus is the only righteousness that is incorruptible. The sins that were to be put to our own accounts are instead put to Christ's account and it is reckoned to us as righteousness! Romans 4:22-25 says, "Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written, that 'It was reckoned to him,' but for our sakes also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." And we discover that our sins have been put on Christ's account on the cross. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
Finally, we gain the fellowship of Christ. When we become Christians, it is not the end but only the beginning. We begin to be transformed into His image which is, again, incorruptible. We need to let the resurrection power go to work in our lives to change us, to help us lose ourselves and become like Him. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galations 2:20 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Thank you that in the process of losing myself I gain more than I could possibly imagine. Help me to give up who I was to become who You want me to be. Teach me to count it all loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing You...
"The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:25 (NIV)
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:7-14 (NASB)
The process of losing yourself for Christ's sake can be a long and arduous process. I have been going through the process for more than thirty years and I am not finished yet. I guess we are never really finished until we are at home with the Lord. The point is that we must press on forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. We need to continue in the process of losing ourselves that we may gain Him.
When we come into this world we are extremely egocentric. We are focused on ourselves and our needs. As babies, that is okay because that is how babies get their basic needs met for food, sleep, cleanliness, and comfort. But at some point we are supposed to grow up, we are supposed to become less egocentric. We are supposed to learn how to share, empathize, and care about those around us. We are supposed to regard others as more important than ourselves even. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" Philippians 2:3 (NASB) This is where we fall down, where we get stuck. So many of us have never moved beyond the egocentricities of childhood.
Jim Eliot said, "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." If we give up who we were to become who the Lord wants us to be, we are rich indeed. We gain more than we could ever lose. We gain the knowledge of Christ which means more than to know about Him. We come to the place where we know Him, we have a personal relationship with Him, and we live our lives for Him. We know Him in a personal way and He gives us salvation.
We also gain His righteousness. We go through life trying to be good, trying to be righteous and we always fall short. Many times our attempts at righteousness turn into self-righteousness. Until we admit the truth that we, by ourselves, are spiritually bankrupt, we can never understand that the righteousness we can have in Jesus is the only righteousness that is incorruptible. The sins that were to be put to our own accounts are instead put to Christ's account and it is reckoned to us as righteousness! Romans 4:22-25 says, "Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written, that 'It was reckoned to him,' but for our sakes also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." And we discover that our sins have been put on Christ's account on the cross. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
Finally, we gain the fellowship of Christ. When we become Christians, it is not the end but only the beginning. We begin to be transformed into His image which is, again, incorruptible. We need to let the resurrection power go to work in our lives to change us, to help us lose ourselves and become like Him. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galations 2:20 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Thank you that in the process of losing myself I gain more than I could possibly imagine. Help me to give up who I was to become who You want me to be. Teach me to count it all loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing You...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
As the Deer Panteth for the Water so My Soul Longeth After Thee
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Psalm 42:1 (KJV)
"I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments." Psalm 119:31
"With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!" Psalm 119:10 (ESV)
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Does your soul long for Him? Is He the most important thing is your life? Speaking from experience, the more time you spend with Him, the more time you will want to spend with Him. Our walk with the Lord is definitely cumulative! The more you stay on the path and follow after Him, the more you want to... It actually becomes too difficult to NOT be with Him. As God's word says in Psalm 19:9-11, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward." In this life, we seem to struggle with filling our lives with the wrong things. We want to dull the pain, fill the gap, change our tune, but we don't know how to, so we do things that end up making our situation worse. We want to fill that hole in our lives that only God can fill, but since we don't know Him, we fill it with other things, dangerous things or useless things, things that can't really help us but can definitely hurt us. We need to fill it with Him and only Him. We need to know Him. And you can't do that without spending time with Him in His Word.
So let's be as the deer panting for the water and let our souls long for Him. I guarantee you that the more you seek Him, the more you will find Him! "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 (NASB) Let us be like David who said, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 (NASB)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)
"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." I know this world can be very distracting. It can also be devastating. This world is full of heartache, heartbreak, and heartsickness. As God's children, we have the assurance of His presence through every difficulty and trial. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) Continue to seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him.
Dear Lord, Thank you that You are always there for us, waiting and watching, wanting to spend time with us and teach us who You really are. Help us to desire You, to seek You, to trust You. Help us to be continually walking behind You on the path of life...
"I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments." Psalm 119:31
"With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!" Psalm 119:10 (ESV)
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Does your soul long for Him? Is He the most important thing is your life? Speaking from experience, the more time you spend with Him, the more time you will want to spend with Him. Our walk with the Lord is definitely cumulative! The more you stay on the path and follow after Him, the more you want to... It actually becomes too difficult to NOT be with Him. As God's word says in Psalm 19:9-11, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward." In this life, we seem to struggle with filling our lives with the wrong things. We want to dull the pain, fill the gap, change our tune, but we don't know how to, so we do things that end up making our situation worse. We want to fill that hole in our lives that only God can fill, but since we don't know Him, we fill it with other things, dangerous things or useless things, things that can't really help us but can definitely hurt us. We need to fill it with Him and only Him. We need to know Him. And you can't do that without spending time with Him in His Word.
So let's be as the deer panting for the water and let our souls long for Him. I guarantee you that the more you seek Him, the more you will find Him! "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 (NASB) Let us be like David who said, "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 (NASB)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)
"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." I know this world can be very distracting. It can also be devastating. This world is full of heartache, heartbreak, and heartsickness. As God's children, we have the assurance of His presence through every difficulty and trial. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) Continue to seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him.
Dear Lord, Thank you that You are always there for us, waiting and watching, wanting to spend time with us and teach us who You really are. Help us to desire You, to seek You, to trust You. Help us to be continually walking behind You on the path of life...
Monday, May 17, 2010
Can You See Clearly? Unload Your Logs Here!
"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:2-5 (NASB)
I was walking with a friend yesterday and she began talking about this verse. She was sharing how the Lord had brought the verse to mind when she was upset with someone else's "speck". How many of us are walking around with logs sticking out of our eyes, logs that are obvious to everyone else, but not to us? The beginning of this verse reminds us that with the measure that we judge others, we also will be judged. Ouch! How often do I hear myself complaining about someone else's behavior without examining my own?
Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." We can barrel down the road of life with planks and logs sticking out of our eyes, but it seems to me that as Matthew 7, verse 5 says, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." I really want to see clearly, don't you? And according to this verse, we cannot see clearly unless we are continually examining ourselves. Most of us do not want to look at who we are and I am convinced that this is what leads to the wickedness and selfishness in the world. We have become very good at convincing ourselves that we are okay; it's everyone else who is out of wack.
We must take a good look at ourselves! We must daily compare ourselves to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)
"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV)
When we lived in Southern California, we had season passes to Disneyland. We used to go for a few hours on Sunday evenings when the lines were not very long! One of our favorite rides was the "log" ride Splash Mountain. Although we enjoyed the whole ride, the favorite part for most of us was the big downhill slide after which your log would bump along many turns sloshing water up into the log until you finally finished where you started. Above the unloading area hung a large wooden sign which read, "Unload Your Logs Here!" Well, as a family we loved to laugh together, and for some reason that sign made us laugh! We will still repeat the words of that sign at appropriate moments for a laugh. But all laughter aside, as believers we must "Unload Our Logs Here". Where is here? At the foot of the Cross...
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NASB)
Your job is to examine yourself; His job is to faithfully complete the good work which He began in you. The Bible says, "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalm 37:5 (NASB) and "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV).
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)
Dear Lord, I commit my way to You and I trust in You! I know that You are the Author and Perfecter of my faith and that You are faithful to complete the good work You began in me. Teach me to examine myself in the light of Your word and lead me in the way everlasting.
I was walking with a friend yesterday and she began talking about this verse. She was sharing how the Lord had brought the verse to mind when she was upset with someone else's "speck". How many of us are walking around with logs sticking out of our eyes, logs that are obvious to everyone else, but not to us? The beginning of this verse reminds us that with the measure that we judge others, we also will be judged. Ouch! How often do I hear myself complaining about someone else's behavior without examining my own?
Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." We can barrel down the road of life with planks and logs sticking out of our eyes, but it seems to me that as Matthew 7, verse 5 says, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." I really want to see clearly, don't you? And according to this verse, we cannot see clearly unless we are continually examining ourselves. Most of us do not want to look at who we are and I am convinced that this is what leads to the wickedness and selfishness in the world. We have become very good at convincing ourselves that we are okay; it's everyone else who is out of wack.
We must take a good look at ourselves! We must daily compare ourselves to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)
"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV)
When we lived in Southern California, we had season passes to Disneyland. We used to go for a few hours on Sunday evenings when the lines were not very long! One of our favorite rides was the "log" ride Splash Mountain. Although we enjoyed the whole ride, the favorite part for most of us was the big downhill slide after which your log would bump along many turns sloshing water up into the log until you finally finished where you started. Above the unloading area hung a large wooden sign which read, "Unload Your Logs Here!" Well, as a family we loved to laugh together, and for some reason that sign made us laugh! We will still repeat the words of that sign at appropriate moments for a laugh. But all laughter aside, as believers we must "Unload Our Logs Here". Where is here? At the foot of the Cross...
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NASB)
Your job is to examine yourself; His job is to faithfully complete the good work which He began in you. The Bible says, "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalm 37:5 (NASB) and "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV).
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)
Dear Lord, I commit my way to You and I trust in You! I know that You are the Author and Perfecter of my faith and that You are faithful to complete the good work You began in me. Teach me to examine myself in the light of Your word and lead me in the way everlasting.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Taste Buds
Did you know that at the back of your tongue there are rows of taste buds that can taste only bitter things? Many bitter substances tend to be poison so this is the body's last defense against ingesting poisonous things! My first reaction to this knowledge was, "Wow! God has thought of everything! Not only does He protect me with His presence, but He protects me with His amazing design." My second reaction was, "Wow! This information was given to me by someone speaking purely scientifically, not necessarily a person of faith." These are the kinds of things that keep confirming to me that God is the Creator of the universe and that He also created me. Tell me how something so specific could be possible without an intelligence making it so? And not only that, there are hundreds if not thousands, if not millions of other examples of this in our lives and in our world...
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth." Psalm 139:13-15 (ESV)
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Colossians 1:16 (NIV)
"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." John 1:3 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Help me to know it very well.
Have a wonderful weekend!
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth." Psalm 139:13-15 (ESV)
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Colossians 1:16 (NIV)
"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." John 1:3 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Help me to know it very well.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Where He leads Me...
This life can take us many places including places very far from the place we call home. I remember the first time we left our home state and moved to the other side of the country. Although it was a move we chose, I never understood how difficult it would be for me until I was there for a while. I loved all of the new experiences especially the first snowfall. I loved meeting the new people in my neighborhood and the school that we selected for our children. I loved the day trips to the Shaker Village, Plimouth Plantation, and Sturbridge Village, all living history museums. But the move was difficult for me because I was a homebody and a creature of habit. I liked knowing my way around and I didn't like getting lost. My first experience driving in the snow was skiddish! I mean I literally went skidding around the road nearly plowing into the side of a car turning left across my path when I wasn't left enough time to come to a full and complete stop in the snow. Thankfully, they made it past and I was able to stop. After that we put an antique iron drill press (I think it was a family heirloom) in the back of the station wagon to prevent fishtailing... And then we had studded snow tires put on.
It was when my neighbor across the street was praising me for finally becoming acclimated to New England that I suddenly realized how hard this had been on me and that I had finally moved on. I asked her what had clued her in to me being used to my new home. What she said surprised me.
"Oh, you don't talk about California very much any more. For months it was, 'In California, we do it this way...' or 'In California, the people are like this...'". She said I talked constantly about California! The odd thing is, I didn't even realize I was doing it! I must have been completely obnoxious...
Within four years, we had to move again, this time not by choice. I was devastated. I had grown to love New England and the people and the weather and the history. I did not want to leave. We put our house on the market, packed up a few bags, and moved to Southern California.
In November, we came back to pack up the house and say good bye to our neighbors and friends. I walked from room to room crying. We had so many happy memories within those walls and some very formative years in the lives of my children had taken place there. And me? I had grown tremendously. I had learned to trust God more, and I had learned to serve Him and His children. I think we depended on Him more because we had to. We didn't have any family or even friends to begin with. We had to rely on the Lord and we found Him completely reliable. We had learned to trust Him for everything.
In less than two years, we were moving again, from Southern California back to Northern California. I thought I had survived those two years quite well although it never felt like home. When the news came that we'd be heading north, I was confused and tired. I think that it was even harder for me than moving back to California because the time frame had been so short and I didn't want to return to the area where I grew up. This is when the song, "Where He leads Me" by Twila Paris became so important to me.
Where He Leads Me
There's a great, broad road * Through the meadow * And many travel there * But I have a gentle shepherd * I would follow anywhere * Up a narrow path * Through the mountains * To the valley far below * To be ever in His presence * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go * * And there are many wondrous voices * Day and night they fill the air * But there is one so small and quiet * I would know it anywhere * In the city or in the wilderness * There's a ringing crystal clear * And to be ever close beside Him * When He calls me I will hear * When He calls me I will hear * * There is a great, broad road to nowhere * And so many travel there * But I have a gentle shepherd * I would follow anywhere * Though the journey take me far away * From the place I call my home * To be ever in His presence * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go...
I realized then that as long as I was in His presence, my physical location didn't matter. I knew that when He calls me I will hear and where He leads me I will go...
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 (KJV)
Dear Lord, Where You lead me, I will follow. When You call me, I will hear.
It was when my neighbor across the street was praising me for finally becoming acclimated to New England that I suddenly realized how hard this had been on me and that I had finally moved on. I asked her what had clued her in to me being used to my new home. What she said surprised me.
"Oh, you don't talk about California very much any more. For months it was, 'In California, we do it this way...' or 'In California, the people are like this...'". She said I talked constantly about California! The odd thing is, I didn't even realize I was doing it! I must have been completely obnoxious...
Within four years, we had to move again, this time not by choice. I was devastated. I had grown to love New England and the people and the weather and the history. I did not want to leave. We put our house on the market, packed up a few bags, and moved to Southern California.
In November, we came back to pack up the house and say good bye to our neighbors and friends. I walked from room to room crying. We had so many happy memories within those walls and some very formative years in the lives of my children had taken place there. And me? I had grown tremendously. I had learned to trust God more, and I had learned to serve Him and His children. I think we depended on Him more because we had to. We didn't have any family or even friends to begin with. We had to rely on the Lord and we found Him completely reliable. We had learned to trust Him for everything.
In less than two years, we were moving again, from Southern California back to Northern California. I thought I had survived those two years quite well although it never felt like home. When the news came that we'd be heading north, I was confused and tired. I think that it was even harder for me than moving back to California because the time frame had been so short and I didn't want to return to the area where I grew up. This is when the song, "Where He leads Me" by Twila Paris became so important to me.
Where He Leads Me
There's a great, broad road * Through the meadow * And many travel there * But I have a gentle shepherd * I would follow anywhere * Up a narrow path * Through the mountains * To the valley far below * To be ever in His presence * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go * * And there are many wondrous voices * Day and night they fill the air * But there is one so small and quiet * I would know it anywhere * In the city or in the wilderness * There's a ringing crystal clear * And to be ever close beside Him * When He calls me I will hear * When He calls me I will hear * * There is a great, broad road to nowhere * And so many travel there * But I have a gentle shepherd * I would follow anywhere * Though the journey take me far away * From the place I call my home * To be ever in His presence * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go * Where He leads me I will go...
I realized then that as long as I was in His presence, my physical location didn't matter. I knew that when He calls me I will hear and where He leads me I will go...
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 (KJV)
Dear Lord, Where You lead me, I will follow. When You call me, I will hear.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Draw Me Near
"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)
When my children were young, I would spend time before they would go to sleep singing and praying with them. They each had a song which was their own, and I would use what power I had (which was precious little!) to sing these songs to them before they would close their eyes. My daughter's song was "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
Now you have to understand my daughter to understand what I am going to tell you next. We always said that she was born with a pencil in her hand. She began writing and drawing at a very early age. She has always been able to draw anything just by looking at it. When she was little, she thought that the "therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" meant that God was drawing her image with a pencil! Well, that is true to a certain extent because He does draw (creates) us in His image and I could definitely imagine Him sketching us out with this nose, and that color eyes, and this kind of hair (hers is very curly!) before we were even conceived. When I finally realized that she thought God was "drawing" her (and I don't remember how we discovered this fact. I really wish I could!), we had a conversation about how He draws His children toward Himself, as if He were pulling them up into His arms, holding them close with their heads against His chest (at least that is how I imagine it). I've never known whether changing her perception of "her" song was a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose I may never know...
God draws us near but we also need to draw near to Him as it says in these verses:
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:7-8a (NASB)
"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works." Psalm 73:28 (KJV)
"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:16 (ESV)
Our faith must be active. We need to be actively pursuing the Lord or we will find ourselves far away from Him. As Francis Chan said, "If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream." Keep following Him. Keep pursuing Jesus and lift up His name and proclaim it to everyone! Jesus said,
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 12:32 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Draw me near to you. Draw me with your amazing creation which shouts of Your creativity. Draw me with Your still, small voice. Draw me with Your everlasting love and lovingkindness. Help me draw near to You and lift You up from the earth, to proclaim Your love, and to be a part of You drawing all men to Yourself.
When my children were young, I would spend time before they would go to sleep singing and praying with them. They each had a song which was their own, and I would use what power I had (which was precious little!) to sing these songs to them before they would close their eyes. My daughter's song was "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."
Now you have to understand my daughter to understand what I am going to tell you next. We always said that she was born with a pencil in her hand. She began writing and drawing at a very early age. She has always been able to draw anything just by looking at it. When she was little, she thought that the "therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" meant that God was drawing her image with a pencil! Well, that is true to a certain extent because He does draw (creates) us in His image and I could definitely imagine Him sketching us out with this nose, and that color eyes, and this kind of hair (hers is very curly!) before we were even conceived. When I finally realized that she thought God was "drawing" her (and I don't remember how we discovered this fact. I really wish I could!), we had a conversation about how He draws His children toward Himself, as if He were pulling them up into His arms, holding them close with their heads against His chest (at least that is how I imagine it). I've never known whether changing her perception of "her" song was a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose I may never know...
God draws us near but we also need to draw near to Him as it says in these verses:
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:7-8a (NASB)
"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works." Psalm 73:28 (KJV)
"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:16 (ESV)
Our faith must be active. We need to be actively pursuing the Lord or we will find ourselves far away from Him. As Francis Chan said, "If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream." Keep following Him. Keep pursuing Jesus and lift up His name and proclaim it to everyone! Jesus said,
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 12:32 (NASB)
Dear Lord, Draw me near to you. Draw me with your amazing creation which shouts of Your creativity. Draw me with Your still, small voice. Draw me with Your everlasting love and lovingkindness. Help me draw near to You and lift You up from the earth, to proclaim Your love, and to be a part of You drawing all men to Yourself.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Give
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV)
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33 (NIV)
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:6-9
God calls some of us to go and some to give. My daughter and I were just trying to come up with the wording for an invitation to a fundraising event in support of her upcoming internship with International Justice Mission. We came up with many good possibilities and many silly sayings! We went from "Dig Deep! Give Hope!" to "Finance Freedom" to "EMPTY YOUR POCKETS!" God does call all of us to give but that is different than the gift of giving. Some have the unique ability to give large amounts to change the world. But don't let that cause us to justify! We all need to partake in His work all around the world even if we ourselves are not going. We each need to purpose what to give in our own hearts and then follow through with giving. We also need to remember that the measure that we use will be the measure used on us...
Dear Lord, Teach us to give with purpose and cheerfulness. Cause us to see the need in the world and to reach out the hand of friendship, either by going or by giving so others may go. Help us to remember the great blessings You have given us and to use those blessings for the furthering of Your kingdom...
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33 (NIV)
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:6-9
God calls some of us to go and some to give. My daughter and I were just trying to come up with the wording for an invitation to a fundraising event in support of her upcoming internship with International Justice Mission. We came up with many good possibilities and many silly sayings! We went from "Dig Deep! Give Hope!" to "Finance Freedom" to "EMPTY YOUR POCKETS!" God does call all of us to give but that is different than the gift of giving. Some have the unique ability to give large amounts to change the world. But don't let that cause us to justify! We all need to partake in His work all around the world even if we ourselves are not going. We each need to purpose what to give in our own hearts and then follow through with giving. We also need to remember that the measure that we use will be the measure used on us...
Dear Lord, Teach us to give with purpose and cheerfulness. Cause us to see the need in the world and to reach out the hand of friendship, either by going or by giving so others may go. Help us to remember the great blessings You have given us and to use those blessings for the furthering of Your kingdom...
Monday, May 10, 2010
Yes, Wait for the Lord!
"Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14
"Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it." Psalm 37:34
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
I know waiting is never easy! As a matter of fact it is probably one of the single hardest things for us to do, especially when there is something pending that needs to be resolved or fixed. Seldom do we have what it takes to let God handle the situation. We typically jump in and try to solve, resolve, or amend. We fix, redo, rework, or rerun. We are busy little bees when it comes to trying to make things the way we think they should be. What we frequently don't realize is that in "fixing" or "handling" a situation, we ultimately end up stalling or detouring God's plan for our lives and possibly the lives of others.
If we send ourselves on a detour, it can take days, months, or years for us to get back on track with the Lord. If we stall God's plans, especially in the middle of an intersection, the ramifications can permanently change the direction we are going. Perhaps the way God wants us to go is harder or easier, but what we must remember is that it is always better and there are things we need to learn along the way.
"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7 (NASB)
"May those who fear You see me and be glad, because I wait for Your word." Psalm 119:74 (NASB)
"But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning." Psalm 130:4-6 (NASB)
"The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness." Psalm 147:11
"But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." Romans 8:25 (NASB)
The Lord favors those who wait. Those who wait receive strength to continue waiting. Those who wait are an encouragement to all who fear the Lord. Waiting produces perseverance and hope. Those who wait will be exhalted and inherit the land.
"Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." Psalm 25:5 (ESV)
Do you long for the Lord and are you willing to wait for Him all day long, all week long, all month long, your whole life long? He calls us to wait for Him; are you willing to heed His call?
Dear Lord, Teach me to wait for You. Make me content in my waiting and give me the strength to continue to do so. Let me wait for You and long for You all day long...
"Wait for the LORD and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it." Psalm 37:34
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
I know waiting is never easy! As a matter of fact it is probably one of the single hardest things for us to do, especially when there is something pending that needs to be resolved or fixed. Seldom do we have what it takes to let God handle the situation. We typically jump in and try to solve, resolve, or amend. We fix, redo, rework, or rerun. We are busy little bees when it comes to trying to make things the way we think they should be. What we frequently don't realize is that in "fixing" or "handling" a situation, we ultimately end up stalling or detouring God's plan for our lives and possibly the lives of others.
If we send ourselves on a detour, it can take days, months, or years for us to get back on track with the Lord. If we stall God's plans, especially in the middle of an intersection, the ramifications can permanently change the direction we are going. Perhaps the way God wants us to go is harder or easier, but what we must remember is that it is always better and there are things we need to learn along the way.
"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7 (NASB)
"May those who fear You see me and be glad, because I wait for Your word." Psalm 119:74 (NASB)
"But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning." Psalm 130:4-6 (NASB)
"The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness." Psalm 147:11
"But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." Romans 8:25 (NASB)
The Lord favors those who wait. Those who wait receive strength to continue waiting. Those who wait are an encouragement to all who fear the Lord. Waiting produces perseverance and hope. Those who wait will be exhalted and inherit the land.
"Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long." Psalm 25:5 (ESV)
Do you long for the Lord and are you willing to wait for Him all day long, all week long, all month long, your whole life long? He calls us to wait for Him; are you willing to heed His call?
Dear Lord, Teach me to wait for You. Make me content in my waiting and give me the strength to continue to do so. Let me wait for You and long for You all day long...
Friday, May 7, 2010
God is Love
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 (NASB)
Nothing can separate us from the love of God! That is a promise that I hold on to with all of my might! Won't you hold on to it, too?
Thank you, Jesus, for this assurance! I pray, Lord, that this would be cemented in all of our hearts...
Have a wonderful weekend!
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 (NASB)
Nothing can separate us from the love of God! That is a promise that I hold on to with all of my might! Won't you hold on to it, too?
Thank you, Jesus, for this assurance! I pray, Lord, that this would be cemented in all of our hearts...
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Idols of a Nation
Psalm 135:15-18 "The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears , but they do not hear; nor is there any breath at all in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them."
Are the idols of our nation the "American Dream?" Do we idolize the way life should be and turn our backs on God when our "dreams" for ourselves don't turn out the way we want them to? What is the definition of idolatry? Well the simplest definition is that idolatry is the pursuit of what you consider most important. We tend to go after these things with our whole being and we will do whatever it takes to get what we want. We can idolize money, houses, cars, technology (and the use of it!), acceptance, dreams, and even our families! If you want to find out what is most important to you, sit down and look at your life and see what you spend the most time on. Look at what you do to get what you want. Is God sitting on the throne of your life or is something else?
Even our dreams of the way we thought our life would go can become most important and take our eyes off of the Lord. Perhaps you are going through something difficult: illness, job loss, loss of a loved one, financial distress, broken dreams for your family or your children. Some of us are very adept at trying to control our lives, but there comes a time when we can't control everything anymore, when something comes along that is just plain "out of our control". If you are in the midst of a situation like that consider this quote from C.S. Lewis:
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our circumstance, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
And this quote from Pete Wilson's new book Plan B, "We must be willing, if necessary, to abandon the life we've planned and dreamed of in order to receive the life that our God has authored for us."
You may not be able to choose everything that happens in your life. It's just not in your control, but you can choose how you respond to these circumstances.
Job 42:5 says, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You." Sometimes it takes adversity or a long journey in a different direction for us to see who God really is. If we have other things sitting on the throne of our lives (including ourselves), we may need to stop pursuing all those other things and turn our eyes upon Jesus. We may need to yield to our journey and keep our eyes fixed on Him.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3
Dear Lord, Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on You, the author and perfecter of faith. Help us to take down all of the other idols that we have set up in our lives including the idol of how we think life should be, and make us into the people You want us to be. Let us pursue You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to remember that even though we will have trouble in this world, You have overcome the world.
Are the idols of our nation the "American Dream?" Do we idolize the way life should be and turn our backs on God when our "dreams" for ourselves don't turn out the way we want them to? What is the definition of idolatry? Well the simplest definition is that idolatry is the pursuit of what you consider most important. We tend to go after these things with our whole being and we will do whatever it takes to get what we want. We can idolize money, houses, cars, technology (and the use of it!), acceptance, dreams, and even our families! If you want to find out what is most important to you, sit down and look at your life and see what you spend the most time on. Look at what you do to get what you want. Is God sitting on the throne of your life or is something else?
Even our dreams of the way we thought our life would go can become most important and take our eyes off of the Lord. Perhaps you are going through something difficult: illness, job loss, loss of a loved one, financial distress, broken dreams for your family or your children. Some of us are very adept at trying to control our lives, but there comes a time when we can't control everything anymore, when something comes along that is just plain "out of our control". If you are in the midst of a situation like that consider this quote from C.S. Lewis:
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our circumstance, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
And this quote from Pete Wilson's new book Plan B, "We must be willing, if necessary, to abandon the life we've planned and dreamed of in order to receive the life that our God has authored for us."
You may not be able to choose everything that happens in your life. It's just not in your control, but you can choose how you respond to these circumstances.
Job 42:5 says, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You." Sometimes it takes adversity or a long journey in a different direction for us to see who God really is. If we have other things sitting on the throne of our lives (including ourselves), we may need to stop pursuing all those other things and turn our eyes upon Jesus. We may need to yield to our journey and keep our eyes fixed on Him.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3
Dear Lord, Teach us to keep our eyes fixed on You, the author and perfecter of faith. Help us to take down all of the other idols that we have set up in our lives including the idol of how we think life should be, and make us into the people You want us to be. Let us pursue You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help us to remember that even though we will have trouble in this world, You have overcome the world.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Read, Read, Read!
I heard an amazing statistic a few weeks ago. A survey said that 80% of people never read another book after graduating from high school. It also said that another 70% of people never read another book after college...Can this be true?
The Bible says, "Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness..." 2 Timothy 2:14-16 (NASB). Or in the King James it says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (vs.15) We need to read, we need to study, we need to know the Word of Truth. How can we do this unless we read?
You may say, "I'm too busy!" or "I barely have enough time to watch the nightly news!" Well then, you need to make time to read God's Word, to read for pleasure, to read to understand. There are so many amazing books that speak God's truth to us through the explanation of His word, through life stories of ordinary people who have made God the center of their lives, and through writers who want to help us walk by faith and know why we can trust God with all of our tomorrows.
So turn off the television. Make one less trip to the gym. Set your priorities straight and spend time reading and studying to show yourself approved, a workman who need not be ashamed, one who can rightly apply the word of truth. Then when the difficult times in life come (for we know they will), you'll have peace because, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)
"If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:32, 36 (NASB)
"He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart will be called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly." Proverbs 16:20-22 (NASB)
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11 (NASB)
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." 2 Peter 1:2-4
Please don't NOT read these verses. My son told me, "Oh, Mom, I didn't read all of the verses. You should incorporate them into your writing." He may be right. Perhaps I should. But I set them apart for a reason. I set them apart because I don't want you to miss how God's Word answers our questions, gives us hope and everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Please READ them... Force yourself to read them; whatever you have to do to read them, do it! I promise you that if you do and you do so regularly, you will be changed.
Dear Lord, Help me to place the value I should on Your Word! And help me not to just value it in thought and word but also in practice. Help me to spend time reading it and other valuable writings by people who know You and love You so that I might be a workman showing myself approved, able to handle Your word correctly. And able to have Your peace in the midst of all life's circumstances.
The Bible says, "Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness..." 2 Timothy 2:14-16 (NASB). Or in the King James it says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (vs.15) We need to read, we need to study, we need to know the Word of Truth. How can we do this unless we read?
You may say, "I'm too busy!" or "I barely have enough time to watch the nightly news!" Well then, you need to make time to read God's Word, to read for pleasure, to read to understand. There are so many amazing books that speak God's truth to us through the explanation of His word, through life stories of ordinary people who have made God the center of their lives, and through writers who want to help us walk by faith and know why we can trust God with all of our tomorrows.
So turn off the television. Make one less trip to the gym. Set your priorities straight and spend time reading and studying to show yourself approved, a workman who need not be ashamed, one who can rightly apply the word of truth. Then when the difficult times in life come (for we know they will), you'll have peace because, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)
"If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:32, 36 (NASB)
"He who gives attention to the word shall find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wise in heart will be called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the discipline of fools is folly." Proverbs 16:20-22 (NASB)
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11 (NASB)
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." 2 Peter 1:2-4
Please don't NOT read these verses. My son told me, "Oh, Mom, I didn't read all of the verses. You should incorporate them into your writing." He may be right. Perhaps I should. But I set them apart for a reason. I set them apart because I don't want you to miss how God's Word answers our questions, gives us hope and everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Please READ them... Force yourself to read them; whatever you have to do to read them, do it! I promise you that if you do and you do so regularly, you will be changed.
Dear Lord, Help me to place the value I should on Your Word! And help me not to just value it in thought and word but also in practice. Help me to spend time reading it and other valuable writings by people who know You and love You so that I might be a workman showing myself approved, able to handle Your word correctly. And able to have Your peace in the midst of all life's circumstances.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Book Reviews
Plan B by Pete Wilson
The book Plan B by Pete Wilson is an excellently written and well organized foray into the difficult subject of What do You do When God Doesn't Show up the Way You Thought He Would. Wilson explores the realm of dreams and lost dreams when your life takes a turn and you find yourself on a path that you never wanted to be on, a path which may include tragedy, illness, job loss, depression, and many other similar life events which are not on our "to do" list. He asks the question that many ask, "Where is God in all of this?"
Although Pete Wilson doesn't purport to have the answers, he has sound advice and godly wisdom on how we can deal with the unexpected and unwelcomed turns our lives may take, and how we can prepare ourselves for those inevitable difficulties. The book is sprinkled with the stories of Biblical heroes and everyday people who have had to deal with Plan B situations. He handles the subject with grace and truth, bringing us the assurance that even when we can't seem to feel God's presence, He never has nor will He ever leave us or forsake us.
Disclaimer: As a book reviewer, I receive advanced copies of books from the publisher and am not reimbursed for my reviews.
The book Plan B by Pete Wilson is an excellently written and well organized foray into the difficult subject of What do You do When God Doesn't Show up the Way You Thought He Would. Wilson explores the realm of dreams and lost dreams when your life takes a turn and you find yourself on a path that you never wanted to be on, a path which may include tragedy, illness, job loss, depression, and many other similar life events which are not on our "to do" list. He asks the question that many ask, "Where is God in all of this?"
Although Pete Wilson doesn't purport to have the answers, he has sound advice and godly wisdom on how we can deal with the unexpected and unwelcomed turns our lives may take, and how we can prepare ourselves for those inevitable difficulties. The book is sprinkled with the stories of Biblical heroes and everyday people who have had to deal with Plan B situations. He handles the subject with grace and truth, bringing us the assurance that even when we can't seem to feel God's presence, He never has nor will He ever leave us or forsake us.
Disclaimer: As a book reviewer, I receive advanced copies of books from the publisher and am not reimbursed for my reviews.
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