It's Not Over

God always comes through.  Today, I wasn't to sure what I was going to be writing about.  But God knew.  Not only does it talk about His plan, but it in and of itself, this waiting to see what He want's to say today, was an object less as well.

I am slowly going through a small devotional given out at my church for Easter....yes, Easter, and yes I said slowly.  LOL  But I'm at the end of it now as we come to Jesus on the Cross.  And to today's encouraging visit from our loving Father.

The last two paragraphs state:  "Jesus' journey did not end in pain and suffering though.  Jesus journeyed through suffering to end suffering....In compassion, Jesus suffered and died to create a road that leads out of misery, out of suffering, into life.

Your journey will not end in suffering because Jesus' journey did not end there.  Jesus' journey continued on, on to the tomb and through it, into life eternal in the Kingdom of God."

We all have things in life that are deep, abiding disappointments.  Myself included.  There are things in the past we wish we could go back and do or undo that have brought bitter, difficult fruit into the present. And looking through that bitterness we see only darkness for the future.  If I dwell on certain things too long, my heart finds itself living in a sad cell of hopelessness.

These two paragraphs today lifted my spirit and renewed my hope.  It's not over.  Decisions of the past, mistaken or unwise as they may have been, do not get the final say.  They do not have to be the brush that colors our futures.  God does that!  And He has a plan.  None of our failures or mistakes determine the outcome for our lives.  God does that too!  What a wonderful visit this is!

Jeremiah 29:11  "For I now the plans I have for you," says the Lord.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Romans 8:28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  

Just like I didn't know how today's entry was going to come out, I don't know how my life will unfold either....yet God had an awesome entry planned  for today and He has an equally awesome plan for my life....and for yours!   Isn't it so cool how He strings these thing together to get His point across!

Lord, thank You for the encouraging word You send.  And thank You for letting me have the blessing of sharing it with others.  I pray that all of us will take it and embrace it as our own, and believe even when everything tells us not to.  You are Lord of everything!  I am so grateful.  I am so touched by You.

In what way can you tangibly take one step toward believing the Lord has good plans for you today?

Rejoice And Be Glad

I just posted about a wonderful miracle that the Lord sent my way.  I mentioned in that post that I say a verse in my head, and sometimes out loud before I get out of bed in the morning.  As I looked up the "Biblical address" for the verse in my concordance ( I knew it was in Psalms, but didn't know exactly where) I found a few more that spoke of rejoicing  and being glad.  I strongly feel the Lord wants me to share them here.

Psalm 9:2  I will be glad and rejoice in You;  I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

Psalm 31:7  I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities,

Psalm 32:11  Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 40:16  Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”

Psalm 90:14  Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

Psalm 118:24  This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Perhaps you would like to pick one of these, or the many others that are in the Lord's Word to make your own.

Electronic Miracle!

The camera on my six week old phone stopped working.  Really!!  This is ridiculous.  It started over the weekend.  One night it was working, the next day it was not.  I couldn't believe this.  Okay, no big deal you say, and in reality and in the "big-ness" of the problems of the world you would be right. But for me it was slightly more than minor issue.  There is the time that it takes to get something like this straightened out....down to the phone store, standing waiting for a customer service rep....then the inevitable question, "Do you have insurance?'  It's not even two months old for crying out loud!! Two possible scenarios kept running through my head.  One, they would not be willing to help me at all, and two, they would take my phone to send away for service which would leave me without a phone....and in this day and age, well lets just say most of us are quite addicted to these little 4-6 inch devices we carry around in our pockets and handbags!  And I am no exception.  Also, these small boxes of circuitry have become our main way of keeping in touch with the people in our lives and the world around us.

So I opened my eyes this morning...said my good mornings to the Lord, and the Bible verse that I have made my mantra before I get out of bed "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it (from Psalm 118:24)."  And immediately my mind went to the day's schedule and I said a little prayer...."Lord, it would be really nice if that camera worked on the phone."  So one more time I tried it.  And this time.....it worked!!  A miracle in my book!!

I am so grateful.  What a blessing for today.  Thank You Lord....to You be the glory.  Lord, let me never cease to proclaim the good things You do for me.

Miracles come in all sizes and shapes.  This was mine today.  Ask the Lord to open your heart and eyes to the miracles all around you.  I think we will all be amazed.

Didn't Want to Hear This!

After working at the Post Office for 31 years I've gotten a bit (just a bit, lol) tired of the day to day nonsense.  I know I am supposed to have patience.  I know I am to turn the other cheek, extend mercy.....but honestly when I am in the day to day trenches....dealing with an organization that for the most part seems to throw logic and common sense out every window and door, co-workers who make a career out of getting out of work, and supervisors who cannot or will not deal with the issues....lets just say I lose my mind a lot and leave it at that!  I said to one of my co-workers a couple of days ago, "I just can't seem to help myself....I see wrong things and just have to say something! It just comes right out of my mouth!"  Oh, but God was not going to leave that one alone!

So the next day dawns, a beautiful day, sunshine and warm temperatures and off I go for a jog.  Pop in my ear phones and put on my Joyce Meyer podcast....always enlightening, always helpful....and sometimes, well sometimes our of her mouth comes things I'd rather not hear.  God's little corrections!  Joyce spoke on not defending ourselves, and keeping our mouths shut! Hmmm....really, really don't want to hear this!  But she went on the use Jesus as an example, who when at the end of His earthly mission, never answered His critics, never defended Himself, and never complained about the treatment He was receiving at the hands of evil men.  All that He suffered, all He endured and yet He never opened His mouth in complaint or defense.  Amazing.  Isaiah 53:7  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth.  And you know what else Joyce said?  She said, "Yes, you can!"  Yes, you can do this too.  Yes, you can not complain, gossip, criticize, correct and just all around speak negatively.  And yes I can.  The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in me.  So yes I can!

This is hard.  This means swallowing a lot of pride, a lot of self righteousness, a lot of words.  This means running to the throne almost constantly, crying out for strength to control my mouth.  I know my emotions will be kicking and screaming. The "it's not fair-ites" will raise their ugly little heads. These thoughts that pop into my head and out of my mouth are not pet sins that I can continue to entertain, continue to justify in my mind.  They are sin and I need to deal with them and work with the Lord to rid my life of them.

Hebrews 4:16  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  

As I continued on my jog the Lord led my thinking to the armor of God.  He brings correction, but He also comes with the solution.  Ephesians 6:11-17  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against might powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. My focus was drawn to the breastplate, or body armor of God's righteousness and the shield of faith. God's righteousness is our guard....nothing should pass through either way that is unrighteous....whether from the world, unrighteousness should not be let into our heart, or outward from our hearts to the world.  The shield of faith needs to be lifted up to deflect the arrows of stress, annoying circumstances, co-workers, basically just all the goofiness of this fallen world.

So how did I do last night?  Better.  Not perfect.  But better.  And I am grateful for that.  A work in progress!

Lord help me to move forward in this area.  Let each of us see the truth of our sin, the truth of what it actually is in this world....so much more than what can be seen by our physical eyes and felt by our physical hearts.  Open our eyes.  Give us insight into what our words are really accomplishing and who and what they are building up.  Lord, I want to build up Your kingdom, not the enemies.

Today, put on the armor God has given you.  Where can you  build God's kingdom with your words?

Pleasing God....Continued !

This was the post to my Facebook page from a long time friend of mine!  I felt like it was God saying, "Yes, you are on the right track.  I'm talking to you!"

"...All I really need!"  Well, yes, but my flesh wants everyone to like me.  My flesh wants approval and recognition.  My flesh wants to have my own way....Waaaaaaa!

Yesterday there was some mail left on the floor.....AGAIN!  And one of my coworkers sat there for a least an hour ignoring it.  (He wasn't working mind you)  And I could feel the Lord prodding me....pick it up.  Put it where it belongs.  Here goes the flesh, "I'm not going to do that...no way!  I didn't put it there.  I didn't take that mail in from the mailer!  That coworkers sitting there doing nothing!  That mail is really heavy!"  Oh my, did I want to please my flesh.  I wanted my own approval!  But I couldn't approve of myself if I disobeyed the Lord, could I?  So after about two hours of arguing with my conscience and the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit I picked up the trays of mail. I can't say I did it with the best attitude.  I did it grudgingly.  And I told the Lord so...."I'll do it but I won't like it!"  was the bratty inclination of my thinking.  But as I sit here now, I know I was approved of the Lord for my obedience to His leading.  And you know what, that is really enough for me.

Whether we are living to please our flesh, or the people around us, we will never be happy, never feel at peace until we lay those goals down and live only to please our heavenly Father.  That is where true satisfaction and joy lies.  I'm finding this out through this new season with the Lord.  It's tough. I've always struggled with self-esteem and inferiority issues.  But this series of God visits is leading me to a new level of maturity and growth.

A big thank you to my friend for her obedience to the Lord in posting that quotation.  It was the perfect "God timing !"  And the biggest thank you goes to the Lord Himself for working with me, loving me and making me feel accepted and perfect just as I am, in His sight....(well, He's trying and I am aiming for that deep down knowledge LOL).  Us humans are always a work in progress, right?

Lord, help each of us to live with one goal in mind....pleasing You.  Remind us daily, hourly, minute by minute....whatever it takes to make this mindset a lifestyle.  Thank You.

Who will you live to please today?  Pick one area in your life where you usually live to please others, and ask God to show you how to please Him.



 

Baptism

Acts 2:38  Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


Romans 6:4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Please God

I've been a little down on myself lately....getting that "not good enough" record playing in my head. You know, sometimes you think you are past something and it seeps back out of some long forgotten dark closet in your mind.  Thankfully the Lord had the answers, as He always does.  And it came in a couple of stages.....always stringing teaching and comfort together, that's our God!

The first thing He told  me was:  "You've been looking for praise from people, not from Me.  Look to Me!"  I felt this sentence well up withing my heart and mind so clearly, I knew it could only be from the Holy Spirit.  What a blessing that we have Him living with us, in us, always there, always our teacher and strength.  First comes the correction.

As I got into the car to go wherever I was headed that day (feel like I spend more time running around here, there and everywhere some days!  Errands, errands, errands!!) my kind heavenly Father sent a beautiful song, as He so often does.  I felt wrapped in His love and approval.  My heart melted. Secondly, He sent His comfort and assurance.

Thirdly, came the prescription for healing and change.  I was reading a magazine article which included the verse Galatians 1:10.  "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.  If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."  It is only His approval I seek, only His smile I desire.  This is the balm to my heart when dealing with self-doubt and the feelings of always lacking, coming up short of others expectations.

Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37...you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.  When I seek (I am not perfect in this area by any stretch of the imagination, but I am working toward this goal) to do that, I naturally want to please Him and Him alone...The Lord becomes my focus.  After that I can start loving others, and become a blessing to them, not trying to appease them for selfish reasons, to win approval.

Lord, we live for You.  Help me to keep that in mind as I go through my day.  When feelings of inadequacy rise up in me, let me know that in You, I am always enough....I am just what You want me to be, who You made me to be....and that is good.  We are valuable because we are Your creations!  Pslam 139:14  Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.  

What areas in your life do you feel inadequate in?  Is it an area God called you to?  Then remember, He will be Your sufficiency.  Seek His smile not the applause of men.

Seeking

Psalm 105:4  Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!  

That was today's daily verse from the Bible app on my phone.  I try to read it before I even leave the snuggly warm comfort of my blankets in he morning.  I figure the best way to start my thinking off right is to start with the Word of God!  Heaven knows I do enough junk thinking during the rest of the day!  LOL

As I lay there, I thought about this verse for a few minutes and kind of felt a bit discouraged that I seem to lose the Lord in the busyness of daily activities...Thankfully, I reconnect throughout the day. But I want more!!  I want His presence continually!!  And this verse tells me I am to seek after that. It's not just about Him "visiting" me, but about me seeking Him out.

So now my questions arise.  How?  How do I seek Him continually?  Prayer.  Bible reading.  Bible apps on the phone,  Good music on the radio.  Talking about Him.  Fellowship with other believers. Turning my mind back to His presence.  Meditating on Him, His Word, His blessings.  Thankfulness. There really are a lot of ways to keep our awareness up.

Lord, help us to utilize all the resources, especially the blessed Holy Spirit who lives in us to remain in Your presence continually.  We all have so many distractions, good things, bad things....they turn our eyes away from You.  Lord, be forefront in my thoughts and in my heart.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Today, the Lord asks you to turn your thoughts to His presence.  How will you do that today?  

Abide

Speaking of the Cross in a daily devotional from a couple of days ago, Oswald Chambers writes, "It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God.  But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.  The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ.  

Wow.  What a profound concept.  That has been ringing around the corners of my mind on and off.  It seems to land then take flight again when I want it to stay and take root.  It is such a deep, and I believe eventually, illuminating statement that I just want to focus on it and make it my own.  Life in the Cross.  Abiding where love, sacrifice, mercy, and justice met.  And living out of that.  How?  How do I make it mine, how do I walk it out?  The Cross is the place where I was brought back into rightness, into relationship with my Creator.   So the Cross is a place of relationship.  Of restoration. And this is where the Lord is leading my thinking.  The spark of an idea from Mr. Chamber's devotional is now growing through the work of the Holy Spirit.  This little God visit in the form of a couple of sentences is one of those heart shaking moments that shift the paradigm of our way of walking out our beliefs.  

Am I living in the place of the Cross?  Not as much as I would like that's for sure.  Selfishness, busyness, me-ness kind of get in the way.   I think what happens more often than not is the remembrance of the Cross gets shifted to the back of our thinking as the cares of this life crowd it out. I believe it will take a lifetime of practice to get to the place where living out of Christ's love and sacrifice is as necessary and as natural as breathing.  Life is busy.  Good things,  important things, necessary things, people things, job things, family things.....it's what we do.  I am still working on reconciling these two worlds....the flesh and bone world I walk in and the world of my redemption, the Cross.  How do they fit together?  How do I live in one while living for the other?  

I guess I may be leaving you guys with more questions than answers.  I think that's okay.  Abiding in the Cross of Christ, the place of sacrifice, reconciliation and love is, like I said, going to take a lifetime of practice and figuring out.  At least for me.  But if I can get you thinking in that direction, like Oswald Chambers did me, then that is enough for today. 

I pray now, that the Holy Spirit will continue to work this concept out in my life and in yours.  Lord, let us be rooted and grounded in Your Cross.  

Pray!    

Trust

As I penned here on Thursday, it was quite the week of bad news.  One sad thing after the other seemed to be told to me and as the weekend went by, the despairing trend continued.  It really was a very heartbreaking weekend indeed.  Saturday night I was told my in-laws lost their much loved little dog, Mango.  Such a sweet little guy.  We will all miss him so much.  At this time, I was also grieving with a friend over the illness of her one year old kitten.  This was a little one that I had helped nurture when he first came to us at the shelter.  He felt like one of my own. Couple this with the loss of the old friend I spoke of last week, and thinking about the burdens left on her daughter's shoulders and some other difficulties that arose during the week....  let's just say praying was almost becoming as natural as breathing to me.   I'm pretty sure that's the way it's supposed to be anyway.

Sunday morning I received a text from my friend with the kitten, Junior.  He wasn't doing well and she was taking him to a specialist that day.  It was with a heavy heart I went to church that morning. After I finished crying on a dear sister's shoulder....I grabbed our bulletin for that week....and this was what it said on the cover.

Is this amazing or what?  We have an awesome and loving God.  Who among all the world can claim such a blessing and truth but us as Christians!?!  Were all the troubles and sorrows still around me? Yes.  Did I have peace in my heart?  Yes.  My friend still lost her Junior.  Mango had a good long life even if it was time to leave his earthly family.  And I know there are animals in Heaven.  The daughter of that old friend will be taken care of by our Lord and my financial shock will be provided for.  God will take care of all this and more.  

Sometimes we do not like or understand the answers to our prayers or the circumstances we are forced to endure..  Barbara leaving behind so much unfinished, and her family with so much need was one of them.  My friend losing a one year old kitten is another (I get the picture of Junior and Mango dancing around the feet of Jesus as they greet their creator).   But that's where faith comes in. These hard times stretch our faith, pushing its boundaries to  uncomfortable places we would rather not go.  Safety, we like....uncertainty and loss, not so much.  It is in these times that the Lord is working on more than just our earthly matters and situations.  He is going deeper.  

I am grateful that He does not leave us without encouragement.  But even if He was silent, it is still my job, and yours to trust.  This time, the Lord chose to send me a beautiful assurance that all was well....other times He may not.  Either way He is in control and on the throne and doing only good for us and those we love, whether two-legged or four.  (He saw all of His creation as good....animals as well as humans.)  

Thank You Lord for working in our lives, even in the hardest of times.  I know You understand our sadness, our devastation as You felt it too, and feel it now with us.  Wrap Your arms around those who are suffering.  Comfort them with Your love.  

Please be an encouragement to someone who is hurting today.  Let the Lord use us to help someone who is burdened by hard and sorrowful circumstances.  Ask the Lord to bring that person to your walk through this day.