Believe Because

The Lord has been doing one of those “strung together” lessons for me.   They usually come over several days or weeks and all point to one thing that God wants me to understand or learn.  

Number one: A few weeks ago I heard a message from Joyce Meyer posing a question asking, “If you are believing God for something and don’t get what you’re asking for, will you still believe God?”

Fast forward to yesterday’s devotional reading that put forth the statement:  “Christian joy is the confidence that ‘God’s got this no matter what ‘this’ is.”

After reading the devotional and doing the journaling asked for I turned to reading through the Psalms to finish out my lunch with the Lord.  I came across this verse that was another link in the beautiful necklace the Lord was creating for me to wear.  Psalm 89:15-16 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of Your Presence, Lord.  They rejoice all day long in Your wonderful reputation.  They exult in Your righteousness.

My  heart was caught by verse 16 and the words "Your wonderful reputation."  That is the reason behind our belief, our faith, our joy.  God's wonderful reputation.  Who He is.  What He does.  His faithfulness.  His lovingkindness.  This is who our Father is and we can rest in Him....even when things do go the way we want them to, even when His answer to our prayers is not lining up with our desire.  

Resting in this truth, the truth that God has always got our back, and is always working for our good and never does anything unkind frees us to live in peace.  Yet we so often fret and fuss and worry.  Give Him our troubles then take them back.  Live in turmoil and upset because we are not resting in His love and wisdom, not believing His "wonderful reputation."  How crazy we humans can be!  

Lord, forgive us when we doubt who You are.  Forgive us when we fail to believe in Your goodness, faithfulness and love.  Thank You for being so very patient with us.  Help us to remember Your wonderful reputation.  Let us be the happy ones who hear and respond the joyful call to worship.  You are worthy!  And there is no place we'd rather be than living in the light of Your presence.  In the holy and worthy name of our Savior and our God, Jesus Christ.  Amen!!!  

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock; His deeds are perfect.  Everything He does is just and fair.  He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is.  

Carry this verse in your heart.  

Forgiveness is Not Optional

I'm back with the same devotional again.  I am just loving this little gem!  Forgive and Free written by Jane L. Fryar.  Today's question, "Write about a time you found it hard to forgive someone who wronged or hurt you in some way.  How did this grudge limit your freedom?  Was the final  outcome God pleasing or is the Holy Spirit still at work in the situation?"

So I thought about this and the Lord brought to mind the situation we had a few years ago when we had a gentleman come to rebuild our deck.  The situation turned into a mini nightmare, with delays, dishonesty and overall shady dealings.  I was so angry.  I'd mull the things the man said over in my head, think about what I would say or not say when next I spoke with him....usually in the middle of the night when I was supposed to be sleeping.  My heart and head were in turmoil, my stomach upset and stress level through the roof.  Ultimately we ended up going with someone else to finish the project, but the Lord didn't let me get away for anger in unforgiveness living in my heart.  

Yes, this person did wrong.  But that didn't leave me off the hook to bless this person.  Jesus told us in Matthew 5:44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  Ugh!  I didn't like this person and I didn't like what they did.  Now I was being instructed to pray for them.  LOL  Yaay.

I started simply, asking God to bring this man to salvation, to bless him with salvation.  After a while I could pray a little more..."Lord, bless him."   Over the next few months I felt anger give way to compassion.  When next I saw this gentleman a couple of years later, he looked so broken.  My heart was moved to sadness for him.  I could see the lostness.  It's been about 3 or 4 years since we did the deck, and I am still led to pray for him.  And I know that is God and I know that God will work in the person's life and bring about salvation and deliverance.  

Now to the God visit.  This day's devotional question came at the perfect time to help a friend of mine who had just talked to me last night about a co-worker who is bringing him a lot of grief at work.  My friend's heart is filled with some much anger and unforgiveness towards this person that it is literally making them sick.  I don't in any way believe it is a coincidence that the Lord led me to review my own journey with unforgiveness and share it with my friend.  God is amazing!  

Forgiving someone is not a matter of feelings, it's a matter of obedience and faith.  God tells us in Matthew 6:14-15  “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.  It's not optional!

Lord, thank You so much for the forgiveness You offer us.  I am such a sinful, fallen, fallible, prideful person there is no way I should ever withhold forgiveness from others.  I have been forgiven so much.  But Lord You know how difficult it is for us to let go of things when our feelings are involved.  Help us get to the place of obedience and faith.  Lord, thank You for being so timely in Your dealings with us.  Thank You for letting us be an encouragement to others, sharing our struggles and victories so that we can all grow in You.  Lord, I pray especially right now for anyone struggling with unforgiveness, that You would give them the strength to obey and to leave in Your hands their situations, the people that have down the wrong and the emotions which so easily take control of our hearts and minds.  And I pray that You will work out each situation to Your perfect plan and to Your glory.  In Jesus perfect Name.  Amen.  

Devotionals, Prayers and God Visits

Devotionals are great tools for the Christian.  They help us focus, inspire, encourage, correct and direct.  They can be the impetus for prayer, for change, for deepening our relationship with Jesus.  They are great for the days we have only a few moments before the chaos starts.  Devotionals can be the catalyst to prayerful communion with our Father, awakening thoughts and ideas that may never have occurred to us had we not spent these directed moments with Him. Most of us have access to or physically own a myriad of devotional books or booklets.  Yaay!  The ladies received a new devotional booklet at church on Mother's Day and I'm already reaping the benefits of this little gem.  It's called "Forgiven and Free," and it's published by and organization called CTA.  

Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.  That was the verse that spurred the question given in the book, "How would it free your heart to know for sure that you are included in the our and us of Psalm 103:12.  This was the jumping off point for my communication with the Lord a couple of days ago and it brought me to an all too familiar place of direction and correction that I needed this week.  

Intellectually I know this verse to be truth.  My heart sometimes is a different matter.  It's like I know I'm forgiven.  I know I'm included but I still feel so wretched and unworthy of being a child of God.  I can't separate my "who from my do."  I know I'm in Christ, but I can't feel or see myself there.  I make my sin bigger than God's truth.  

And so as I prayed over this verse, the Lord brought me through a series of verses reminding me of His thoughts and outlook on what He calls "my unbelief."  

Psalm 78:21  When the Lord heard them He was furious.  The fire of His wrath burned against Jacob.  Yes, His anger rose against Israel, for they did not believe God or trust His care for them.  Ouch!  That is not how I want to be seen in my Father's eyes.  

Hebrews 3:7-8  Today, when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.

Hebrews 3:12  Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.  Make sure your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.  

Hebrews 4:3a  For only we who believe can enter this rest. 

Okay then.  There we are.  Stop being an unbeliever!  Do I trust the Lord's forgiveness or not?  Do I trust His care or not?  Why can't I just rest in this truth?  Think of the peace and the joy we forfeit!  Not to mention the insult to our Savior who was tortured and killed to bring us into a place of reconciliation and redemption.  Wow, do I really want to be this insulting?  The answer to that rhetorical question would be a resounding "NO!"

It is time to stop making my sin and wretchedness bigger than God.  The last verse I was given during this time of prayer and fellowship with my Father:  Hebrews 4:16  Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Ahhh, the Lord brings correction, then applies the soothing balm that heals.  What a beautiful Savior!  

The Lord wants us to come before Him in humble confidence.  Sounds like an oxymoron, right?  But when our confidence is in Jesus and not in ourselves we can boldly run to our Father with joy, with love and with faith, knowing that we are accepted and treasured.  

Lord, with all my heart I ask forgiveness for once again making my sin, myself bigger than You.  I ask forgiveness for not trusting Your care and Your Word.  Create in me a clean heart.  Cleanse me from all my transgressions.  And thank You for Your faithfulness.  Lord, increase our ability to accept Your Word as truth, not just in our heads but in our hearts.  We fall upon our knees at Your throne, filled with gratitude and love.  Hallelujah!!!  As far as the east is from the west, we are forgiven and are free to live the abundant life You have for us.  Let us bring You glory and shout it from the rooftops!  We are Your forgiven and much loved children!  In Jesus' saving Name.  Amen!! 

Be a believer!  And break out a new  or long forgotten devotional today.

Verses for the Day....and Then Some

Psalm 32:8  The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you. 

Psalm 143:8  Let me hear of Your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting You.  Show me where to walk for I have come to You in prayer.

Psalm 119:35  Make me walk along the path of Your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. 

These are the verses on the index card I pulled from my pocketbook one day last week when I was worrying over the upcoming decisions.  I am getting better about trusting God with all this, but I still find myself jumping back into the sea of doubt.   It's a little less often, and I get out and away from those waves more quickly than I was....I am very grateful for that, but it is an ongoing process.  And once again, the Lord has patience and sends His assurances.  What a wonderful Father we have!  

These promises are ours.  I see them as seeds the Lord plants in our hearts that will grow strong and true.  From these little seeds of His Word grows the mighty trees of faith.  

Lord, thank You for Your care, for Your love, and for Your patience.  Continue to work the doubts out of our hearts and help us to grown more and more in faith.  We know You are worthy and wise.  And I come to You in praise and adoration.  Hallelujah!! 

From Joyce Meyer today:  We need to not just believe God for something, but we need to just believe God.  Think about that.