Psalm 23:1-4 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me besides the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Names sake. Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.
Each Christmas we hear about the shepherds that were keeping their sheep when the angels appeared and brought them the good news of Christ's birth. These were no ordinary shepherds but men who were tasked with watching over the flock whose lambs were used for sacrifice.
I've been reading two books, one by David Roper called "The Song of a Passionate Heart Psalm 23" and another by Rick Renner called, "Christmas, the Rest of the Story" In these two books I've been learning more about what a shepherd does and how much they care for the sheep. It's been such a beautiful way to see Jesus anew.
John 10:7-16 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
He is our good shepherd who laid down His life for us. But there is so much more a shepherd does for His sheep, that Jesus does for us.
Isaiah 40:10-11 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. 11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.
In David Roper's book, he described how a good shepherd knows each and every sheep. He knows their personalities, their peculiarities, their pace...everything about them so that He can care for each as needed. He knows who has to be carried, those that go at a slower pace because they have injuries. The nursing Moms and the pushy bullies. Those that are afraid and those that want to be out in front. And like a shepherd with his flock, God knows each of us as well. He knows our hurts and habits, our limitations and our strengths, and He works with us and in us accordingly. He never pushes but gently leads us in paths of righteousness. When needed, He carries each of us next to his heart.
Shepherds led their sheep to rich pastures, protected waters, providing for their needs. Their staff had a crook that could remove them from perilous situations and help keep them from wandering. The rod, or club would be a weapon used against beasts who were dangerous to the sheep. I wonder how many bad situations God has kept me from and how many battles He has fought on my behalf that I know nothing about. And when I've strayed, just like a good shepherd God searches for me until I am found and brought back to the fold.
Our heavenly Shepherd gentle, sweet, ferocious and protective. Loving and strong. Wise and patient. He leads, cares for, loves and provides for His wayward and wandering flock. What a beautiful blessing!
Lord, thank You for being our good shepherd, the One who gives His life for us. I am in awe of You, as always.
Do some research on shepherds and see how much God cares for you.
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in Gid and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments. One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about Jesus’ birth. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked outs the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.
In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently, they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.
The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading toward the barn, They still didn’t catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them.” He said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into the barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn—and one by one, the other geese followed it to safety. He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!”
Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!” Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese—blind, lost, perishing. God sent His Son to become like us so He could show us the way and save us. As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
This time of year is usually the time for family get togethers. Maybe it's family that you don't get to see often. Maybe it's only the immediate family or a small gathering of people you consider family. Or maybe your family lives too far away to be together and the celebration is just a phone call or two. Whether by blood or chosen relationship, these are the people we care about, we pray for and love.
I have been praying for my family for a long time. When my Mom was alive I know she prayed for them too. Very few of in our family are saved. So I continue my prayers.
This year, my church family in NY is studying a book by Rick Renner called, "Christmas, the Rest of the Story." What an enlightening book about the Christmas story. Mr. Renner pulls from the Bible, historical sources, early church writings and the original languages to flesh out this ancient, much read, much loved story of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the things Mr. Renner points out and that stayed in my heart was how God works in families. And this gave me hope for my family.
Early Christian writers give evidence of Mary's parents dedicating her to the Lord as a baby. They tell of her father being a scroll scholar. The evidence shows her parents were dedicated to the Lord. We see her cousins, Elizabeth and Zacharias, both strong followers of God, active in the Temple. And this makes for another addition to Mary's family, John the Baptist, son of Elizabeth and Zacharias. This was a family dedicated to the Lord. Sadly, that is not my family.
We see Joseph, leading his family by example. His obedience to the Lord, his mercy to Mary and his dedication to bringing his family to the Lord's temple for the prescribed festivals tell us he was committed to raising a family that glorified and honored God.
We can look at Jesus' family. We are told He had brothers and sisters. In Matthew 13:54-57 we are introduced to these family members. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. We are also told they originally didn't believe Him. In fact, they thought He was crazy. Perhaps that more exemplifies your family and mine. But the good news is they did come to believe. And this can give us hope for our families. Acts 1:14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. Two of Jesus' brothers even went on to write two books of the Bible.
We see sets of brothers within the Apostles. James and John, Peter and Andrew.
We can go back further and see God working in the families of Abraham, Noah and David. None of these were perfect families, yet at some point God worked in their lives and worked out His perfect plans for them and for the whole earth.
There is hope for our families. Pray! James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Continue in prayer. Continue in planting seeds. Continue to model Jesus to your families. And leave the results in God's hands. The increase is His domain. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Lord, we continue to lift our families up to You. We pray for the salvation of each and every family member. Lord, thank You that You are the God of the harvest. And You will give us the desires of our heart. We know that You can soften even the hardest of hearts and turn them to You. It is You that said in 1 Timothy 2:3-5 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, It is You that provided for that salvation. Lord save our families. In Jesus' Name. Amen
We went to visit our family in New York over the past week and we blessed to share Sunday service with our NY church family. These are two of the songs that were sung and they are favorites of mine. What beautiful words to wake our hearts to this most holy of seasons. Enjoy!
Tomorrow we fly back to see family in NY. Today is d-day...finishing packing, clean up the house, pay the bills, set up the cats, on and on and on. Of course my first reaction is to get stressed. "I have so much to do!!" And then God.....
I sat down to do my prayer/study time. My desperately needed time to connect with my Father. And the peace that came from my reading in "31 Days of Praise" today was nothing short of a miracle. In this reading I was reminded of His care for me, and that I could let go of the burdens of my heart and of my day to Him. I was also reminded of something we just learned in our BSF group study of John. Jesus lived His life in "moment by moment" dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit. And that is available to us as well. Romans 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. He walked out the Father's plan for each of His minutes by the power of the Holy Spirit. He took time to meet with His Father daily to gather the details and strength for each day. Jesus was fully human and had the same frailties as me, a human. And as He needed this time, so do I.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
John 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
1 Peter 5:6 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Lately, I am finding it easier to just rest in His Presence. And I think that is one of the most valuable of lessons. It's so peaceful when I do. Life can be chaotic and filled with to dos and stressors...but it is also filled with beauty and joy and moments of wonder. Taking time to sit at Jesus' feet will prepare us to search out the hours for those moments. Our mindset will be different as we gather our strength from Him each day. It does take practice. This sitting and seeking. But if I can do it (and I am definitely the proverbial "Martha," worried about so many things lol) I know you can too. Pray for it, pray for this time to just sit in His Presence and absorb all the Father desires to bless you with. Pray for the Spirit to quicken you to the little joys of the day.
Lord, we all need to come into Your Presence with thanksgiving and praise. We all need to sit quietly before You. Thank You for working this in me. I pray that You work it in those reading this as well. You are so patient in Your teaching us. And You never give up on us slow learners. What a wonderful God we have and serve. Help us to breathe in Your Presence as never before, to rest in You, our shelter and covering. You hold us in Your hands. Remind us of Your glory and beauty. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope your day was filled with joy and reasons to be grateful to our glorious Lord and Savior. I know sometimes it's hard to feel that gratitude. Those who have lost loved ones and are experiencing the holidays without them for the first time often struggle to look up, to feel joy and enjoy the days of this season. My heart goes out to them, I've been there. When I lost first my Dad many years ago, and then my Mom a few years back those empty chairs were a glaring reminder of that loss. Others are sick, fighting illnesses they can't see and reeling from the news of that illness and the treatment that comes with it. Job loss, tight times, etc...all can be overwhelming to our sense of thankfulness. It's hard to focus on the positive when the negative seems so big.
All that being said I know there is still plenty to be grateful for. Our God is bigger. He is with us in the hard and the easy, the low and the high. I am so grateful for that in my life.
I watched a video on line a couple of days ago which reminded me to count the blessings I do have. In this video a woman lived in what didn't even amount to a shack. The floor had holes, the roof was tarp and broken pieces of wood made up the sides. The front was completely open to the elements. This was no real shelter. It humbled me. I have so much, I can't count high enough to thank God for all that He provides. Every person in my life, past and present, every shingle on my roof, each piece of food, the Bible I so freely carry, and especially the salvation I so easily take for granted. I could go on and on and never stop with all God has given me.
I've gone through those hard holidays, the ones where the memories of the past brought tears instead of joy, but eventually that changes. And until it does, as we go through the losses and the difficulties we can bless God by being thankful. I think when we are thankful in the hardest times it is a sweet smelling sacrifice to our Lord. It says, "God this hurts. I hate it. But I trust You and am grateful You are here."
Psalm 107:22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.
Psalm 116:17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.
This takes extra looking and fortitude. It takes a deliberate choice mixed with faith. It's hard! But I can testify it is so worth it. It brings us up and out. It pleases God and obedience always lightens our load.
Lord, be with those this holiday season that are hurting. I know so many that struggle, I've been there myself. I know You plan good for each and every one of Your children. Help us to find the blessings when our worlds fall apart...they are there I know, because You never leave us nor forsake us. Please provide for the needs of Your children and take care of that women in the video. No matter what happens You are good. I pray this in the Name of our Savior, Jesus....whom I am so thankful for. Amen
Yesterday I went for a walk. I am trying to make a new habit of getting some exercise, which I've been really neglectful of the last six months or so. Somewhere, some how this time of fresh air, sunshine and God has slipped on my priority list to almost nothing.
I opened up my Joyce Meyer podcasts and saw the set on Breaking Bad Habits. Well, I definitely have a bunch of those so I decided to take a listen. One of the things that Joyce says its is that maybe we should look at it as making good habits rather than breaking bad ones.
So this morning I got my coffee and came into my office to spend some time with the Lord. I start off with "31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers. Lo and behold the reading today was on transforming ourselves. Ruth reminded me that it is not I that do the work, but Jesus. My job is to make the choices that the Holy Spirit presents as good, and He does the transforming inside.
Ruth writes, "Thank You that, instead, You are at work in me and in my situation to break old patterns of thought and action, to create within me both the desire and the power to do Your gracious will...and to make me a joy to you in new ways." Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. As we spend time in the Word and with God, our minds are transformed. Transforming the way we think is the start of changing the way we act. In God's Word we learn what He wants, what pleases Him and what doesn't. I have a real bad habit of complaining (and God hates this...not me, but the complaining). In reading the Bible I learn how God feels about complaining and grumbling. Ugh. He is not happy with it! So my strategy is to replace complaining with something that does please God....thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. My goal is to replace a bad knee jerk reaction with a good one. Like Joyce reminded me in her teaching yesterday, we overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In the mornings I usually get up, take care of the cats, empty the dishwasher and grab a cup of coffee. I then proceed to play on my phone, maybe do a small chore or two...then I get into my time with God. Well, I've been convicted a few times lately that this is not what the Lord wants for me. In fact a few of the ladies at my BSF group admitted they had the same struggle with their mornings. But I feel the Lord wants me to make our time a priority. So my goal is now to take care of the necessary and leave the trivial. I do not need to play a few games on my phone before I spend time with my Father. I do not need to wipe down the kitchen or deep clean the dishwasher first. I've been doing this since Monday. I've heard it said that if you do something for 21 (or 30 depending on who you're listening to) days it becomes a habit. Well I'm working towards that goal with prioritizing my time with the Lord. I'm even working on my downtime in the evening to include more sweet fellowship with my Lord. I think that's even harder then the mornings because I'm tired then. LOL But the Lord will help me prevail!
Another way to break bad habits is to be around people who encourage you in the faith. People that hold your accountable and speak wisely the things of God. Hebrews 10:24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.
Recently I spent some time with people that are not walking with God. I can tell you it was an eye-opener. As much as I love this person, I missed my Christians sisters. The conversation was so different. I missed the joy, the upbeat nature, the peace that comes from being with fellow believers, even when we are talking about heavy things. There is a difference and that difference is Jesus. We may struggle and go through awful things, but we have hope because we stand on the Rock. And that security and knowledge infuses itself with every conversation.
So today, I seek to make my good habits the norm in my life. I know I have the Holy Spirit to guide, lead, correct and empower me to do this. I'm glad I can't wear Him out with all the correcting he needs to do when it comes to me! LOL Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
We're going to do this!!
Lord, thank You that You are the author and finisher of our faith. We are not saved by You and then just given a list of dos and donts and told to go on and work it out. No, You lead us, You teach us, You give us the right desires and the ability to carry them out. And You never tire of us! Thank You. Help us all to make good habits starting right now! We love You and want to be pleasing in Your sight. We want to live lives worthy of Your Name, lives of peace and joy and fruitfulness. It's in Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
This past week we lost our cat Spot. This is an extremely difficult loss for us as this was a one in a million animal. I could regal you with stories of his personality and lovingness but I will just tell you that I have not had but one other animal with the caring and sensitivity this little cat had. He has left a huge hole in our lives.
Now, most people know I do believe there are animals in heaven...and I have stated before why I believe that, with Biblical references. I won't do that here. What I will tell you about is the reading I read today in my "31 Days of Praise" book by Ruth Myers. The sadness of Spot's loss has been overwhelming to me. I know the "right stuff" in my head, but my heart is yet to catch up. But God is sweet, compassionate and caring...He is the most loving of Fathers. And today's reading gave comfort as only He can give.
From the book. "I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted...Every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on.
My pain has not escaped God's notice. Matthew 10:29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And in Matthew 10:30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. The smallest details of our lives are important to God.
Yes, the sadness is here in my heart. But one of the verses the Lord has been bringing to my mind this week is Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Spot is just another treasure in heaven, waiting to be enjoyed again. I feel like God was telling me that our loved ones, even our animals, are part of the treasures He holds there for us. Just another reason to focus our hearts and eyes upward and away from the things of this world.
We have such a caring Father. I am in awe of His care this week, Today's Bible verse of the day on one of my apps was Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. It was Spot's time. And that's okay. It is the way of this world. Jesus is with us through these losses and through the sorrows of living here on earth. But this time here is but a whisper....we have treasure in eternity! The best of course being God Himself!
Lord, You know my heart is empty and heavy all at the same time. I know others reading this have felt this as well. Please comfort them as You have comforted me. I know You take care of the details in our lives, that everything is according to Your plan and timing and filtered through Your intense, personal, complete love for us. One day You will wipe away every tear. I love You Lord. In Jesus' Name, amen.
Please pray for safe travels for me this week as I am going to visit a friend who has also suffered some deep loses in the last few months. Pray I can share the Father's comfort with her as well.
In reading John 6:16-21 I was reminded of a time when I was a child and my family and I were at a large park. I can remember my Dad going to get our car and it seemed to my childlike mind that he was taking a really long time and I got this big idea to go look for him. I slipped away from my Mom and family and went in search of Dad only to find myself lost. When my parents found me, boy was I in trouble.
In John 6, Jesus had just finished miraculously feeding the crowds of people from a young boy's lunch. Wow! 5000+ people eating from a few loaves of bread and some fish and leftovers! After this we are told "When Jesus saw that they were ready to force Him to be their king, He slipped away into the hills by Himself." John 6:15
I imagine the disciples did not know what to do now. So they waited. Can you imagine the conversation between them? I mean they just witnessed a major, large scale miracle and now they were left to wait for their leader. And the day dragged into evening, darkness fell and still no Jesus? Where was He? What was happening now? In Mark 6:45-46 we see Jesus give instructions. 45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. So the disciples finally decided to get in the boat and head to Capernaum. Like me, they took it upon themselves to go find the head of their group. They had their own plan and their own timing to catch up with Jesus.
And what happened? As they rowed to Capernaum a mighty gale swooped in on the Sea of Galilee. Rough seas soon surrounded them and they tried desperately to row to safety. But here He comes. Walking on water toward them ! Who was this walking across the turbulent seas as if on a smooth road into town toward them---defying the laws of nature and all things sane?
Jesus called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" John 6:20 I'm sure as I child, in the terror of being lost and separated from my family, when I heard my parents call my name and saw their open arms I felt overwhelming comfort and relief. I am sure the disciples felt the same way as I did...safe, relieved and loved. In verse 21 we are told, "Then they were eager to let Him in the boat."
So often we get ahead of our Lord. Or drag behind. We take things into our own hands only to find ourselves in a boatload of trouble. We only need to look back to the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar to see this played out in the Bible and in the world today. To this day the animosity between the sons of Sarah from Isaac, and the sons of Hagar through Ishmael continues to fester and create chaos throughout the world. We continue to see wars and consequences from the actions of this ancient couple. We see it in our own lives when we fail to wait on the Lord. Finances suffer, we get into wrong relationships....we end up on the stormy seas of life desperately trying to fix things on our own.
But like in the case of the disciples, Jesus will come and Jesus is here. He will not leave us nor forsake us and He will make our waves go calm, and safely bring us to the other side of our problem. Yes, it may take some time of desperation, but He will never let us sink or drown. In Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Bad choices, going ahead of God may bring difficulties, but God doesn't desert us. He teaches us, and comes to us and carries us to safety once again. We learn to wait on His timing. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. These times of waiting are not times when we need to be fretting about what to do next, but a time when we should be resting in the Presence of our Lord, renewing our strength, restoring our energy and refixing our mind on Him so we can be ready to soar with Him.
Lord, we are an impatient lot. And we have so many big ideas and solutions. We seek the, "Let's do it now!" solutions and see through very human eyes, very limited eyes. Lord, teach us to wait on You. Teach us to do what You say and keep doing it until we hear the next step from You. Show us how to be still when we need to and renew our minds and strength as we wait on You. Thank You that even when we get ahead of You, You come to save us. Thank You that Your love is greater than our mistakes and impatience. Let even those things bring You glory and show Your power. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Just yesterday, as I was doing a devotional I got to thinking about my "tapestry." I've heard the analogy of our lives being compared to a tapestry of which we only see the messy bottom. The strings are hanging down, we see no discernable pattern or picture. It probably even looks like a disaster to us. Dark threads abound, we see only the ugly underside...what the heck could that possibly become!?!
But on the other side of this tapestry is the Master Artist. Our heavenly Father. He is weaving and arranging and placing colors just so. He has a plan and a picture in mind. He is deliberate and focused.
The devotional I was reading was on controlling the tongue. And I was thinking to myself, boy does my mouth add a lot of dark threads to my tapestry. LOL My mind started going down the road of how so many people will have these tapestries full of light colored threads, while mine will be medium to dark, with some bright spots here and there. And then I felt God "tell" me that the bright stands out against the darkness.
Fast forward to today's worship devotional in "31 Days of Praise" by Ruth Myers. In it Ruth talked about how God even uses our failures and imperfections, our mistakes, sins, messes...the things we do wrong and the wrongs done to us, and weaves them into the most beautiful of designs in order to bring glory to His Name. Total God visit for me!
Do we then say, "Oops, I sinned again. No worries, God will use it." Of course not. Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We continue to work with the Holy Spirit to overcome the sin we the Bible tells us we are dead to.
But going into the pit of guilt and shame every time we sin is not God's plan either. In 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are forgiven. God knows us, knows what makes us tick, who we are, and how we came to be what we are. He knows what it takes to "fix" us and has the timing and circumstances, lessons and leadings all set up to do just that. And all of it put together will result in a life beautifully lived for Him....if we let Him. Our job is to keep moving forward, keep holding onto our Lord and keep striving to become who He wants us to be. Stay in His Word! I cannot stress this enough. Don't give up!! Philippians 3:12 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Philippians 2:12-13 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God works in us, and uses everything in our lives for His purpose. Maybe our mistakes and failures are what He uses to draw another mess to Himself. They see that God is fixing us, working with and loving us and think, "Yeah, maybe He can help me too." Be honest about your mess! It may help someone else!.
Lord, help us to see ourselves as You do. You see us through Jesus, as pure and holy in Your eyes. You see us through eyes of love and patience. You see the finished masterpiece that we are becoming. Do the work in us and let us not despise the small beginnings, the little victories and the baby steps we take towards becoming more and more like Jesus. Romans 8:28-29 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. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. We rejoice that You use all things, good and bad, to make us more like Jesus. Help us to keep going forward with You. I do pray that You keep us from sin, but I also thank You for Your forgiveness when we fail. You are an awesome God. And we love You. In our Savior's Name. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Stay connected to Jesus. Stay in the Word, in prayer, thanksgiving and worship.
In our study of John at Bible Study Fellowship our attention has been drawn to empty jars twice. The first time being the empty jars at the wedding feast in Cana. (John 2:1-11). The second time was the empty jar left by the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-30) What's with all these empty jars?!?
I have to say, I've never taken much notice of them. I mean in the wedding feast story, I've seen them since they are pointed out, but never have I taken noticed the jar left alongside the well in the story of the Samaritan woman. But yet it's right there in John 4:28.
And there is another set of empty jars we are told of in the Bible. Way back in 2 Kings 4 where we are told about Elisha and prophets widow.
I've been thinking about these empty jars for a few days now and I believe the Lord is speaking an analogy to my heart regarding the emptying of self and the filling of new life by Jesus Christ. In two of these examples the jars were supernaturally filled by God. In the other example, God supernaturally filled a heart.
In the case of the woman at the well, we see the ultimate filling, the real filling of a human heart with the new life promised through Jesus Christ. She completely left her old empty jar and excitedly ran to tell the good news she had heard from Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." New water. New life, overflowing, spilling everywhere we go.
At the wedding feast in Cana, Jesus transforms water that had been poured into previously empty jars into top of the line wine. Wine was a symbol of joy in the Bible. It is the Lord that fills us with joy. John 15:11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! How many beautiful blessings from God can we count that will fill up our hearts with joy? Starting with God and salvation itself, the list goes on and on.
In the case of Elisha and the prophet's widow crying out for provision: She and her son had nothing and were on the brink of being sold into slavery. Much like our condition before we have an encounter with God and let Him fill our lives. (We are slaves to sin until He sets us free). In this case God filled the jars with oil. Vessel after vessel, she continued to fill with oil from the first jar...a seemingly an unending supply of provision. And that is our God. His anointing and provision never ends when we start with a heart that is empty of everything. A heart that is open to being filled by Him and not the world.
As we work with the Holy Spirit to empty ourselves of selfishness, pride, worldliness, He fills us more and more with Himself, with His limitless love. We grow closer to God when we have less of the world in our jar. 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. The more God fills us the more we are ...being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) How utterly amazing what our Father can do with some empty jars!
Lord, thank You for You!! You are amazing and wonderful, miracle working, glorious and go beyond anything we can imagine when we submit ourselves to You. Fill our empty jars with Your love and power and holiness. Anoint us with the oil of Your Spirit and use us for Your glory. Let Your unlimited love spill out wherever we go. Father, some times we hold on to the gunk at the bottom of our jars. The anger, unforgiveness, needs, bitterness, etc....Help us to empty ourselves completely before You. And then as You fill us, let us, with eagerness and joy tell all about Your loving grace and salvation. Fill us also with Your boldness and let us not shrink back from sharing how much You have done for us. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
1 Peter 1:18-19 It was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
John 2:1-11 2 The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. 9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” 11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him
John 4:1-30 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” 13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” 27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
2 Kings 4:1-7 One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” 2 “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. 3 And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. 4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” 5 So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. 7 When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
All morning the song " Even if" by Mercy Me has been on my mind. It's running on repeat over and over so I'm figuring the Lord has something to say.
We all have those prayers that seem to never get an answer. I am struggling with that lately. Over the last week, I've seen some pretty dramatic and happy answers to pray. Healing, safety...all wonderful, and God provided answers to the prayers of His people. I've been happy dancing all week. But there are still a few things I need to see answers to that have been sitting for a short while. And there's my own ongoing battle with my heart which stubbornly seems stuck in an angry undercurrent for years that I desperately desire to see deliverance from.
I've been studying in the book of John and today's lesson focused on the woman at the well in chapter 4:1-26. How long this woman had been an outcast, desperately seeking something she couldn't name we have no idea. But I imagine it was quite a long time. And then Jesus.....
Jesus purposely, deliberately, against all tradition and custom, came seeking her. He came with her deliverance and redemption. He could have easily followed tradition and went around Samaria as was custom for Jews in that day. But instead He went through and like an arrow aimed at a bullseye, He hit his mark...one unnamed, shunned, lonely Samaritan woman.
We are that woman. How long do we live in our distresses? How long do we long for answers? How long are we searching, sometimes in the wrong places? Yet in His timing, Jesus comes in to meet us. This is were persistent faith comes in. It's in the waiting and the knowing that God acts in His own perfect time. And sometimes He doesn't act. At least in our eyes. It's in knowing that His heart is kind and He is for us that we can stand and keep moving forward. Can we in faith, say along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, "O Nebuchadnezzer, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will recue us from your power, Your Majesty.. But even if He doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."Can we say, that no matter what, we will have faith in our Lord, and not bow down to unbelief or fear or bitterness?
So that's where I am today, and that's where this song comes in. I will trust God, with or without answers. With or without change. I will trust in Him!
Lord, thank You that You are a God who we can trust completely. You always work things for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Help my unbelief! In the waiting let us be active in believing, in serving, in worship and in thanksgiving. And maintaining a good attitude! Be our focus and our strong tower each moment. In Jesus' most precious Name. Amen
John 4:1-26 4 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Daniel 3:1-30 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. 3 So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8 But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Long live the king! 10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” 19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. 24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. 25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
It's been a while. My computer had broken and had to be sent to for repair. Subsequently it was lost enroute to the repair center. Weeks of back and forth with the repair company ensued and I ended up with a new computer since that old one has apparently been thrown into the atmosphere somewhere never to be seen again.
Something that is on my heart this morning is "new life." Acts 2:24 But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.
What feels dead in your life? A job, a marriage, other relationship, your walk with God, your heart? Jesus conquered death. Physical death. Those who call Him Lord and Savior will be raised again to new life when they close their eyes to this world for the last time. But He also has brings life to our lives right now. John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. Other translations call this "abundant life." John 1:4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. Jesus gives life...now and for eternity.
Sometimes I think we forget this. Sometimes I think it's easier not to grab hold and walk in this life Jesus brings. It's easier to stay in our pits, our messes, our deadness than to walk out of our prisons and into the freedom Jesus offers. Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is fromEzekiel 37:1-4
37 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” 4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” 10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Did you notice this is a process? Did you notice that Ezekiel had a part to play in this? God gave him an assignment. What is God asking you to do to work with Him to bring new life to you dead zones? Ezekiel could have said, "No Lord, those bones can never come back to life." and walked away in sad hopelessness. But instead he opted to believe and act. And he saw life breathed into the deadest of valleys. The Lord longs for our "dry bones" to live again. He longs to breathe life into even the deadest situations. Should we not line our wills up with His and watch our valleys of dry bones and live!
Lord, let our dry bones live again! Bring us back to life! Forgive us for doubting. Forgive us for wallowing. Forgive our laziness, our stubbornness, our unbelief. Forgive us that we feel more comfortable in our pits than grabbing the hand you offer. So often I myself don't want to put the work in or do my part. It's easier to just complain and feel sorry for myself, blame others, even You. I repent of those attitudes this morning and ask You to correct me every time I fall into those traps. Lord, strengthen each of us to speak to our dry bones and walk in newness of life that You give. Help us to "Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 We know the battle belongs to You, Lord, and victory is Yours, but let us do our part as You lead. Create in us the desire to come out of the grave and live, give us the strength and fortitude to obey Your commands. And let us go past our feelings and unbelief to the victory You plan for us. We thank You that You desire us to be free and living abundant lives to Your glory and for Your service. To You be the glory. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Jeremiah 32:17 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Last week we did VBS (Vacation Bible School) for some of the kids in the neighborhood of our church. What a fun week we had. The theme was "Keepers of the Kingdom." Kids were taught about the two opposing kingdoms...God's good kingdom and Satan's bad kingdom.
Now, I do not do kids. I do animals. I always feel somewhat awkward around children and feel like relating to them is a bit difficult. Or them to me. Not sure which it is. And I was volunteered to do the crafts with them! Oh boy.
Well, I have to say, from day 1 God showed up. I went to bed the night before somewhat dreading the week ahead, but had been praying continually for the weeks leading up to it. And not just me, our whole church had been praying. When I woke up Monday morning, lo and behold, I felt excited. I felt at peace. I was looking forward to it. Wow. What a turnaround. A God turnaround!
Each day that came I felt more comfortable. And the Holy Spirit helped me so often to just be real with these kids, and they responded to His realness in me. I felt comfortable. I felt reassured. And we all planted some wonderful seeds in the hearts of these mostly un-churched children. What a blessing.
I will go along with Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 12:5b "I will boast only about my weaknesses." In my weakness God showed up! In verse 9 God tells us, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” And it does! Those kids didn't need me. They needed Jesus. And He was there for them. What a trustworthy God we serve.
Do you fear something you feel God has led you to do? Does it seem out of your wheelhouse? Is it different and new? Go ahead. Pray without ceasing and go forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. If He calls you to it, He will get you through it. He created in me a heart for those children...a heart that desires them to walk with Jesus each and every day of their lives. And He will do the same for you.
Thank You Lord for what You did in me....overcoming and working through my fears to reach the children You so love. And for filling my heart with love for them. I pray for each of them now Lord, that even today they would be reaching for You and that the seeds sown last week will build a lifetime of faith for them. Bless them Lord. Keep them. Lord, I pray they stick with the things they learned and even though they are young, they will be strong in Your kingdom. It's in Jesus' Name I pray, amen.
1 Peter 4:7 The End of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. (NKJV Serious and watchful).
Isaiah 62:6-7 I have set watchment on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest til he establishes and til He makes Jerusalem a praise on the earth.
Looking around at the world today, we can see the end times is at hand. Do we have a year, ten years, a hundred? I have no idea, but I know it is coming. It's not our place to figure out the time and day. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
Our place is to be beseeching the Lord for others and for Him to establish His kingdom on earth. Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Be light, be salt and be in prayer. Be alert, be disciplined. We are alert for opportunities to share the Gospel. We are disciplined in our behavior and our prayer life.
The Bible calls us to action. We are not to wait passively for our Lord's return but continue to work tirelessly til He comes. Praying is action. Praying is work. Spending time with the Lord will energize us to be "about our Father's business." (Luke 2:49)
During my time in Bible Study Fellowship the verse in Isaiah spoke to me of persistence and continued prayer to God to establish His kingdom. It spoke of watchfulness and activity. Then someone mentioned the verse in 1 Peter and the two verses just clicked together for me. Prayer is our most important job. It is where we find instruction, energy, direction, fellowship with our Father, and tap into His power. It's where we meet with Him and seek Him and then we go and share this with others.
Continue to share the Gospel. Continue to beseech God for others. Continue to seek His return. Continue to seek the establishment of His Kingdom on Earth. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Lord, let us take prayer seriously. Let us pray continually. Let us seek Your kingdom. Energize us to be about Your work. We pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
"The devil couldn't take you out so he's trying to wear you out. Don't you dare get tired. Hold on because the tide is about to turn in your favor." This was a meme I saw on Facebook recently.
I was feeling a bit worn out and frustrated with myself recently. I was feeling spiritually stagnated, as if I was treading water instead of growing. I felt myself getting tired of trying. Top this spiritual tiredness with oral surgery and a reaction to the anesthisia and I was just done. And then I saw the above. What a God visit!
I saw needed to hear this. I needed to be reminded of Satan's tactics and not to fall for them. Ephesians 6:10-12 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
And how do I know this was a spiritual attack? Well, we've decided to get a Vacation Bible School going at church, so I've been helping to work towards that. We've also started a prayer group. Satan doesn't want us doing anything to reach others or affect the spiritual realm, so he attacks those who go after those things. If you are trying to come up to new levels spiritually, working to do something new for the Lord, or trying to advance the kingdom in any way, you can expect resisitance. Knowing we are under attack may not lesson the attacks themselves, but it can change our reaction to it. We know then we need to fight spiritually...with the Word of God (as Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness), praise, worship, and thanksgiving.
Satan will try many ways to take us out of the running when it comes to working for God's kingdom. When we seek to do His will, and share His love we will find resistence. And it can take many forms. For me, it came in spiritually weariness and physical discomfort and exhaustion. Maybe for you it could be a financial attack (I've had those too lol) or relationship difficulties. It's always something to get our focus off our Savior and the work we are doing for Him. 1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Lord please give us discernment for when we are under spiritual attack. Help us to submit to You and resist the devil. The more we live our lives for You the more we become a target. But that is a good thing! Give us the strength to stand as You did. And help us to rest in You and find our peace no matter what the enemy throws at us. There is so much more then our own comfort. Let us stand firm. And let us be encouraged when we see difficulties come as we seek to do Your will, knowing that we are on the right track. Satan will not attack someone who is not living for You. We love You and bless Your Name. Amen.
Put on your armor.
Ephesians 6:10-19 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
I was so blessed and encouraged by those few words on Facebook that I found myself able to get up and get going for the Lord. I'm still tired from the anesthesia, but I know with a little extra rest I can then get back at whatever it is the Lord has for me to do. And with that physical rest also comes spiritual rest...and that is spending time with the Lord, in His Presence getting renewed and refreshed.
This is a tough lesson to swallow. And I've had to be reminded of it more times then I care to count. Yesterday as I was driving to a friend's house the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I don't see things correctly. I have a skewed, earthly, be easy and comfortable, view of life. I don't like when things are hard and I don't like when things don't work the way I think they should. And....when life falls that way, I see it as God being unfair, uncaring or not understanding my needs. I see things wrongly! Isaiah 55:8-9 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." holds true whether I get my way or not. Whether God's answer is yes, no, or wait.
So I had to repent of the unbelief and mistrust that causes me to doubt God's answers and plans. The unbelief that comes from me seeing the world, my needs, my life and the things and people around me through my small, temporal lens instead of God's wide range, eternal distance way of seeing. The Holy Spirit is such a sweet, gentle teacher. He's patient with us slow learners and repeat offenders. And all this was preparation for the big no I was about to receive.
I brought home two kittens to foster because they weren't eating. They were not thriving because their Mom had decided to stop nursing. Well, there was a "no" to the first part of that request. But she did get a wonderful home!
Did I want this answer? No. And since I had that correction from the Holy Spirit yesterday I was able to cry a little but still be at peace knowing God's perfect will was done. And this is not just for this tiny life that ended on earth early this morning, but it's for everything--big and small, from the momentous, life shaking challenges, to the daily nuisances and trip ups that make up life on earth. He is faithful. And that is the lens we need to look through. Psalm 116:5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!
Mighty, awesome, amazing, glorious. These are all You our Lord. But You are also kind. You are also loving. Also all knowing, all wise and tenderhearted. Help us to see through those adjectives Your plans and answers in our lives. Forgive us when we doubt, and strengthen our faith to be at peace and rest in Your loving care. We bless Your Name. You are faithful. Your are good. In our loving Savior's Name. Amen. We praise You!
Remember God is faithful even when He goes in the opposite direction of our thoughts and plans.
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Praising God is a weapon against the devil. The more we praise, worship and show gratitude the stronger we become to stand against the enemy. In Ephesians 6:12 we are told "12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Another weapon given us is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Put on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17)
As I was reading about our weapon of praise in "The Power of the Praying Woman" by Stormie Omartian it got me to thinking about our enemy, Satan. We defeat him through praise, worship, gratitude, the Scripture and our obedience. But can we also do the opposite? And if we can, then it is something we need to be very, very careful about.
And you know what? I think we can do the opposite. We can empower him in our lives through complaining. We can give him a foothold through judging, fault-finding, impatience and anger. In a way, we can defeat God's purpose in our lives by engaging in these things Our words are so powerful. Proverbs 18:21 The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. So, I'm thinking, in a way, complainging is praising Satan. YUCK! I do not want to be doing that!
Such a simple little concept but with a very big impact. I would much rather be praising God than Satan anyday. And yet I am a little to free with the complaints in my life. That needs to change!
Lord, think You for this little tidbit and new way of looking at things. I love when You do what You do! You make us see things in a new light. And it's wonderful because we learn so much. Change us to always be praising You and never giving any glory to the enemy. In Jesus Name. Amen.
I was convicted recently about the way I look at others. Sometimes it's as if I am looking for things to be unforgiving about. I don't believe this is intentional on my part, but it's almost as if since I expect someone to do something wrong, I naturally gravitate towards looking for it. My mind then can say, "See, I knew they'd do...." What is wrong with us humans!!!
Since I've heard this conviction in my heart, I've been more aware of my thought behavior. And I know that I need to confess this as sin and turn to reject this negative judgy attitude. The rest of the world does not need my scrunity.
I'd kind of like to know why we do this. Perhaps we need to see others in a more negative way so we ourselves are built up. It's a self-esteem problem. I'm sure there are as many reasons for this way of thinking as there are people who engage in it.
Anyway, so now that I know this behavior exists it's time to change it. And the way we do that is through seeking God's help. 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. God will give us help if we ask. The Holy Spirit is within us and His power is available to us who believe. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Holy Spirit is there to help us overcome this weakness of mind. Romans 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. When these judgemental thoughts come we need to reject them outright. 2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. When we allow them to ruminate in our minds, we need to quickly repent of them. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The Bible tells us what our thought life should be like. Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
Every time a thought comes into our head we have a choice whether to let it stay there, rolling around and around until it becomes our reality, or we can reject it, turning the channel to godly thoughts and ponderings, and thus seeing others as God sees them, through the lens of love. We can ask the Holy Spirit to remind us of the good things about a person and practice that mind action. We can ask the Lord to help fill us with His love for them. And we can pray for the person we are having negative thoughts about. Scripture and prayer are powerful weapons against wrong thinking and judgemental attitudes.
Satan wants nothing more than to divide God's people, be it in marriages, friendships, or the church. When we are divided, he wins. Let's not give him that victory. Let's let our thoughts follow kindness. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Walking in love starts in the mind.
Lord, forgive us for having unforgiving thoughts. When they come to us, help us reject them and turn our minds towards Your way of seeing others. This is such an ingrained habit for some of us. And I, for one, confess it right now as sin and seek Your forgiveness. We come boldly before Your throne to receive the help we need to order our thoughts correctly and lovingly. Oh Lord, thank You that You don't think on me the way I sometimes think on others. Humble our minds to lift others up. Help us to look at what others do right, for the ways that they bless and care for us. Let us see them as You do. Thank You for teaching us the way to think, the way that not only brings peace with others, but also within ourselves. You are so wise, so gracious in all You do. And we are so blessed to be Your children. It's in Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
Use Scripture to combat negative thoughts towards us and pray for them instead of judging.
