Not Finished

 "GOD ISN'T FINISHED WITH YOU"

That's the sign that I saw as I pulled into Walmart one day last week.  In fact there were two people standing there with those signs.  

What a week I was having.  There was nothing particularly bad going on in the natural realm.  But my emotions and spirit were worn and raw.  I felt useless, defeated and alone.  God seemed distant.  My allergies were causing physical exhaustion and discomfort, and emotionally I vacillated between on edge and hopelessly discouraged.  There was nothing unusual going on.  I just felt under a dark oppression.  UGH!!

All I could think about to say to the Lord was, "Father, if I can't change and if this is what it is, please just take me home."  That's where my mind was at when I pulled into the parking lot at Walmart.  

And then God!!  Two people, one on each side of the entrance, holding up a message of encouragement.  I felt like it was God's invitation to keep going and keep my eyes on Him.  

Our Father is so good.  So kind and loving.  It's just these tender touches at the right time, that make us the most blessed people in the world.  Why do we so often forget how loved we are!  

I was in Walmart for less than ten minutes and when I left the parking lot, the people with the signs were gone.  No where to be seen.  Hmmm.  Humans that just left to go about their day?  Or angels sent by God to give a heartsore Christian a message from Him?  I don't know, but the result was the same.  Joy.  Peace.  And the feeling of being loved.  And these signs are for you too reader!  'GOD ISN'T FINISHED WITH YOU."  He still has plans and purposes and blessings to fulfill in your life and mine. 

Lord, You know my heart and the gratitude that filled it that day.  The gratitiude that still fills it.  I pray each of us will grab hold of this message and know that You still have work for us, plans for us and blessings to come.  You are the lifter of our heads and our hearts.  Thank You for not fogetting us in our valleys.  Your hand steadies us and Your Presence consoles our hearts.  Thank You my Savior.  Let everyone reading this know that You are with them and have not forsaken them.  You're not done with us!  

Undeserved

A question came up in our Ladies Bible Study, "Grace is God's undeserved favor toward us, in which He withholds what we deserve and gives us what we do not deserve.  How can you demonstrate this same attitude toward others?"  I came up with the usual answers, kindness, forgiveness, patience, mercy, overlook failures and shortcomings.  But God had a different answer in mind, one that includes all those but shines the light on Him and not on me trying to do better. 

The words spoken by John the Baptist rose up in my heart. "He must increase, but I must decrease."    John 3:30

Demonstrating the attitude God has toward me to others is not about a check list of dos and donts.  It's about allowing God to manifest Himself so much in us that He increases and our selfish, self-righteous tendencies decrease.  

I want my way.  I want such and such done my way.  I am right, you are wrong.  You failed me.  You hurt me.  Do all these sound familiar?  They do to me.  And these are the things that need to fade from our hearts, minds, behaviors and life.  These can be special sticking points in families.  Me and my husband have very different ways of doing things, seeing things and understanding things.  So often that gets my temper flaring.  Instead of allowing for grace, I complain that something is not being done the way I would do it.  That is me "increasing" and God "decreasing."

This is eye-opening for me.  When in obedience and submission to the Lord, we lay down our need for being right and having our own way, God increases in us.  He is manifested in us and will be seen clearly by those around us.  If Jesus could humble Himself to die on the Cross for us, we can humble ourselves (through the power of the Holy Spirit, staying connected to our Lord) to share with others the love and grace God has shared with us.  

There's a verse I read last night that has always been one of my favorites. John 14:23 3 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.   Equally a favorite is John 14:21 hose who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Both these show the Lord increasing in our lives, revealing Himself in us and through us.  I believe staying connected to Him is the key.  John 15:5 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

My thought is if we can memorize one verse and repeat it to ourselves multiple times a day (I'm thinking of myself here now. lol), we will see God increase in our lives.  The Lord's Presence will shine from us like the light of a new day, increasing and increasing til it shines like the noon day sun.   That verse is James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  It's the perfect verse for just about anything we encounter, and it's short enough to be easily memorized.  A lot of us know it already.  Lord, shine though us!!  

Lord, increase in us.  My prayer is that people see You and not me in everything I do. Lord help me to remember this and put it into practice every moment.   It's in Jesus Name I pray.  Amen 

Proverbs 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

Where the Heart Is

In church on Sunday night we had a teaching on Luke 19:1-9  It's one of my favorite Gospel stories.  Here we see a man named Zacchaeus who was desperate to see Jesus.   He was so eager to see Jesus, he even climbed a tree.  It was the only way this short man could see over the crowds that had gathered to meet Jesus.  Being 5'2" ( about 157 centimeters)  I can completely relate!  Now, Zacchaeus was not a popular man by any means.  He was not only a tax collector, but a chief tax collector.  These men were notorious cheats and thieves.  They oppressed their people with excessive financial burdens by collecting over and above the amount determined by Rome.  This would have made him hated and mistrusted.  

I believe something in Zacchaeus' heart was stirring for him to be so desirous to see Jesus.  By his reaction to our Lord, I think his heart was heavy with guilt and a knowing he needed salvation. In John 6:44 we are told by Jesus: "For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up."  It seems that the Father was plowing up the hardened heart of Zacchaeus to draw him to the Son.  And this corrupt tax collector listened to the whispers of the Holy Spirit.  

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.  5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”  6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.  8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”  9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

As you read this account of a lost man being found notice how much he promises to pay back.  Half his wealth to the poor.  Then 4 times as much as he cheated people out of.  I got to wondering if this left him with anything.  I imagine it may have left him with very little.  But look at his reaction.  When Jesus summoned Zacchaeus down from the tree, Zacchaeus gladly gave away his riches.  His focus was no longer on worldly weath, but on heavenly gain.  

As I pondered some more, I got to thinking about the rich, young rule in Matthew 19:16-22.  Here we see a totally different reaction to Jesus and worldly riches.  

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”  18 “Which ones?” the man asked.  And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’" 20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”  21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

This man would rather hold onto the world than reach for Heaven.  His heart was behind bars of worldly wealth, blocked from the touch of the Holy Spirit that would have drawn him to freedom. What a difference between him and Zacchaeus.  This man walked away from Jesus, saddened and lost.  Zacchaeus danced with glee (ok, so maybe that's just my imaginings lol), as he humbly came before our Lord and Savior and brought Him into his heart and home.  

Matthew 6:18-20 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.

Luke 12:21 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Luke 12:33-34 33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Where are our hearts today?  Are we holding on tightly to the things we own, our status, job, any other earthly thing that is keeping our hands and hearts closed to the one true treasure?  Lord, let it not be so!! 

Please Lord, let us store up treasures in heaven.  Let no earthly thing stand between You and I.  Let us joyfully give whatever You ask, and let us not lose our soul to gain the world.  Rather, let us be willing to lose the world to gain You, our greatest treasure.  It's in Your precious Name we pray Jesus.  Amen. 

Matthew 16:25-26  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 

Trust, from Mom

Trust.  Only five letters, but a huge word.  We trust when we sit down the chair will hold us.  We trust that the sun will rise in the morning.  Those are easy.  Trusting God for salvation, truly trusting takes it a giant step farther.  Especially when you're like me and lean towards living on a performance based scale.  We just talked about this in our Ladies  Bible study yesterday.  How we "know" that we are saved by grace, and loved by God, yet feel further from Him when we fail.  Or think somehow when we don't live up to a certain standard He will just toss us away.  Neither of these is true.  His love never changes.  His salvation never fails.  Then there's trusting God to get us through life--the good, the bad and the ugly.  Easier said than done.  Especially, when we don't want to let God be God and we want to tell Him how to fix us, fix our circumstances or fix the people in our lives.  LOL  I'm really good at this one.  Let's see where my Mom went with this. 

Zephaniah 3:12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.

To trust; to hope; to make someone a refuge.

Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.

Isaiah 26:3-4  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!    4  Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Psalm 23:1-6 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.  2 He lets me rest in green meadows;  He leads me beside peaceful streams.  3 He renews my strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.  4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.  You honor me by anointing my head with oil.  My cup overflows with blessings.  6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

The very area where we are most tempted to distrust  God is the very place He has chosen to help you.  

From me. 

It's clear that Mom knew where to go and Who to rely on.  She went to Scripture and she relied on God.  And I'm thinking with me as her daughter she probably needed to quite often.  LOL.  I was reading a light novel this week and the main character spoke about how she let the words of Scripture wash over her, how she "absorbed them" into her heart as she prayed them and over them to the Lord.  I think that doing this, meditating for a few moments and praying over what we've read is a great way to develop more trust.  It becomes more about what's in our hearts than in our heads.  Also, as I listened to a radio teacher yesterday, he said that instead of just reading our Scripture or devotions in the morning, to take a few extra minutes and mull over them when we are done and sit quietly with them.  This doesn't have to take a lot of extra time, just enough to let the Holy Spirit stir things into our hearts.  

This is where I think I've failed in practice and as a result have shorted myself in growing in Christ.  I'm a very task oriented person and love the little check list in my head to get it's little check marks.  But those few extra minutes of breathing in the Lord's Words, letting them settle into us through prayer and focus will have huge impact.  Taking the time to let the Lord do His work in us will let these Scriptures grow our trust and faith.  I believe that it will help make us alert to God' working in our day, and our circumstances.  It will also develop our trust as more of Him is revealed to us.  

Find your Scriptures to stand on.  The ones that will build your trust and make our Lord and Savior more real to your heart, bring you closer to Him.  

Lord, thank You for Your Word.  Thank You for Who You are.  Help us to trust You in every moment of our day.  Let us develop habits that develop the habit of trusting You.  In the name of our faithful Savior, Jesus.  Amen.   

Twofer, from Mom

I havent reached into Mom's journal for a while and just had the feeling it was time.  One entry on the Trinity is short so I decided to do a twofer.  

I look at the first, "Trinity" as almost a doctrinal thing.  But the thought of our three in one God brings comfort and confidence to my heart.  He's complete.  Lacking in nothing.  He is able to reach us in each facet of our being because He is fully, God, Man and Spirit.  Creator, Savior, Counselor. He is inseparable, yet separate beings.  And each part of who He is knows and loves each part of who we are.  

Matthew 28:19  19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus confirmed the three in one God, triune.  He did not pluralize the word "Name."  They co-exist, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as One.

God - The Father

Jesus - The Son, human divine Son of God.

Holy Spirit - the thrid person of the Trinity.  He, the Holy Spirit, exercises the power of the Father and the Son by which believers come to Christ and see with new eyes of faith.  John 3:5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

From me.

This is such a complex, beautiful, deep, amazing, to some confusing, (you fill in the adjectives!) topic.  There have been probably thousands of books written on it.  But for me, it just is and it makes perfect sense in a way that leaves me with rock solid confidence in our God.  When we say that God is our everything, this is the way that statement gets backed up.  He is our everything because He is completely everything we need.  

Lord, I am in awe and comforted by this truth.  You are amazing and unfathomable.  Our imaginations and thoughts cannot delve the depths nor heights nor width of Who You are.  And that's okay.  Thankfully You are beyond our understanding but not beyond our reach.  Reveal Yourself more and more each day.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen  

The Greatest News

I've had a problem with the computer for the last few weeks.  It finally decided that it would not open any websites even though it claimed to be connected to the internet.  Technology is great until it's not.  LOL  Thankfully a really nice neighbor came and reset everything for me and we are back up and running.  I'm so grateful.  

We are coming to the end of our Bible Study Fellowship season.  It's always sad when I know I won't see my classmates regularly for the next few months.  And these studies have so much treasure in them, from the study book itself, to the lectures and the different viewpoints, but especially from God's Word and the Holy Spirit.  It's amazing how many littl jewels come from spending time with our loving Father and Savior.  I highly recommend joining a Bible Study Fellowship group in your area, even if you can only find the on-line groups.  It is worldwide and so we all get to study the Word together.  Next seaason we will be in the book of Romans.  Classes start in September.

Okay, that's it for my BSF plug.  LOL   

Anyway, this past week we were in the book of Malachi.  And God had His word just reach into my heart and make it grin from ear to ear. 

Malachi 3:16-18 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said.  In His Presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and always thought about the honor of His Name.  "They will be my people," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.  "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure.  I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.  Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." 

So many things flooded my mind as I read this verse.  I was in Exodus lately and reading about the plagues the Lord send on Egypt.   Here we repeatedly see the difference between serving God and being His people and resisting Him and serving false gods.  Exodus 8:20-23 20 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 21 If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. 22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. 23 I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’”

Revelation 20:11-15 11 And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Could it be that the scroll mentioned above in Malachi is part of the Book of Life?  I honestly don't know.  But I do know that God has written down the name of each of His children and has promised us eternal life in His Presence and justice from this evil world.  And I celebrate that!  Hallelujah!  What a loving and awesome God we serve!  

So many in this world live for today, live for their flesh and for material possessions, emotional fulfillment, and comfort.  They don't feel God is worth living for.  "Why serve a God we can't see and wants to take away all our fun." they say.  They are blinded by the god of this world, Satan.  Lord, help them.  They will miss out on the richest of rewards by serving themselves and not submitting to the Lord who writes us on His scroll of rememberance.  The One who calls us His own special treasures.  I want this!  I pray for all of us that we recognize the gift He offers and desire to be called His special treasure more than anything else.  Thank Your Lord. 

I hope this verse jumped into your heart as well when you read it.  I pray it brought you the same joy and confidence it filled me with.  

Lord, thank You.  I am so grateful to be treasured by You.  Keep us in the place of knowing there is nothing better than serving You.  It's in the Name of the One who made it possible for us to be Your people, Jesus Christ I ask.  Amen.  

Resurrection Day!

 

HAVE A BLESSED RESURRECTION DAY !!!

Remembering Good Friday

Luke 22:19  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-26  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

I was listening to a song on the radio recently.  Being we have Passover and Good Friday this week it spoke to my heart about remembering God's love, kindness and sacrifice.  

We have so much to be grateful for and as we call to mind the Cross today, we also call to mind all that went into it and came out of it.  I'm reminded of Jesus in Gethsamane and in the garden as He was about to be arrested.  Matthew 26:42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  Matthew 26:52-54 52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

Jesus could have walked away any time.  Delivered Himself.  But instead He chose not to, for our sake.  Matthew 27:42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.

The love and sacrifice, the desire for our restoration was the force that pushed Him onto the Cross.  The results was our saving and restoration to our Father.  The way was opened for us to once again draw near to our God.  Matthew 27:51  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,   Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is a day of reflection.  Of repentance.  And of joy and celebration.  It is the day of our salvation, the day the price was paid to bring us back to God.  What a wonderful day!  Today I worship in deep gratitude knowing my Savior, in spite of all my failings and sins, has showed me kindness and paid the price for my debt.  No matter the darkness of our sins, His love washes it way.  Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

Thank You.  These words will never be enough, but Lord they are all we have to give.  Thank You.    

Bring God In

Psalm 22:1-5 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?  Why are you so far away when I groan for help?  2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.  Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.  3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.  4 Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them.  5 They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

This week's study for our women at church was prophecy.  Specifically Messianic (Jesus related) prophecy from the Old Testament that was fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus Christ. These verses above spoke of Jesus' time on the Cross where He took our sin and cleansed us from all unrighteousness.

Imagine the suffering Jesus was experiencing at this moment.  The agony.  I can't.  I get upset when I stub my toe.  While He hung there He took care of His mother, the thief on the cross next to Him, and even forgave those who had put Him there (that includes you and me). 

But this Psalm leads us to another truth.  It's the wonderful blessings of praise.  When we suffer, when we go through the dark valleys of this life, praise brings God's Presence to our sphere of existence.  It enthrones Him higher than our troubles and heartaches.  It reminds us He is with us, even when we don't see the answers we are looking for, even if He seems distance and we feel abandoned.  Praise takes our eyes off of everything going on and sets them on the One who is high and lifted up.  It tells our hearts, the spiritual world around us and our God that we trust and reverence Him above all else.  

I can't remember noting this before and I was so excited to see it.  As I've been working on not complaining, I realize that praise is the perfect replacement for griping.  This whole Scriptural God visit complimented the promise I made this Lenten season.  

Lord, give us the grace to praise You in everthying.  To be thankful and trust You.  Replace our fears, our doubts, our worries and our complaints with praise and I know we will see You come into our circumstances and we will come into You Presence where we can find rest.  You are awesome and wonderful and I glorify You Name.  

Quietude

Quietude.  I like the word.  And I never get a chance to use it.  I looked it up to see the synomyns.  Tranquility, hush, serenity, silence, stillness, peace, lull to name a few.  

This morning I woke up early and did my chores.  Kitties got fed, medicine given, and cleaned up after the little darlings.  Dishes got put away, coffee was made and all became quiet as I sat down to "wake up" my brain.  And there was a hush surrounding me.  My husband was still sleeping (God love him, but he can be a noisy person), the cats had settled for their after breakfast nap (what a life! Lol), and everything around me was still.  In the crazy busy world, this is such a treasure to me.  It makes me think of being able to breathe.

What a gift!  The only sound was some birds chatting and I was able to just sit and relish the peace of God washing over me.  

I had not wanted to get up early today.  I didn't have any reason to.  But God did.  He wanted me up so He could bless me before the day got active and noisy.  Wow!  I am so grateful for this sweet blessing.  

I am so glad I listened to the Spirit's leading and got out of bed 1/2 an hour early.  Anytime we obey we will be blessed, even in the smallest of things.  

Something I am noticing lately, it's the small things that come with so much packed into them.  Be it moments of time, prayer....whatever, God builds the most beautiful stories and blessings in the littlest of actions.  

Thank You Lord!!  

Small Prayer

Recently I was praying and that led me to thinking about my prayers.  There are so many pray requests that come into my realm of living.  Sunday night church ones, prayer group, neighborhood, ladies, and the church prayer line.  Then there's individuals who reach out, regular ongoing prayers of my own, prayers for those I've met in missions, and for those around the world...the needs and desires go on and on and it feels overwhelming.  I'm too small for all of this!!  My prayers are inadequate!!  They are not eloquent or fancy, sometimes I can only think of a few words or maybe even just a cry of the heart.  

But then I felt it come up in my heart, "I am more than enough.  I am more than able to handle the biggest and smallest prayers."  Our prayers, no matter how small or sloppy or inarticulate go to a Being who is more than enough, who is infinite and wise.  His ways and His character and care are not determined by the size or substance of our prayers.  

Do you too doubt your prayers?  Do you feel like your prayers are too small, too messy, not special enough?  While this may be true in part, because we are human and we fall short, but our God is more.  More than our lack of words or abilities to be articulate.  He sees the heart behind the ask or need.  And He already has the answer in place, the plan working out.  

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.

Matthew 6:8 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Daniel 10:12 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

Our Father knows our needs, the needs of those we love and care about and the needs of every person on earth.  When we come before Him it's not the eloquence of our words we offer, but the beauty of a humble heart.  When our hearts are set to seek God, to acknowledge our powerlessness and need, these are the prayers that get answers.  

Jesus even warned of those who make a big show of praying in Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.   They are looking for the praise of men.  Whether we pray in the secret place or in a group together it's our heart that God sees and answers.  

Lord, so often my words feel so small, but I am thankful that You are an infinite God.  Even one small word can move Your hand and be the blessing.  I don't know how it all works.  We pray, You answer.  You plan, we pray....Around and around it goes.  But the truth is You ask us to come to You in prayer and we do that in obedience and in need.  You never said be fancy.  You said come in humility and fervancy.  Lord, give us hearts for prayer.  Thank You that You are more than enough.  In our Savior's Name.  Amen 

I will be away next week.  Heading off to see family.  Please pray for safe and smooth travels and a trip that exalts Jesus!  

New Song Alert

Not completely a new song.  But a new addition to an old favorite.  I heard this song today for the first time and oh boy the new verse is so beautiful and a poignant to walking through the world today.

Wars, rumors of wars.  Sickness, sadness....and yet our God!  He holds the hearts of kings, directs the paths of human history and keeps us in His sight and arms daily.  Enjoy this song and remember the One who created us, redeemed us and loves us eternally.  

 

Lovely Little Visits

I wonder how many God visits I miss a day.  Our Lord is always at work and involved in each aspect of our lives and days. 

I've been in Luke lately and last night I was reading Luke 22:7-13  7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”  9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.  10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

Look at the detail.  Jesus had this meal all planned out.  He was in all the details.  In Matthew 10:30 we are told, "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."  Nothing, no matter how small escapes His touch.  

I've definitely had a couple of stand out visits this past week or so that have made me laugh and brought encouragement.  

The first was at the middle of last week.  The back story on this is that I had told God that this was the year I stopped complaining.  Whether it's out loud, in my head or with eye rolls and annoyed sighs....I want this sin out of my life.  

Well, He's definitely taking me seriously.  I am constantly reminded every time I go down the "complaining road" that I am to be grateful and worshipful.  Thank You Holy Spirit.  But this time it got serious.  

My husband and I had done some cleaning around the house.  And my husband, being himself, left the cleaner out, behind the door, in the laundry room.  I found this the next day when I went to sweep up in there.  So of course, the sighs came.  And the critical attitude in my heart.   I picked up the container and put it on top of the dryer and started to sweep up the flood, grumbling in my head the whole tiime.  Well, I'm guessing the Lord really want to get my attention here, so as I was kneeling before the dryer sweeping into the dustpan, the container slip off the dryer and hit me right in the head.  LOL  Oh my!  Talk about a direct correction.  The Holy Spirit could not have been any clearer.  "Knock it off!"  I just had to sit there and laugh.  And repent.  (Embarressed face here!)

The next visit was this morning.  I'm still in Luke and I was listening to J. Vernon McGee's teaching on chapter 24.  We were at the end in verses 50-53.  50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

I noticed something about this today that I had never seen before.  The people standing before Jesus had failed Him.  Some denied, some deserted, some didn't believe...all of them, had failed our Lord in some way.  They were just like me.  I often fail my Lord.  I don't believe, I question and deny His sovereignty, trustworthiness and love.  I'm disobedient and self willed.  

But here's the thing.  As Jesus was leaving He blessed them.  He lifted His hands and spoke good over them.  He didn't look at them as failures, as sinners unworthy of His love and goodness.  He saw them as those He loved and died for, those forgiven and adopted, those who He called friends.  And....that includes you and me.  He sees us this way as well, and He desires blessing for us.  His blessing.  Wow.  What amazing revelation.  I am in awe of His loving goodness.  

Lord, thank You.  For correction, for blessing, for Your unvavering patience, care and love us.  We truly are the most blessed people to be called Your children.  

Help Me Forgive

Forgiveness!  We all want it.  We receive it from our gracious Lord.  And we all need it.  Yet when it comes to giving it out......ugh!  That is the hard part.  

I can say it in my head, but getting my feelings to catch up with what I know is God's will and command is where the glitch happens for me.  Even harder when there is the little voice in our head saying "But it wasn't my fault!  They did______," fill in the blank.  

Recently some one really got under my skin..  They pressed every button I have and just basically got me annoyed quite a few times in the span of a few hours.  Now this is a nice person, a caring person....and maybe we were just too much a like in some ways, but I just found myself getting irritated with this person.  And the Holy Spirit kept whispering in my ear, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone."  Romans 12:18.   Ugh!!!  "I don't want tooooooo.  It's not meeeeee!!!  I'm right, they are wrong!!!!"  Yup, those where my answers as I heard His voice.  But, at least on the outside I tried to be obedient.  I can't say I was totally successful, but mostly. 

Now here we are two days later and I am still rehashing it in my mind.  Over and over it comes into my head.  I know this was such a minor situation, just a differing way of doing things.  No wrongs against me were committed....but still the Holy Spirit told me to offer forgiveness in my heart.  And, I am obeying.  In a lot of ways there really isn't anything to forgive, but in obedience I follow His direction.  Yet it still comes up to rehash.  So I forgive again.  I pray for them again.  A friend once told me that if you want to forgive someone, pray for them.  You can't stay mad at someone you are praying for.  Good advice.  

Eventually I know my feelings will catch up.  But what happens when I see them again?  I am praying by then the Lord will have changed my heart even more.  

For my devotion this morning I went into my little "31 Days of Praise" book by Ruth Myers.  Oh boy, did the Lord sure visit!  

From today's reading:

"So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in me anxiety or anger or pain...."

I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem, each conflict, each struggle...that through them You expose my weaknesses and needs, my hidden sins, my self centeredness (and especially my self-reliance and pride).   Thank You that You use trials to humble me and perfect my faith and produce in me the quality of endurance...that they prepare the soil of my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that You and I both long to see in me......"

This spoke directly into the heart of this situation in me.  And I am so grateful for this new opportunity to die to self and live for the Lord.  He is so amazing in tune with exactly what we need to hear at exactly the time we need to hear it.  

"I thank You for the bitter things, they've been a friend to grace.  They'vee driven me from paths of ease to storm the secret place."  Florence White Willett.  

How I need to storm the secret place.  To "...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."  Hebrews 4:16

The Lord provides everything we need to live for Him  2 Peter 1:3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

I am so grateful for the situations the Lord places in my life that bring the growth He desires.  My prayer for me and all of us is that we allow Him to grow us.  I pray that we cooperate and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things, even when our feelings are screaming for release and relief. 

Lord You are so good to us, so patient in teaching.  We love You and desire to please You and to live as Your representatives here on earth.  Help us to shine for You in all we do.  We give You our hearts, minds, emotions and ask You to transform them into mirror images of Jesus for all to see.  It's in Your precious Name we pray Lord.  Amen.  

Lord Teach Us To Pray....And To Trust

I've been reading in Luke lately and yesterday I was in chapter 11.  Here the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray the way John taught his followers.  In Luke 11:1-13 Jesus teaches them not only how to pray, but how to trust.  

Luke 11:1-13 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:  “Father, may your name be kept holy.    May your Kingdom come soon.  3 Give us each day the food we need, 4 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.  And don’t let us yield to temptation. 

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.  9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Most of us have heard of the Lord's prayer.  It's like a blueprint for prayer, a great starting point.  We glorify God's Name, ask for His will to be done and His kingdom to be manifest.  We ask for our needs to be met and for help in following Christ in forgiving others and for forgiveness ourselves, and finally for strength against sin.  

After this we see Jesus teaching about being persistent in prayer.  Seeking God in our need, crying out to Him for fulfillment.  Prayers that don't give up at the first sign of resistance.  

Then we get to the part about trust.  Jesus tells us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking.  This seems to line up with the persistence part.  But He goes on to tell us about how human  Father's will answer their children in the best way.  They will not give a snake when a child asks a fish or a scorpion when asked for an egg.  And like earthly Fathers, our heavenly Father gives us only what is good for us.  We need to learn to trust His answers.  The implication here is that our greatest need is spiritual, as we need the Holy Spirit more than any earthly thing we can ask for.  

Some times we don't hear or receive the answers we want.  Doors don't open, physical needs go seemingly unmet and we don't find what we are looking for.  God doesn't promises that He will give us every desire of our hearts.  He knows that our hearts can be weak, selfish, mistaken, misled and easily confused about what is the best.  He knows they don't see the big picture or have all the answers.  But He gives that which will feed our souls.  He gives that which will make us grow and flourish.  The nos and waits are hard but that is where learning to trust comes in.  That is what Jesus is teaching here.  

God only gives good things.  James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

God knows our needs. Matthew 6:8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

Do we ever stop to think that if God gave us exactly what we ask for it would be like Him giving us a scorpion?  Can we understand that He sees the whole of our lives and knows what is and isn't good for us?  Do we understand that if He opens a door for us that we desire it could be a door to disaster.  Instead He opens the door to blessing through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

It's so hard when we don't see the answers we want, we design, to our prayers.  But that is where we learn to grow in faith.  When we don't get our way, and yet we allow the Holy Spirit full reign and give Him our full trust.  This is a lesson that we need to be reminded of over and over again.  At least I do. 

Lord, I know You desire to bless and lead Your children.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is the most wonderful of blessings.  He prays for us when we don't know how to pray.  He fills us when we are empty and leads us when we are lost.  Help us to trust You in the asking and the answering.  Let us not give up, but keep on seeking Your ways and Your will.  We pray in the mighty Name of Jesus.  Amen.  

Lessons from Peru

What a wonderful trip!  I enjoyed spending time with my Peruvian family in Christ.  My friend and I got to share Jesus'  heart with the sisters and brothers in two churchs.  Our group got to visit with the pastors and their families that we support and connect with.  Staying in their homes was such a blessing and getting to know them something I will treasure forever.  These sweet people welcomed us with so much love and joy.  

I came away so much richer than when I left.  I learned my job is to go with Jesus' flow.  I'm not to let my timeline interfere with His purpose.  The unhurried pace of our days there was such a great change from my "hurry to press on to the next thing" lifestyle.  

Our first night of teaching was on Mary and Martha.  So often I try to not be like Martha when in reality I should be striving to follow Mary's example.  I can "sit at Jesus' feet" no matter what I am doing.  Turning my thoughts from "hurry, hurry" to my Lord will bring my mind in line with the attitude Mary had.  I gain His peace, purpose and direction when I learn to live that way.  

Coming home we had a very late flight.  Which got delayed three times!  Finally they had us leaving Lima at 3:45 am.   We would never have made our connecting flight.  By the time we got home we would have been up for almost a day and a half.  

But we kept our attitude on letting Jesus have His way.  My friend and I went with HIS flow.  And we saw Him work it out.  We ended up on a stand by flight, which we made.  He opened doors for us to get through customs and security quickly, gave us great seats on the plan and even had us make our Miami connection to Nashville.  Going with HIS flow brought peace to our hearts and got us where we needed to go in His time.  

Our Christian family is everywhere.  Language barriers do not stop the love in our hearts.  They don't keep us from being connected.  Hugs, smiles and tears convey so much more than words.  

Thank You Lord for this amazing experience.  I saw Your hand all over it!   

Wherever We Go

In this past Sunday's sermon our Pastor taught on how wherever we go we are the temple of God and we bring the Holy Spirit with us.  In the past, the temple was stationary.  It remained in Jerusalem and God's people had to go there to make sacrifice for sin, bring offerings and meet with the Lord.  Jesus changed all that.  He made the ultimate, all-encompassing, eternal, omnipresent sacrifice for sin.  This redemption was now available anywhere, anytime, for everyone. 

No longer do we have to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to make peace with the Lord.  In fact, the Temple was destroyed around AD 70.  The option for redemption through that method has been taken away.  But our God has made a better way.  Jesus!

Not only do we not have to make repeat sacrifices over and over and over, we now carry the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go.  This message was repeated to me in our BSF study this week.  We were studying in Zechariah 1 where we see the Israelites stalled in their efforts to build the Lord a new temple.  They did just enough to get by.  What grace is afforded us as Christians to not have to rebuild a special place to meet with God.  What grace that we don't have to offer sacrifice after sacrifice, but can be cleansed by the one time sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

1 Peter 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

Hebrews 7:24-28  But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.  26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

We are fully forgiven forever because of Jesus.  We can bring this message and power wherever we go because we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.  How amazing is this?  Isn't it crazy that the simplest of messages can actually be so incredibly deep and heart changing.  It really is something most of us know, but so often we don't give a thought to as we wander through our day.  I want to ask myself, "How can I be the temple of God here where I am and let His Presence shine through in the moment?"  

Lord, remind us how we are Your temple and bring Your Presence wherever we go.  Let us not be forgetful readers.  James 1 22-24 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  Lord, it's so easy to get caught up in the physical world and forget Your great spiritual truths.  I so often do this and I am sorry.  Lead us in Your ways.  We love You.  In the Name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  

Next week I will be away on a mission trip to Peru.  Please pray for God to be shining through those of us who are going and for a fruitful trip, safety as well.  Let us be a blessing wherever we go.  Thank you!  Oh, and this is my first ever mission trip out of the country!  Pray I honor God!  

What We Own-Joint Heirs

I heard a song on the radio a few days ago called "Stand in Your Love" by Josh Baldwin.  Now, I've heard this song many, many times.  I've always liked it.  It's a good, uplifting and encouraging song.  But this time one of the lines really stood out to me.  It's like that sometimes!  Like you never heard it before.  

 When darkness tries to roll over my bones

 When sorrow comes to steal the joy I own

 When brokenness and pain is all I know

 Oh, I won't be shaken, no, I won't be shaken

[Chorus] 

Cause my fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love!

Oh, shame no longer has a place to hide

And I am not a captive to the lies

Oh, I'm not afraid to leave my past behind

Oh, I won't be shaken, no, I won't be shaken!

[Chorus]

My fear doesn't stand a chance                                                                                                

When I stand in Your love

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love!

Look at that second line.  It's what we OWN.  We don't borrow the joy Christ gave us.  We OWN it.  So I got to thinking, what more do we own?  The Bible tells us that we are joint-heirs with Jesus, so I'm thinking we own a lot!!  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.

Romans 8:17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

I'll make a short list of what we own because we share it with Jesus.  His glory (Romans 8:17) His suffering (Romans 8:17).  His peace (John 14:27), His grace (John 1:17), His love (John 16:27) , eternal life (John 10:28), every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3), His strength (Ephesians 4:13), new creation status and a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).  I could go on and on about what we own in Christ Jesus.  But I think you get the picture.  

I want to celebrate this!  I find it exciting to think about these things in this new way.  We were given so many gifts by our loving Savior.  So often I go through the day forgetful of these blessings, kind of like a kid with a new toy...a few days or a couple of weeks after Christmas, the new toy they were so excited about is forgotten.  But Lord forgive me!  I don't want to be like that.  

Lord, You have given us so so many wonderful gifts, we have the most amazing inheritance in our Savior Jesus Christ.  Let us celebrate these things every day.  Thank You for speaking to me through this song.  I love the way You do that!  

Romans 8:17  And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering
 

John 4:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

John 16:27 for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.

John 10:28  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,

Ephesians 1:3  All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Flurries!

I went for a walk today and when I started out it there wass just a little bit of snow flurries coming down.  This was a sweet time of prayer as I walked, and as I walked on the flurries started coming down a little heavier.  It was beautiful!  

As I was praying the Lord reminded me of Isaiah 55:10-11 came to mind.  “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

What a wonderful reminder that when we pray and especially when we pray God's Word, it will not return void.  We are not just speaking into space our wishes and hopes, but communicating our deep needs and the needs of others to a Father who loves us, and who is all powerful, all knowing and infinitely able to answer the needs of each and every prayer uttered.  I love this!  What a great God visit today.

Thank You Lord !  The snow was beautiful as it fell, peaceful and serene, but more importantly it reminded me of Your promises.  

God Has A Plan

Isaiah 55:8-9   “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.   9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Perhaps you've heard this passage before.  Perhaps even quoted it to yourself or others.  For comfort.  For understanding or acknowledging the sovereignty, wisdom and prominence of God.  This passage lets us know that God doesn't think or act in the ways we do.  He is so far outside our realm of imagination, thought, or understanding and His plans are infinitely better than ours could ever be.  He takes in every detail, not just of us but of the whole of humankind and history to work out His perfect will and dominion.  He takes into account the large sweep of humanity as well as the tiniest dot of our lives and weaves them together to fit His loving and wonderful agenda for all. 

There are a few things I've been praying about for a long time.  I've yet to see the answers I want.  I feel as if I  haven't seen changes or improvement yet. A little here, a little there....slow seems to be a quick way to describe the wait.  But our Father has once again provided the encouragement I need to hang in there and keep up the prayer, the obedience (I could do a little better here for sure!) and to just continue to wait on Him.  

This was our last week in Esther for our Bible Study Fellowship curriculum.  We've seen the evil Haman plat the annilation of the Jewish people in the Persian kingdom.  We saw an edict go out from King 
Xerxes that on a certain date, all the Jews were to be killed and their property seized.  One of the heroes of our story steps in to approach the king for the relief of her people.  Queen Esther, at the peril of her life seeks the king's help to deliver her kinsmen.   Unfortunately, the king's edict that he had put in place could not be reversed.

But God....

Esther sought the king to change his mind.  God had something different, something bigger and better, in mind.  He had a plan of deliverance, but it would come in a way that she didn't see.  He would use the Jewish people to annihilate their enemies AND save their lives.  God's plan not only saved them, but it also caused them to be safe from those who would have continued to desire their demise.  It also brought many converts to the Hebrew way of life, thus saving more people that may never have sought the One true God.  Haman, his family, and likeminded countrymen were killed, taking out the threat to the captive Hebrew nation, and by extension, us, because the lineage of Christ was perserved.  Hallelujah!  God is amazing!  

Being in this book has been wonderful and so timely for me.  There has been so much of God's hand to see in a book that never mentions Him by Name.  He has reached out in comfort, encouragement and direction time after time as I've gone through this book again.  I highly recommend you spend time reading and meditating on it.  

Lord, I can't express the gratitude that wells up in my heart for the tenderloving care You bring to each of Your children.  We are often so lost and stumble through our days wondering when it will change and when deliverance will come.  We hold so tightly to our picture of redemption and help that we miss Your beautifully perfect plan and lose the peace of resting in You.  Help us to go beyond our ideas, plans and feelings to trust and wait for Your timing and Your solutions.  We love You and know there is no better way than Your way.  And please Lord, let us have the boldness and humility of Esther.   It's in the Name of our loving Savior I ask this, Amen.  

Esther  8 On that same day King Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. 2 The king took off his signet ring—which he had taken back from Haman—and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s property.  3 Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him.  5 Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed. 6 For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?”  7 Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. 8 Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.”  9 So on June 25 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and the nobles of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of the empire, including that of the Jews. 10 The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king’s service.  11 The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. 12 The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was March 7 of the next year.  13 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on the appointed day. 14 So urged on by the king’s command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king’s service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa.  15 Then Mordecai left the king’s presence, wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. 16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.

Taking Notice

In our Bible Study Fellowship group we've been studying the Exile and Return of the Jews during ancient times.  The Bible tells us the story of Israel's reign and fall in disobedience to God, and their exile to Assyria and Babylon in ancient times.  

Part of our study has brought us through the books of Ezra and Esther.  Both these books show the hand and purposes of God at work in His rebellious children and in the history of mankind.  

Of Ezra we are told that he was a man well-versed in Scripture.  And because of this Ezra was able to see the hand of God at work in his circumstances and the circumstances of the exiled Israel nation.  In Esther, although God is never mentioned by Name, we see His hand in each detail and circumstance in the lives of Mordecai and Esther.  

This got me to thinking, how often do I actively and attentively look for God's action in my day.  It's a goal of mine to become more aware of this each day.  Lately it's been fun to see God's touches and I am enjoying seeking to see His loving care more and more. 

Since I had been so neglectful of my spiritual life during the holiday season, it was good to see God's admonishment to get back to what I'm supposed to be doing.  In our BSF lecture recently I was reminded that "anytime spent in God's Word is never wasted."  Also, the more I learn about God, the more I am able to see His movement in my life.  My dedication to Him and His Word enable me to recognize His hand on my life.  

Next up, a few visits from the book of Luke.  Luke 8:18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.

Not only is it important to be in the Word, it's important to be listening and paying attention to what I am reading.  Am I listening attentively and with the will to be obedient to what I hear?

In Luke 9:62 we are warned against looking back.  But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Have we put our hand to the plow, made the commitment to Jesus and serving Him?  Then why do I so often look back at the past with regret, longing, or a sense of being defined by it instead of by the truth of belonging to my Savior?  

Part of my holiday blues came from a sense of hopelessness due to unanswered prayer.   I pray so often for myself to change.  And when I see myself making the same mistakes over and over, I get frustrated and discouraged.  Someone sweet gave me a lovely birthday gift of a Christian journal, but the thing was it came in a bag that quoted Jeremiah 29:11.   For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

And here's a visit that showed me God's assurance as well as His sense of humor.  Yesterday my friend and I went on a hike.  It was a new place that we hadn't been to before so I was very excited to go.  Well, it turned out to be a little more difficult than we thought it would be.  There were narrow pathways along ledges, some steep inclines where we actually had to hold onto a cable and go down on our backsides.  Some slippery places. Whew!  When we got down one particularly challenging area I need to blow my nose, lol.  I took out my tissues.  They were in this little package that I had received as a gift.  And on the little tissue holder it said "God is with her, she will not fall."  LOL  Could anything be any closer to answering my fears on this hike!!

Gifts, tissue holders, teachings, and the Bible.  Just a few of the many ways God reaches in our day to show His love, direction and Presence.  It just takes a bit of determined awareness to see Him in action.  

Lord, open our eyes that we may see!!!