What Does Jesus Really Think about Me?

How many of you would love to hear someone say to you:

I call you by name and you are mine (Isaiah 43:1)

I am enthralled by your beauty. (Ps 45:11)

I take great delight in you. (Zeph 3:17)

I rejoice over you. (Zeph 3:17)

You are wonderfully made. (Ps 139:14)

I know your inmost thoughts. (Ps 139:1-2)

I long to confide in you. (Ps 25:14)

I am your protector. (Ps 121)

I will fight for you. (Exodus 14:14)

I am your helper. (Ps 118:7)

I am your strength when you are weak. (Is 40:29/2Cor 12:9)

I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

You are more than a conqueror and NOTHING can separate you from my love. (Romans 8:37-39)

I offer no condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

There is no fear in my love. (1 John 4:17-19)

I have taken away your punishment. (Zeph 3:15)

I will not reject you. (Ps 94:14)

You are accepted. (Romans 15:7)

You are chosen. (Col 3:12)

You are my friend. (John 15:14-15)

Has anyone ever spoken this way to you? and it lasted?  There is someone who thinks all of these things about you. There is someone who loves you JUST the way you are! You don’t have to do anything to earn it! You don’t have to change 20 things about yourself first. You just have to believe him! That person’s name is Jesus!

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? When you stare at your reflection what is the first thing that pops into your head?  Do you look at yourself and say, “Wow! I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am accepted. I am God’s friend?” Or… when you look in the mirror do you cringe? Do you think, “Wow, I wish I was taller, skinnier, or I wish my hair was different.” Maybe you don’t think along these lines, but you see yourself and wonder, “My life is meaningless. I have no purpose.” or “will I ever be smart enough or fast enough to make the cut?” or in this world of CRAZY “perfect” Mommy blogs you tell yourself you don’t measure up because you fed your kids bread that you didn’t make from scratch, chicken nuggets that came from a box, and they weren’t reading at the age of 2!

Every day we are going to walk in either joy/freedom or stress/depression based upon what we allow to fill our head when we look in the mirror. It is a conscious choice the moment your feet hit the floor… EVERY morning! The first thing we must do is…

RECOGNIZE THE VOICE OF THE ENEMY!

We MUST realize that anything that pops into our head that does not agree with what the Bible tells us about ourselves is a lie!! It is not from God! In fact, John 8:44 tells us, “When (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” When you listen to all those negative thoughts you repeat about yourself which contradict Scripture, you will start every morning the rest of your life with stress and not joy!  When you repent of your sins, confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead… You belong to God. Satan has no control over your eternal security. Therefore, he is going to try his hardest to destroy your joy and your confidence of who you are in Christ! He wants to make you forget ALL of what Christ says about you so that you will become completely ineffective for the Kingdom of God here on this earth.

The Bible tells us this truth in 1 Peter 5:8– “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. “ You see… Satan hates God. We are created in God’s image. Therefore, Satan hates us. He is taking the opportunity to devour you every time you look in the mirror or every time you compare yourself to others and begin to believe that you don’t measure up. Thinking negative thoughts about yourself every time you look in the mirror is not a “low self esteem” issue. It is a spiritual battle that we are CHOOSING to let Satan win!

That is why when we try to silence his voice through worldly means it never works out! We try to fix our insecurities by going to the right people. So we try to pick more popular friends, become the “favorite friend” in your class (or mom’s group). We try to get as many likes as possible on FB or Instagram. We try to see how many followers we can get on twitter or we place our value on how many texts we received in one day. When that doesn’t make us happy, because it won’t – we will never ALWAYS be the favorite or please everybody around us, we spend more money. We begin to believe that if we had newer or cuter clothes then people would like us. We begin to think that maybe if we showed more skin or were more fit and wore tighter clothes we would get more attention. Or we might work harder at our jobs, in exercise, etc… all to reach this “ideal” we have in our minds thinking if we could just get there we would be happy.

The problem is the world we live in is fickle!  One year plaid is all the rage. Other year’s neon is the way to go. Some years perms will make you a star, other times the fad is long wavy hair. The world is always changing! Nothing lasts! Some crowds will think you are awesome if you are the best musician. Other crowds think you need to be the best athlete. You are never going to please everybody. Remember, Satan’s goal is to make you forget WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! THESE THINGS THAT CHRIST SAYS ABOUT YOU. Therefore, you are NEVER going be good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, athletic enough, musical enough or skinny enough to silence his lies! Remember, he wants to devour your joy and ruin your confidence!!

Choosing not to see yourself as God sees you, is not just an issue when you are young!! I think a lot of us believed that when we were no longer a teenager all of these insecurities or what we have labeled “Self-esteem issues” would just go away. How is that working out for you?  You have to decide right now if you are going to keep plugging away at this, going the worldly route to silence that voice, making yourself exhausted and never getting anywhere… OR if you are going to fix the problem once and for all!!!!  There is only one solution that really works. Contrary to what the world will tell you. The ONLY solution is to FIRST recognize the voice of the enemy and then…

BELIEVE THE VOICE OF YOUR LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER!

DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS? Hebrews 6:18 tells us (and I LOVE THIS) that it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. That means when he tells you all of these precious promises in His Word, when he tells you that you are beautiful, wonderfully made, that HE will never leave you nor forsake you… IT IS TRUE!!! Let that sink in! God cannot lie! Bask in WHOSE you are! The Bible goes on to tell us in Hebrews 13:8 that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Malachi 3:6 says, “I the Lord do not change.” King David tells us in Psalm 102:27, “But you (Lord) remain the same, and your years will never end.” The world will fade away, fashions will change, your friends will move, but OUR LORD who NEVER LIES also NEVER CHANGES already accepts and loves you just the way you are!

Okay… so we know who Jesus is, and what he says about us, and now realize everything else is simply from the Father of lies… HOW do we silence the negativity?  It is time to FIGHT BACK!!! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We must memorize Scripture that apply to what you struggle with. Only way to stop lies is combat it with the truth. This verse tells us that we have power from God to demolish, ruin, kill, any argument or lie that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We now know what God says about us… it is time to use the power of the Word of God and kill the lie!! Literally… even if you have to do it out loud, say, “No! The same God that made the Heavens and the Earth, that keeps our universe from spiraling out of control, the same God that withheld nothing - not even his own son - but allowed Jesus to die for our sins so that we might have restored relationship with him, the same God that sacrificed himself so that we might be the righteousness of God, THAT God says that I am “beautiful,” that I am “Fearfully and wonderfully made!“

If we can believe God for our eternal salvation… then why do we choose to NOT believe that He created us perfectly according to His great plan?! Finally, to combat the lies of the enemy we have to …

CHOOSE NOT TO REPEAT THE LIES TO OUR SELF! IT is a CHOICE!!! Time to move onto the second part of that passage, “Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” Instead of repeating the lies to yourself, (you aren’t skinny enough, you aren’t good enough, you have no purpose), take it and cast it away from you! Cathy Horner stated something this year in Lambs that I will never forget. She said that when you repeat something you are actually memorizing it! Don’t memorize lies. Take those wrong thoughts and tell them where they can go!!!!  :o) SPEAK TRUTH!!!!

YOU WILL NEVER HAVE VICTORY over the negative thoughts that penetrate your heart and mind until you start recognizing that they are directly from the mouth of our enemy and then CHOOSING (even when you don’t feel like it – even when you feel like all your friends like someone better than you – even when you haven’t showered in three days because you are buried in spit up, diapers or homeschooling) CHOOSE to believe the voice of your Father!!

God’s word offers us a very precious promise in James 4:7. This verse tells us that when we submit ourselves to God (meaning we place our lives under His authority and the authority of His Word… these things up here) then when we resist the Devil, HE MUST FLEE!!!!! The power of the Word of God will always send Satan running! You may have to speak His Word over and over until you believe it!

An Aside… Mom: Let’s not allow our voice to be the voice of the enemy to our daughters or granddaughters! Proverbs 10:11 tells us that “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”  Those little “jokes/observations” that you think don’t mean anything – are NOT speaking life, but concealing violence!! We can actually allow Satan to destroy her belief in how God made her, through our own voice!!! It is serious how we use our mouth to those around us!!  Be careful that you are being a fountain of life! We also must be careful what we obsess over (Diet, weight, exercise.. even good things. If they see it as so important to us that it affects all of the decisions we make throughout the day. it will be important to them. What we do in moderation, they will do in excess). So let’s just be careful or what we are stating or acting like is the most important thing.  Finally, realize how we talk about ourselves. If we cannot learn to receive a compliment, or we are always putting ourselves down, our daughters are learning that is what they should be doing! Be a fountain of life!!! NOT the voice of the enemy speaking through you!

Okay… So we are looking in the mirror and we have fought against the voice of the enemy with Scripture. We have CHOSEN to believe the truthful , unchanging voice of our Heavenly Father… what now? How do we live in this crazy world? How do we dress to please him when all of our friends tell us that we need to look a certain way, act a certain way, etc.

Dress: The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” When you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit chooses to live inside of you, and you become His home! Let’s make sure that when we dress, we are dressing to reflect that truth! Do you think Jesus wants His temple arrayed in super short dresses or low cut shirts that doesn’t leave anything to the imagination? NO! Christ died for that Body! Don’t sell it to the world by presenting it in a way that tries to sell sex and materialism and not the grace of God and His blood shed for you! Moms: Let’s start talking modesty now! It is a lot easier to cultivate a lifestyle of modesty starting at five and not fifteen! These decisions now can affect the type of boy that she attracts later. Let’s begin dressing her now to attract the type of son-in-law we want later!! Also, let’s watch how we dress. Our daughters will imitate us and usually go one step further. Is one step further from how we dress now, still acceptable?

Actions: Colossians 3:12 says: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, (REMEMBER THAT!!! THAT IS WHAT GOD SAYS YOU ARE!!) clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” We are to clothe ourselves with the attitudes and attributes of Christ! Every morning as we get dressed, literally as if we were putting on clothes, let’s put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. WE are Holy and DEARLY loved. We are to love others as we are loved by Christ! When our friends try to tell us that the only way to be popular is to be mean to that new girl, put on kindness. When we are sick of sharing and waiting our turn, put on gentleness and patience! Treat others like Christ wants to treat them through you!

We have learned how to conquer the mirror each and every day. We now know that any voice inside our head that is contrary to Scripture is from Satan and we can tell it where to go through His Word. We are now listening to TRUTH about whom and whose we really are. We are physically dressed in a way that reflects God’s indwelling presence in our life and we have put on HIS attitude. Time to go out that door and walk in the confidence that we are women who are unconditionally loved!! Remember the list at the beginning? You have nothing to prove! Believe God. Only by believing who you truly are… who Christ sees when he looks at you, will you ever be 100% at peace.

But I Don't Like it...

Acts 8:1-4 (Click on reference to read text)

In Acts 1:8 the Lord gave the early church a charge, a purpose and a promise: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  Sounds great right?  Little did they know that they would be scattered throughout the regions because of great persecution.

We all know that when God calls us to do something, He will give us everything we need to accomplish that purpose (2 Peter 1:3, Psalm 119:105, Acts 17:25).  But what if it works out differently than we thought?  What if we don't like the way God goes about it?  The disciples and apostles were being faithful to preach the gospel in Jerusalem.  However, great persecution broke out, their homes were broken into and they were dragged off to prison.  Were they experiencing hardship because they were being disobedient?  No!  But it forced them to leave and scatter.

This scenario was probably not how they imagined the Gospel going forth to the remotest parts of the earth... through stonings, imprisonment and martydom.  However, that is the key: the Gospel still went forth.  Acts 8 actually says, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (vs. 4). 

God may call you to do things and you may not always like the way it turns out, or the way He accomplishes His purpose.  Like Moses and Abraham, and many other "Heroes of the Faith", you may never actually see the fruition of that call, but nevertheless you played an important part if you obeyed the voice of God (Hebrews 11:13, 39-40). 

Acts 8 began with the stoning of the great servant of God, Stephen.  He never saw the church preach the Gospel to the remotest parts of the earth.  He died at the cusp of God moving.  Yet 2000 years later we see that he played a vital role in fulfilling that purpose and no believer would ever count his life worthless.

Follwer of Jesus, take heart.  Sometimes things on this side of Heaven do not make sense.  Sometimes we feel like death is premature.  Sometimes we don't see the promises of God fulfilled and we begin to doubt His call.  Don't.  Stop doubting.  He is always working and accomplishing His purposes, even when it doesn't make sense to us (Isaiah 46:9-10). 

If you are struggling with this truth, I invite you to pray the words the conflicted father spoke to Jesus in Mark 9, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief."

Afraid to Look...

Acts 3:1-10 (Click on reference to read text)

I like to look the other way.  There I said it!  I was faced in a situation yesterday where I knew someone was in need.  Somehow, even before I knew all the details, I knew it would require sacrifice, laying aside my selfishness and I would need to give.... my time, my energy, my emotions, etc.  And I wanted to not just look away, I wanted to run away as fast as possible.  However, deep down I knew God was calling me, and after literal tears and reciting all the justifications for why I should not have to get involved, I obeyed.

Peter was also faced with a great need.  On his way to church to pray, he passed a man who was lame and who begged for a living.  It would have been easy to look away, to justify that action by reciting all the things he was doing right for the Lord (he was on his way to church!) but instead, the Scripture tells us that Peter "fixed his gaze on him" (vs. 4).  He was intentional and he was not afraid to see the pain in others around him.  He was not inconvenienced by the needs of others.

Secondly, after fixing his gaze on the needy man, he offered his hand.  "Seizing him by the right hand, [Peter] raised him up" (vs.7).  He was healed!  God used Peter to give this man the use of his legs for the first time!  If we want the power of God displayed in our life, we must fix our gaze on the needs of those around us and  lend them our hands!  God does not use onlookers!  God uses those who are unafraid to get dirty and be the literal hands and feet of Christ.

Lastly, because Peter looked and responded, this man began giving glory to God and created interest of God's miracles amongst those witnessing God's power (vs. 8 and 10).  What greater calling is there in this world that to bring Glory to our Great God?

Dr. T.S. Laniak states, "we need to know personally that our true home is in Heaven and that this earth is simply a place where we promote God's interests."  When we get comfortable and feeling at home here and now, it becomes hard to gaze at anything but ourselves. 

I don't know what God's plans are for me and this road I am about to walk.  I feel incapable of fulfilling what He has asked me to do.  I do know that His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9) and that He has giving me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:4-8).  I don't know the future, and to be honest I am a little scared, but I do know the next step God is asking me to take and that He has promised that He is with me and that I don't need to be afraid.  Time to start looking and start lending a hand.

When the Feelings Aren't There...

Psalm 143:7-12 (Click on reference to read text)

Have you ever had seasons in your life where you felt like this Psalmist? Have you found your spirit failing and felt like you were falling into a pit? I don't know about you, but I definitely go through "dry seasons." Seasons where I am overwhelmed, discouraged, cannot think clearly, and generally feel depressed. I am actually walking out of a season like that right now. So you know you are there... what do you do? What do you do when you are a believer, but the feelings just aren't there?

First, we need to call our feelings what they are... feelings. This may sound redundant and crazy, but we need to realize that our feelings do not always accurately reflect our reality. Instead of focusing on what we feel, we need to follow Paul's advice and focus on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellence or worthy of praise (Phil 4:8). My dad used to always tell me, the feelings are the caboose of your life. They are not the driving engine. Just the caboose. No one puts the caboose first when trying to run a train, and we should not put our feelings first when trying to run our lives.

Second, we need to remind ourselves of what we know to be true. The Psalmist calls out to the Lord, "let me hear your loving kindness... for I trust in You... to You I lift up my Soul... I take refuge in you" (vs. 8-9). When you feel like you are falling into the pit, remember what you know to be true. You are not alone, and He is with you! (Psalm 139... READ IT :o)

Third, we need to call out on our Heavenly Father for help. We need to ask for Him to teach us the way in which we should walk (vs. 8), teach us to do His will (vs. 10), ask His Spirit to lead us on level ground (vs.10), and ask Him to revive us (vs.11). The Lord promises us in His word that if we ask anything according to His will He will do it (1 John 5:14-15). Believe this promise!

Finally, we need to start walking. The Psalmist ends this prayer with "For I am your servant" (vs. 12). He doesn't dwell in the pit. He praises the Lord, He calls out to the Lord for Help, and He starts living out His life in submission and service to the Lord. It may take awhile for your feelings to change. Feelings typically don't magically get better. They always follow actions! Just start walking in faith, and before you know it, your feelings will change! Your heart will be singing and your step will be lighter!

As mentioned earlier, I am coming out of a dry season. For the past few weeks I have felt depressed, overwhelmed, and just struggled to make it through each day. I know feeling like this is not God's plan for me (John 10:10). However, the choice to get out is mine. I must choose to call out to the one who CAN and WILL pull me out of the pit. If you feel like me, why don't we start calling out together?

The Wilderness

Deuteronomy 2:7, 8:2-4 (Click on reference to read text)

You know the saying that you can't see the forest for all the trees? I think we often cannot see our blessings because we are too focused on our circumstances. Yes, Israel wondered around in the desert for 40 years. Yes, it was hard. BUT they were never alone. The entire time they were there, the Lord provided for their every need. When they were thirsty, God gave them water (Deut 8:15). When they were hungry, God provided food (Exodus 16:4-8). Although they wondered in the wilderness for 40 years, their feet never swelled, and their sandals and clothes never wore out (Deut 8:4, 29:5). Amazing!

When I find myself in the "wilderness", whether self inflicted like the Israelites because of sin, or because the Lord is growing and teaching me to depend upon him (Deut 8:3, 5), I too can be so focused on my circumstances that I do not even notice His blessings. However, I would wager that if we would just open our eyes and look around us, we would quickly notice the movements of His hands in our lives. Our lives may not look exactly like we thought it would, we many not have everything we "want", we still get sick, we still have trials, but He is walking with us every step of the way.

However, it is often only in these times of wilderness, where we are stripped of everything, that we get quiet enough to focus on the only thing that truly matters.... our relationship with Christ. The wilderness is not always punishment. Sometimes the wilderness is the safest place for us to be (Rev 12:6).

So... instead of trying with all our mights to run from these times of trial and affliction, let's open our eyes to the movements of God in our life that brought us here. Allow His overwhelming presence and provision be your sustaining power, and watch and be amazed at how He provides for all your needs: emotionally, physically and spiritually. So today, instead of trying to figure out how to run out of the wilderness you find yourself in, try running into His presence and loving arms. You too will find you are not alone.

The Holy Spirit Backfire!

Psalm 4:4-5 (Click on reference to read text)

I am ashamed to say I was lying awake in bed at 3am trying my hardest to come up with the best way to "zing" my husband... deliver the perfect sentence to convey enough conviction, guilt, and meanness to cause him to change a decision. I knew it wasn't right, but I was convinced that the Holy Spirit needed a little bit of help to manipulate my husband into doing what I wanted him to do. After two hours of rehearsing the perfect sentence, I was trying to go back to sleep. Since I was awake I started praying for those the Lord brought to mind, and Psalm 4 popped into my head. My mother has always taught me to read any Scripture the Lord brings to mind, so I reached over and grabbed my Bible. This is what I read:

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD."

It was I who got "zinged!" I was about to sin in my anger, I was not going to be silent and I was even lying in my bed! I immediately knew what I needed to do: "be silent... and trust in the Lord." Instead of trying to come up with a way to manipulate my husband into agreeing with me, I decided to trust the Lord and allow Him to work in the heart of my husband or in my heart... whichever one needed to be changed.

Please tell me I am not the only one! Have you ever had a situation where you were trying to play the Holy Spirit and change people instead of allowing the Lord to do His work? The Bible says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise" (Prov 10:19). The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord and HE will make your righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause like the noonday sun (Ps 37:4-6).

The Holy Spirit doesn't need our help. Let's lay down our need to control, our need to get our own way, and just be silent and trust in Him.

Devising My Plans...

1 Kings 22:29-35 (click on reference to read text)

I never thought I would say this, but I sure can act just like King Ahab. He was told by a prophet of the Lord that he would die if he went into battle. Instead of believing the word from the Lord, he charged ahead anyway, just with a plan! He disguised himself and dressed like a regular army man because the enemy army was only charged to "fight with the King of Israel alone" (vs. 31). However, a "certain man drew his bow at random and struck the King of Israel in a joint of the armor" (vs. 34). It did not matter how much manipulation or plans he devised, God's will still came to pass.

I can count numerous times that I have tried in my best might and ability to control all the details of situations in my life. I have devised great plans over the course of my life on how to find a husband, get the perfect job, find the perfect house, protect my family, prepare for the future, save us money, and raise my children. The problem, all in my own strength and personal ingenuity! Throughout my life in each of these situations, I have had to come to the point of surrender and trust the Father. And guess what? When I depend on His ways, His strength, His thoughts, and His power... things just seem to have a way of working out (often times better than I could have hoped).

When will I finally learn that God is Sovereign... PERIOD!?! When will I truly believe, and actually show through my actions, that "his ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts than my thoughts (Is 55:8-9), and that although I can plan my course the Lord will direct my steps (Prov 16:9)? Praise the Lord for that truth because I know His ways are best and always work out for my good (Ro 8:28)! I trust the heart of my Father. I know that He loves me so much He gave everything for me (Ro 8:32, 1John 3:1). It is time to start walking out the faith that my heart believes with certainty! So... my lesson today... give up my ingenious plan and just start believing the loving voice of my Father. Will you join me?

For further reading: Ps 37:25, Matt 6:33, Prov 3:5-6, Prov 3:7, Is 5:20-21, Phil 1:20-21, Phil 3:7-14

He Has a Hold On You!

Isaiah 42:6 , Isaiah 41:13 , Psalm 37:23-35 , Psalm 16:8 , Psalm 139 (focus on vs. 10) (Click on references to read text)

My three year old and I were standing on the edge of the seashore as the waves were ferociously crashing at our feet. She took hold of my hand and held on as tightly as she could, but I quickly had her let go and I took hold of her hand. I knew she wasn't strong enough to hold on when the waves came crashing on the shore. However, I was VERY confident in my ability to hold on to her.

The Bible says in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33) and if you have lived longer than about 18 months, I am sure you will heartily agree! There are times in our life where we feel the troubles are crashing one after another, just like the waves on the seashore. We can easily become overwhelmed, easily feel like we are drowning, and quickly grow fatigued. However, our security is not dependent upon how tightly we can hold on! Our security and safety is not at all dependent on our abilities to cling to God.

Over and over, Scripture promises us that the Lord will take hold of our hand. Just like I grabbed hold of my daughter's hand, your Heavenly Father is holding tightly onto yours. When the waves become too strong for you and threaten to knock you down, He who commands the winds and the waves (Luke 8:25) takes hold of your hand and He will never let go.

Are you trying to stand on your own strength? Do you feel like you are sinking? Just like my three year old, allow your Heavenly Father to firmly grasp a hold of your hand. You too will soon find yourself laughing and kicking against the waves and resting in the safety of His presence.

Argh... Nineveh!

Jonah 2:9-3:3 (Click on reference to read text)

We are all familiar with the story of Jonah. But did you know that the big fish did not spit Jonah up at Nineveh? Once he committed to obey God, he still had to walk a three days journey to Nineveh. This simple revelation has changed my life.

I realize that I can have a very Americanized view of obedience. We almost have a sense of entitlement that when we decide to step out in faith and obey God: it should be easy, it should be comfortable and we should receive great blessing from God because of it.

How quickly we forget Moses, who obeyed God by marching back into Egypt and cursing the family that raised him until they decided to let the Israelites go. Paul who obeyed God by preaching the Gospel to the known world, but spent more time in prison and getting beat up than actually doing sermons in the countryside! Finally, Jesus, the ultimate picture of obedience. He placed himself upon the cross and died so that we can have reconciliation with God. The cross was not comfortable and it certainly was not easy, but I am so glad that Christ obeyed.

When you make the decision to obey God, it often means that you will be stretched beyond your comfort zone, you may have to go to a place you don't want to go and talk with people you don't want to talk to. Most likely He will ask you to do something that is beyond your mental, physical or spiritual abilities, but He is not asking you to do it alone. Just like with Moses, He is the great "I AM" in your life, just like with Paul and Jesus, the Heavenly Father is right there with you. Remember what Paul proclaimed, "That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10).

Are you a three days walk from your Nineveh? Put on your walking shoes and get going!

Allowing Me to Fall...

Luke 15:11-24 (Click on reference to read text)

My daughter was on the patio of my husband's store when all of a sudden, she started running straight towards the parking lot and a moving car. I yelled for her to freeze, but she kept running, completely oblivious to the danger. As I took off after her, I watched as she tripped and fell flat on her face a few feet from the road. She was hurt, but she was alive. I was never so glad to watch my daughter fall. I explained to her, "Jesus loves you so much, He let you fall. You were running straight into danger, and although it hurt to fall, it hurt a lot less than running into a car. We need to thank Jesus for your fall." As I prayed with my little girl, I too began to thank Jesus for the times in my life He let me fall to save me from even greater danger.

The prodigal son is a story we are all familiar with, yet it is also something that each of us can relate to. How many of us have wanted to go our own way and do what we want to do? We may have been more subtle in our rebellion, but we have all chosen to do life in our own way. Our rebellion could be a calendar out of control and being too busy, making work your number one priority, or trusting in a relationship and not in the Lord. He may yell for us to freeze. Send us warning signs, but sometimes He must make us fall. It could be health problems that force us to slow down, job loss, or the end of a relationship. It may hurt at the time. Your heart may be broken, you may be confused, or you may feel abandoned. However, if you really take a close look, you may just see the Lord directing your steps to much better, and safer, places.

The most amazing thing about our Heavenly Father is that when we fall, we can run back to Him. Just like the father of the prodigal son, He is watching and as soon as I turn towards home, He runs to me and and embraces me. He is ready to run to you too. In what ways are you being rebellious and doing life your own way? Stop justifying your actions, and run home. He is waiting with arms open wide!

For further reading: Psalm 103:12, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 3:1, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:1-26

Little gods...

Judges 18:14-26 (Click on reference to read text)

Many of us have never read this story before. I am not sure I have, but it really struck me. The Danites raid Micah's house and take his idols and the priest he hired to serve his family. They moved on toward their destination when the household of Micah overcame them. When Micah realized that he is not numerous enough to fight the Danites and win, he turned back. However, the striking part of this passage is Micah's desperate explanation, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”(verse 24).

His desperation seems absurd. All of Micah's faith was placed in his priest and little gods. These same gods that could not even protect themselves. My first response was to pass him off as pathetic and ridiculous. However, as the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart, I found myself repentant and embarrassingly empathetic to him.

I am ashamed to admit that countless times a day I place my faith in things that are not the One true God. I feel security from locks on my doors to keep out evil, my husband's paychecks to provide what we need, plans I have made and my calendar assuring me of days to come, and doctors that can diagnose and prescribe medicine to heal my family. However, these things are made by man/limited by man, just like Micah's idols. All of these things can come in and be swept away: burglars can break into locked houses, my husband can lose his job, plans can change in the blink of an eye, and doctors cannot treat many diseases. I too during stressful times can ask, "what else do I have??"

The answer is Jesus Christ. He is my strength and security. (Exodus 15:2, Psalms 28:7, Psalms 62:2) He is sovereign and nothing happens outside of His command (Psalm 93:1-2, 2 Thes 3:3). He knows all of our days before one of them came to be and He gives me direction (Ps 139:16, Prov 16:9, Prov 3:5-6) He is my provider and promises to provide all we need when we need it (Phil 4:19, Hebrew 13:5, James 1:17, Matt 6:25-34) . He is the great Healer. He who created our bodies has the power to heal them.

What idols have you created in your life that you put your trust in? A relationship that brings you satisfaction and security (Jeremiah 17:5)? A financial future you have built for yourself(Job 31:24-28)? Your plans of how you think your life should go? What if they were taken away, would you have anything left? The answer, if you belong to Christ, is Him! He wants to be your security, your trust, your love, your future. Let's stop depending on things that can be taken away, and start trusting the Rock that stands forever (Is 26:4)!

Adult Pacifiers...

Today my oldest turned three. She has known for months what this day meant. No more pacifiers. With the hopes of making an easier transition, we took her to Build a Bear today and allowed her to make a new friend and "pay with her pacifiers." Let's just say at 8:45 tonight she was melting down. She tried every excuse and reason possible to get her pacifiers back - even telling me that she was not really three! I finally placed her head in my lap, gave her a head rub, and started singing praise songs. Within 5 minutes she stopped crying and about 10 minutes later she was asleep... with no pacifier! From my 29 year perspective, I am acutely aware that she does not need a pacifier! Yet, it is complete security to her. As I was "trapped on the sofa" (because nothing in the world would have caused me to move and wake her!), I began praying for the Lord to reveal the "pacis" in my life - the things I too truly think I need.

1. Locks and Worldly Security: As a former policeman's daughter you can guarantee that I believe in locking the doors, being careful and watchful, and having certain security measures. I am fully aware of the value of locks and safety. Yet the truth is that my need to be extremely cautious is a trust issue between me and God. His Word states in Ps 127:1, "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." He goes on to say in Ps 20:7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses,but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Chariots and horses were their main means of warfare. My trust cannot be in my security measures, but in my Father.

2. Provisions: We all need certain things for survival. The problem comes in when we think we "need" things that are really comforts/wants. The Bible says, for us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink; or about what we will wear. For our Heavenly Father knows we need them! (Matthew 6). He promises us in His Word that He will provide all of our needs (Phil 4:19). Is my security in Him or His provisions?

3. Relationships: Now this is a hard one! My relationships with my family is huge in my life - yet I read verses like, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). That is very strong language and a verse that I would love to kind of skip over! The truth is that my love for God must be paramount, it must be the driving force behind my decisions, passions, and actions. My family is a tremendous blessing and a gift from God. I must remember the gift and not make it an idol. (If we were really honest, we would admit that all relationships will never be able to meet all of our needs all the time... only God can. He knows this and has provided a way through His Son!)

So what are your pacifiers? Surely I am not alone! If you really examined yourself, where is your security resting? After all, I guess there is not too much difference between myself and my precious little girl that is asleep on my lap. She survived without her pacis. She calmed down as she rested in my presence and I wrapped my arms around her singing praises to the One who wraps His arms around me and longs to be my comfort. As I sang to my little darling tonight:

No other Name but the name of Jesus
No other Name but the name of the Lord
No other Name but the name of Jesus
Is worthy of glory, and worthy of honor
And worthy of power and all praise

Life Giving Water...

John 4:7-27 (Click on reference to read the text)

The Lord overflows into our life His presence, grace, compassion, and mercy not based upon our own merit, but based upon our own need.

Jesus is our living water and He is our unfailing stream. Everything else will dry up eventually, everything else will stop satisfying our souls, but Jesus is seeking you out just like we see Him seeking out a lost woman in order to offer her something she cannot refuse: Himself!

The First thing we see is that Jesus seeks out those that need Him the most. This woman was not a woman that we would have found in the temple worshipping God. She was from an area that people avoided and she was living in sin. In verse 9 the woman is clearly confused that Jesus, whom we know to be the Mesiah, is even speaking with her: "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." You see, Jesus forgave when everyone around Him would have called Him crazy. He showed grace to everyone, regardless of their situation, nationality, or sin. He knew the woman's situation and the grievious sins she had committed against Him before He ever uttered a word. Yet Jesus chose to go against cultural norms to bring about the reconcilation of this girl and her family. Which leads me to ask...do I go to this trouble? Do I seek out the one that is lost?

Second we see that Jesus asks us for what He doesn't need so that our greatest need can be fulfilled in Him (vs. 7-9). He is God. He could have made it rain, he could have called down the angels to supply Him with water...but He didn't. He chose to ask this woman so that her life would forever be changed. The only thing she had to offer Him was a drink of water that would eventually no longer satisfy His thirst. Yet He could offer a living water that would satisfy the deepest needs of her, and your, soul for all time. All God needs from us is a receptive Spirit (vs. 11). We must come to Him with nothing. We can't tap into His overflowing Spirit with any talent or possession. He must do all the work.

Finally in verse 13-18 we see what life is like for those that try to get an overflowing satisfaction in their life apart from Christ. Her life is a story of broken and failed relationships, abandonment, and instability because everything apart from His grace and salvation is bondage. Ray Stedman writes, "Jesus breaks the shackles of evil habits in our lives. He sets us free from the dependencies that we have allowed to harrass us, to shackle us, and limit us... We are all sinfully dependent people. We have all been shackled by evil of some sort or another." Sin does not offer you freedom. Sin offers you an illusion of freedom. Sin always always creates dependency. You will always crave more (i.e. drugs always make you crave more drugs, an idol of a relationship always leaves you craving for more attention or affection, a Starbucks Latte will always leave you wanting more, etc. Sorry, that last one was a little too personal!) Ask yourself this, is there anything in my life that I am dependent upon in order to "make it through the day" or in order to make me"happy?" If the answer is anything but Christ then that is a clear indication of a sin or idol in your life!

No matter where you find yourself, know this... The Lord will overflow into your life His presence, grace, compassion and mercy not based upon your own merit, but based upon your own need. Galatians 5:1 states, "It is for freedom that Christ set you free. Stand firm then and do not be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." Just allow Him to set you free. You have nothing to offer Him, but everything to gain.

The Love of the Father...

1 Corinthians 13 (Please click on reference to read text, just for refreshment)

We learn in 1 John 4:8 that perfect love drives out all fear. I think we would all agree that 1 Corinthians describes perfect love. I have often read this passage longing to be able to pour out this perfect love to those around me, however, I often fall short. Only Christ and His love for us is truly and consistently perfect. The love of my Father was a lesson I learned intimately this week.

I found myself at my Dad's graveside kneeling before the Lord pouring out my heart on behalf of my family. We had received very troubling news and I was beseeching the Lord to show mercy and reveal the movements of His hand mightily to my family. I sat praising Him for His sovereignty, asking for His will, asking Him to change the hearts of His children to mold us into His will and image. When I was finished, a well of tears later, I sat and looked at my Dad's grave and I thought, you know, six months ago he would have been praying with me and claiming scriptures for our behalf. I lifted up a quick prayer that the Holy Spirit would intercede on my behalf, when my Heavenly Father reminded me of a very important truth.

Hebrews 4 teaches us that Jesus Christ, the very son of God, is our great high priest. He understands our trials, and because of this, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy in our time of need. What better intercessor can we ask for than the very son of God?

Our flesh often forgets about the spiritual realm and only focuses on what we can see. My eye sees a missing piece of someone who used to pray very powerfully over me that is no longer here. However, in reality, now I can, and always should have, turn to Jesus Christ to pray with great authority over me.

Maybe you have forgotten too. Maybe you feel like you are all alone and that there is no one left who loves you, who would pray for you, you can claim spiritual authority over you. You are not alone. THE great high priest is interceding on your behalf. The great high priest loves you perfectly. Your Father in Heaven loves you patiently, is kind to you, is not jealous of your successes (He gave them to you!), he is not rude or self seeking. He is not easily angered and He keeps no record of wrongs. His love always protects you, always trusts you, always hopes in you, and never gives up on you.

That is the love of your Heavenly Father. That is the love of my Heavenly Father. I praise the Lord that in my case, I have a precious husband who prays for me and with me. However, I am glad I am learning at an early age, to not place my dependence and security on those around me, but only on Christ. No matter where you find yourself as you read this, know this:

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

You have a Father who loves you perfectly. Stop fighting and fall into His loving arms!

The TimeTable of My Savior...

Exodus 2:11-15, 3 and 4 (Click on reference to read text)

Have you ever tried to serve the Lord, only to have it backfire and land you in the "desert"? Welcome to Moses's life.

Many times we have great ideas to further the Kingdom of God. We rush ahead, sure that this idea was divinely inspired, but instead of the planned outcome, we find our self in the desert. The natural response would be to become bitter, angry, disillusioned and disappointed. However, we must remember that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), and the desert may be just the place he needs us.

The desert taught Moses to stop and listen. "When the Lord saw that he (Moses) turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" and he said, "Here I am" (vs. 3:4). Moses learned to recognize and heed the voice of God. Instead of charging ahead and making his own plans he listened to what God had to say. We too must learn this lesson. God does not need us in order to see his purpose accomplished, but he desires to use us for His glory. We must seek His voice to find out how He wants us to glorify Him.

Second, the desert taught Moses to fear the Lord. In verse 6 we find Moses hiding his face, afraid to look at God. Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One brings understanding (9:10). Just as we desire our children to not cower in fear of us, but to respect us enough to trust that what we say is right and should be followed, we too should have a healthy fear of the Lord. His Word is full of wisdom and direction. We need to approach every decision we make in light of a healthy reverence of the Lord. If it is not for His glory, then it is not for our good!

Third, the desert taught Moses humility. We find Moses arguing with God saying, "who am I that I should go?"(vs. 3:11). Instead of rushing in and taking the bull by the horns, he is questioning to see if God got it right! Later we read that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the Earth (Numbers 12:3). What changed? 40 years in the desert. Instead of bemoaning your circumstances we need to ask God what He wants to teach us through them. Find out the lesson He wants you to learn. We know that in all things God will work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Believe that promise and start being obedient to the Lord where He places you now. Who knows, He may be preparing you to bring deliverance!

Fourth, the desert taught Moses true confidence. Chapter 3 and 4 of Exodus finds God telling Moses exactly how it is all going to go down. He doesn't send Moses in unprepared. He even warns him that Pharaoh is not going to let go easily. However, we see a wonderful thing: "No time is spent convincing Moses of what he can do, but much time is spent explaining to Moses what God can do. The strength of Moses is never considered... the strength of Moses is not the issue, the strength of God is" (Max Lucado). Moses learns that "we can do all things through Him who gives us strength (Phil 4:13), "that when we are weak we are actually strong" (2 Cor 12:10), that God in fact uses the weak things of this world to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:27). Human weakness always opens the door for God's power to shine through. Moses learned that confidence is not found in his abilities, but in God's!

There are a lot of other lessons he learned here, but you get the point. The desert is not always as dry as it first appears. Know that even though you may find yourself here, you are not alone. Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go (Joshua 1:9). Start praising God for his presence, for His wisdom in bringing you hear, and open your ears to what He might be telling you. Listen to his command, "Remove your sandals from your feet" (be still and know that He is God) "For the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

Guess What? You Win!

Colossians 3:1-17 (Click on reference to read text)

You know that race you are running in right now? Guess what? You are going to win! That is the power of Christ in your life, that is the promise found in the Word... it is time to claim the victory.

Paul writes to the believers, "Since you have been raised with Christ..." (vs.1). I stopped here because it is time we lay hold of what the words are saying. You have already been raised! You are no longer dead, you have the power and victory of the Resurrection in your life from the moment that you chose to accept Christ as your Savior.

Instead of living in victory, putting on the full armor of God and going to war against Satan on behalf of your family, church and community, so many Christians are cowering in fear. We find ourselves often immobilized by the unknown, by the future, by fears that we cannot control. Satan has caused us to breeze right over the first few words of this chapter. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED! According to the Word of God, we can "overwhelmingly conquer" tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword (Romans 8:35-37). According to the Word of God "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Believe in the power of God at work in your life, you have already been raised with Christ!

Once we embrace this victorious truth, we can begin to act in a manner worthy of the Gospel we have received (Phil 1:27). Paul continues to exhort us to set our hearts and minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set our minds on things above, not on the things that are on earth (vs.1 continued). We know from Jesus that the things of the earth are all temporary, can be taken away, or eventually will perish, but the Heavenly things will last for all eternity (Matthew 6:19-20).

Now the magic question, how? How do I live in victory, how do I build things for eternity? It is as simple as getting dressed. We are to put off the old (anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, immorality, impurity, evil desires and greed) (vs. 5-8) and put on the new self (vs. 10). As you get dressed each morning pray verse 12 to God and "clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." If someone needs forgiveness, then forgive (vs.13). If someone needs love and kindness, show the love of Christ (vs.14). If you are stressed and worried about life in general, put on the peace of Christ (vs. 15). If you are confused and unsure of how to handle a situation, let the Word of Christ that dwells in you be your guide (vs. 16). If these things were not hard enough, Paul sums it all up in verse 17: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

A race is not run by sitting on the sidelines and thinking about the course. You cannot win in life by doing this either. The victorious Christian life is putting on Christ and taking small little steps for His kingdom. You can be victorious by winning the little battles in your life everyday. What ways is He asking for your obedience? Is it to turn off the tv or computer and spend time with him? Is it to get out of the car and go talk to your neighbor instead of just shutting the garage door behind you? Is it to be patient and kind to the cashier who is struggling even though you have screaming kids with you? Is it to greet your children with a smile and express delight, even when you are hoping to have a few moments to yourself? Is it to praise God for the blessings you have been given in those moments you want to complain? There are 100 different ways to bring glory to God today and to have victory. You have already been raised, you have the power... it is time to walk it out!

A Glimpse into the Father's Heart...

Acts 17:24-31 (Click on reference to read text)

As Father's day approaches, I have found myself continually seeking my Heavenly Father's face. As my heart longs to mourn the death of my earthly Daddy, my spirit has been grasping to the heart of my Heavenly Daddy. As I have been seeking His face, He has reminded me of who He is.

My God, my Heavenly Father, is not far off and unapproachable. Paul describes Him in verse 24 as the "God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." He is with me always (Ps 73:23-28). He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). God actually desires to be with us so much, that we are His temple... He, the God of the universe chooses to dwell within us! (1 Cor 6:19) Paul later writes in Hebrews that we are to approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). When Jesus died on the cross, He became our intercessor, the veil was torn in two and we have full access to the throne of God (Mark 15:38, Hebrews 4:14-16).

Second, we are reminded that God gives us all we need and He chose us! He is the one who gives us breath and life and all things (vs. 25). Ephesians 1:3-5 teaches us that God chose us before the foundation of the world, to be adopted as His children because He wanted to, and it gave Him great pleasure! God loved us before we loved Him (1 John 4:10). We know that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God, our Heavenly Father, wants us! He chose us! He desires us!

Third, we see that God is in control. This truth is sometimes hard to believe when we look at the world around us and just see chaos. However, we have to choose to believe that God is in fact working out everything to accomplish His purposes. We are constantly reminded of God's sovereignty in Scripture: God appoints the time for people to live and the exact place where they should live (vs. 26), God sets up and disposes of kingdoms and changes times and seasons (Daniel 2:20-21), all of our days have been ordained before one of them came to be (Ps 139:16), and these are just a few examples. Our Heavenly Father is sovereign, He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), He has always been on the throne and He always will be on the throne. I can rest that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and my security can be found in Him.

Finally, in this passage, we are reminded that God draws us to Him (vs. 27). If we come near to God, He will come near to us (James 4:8). He desires for all nations and all people to come into His presence and be His child (2 Peter 3:9). I think that often times when we feel far away from God, it is because we are the one that moved. I want to remind you of a parable that Jesus told. Luke 15 talks of the prodigal son that practically robbed his father and disowned him. When he was in despair, he came crawling back to his father just asking to be a servant, never believing the father would want to call him son. Instead of denying the child's son ship, he threw a party and threw his arms around his son welcoming him home. Max Lucado says it so well, "Though the boy is willing to stop being a son, the father is not willing to stop being a father" (The Great House of God). What was the point of this story? God is not willing to stop being our Father. He draws us to Him and gives us rest. He offers forgiveness and promises to remember our sins no more (Ps 103). Don't let Satan convince you to stay away, God is welcoming you with open arms.

You see, these simple truths are a reminder of things I already knew. My Heavenly Father loves me, He chooses me, He is near, and He draws me to Him when I wander away. You know what? He is all of those things to you too. If on this Father's day you too find yourself without a Dad to celebrate, choose to celebrate our precious Heavenly Father. I know He is choosing to spend that day with you, and me, too.

Just a Little Balance Please!

(A post that is just about being real... no real devotional... just honesty.)

I am selfish. There. I said it. I know I am not alone, but that doesn't matter. Jesus commands me to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to always consider others as more important than myself (Phil 2:3 f). It was time I listened and time I got my priorities correct.

All of this came to a head about two weeks ago. A month before I had started an extreme exercise program. The commitment was 6 days a week, at least an hour a day. The only time I had to do it was while the kids were napping, which was when I usually did my quiet time. So then my quiet time got pushed to right before bed (you can imagine how productive that time was!). After exercising, I was wiped out and had little energy to keep up with the house, play with the kids, take care of my husband, stay up on errands, etc. I was doing nothing well. In fact I found myself getting angry and defensive about not getting more help from others. I wasn't even losing the weight I was hoping for. I was incredibly discouraged, not because of the weight, but because I was watching the breakdown of the relationships I care about the most.

I am not a quitter, I loved the exercise, but how could I justify putting everything second to that program? I made a hard decision. I cut back. Instead of working out 6 days a week, I now work out 3 days a week. I am doing the same program but it is just taking me twice as long. Guess what, I am now losing weight, my kids are getting my attention and we are playing together, I am keeping the house clean, my husband gets a hot meal on the table, and I NEVER replace working out with my quiet time. It is all about priorities.

Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the different seasons of life. In every season there are times we are going to be called to certain things. I know that this season of my life is to be the best mom to my preschool children that I can be. To love them unconditionally, give them the attention and instruction they deserve. If I am so busy with other things that I am not able to be the consistent parent I need to be, something is wrong. I need to love my husband well by respecting him and caring for him. To love him as the Bible commands: to demonstrate to the world that how I love him is how we should love the Lord (wow, that is convicting!)(Eph 5:22-33).

It is hard putting off something that we want to do for the good of those around us and for my own spiritual health. I know that anything that causes me to be to busy to spend time with the Lord is an idol and NOT from Him (even good things, even some Godly things). God is looking at my heart. Was losing weight and being physically fit worth the sacrifice I was asking my family to make? Easy answer, no.

My Dad passed away suddenly almost 6 months ago. It was completely unexpected. It happened to him, it could happen to me, to those I love around me. What if it did? Would the way I am living my life now, managing my time now, cause me to have regrets? Would I feel guilty and convicted of wasted time and a wasted life?

Anyway, I know this post is completely random. Not super deep and not the usual explication of Scripture, but this is real. This is what I am going through, this is what the Lord is teaching me. Time will come that I will have the time to serve in a particular ministry, work out at my leisure, lay in a hammock and read to my hearts content... but now I know where the Lord is convicting me. I know where I need to change, and if you are being honest with yourself, you know the areas in your life that need to change too. The time is now. It is time to listen and obey. Trust that the Lord will handle the details and let go.

As I sang to my precious toddler tonight, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey."

To be Used or Not to be Used?

Matthew 14:22-33 (Click on Reference to read Scripture)

Do you want to be used by God? I am talking about being used in supernatural ways that all of earth will be changed because of the life you lived? We all would answer yes. Just writing these words makes my heart long that He uses me in ways that can only be described as supernatural. I have often prayed over the years that the Lord would use me greatly, beyond my imagination. However, when He begins to answer this prayer, and things don’t always seem to go as planned, we often falter in our faith and become like Peter… sinking instead of walking.

There are people in the Bible, many who entire books of the Bible are devoted to and who are still known and talked about thousands of years later, who were called to do some pretty bizarre things in the name and will of God. Let me list a few:

1. Isaiah was commanded by God to walk around naked for THREE YEARS in order for God to get his point across to pagan nations (Is 20).
2. God took the life of Ezekiel’s wife suddenly and then commanded Ezekiel not to mourn as a testimony to Israel (Ez 24:15f).
3. Hosea was commanded to marry a prostitute that would cause him no end of heartache (Hosea).
4. Mary, who was called highly favored of God and the mother of Jesus, endured serious trials. She was more than likely scorned and ridiculed the moment she showed up pregnant and not married, her fiance almost abandoned her, she had to flee her country in the middle of the night to save the life of her family, and she had to watch her son be crucified and mocked in front of her very eyes (Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 2:13-15, John 19:16-30).
5. Moses had to basically spend his entire adult life in the dessert, NOT the promised land, and lead an entire nation of complaining people which constantly doubted his authority and his relationship with God (Exodus 16:1-21, 17:1-7, Numbers 11:10-15, Joshua 1:1-2).
6. Paul, Peter, John, and all the original disciples either spent time in prison, were stoned, definitely ridiculed, homeless, shipwrecked, exiled, and martyred for the Kingdom of God.
7. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions just because he prayed every day to God (Daniel 6).

And I could literally go on and on. Louie Giglio once said, “God does not use anyone mightily that He does not test thoroughly.” I am not saying that God is going to command you to walk around naked for three years, take away your spouse, or ship you off as Lions food, but if he does, will you still praise him? Will He still be the Lord of your life and the desire of your heart? That is a tough question, but God is worth it. His reward is for eternity.

Let’s not get so focused on today that we lose the big picture of how God wants to use us for eternity. The waves may be crashing down all around us, but God still wants you to walk on water and follow him. You only have one shot here on earth to be used by God. Are you willing to be sold out and have him do things in your life that can only be described as supernatural, even when they might not be exactly like you imagined?

Just as God asked Isaiah: Whom shall I send? May I respond likewise, "Here I am, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

There is Strength in the Name of the Lord...

I could hear the strong baritone voice of my Daddy singing this song as I sat in the waiting room at the hospital while my husband was in surgery. I could hear his voice singing these words in my head. I don't remember what the occasion was, but the last time I sang this song, we were in my home church growing up and I was holding my Daddy's big, strong, hairy hand... I felt so secure. I would have given so much to hold my Daddy's hand this past week and feel that same security. Instead, I was sitting in a waiting room, all alone, wondering how I was ever going to feel completely secure again. So... I prayed, and this is what I learned.

True security can only be had when our priorities and our perspective are correct. Our entire existence centers around one truth: We are enemies of God (Romans 8:10) and instead of leaving us in this depraved state, God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16) to be a sacrificial lamb and provide reconciliation for all eternity (Romans 5:1). This life, if we are lucky maybe 80 years of our existence, is a short period when compared to eternity. When we focus on this short lifespan, turn all of our thoughts and attentions on the here and now, we will never know true security. People close to us will die, disease and sickness will come, jobs will be lost, rain will fall, questions will never have answers, people will disappoint us and hurt us... but that is not the whole story. If we accept this free gift of Salvation from God, NOTHING can separate us from God again (Romans 8:38-39).

You see, God cares about us so much, that He cares about the whole picture, the eternity side of things. If He blessed us so much in this short 80 or so years that we never invested in eternity, that would be like me allowing my two year old unlimited sugar now only to watch her die of diabetes later on. A true mother, one that really loves her child, would show moderation, so that the child's entire life can be pleasant, not just today. That is how the Lord works. Romans 5 teaches us that we can exult in our tribulations, knowing that our tribulations bring about perseverance, perseverance brings about proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint (vs. 3-4). We can rejoice in our trials, because they allow opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven, treasures that cannot be destroyed, but benefit all eternity (Matthew 6:19-20).

This truth is played out over and over in so many promises we Christians love to claim... that God causes all things to work together for good (Ro 8:28), that He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not freely give us all things (Ro 8:32), and I could go on and on. However, often we take these verses out of context. If we continue reading to verse 29, we will find that "our good" is "to become conformed into the image of His son"
(Ro 8:29). In the same respect, God will freely give us all things that are necessary to bring fulfillment of the work begun at the cross (2 Peter 1:3). God loves us, and will take what Satan meant for evil and turn it around for good, but it is our eternity that He cares about. He loves us too much to not bless us eternally.

So, how do we find true and lasting security? We must answer this question, what is most important to you? Where do your treasures lie? Is it God, or earthly possessions, earthly relationships, etc. If God's glory and renown is most important to you, you will have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). When we realize that we are owed nothing except death and condemnation (Ro 3:23, Ro 6:23), anything above and beyond that is simple and complete blessing. We are sinners, but Christ died for us, that is all we need.

You may ask, how do I KNOW that my perspective is right and Holy? If God never blessed you with another thing, if all you had was taken away - even your family - would you still choose Him? Would you still praise Him? Would you still bless His Holy Name? That is how you know.

My Daddy's death rocked my world. Gone was childish innocence that nothing too bad would ever happen to me. Insecurity and fear have fought hard to characterize my life. However, a new realization has washed over me as well. No mater what happens, even if the surgeon came out of the room to say my husband did not make it, it would NOT be easy, but I would be okay. I have the Lord, He loves me, He girds me with strength, eternity can never be taken away, and I will see my loved ones again. Granted, this is not easy and I pray no tragedy befalls my family, that my husband and I have a lifetime of togetherness, but God must be my rock and eternity must be my purpose. "The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever" (Psalm 37:18).