God at Work

"In his defense Jesus said to them, 'My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.'"

John 5:17

 
God is always at His work.  Hallelujah!  He does not rest.  He does not allow circumstances to change His course.  He does not complain.  He does not give up.  What He does do is allow us to work with Him.  Isn't that wonderful and amazing?!  He calls us to be a part of His work. 
 
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Whether or not we choose to work with God, God will be at work.  Always.  If we do choose to work with Him, we are privileged to have God, who is at work, work for the good.  Hebrews 11:40 says that together with us will His plans be made perfect.  Couldn't you go for some perfect plans?  Who better to work with than God Himself?  Why, then, do we resist this partnership? 

I can tell you the reason I have resisted working with God: I don't understand the depth of His love for me.  I believe this is probably the reason we all keep our distance, keep from a fully committed relationship with God, keep from working with Him.  The thing is, the Almighty God in all His glory has chosen us to be His partner.  Us!  You and me. 

Whether or not we understand the depth of this incredible love and grace, we should at the very least accept it and take up His offer.  For me, this is one area I know I'll be asking God to specifically work on.  Thankfully, I am assured He will.  He is always at work.  To this very day.

Heart Health

"A heart at peace gives life to the body."
-Proverbs 14:30a


I like to think our hearts are much like bookshelves.  We store a lot in them.  We pick and choose our emotions according to our moods.  We allow distractions like busyness to keep us from taking time to keep order in our hearts.  We become frustrated easily because we can't find what we are looking for when we need it, but when we do find the one, then we have revived hope.

When I moved to a new school, my new classroom lacked luster and order, much like my heart at times.  I took the blah metal shelves and added color to them by removing all the shelving and sticking on green patterned contact paper on the back of the shelves.  Then, I placed the shelves back in at different heights.  Next, I categorized all my books by genre so that my students would easily find books they might like based on the genre that they're most drawn to.  I put these books into colorful crates that I found at Big Lots and attached laminated genre labels to each crate.  Once I had these shelves complete, I felt more motivated to bring more color and order to the rest of my classroom.  I love how a little bit of organization can give us a whole lot of peace of mind.

Aren't are hearts similar?  Once we bring order back to our hearts and fill them with the luster of God's love, we are revitalized and more motivated to bring color and order to the rest of our lives.  The beauty is, though, that we don't have to do the organizing on our own.  God is there and willing to lend us a hand.  His grace sufficiently brings us to a place of peace.  He takes our messes and makes them into masterpieces.  He tenderly cares for each one of our hearts.  All we have to do is let Him.

Worship

"Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

Luke 4:8

The other day I had business in Dallas.  As I was being driven back to the airport, I noticed there were police in their cars stationed in every driveway and road for about a mile to the airport.  Then, once I checked-in, I discovered that my flight was delayed as well as every flight trying to leave within the hour.  I walked to my gate and sat down bewildered because many people were standing all along the windows.  After a few moments, excitement filled the gate area, and more people briskly walked toward the windows while reaching in their pockets and purses to pull out their phones.  My gaze followed them to the windows, and there landed the plane of the President of the United States with the President on board.  Ah!  Everything made sense.

What amazed me by all of the hubbub over the President was the thought of worship that entered my mind.  What an odd thought to have!  But I couldn't help noticing how people prepared the way for the president, so I thought about if I did that for God when it came to worship.  Do I block all the pathways that would give access to dangerous distractions?  Do I take time to stop all the traffic that may interfere with my worship?  Do I honor God with holy reverence?  Do I excitedly rush to see a glimpse of God?

I can't say yes to all of these questions, but I can say I have a whole new outlook on how I must honor my Lord when it comes to desiring His presence in my worship.  We have it in us to prepare a way to honor God.  May He continue to bring us ever in awe of His glory.

Detailed Depth

"'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.'"

Matthew 10:29-32 

What I love most about God, which is among an endless list of things I love about Him, is that He takes care of every detail when I trust Him with my life.  Even the most infinitesimal detail is in the great hands of God.  Nothing gets by Him.  Nothing He can't handle.

I believe God desires for us to notice how He takes care of every detail of our lives.  I think it gives Him great pleasure when we do because praise immediately follows recognition of His part and presence in the workings of our lives.  I think He wants to show us more of who He is and what He can do and what He wants to do for us.  

When we begin to notice all the ways God cares for us, especially in the ways we don't even ask for Him to, then we will begin to understand the depth of God's love for us and the worth we are to Him.

The Flaw Fight

The flaws I know I have, I so easily recognize in others.  As a teacher, I passionately try to fix those flaws in my students because I know the struggle, the burden, and the beastly side of those flaws.  It's funny how so quickly we want to change someone else that has the same identical flaws that we battle within ourselves to change.  Like the oxygen masks on an airplane, if we don't first help ourselves, we won't be able to help anyone else.  So, how do we do it?

First, identify one flaw.  Notice I said one.  If you try to take on more than one at a time, you will be defeated before you can conquer any of them.  Begin with one.  Focus on one opponent a time.

Second, pray.  Pray daily for God's help to fight the flaw.  Pray for God's strength, for His army, for His guidance to overcome, and for Him to change your heart and your habits.

Third, go against every natural, easy behavior that feeds that flaw.  For instance, if your flaw is messiness, then go against throwing clothes on the floor or leaving dirty dishes on the counter.  Follow through where clothes go or follow through washing the dishes.  Fight that flaw.

Fourth, fill yourself with knowledge.  Read Scripture, self-help books, and do Bible studies that all relate to that one flaw.  The more you know and understand that flaw, the better equipped you'll be to fight it.

Fifth, find support.  Ask friends or family to hold you accountable.  People want to feel useful and helpful, and if you give them an opportunity to aid you in bettering yourself, they will take it.  We all want to feel like we're making a difference.  Don't let the fear of burdening someone to keep you from asking him/her to hold you accountable.  Satan does not want you to be better, and he will lie to get what he wants. 

We all have flaws we would like to fix.  It is possible.  You are not alone, and you do not have to fight alone.  The God of angels' armies is always on your side.

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 

2 Corinthians 10:4

Content with "No"

I believe true contentment is attainable.  True contentment is being able to accept if and when God says, "No."  True contentment is not changing your feelings about God no matter what the outcome.  True contentment is saying, "God, you are Master of the Universe.  I trust and accept whatever answer you give me to my prayer request and to my heart desire."  True contentment is praising God no matter the circumstance.  True contentment allows God to have full control and to know you are just along for the ride.  "But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

Yes, true contentment is attainable.  Are you ready to let go?  Are you ready to let God?  Are you ready to accept in full faith whatever the outcome?  If you said, "Yes!", then get your praise on!  God is going to do mighty wonders in your life.  How sweet is the taste of satisfaction!

 

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content
whatever the circumstances."

Philippians 4:11

Genuine Love is Godly Love

"Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)

Genuine love--real love--honest love--Godly love is a love we all seek and desire.  It is also love we are instructed in Romans 12 to give.  It is a love that is the same for an enemy as it is for a best friend.  It is a love that doesn't change because of a circumstance that does change.  It is a love that is constant even if it isn't returned.  It is a love that remains even if a relationship doesn't.  

When we really love  someone, we love out of God's heart.  He has lavished His love upon us so that we can love one another.  Really, genuinely loving someone means we put them before our own needs and wants.  Really, genuinely loving someone is giving without expecting anything in return.  In fact, if we genuinely love someone, then it wouldn't change based on the condition of whether or not that person loves us in the same way back.  This doesn't mean that if we are being abused or taken advantage of by another person that we should continue to allow that kind of behavior to continue; rather, it means that we continue to love that person with the same genuine affection even in spite of the abuse or the advantage taking.  Those kind of relationships may fall apart or change because of that behavior, but our love for that person should not fall apart or change.

Really love someone today.  Take delight in honoring another person, not yourself, today.  Respond to the love God has so richly given you by honestly, authentically loving others.  Not only will you have love overflowing in your heart, you will also have joy.

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."

1 John 4:16 (NLT)

Glorious Gift

 Who doesn't love a gift?  About two years ago, I put together some welcome gifts for the guests attending my sister's wedding.  My sister arranged a destination wedding at this quaint, antiquated inn on Lake Michigan.  The whole weekend was exquisite, and it was my job to put together welcome/thank you gifts for all the guests.  Well, I couldn't just throw together some treats in a gift bag, could I?  Not a chance! 

I ended up driving all over two cities to find and buyout these beautiful white cupcake holder boxes.  The outcome was worth it.  I enjoyed sorting and arranging the treats inside the boxes and tying pretty ribbon and tags around each one.  I enjoyed seeing my sister's delight at what I had put together for her special guests, and I enjoyed the smiles of surprise and awe that each guest had when he/she arrived and was handed one of my welcome/thank you boxes.  Such joy comes from thoughtful, intentional, hard work!

What joy it was for Jesus to leave us His thoughtful gift...the Holy Spirit!  "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17)  What joy it must be to Him we open this gift!  What joy it must bring Him when we use His gift!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

A gift given is a joy, and a gift opened is a joy.  What good is Jesus' gift to us if we don't open it?  If we don't allow the Holy Spirit to powerfully work in our lives, to produce fruit; then, we lose out on receiving a glorious gift and we lose out on bringing glory to God.  May our prayers today and every day be of gratitude for such a glorious gift.  May we live with joy of receiving such a gift, and may use this gift to bring joy to others.

Spiritual Seasons

We all enter various seasons of our lives at various times and in various places. 

God takes us through valleys so that we know the feeling of a true mountaintop high.  God allows us to go through storms of all sorts, floods, dry seasons, high winds, no winds, extreme heat, and bitter cold so that not only could we experience the vastness of His power and creativity, but also so that our character could be tested and tried. 

During some seasons of our lives, God guides us the "long way" through the desert perhaps to see if we can learn trust, patience, and obedience to follow Him.  In some seasons of our lives, He provides the wondrous miracles of what it is like to walk on water, or what it is like to see for the first time after being blind for a lifetime, or what it is like to have a never-ending supply of oil in our jars. 

Whatever the season, in each of them God is there to shepherd us, to show His love for us, and to bring us ever closer to Him and His glory.  Therefore, the question isn't "Why are we going through this?" or "Why is this happening to me?"; instead, the question is and should be "What am I going to do about this in the light of God's love?" 

How we respond in each season we experience will show who we are in Christ. 

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Necessity is the Mother of . . . Creation

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it

but receive it with thanks.

1 Timothy 4:4

The other day, I bought a new bag to carry my laptop; and although, it was a great buy, it did not have any place to hold my pens and pencils.  So, I had been throwing them into one of the pockets and had been fishing around for them when I needed one.  I would cringe when I pulled out a pen with the cap off because I really didn't want ink all over the inside of my new bag, nor did I want it on my laptop.  Consequently, I decided to shop for a pencil pouch. 
 
None were attractive or inexpensive or as small as I wanted it to be (I didn't have room for a big lump in my laptop bag).  So, I decided to make one.  I had never made one before, but I have sewn pillows.  The shapes are similar and the only difference, really, was adding a zipper, which was done first in the process.  I later added buttons to cover-up my novice sewing (a.k.a. crooked lines).  I sat back after my creation and smiled in amazement. 

 
How amazing it is that God gives the ability to create.  I thought about what He must have felt after creating the universe and everything in it.  I think that the seventh day was not rest as in sleep, but rest as in sitting back and marveling at all He had made.  I know that a handmade pencil pouch is nothing in comparison to the universe, but, still, in some related way I learned to appreciate more the creativity of God, His wonderful works, and the gift of creating He has given to each one of us. 

Faith. Trust. Hope.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Hebrews 11:1

Oswald Chambers says that faith is remaining true “to God’s character whatever He may do.”  Job said in chapter 13, verse 15, “Though he slay me, yet I will trust Him” (KJV).  Faith, trust, and hope are lost without each other.  My faith in God is meaningless unless I trust Him.  Hope doesn’t exist unless I have faith, and trust keeps both faith and hope activated.  Therefore, if I am losing hope, I need to check how my faith and trust are doing.  If my faith is weak, then perhaps my trust and hope are as well.  If I’m having a hard time trusting, then I’m probably not keeping the faith or hope intact. 

To remain true “to God’s character whatever He may do” is to step out boldly from the boat of fear and uncertainty and onto the water where my Lord is walking.  Unlike Peter, though, I must keep my eyes fixated on Jesus, so that when the waters rise or the wind blows, I won’t change my course, go my own way, or sink down into the depths of lost and confusion.   

Easy Improvements

Improvements.  We all want them.  The most difficult things to improve?  Ourselves.  The easiest?  The stuff that we have.  The worst thing to do is to give up the desire to improve.  The best thing is to keep trying.  If you fail, another way or another time.  Never cease to improve.  If you sow improvements, you will reap greatness.

I could have easily thrown away this beat-up, rusty black file cabinet and purchased a new one.  But why throw away something that works perfectly well?  It really just needed an improvement. 

The front of the file cabinet was the only area that really needed help.  It was rusty on the bottom and the drawers looked a little beat-up.  After wiping down the cabinet, I took some of that magical Mod Podge, some napkins, scissors, and a sponge brush and decoupaged the front of the cabinet.  Voila!  A more decorative, improved file cabinet in no time and money saved!  Now, if only improving myself was that quick and easy.  Something to aspire to, I guess.  In the meantime, let me see what else needs a facelift...

"Since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

Hebrews 11:40

LoVe

From the book Hinds' Feet on High Places (a fabulous allegory) by Hannah Hurnard:

"Love is not a feeling. It is an overmastering passion to help and bless and deliver and comfort and strengthen and give joy to others just as the Lord Jesus always did. Here on earth we have the opportunity to do what the God of love does all the time, and to learn to abandon ourselves to loving, to giving, to seeking, and to saving others. Not a lovely feeling of affection, or physical pleasure and satisfaction, but the extreme eternal ecstasy of creating happiness and good and blessed things for others to enjoy....It is an attitude of will. I will cast myself down in giving. The lower I go the more love I am able to transmit from God to others, just like the Lord of love himself, who was not content until he found and took the lowest place in the universe."

Oh, LORD, may we love the way you love! Help us to have the same kind of passion that you have, to have an attitude of will, and to abandon our agendas for the sake of others. Forgive us for when we fall short of loving You. You are so gracious and good and worthy. Thank you for being everything that we are not capable of. Amen.

Letting God

Today, I went to my classroom to begin packing it up.  I didn't expect to break down three times in the process.  I think I was just so overwhelmed by the sadness of feeling the end of a life as I dusted off games and placed them into a box, that I couldn't stop the tears from coming. It's the end of a life because I am leaving behind all that I know, all of whom I love, and all that has made me.  This will be my greatest test of faith as it was, I am sure, for Abraham.

Like Abram, I am leaving my family, my comfort zone, my home and heading into the unknown. My limited understanding is blocking my faith and complete trust in God.  I know God has a place for me.  I know His intentions are good and are for my prosperity.  I just don't know how to let go.

How did the James and John drop their nets, their life, and follow Jesus?  How did they let go without any knowledge of what was to come?  Truly, none of us know what the future holds, but when you have to leave behind all that you do know and all that you love, it's definitely more frightening.

It's amazing how God works.  I typed in the title of this post with the full intention of calling it "Letting Go," but as I looked at the screen to what I typed, I saw what you're seeing now, "Letting God."  Perfect.  God at work, right there.  I'm trying to find the right words to describe the peace that's instantaneously come over me.  I need to just let God.  That's how you let go.  Let God.

Let God work.  Let God lead.  Let God give.  Let God be God.  Let go, let God.  Obviously that's a saying we have all heard before, but I don't think I gave it much thought until now.  I need to let go of all I know and let God be what I know.  Therefore, I am letting go of my net of fear so that they don't drag me down.  I am letting God carry me.  I am letting go of my net of questions so that they don't hold me back from following Christ.  I am letting God push me forward.  I am letting go of my net of unknowns so that I'm not caught in the traps of them.  I am letting God untangle me in His timing, by His hands.

Letting go and letting God.  Not a new concept, but one I needed reminding of today.  I will go into my classroom tomorrow with this reminder on my mind and in my heart.  The tears may come again, but perhaps not so much for the sadness of leaving but rather for the joy of following in faith.

MoVing into the SheLter of GoD's WiNgs

In four weeks I will be moving from a place that has been my home for the last thirteen years to a place of homelessness (literally and figuratively).  Fears are rising up in me like lava in a volcano getting ready to erupt; and yet, I feel safe like King David did in the shadow of God's wings.  I feel His wings covering me, and I know that He has secured a new home for me.  Underneath His wings I cannot see what God sees, so I must trust.  I must surrender to Him.  If I don't, then eruption will happen and fears pouring out will destroy everything in their path.

Psalm 36:7 says, "How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings."  I love that.  If there is any reason to trust God, it is because His love is UNFAILING.  No matter if I've failed, God remains unfailing in His love and His love is perfect.  There is shelter not only under God's wings, but also in the the shadow of His wings!  How glorious!  With or without a home to move to, I have God's unfailing love and protection covering me.  He is my home.

Shame and Sin

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us.

We have sinned against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors;
from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 3:25

Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever just wanted to lie down in shame after sinning against the Lord?  I have many times...too many times.  I usually feel that way the most when it's after an action I knew was a sin but I did it anyway.  Instantly remorse washes over me after all is said and done, and I just want to lie down in my shame, wear it over me forever, and not ever get up again.  

I feel fear and dread.  I feel fear because God has every right to severely punish me because my sin was deliberate.  I feel dread because I think He won't forgive me since I knew it was wrong.  I feel so heavy with shame that I don't see the point of even trying to ask for forgiveness or even trying to do better the next time I'm tempted.  But then, God gently whispers in my ear, "The worst thing you could do is forget who I am."

Who is God?  God is merciful, which means FULL of MERCY.  (For the Lord your God is a merciful God...Deuteronomy 4:31)  God is COMPASSIONATE and GRACIOUS and slow to anger and ABUNDANT in LOVE.  (But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15) God is JUST and FAITHFUL and PERFECT in all His ways.  (He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4)  God is GOOD.  God is LOVE (1 John 4:8). God is FORGIVING. (The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. Daniel 9:9)

Remorse is good when it leads us to confession.  Shame is Satan's trap.  Shame tries to keep us from remembering who God is and who we are in Him.  In Him we have forgiveness of sins.  In Him we have eternal life.  In Him we have freedom from shame.  In Him we can rise up again.  No more lying down in shame.  No more believing lies.  Hear His whisper.  Feel His love wrapping around you.  Forgive yourself as Christ has already died forgiving you.  He has risen and so can you and I!

Inspired by Button Trees

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, 
whose confidence is in Him.  
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8

I love the look of old frames and all their imperfections.  I love trees because of their strength to endure storms and to reproduce their beauty every spring.  I love even more that God adores us in spite of all of our imperfections and that He provides us the strength to endure and the beauty to live through every season of our lives.

  

Prayer Babble

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:7-8

My small group and I just finished Philip Yancey's study "Prayer: Does it make any difference?".  The answer is....yes, it sure does!  Prayer makes all the difference in our faith and in our relationship with God.  It is a partnering with God and His purpose for our lives.  Prayer is conversation with God, our friend, our Father, our constant companion.  That's what I gained the most from this study.  I can talk to God just as if He is right there on the couch next to me sipping His cup of coffee as I sip mine.  God is not unreachable.

I used to be so nervous praying out loud because I was worried what about what people were hearing me say.  The truth is, people hear me speak all the time when I'm having conversations, so why should I worry about what they hear me say in my conversation with God?  Philip Yancey says that there is no formula for prayer and no right way to pray.  Jesus said in Matthew 6 that God already knows what we are going to pray for so don't worry about the "right" words.  Just pray.  Just talk to God as you would your best friend.  Just talk.  God wants to include us on the purposes for our day.  He wants us in on the conversation.

I resolve to begin each morning with a meeting with God so that I may be prepared for the day.  I pray that you would meet with Him, too.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
 in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3

Controlling Thoughts and Renewing the Mind

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Thoughts can be consuming.  The "What ifs?" and the replays of the past and the uncertainties of the future can flood a person's mind until the point of drowning him or her.  I am constantly swimming in the thought-pools of things I didn't do, things I wished I would have done differently, and things I dream of doing or having  These thoughts are distracting and disturbing at times.  They can keep me up at night and keep me from things I should be doing in the present.  I hang onto some of these thoughts because it seems that only in my mind I have control over them.  I know in my heart, though,  this isn't so.  

The more I am consumed with my thoughts, the less I am consumed with Jesus.  I have no control over my thoughts except when I hand them over to the Lord.  Romans 12:2 talks about being transformed by the renewal of the mind.  The renewal of my mind happens when I hand over to God each consuming thought that is not centered on Him.  This is an intentional discipline needed to renew and strengthen the mind much like exercise is an intentional discipline needed to renew and strengthen the body.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 

Hebrews 3:1

Lord, I give you authority over my mind and my thoughts.  I hand you each thought that steals me from being fixed on You.  I want to live today in love for You.  Renew my mind and transform it into the likeness of You, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Letting Go

I've just got to let go,
let You fill in the spaces
the places where I cannot reach.
There's so much I don't understand;
Questions rush down on me like a waterfall
and I sink under them.
There You are--reaching--with Your extravagant love.
You are the only Answer I need.
Trust secures me in Your arms
rocking me in memory
of how You've always taken care of me.
I sink no more
except in Your love, Your grace.
What You allow,
I accept.
What You give,
I receive.
I
let
go.

~AMY. 2013

Submission Over Selfishness

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.  Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered..."

Hebrews 5:7-8

Submission is a hard word to swallow and even harder to do.  Everything in our nature is selfish.  We want to do things our way.  We want this and we want that.  We want to plan our lives around our dreams.  We want to satisfy our desires.  We want.  We want.  We want.  Then, when we don't receive what we want, we complain and we grow bitter and resentful.  We become full of disappointment and discontentment.  We challenge God with "why" questions, and we begin to distrust Him.  As a result, a rift begins to grow in our relationship with God.  I should know.  I've done this, but I also know now that through submission I can restore the rifted relationship.

Submission is pushing the selfish nature aside and doing the will of God.  Even Jesus, Son of God, submitted.  He also offered up prayers through the suffering, and selflessness is a form of suffering because you have to go against your nature, which means you may have to go against what you want.  However, complete submission is complete access to God.  It connects us directly to Him.  He honors those who are in submission to Him.  So, let us submit to the one true God and receive with gladness His outreached hand.

What I Want

23 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

I have A LOT of wants.  I wanted creamer for my coffee this morning, but didn't have any.  I wanted this past year to have turned out differently than it has.  I wanted successes that I did not receive, I wanted dreams I could not reach, and I wanted a life I have not lived.  I'm drowning in a sea of unmet wants.  

Psalm 23 throws out the life ring to keep me from drowning: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."  I shall not want because if the Lord is the shepherd of my life, I have no need of anything.  He will guide me, protect me, provide for me, and give me more than I could have ever even wanted.  

As I write this, I sip my black cup of coffee with a new realization that most of my wants aren't what I really need and I can live an enjoyable life without them.  How much more will my life be once I live a life following my shepherd and His wants for me?  I am eager to begin a new journey: to want nothing but my good Shepherd.

Victory

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

1 John 5:4

Faith is a beautiful victory.  It opens up infinite possibilities.  When we put our complete faith in Jesus Christ, we let go of insecurities, unknowns, hopelessness, helplessness, loneliness, and despair. Our faith renews our dreams, restores our hopes, and replenishes our empty souls.  Victories in this world are momentary; victory in Christ is eternal.  

The Prayer of My Heart (inspired by Nehemiah 13)

My heart has been a house of neglect,
a storage place for selfishness;
the rooms have not been filled
with Your equipment
and I have not faithfully done
what is trustworthy
what is responsible.
When evening shadows fell,
I let down my guard
but You, my God, remembered me.
You showed mercy to me according to Your great love.
You turn curses into blessings,
messes into marvelous works.
Purify this heart of mine
that it may be a place for You to dwell-
for Your light to shine again.
Put guards at the gates,
put back your equipment,
and keep me forever in Your favor.

StReNgTh

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:13

Strength is getting out of bed in the morning when all you want to do is keep the covers pulled up around you.  Strength is praying blessings for someone who has hurt you.  Strength is praising God in the midst of your heart breaking.  Strength is finding joy even though you are filling with sorrow.  Strength is standing back up every time you've been knocked down.  Strength is receiving grace among your guilt.  Strength is knowing God is good even when nothing in your life seems to be good. 

The source of this kind of strength is Christ.  The key to unlocking this source is seeking Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).  Sincere, still, silent, selfless time spent with the one and only Savior will produce immeasurable strength.  Once acquired, you can do EVERYthing.  Everything. 

Desiring God

...My desire is to depart and  be with Christ, for that is far better. 
(Philippians 1:23 ESV)

The more I spend time with God, the more I desire Him.  Satan's whole attack is to lead us away from God because he knows what truth, what freedom, what peace, what joy, what provisions, what hope, and what life we will find in God.  Therefore, Satan does whatever it takes to distract us from "being still," keep us from spending quality time in God's Word, convince us that a quick prayer is just as good as a deep and intimate conversation with our Lord, adapt us in a self-centered lifestyle, and sway us from serving God with our thoughts, words and actions.  

Therefore, if I spend more time getting to know the heart of God, then Satan's deceptive and distracting ways become more apparent and easier for me to turn away from.  Plus, the beauty of God (and what really motivates me to know Him better) is that He continually surprises me.  I never cease to be amazed by God's character.  There is so much to learn and know of our Lord.  He certainly does work in mysterious ways, but more than that, He works in marvelous ways.  Only in heaven will I truly know how marvelous.  In the meantime I will desire to be with Him here and now.

Resisting A Good Thing

Most of the time I fail to remember God has feelings. I forget that when I push and resist God, He feels hurt. I know I feel heartbroken and hurt when someone I love pushes me away or doesn't want me a part of his life even though what I have to offer is good, pure, and without any strings attached. Doesn't God offer the same? And yet, I resist Him.  Why would anyone push away a good thing?

I know when I resist a good thing, it's because I don't think I deserve it.  The truth is, I probably don't deserve any good thing; the lie is, the good thing offered is not about me.  When God is blessing me, for example, He is blessing because it is about His extravagant love.  It is not about whether or not I deserve the blessing.  My resisting is saying, "God you're not good enough because I'm not good enough to accept the good thing."  Um, hello?  How nonsensical is this thinking!?

Jesus' death and resurrection made me (and you) good enough to receive every good thing from God, no matter what.  I am most certainly not good enough on my own.  God, however, is always good.  I need not resist Him and cause unnecessary hurt because He, at all times, accepts me for who I am.  Thanks be to Jesus for making me good enough.

I say to the  Lord , “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” 

(Psalm 16:2 NIV)

To Do or Not To Do

"I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

Romans 7:18-19

The biggest challenge I seem to have is going against what my natural self wants to do.  I can create "To-Do" lists all day long, but when it comes down to completing that list, I suffer trying to finish.  I become discouraged and overwhelmed.  I really want to get my life on track, but it seems sometimes that the more I try, the harder it is. 

The thing is, I know that once I push through all the natural forces that hold me back, I feel amazing that I persevered and that I overcame instead of being overcome.  How do I push through, though? 

The first step is to equip myself by spending time in God's Word. Without His guidance, encouragement, and wisdom I wouldn't have the motivation or nutrition I need to push through.  The next step is to go against every natural force.  Get up when I want to lay down.  Prepare when I want to procrastinate.  Complete a task when I want to put it off another day.  Do whatever it takes.   In the words of Nike: just do it.  I need to just do and not try to think so much.  Finally, I need to throw off the guilt that tries to hinder forward movement because I will fail; I will have setbacks, but if I keep going, if I keep standing up after every fall, then eventually my legs will be strong enough to finish the race.  In other words, if I keep on keeping on, I will get my life on track.  I will complete my "To Do" list.  I will finish this race we call life.

My Best

"Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come to your inheritance. " 

--Colossians 3:23-24 (MSG)

Doing my best. Working from the heart. Trusting in a reward from God, not from men.  These would be three ways to live more simply and more intentionally.  Why must I make life more complicated?

A balanced life is a peaceful life.  I struggle with deadlines, because I'm a procrastinator, and with wanting to do more than what God has called me to do.  I struggle with wanting to fix things and people and with forcing my dreams to become realities.  I know, though, in all these struggles there are good intentions.  However, my good intentions are meaningless if I'm not doing my best, working from the heart, and trusting God.

Life moves quickly if our focus isn't on what God has purposed for our lives.  I know I want a more simplified, a more joy-filled, a slower-paced, and a more beautiful life.  What a reward that would be!  I vow, then, to do my best and work from the heart from this day forward.  I may fail, I may have setbacks, but I'm never going to lose my focus.  My eyes are forever fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith.

Time to Dig some Trenches

God never ceases to amaze me.  I love how He finds a way to speak to me whether it's through a movie, a book, a devotion, a person, a song, a stranger, His Word (of course), or any other form of medium.  My favorite way, I think, is when He speaks to me through me. 

I was teaching today about the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18.  Elijah called on the Lord to consume the altar, which had been drenched in water.  As I was teaching, words came out of my mouth that I hadn't plan on saying--words that were wise and powerful and directly for me from God. 

I was explaining to my students the kind of faith Elijah had because he had dug trenches before calling on the Lord to consume the altar with fire.  Elijah knew he would drench the altar with enough water to fill those trenches and he knew that God would consume the altar with fire.  I'm not sure if Elijah knew the Lord would also lick up the water in the trenches (I think God always likes to add a little extra flare); regardless, he believed God would answer when he called upon Him.

As I was teaching this story, God spoke through me to me about how I need to do more than just believe He will answer my prayers.  I need to "dig my trenches" or in the case of the above excerpt from Facing the Giants, I need to "prepare my fields."  It's not enough to believe God answers prayers, because He most certainly does, it's about living in such a way that shows confidence God answers prayers.  For example, if I pray for healing for an ailment but not live as if God has answered that prayer and just wait around for Him to, then I'm not preparing my fields.  I've got to know that not only will God answer prayer, but He will also answer in a remarkable way. 

I resolve today to live in such a way that shows that the Almighty God has already answered the prayers I have called out to Him; so that when the answers come, then I can experience the glory of them and give the glory right back to God.

A New Sun Rises

Confession: I've seen Les Misérables twice now since it came out just under two weeks ago.  I had seen it live two times as well several, several years ago.  The lyrics of this musical are intoxicating.  The story is heart-gripping.  The theme is inspiring. 

I think what captured my attention the most and why I had to see it again is the idea we all want more out of the life we are living, yet our past entangles us.  We all search for who we are because we were are is not where we dreamed we would be.  I believe we all have bigger dreams.  We all want to be better off than what we are.  We all need a savior.

I know I desire a new beginning, a second chance.  I wake up with the hope of the sunrise.  It is there, but it doesn't take long for the dark clouds to cover and for me to fall back into old habits.  Surrender and calling out to my Savior are the only ways the light returns.  New hope reignites. 

I know I may never cross off everything on my "To-Do" list, I may never organize that one catch-all area, I may never wake up at 5:00 a.m. to exercise, I may never drink 8 glasses of water a day, I may never publish a book, I may never fly to Greece, I may never fully give to others as I'd like, I may never get out of debt, I may never be able to correct the wrongs I've done, and I know I may never marry.  Yet, the sun rises and brings with it a new day. 

Like Fantine, I, too, have dreamed a dream; and even though I'm not living every dream and I seem to tangle myself back up in my past, in my failures, in my sin, I know that my God has bigger, brighter and more beautiful plans than I have dreams.  I look forward to the rising sun and the new day to begin.

"The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises."

Ecclesiastes 1:5

His Holy Vessel

His Holy Vessel

 

 

I am a holy vessel

 

Ambitiously glued together
my nicks and holes
mark the toasts to imperfections
and the “not good enoughs”

 

I am a holy vessel

 

Alone, I sit distinctively on the shelf
cracked and faded
pushed to the back corners
where the hands of light cannot reach

 

I am a holy vessel

 

Wonderfully and fearfully made
by the one Creator
Whose Light can stretch
to the darkest of forgotten corners

 

I am a holy vessel

 

Viewed by the world
as just another cup
but seen by the Divine God
as a Chalice of Gold

I am a holy vessel

 

Captured from the shelf
by the Majestic King
Who holds me up to the heavens
delicately with His fingertips

 

I am a holy vessel

 

A worthy and precious one
topped with a crown a beauty
and opened to gather the Living Water
Who fills and overflows

I am a holy vessel.

RePURPOSEd

Tonight, I needed something to store my rolls of contact paper that I use on craft projects.  It was late.  I was too tired to even think of going out to search for something; so, I, instead, scrounged around my house to find something that I could repurpose.  I came upon, ironically in my craft room, this wire basket that was being used as a wastebasket. Perfect!  I thought.  I didn't have to spend any money, I didn't have to try to make something work because this just worked, and I didn't have to look any further than my own home.  I bet I have a ton of stuff that I could repurpose into items that I need.

So this got me thinking about how my life is with God.  He sees me--my talents, abilities, personality, intelligence--and He knows my purpose.  I like to think God repurposes me.  My work isn't complete just because I fulfilled a calling.  I believe God continues to call us according to His good purpose.  It's not a one time deal.  Just because I was called to be a "wastebasket" once, doesn't mean I won't be called to be used as a "storage unit" for another time.  I feel very much God is repurposing me at the present; perhaps, He is doing the same for you.  Let's allow Him to repurpose us for He can make beauty instead of ashes if we would just trust Him with our lives.

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."

Isaiah 61:3

Hope in the New Year

I love a new year.  I love the feeling of new beginnings and the idea of looking forward into bright horizons.  I think, though, what I love most is that many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, experience the inspiration of hope.  Hope seems alive and vibrant and refreshed when a new year begins.  Hope is the feeling of a second chance, of wanting change and feeling the motivation to do it, and hope is seeing the future like a shiny package waiting to be opened. Hope in Christ, though, is the most spectacular gift we have and should ever desire for the new year.  Living without Him isn't really living at all.  May you discover the everlasting Light of Hope in Christ Jesus our Lord this new year and truly live a blessed inspiring life. 


³¹ 

"...but those who hope in the Lord 
 will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint."

-Isaiah 40:31