"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:2-3
Sometimes a person just needs to read this verse out loud. When I read the words "I am the Lord your God", I just feel like I have to do something. I feel like I'm torn between two things, on the one hand, I want to start jumping up and down and shouting for joy. On the other hand, I want to fall prostrate to the ground in adoration. I think both would be acceptable to God. :)
This morning, which is the scheduled morning when we set aside time to pray for President Obama and other government leaders, I am filled with joy. The rescue is underway this morning for the Chilean Miners. My heart is near to bursting at the goodness of God, to be with those men as they've been trapped underground for 69 days. Honestly, I imagine this is how the world felt during the Apollo 13 disaster, as they learned with great joy that the astronauts would not perish in space, but would return to earth.
God is just so good! He IS the Lord our God, and it is HE who enabled the drill to get to the miners many weeks sooner than anticipated. It is God who filled the men above with knowledge to design and build the rescue capsule. And it is God who is even now, with the men waiting underground. He is filling them with HIS peace and HIS goodness. I have even heard reports that there are miners who have accepted Jesus as their Savior while underground! How wonderful is that!?
The song in my heart this morning is that God is good all the time. I have such joy right now, as I think about these miners reaching the surface and seeing their loved ones. It is my fervent prayer this morning that all 33 will know that God was with them while they were trapped underground, and that they will not have the health and mental and emotional troubles of being back in the real world. May God give them His perfect peace and perfect health.
I also want to pray this morning for the many campaigns going on around the country- and particularly here in my home state of Wisconsin. I want to pray for truth to come to light. The campaigns have not been very good, actually, and there has been a lot of mudslinging and untruthful words said. While a campaign may use an untruth to try and sway voters, really, all it's doing right now is causing confusion. Voters are having to really research and sift through this and that, trying to find out the actual truth. I pray that the campaigns in general will stop being so dishonest and just share the truth. I pray that God will help the voters to see the truth behind the words being shared.
But most of all this morning, I just pray that the verse I posted above will be truth around the globe. May this Chilean miner rescue show the glory of God as the whole world is watching the situation unfold. And as I close this morning, I have a verse running through my head, so I guess I will share it.
"The LORD bless you
and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." ' Numbers 6:24-26
I am going to be taking an extended weekend break this week. It's conference week, and I simply won't have the time to do some regular posting over the next few days. For all my regular readers, I pray these verses from the book of Numbers over you. May God bless you in the days ahead, may He shine on you and give you great peace. Be blessed, I'll talk to you soon.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Golden Calf
"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."
2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Exodus 32:1-4
Last night, as I was dozing off to sleep, I randomly began to think about what I might blog about this morning. I do that sometimes, and some scripture verses will come to mind and I'll be able to mull on them a while before going to sleep. Last night, as I though to myself, what shall I blog about tomorrow, I got a blazing mental image in my mind of the great golden calf. Huh.
So I spent some time dwelling on it. I was thinking about the Israelites- how could they? Really. How could they have experienced all this wonderful, miraculous stuff from God and then turn around and start worshiping a golden calf? It doesn't make any sense at all. Moses was on that mountain for 40 days, and they couldn't even go that long before they started demanding that Aaron make them an idol to worship. They crossed the Red Sea on dry land. They watched Pharaoh and his armies be obliterated before their eyes. And yet they wanted an idol to worship.
And then it came to me. I thought about that golden calf, and I thought about how it hadn't been all that long, and already the Israelites were turning to something else instead of God, and I saw that the Israelites were only being human. While we may not be taking off our jewelry and making idols with it, we may have our own golden calf that's taking the place of God. Yikes.
Just yesterday, I had an incredibly busy day (and another one today) where I was literally doing two things at once all day long. When lunch time rolled around, I prepared my lunch, and my usual habit is to sit at the table and do some Bible reading with lunch. Yesterday though, I looked at my Bible, stared at it for a while and then thought to myself how this was such a busy day, I should go sit at the computer with lunch and check e-mails and message boards, because it would probably be the only time during the day I would get to do that. And I did! And do you know that later in the day I really felt badly about that. I kept seeing myself in my mind choosing the computer over time with God. So to think on that golden calf just before bed...
How many of us make golden calves in our life sometimes. We can experience something wonderful from God, and then just a short while later, we're "too busy" to spend time with him. This time of year in particular, that golden calf is often a football game, or TV shows that are starting back up again. Our golden calf could be our jobs, our hobbies, or even activities with our kids. The golden calf is the thing that takes our eyes off God, and takes the status of importance in our life. When I choose to go sit at the computer and spend the time with people I've never even met in real life over spending time in my Bible and KNOWING that God will speak to me in that time, I've obviously made a really poor choice.
Because I know that God speaks to me personally a lot in my Bible reading time. Almost every single time I open up my Bible and just spend time inside, something new comes to light that I've never seen before. Or I'll see a scripture or two that directly apply to my current situation.
But yesterday, the golden calf, gleaming and bright called to me from across the room and beckoned me to come spend some time, and I listened.
Thank God I am alive in the time of grace, and thank God we all are alive during this time, and not Old Testament time. Because what happened to those golden calf worshipers? They were put to death!
"Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' " 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died." Exodus 32:27-28
And those who didn't die directly were struck down with a horrible plague.
"And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made." Exodus 32:35
Dear God, please help me to not be like the Israelites. Help me to learn from their example, and to not let the golden calves of this day distract me from the glory that is You. Help me to be more mindful of my choices each day, and keep me centered in Your perfect will.
2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Exodus 32:1-4
Last night, as I was dozing off to sleep, I randomly began to think about what I might blog about this morning. I do that sometimes, and some scripture verses will come to mind and I'll be able to mull on them a while before going to sleep. Last night, as I though to myself, what shall I blog about tomorrow, I got a blazing mental image in my mind of the great golden calf. Huh.
So I spent some time dwelling on it. I was thinking about the Israelites- how could they? Really. How could they have experienced all this wonderful, miraculous stuff from God and then turn around and start worshiping a golden calf? It doesn't make any sense at all. Moses was on that mountain for 40 days, and they couldn't even go that long before they started demanding that Aaron make them an idol to worship. They crossed the Red Sea on dry land. They watched Pharaoh and his armies be obliterated before their eyes. And yet they wanted an idol to worship.
And then it came to me. I thought about that golden calf, and I thought about how it hadn't been all that long, and already the Israelites were turning to something else instead of God, and I saw that the Israelites were only being human. While we may not be taking off our jewelry and making idols with it, we may have our own golden calf that's taking the place of God. Yikes.
Just yesterday, I had an incredibly busy day (and another one today) where I was literally doing two things at once all day long. When lunch time rolled around, I prepared my lunch, and my usual habit is to sit at the table and do some Bible reading with lunch. Yesterday though, I looked at my Bible, stared at it for a while and then thought to myself how this was such a busy day, I should go sit at the computer with lunch and check e-mails and message boards, because it would probably be the only time during the day I would get to do that. And I did! And do you know that later in the day I really felt badly about that. I kept seeing myself in my mind choosing the computer over time with God. So to think on that golden calf just before bed...
How many of us make golden calves in our life sometimes. We can experience something wonderful from God, and then just a short while later, we're "too busy" to spend time with him. This time of year in particular, that golden calf is often a football game, or TV shows that are starting back up again. Our golden calf could be our jobs, our hobbies, or even activities with our kids. The golden calf is the thing that takes our eyes off God, and takes the status of importance in our life. When I choose to go sit at the computer and spend the time with people I've never even met in real life over spending time in my Bible and KNOWING that God will speak to me in that time, I've obviously made a really poor choice.
Because I know that God speaks to me personally a lot in my Bible reading time. Almost every single time I open up my Bible and just spend time inside, something new comes to light that I've never seen before. Or I'll see a scripture or two that directly apply to my current situation.
But yesterday, the golden calf, gleaming and bright called to me from across the room and beckoned me to come spend some time, and I listened.
Thank God I am alive in the time of grace, and thank God we all are alive during this time, and not Old Testament time. Because what happened to those golden calf worshipers? They were put to death!
"Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' " 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died." Exodus 32:27-28
And those who didn't die directly were struck down with a horrible plague.
"And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made." Exodus 32:35
Dear God, please help me to not be like the Israelites. Help me to learn from their example, and to not let the golden calves of this day distract me from the glory that is You. Help me to be more mindful of my choices each day, and keep me centered in Your perfect will.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dwell On Him
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." Psalm 62:1
This verse this morning reminded me that rest really does come from God. And you know what? Sometimes the devil tries to steal our rest. Why? Because when we don't get enough rest, our bodies react to it. One needs only to spend time with a baby who didn't get their regular nap to see how that works. When I don't get enough rest, my temper gets shorter and shorter, and it really doesn't take long for me to go from normal to irritated with everyone around me. I used to have a habit of spending time talking to God when I went to bed at night. I would thank Him for the day, share any concerns, and if I still found myself struggling to fall asleep, I would start thinking in tongues... that works almost every single time.
But it's been a while since I did that. I think it's because I've been trying to get more in the habit of talking to God all day long, and at the end of the day I just want to hit my pillow and fall asleep. Well, the other night I was reminded of one of the reasons that I had been talking to God at night. I was thinking about something. Specifically, a situation that was completely annoying to me, except that this particular situation had nothing to do with me. And I literally mean nothing to do with me. It wasn't a problem that I should have been mulling on in the first place, but I was. And I was mulling on it for a really long time- it was keeping me awake well into the night. I truly could not stop thinking about this thing. The worst of it was, the next day was extremely busy for me too- so I really could have used the sleep, and every once in a while that would creep into my head as well.
And then it struck me. It struck me totally that the situation that was keeping me up at night Was. Not. My. Problem. Not only that, the feelings of anger and frustration that kept coming to surface were not as they should be. I had no reason to be angry or frustrated, and I had to repent. I know the Holy Spirit finally decided He had had enough of my dwelling that night, because it became clear as a crystal ball that I was totally wrong, and worse than that, I was losing hours of sleep over something that was none of my business. I apologized to God, asked him to take those thoughts out of my head, and I also commanded the devil to get away from my mind. He has no authority over me, since salvation comes from God alone, I belong to God, and the devil has no right to place errant thoughts in my head. And just like that, the thoughts stopped, I thanked God, and asked Him to help me get a restful sleep with the night that was left.
I did have a fairly restful night after that. The next day I was only a touch more tired than normal, but as the day went on, a quick cup of coffee or such revived me enough, and I got everything done that needed to get done- and then some.
Rest, real rest, and salvation come from God alone. If we are saved, if we are blessed enough to have asked Jesus into our lives, His rest is right there, waiting for us. All we have to do is reach out and grab it, and it's ours. God wants us to find rest throughout our days- it was so important to Him that God Himself rested on the seventh day.
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:2-3
God rested on the seventh day- AND made the day holy because He rested. God is our source of rest, because He created rest. When we dwell on Him, and spend time with Him, He helps us to see when we are not getting enough rest.
I am so thankful for His rest, and I am thankful for salvation, so that I can rest, and abide in Him all the days of my life.
This verse this morning reminded me that rest really does come from God. And you know what? Sometimes the devil tries to steal our rest. Why? Because when we don't get enough rest, our bodies react to it. One needs only to spend time with a baby who didn't get their regular nap to see how that works. When I don't get enough rest, my temper gets shorter and shorter, and it really doesn't take long for me to go from normal to irritated with everyone around me. I used to have a habit of spending time talking to God when I went to bed at night. I would thank Him for the day, share any concerns, and if I still found myself struggling to fall asleep, I would start thinking in tongues... that works almost every single time.
But it's been a while since I did that. I think it's because I've been trying to get more in the habit of talking to God all day long, and at the end of the day I just want to hit my pillow and fall asleep. Well, the other night I was reminded of one of the reasons that I had been talking to God at night. I was thinking about something. Specifically, a situation that was completely annoying to me, except that this particular situation had nothing to do with me. And I literally mean nothing to do with me. It wasn't a problem that I should have been mulling on in the first place, but I was. And I was mulling on it for a really long time- it was keeping me awake well into the night. I truly could not stop thinking about this thing. The worst of it was, the next day was extremely busy for me too- so I really could have used the sleep, and every once in a while that would creep into my head as well.
And then it struck me. It struck me totally that the situation that was keeping me up at night Was. Not. My. Problem. Not only that, the feelings of anger and frustration that kept coming to surface were not as they should be. I had no reason to be angry or frustrated, and I had to repent. I know the Holy Spirit finally decided He had had enough of my dwelling that night, because it became clear as a crystal ball that I was totally wrong, and worse than that, I was losing hours of sleep over something that was none of my business. I apologized to God, asked him to take those thoughts out of my head, and I also commanded the devil to get away from my mind. He has no authority over me, since salvation comes from God alone, I belong to God, and the devil has no right to place errant thoughts in my head. And just like that, the thoughts stopped, I thanked God, and asked Him to help me get a restful sleep with the night that was left.
I did have a fairly restful night after that. The next day I was only a touch more tired than normal, but as the day went on, a quick cup of coffee or such revived me enough, and I got everything done that needed to get done- and then some.
Rest, real rest, and salvation come from God alone. If we are saved, if we are blessed enough to have asked Jesus into our lives, His rest is right there, waiting for us. All we have to do is reach out and grab it, and it's ours. God wants us to find rest throughout our days- it was so important to Him that God Himself rested on the seventh day.
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:2-3
God rested on the seventh day- AND made the day holy because He rested. God is our source of rest, because He created rest. When we dwell on Him, and spend time with Him, He helps us to see when we are not getting enough rest.
I am so thankful for His rest, and I am thankful for salvation, so that I can rest, and abide in Him all the days of my life.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Perfect Peace
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
I read this verse yesterday and it really made me smile, because I noticed something in this verse that I hadn't noticed before. I've heard and read this verse a hundred times- and then some. When we're going through a rough time, I like to read it, because it fills me with peace just to read it or say it to myself. When I notice that I start to get anxious and troubled, I remember that my Bible says to not be troubled, and to not be afraid. It's like a soothing balm to my troubled soul.
But do you see what it says there? Jesus is talking and He says "Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give you." That's huge! Right there Jesus tells his disciples that he is giving them HIS peace. I know I've read and heard that the same number of times I've heard the rest of the verse, but this is awesome to read, because I happen to know something about Jesus' peace. It's perfect. It's absolute perfection- just as Jesus was.
Jesus gave us His Perfect Peace before leaving this earth. Fear and worry have absolutely no place in our lives, and yet the devil wants us to fear and worry. He will place newspaper headlines in our path that will give us fear- movies, books and TV shows that also fill our spirits with the ideas of fear. Those all come from the devil and from this world. And the thing is, we don't just keep that fear to ourselves, but we pass that fear on to our children in many regards as well. We worry about our children's safety sometimes, (naturally, as most parents do), but maybe sometimes we take that too far and plant a seed of fear in them instead of a seed of peace.
I'm thinking about that idea this morning. And I'm praying about it simultaneously. Because the last thing I want is to have inadvertently placed a seed of something worldly in my children's hearts- even out of a desire for good. I remember Abigail coming home from school in first grade and telling me about the "Code Black" drill they'd had to practice. Boy, what a way to put fear into the hears of the entire school district. School shootings were happening en masse then, and they just wanted to do their best to prevent the same tragedy from happening at their school. Abigail seemed to be okay with it, but after that, any day that I heard fire trucks or police sirens in the distance, my heart would instantly start racing and I would be so afraid that something awful was going on at the school just a few blocks away where my baby was. That little kernel of fear was suggested to me, and I really couldn't let it go.
Perfect Peace chases out the not-so-perfect fear. Jesus gave us a spirit of peace, it's this world that tries to chase that peace out. In fact, the peace of Jesus is so perfect, it can keep the fear out completely, but we live in a world that tells us it is natural to have fears. Every other character on TV has a phobia or fear of something, and we are told it is perfectly normal. In grade school, kids make their lists of favorite colors, birthdays, and what they are afraid of. Why do we make fears normal?
I should note that fear and caution are two different things. Caution is a wonderful tool that God gave us to use common sense in our lives. When we see a snake in our yard, we should use caution to discern whether or not that snake could bring us harm. We should not take an attitude of fearlessness and just approach what could be a harmful snake... we should use the caution and common sense that God gave us to discern whether or not the situation should be avoided.
Peace erases fear. I've been talking a bit about natural fears- fears of death, snakes, strangers, but what about the emotional fears? Guess what? Jesus takes those away too. We don't have to be afraid of what other people think of us. We don't have to be afraid of approaching that stranger to pray for them- because God gives us a spirit of truth and peace. We also don't have to ever be afraid of following God's will for our lives, because Jesus' peace will smooth the path before us. He will guide us in the way we should go and has more peace just waiting there for us, should we need it.
Jesus gave us perfect peace! Perfect because it is His peace, and He is perfection. This is something to remember, and to pray about. And the next time we feel fear creeping up on us and causing not so pleasant things to stir in our spirit, we should speak aloud the words that Jesus left us with. We should stir up the atmosphere around us with His perfect peace, and when we do that, the worldly fear trying to break in will have to flee, because Jesus has already conquered the darkness for us, and it has no power here on earth. It may think it does sometimes- and it wants us to think it does, but it really doesn't. With Jesus' perfect peace, there is no room for darkness and fear.
May God bless you this weekend with the perfect peace of Jesus Christ.
I read this verse yesterday and it really made me smile, because I noticed something in this verse that I hadn't noticed before. I've heard and read this verse a hundred times- and then some. When we're going through a rough time, I like to read it, because it fills me with peace just to read it or say it to myself. When I notice that I start to get anxious and troubled, I remember that my Bible says to not be troubled, and to not be afraid. It's like a soothing balm to my troubled soul.
But do you see what it says there? Jesus is talking and He says "Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give you." That's huge! Right there Jesus tells his disciples that he is giving them HIS peace. I know I've read and heard that the same number of times I've heard the rest of the verse, but this is awesome to read, because I happen to know something about Jesus' peace. It's perfect. It's absolute perfection- just as Jesus was.
Jesus gave us His Perfect Peace before leaving this earth. Fear and worry have absolutely no place in our lives, and yet the devil wants us to fear and worry. He will place newspaper headlines in our path that will give us fear- movies, books and TV shows that also fill our spirits with the ideas of fear. Those all come from the devil and from this world. And the thing is, we don't just keep that fear to ourselves, but we pass that fear on to our children in many regards as well. We worry about our children's safety sometimes, (naturally, as most parents do), but maybe sometimes we take that too far and plant a seed of fear in them instead of a seed of peace.
I'm thinking about that idea this morning. And I'm praying about it simultaneously. Because the last thing I want is to have inadvertently placed a seed of something worldly in my children's hearts- even out of a desire for good. I remember Abigail coming home from school in first grade and telling me about the "Code Black" drill they'd had to practice. Boy, what a way to put fear into the hears of the entire school district. School shootings were happening en masse then, and they just wanted to do their best to prevent the same tragedy from happening at their school. Abigail seemed to be okay with it, but after that, any day that I heard fire trucks or police sirens in the distance, my heart would instantly start racing and I would be so afraid that something awful was going on at the school just a few blocks away where my baby was. That little kernel of fear was suggested to me, and I really couldn't let it go.
Perfect Peace chases out the not-so-perfect fear. Jesus gave us a spirit of peace, it's this world that tries to chase that peace out. In fact, the peace of Jesus is so perfect, it can keep the fear out completely, but we live in a world that tells us it is natural to have fears. Every other character on TV has a phobia or fear of something, and we are told it is perfectly normal. In grade school, kids make their lists of favorite colors, birthdays, and what they are afraid of. Why do we make fears normal?
I should note that fear and caution are two different things. Caution is a wonderful tool that God gave us to use common sense in our lives. When we see a snake in our yard, we should use caution to discern whether or not that snake could bring us harm. We should not take an attitude of fearlessness and just approach what could be a harmful snake... we should use the caution and common sense that God gave us to discern whether or not the situation should be avoided.
Peace erases fear. I've been talking a bit about natural fears- fears of death, snakes, strangers, but what about the emotional fears? Guess what? Jesus takes those away too. We don't have to be afraid of what other people think of us. We don't have to be afraid of approaching that stranger to pray for them- because God gives us a spirit of truth and peace. We also don't have to ever be afraid of following God's will for our lives, because Jesus' peace will smooth the path before us. He will guide us in the way we should go and has more peace just waiting there for us, should we need it.
Jesus gave us perfect peace! Perfect because it is His peace, and He is perfection. This is something to remember, and to pray about. And the next time we feel fear creeping up on us and causing not so pleasant things to stir in our spirit, we should speak aloud the words that Jesus left us with. We should stir up the atmosphere around us with His perfect peace, and when we do that, the worldly fear trying to break in will have to flee, because Jesus has already conquered the darkness for us, and it has no power here on earth. It may think it does sometimes- and it wants us to think it does, but it really doesn't. With Jesus' perfect peace, there is no room for darkness and fear.
May God bless you this weekend with the perfect peace of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Better Than Life
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Psalm 63:1-5
I added all five of these verses here this morning, because the whole cluster of verses just plain makes me happy. It makes me smile and think about how truly wonderful God is. But it's verse 3 that really sings to me this morning- and specifically the first part of verse three. The part where David says "your love is better than life." WOW! And then I close my eyes and I think on that dreamily, and I repeat it to myself. "Your love is better than life."
You know, that's quite the statement. It makes me think about how each and every day I find myself amazed at life itself and how wonderful it is. I drive around our city and think my heart is going to burst because I'm so overjoyed to live here. I spend time with my kids and every day I think about how wonderful they are and how rich they make my life. I go to church where I spend time in corporate worship, and I just think about how life just can't get any better than this. And then I see David say that God's love is better than life.
That makes me smile. It also makes me think and as I read these verses written by a man who was in a troublesome situation, and yet takes the time to praise and glorify God, I think that I want to be there. I want to be at that point in my walk with God where every word out of my lips will seek to glorify God- and not be used, instead, to tear someone down or say something unkind. I want to be satisfied. I want to know what David knew, and also what Paul knew.
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13
Any day now, Andy could come home from work and share with us that the work year is over for him, and I dwell on that far too much. Yet, yesterday he came home with news that his work year may very well be extended now- thank God for that! But still, in the forefront of my mind is, OK, but what are you going to do when the work is done...bills and rent just don't go away...and yet I read verses like this almost every day it seems, and I just know that God is doing a great work in me. I know that God is speaking to my spirit and I desire to trust Him with all my heart. I am learning, very much, to do everything through Him, because He gives me strength. It is because of Him that I get out of bed every morning.
My soul wants to be satisfied.
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Psalm 63:1-5
I added all five of these verses here this morning, because the whole cluster of verses just plain makes me happy. It makes me smile and think about how truly wonderful God is. But it's verse 3 that really sings to me this morning- and specifically the first part of verse three. The part where David says "your love is better than life." WOW! And then I close my eyes and I think on that dreamily, and I repeat it to myself. "Your love is better than life."
You know, that's quite the statement. It makes me think about how each and every day I find myself amazed at life itself and how wonderful it is. I drive around our city and think my heart is going to burst because I'm so overjoyed to live here. I spend time with my kids and every day I think about how wonderful they are and how rich they make my life. I go to church where I spend time in corporate worship, and I just think about how life just can't get any better than this. And then I see David say that God's love is better than life.
That makes me smile. It also makes me think and as I read these verses written by a man who was in a troublesome situation, and yet takes the time to praise and glorify God, I think that I want to be there. I want to be at that point in my walk with God where every word out of my lips will seek to glorify God- and not be used, instead, to tear someone down or say something unkind. I want to be satisfied. I want to know what David knew, and also what Paul knew.
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13
Any day now, Andy could come home from work and share with us that the work year is over for him, and I dwell on that far too much. Yet, yesterday he came home with news that his work year may very well be extended now- thank God for that! But still, in the forefront of my mind is, OK, but what are you going to do when the work is done...bills and rent just don't go away...and yet I read verses like this almost every day it seems, and I just know that God is doing a great work in me. I know that God is speaking to my spirit and I desire to trust Him with all my heart. I am learning, very much, to do everything through Him, because He gives me strength. It is because of Him that I get out of bed every morning.
My soul wants to be satisfied.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Warfare Wednesday
"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:4
In God We Trust.
This week I am praying for President Obama and his wife Michelle. Specifically, I feel like today I want to pray for their marriage- that they are able to find time for each other with all the craziness that's required of the president. I pray that they can maintain a healthy relationship for both their benefit- and for the benefit of their daughters. I cannot imagine how tough it is to maintain a successful relationship, let alone a marriage, when one or the both of you is constantly flying around the country. I pray for peace in their family, and that God will continue to protect both of them in every circumstance. Most importantly though, I pray that together, they will desire to draw closer to God.
And I am praying, once again, for the many election campaigns working hard right now to get their candidates elected. May the right people for the job get elected- the ones who believe those very words that are printed on all our money- In God We Trust. When the people go to the ballots to cast their votes- may votes be cast for God above all- regardless of the party that person is in. May Godly men and women be elected to take over Washington and the state governments. And may there be peace in this country through the whole election process.
This morning I'd also like to spend time praying for the miners that are trapped in the country of Chile. They have been trapped underground since mid-August. Rescue efforts are going remarkably well, and the timeline for rescuing them from underground has been drastically bumped up. I pray for peace underground, that those trapped men will continue to stay safe and sane. I also pray for continued safety as the actual rescue drilling is underway. May God keep any further collapse from happening, and may each and every one of those men underground return to their families safe and sound. May they feel the presence of God with them as they continue to live their day-to-day in a bizarre fashion.
In God We Trust.
This week I am praying for President Obama and his wife Michelle. Specifically, I feel like today I want to pray for their marriage- that they are able to find time for each other with all the craziness that's required of the president. I pray that they can maintain a healthy relationship for both their benefit- and for the benefit of their daughters. I cannot imagine how tough it is to maintain a successful relationship, let alone a marriage, when one or the both of you is constantly flying around the country. I pray for peace in their family, and that God will continue to protect both of them in every circumstance. Most importantly though, I pray that together, they will desire to draw closer to God.
And I am praying, once again, for the many election campaigns working hard right now to get their candidates elected. May the right people for the job get elected- the ones who believe those very words that are printed on all our money- In God We Trust. When the people go to the ballots to cast their votes- may votes be cast for God above all- regardless of the party that person is in. May Godly men and women be elected to take over Washington and the state governments. And may there be peace in this country through the whole election process.
This morning I'd also like to spend time praying for the miners that are trapped in the country of Chile. They have been trapped underground since mid-August. Rescue efforts are going remarkably well, and the timeline for rescuing them from underground has been drastically bumped up. I pray for peace underground, that those trapped men will continue to stay safe and sane. I also pray for continued safety as the actual rescue drilling is underway. May God keep any further collapse from happening, and may each and every one of those men underground return to their families safe and sound. May they feel the presence of God with them as they continue to live their day-to-day in a bizarre fashion.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Come And Eat
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:1-2
Imagine this scenario. You decide to go grocery shopping. You wheel your cart around the store, filling it with good things to eat, and then you go to the checkout. You wait in line for your turn at the cashier, and then you arrive. The cashier scans your groceries and they get placed in bags. You wait patiently for the total so that you can pay and leave. Instead, the cashier smiles, and says Thank you for shopping with us today, there is no charge for these groceries, enjoy them, and come back when you need to."
That would be fun, wouldn't it? And yet, those groceries, though they cost us nothing, don't really satisfy that hunger that is deep inside us. That gnawing that is coming from within us that neither food nor drink will fill and take away.
Only God can satisfy that hunger that lies restless inside.
So many people today try to fill that hunger with other things. They try to find a hobby to fill it with, or a career, or perhaps they try to fill it with other people, family, friends. But the truth is, that until God fills that hunger, there will always seem to be something missing. And then, when the truth comes to light, that it is only God who can fill that empty space, and we ask God to fill that empty space, we will find that our soul is filled with delight.
We were born to crave God.
Have you ever had a food craving? Pregnant women are infamous for food cravings, but I'm sure we all remember one time or another where we just HAD to have a brownie, or a piece of fried chicken, or a cheeseburger from that fast food place down the street.
Our soul has a different craving- a craving that will not go away until Jesus Christ Himself has satisfied it. We could spend our entire lifetime spending millions of dollars on millions of things to try and meet that craving, but it is all in vain- as the only thing that will satisy that craving is the Living Bread and the Living Water.
The great news is that we don't have to spend our lifetime searching in vain for that elusive "thing" that will satisfy our soul. We can have that very thing for free at anytime. All we have to do is say yes to Jesus, and He will satisfy our soul's desires beyond our wildest dreams.
Jesus is all we need. With Him in our hearts and our lives, we need never fear finding an empty space in our lives again. Sometimes we may feel that our tanks might be running a little low- and for me, that is a sign that I have not been spending enough time in my Bible, or enough time in prayer. But all I have to do is purpose to spend some time with Him, and that tank fills right back up, and I feel satiety and contentment. I feel blessed and like I can take on the world. Jesus does that all by Himself.
Jesus satisfies like nothing else can. Come, all you are thirsty and drink. There is no cost.
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:1-2
Imagine this scenario. You decide to go grocery shopping. You wheel your cart around the store, filling it with good things to eat, and then you go to the checkout. You wait in line for your turn at the cashier, and then you arrive. The cashier scans your groceries and they get placed in bags. You wait patiently for the total so that you can pay and leave. Instead, the cashier smiles, and says Thank you for shopping with us today, there is no charge for these groceries, enjoy them, and come back when you need to."
That would be fun, wouldn't it? And yet, those groceries, though they cost us nothing, don't really satisfy that hunger that is deep inside us. That gnawing that is coming from within us that neither food nor drink will fill and take away.
Only God can satisfy that hunger that lies restless inside.
So many people today try to fill that hunger with other things. They try to find a hobby to fill it with, or a career, or perhaps they try to fill it with other people, family, friends. But the truth is, that until God fills that hunger, there will always seem to be something missing. And then, when the truth comes to light, that it is only God who can fill that empty space, and we ask God to fill that empty space, we will find that our soul is filled with delight.
We were born to crave God.
Have you ever had a food craving? Pregnant women are infamous for food cravings, but I'm sure we all remember one time or another where we just HAD to have a brownie, or a piece of fried chicken, or a cheeseburger from that fast food place down the street.
Our soul has a different craving- a craving that will not go away until Jesus Christ Himself has satisfied it. We could spend our entire lifetime spending millions of dollars on millions of things to try and meet that craving, but it is all in vain- as the only thing that will satisy that craving is the Living Bread and the Living Water.
The great news is that we don't have to spend our lifetime searching in vain for that elusive "thing" that will satisfy our soul. We can have that very thing for free at anytime. All we have to do is say yes to Jesus, and He will satisfy our soul's desires beyond our wildest dreams.
Jesus is all we need. With Him in our hearts and our lives, we need never fear finding an empty space in our lives again. Sometimes we may feel that our tanks might be running a little low- and for me, that is a sign that I have not been spending enough time in my Bible, or enough time in prayer. But all I have to do is purpose to spend some time with Him, and that tank fills right back up, and I feel satiety and contentment. I feel blessed and like I can take on the world. Jesus does that all by Himself.
Jesus satisfies like nothing else can. Come, all you are thirsty and drink. There is no cost.
Monday, October 04, 2010
'Tis True!
"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1
Sometimes all it takes is one simple little sentence to give you a really great reminder. Boasting is such an annoying habit to witness. I'm sure we all know people who tend to boast about their doings in life- their comings and goings, who they interact with, and things like that. When you interact with someone like that on an everyday basis though, it can be easy to get caught up in their boasting, and maybe want to show them up or at least try to look like you do things as important as they do.
Well, we shouldn't stoop to their level. This verse just gives us such great advice. Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. SO true! How many times do we look at the calendar, see the day ahead of us and think how grand that day will be. Then we wake up, and they day goes wrong from start to finish. Or we make plans financially- we plan a grand trip or a major purchase, and we tell others about how we're going to do this or buy this- and then the plan goes south because of a job lay-off or reduced hours, or an unexpected expense comes up.
God simply doesn't want us to be boasting. Boasting and pride kind of go hand in hand, but look what it says in 1 Corinthians 13:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love does not boast, nor is it proud. And if our command, our challenge for each and every day of our life is to love those around us- we should not engage in either boasting or pridefulness. Solomon gives us a warning about boasting in Proverbs. He lets us know that what we brag about for tomorrow could go seriously wrong. And then where are we? Then we look foolish is where we are.
We are to love. We should love each other, and one way we love is each other is not by being prideful and boasting. The thing is, when we do boast and brag and are prideful of what we have, what we are doing, and things of that nature, is that we're inherently making the other people around us feel bad. They may feel bad because they simply can't afford to go out to lunch every Sunday. Or they may feel bad because you're buying that brand new car while they are limping along with an old beater- and it's really a struggle for them to have faith in God's provision when they are stuck on the side of the road with a faulty transmission.
Now, I do think that God likes us to share with each other what He is doing in our lives. It's a form of testimony, to be able to share how God has blessed us so much that we are able to do something or make a significant purchase. I know that I love to hear how God blesses other people, because it gives me great hope for our own future- it helps to improve my faith in the fact that God truly is our provider.
So I guess the fact is, and the point this morning is that we are to think before we speak. Before we tell that person about this wonderful newness in our lives, we need to think on our reason for sharing in the first place. Are we sharing this news to give God glory? Or are we sharing this news to give ourselves glory or a pat on the back? Are we trying to show off? Or are we trying to give a testimony to share with someone else and give them their own hope? I think if we take the step to really think on this before we say it, that the Holy Spirit will work in our hearts and guide us as to what we should do or say. If we need to share the testimony with the person in front of us, He will bring the words to our mouths. But if what we share could only be perceived as boasting and could serve as a stumbling block for that other person, He may very well shut our mouths.
Open or shut. May God keep me mindful of the things that I say that may hurt or edify someone else. May He guide my words correctly when encouragement is needed- and may He shut my mouth when I need to remain silent.
Sometimes all it takes is one simple little sentence to give you a really great reminder. Boasting is such an annoying habit to witness. I'm sure we all know people who tend to boast about their doings in life- their comings and goings, who they interact with, and things like that. When you interact with someone like that on an everyday basis though, it can be easy to get caught up in their boasting, and maybe want to show them up or at least try to look like you do things as important as they do.
Well, we shouldn't stoop to their level. This verse just gives us such great advice. Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. SO true! How many times do we look at the calendar, see the day ahead of us and think how grand that day will be. Then we wake up, and they day goes wrong from start to finish. Or we make plans financially- we plan a grand trip or a major purchase, and we tell others about how we're going to do this or buy this- and then the plan goes south because of a job lay-off or reduced hours, or an unexpected expense comes up.
God simply doesn't want us to be boasting. Boasting and pride kind of go hand in hand, but look what it says in 1 Corinthians 13:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." 1 Corinthians 13:4
Love does not boast, nor is it proud. And if our command, our challenge for each and every day of our life is to love those around us- we should not engage in either boasting or pridefulness. Solomon gives us a warning about boasting in Proverbs. He lets us know that what we brag about for tomorrow could go seriously wrong. And then where are we? Then we look foolish is where we are.
We are to love. We should love each other, and one way we love is each other is not by being prideful and boasting. The thing is, when we do boast and brag and are prideful of what we have, what we are doing, and things of that nature, is that we're inherently making the other people around us feel bad. They may feel bad because they simply can't afford to go out to lunch every Sunday. Or they may feel bad because you're buying that brand new car while they are limping along with an old beater- and it's really a struggle for them to have faith in God's provision when they are stuck on the side of the road with a faulty transmission.
Now, I do think that God likes us to share with each other what He is doing in our lives. It's a form of testimony, to be able to share how God has blessed us so much that we are able to do something or make a significant purchase. I know that I love to hear how God blesses other people, because it gives me great hope for our own future- it helps to improve my faith in the fact that God truly is our provider.
So I guess the fact is, and the point this morning is that we are to think before we speak. Before we tell that person about this wonderful newness in our lives, we need to think on our reason for sharing in the first place. Are we sharing this news to give God glory? Or are we sharing this news to give ourselves glory or a pat on the back? Are we trying to show off? Or are we trying to give a testimony to share with someone else and give them their own hope? I think if we take the step to really think on this before we say it, that the Holy Spirit will work in our hearts and guide us as to what we should do or say. If we need to share the testimony with the person in front of us, He will bring the words to our mouths. But if what we share could only be perceived as boasting and could serve as a stumbling block for that other person, He may very well shut our mouths.
Open or shut. May God keep me mindful of the things that I say that may hurt or edify someone else. May He guide my words correctly when encouragement is needed- and may He shut my mouth when I need to remain silent.
Friday, October 01, 2010
In All Your Ways
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
This is a fairly common Proverb. It gets quoted a lot, and I know I've used it plenty of times to bolster my faith and help me to believe that I can truly trust in the Lord.
But do you see that part where it throws in that one word? It says ALL. In fact, it says all twice!
First, it says trust in the Lord with ALL your heart. Oh, that is so hard to do sometimes, isn't it. I know for myself, I want to trust in God at every moment, but there are so many times where that doubt just creeps in, and I just find it so impossible to fully trust. Even right now. Right now, Andy is in the time of the year with work where work is running out. He could potentially have just two weeks of work left... and I'm trying so hard to just trust God completely to provide for us. I'm trying to trust that Andy has enough work lined up to keep the income rolling in...but it's difficult. When you're used to that regular paycheck coming in each and every week on a certain day, and you know how much exactly you need to continue from month to month, that trust needs to come from a very deep place. Most of the time, I have been doing okay. I know that God has plans for Andy if he's not working at his normal job. I know that, and most days that I think on that I make sure that I give thanks to God for Andy's skill set that enables him to provide even when not actively employed.
But there are those days where I look at the checkbook. I look at the calendar. I look at the monthly expenses, and I get nervous, and I try to think on my own what I could possibly do to help out. And I almost get a moment of panic or anxiety. But then the Holy Spirit swoops in and reminds me that God is in control, and I let Him wrap me up in peace and calm, and I ask Him to help me with my unbelief. And I also ask Him to stretch my understanding- I would love for God to work in some very unexpected ways so that we can share with others exactly what He has done for us to get us through.
But then we go on in these two verses and we find the word all again! As if once wasn't enough to stretch our way of thinking, now we see it a second time, and it tells us that we are to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways. Every time we are at a juncture in life- a moment of decisions, are we talking to God? Are we asking Him which path to take? We should be. We should be consulting Him every step of the way because then, when we are asked by others about it, we have the perfect answer.
When we were looking to move, there was only one real criteria for us in where to move. We wanted to be within a certain radius of the city we are now living in. That turned out to be a pretty big area, and consisted of probably two dozen communities that potentially could be called home for us. But God knew exactly where He wanted us, and we relied on Him completely to show us the right house, and the right path to get there. When people ask us what brought us to Appleton, we can honestly say that God brought us here. God made this path straight and clear for us, and He gets all the glory for bringing us here. Every day as I drive around my new city I find myself so incredibly thankful- I love where we live sooo much. Really, I think all the time that God brought us to our paradise for now, and I thank Him daily for showing us exactly where we needed to be.
We acknowledge God in all our ways when they are big ways- but what about the everyday? I was thinking about that yesterday, as this verse clearly says ALL our ways- it doesn't just say when there is a big decision to be made. It says in all our ways. The other day I talked on one of my blogs about how we used September as a no-spend month to try and save a little money. In the blog post, I also talked about making wise decisions when it comes to spending- and that's the perfect example of acknowledging God with a little path.
Do you know what He did? I expected that He'd maybe provide a little extra money so that I could pick up a few things. Instead, He provided the clothes themselves. He literally filled the back of my van with bag upon bag of clothing for my children- including the much needed winter clothing. Had I not waited, had I not talked to God and asked Him to show me the best path, I could have very well missed out on that blessing. Those clothes could have gone to someone else. Instead, I trusted God with all my heart that He saw that my children needed clothing, and I let Him direct my path. And God came through in such a big way that only He could get glory for the abundance of clothing that flowed through our home.
And so this morning I wake up and tackle my day with a heart full of trust. God loves me, and He loves my family, and as each day passes, I feel that love more and more. He provides in some mysterious ways sometimes, but that's one of the many things that makes God so awesome. Those mysterious ways sometimes turn out to be the most exciting- and make for the best storytelling. May God show you some wonderful and amazing ways this weekend. Trust in Him with all your heart, and you will not be disappointed.
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
This is a fairly common Proverb. It gets quoted a lot, and I know I've used it plenty of times to bolster my faith and help me to believe that I can truly trust in the Lord.
But do you see that part where it throws in that one word? It says ALL. In fact, it says all twice!
First, it says trust in the Lord with ALL your heart. Oh, that is so hard to do sometimes, isn't it. I know for myself, I want to trust in God at every moment, but there are so many times where that doubt just creeps in, and I just find it so impossible to fully trust. Even right now. Right now, Andy is in the time of the year with work where work is running out. He could potentially have just two weeks of work left... and I'm trying so hard to just trust God completely to provide for us. I'm trying to trust that Andy has enough work lined up to keep the income rolling in...but it's difficult. When you're used to that regular paycheck coming in each and every week on a certain day, and you know how much exactly you need to continue from month to month, that trust needs to come from a very deep place. Most of the time, I have been doing okay. I know that God has plans for Andy if he's not working at his normal job. I know that, and most days that I think on that I make sure that I give thanks to God for Andy's skill set that enables him to provide even when not actively employed.
But there are those days where I look at the checkbook. I look at the calendar. I look at the monthly expenses, and I get nervous, and I try to think on my own what I could possibly do to help out. And I almost get a moment of panic or anxiety. But then the Holy Spirit swoops in and reminds me that God is in control, and I let Him wrap me up in peace and calm, and I ask Him to help me with my unbelief. And I also ask Him to stretch my understanding- I would love for God to work in some very unexpected ways so that we can share with others exactly what He has done for us to get us through.
But then we go on in these two verses and we find the word all again! As if once wasn't enough to stretch our way of thinking, now we see it a second time, and it tells us that we are to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways. Every time we are at a juncture in life- a moment of decisions, are we talking to God? Are we asking Him which path to take? We should be. We should be consulting Him every step of the way because then, when we are asked by others about it, we have the perfect answer.
When we were looking to move, there was only one real criteria for us in where to move. We wanted to be within a certain radius of the city we are now living in. That turned out to be a pretty big area, and consisted of probably two dozen communities that potentially could be called home for us. But God knew exactly where He wanted us, and we relied on Him completely to show us the right house, and the right path to get there. When people ask us what brought us to Appleton, we can honestly say that God brought us here. God made this path straight and clear for us, and He gets all the glory for bringing us here. Every day as I drive around my new city I find myself so incredibly thankful- I love where we live sooo much. Really, I think all the time that God brought us to our paradise for now, and I thank Him daily for showing us exactly where we needed to be.
We acknowledge God in all our ways when they are big ways- but what about the everyday? I was thinking about that yesterday, as this verse clearly says ALL our ways- it doesn't just say when there is a big decision to be made. It says in all our ways. The other day I talked on one of my blogs about how we used September as a no-spend month to try and save a little money. In the blog post, I also talked about making wise decisions when it comes to spending- and that's the perfect example of acknowledging God with a little path.
Do you know what He did? I expected that He'd maybe provide a little extra money so that I could pick up a few things. Instead, He provided the clothes themselves. He literally filled the back of my van with bag upon bag of clothing for my children- including the much needed winter clothing. Had I not waited, had I not talked to God and asked Him to show me the best path, I could have very well missed out on that blessing. Those clothes could have gone to someone else. Instead, I trusted God with all my heart that He saw that my children needed clothing, and I let Him direct my path. And God came through in such a big way that only He could get glory for the abundance of clothing that flowed through our home.
And so this morning I wake up and tackle my day with a heart full of trust. God loves me, and He loves my family, and as each day passes, I feel that love more and more. He provides in some mysterious ways sometimes, but that's one of the many things that makes God so awesome. Those mysterious ways sometimes turn out to be the most exciting- and make for the best storytelling. May God show you some wonderful and amazing ways this weekend. Trust in Him with all your heart, and you will not be disappointed.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Other Meat
"The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat!" Numbers 11:4
I got to this verse yesterday in my Bible reading, and it made me pause. It made me reflect on it and read it again a few times. At this point in the Bible, the Israelites are wandering. God has been miraculously feeding them through His supply of manna. But look at what happens here. My Bible uses these words "the rabble with them began to crave other food." It doesn't say specifically that the Israelites, God's chosen children began to crave other food. It says the rabble began to crave other food. The troublemakers, the lowest class of people among them became discontent with the manna. So those people started complaining. The Israelites are such followers though (remember that golden calf?) that they hear the noise this rabble is making and decide that the rabble is indeed correct. Who wants to eat manna day in and day out? The thought of eating meat sounds really good after they think on it some more, so they start complaining as well.
Well, as the story goes, God gives them their meat, but it has a price.
"But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food." Numbers 11:33-34
There are two lessons here that really stick out for me. The first one is that we need to watch out and be mindful of these people known as the rabble. There will always be rabble- people who want to stir up trouble by planting thoughts and suggestions where there were none before.
The second lesson comes right at the end of verse 34 there, the buried the people who had craved other food. Ah, there is the problem. These people decided that God's provision simply wasn't enough for them. There is a real lesson there for us, because the world wants us, who have faith in God alone, to want to crave other food. The world wants us to believe that God isn't enough for us. But look at what I found nestled deep in the Psalms.
"I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10
"for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9
And then there's this verse from Philippians:
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
God satisfies, and that's one of the biggest things we can learn from the Israelite people. Time and time again, God showed them His glory, and not long afterwards, it's like they completely forgot about what He did for them. He parted the sea so they could cross, and then they started complaining about not having food. Then after a while they start complaining that they don't have meat. Later on they complain about not having water- twice, actually. Yet every time they start grumbling, God comes through for them...and yet they still continue to complain and grumble when the mood strikes them. It's unbelievable sometimes! But look, look what the Psalms say,
"For he satisfies the hungry and fills the hungry with good things."
You know those feelings you have in the bottom of your stomach that there has to be more to life? That's what it is looking for. It's looking for more of God to fill that void. That's it. Just God. Just Jesus and all His abounding love. The world will tell us that it is a space that desires to be filled by the latest self-help book, or the newest program designed to change the way you think. That's all "other food", and we should stay away from it. God satisfies our every need- and He satisfies that hunger we have that seems it cannot be satisfied no matter how hard we work, how much money we make, and how much we give or do. God simply wants permission from us to fill that void. He wants us to surrender to Him, put down the self-help and smile at Him and say that Okay, God, let's do this. Fill me, satisfy me, and keep me from turning aside again.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
Blessed are the hungry. Jesus said that Himself, and I believe Him. Let us not be like the Israelites, so easily swayed by the rabble around us. Let us stand firm and say that God is more than enough. He is our supply and is all that we need. Each and every day. God is enough.
I got to this verse yesterday in my Bible reading, and it made me pause. It made me reflect on it and read it again a few times. At this point in the Bible, the Israelites are wandering. God has been miraculously feeding them through His supply of manna. But look at what happens here. My Bible uses these words "the rabble with them began to crave other food." It doesn't say specifically that the Israelites, God's chosen children began to crave other food. It says the rabble began to crave other food. The troublemakers, the lowest class of people among them became discontent with the manna. So those people started complaining. The Israelites are such followers though (remember that golden calf?) that they hear the noise this rabble is making and decide that the rabble is indeed correct. Who wants to eat manna day in and day out? The thought of eating meat sounds really good after they think on it some more, so they start complaining as well.
Well, as the story goes, God gives them their meat, but it has a price.
"But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food." Numbers 11:33-34
There are two lessons here that really stick out for me. The first one is that we need to watch out and be mindful of these people known as the rabble. There will always be rabble- people who want to stir up trouble by planting thoughts and suggestions where there were none before.
The second lesson comes right at the end of verse 34 there, the buried the people who had craved other food. Ah, there is the problem. These people decided that God's provision simply wasn't enough for them. There is a real lesson there for us, because the world wants us, who have faith in God alone, to want to crave other food. The world wants us to believe that God isn't enough for us. But look at what I found nestled deep in the Psalms.
"I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10
"for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9
And then there's this verse from Philippians:
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
God satisfies, and that's one of the biggest things we can learn from the Israelite people. Time and time again, God showed them His glory, and not long afterwards, it's like they completely forgot about what He did for them. He parted the sea so they could cross, and then they started complaining about not having food. Then after a while they start complaining that they don't have meat. Later on they complain about not having water- twice, actually. Yet every time they start grumbling, God comes through for them...and yet they still continue to complain and grumble when the mood strikes them. It's unbelievable sometimes! But look, look what the Psalms say,
"For he satisfies the hungry and fills the hungry with good things."
You know those feelings you have in the bottom of your stomach that there has to be more to life? That's what it is looking for. It's looking for more of God to fill that void. That's it. Just God. Just Jesus and all His abounding love. The world will tell us that it is a space that desires to be filled by the latest self-help book, or the newest program designed to change the way you think. That's all "other food", and we should stay away from it. God satisfies our every need- and He satisfies that hunger we have that seems it cannot be satisfied no matter how hard we work, how much money we make, and how much we give or do. God simply wants permission from us to fill that void. He wants us to surrender to Him, put down the self-help and smile at Him and say that Okay, God, let's do this. Fill me, satisfy me, and keep me from turning aside again.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6
Blessed are the hungry. Jesus said that Himself, and I believe Him. Let us not be like the Israelites, so easily swayed by the rabble around us. Let us stand firm and say that God is more than enough. He is our supply and is all that we need. Each and every day. God is enough.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Warfare Wednesday
"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:20-21
Let's give some praise to God this week for His mercy and divine protection this week! There are a few things on my mind that, as I think on them I think, wow! God is so good!
A huge terror plot was uncovered and foiled in Europe this week. The attack was supposed to be in several major cities in Europe- coordinated for the same times. It could have taken the lives of hundreds, had they been successful. Praise God! The plot was uncovered and foiled, and a victory is had against evil and terrorism. I am so incredibly thankful that God put the right information into the right hands to discover this horrendous plot.
I am also thankful for the country of Mexico this morning. Yesterday there was a massive mudslide in a city in the southern part of the country. The first reports shared news that hundreds were feared dead or missing. Right now, authorities are saying that 11 are missing. Eleven! This mudslide buried an entire town, and only eleven people are missing. Praise God for His mercies! I am praying this morning that those eleven people will be found alive and well. I also know, from a personal connection, that this particular town is an unreached people- they need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just think about the goodness of God that spared this town so that they could have an opportunity to hear the Good News- they didn't perish into an eternity of torment because they never knew Jesus as their Savior. In fact, this particular people group does not even have a Bible written in their language yet. Translators are working fervently on finishing up a New Testament as I write this. I pray this morning that they will be able to finish their work soon, and that God will get the glory for the amazing way this town comes through the mudslide disaster.
I also continue to pray for President Obama this week. I pray for continued safety for him and his family. He is doing a lot of traveling now with elections just a few months away. I pray that God will keep him safe in all his travels, and I pray that Godly men and women will come into his circle of trusted individuals- and that he will listen to what they have to say. I pray for the next five weeks or so as campaigns ramp up to try and win elections. May peace and love invade the campaigns. I pray that this election period stays quiet and peaceful- and that the people who God has designed for office will win their respective elections.
And finally this morning, I am praying locally for the flooding here in this part of the country. There are many rivers expected to crest in the next day or two due to recent heavy rain, and I just pray that the damage from them is minimal. I pray that people use common sense when dealing with the heavy waters- and that everyone stays safe.
Let's give some praise to God this week for His mercy and divine protection this week! There are a few things on my mind that, as I think on them I think, wow! God is so good!
A huge terror plot was uncovered and foiled in Europe this week. The attack was supposed to be in several major cities in Europe- coordinated for the same times. It could have taken the lives of hundreds, had they been successful. Praise God! The plot was uncovered and foiled, and a victory is had against evil and terrorism. I am so incredibly thankful that God put the right information into the right hands to discover this horrendous plot.
I am also thankful for the country of Mexico this morning. Yesterday there was a massive mudslide in a city in the southern part of the country. The first reports shared news that hundreds were feared dead or missing. Right now, authorities are saying that 11 are missing. Eleven! This mudslide buried an entire town, and only eleven people are missing. Praise God for His mercies! I am praying this morning that those eleven people will be found alive and well. I also know, from a personal connection, that this particular town is an unreached people- they need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just think about the goodness of God that spared this town so that they could have an opportunity to hear the Good News- they didn't perish into an eternity of torment because they never knew Jesus as their Savior. In fact, this particular people group does not even have a Bible written in their language yet. Translators are working fervently on finishing up a New Testament as I write this. I pray this morning that they will be able to finish their work soon, and that God will get the glory for the amazing way this town comes through the mudslide disaster.
I also continue to pray for President Obama this week. I pray for continued safety for him and his family. He is doing a lot of traveling now with elections just a few months away. I pray that God will keep him safe in all his travels, and I pray that Godly men and women will come into his circle of trusted individuals- and that he will listen to what they have to say. I pray for the next five weeks or so as campaigns ramp up to try and win elections. May peace and love invade the campaigns. I pray that this election period stays quiet and peaceful- and that the people who God has designed for office will win their respective elections.
And finally this morning, I am praying locally for the flooding here in this part of the country. There are many rivers expected to crest in the next day or two due to recent heavy rain, and I just pray that the damage from them is minimal. I pray that people use common sense when dealing with the heavy waters- and that everyone stays safe.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Seeds
" 'Keep my decrees.
" 'Do not mate different kinds of animals.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
" 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material." Leviticus 19:19
Yesterday during my Bible reading, this verse caught my eye. Specifically, one part of it.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. That sounds like a strange law to me- yet here was God, telling his people the rules and guidelines, and right there in the midst of all this seriousness, He says to not plant your field with two kinds of seed. What's up with that? Variety is a good thing, isn't it?
The reason God had been giving these Israelites all these laws and rules was to try and keep them pure and righteous. God knew the lands they were marching into, He knew the people who lived there, how they sinned, and how they fell into sin in the first place. When He says not to plant a field with two kinds of seed, He is talking about remaining pure.
Seeds. Here is another verse from the Bible about seeds.
"Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." Mark 4:15-17
When God is talking about planting a field with two different kinds of seed, He's not talking about two different kinds of food. For example, cucumbers and corn. You can plant those next to each other in a field, and they will grow without a problem. However, if you take two different kinds of cucumber, and plant them together in a field, the cucumber plants can cross, and the plants the following year could very well be a result of a cross of two kinds- they essentially become a kind of mutation.
So let's think about the seeds from Leviticus, in the context of Mark. What kind of seeds are we planting? This is one of the many things where we need to be careful what we are taking into our souls on a daily basis. Let's say we're spending 30 minutes a day reading our Bibles- taking in the precious seed of the Word of God. The seed that will grow within us and hopefully bear righteous fruit. But then, later on in the day, we spend some time reading a book whose seed isn't exactly pure- maybe a self-help book, telling you the power of your mind. Or maybe a fictional book whose characters are all of a demonic nature. We're adding bad seed to the good seed we already took in. As children of God, as citizens of Heaven, and sons and daughters of The King, we need to be more careful about the seeds we are planting.
Let's think in another way. Let's think about the seeds that we sow. One minute, we're talking to someone who needs encouragement. We share scripture with them, pray with them, and the whole time we're planting seeds of life, and seeds of encouragement- the very things they need to hear. But then as conversation goes on, it takes a dismal turn, and we start sowing seeds of a different kind- we talk about someone else maybe, and sow seeds of gossip and of negativity as we criticize someone else. Despite any good intentions that come from it- they are still bad seeds, and should have been thrown out completely. Now you've sown both good seeds and bad seeds with this person- what are they to think? Those bad seeds could very well cause problems for them, as they are already struggling, and now the devil can use those bad seeds to mess with them. When they are really struggling and thinking on the good seed of encouragement you gave them, the devil can bring to mind your gossip (the bad seed) and tell them that your good words were garbage as well.
We need to be careful and purpose to only plant good seeds! It truly is a wise thing to think that if you can't say something nice- don't say anything at all. And that applies in ALL situations. We need to guard our tongues and speak life- and plant good seeds. We need to be especially mindful when we're talking about other people- even one instance of sharing something negative is a bad seed.
Reading Leviticus, sometimes it can get really long and drawn out because of all the rules and the laws being shared. But the purpose of those laws is what keeps me reading. The Israelites were a people set apart for God. They were precious to God- His chosen children. They needed to be able to live a life that was as pure and without blemish as possible- a righteous life, so that they could dwell in His presence. The rules are strict, and sometimes seem a little crazy- like not planting two seeds. Thankfully, for us, for Christians today, we don't have to follow all these same rules, because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He gave it all, so that life with God could be easier- it is more than possible to live a life without blemish, and we don't have to follow all kinds of crazy laws to do so. But I think where people struggle the absolute most is with their mouths. They say things without even realizing what they are saying. Maybe if we gave intentional thought to the idea that every single word we speak could be a seed- we might be a little more careful.
God still wants His chosen children to be righteous and blemish free. He even made it so much easier for us- but He wants us to watch the seeds that we both take into our lives- as well as the seeds that go out. By watching what we take in, we're making it easier for His seeds of life and love to take root and be fruitful. We don't need to worry about the bad seeds choking out the good seeds for a time. And by watching what we sow, we're making it easier for Him to work in the lives of others around us.
" 'Do not mate different kinds of animals.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
" 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material." Leviticus 19:19
Yesterday during my Bible reading, this verse caught my eye. Specifically, one part of it.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. That sounds like a strange law to me- yet here was God, telling his people the rules and guidelines, and right there in the midst of all this seriousness, He says to not plant your field with two kinds of seed. What's up with that? Variety is a good thing, isn't it?
The reason God had been giving these Israelites all these laws and rules was to try and keep them pure and righteous. God knew the lands they were marching into, He knew the people who lived there, how they sinned, and how they fell into sin in the first place. When He says not to plant a field with two kinds of seed, He is talking about remaining pure.
Seeds. Here is another verse from the Bible about seeds.
"Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." Mark 4:15-17
When God is talking about planting a field with two different kinds of seed, He's not talking about two different kinds of food. For example, cucumbers and corn. You can plant those next to each other in a field, and they will grow without a problem. However, if you take two different kinds of cucumber, and plant them together in a field, the cucumber plants can cross, and the plants the following year could very well be a result of a cross of two kinds- they essentially become a kind of mutation.
So let's think about the seeds from Leviticus, in the context of Mark. What kind of seeds are we planting? This is one of the many things where we need to be careful what we are taking into our souls on a daily basis. Let's say we're spending 30 minutes a day reading our Bibles- taking in the precious seed of the Word of God. The seed that will grow within us and hopefully bear righteous fruit. But then, later on in the day, we spend some time reading a book whose seed isn't exactly pure- maybe a self-help book, telling you the power of your mind. Or maybe a fictional book whose characters are all of a demonic nature. We're adding bad seed to the good seed we already took in. As children of God, as citizens of Heaven, and sons and daughters of The King, we need to be more careful about the seeds we are planting.
Let's think in another way. Let's think about the seeds that we sow. One minute, we're talking to someone who needs encouragement. We share scripture with them, pray with them, and the whole time we're planting seeds of life, and seeds of encouragement- the very things they need to hear. But then as conversation goes on, it takes a dismal turn, and we start sowing seeds of a different kind- we talk about someone else maybe, and sow seeds of gossip and of negativity as we criticize someone else. Despite any good intentions that come from it- they are still bad seeds, and should have been thrown out completely. Now you've sown both good seeds and bad seeds with this person- what are they to think? Those bad seeds could very well cause problems for them, as they are already struggling, and now the devil can use those bad seeds to mess with them. When they are really struggling and thinking on the good seed of encouragement you gave them, the devil can bring to mind your gossip (the bad seed) and tell them that your good words were garbage as well.
We need to be careful and purpose to only plant good seeds! It truly is a wise thing to think that if you can't say something nice- don't say anything at all. And that applies in ALL situations. We need to guard our tongues and speak life- and plant good seeds. We need to be especially mindful when we're talking about other people- even one instance of sharing something negative is a bad seed.
Reading Leviticus, sometimes it can get really long and drawn out because of all the rules and the laws being shared. But the purpose of those laws is what keeps me reading. The Israelites were a people set apart for God. They were precious to God- His chosen children. They needed to be able to live a life that was as pure and without blemish as possible- a righteous life, so that they could dwell in His presence. The rules are strict, and sometimes seem a little crazy- like not planting two seeds. Thankfully, for us, for Christians today, we don't have to follow all these same rules, because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He gave it all, so that life with God could be easier- it is more than possible to live a life without blemish, and we don't have to follow all kinds of crazy laws to do so. But I think where people struggle the absolute most is with their mouths. They say things without even realizing what they are saying. Maybe if we gave intentional thought to the idea that every single word we speak could be a seed- we might be a little more careful.
God still wants His chosen children to be righteous and blemish free. He even made it so much easier for us- but He wants us to watch the seeds that we both take into our lives- as well as the seeds that go out. By watching what we take in, we're making it easier for His seeds of life and love to take root and be fruitful. We don't need to worry about the bad seeds choking out the good seeds for a time. And by watching what we sow, we're making it easier for Him to work in the lives of others around us.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Seek First
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:33
Sometimes I get hit with these feelings of inadequacy. Lately it seems that we've been hearing story after story of someone in need. Every other day, someone we know or meet is going through a rough time and it would be so wonderful to just be able to bless them with a gift card for gas or groceries. Or I hear story after story of orphanages and troubled nations and missionaries needing funding, and my heart just wants to open up and give to them all. The other day I very vividly was thinking about going grocery shopping for another family, and was trying to figure out what would be the perfect pair of grocery bags to bless someone with- what would I want in them? The reality for us though is that we cannot give in most of these instances. We simply don't have the finances to afford to do them, and it's beyond frustrating.
Usually when I'm thinking things like this, I spend time talking to God about it, telling Him that it's really bothersome to me to have these feelings of compassion, these feelings of wanting to do something when we really truly cannot. And I pray that things will change.
When the earthquake hit the country of Haiti, and there were all these photos of children in orphanages, struggling with buildings collapsing and other things, my momma heart just wanted to call whoever I needed to in order to bring a few of those orphans home to me. My heart literally cried out for these children, and when all I could do was pray for them, I felt like it kind of broke a little bit. And yet, my heart is softened now towards the country of Haiti- and in particular, the orphans there. It could very well be that someday, God will make a way there, and it could very well be that I have children alive and well in Haiti- just needing their mommy. Yet the whole idea of even thinking about adding to our family in that way brings up situations and dollar signs that are completely laughable right now. So I pray. And I read my Bible. And I find verses like the one above that gives my heart a much-needed boost.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"
You know what that says to me? Seek God first. And righteousness. Do you know, all those feelings I have of wanting to help, of compassion and a desire to reach out are part of learning to be righteous. I want things to be right- I don't want people to be suffering and in need- and I want them to know the love that God has for them. And it tells me that maybe I am on the right track. I'm allowing my heart to be opened up to the idea of helping those in need in many different situations. And when the time is right, I do believe that God will open up the floodgates and provide what we need to be a blessing to others. Maybe right now is not the time for us to be that source of provision for someone else. Maybe right now, our focus should be on Him and what He would have us do. I was just talking with someone yesterday about how when you can't do someone for someone, and their need has been brought to your attention, it must mean that we are supposed to spend some time praying for them. Give them a few precious minutes of our day in prayer- and start by giving that way.
Huh, imagine that. Start giving to others by giving of your time. You know, they may never even know that you've been praying for them. But you know who knows? God, of course. What could be better than that? Not only do you get to act on someone else's behalf, but you get to do so by spending time talking to God about them. Now that's a win-win situation. Would it be nice to be able to load up the van with groceries and make a delivery? Yes, it would. Oh, it would be wonderful to be able to do that. But since we cannot right now, we need to take baby steps and start where we can. And as we seek Him, and find favor with Him, I believe that the days will come where we will be able to help others with more than our prayer time.
But that prayer time is such a wonderful start. It draws us closer to God, and when He acts on behalf of those we are praying for, we hopefully will get to see the fruit of those prayers. We'll get to hear the praise reports of the job that someone got or of the substantial raise they got at work. We have to start somewhere. I think that if we focus on all the need around us, and how we can't do anything, it could lead us down a path mentally that we don't want to be in. So instead, I will follow the advice given in my Bible. Seek Him first, and His righteousness. And if we can do that, if we can manage to learn to pray for those who God has put in our hearts to pray for, He will open up doors of possibility for us in the future.
It's also important to remember that God has us exactly where He wants us. So as we look around and we hear about all this need around us, it can make us frustrated to not be able to do anything. Sort of a, why did you bring us here God if we can't do anything about it? Why did you bring these people into our lives if we can't help them out? Frustration is what the devil wants us to feel. What God wants us to feel is compassion. And He wants us to spend time in prayer for that person- for that person who maybe is in such a state of despair that they can't even pray for themselves anymore. That's why those people and those situations are in our hearts. It's for us to love them in whatever way we can- and sometimes, the best way to show that love is to give up some of our precious time and spend time on our knees specifically for them.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"
I will seek Him first, and leave the rest up to Him.
Sometimes I get hit with these feelings of inadequacy. Lately it seems that we've been hearing story after story of someone in need. Every other day, someone we know or meet is going through a rough time and it would be so wonderful to just be able to bless them with a gift card for gas or groceries. Or I hear story after story of orphanages and troubled nations and missionaries needing funding, and my heart just wants to open up and give to them all. The other day I very vividly was thinking about going grocery shopping for another family, and was trying to figure out what would be the perfect pair of grocery bags to bless someone with- what would I want in them? The reality for us though is that we cannot give in most of these instances. We simply don't have the finances to afford to do them, and it's beyond frustrating.
Usually when I'm thinking things like this, I spend time talking to God about it, telling Him that it's really bothersome to me to have these feelings of compassion, these feelings of wanting to do something when we really truly cannot. And I pray that things will change.
When the earthquake hit the country of Haiti, and there were all these photos of children in orphanages, struggling with buildings collapsing and other things, my momma heart just wanted to call whoever I needed to in order to bring a few of those orphans home to me. My heart literally cried out for these children, and when all I could do was pray for them, I felt like it kind of broke a little bit. And yet, my heart is softened now towards the country of Haiti- and in particular, the orphans there. It could very well be that someday, God will make a way there, and it could very well be that I have children alive and well in Haiti- just needing their mommy. Yet the whole idea of even thinking about adding to our family in that way brings up situations and dollar signs that are completely laughable right now. So I pray. And I read my Bible. And I find verses like the one above that gives my heart a much-needed boost.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"
You know what that says to me? Seek God first. And righteousness. Do you know, all those feelings I have of wanting to help, of compassion and a desire to reach out are part of learning to be righteous. I want things to be right- I don't want people to be suffering and in need- and I want them to know the love that God has for them. And it tells me that maybe I am on the right track. I'm allowing my heart to be opened up to the idea of helping those in need in many different situations. And when the time is right, I do believe that God will open up the floodgates and provide what we need to be a blessing to others. Maybe right now is not the time for us to be that source of provision for someone else. Maybe right now, our focus should be on Him and what He would have us do. I was just talking with someone yesterday about how when you can't do someone for someone, and their need has been brought to your attention, it must mean that we are supposed to spend some time praying for them. Give them a few precious minutes of our day in prayer- and start by giving that way.
Huh, imagine that. Start giving to others by giving of your time. You know, they may never even know that you've been praying for them. But you know who knows? God, of course. What could be better than that? Not only do you get to act on someone else's behalf, but you get to do so by spending time talking to God about them. Now that's a win-win situation. Would it be nice to be able to load up the van with groceries and make a delivery? Yes, it would. Oh, it would be wonderful to be able to do that. But since we cannot right now, we need to take baby steps and start where we can. And as we seek Him, and find favor with Him, I believe that the days will come where we will be able to help others with more than our prayer time.
But that prayer time is such a wonderful start. It draws us closer to God, and when He acts on behalf of those we are praying for, we hopefully will get to see the fruit of those prayers. We'll get to hear the praise reports of the job that someone got or of the substantial raise they got at work. We have to start somewhere. I think that if we focus on all the need around us, and how we can't do anything, it could lead us down a path mentally that we don't want to be in. So instead, I will follow the advice given in my Bible. Seek Him first, and His righteousness. And if we can do that, if we can manage to learn to pray for those who God has put in our hearts to pray for, He will open up doors of possibility for us in the future.
It's also important to remember that God has us exactly where He wants us. So as we look around and we hear about all this need around us, it can make us frustrated to not be able to do anything. Sort of a, why did you bring us here God if we can't do anything about it? Why did you bring these people into our lives if we can't help them out? Frustration is what the devil wants us to feel. What God wants us to feel is compassion. And He wants us to spend time in prayer for that person- for that person who maybe is in such a state of despair that they can't even pray for themselves anymore. That's why those people and those situations are in our hearts. It's for us to love them in whatever way we can- and sometimes, the best way to show that love is to give up some of our precious time and spend time on our knees specifically for them.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"
I will seek Him first, and leave the rest up to Him.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Confidence
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36
Do not throw away your confidence. That is just such a booster to read this morning. It made me think. It made me think of all those times, where we're talking with someone and they cause us to question our faith in God.
An example?
Every year at Andy's lay-off time, we get to let everyone know that we're not worried, because God will provide for us while he's not working. And every year, we get those looks. Those looks of, yeah right, whatever you say. For the most part we remain confident in God and that He'll carry us through, but every once in a while, while we're in one of those conversations, we start to maybe doubt a little. As the other person inquires if all our bills are paid in full each month, our confidence wanes. Well, no they're not, but they're paid enough to keep the utilities going. As someone asks if we'd like to join them for a dinner out, our confidence drops a little. Sorry, we really can't afford that right now. And they ask why not- they thought God was taking care of us.
It's the little things that make you question. Are we foolish to rely on God every year at this time? Is there something more that we could be doing ourselves- should I go get a part time job to get us through the holiday season? Should Andy be looking for a new job so he doesn't get laid off every winter? Or someone will mention Job in the Bible, and we start to doubt a little, thinking of how he lost everything...how low would God let us get?
But the reality is that we have a loving and gracious God, and money is nothing to Him. Seeing that our family is fed, and clothed, and has a roof over our head truly is a piece of cake for the God of the universe. And you know what He's doing this year? The lay-off time has not even arrived yet, and all kinds of options are coming in- including the potential for an extended work year within his company. Andy's got several weeks of work left and when that work is done, he has all kinds of options for ways to earn money to pay the bills and put food on the table. How awesome is God! I am so grateful to Him for placing all these opportunities in front of Andy before he gets laid off, because it is so encouraging to us. We don't have to look at the calendar and worry about how after such and such a date, there will be no more income, because God has already taken care of it.
He knows our needs before we need them. God puts things into motion before we can even fathom that we need them. And knowing that, we know that our confidence is not misplaced. Our confidence is right where it needs to be- securely resting in Him. Our confidence is not superficial- it's not confidence in ourselves to spend wisely or do the right things. It's confidence that He will guide our every step, and He will care for His children. Our confidence is already richly rewarded, as we rest securely in His divine will and protection. We don't need any more reward than that. Just to rest securely in the knowledge that He knows and cares for us- what could be better than that? So hang onto that confidence that God loves you, cares for you, and will take care of your needs. He comes through every single time.
Do not throw away your confidence. That is just such a booster to read this morning. It made me think. It made me think of all those times, where we're talking with someone and they cause us to question our faith in God.
An example?
Every year at Andy's lay-off time, we get to let everyone know that we're not worried, because God will provide for us while he's not working. And every year, we get those looks. Those looks of, yeah right, whatever you say. For the most part we remain confident in God and that He'll carry us through, but every once in a while, while we're in one of those conversations, we start to maybe doubt a little. As the other person inquires if all our bills are paid in full each month, our confidence wanes. Well, no they're not, but they're paid enough to keep the utilities going. As someone asks if we'd like to join them for a dinner out, our confidence drops a little. Sorry, we really can't afford that right now. And they ask why not- they thought God was taking care of us.
It's the little things that make you question. Are we foolish to rely on God every year at this time? Is there something more that we could be doing ourselves- should I go get a part time job to get us through the holiday season? Should Andy be looking for a new job so he doesn't get laid off every winter? Or someone will mention Job in the Bible, and we start to doubt a little, thinking of how he lost everything...how low would God let us get?
But the reality is that we have a loving and gracious God, and money is nothing to Him. Seeing that our family is fed, and clothed, and has a roof over our head truly is a piece of cake for the God of the universe. And you know what He's doing this year? The lay-off time has not even arrived yet, and all kinds of options are coming in- including the potential for an extended work year within his company. Andy's got several weeks of work left and when that work is done, he has all kinds of options for ways to earn money to pay the bills and put food on the table. How awesome is God! I am so grateful to Him for placing all these opportunities in front of Andy before he gets laid off, because it is so encouraging to us. We don't have to look at the calendar and worry about how after such and such a date, there will be no more income, because God has already taken care of it.
He knows our needs before we need them. God puts things into motion before we can even fathom that we need them. And knowing that, we know that our confidence is not misplaced. Our confidence is right where it needs to be- securely resting in Him. Our confidence is not superficial- it's not confidence in ourselves to spend wisely or do the right things. It's confidence that He will guide our every step, and He will care for His children. Our confidence is already richly rewarded, as we rest securely in His divine will and protection. We don't need any more reward than that. Just to rest securely in the knowledge that He knows and cares for us- what could be better than that? So hang onto that confidence that God loves you, cares for you, and will take care of your needs. He comes through every single time.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Excuses, Excuses
"The word of the LORD came to me:" Ezekiel 21:18
When we learned in April that we were moving to this house, I spent some time in my Bible looking up every verse in the Bible with the address of 21:18- our new house number. I've heard of plenty of other people who look up their house address as a Bible reference and come up with some radical verse that really makes them think. So I looked up verse after verse, and found nothing that I thought could give a meaning to where we live. Except for this verse.
"The word of the LORD came to me:" Ezekiel 21:18
It was the only verse that even had a hint of something to it. I memorized it instantly, and every once in a while I roll it through my head in a deeper kind of God voice.
And yet, when we did move, we were caught up in the flurry of moving activity. Oh, we were so busy those first few weeks. It was still during the school year, and I didn't want to take too much time off from school, because that would take us later into summer- a big no-no for me. So unpacking, getting settled, getting familiar with our new neighborhood, doing school, and wouldn't you know, my Bible reading lost priority status. And continued in that matter for many months.
I can't tell you how many days I would see my Bible sitting there, literally calling out to me, and I would walk buy, with the excuse that I had much to do. The truth is that I do have much to do- every single day. It takes every ounce of energy that I have to make it to the end of my days lately, but about two months ago or so, I really realized that my habit of reading the Bible daily had completely slipped. And yet, there was this verse that kept calling to me.
"The word of the LORD came to me:" Ezekiel 21:18
Then we had several messages given at church no less, about the very thing I was experiencing, that if I wanted to hear God's voice, I needed to be in my Word daily. They were convicting messages, but boy, it sure would be nice if God had made our days just one hour longer. I always had an excuse of course. Every day I could give you a half dozen reasons why I didn't sit down with my Bible that day. And you know, I don't even know what the breaking point was about a month ago, but it was about a month ago that something cracked.
I was thinking about that verse again, and it was just a light bulb moment. If I wanted the word of the Lord to come to me, I needed to know His voice. And if I wanted to know His voice, the only way to do that was to spend time daily in my Bible. I convicted myself. Because as I thought on how I just wasn't getting in that daily Bible reading time, I thought about that day when I get to heaven and stand in judgement. And God asks why I didn't read my Bible daily... what would my answer be? Sorry, I had dishes to do, laundry to do, spiderwebs to wipe down, school to teach, field trips to go on, dance classes to get my kids to... the list goes on. And it all falls short. Especially when God pulls out a log sheet and says, "Huh, I see that you managed to read 1473 novels over a ten year period of time. Yet you couldn't pick up MY book for just a few minutes?"
And that's what did it. See, since moving here, we've been delighting in our newer, much bigger library. Chock full of books that I'd like to read. I've fasted reading for enjoyment before, and I really didn't want to do it again, but I knew that if that was what it would take, I would have to do that again. So instead, I've purposed in my heart to get back into the daily habit. In fact, I gave myself an unattainable goal to see exactly how much of the Bible one could read in one month's time. Turns out, not as much as I was shooting for because life does happen, and there are also passages in the Bible that one needs to read a few times to rally let sink in.
The number one most important thing a Christian can do every single day of their lives is read their Bible. There is something extremely important about the physical act of reading one's Bible. Even listening to it on audio, which I know a lot of people do, is not the same at all as sitting down with the physical Bible and reading it with your eyes. Your brain processes what you read differently than what you hear.
All I had were excuses for not reading. And bad ones at that. What are your excuses? I pray that you are able to rid yourself of them and join me in purposing to get into God's Word daily. He has so much to say to you, but if you're not learning His voice, how will you know that He is talking to you? Ditch the excuses, and let's dig in. And who knows, it could be you who gets the revelation of Ezekiel 21:18.
"The word of the LORD came to me:"
When we learned in April that we were moving to this house, I spent some time in my Bible looking up every verse in the Bible with the address of 21:18- our new house number. I've heard of plenty of other people who look up their house address as a Bible reference and come up with some radical verse that really makes them think. So I looked up verse after verse, and found nothing that I thought could give a meaning to where we live. Except for this verse.
"The word of the LORD came to me:" Ezekiel 21:18
It was the only verse that even had a hint of something to it. I memorized it instantly, and every once in a while I roll it through my head in a deeper kind of God voice.
And yet, when we did move, we were caught up in the flurry of moving activity. Oh, we were so busy those first few weeks. It was still during the school year, and I didn't want to take too much time off from school, because that would take us later into summer- a big no-no for me. So unpacking, getting settled, getting familiar with our new neighborhood, doing school, and wouldn't you know, my Bible reading lost priority status. And continued in that matter for many months.
I can't tell you how many days I would see my Bible sitting there, literally calling out to me, and I would walk buy, with the excuse that I had much to do. The truth is that I do have much to do- every single day. It takes every ounce of energy that I have to make it to the end of my days lately, but about two months ago or so, I really realized that my habit of reading the Bible daily had completely slipped. And yet, there was this verse that kept calling to me.
"The word of the LORD came to me:" Ezekiel 21:18
Then we had several messages given at church no less, about the very thing I was experiencing, that if I wanted to hear God's voice, I needed to be in my Word daily. They were convicting messages, but boy, it sure would be nice if God had made our days just one hour longer. I always had an excuse of course. Every day I could give you a half dozen reasons why I didn't sit down with my Bible that day. And you know, I don't even know what the breaking point was about a month ago, but it was about a month ago that something cracked.
I was thinking about that verse again, and it was just a light bulb moment. If I wanted the word of the Lord to come to me, I needed to know His voice. And if I wanted to know His voice, the only way to do that was to spend time daily in my Bible. I convicted myself. Because as I thought on how I just wasn't getting in that daily Bible reading time, I thought about that day when I get to heaven and stand in judgement. And God asks why I didn't read my Bible daily... what would my answer be? Sorry, I had dishes to do, laundry to do, spiderwebs to wipe down, school to teach, field trips to go on, dance classes to get my kids to... the list goes on. And it all falls short. Especially when God pulls out a log sheet and says, "Huh, I see that you managed to read 1473 novels over a ten year period of time. Yet you couldn't pick up MY book for just a few minutes?"
And that's what did it. See, since moving here, we've been delighting in our newer, much bigger library. Chock full of books that I'd like to read. I've fasted reading for enjoyment before, and I really didn't want to do it again, but I knew that if that was what it would take, I would have to do that again. So instead, I've purposed in my heart to get back into the daily habit. In fact, I gave myself an unattainable goal to see exactly how much of the Bible one could read in one month's time. Turns out, not as much as I was shooting for because life does happen, and there are also passages in the Bible that one needs to read a few times to rally let sink in.
The number one most important thing a Christian can do every single day of their lives is read their Bible. There is something extremely important about the physical act of reading one's Bible. Even listening to it on audio, which I know a lot of people do, is not the same at all as sitting down with the physical Bible and reading it with your eyes. Your brain processes what you read differently than what you hear.
All I had were excuses for not reading. And bad ones at that. What are your excuses? I pray that you are able to rid yourself of them and join me in purposing to get into God's Word daily. He has so much to say to you, but if you're not learning His voice, how will you know that He is talking to you? Ditch the excuses, and let's dig in. And who knows, it could be you who gets the revelation of Ezekiel 21:18.
"The word of the LORD came to me:"
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