It's In You

It's in you.  Whatever you are meant to do, your purpose....it's already in you.  You don't need to create a purpose for yourself, you just need to connect with it.  You have gifts and abilities that you have already been putting to use in one way or another.  You may have been using them and not even realize that they are gifts and abilities that not every one has.  Think about the things that you do that cause time and circumstance to melt away.  You get lost in doing this thing.  You are drawn to it and you are drawn to others who enjoy it as well.  It is likely that this thing will point you towards your purpose.

In the Bible, God directed Moses to build a tabernacle for him.  God already chose who would help and God had already given them the ability to get the job done:

Exodus 31: 1-6

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you"

Two things to note in this scripture:

1. God chooses  specific people for specific purposes.

2. God provides his Spirit, wisdom, understanding and knowledge with the skills/abilities he gives us.

 

So then, God provides purpose and ability.  Seek him concerning yours.  2014 is approaching.  There is something that God would have you to do in this upcoming year.  Ask for his guidance concerning what it is that he wants from you.  Also be mindful that God provides his Spirit, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge along with the skill.  Don't use the skill in isolation.  If God provides these elements as a package, then it would suit you best to use them as intended (together).  You'll find that using your God given ability without the wisdom and knowledge of God may get you to a certain point, but it will certainly leave you hanging sooner or later.  Ask Michael Jackson.  No one can deny that he had a God given ability to entertain.  His ability served him well.  Eventually, though, Jackson left off from the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and Spirit of God.  Then the gift that served him severed him.

 

Lord help us all.  It's so easy to get caught up in the gift and forget about the Gift Giver.  Especially, when God's word says that he doesn't take back a gift that he has given.  We can be at our worst behavior and the gift will remain.  

 

Since God doesn't take back his gifts...that also means that when we neglect our gift and begin to feel like we don't even have the talent/ability anymore....that's not so.  We just need to revive the skill. It's still in you.

 

Scripture:

Psalm 57:2

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 

 

Prayer:

Lord, help us to cling to your Spirit, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge while we work the talents you have given us.  Lord may you bless the work of our hands and may the work of our hands bless others. Amen.

 

Don't You Want To Go Into The Deep

Don't you want to go into the deep?  Sometimes I think about God and I consider his pristinely systematic creations and all I can do is be in awe of the infinite depths of his genius.  I know that my mind can't even wrap around all the dots God daily connects in the world that we live in.  Then to think that there are things that are greater.  The Bible says that our minds haven't even begun to conceive the things that God has prepared for those who love him.  It also says that God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit.  This is an awesome scripture, but most people get caught up in the things.  Think beyond things.  Think beyond material or tangible.  This scripture is saying so much more than that.  What's important about this scripture is that God is allowing us to tap in to HIM.  It says that no man knows himself, like himself.  Also, no one knows God, like the Spirit of God.  So when we receive the Spirit, we receive access to flawless instruction, limitless knowledge and wisdom, infinite revelation, and gifts beyond our natural capabilities.  We receive God opened up to us.  Don't you want that? Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the relationship.  Don't you want as much of God as you can have?  Don't you want go into the deep?

If so, pray this prayer:

Prayer:
God I believe in you.  I believe in our Savior, Jesus.  I believe in your Holy Spirit.  Lord, prepare me to receive you in me. I want as much of you as is possible for me to receive. Bless me to be filled with your Spirit.  Amen.

Scripture:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him: even so the things of God no man knows, except the Spirit of god.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
I Corinthians 2: 9-15

The Why Factor

Everything has been put in place perfectly.  Nothing has been forgotten.  Prayer, check. Good works, check. Faith, check.  You're an on-the-ball Christian and the Lord has got to be smiling on you from Heaven.  Then just when your sun is shining most bright.....boom....the rain comes.  Oh not just any rain, a monsoon.  Problems come pouring into your life with a vengeance and you wonder....."WHY is this happening to me?".   You evaluate yourself and everything seems to be in tact, so you chalk it up to a test of your faith.  You keep moving with your head high and even manage to walk away with a stronger Christian resolve..  The waters dry up and the sun dances back in....and then dances right back out again.  If you thought you had it bad before, bad is looking pretty good now.  The little problems you were having before are now monstrous and they seem unbearable. 

Why now? Why here? Why This? Why Me?  There it is......the WHY factor.  The why factor loves to manhandle our peace and sanity.  Don't allow the WHY factor to bully you.  Give it the boot.   As Christians we need to understand that there are some things that are not meant for us to know or understand.   In much the same way we deal with our children, God deals with us.  Our wide-eyed eager child may come to us with a question that has an answer we know would be a bit much for them to handle at this stage of their lives.  So what do we tell them? "I'll explain it when you get older...."  And rightfully so.  They would only be more confused and frustrated if we tried to explain further.  Why complicate life for them now?  Later they will be mature enough and/or wise enough to really wrap their mind around the knowledge they are asking for prematurely.   The same applies to us.  There will be certain things that, as long as we are here on earth, we just will not be ready for.  God knows that.  So we have to wait until we mature as much as He deems necessary.  Furthermore, there are some things that are only for God to know, things that we couldn't possibly understand.  In the Bible Jesus said that even he didn't know everything that God knows.  Now Jesus and the Father are one.  So if God doesn't share everything with the Lord, who are we to expect that God should reveal everything to us. 

That's not to say that we should never ask God questions.  There will be circumstances and situations that God is more than willing to clarify for us.  There are also situations in which people have opted to go against God's will and do something that has no reasonable explanation.  We must also understand that there are other situations as well in which God knows the whys and has decided its best that we not know why.  In those cases, we are going to have to just let go and let God....

Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding...

 

Prayer:

Lord, we are greatful that it is you who knows it all, because if we knew it all we wouldn't know what to do with it.  We trust you. You are God. Amen.

Warning: Do Not Enter

It wasn't right. You knew it. You did it anyway. Let's break it down further. First: It was wrong.  What makes it wrong is that it goes against God's commandment and you are aware that it goes against his commandments.  We are God's children and He is our Father.   So like any good father who has his childrens' best interest at heart, he established guidelines to safeguard us from hurting ourselves or hurting others.  Secondly: You knew it.  You felt a sense of hesitation because you knew that what you were about to do would go against God's will for you.  You felt convicted.  Conviction is a good thing.  We cannot feel convicted unless we have an understanding and concern for what's right and wrong.  Conviction means God still believes there is hope for you getting it right, so he is attempting to steer you in the right direction.  Last of all: you did it anyway.  This is where things went wrong.  Part of you had a desire to do the right thing, but a greater part of you wanted to have it your way no matter what could result from it.  You made a conscious decision to choose this thing, whatever it is, over God. 

 

Warning! Do not enter into sin. It will cost you.  It may cost you a little.  It may cost you a lot.  It may cost you more than you ever expected to pay. 

Don't chance it.  It is not worth it.  Stay on the right path.

Psalms 19:8-11 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them is they servant warned: and in the keeping of them there is great reward.

Prayer:  Lord help us to overcome our weaknesses. Help us to follow your commandments. We love you.

Reach In and Recover

Somebody, somewhere is ready to give up.  Trouble is on the rise in their life and it's gotten too hard for them to stay afloat.  You may have been next to that person today.  They may have been abnormally quiet.  They may have been irritable and fussy.  They might have been open and candid about feeling overwhelmed or depressed.   Maybe something inside of you noticed that it seemed like that person was in need of...... something.  If you are like me, you would have hesitated to get involved because you have been conditioned to mind your own business.  Well, that's fine at times, but events from today have shown me that there are times when we need to get in one another's lives - with or without an open invitation.  Often people who need us the most push us away.  In those situations we have to reach in and recover our brother/sister.

 

How do we reach in and recover?  We can sit and listen.  The person may be feeling frustrated because they have kept everything bottled up.  They may just need someone to talk to who will not criticize, judge, or gossip.  We can reach in and recover by meeting needs.  We may not be able to solve all the person's problem, but we may be able to do something to help lighten the load.  We can visit and take time out with them.  Loneliness always makes hard times feel harder.  Having someone around every now and then can prevent someone from being lonely.  There are other ways to reach in and recover.  Prayer is always good.  We have to make sure, though, that when we pray we've done our part while we are asking God to do his. 

Scripture:
I Thessalonians 5:11, 14
¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Prayer:
Lord, we all have moments of weakness.  Give us the wisdom to always return to you as the source of our strength.  Give us an awareness of one another and may we always willingly reach in and recover our brothers/sisters when they need us. Amen.

Watch

Something is always out there either lurking or lingering.  If it's lurking, then it's usually something coming in the form of temptation or distress.  It wants to sneak up on you and catch you unaware and unprepared: easy prey.  If it is lingering, then it could be a gift or a blessing.  God doesn't want to catch you unprepared.  He wants to be sure that you are ready and prepared to receive what he wants to give you.  So sometimes God has to wait. Whichever the case, lurking or lingering, you must be ready.  Christians should always be on the watchtower looking out and praying for revelation of what is coming their way.   Keep the lines of communication with God open so He can be free to reveal things to you as needed.  Stay out of sin. Pray and praise.  That way, God can hear your petitions and when he answers, his answer can get through to you.  You don't have to watch alone either.  Get a prayer partner or join a prayer group.  Pray with your congregation.  The more you are on the watch, the less likely you are to miss a blessing or to fall in the trap of the enemy.  While watching out for yourself, it is also critical to watch and intercede for others.  Help those who may be temporarily disconnected from God by standing in prayer for them in their absence.  

Something is always waiting 'round the corner.  But we don't need to worry.  We just need to watch.

Scripture:

Mark 14:38     Watch and pray...

I Corinthians 16:13  Watch, stand fast in the faith....

Prayer:

Lord, help us to be spiritually alert and mindful and to watch and pray continually.

Marriage

Today I witnessed a wedding.  To me it's beautiful when two people stand before God in the interest of pledging a lifelong commitment to one another.  Our pastor said today that marriage is a covenant.  It's true.  The intent of a Christian wedding ceremony is to go to God in acknowledgement of him being head of all and to stand before him to swear our commitment to one intended spouse for life.

 

God esteems the institution of marriage.  He regards it highly enough to establish standards for it.  In Ephesians 5, God lays out his expectations clearly.  They are simple.

 

1. Wives submit to your own husbands:

     In these days it is hard for a women to acknowledge a man as being head over her.  Why should we have to humble ourselves to our husbands when we are as capable as they are in everything?  They often don't deserve to be in charge and prove themselves to be less than wise.  Well, that doesn't matter.  We submit to our husbands not in response to what they do or who/how they are.  We submit to our husbands because it is a directive from God. That is why we must be very prayerful and wise before going into the union. God has established an order and a system for marriage.  To go against that system is to go against God.  It is to say that we think ourselves to know better than God knows.  Submitting yourself to your husband doesn't mean that you have no say.  It means that the husband has the final say.

 

2. Husbands love your wives as God loves the church:

    Many people believe women were given the harder order when it comes to marital relationships because the husband is declared head over the wife.  But to he whom much is given, much is required.  God has given the husband authority, and in return God has commanded love from the husband for his wife.  God made it clear that he doesn't expect our emotional, up-and-down, here-then-gone, unstable, fleshly kind of love from the husband either.  No, God requires that the husband love his wife as God loves the church.  God loves his church dearly.  God is very protective of his church.  God is a provider for his church.  God shows his church grace and mercy everyday. There is no selfishness or bravado in God's love for his church.   Everything God does in regards to his church is done out of love.  God sacrificed himself for his church.  The way God has treated and still does treat his church is God's directive for how a husband should deal with his wife. 

 

God created us.  He knows how we work.  God created the make up of a man as such that he needs respect.  Most men could suffer through a marriage without love, but not without respect.  God created the make up of a woman such that her greatest desire is love.  A woman needs to know that her husband will daily lay himself down on her behalf.  If not, something will always be missing or broken in the marriage. 

 

Marriage is a sanctioned union.  It is the joining of two people as they become one.  Marriage is a process, not an act or ceremony.  Marriage can only function as intended when both members understand that God must be head over it all, which means following his commandments concerning it.  

 

Scripture:

Ephesians 5:22-33

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For we are members of His body,^[d] of His flesh and of His bones. ³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”^{[e] 32} This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

  Prayer:
Lord help us to understand marriage.  Help us to clearly comprehend your intents and purposes for it and our responsibilities in it.  Help us to live in the beauty and goodness of it.
Amen.

Honor

The Lord gave us standards that he expects for us to uphold.  One of the top ten is "Honor thy mother and father".  We've all heard that one.  We teach it to our children very early.   The commandment is spoken of so often that even people who aren't Christians know it by heart.  In and out of our ears it flows and it is sweet as honey to us, until we have to eat it.  What do I mean?  Well, what I mean is that sometimes we forget that the commandment doesn't just apply to kids.  We adults have a mother and father that God expects for us to honor.  Leaving from under our parents roofs and being freed from their reign doesn't release us from the commandment.  After all,  the commandment wasn't written as "honor thy father and mother until you get grown and on your own".  No matter how old we are or how long we've been out of the nest, our parents still care for and are concerned about us.  So honor them and care for them as they did and still do for you.  It doesn't take much. Call them just to say hello and see how they're doing.  Go by and visit.  Help them take care of some errands, chores, or tasks. Do something with them that they enjoy.  However possible, let them know that you love them by showing it. It's also important to directly tell them that you love them and that you appreciate the things they have done for you.  Don't assume that they already know.

Some of us may have parents who don't seem worthy of our love or respect.  Wehave to remember that we are unworthy of God's love, but he chooses to love us anyway.  We should extend the same Godly love to our parents.  We can honor them by praying to God in their behalf.  Others may have parents who have done unspeakable things that makes it near impossible to contend with them.  Pray for that parent from a distance.  God may never require  contact with that parent, but he still doesn't want us to hold on to the anger and pain they caused us to feel.  For wounds that deep, we need to get on our knees and pray to God to help us with these feelings.   

One thing about parents is that they are only able to put out what was put into them when they were being raised. Most often times when they hurt us, it is acts of ignorance not intention. Keep that in mind.   

At the end of the day, like-love-or hate them, God allowed us to be born through them.  So honor them for that. 

The Bible tells us that our life-span is connected to our following of the 'honor thy father and mother' commandment.  It also says that we should honor this commandment if we want things to be well with us.  To me that says that this commandment is important to God and what's important to God, should be important to us.

Scripture:
Exodus: 20:12  Honor your father and mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee.

Ephesians 6:2,3 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.  That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.

Prayer:
Lord you have commanded us to show honor to our parents.  Help us obey this commandment and to honor our parents in ways that are pleasing to your sight.  Help us to love our parents as you love us; beautifully.

Fear of Flying

You have been pondering over this...hard. It's a huge step and a drastic change.  You're a faithful Christian, so you've prayed over it and genuinely sense that God is leaning you towards making this move.  So what's stopping you...fear? Don't let fear stop you.  Let go, branch out, and trust God.  God has given you spiritual wings and his desire is for you to spread them like wildfire. You can't afford to be afraid of flying.  Imagine if the angels kept their magnificent plumage tucked away in fear.  They would miss getting to behold the wonders of heaven that God has created and, worse than that, they couldn't carry out the assignments that God has for them to do.  That would mean that others would be negatively impacted by their decision to negate their God given ability to fly.  God has given you abilities, strengths, and talents, but he didn't give them to you for you to use at your disposal. He gave you these gifts so that you could do your part in serving his divine purposes.  Someone somewhere has a prayer hanging in the balance.  The answer to it is hinging upon your acceptance that God really is calling you to get the job done. 

In the Bible, we are told about Moses.  Moses had a fear of flying.  God called upon Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  Moses was convinced that God couldn't possibly be right in picking him and he tried to explain to God why he should pick someone else.  Now that's comical.  The Bible says God knows us before we are ever formed and fashioned in the womb.  He knows how many hairs we have on our head.  He knows our thoughts before we ever formulate them.  Basically, he knows us better than we know ourselves.  So how could Moses ever tell God something that he didn't already know about him.  He couldn't.  God knew just what he was doing when he picked Moses. There was something in Moses that God saw, that Moses didn't see.  God doesn't make mistakes.  Moses was able to lead the people to the promised land.

The same is true of you.  If God has chosen you to do something, he knows what he is doing.  It's not a mistake.  Stop arguing with him and step up to the task.  You will do fine.  God may not have given you wings like the angels, but he certainly did build you for flying.  

Scripture:
Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not...

Prayer:
Lord, help us to operate in unyielding faith knowing that you will prepare and empower us for any assignment you give us.  Amen.

http://carsonleith.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/the-four-fears-of-moses/

Over It (Fear)

I love a good battle scene.   It is both horrible and beautiful when opposing forces clash in the interest of defending their beliefs, their will, and their honor.  I think I am taken in by the spirit of a fighter because I understand that life requires that we all be warriors sometimes.   There is a particular battle scene that is my favorite.  In the movie Troy, Brad Pitt plays the character Achilles.  Achilles is called upon to fight an opponent who is no less than giant. This giant was treacherous.  This battle was ominous.    This Achilles, small as he was in comparison to what he was up against, was victorious. The battle itself wasn't spectacular.  No, it ended as quickly as it started.  It was the fight in the fighter that was fabulous.  Walk with me through the scene.  The giant glares at Achilles with disdain. He thinks Achilles is no match for him. The giant sends up his war cry, makes up a bunch of noise, and the battle begins.  The giant's supporters roar and cheer him on.  Achilles supporters show no support.   They don't believe he can win.  Nonetheless, Achilles moves forward to fight.  The giant hurls a spear and it pounds against Achilles shield.  Achilles moves on forward.  The giant hurls a second spear and it just misses Achilles.  Achilles runs on, now moving at full speed, toward this beast of an opponent: never stopping, never looking back. Before anything could be said or done, Achilles' challenger is laid down.  Achilles was up against insurmountable odds, but he overcame them.  How did he do it? He used a very potent weapon.  No, his weapon was not a sword.  No, his weapon was not a spear.  His weapon was fearlessness.

In the course of life, we too, come up against some very threatening opponents.  You may be facing one now.  Whatever you do, don't run the other way.   Avoidance and cowardice are more of  a threat than what you are up against could ever be.  Understand that fear will come. Know that you must never bow down to it.  Bowing down to fear makes fear your God. You have in essence said that your fear is greater than your God.  That is a lie.   What's true is: 1.) There is nothing too hard for God.  2.) God never fails.   3.) God doesn't give us  a spirit of fear.  4.) God gives us power. 

Walk in that power or fear will rob you of what's yours.  The Bible says that you cannot serve two masters.  And its true.  You will either act based on what God says can be done or you will not act based on what fear says can't be done.  You won't be able to do both. 

Trusting anything more than you trust God always leads to some level of death.  So when you avoid stepping out or stepping up in faith, you will lose something every time.  So then what do you do when fear shows up?  (We already said it surely will).  You do it afraid.  Whatever it is.  Be afraid.  Do it anyway.  The Bible has shown us this principle works.  In Genesis we are told about the family of Joseph.  His brothers had gone to Egypt in search of food because there was a famine going on in their land.  The brother's were directed to return home and to bring their brother Benjamin back to Egypt with them.  The brothers'  father, Israel, was afraid he would lose his sons if he sent them back.  He had already lost his favored son Joseph.  It was painful to face such a challenge.  It was a fear he didn't want to face.  He sent his son anyway.  Following that, Israel was called to Egypt as well.  He was afraid to go. Israel sought God and God told him to go on to Egypt. Israel obeyed and went, afraid.  Israel chose to operate over fear rather than in fear. It was a life-changing, life-saving decision.  Israel was reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph.  All his kindred was saved from the famine and God multiplied his possessions and family exceedingly.  The Bible tells many stories of people operating over fear (study Esther, Gideon, Moses...the list goes on).  Even Jesus prayed to not have to face the challenge of sacrificing himself for our sins.  Thank God Jesus operated over fear.

 

We must take fear for what it is.  It is an indicator.  Fear only serves the purpose of letting us know that we need to pray and prepare.  We are warriors. We are built for victory.  If we fight honorably under the leading of God, we can't lose. Fear is not our master. Move beyond it. Live above it. Get over it. 

Scripture:
II Timothy 1:7
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered from all my fears.


Prayer:
Lord, bless us to be strong and courageous. Bless us to operate over all fear knowing that you go with us wherever we go.  Thank you Lord, because you never leave us nor forsake us. You love us. We are more than conquerors.  Amen.
 

Good

Outside the sun radiates in such a manner that it sings of Jesus.  Not a cloud is in the sky.  You have friendship and love in your life.  There is harmony and peace in your home,  You, your family, and your friends have strength and good health. Things at the job are going well.  All your bills are current.  You have everything you need and most of what you want.  Life is going your way

God is good.

Outside the rain is pouring.  The sun is nowhere to be seen.  The friendships and love in your life are faulty.  It's like a war zone in your home.  You're worried about the health of someone special to you.  You and your boss at odds on your job.  You have bills that are overdue.  You can't get anything you want and barely what you need.  Nothing seems to be going your way.

God is good.

God is good ALL the time.  God does what he can to keep trouble out of our way.  There are times though that the choices we have made or the choices that others around us have made cause unpleasant things to occur.  The Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust.  So the fact of the matter is, there will be trouble in our lives sometimes.  Good or bad, though, no matter what goes on around you maintain your thankfulness to/for and your faith in God.  God's desire is to always be on our side. He wants to celebrate with us when things are going well.  He wants to help us when things are not going so well.  If we allow it, he'll always be there for us.  God is good.

Scripture:
Psalms 31:19  Oh how great is the goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalms 52:1 ...the goodness of God endureth continually


Prayer:  God may we ever be mindful of your goodness.  Amen.

Music To Our Ears

Think back to a time when you did somethng and didn't feel right on the inside.  A little whispering in your spirit gently tried to lead you in a different direction.  Maybe you heard it and maybe not.  Maybe you labeled that voice as your conscience.  Well, it's much more than that.  That voice that you feel rather than hear is not a figment of your imagination.  It is the voice of the Lord.   God is trying to lead you down the path of righteousness and salvation.   Most of us have an innate sense of when something is wrong or right.  It is like the Lord's commandments are written in our spirits and when we do something that dishonors those commandments, we know it.  We feel uncomfortable about it.  We feel so uncomfortable that we make a different decision that doesn't leave our guts churning with guilt.   Not everyone is blessed with the gift of the Lord's direction.  Some walk around giving no thought to wrong things that they've done.  Imagine the destruction that others around that person suffer because that person lacks the leading of God's spirit.  Sensing the difference between wrong and right is a gift of God.  In the Bible, God cursed people with what is called a reprobate mind.  That means that he gave them over to their own thinking.  He no longer would direct them away from poor choices.  That meant they would not be directed away from destruction.  We don't want that.  If God is thoughtful enough of us to offer us the safety net of his guidance, we should listen.  We also should always connect our conscienceness with God.  It is easy to refuse the direction of an abstract guide.  If we think of the feelings that we have when we make decisions as only our conscience, we may or may not follow it.   If we keep in mind that our conscience is the leading of God, it becomes harder to refuse His guidance.  God loves us.  He wants to keep us and others around us out of harms way.  So if you hear in your spirit God telling you to do/or not do something.  Listen and obey.  After all, God's voice should always be music to our ears.

Scripture:
St. John 10:4  And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

Exodus 23:20-22 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.  Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him.  But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

Prayer:
Lord, please guide us in all things.  May we ever have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that understand and receive your leading.  Holy Spirit we invite you to live in us and reign over us as God sees fit. Amen.

Them Bones, Them Bones

One of my favorite chapters of scriptures is Ezekiel 37.  In this passage, the Lord God took Ezekiel, the prophet, by spirit into an open valley.  In that valley, bones were scattered everywhere.  There were a great number of bones and they were said to be very dry.  The Lord asked Ezekiel, "Son of man, Can these bones live?" Ezekiel answered, "God, you know." From there God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and to tell the bones, "Thus saith the Lord, I will put you back together. I will lay sinews, flesh, and skin on you and put breath in you and you will live and you will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel prophesied as God commanded. In the midst of Ezekiel prophesying the bones started coming together. Then the sinews and flesh came upon them and skin, but they didn't breath.  God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind and to tell the wind to come from the four winds and blow upon the bones that they may live.  So again, Ezekiel obediently prophesied.  And it was so.  The bones lived and stood upon their feet.  They were an exceedingly great army.  Oh, does that minister!

Let's look into this scripture together.  The Lord saw fit to set this scripture in the valley.  Well, what is a valley?  A valley is a place of division.  What once was together has been breached, rended, ripped up, or torn.   The valley is the bottom of what once was a pinnacle. It's stuck in the middle.  Behind it is a heart wrenching reminder of what once was and in front is a painful picture of what  should be.  We've all been in the valley.   Valley moments are moments in which we are at our lowest.  Situations we are in have us stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Getting out seems nearly impossible.  Keep reading.  

In the valley, there were bones.  There were lots of them.  They were very dry.  The bones represent our state of being.   The fact that there were so many represents the fact that so many people are in the valley.  The hardships that they have experienced in the valley, sickness-financial hardship-torn relationships-etc.- have the people hopeless...very hopeless...in essence, dead.  

God knows just how to revive his people, though.  God finds a person who has faith in Him to declare His word over his people. He tells Ezekiel to speak over them that God has declared their restoration.   Immediately at the declaration of the word of the Lord things begin to come together.  This indicates that when we are vexed and downtrodden, we have to stand on God's word, even when we are at our driest point having been stuck in our hopelessness for years.  Speak his word.  God's word overrides the impact of time and circumstance.  The effectiveness of God's word is instant.  His word is potent.  His word is life.    

God was very systematic in his restoration of his people.  Notice how God set up the bones first. The bones represent a support system.  When we are in the valley of hopelessness, we become dead.  We are not even able to seek help for ourselves. God sends a support system.  He'll lead people to pray and intercede for you, people will witness to you, friends and family or even strangers will come to your aid.

Next, God restored the sinews, which is the muscle.  Muscle indicates strength.  You'll begin to notice that something on the inside is keeping you going.  You begin to operate   on supernatural strength.  You wanted to throw in the towel, but now you are ready for one more round.  Keep fighting.  God is in your corner.

Then God gave them flesh.  Flesh represents humanity.  It is a basic form of existence.  It is the body, in absence of the soul or spirit.

Then came the skin.  Skin serves a couple of purposes.  Our sense of touch occurs through the skin.   We use the term developing thick skin or being calloused in reference to our lack of sensitivity to what should affect us emotionally.  Skin also covers and protects what's inside of us. When God restored their skin, he restored their ability to sense and identify what is going on around them and their ability to hold everything together.

After all this rebuilding, though, there was still no life in them.  God told Ezekiel to prophesy again. He told Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind.  He told the wind to come from the four corners and breathe on the dead that they may live.  This shows us that even if the natural man is built up, we are not yet really alive until we receive the Spirit of God.  We need God working in us, not just around us.  His word says that we can pray to him in faith and ask to receive the Holy Spirit in us.  If you have not invited the Holy Spirit to live in you. Just say a prayer now.  Tell God you want to receive His spirit in you.

Once, the people had been restructured and the Holy Spirit restored, they lived.  Not only did they live again. The Bible says that they stood as an exceedingly great army.  All those restored lives became an awesome testament of the power of our God and they, now, could fight in behalf of others.  That is so awesome! I love it.

God had Ezekiel to prophesy once more.  This time his prophesy was direct.  God declared, "Behold, Oh my people,  I will open your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it."  At the end of it all, God wants us to know that He is the one who restores us and bring us back to life.  He is the one who takes us out of the valley and brings us back from the wrong places that we have taken ourselves.  When we are lifted up, it is by his strength, by his mighty hand, and by his word.  We could never do it on our own.  

I praise God for his willingness to bring us out of our dry, dead places.  If you feel as though you are living in a valley of dry bones, pray to God. Speak his word over your life, literally. Open your mouth and declare his promises.  The word of the Lord is truth.  His words never fail.  They stand forever.

Scripture:
Read Ezekiel 37: 1-14

Isaiah 55:11
So shal My word be that goes forth, out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producting any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Hebrews 4:12

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the brath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Prayer:
We praise you God. You are the source of our restoration.  You are our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

The Wrong Side of The Right Place

Whoever came up with GPS, I owe them big.  Anytime I'm trying to get to an unknown destination, you can bet I have my navigation app on my phone working to get me there.  I can count on it to be accurate down to the last turn, most of the time.  There are other times, though, that for whatever reason the reliability falters.  It will guide me in the right area and the voice will say something to the effect of, "In 200 feet your destination will be on the left." So I drive the 200 feet and visually survey every building, but the place I'm seeking is nowhere in my line of sight."  A tinge of nervous irritability begins to creep in because now I have no idea if I'm anywhere close to where I should be.  Then my common sense takes over and my brain tells me to redirect my line of sight.  So I simply turn my head towards the right and, voila, I find what I had been looking for.  My navigation had me looking at the wrong side of the right place.  Such a small error. Such close proximity.  Such a simple fix. Still, unless I redirected my focus,  I would have been lost.

 

Life can be like that.  As Christians, our goal is to listen to the voice of the Father and follow his navigation.  God will sometimes lead us directly to where he wants us to be, but he gives us the leeway to figure out how we best serve in that place.  Maybe you are experiencing something like this.  You are working on at a place that you know God has led you to.  Everyday, you work your hind parts off, but your performance is not as effective as it should be.  You keep working with integrity and try to work harder for a better outcome.  Still, nothing.  You feel lost and broken.  Maybe you heard God wrong. Well, you may be in a situation of being on the wrong side of the right place.  It may not be where you are that is the problem. It may be that God intended for you to serve a different purpose in that place.  It could be that you need to seek a different position. Assess your talents/skills. Ask God if he has a different idea for how you should be using those abilities than what you have for yourself.  God may be preparing to reveal a hidden talent that you never had.  He wouldn't have you remain in a position working so hard and not bearing fruit.  No, something needs to be repurposed.  Pray that God would open your eyes to see as he sees.  Let him know that you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and make changes.  Follow his lead so that you can be in the right side of the right place.

 

There are so many ways that we can be at the wrong side of the right place.  In our marriage, we may have to make adjustments.  The way things have been may not necessarily be the way that things are always meant to be.  Maybe you never picked up the kids from school on Fridays.  Maybe the wife never took out the trash.  Well, your normal routine and each persons former responsibilities being worked out the way they always have been just isn't working out.  The wife is always late picking up the kids on Fridays now, because she has a new boss that makes them stay for Friday meetings.  The trash always ends up being torn apart by dogs because now you have to take it out so early to get to your new job on time.  Noone wants to adjust though and your marriage is breaking apart. You both begin to wonder if you are in the wrong place. No, you are in the right place.  You all just have to reposition yourselves and look at things differently. Then do things differently as needed. You'll find your tasks and your marriage to be less of  a strain.

 

In John 21, there were some fisherman out fishing.  They had cast their net on the left side of the boat.  They had been out there a while, but had caught nothing.  Jesus came along and asked them if they had caught anything.  They replied, "No." Jesus didn't tell them to move the boat.   He just told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat.   The fishermen had been fishing on the wrong side of the right place.  They were working hard, but it wasn't productive until they switched positions in the place that they were at.  Once they did, they caught a slew of fish and as heavy as the load was, their net never broke.  That tells me when we are working in the position that God directs us to be in, the payoff is excellent. Nothing is lost and nothing is broken, when we follow God's leading to the right side of the right place.

 

Scripture: Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

 

Prayer:

Lord, help us to understand and acknowledge any time that we are in the wrong side of the right place. May we always willingly make any changes you deem necessary for us to live lives of productivity, potency, and peace.

 

There's No Time...

You have already made up your mind that you are going to do this for the Lord.  He has told you precisely what he wants done and pretty much how to go about it.  You are trying to figure out how to get it done but it just can't seem to be squeezed in.  You think of bypassing Bible study on Friday or skipping your Saturday runs.  No, that won't work.  You consider how you can maneuver your career obligations to make it work or how you can handle your household duties differently to make more time.  No ideas emerge.  This obligation is tugging at your heels while that responsibility is peeking over your shoulder.  Your spouse is pulling your time to the east, while your children are pulling your attention to the west.  When? When? When?

 

Today. The answer is today.  Just do it. Whatever it is that you know God is calling you to do. Take steps toward making it happen.  Little bit by little bit it will get done.  You'll notice when you move in God's behalf, he'll be with you all the way.  Yes, he's requiring more of you.  Yes he still expects that you'll carry on with your other responsibilities with integrity.  And, yes, he will work it out so that you are not overwhelmed and overloaded.  Submit to what God has led you to do and you will be amazed at how time and circumstance will wait for you.  The Bible study group will suddenly decide to meet late on Friday instead of early afternoon.  Events will majestically rearrange in ways that better suits your needs.  People who were vying for your attention will serve you as needed.  God will make it easy for you to follow his directive.  He doesn't want it to be difficult to do what he is asking you to do. 

 

No reward is greater than the contentment your heart and spirit will have after seeing the blessed effects of following his will.  So start today. There's no time...like the present.

A Place For Me

One of my favorite biographies of the Bible is the one of King David. When David was very young God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David because God had preordained that he would be king. David went through hell and high water for several years after that and it appeared that he would never be king.  David faced battle after battle on his way to the throne.  He was belittled by his brother.  He was challenged by a giant opponent. And after having risked his own life for King Saul, King Saul vehemently sought out David's life out of jealousy. Nonetheless, just as God had established years before, David became king. One of the best.

 

I love this Biblical account because it tells us that it doesn't matter if things aren't going the way it seems they should.  God has established a place for us and after all is said and done, we will without fail arrive at that place. That place will be perfect for us and we will be perfect for that place.

 

Scripture: Psalm 37:34-40

 34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, see, he was not: yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

 

Prayer:

Dear God, show us the place that you have established for each of us.  May we work, pray, and keep the faith as we each move to get there. May our trust in you always maintain because you are always faithful and true. Amen.

Dirty

Dishes get dirty.  We thoroughly clean them before use and we thoroughly clean them after use.  Still  as it is shelved it collects dust and things from the atmosphere leave it less than desirable for use.  So, when we are in need of the dish again do we discard it.  By no means. We take that thing out and thoroughly wash it down. We know it is still very capable of doing the job it is intended to do.

People get dirty.  Most of us work hard to uphold Godly standards, but not one of us is perfect.  We may be on fire for God for a while, but after some time of dealing with our atmosphere we begin to collect some less than desirable elements in our spirits and become unclean. Thank the Lord that God sees us like we see our dishes.  He knows we have been dirtied up a bit, but he is more than willing to clean us right up.  He knows that we, also, are still very capable of doing the job he intended us to do.

What's a little disheartening is that people don't think like God.  We show more grace to our pots and pans than we do to the people in our lives.  We clean up a dust-ridden serving tray and proceed to put it on display as if it never had cobwebs in it's corner before we pulled it out for Thanksgiving.  But let a person we know get a little dirty and we are ready to forever shun them and God forbid that he should ever use that person again in life. Our minds keep going back to when they were dirty. 

God's ways are not like our ways and his thoughts are not like our thoughts.  God recognizes that none of us are perfect. He knows that if he waited on flawlessness to use one of us, nothing would ever get done.  No, instead God uses his divine sense of order and timing.  He waits on us.  He knows that we will be in error a large part of the time in our lives, but he also knows that we will have times that our hearts are perfect towards him. He knows that our spirits will reconcile with him and want only what he wants...for a time.  He uses that time. He uses that person during that time. 

Consider the greats of the Bible. None of them were without error. They all turned their hearts toward their own desires at some point. David truly loved God. David also led a woman into adultery and committed murder.  Paul had a time in his life when he served God in everything he did.  He also had a time in his life when he was a Christian killer.  These men authored some of the Bible. They wrote words under the inspiration of God that represent God himself. Still, they were not always under that inspiration.  God couldn't use them everyday. God used them during the moments that their hearts were pure towards him.

All of this said to say, when you are like those dirty dishes don't allow that to hinder you from approaching God.  It is times like these that we need God most.  And let us not judge others who are making genuine efforts to cleanse their spirit and serve God with their whole heart.  What sense does it make for the pot to call the kettle black?   At some point, we all have been and will again be dirty dishes.  God's expectation is that we continually help clean one another up.

Scripture:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

I John 1:9
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your grace is always sufficient and your mercy is everlasting. Lead us towards being gracious and merciful to one another as you are to us.

Standards for Forced Situations

We all rooted for Cinderella. You remember the story.  A young girl's mother died and her father remarried.  He was a loving father but the stepmother, well, not so much.  Tragedy struck.  The father died too.  Cinderella was left with a stepmother and stepsisters who treated her horribly.  By no fault of her own, Cinderella was stuck in cruel situation. We can all relate to having our lives negatively impacted by situations that are out of our control.  So we read Cinderella's story to the end with great anticipation needing the fairy tale ending for what it speaks to our lives.

 

How do we handle forced situations?  What do we do when we have tried to handle things God's way to the best of our ability, but other people purposely do things to bring us down.  Well, the Bible is full of examples of people dealing with situations like this. In Genesis, we can read the story of Joseph.  Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him. Instead they sold him away.  Joseph was forced to leave his country and family and be treated as a slave by no choice of his own.  Joseph overcame that and became a prominent person.  He was so excellent that he caught the eye of his master's wife.  Joseph refused to dishonor his master by sleeping with his wife.  She accused him of attempting rape and Joseph was sent to prison.  He was forced into another unjust situation that had brought him down. 

 

I could go on and on with other accounts in the Bible much like Joseph's.  I believe there are so many instances of forced situations in the Bible because God knows that we deal with so many instances of it in everyday life.  I am sure we each have a story of our own we could tell about how we were hurt or brought low because of something someone else did to us. What's more is the story we have will probably not be our last.  That being said, it is important that we know how to handle times in our lives like these.  The Bible demonstrates some standards for dealing with forced situations and I want to share what I've noted with you.

 

Standard One: Honor God

No matter what has happened to you or how, we can never allow it to affect our love and reverence for God.  Through all that Joseph went through, Joseph remained connected to and faithful to God.

Standard Two: Respect Authority and Trust God

Sometimes the people who harm us are people in authority over us.  When we are making efforts to rectify the situation, we should maintain a level of respect for those in authority over us.  The Bible says that God sets people in positions of authority.  When they wrong us, it is God's job to get them in line not ours.  We have to trust that God will defend us.  God says he is our defense.  He doesn't lie.  When we take situations into our own hands in a disorderly, disrespectful way, things are guaranteed to get worse. Joseph had every reason to go head to head with his master and his master's wife , but he humbled himself.  He trusted God to fix it.

Standard Three: Keep Going To Sleep and Waking Up

That just means don't stop. Don't give up.  Keep going to sleep and waking up and the day will surely come that you will be vindicated.  Joseph kept going to sleep and waking up. Joseph had been in prison for more than two years and then one day he woke up and the king called for him because he needed him.  Joseph went before the king and gave the king an interpretation of a dream God had sent the king.  The king was so impressed with Joseph that he made him second in charge after him. 

If you are dealing with a forced situation, remember Cinderella.  The position of honor she deserved surely did come to her.   Too much of a fairytale?  Then get in the Word.  God shows us time and again in the Bible that he has a history of bringing about justice for the sake of his own.  Research  David, Daniel, Esther, and Ruth in the Bible.  Notice how they follow the standards for forced situations. Then take note of the outcomes. God brings his people out.


Scripture: Isaiah 54:17    
No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord vindicate us when we are wronged. May our faith always rest in you.

Why Wait

Have you introduced your children to our Savior?  It's good for them to know that there is someone who loves them even more than you.  We, as parents, will fail our children at some point in time.  It will not be intentional.  It will simply be the result of our humanity.  There will also be times when our children just won't feel comfortable addressing certain concerns that they have with us.  Even if they did share everything with us, we still wouldn't be able to help them with everything.  So they need to understand that they have a Father who is able and willing to attend to all of their needs.  Introduce your kids to God.  When you wake Sunday morning and prepare to go to church, get them up and take them too.  Let them witness your worship.  When you make choices in your life in the interest of honoring God, share with them why you make the choices.  Don't just expose them to religion and ritualistic Christianity.  Show them that you are a friend of God.  When you hum a tune of worship while riding in the car, they'll hear.  When you are cozy in bed holding the Bible as your reading choice for the night, they'll notice.  When you take time to pray with your kids, they'll remember.  They may not understand or acknowledge the example that you are setting while they are young (some will), but wait and watch.  Time will march on and it will become apparent in the lives of your children that you have left a legacy of involving God in everyday life.  So don't wait.  Invite Jesus into your kids lives now so later they can choose to invite him into their hearts.

 

Scripture:

Mark 10: 13,14

 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

 

Prayer:

Lord draw our children into a relationship with you.  May our children know you, serve you, fellowship with you, and love you from generation to generation. Help us leave a legacy of worship.

 

A Gift

You've been walking around with your shoulders drooping, countenance fallen, and eyes blazing for about.....five to ten years now.  You've even managed to develop at least ten distinctly different frowning faces to display your precise level of dissatisfaction.  People are starting to wonder if you have a muscle disorder that prohibits you from smiling, because in the last few years they've known you your pearly whites have yet to surface.  Come on... you're a Christian. If anyone should have reason to be joyful, it's you.  You have a savior who put his life on the line so that you can have a better shot at living yours to the fullest.  The Bible says that Jesus came to give us life, and not just any ordinary life. He came so we could live life abundantly.  Don't waste your days being angry about things from your past or being upset over things that are out of your control in the present.  You're missing out on so much.  Seek out a trustworthy confidant that can help you work through the inner issues of your heart so you can get past them and really live again.  Prayer is a great for that. Then face each day with the intent of enjoying people and purposely enjoying the simple pleasures. Be resolved to embrace the hope and possibilities that come with each new horizon.  Each day is a gift.

Scripture:
Psalm 144:15 Happy is that people whose God is the Lord
Proverbs 16:20 whoso trusts in the Lord, happy is he
Psalm 35:9 my soul shall be joyful in the Lord

Prayer:
Lord help me get to the root of our unhappiness then steer me beyond it.  Please restore my joy.

A Fear to Desire

Fear has many faces.  There is a fear that warns.  This fear is a tool that indicates when something is out of place or that we are in over our heads.  It is helpful in that it comes only when necessary and its intent is to let us know that we need to seek out God's guidance/help in the situation. Then there is the spirit of fear.  This fear is not from God.  It is a vice of the enemy.  This fear often cries wolf causing one to be overly concerned and cautious when there is no need.  The spirit of fear stifles, hinders, and can be very damaging.  Then there is a third kind of fear.  This fear is beautiful and beneficial.  It is a blessing if you obtain it.  It is a fear to desire.

I know the thought of desiring any kind of fear seems wrong, but walk with me for a minute and I'll explain.  Have you ever been to court?  You go into the courtroom and you dress appropriately, you unplug yourself from your devices, and you behave yourself as professionally as you know how.  You address the judge as your honor, judge, or at the least sir/mam.    There is an element of fearing doing anything to disrespect the judge.  The fear is not about you being afraid.  The fear is a recognition of the judges authority.  You know that he can charge you fines or even sentence you to jail.  More than that you know that the ultimate goal of the judge is to keep everyone safe and orderly.  So you choose to honor and respect the authority of that judge.  This is the kind of fear of which I speak.   This is the kind of fear to desire.

We should desire to fear God. That is not to mean we should be afraid of him as though he is an unapproachable tyrant. No. Fearing God is holding him in the highest regard in recognition of the fact that he has all power and sovereignty. The Bible has many scriptures about the fear of the Lord and it is definitely something to want for.  In Psalm 111:10 the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  We can gain all the knowledge in the world, but we need wisdom to know how to manage that knowledge properly.  The fear of the Lord  precedes that wisdom.  So if we don't fear the Lord, we are limiting our potential in a major way.  There's more.  In Proverbs 10:27, the Bible says the fear of the Lord prolongs our days.  Proverbs 22:4 tells us that the fear of the Lord brings riches, honor, and life.  In Psalms 25:14 we learn that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them His covenant.  Psalm 112:2 tells us that the descendants of those that fear the Lord shall be blessed and mighty in the earth.  In Psalm 25:12 it tells us that those who fear God receive great mercy.  

The promises of God go on and on in the Bible.  Fearing God gives us access to many of them.  Study the fear of God and I'll think you'll agree.  Fearing God is indeed a fear to desire.  

Scripture:

Psalm 147:11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those that hope in his mercy

Prayer:

Lord give it to us to reverently and worshipfully fear you and you alone.

Love Beyond Fear

How do you love without fear. The majority of us share a guarded love, because experience has taught us that people will mishandle our love.  We are talking about love in all forms: romantic, parental, friendly, or whatever the case may be.  There is a silent, inconspicuous fear present that the love we are experiencing will, sooner or later, cause us pain. If we are parents, we try to protect our kids from everything. We try to protect them from things that we really have no business trying to protect them from.  But we love them deeply and fear the love that we have for them would crush us if it were taken away.  We love our spouse.  We share ourselves with them. But we operate our relationship in a way that limits our acts of love for them out of the fear that they will damage our love.  We treat our friends the same way.  It is clear to us now that they are also human and will inevitably disappoint us.  So we will only go so far for them.  Why? We fear what bad things will come of our love.

 

In John 4:18 the Bible says that there is no fear in love.  Really? How can that be?  How can there be no fear in love? Well, let's start with what love really is. In I Corinthians 13, God gives us a clear picture of love.  Love is patience and kindness.  Love doesn't envy.  It isn't prideful, rude, and doesn't act selfishly. Love isn't easily angered. Love doesn't take pleasure in sin or evil doing. Love takes pleasure in truth. Love deals with a lot, believes in people, is hopeful, and stands up to everything. Love doesn't fail.  So then love isn't that warm and fuzzy feeling a person gives you. Love is selflessness. Love is putting the other person before ourselves.  Fear is quite different.  The root of fear is selfishness, or at the very least self-preservationism. Fear, any kind of fear, is in essence a sense of needing to protect one's self from something or someone.  Fear always boils down to us thinking of ourselves. So, if everything that is love is selfless, than fear has no part in love.

I believe that we do have moments that we love purely.  Once again it has nothing to do with our feelings. It's actions that we take that are love.  Fear may rear it's head, but we get past it and love beyond the fear. For example, you remain patient with a troublesome neighbor who is less than friendly.  You share a kind word and a warm smile with them though it will likely not be reciprocated.  That's love.  Or...you remain hopeful for a troubled child. You help them though they are undeserving and regardless of the fact that you may end up with the short end of the stick. That's love.  Or...your marriage has been difficult and has had some extremely rough patches. You both wanted to throw in the towel sometimes, but each of you never really wanted to hurt the other. You withstand the trials together and look out after each other no mater what.  That is love. Sometimes these selfless acts come easily and naturally. Sometimes they are a choice.  Either way you've put someone else before yourself. You have loved.

 

So, yes, we love and, yes, we fear.  We just don't fear while we are truly acting out of love.  When we act out of love, we cast out our concerns and love beyond the fear.  

Scripture:
I John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that doesn't love doesn't know God; for God is love.

Prayer:
Lord, help us to get past ourselves and love beyond our fears.

Enough is Enough

People keep telling you that you should be satisfied.  After all, you have received blessing after blessing and you already have more than some could ever hope for.  Still, you are not satisfied.  There is a gnawing feeling of emptiness.   Something on the inside keeps pushing for more.  You try to suppress it because maybe it is greed.  But maybe it isn't greed, maybe it's God. It can be a hard thing to determine when enough is enough.

In the Bible there is a lesson that can help us with this.  A man named Samuel had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Peninnah had born children with Samuel, but Hannah had not.  Nonetheless, Samuel favored Hannah because his heart was with her.  The Bible says that when Samuel would give his offering, he would give Peninnah and their children portions, but he would give Hannah a worthy portion.  In other words, Hannah was loved and well taken care of and she had everything she needed and more.  Hannah, though, was dissatisfied.  Samuel could not understand why Hannah wasn't happy.  He had given her everything he could possibly give her.  When would enough be enough? Samuel's reaction can represent mistakes that we often make.  For one, Samuel was trying to impose his level of satisfaction on Hannah. He supposed that what would satisfy him, should also satisfy Hannah.  We must understand, though, that God has given each of us our own purpose.  Therefore, our needs will vary as our purposes vary.  Secondly, Samuel was making the mistake of trying to be Hannah's everything.  As much as we want to be and as hard as we may try, we will surely find that we could never be everything to any person. Only God can do that.

Fortunately, Hannah was a wise woman.  With no disrespect shown to Samuel who had been a blessing to her, she sought out what she knew in the core of her being that she was missing. The wisest thing about Hannah'so decision was who she sought out for provision of her need.  She sought out God.  She went to God in prayer about the desire of her heart and he orchestrated events so that she received her desire.

So what can we learn about when enough is enough in this Bible lesson.  We learn that wanting more can sometimes be out of need, not out of greed. We learn that no other person should set the bar for what is enough for us.  We also learned that when we feel like there should be more, like something is missing...the one we should seek is God.  God is the only being that knows whether or not it would be best for us to have what we desire and he is the only one who is not limited in his power to make it come to pass. 

Scripture:
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart

Prayer:
Lord, you have created us for great things.  Teach us to seek you first in all things and help us to go for more with wisdom and purity of heart. Amen. 

 

Sometimes You Have To...

     

There are times when we have to leave.  Circumstances come about in our lives that require us to leave the people and places that we are familiar with.  In these cases, it is not about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.  It is more of a situation in which you are existing in a grassless place that won't sustain you.  In these cases, staying means certain death.  If your dreams and aspirations are dying because of where you are...if your inner spirit is dying because of where you are...if danger is always looming over you where you are...then, yes, leave. Sometimes we have to leave.

      There are other times, though, that you have to go back. You may not want to deal with it, but it's true.  There are certain situations in our lives that require us to leave for a time. Then, after a while, God sends us back home.  Sometimes your entire purpose for leaving is for you to go out and acquire something that you need to take back to where you came from. 

      In the Bible there is a story about a woman named Ruth. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of a lady named Naomi. Naomi and her husband lived in Bethlehem Judah, but a severe famine hit their town. Staying home would mean starving. They moved to Moab. After a while of living there, it happened that Naomi's husband died. Then her only two sons died also. Only Naomi and the widows of her sons remained. For a time this new place sustained her, but now everything around her was dying. She couldn't stay in that place any longer. It was time to return home. It's hard to go back home when you have nothing to show from your leaving. Naomi was empty and bitter.  In spite of her shame, she returned home.  That's not the end of her story.

     Naomi didn't return alone. One of her daughters in law, a Moabitess woman named Ruth, insisted on leaving her home to go live in Bethlehem with Naomi.  Like Naomi, Ruth left the familiarity of her hometown and braved unknown outcomes.  It was a good choice.  In Bethlehem, Naomi connected Ruth with a family member that helped them rebuild their lives.  Ruth married that man and they had a child. That child was a great grandfather of King David and David was a forefather of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  My God.  These ladies probably never even knew the impact their leaving home had on the world and, equally important, the cruciality of Naomi's return home. Had Naomi never left Bethlehm, her son would never have met and married Ruth. She and Ruth would never have developed their close relationship.  Had Ruth never left Moab, she would never have met and married Boaz and given birth to Mary's predecessors. Like we said, sometimes you have to leave. 

     We also said sometimes you have to return.  Had Naomi not returned to Bethlehem from Moab, her entire purpose for leaving would have been negated.  When she returned home, she thought she had come back empty and broken.  Little did she know that she carried with her a key component of the world's destiny.  Sometimes you just have to go back home.  There could be something that people there need from you. There could be something that you are preordained to provide.

    Lastly, sometimes it's hard to tell which way to go, but the Bible says that God orders the steps of believers.  So, if you are contemplating leaving or thinking about returning, pray that God would make his will for the direction of your life clear.  When he leads, trust him enough to follow.  He will never steer you wrong. 

Scripture:
Psalm 37:23  The steps of a righteous man, are ordered by the Lord...

Prayer:
Lord, if it is your will for us to leave from where we are or to return to where we once were, your will be done.  Please order everything concerning it. Amen.