We are told in God's Word to "Be still and wait patiently for the Lord," to "Be still and know that [He is] God" and that "In quietness and trust is [our] strength." (Psalm 37:7, Psalm 46:10, Is 30:15).
Psalm 37:4-5 says "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this." In fact, we are told repeatedly in Psalms and by the prophet Isaiah to "Trust in the Lord" - over and over and over. Additionally, Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
I was struggling with all of this very recently while I was dealing with something I have been dealing with for quite some time. It is a desire that I have that I tend to let go of and lay at God's feet every so often, only to take it back up again and fret over it after a few weeks of leaving it with God. Ever have one of those? I can get to a point of total peace where I say "Okay, Lord, I have given this desire to You, I have laid it at Your feet, and I trust You that Your will be done and that you will meet ALL of my needs in Christ Jesus" and I really can let go of it and feel 100 pounds lighter, free of my burden. Then, out of nowhere - bam! It's back, knocking at my door saying "Hellooooo! Remember me? I'm still here! Watcha gonna do about it?" and then I have to start over again, piece by piece giving it back to God and letting go.
Well, a few weeks ago when this desire came knocking at my door and then banging at my door and then pounding on my doorbell repeatedly, I became tempted to just take matters into my own hands. I knew I had given it to God, but then I figured that He's so busy with the rest of the world and all, that maybe He just needed a tee-tiny littttle bit of help from me. Maybe if I just pull this string here and that string there, I can just ease things along a little bit and make it all go a little faster. Never mind that God had previously given me a peace about my desire and had previously told me He would take care of it in HIS timing. Here it was again, at my front door, and I was just itching to throw that door wide open in my own flesh.
Mercifully and with grace, during all of this, God gave me the familiar story of Sarah and Hagar in Genesis Chapters 15-17 . In chapter 15, we see God promise to Abraham of a son, an heir. Abraham believes God "and it is credited to him as righteousness". But Sarah has a bit of a problem with waiting to see how this promise will unfold according to GOD'S plan, so she decides to help things along a bit (Sound familiar?) She decides to pull a string here, pull a string there, and....well....to throw her maidservant (Hagar) into bed with her own husband so that an heir can be born in HER timing. It's so easy to shake our heads at this story and say "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah...what were you thinking???" but how often have we done the same?
So, as the history tells us, Hagar does in fact become pregnant and gives birth to Ishmael who, according to the Lord, "will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Ishmael was NOT the child of the promise and covenant (that would be Isaac); Ishmael was the child borne of Sarah's fleshly manipulation and now, because Sarah did not "Wait upon the Lord," she has ended up hurting herself, her husband, her maidservant, and the innocent baby Ishmael. Now that ought to make you sit up and think about waiting for God's timing.
When God gave this story to me, He gave it with a gentle warning: "Daughter....DON'T give birth to an Ishmael." It was that simple, and has been repeated to me many times when I'm tempted to take things in my own hands: "Daughter, don't give birth to an Ishmael."
So... I have a choice. I can take things into my own hands and manipulate my situation and maybe a small representation of God's answer to my desires can be popped out as a result of my manipulations and scheming...OR, I can wait on HIS will and perfect timing and gain the FULL representation of His perfect promise. In short, I have to ask myself if I would rather have an Ishmael, the quick way...my way....or would I rather have an ISAAC - in God's timing and according to HIS plan?
After carefully weighing all my options and looking at the path in front of me, I have decided that I want an Isaac, not an Ishmael. So each time my desire comes banging at my door, I will stand on the other side of the door, praying for God's answer to the knocking and not my own...and I will NOT go and answer that door until God opens it FOR me.
* I just have to add: It is easy to look at the story of Sarah and Hagar and Ishmael and to see this as God not being fair. Why should Hagar and Ishmael suffer because of obeying the master's wife? And what about poor Sarah who had a momentary lapse in judgement? This can all add fuel to Satan's fire of wanting us to see God as unfair and punishing. Please read on, though, and see that God does redeem the situation after a mediation by Abraham -see Gen 17:19-27 -
Please read this Scripture and know that just as God redeemed Sarah's mistake and later let her be known as one of the "holy women of the past who put their hope in God..." and as a "beautiful" woman (1 Peter 3:5-6) - God will also one day redeem OUR mistakes through OUR mediator, Christ Jesus - see 1 Tim 2:5 and Heb 9:15). Praise Him for His MERCY and His GRACE. Amen!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Resting in My Father's Arms
I was tired, worn out, and wanting a vacation from life. God spoke to me, telling me that He had planned a break for me – a vacation time to rest with Him and would I please come as soon as possible. So, nervously, I started to pack my things. I grabbed every bag I had, not really knowing where God was going to take me and what things I would need. I packed all sorts of different outfits – cold weather, warm weather, in-between weather, casual clothes, fancy clothes, outdoor gear, etc. I packed all of my toiletries and threw in some extra first-aid items just in case – band-aids, medicines, extra make-up. Then I started to think that God would want to see everything I had been doing lately and I could show Him how hard I had been working at being a mom, a member of my community, and at my job. I started packing up files, papers, everything I could find to show all the good I had done recently so that God would be proud of me. I knew that the time was coming when it would be time to leave for my vacation so I became more and more frantic, trying to find everything I would need before leaving. I drove around town trying to find any last minute items I may have forgotten and picking up last minute proof that I could find of my hard work and diligence. By the time it was time to go, I was stressed and exhausted, thinking it would have just been easier to stay at home and keep up my ordinary routine rather than having to go to all this trouble to go and meet with God. When I finally arrived at my location, I knew I was late and I came running in through the two huge double doors, bags in hand, papers flying all around me, hair disheveled, clothes wrinkled, worn out and panting for breath. God was sitting there, just waiting for me, compassion and love lighting His face.
Gently, and with no condemnation He asked me: “Where have you been, daughter? I’ve been here, just waiting for you!”
“Oh Father! I’ve been running around, trying to get everything ready – I’ve been working so hard – I have so many things I want to show you – Look at everything I’ve done and I’ve worked so hard on! Aren’t you proud???”
There was a moment of silence and then God said “Beloved, you have run around gathering all of these things, tiring yourself out, and for what? This whole time you could have been HERE, with ME, resting in Me.... Do you not know that I have already seen all those things that you have done, and that I was there with you, beside you? There is no need for you to bring ANYTHING to me – I am the one who has already given it all TO you and I am the one who enabled you to do all that is good and right. I already know and see it all. Beloved, when I ask you come to be with me, I already have everything that you need. You do not need to pack anything. You do not need to prepare anything. This is not supposed to be a task. I have everything already here, in my hands. Just come to me and BE. I am not asking anything else of you and there is nothing I want from you than just to be with you and to provide for you. Lay all of that down and come, now, and rest in me, daughter.”
God held His arms out to me and in my heart I realized that my bags, my papers, everything I had brought with me – it was all useless, pointless. I could have been here sooner, resting instead of running around, spending time with my Father instead of being alone and frantic. I dropped everything and watched it all blow away and I felt nothing by letting it go. I was in the presence of the Almighty – what did all those other things matter anymore? I let it all go and walked up to the arms of my Father, crawled onto His lap and into His arms with nothing weighing me down, and nothing in my hands. With empty hands I was able to grab onto Him, holding Him, trusting Him, letting HIM provide all that I ever needed. And then I was finally able to rest, peaceful, lying empty handed but with my heart full of joy in my Father’s arms. And, for the first time in weeks, months, years – I was finally able to REST, comforted, protected, beloved, and lacking in no good thing.
Gently, and with no condemnation He asked me: “Where have you been, daughter? I’ve been here, just waiting for you!”
“Oh Father! I’ve been running around, trying to get everything ready – I’ve been working so hard – I have so many things I want to show you – Look at everything I’ve done and I’ve worked so hard on! Aren’t you proud???”
There was a moment of silence and then God said “Beloved, you have run around gathering all of these things, tiring yourself out, and for what? This whole time you could have been HERE, with ME, resting in Me.... Do you not know that I have already seen all those things that you have done, and that I was there with you, beside you? There is no need for you to bring ANYTHING to me – I am the one who has already given it all TO you and I am the one who enabled you to do all that is good and right. I already know and see it all. Beloved, when I ask you come to be with me, I already have everything that you need. You do not need to pack anything. You do not need to prepare anything. This is not supposed to be a task. I have everything already here, in my hands. Just come to me and BE. I am not asking anything else of you and there is nothing I want from you than just to be with you and to provide for you. Lay all of that down and come, now, and rest in me, daughter.”
God held His arms out to me and in my heart I realized that my bags, my papers, everything I had brought with me – it was all useless, pointless. I could have been here sooner, resting instead of running around, spending time with my Father instead of being alone and frantic. I dropped everything and watched it all blow away and I felt nothing by letting it go. I was in the presence of the Almighty – what did all those other things matter anymore? I let it all go and walked up to the arms of my Father, crawled onto His lap and into His arms with nothing weighing me down, and nothing in my hands. With empty hands I was able to grab onto Him, holding Him, trusting Him, letting HIM provide all that I ever needed. And then I was finally able to rest, peaceful, lying empty handed but with my heart full of joy in my Father’s arms. And, for the first time in weeks, months, years – I was finally able to REST, comforted, protected, beloved, and lacking in no good thing.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
1 Cor 13 - It's Not Just For Weddings Any More!
In 1 John 4:8, We are told that "God IS Love". The Greek word for "Love" here in this verse is "agape", which comes from "agapao" meaning "to love, beloved, affection or benevolence, a (feast of) charity, dear, love". This same exact Greek word for "love" used to describe God in 1 John 4:8 is also used in the infamous 1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient, love is kind...." scripture passage quoted so often at weddings.
What is so neat to me is that if God IS Love, as I am told in 1 John 4:8, then it stands to reason that I can look at this 1 Corinthians 13 chapter in a new light, like this:
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not [my relationship with] GOD, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (I make no sense in the long run when I try to reach out to others). If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not GOD, I am nothing (Apart from Him I can do NOTHING). If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not GOD, I gain nothing (unless the foundation is built upon the Lord, the builders labor in vain).
GOD is patient, long-suffering, not treating us as our wrongs deserve. He is rich in mercy and compassion and abounding in love (Eph 2:4, Psalm 86:15)
GOD is kind, acting in benevolence. He wants what is GOOD and BEST for His precious children and shows His kindness even to the wicked and ungrateful (Luke 6:35).
GOD does not envy (He does not move with negative feelings against us), GOD is not boastful and He is not proud, vain, haughty or puffed up. He is not "vainglorious" and does not lord Himself fearfully over us to induce fear in us (Phil 2:5-8). GOD is not conceited, arrogant, or inflated with pride.
GOD is not rude or unseemly and He does not act unbecomingly or indecently.
GOD does not pursue things only for His own sake, but for the sake of those He loves, seeking not things for Himself but for His children whom He loves.
GOD is not easily angered or provoked (Numbers 14:8 "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion..."), and He keeps no record of our wrongs, no account of the evil we have done against Him (Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, Heb 8:12, Heb 10:17).
GOD does not delight in evil things or in wrong-doing against His children, He does not delight in what is hurtful or unjust, but He rejoices when Truth and justice and right prevail.
GOD always protects, quietly covering all things. He always bears up under anything and everything that comes along and He always trusts, ever-ready to believe the best of every person. His hope is ever-lasting and never fades under any circumstances and He endures ALL things, persevering with us without weakening. He will never leave us or forsake us.
GOD never fails. He never fades, never weakens, never becomes obsolete and never comes to an end. He is The One who was, is and ever will be. He has the victory forever and ever. He is the Alpha AND Omega, the beginning AND the end!
All else will cease, be stilled, pass away, fade away, and be abolished. But GOD, the greatest of all, the ONE TRUE God will remain, Forever and ever, Amen Amen.
Oh Lord, teach me who you REALLY ARE through your Word - teach me about your love for me, your forgiveness, your grace, your mercy. Help me Lord to have a heart full of "good soil" that will not be choked by the weeds of the world, where you are so mis-represented and misunderstood. I will NOT define you by what I see in this fallen world, and with fallen people speaking from fallen tongues. I will go to your Word where you reveal yourself to me from Genesis to Revelation, showing me the love that can now be mine through your Son, who covers all my unrighteousness, all my iniquities. He is my mediator of this NEW covenant with you. Help me Lord to learn more and more about who I am in you through the blood of the New Covenant. The old is gone and the new has come - PRAISE GOD. I love you Lord and I stand ready with listening ears and an open heart, waiting to hear and absorb your words. Plant them in my heart, in my soul and in my mind. In Jesus's name, Amen.
What is so neat to me is that if God IS Love, as I am told in 1 John 4:8, then it stands to reason that I can look at this 1 Corinthians 13 chapter in a new light, like this:
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not [my relationship with] GOD, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (I make no sense in the long run when I try to reach out to others). If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not GOD, I am nothing (Apart from Him I can do NOTHING). If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not GOD, I gain nothing (unless the foundation is built upon the Lord, the builders labor in vain).
GOD is patient, long-suffering, not treating us as our wrongs deserve. He is rich in mercy and compassion and abounding in love (Eph 2:4, Psalm 86:15)
GOD is kind, acting in benevolence. He wants what is GOOD and BEST for His precious children and shows His kindness even to the wicked and ungrateful (Luke 6:35).
GOD does not envy (He does not move with negative feelings against us), GOD is not boastful and He is not proud, vain, haughty or puffed up. He is not "vainglorious" and does not lord Himself fearfully over us to induce fear in us (Phil 2:5-8). GOD is not conceited, arrogant, or inflated with pride.
GOD is not rude or unseemly and He does not act unbecomingly or indecently.
GOD does not pursue things only for His own sake, but for the sake of those He loves, seeking not things for Himself but for His children whom He loves.
GOD is not easily angered or provoked (Numbers 14:8 "The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion..."), and He keeps no record of our wrongs, no account of the evil we have done against Him (Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, Heb 8:12, Heb 10:17).
GOD does not delight in evil things or in wrong-doing against His children, He does not delight in what is hurtful or unjust, but He rejoices when Truth and justice and right prevail.
GOD always protects, quietly covering all things. He always bears up under anything and everything that comes along and He always trusts, ever-ready to believe the best of every person. His hope is ever-lasting and never fades under any circumstances and He endures ALL things, persevering with us without weakening. He will never leave us or forsake us.
GOD never fails. He never fades, never weakens, never becomes obsolete and never comes to an end. He is The One who was, is and ever will be. He has the victory forever and ever. He is the Alpha AND Omega, the beginning AND the end!
All else will cease, be stilled, pass away, fade away, and be abolished. But GOD, the greatest of all, the ONE TRUE God will remain, Forever and ever, Amen Amen.
Oh Lord, teach me who you REALLY ARE through your Word - teach me about your love for me, your forgiveness, your grace, your mercy. Help me Lord to have a heart full of "good soil" that will not be choked by the weeds of the world, where you are so mis-represented and misunderstood. I will NOT define you by what I see in this fallen world, and with fallen people speaking from fallen tongues. I will go to your Word where you reveal yourself to me from Genesis to Revelation, showing me the love that can now be mine through your Son, who covers all my unrighteousness, all my iniquities. He is my mediator of this NEW covenant with you. Help me Lord to learn more and more about who I am in you through the blood of the New Covenant. The old is gone and the new has come - PRAISE GOD. I love you Lord and I stand ready with listening ears and an open heart, waiting to hear and absorb your words. Plant them in my heart, in my soul and in my mind. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wisdom from Elisabeth Elliot
If you know me very well at all, then you would know that two of my favorite authors are Elisabeth Elliot and Joyce Meyer. The funny thing is that I never cared much about what either of these women wrote until after my divorce. I used to not "get" E. Elliot - People would recommend her to me, but I always thought she was "a bit much" - now, as I read her writings from a new perspective, her wisdom astounds me. If you don't know much about her life, she was the wife of missionary Jim Elliot, who was murdered by the very tribe that he and his friends were trying to minister to. Elisabeth, who had just recently had a child with Jim, did not run away to America crying and questioning God. Instead, she allowed God to use her in her new-found circumstances, trusting Him that He had a larger plan for her life. E. Elliot, with her amazing faith, stayed, as a single mom, where her husband had been murdered and eventually ended up living WITH the very tribe that had killed him, leading many of them to Christ. She is truly amazing. When I read devotions she has written, I know that she is not writing them from a "warm fuzzy" point of view, just reciting things she wished she believed, but she is writing them through real, raw experience and pain. Anyway, every morning I get an "Elisabeth Elliot" devotion in my Inbox through Back to the Bible Daily Devotions and rarely does it fail to minister to me that day. If you have a hard time finding time for a morning devotion but always seem to find time to check your E-mail, then I recommend that you pick one of these morning devotions to receive daily by E-mail. It will start your morning off the right way!
This morning, E. Elliot's devotion was just so awesome to me because it went along so much with my last post, so I had to copy it and paste it on here. I hope it will encourage you like it did me!
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Source: Keep A Quiet Heart
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:11 Luke 1:35 Psalm 131:1-2 Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Job 42:3
The Incarnation is a Thing Too Wonderful
...When the angel Gabriel told Mary, "You will be with child and give birth to a son," she had a simple question about the natural: How can this be, since I am a virgin?!
The answer had to do not with the natural but with something far more mysterious --something, in fact, entirely supernatural: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35, NIV). That was too wonderful, and Mary was silent. She had no question about the supernatural. She was satisfied with God's answer.
The truth about the Incarnation is a thing too wonderful for us. Who can fathom what really took place first in a virgin's womb in Nazareth and then in a stable in Bethlehem!
At the end of the book of Job, instead of answering his questions, God revealed to Job the mystery of Who He was. Then Job despised himself. "I have uttered what I did not understand,/ things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" (Job 42:3, RSV).
In one of David's "songs of ascents" he wrote, "My heart is not proud, O Lord,/ my eyes are not haughty;/ I do not concern myself with great matters/ or things too wonderful for me./ But I have stilled and quieted my soul; / like a weaned child with its mother,/ like a weaned child is my soul within me" (Psalm 131:1,2, NIV).
A close and fretful inquiry into how spiritual things "work" is an exercise in futility. Even wondering how "natural" things are going to work if you bring God into them--how God will answer a prayer for money, for example, or how your son-in-law is going to find a house for eight in southern California (on a pastor's salary) is sometimes an awful waste of energy. God knows how. Why should I bother my head about it if I've turned it over to Him? If the Word of the Lord to us is that we are "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with his purpose" (Ephesians 1:11, NIV), we may apprehend this fact by faith alone. By believing that God means just what He says, and by acting upon the word (faith always requires action), we apprehend it--we take hold of it, we make it our own. We cannot make it our own by mere reason--"I don't see how such-and-such an incident can possibly have anything to do with any divine 'plan.'"
Why should we see how! Is it not sufficient that we are told that it is so? We need not see. We need only believe and proceed on the basis of that assured fact.
Mary's acceptance of the angel's answer to her innocent question was immediate, though she could not imagine the intricacies and mysteries of its working in her young virgin body. She surrendered herself utterly to God in trust and obedience.
Do you understand what is going on in the invisible realm of your life with God? Do you see how the visible things relate to the hidden Plan and Purpose? Probably not. As my second husband Addison Leitch used to say, "You can't unscrew the Inscrutable." But you do see at least one thing, maybe a very little thing, that He wants you to do. "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult [other translations say too hard, too wonderful] for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven.... nor is it beyond the sea.... no, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14, NIV).
Let it suffice you, as it sufficed Mary, to know that God knows. If it's time to work, get on with your job. If it's time to go to bed, go to sleep in peace. Let the Lord of the Universe do the worrying.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord, I cannot see or understand how you will work all things in my life together for good, but I WILL believe it because your Word says so and your Word is Truth. I will base my trust and my joy not on what I see, but on what you have promised in your Word. You, God, are Light and in you there is no darkness at all, not in any way (1 John 1:5). I trust in you Lord with ALL my heart and I will NOT rely on my own understanding (Prov 3:5), but instead I will trust only, wholly, solely in You and WHO YOU ARE, as revealed in Your Word. In Jesus's name - Amen.
This morning, E. Elliot's devotion was just so awesome to me because it went along so much with my last post, so I had to copy it and paste it on here. I hope it will encourage you like it did me!
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Source: Keep A Quiet Heart
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:11 Luke 1:35 Psalm 131:1-2 Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Job 42:3
The Incarnation is a Thing Too Wonderful
...When the angel Gabriel told Mary, "You will be with child and give birth to a son," she had a simple question about the natural: How can this be, since I am a virgin?!
The answer had to do not with the natural but with something far more mysterious --something, in fact, entirely supernatural: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35, NIV). That was too wonderful, and Mary was silent. She had no question about the supernatural. She was satisfied with God's answer.
The truth about the Incarnation is a thing too wonderful for us. Who can fathom what really took place first in a virgin's womb in Nazareth and then in a stable in Bethlehem!
At the end of the book of Job, instead of answering his questions, God revealed to Job the mystery of Who He was. Then Job despised himself. "I have uttered what I did not understand,/ things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" (Job 42:3, RSV).
In one of David's "songs of ascents" he wrote, "My heart is not proud, O Lord,/ my eyes are not haughty;/ I do not concern myself with great matters/ or things too wonderful for me./ But I have stilled and quieted my soul; / like a weaned child with its mother,/ like a weaned child is my soul within me" (Psalm 131:1,2, NIV).
A close and fretful inquiry into how spiritual things "work" is an exercise in futility. Even wondering how "natural" things are going to work if you bring God into them--how God will answer a prayer for money, for example, or how your son-in-law is going to find a house for eight in southern California (on a pastor's salary) is sometimes an awful waste of energy. God knows how. Why should I bother my head about it if I've turned it over to Him? If the Word of the Lord to us is that we are "predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with his purpose" (Ephesians 1:11, NIV), we may apprehend this fact by faith alone. By believing that God means just what He says, and by acting upon the word (faith always requires action), we apprehend it--we take hold of it, we make it our own. We cannot make it our own by mere reason--"I don't see how such-and-such an incident can possibly have anything to do with any divine 'plan.'"
Why should we see how! Is it not sufficient that we are told that it is so? We need not see. We need only believe and proceed on the basis of that assured fact.
Mary's acceptance of the angel's answer to her innocent question was immediate, though she could not imagine the intricacies and mysteries of its working in her young virgin body. She surrendered herself utterly to God in trust and obedience.
Do you understand what is going on in the invisible realm of your life with God? Do you see how the visible things relate to the hidden Plan and Purpose? Probably not. As my second husband Addison Leitch used to say, "You can't unscrew the Inscrutable." But you do see at least one thing, maybe a very little thing, that He wants you to do. "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult [other translations say too hard, too wonderful] for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven.... nor is it beyond the sea.... no, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14, NIV).
Let it suffice you, as it sufficed Mary, to know that God knows. If it's time to work, get on with your job. If it's time to go to bed, go to sleep in peace. Let the Lord of the Universe do the worrying.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lord, I cannot see or understand how you will work all things in my life together for good, but I WILL believe it because your Word says so and your Word is Truth. I will base my trust and my joy not on what I see, but on what you have promised in your Word. You, God, are Light and in you there is no darkness at all, not in any way (1 John 1:5). I trust in you Lord with ALL my heart and I will NOT rely on my own understanding (Prov 3:5), but instead I will trust only, wholly, solely in You and WHO YOU ARE, as revealed in Your Word. In Jesus's name - Amen.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Some Clarification...Maybe?
I think most of us have heard the saying "It's not important WHO you are, but WHOSE you are..." - Basically making the point that what gives us clear direction in life and the freedom that we all crave is to fully know and grasp the fact that we are children of God, fully accepted and fully loved, and to know our position in Christ is secure through His death on the cross and resurrection. We know that there is nothing that can make Him love us any more than He already does, as we are NOT saved according to our works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not loved according to our works; along these same lines, there is nothing we can do to make Him love us any LESS than He already does (Romans 8:34-39). I was talking about all of this with a friend the other day and talking with her about grasping God's love for us and trusting that He longs to bless us, longs to be gracious to us, longs to protect us, provide for us, care for us, etc. (Isaiah 30:18, Psalm 116:5-7, Romans 10:11-13) - these are not just promises for "other people" but these are promises for ALL of us who are in Christ - His blood did not just cover a few of us who believe, but His promises and blessings are true for ALL of us who believe. So when I try to explain this to people and try to explain God's amazing love that is there for them to grab hold of, I get asked a similar question a lot - "So, does this mean that you believe in 'prosperity preaching'? " (And DH, I know you are probably reading this and thinking of our conversation the other day but I want you to know that I AM NOT talking about you!!) Seriously, I get asked this a lot by people I share my testimony with and my understanding of God's love for me - there is this concept of "If God loves me and wants to prosper me, does this means that if I really love Him, I'll be rich, have everything I ever wanted, never get sick, never have adversity", and so on. I just want to clarify once and for all that this is so not what I am saying. What I am saying is that life WILL be hard, and adversity WILL come. This is obvious as we live in a fallen world, where the "god of this age" (Satan) has been given permission, until the end time, to roam free in this world (2 Cor 4:4). So there WILL be corruption, there WILL be evil, there WILL be confusion, sadness, and pain and all of our lives as believers will look VERY different from one another, according to many different factors. One of us may be richer in finances, another richer in faith, another richer in health, and another richer in joy. No matter what our individual gifts are from the Lord, however, we all have the same position in Christ and we are all just as blessed as the other.
John 16:33 says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Our confidence, peace and joy lie not in the hope that we will never have problems and always have everything we want, but in the hope that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, our Lord has OVERCOME the world and the final victory and the final say-so are HIS. As N.D. says to me, "God's endings are ALWAYS good, so if it's not good yet, then it's not over yet." Our hope in the Lord and our belief in His love for us are not based on material things we have or don't have or on how "easy" our life is - our hope is simply based on the fact of God's POWER to take care of all things, since He is in charge of all things, and that the final outcome will be for His glory no matter WHAT it looks like to us in this world (Ephesians 1:16-22). My hope is not in this world or in what I have in this world; my hope is in Christ alone and in His power and His provision (Colossians 1:27) and in His promise that no matter what happens and no matter how bad or ugly things look in this life, HE WILL work ALL of those things for His good and His glory (Romans 8:28). So, to give an over-all answer about "prosperity preaching" - no, I do not believe that because God loves me this means He wants to give me a beach house, a private jet, and clear me of all troubles in this life. What I DO believe is that no matter how little I think I have, no matter how hopeless things look according to the world's standards, and no matter how terrible I sometimes "feel", I serve a God who is so far above ALL of my circumstances, that I have nothing to fear and nothing to bemoan - He is my Abba, Daddy, and He is going to take care of ALL of it. And whether or not His way of taking care of it is the way I wish it would be done, His way is always best and always good and I will trust in Him - HE IS GOD, and I am not!! He is LOVE, and His way is best. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-sufficient and I WILL trust in Him - not because I "feel" like it, but because there is no other way to live my life but to trust in Him.
"Trust and Obey; for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey"
Lord, I will trust in You and Your Goodness. I trust that you LOVE me, all the time, no matter how I feel. I trust that nothing can make you love me more or less; I am loved by your grace alone and nothing can take away from or add anything to your grace. No matter what this life looks like to me, I know that this world is not my home (Hebrews 11) and that I am a stranger here, with a better life waiting for me ahead. Lord, you will work all things for good and you will be glorified. I trust in you that no matter what happens, you will take care of me and do what is best for me in YOUR judgement and not my own. Your will and not mine be done. In Jesus's name, Amen.
John 16:33 says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Our confidence, peace and joy lie not in the hope that we will never have problems and always have everything we want, but in the hope that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, our Lord has OVERCOME the world and the final victory and the final say-so are HIS. As N.D. says to me, "God's endings are ALWAYS good, so if it's not good yet, then it's not over yet." Our hope in the Lord and our belief in His love for us are not based on material things we have or don't have or on how "easy" our life is - our hope is simply based on the fact of God's POWER to take care of all things, since He is in charge of all things, and that the final outcome will be for His glory no matter WHAT it looks like to us in this world (Ephesians 1:16-22). My hope is not in this world or in what I have in this world; my hope is in Christ alone and in His power and His provision (Colossians 1:27) and in His promise that no matter what happens and no matter how bad or ugly things look in this life, HE WILL work ALL of those things for His good and His glory (Romans 8:28). So, to give an over-all answer about "prosperity preaching" - no, I do not believe that because God loves me this means He wants to give me a beach house, a private jet, and clear me of all troubles in this life. What I DO believe is that no matter how little I think I have, no matter how hopeless things look according to the world's standards, and no matter how terrible I sometimes "feel", I serve a God who is so far above ALL of my circumstances, that I have nothing to fear and nothing to bemoan - He is my Abba, Daddy, and He is going to take care of ALL of it. And whether or not His way of taking care of it is the way I wish it would be done, His way is always best and always good and I will trust in Him - HE IS GOD, and I am not!! He is LOVE, and His way is best. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-sufficient and I WILL trust in Him - not because I "feel" like it, but because there is no other way to live my life but to trust in Him.
"Trust and Obey; for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey"
Lord, I will trust in You and Your Goodness. I trust that you LOVE me, all the time, no matter how I feel. I trust that nothing can make you love me more or less; I am loved by your grace alone and nothing can take away from or add anything to your grace. No matter what this life looks like to me, I know that this world is not my home (Hebrews 11) and that I am a stranger here, with a better life waiting for me ahead. Lord, you will work all things for good and you will be glorified. I trust in you that no matter what happens, you will take care of me and do what is best for me in YOUR judgement and not my own. Your will and not mine be done. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Single Mom's Mite
There is a story in the Bible that is known as "The Widow's Mite" (Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:38-44) -- a "mite" being a monetary term of course -- This story is also known as "The Widow's Offering".
Luke 21:1-4 says: "While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
1 Samuel 16:7 says: "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
John 7:24 says: "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment"
Proverbs 21:2 says: "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart"
When we think of our tithes and offerings, we are often told to not just think of these as monetary gifts but also to think about the amount of time we "tithe" to the Lord each day. Your tithe is giving the Lord your "first-fruits" - giving back to Him a portion of what He has blessed you with, for every good and perfect gift that you have is from Him in the first place (James 1:17). He gives us 24 new hours each day and we choose how to use each of those hours. If we dedicate a portion of that time back to Him, spending time in worship, prayer, and in His Word, then we are tithing that time and thanking Him for blessing us with each day He gives us. A lot of times we have preconceived notions of what that time should look like, based on books we've read, speakers we've heard, other Godly women who tell us how THEY spend THEIR time. This can all be very overwhelming for a single mom who barely has time to brush her own teeth before bed. Fitting into the "Required Quiet Time" mold set by so many well-meaning people should come with "Caution!: Guilt Trip Up Ahead!!!" warning signs for those moms who cannot fit into this mold. The Lord does not stand with a stopwatch, clocking your "30 minute quiet time". The Lord does not stand waiting to see if your prayers contain the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication model. He does not hold a schedule over your head saying that "Quiet Time", if you even want to call it that, HAS to be first thing in the morning, before anyone else gets up. If any of these are things the Lord has put specifically on YOUR heart to practice and you are able to follow through with them with a joyful heart, then wonderful! But for some moms, these and many other different "methods" may not be practical.
When considering how best to spend time with the Lord, please remember that the Lord looks at your HEART, not your outward "Quiet Time" appearance.
If I pick a "model" for how to spend time with the Lord because I feel like it is what I am "supposed to do" but it's not really what works for me, then the Lord will know that my heart is not in it and that I am only going through the motions of worshiping him, with no true worship in my heart. And who wants to spend time with someone whose heart is not there with them, who is only with them out of duty? The Lord does not want us to come unwillingly to Him, trudging up to Him at 5 AM saying "Here I am Lord because I have to be. I have to spend my 30 minutes with you." Just as we long for people to spend time with us because they want to be with us, whether it's 30 minutes or 5 minutes, the Lord wants our hearts to be engaged with His through our own desire to be with Him, not our "duty".
I remember one summer in college a guy I was dating was on a well-planned road trip but drove hours out of his way, deviating from his plans, to spend literally 20 minutes with me at the camp where I was working. He called beforehand and said "I want to come see you but it really can only be 20 minutes" because he had somewhere he had to be that night. Those 20 minutes were more precious to me than hours spent together when we lived in the same town and I knew it was no big deal for him to walk to my apartment. He drove hours out of his way for 20 minutes of time with me! I was honored! If we have 3 hours of spare time to "waste" and we give 30 minutes of this time to God because we feel like we have to, is that as precious to Him as those times when we do not even have 10 minutes to spare and yet give those meager 10 minutes to Him because we miss Him, we desire time with Him, we know we need him or we will not be complete?
As single moms, our time is often so very limited - it is all we can do to get more than 4 hours of sleep each night and we wonder every day where the time went. When I talk to other single moms, we are all saying the same thing : "I'm exhausted... I can't keep up... I'm treading water here...". Even married moms with small children feel this way - so how much moreso for the single moms!! I just want to encourage you that God sees this - He KNOWS how much time you have and don't have. He knows your heart. He knows what the amount of YOUR "mite" is and He will bless your offerings, no matter how meager they may seem from the outside. Am I saying that if you are a single mom then you don't have to spend time with the Lord because He knows you don't have time and He'll forgive this? NO! We never want to take advantage of God's grace like this (Romans 6:1-3). What I AM saying is that you know the truth and God knows the truth about how much time you really have each day and how you can best use that time. I am saying that you need to free yourself from the guilt of trying to fit into a "Quiet Time" plan that is just not realistic for your own lifestyle. Only you and God know, day by day, when you can devote special time to him and what that time will look like. Whether that means you can have a planned, organized 30 minute sit-down with God and your Bible OR whether that means your "Quiet Time" will be spent in the car, praying while driving from one place to the other and receiving the Word through Christian radio ---whichever way, God sees your heart and He alone judges your offering. Our "Quiet Time" with Him is not something to fit into the world's standards, but a time planned between you and Him - a special road trip detour mapped out just for the two of you!
Father, thank you that you do not judge by outer standards, but that you look at my heart and my motives. Lord, you know exactly how much time I have any given day and you will honor and bless the time I spend with you each day according to your standards and not those set by the world. Lord, please help me find a way to spend time with you each day - please show me when and how I can fit this in so that I can grow closer to you and just be filled each day with your Word and your power. I love you Lord...I WANT to spend time with you; I know you will help me find the time and you will honor that time. I trust that you will show me creative ways to be in your Word and to pray to you throughout my day - In Jesus's name, Amen
Luke 21:1-4 says: "While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
1 Samuel 16:7 says: "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
John 7:24 says: "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment"
Proverbs 21:2 says: "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart"
When we think of our tithes and offerings, we are often told to not just think of these as monetary gifts but also to think about the amount of time we "tithe" to the Lord each day. Your tithe is giving the Lord your "first-fruits" - giving back to Him a portion of what He has blessed you with, for every good and perfect gift that you have is from Him in the first place (James 1:17). He gives us 24 new hours each day and we choose how to use each of those hours. If we dedicate a portion of that time back to Him, spending time in worship, prayer, and in His Word, then we are tithing that time and thanking Him for blessing us with each day He gives us. A lot of times we have preconceived notions of what that time should look like, based on books we've read, speakers we've heard, other Godly women who tell us how THEY spend THEIR time. This can all be very overwhelming for a single mom who barely has time to brush her own teeth before bed. Fitting into the "Required Quiet Time" mold set by so many well-meaning people should come with "Caution!: Guilt Trip Up Ahead!!!" warning signs for those moms who cannot fit into this mold. The Lord does not stand with a stopwatch, clocking your "30 minute quiet time". The Lord does not stand waiting to see if your prayers contain the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication model. He does not hold a schedule over your head saying that "Quiet Time", if you even want to call it that, HAS to be first thing in the morning, before anyone else gets up. If any of these are things the Lord has put specifically on YOUR heart to practice and you are able to follow through with them with a joyful heart, then wonderful! But for some moms, these and many other different "methods" may not be practical.
When considering how best to spend time with the Lord, please remember that the Lord looks at your HEART, not your outward "Quiet Time" appearance.
If I pick a "model" for how to spend time with the Lord because I feel like it is what I am "supposed to do" but it's not really what works for me, then the Lord will know that my heart is not in it and that I am only going through the motions of worshiping him, with no true worship in my heart. And who wants to spend time with someone whose heart is not there with them, who is only with them out of duty? The Lord does not want us to come unwillingly to Him, trudging up to Him at 5 AM saying "Here I am Lord because I have to be. I have to spend my 30 minutes with you." Just as we long for people to spend time with us because they want to be with us, whether it's 30 minutes or 5 minutes, the Lord wants our hearts to be engaged with His through our own desire to be with Him, not our "duty".
I remember one summer in college a guy I was dating was on a well-planned road trip but drove hours out of his way, deviating from his plans, to spend literally 20 minutes with me at the camp where I was working. He called beforehand and said "I want to come see you but it really can only be 20 minutes" because he had somewhere he had to be that night. Those 20 minutes were more precious to me than hours spent together when we lived in the same town and I knew it was no big deal for him to walk to my apartment. He drove hours out of his way for 20 minutes of time with me! I was honored! If we have 3 hours of spare time to "waste" and we give 30 minutes of this time to God because we feel like we have to, is that as precious to Him as those times when we do not even have 10 minutes to spare and yet give those meager 10 minutes to Him because we miss Him, we desire time with Him, we know we need him or we will not be complete?
As single moms, our time is often so very limited - it is all we can do to get more than 4 hours of sleep each night and we wonder every day where the time went. When I talk to other single moms, we are all saying the same thing : "I'm exhausted... I can't keep up... I'm treading water here...". Even married moms with small children feel this way - so how much moreso for the single moms!! I just want to encourage you that God sees this - He KNOWS how much time you have and don't have. He knows your heart. He knows what the amount of YOUR "mite" is and He will bless your offerings, no matter how meager they may seem from the outside. Am I saying that if you are a single mom then you don't have to spend time with the Lord because He knows you don't have time and He'll forgive this? NO! We never want to take advantage of God's grace like this (Romans 6:1-3). What I AM saying is that you know the truth and God knows the truth about how much time you really have each day and how you can best use that time. I am saying that you need to free yourself from the guilt of trying to fit into a "Quiet Time" plan that is just not realistic for your own lifestyle. Only you and God know, day by day, when you can devote special time to him and what that time will look like. Whether that means you can have a planned, organized 30 minute sit-down with God and your Bible OR whether that means your "Quiet Time" will be spent in the car, praying while driving from one place to the other and receiving the Word through Christian radio ---whichever way, God sees your heart and He alone judges your offering. Our "Quiet Time" with Him is not something to fit into the world's standards, but a time planned between you and Him - a special road trip detour mapped out just for the two of you!
Father, thank you that you do not judge by outer standards, but that you look at my heart and my motives. Lord, you know exactly how much time I have any given day and you will honor and bless the time I spend with you each day according to your standards and not those set by the world. Lord, please help me find a way to spend time with you each day - please show me when and how I can fit this in so that I can grow closer to you and just be filled each day with your Word and your power. I love you Lord...I WANT to spend time with you; I know you will help me find the time and you will honor that time. I trust that you will show me creative ways to be in your Word and to pray to you throughout my day - In Jesus's name, Amen
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