Author: livinginhisgrace

Everything in my life is an unbelievable gift from the Father above to mold and shape me into the person that He created me to be! Yes, even the difficult and hard things in my life! Having said that, life, as I see it, is all about a loving relationship with God, and loving the people He places in our lives. Perhaps the journey is all about learning to love and offer grace to those around us inspite of our differences. Today’s world fights for it’s rights and has gone beyond just making it’s opinions known to a place where differing opinions are attacked and if possible silenced. Is this the world we want for our children and grandchildren? Oh how I hope not! I would love for my children and 10 grandchildren to experience a world filled with grace, hope, love and a chance to experience joy along their journey.

Facing Fears

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I have been pondering this topic for a number of days. When speaking of fear in this sense, I am speaking of perceived fears and not of imminent threats, like those in Aurora yesterday.  It  has  been a theme in my life off and on for the last ten years and it is all too relevant in our lives.   Several days ago when I read ahead in our S.O.A.P. readings by a few days, I was reading the account of the Israelite scouts going into Canaan to scout out the land, the people, the fruit and the fortified cities.  I began considering how despite all the wonderful things they found in the land, all but two of the scouts brought back a negative report! Why? Fear!  Most of their eyes were not on all the wonderful attributes of the land, more importantly their eyes were not on God’s promise or on God who had been their provider and protector since they had left Egypt. All they could see were the giants in the land and the great fortified cities. They had set aside the fact that God had promised this land to them as an inheritance and forgot all of the provision and protection He had already provided! One leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel were sent as scouts into this promised land called Canaan, all the scouts agreed the land is great, it is bountiful flowing with milk and honey and produces beautiful and huge fruit. Only two of the twelve could see past the fear of the giants in the land and hold on to God’s promise of this inheritance.

Joshua and Caleb believed the Lord and Caleb spoke the following words in Numbers 13:30,  Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!”  The people were terrified and threatened a rebellion. Joshua and Caleb confirmed their belief and faith in Numbers 14: 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite community: “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. 9 Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!”  The result was the fearful people won out and because of their unbelief, entrance into the land was postponed for forty years and only Joshua, Caleb and the new generation of people were privileged to enter into the land.

The Israelites had a hard time and ultimately refused to face their fears despite the fact that they had the assurance of victory from God Himself. Most times when we are facing fears we feel as though we are facing them alone, but for those of us who are believers nothing could be further than the truth. Those of us who profess faith in God and in Jesus would profit well from realizing that faith is in direct opposition to fear and vice versa. The two can not coexist.  The enemy uses fear to paralyze us and render us ineffective. He will attack our trust and faith in God, in others and in ourself but we are not defenseless. We can choose to take the measure of faith that God has given us and build it up by knowing His Word.

Fear is defined as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid according to Dictionary.com. Looking back on my life, I realize that over the years I have responded in both the way of the 10 spies and the way of Joshua and Caleb.  There were times I would have preferred to run and avoid, other times I made a choice to act in faith and face the fear head on. By far, facing the fear head on has always been the best choice! It has helped me to be a more rounded and better person whether it was facing fear of guns by agreeing to let my son teach me to handle one correctly and target practice, flying half way around the world, speaking in or leading a small group, and even this blog.  There is great freedom and victory in facing one’s fears!!

The Crimson Thread

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I am a very grateful woman today! The Word of God tells His people often to “remember”.  As I spent a few minutes in prayer this morning, I began to remember.   I began to think back as far as I can and recall my earliest childhood days. For this purpose, details are not important, though I remember many as far back as four. Some of them are less than pretty, others are wonderful. The words that came to mind and sum these memories up were, “from the earliest recollections, You are the constant thread in my life, Lord, weaving andholding all things together!  Even when I “felt alone”, I knew You were present with me.”

Sometimes I felt His presence, other times the realization came later, but looking back I knew instinctively, He was there!!  Such a treasure to know You were the strong crimson thread which was gently but beautifully and throughly interwoven from the beginning of this tapestry that is my life, and You will continue to be, not because of anything that I have done or will do, but because of Who You are and the promises You have made!

You are the strength that holds me together.  You make me strong in my weaknesses. You are the source of courage in my life and You have given me strength to be bold in the face of my fears! You are the inspiration for my desire to overcome my weakness and my failure, and You are the One who fills in the gaps where I fail to overcome these things.  Anything good or pleasing in my life is because You are there pulling it out, encouraging it in me, or just holding me together.  You Lord, are amazing!  You give me strength to believe, when much that is in me feels doubt!  You are the gentle but  determined nudge to keep going, when my tired flesh or spirit wants to quit. You are the voice that speaks tenderly above all the shout, demands and confusion of this world. You are the salve that soothes when all seems dry and parched!  God, You are indescribable, amazing and staggering in Your love, in Your character!  But even more, You are indispensable to me!  Thank you seems so small, even though it comes from the depth of my heart

Learning to Let Go

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  I have had opportunity lately to have some down time, granted it was not by choice but nevertheless it has been useful. I have had a chance to catch up on some reading both for entertainment and for inspiration.  It has also been a time of much needed reflection.
   One of the things that seems to be a recurring theme in my life and in many of those I am surrounded by, is uncertainty. Some are dealing with health uncertainties, others financial ones, and there are always relational uncertainties. My particular lot right now is in the health realm. I have been given a diagnosis, limitations of behavior and the assurance that in no way did I bring this on myself.  Many people find themselves in a similar positions where their career is concerned. They have lost employment with the assurance it isn’t anything they have done but just the economic times we are in.  Others, loss of a relationship or some other important part of their life. 
   Somewhere along the way in our life as we grow up, we get the mistaken illusion that as we enter adulthood we cross over a threshold and gain control of our lives. Whether that magic number is eighteen or twenty-one, we reach a point where we begin to think that we have arrived and from that point on we will control our lives and our destinies. The truth is, it is just that, an illusion! The only thing we can really control in life is our own behavior and our responses to the circumstances that come our way. We can prepare for storms that come but we can’t prevent them. We can prepare for an attack on our health, we can even avoid putting ourselves in situations that can adversely affect our health, even so, there are times when we will have have health challenges.  We can be the best of financial stewards, still accidents happen and things break.
   The great news is we live in a world that has order and purpose, where there is a greater hope and a great God who is in control, who is for us and not against us. Our God seeks our highest good. He isn’t so much concerned about our comfort as He is our character. We often think we know what is best for us but He always knows what is best for us. We see Him as putting limits on us, on our fun. He sees it as protecting and providing for our good, looking out for our best. He understands what is to come and the purpose behind it, we not only don’t see it coming but neither do we usually see the good that an come from going through. We may one day in retrospect actually find that a less than favorable circumstance suffered may have had valuable effects on our life or our character. We may not realize until much, much later that a series of events in our lives were not only building character, but in fact it was preparing us to be the exact person that God had planned for us all along, from the beginning of time! I have seen this in my own life.
   I have not always appreciated this truth. Like most all humans, I am adverse to pain, struggles and I do not enjoy suffering! I hate being sick, having to be dependent on others, and having no clue what is coming next. It isn’t always pleasant to be surprised! However, I will say I finally have learned reflecting on the pleasures and struggles that have made up my life, the times I have grown the most and have made me the strongest are the less than pleasant and more challenging times. It has been these times that have taught me that there is One greater than myself and He holds me in His palm. He is not limited by time! He knew what was coming long before I experienced it! He went before me and prepared the way! He walked right beside me as I walk it out, and He comes right behind me as my rear guard! He never leaves me or forsakes me and in my weakness He is strong!! I guess what I am saying here is My Daddy will always be there to catch me and though it hasn’t been an easy lesson, and like a small child, often I forget; I think I am finally learning to let go and just trust that Daddy’s got it and I can always trust Him to catch His baby girl!!
 
    

God’s Waiting Room vs. My Way or the Highway

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     We live in a culture that expects to have their needs and desires serviced immediately. Americans do not like to wait! It first began with T.V. Dinners and a few drive- thru conveniences like the Milk Jug…speed through and pick up your milk, Bread and egg needs by conveniently driving past their open door and paying just bit more for not having to exit your vehicle. Then there came more and more fast food opportunities that worked in much the same way.  After some years, new technology became available- the microwave oven. No longer did we have to wait 30-45 minutes for the traditional T.V. Dinner, no now it only took about 15 minutes. As the technology improved that time decreased to 5-7 minutes. 
    Really, where has that gotten us? We have gotten more and more accustomed to having what we want and having it now! We have become an impatient and self-centered world that wants what we want when we want it and has little patience for ourselves or anyone else. Don’t misunderstand, I am all about saving time if that saved time is used for good, but in most cases it just makes us more selfish.
      This is not how we were designed, nor is it the desire of our creator for our lives!  In James 1 we are told:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

    Now for many of us a trial is to get behind someone in line at the grocery or department store who has a buggy full or only having three lines open and they all have 3-4 customers in line, or someone has the audacity to be writing a check and slowing us down. How spoiled can we get before we realize that we have become rotten? I am not sure I really want to know! Sadly, we who are followers of Christ are not immune. We often ignore or are ignorant of the wisdom of the Word, some examples:

Proverbs 19:11

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. NIV
Ecclesiastes 7:8

The end of a matter is better than its beginning and patience is better than pride.
Colossians 3:12

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

    If then we have impatience in the smaller things in our life, how will we fair when the whole world comes crashing down around us? A devastating diagnosis? The loss of a loved one or a job? Will we crumble into pieces or will we seek our Father, will we tumble into a dark depression or seek God’s wisdom and wait to hear from Him? If we haven’t learned patience in the little things, how will we wait on God’s answers, His wisdom, His timing?? 

    The Word tells us in Isaiah 40:28:  “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

    When we hope in something, that generally means that it doesn’t happen right away, there is a waiting period; some translators use the word wait rather than hope. Once again, the question is how can we wait on God when we cannot tolerate waiting a few minutes in a line or wait a few days for the latest timesaver or gadget? Is it all about us, or all about Him?  When we find ourselves waiting, what can we learn about ourselves; about our relationship to others; or about our relationship to God? Maybe this is a time to reflect on our own attitudes rather than get impatient, frustrated, or grumpy.

   It is so easy to point our finger at our circumstances, at others actions and behavior when things are not as we’d hope or just are not going the way we think they should. What would happen if instead we actually took a good look at what is actually going on in our own attitudes, examining our own heart and our own motives? Honestly, unless we take the time to slow down and enjoy

our lives, we risk losing much more that we can even imagine. The thing that seems to suffer the most from the fast paced lives we see most people living is personal relationships. Ironically, it is these very relationships that we need the most when we enter into God’s waiting room.  Our relationships with others is where we draw strength to face life’s challenges, they are the ones who lift us up in prayer when we don’t have the words within us to pray, who help us up when we can’t get up on our own. It is the wonderful family and friends in our lives that come along to minister to us, strengthen us and draw our attention to Him as they act as His hands and feet to us when we find ourselves in God’s Waiting Room.

 

Life is Precious, Live Fully-another step to What Really Mattersfaith

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    Life is a precious gift! The thing is how many of us really recognize this? How often do we get so wrapped up in our desires, our work, our families, sports and the stresses in our lives and forget the simpler and often more important things?  We tend to just get lost in the living and the doing and forget to take time to just be! We live in a culture where we are much better known for what we do in our lives than who we are, where achievement and status are often celebrated more than who we are individually, more than character. How often we are too busy to reconnect with a special someone or ignore that feeling in the back of our mind we should call or visit but we are just too busy? Life goes faster with each year; the pace just continues to gain momentum.  Once in a while, something will come along to grab our attention. It could be anything from the birth of a new child or grandchild; the celebration of someone’s marriage; an accident or diagnosis that takes your breath away; even that dreaded middle of the night phone call.  Anyone of these forces our attention elsewhere, even if just for a moment.  The mad pace halts for just a bit and we absorb the joy, shock or pain.

     I have experienced several such moments this year, the last even more personal than the ones prior to it. In an effort to take care of my health because of family history and good preventative care, I choose to have recommended tests for one my age. Screening tests they call them. One after the other came back great. My doctor suggested one further test, this time the results lead to yet another. Individual details at this point really aren’t important other than the doctor’s report knocked the wind out of me. It made me ponder in detail the frailness of life for a time. Honestly, people face these kinds of things daily and those around them stand faithfully beside them encouraging, praying for and comforting them. This was my experience as well, but there is One, who can comfort us like no other! It is my encounter with Him that I wish to share.

    Let me begin by saying upfront, I am a part of the most amazing, life-giving body of believers on the planet and my God is amazing beyond compare! For those who don’t believe, you may laugh, mock or scorn and that is ok, my prayer is that you will be touched by many encounters with Jesus just as I have been in my life. Once that happens, you will never be the same.

     Sunday we were even earlier than normal and entered the sanctuary while the praise team was practicing. A little insight on my frame of mind: I was very aware of my mortality this day and truly felt like a “ticking time bomb.” I felt this way despite the fact that I fully believe  the Word of God is true and that Jesus Christ came to not only be our Savior, but our Deliverer, our Freedom, our Joy, and our Healer. I believe the Word when it says, “by His stripes, we are healed.” I am also human and often times the enemy of our souls throws fiery darts of doubt and fear. So, here I am standing at the back of the room and listening to the words “you are peace, you are peace when my fear is crippling….you are life, you are life, in you death has lost its sting…” the beautiful words to Forever Reign!

The Holy Spirit met me right there and nothing was the same!! I heard this still small voice gently say, “You were never promised tomorrow and neither is anyone else, life is precious and I hold it and you in the palm of my hand.” Peace and resolve flooded my soul!

     After praying over the services to come, and greeting some friends, I took my seat. Our precious Pastor approached me and said, “we have been praying for you, how are you?”  I shared the doctor’s diagnosis (the facts) and told him, I am believing (the Word) for healing, to be healed and whole. I was moved so much by these moments that my resolve was set, my mind made up. Life is precious! I am not promised tomorrow! I will do my best to life fully, and as fearlessly as I know how, I will worship with abandon, trust God fully and love those He has blessed me with an open heart. We are indeed not promised tomorrow nor are we promised our next breath, it is In Him we live and breathe and have our being, let’s get out there and really live, get in touch with what really matters in our lives, embrace each moment and make the most of it. Oh there will be ups and downs and the enemy will try to send fear and distractions, he will try to steal our peace and joy but the bottom line is he is a defeated foe and a liar. We have the victory in Christ both in this life and the next and we are more than conquerors, let’s live like it!! 

One More Step on the Journey to What Really Matters

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So much has been going on the last year, many changes, new things to tackle and some to overcome!   It is very easy to get lost in the shuffle of busyness and begin to feel like a hamster running circles on a wheel or like a little dog chasing its tail round and round.  More people than ever suffer from stress, depression and illness.

About a year ago, I begin revisiting and researching the idea of a Sabbath rest. At the time we decided that it would be a good idea to implement this into our life. Afterall, God seemed to think it was of the utmost importance. Not only did He require a Sabbath rest for His people, but also for the land, therefore it must be very important. I also began to ponder about all the time-saving devices that have been invented in the interest of helping us work smarter, rather than harder over the years.  No longer do we have to wash our families clothes with a washboard in a tub of water or in a stream and hang them out to dry, we have washers and dryers that do everything except hang them up and put them away. So it goes with our crock-pots, microwaves, and many other modern conveniences created to save us time and energy. However, we also have all these new things to vie for our time.  At the risk of dating myself, when I was a small child there were only 3 local Tv stations, and not many more radio stations. Today we have hundreds of stations on both the tv and radio, in addition, we have the internet, video games, and so much more to entertain and distract us. I also notice, the more time-saving things in my home, the less time I seem to have.

Now, back to the Sabbath rest. We actually tried successfully to do this in our home for a while and it worked beautifully. We were not legalistic about it, we just chose to keep one day of the week simple. The idea was to rest, to do things together that refreshed us and renewed our life and focusing on the Lord, not necessarily in that order. After a while, life got crazy and we forgot to guard it carefully. Before we knew it, we were back on the hamster wheel spinning away, exhausted and in need of a change. The Lord, has been gently leading us once again down that path, reminding us that there is more to life, that the only thing eternal in our life is people. He has been reminding us how precious relationships are, our’s with Him and with those people  He places in our lives.  Yesterday, Pastor Tony knocked it out of the park as he spoke on unloading all that which weighs us down and entering a Sabbath rest, re-enforcing what we were already being convicted about. He spoke about laying the heavy loads we carry, crazy schedules, unrealistic expectations all down at the feet of Jesus. Then he asked a particularly poignant question, “what if all you had tomorrow was the things that you thanked God for today?”  Now that is convicting!!

Well now, that brings me up to today. This morning I was thinking about evaluating and prioritizing and putting first things first in life. Considering ways to keep focused and in crease productivity, all the while reducing busyness, stress and just honestly feeling like I’m running circles and accomplishing very little. Then up pops today’s S.O.A.P. reading and it tends to put a little more perspective on life. Matthew 26 was todays reading, and a very familiar one at that.  So much packed into those 75 verses of scripture. Just what do I focus on, how do I pick out just one verse that speaks to me?? Will it be the plot to kill Jesus; the anointing at Bethany; betrayal; the Lord’s Supper; Peter’s denial; the garden prayer, the Judas kiss, Jesus trial? Lord what do you want me to see, here? Suddenly my attention was specifically drawn to  verses 52-56:”

“52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions of angels? 54 How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me. 56 But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and ran away.”

For those not familiar with S.O.A.P.: it stands for scripture, observation, application and prayer. It’s purpose is to focus on a specific section and really listen to what God is trying to say to you. So below, I will share what I felt the Lord saying to me through the above passage:
O. It is so important that as true followers of Christ, that we know the Word of God. It is our responsibility to try to know and understand it’s contents. These men had been exposed to the teachings of Jesus for three years and probably the Torah for their entire lives. Jesus had told them what was prophesied and had warned them in advance what to expect, still they did not understand and denied what He had said. This is why it is important to keep more focused on what the Word says than we are on what we see and what our circumstances speak to us. We do our selves a great disservice when we neglect the Word and it’s promises how can we stand on the promises of God if we do not know Who He is, who He says we are, What He says He will do and what He says we can do. How will we know what He has given us Authority over and how to use that authority appropriately?? What if Jesus had decided to call down armies of angels to rescue Him, He had the authority-but it was not conducive to His Father’s will. How will we know God’s will if we don’t study the Word to Show us approved?

A. So much hinges on the Word of God! Our responsibility as believers, our authority as believers, our character as believers, the only way to truly know our God’s character, and who we are, it is crucial to us being more than conquerors in Him and in influencing those around us, but even more it is crucial in order to live abundant and blessed life!

P. Lord, please help me Keep first things first and always give You the top place, a place of Honor in my life, knowing that if I do, everything else will take care of itself.

How does this tie in with a Sabbath rest? Line upon line, precept upon precept~ when we are busy and don’t take time to rest and to abide in a personal relationship with the Creator and Lord of our lives, we find ourselves carrying loads and burdens that we were never meant to bear. We tend to get a “me against the world” mindset and think we have to bear all the burdens life throws our way on our own. Again, these are burdens we were never intended to bear and when they come crashing in, we can begin to feel helpless, hopeless, struggle with relationships, depression and spin in a downward spiral. Or we can take the time to rest, adjust our perspective, spend time with the God of creation, Who knows us better than we know ourselves, take His invitation to lay down our heavy burdens, trust Him and take up His Yoke, which is light and easy. We can trust Him to give us Wisdom, Strength and Joy for the Journey as we travel through this life. Nothing delights Him more than His children spending time with Him, trusting Him, getting to know Him on a deeper level, taking Him at His Word that we can do all things through Him and that He can:

” do above and beyond all that we ask or think —according to the power that works in you— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 

Set Up to Step Up

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I am so blessed to be a part of our Monday Morning S.O.A.P. group. This morning our S.O.A.P. reading was Matthew 4. Just a  few words to

explain what S.O.A.P. stands for: each day we take one chapter of the Bible and we read it prayerfully to see what the Lord will say to us or

show us through that passage. S. is for scripture, so the first step is to read the passage; O. stands for observation and we journal what we observe

in the passage, basically what stands out specifically to us on this day; A. stands for application, how we can or will apply what we have learned in

our lives; and finally P. is for prayer, asking God to help us apply what we have learned in the passage.

It is by far the  best Bible reading plan that I have ever tried! Most I have tried require reading 3-4 chapters at one sitting and if you miss one or two

it is easy to get behind and not catch up, with this one it is only one chapter most times and it is easy to really focus on what you have read, rather than

breeze through just to check it off of your to do list. Once a week we come together to do our S.O.A.P. together and then spend time sharing what we

have learned. It is so beneficial to hear how God speaks in each other’s lives and how He uses what we share to help someone else who may be struggling

in an area of life.  After sharing my S.O.A.P. today, one of these sweet sisters suggested that I share my entries and another confirmed this. My husband

had also been telling me this for a while. Now, you have to know what my prayer section was for today and when I share it below, it will be more clear

why I felt compelled to share these personal musings of mine. So here goes:

Matthew 4

S. After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry. Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:2, 3 HCSB)
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matthew 4:17 HCSB)
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:20 HCSB)
Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. (Matthew 4:22 HCSB)
Jesus was going all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23 HCSB)
Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them. (Matthew 4:24 HCSB)

O. This chapter is so rich and chocked full of information. For starters, before Jesus began His ministry, the Holy Spirit led Him out in to the wilderness to be tested! Notice, it doesn’t say the devil led Him out but the Holy Spirit led Him. The devil did test Him, and he picked the end of the 40 day period when Jesus was weakest. Satan always uses our weakest time to sweep in whether it’s hunger, emotional or physical pain, or some other time of weakness. But even more, I note that the Holy Spirit was the one in charge of the encounter. Also, note that Jesus did not argue with the devil out of His own power, but used the power of God’s Word! When the devil saw that Jesus resisted him with the Word three times, the devil gave up, and left Jesus alone! At that point, Jesus withdrew for a time and shortly after began His ministry, announcing the Kingdom of Heaven. He began calling disciples and they immediately accepted His invitation! Again, it seems the theme continues of immediate obedience, Jesus’, and the disciple’s obedience! I can’t help but also notice testing, obedience, elevation…repeat testing, obedience, elevation… We are responsible for our obedience, passing the tests before being given additional responsibilities.

A. We are told that trials and temptations will come, we must be ready, arm ourselves with the Word of God. Only in the Word of God can we learn who we are in Christ and only by knowing it can we use it as a weapon against the onslaughts that we face in life. When we become familiar with His Word, we place ourselves in a position of power to stand against the fiery darts of the devil and resist the temptations he throws our way, when we resist him, he will flee!! Also, when God takes us to a new level in Him we have more responsibility and greater accountability and that requires a new level of obedience but also brings us to greater faithfulness and greater maturity in Him.

P. Lord Jesus, my prayer today is to be faithful, quick to hear and obey You. I pray for ears that are quick to listen and hear Your Word, Your voice and the Holy Spirit speaking into my life. I also pray for wisdom when fellow followers speak into my life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, sometimes even through the voice of one of my sweet grandchildren! I pray for wisdom and discernment so that I won’t miss You or the opportunities You send me!
In Jesus’ Name!! Amen!

 

Not all readings have multiple scriptures that stand out like this one did for me and some days it is a specific verse that stands alone. Based on what spoke to me this day, the responses of my sweet sisters, and the prayer for God to use His Word, His Spirit and those He places in my path to speak into my life, I have decided to act in immediate obedience. I am certain that this is why God tells us to not neglect fellowship with one another! As we are often heard quoting in our group:

Proverbs 27:17 (HCSB) Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Safety in the Storm

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Safety on the Sea

S. And they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in
as God had commanded [Noah]; and the Lord shut him in and
closed [the door] round about him. (Genesis 7:16 AMP)

O. Imagine knowing God picked you and your family out of the entire population of the world and declared you were the only righteous ones.
Add into the mix the command to build that huge ark and fill it as God desired. Maybe a little overwhelmed that He choose you? Or determinedly wanting to help others repent and be saved with you? Honored? Privileged? Concerned? Fearful? What would you feel as you did God’s bidding? No matter the feeling, I am betting Noah knew beyond a shadow of a doubt when God closed that door Himself, that his family was completely loved by God and perfectly safe in His hands.
I won’t ignore the possibility that at times during the 150 days they might have longed to walk the lush earth, wondered how life would be on the outside, maybe felt cooped up, then on a vast planet knowing they were the only inhabitants and were commissioned to repopulate the earth were they overwhelmed? But above all, in their shoes it would be most important to remember that God picked them out, He saved them from His just punishment, He had personally set them apart and personally put His hand to the door to seal it in His protection and theirs was a temporary situation no matter how difficult, lonely, or overwhelming it may have seemed at any given time during the voyage!! If God had done all this, surely He would be with them through anything!

A. Many times we go through difficult times, God is always there with us! Nothing happens without His Knowledge. He has promised to never leave or forsake us and He knows we are human and often have questions, doubts, he knows how we were formed, that we are dust! That doesn’t change Him or His character, though. He Is Faithful! He will accomplish what He begins. His hand personally sealed them and protected their journey and so it will ours if we are walking with Him in obedience, following His direction, listening, trusting, and loving our loving Father.

P. Lord, continue to teach me how to set aside my doubts, feelings, questions, and fears and trust You even more than ever during the trials of life! Your Word says those that believe and accept Jesus as Savior have been Sealed with the Holy Spirit, your very Hand; and that You will never leave or forsake us. Help me to hold onto that when in the middle of the storms that come into our lives, because they will come! Help me walk in total trust of Your plan for good in my life, not evil, not harm; realizing that You can take the smallest or largest thing that happens and use it for good in my life including the painful or difficult things that happen. In the Mighty Name of Jesus” Amen!

My Thoughts on James 1

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Recently, I have begun to study the Book of James anew and I am seeing some new things and being reminded of many lessons already learned; some of them forgotten or lost in the busyness of everyday life. The Word of God is so full of wisdom and practical advice that I find it hard to understand those who say that believing in God and Jesus is a crutch for the weak! Anyone who seriously considers what is found in the Word will find out very quickly that it can be simple enough for a small child and complex enough for the most intelligent.  Serious students or scholars of the Word continue to find useful and new nuggets even after a lifetime of study.

James open up his letter with a friendly greeting but wastes no time getting to the meat of what he has to say to the scattered Christian Jews and to us today.  He is addressing a people who have faced persecution and have scattered in many different directions, so it is not surprising that he begins by talking about trials. They were experiencing all kinds of trials- from loss of possessions, prison, to loss of life. He is clear in his words: he says when trials come not if! He continues to say “consider it joy” when trials come. Before you say, “REALLY?” remember this was written as a letter and was read aloud to the recipients and circulated among the dispersed believers, it didn’t have the verse divisions we see today.  It will help to read it as a continual thought rather than separate verses. Then we can see that he is encouraging us to actually look beyond the trial and know that it is an opportunity to believe God and trust Him resulting in an increase of faith leading to maturity and completeness. In the Message translation it is put this way:

     “2 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

It is true that when we are pressed and under pressure, if we aren’t careful, we will act instinctively without giving much thought to what we are doing or saying. James is telling us to “consider” – pause and take some time before we panic or react in a way we may well regret. Take a moment to remember that what we are dealing with, though it is a surprise to us, does not surprise God or catch Him off guard. God is for us and not against us, so if this is really happening to me, there must be a higher purpose, something at stake or Glory to be won or lost based on how I handle myself in this situation.  Admittedly, this is not an easy or instinctive reaction to the pressures and troubles that come against us, but James is calling us to look at a larger picture. He goes on to tell us if we find ourselves needing wisdom in handling these troubles to ask God. He will give us freely and extravagantly the wisdom we need if we depend faithfully on Him! He warns us not to doubt, but have faith, Believe!

Please do not think I say any of this lightly, if I come across “preachy”, I am speaking to myself more than anyone.  I need to ask for wisdom more times than I can count, and neglect to ask more times than I’d like to admit or acknowledge!!  I love that James uses the word consider because it requires a portion of time to take something into consideration, to ponder over it and not make a snap decision or reaction. It takes a little patience and self-control not to react immediately or go into panic mode instantly when thing are getting turbulent and are not going our way.  Patience, self-control, taking time to ask for wisdom and wait for the answer all challenge our faith. Let’s draw a parallel to physical strength training here.  If you have an injury to a muscle, as you rest it and it heals, you lose some strength in that area. In the meantime, other muscles compensate for the injured muscle and are challenged to work harder. As the injured muscle gets well, in order to rebuild lost strength, you must challenge the muscle or work it. The more you work it the stronger it gets. This is also true for our faith. The more it is challenged and we respond appropriately, the more it grows! So, even when we are waiting for the wisdom and believing God for the answers, we are exercising our faith and faith exercised will grow!

There have been many times that I choose to react rather than consider and ended up right back where I started, but I have found beyond a shadow of a doubt, when I take time to consider, ask and wait I always land in a better place.  After the passage of time, I usually can look back objectively and see that God was working out something in me that was for the best and can be joyful for the journey that brought me to that place. I don’t really believe James want us to jump up and down and shout “hip-hip-hooray” when troubles come but to take the time to consider it, ask God for wisdom, follow what He says and joyfully know that though it may be difficult and we may suffer, in the end it will cause us to have more faith, be more mature and complete in Him and bring Glory to His name. We live in a fallen world rather than a perfect world and there are always going to be troubles, it is our choice what we will do with them and how they will influence and shape our character. May we always choose wisely, seeking wisdom from above!

Gratitude and Growth

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     Little did I know when I blogged “Trials, Trust, and Wisdom” how close our family was to having a trial of our own just waiting around the corner!  The three weeks been a whirlwind!  An unfortunate work accident in the family and extensive injuries in a loved one, two surgeries, time in ICU and doctors saying a long recovery involving pain and physical therapy wanting nothing more than to be home with his family . There are three children missing their parents, and an expectant mom spending most days and nights in a hospital room or waiting room concerned about his injuries and missing her children. Yet in all of the busyness I have been blown away at God‘s provision and at the outpouring of family, church family, co-workers, wonderful friends both near and far! The love, generosity of everyone, calls, texts, visits and provisions are all so appreciated. In a world where the economy is challenging, prices are soaring, and everyone is busy and dealing with their problems and trials, I have witnessed such generosity, care and compassion!

      I have watched how bravely those most affected have dealt with this trial head on with courage, grace, love and faith.  We have literally felt the prayers of the wonderful people in our lives who have faithfully lifted us up to God’s throne and above all have seen God’s faithfulness to our family! In this time of questions, struggles and unknowns we do well to lean in more heavily than ever, trusting that God is in control of the situation and remember He is the One “who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think —according to the power that works in you— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  Ephesians 3:20-21  Second Corinthians 1 has been lived out in front of us during this time! Surely God is the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,  so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.’

      A sweet friend reminded our ladies group yesterday morning of a treasured scripture found in Isaiah 43 which reads: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.  I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.  When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place,  it won’t be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God,   The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you:  all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me!  That’s how much I love you!  I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,  trade the creation just for you.’  As I wrote about in the earlier blog, the Word of God never tells us that we won’t have trials, tests, and troubles. It does tell us that not only  does God never leave or forsake us but He is with us during these times!  Nothing that happens to us catches God by surprise!! When we find ourselves in less than pleasant circumstances He is fully aware! The real question to ask ourselves is how we will respond to the circumstances we find ourselves in? Often times, fear or panic is our first response and we come up with a bunch of “what if…”  statements or questions. We do have another option, we can respond in faith, trusting that God is in control and that He has a plan for us and our future is  in place (Jeremiah 29:11) and that in time He will work out all things for our good in the end. (Romans 8:28) God can take the things we see as bad, difficult, impossible and turn it into something that builds our faith and trust and completely changes our life and our attitudes and outlook. We always have a choice and our response or reaction may mean the difference between a better life for what we have endured and learned or a bitter life because of the things we have been “victim” to.