Category: Perspective

Safe Places

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Proverbs 18:10 – The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected. 

You just never know what the people who surround you every day are going through! The fact is that people all around us are in struggles and battles. Many never feel free to share their struggles with us and don’t feel there is a safe place for them to turn to.  As I read this verse this morning, I thought of the many people that are in situations like this and feel that they must carry the burden with them because there just isn’t a safe place in their life to share in carrying the load. In our pursuit to find relief from our burdens and struggles we often go from person to person, or perhaps place to place, or thing to thing seeking affirmation, answers, solace, peace or rest from our struggles

This verse in Proverbs tells us that Yahweh is a strong tower. Strong Tower is defined as a fortress for purposes of defense. It is usually high up so it can be used as a look out. It is a safe place.  Next, let’s look at the word Yahweh. Yahweh is a Hebrew word that is used to speak of God. It is a reverential name often defined as the Ineffable Name or the Unutterable Name of God. It is used over 6,800 times in the Tanakh (known as the Old Testament to most of us)  According to Hebrew 4 Christians, Yahweh describes our God as being “beyond all predictions or attributes of language: He is the Source and Foundation of all possibility of all utterance and thus is beyond all definite descriptions.” Traditionally it is a name describing His mercy and compassion.

   God is the ultimate in safe places.  We as His people should also be safe places for the people within our sphere of influence. We are not to be god in their lives but to support them, pray with them and for them when they do not have the words or strength to pray, and to show God’s love, compassion and mercy to them in their time of trial and trouble, and to speak the truth in love to them without judgment or condemnation. One thing is sure; we all need a safe place, a strong tower that we can to run to in times of need and friends and love ones who will guide us to the ultimate Strong Tower.

Dare to Detox

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The power of our words is greater than we ever can imagine or grasp. Proverbs 18: 21 states:  Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.  I also read the above verse in the Amplified Bible. It adds [for life or death] at the end indicating that when we speak life and love it we will eat the fruit of life and if we speak death and love it we will eat the fruit of death. Toxic words will always produce toxic fruit and life-giving words bring forth  life and good fruit.

I physically experienced the effects of a toxin in June because of an allergic reaction to a medication which led to the need for another medication to counter act the first. This in turn led to a case of sun poisoning due to the second medication creating hypersensitivity to the sun and hives that continued for three weeks. Shortly after recovering from the physical object lesson, I encountered another one, this time in the realm of the mind and emotions. In the matter of minutes, a discussion escalated quickly and toxic words were hurled my direction because I expressed the Constitutional right of disagreeing parties to speak their opinion freely. Unfounded and unconfirmed assumptions were made that I sided with a specific side and now I was the enemy. It was a great object lesson on the power of words for me. Even when we do our best to be life-giving and affirming in our words, they can be misjudged and used against us. It is then we find ourselves at a crossroad, we can choose to continue to speak life, walk away, or we can choose to become toxic. It is our choice to make and we need to make that choice based not on what the other person is doing to us but on the type of person we want to be.

It is so easy to meet criticism with criticism; anger with anger; and all those other negative emotions with venom. The truth is we are called to a much higher standard as believers. I love the quote,’ God never said it would be easy, He said it would be worth it.” It is worth every ounce of strength and determination it takes to give a gentle answer when one is attacked. It may not seem so at the time but the long term benefit and the fruit outweigh the momentary satisfaction of self-defense. We might be wise to consider the validity despite the toxic delivery, pray for wisdom where it is concerned and  also it is important for us to remember that the person who insults, slanders, or harms us is not just hurting us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are God’s kids! If they are messing with us they are messing with God! When the children of Israel were in the Wilderness, God made it clear to Moses that they were not really grumbling against Moses but were grumbling against God, Himself. Only God knows the motives of our hearts or the heart of others. He is the only judge.  Keeping this in mind is one way to guard our heart, avoid offense and keep our words filled with life.

Cry of a Recovering People Pleaser

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As a former and recovering people pleaser, I have spent many years walking on egg shells and being very careful when sharing my thoughts or opinions with others often out of fear of offending or being met with anger. My Dad always would tell me in my growing up years, “you can’t please everyone, and there are those who can’t be pleased.”   Dad, I am still not there but I am learning. He also would say that you could please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time and that if I did not stand up for myself no one else would. Dad, I am learning. Some lessons are just learned by time and by experience and some take a life time to iron themselves out it seems.

My most recent encounter with the power of words is that no matter what words you use, how gentle or loving you attempt to use them, there is always the chance that someone will take offense or that they will be used against you. My most recent encounter was a stance for free speech, but because it was on such a hot topic, it came back to burn me deeply. My full intent was to stand up for Chick-fil-a’s right under our Constitution to express their belief both under freedom of religion and freedom of speech. The moment we take those rights away from any group, we are all subject to loosing those rights. No matter what group we are affiliated with, there will be others that don’t like our stance and want to take freedoms away from us. There are many that would like to discredit and shut down the voices of their opponents in this world despite the laws in our land. What I found was when someone doesn’t like what you have to say or doesn’t agree, even when you have gone to great lengths to be understood and are not trying to change their mind but just expressing your thoughts, sometimes it just isn’t enough. Sometimes people read between the lines and see things in your words that you did not say or imply and that have nothing to do with where your heart really is. This can happen for many reasons. Sometimes it is hard to have the right words to express our true hearts, other times feelings on the topic just run very deeply and our words cannot be heard or received the way they are intended no matter how well intended or loving they are meant to be. There are even rare times when you will just not be accepted for the basic fact that your beliefs are different from another’s.

The basic fact in all of this is we live in a diverse world full of individuals with different ideals, different beliefs, different agendas, and different personalities.  America is founded upon freedom and we should celebrate the right of others to think differently than ourselves without trying to shut them up or force them to change. Having said that, when we share our opinions we are due the same courtesy in return and that is to be heard and accepted for what we say without any reading between the lines, or attacks on our character. Sadly, civil discourse often gets lost in controversial conversations and it degrades to insults and attacks.

Where have manners, civility, respect and tact gone in our world? Every human being should be respected on the most basic level because they are a creation of God. Respect is something we give, trust is something we earn and if we disagree we can disagree agreeably or in a way that is respectful rather than tearing down those who think differently.  Life and death are in the power of the tongue.

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!!

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!!
 
    

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.

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. 

Trials, Trust, and Wisdom

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Trials, Trust, and Wisdom

September 22, 2011 by livinginhisgrace | Edit

      Wow, this morning’s devotion or S.O.A.P. reading is James chapter one. What a chapter, it is packed full of good stuff and some hard teachings.  The Message Bible says in the first verse, “Hello, Faith under pressure”.  For someone looking at this chapter through the eyes of human strength, they might say it is impossible to do what is asked here. One might ask, “What is this? I’m supposed to be grateful and see the trials, pressures, and stress in my life as a gift or a joy?”  But with God all things are possible-Matthew 19:26

       James also tells us not only to count it as joy or a gift, but to endure it and not try to get out of it prematurely! Why? Scripture tells us that it will make us into well-developed, mature people lacking nothing.  Does this seem impossible or too hard to do, especially if you are in the middle of a trial today? I know I have felt it was at times in my life! 

       The second verse says “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,” Notice it doesn’t say if you experience it but whenever you experience it. We all undergo times in our life where we struggle and suffer through trials that come our way. There are just things that happen to us that are beyond our control and when these come our way, we have a choice to make.  Will I become a victim to my circumstances and possibly become embittered by what is going on? or Will I rise above what is going on and become a better person because of it? Now I am not saying that we should ignore it or pretend that we are not suffering or struggling, what I am suggesting is that we acknowledge what is going on and look to our Loving Heavenly Father, and ask for the wisdom that is offered in verse 5. We can also ask what we can learn from what is happening and how we can deal effectively with what is happening. If we are believers in Jesus Christ (In Christ), we have the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. God is with us all the time; He knows what is going on in our life!  Second Peter 1:3-4 tells us,” For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.”

      When we were given the Holy Spirit, we were given everything we need to live a godly life.  When life throws me stressful curves, I certainly haven’t always known or believed this. Over the years, when the really big challenges or the loss of loved ones has come, I have learned that my first response needs to be to go to my Heavenly Father and ask for wisdom and trust Him.  He has promised to never leave or forsake us and He is faithful!  When I have tried to take things into my own hands without His wisdom or help, it has proven disastrous. When I go to Him first, things will work out much better and if I allow Him, He will use it to make me a better person.  Basically, when life throws me a curve that seeks to overwhelm me, I have to take a time-out or pause. I then have to choose to be intentional and not immediately react to the circumstance that is challenging me because if I react immediately, nine times out of ten, I will get myself into deeper trouble! This is a time we need to seek God’s wisdom, ask ourselves if  we brought on the problem, if not is there something God wants to show us or teach us through what is going on. 

         Looking back on life, there have been so many times that I couldn’t understand the purpose of this trial or that one. However, now in hind sight I can say without a doubt that God has used each one of the trials to grow me and stretch my faith! Things in life that would have overwhelmed me in the past no longer stir up fear or offense like they did before. It has taught me to face fear head on, to depend on God’s faithfulness and trust Him more with each trial I have encountered. God is no respecter of  persons, and what He has done for one of His children, He will do for all but it is up to us to seek Him, His counsel, and His wisdom through prayer and the Word of God!  Then we believe what He speaks to us, not doubting as verse 6 tells us. If we find our faith wavering we can pray, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24b). Our God is strong and powerful and He can and will honor our honesty in this. After all, He already knows our hearts and every word we say before it has reached our tongue. Nothing is hidden from Him.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (Holman Christian Standard Bible) Now to Him 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.