Built and Maintained

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation, he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:16

How firm a foundation, Jesus is the Rock of my salvation, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, The wise man built his house upon the rock. These are just a few of the songs that came to mind as I read this verse. How true that Jesus is the basis upon which our faith and hope is supported and stands. Come what may we know that our salvation is built upon truth that never changes, solid ground that never shifts, and absolutes that never give way to public opinion.

But a new aspect of this verse became apparent to me when I realized another meaning for foundation. It can refer to an organization or institution established by endowment with provision for future maintenance. Think of your life as the organization or institution that was established by Christ. Through faith in Him, He put us in a favorable position with Himself. It was then that we became members of His family and are given the full rights and privileges due to His children.

But the second part is what made my spirit leap. He has made provision for future maintenance. Just like when God created the universe and provided it with the necessary laws to keep it gong and continues to be involved in that process, He does the same thing with us as His new creations. He has given us all the things we need for the journey. As Ephesians 1:3 says, "He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing." The journey is not in seeking to obtain all that God has promised, but in realizing what is already ours. To embrace it, own it, and gain the full advantage of it.

We have a loving heavenly Father who is actively involved in the maintenance of our Christian life. He keeps us, preserves us from failure and decline, sustains us against opposition or danger, upholds and defends us, supports us, and provides for us. Our part is to cooperate with God as He does His work in us. May we not get in His way.

Father, You continue to amaze me with Your personal involvement in my life. May I never resist You. Amen.

The Right Kind of Refuge

For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception. Isaiah 28:15

Have you ever been lied to or deceived by someone you trusted? Living your life daily under the banner of "buyer beware" can leave you feeling drained. Someone has wisely said, "Growth in the Christian life begins with learning the truth about God, learning the truth about me, and letting the truth about God impact the truth about me."

It is easy to trust others to give us all the answers. I have seen many people follow false leaders to spiritual ruin. For those of you who are old enough to remember Jim Jones, you immediately see the 900 plus dead bodies lying all over the ground of the compound in Guiana. They had been lied to and they sought refuge in those lies. I am sure many people tried to warn them but they could not let go of what they thought the truth was.

At one time I held tightly to numerous lies about God and the Christian life. Let me share a few ~
God's love is dependent on what I do.
God tolerates me more than loves me.
I am saved by grace but must work at staying in His favor.
Conformity to church standards means conformity to God.
Other people can properly define my Christian life for me.

The list could go on and on but my point is this....true freedom in Christ began with letting go of what I THOUGHT was the truth and allowing God to show me what He was really like. He is now my refuge and I am concealed in His hands.

Sometimes the journey gets difficult but not as difficult as it was when I depended on others to tell me what to believe, how to act, what music to listen to, who to fellowship with, what version of the Bible to read, etc..... Now I place my hand in His on a daily basis and together we walk in truth!

Father, You waited decades for me to join You. Thank you for not giving up on me even now. Amen.

Where to Turn

Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered. Isaiah 20:6

Ever turned to someone for help only to find them unable or unwilling to assist you? The truth of the matter is that we live in a world that can leave us feeling abandoned, rejected, and alone. Where we look for warmth we might find a chilly reception. Where we might hope for acceptance we are greeted with rejection. Where we hope to feast we walk away hungry. What we hoped in and sought help from just didn't come through for us. God has a better plan.

Throughout the Psalms, David refers to God as his Hope and Deliverer. Why? Because God never changes and can always be counted on. He knows each of our stories from beginning to end. He is always interested in what we say and never turns a deaf ear to our cries for help.
I am learning to take my concerns and needs to God. It was a big turning point in my life when I realized He could and would meet every need I had. What freedom comes when I finally say, "God, here is what I need" and I allow Him to choose how He will meet that need. It may be the need for encouragement. God has a vast array of options. He may encourage me directly or He may use a person, a book, a song, a thought, a circumstance, or a fresh awareness. Throughout my day as something encouraging makes its way into my life I can then see God's involvement and personal touch.

So today let God know what your needs are. Give Him the freedom to meet your needs in His own way. After all, He knows you better than anyone. THEN watch to see what He does!

Father, so often I run to my own sources and options. May I learn to come to You first each time. It is then that I know I won't be disappointed. Amen.

His Inheritance

Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance. Isaiah 19:25

His people! The work of His hands! His inheritance! I love when the picture just keeps getting better and better! As His inheritance we are His possession of high value. Think of the people you value the most. The delight they bring to you. The joy you derive from spending time with them. What they mean to you. Just the thought of them brings a smile to your face. Future visits are anticipated with enthusiasm.

God's fondness of us is no different. The Bible reminds me that He watches us, thinks about us, delights in us, and even rejoices over us. That means a lot to me. I can think of nothing that brings me more pleasure than to realize someone who means the world to me also likes me as a friend. There are many people in this world who will never know of me let alone like me as a friend. But the God of the universe does!

To Him I am not one of many, a small part of a vast crowd, a nameless, faceless person. He knows me personally. He not only knows the number of hairs on my head but also knows the intents of my heart, the desires of my soul, every failure and every accomplishment, each tear and the reason it fell. He knows my moments of laughter as well as my moments of loneliness. He knows the words while they are still in my head as well as when they are spoken. He knows what hurts me and what heals me.

May I learn to see my life through His eyes. What I see, touch, hear, and feel may not always be truthful. That is why I need to know Scripture and my Father's heart well enough to counter lies with the truth. So today I can remind myself that I am part of His family, a work of His hands, and a highly valued inheritance of His.

Father, thank you for the worth, value, and significance You grant me. I come to You often for the reminders and You never fail to give me what I need. Amen.

His People

Blessed is Egypt My people. Isaiah 19:25

God does not see us as we often see ourselves. To Him we are precious. Isaiah says we are His people. Ever wanted to be part of a special group, join an elite club, or be the member of a certain family? Sometimes those cravings are due to feelings of insignificance in our own lives. We somehow think if we could just be part of a certain group it would somehow give us importance. But if we take an honest look we will see that even in the best of settings people still walk empty.

Significance must be a heart thing. It comes from knowing Jesus intimately and allowing Him to show us our worth and value. Outward sources are like garments we wear. They do nothing for our internal world. Blood transfusions and organ transplants are another story all together. God wants to transform us daily. He wants us to know that as His child we are all equally loved, cared for, and delighted in by a loving Heavenly Father.

With Him, we finally belong. We are the apple of His eye and able to bring Him pleasure.
Until we learn the truth about God and His genuine love for us we walk as unwanted orphans. We cannot afford to wait for people to come along and infuse us with this truth. God waits with anticipation for us to turn our faces and our hearts toward Him. He longs to give us what we actually crave.

Father, Your willingness to give so much astounds me. I want to receive all You have to give. Show me where my hands are still closed and clenched. Amen.

God's Way to Rule

A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; moreover, He will seek justice and be prompt in righteousness. Isaiah 16:5

When Saddam Hussein was brought down and his numerous atrocities were brought out into the open, we saw the result of a kingdom ruled by greed, harshness, abuse, hatred, and evil. The heart of kings definitely affects his leadership as well as the lives of the ones he rules. In the spirit world, Satan is himself that kind of leader. He is void of compassion, mercy, grace, and love. He is the exact opposite of God and his ways are diametrically opposed to God's ways.

Look at one's character and you will quickly see what their leadership is built on. God is righteous so He establishes His kingdom on righteousness. He is also just and makes justice a part of His rule. He epitomizes love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. These are His principles whereby He rules.

The recipients of such extravagance experience a joy in His kingdom. They see the benefits of His rule and walk in freedom. Although they will experience pain and injustices in this world they never have to fear those will be brought on by their King.

Father, life can be cruel and people can be hateful, but You are the One I can trust to never treat me thus. Amen.

Two Options

Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11

Have you ever watched the news and felt enraged over the injustices of the world? We see people opposed to God and His ways. Today's verse uses four words that pretty much sum up the darkness of hearts: evil, iniquity, arrogance, and haughtiness.

God has two ways of dealing with His creation. The Bible says "all have sinned" so each of us can now put ourselves in this verse ~ after all, we were born into this world with a sin nature that is capable of the most heinous crimes and perverted life styles. If left on our own we would face God's judgment. He says He will punish evil, put an end to arrogance, and abase haughtiness. Don't think for one minute that God is not witness to every thing that goes on in this world. This verse is a peek into the end of the story. Mistaken is the person who can't see that while God is certainly a God of love, He is also a God of judgment.

If this verse was the only option we would have reason to live our life out in fear and hopelessness. But God has something else to offer in place of His wrath and judgment. As a matter of fact, He has a list of gifts to offer. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God is able, willing, and desirous to offer us grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, compassion, and adoption into His family. Undeserved? Yes! His gifts cannot be earned, bought, or worked for. They can only be believed and received. He is a God who loves to lavish us with Himself.

The next time you are sharing the Gospel with someone, show them the contrast between Isaiah 13:11 and John 3:16. There are only two possibilities: God's judgment or God's grace. One is deserved but the other is offered freely.

Father, You are truly a gracious God. I marvel at Your gift of salvation. May I not keep Your offer a secret. Amen.

Thirst Relief

If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. John 7:37b

I often think of this verse as an invitation for salvation. But now I am coming to realize its daily significance and necessity. The phrase "come to me" strikes me. Many times we tend to fill our lives with various activities and relationships. Even as Christians, we have a list of sources meant to make us feel better on bad days. But I am finding that although they might bring temporary relief they do not possess the ability to meet my needs on a permanent basis.

Jesus didn't say, "If you are thirsty go to church, read a book, call a friend, or get busy." He said, "Come to Me." It is a personal invitation He makes to each of us so that we might have an intimate relationship with Him. How precious this becomes when you realize that one definition for thirst is an ardent desire, craving, or longing. His invitation has no limits or exclusions.
I cannot quench my own thirst. I picture myself coming to Jesus with cup in hand. I drink from His life. He quenches the thirst in me that goes deep. The question is, "How quickly will I go to Him with my needs"?

When I am lonely He wants to be my companion. When I am tired he wants to be my rest. When I am fearful He wants to be my shelter. When I am weak He wants to be my strength. In other words, whatever my needs he wants to be the meeter of them.

My day must start with taking long, hard drinks from Scripture. It is my spiritual breakfast as I take in a portion of what He has prepared for me for that particular day. But throughout the day I become aware of my thirst in various areas. So once again I find myself needing to return to Him for yet another drink.

Isaiah 12:3 says it beautifully. Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. Each time I meet with Jesus it is like I am taking my bucket and filling it at His spring. There is no limit or time constraint when it comes to the number of times I come to Him and drink. May it be often!

Father, Your invitations throughout Scripture are meant for me today. May I internalize all that You have for me today. Amen.

A Source of Comfort

Then you will say on that day, I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Isaiah 12:1

I love seeing the heart of God in Scripture. For years I would read a verse like this and only see the phrase, "You were angry with me." I know what it is like to be around people who are displeased with me, irritated with me, and just plain angry with me. My response is usually to avoid them if there doesn't seem to be a way to get on their good side. They are the last people I would seek comfort and encouragement from.

On the other hand, I know the people I feel safe with and would easily turn to for comfort and reassurance. Their hugs would be sincere and their soothing words would reach my spirit. True comfort would come because they know my story and don't hold it against me.

I take delight in the fact that while there will be days God is angry with my actions, He is also the One to comfort me. Once the anger is spent and the discipline is complete, He is the One who can make me feel better deep down inside. Whether it is relief from pain, shame, or difficulties, it is His arms that remind me I am His child and He still delights in me.

When I think of being comforted, I think of a person's arms around me and hearing them speak words of assurance to me. The odd part is that I don't usually seek the comfort from someone I have offended or angered. If I got into trouble as a child my experience was to keep my distance until the offense was forgotten or the anger had subsided. As a parent, my heart breaks to see my children respond in the same way.

God is different. The very One who gets angry at me is the One who comforts me.

Father, Your arms never fail to be open and Your heart never stops desiring reconciliation. I come to You! Amen.

Choose and Refuse

He will eat curds and honey at the time he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. Isaiah 7:15

Go into a grocery store and choices abound. Although we may have our reasons for purchasing certain items one thing cannot be denied. Buying something implies that I refused other things. Eating abounds with choices as well. Whether my selections of food are good for me or not I still refuse some foods as I choose others. The list could go on and on ~ houses, cars, friends, clothes. My life is full of choices I make daily. Refusing and choosing is an on going process.

The Lord points out an important feature for me to be aware of...refuse evil and choose good. What a concept to instill in our children and to embrace for ourselves. If truly lived out, think of the ramifications that would follow. How different our actions and attitudes would be if we simply applied this principle of refusing evil and choosing good to the choices we make each day.
I must ask myself how it would affect my conversations, my treatment of people, my television viewing, my job performance, my driving, my family life....the list is endless. I would venture to say the change would be noticeable. Think of what it would do to gossip, impatient responses to loved ones, treatment of enemies, desires for revenge, and response when things do not go my way.

People who know me well know that I love to look words up in the dictionary. It's like shining a light in a darkened room. So once again I have decided to get a better understanding of these two words. In light of what I've written so far, meanings become even more precious.

Refuse means "unwillingness to accept, do or comply with. Deny, give up, renounce." And my favorite is "to withhold acceptance, compliance, or permission." All are good ways to respond to evil.

Choose is also rich with meaning. It means "to select freely, to decide on, to have a preference for, to take an alternative." That should be my desire for good. And Scripture is full of verses that start with the word choose. May I choose and refuse wisely today.

Today, Father, I want Your principle of refusing and choosing to guide my steps, decisions, and activities. May the results astound me! Amen.

Just Ask

Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven. Isaiah 7:11

We have a God who loves to lavish us with Himself! In Isaiah 7, God has just finished telling Ahaz not to be afraid because He is going to bring down his enemies. God was aware of the threats on His people and He was aware of the fear His people walked in. I love His answer! Basically He says, "I know your situation. Don't be afraid. I will handle this for you." Then instead of a message on trust He opens the door for Ahaz to request a sign for himself and lets him know there is no limit to the invitation.

God understands our weaknesses and frailties. He is not offended when we are in need of assurance. Gideon was a man who knew how to ask God for evidence of His direction. We too can ask God to confirm things for us. I have a dear friend who is teaching me the wisdom of asking God to confirm whether or not she is making wise choices in matters. She says He often does this in threes. It helps me to see God as a meeter of individual needs. Right in today's verse He says, "Ask a sign for yourself." I think of all the miracles in Scripture that were performed for an audience of one. God does not need a large number of people before He shows up. He delights in one on one meetings. How rare that is in great leaders or popular people.

I also love the fact that God does not limit what can be asked of Him ~ deep as Sheol and high as heaven. It is like asking for a drink of water and being given an artisan well. He is willing to go to great lengths to bring assurance to His children.

There are times that assurance may come as I stand on the promises made in His Word. But there are also times God graciously shows me visible signs and confirmation of His direction. Many times He'll even choose people to guide my steps.

Today may be a day I get extravagant in my requests of Him. How precious to know my requests are not met with a Scrooge mentality. I take comfort in the instances where people in the Bible were granted extraordinary answers. May I join them!

Father, may my view of You continue to be enlarged. For decades I missed seeing Your kind heart, willing interventions, and abundant availability. I lived in spiritual poverty and blindness. Thank you for riches and eyesight that leave me speechless. Amen.

Rich Conversations

Hear the word of the LORD.....give ear unto the law of our God. Isaiah 1:10

Isn't it remarkable how we can be in a room full of people and we only hear what we are tuned in to listen to? If I am involved in a conversation I am not really interested in, my ears will begin to search out other voices in the room. Although I may still be talking with the same person, I am straining to hear the other conversations. My relationship to and feelings for the person I am talking with have a lot to do with how receptive I am to what they are saying.

In the same way, my desire to hear what God has to tell me is a measure of my relationship with Him and my feelings toward Him. But many times His words fall on deaf ears as I strain to hear other people in my life. He knows whether or not He has my undivided attention. His heart is grieved when His conversation with me does not take priority.

He longs for communion with His children. He has much to say to us through His word and in prayer. Am I tuned in to Him? Am I hanging on every word and walking away savoring the time we spent together?

He not only wants me to hear what He is saying, He wants me to take it in, mull it over, digest it thoroughly , and live off the feast all day long. Each time I meet with Him is meant to be a feast I freely partake in. His words are meant to be health to my very bones.

I often reference my friendships as ways to measure my connection with God. I have several close friends who literally speak life into me. Conversations with them leave me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Their words play over and over again in my mind long after our conversation has ended or their email has been read. I find myself anticipating the next time we can sit down together indulge in rich fellowship.

THAT is the way I want it to be with God. THAT is God's desire as well. Jesus said if I ask anything according to my Father's will He will do it for me. This is a guarantee concerning having conversations with God being better than even those with my closest friends.

God, I want that!!!! Amen!

Touching God's Heart

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Haggai 1:8

God derives pleasure and glory when we obey. What a thought! And the opposite has to be true as well, disobedience brings displeasure and robs Him of glory. The Bible is full of commands for us to obey. Practical daily principles are ours to embrace and follow. Each act of obedience no matter how small brings God both pleasure and glory. Others may not notice it but God never misses an act of kindness, mercy, love, sacrifice or compassion.

It reminds me of times I have been in a crowd of people looking for one familiar face. There is instant joy and delight when my eyes finally lock with the person I am searching for. God too is looking for the moments of obedience and easily spots each one. Like a miner panning for gold, they stand out to God as precious treasures.

It use to be so easy to see Him as a God who took more notice of my sin than my sterling moments. I was blind to the fact that I could even bring God pleasure. I now rejoice in the thought that while He casts my sin behind His back and discards it in the depths of the sea, He remembers the times I have actually obeyed Him and joined His heart. In eternity He will reveal the things He took notice of and I will marvel at what things in my life brought Him pleasure and glory.

Within the next 24 hours how many opportunities await me to bring Him delight? So often we forget it is not about waiting for eternal rewards ~ though they certainly await us. But rather it is in knowing that right here and now I can touch the heart of God as surely as He touches mine.

Father, the fact that You are affected by my actions astounds me! May I bring You much pleasure today! Amen.

Futile Living

You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes. Thus says the LORD of hosts, Consider you ways. Haggai 1:6,7

It is easy to pour our energies into something only to have the results come up insufficient for what we hoped for. People are capable of doing the right things without gaining the full benefits.
My younger brother, Timmy, was born with Cystic Fibrosis in 1970. He died at the tender age of 9. His physical condition pictured this verse so well. Before he was diagnosed with CF he was literally starving to death. Although we fed him, his body could not properly digest the food. He ate but received no nutritional value from the food. Upon being properly diagnosed he was put on medication that compensated for his physical weakness.

In the spiritual realm we must come to the place of realizing we too are malnourished and in need of God's compensation. When I spent decades living my Christian life out of fear, duty, and performance the emptiness and frustration were waiting to envelope me. God had to teach me to take an honest look at my way of living the Christian life. There were several reasons for my unsatisfactory results.

I had a wrong view of God for one. I saw Him as a harsh judge with love that was dependent on what I did for him. I cannot tell you the freedom that engulfed me when I realized His love was unconditional. My actions would not diminish or increase His love for me.

I depended on other Christians to define my Christian life for me. I felt better if my standards came from them. My Christian life had been reduced to the external rather than the internal world. God always desires that our hearts would affect our actions....not the other way around. The denominational walls were built, versions of the Bible were suspect, and music was VERY limited. It had become a recipe for disaster.

Father, You wanted me to know there was abundant freedom if I would just open my hands to receive all You had for me. I do so with joy! Amen.

My True Source

Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria;Your nobles are lying down.Your people are scattered on the mountains and there is no one to regather them. Nahum 3:18 (New American Standard Bible)

I read a verse like this and I am filled with such security that it does not describe my heavenly Father. Ever have someone you were counting on who could not or would not come through for you? How tragic when that happens to be a parent, spouse, or best friend.

But the truth of the matter is people are human and they will fail. Yet my heavenly Father is eternal and cannot fail. He is a strong hold in the day of trouble, He gathers us in His arms like a shepherd, He does not slumber or sleep, He never leaves me or forsakes me, I am held secure in His hands.

For years I longed for a human source to be all of that for me. And when they were not able to be that for me I was left with feelings of loneliness, despair, and frustration. There are still times I see myself repeating the pattern.

But now I am leaning how much God wants me to seek Him to meet those needs of my heart. He shelters, sustains, comforts, and strengthens me in so many ways.

Any time I look to people I must realize at best they are a mere shadow of the real thing. God uses people in my life ~ most definitely! But He continues to remind me He is the source of living water and they are the faucets.

Father, may I continually go to You and find You more than enough! Amen.

Being Set Free

Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. Ezekiel 34:27

Bondage and enslavement for God’s chosen people usually came in two distinct areas for them….idolatry and captivity from other nations. It is imperative that I see the places of bondage and enslavement in my own life so that I am able to bring those issues to the Lord for His deliverance.

I use to look at any problems in my life as personality flaws and sinful habits. God wants me to go deeper and see the problems for what they are. What is it He is breaking and delivering me from? Idolatry, strongholds, and spiritual oppression. Over the years, each one has robbed me of the ability to live in the freedom He desired for me.

Idolatry for me is looking to others to be for me what only God can be. It is looking to another person to meet my internal needs, give me my identity, and fix all the broken areas in my life. No matter how deeply I ache for such things I must realize they are not equipped to be that for me and only God is! As I learn to bring the needs to Him and receive His work in my life I marvel at what He accomplishes.

Strongholds are the things in my life that control and consume me. Although they abide in my thoughts they are chains around my life. God is not only willing to show me what my personal strongholds are but to set me free from every one of them. I do not have to be a prisoner to addictions of any kind. There is hope and freedom available.

Spiritual oppression has been the hardest area for me to identify in myself. It manifests itself in me through dark moods and dark thoughts. I look back now and I can see the patterns but for years I lived as a victim to the attacks. I believed if the thoughts were in my head they must be mine. How wrong I have been! What starts out as a negative thought quickly deteriorates into a mental battle that takes me to a pit of despair. The only remedy is to come against the attacks in prayer. Rebuking the work of the enemy, placing myself under the protective blood of Christ, and asking God to infuse me with His peace and safety bring instantaneous results that I have only recently begun to experience in my own life.

Father, first You had to show me where I was imprisoned. Then you had to give me hope that You would set me free. I revel in Your work! Amen.

God's Heart

The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

I do not like confrontation and I certainly do not want to be the recipient of someone else's wrath. Micah 1:1-6 gives a vivid picture of God's anger toward His enemies. It is not a pretty picture but so necessary to get a full view of God's heart. It uses words like angry, jealous, revenge, vengeance, and wrath. In His presence, mountains quake, hills melt, and the earth burns. Jonathan Edwards captured an accurate picture of this aspect of God in his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

If this were the only picture of God in Scripture, we would live hopeless and helpless. Meeting with God daily would look more like the scene from the "Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy and her friends first went before the wizard. Our souls would shake and our hearts would melt.
But as God's child, I revel in today's verse that speaks of God's goodness, protection, and knowledge. What assurance is mine as I am reminded that God is good and He is my place of security in the storms of my life! And yet the personal touch to all of this is that "He knows the ones who trust in Him."

I have some incredible people in my life. Some I never thought I would get to know on a personal level. As we have shared the stories of our life with each other the friendship has developed into a precious bond. To think that at one time they did not even know I existed but now we know each other intimately. Our "I love you" statements are not general statements any more. They are proclamations from our hearts.

To think that the God of the universe knows me better than anyone else and desires that I know Him as well is astounding. He is aware of my strengths and weaknesses, my thoughts as well as my actions, my sterling moments as well as my depravity.

I tend to realize a friend's love for me, not during my shining moments so much as by the moments when I have blown it. Security comes when seeing my bad side does not cause them to back away from me and reject me.

Father, You loved me even before You began to change me. That is a comforting thought. I don't think I will ever get use to it. You astound me with Your radical love. I rest in that today! Amen.

A Pro Active God

He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities, and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

God's pro active response to our sin is so amazing. The story of the prodigal son when he returns home is a picture of us each time we return to God. The father pictures the heart of God so well. He has been waiting for the son, runs to meet him, enfolds him with arms of compassion, and lavishes goodness on him. I see that scene magnified in the first part of Micah &:19. We have a heavenly Father who always turns again and has compassion on us. It is in His heart to respond and demonstrate such love.

Too often, on a human scale, I fail to give or receive such a response to offenses, hurts, and injustices. May His Spirit transform me into a person with a heart for forgiveness like His.
But the second part of the verse displays God's pro action toward our actual sin. The KJV says he "subdues" our iniquities (wickedness). I often think of subdue to mean bring under control or to over take something. But it also means to tread down, to conquer. God's love for me is directly opposite of His hatred for sin. He stomps all over it and then casts it into the sea. The depths of the sea....the deepest part. Like a ball hit out of the field, sin is "out of here"....GONE!!!!

He separates my sin from me. While I receive His loving embrace, my sin gets the boot. For years I thought God could only see me through the grid of my sin, failure, and depravity. This verse is one way He is fixing my picture of Him.

Father, You are so much more loving than I ever hoped You could be! May I never get over Your compassion, mercy, and love! Amen.

What God Delights In

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. Micah 7:18

I love God's heart! This verse displays four things God does that are abounding with His goodness. He pardons our wickedness, passes over our violations of His law, doesn't remain angry, and actually delights in demonstrating mercy.

I know the things that bring me joy and extreme satisfaction. The things and people I take great pleasure in. Mercy is one thing God delights in. So many people look at God as One who derives pleasure in punishing them. To them, He is a harsh task master who wants nothing more than to take enjoyment for life away from them. The almighty kill joy. That was my view of Him for decades.

But THAT is not the God of the Bible. His arms are not folded ~ they are open wide as He invites us to reconcile with Himself. There is joy in heaven when repentance takes place on earth. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came to them. when David sinned, God confronted him. God's great delight in David was the fact that he too longed for reconciliation. If I can fully grasp His desire to extend me mercy and the delight that is His when He does so, I am more inclined to come to Him with my sin.

So I must ask myself if I also delight in mercy. Not only receiving God's mercy but extending it to others. As his child I am to mirror His heart of compassion to others. When someone comes to me for reconciliation do they sense in me a delight to show mercy? Or do I hold on to bitterness, enjoy watching them squirm, and let them walk in shame for what they've done?

May I allow God to change me in such a way that mercy becomes my delight as well. Today I will come face to face with the actions of others that offend me, hurt me, and just plain tick me off! Each will be an opportunity to not only extend mercy but delight in it as well.

Father, You have delighted in showing me mercy innumerable times. May I now reflect Your heart of mercy toward others. Amen.

His Supply

He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. Psalm 105:41

I am encouraged by this verse. In it I see God's hand, God's supply, God's presence, God's awareness, God's care, God's unusual choices, and God's provision. Just like He was aware of the needs of His people in the wilderness, He is aware of my needs.

The children of Israel most likely looked for water and when none could be found, despair and anger set in. The usual sources of water were unavailable to them so they assumed God's unavailability as well.

Psalm 105 encourages me to remember the wonderful things God has done in the past. Remembering brings hope to the present situation. Each of us can look back in our life and see God's work. He provided for us in the past ~ He'll do so again now. We must review His character, His power, His direction, His provision, and His intervention. The supply is limitless.
I may not be able to see how God will meet certain needs in my life but HE knows. When I am spiritually thirsty He has a "rock" to open where water gushes out to run in the dry places of my life. It may be a book I read, a speaker I hear, a song I listen to, a friend I meet. If I come to Him with a need and desire His method for meeting the need I will be astounded at His wondrous work on my behalf.

God, You are always moved by my plights. You have provisions in hand. May I open my heart to receive all You have for me! Amen.

My Lift and My Light

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:8

Some of the most difficult moments in our lives are when we experience despair, depression, and discouragement. The sense of hopelessness can be overwhelming at times. We have all been there ~ some more than others. Loss of a job, death of a loved one, a crisis of some sort. Unless we remember that God holds our very life in the palms of His hands we can begin to believe that people and circumstances direct and define us.

Micah shows me two lights at the end of the tunnels of life. I see proclamations and promises in both. "When I fall, I shall arise." Someone once said every valley is situated between two mountains. While there are things to be learned in the valleys of life, God's purpose and intent is never to leave me there. It is an opportunity to know God's heart better and to develop in me some Christ-like qualities. But I shall arise every time! Resurrections are common occurrences in a believer's life. Those things that seem to be put to death will some day be brought back to life in a richer way. Nature itself shows me this as a seed dies to bring forth a plant. With each discouragement and disappointment I too can voice the words, "I shall rise."

Each of us also knows times of darkness in our life. Times when we feel like our very soul is being placed in the blackness of a cave. How reassuring to know the Lord will be a light to us! Light can do a number of things. It dispels darkness, reflects off certain objects, reveals things that could not be seen in the dark, illuminates paths, and even brings warmth. My mom once told me to keep a candle in my car. If I somehow lost power the candle would give off enough light and heat to sustain me for a period of time. It is amazing to thing of the effect a small light has in a dark cave.

Father, how precious to know that You not only pick me up when I have fallen, but You are my light in the dark moments and places of my life. Amen.

Really Knowing

Jesus answered and said unto them, ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Matthew 22:29

So many of our difficulties and unvictorious situations are a result of not knowing God's Word and God's power. It is not true that what we don't know can't hurt us. It is tragic to not know God's Word and God's power. God's Word is alive and active, full of wisdom, direction, promises, commands, and the very heart and mind of God. But if we don't know His Word we have so little to hold to.

Knowing something to be true makes a difference in our actions and reactions. If I am driving down a road at night and am warned of a bridge that is out, I will change my course to avoid an accident and possible death. My ignorance will not do away with the reality of the bridge.

Knowing God's power goes hand in hand with believing God's power. Faith moves God to a demonstration of His power. I think of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment. She believed and extended her hand in faith. May I learn to do the same.

I want my view of God to be enlarged. I want to see God in new, living, and powerful ways. I want to see his intervention in my life and the lives of others. I marvel that people in the Bible saw the miracles but with time their experience lost its excitement in their life. May I never desire to see God's hand more than His face. May knowing Him personally lead me to knowing His power. May I be found asking Him for more than He is willing to do.

Father, may I stop playing my life so safely. May my prayers become extravagant! Amen.

My Willful Choice

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

It seems that the hardest times to proclaim rejoicing and joy in Christ are when we face the harshnesses of life. The unfairnesses and injustices of this world sometimes paralyzes our faith. When needs go unmet, friends desert us, health fails us, or provisions are no where to be found, our view of God is suddenly exposed for what it really is.

When life gets difficult can I still proclaim the truths I voiced so easily during the good times? Do I still say God is good? Do I still trust Him? Do I still find my satisfaction and fulfillment through Him? Do I still feel like I am the apple of His eye and revel in the truth that my name is engraved in the palm of His hand?

It is in the midst of difficult moments that those truths become more precious to me than ever before. I must not look at God through my gird of uncomfortable circumstances but rather I must look at the circumstances through the grid of truth about God.

I have found great strength during my seasons of doubting when I began to voice out loud the truths about God. My circumstances and feelings do not change who God is and how He feels toward me one bit.

So like Habakkuk, when life is not going well and all seems to be hopeless, I choose to rejoice in the Lord and joy in my God. I choose to continue to believe I am in his care and sheltered by His arms. I choose to believe God and praise Him at ALL times!

Father, sometimes I have to proclaim these truths in sheer faith. Amen.

Deliverance

There shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of the enemies. Micah 4:10

I use to not like the wildernesses of my Christian life. Spiritual highs were what I lived for and spiritual lows were avoided as much as possible. I did not know their purpose, what to do during the "dry" season, or what God could accomplish through them. So instead of reaping the richness of the moments I looked for the quickest way to exit!

Now that I am further along on my journey I can see a pattern. In Micah 4:10 God brings Israel out of the city. He often brings me out of my comfort zones and places of security. He lead them to a field. He brings me into my own spiritual wilderness. A place that feels dry and uncomfortable. But then deliverance comes!

I have enemies He desires to set me free from. Israel had other nations as their enemies. I have Satan, the flesh, and the world. Satan seeks to destroy me, my flesh longs to control me, and the world wants to influence me. Anything or anyone that leads me away from God and His purposes must be looked upon as an enemy to my walk with God.

God wants me to live in bondage to no person, habit, attitude, or idol. His desire is that I walk in victory and freedom. I must ask Him to reveal to me the places where I am not yet doing that. The areas that seem to have such a strong hold on me that I despair of ever being delivered.
God's words through Micah are for me to claim today and every day. He longs to redeem and deliver me. May I learn to see the truth and cooperate with his work to set me free.

Father, You hold the key to every lock on every chain that binds and confines me. May I allow You to continually set me free. Amen.

Who Am I Imitating?

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. Micah 4:5

I find that the people I get to know, spend time with, and highly respect have the biggest influence on my life. Their words begin to live in me as I find myself thinking like them, responding like them, even talking like them. That's called imitation and that's a good thing if who I am imitating is Christlike.

The same is true of following Christ. If I am saturating myself with His Words then it will have an effect on the way I think, act, and speak. He is the ultimate pattern for me to follow.
Sometimes I need a visual example of His character. So He graciously sends people into my life who demonstrate His qualities. When I see tenderness in another person I can more fully understand God's tenderness toward me. When a mentor allows me to be dependent on her for wisdom and guidance I can see Jesus as my personal mentor. When I have blown it and a dear friend embraces me (instead of abandoning me) I can understand more clearly Christ's willingness to forgive me and still love me.

I think of the gods people follow and they cannot compare with my Father. No other god daily demonstrates love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Under them there is no realization of being cherished and embraced. I have a personal God who wants me to know him.

Father, may I always chose to walk in Your name. How I thank You for letting me follow You! Amen.

Full of Power

But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Micah 3:8

What is the key to owning power through the Spirit of God, and of judgment, and of might? Obedience! In Micah 3, God's judgment for Israel's disobedience was silence and the withdrawal of His presence. God saw the leaders' cruel treatment to His people. Just as Satan seeks whom he may devour, we see the devouring of God's people by the very ones who should have been protecting them, encouraging them, and patterning God to them. James says that teachers will receive the greater judgment. Why? Because they affect the lives of so many people. They can lead with the tenderness of Jesus or the cruelty of Satan.

There are times I feel the presence of God in my life. Just last night He replaced turmoil with peace, confusion with direction, and idolatry with worship of Himself. Like the tide that comes to shore and then returns to the sea, my load gave way to His touch. It took tears and a time of getting out in the open what was living in my heart. God truly does require honesty in the inward parts. It is then that He can come in and heal my spirit and restore to me the joy of my salvation. It is then that I can let go of the very things that have prevented me from taking His hand. Like the peace that follows a storm, God calms me inwardly and at that point surrender becomes my catalyst for receiving what He longs to give to me.

He is a God of exchange. He longs to give me strength for my weakness, forgiveness for my sin, direction for my wandering, joy for my tears, peace for my turmoil.

Father, today I revel in Your presence. Your Spirit as well as the spirit of judgment and power are mine when I yield to Your touch. You have once again engaged my heart and it is a place I long to always abide. Amen.

Settling Things

But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord..." Numbers 5:8a

Ever have a nagging feeling over a sin in your past that you have never been able to make right with the person? Maybe they've died or you've lost complete contact with them? I have often wondered what to do with those things. Although they have been confessed and forgiven I have often wished I could still make it right with them.

This morning in Sunday School a verse became crystal clear to me and I was greatly encouraged. According to Numbers 5:8 I can make restitution to God in the cases where the person is no longer reachable.

Think back to a time when you were younger and you decided to take some candy from a store without paying for it. I have found that the sins that nag at me are the ones I never got caught doing (at least caught by people). The store no longer exists and the owners are long gone. How can I then repay them for my theft? According to Numbers 5:8 I can give the money to God. It is the closure I need and the encouragement I appreciated today.

Learning to Let

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Phil. 2:5

I never gave that little word "let" much thought....until tonight. I always summed this verse up to mean "think like Christ" or "have the same attitude as Christ." Sometimes I was left with the "just do it" mentality. Once again I felt like I had to just dig in with all my strength, grit my teeth, and somehow master having the attitude of Christ. I had to think like Him, respond like Him, act like Him when all the while I knew I wasn't Him! Result? Failure and a good reminder that "without Him I can do nothing."

So I looked up the word "let" in the dictionary....my favorite Bible companion. One definition jumped out at me! Let: to permit to enter. That simple definition shed new light on an all too familiar verse. What God wants me to do is allow Christ's mind to enter me...give His mind free access into my internal world.

My mind is already swimming with the thoughts of what hinders His mind from entering me? Certainly the world, the flesh, and the devil all readily bolt the doors as best they can. Christ will not barge His way in. He waits....hoping I will decide to give His mind entry.

May I start each day with an open invitation for Christ's mind to enter and dwell in me. And since I determine how long His mind will stay in me, may I desire a permanent residence!

Father, it is becoming evident to me that so much of this journey takes place in my mind. My thoughts become the catalyst for my actions, words, tone of voice, motives, etc... How much better to LET Your mind be that catalyst! Amen.

Believing the Lies

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me. Psalm 139:23, 24 (King James Version)

This morning I am looking at this verse in a different way. I use to think of God as a condemning, harsh judge who enjoyed nothing more than to pick my life apart, lay the ugly truth before me, and sharply tell me to start measuring up! With a view like THAT why would I ever feel like inviting Him to search me and know me? Activity was my way of trying to distract God from seeing the flaws or at least from me seeing them. I had somehow bought into the lie that God only sees my sin. The thought of God delighting in me, cherishing me, or loving me unconditionally was foreign to me.

But this morning as this verse came to mind I realized that God's searching is not to find out hidden things for Himself. He already knows every part of my life....inside and out. His searching is to reveal aspects of my life to myself. Sometimes that involves revealing sin to me. But many times it is also to reveal where I have been hurt, where I am still broken and bleeding, where I need to replace all the lies about God and myself with the truth.

Although at times this process can be difficult and painful it is always done with loving, gentle hands. God is continually reshaping my thinking. Just this week I have been realizing I still harbor many wrong opinions about God. When I find it difficult to tell God what I really think, feel, or fear He tells me in prayer that the difficulty comes because I still believe lies about Him. I still have someone else's face on Him. If I cower and hide I am still under the assumption that He is a God to be avoided instead of embraced. That His love is based on my performance of duties rather than a heart of love. That He prefers distance to drawing near.

He is daily helping me to see the twisted lies I have lived under. My view of Him is like a valuable painting that has been painted over. What God is doing is slowly taking away the chips of paint so that the Masterpiece of Himself can be clearly seen. And as I see the portrait restored to its original form I am able to trust His searching of me and knowing of my heart.

Father, I finally yield to Your searching and knowing. You are trustworthy, gentle, and good! Let me see what You have seen all along. Amen.

Having A Right View of God

What are you doing here, Elijah? I Kings 19:9

Many times God uses questions to probe our heart. They are meant to get us to search for the reasons behind our actions, words, and attitudes. God seeks to draw the truth out of us. Elijah had an answer ready for God but the conclusion he drew was incorrect. He thought he was the only follower left. Many times circumstances can distort our perception of God and ourselves. If one person rejects us then we interpret that to mean all people are rejecting us. If something goes wrong we feel everything is going wrong. Then the very thoughts we hold toward others become the thoughts we hold against God.

God always desires to reveal Himself to us. He wants to do nothing more than take our false, pre-conceived ideas and replace them with the truth. Usually the distortions are: God does not love me, God is angry with me, God is too busy for me, God is preoccupied. So far from the truth!

The Bible reveals much about the heart and character of God. When I have a wrong view of God, it is imperative that I counter it out loud with Scripture. For instance, if I tell myself God does not love me, I must counter it with God loves me with an everlasting love. He does not care must hear casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. And so on.

God does not mean for us to walk through life with lies about Himself. He loves it when we ask Him to reveal Himself to us.

Father, You present such a clear picture of Yourself. May I no longer live with the distorted ones. Amen.

He Provides What I Need

Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. I Kings 19:7b

After a great victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah is running for his life and praying God would take his life. Jezebel is convinced she holds sway over his life and she has convinced Elijah of that very thing.
This morning I am sad. My emotions are on the surface. The fingers of authority threaten to strangle me and the prospects for the next three years look dim. I have struggled to journal or even feast on God’s Word.

Elijah was given bread and water to eat. He was sustained for forty days on what he ate. He went in the strength of that food. What is it that God will feed me with at this time of my life? His Word. His Spirit. His presence. Although I have given up all personal plans I know He is still the rock I stand on, the tower I dwell in, the refuge I find shelter in, the security I rest in. His hand is on me and I grasp it. His ears are open to my cry. His heart is moved by my plight.
As I seek direction He gives it. He has NOT forsaken me nor has He stepped aside and left me to fend for myself. My sadness does not offend Him ~ He understands this kind of sorrow.
I don’t know what lies ahead but I know who to hold on to in the midst of the storm. I must look to Him to provide for my social, emotional., and spiritual well being. May I rest in Him until definite direction is given.

Father, You control my life. May those who seek to hinder me not succeed. Amen.

In the Place of God

And Joseph said unto them , “Fear not; for am I in the place of God?” Genesis 50:19

When we begin to think that our life is in someone else’s hands (besides God’s) we can be filled with apprehension, dread, worry, and fear. Many Bible characters could have despaired of the influence others wielded over their life. The actions of others does affect us. But ultimately God holds us in His hands. He brings good from any situation. He produces gold from seeing tragedy. Beauty from ashes. Joseph and Job come to mind when I think of innocent victims. But both their lives ended up abundantly blessed.

But it is not just in fearful situations that the questions is asked, “Am I in the right place, God?” When I look to others to meet my needs I am looking for them to be in God’s place.

Disappointment marks my day when they fall short of my expectations. May I not put any other person in God’s place.

Father, forgive me for the times I replace You with Your creation. May daily look to You. Amen.

Getting What We Least Expect

Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite (repay) us all the evil which we did unto him….Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. Genesis 50:15 & 21

Joseph’s brothers feared they would get what they deserved. They suspected the only reason Joseph had been kind to them so far was because of their father’s presence. Now with Jacob dead their safety net has been removed and they tried to use his name and supposed dieing words to replace the safety net. There is no greater safety net than grace. It does not hinge on the behavior or deserving of the recipients. It rests in the heart of the giver.

Joseph wept when his brothers spoke to him. His tears were for his brothers who still walked in fear of him. They had not embraced the love he lavished on them. They really did not know his heart for them. If I spend my time living under wrong concepts of God, I miss the joy of relationship with Him. Better to list His extravagant gifts than live under self condemnation and guilt.

Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly unto them. What a picture of my Abba Father. May I learn to soak up His tenderness. Undeserved? Yes! But lavishly given just the same.

Father, may I feel safe, secure, and loved by You today. Let me grasp Your character! Amen!

Strengthened By God

The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him, But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the might God of Jacob. Genesis 49:23, 24

Jacob acknowledged the pain of Joseph’s past. The feelings of victimization could dominate his life but instead we read of strength. Muscles are built through resistance training. Our character, faith, and resolve are strengthened through trials in our life. Just as God strengthened Joseph, He is able to strengthen us.

May I look at each difficulty and see what strength will be developed in me as a result of it. If I will acknowledge pain, hardship, and loss, and then hand it to God, He will allow His purpose to be developed and realized in me. He can use anything in my life as His sculpting tool. I can trust His heart AND His hands.

Father, use all of my pain to produce gold and all of my loss to produce gain. You are the ultimate designer. Amen.

God Never Leaves

And Israel said unto Joseph, “Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.” Genesis 48:21

People mean the world to me. I am extremely close to a few. I have thought many times of the day they depart from this world. I remember losing my mom over five years ago. At times the grief seemed unbearable. Losing someone close takes a part of you. The vacancy is huge.

I often dread the thought of someone close to me dieing. I know the sorrow will be great. But Jacob speaks the most comforting words to Joseph. “Behold, I die; but God will be with you.” I must remember that God remains with me when that loved one departs. His plan for me continues.

Father, it is times like this that your words, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” mean so much to me. Thank You. Amen.

Prayers of Blessings

And Joseph said unto his father, “They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.” And he said, “Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.” Genesis 48:9

Joseph has a wonderful perspective on parenting. He knows his children were given to him by God. He wants God’s blessing on their life so he brings them to Jacob to be blessed and prayed over. Joseph knows the power of such blessings. He knows the affect it will have on the recipients.

For years I thought praying blessings over people was for Bible times only. But I am now convinced it is still vital today. I look at the blessings that are spoken at the beginning of most epistles.

Now the God of peace be with you. Romans 15:33
Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 1:3

I have had a blessing prayed over me by a dear friend. I long for it to be done again. I long to learn more of praying blessings over people. To speak words of encouragement over their life. It is not a thing of the past. It is something that should be a part of our parenting and ministries. I wish I had had my father in law pray a blessing over our children before he died.

How powerful those petitions of blessing are in a life! I just think of the pattern of Ephesians 1 and all the requests Paul makes for the Ephesians. He desires for them that God would give them grace and peace, spiritual blessings, the spirit of wisdom and revelation, enlightened eyes of understanding, knowledge of God’s calling.

May God help me to take the opportunities to pray His blessings over people.
Father, show me what to pray over people. Amen.

Receiving Kindness and Truth

If now I have found grace in thy sight….deal kindly and truly with me. Genesis 47:29

Jacob’s request to Joseph is to be buried in his home land. This is his dieing wish. But he prefaces it with the heart cry of every person. Deal kindly and truly with me. Each of us want kindness shown to us and want to be told the truth. We don’t want to be lied to. Relationships thrive under these two demonstrations of love. The heart controls both. Kindness is our gracious actions and truth is our words and what we portray.

When I think of a kind person I think of someone who is tender, caring, helpful, and interested. It’s easy to be that way with close friends. But God’s grace urges me to extend kindness to those who least deserve it. I tend to shy away from rude people. If someone has hurt me or jumped on me I back off quickly. But God can work in my heart in such a way as to extend them kindness whenever possible.

The Bible says that God’s loving kindness is better than life. If He were to remove His kindness, grace, favor, and love, then life would not be worth living. Someone once said if God removed His hand from His creation we would become the nothingness that we were before creation.

Somehow I forget that I am undeserving of His kindness. Or I think it is easy for Him to show me love. But He doesn’t do anything for me because I deserve it or because it is easy (neither of which is true anyway). It comes naturally to Him. It is who He is. May I learn to appreciate everything He does for me. May I notice the gifts He lavishes on me every day.

Father, may I give to others what You so graciously give to me. Amen!

Come To Receive

So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” Genesis 47:25

The Egyptians chose life through slavery. Everything else was gone and their only recourse was to sell their land and themselves into slavery. If they held on to their possessions and their freedom they would die. But in giving up everything they would live.

I came to Christ with a death sentence over my life. Being His servant is where fulfillment of life comes from. I serve Him because He has given me life. He already grants me favor in His sight.
So often people look to the wrong sources to get what God so freely offers. But God waits for them to come to Him. It is unnecessary to accept the conditions of a sinful life. If we would but turn to Him, right choices are possible.

Joseph had plenty of food. It was up to each person to accept the offer and come.

Father, I come to You in need, and You always give out of the abundance of Your supply. Amen!

Open Communication

He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him. Genesis 45:15

Open communication is such a precious commodity. The more someone knows us and allows us to know them, the more precious that communication becomes. What are the factors that block communication? Unconfessed sin, hurt, distance, time, misunderstanding. Like a drain that is unclogged and water flows freely through, so is the blessing when things are made right, the lines of communication are restored, and words flow freely once again.

I cherish friendships. Phone conversations and emails are delights to me. I relish the opportunity to sit down face to face with a friend and catch up on each other’s day. All the more so when the conversation centers around Christ, the Bible, or Christian principles. It is a balm to my soul.

The day I learned that prayer is meant to be a dialogue instead of a monologue I turned a huge corner in my Christian life. I had always been taught that I speak to God in prayer and He speaks to me through His Word. I never imagined that during prayer He could flood my mind with His thoughts and words of encouragement.

Sometimes He asks me questions that require a searching of my heart. He wants me to go beyond the surface to see what is really troubling me. Sometimes He replaces my doubts and insecurities with reminders of His love for me. Sometimes it is direction He gives. Whatever the case, I love the communication. He is always available, always interested, always open. When I am struggling in my prayer life He will even show me what it is that has “clogged” the drain. He misses the exchanges and longs for the communication to resume.

Father, help me to desire talking to You and listening to You above every other relationship. Amen.

He Meets My Needs

There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and our household and all that you have would be impoverished. Genesis 45:11

Our needs abound in this world. There are the obvious physical needs of food, clothing, and shelter. For some those are immense needs as they struggle with finances and don't see how they are going to make it. But that is not the area of impoverishment I face. My physical needs are more than adequately met. My personal famine has to do with needs from within. I so often look to people to meet my social and emotional needs and if they don't come through for me I tend to live empty and deprived. It's like there is a part of me that is always wanting.

But God makes the same offer to me as Joseph made to his brother. "Be near me and I will provide for you." He knows my tendency to look for relationships to bring me fulfillment and satisfaction. And He knows the disappointment I feel when my "source" doesn't supply those needs.

Last night I pictured a tin cup in my hands. It represented the ability to gather what I need each day. When I am continually looking to people to be consistent sources of encouragement, affirmation, and filling it is like standing by a rotating lawn sprinkler with my tin cup in hand. As the sprinkler makes it's way around to me I manage to capture a few drops of water. It's not enough! It's arduous and tedious with very little to show. When all the while God offers fresh running water for me. A vast supply! May I learn to fill my cup at His pools and quench my thirsty spirit.

His water not only quenches my thirst, it cleanses and refreshes me.

Father, Your offer to draw near is calling out to me today. I come with my cup in hand to once again allow YOU to meet my needs. Amen.

Coming Closer

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. Genesis 45:4

Joseph has just revealed himself to his brothers. To say they are in shock is an understatement. The look on their faces must reveal the fear in their hearts. They saw Joseph's change as he sent everyone out of the room, went into an emotional release, and proclaimed to them his identity. All must have been done with great emotion and volume.

But now his voice softens as I am sure he sees their fear. I picture tenderness in his voice, eyes, and outstretched arms as he invites them to come closer to him. He wants nothing more than for them to receive his embrace, his forgiveness, and his acceptance. He is not telling them it is "pay back" time. He is telling them it is reconciliation time!

How little we experience this kind of grace in this world. How seldom we show it. We want things even. But when I see this is what Christ continually does for me it should change the way I deal with people who have offended or hurt me. God is the ultimate example of extending grace, compassion, mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness. He draws me closer as my heart is convinced of His acceptance.

When I feel like Joseph's brothers and want to stand in shame and fear, God begins to coax me to look into His eyes and see the depth of His forgiveness. He knows the regret I feel and the disgust with myself. As I admit in my heart that what I did was wrong He eagerly extends the invitation to draw closer. The sorrow my sin brings to Him is surpassed by the desire of His heart for reconciliation. May I really get that!

Father, I cannot fully grasp this aspect of Your heart. It is too extravagant for my mind to conceive. Make me like You! Amen.

Revealing the Truth

Joseph made himself known to his brothers. Genesis 45:1

Judah's heart-wrenching request breaks the silence of Joseph. It has opened the door of full revelation. How powerful of a statement Joseph makes as his identity is finally acknowledged to his brothers. Reconciliation begins when both sides open their hearts to each other. Joseph's reunion with his brothers begins when he reveals who he really is.

The stage for this awareness has been set with tears, kindness, extravagance, and patience. It has been painful for Joseph to hold off telling his brothers who he really is until he knew their hearts had been properly prepared. What showed him that was the case? Acknowledgement of sin and change of character. They were now ready to hear the truth. They were now ready to know who this powerful person was. Their emotions are raw, their self sufficiency and arrogance have been stripped away, and they are crying out for mercy.

God brings me to that point many times. He knows what keeps me from closeness with Himself. Each time I allow Him to reveal Himself to me I learn something new about His character, His heart, and His ways. He has reminded me this morning that if I stay close to Him and walk with Him, He will guide me and bring about His plans and purposes for my life. I so often think it is activity for Him that He seeks. But He reminds me it is being in His presence that must come first. Moses reflected God's glory on his face after being in His presence. There was always work to do but the life giving essence flowed from time spent with his Father. It is no different for me. ALL things will flow out of my time with God.

Everything would change with Joseph's revelation to his brothers. And everything changes as God continues to reveal Himself to me.

Father, show me Who You are throughout today. I long to know You in ways that blow my mind. Amen!

The Ultimate Master

Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. Genesis 44:33

What change has taken place in the life of Judah! Years earlier it was Judah who offered the suggestion to sell Joseph. Now it is Judah who is willing to be enslaved so that Benjamin can be returned to his father. He has lived with his father's grief over losing Joseph yet now he cannot bear to grieve him further.

True love does not seek to hurt the other person. Is my heart as tender toward my heavenly Father? If so, it will affect the way I treat His children. For when I mistreat them I touch the apple of His eye. All the precious truths I am learning about God ~ He cherishes me, delights in me, loves me unconditionally, sings over me, desires intimacy with me ~ are also true of His other children. My love for God should cause me to be willing to sacrifice for others. What that may mean to each individual varies. It may mean taking the first step at reconciling a strained friendship, letting another off the hook for not meeting my needs, allowing another person into my circle of friends, helping with a financial need, listening to another's hurts without adding my own story, or sometimes adding my own story.

Judah was willing to become a slave. That would mean loss of freedom, loss of family, loss of dignity, loss of dreams, loss of a future. But when I choose to become God's bondservant those losses become my gains. I gain freedom, family, dignity, dreams, and a future. It is when I die to self that I truly begin to live. It is when I stop serving myself that I am most available to serve God and others.

Unlike human masters, God is a Master with a tender heart and invites me into close relationship with Himself. He has things to whisper to me and incredible things to show me. He doesn't want to see fear in my eyes when I obey Him. Picture two hunting dogs. One cowers in fear at the hands of a cruel and angry master. The other bounds around, tail wagging, tongue flapping, and eyes eagerly anticipating his master's desires. May I respond to my heavenly Father's heart of love in such a way that serving Him is a privilege, a joy, a delight, and the deepest desire of my heart.

Oh, Father, may I always respond to You with eagerness. May I see each opportunity as OUR opportunity to be together. Amen

Being Merry In His Presence

So they feasted and drank freely with him. Genesis 43:34

Joseph’s brothers have been through quite an ordeal. Their emotions have been a roller coaster ride of great proportion. They carry the baggage of the past and trust no one with the present. Personal invitations have been viewed with suspicion and fear. Their spirits are jumpy as they wonder what will happen to them next.

A failed attempt to gain assurance from the house servant keeps them afraid. Then they meet Joseph. They bow, they give a present, and they exchange a casual greeting. They expected a storm but have entered a place of rest instead.

Once they see it is a meal and nothing more they relax. The KJV says “they drank and were merry with him.” They had come to the place of abiding in the presence of the one they greatly feared just moments before. In their wildest dreams they never imagined it could be like this. Instead of prison they shared a feast. They exchanged spirits of heaviness for garments of cheerfulness. Their tenseness was replaced with calm. The whole scenario has changed and they are thriving under undeserved tenderness.

That is how God wants my time with Him to be. He wants to rid me of doubts, fears, insecurities, suspicions, condemnation, guilt, and uncertainty and help me learn to relax and be merry in His presence. That happens as I learn the truth of His character and the essence of His heart.

He wants me to really see that His love is unconditional, His delight in me is real, His plans for me are good, His presence is constant, His thoughts toward me are innumerable, and His arms around me are safe. His eyes are tender, His ears are open, His heart is full of compassion, His hands are guiding, His arms are embracing, and His voice is soothing.

Father, may I hold Your hand and look up into Your eyes often as we go through today. Amen.

A Kingdom to be Ruled

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 King James Version)

I wage a war many times throughout every day. If I am not careful I will be defeated and left in a heap. The war is waged within my mind. I have a choice to either allow my thoughts to dominate me or for me to take charge. At no point am I a helpless victim.

Some of you know what I am talking about for you battle your own thoughts and wonder how to rule them instead of allowing them to rule you. Two of the most destructive thought patterns for me in the past and present have been impure thoughts and negative thinking. Both have root causes and the ability to be strongholds. Both can be controlled, reduced, eliminated, and transformed.

There was a time in my life when impure thoughts dominated me. They were thoughts that brought shame and a relief that no one could read my mind. Two things helped greatly. First, I learned the power of bringing the thoughts out into the open to God. I admitted to Him what I was thinking and realized His readiness to forgive. Then I began to go back and recall where the thoughts were allowed to enter. What events and people were instrumental in planting the seeds of impure thoughts in me? Where had they gained access? As I identified the origins, I renounced them all. I came against them with the blood of Christ and today they no longer govern me. There is freedom!

Negative thinking is my present daily battle. How quickly the lies, distorted reality, and misperceptions can reinterpret events and personal relationships for me. If I dwell on them long enough they spiral me down to a pit I would rather not be in. My answer is once again to bring them out in the open to God and compare them to what His Word says. To expose and renounce them. Then replace them with truth and dwell on that.

Casting down imaginations and bringing them into captivity imply destruction and confinement. They are military terms and denote a deliberate act. May I handle each assault with seriousness and determination.

Father, purify my mind and transform my thoughts. May I not follow the trail they want to take me on. I choose Your path of meditation. Amen.

Received or Turned Away?

Your iniquities turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you. Jeremiah 5:25

My sin actually turns away and withholds good things that are meant for me. I picture a road leading to a town in need of food and supplies. But the truckloads are turned away and the items are withheld by two guards named iniquity (wickedness) and sin. They are more aware than anyone what is on it’s way but they aren’t about to let it get through.

When I choose to hold on to my wrong words, actions, thoughts, or attitudes I keep these guards employed. But when I acknowledge my sin to the Lord and seek His forgiveness the guards are moved out of the way. The good things intended for me get through.

So often we live in want of God’s goodness and blessing in our life. We posture, we hide, we squirm, and we beg. It isn’t until we become honest with ourselves and God about the wrong in our live that we can begin to clear the way for God’s things to get through to us.

What am I in need of today? What provisions are being blocked?

Father, You have meant for me to receive so much more from Your hands than I am receiving. Open my eyes to the wickedness and sin that detours Your goodness from reaching me. I choose You, Lord! Amen.

Instantly Changed

And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. Luke 13:13

I am coming back to this verse this morning because as I have reread this passage of Scripture a few words have jumped out at me…..immediately and made straight. While growth in Christ is a gradual thing, there are times when God chooses to produce immediate change in our life. It is instantaneous and noticeable!

I am reminded of a time when I cried out to God in prayer over an issue in my life and He immediately answered in a powerful way. I have shared before that I was not brought up in a Christian home. From a young age I saw and experienced things no child should be subject to. When I received Christ as my Savior at the age of 14, I instantly became a child of God. That decision redirected the path I was on, redefined my life, and completely changed where I would spend eternity. I took on new interests, became a part of a loving church family, and had a desire to read the Bible. I began a relationship with God Whom I never really knew before. Those things were automatic. They were changes God brought about.

But over the years something did not change. Those things I had seen and experienced from early childhood left me with a sense of shame from which I could not seem to escape. Like a nagging toothache it was always there. I told no one. I simply carried the feelings and disgust with me. I did not know my heavenly Father longed to free me from the load. Several years ago, in my early 40’s I read an article by Lisa Bevere that God used to end my torment. It led me to a time of prayer in which I simply asked God to make me feel clean and pure in all the places I harbored shame and disgrace. I was in the shower at the time, and as the water poured over me I sensed an instant cleansing taking place. I sensed a removal of all that had clung to me for so many years. God made straight the tangled mess inside of me. I will tell you this, even though that was a number of years ago the shame has not returned. The freedom was given by God and has never been removed. I, too, glorify God!

Father, some things we will not be relieved of until we stand before you in Heaven. But I thank you that the release of shame is not one of the things that must wait. I revel in the purity with which You clothed me. It was mine for the asking! Amen.

Inseparable Aspects of Discipline

I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him. 2 Samuel 7:14,15

God spoke these words to King David in regards to his son Solomon. David was nearing the end of his life as well as his reign over Israel. He knew Solomon would succeed him to the throne. David of all men knew what the chastening hand of God was like but he also knew what God’s lovingkindness was like. Unless we see both aspects of God we will walk through this life with a distorted view of God’s love as well as His discipline.

Many times, God’s method of discipline is through human sources. I think of a child being disciplined by his parents, a person standing before a judge or sitting behind bars, a person getting a speeding ticket, a person getting fired, a student being given sentences or detentions. The list could go on and on. Often times we forget that the one handing out the discipline is actually an extension of God’s hand. There are people who become angry with the one who presents them with the consequence for their own choices instead of owning up to the fact that they did wrong. This verse could speak volumes to them if they let it. Any time we do wrong and face the consequences through human sources we can rest assured that God is doing what He said He would do. He loves us too much to let us continue in our sinful behavior.

But I must see the second part of this verse as well. I must understand God’s lovingkindness never leaves. He does not remove it when I sin or when I face the consequences for my sin. As a matter of fact, it is during the time of chastening that I must realize God’s lovingkindness is still present. I remember a time a couple years ago when I faced some consequences for handling a situation wrong. I was new in my journey with Him and I can remember telling Him that I would face anything that comes as long as I knew He was with me. It was during that time that I learned of the graciousness of His forgiveness and the truth of His presence.

Father, for far too many years I missed the last part of this verse. Now the truth of it captures my heart in a powerful way. I love You. Amen!

Hearing What He Has to Say

Let these words sink into your ears. Luke 9:44 NASB
Let these sayings sink down into your ears. Luke 9:44 KJV
Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. Luke 9:44 NIV

When was the last time you really paid attention to what God was trying to tell you either in prayer, through His Word, via a church service, through a book you were reading, or through an experience you were going through? I can tell when what God is attempting to tell me finally gets through. Things become crystal clear to me, my heart feels settled, my mind is at ease, and I proceed with assurance that I did not formerly possess.

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples as He was telling them of His impending death. He speaks these words to me each time I open Scripture. In truth, there is much He wants to tell me….every day. I am always amazed at how quickly He will give me answers when I ask Him questions about things that puzzle me. There are times He whispers truth to me when my heart is perplexed over certain issues.

Just last week He shared two profound truths with me that I needed to hear and they had a huge effect on my present journey with Him. The first truth was that from the time He formed me in my mother’s womb, His love for me has not changed, diminished, or been altered one bit. It has stayed the same! I needed to hear that. I needed the truth of His words to sink down into my ears. To really get it! Tears came as the truth sank in.

The second truth was that many times I can embrace people, teachings, books, music, etc… and still fail to embrace Him. Still fail to look to Him to meet my needs, satisfy my longings, fill my empty places, give me direction, enlighten me on issues, and give me my worth, value, and identity. That is often the reason I may not feel as close to Him, as connected to Him, or as sheltered by Him. He let me see that this is a choice. So now I start my days choosing Him. I choose to abide under the shadow of His wings, to live by His truth, to follow in His steps, to gravitate toward Him as never before. Throughout the day, when necessary, I verbally state the same things to Him. May my ears continue to receive all He desires to tell me.

Father, may I never again be dull of hearing. The more I take in Your words, the more easily I come to recognize Your voice. Speak to me. Amen.

He Provides What I Need

Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. I Kings 19:7b

After a great victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah is running for his life and praying God would take his life. Jezebel is convinced she holds sway over his life and she has convinced Elijah of that very thing.

This morning I am sad. My emotions are on the surface. The fingers of authority threaten to strangle me and the prospects for the next three years look dim. I have struggled to journal or even feast on God’s Word.

Elijah was given bread and water to eat. He was sustained for forty days on what he ate. He went in the strength of that food. What is it that God will feed me with at this time in my life? His Word. His Spirit. His presence. Although I have given up all personal plans I know He is still the Rock I stand on, the Tower I dwell in, the Refuge I find shelter in, and the Security I rest in. His hand is on me and I grasp it. His ears are open to my cry. His heart is moved by my plight.
As I seek direction He gives it. He has not forsaken me nor has He stepped aside and left me to fend for myself. My sadness does not offend Him ~ He understands this kind of sorrow. I do not know what lies ahead but I know who to hold on to in the midst of the storm. I must look to Him to provide for my social, emotional, and spiritual well being. May I rest in Him until definite direction is given.

Father, You control my life. May those who seek to hinder me not succeed. Amen.

Hand Delivered Gifts

You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77:20

I have learned over the years that many times God will use people in my life in specific ways. While He undoubtedly “takes hold of my right hand” like it says in Psalm 73:23, He will also lead me by the hand of certain individuals. I can shut my eyes and instantaneously I am reminded of those whom God purposefully placed in my life to give me direction, counsel, help, and godly examples to follow. Even though they were my mentors, it was still God who was leading. In the classroom of life, God wisely chooses the object lessons, tools, and resources that will best accomplish His work in my life.

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been that while God brings people into my life, He must remain my focus. It is too easy to become enamored by the person and shift my dependency over to them. I somehow forget they are simply a vehicle by which God is working. His desire is that whether I am surrounded by people or journeying alone with Him, I am daily being brought into a close, personal relationship with Him. It has been a blessing to realize that while I may receive something from an individual, it is God who is the original gift giver.

He chooses to minister to me through people in a variety of ways. I like to look at them like the gift boxes in which God determines to place His gifts. Those gifts may be encouragement, comfort, instruction, affirmation, acceptance, nurturing, or individualized attention. How I thank Him for each person He has ever sent into my life to deliver such lavish demonstrations of His love. How precious to realize that each one was hand selected by Him and given in delight. And how touching to understand that I too can be chosen to be a gift He offers to another person.
May I walk through today in wide-eyed wonder as I receive or become gifts from His hand. Given on purpose. Given in love. Given for a time.

Father, Your Son was the ultimate gift of love to me. Thank you for the many times You still present a gift to me in the form of a friend. You continue to amaze me with your generosity and extravagance. Amen.

God's Self Revelation

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

I have a plaque on my kitchen wall that simply says, “Be still and know that I am.” When my eyes caught it a short while ago my mind was drawn toward Psalm 46:10. The NASB says to stop striving. In other words God is calling me to a place of rest from the internal storm that is approaching. The worries, the stresses, the disappointments, the fretting, the sadness. He is also calling me to turn to Him and Him alone to be my source rather than external things and even people.

Because the plaque ends with the phrase “I am,” my mind is formulating a list of how to complete that thought. God is wanting me to see the fullness of who He wants to be to me so that as I come to Him I come with expectancy! Knowing that He is God includes all that I am learning to see Him as.

What He is whispering to me is, “Be still and know that I am your Provider, your Protector, your Shepherd, your Father, your Healer, your Helper, your Counselor, your Restorer, your Advocate, your Defense, your Identifier, your Refuge, your Rest, your Teacher, your Mentor, your Cheerleader, your Over-seer, your Shelter. I am the One who knows you best, loves you most, will never leave you, will always be with you. I am the One who delights in you, sings over you, watches you, thinks about you, surrounds you. I am God!”

Today I need these precious reminders. I need to hear them from my Father and allow the truths of His words to sink deep into my spirit. I need His voice to drown out the many other voices in my head that clamor to be heard. This is a good day to take a drive to a large, beautiful cemetery here in Indianapolis and spend some time alone with a God who desires to be known by me. Why a cemetery? It is beautiful there for one and peaceful. But also it is a reminder to me that God is able to resurrect any dead places in me. He has words to breathe over me and life to infuse in me.

He will not fail to meet me there. I hear His call of invitation to come aside for awhile to be with Him. I accept!

Father, today the desires and longings of our hearts are the same. I open my ears, heart, and mind to You! Meet with me, speak to me, embrace me! Amen.