A Powerful Shift

In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul! Psalm 94:19 Amplified Bible

More than any outward circumstance or the external component of my day, the place of trouble for me is often my own thoughts. Joyce Meyer had it right with the title of her book The Battlefield of the Mind. It is the place of greatest attack by the enemy and a factory that produces far too much frustration. Just one unguarded thought can rob me of peace, reek havoc in relationships, spiral me down emotionally, produce fear, and cause much inner turmoil. Like an out of control fire, a fierce storm at sea, or forceful hurricane gales, anxious thoughts are destructive and wide sweeping. Often, I do not notice the occasional thoughts that make their way into my mind. I make the mistake of letting them accumulate until they multiply in number and strength. That is when I suddenly realize my reasoning has become clouded, my steps have become uncertain, and my sense of security has been shaken. It is not a place I desire to be and certainly not a place God intends for me to stay!

What brings them on? It may be a stray comment someone made, an unmet need that has persisted, disappointment, boredom, loneliness, tiredness, personal failure, discontentment, comparisons of others, unconfessed sin, or any number of things. Some are fiery darts of the enemy and others are issues that need to be brought to God for correction. Whichever the case may be they have the potential to cause a lot of distress and pain.

I don’t know how He does it but as soon as I begin to get the hidden thoughts out in the open with Him, He begins to clear away the troubling thoughts and replace them with truth. I feel the weight of oppression lifting and my spirit breathing freely once again. It is like taking an antihistamine for my soul! I not only feel the effects internally but changes begin to take place outwardly. My demeanor, stance, and countenance reflect the delight I am experiencing. As my soul lights up so do my eyes!

That is one of the reasons I enjoy reading the Psalms. I like to see the shifts! David goes from voicing fears and frustrations to explosions of praise and delight! His train of thoughts shifts from focusing on himself and his circumstances to the faithfulness and power of God! THAT is what I crave because that is what I have gotten a taste of in my relationship with my heavenly Father. His counsel and comfort are addictive and irreplaceable. Praise Him!

Father, Your comforts do delight my soul! May I resist the urge to go after any counterfeits that pose as You. Arrest my soul as I rest in You. Amen.

The Weight of Waiting

For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail: though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 New American Standard Bible

Several years ago, God gave me a verse of promise. It was 2 Chronicles 25:9, “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” I had been on my journey with Him for a year, experienced His Word coming alive to me, seen changes taking place within me and around me, and had begun to see God for who He really was and what He was really like. So to have Him assure me that He had much more to give me than what He had already given me was powerful! Then came the season of waiting!

The most difficult part of waiting is when there seems to be no manifestations of the promises. I think back to when I wanted children. The waiting was hard when there was no pregnancy. I was filled with doubts as to whether or not I would even be able to bear children. But the waiting took on a different perspective when I became pregnant and awaited the delivery! The child growing in my womb was something tangible, felt, and evidenced in me. There was no more guessing, wondering, or doubting. It became just a matter of time.

God knows my tendency to grow discouraged when the waiting is without touchable, seen, and concrete areas along the way. So every once in awhile He sends a confirming reminder my way. He whispers encouragement through His Word, prayer, or even other believers. Last night and this morning He drew my attention to Habakkuk 2:3 and His words of “Wait for it; for it will certainly come,” spoke volumes to me. A quote from The Daily Bread brought assurance. It read, “God never says, ’Wait awhile,’ unless He is planning to do something in our situation--or in us. He waits to be gracious.” Occasionally someone will say to me, “God has big plans for you. He is doing something in you.” The wise advice of a godly woman came back to me this morning. In response to my question of what I should do during the wait, she said, “Just keep doing what you are doing. God will guide and open doors at the right time.” My Bible ancestors like David, Ruth, Joseph, and Moses are serving as personal reminders as well. Their waiting often covered decades!

This has been a weekend of reminders that I have needed. I am strengthened by the realization that God is always involved in my life and will eventually bring about His wishes, desires, and plans for me. The waiting time is not wasted time. I choose to rest in Him, cooperate with Him, learn from Him, and follow Him. He will not let me down!

Father, You hold my life and my heart in Your hands. Thank you for the assurance that You are not finished with me yet and that You continue to hasten toward the goal You have for me. I cling to You. Amen.

My Cord of Attachment

For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. Psalm 71:5 NASB

Many times throughout the book of Psalms, David states that his hope is in God. Today’s verse caught my attention because of the slight difference in phrasing. Here David refers to God as his hope. When I looked at the meaning of hope in the original language I found that it meant a cord or attachment. I was puzzled about that concept so I asked God for some enlightenment on the subject. How He delights to open our eyes to truth! Here’s what He showed me.

When I place my hope in some one or some thing, there is an attachment that is formed. Many times that attachment is based on emotions, needs, desires, and expectations. In a sense, I become entangled with the one I am looking to for help, meeting of needs, assistance, and instruction. I picture it like a rope or cord that wraps itself around the other individual and myself…hence, keeping us connected. I can think of many times this is a healthy and normal part of relationships. But I shutter to recall the times it has crossed over into a soul tie that was unbalanced and unhealthy. The attachment had become so strong it then crossed over into idolatry. Addictions work the same way be it in relationships, substance abuse, materialism, etc… I may have started out with good motives and intentions but due to unresolved issues in my own life I crossed lines that led to bondage of the heart, soul, mind, and body. In my quest to get needs met, I may not have turned to drugs or alcohol, but I turned to something and in that turning I became attached.

Oh the freedom that God desires to give us! He desires to not only free us but to be the actual cord that attaches us to Himself. The security is not only found in Him…He IS the security! He is the confidence! He is the trust! He is the everlasting Entangler! While I have experienced the painful and necessary process of Him detangling me from my other “hopes” I have stood in awe at who He then attached me to….Himself!!!! There must always be a letting go in order to embrace.

Father, thank you for such persistence on Your part to replace my cords with Yourself. Bind me, twist me, and connect me to Yourself in such a way that I seek no other connections or soul ties. Amen.

House Cleaning

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart. Proverbs 20:27 NKJV

For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28 NKJV

Recently I became motivated to do a thorough house cleaning. It is amazing when I begin going through closets and dressers how much stuff I find that has been hidden away for YEARS! Some of it is useful and still needed. Much of it no longer needs to take up the space. This project is getting spread out over a number of weeks but when I am finished there will be a sense of accomplishment and welcome space.

This morning I am sensing God urging me to do an internal house cleaning. He is probing my heart with questions that are causing me to do a lot of thinking. It is not the kind of questioning that leaves me feeling shamed and condemned. Rather, the questions are inviting me to allow Him to reveal to me some hidden areas that need my attention and His touch. I am finding that over time I can pack away, stuff, and hide many things and it is time to open the doors and drawers of my heart so that WE can begin to clear away some clutter and allow His Spirit more space in me.

Here are the questions that have already begun to make their way down the corridors of my mind. What are the things I still fear? Is there anyone or anything in competition with God for my heart? Where do I still feel shaky in my walk with Him? What changes am I presently unwilling to make? Where is my energy, focus, and passion directed? What strongholds have yet to be demolished? What lies am I believing about God, myself, or others? To whom am I not willing to show love? What are my conversations centered around? How am I spending my free time? Where do I tend to walk in distrust? What are my priorities? What are my motives and agenda behind my actions? What wounds still need healing? What have been my most recent victories? Where do I see growth in my Christian life? With whom have I recently shared Jesus?

The questions are endless but certainly not daunting! God will use my honest answers to show me where we still need to work. I am assured of His love, patience, and help through all of this. I feel safe and cared for because He has already shown me His heart and character. May this time be productive and beneficial in many ways!

Father, do a thorough examination of my heart! Illuminate all that needs to go and all that needs to stay. I give You the key to every “room” in me. I rest under Your watchful eye and in Your tender hands. Amen.

The Ruining of Strongholds

You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. Psalm 89:40 NKJV

We hear a lot about strongholds today. We see evidences of them in addictions and perversions. Each one of us is aware of those things that have a vice grip hold on our mind and a death grip on our life. They consume our thoughts and reek havoc on our actions. They stand in competition with God for control of us. They are the mindsets that we carry with us and yet long to be free of. Today’s verse is our victory cry!

I have often forgotten that it is God who brings a stronghold to ruin. Educating myself about the stronghold and attempting to demolish it myself is not the answer. I have warn myself out in the past trying to gain the victory in certain areas. I thought that if I could just get enough answers I could figure out why it was a stronghold for me and I would be free. I can’t tell you the number of times I THOUGHT I had victory in an area only to fall in defeat. Frustration and failure seemed to mark my path continually. I figured there was either something I wasn’t seeing or something I wasn’t doing right and that is why I wasn’t experiencing a true release from the stronghold. I included warfare prayers in hopes of gaining freedom from the grip! I sought godly advice and read any book I could get my hands on in hopes that someone would give me the missing puzzle piece and set me free.

When it was all said and done, while I had stored up many helpful truths my mind was not free. The mindsets remained in tact and the belief grew that change would never come in this life. I had embraced a lie and began to live with resignation. That is when God used something in the Psalms to wake me up! I saw the number of times David would cry out for deliverance and decided to make that my prayer. For an entire day I simply asked God to deliver me from my mindsets in a particular area of my life. I asked Him to release me from the thoughts that had completely consumed my every waking moment. I literally handed it all to Him.

With a heart of gratitude I have spent the last few days thanking Him for the freedom that is finally mine in this particular area. I could tell deliverance had come because I was no longer battling the thoughts and new thoughts were able to enter my mind. I was not having to work at renewing my mind….He had done that for me. The cobwebs of confusion are gone, the sense of hopelessness is gone, the inner turmoil is gone. My view of God has been enlarged and my faith in His ability to set free has been strengthened. I now enter another day of precious liberation!

Father, I give You the praise and the credit for bringing my stronghold to ruin. You have shown me what true deliverance is like. With all that is in me, I thank You! Amen.

The Birthplace of Comforting Others

Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV

I have a close friend in Michigan who lives with a lot of physical pain. She has suffered with migraines since childhood, endured back and neck pain, and now her journey includes multiple sclerosis. In order to slow the progress of the MS, she must give herself a weekly shot that results in flu like symptoms for several days. She once told me she has never experienced a pain free day in her life. Her “good” days are when the pain is merely tolerable. She is one who is presently fettered by pain and she can minister to another individual who suffers with physical pain in ways that I cannot. She can also share the reality of God’s presence, strength, and comfort in the midst of it all. The compassion in her eyes and voice has been birthed through her own personal suffering.

Others are coming to mind this morning that have experienced heartbreak that will one day be used to comfort another. I think of a friend who lost twins early on in her pregnancy and now anticipates the birth of a daughter in September. I think of a number of friends who are walking a path of having daughters pregnant out of wedlock. I think of a dear friend who has experienced the break up of two marriages. I think of a couple in Michigan who were instrumental in my life as a teenager and now walk through days following brain surgery on him. I anticipate the day each of these sit across from a hurting individual and comfort them with the comfort they have received from the Father’s hand.

While my story would be different, God is desiring to do the same thing in me. I experienced this last night as I talked with a friend in the store. Her adult son is going through the difficulty of an ended relationship. I found myself deeply moved by his plight and very aware of all that must be going on in his internal world because I had walked a similar path in the last year. There were aspects of his heartache that I could easily identify and relate with because of my own experience. My ability to pray for him is deepened and broadened because of the memories I house as a result of my own circumstances. If given the opportunity, I could share with him the way God has walked me through the valley and graciously delivered me from the torment of it all.

Dear reader, the same is true for you! Ministry is birthed out of your own hurts, losses, disappointments, pain, and suffering. Know that one day you too will look into the eyes of a broken person and be used of God to comfort them in profound ways. I celebrate His work in us all!

Father, my tears will one day mingle with those of a hurting individual. I rejoice that nothing You have allowed in my life need ever be wasted. In Your wisdom, faithfulness, and love, continue to bring into my life that which would eventually comfort others. Amen.

Mustering or Asking?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

Last night and this morning I have become acutely aware of my tendency to try to muster up what I perceive God is expecting of me. Commands are often viewed as something I need to perform out of my own determination and ability. All the things I still lack in my life become lists I think I need to find in myself to fulfill. Whether it is loving God with all my heart, soul, and mind, having a passion for souls, desiring His Word above all other literature, consistently demonstrating all the fruit of the Spirit, praying without ceasing, loving others with pure motives and tireless willingness, finding complete satisfaction and delight in God alone, looking more to Him and less to people, or any number of other abundant life qualities, I have so often felt God would be more pleased with me if I could manage these things without asking for His help. I viewed Him wrongly as the parent who was impressed with the child who could “do it all by himself.” What I have come to realize is this is the trap of legalism at the heart level. It is still performance based Christianity and polar worlds apart from what God intends.

What I am viewing as personal failures in my life are actually God’s invitation to ask His help! He knows I do not possess the capability to love Him and live for Him without His assistance. He is not looking for me to act independently of Him, but rather to come to the place of realizing how much I need Him to give me the very things He is asking of me. Every time I read something in the Bible that shows me what I should be doing needs to become a call for help! The passion must come from Him. The desire must come from Him. The ability must come from Him.

Several years ago I was astounded at the truth that God’s love is not dependent upon what I am doing. Today I am just as astounded at the truth that without Him I can do nothing! He has been wooing me to Himself and waiting for me to see my need of Him. My inabilities do not disappoint or disgust Him…He already knows my personal poverty! He stands with gifts of help to bestow on any who ask! He is willing to do IN me what He wants OF me. It must be a cooperative relationship whereby I ask Him for what He longs to pour into me. I receive what He willingly gives. My tiredness is finally being exchanged for His rest. Surely I am not His only child who has had it wrong all this time!

Father, continue to clear up the misconceptions I have of You and the Christian life. I lay them all at the foot of the cross and extend open hands to receive Your help. Amen.

An Interesting Poll

I received this email from a friend today. Maybe some of you have seen this already. The email was about an NBC POLL and read as follows:

Do you believe in God? NBC this morning had a poll on this question. They had the highest number of responses that they have ever had for one of their polls, and the percentage was the same as this: 86% to keep the words, IN GOD WE TRUST on our money and GOD in the Pledge of Allegiance. 14% against. That is a pretty ‘commanding’ public response. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having “In God We Trust” on our money and having “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why is the world catering to this 14%? Clyde McAdams

While I enjoyed seeing the results of this poll I was struck by some other thoughts. Even though this particular poll came out on the side for truth, I have read many other polls where the majority were just plain wrong. The reality, reliability, and trustworthiness of God is not contingent on a vote. God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do whether the majority agree or disagree.

I am thrilled that 86% of the Americans polled believe in God. My question is, "Does their belief in God affect their life?" And, "Is the God they believe in the God of the Bible?" Keeping IN GOD WE TRUST on our coins is commendable. Making that statement a part of our everyday life is where the rubber meets the road. Do we know Him personally, trust Him entirely, and follow Him with abandon? It is not what the majority say. It is what each individual says. What does each person mean when they say, "I believe in God." Is it merely a mental assent to His existence or a declaration of Him being their God and their life? Does it have any influence on their words, actions, and lifestyle?

God wants to be in their heart and life...not just on their coins and in their pledge. His love for them is incredible and yet so few seem to realize it and live out it. May He change that.

God, be more to us than a nice saying or palatable motto. Stamp Your image on the deepest part of us. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord! May knee bending and tongue confessing start now!

His Daughter,
Pam

The Gift of Mentors

So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Acts 18:26 NKJV

You will not see the word “mentor” in the Bible but you will see many examples of mentoring relationships. Today’s verse shows one such relationship between Aquila, Priscilla, and a Jew named Apollos. Previous verses reveal that he was an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, one who taught diligently the things of the Lord, and a bold witness in the synagogue. Yet Aquila and Priscilla saw a need to further instruct him in some things he was lacking. God used them in his life to help him more fully understand His way.

Today is my 34th spiritual birthday. It was on July 13, 1973, that I was born into the family of God through faith in Christ. I look back over those three-plus decades and I can recount numerous individuals who stepped into my life for the purpose of mentoring me. Through their words as well as their life I learned the “way of God more accurately.” Some have gone on to Heaven, some I am in occasional contact with, and some are no longer a part of my life. I thank God for each of them. I would not be the person I am today without their influence. Occasionally I will revisit conversations I had with them and delight in the fact that they have left a precious mark on my spirit. I treasure the advice they gave, still practice principles they instilled, and carry on the rich heritage they left. They were my Aquila and Priscilla!

While God still crosses my path with individuals who encourage me in the faith, I am finding myself in a time of transition. Personal mentors are now coming through the pages of books that I read more than individuals I meet face to face. I metaphorically sit at their feet and drink in the lessons they teach. Even more so, God has become my prominent and predominant Mentor. He encourages me to bring the questions to Him and allow Him to give me the answers and direction I need. He is now the one I from whom I seek wisdom, comfort, and instruction. Will He still use people? Absolutely. But the dependency is finally switching over to Him and in that I have found a new freedom!

I now take the challenge to be available to Him when He calls upon me to mentor someone else. I want to be to others what so many have been to me. It is an ongoing process of passing on what I have received. May the chains of influence continue to grow!

Father, many faces are coming to mind as I recall the mentors in my life. Their investment in my life was not in vain. I treasure the memories and accept Your call to reach out to others. Amen.

Listening to His Voice

I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Psalm 85:8 NKJV

Peace accompanies the voice of God. Turmoil and confusion do not! I am learning to identify the times when the voice I am listening to is no longer that of my Father. In the past week I have had two distinct times of the enemy of my soul speaking lies to me and the result was a loss of peace. Uncertainty replaced confidence. Confusion replaced objectivity. All seemed dark and all seemed hopeless. I marvel at the extreme nature of my own thoughts. Both times were attacks on the journey God has had me on. His first tactic was to cause me to question my motives for the journey. His second was to cause me to question the source of that journey. These became terrifying times for me as I lost all sense of direction and reasoning. This quickly turned into condemnation, fear, and shame. NONE of these are of God! He does not use them as tools in our life. They are the calling cards of Satan himself, and he desires to use them effectively.

Deliverance comes and peace returns when I purposefully listen for God’s voice and He WILL speak. As we work together to identify and renounce the lies, He gives me truth to own and peace to embrace. I relish the settling that comes over me and the return of confidence and assurance in God’s love, presence, and provision. My mantra becomes, “Identify the enemy and listen to my Father!”

A person once asked me what I meant when I said, “God spoke to me.” I assured her it was not an audible voice (although at times it comes close). It is primarily through the vehicle of thoughts that I know are not my own. These are not random thoughts but rather distinct, accurate, and timely. For decades I use to think God only spoke through His Word. I was not aware of the variety of avenues He uses. While His Word is certainly primary, He also speaks to me through music, nature, conversations, sermons, experiences, books, and prayer.

I do not want to limit Him in any way. I want to be like the Bereans in Acts who “received the word with all readiness of mind.” I want to listen with expectancy and intensity. I want to allow God to speak to me in any way He wants, at any time He wants, for whatever purpose He wants. It may be to correct me, enlighten me, motivate me, teach me, or assure me. At times His voice has me in awe and at other times it has me in tears. May my ears stay open and my heart stay receptive to all that He has to say!

Father, You are such a communicator. I do not want to miss anything You are saying to me. I treasure Your words and purpose to hear You. Speak, Lord, for I am listening. Amen.

The Power of Prayer and Praise

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25 KJV

Paul and Silas’ prayers and praises followed the abuse they suffered at the hands of others and preceded God’s redemptive work in their situation. They were voiced in the darkness of prison cells and coupled with the physical pain they still felt from a beating. They had no control over what had just happened to them but they had major choices to make as to how they would respond to such treatment.

We are not given the details of their prayers but my imagination is awakened as I think about the possibilities. Could it be they prayed for the very ones who had just mistreated them? Possibly Jesus’ prayer to His Father as He suffered on the cross became their prayer with their feet in fetters, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” They may have asked that the spiritual blindness of their persecutors’ hearts be removed so they could hear, understand, and receive the gift of salvation. They may have also prayed for fellow believers to stay strong in the midst of their own persecution. That they would not grow weary in well doing and would not become discouraged and quit. They may have prayed for grace for themselves and the ability to love the very ones who had hurt them. I do not believe vengeance or hatred found a place in their hearts or their prayers.

Songs of praise! They did not have the hymns or praise music that is so readily available to us today. Maybe they buried themselves in the many Psalms that David had written. Surely the words reflected the many attributes of God. They would have been the equivalent of our present day How Great Thou Art, I Need Thee Every Hour, Awesome God, Draw Me Close to You, and You’re Still God. Their prayers and songs of praise had an audience with God as well as the other prisoners. Oh that we would see the same in our own situations.

Freedom in the midst of difficulties is ours to embrace when we follow the example of these two men. Choosing to pray for all involved and voice our praises to God is the only thing that keeps us afloat in the storms of life. I am miserable when I give in to the enemy’s suggestions of condemnation, self pity, and bitterness. I would much rather don the garments of praise when faced with a spirit of heaviness then clothe myself with that which would defeat me spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Does it mean I won’t feel the sting of life in all of this? Absolutely not! It simply means I will become receptive to the healing balm of a gentle Savior.

Father, nothing compares to the power of prayer and praise in the midst of pain, heartache, and loss. Continue to do your redemptive work in me as I lift my voice, hands, and face to You. Amen.

Teach Me

Teach me what I do not see. Job 34:32 NASB

I spotted this verse yesterday and it has remained with me and come to my mind numerous times. It has quickly become the cry of my heart. Any time I go through a difficult circumstance or situation there are things I do not see, understand, or comprehend. Things about God and things about myself. Areas of my life begin to resemble a huge jigsaw puzzle with countless missing pieces. I walk with more questions than answers. The pain outweighs the joy. It is then that I realize that if God does not begin to teach me the things I am blind and ignorant to I will be stuck in a place from which I desperately want to escape.

Today was a day of needed revelation. God knows there is an area of profound sadness that continues to house itself within me. He knows I want release and freedom. I have confided in a small handful of people the details of an ongoing heartache. They have listened with compassion and offered healing words of wisdom. I have been reading a book by Sheila Walsh entitled The Heartache No One Sees. It is filled with messages I need at this time. Messages that have come out of her own broken story. I have realized God’s purpose in allowing this particular hurt to come into my life. I have sensed God’s presence and provision to help me go from one day to the next. But I could not understand after all that why the sadness remained. So I asked Him to teach me what I could not see.

His answer stunned me. He let me know the healing of my heart was not going to come from the taking in of more knowledge. It will not instantaneously happen when I finally get the last “puzzle piece” of information. The healing will come from His hands. It will be His doing and it will take time. Just as in surgery and recuperation there is pain involved and felt, so in the lessons and heartaches of life. The fact that I feel pain and sorrow does not mean I am not still on a journey with Him and it does not mean He is not working in me. It simply means I am human. If I am cut I will bleed and if I am deeply hurt I will ache. The deeper the hurt, the more profound will be the healing. The greater the death in an area the more miraculous the resurrection.

Two things I desire above all other things. That I would come through this knowing God in ways I never knew before and ministering to others as a result of my own broken story and places. May it not be in vain and may it not be unprofitable in His kingdom work.

Father, I once again look to You to do in me what I cannot do myself and no one else can do for me. Hold me, help me, and heal me. Amen.

The Sound of His Voice

Listen to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom. Job 33:33 NKJV

These words were spoken by Elihu. He was a young man who listened in on the conversation between Job and his friends. Out of respect, he waited until they were completely finished before he voiced his opinion. Often times, there will be people in our life who seem to have the answers we are looking for. Several are coming to mind that I would take up on their offer of wisdom. They have a good track record with me. In the past, if they gave me advice I reaped the benefits when I heeded what they said. They are among the first ones I would call if I were seeking godly counsel. Some have been in my life for decades and some have only recently crossed my path. I thank God for them and treasure the gift they are to me.

But more and more the One who speaks Elihu’s words to me is God Himself. He daily invites me to listen to Him. This listening is more than just taking in the sound of His voice. It is active listening with the intent of obeying. When I do that He has much to teach me in the way of wisdom. It is not just a matter of knowledge but rather the application of knowledge. His desire is to teach me what to do with the knowledge He gives. I want the kind of relationship with Him whereby He is teaching me personally. While He will still use people and books in my life, I want the experience of receiving wisdom, answers, and guidance directly from Him.

I have lived too much of my life depending on “middle men” to get me through a minefield of questions. For most of my Christian life I trusted people to tell me what God was saying. It was always easier and felt safer to sit under their canopy of wisdom. I hung on their every word and for the most part they were godly words. But as long as they were the only ones I was going to for wisdom, I was missing out on learning to converse with God. His desire has always been for me to meet with Him directly.

If God chooses to speak to me through people I will accept that. But I have had enough conversations with Him to know the joy of hearing His wisdom spoken from His Word or in prayer. Many have been the times when taking a walk and pouring out my heart and my questions to Him have resulted in answers that left me in amazement and tears. Will I ever still seek the advice of people? Absolutely! But nothing compares to the sound of His voice in my ears.

Father, however You choose to speak to me today, I am listening. Amen.

When Others Have It Wrong

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Job 32:1 NIV

This verse follows 30 chapters of conversation between Job and three of his friends. They thought they knew the reason for the loss of Job’s children, wealth, and health. Stripped of everything but his life, they were convinced it was all due to something Job had done wrong. They brought accusation upon accusation against Job and he simply responded with the truth. They based their judgments on the belief that difficulties only come into one’s life because of personal sin. It was obvious to them that God had turned His back on Job and was punishing him for something he had done. No matter what Job said they were sure they were right.

What they did not know was that the difficulties had to do with satanic involvement not personal failure. Although Job was not sinless, God gave an impressive report about him to Satan. According to Job 1:8, God stated of Job, “there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God, and shuns evil.” Satan was sure this was only due to the fact that Job had it so well in life. Convinced that he could get Job to turn away from God by bringing pain, suffering, and loss into his life, God allowed him to carry out his plan. God knew Job well enough to know he would pass the test! Job knew his heart and did not let the opinions of others persuade him otherwise. He has become a shining example to me!

I am sure each of us can attest to a time in our life when we were misunderstood or misjudged. We have done it ourselves and have had it done to us. There are times others may have it right. God has given them the ability to discern us wisely and accurately. But there are also times this is not the case. They think they know us and have drawn conclusions from a limited perspective. It is during these times that we must ask God to show us His truth and perspective. He is the only One who really knows our heart and our full story. He will let us know if another person’s words are meant for us or if we need to simply walk away from what is being said. As a person who is use to crawling under the care of people, I can bear witness to the difficulty of walking away from the opinions of others. But it is necessary if I am going to take God up on His invitation of “come unto Me!”

I don’t ever want to ignore God’s message to me when it comes from the mouth of a person. I have been blessed to have Him send individuals into my life for that very purpose. However, I have also experienced well meaning people who had it wrong and the enemy used their words to attempt to shut down the very thing God was doing in my life. May God help me know when either is happening.

Father, help me to trust Your voice above the voice of others. If they are sent by You to speak to me let me see that. If their words are not of You let me see that as well. Amen.

Setting Me Straight

Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! Psalm 80:19 NKJV

When we pray the very thing God desires for us, we can have full assurance of an affirmative answer! I have often looked at past mistakes, failures, and sins in such a way that I thought I had messed things up too badly for any hope of a fresh start. Because I could not change the past I seemed to think the black marks would never go away and would forever remain a part of my present. I was like the person who had broken my leg and never had the bone set straight. Walking with a limp became a normal (and sadly accepted) way of life for me. There was the continual sense that although I was forgiven I had blown it…my track record remain marred. While this should not be the case for a child of God, I strongly believe it is often the reality of many. The continual self loathing, internal condemnation, and hopelessness is not God’s doing. He knows at which point we withdraw our hands from accepting His full gift of forgiveness.

I want to go back to the broken bone analogy. Asking God to restore me is the same as asking Him to “set me straight” again, to realign me with Himself, to get me back on course. It is the reality of a fresh start! It is coming to the place of seeing that whatever has happened is unchangeable but not unforgivable. Will I dare to embrace this truth and allow it to change my view of God and myself? Not if I keep putting conditions on it and limiting its full meaning! Not if I cling to condemnation rather than grace.

I have often said that becoming a Christian and accepting God’s free gift of salvation was easy. Living out the Christian life is the hard part. Not because it isn’t possible but because I carry with me wrong mindsets, unresolved issues, and areas in my life that have yet to experience the touch of God’s grace. My restoration and deliverance in any area requires honesty in the inward parts, opened hands lifted in God’s direction, and trust in His ability to do whatever “surgery” is necessary. He is not only the Landscaper of my soul….He is the Great Physician who heals and restores!

Living out my faith and seeing internal changes is a life long process. He will reveal to me where I have gotten off track, where I have demanded my way over His will, and where I have messed up big time. But the revelation and the restoration will both be done in love and with success!

Father, I can become over whelmed with all that needs to be seen, acknowledged, and changed in me. It is only as I see my need to simply cooperate with You that my soul relaxes and my mind becomes at ease. I join You in Your work of restoration and healing. Amen.

A Heart and Face Lift

For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God. Job 22:26 NKJV

My affections and my attention have a powerful effect on the direction of my attitudes, actions, emotions, feelings, and motives. What I derive pleasure from and who I am constantly looking to will shape my entire day as well as my life. This verse is now my heart’s cry for I have tasted of the fruit that has come when anyone but God is my delight or my primary source of comfort, direction, and acceptance.

This morning I finally admitted the weariness of my own soul. I have spent the past couple of weeks nursing a wound of rejection. It has been tender and painful. I have mulled over the situation, sought godly counsel, shed many tears, claimed verses, fought the enemy of my soul, separated my feelings and perceptions from actual truth, acknowledged the ending of a significant relationship, and engulfed myself in a capsule of pain. But this morning I woke up desiring a new way to live in the midst of a new season of my life. I simply told God I was tired of holding on to all the hurt and ache. I was ready to let go of the spider web of emotions that had wrapped itself around every fiber of my being. I gave the entire “bundle” to Him. A huge weight has been lifted off my back as well as my heart because I know He graciously takes what I willingly give to Him. While the situation has not changed the effect it has on me did change.

I am now free to live out the principles of Job 22:26. When I am tempted to obsess over my loss I can now proclaim, “My delight is in You, O God! I lift up my face to You!” God’s word says the power of life and death are in the tongue. He has given me life-giving words to speak to Him. They are words full of healing, comfort, strength, and freedom. They are the key to unlock the chain that has been draped around my internal world. Just when I thought the darkness would be my only companion, His light has broken through and my path has suddenly burst forth with life! The enemy of my soul has lost big time and God has recaptured my heart!

I have noticed one huge thing. The longer I am on this journey and the farther I go, the more profound and deep the lessons are becoming. While the trials seem to be harder the victories are definitely sweeter. God is intent on wooing me to Himself and helping me to experience Him as my all in all. It will mean exposing the many hindrances that remain in the way. It will be a matter of releasing one thing after another to take hold of His hand. These cannot just be noble sounding words. They must be the life lines for my soul!

Father, You have waited all this time for me to give You what Your hands were ready to receive. Thank you for walking me through another valley of tears. I delight in You and I look to You. Amen.