Radical Obedience

And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. Acts 19:19 (Amplified Bible)

I have often heard of accounts in history when revival resulted in the destruction of former articles of sin and addiction. Often times, bonfires would be built and those things that had become an ingrained part of people’s lives were thrown into the flames. It must have been a profound site. I can only imagine the scene of an entire town bringing their drug paraphernalia, pornographic literature, demonic books and music, immodest clothing, and whatever else they had been in bondage to, and tossing them one by one into the inferno. It would mark a distinct end to a part of their life that kept them at arms length from God.

The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God requiring His people to stop the practice of idolatry. Part of the process was the necessity to completely destroy the idols they had made and subsequently worshipped. True freedom would not come merely through confession and repentance of the idolatry. While it was a good start, it was not the end of the obedience God demanded. For He knew if the idols remained, the tendency to bow to them once again would exist. Ridding their homes and land of every last idol was the ultimate display of total surrender. Stopping short of that act meant unresolved issues and incomplete obedience. Thus the door to freedom would once again close.

I have been in prayer this morning over a personal issue in my own life. While I have sought forgiveness and freedom countless times I have not sensed a release from its hold. While it would not be considered immoral or illegal it is keeping a death grip on my soul that demands a difficult but necessary step of obedience. There is absolutely no question in my mind of what God is requiring me to do nor of the grace He is offering me to actually do it. Failure to obey will not result in a loss of His love for me, for I know His love is based on who He is NOT on what I do. But failure to fully cooperate with Him in this area will result in a loss of His blessing on my life, stunted spiritual growth, and an inability to receive all He has for me. It will also grieve Him and obstruct the intimacy with Him I have come to experience and embrace. That is too great a price to pay in His opinion and mine. Therefore I choose to take hold of His extended hand and walk a path of obedience that will lead to freedom…no matter how painful the steps may be. Let the tears flow as this heart follows Him!

Father, the decision has been made. Give me the grace to obey You unreservedly. Amen.

Corrected Vision

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Our ability to approach others is affected by our perception of them. If I believe a person accepts me and enjoys my company I will readily move toward them. There will be confidence, good eye contact, a relaxed atmosphere, and easy conversation. Joy and delight will mark our time together. But if I perceive they are disappointed in me, don’t like me, or are irritated with me, I will usually avoid making contact. If we do spend time together there will be lack of connection, avoidance of eye contact, a guardedness, and very limited conversation. Uneasiness will mark our encounter.

My ability to connect with God works much the same way. If I view Him as a harsh judge, critical, uncaring, and merely tolerating me, I will find it difficult to approach Him. Meeting with Him will either be rushed or avoided all together. Openness and delight will not mark my prayer life…..if I even attempt a prayer life. His invitation to draw near will be viewed with suspicion and disbelief. He will not be the One I feel comfortable with alone.

The words of Psalm 86:5 assure me that God is far different than that. I relax with the realization that God is good, pleasant, and agreeable. He readily displays favour, kindness, mercy, and goodness. The One who forgives me does so willingly and cheerfully, not grudgingly. His invitation to draw near is given with open arms and joy.

I am asking myself why I have held both these views of God at one time or another. For decades it was the first view and for a few years now it has been the second one. I am seeing three things that aided my misperceptions. Authority figures in my life, Satan’s lies, and very little time in the Word. Putting someone else’s face on God and not knowing the truth to counter the lies set me up for huge struggles and hindrances in having an intimate, close relationship with my heavenly Father.

Oh, but that changed radically when God began to allow the truth of Himself to soak in. It came in stages. First He crossed my path with individuals who knew the truth about Him and lived out of that truth. Then He caused me to begin seeing the truth for myself in His Word. It has affected EVERY area of my Christian life and I dance in joy because of it!

Father, I long for others to know the truth about You. I am burdened for Your many children who are still unaware of what You are really like. Use me to help correct their vision and view of Yourself. Amen.

Our Measure of Praise

I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2 (New King James Version)

I was quite taken back yesterday at something the Lord brought to my attention. For the past three years God has been allowing me to take in the truth that He welcomes my honesty. He desires truth in the inward parts which means I am safe to confide to Him how I am really feeling and what I am really thinking. It has been a long time in coming but I have finally learned to cry on His shoulder as I express pain, disappointment, fear, and heartache. The ability to explore the depths of emotions with Him has been very freeing and healing. All along I have sited David as my example of one who could readily open his heart to God. Seeing this side of his prayer life served as a key to unlock the door of my own heart.

Once I was fully on the journey of truthfulness with God, He opened my eyes to something that astounded me. He drew my attention to David’s enthusiastic praise life! I counted up the verses in the Psalms that use the words cried and tears, and discovered there are a couple dozen. But I was unprepared to find that there are 175 verses that include the word praise. While David certainly brought honest hurting emotions to God, his outbursts of praise far outnumbered them! This truth hit home with me and convicted me greatly. God got the message across to me loud and clear.

He was letting me know my praise to Him should far outweigh and outnumber my times of pouring my heart out to Him. He was not saying to stop the one, but rather to increase the other! He reminded me that He inhabits the praises of His people. Yes, He is a God of comfort but He is also a God who delights in praise. While letting Him know the deepest parts of myself is necessary and refreshing, speaking praise to Him is energizing!

Now I can take these facts in and believe them to be true. But real change does not take place until I begin to implement them into my life. Yesterday was the day I put it all to the test. Throughout the day I expressed praise to Him for as many things as I could think of and I found that the more I spoke the more my spirit came alive in me! It redirected my focus on to God, it brought out a boldness, it increased my confidence in Him, it brought things into the right perspective, and it brought on a joy that was indescribable. I have no doubt that David’s praise ratio is meant for us today. May the praise flow from our mouths in abundance!

Father, Your ears have been open to my heartaches and I thank You for that. May I now fill those same ears with the sound of praise from a grateful heart! I praise You!!!!! Amen.

Praying From the Psalms

A Prayer constructed from Psalms 1-18

You, O Lord, are a covering around me, my shining-greatness, and the One Who lifts my head. You have filled my heart with more happiness than they have when there is much grain and wine. I will lie down and sleep in peace. O Lord, You alone keep me safe. Let all who put their trust in You be glad. Let them sing with joy forever. You make a covering for them, that all who love Your name may be glad in You. For You will make those happy who do what is right, O Lord. You will cover them all around with Your favor. You keep safe those who suffer. You are a safe place in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will put their trust in You. For You, O Lord, have never left alone those who look for You. In You I am safe. I have trusted in Your loving kindness. My heart will be full of joy because You will save me. I will sing to You, because You have been good to me. I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to You, for You have been good to me. You are present in the company of the righteous. Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing. LORD, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise You, LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set You ,LORD, always before me. Because You are at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. I call on You, O God, for You will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of Your great love. You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. You still the hunger of those You cherish. I love You, O LORD, my strength. You, LORD, are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; You are my rock, in whom I take refuge. You are my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to You, LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. In my distress I called to You, LORD; I cried to You for help. From Your temple You heard my voice; my cry came before You, into Your ears. You reached down from on high and took hold of me; You drew me out of deep waters. You rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. You were my support. You brought me out into a spacious place; You rescued me because You delighted in me. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; You turn my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with You I can scale a wall. Your way is perfect; Your Word is flawless. You are a shield for all who take refuge in You. For who is God besides You? And who is the Rock except You?
You arm me with strength and make my way perfect. You make my feet like the feet of a deer; You enable me to stand on the heights. You train my hands for battle. You give me Your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me; You stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me. You armed me with strength for battle. You live! I praise You and I exalt You. I will praise You among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to Your name. You give me great victories; You show unfailing kindness to me, Your anointed. In the precious name of Jesus I proclaim these truths. Amen!

Exposing and Replacing the Lies

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (New International Version)

Our minds have the amazing ability to retain everything that we have been exposed to in our life time. Not only the things we saw, heard, felt, understood, and experienced but the meanings and interpretations of those things as well. Some of those interpretations are truthful but many are not. The memories that were distorted by lies have the ability to distort reality for us even as adults. How we interpret our actions as well as the actions of the people around us is tied into our store house of memory.

The enemy of my soul was delighted to introduce lies to me from very early on. He stood ready to expose false interpretations with each event and experience. Those lies became “truth” to me and have continued to affect the things I come across on a daily basis. My reactions to things said to me, done to me, or shown to me are stemming from not only my own sin nature but my acceptance of lies from years gone by. For example, when I walk away from a conversation and I am overwhelmed with feelings of insignificance, loneliness, abandonment, rejection, anger, or profound sadness I am re-experiencing lies that were introduced to me by the enemy decades ago. The same emotions, feelings, and thoughts are surfacing and the effect is often painful.

Is there hope? Is there freedom? Absolutely! God stands ready to graciously and tenderly take me back to the very experiences where lies where introduced and interpretations were distorted. He has truth to give me that will change the way I viewed the situations. What happened was real and truthful. That part will not change. What WILL change will be the effect it had on me. As God exposes the lies and introduces the truth I will have a new and dependable grid to look through. The healing of past memories will be the catalyst for experiencing different interpretations of the present.

Will I live problem free and pain free? No, not in this life. But it will have huge ramifications for mindsets and strongholds that affect me now. I have a choice to either continue embracing lies or finally exchanging the lies for truth. It will be a life long process strewn with successes and failures but it will be in the company of my Abba Father…..the God of the past, present, and future. In His arms and under His watchful eye I am safe to go back and finally hear His interpretation of each account.

Father, take me back to the places where the enemy’s lies became my “truth” experientially. As we stand at each scene, expose the lies and introduce me to the truth…Your truth. Thank You for the freedom that will come as a result of each truthful encounter. Amen.

Reasons for Praise

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Psalm 104:33,34 (King James Version)

David has made up his mind to sing, praise, and be glad in the Lord. His words and thoughts follow a decision he has already determined to do. Not just when things were going well and happiness abounded. As long as there was breath in him, he would exude worship to God. It was his trademark and mantra! He knew God well enough to know that He deserved and desired his praise. He knew the power of speaking that praise. Read through the Psalms and you will find that even in the midst of David pouring out his heart concerning loss, fear, danger, and turmoil you will find him resolving to praise God.

What a difference it would make if in the midst of any circumstance we ended our thoughts and prayers with “But I will still praise You!” Even in the midst of pain. Even in the midst of tears. Even in the midst of heartache. Even in the midst of loneliness. Even in the midst of loss. Even in the midst of whatever life includes. What would happen if we chose, like David, to praise God? Not just when we felt like it. Not just when everything was going our way. Not just when people give us what we want.

What I have found is that praise redirects my attention. It takes my focus off my circumstances and places it on to God. It is a distraction of great proportion! If at that point I allow my spirit to express the praise I will find myself verbalizing the many reasons for praising God. It may start out with a simple, “I praise You”, but will quickly become, “I praise You for Your faithfulness, Your goodness, Your loving kindness, Your power, Your creation, Your wisdom…..” The words will not only reach God’s ears, but they will reach my heart as well. The effect will be peace, confidence, and trust as I once again drink in the truth of God’s care, compassion, and control.

It is not a denial of facts nor is it just merely positive thinking. Praise is fitting for God and necessary for me. I cannot afford to reserve it for only the “perfect” days. If I will determine to allow my mind to meditate upon Him and permit my mouth to speak the praise, the feelings and emotions will follow. Each new day is a fresh opportunity to choose praise as a priority and practice. God has extended the invitation to each of us and now awaits our response. May His ears soon hear the sounds of praise we were created to express!

Father, You deserve heartfelt, passionate praise! May my mind, heart, will, and mouth overflow with praise to You. May my praise of You be genuine and gigantic! Amen.

Imperative Reminders

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10,11 (New International Version)

God is whispering reminders to me this morning. He knows I have been struggling because I have actually forgotten all three of the things He is now bringing to my mind. He is not being harsh. He is being serious yet tender. It is His way of saying, “Pam, it doesn’t have to be like this. Once again, step into the truth of My Word. I have not only good things for you…I have victory available for you.” How I praise Him for His persistence and His patience in getting me to understand I must be aware of my strength, my enemy, and my means of protection and defense.

First of all, my strength is found in Him. It is His strength and His mighty power that give me the ability to stand in victory! My dependency must be on Him and in Him rather than in what I can muster up on my own. The Christian life is not meant to be lived out of self effort, perfected behavior, and impeccable performance. That will only result in draining me. God’s Spirit resides in me to give me all that I need to live victorious in Him. In every area of weakness I must cry out to Him for the strength needed. He is not only ready and willing to give it to me, He is abounding with delight!

Secondly, I have an enemy and his name is Satan. He knows where I am weak, wounded, and vulnerable. He also knows which weapons to use against me. It is essential that I become wise to his ways, otherwise I become a sitting duck to his attacks. I am learning to detect his fingerprints amidst the circumstances of my life. When I find myself feeling discouraged, confused, or defeated, I can count on the fact that he is working against me. When my thoughts are consumed with losses, emptiness, and aloneness, I can be sure he is introducing his interpretation of things to me. How he must dance in glee at any child of God who is ignorant of him and his ways.

Thirdly, I am to daily stand in truth, His righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, His Word, and prayer. If I am not making a daily, conscious effort to put on the armor God has made available to me, I do not stand a chance against the powers of darkness and spiritual forces that abound! The armor is listed in Ephesians 6:14-18. God invites each one of us to take it up, put it on, and fight the good fight of faith as victorious warriors! Will we do it? I pray so!

Father, I needed Your reminder this morning. My defeats come only when I fail to remember and act upon Your Word. I choose today to know where my strength lies, who my enemy is, and what my armor of defense is. Amen.

Awakened By His Offer

And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desires in scorched places, and give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11 (New American Standard Bible)

Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and longed for it to be real in your own life? Today’s verse is one such example for me. How I long for God’s continual guidance. To know and follow His step by step instructions. I want to be satisfied in the dry places of my soul and to have an internal strength that carries me through difficult times. I yearn to be like a watered garden and spring of water….an unending supply of refreshment. I am crying out for guidance, satisfaction, strength, and refreshment. And the cries are not falling on deaf ears because they are directed toward my heavenly Father.

He has been watching me awaken to the realization that this is exactly what He wants to do for me. Many have been the times He spread a table before me and invited me to dine with Him only to see me approach other tables. Countless have been the times I turned down His offer of intimacy for other friendships. Each time I reached for what I thought would satisfy and fill me I came away empty and dissatisfied. Confusion, bitterness, and anger were often my companions on such a journey. And still He extended the offer of Himself.

This morning, He awakened me at 1:30 to once again invite me to reconnect with Himself. This time there were no distractions or offers that looked even slightly appealing. He has caused my hunger and thirst to surface and He is the One I am turning to get those needs met. He has once again planted seeds of hope in me for a deeper, richer walk with Himself. He offers rest for my weariness, comfort for my pain, forgiveness for my sinful choices, sight for my blindness, and His embrace for my loneliness. It is changing how I am talking to Him and what I am hearing Him say to me. I want to learn how to receive all that He offers me and in order to do that I must be willing to see what my hindrances have been. If the words full, abundant, satisfying, and complete do not describe my Christian life than I have once again closed my heart and withdrawn my hand from Him. He is using each consequence to draw me back into intimacy with Himself. I am not walking. I am running full force into His extravagant offer.

Father, You have watched me flounder and fall many times. Thank you that You continually welcome me home! Amen.

The Way of Escape

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. I Corinthians 10:13 (New American Standard Bible)

I marvel at the unique ways God chooses to act on our behalf. He is not tied into any one system or limited in His options. The temptations that may come our way in any given day are varied and so are His means of escape. The temptation is not always toward blatant sin and it is times when it is not that we must be even more careful to guard our hearts and minds. Such was the case this past week when I was considering doing something that I questioned whether or not I should actually do. Twice I was faced with a temptation that seemed innocent enough and yet something in me wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. What made it even more unsettling was that at one time both were beneficial to my walk with God. The more I pondered it the more I realized the necessity to pray about it…so I did.

I asked God to simply show me the source of the temptation. He did that but also showed me something else that helped put things into perspective. He let me see that the enemy of my soul was behind it all and was intent on tripping me up in an area God was touching in my life. His desire was to get me distracted and defeated. Then God clearly showed me what would happen if I gave in to the temptation. For the first one, He let me know if I acted upon my urges the results would be the exact opposite of what I was hoping for. For the second temptation He let me know I would not receive the same benefit I had once enjoyed. Once I saw the consequences, the temptation lost its appeal and pull. His revelation to me had become my way of escape. I have learned a whole new approach to walking in victory.

God is in our corner when it comes to living out the Christian life. He knows us thoroughly. He will do whatever it takes to aid us in our walk with Him. While choices abound we must be willing to ask ourselves some tough questions. Will what I am thinking of doing benefit and strengthen me spiritually? Will it help or hinder my growth? Will it showcase God’s work in my life? Will the end result be worthwhile? If the answer to any of these questions is no then I must say no to the thought. In the long run I will be glad I did.

Father, I need Your wisdom and counsel each step of the way. You know the beginning and ending of every action. Help me always choose Your will and Your way. Amen.

Spoken For You

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ ~ to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 (New International Version)

I marvel at the way God’s Word is meant specifically for any who read it. What Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi thousands of years ago is meant for believers today. As I read his three verse prayer, I shut my eyes and tried to envision him praying those words over me. What a prayer! That my love would abound. That I would grow in knowledge and discernment. That I would be pure and blameless. That I would be completely filled with the fruit that comes from knowing Jesus. And that it all be for God’s praise and glory!

We often tell people we are praying for them, but do we ever get specific about the content of those prayers? In recent months I have had individuals send me an email prayer that was lifted up on my behalf. They literally wrote out the words of their prayer for me. I was deeply moved as I read them. I have also had people close a phone conversation in prayer. Sometimes I will actually get on my knees as I drink in the blessing that is being prayed over me. On several occasions I have asked individuals to pray a blessing over me and the experience was profound. As God continues to cross my paths with such people, I will gratefully receive their prayers over me. There is something about hearing or reading those prayers that stirs my heart and refreshes my spirit.

At the same time, I want to be that to others and pray effective prayers over them. For I know the power that comes from asking God to enrich, bless, and encourage them. If nothing else, I can slip their name into Paul’s prayer and speak it on their behalf. Know this though. Even if I do not know you personally, Jesus does. If He is your Savior, He intercedes for you on a daily basis! If you want to get an idea of how He prays for you, take some time to read His prayer in John 17. What He prayed on behalf of his disciples is still on His lips for you! Not only does He pray His desires over you but He knows your specific needs as well. I don’t know how many prayer partners God has blessed you with but none will surpass Jesus. He is the Prayer Warrior of all prayer warrior!

Father, thank you for prayers spoken on my behalf and for the prayers I can speak for others. May I not take lightly the intercession that will take place today. And my I wrap myself in the truth of Jesus being the ultimate intercessor! Amen.

A Wise Use of Conjunctions

But You, O LORD. Psalm 102:12a (New American Standard Bible)

This phrase follows 11 verses of one man pouring out his heart to God. Time and time again, David has shown me the necessity of open, honest dialogue with God. He does not sugar-coat his circumstances, hide his true feelings, or disguise his thoughts. His is a flood of emotions, pain, agony, and torment that freely flows from his mouth to God’s ears. He readily tells God about his fears, discomfort, anger, and loneliness. He describes the toll it is taking on him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The tears fall as his words flow and the whole time God is listening. Not surprised. Not shocked. Not disappointed. Not disinterested. Not disturbed. Intently and compassionately listening to not only David’s complaint but also for his conjunction….But You, O LORD! His prayer is not limited to just listing his difficulties of life. It includes and concludes with proclaiming the truth about God.

Our prayer lives are progressive. Many of us had to learn how to become honest before God. We had to see it was okay to share with Him those things that He was already aware of. Getting out in the light what had been buried in the dark was a huge step for some of us. It required honesty in the inward parts and trust in the heart of God. It came after distortions about God were corrected. It may have taken weeks or even years for God to finally coax us into candid conversation with Himself. But His intent is not that we simply pour out our tears and tragedies. If that were the case, we would leave His throne room in no better shape than we entered.

When we have opened our hearts and mouths in honesty before God it is then time to turn the focus off ourselves and our circumstances and unto Him. This particular psalm lists God’s faithfulness, consistency, and power. Our list may do the same or go even further. There are times I like to just go through the alphabet ascribing a truth about God for each letter. Oh the strength, comfort, and refreshment that come as I proclaim, “But You, O Lord, are amazing, believable, compassionate, dependable, everlasting, faithful, generous, etc…” It allows me to see that my personal problems are NOT the end of the story! It puts things into right perspective once again. The hands that were hanging down are lifted and the knees that were feeble are strengthened (Hebrews 12:2). While nothing may have instantly changed with the outward circumstances my spirit is renewed and rejuvenated! God bless the conjunctions that turn my gaze and my praise toward Him!

Father, You are indescribable! May every conversation with You conclude with a testimony of You! Amen.

Seeing Them No More

And he saw him no more. 2 Kings 2:12 (Amplified Bible)

I often wonder what it was like for Elisha when Elijah was taken from him. What was it like for Joshua when he knew he would no longer be able to see and speak with Moses? What was it like for Timothy to go on without Paul? What was it like for David when Samuel was no longer a part of his life? Was there hesitation, fear, apprehension, dread, or sadness? Did they have moments of longing to relive the companionship and fellowship? Did they miss them? Or did they live so connected to God that they knew this was a transition God had brought about? Did they see that the preparatory work had been done in them and it was now time for them to walk out their own life of faith? Did their loss seem like a funeral or a graduation? Each had been the recipients of another person’s counsel, encouragement, leadership, and guidance. But it was not God’s intent for them to remain in another person’s classroom for the rest of their life.

God has spent the last number of months helping me to see His intentions for me as I have experienced the loss of my own “Elijah.” I cannot come up with a word to describe my first response to the change. Panic comes close. It entailed grief, depression, loneliness, and confusion. But through numerous resources I began to see the importance of focus and submission. If I focused on the problem and the person I was in trouble. If I focused on what it was God was doing in me I experienced growth. It is a daily walk that slowly develops the spiritual muscles I need to move forward.

Oswald Chambers’ classic, My Utmost for His Highest, confirmed this truth for me. He said, “It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him to you, but remember the time will come when he will have to go; when he stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he should. You say, ‘I cannot go on without Elijah.’ God says you must.” I take his words and let them sink deep into my heart. These are the days when I am to take all that I have learned from my former guide and implement them into my own journey. The lessons did not fall on deaf ears or a closed heart. Her investment into my life was not in vane. God gifted me with rich instruction and now invites me to show the fruit of His and her labor. Sometimes with tears and sometimes with joy I move on.

I will one day have the joy of sitting down face to face with my ‘Elijah’ and reviewing all that God did during and since her involvement in my Christian life. That visit may not happen until Heaven but when it does the rejoicing will abound!

Father, You lovingly gave and lovingly took away. I am the richer for both! Amen.

He Has His Eye On You

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 (New American Standard Bible)

Today’s verse shows me the extent to which God wants to be personally involved in my life. The God of the universe promises to be my Instructor, Teacher, and Counselor AND to watch over me every step of the way. ME! The one who so easily wants to watch people and follow their lead. The one who wants to find my answers in countless books. The one who desires exciting events and relationships in my life. The one who can so readily look for satisfaction and wholeness in countless sources.

I stood in a Christian bookstore last night with a friend. We were looking for a Bible study to do together. While many looked interesting, nothing in particular stood out to either of us. After my friend left I became uncomfortable with myself. I looked through a couple more books and browsed the music section. Nothing! Then it hit me. I was wanting to find another person’s walk with God to learn from. I wanted to crawl into their story and take in the truths they were learning. I wanted them to be the voice behind Psalm 32:8.

As I left the bookstore I became aware of my desire to have an authentic, genuine walk with God. Not a walk that is patterned after someone else’s. Not a walk that resembles someone else’s. Not a second hand faith! God was helping me to see that for much of my Christian life I was attracted to what I saw in others. What I saw in them I wanted for myself. This would usually lead to two dangers. I would become enamored with the person and addicted to the “high” of relationship. It never fails to be a recipe for disaster and an invitation to ride on a roller coaster of emotions. God sees it all and understands the reason behind the search. He is letting me know it doesn’t have to continue to be like that.

I am humbled by the truth of it all and asking Him to teach me. Teach me how to live satisfied in Him. Teach me how to drink my fill of Him. Teach me how to walk with Him. Teach me how to draw close to Him. Teach me how to keep my focus on Him. Teach me how to joy in Him. Teach me how to seek Him. Teach me how to embrace Him. Teach me how to hear Him. Teach me how to live for Him. He has given me His Word that He will do just that!

Father, I see now why You had to remove the props I was leaning on and learning from. My heart and my eyes are now on You. Teach me! Amen.

A Powerful Exchange

Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me. Psalm 71:2 (New King James Version)

Sometimes I can easily see what I need to be delivered from and other times the realization can be slow in coming. When I don’t understand my own captivities, escape is illusive and imprisonment is long lasting. But I have a faithful God who is passionate about my freedom. I am not left on my own to wade through the issues of life.

At the present, the issues of life involve lies I have embraced and God’s desire to help me see, own, and walk in truth. I am astounded at the power and simplicity of how this exchange works. God has been using an individual in my life to help me see the necessity of identifying and renouncing the lies I am believing and replacing them with the truth. She had to say it a number of times before I could finally hear it and implement it. What she is sharing with me has opened my eyes to the potential for victory and freedom. God is using her to teach me the necessity of discernment.

I am learning to detect when a lie is being introduced to me and the evidence of my receiving it as truth. I recently read an email that was filled with wisdom and godly advice. But because I am use to reading between the lines and being suspicious of what someone might be thinking, I began to draw some wrong conclusions as to what was meant by the words. Part way through the email I felt an uneasy surge in my body and a lie emerged. I grew uneasy, felt shame, began to withdraw emotionally, felt a sense of hopelessness and condemnation, and wanted to retreat from the person who was really trying to help me.

God graciously intervened and let me know it was a lie! What I was thinking of myself and this person was a lie! The negative thoughts and reactions fled when I simply voiced the truth. This person was not criticizing me or telling me things to shame me. She was wanting to warn me of some dangerous thinking. I received her words as they were intended to be received and the negative thought process lost its grip. I slept well and woke up joyfully free!

Today I am on guard. I am aware the enemy has many more lies for me to embrace and I don’t want to receive any of them. I have a choice to believe lies or believe the truth. I am going for the truth. I invite others to join me. It really doesn’t have to be the way it has been for any of us.

Father, I have spent too many years not walking in the truth. Oh, the lessons, wisdom, and guidance I have missed because of it. You are the Truth and the source of truth for me. Keep showing me the way of escape! Amen.

Thanking Him in Advance

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” John 11:41 (New King James Version)

God is once again revealing truth to me through His Word. As many times as I have read the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead I have missed a huge aspect of Jesus’ prayer. He is giving thanks BEFORE the miracle occurs! That is not usually the case with me. I have a tendency to hold off the praise and thanksgiving until after I see the answer of my prayers manifested. In doing that, I have missed out on an essence of intimacy, faith, and interaction with God.

How different my prayer sounded this morning as I began to review the things I have been asking of God and changing them from petitions to praises. Thanking Him for all that He has yet to do in my life. Thanking Him for internal healings not yet accomplished. Thanking Him for the revelations of Himself that are not yet seen. Thanking Him for the filling of many holes still in me. Thanking Him for all He will do between now and eternity. Thanking Him for the places He will eventually take me to. Thanking Him for broken chains of bondage. Thanking Him for freedom from mindsets that keep setting me back. Thanking Him for victories that will one day be mine.

The list is endless by my point is this: when I start thanking God ahead of time for answers to my prayers my faith and trust in Him come alive. I no longer feel it is all just a big waiting and guessing game. It becomes a time of active participation and anticipation that strengthens me and glorifies Him. It switches my focus from my problems to God’s power, provision, and potential. This does not mean I do not ask for things. What it means is once I have asked I then have things to start thanking Him for.

Dear Reader, I invite you to do what I am doing. Review those things that you have been crying out to God to do and begin thanking Him for the way He will intervene on your behalf. Thank Him for the healings, help, and wholeness that will come from His hands to your life. Then as you begin to see His answers manifested, the praise and thanksgiving will be even more profound. I am amazed at the internal shift that takes place as the words of thanksgiving pour out of my mouth.

Father, thank you for what is yet to come! Amen.

Exposing Lies and Embracing Truth

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus had no trouble identifying the originator of lies. It was Satan. He is a master at seeking out our places of vulnerability and tailor making a lie to introduce to our thinking. We would do good to be aware of his tactics, our weaknesses, and the opportunities he takes to combine the two. It helps to look at his past track record with us and see the patterns that arise. It requires knowing ourselves well enough to realize the areas he is most likely to continually attack. I don’t know about you, but I grow weary of his repeated schemes. I want to learn from the past in order to be better prepared for the future.

For years, I bought into his lies about God. The character assassination is still fresh in my mind. He had me convinced that God tolerated me more than loved me, was disappointed in me, was a harsh judge, had a love that depended on my performance for Him, and barely knew me. The lies stuck for decades until the truths of Scripture began to be seen and embraced by me. Once I saw what God was really like, the lies lost their hold. Now that the lies no longer work in that area, he has slithered his way into other domains. His most recent attack has to do with relationships.

A precious friendship recently fell victim to my insecurities and the enemy’s lies. No one has been involved in my life longer or remained more consistent than this individual. She has never hurt me or given me any reason to doubt her sincere love and acceptance. But that didn’t stop the enemy from gaining a foothold in my thinking. I pondered the lies and ended up sending an email full of questions and doubts. With the graciousness and love of Jesus, she responded with truth. Her view of me and relationship to me has not changed. The lie was exposed and renounced as the truth was embraced. What Satan meant to destroy, God strengthened!

I cringe at revealing this side of myself but I do it in hopes that others might see a similarity in themselves. It is my desire that the lies and tactics of the enemy be exposed for all to see. He is a ruthless and defeated foe! May today be a day of victory in Jesus.

Father, You have used Your Word and a gracious friend to reveal truth to me. I am humbled, not shamed, by it all. Make me wise and discerning as the enemy prowls. Amen.