Keys For Kingdom Living

You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. Deuteronomy 13:4 (New American Standard Bible)

Today’s verse is nestled among warnings to Israel to not allow anyone to seduce them away from God. His words to them are meant for our ears as well. I see them as a prescription for victorious living and ignoring them spells defeat for any of us. They are meant to be taken as a whole in order to prevent becoming obsessed or unbalanced with any one aspect. They are descriptive of a life lived in relationship with God and dependence upon God. To each of us who know Him as Savior, He whispers, “Follow Me, reverence Me, obey Me, listen to Me, serve Me, and cling to Me.” For if we reverence, listen to, and cling to God the result will be obedience and service. Not mustered up in our own strength but brought about by the Spirit who lives in us.

So I am asking God what it is that hinders this from happening on a consistent basis. His answers to me are numerous and have only begun to scratch the surface. For starters, it is identifying the tactics of the enemy and implementing warfare against him. I must realize that ANYTHING I harbor in my heart is fair game for him to use and abuse. Be it anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, self pity, fear, ingratitude, or pride, it is imperative that I confess it and release it to God. It requires a continual inventory on my part as well as aggressive “house-cleaning.”

It is also necessary to see the importance of my words. This entails calling the enemy on his attempts against me and proclaiming the truths of Scripture against him. He should never be allowed to have the last word! Each time he approaches the door of my mind with his banner of lies and distortions I have the authority to say “no” and turn him away. But that is only part of the story. I must also proclaim the truths and praises about my Heavenly Father! To do so is empowering!

Finally, I must see the difference between needing God’s healing and deliverance for areas that are out of my control, and walking in cooperation and obedience in areas for which I have a choice. Attitudes of my heart and mind (which drive my actions and words) must be aligned with God’s truth and I must follow His prescription for walking and standing in victory.

Father, I confess I have given ground to the enemy and walked in defeat when all the while You have invited me to join You! I take Your message to heart and ask that You continue to transform my life through Your Spirit and Word as well as the renewal of my mind. Amen.

Failed Attempts at Satisfaction

As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud, therefore they forgot Me. Hosea 13:6 (New American Standard Bible)

Satisfaction is derived when our needs and desires are fulfilled and we are gratified. And yet there is a danger when we have managed to reach that point through external means. Even when the very thing that is satisfying us came because of the graciousness of God. For it is at that point that we can very easily forget how much we need God. Troubles, depravation, rejection, and heartache make us profoundly aware of our need for God. Over abundance, comfort, and ease cause us to forget.

I find that the longer I am on this journey with God the more prone I am to pray, “Father, if it will cause me to forget You, turn from You, or live independent of You, don’t allow anything or anyone to satisfy me.” Sometimes the very thing I am looking to satisfy me is really an attempt to anesthetize myself from facing my own emptiness, pain, and sorrow. Those were things I wanted to avoid at all costs because I did not realize the simple truth that they were meant to bring me to the One who could actually heal, restore, and transform me.

God knows the one thing we are looking to for satisfaction. Be it material things, relationships, social status, individual accomplishments, education, etc… He loves us too much to allow it to become our “savior.” For a time it might work but eventually we find it is just a bandage on the gaping wounds of our soul.

For me it was relationships. I did not know all that I was looking for other individuals to do for me but I was on a search. Certain people could put me on a “high” and internal problems no longer seemed to exist. Little did I know their availability kept me from entering a deep, personal relationship with my heavenly Father. I was living with the illusion that everything was okay! God knew it was necessary to reveal the truth to me. He had to help me see the problem was not that I had problems. The problem was with whom I was turning to alleviate the pain, fill the void, and escape the truth. Out of love He has removed sources in order for me to finally turn to Him. I now admit life hurts but I am finding that God heals.

Father, thank you for not allowing true satisfaction to come from any other source besides Yourself. I praise You that the attempts failed. That in turn has led me straight to You. Amen.

He Knows the Way That I Take

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 (New American Standard Bible)

My final thoughts before I drifted off to sleep last night and my first thoughts when I awoke this morning were of a list of my ancestors found within the pages of Scripture. The list was as follows: Ruth, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, and David. Each called of God for a special time and purpose. Each required to leave what they had known to enter that which was only fully known by God. None would have experienced God’s call without leaving one place for another. In today’s verse the phrase he went out, not knowing has captured my attention.

There is a part of me that is glad God does not reveal the things that lie ahead. Many times He does not let us see the good or the bad of our future…the trials or the treasures. It is part of the faith walk He invites us to embrace. If we knew the difficulties that awaited us we would often allow fear to freeze us in our tracks. And if we knew the blessings that lay ahead we would follow simply for that reason.

I look back over the last four years of my journey and I can see where “knowing” would have robbed me of joy and the desire to move forward. When I reached for freedom He didn’t let me know it would eventually mean the loss of a teaching job as well as the loss of my husband‘s teaching job. When I embraced the teaching, nurturing, and care of a mentor He didn’t let me know the day would come when she would step away and I would be devastated. In both those cases I would now say it was worth it, but had I been told upfront, both experiences would have entailed more fear than faith and sorrow than joy. No, in His wisdom He didn’t let me know. But when each result came so did His words, “My grace is sufficient for you.” And it was!

At the same time, I have been left in tearful amazement at the “gifts of goodness” He continually gives. He didn’t let me know ahead of time the delight I would find in sending out email devotionals, the introduction of more significant relationships, and the daily adventure of being made whole by Him. No, He didn’t let me know ahead of time but with each one I hear His words, “My ways and thoughts are higher than yours.” And they are!

This all comes at a time when I know He is inviting me to turn a corner with Him. It requires letting go and moving forward. He has laid the groundwork and helped me to see that what lies ahead is fully known by Him. Embracing Him means embracing the path He has carved out for me. I want both!

Father, You know my heart as well as my thoughts. I don’t want to miss anything You have planned for me even when I know it will entail difficulties with the delights. I choose to follow. Amen.

Becoming Receptive

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New American Standard Bible)

I have wrestled today with the idea of being the recipient of today’s verse. I have no trouble seeing my need to encourage and build up others but I often struggle to understand God intends for me to receive encouragement and building up from others as well. It is the way He has designed for the body of Christ to function and when we do, it brings Him pleasure! Although I know this in my head and can easily say it, God knows there are reasons I am still not embracing it and living out of the joy of it.

I have found that when I struggle with God’s design of things there is usually an element of fear involved. Fear draws the enemy just as blood draws sharks. He takes advantage of any insecurities and misperceptions I house within my mind. I must be willing to take the time to allow God to uncover those fearful thoughts and inaccurate views. Then I must be willing to replace them with the truth of Scripture.

God is presently crossing my path with encouragers. I see them as gifts from Him. I value the time we spend together and the discussions we have. In their presence I am safe to open up and share what is really going on inside my head and my heart. I would venture to say they know me in ways that few people do. Having said that, you would think there would be no trouble implementing today’s verse into my life. The truth of the matter is that the enemy of my soul enjoys wreaking havoc even in the midst of God’s blessings.

Just about the time I am filled with the joy and encouragement of friends, he comes along and whispers, “Better step back. You are going to become dependent and that is not good!” So the thing which God intends for good now becomes an area of shame and condemnation. That is when I need to go to God and allow Him to tell me the truth. While it is true I need to guard my heart in the area of emotional dependency, it is also true God desires to encourage me through other believers. He has given me numerous examples in Scripture of people who were greatly used in each others’ lives. While there are some things that only God can give me there are many things that relationships can give me and God is inviting me to receive them all. When I am off balanced in either direction may He quickly bring me back to the right place. I desire that my timidity be replaced with extravagant wonder.

Father, help me to receive Your love through others with abandon. I sense Your delight when that takes place. Amen.

Finally At Home

That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. Ephesians 1:15-16 (The Message)

John F. Kennedy gave us the famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” That can often times become the mantra for many churches, “Ask not what your church can do for you; ask what you can do for your church.” I spent many years thinking my main reason for being in church was to worship God, learn doctrine, and serve in some capacity. I would not argue that those are true and biblical objectives. But I often missed many other beautiful aspects of being part of a local church. Not wanting to make my church experience all about “me” I found myself struggling to become involved and at home within any body of believers.

Church, for me, had been reduced to attending, listening, remaining shallow and surface in communication, and walking out the door with my “duty” done. There was little excitement about being there and little anticipation for going. I am not blaming the churches, I am confronting a lie the enemy handed me and that I received. I had a distorted view of my place within the body of Christ and their place within my life. I wanted things to be different but had no idea how to make them different. God knew my struggle and graciously came to my aide.

I have spent the last five weeks attending a small Baptist church near our home. Each Sunday and Wednesday has been rich with Bible teaching, precious fellowship, and a deep sense of belonging and feeling at home. I have begun to ask myself, “Where can I get involved?” This place of worship is now like family to me and I marvel at how God brought it about. I would have to say, my heart was made receptive and open because of simple acts of kindness on the part of the people in that church. They reached out to me. Not to “get” from me but to simply nurture and minister to me and that has had a profound effect on me. For some it was done through hugs, showing an interest, upholding me in prayer, and just making me feel welcome. One in particular has come along side me and given me a safe place to discuss some places of pain, struggle, and strongholds. The result? I am ready to serve and minister to others out of a heart that has been ministered to. The very part of church that was minimized in my mind has been used of God to nurture me back to life and I am beyond amazed.

Father, I thank you for the believers who have been Your hand and heart to me. I am now ready to be that to others. Amen.

The Necessity and Power of Self-Talk

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 43:5 (New American Standard Bible)

There were times David would cry out to God in difficult times. But he also knew the power and necessity of self-talk. This self-talk included questions as well as reminders. It redirected his focus and brought about internal change that acted as rungs of a ladder in order to climb out of emotional pits. We as believers would do well to follow his example.

Recently, I saw first hand how valuable and powerful this can be in my own life. After several hours of battling negative emotions, I took a piece of paper and began writing a note to myself. It was filled with reminders of truth about myself, my situation, and most importantly, my God! It is what others would have told me had they been able to come along side me to encourage me in the right direction. That would have been nice but I would have missed the experience of realizing once again that I have the mind of Christ and His Spirit dwelling in me. God wanted me to know that He will help me to draw out of my own reserves wise counsel and applicable knowledge. He is helping me to see that all the time I have spent in His Word, reading countless Christian books, and sitting under godly teaching has not been wasted. It has become a warehouse of wisdom within me and I am free to draw upon its contents at any time. The note took several minutes to write and was about a paragraph in length but the result was a shift in my thinking as well as my spirit. I had come out of my mental pit and the change was profound.

Does this replace prayer and seeking the advice of others? No. But it does give me a powerful tool to use. I have used it twice now and found the same results both times. David’s example is now becoming my personal experience and I stand in awe of the results. To say I am ecstatic is an understatement! I now plan to fill notebooks with these moments and later on have the joy of reviewing this aspect of my journey. I look forward to the moments God lets me know what to say to myself and how productive the discussion will be!

Father, my excitement is matched by my amazement. You have given me a precious key that unlocks yet one more door to freedom. I praise You! Amen.

Homesick or Home?

If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it. But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country. Hebrews 11:15,16 (Amplified Bible)

Our minds usually go in one of two directions. Either we are homesick for what use to be or yearning and aspiring for what lies ahead. As believers, Heaven is our ultimate destiny but until we get there our life will entail many places or countries of God’s choosing. The journey we are on has been designed and brought about by God. How we walk that journey is our choice. Resistance to change will become a stumbling block that makes the way more painful and difficult.

I think back to the children of Israel in the wilderness and how often they voiced their longing to return to Egypt. Egypt! Their former place of slavery and misery. What were they thinking? The tests and trials of their wilderness wanderings made what should have been unappealing very appealing. The wilderness was filled with the unknown and unwanted, therefore they wanted what they left. But no matter how many times they revisited Egypt in their mind, God never allowed them to go back. Any trips back were only in their imaginations and heart. How like them I can be at times.

Although the wilderness was not the promised land, it was the place God had them at the present. But too often they failed to embrace it as such and follow God with abandon. How different the journey would have been if they had! They could have experienced the reward of anticipating God’s interventions and involvement rather than begrudging the changes in their life.

For them, it was change of location. For me, it is change of relationships. God knows my mind still houses thoughts of homesickness for individuals who use to be a part of my life and no longer are. While the memories of them will always be a part of me, God is desiring that I will now embrace the individuals who now intersect my world. They are His present gift to me and He doesn’t want me to miss the joy of knowing them and growing with them. He implores me to stop resisting and start resting in the place He has me and with the people He has given me. May I dare to do so!

Father, help me to turn my eyes toward You and then to look around at all You have given me and done for me in this present place of my life. Replace my feelings of homesickness with a sense of coming home! Amen.

After the Storm

Their life shall be like a watered garden….For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow….My people will be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord. Jeremiah 31:12-14 (Amplified Bible)

Today’s verse was not my experience yesterday but it is this morning. I have long ago given up the notion that in this life I will only have good days and always have a smile on my face. Some days are just plain hard and yet God wants me to know on other days I will be like a watered garden and will experience joy, comfort, and satisfaction. My individual trials and troubles are not the end of the story. They are simply difficult moments within a realm of many precious moments.

It has become my practice after I have walked through a particular valley to glean what treasures I can from that valley. I look for the lessons to be learned and truths to be embraced. I may not necessarily see them when the tears are falling and my heart is grieving, but afterwards, when the storm has passed, I am able to view things from a different perspective. God’s voice is usually clearer to me and my heart is usually more receptive to what He has to say. Sometimes the lesson entails seeing an aspect about myself that wasn’t evident to me at the time. Skewed thinking, misplaced expectations, impaired vision, and wrong focus can become huge boulders in my path that must be recognized and removed.

This morning’s meditation over yesterday’s difficulties brought much to light. When people become my source for significance, identity, value, purpose, and worth I am standing on shaky ground. Mainly because God is the only true Source for those things. Besides, people come and go in my life. Putting such high expectations on temporary relationships sets me up for a continual sense of being unsettled and unstable. Jesus alone is my Rock and sturdy foundation. Because He does not change, what I derive from relationship with Him does not change.

The satisfaction God offers me is often disrupted because of discontentment. Wanting something I don’t have. Wanting life to be the way it use to be in certain areas. Thinking that because things have changed I will now be missing out. Once again, I have to see Who my source for life really is. If it is tied up in relationship with certain people I will definitely live with a sense of unhappiness, incompleteness, and emptiness. But when my relationship with God is the central point of my life I am able to be that well watered garden full of joy, comfort, and satisfaction. It is not a pie-in-the-sky thought. It is real life!

Father, any time I see You as my Source for all things I am able to experience the abundant life You promised. Keep that truth alive in me. Amen.

Fight For Me

Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it. He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Joshua 10:38,39 (New American Standard Bible)

The phrases stood out to me like bright, flashing neon lights. Throughout the tenth chapter of Joshua I see the repeated message….fought against, captured, struck down, utterly destroyed, no survivor. Taking possession of the promised land entailed many battles but none were fought and won without the instructions, direction, assistance, and partnership of God. Not once were they left on their own to defeat the enemies. A few times, God did all the fighting for them but many times they were called upon to enter the battle and wield the swords. City after city fell to complete annihilation. I want such victory!

This morning I am voicing but one request to God, “Fight for me. Destroy the enemy within me.” The very thing that keeps cropping up in my life is what I want to see put to death and I am desiring that God does that for me. Some would say I must do it myself. Their words would feel like I am being sent to the battlefield of my soul on my own. I need God to help me do what I am struggling to do. I am asking Him to help me conquer and defeat the very thing I am holding on to. To help me open my hands in release. To help me let go from my heart. To kill what I have kept alive.

There was a time in my Christian life when I had no idea I could bring such a request to God. I felt He wouldn’t hear or help. But He has shown me His heart and in seeing that, I have learned to be honest and transparent before Him. His Word assures me of the perfection and display of His strength in my weakness. His hope in my hopelessness. His willingness to fight for me when I am over whelmed and over run. I am not giving up. I am simply asking Him to carry me until His courage infuses me once again. I want to embrace the journey He has for me and allow Him to bring in and take out of my life all that entails. My unwillingness in certain areas of submission and trust is the backdrop for my cry for help to Him. I am in need of Him to put to death in me the desire that still pulsates with life until it is no longer breathing (Joshua 11:14). I am asking Him to put within me the desire to fight. To release what needs to be released and embrace what needs to be embraced. To hunger for Him and His will above my own. He knows the heart behind my words as well as the places of fear. He knows I can’t see beyond right now and that my faith is shaky. And He reminds me that He is not only my Rock but my Shepherd. He will supply what I lack.

Father, You fought some of the battles in their entirety for the children of Israel. I call upon You to do the same for me now. Amen.

Continual Preparation

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19b (New King James Version)

Sometimes the enemy makes sneak attacks. They have been planned out for days or even weeks and at the right moment he strikes. Other times the attack is so blatant and head on it literally feels like an overwhelming flood has hit. I find it interesting that the word flood can also imply an undercurrent. Growing up near Lake Michigan I often heard of the under toes that could pull a swimmer down quickly and the result could be tragic. Being caught off guard and unprepared was deadly for some. Spiritually speaking we must stay alert and knowledgeable to our adversary. We must know the places he tends to visit and the things he is most likely to use against us. He thrives on our ignorance of him and his techniques.

We also must stay aware of God’s actions at such times. At the time of attacks, He will lift up a standard against our enemy. This has the idea of putting one to flight and providing an escape. The enemy is put to flight and I am given a way to escape. I like that! It comforts me to know I never face a battle alone. God fights for me and with me! Without that awareness I sink all too quickly and wonder if I will ever come up for air. But that is not God’s intent. He wants to grow me up in the grace and knowledge of Himself. He wants to develop my spiritual muscles and teach my hands how to war successfully. He wants to teach me how to use the armor He has provided and to stand with boldness and confidence in Him.

I am currently learning another powerful truth. With each battle and in between the battles I am being prepared for the next one that hits. When an attack comes, I am better at fighting than I was for the last one. I take some blows, yes, but the devastation is not as profound and the duration is not as long. Discouragement over the fact that I am still engaged in the same types of battles is being replaced by the truth that I am not fighting against flesh and blood……..even when it is my own…….but I am fighting against principalities and powers and rulers in high places. I am learning to define the battle which is often easily camouflaged by the enemy. It is called discernment, walking in truth, and taking a firm stand on the battlefield. If tears are going to fall let them fall amidst praise of what I know God is doing! May God continue to awaken in me the Spirit of a true warrior child!

Father, this recent attack served as preparation for the next one. I raise my shield of faith and sword of the Spirit once again. This battle is Yours and so am I. Amen.

Truth Telling

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” John 4:16 (New King James Version)

A woman of Samaria comes to a well to get water and is about to have a conversation with Jesus. What she didn’t realize was that He was her Creator and knew every detail of her life. He also sought to be the redeemer of her life. A radical change was about to take place but it would require a moment of truth. Once her interest was pricked Jesus asked her a question that would change her entire view of Him. He asked her to go and get her husband. The woman’s first response was a cover up of sorts. She simply told Jesus she didn’t have a husband. Her words were true but her story was still being well hidden….as far as she was concerned. Jesus knew the truth. In a moments time He exposed an area of her life that she was hoping would remain her “secret.” He revealed the living situation she was presently in. Having been married five times previously, she was now living with a person she wasn’t married to. Her reaction was not one of denial, shame, or anger. Her reaction was that she finally saw Jesus for who He was.

I have come to realize how my honesty with God opens up a relationship with Him that is impossible when I try to hide details of my life from Him. He knows it all. He has seen everything I have done, heard everything I have said, and perceived everything I have thought. He has been present at every conversation, witnessed every heartache, and detected every sin. He even stands fully aware of any future moments in my life. Opening up in honesty to Him is NOT for the purpose of informing Him of something He does not know. It is for the purpose of freeing me!

I love Job 36:16 from the NIV, “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restrictions, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.” It has become my life verse because it expresses God’s plan and work in my life. I am not free in any area where I am in denial or hiding. When I close off any area of my life and hesitate to confide the truth to my Heavenly Father I am in a prison of my own making. His desire for me to be honest with Him about my actions, motives, thoughts, and failures is an invitation to freedom and intimate relationship. My honesty opens up the lines of communication and the door to change.

Knowing that He loves me unconditionally, delights in me as His daughter, and longs to set me free from any and all things, makes it possible and desirable to be honest with Him. I have learned that my truth telling is always met with open arms, tender eyes, listening ears, and receptive heart. The beauty of His fathering me is something I continue to marvel over!

Father, You ask the right questions and probe the right areas of my heart. I am learning to trust You in ways that use to be difficult. May the conversations we have continue to be healing, refreshing, and renewing. Amen.

Becoming Willing

For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing. Isaiah 30:15 (New American Standard Bible)

God knows us thoroughly and will go to any length to bring us to the place He most desires for us to be. Yet, it is easy to misunderstand where He is leading and what He is doing. Many times, He must walk us through numerous issues and places to finally get us to the “starting” point of His desire.

Several years ago when I began this journey I had my own idea of what God was doing. I thought it was all about learning the truth about God and learning the truth about myself, realizing my freedoms in Christ, tearing down the denominational walls as well as the versions of the Bible walls, seeing His Word come alive and practical, eventually writing devotionals, and sharing with others the things God was teaching me. Did those things happen? Absolutely! Were they exciting to experience? Yes! Did they happen over night? Not at all! Have they reshaped and drastically changed the way I live my Christian life? Definitely! At the same time, they were simply the preliminary parts of God’s longing for me. God’s purpose ran much deeper than merely the dynamics of my internal and external life.

I am just now beginning to see that God wants to bring me to the place of living in repentance, rest, quietness, and trust with Him. To seek Him for confidence and comfort. The learn to embrace my emotions in His presence instead of seeking to deny them, anesthetize them, or ignore them. To not allow aloneness to cause me to feel separated from Him. To prefer to spend time with Him more than with anyone else.

I am picturing myself in a large mansion. Many of the rooms are filled with people, things, opportunities, or treasures. One room is where God alone waits for me. As I review my life I see how often I have bi-passed that room for all the others. Those have been my “you were not willing” moments. It is now that I have finally reached for the door knob, stepped inside, and come face to face with the One who will help me to walk intimately with Himself. He is assuring me I am safe, known, and loved. Others have been in this room with Him and their lives attest to the fact that it made all the difference in the world. I long to receive what they received and have that be my central focal point.

Father, You are calling me to a deeper place with Yourself. No human guides will be used at this time. It is just You and me. Amidst the uncertainties and insecurities are hope and anticipation. I come and I bow. Amen.

What To Do Next Time

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (New American Standard Bible)

Although this verse is underlined in my Bible, it has not been one that readily came to mind when I have walked through difficult, painful moments. It has not flowed from my mouth or been reviewed in my mind at times when it would have been beneficial and strengthening to do so. I wish it had! When I faced the darkest valley of my life, I wish I had started each day reading this verse and then reviewing it throughout the day. I believe it would have had a profound effect on me and that it would have weakened the effect of the darkness.

I cannot go back and change the past but I can definitely decide to make this verse a part of my future trials, testings, and tragedies. As I do that, several things will happen. My focus will be directed back toward my Father rather than remaining on my present circumstance. What I choose to look at and dwell on has huge ramifications for either good or bad. When I am consumed with pain, loss, and sorrow it drains me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Better to have my mind fixed and focused on the One who speaks these words to me. When I feel that the road I am on has become quick sand and my sense of security is gone, this verse will infuse me with strength, confidence, and hope. When I am tempted to think I am all alone and forgotten, this verse will reacquaint me with the truth that God is with me and passionately involved in every aspect of my life. When I want another person to come along side me for support, this verse will remind me that HE is my God and HE will strengthen, help, and uphold me! I need not look any further than at the face, hand, and heart of my Creator, Sustainer, and Abba Father.

I recoil at bumper-sticker phrases that are often given out so glibly. Isaiah 41:10 is the kind of truth I need for hard times. It is filled with promises and assurances. It is imperative that above the roar of approaching storms, the sound of broken hearts and subsequent tears, and the deafening effects of anguish that I keep my ears attentive to the sound of God’s voice as He speaks His Word to me. I am presently walking out of my “valley of tears” but have made up my mind this verse will be a part of my next one when it comes…..and it will come.

Father, may the sound of Your voice be heard loud and clear when I face my next over whelming circumstance. Amen.

The One Who Is Responsible

Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:3,4 (New International Version)

I am taking encouragement from this passage today. Each day will entail battles of one sort or another. Whether it is with the world, my flesh, or my greatest enemy, the devil, there will be battles. But my reason for not allowing that to put me in faintheartedness, fear, terror, or panic is because of God’s promise to be with me and to fight for me. He has already assured me of victory. So why do I lack victory in different areas of my life and how can I change future outcomes?

One of my greatest detriments to victorious living is a lack of awareness of Who is making this promise to me. The Lord God is speaking the words and has the ability and desire to carry them out. He wants me to notice how much responsibility He places on Himself to be with me, fight for me, and give me the victory. It is not a matter of me mustering the strength within myself or surrounding myself with the “right” people. It is a matter of taking Him at His word and allowing His word to take hold of me. My eyes are to be on Him, my feet are to be in step with Him, my dependence is to be in Him, and my pursuit is to be for Him. Trust, obey, cooperate, rely upon, and know Him! Those are the channels through which victory flows.

Last night, God helped me to see something that was blocking that channel. It was something I had not been fully aware of and when I saw it I was astounded! It had to do with placing a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of others. In essence He was telling me, “You are expecting people to make you happy, fill your emptiness, fix your problems, answer your questions, complete your life, nurture your soul, and basically take care of all your internal and emotional needs. The disappointment you keep experiencing when they “fail” you is evidence of misplaced expectations. You are trying to make them responsible for your life, feelings, and emotions. Transfer your expectations over to Me. I have already made Myself responsible for all of that and more!” It is the full scope of His promise to be with me, fight for me, and give me the victory. What a gracious God and One in whom I can fully rely!

Taking Him at His word brings me victory and allows people to be what God meant for them to be. It frees me to appreciate them in a way my neediness often wouldn’t allow.

Father, in this holy moment, I no longer hold others responsible for my life. That responsibility lies squarely on Your shoulders and I am in awe of You! Amen.

Redirecting My Questions

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10 (New International Version)

I have often looked to others to define me and tell me what God is thinking. Much like the children of Israel who told Moses to speak to them rather go one on one with God, I was more comfortable and more apt to run my questions, concerns, and ideas past people rather than to my heavenly Father. What patience He has to wait on me!

This morning I am being reminded that I am light in the Lord, I am a child of light, and I am called to find out what pleases God. Who better to tell me what pleases God than God Himself? In my head I know that His Word is meant to light my path and guide my feet. As His child I have access to Him at any time. So what stops me from looking to Him as my primary source of encouragement, guidance, wisdom, advice, and counsel? Why am I so prone to send an email or make a phone call? For each of us, those questions would be answered differently.

Modern technology has made it that much easier to solicit the help and advice of others. It is possible to live ones Christian life without ever running thoughts, agendas, plans, and desires past God or seldom doing so. People are just too accessible and my heart is often drawn toward that accessibility. There are many reasons I would seek out the help of an individual rather than God and I am not prepared to list those reasons. But I know this, I want it to change. For my intimacy with God is hindered with the more “mediators” that stand between God and me.

This morning He is asking me to consider the fact that I would seek advice from someone who has limited knowledge of me as opposed to the One who knows me thoroughly. No one but God knows my entire past, my present internal world, and my future. No one but God has as much love for me, interest invested in me, and watch care over me. I know the Bible speaks of the wisdom found in a multitude of counselors and that God sends individuals into my life to be those counselors. But I also know the balance of seeking God’s counsel and seeking their counsel is in need of alteration. For now, the pendulum must swing in His direction. With a mix of apprehension and anticipation I prepare to do just that!

Father, I turn my face toward You this morning. I open my heart to the very thing You have been desiring to do and that I have been fighting against. Help me to seek You as never before. Amen.

Heading in the Opposite Direction

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. Jonah 1:3 (New American Standard Bible)

As much as I crave God’s clear cut, explicit directions in my life, I stand amazed at Jonah’s reaction. He decides to not only disobey and head in the opposite direction but plans to get as far away as he can. He wants as much space between himself and God’s will as is humanly possible. His blatant disobedience is hard to watch without wincing in my spirit. Yet I know God’s intent for having this story in Scripture is meant to showcase something personally to me this morning. If I allow it to remain on the pages of Scripture and not enter my own heart I am going to miss the personal application that is meant to transform my life.

What is the “Nineveh” God is sending me to on a daily basis? When are the times I am “jumping aboard” to head in the opposite direction of His call? It is not usually in the big areas. This morning God is probing my heart with questions that can feel uncomfortable if I forget His reason for asking them. His desire is always that I allow Him to expose the areas that need His transforming touch. While His questions may be direct and pointed they are asked in a tone of gentleness and love.

So how am I doing at responding to His commands to me? Commands such as: love your enemies, forgive one another, obey your husband, be a keeper at home, share your faith, let your words be gracious, be kind to others, put others before yourself, pray for others, study His Word, be attentive to the needs of others (particularly the poor, widows, and orphans), have the right motives, be patient toward people, etc…. For it is when I refuse to extend my hand to another person or close my heart to one in need that I am being a Jonah. I may find a hundred other things to do rather than the simple thing God is directing me to do but it is at that point that I am finding my own ship to head in my own direction.

Jonah had his reasons for where he was headed and I have my reasons. Part of Christian maturity is aligning my actions and beliefs with the desires of my Father’s heart. Today will reveal whether I am boarding a ship or grasping the hand of my Father in obedience.

Father, You have spoken. Help me to obey in all areas. Amen.

Assured by His Presence

Lo, I am with you always. Matthew 28:20 (New American Standard Bible)

These were the words spoken by Jesus as He gave the great commission to His disciples, but they serve as words of comfort to me this morning. Right now, in this moment, I am not on a spiritual high and neither am I in a valley of despair. I am somewhere in the middle and I just need the reminder that He is with me even now. I am glad He knows what I need.

Earlier as I read Scripture and a number of devotional books nothing in particular stood out. Actually, I was finding it hard to concentrate and focus. That always makes me wonder. In fact, it can fill me with thoughts that are far from secure. God knows that about me and wants me to learn to relax with Him. To know that right now, He still holds me, watches over me, and nudges me forward.

While I am one who loves excitement, today feels so normal it is almost scary. And God whispers, “I am with you.” I don’t know what today holds, and He says, “I do and I am with you.” I feel uncertain, but He says, “I am very certain and I am with you.” He is inviting me to live out of His words in Matthew 11:28-30 which say, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

My soul needs rest. To be still and know that He is God. No striving, no struggling, no trying to figure it all out. Just rest, stillness, and knowing Him. For He knows that unless I learn to “settle in” with Him in this moment, I will not be ready to walk with Him through more challenging moments. It all comes down to yielding and trust. Tenseness must give way to His voice. Life has slowed down and God wants me to slow down as well. Not necessarily on the outside. I will still head off to work in about an hour. But rather to slow down internally. Savor the preciousness of His presence. Trust the moving and impulses of His Spirit rather than the direction of my own personality, temperament, and flesh. That in itself will make an otherwise ordinary day extraordinary!

Father, I am not use to this. Without Your persistent assurance I don’t think I would see this as beneficial. So today I choose to rest in You. Amen.

Telling What He Has Done

Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul. Psalm 66:16 (New American Standard Bible)

Look back over any period in your life and try to discern what God has done for your soul as a result of that time. Think of the lessons learned, the steps taken, and the growth that resulted. God’s desire is that we share it with others. Why? So that their view of God is enlarged and He is glorified. Can you identify moments in your life that would do that? Are you willing to tell someone about it?

I find that the most precious conversations can arise from the most difficult trials and testings we have been through. To sit with another individual and share with them the things that you thought would do you in and what God accomplished through all of it. Not just the painful moments of life, but the failures and weaknesses as well. Sad to say, too many believers are still trying to put on a brave front that says I am getting through this life without skinned knees and bruised elbows. They wouldn’t dare let someone know about their places of vulnerability, regrets, hurts, and struggles. Hence, the things they have learned remain a secret as well. Their “mannequin” life keeps others at a safe distance and their story of what God has done continues to be untold. Oh the richness that is lost when that is the case.

I think of King David and how his words of reveling in God’s forgiveness are so profound because we are told of his adultery and murder that needed the forgiveness. I think of how the reception the prodigal son received is so touching because we know of his waywardness. Time and time again God displayed His work in lives on the backdrop of dark moments in those lives. And He desires to do the same with us.

I have individuals in my life who rejoice with me as God brings me through my own journey of freedom from emotional dependency. They know the specific struggles and cheer me on as each step of victory is taken. That wasn’t always the case. Shame and embarrassment kept that part of my life a secret for too long. Now it is with joy that I share the things God has done for my soul in the midst of it. The lessons I am learning and the growth that is resulting are being freely shared because they are meant to be shared. Transparency and authenticity mark our life when we dare to admit we are human but serve an incredible God! Merely telling of the struggles would be morbid and of little value. But when we share how God has worked in all of it and what He has accomplished, the sharing comes alive with meaning and power. May I never stop doing that!

Father, Your work in me is worth sharing. And that sharing is more powerful when people know the story behind the story. May my transparency reveal Your workmanship. Amen.

His Kind of Love

The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 (New American Standard Bible)

The many facets of this verse continue to astound me. It was one of the first truths God used to revolutionize my Christian life four years ago. His love! A love that is not dependent on what I do. A love that is lasting. A love that is consistent and lavishly given. A love that is not easily understood because of its width, breadth, length, and depth. Just when I think I have accepted His love for me and am walking in that love, God steps in and shows me a new aspect that He is aware I have not begun to grasp.

It happened yesterday. I found myself wincing at an aspect of myself that I don’t like seeing is still a part of me. I am learning we all have things in our life we must confront and continually bring before God. Areas that make us cringe and we want desperately to be rid of. But I am learning that in the process of God’s transforming work He has multiple things to teach me through those very things. Admitting the truth about myself to myself and God took time. He had to unwrap the many layers of shame and condemnation that had cocooned me. I didn’t realize the “hiding” was a self-imposed prison. I had to learn that voicing the truth to Him would lead to a freedom to relax in His presence. Yet something was still amiss.

It was in the process of sharing with Him my continued dislike of this area in me that He was able to help me see an aspect of His love that had eluded me. It was a time for Him to say, “You wince at your weakness because you still have a wrong view of Me. You are failing to see my compassion and mercy for you in your fallen moments.” How well He knows our thoughts! The truth of the matter is that when I bring an issue to God, He is not standing there with His arms folded, a scowl on His face, and irritated disappointment. Instead, He is drawing me with cords of loving kindness and finding pleasure in the process. He is not a God who simply tolerates me. He is a God who loves me with an everlasting love even when I am undeserving of it. I marvel.

I offer these words of encouragement to any who fail to see this same aspect about God’s love. To any who cower or cringe in His presence. His heart is still that of the father who welcomed the prodigal home! He always rejoices at our drawing near to Him. Always!

Father, my view of You is being transformed continually. You are so gentle with my finiteness and imperfection. With You I am safe. With You I am loved. Amen.

How Do I Do That?

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (New American Standard Bible)

I find great difficulty in doing something that I don’t understand. For years I have heard I should take my thoughts captive but failed to understand exactly what that meant and how to go about doing it. I would hear illustrations, like when a cowboy ropes a calf or when a soldier takes a prisoner hostage, but the pictures didn’t show me HOW. I had learned the source of my damaging thoughts and imaginations was myself and the enemy but I was finding myself with more failure than victory in the area of “taking the thoughts captive.” It seemed for a while I would guard myself against the thoughts entering but if the enemy remained persistent I usually ended up dwelling on wrong thoughts and going down a mental and emotional trail that led to pits, dungeons, and prison cells of great proportion. Then the thoughts of hopelessness and “you will never change” would set in and defeat would be the only picture that hung over my horizon.

God knows better and He desires better for me! First, He began assuring me that He was exposing this area in my life to show me what He wanted to transform and then He reminded me that He always finishes what He starts. What eventually came to me was a very simple yet powerful prayer that WORKS every time I speak it and it comes right from today’s verse. At first, when a thought came to mind that I knew was not of God and not good for me, I simply said, “I take that thought captive to Jesus Christ.” And instantly the thought was gone! Now I have begun adding to that phrase and finding joy in the anticipation that it will work every time. I have prayed it several times already this morning and want to share with you an example of what my prayer now entails.

“I take that thought captive to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is based on a lie rather than truth. I choose to think on what is true. I have the mind of Christ and God’s Spirit living in me. Purify my thoughts and my motives, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

Whether the thought is based on lies, jealousy, insecurities, feelings of abandonment, suspicion, or any number of things, I know now to identify it and state the victorious opposite. May this help others as much as it has helped me.

Father, it is so essential that I handle my thoughts in the right way. Dwelling on the right things and taking captive the wrong things is one huge key to victory for me. Thank you for continuing to transform my life and my walk with You. Amen.

Learning How to Fight

We are not able to go up against this people, for they are too strong for us. Numbers 13:31 (New American Standard Bible)

These words were spoken by ten of the twelve spies upon returning from their forty day assignment in the land of Canaan. The land God had promised to bring them into and cause them to possess. But what they saw with their eyes and believed in their heart resulted in fear, unbelief, and disobedience. In other words, they embraced lies rather than truth! For any of us, that spells danger and disaster every time! If only they had embraced God’s promises to them and reviewed the past deliverances He afforded them. If only we would do the same!

I am becoming acutely aware of the persistence of the enemy to introduce many negative thoughts to me or exaggerate the ones I come up with on my own. Like the children of Israel, I come to believe the very things I should reject and the longer I dwell on those things the more powerful the stronghold becomes. I can tell when this is happening because my mind becomes filled with negative, condemning, fearful, hopeless, frustrating, and confusing thoughts. It is a trap he loves setting for me and delights when I step into it and remain in it. Any time I voice the words of Numbers 13:31 over a situation in my life I can be sure I have exchanged God’s truth for Satan’s lies.

After a two day battle, I finally decided it was time to change my position. It was time to become savvy and discerning in regards to the activities of my mind and those of the enemy. I knew that my primary need was to flesh out the truth of taking my thoughts captive but sometimes that concept can seem intimidating and elusive. So I googled the phrase “taking thoughts captive” and discovered a treasure cove of articles that had rich information for me to feed on. I learned some things about the enemies tactics, the things in me that he uses, and the power of using my Ephesians 6 armor to resist him.

Already this morning I have been aware of several attempts he has made to walk me down a path of emotional turmoil and each attempt was met with resistance and a closed door. I am amazed at how ineffective his schemes are when I apply the truth of God’s word, stand on the promises of God’s word, and wield my sword (God’s Word) at every lie and distortion.

Father, You invite me to stand against the schemes of the enemy and take every thought captive. I want to become a valiant soldier on the battleground of my mind. Teach me! Amen.

Seeing Who It Comes From

Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD. I Kings 12:24 (New King James Version)

War was diverted among God’s people with this one verse. How essential it is that I allow God to speak these same words over my life in any given situation. For God knows my tendency to focus on the difficult circumstances or people in my life and miss the precious truth of His sovereignty and involvement over and through all things. How easy it can be to fight the very thing that God is either causing or allowing. There is no rest or peace when I choose to resist that which God is doing.

Rather than fight it, God implores me to return to my home, and Psalm 91 reminds me where my home is. It is in the shadow of His wings, for He is to be my dwelling place, refuge, and fortress. God wants me to realize that I am to abide in His presence for my shelter, safety, and security.

As I step into a new day (and month) God desires me to hear Him voice His five word phrase to me on a continual basis. When I face a difficulty, “This thing is from Me.” When I sustain a loss, “This thing is from Me.” When a medical diagnosis threatens to turn my world upside down, “This thing is from Me.” When relationships change, “This thing is from Me.” When disappointment marks my path, “This thing is from Me.” When that which I desire to hold on to slips through my fingers, “This thing is from Me.” When my plans fall apart, “This thing is from Me.” When the storms of life hit hard, “This thing is from Me.” When dreams die, “This thing is from Me.”

As I receive the words He is speaking then I will find the peace that passes all understanding. I will no longer view myself as a victim of other people’s choices and actions. I will stop being consumed with self pity, condemnation, and grief. Each portrait the enemy has painted on the walls of my imagination will be replaced with artwork painted by the sovereign and loving hand of God. I will begin to notice the many positive, uplifting, and encouraging gifts with which God graces my life. And I will experience the truths of Zephaniah 3:17 which say He will quiet me with His love.

Father, there is not a day in my life when I do not need to hear you say these things are from You. I receive them as words spoken from a heart of love and a desire for my good. Amen.