Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Personalizing Scripture


For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (New King James Version)


It is one thing to read today’s verse with the all inclusive word “we” but it is an eye-opener and heart-mover to read it with the personal word “I”. To say out loud that I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them forces me to admit when and where I am not walking as such.

As I read the whole second chapter of Ephesians this way I was so aware of times when I still walk according to my flesh and mind rather than as a redeemed, blood bought daughter of God. My response and actions that come when I have been hurt and disappointed (or perceived I have been) still resembles that of one who does not know God. It is not so much that after nearly 38 years of being a Christian I still contend with pride, selfishness, and me-ism, it is that I give in to it so easily. When tempted in areas that affect my ego I still fold. That is the glaring truth for me this morning.

The second chapter of Ephesians is all about what I once was and who I am now. I want the who am now to be different. I want my choices and mindsets to be different. I want my view of people and my relationship with them to be different. With that said, I know the difference will require change on my part. It will require submission to God as He nudges and empowers me to do things differently than I have been doing them. Even though my methods have not worked, I am comfortable with them but uncomfortable with the results they keep yielding. That discomfort is what God is using to bring about in me a desire for change.

If left on my own, I will never see the transformation for which I long. But I am not left on my own. I am indwelt by the very Spirit of Christ and His Word lives in me. Victory and change ARE possible because of those two factors. The key will be relinquishing my will in exchange for God’s will. That is something He will not do for me but I have no doubt He will guide me in the process.

I will admit it scares me to think of living my life differently than I have been living it. To change the way I think, act, and respond in painful moments is over whelming at times. But I know the change will be worth it and when it comes I will marvel that I fought the process for as long as I have.

Father, You have been watching me re-enact one painful choice after another and all the while have longed for me to walk in Your ways. Give me the grace to change. Amen.

A Different Road - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2awWTLmGU

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Receiving Help


But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. Exodus 17:12 (New American Standard Bible)


I can often read a portion of Scripture and pull out the applications that best suit me at the time. Many have been the times I have read this account of Moses being aided by Aaron and Hur only to have my mind drawn toward the individuals God has used in my life to help at pivotal times. Individuals who came along side me with encouraging words and a willingness to hold me up spiritually and emotionally. Times when I felt weak and heavy hearted. They were godsends and ones of whom I have been grateful.

While that is all true, I have often missed a profound aspect of this biblical account of help. Later in the chapter, after Israel has the victory over Amalek, Moses does and says something that stands out to me. He built an altar and named it THE LORD IS MY BANNER. He came away from the experience not focused on the human help he had received but rather on the Lord as his helper. Did he need help from people? Yes! Did he accept the help from people? Absolutely! But when it was all said and done, the ones who helped were not the ones He centered his life around, grew dependent upon, or accredited the accomplishments to. God had sent the help (through people) but did not become replaced by those people.

I marvel at the balance. I long for it in my own life. I have people in my life who know my struggles and are willing to help me get on my “feet” again. For the past few days I have feared receiving the help because I know how easily such help can become a source to me that is addictive. Yet, this morning, Moses’ example is helping me to see that accepting help is not the problem. The problem lies in my own tendency to forget that God is my ultimate Help and Helper. Individuals are used of Him for a time. Their help is needed but it is temporary and meant only to help bring me to a place of moving forward once again.

Moses’ arms were held up when the battle raged but even then he knew God was doing the real holding and helping. May I learn to accept what is being offered to me by God and the helpers He sends. May I not see it as a permanent situation but rather as a present and temporary need.

Father, I raise my hands to You as I receive the support of the ones coming along side me at this time. I look to You as I receive their help. Amen.

You Are My All In All - Dennis Jernigan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Up58OEtps

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Friday, January 21, 2011

When It is Time to Let Go


But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. Exodus 8:32 (New American Standard Bible)


Pharaoh’s refusal to let the children of Israel go was driven by a heart of refusal in regards to God and His ways. Time and time again we come across the phrase found in today’s verse. Each time, it results in further judgment via plagues. Even when Pharaoh claims to be ready to release the people, there is no intent for him to actually do so. What he is holding on to is the very thing that brings God’s hand against him. Each time his stubbornness is exposed, God’s power and control are revealed. It actually brings about the ruin of his land, his army, his people, and his kingdom as he knew it. Just when he thought he was having his way, he wasn’t. It wasn’t worth it for Pharaoh to hold on to that which God was telling him to let go of and it is never worth it for us.

If each of us is honest, we will admit to times when God has told us to “let go!” It may have come through His Word as we read it. It may have come through His Spirit speaking to us in the quiet moments. It may have come through watching another individual live with the consequences of holding on instead of letting go. It may even have been through a ‘Moses’ in our own life who has spoken clearly of what we need to release. Whatever the case may be, we know that we know what we need to let go of. Be it a habit, a way of thinking, or a way of living, we are on dangerous ground when a stubborn heart rules us rather than a submissive spirit. When we tighten rather than loosen our grip.

Pharaoh is a reminder to me that even when we think we are calling the shots and getting our way, we are not. God is sovereign and He is in control. Ultimately He always gets the last word. While this frustrated Pharaoh, it should be reassuring to us. How different the scenario would have been had Pharaoh not had a hardened heart. Had he obeyed God’s command to let His people go. But he didn’t.

I don’t want to be like Pharaoh and I don’t want my life story to play out like his. I am at a place of decision in my life. That which I am holding on to is causing me difficulty, discomfort, and distress. It is a mindset that has a hold on me because I have a hold of it. If I release it there will be change for the good. If I hold on to it, there will be consequences that will be painful. I am looking to God to show me how to let go, how to release, and how to walk in the freedom that He desires for me.

Father, give to me a heart of flesh that pulsates with obedience and love for you. That which You have put Your finger on is presently still in my hands and mind. Give me the grace to finally let go. Amen.

Power of Your Love - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6Qtxzd6vk&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Seeing What God Intended


As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. Genesis 50:20 (New American Standard Bible)


Joseph’s ability to forgive lay in his acceptance and belief of God’s sovereignty. While what his brothers did to him was wrong, God’s purposes were right. Joseph had no trouble acknowledging the truth of his brother’s actions but it was done with the backdrop of God’s actions. He was one who experienced the words of Jeremiah 29:11 even before they were written. “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” Somewhere in the course of 13 years of separation from his family and enslavement and imprisonment in Egypt, Joseph learned that God’s plans and purposes outshine and outweigh those of others. Their actions fade in comparison to His own.

I have tried to think of a time in my life when someone actually meant evil against me. Someone who intended to do me harm for their own pleasure and satisfaction. Nothing is really coming to mind. But that is not to say that the actions of others have not caused me discomfort, pain, sorrow, and anguish. Some have even left me with the thought that I would never recover from the heartache. Yet, it was the realization of God’s involvement in my life that brought about the comfort and healing that I needed. The God who promised to work all things out for good, Who stated that His thoughts and plans were higher than my own, and the One who spoke of my welfare, peace, and a hopeful end, is the One who writes the true version of my life story.

Joseph could have taken a victim mentality and harbored much bitterness but he didn’t. I, too, can think of myself as a victim and hold on to bitterness, but I know I had better not. In essence, if I did, I would be living a lie because that is not God’s view. That which happens to me is for my good (always) and that which takes place in my life is the material God uses to bring about good (always). If for no other reason than to get my attention and focus back on Him, He is loving enough to allow things to happen.

I rest in the fact that the only hands I am in are God’s hands. He has laid claim to my life and promises to shield, shepherd, and sustain me. No circumstance takes place that has not already passed through Him. He sees it all and He uses it all. May I continue to learn to proclaim, “But God meant it for good” over every situation of every day.

Father, Your ways are past figuring out. You know the beginning from the ending and I trust You to bring about Your end to my story. Thank you that what has hurt me the most is within the realm of Your good intentions for me. Amen.

Rest In Me - Todd Vaters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s4z_HQpL-I&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

With All That I Have


So ISRAEL made his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba [a place hallowed by sacred memories] and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. Genesis 46:1 (Amplified Bible)


Israel (Jacob) made his journey with all that he had. Not just his family, but also his possessions, his experiences, his memories, his character, his calling, his relationship with God, and his internal world. The baggage he carried contained both positive and negative items and aspects. It carried 130 years of living that was filled with success as well as failure. Excitement as well as disappointment. Gain as well as loss.

We are no different. Each day, each journey, each step we take we take with all that we have and hold on to. Some of it is worth keeping and some of it needs to be discarded once and for all. Some will act as sinkers in the sea of life and some will act as life preservers. Some will slow down our progress and some will enhance it.

There are times when I need to have a Beersheba moment and offer some sacrifices to God. I am to be a living sacrifice and yet at the same time I need to make some sacrifices and put some things to death. I need to allow some mindsets to die. I need to determine to let some desires die. I need to recognize and destroy some idols of the heart. I need to let go of anything that is not of God or for my good.

I also need to hold tighter to the gems of wisdom I have come to possess. I need to embrace the friendships that God has graciously given to me at this time in my life. I need to take stock of my strengths and weaknesses which are both usable by the Lord of my life. I need to treasure His Word that has found a home in my heart. I need to take the tools for living that I have learned and make them a part of my decision making process.

What my journey looks like and how far I get on that journey today will be dependent upon what I continue to take with me. Hopefully, today I will add some things and discard some things. With God’s help I will do it well.

Father, I look to You for wisdom and discernment on this journey You have called me to and equipped me for. Let me see the direction You would have me go and help me to follow You with abandon. Amen.

Be Still - Derri Daugherty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4UCMt_5mGM

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Seeing Ourselves


Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Isaiah 6:5 (New American Standard Bible)


I find it interesting that the very thing that Isaiah viewed as his worst asset was the very thing that God wanted to use…his mouth, his words, his voice. Our weaknesses are not a deterrent to God’s plan but rather a starting place for that plan to come forth…to be birthed. When we bring our weaknesses to God and receive His forgiveness and cleansing we are actually putting ourselves in a position to be used of Him. Until we can come to that place we are simply observers of His kingdom work.

It took me a long time to realize that admitting the truth about myself to God, myself, and others was the first step toward freedom and usefulness. What I shuttered at the most was what God wanted to use. What I thought disqualified me actually qualified me. Along with that is the joy of knowing I am not alone…I follow a long line of individuals who had to face the “not so pretty” picture of themselves in order to begin seeing God’s portrait that included them. This often followed a time of failure and a time of solitude.

Moses’ killed a man and spent 40 years in the wilderness before God’s call came to him. He had been spent of all his self-sufficiency and know how. David committed adultery and murder and spent many years running from Saul before assuming his place as king. Joseph boasted of dreams and ended up spending 13 years as a slave and prisoner before rising to a place of authority in Egypt. Person after person is shown in their human frailty and a time of conditioning that God brought them through to mold them into the person He created them to be for the fulfillment of His purpose.

I have spent the past number of years painfully seeing my own heart and life condition. It hasn’t been pretty, comfortable, or enjoyable, but it has been necessary and productive. Just coming to the place of saying, like Isaiah, “I am a person of __________,” has caused me to hang my head in shame on more than one occasion. Looking back at my Bible ancestors gives me hope, though, because I know it is part of the process God will use with me just as He did with them. To know that my words of admittance are always received by Him in love makes all the difference in the world. Whatever He is able to redeem and restore from this life of mine, I praise Him for!

Father, touch me with the coals of cleansing and make me fit for Your use and Your hands. Amen.

Call On Jesus - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz8P96myUZk&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Doing As He Has Done


A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 (New International Version)


There are two instances in Scripture where we are told to do what Christ has done. One is to love as He loved and the other is to forgive as He has forgiven. Both entail our interaction with others. Whether or not the loving and forgiving is “deserved” in our eyes, whether or not the other person is receptive to either, whether or not it is easy, we are to do as He did. He asks (insists on) nothing of us that He has not already done for us…in example as well as in relationship. He loves and forgives us when we least deserved it, when we aren’t receptive or even aware of it, and when we aren’t the easiest to work with or through.

Yet, at the same time, He knows we are human and will be prone to failure. He knows we cannot do as He as done without His help because out of our flesh and personal ambitions we will experience what Peter experienced when he proclaimed several verses later that he would lay down his life for Christ. In himself, he thought he was already equipped to die a martyr’s death yet failed miserably that very night. It was the beginning of coming to the end of himself and years later he DID lay down his life for Christ but only because the ability came from Christ.

No matter what the command to us is, we are as incapable of mustering up the obedience up on our own. Without true heart change from God’s work and Spirit in us we will accomplish behavior modification at best and it will be short lived. It will be a continual strain which lacks joy and fruit. It will be as empty and non productive as the things we attempted to do before coming to Christ.

So where do we start? We start with humility before God. We acknowledge what it is He calls us to do and how in ourselves we are unable to do it. We ask for His strength in our weakness and His work to be done in us even with our fleshly tendencies. This is the essence of Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.“ As the opportunities arise to live out His commands we stay aware of our need of Him. He is not looking for or expecting perfection and neither should we. Progress and growth, my friends. Progress and growth.

Father, I am not able to do the least of Your commands without Your help. All that You tell me to do is only possible by Your grace and assistance. I need You. Amen.

Power of Your Love - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PLAWhr1o1A

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Monday, January 10, 2011

I Cannot Ask for More


Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good, His love endures forever. Jeremiah 33:11 (New International Version)


Due to my own insecurities and such, relationships can often be a struggle for me. Discontentment and discouragement find their way into the fibers of even my closest friendships. Yesterday, I asked the Lord to show me the reason for this. To show me what it was I was seeking. He was quick to respond and I was quick to see. It came down to a longing to be loved more by others. It didn’t matter how much I was already loved, I wanted more. More communication, more attention, more affirmation, more nurturing…more. Although it was a hard truth to acknowledge and confess it was a truth that gave birth to a precious truth for me.

While I may desire for others to love me more (show me more love), I can never say that about God. God’s love is complete already and He is unable to love me any more than He already does…..100%! Nothing can take it from me. Nothing can separate me from it. Nothing can diminish it or increase it.

While I cannot ask God to love me more than He already does, I can ask Him to help me receive His love more than I do. To see it, sense it, and live out of the abundance of it. To let it impact my life more fully and thus change me. That realization brought me full circle back to my dilemma with people.

It is not a matter of people needing to love me more but rather me needing to acknowledge the love that is already there. Although people are limited in their love and ability to show it, I must come to see , sense , appreciate , and receive what IS available. To allow their love to fill the places God intended it to fill and yet not confuse it with being a replacement of God’s love (which is limitless).

The hole and ache in my soul can only be filled by God and when I look to people to do the filling THAT is when the frustration, confusion, and struggle begin to surface. I don’t want to live the rest of my life like I have lived the past number of decades and I won’t if I let God show me my own heart as well as His heart. Change comes with truth and obedience which are always connected to God.

Father, I needed to hear the truth from You. Now that I have heard it, help me to live in that truth and in Your love. Amen.

How Can I Keep From Singing? - Chris Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GPpx9oINsI&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

For Those in Need


Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Matthew 9:10-12 (New American Standard Bible)


It is interesting to see the different aspects and responses of the individuals mentioned in this passage. Tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus and Jesus welcomed them. The Pharisees viewed them and Jesus with condemnation and disgust. Jesus spoke the truth. He came for those who needed Him. Everyone needs Him but not everyone sees their need of Him. Those who see their need come to Him. Those who do not see their need of Him remain at a distance. How we view our condition will determine which direction we will head.

There are two steps necessary to find help and healing for our areas of weakness as well as forgiveness for our sins. The first step is seeing the truth about ourselves and the second step is seeing the truth about God’s view of us. I have spent most of my Christian life attempting to put my best foot forward in hopes that failures and weaknesses would not be noticed. Admitting there was a problem was hard to do. I had hopes that within time things would just improve. What I didn’t realize was that anything I keep “hidden” keeps me in bondage.

God had to help me see that I was like the person coming to a support group not wanting to admit where I needed help. Thinking He wanted perfection made me want to deny my imperfections because of shame, embarrassment, and pride. More than outward sins it was the sins of my heart, hidden agendas, and buried motives that chained my soul. Yet, I struggled to openly and honestly come to the One who possessed the keys to freedom. I tried to play make believe and dress up with the One who not only created me but knew me thoroughly and loved me unconditionally.

His answer? “Come to Me.” When I see my imperfections. “Come to Me.” When I see my addictions. “Come to Me.” When I see that I am not what I should be or even what I want to be. “Come to Me.” When the worst of me has the best of me. “Come to Me.” In essence what He is saying is, “Be among the tax collectors and sinners rather than among the Pharisees. Dine with me rather than remain aloof.” I am learning to find my seat at His table.

Father, with You I am free to be me. Free to see the truth. Free to admit the truth. Free to be set free by the truth. Amen.

It Wasn't Easy - Cece Winans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVT9_ulYv2k&feature=related#sf

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Who's in Control?


They promise them freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves of things that will be destroyed. For people are slaves of anything that controls them. 2 Peter 2:19 (New Century Version)


The words stood out to me like a 4,000 watt neon sign……people are slaves to anything that controls them!!! It is the bottom line truth of any and all addictions. I have known such bondage and been a slave more times than I care to recall or recount. Bondage to relationships, food, attitudes of the heart, mindsets, and even legalism. I can tell when “it” is in control and when I am being controlled. Not good and not fun.

I begin this new year with a fresh realization of what I was enslaved to in 2010. It is not a time of beating myself up but rather of looking once again to the only One willing and able to set me free. In some areas, simply cooperating with Him is life changing in itself. For instance, I have changed my diet to include more protein and that has resulted is a freedom from the pull of opting for high carb foods. My energy level is up as my weight is once again heading down. For me, it was a relatively easy fix, and yet I still see it as cooperating with God.

Other areas are not as easy but every once in a while I gain some insight that previously eluded me. Bondage to a past relationship continues to be a daily issue for me. While I have changed some behavior the heart is still feeling the struggle. A friend recently gave me a nugget of truth I have pondered for the past few days. The desire to hold on to what I need to be freed from will only take place as I choose to embrace something new in my life. In other words, the pull will only weaken and eventually break off as I take a hold of what God is offering to me.

So what hinders me from doing that? The false belief that what I desire to hold on to is better than what God is choosing for me now. That false belief will only be conquered as I once again rest in the truth that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. He knows what is best. He knows what is needed in my life.

I want 2011 to be a year of unprecedented freedom for me. I want to fully embrace God and His plan for me. At the same time, I want to fully celebrate the person He has created me to be. That begins with reviewing who I am in Christ and all He is in me.

Father, may I stop longing for what was and take a hold of what is with all my heart and both my hands! Amen.

You Are Loved - Hope's Call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNUsZzBwi8

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.